༺ School Tuition is More Expensive Than I Thought! (6) ༻
Naru loved fruits.
The reason was simple.
It’s because fruits are delicious.
And among fruits, Naru especially loved strawberries.
“So many strawberries!”
Naru exclaimed in astonishment as she looked at the plate and bowl in front of her.
Not only strawberries but also baskets filled with tempting fruits like grapes and peaches were on the table.
“I love strawberries so much!”
Naru raised her hand in excitement.
But the children sitting beside her were trembling with fear.
Especially Elizabeth, who even shed a few tears.
“What should we do? It’s already getting late for dinner. Dad must be worried about me. But this place is filled with scary men…”
Elizabeth scanned her surroundings.
A huge tent-like room.
The floor was covered with soft tiger fur, and the beds and sofas were all luxurious items Elizabeth had never seen before.
It felt like the palace of a savage tribal chief in a story─ that was the impression she got.
On the other hand, Cecily seemed quite satisfied with the excessively luxurious and abundant room meant to be a place for holding captives or hostages.
“It’s a room fit for nobles. Although they may be robbers and thieves, it seems there are people here who know how to welcome guests, right?”
Cecily’s eyes were fixed on the jewel necklace hanging on the wall.
Not only the necklace but also the box filled with sparkling diamond-studded crowns and gold rings looked incredibly beautiful.
“These items seem to suit this Cecily Von Ragdoll, who is nobler than anyone else.”
Click—
Cecily opened the jewel box, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at the glittering accessories.
‘There are so many, I could sneak one out… Ahh, no, what am I thinking? This is something a thief’s daughter would do, not a noble’s…!’
Cecily shook her head vigorously.
Of course, Naru next to her continued to happily and uncaringly devour the strawberries.
“So many strawberries! But now they’re all gone because Naru ate them all. Naru is full. Naru is stuffed.”
Naru chuckled.
Even though it was dinner time and she was hungry, filling her stomach with her favorite fruit made her feel extremely happy.
She had regained her strength.
“Well, let’s try to get out of here!”
Naru said.
Upon hearing those words, the ashen princess Tywin frowned.
“How do you plan to leave? The door is securely locked with a padlock. We’re not guests here. We were brought here as captives. We’re hostages.”
The wise and intelligent Tywin maintained her composure.
While the other children were confused in various ways, Tywin was thinking about how to safely escape from there.
Clank— Thud—
With the sound of the lock opening, someone entered the room.
He was a man with a large scar in the shape of an X on his forehead.
He looked brutal.
“So there were really kids. Are all these girls the Priestesses of Gluttony? They just seem like ordinary kids to me… I am Donovan, here to give you dinner.”
Clatter— Clack—
The man with the X-shaped scar, who introduced himself as Donovan, placed two plates on the table.
On top were deliciously grilled meats, and seeing the steam rising from them, it seemed like they had just finished cooking.
“Delicious smell….”
Hina, The Priestess of Gluttony, who had been silent all this while, reacted.
Her stomach growled.
Seeing her, Donovan chuckled.
“You guys are just helpless kids after all. We would be able to get quite the ransom from your parents, alas… If that happened, Jack would surely hunt me down. The boss would kill anyone who got in the way of his fortune-telling.”
Jack.
Tywin engraved that name in her mind.
She had heard the name several times while staying here, and it seemed that he was the owner of this band of thieves.
He appeared to be a cruel and wicked man, one who could even kill his own comrades without hesitation.
And it seemed like he had an obsessive belief in ‘fortune-telling’.
That’s why they treated kids like them as disciples and served them like extremely important guests.
‘This is our chance to make it.’
Tywin used to be a Priestess on 61st Street.
Actually, she didn’t want to work in a place like 61st Street, but it was the will of the Goddess Ephar that made her do it.
Still, through that experience, Tywin realized that more people than she had thought, were attached to uncertain things like fortune-telling and superstitions.
Even high-ranking officials and nobles known for their wisdom secretly came to Tywin and asked, “How can I become the chairman of the citizens?”.
‘Thieves are said to be particularly sensitive to luck. It’s perfectly possible for a skilled thief to be obsessed with fortune-telling, superstitions, and divination.’
Tywin was thinking such thoughts.
Gik—
When the tent door opened, someone revealed themselves.
He was a man wearing thick leather armor.
With ash-colored hair and a rugged appearance, the two deep-set eyes under his eyebrows were sharp, but they shone like emeralds, reminiscent of a wolf.
Donovan was taken aback when he saw him.
“Bo… Boss.”
“Donovan. You were supposed to prepare only fruits and vegetables for the meal of the Priestesses today, not meat. It’s considered unlucky to eat meat on a day like this!”
“Well, even though they are Priestesses… they’re still growing children, so it’s better to consider their growth stage and provide them with proper nutrition…”
“You’re fired.”
Clang—!
A loud noise could be heard.
The man who had introduced himself as Donovan fell to the ground, blood dripping from his forehead.
“Hiiikk…!”
Elizabeth was greatly shocked by the sight.
Boss, as Donovan called him, inserted a smoking gun into his holster and spoke.
“I apologize. My subordinates are ignorant and don’t understand the importance of fortune-telling. But I do. More than anyone else. ‘Luck’ is the scattered fragment of divinity when Nocturne was destroyed.”
He was a ruthless man.
When all the children fell silent, unable to even blink, the man continued speaking.
“To be strong in luck means to receive the favor of Demiurge Nocturne. In that sense, I, Jack Crocker, am luckier than anyone. Have I ever told you the story of how I survived 25 years ago?”
Thump—
The man who called himself Jack Crocker sat on top of Donovan’s fallen body.
“I was a skeptic back then. I didn’t believe in luck. But one day, an old man who I had kept as a slave said to me, ‘Beware of black hair.’ That day, savages attacked, and I barely survived.”
He chuckled.
Jack Crocker, who now had wolf-like eyes, looked at the children.
“I was chosen by Nocturne. So what about my fortune? Does it look like I could become the king of thieves? Or do you see my death? Tell me.”
Tywin sensed an aura resonating from the man in response to Jack Crocker’s question.
As a Priestess of the Goddess Ephar, Tywin saw the man as an omen of disaster.
A villain who had killed countless people.
Such men who were an omen of disaster usually met a tragic end.
At that moment, Hina spoke up.
“Someday… you will burn and die… But luck is ever-changing… Fate can be changed… Like a blazing furnace… If you are only wary of the flames, everything else will be fine…”
“Flames, huh? I like that. That’s the answer I wanted. You truly are an interesting Priestess. The reason I joined the bothersome Tenebris was to meet an interesting Priestess like you.”
Swoosh—
The man stood up from his seat.
And then, he pointed his finger at each of the children one by one.
“But the number of Priestesses is five… Was it originally five…? The number five is ominous. It would be better to go with an auspicious number, like three. Let’s settle it with a draw tonight.”
And then, he shouted loudly to the people outside.
“Hey, you trash out there! Get rid of the corpse. And make sure to take care of the Priestesses. They are valuable guests who will stay on this mountain for the rest of their lives. Three of them will at least.”
“Ah-! It’s understood…!”
As the man went outside, someone came running.
They appeared to be around 15 years old.
“…Nymph?”
Tywin frowned.
It was a nymph with short, curly, orange hair that resembled wool.
Seeing her, Naru greeted her happily.
“Oh, holy shh, Sifnoi!”
“Muehehehe… That’s very right…! Know that from now on, this Nymph will be watching over everyone… So it’s better not to even dream of escaping…! But why do you know this Sifnoi’s name…?”
* * *
“I’ll take care of Jack. The Shadow Council told me to bring Jack’s head. So you should go towards where those Priestess kids are being held captive, okay?”
Salome asked me.
We made a plan based on the information we had received at the tavern.
Salome’s goal in this mountain range was to hunt down the leader.
And my goal was to safely rescue the captured children.
A dual operation, it seems.
For Salome and I, it was not a difficult task.
Most of the thieves in this hideout were just small-time crooks.
Once I rescue the children, I will send a signal to the sky.
Then Cariote and Brigitte, who are waiting outside, will enter the hideout and wipe out the enemies. It was a simple yet perfect strategy.
“Then let’s split up.”
I parted ways with Salome.
She was aiming for the Lord of this thieves’ hideout.
And I was going to rescue the children.
I already knew the location of the children.
Next to the large tent where the thieves’ leader resided, was a reception room prepared for guests.
It stood out because it was glamorous and luxurious, unlike where the thieves stayed.
“It’s been a long while, let’s give it a try.”
I activated my Barbaroi skill, “Treasure Detection”.
I dipped my finger in saliva and raised my index finger towards the sky.
I read the fortune of treasures from the blowing wind.
“Over there.”
Swoosh—
I ran through the shadows.
Soon, I was faced with numerous iron bars in front of me, and within them, fierce animals like tigers and lions growled.
━Wap Yip Yip Yip Yip.
There were even foxes with multiple tails.
But do foxes really cry like that?
“It’s like a zoo.”
Endangered species.
They must have captured a bunch of protected species.
The problem was, that it wasn’t just animals.
“Someone, please help me! I am an esteemed citizen of the Republic of Baltimore! If anyone rescues me, I will reward them!”
“I am the son of the Nervad family! Soon, my father will pay my ransom!”
There were also people locked up behind the iron bars.
Humans being exhibited in such a fashion reminded me of my own past.
“What a disturbing hobby.”
If they were going to display something, wouldn’t it be better to capture high-profile young ladies and place them in a dollhouse-like castle for a happy display?
They only captured a bunch of guys.
And it didn’t look like it was done for ransom money.
“A show of power.”
A display of power by capturing influential individuals.
It seemed that the owner of this estate had a significant desire to show off.
Very similar to the 12th Judas.
It reminded me of the old Kowloon Mountains, venturing into that chaotic and vile place was like descending into hell.
“This punk is just like him.”
Salome will take care of that.
Well, even if she can’t, I will.
I don’t like having this kind of place near our house.
If we find a wasp’s nest near an elementary school, it’s only natural to remove it quickly, right?
Anyway.
With that, I headed towards the parlor where the children were.
And near there, I could see a familiar face.
A scar that ran across one eye.
A sinister face.
A hooked hand.
It was Conrad, the one who once hit me on the back of the head with an iron club.
As I saw him, my scalp started to tingle, but he passed by me as if he didn’t recognize me with my pulled hood.
“Find them quickly! They couldn’t have gone too far! Damn it, the Priestesses escaped! We have to deal with this before Boss Jack finds out!”
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