NBAA Vol. 4 Chapter 1 Part 5
Reito returned to the Adventurer Guild and found a small clamor over the importing of the two bounties. He searched his surroundings before spotting Gonzo holding a bag that looked to be filled with a large number of gold coins.
Reito went up to him. Dain and Gonzo were angry.
“Hey, Reito! What’s the big deal!! Why did you go off and get this bounty on your own!?”
“We were worried about you!!” Gonzo said.
“Uh, I’m sorry…” he was overwhelmed by the vigor of their words.
Erina and Kotomin also seemed angry.
“Bro, don’t be stupid! If anything happens to you, the boss is gonna grill me!”
“Reito, think about what you’ve done!”
“I’m sorry. I’ll give you some small sardines. Can you forgive me?”
“Yes!”
“What?? You’re giving in that easily!?”
Kotomin ate the dried sardines as Reito continued to scope out his surroundings.
The workers and the adventurers at the guild were bewildered and were surrounding the binded Balgal and Magari. For now, the two of them were knocked out, but it was certain that they would put up a fight if they woke up.
“You really have some nerve bounty hunting at a time like this!” Bal came in, angry with Reito.
His friends left the Guild at the same time. They went out to do that ‘certain something’.
“Oh, Bal!”
“Don’t, ‘Oh, Bal!’ me! Why are you always causing problems!! This time I’ll let it slide, but still!”
Bal looked tired and handed Reito a small bag. After checking its contents, he found fifty gold coins inside of it. The Guild divided the spoils for them.
Reito used his Storage Magic to put it away in another dimension before Bal asked, “So? You brats were able to capture Balgal and Magari? What’s up with that?”
“We’ve got one more to go.”
“What did you say?”
Bal made a concerned face before Reito informed her, “I Found out where Pherkad is hiding.”
“Let’s talk more about it, in my office.”
The moment he mentioned Pherkad’s name, Bal’s facial expression changed entirely. She took Reito to the Guildmaster’s Office.
As soon as they walked in the room, Bal immediately sat in her seat and looked at Reito.
“Are you aware of me and Pherkad’s relationship?”
“Relationship?”
Reito turned his head to the side. Airis chimed in, 『Pherkad is both a murderer and a spy. He makes a living by discovering adventurer’s weak points, and selling their information to underworld agents. On account of the information he has sold, a large number of adventure’s have died.』
『I see. I take it some of those people were under Bal’s care when they were killed?』
『That’s right. She has been trying to track down Pherkad to avenge those people. He has constantly evaded her.』
Thanks to Airis, Reito was able to understand Bal’s serious facial expression.
He thought about it for a minute and then proceeded to talk.
“I’ve heard he’s murdered a few members of our guild… Of course those are just rumors.”
“He’s killed more than 10 people. I hate the bastard!!”
Bal scratched her head in disgust before slamming the desk. Her strength put a small crack in the desk.
“Tell me! Where is Pherkad?”
“Where? In the building facing the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Are you serious?”
Bal was completely dumbfounded and sighed. She had been too careless.
“That bastard… I won’t let him get away this time.”
“Not that building but the one next to it. When I said facing us, I meant the one diagonal to us.”
“Why didn’t you say so in the first place instead of making me look like an idiot?”
“You were the one jumping to conclusions!”
Bal looked upset before bearing one of the swords hung up on the wall.
“I’ll say it one more time. I won’t let him get away this time!! Reito!! Let’s go!!”
“There’s just one thing.
Reito had forgotten to say something but just then the door to the Guildmaster’s Office opened. His friends came inside.
First came Erina who was smiling at Reito.
“This is where you were, bro! We went and captured the people in the building diagonal to us, just as you asked.
Dain put forward a man in a cloak bound by ropes.
“He put up a real fight. He jumped out the window, but Gonzo was waiting for him.”
“What are you two talking about anyway?”
“Did you say Reito asked you to get this guy? Wait, is that Pherkad?”
When Dain took off the man’s hood, he screamed. His friends jumped. Apparently they hadn’t noticed just who they had caught.
Bal squinted as she inspected the man’s face. Her eyes peeled.
“H-Hold on. Reito, did you actually!?”
“Um, actually, before reporting it to you, I ordered them to go capture him… Was that foolish?”
That ‘certain something’ that Reito had asked the others to do was to capture the man in the building diagonal to them. That man was Pherkad himself.
“This man is really sneaky, so if we didn’t have Dain’s Shadow Magic, we could never have captured him.”
“Shadow magic is surprisingly helpful, huh!”
Erina and Kotomin shared.
Dain was a little ticked at Erina’s wording, “What are you talking about, surprisingly helpful!? I’m the reason we caught this guy!?”
“But, didn’t he get away one time? You were freaked out when he interrupted your Shadow Magic with a “Photosphere,” the two started arguing. Reito nudged Bal with his elbow.
“Look! You got your revenge. I’ll leave the rest up to you.”
Bal was dumbfounded but nodded at Reito before picking Pherkad up with one arm.
“I’ll kill you!!”
“Shut up!?” Bal threw Pherkad across the room on the wall.
“Wow, awesome,” Gonzo said.
Paying no mind, she cracked her knuckles and turned to Reito and crew, “You all leave. Children shouldn’t see what I’m about to do.
Dain was finished arguing with Erina and was puzzled, “I’m an adult though.”
“You wanna see a man’s nails get ripped off?”
“Eesh!?” Dain went running out the room and the others followed him.
“I don’t know how they did it, but I’m really grateful for those brats. Welcome to hell. This is perfect timing. The Vampire Gain went ahead and died after I had been chasing him for some time. I wanted to get these feelings out on someone,” Bal grasped Pherkad like a hawk.
“Mmgh!?”
“I’m not going to let you live. But, if you want an easy death, spill the beans about the organization you sell the information too.”
Bal’s interrogation of Pherkad began.
The sounds of punches being thrown could be heard from the Guildmaster’s Office along with Pherkad’s screams. A Recovery Specialist came in, and the questioning continued.
Pherkad eventually broke under the stress of the cruel interrogation. He spits out the truth about the organization he worked for. According to him, Balgal, Magari, and Pherkad formed an intelligence trio for the Empire.
Bal got another piece of critical information. The people trying to bring the Rotten Dragon back to life was a necromancer hired by the Empire.