“So you didn’t hear anything at all?” I asked the alchemist.
“Eh? Aside from the last part where you said his attitude pisses people off and then punched him in the face… No?” She told me innocently.
Ok… So she didn’t hear the other parts, that’s good… I wouldn’t know how to explain to her about the Off-Worlders thing either.
She prodded the unconscious Wrunch with a finger, “So what did he do to piss Miss Aster off? I didn’t even think Miss Aster was capable of getting angry?”
Just what kind of saint did she think I was?
“He… Well… He really didn’t like the fact that I was a futa,” I explained a little lamely, thinking that was the best excuse for my outburst.
Unexpectedly, Lisa stood up and puffed her cheeks out in anger, “He what?! How could he?! So he’s one of those people?!”
I raised an eyebrow, “Umm… ‘Those people’?”
“Eh? Does Miss Aster not know about them? There’s a very weird group that popped up some time ago where they claimed that futas like us are disgusting and a freak of nature.”
Don’t tell me… It’s a bunch of transmigrators from the old world stirring up problems…
“But… Why?”
She shrugged, “Honestly, no one knows why this even started in the first place. The group is small and they’re more of a nuisance than anything with them trying to convince everyone that there should only be two genders in this World.”
“And… How was that received?”
“Not well of course. That’s like them saying that the Gods were wrong in creating us in the first place! The people who are especially devoted to the Gods already labelled them as heathens to be prosecuted~ As for me, I think they should just be given a proper spanking for their silliness!”
“Eh? Err… Why do you seem so pissed about them?”
“Hmph! I’m a devout believer of Hiandoca myself! That’s why I can’t stand anyone who discriminates against gender like that!”
I narrowed my eyes at her, “Isn’t that the God of monsters and the Infrids?”
“Ah… I… I suppose it’s normal for Miss Aster to think that too… But she’s also the advocate for happiness, you know? Sure it sounds ironic but… There’s a reason why Infrids are so free and happy you know? Because they basically just indulge in their pleasures and are true to themselves instead of trying to act like someone they are not… Most people don’t understand that.”
Ah, I guess that makes sense for someone like her whose personality is similar to that.
“So… What happens to people like him?” I asked, pointing to the unconscious Off-Worlder on the ground.
She tapped her chin with a finger, “Well… There are some who would just execute people like him on the spot, others would lock him up but there’s also the option of just ignoring him. Since he’s a bandit, there’s the added option to turn him over to the knights though~”
“Unn… What do you think we should do then?”
“Eh? Isn’t Miss Aster already planning to turn him over to the knights? We can just do that right?”
“I suppose so. I guess you should go pick up the mushrooms while I tie him up.”
“Eheheh~ I’m already done!”
“So fast?!”
“Well, that’s what I was doing when I was outside just now! Look! Look!”
She opened up her backpack and indeed, it was filled to the brim with mushrooms of various kinds.
She’s really efficient huh.
I went ahead and tied up the unconscious Wrunch before hefting him on my shoulder, making sure to also stuff a piece of cloth in his mouth so that he can’t cast any spells in case he wakes up.
When I stepped outside of the room however, I found the other Wrunches that were asked to leave were also tied up and struggling on the ground outside.
“Umm… Lisa… What happened here?”
She tilted her head at me, “I tied them up?”
“Umm… There’s three of them… And you tied them all up by yourself?”
“Yes? I just told them that I have something special to show them and they just let me tie them up!”
Wow… I don’t know whether to be impressed by her or pity those guys for getting duped like that…
I sighed, “Well… We only need the leader since he’s the only one with a bounty, so I guess we can let the others go.”
Lisa giggled, “Ehehehe~ That Wrunch was lying to you, Miss Aster~ While it’s true that you would get a substantial reward for turning the one with a bounty in, the knights will check if they are all bandits and you will still get a reward for turning them in. You would also get more recognition that way too!”
My eyes widened, “Wait… They have a way to check if they are bandits?”
She nodded, “There is a kind of magic that allows people to do that~ It’s similar to the Guild Cards that displays a person’s information!”
Oh right, I forgot about that.
“But there’s no way we can take all of them back by ourselves right? I think I can only carry four people at most…” I pointed out.
“Ehehe~ Then isn’t it fortunate that I found something good for us?”
I was about to ask what she meant when she gestured for me to follow her.
Lisa then brought me to a part of the cave I didn’t notice before as it was hidden behind a curtain camouflaged as a part of the cave.
Behind that curtain led to another part of the cave that seemed to function as the bandits’ storeroom with the shelves of valuables and supplies. The fact that a merchant’s wagon was inside this room meant that this group had at least raided a caravan before.
Really hypocritical of him to preach about liberating slaves and acting like he’s a saint when he’s also robbing innocent people.
I’m guessing he needed the wagon as a mode of transport when he decides to relocate his base or escape from here, though how he was going to do that as a wanted criminal is anybody’s guess.
“How did you even find this space?” I asked the alchemist that was giving me a ‘praise me’ look.
“Ehehehe~ I’ve been to this cave before so I remember there’s another path here! I came here to check and tadah! What do you think?”
“Well… I guess we can make use of the wagon. I’m not sure about the supplies though.”
She giggled, “Technically, it’s your spoils of war so you can claim it for yourself! I doubt they left those merchants they robbed alive anyway.”
For such a morbid topic, she’s being quite casual about it… I guess such things are normal in this World.
Lisa then turned to me, “Ehehe~ They say that the heart grows closer after couples experience something exciting together! I can already feel my love for Miss Aster overflowing!”
I wouldn’t really classify that as ‘exciting’ since the boss fights with Odeta and Ardi were much more exciting than this. But I guess to Lisa, this was probably the most excitement she had gotten in a while.
She then gave a little twirl, “So how is it Miss Aster? Did you gain some feelings for me too?”
“Umm… Not in that sense I suppose?”
I mean, I was quite impressed by what she showed today and I am also grateful for the knowledge she had given me but… In terms of romantic feelings? Not so much.
“Aww… Ah! Maybe because I’m still too formal with you! Could I call you Aster from now on? You can just call me Lisa too!”
I giggled, “I don’t mind~ I don’t like being too formal anyway.”
“Yaaaayy~ That means I’m now closer to Aster!”
I couldn’t help but pat her head at how cute she was, especially when she started purring at my pats.
In the end, I decided to just load up the bandits in the wagon as well as some supplies that they have taken. I told Lisa that I would give the supplies to her since she was the one who found the cave anyway and I don’t exactly have a use for it either.
The rest of the supplies that we couldn’t take with us would be reported to the knights and they could decide how they want to deal with it.
Hitching the horse to the wagon, we began the journey back to the city with Lisa being in an especially good mood.
The cause of it was obvious since she continuously hummed my name and squealed when I called her Lisa as well, she was honestly really cute.
When we got to the city gates, we were naturally stopped by the guards who asked what we were doing with a wagon full of tied up Wrunches behind us.
I gave them the quick version of what happened and I was instructed to head towards their guard house beside the gate where a lieutenant of the knights would hear me out.
I thought it would just be a formality where we just hand over the bandits and get a reward but when a sandy haired man came out to see us, he immediately scrunched up his face.
“Get these people out of my sight right now!”
What? What gives?!