Suspicious People in Town
A lone house on the outskirts of town. I’d gotten a report from my subordinates that there had been people coming and going from a house that hadn’t been used for a long time, so I ordered them to keep watch.
It bothered me too, so I went to check it out myself, and they weren’t a family.
My instincts were telling me something was off. Screaming that they were suspicious.
Strangely enough, just when it looked like rough-looking types in shabby clothes were going in and out, there were also people coming and going who were too well-dressed for commoners with children. No women, it seemed.
When my men slipped inside while they were gone, they found almost no furniture or household items, no signs anyone was actually living there. Just a few bottles of alcohol on a table, and a bench and a sofa. But oddly, in another room there were mirrors, combs, a few small props, about ten sets of men’s clothes in a chest, and several children’s outfits for both boys and girls. And yet, no beds, and the kitchen showed no signs of use. It wasn’t just lacking a lived-in feel, it was like a room used only for changing clothes. The lack of any real living traces was full of inconsistencies.
According to my men’s reports, they only acted in the afternoons. So after Young Master Kaito’s training, I made it a routine to watch them like this.
After a few days of observation, I noticed something. Normally they dressed pretty plainly, but today, for some reason, they were in disguise. One of them had a slightly raised right shoulder. Another walked bow-legged. No matter how much they disguise themselves, no matter how much they change clothes, a person’s habits don’t change that easily. I could tell right away they were in disguise. What are they after?
Before they came out in disguise, someone else went in, bringing a small child. I thought it might be one of their kids, but apparently not. Would a child say something like, “Mister, if I do the job, will I get bread?” And the reply, “Yeah, the job is eating the bread. Once you finish, I’ll let you go home.” What the hell does that mean? A job? Making a two- or three-year-old work? Anger bubbled up. And what kind of “job” is eating bread? I don’t get it.
While I was thinking it over, the two men, the one with the raised shoulder and the bow-legged one, came out, now wearing fine clothes different from before, along with that child. It made even less sense. What is going on?
After walking a bit, they got into a carriage parked nearby. I decided to follow them.
Before long, their carriage stopped in front of a shop. This place… it deals in wooden goods, doesn’t it?
The man with the raised shoulder got out, then the bow-legged one, and the child he was holding by the hand. Feeding the kid bread and then going into the shop? That’s pretty bad manners.
Let’s watch for a bit.
Hm? They brought the shop owner outside. They’re giving some kind of instructions to the carriage driver, but I can’t hear from this distance.
They’re putting something on the wagon bed… showing the item…
“Look here, you see this? Strange how it comes apart so easily. Does this shop sell defective goods or something?”
“See? Because we bought such a fragile chair, the child fell and got hurt. We can’t just let that slide without you covering the medical costs.”
“No, we’ll leave as long as you pay the treatment fee. You don’t want your shop’s reputation to suffer, do you?”
They’re talking awfully loud. I can hear everything from here. Their shouting’s drawn a crowd already.
People keep gathering.
The shop owner’s panicking, he’s apologizing now. Did he hand something over? Money? Yeah, money. The guy with the raised shoulder’s peeking into the bag and counting it.
“Good, as long as you understand. Now we can treat the kid’s injury. You’re very reasonable, shopkeeper. Well then.”
The shop owner’s bowing his head… what, did he get stuck with defective goods or something? Poor guy.
What do you think about this chapter?
