The woman with the bow continued, as if mocking me.
"Being attacked by a powerful Hill Wolf was quite a disaster, wasn't it! And if I hadn't helped you, you would have been in serious danger. Oh, no need to thank me. In return, I'll take the drop items. Since I was the one who dealt the final blow, it's only fair, right? Hahaha!"
"Hey, that monster was abnormally large just now. So, it might have been a rare monster. Then, we'll take that information too! The guild will buy it for a good price!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The group was making a racket.
I couldn't understand their words and asked Aila.
"Is that humanoid a new type of monster?"
"No, it doesn't seem to be. Unfortunately..."
It's not.
"That laughter makes my blood boil."
"I agree."
Aila had her usual calm expression, but her eyes were incredibly cold.
"Can't we just kill them?"
"They are harmful, but we won't gain any experience points or magic stones. It would be meaningless."
That's disappointing.
"But wouldn't it feel good?"
"It might feel good temporarily, but the ladies would be sad."
...
"...I see. I'd rather avoid that."
If so, there's no choice. I'll spare them.
"Your silence means you agree. Got it? From now on, F-rank adventurers like you won't be allowed to strut around in our hunting grounds."
"Huh?"
What did this guy just say?
"Hey, who said I'm F-rank?"
"You, of course. You're a slime guy who's been F-rank forever!"
"Everyone knows you're F-rank! There was no one around in that border area, and you were just moving around annoyingly! If you're low-rank, you should be hunting goblins in the first floor quietly!"
Do these guys not know about the morning event? I remember they were here when we descended to the second floor. So, they don't know the real information.
And there was something else that caught my attention. I'll ask Aila quietly.
"Aila, is there a ranking system for hunting grounds?"
"There is a recommended level, but it's just a guideline. They might be using it to shift the focus."
I see. I thought they were just being overly helpful, but they're just scum.
"Hey! Just because I'm F-rank, you can take my prey?"
"Pfft, don't get the wrong idea. I helped you because it looked dangerous."
"In this world, rank is everything. You, a low-rank like you, have no right to complain!"
"If you're upset, come up here. But, you've been F-rank for three years, so it's probably impossible for you!"
Just being low-rank doesn't mean I should be treated like this.
Perhaps these four have a grudge against me. Maybe it's because of Maki or the 'Brute Strength' skill orb, or maybe they just find me annoying.
I could reveal my rank here... but that would be boring.
I'll make these guys suffer so they never bother me again.
"You say you helped me, but I didn't ask for help. If I tell the guild, you might be punished."
"Pfft. Even if you report it, it won't do any good. You're a two-man team with iron equipment and no armor. The enemy was in a canyon with overwhelming numbers. It would be considered reasonable to help."
"Being F-rank with iron equipment is enough to justify your claim. Give up!"
Indeed, my current equipment is similar to iron, but it's actually 'Mystic Iron,' which is less known. It's actually better than 'Steel,' but if it looks careless, it can cause trouble for my team.
I need to reflect on that.
And Aila's maid outfit is far superior to most armor. These guys wouldn't know that.
"Hey, Aila, do you think what they're saying holds up?"
"It depends. Their argument isn't bad, but it's not good either."
"Does being low-rank mean we have to accept this?"
"Given their numbers, it might be the case."
That's harsh. The rank and number difference put us at a disadvantage in such situations.
If I had been alone, I might have been in trouble.
"...So, as high-rank adventurers like us, what's the best way to deal with this?"
"First, I've recorded all of this conversation."
Really? You're thorough.
"I started recording from the moment the arrow hit, but the current statements might not be enough for severe punishment. We might need to draw them out a bit more."
"I see. Let's try to provoke them a bit."
Aila seems quite angry too. I appreciate that.
"Then, after drawing them out, we'll request voluntary cooperation based on the recording. They'll likely try to escape or take the device, so we'll beat them up and capture them. They seem experienced, and they might have a criminal record. There might be other victims too."
"Understood."
The group, thinking they had won, came down into the crater with smirks. The mage and the archer kept their distance, but the two heavily armored ones were right in front of us.
"Do you guys always act like thieves?"
"Pfft. Are you just sore losers?"
"It's your own fault for being weak!"
"A trash F-rank like you shouldn't challenge us D-rankers! Clear the way!"
The two men pushed us aside and approached the 'Boss Wolf's' corpse to check the drops. It would be fun if another 'Boss Wolf' appeared here, but the final blow was dealt by the archer.
My 'Luck' is less than 1%, so it's almost impossible for another to appear.
Also, the other two didn't show up even in this situation. They seem to be in a safe area on the map, and those two swordsmen might have been their targets too.
Oh well. I'll ask them later.
Aila seemed to think the evidence was sufficient from the earlier statements. She made eye contact and started playing the recorded audio.
The group was surprised by her sudden action, and the atmosphere became tense as the recording played.
The 'Boss Wolf's' smoke had dissipated, leaving only its fangs and fur, but their eyes were fixed on Aila.
"I'll submit this information to the guild. Even if testimony alone wasn't enough, this evidence clearly shows your wrongdoing."
"Tch."
The archer suddenly drew an arrow at me, and the mage pointed his staff.
"Hand over that device! Your master will suffer badly."
"You drew an arrow and pointed it at me, right? This conversation is also being recorded on another device. Your disqualification is certain."
Aila, as always, is thorough.
"Shut up! Hand it over now!!"
The two heavily armored men slowly drew their swords.
"Aila, can you handle the back?"
"Leave it to me."
"What are you babbling about!"
The thieves were still talking, but I ignored them and charged forward. The archer, panicking, fired an arrow, but I had seen his skill beforehand.
With 'Foresight' and my stats, I easily dodged it.
"What!?"
Since they are at a level that benefits from it, they are as tough as monsters. To capture them, it's best to incapacitate them.
"Gender equality, stomach punch!!"
"Ugh!"
"Ugh!?"
I landed a hit on the most annoying archer and the male mage. The 'Assassination Technique' worked, and I hit them cleanly in the solar plexus. They flew back, bouncing several times before stopping, and their mouths, which had been noisy, now only produced foam.
"You!"
"What are you doing!"
"That's our line."
Aila faced the two heavily armored men with her bare hands. She might be experienced, but her opponents were too strong. In front of the serious Aila, they collapsed helplessly.
To take down heavily armored opponents with a single hand strike... this maid is really strong.
"Master, you've been keeping the effects of 'Swift Foot II' and 'Quick II' active, haven't you?"
"Well, since they have no duration."
"These skills actually consume 'Mana' continuously while active."
"Really? I didn't notice."
While having this casual conversation, we tied up the four of them.
Aila's bag had ropes, and she knew how to tie them up, which she taught me.
The recording and the ropes... this maid is too versatile.
"I'm a maid."
"Having a few more maids like you would be too much."
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