Chapter 22: The Cunning Street Rat

I actually got interested in the kid.

Given that he has a mother, he doesn’t seem to be a typical abandoned street urchin.

He wasn’t that dirty and was properly dressed.

Since this is fate, why not use this kid?

If he was born and raised on this street, he’ll know far more than me.

Plus, his speaking skills were decent, and he was different from typical street urchins.

Before the kid ran away, I had already checked his identity with the Manager Scouter. The kid’s name was Bodo Werner, and he was 10 years old. Coincidentally, his home was The Pauper’s Crown, the landlord’s regular place. What’s worth noting is that his disposition is cunning (good). Cunning but good? That’s an interesting disposition.

It’s extremely rare for someone raised in the brothel district to remain in good alignment; this kid is quite exceptional. That’s why I got interested. By activating the Searcher Scouter, I could find traces of the kid Bodo’s footprints. He had escaped through a small opening to the other side of the building.

He ran that far in such a short time?

"Follow me! We’re chasing the kid."

I chased after him with Hans and the soldiers. The footprints heading through the winding alleyways split and merged boldly, as if this were his own home. And I found Bodo. He was in the middle of talking with some men, and they seemed to be on good terms, like old acquaintances.

When we approached them, Bodo jumped in surprise upon seeing me.

Then he grabbed the men and pointed at me.

"He’s a crazy sodomite chasing me!"

"What? Sodomite? You know such big words?"

"What unique tastes for a gentleman! Ha ha!"

"Don’t laugh, stop him!"

And Bodo ran away again.

What? Sodomite? It’s the German word for homosexuality. It was so absurd I was speechless. He might be a talent I need, but once I catch him, I’ll have to spank him out of spite. After Bodo left, the rough-looking men grinned and blocked our way.

"Hey there, young master. We’d like to respect your preferences, but in this place, look for women."

"There are women everywhere, so why chase a kid? Should I introduce you to my wife?"

"Get lost before we report you to the church, or you’ll be roasted! Ha ha!"

What the hell?

Hans got furious at the blatant mockery.

"How dare you insult my master! I’ll smash you!"

"Ha ha! Come on! Come at me!"

"Let me show you my fists! Hiyah!"

A fistfight broke out between the enraged Hans and the men.

Ted and Oscar were flustered and hesitant.

"What are you doing? Aren’t you going to fight?"

"What? Oh, yes, sir!"

"Don’t use your swords. They didn’t draw weapons."

I should take this chance to see how well the soldiers can throw a punch.

Bodo had run away, but I’d already tracked his movements with the Searcher Scouter, so I didn’t need to rush after him. And if the men blocking us had drawn weapons, we would’ve drawn ours too. There’s no need to draw blood in an unarmed fight.

Hans had a large build and good strength, so he held his own against the rough men and gained the upper hand. Plus, thanks to learning wrestling, he had the advantage in close combat. He threw wild punches at the bearded man’s face after tackling him down, but the other men grabbed both his arms.

"Ugh! Ganging up on me! Let go! Ack! Stop hitting!"

"This young punk is damn strong! Hold him tight!"

But Ted and Oscar also rushed in and grappled with the guys holding Hans. They must’ve learned wrestling too, as they skillfully broke their opponents’ balance and took them down. The freed Hans charged like a horse let off its reins. He rushed at the bearded man who’d been hitting him, and everything dissolved into chaos.

The five-on-three brawl ultimately ended with my subordinates winning.

As expected, watching fights is fun, second only to watching fires. I enjoyed the show.

"Hans, you okay?"

"I-I’m fine! Even if a bunch of old guys gang up on me, it’s nothing!"

"Hey, your nose is bleeding."

"Dammit, my nose feels a bit numb. Ugh! My lip’s busted too. Ptui."

Hans spat out blood and snorted, his anger still not subsided.

Ted’s and Oscar’s faces were also marked with bluish bruises in places.

Now that we’d beaten down all the men who’d gotten in our way, we needed to find Bodo.

I tracked Bodo’s footprints shown by the scouter. He’s fast like a real monkey. He was freely navigating the maze-like alleyways as if they were his own backyard. Thanks to that, it felt like we’d combed every corner of the brothel district. And I found where Bodo had set up his hideout.

"But Sir Wolfgang, how do you know the way so well?"

"I don’t know this area. This is my first time here."

"But you know the way so well..."

Hans started getting suspicious, seeing me find the way too easily.

You’re lying about it being your first time here—you come here often, don’t you?!

Hans’s eyes were asking exactly that.

"I guessed where he’d hide."

"No, can you really find someone just by guessing?"

"You wouldn’t understand even if I explained, so just shut up and follow me."

I’m tracking through the Searcher Scouter; how would I explain that in words? Eventually, ignoring Hans’s skeptical gaze, I found Bodo hiding in a small opening in a dead-end alley. Bodo’s shocked expression was priceless. His eyes went wide.

"What? How did you know I was here?"

"Tracking people down is my specialty. And kid, I’m not a sodomite."

"Are you going to kill me? I’m just a kid making a living as a tout."

Since escape was out of the question, he was darting his eyes around, trying to provoke sympathy.

This kid’s disposition is cunning (good). How could he survive on these rough streets without being cunning? When I showed no reaction, Bodo seemed deflated and slumped.

"Hey, don’t you want to make some money?"

"Money? Of course I want to make money. But why? Don’t tell me you’re going to sweet-talk me and sell me as a slave."

"How much would I get for selling a kid? More importantly, you seem very familiar with this district’s layout."

"It’s where I was born and raised! But you seem to know it even better."

That’s thanks to the scouter installed in my eyeballs. I plan to use this kid named Bodo to investigate the contact location. It’s nearly impossible to find a slum organization’s contact point in a district I don’t even know. Just learning the area would take considerable time.

In that case, wouldn’t it be more efficient to pay a local a fair price to investigate instead? Of course, choosing that local wisely is the most important part. In that sense, it’s worth noting that this Bodo’s disposition is cunning (good).

Being cunning means quick-witted and shrewd, and remaining in good alignment means he has a kind heart even while living in this environment. If I offer a big enough reward, Bodo will realize it’s more profitable to actively cooperate with me rather than run away.

"I want you to find places where suspicious people make contact."

"From what I can tell, the most suspicious person here is you, Sir Knight."

"Then find people more suspicious than me. For example, nobles making contact with the slums."

"Slums and nobles? Hmm, might be possible. But you’re not asking me to do it for free, right?"

As if.

I gave him one silver coin as a down payment.

The kid’s eyes widened.

"Wait, are you crazy? Are you really giving me this?"

"It’s a down payment. If you find the information I want, I’ll give you another silver coin. This work pays much better than touting for a few copper coins, right?"

"Of course. But what if I run away?"

"You think you can hide from me?"

Bodo nodded in agreement.

We had played hide-and-seek, but I’d found him every time.

He’s cunning but equally smart.

"But how do I contact you?"

"I’ll send someone, so choose a place that’s convenient for you."

"Then come to The Pauper’s Crown. That’s my home."

I already knew through the scouter, but fortunately Bodo didn’t lie to me.

"Is it okay to tell me that so easily?"

"Since you’re here, spend some money before you go!"

Good at sales too.

Who should I send? I pondered briefly.

Hans seemed like he didn’t want to stay in this brothel district any longer, and Ted seemed similar to Hans but in a different way—the type who can’t walk past a pretty face without stopping. So I thought it was best to send the relatively level-headed Oscar. And I hoped the information would reach Rüdiger.

The reason I deliberately told Bodo to choose the location was to make it easy for Oscar to report to Rüdiger. If Rüdiger hears Bodo’s information and immediately takes action, I’d be killing two birds with one stone. I don’t know if it’ll work out, but I’ve set things in motion, so I just have to wait.

"Sir Wolfgang, can I go to Kisling parish for a bit?"

"Going to beg God for forgiveness since you were in an impious place?"

"How did you know?"

I chuckled, looking at Hans, whose eyes widened.

Because I knew you would.