Chapter 17: You want to buy a house with this salary?

“No money?”

Cynthia and Ina exchanged a glance, clearly unconvinced by Okolis’s claim.

“They won’t talk.”

“Then quit the nonsense and get to it.”

Unless she was far stronger than Ina—like Cynthia—or a master of disguise, she wasn’t lying.

Given her earlier performance, both possibilities seemed unlikely.

So, she was telling the truth—no money, no robbery.

But then why did people call them vicious criminals?

Was someone framing them… or was there another bandit group?

If so, had she and Cynthia been played?

Okolis blinked, answering casually.
“With just our numbers, if we don’t seem fierce, who’s gonna pay up?”

Her eyes remained sincere.

“Huh…?”

Ina froze, then rushed to Okolis, voice urgent.
“That simple?!”

“Y-Yeah… that simple… You’re too close, I’m getting nervous…”

Okolis’s breathing quickened, a flush creeping onto her face.

“Who cares about that?! Where’s the conspiracy? The Church secrets? Another bandit group?!”

“What…?”

Ina’s rapid-fire questions baffled Okolis.
Conspiracies? Secrets?

“Bandit group… we’re the only ones for dozens of miles, right?”

“Then why be bandits if you don’t steal or… assault women?!”

“We do lust, but just once.”

Vic, still bound nearby, cut in.

“Just once? Didn’t you target someone?”

Ina spoke without thinking, only realizing the odd atmosphere after.

Everyone—bandits, Cynthia—stared at her.

“Why’re you all looking at me? I…”

She trailed off, slowly raising a stiff hand to point at herself.
“Me?”

Everyone nodded silently.

“…”

Ina slunk back to Cynthia’s side, sitting with a dull gaze.
“Why didn’t you warn me?”

“Did you give me a chance?”

Cynthia coughed, stifling a laugh.
Is this girl always this hilarious? How’d I miss it?

Still, she followed Ina’s lead, turning to Okolis.
“But seriously, why bandits? Adventuring pays better than protection rackets.”

“We were adventurers.”

Okolis’s face twisted with pain.
“Low-level grunts like us? The pittance we earned barely covered city rent.”

“So we quit, found a spot to settle, grow veggies, hunt, and sometimes collect fees.”

“So you turned to protection money?”

“Life’s… about surviving.”

Ina listened quietly, empathizing deeply.

She saw shades of her own struggles in these former adventurers.

But after all that, they were back to square one—no money for the carriage.

The air grew heavy with silence.
The bandits’ faces darkened, as if haunted by old wounds.

Then, Cynthia’s eyes lit up.
She smacked her fist into her palm.
“In that case, how about I find you some work?”

At the border post, the innkeeper lounged on a bench, basking in the afternoon sun.

His life was simple—low pay, but no family to support, living at the inn.
It suited him fine.

Loneliness was the trade-off.
He used to tend a vegetable garden when younger; now, old age had left it fallow.

Squinting in the sunlight, a shadow suddenly blocked his view.

Travelers at this hour?

He opened his eyes slowly.
“Sorry, today’s carriage already—”

His words caught as his eyes widened.
A motley crew surrounded him, staring down.

He instantly recognized the sturdy woman leading them.

“This month’s protection fee’s paid. Why’re you back?”

He sat up calmly.
So far, these bandits hadn’t harmed him—in fact, they’d helped him once.

He just didn’t get why they insisted he paint them as vicious to everyone.

As he puzzled, two figures stepped from the group.

“Oh, it’s you two…”

Recognizing Cynthia and Ina from earlier, he was still confused by the entourage.

Cynthia stepped forward, pulling him aside with a smile.
“Nothing major.”

“But we’d like to discuss something, uncle.”

“Interested?”