GDTEA Chapter 104

Fraud Gang

Sharti narrowed her eyes.

After glancing sideways at Ren across from her, she carefully stroked Tein’s head as the child slept with it resting on her thigh.

Rattle—. When the carriage shook, Sharti firmly supported Tein’s body.

Perhaps because it was a cheap carriage, the seating comfort wasn’t good. At least traveling by carriage meant her legs didn’t hurt, but her backside ached instead.

“At this rate, will we be able to reach our destination by today?”

Ren, who had been receiving Sharti’s sharp glares since yesterday, asked nonchalantly.

Sharti shook her head slightly, worried about waking Tein unnecessarily.

The northeast area had poor traffic because various shopping districts had densely packed in early after hearing rumors even before the academy was established.

“We’re planning to go to a place called Bibanten Street first.”

“Ah, the place the innkeeper told us about?”

The innkeeper, where they had been able to finish their meal cheaply thanks to Tein, had provided them with various information.

Bibanten Street was famous for having the worst public safety in the northeast where academies were lined up, and was notorious as a den of eccentrics.

‘For Tein’s safety, it would be better not to go there, but we don’t have much choice to begin with.’

Because Bibanten Street had a bad reputation, prices were relatively cheap, and according to the innkeeper, Bibanten Street was called the back alley of the academy.

If the bustling area surrounding the academy was light, then Bibanten Street was like a shadow.

‘We need to earn travel expenses.’

Only by earning as much money as possible at this early point in the journey could they afford the rising prices as they moved east.

‘The fact that there are many eccentrics means they have unconventional thinking, so we might be able to get help.’

They might find the medicine formulas interesting, or perhaps take an interest in creating an antidote for the purple poisonous herb.

More than anything, she was greatly interested in the plants and formulas handled in the back alleys.

Tein felt the same way.

[If we go to a scary place, Teacher will be in danger.]

[But we have to go to that scary place to find treasure.]

[Treasure!]

Unexpected help was as good as luck, which was the same as treasure.

Sharti had easily persuaded Tein, who was as worried as Ren, and they were on their way.

“By the way, Ren. Where did you get that sword?”

Ren had been constantly carrying in its sheath a strangely shaped sword she had never seen anywhere, not at his waist.

“I asked the innkeeper and obtained it.”

“He gave you such a sword for free?”

It didn’t look expensive, but the sword’s condition wasn’t bad enough to give away without taking money.

Ren hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“He said if I wanted to protect my wife and child, I’d need at least this much and gave it to me.”

“……”

Where on earth did this misunderstanding about wife and child come from, and why?

Sharti looked at Ren with clouded eyes and let out a deep sigh.

An adult man and woman, plus a young child—in fact, it was normal for such a combination to be mistaken for a family.

‘When you think about it, there’s not a single resemblance between Tein and us, yet they still see us as family.’

She was curious, but Sharti decided not to worry much about it, thinking there seemed to be no preconceptions or prejudices.

Of course, this was all thanks to Tein’s adorable support.

[Little one, did you come with your family?]

[Wearing matching rings and going on a first trip together. Trying hard to be loved.]

[Oh my, it’s a honeymoon? But why trying to be loved? Did your parents fight?]

[They didn’t fight. It’s natural to try to be loved when you’re in a loving relationship. So I’m helping too! I have to protect them safely.]

Tein hadn’t lied.

Of course, Tein hadn’t said that Ren and Sharti were a married couple or parents. It’s just that based on Sharti and Ren’s atmosphere and Tein’s mention of “a loving relationship,” they appeared to be a couple.

It was also a part that Ren was very pleased about.

“Once we arrive at that street, will you secure lodging first?”

“Yes. After that, I’m going to look for a suitable shop to sell the ointments and medicine formulas I made.”

After hearing the brief plan for today, Ren seemed to ponder something for a moment, then nodded.

“Once you’ve secured only the travel expenses you aimed for, will we depart immediately again?”

“Probably so, right? Of course, since there’s Tein’s safety to consider, I’m not planning to stay in Bibanten Street for long. Tein is more important than money.”

No matter how much she had lived like family with Virena, Sharti was strictly speaking an outsider.

Nevertheless, since Virena had entrusted her younger sibling’s well-being completely to her, she had no choice but to be concerned about Tein’s safety.

“Sha, you’re not thinking of wandering around alone either, are you?”

“Hm? Of course not. In any case, just walking around Bibanten Street itself will be educational, so I should go with Tein.”

Ren hid his complicated feelings and raised one corner of his mouth.

Even though he felt disturbed at being given lower priority than Tein, he was also relieved that thanks to the child’s existence, she wouldn’t act recklessly.

After traveling by carriage for a full half day like that, they arrived at Bibanten Street as the sunset was falling.

‘I heard the sunset was beautiful.’

<The academies that nurture future scholars, the pride of the Great Empire of Neweiton, appear after passing through streets that shine brilliantly in golden light every time the sun sets. It evokes the image of a golden carpet bestowed by the heavens to guide the steps of noble scholars.>

She had been looking forward to it.

Sharti and Tein looked at each other with disappointed faces, their backs to the sunset, alternately viewing the dark and gloomy Bibanten Street.

They said it was the shadow of the academy, and indeed it was promotional text completely unrelated to Bibanten Street.

“Let’s go, Tein.”

“Yes!”

Still, wasn’t it a tourist spot of sorts?

Sharti and Tein entered Bibanten Street with sparkling eyes. Ren also immediately followed behind the two.

“Wooow……”

From the entrance of Bibanten Street to the inner parts, Tein kept her mouth open in constant admiration.

For Tein, who had lived confined in the mountains even more than Sharti, everything in Bibanten Street was fascinating and like a new world.

“Wow……”

Sharti wasn’t particularly different either.

Ren looked at the woman making the exact same expression as the child and chuckled.

“There are so many strange-looking items too!”

“It’s probably because academies from various fields are gathered here. Shall we go deeper inside?”

“Yes!”

Ren, who had been watching the back of Sharti running while holding hands with Tein, clicked his tongue.

Then he caught up with the two in one bound and scooped up Tein.

“Woo-wa!”

When he gave Tein a piggyback ride, Tein’s eye level became noticeably higher, and the child’s eyes sparkled as they continuously burst into cheers.

Sharti also giggled because Tein was so happy.

“Here.”

“Hm?”

“The child is gripping my hair, so. Aren’t your hands free?”

“……”

True to his words, Tein was unconsciously gripping Ren’s hair in two handfuls.

When she tried to stop it, Ren prevented her and instead held hands with Sharti as is.

“Should we run like this again? Deeper inside?”

At Ren’s words, his eyes sparkling, Sharti finally burst into loud laughter.

It was like a large wolf carrying a child on its head begging to go for a walk.

“Yes. Let’s go, Ren.”

How could she not hold his hand?

As Ren had hoped, Sharti held his hand and continued running through Bibanten Street.

They grimaced and smiled together every time they smelled the distinctive herbal scent and sharp sour smell.

It was when they were running frantically.

Thud!

“Aaaaagh—!”

“Ah……!”

The man who collided with Sharti rolled on the ground.

While Sharti hesitated in confusion, the man clutching his shoulder began to wail loudly.

“Here! Someone’s dying here—! You bumped into someone! And no apology—!!”

A gang that appeared to be accomplices gathered around the scammer putting on a passionate performance.

The scammer who targeted Sharti was a so-called insurance scammer who made a day’s living each day in Bibanten Street.

“Oh no! My arm, no, my shoulder! I think my shoulder’s dislocated—!! Do you know how much this arm is worth—!”

After clearing his throat slightly, the scammer glanced at Sharti through his companions.

Strangely, he couldn’t see her expression, but she must surely be greatly flustered and not knowing what to do.

Ren’s build was concerning, but since he was only wearing a sword like an accessory, he was definitely a novice swordsman who only cared about appearances.

Besides, weren’t they even carrying a child?

“Hey, you! What are you going to do about this?”

“If you hit someone, you should apologize first!”

With the accomplices’ acting added, it was a perfect fraud gang.

“May I take a look for a moment?”

“Aigo, what would you know from looking? Don’t make things worse by touching them, just give us what you’re going to give and go.”

The fraud gang sneered at Sharti, who seemed to be trying to appear calm.

Regardless, Sharti approached the scammer who had collapsed clutching his shoulder.

“Does it hurt here?”

“It hurts like I’m dying!”

“Then how about here?”

“Of course it hurts!!! Everything hurts!!”

“I see.”

Sharti rummaged through her bag.

The scammers were smiling, thinking she would naturally take out her wallet first.

“First, take this.”

“Uugh?!”

Sharti suddenly poured powdered medicine into the scammer’s mouth. The moment he tried to move his tongue to spit it out, his facial muscles wouldn’t move as if numb from the tip of his tongue.

“Uh, uuh? Uuubu……!”

“Wha, what! You, what did you just do!”

At their companion’s abnormal symptoms, the fraud gang panicked and glared at Sharti.

Sharti blinked and calmly pressed the scammer’s forehead.

“You said you were dying, so I gave you a sedative first. I need to examine you properly.”

“Wha, what?”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be in more pain than now and die.”

“No, what……”

Sharti took out the contents of her bag one by one on the street and made medicine on the spot.

Tein rested her chin on Ren’s head, standing behind close to Sharti as if guarding her, and whispered softly.

“They’re fools. Teacher and I both have good eyes. They’d be fools to fall for that.”

Tein seemed to want to help Sharti as his hands itched, repeatedly gripping and releasing Ren’s hair.

“I learned all the fraud gang tactics from Grandmother. Teacher and I both know.”

Vireta had once taught them the most common scammer methods so that her grandchildren and Sharti, who were pure unlike herself, wouldn’t be taken advantage of in the harsh world.

Thanks to the Krofl Mercenary Group even taking on the reenactment themselves, the fraud gang before their eyes now just looked sloppy to young Tein’s eyes.

“Teacher has lots of paralysis powder pouches. It’s not very dangerous right now. Ren should relax the tension in his neck.”

What kind of master-disciple pair could be this reliable?

Ren relaxed his neck and swallowed a hollow laugh.

On the other hand, Sharti was in high spirits, conscious of the gazes gathering around them.

‘This is a good opportunity.’

Wasn’t this a situation where she could demonstrate making medicine on the spot and even see the effects directly?

Sharti carefully tore the herbs with her hands.

Then one of the fraud gang members who couldn’t stand it anymore stamped his foot threateningly toward Sharti.

“What do you think you’re doing now! Forcibly paralyzing someone who’s dying!”

As he tried to throw a punch to push aggressively, Sharti took out a needle from her hand and aimed it at him.

“I can show you what really dying is like. This needle has a tremendous poison on it. If I prick you with this—poke! Shall I show you what happens?”

“……”

“……”

It was a chillingly soft threat that even made Ren swallow dry saliva.

“So, so! What, what are you going to do?”

Afraid that Sharti might really stab him with the poison needle, the fraud gang glanced at their companion who was paralyzed and stiff on the ground.

They seemed to be timing when to flee since this job was a bust.

“You see the darkness under this person’s eyes, right? Plus their fingernails have turned purple. Their teeth color has become murky, and their blood vessels have burst black.”

Toward the fraud gang who had pretended to believe the poison needle, Sharti methodically recited the insurance scammer’s real symptoms.

“Did you know this person has been exposed to poison for a long time? It looks like the poison of Tulania flowers.”

“……!”

The paralyzed scammer’s eyes trembled finely.

“Fortunately, I know the antidote.”

Sharti looked up at the fraud gang member who had been making threats at the front and smiled brightly.

“Would you like to try it? I’ll make it for you as an apology for bumping into you.”

“……!”

That evening, Sharti received lavish treatment from the scammers and was introduced to a quite decent herb shop in Bibanten Street.

Furthermore, she was able to hear the news that an emergency had been declared at the medical academy.

The only precious daughter of Count Chelonar in the east was on the verge of death.