Pseudo Resident’s Illegal Stay in Another World

Chapter 153: Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief (4)

Sandgirl, a woman who probably went by the name Dorothea, yelped softly.

"...So, you're the last, the ninth thief!"

"What?"

"That thing, it's just like my scroll. Wait, we shouldn't be talking about it here. Follow me...!"

Eventually, Sandgirl Dorothea swiftly hid herself somewhere. I didn't know what was happening, but following her seemed like a good idea.

We made our way to the back door behind the employee break room and stepped outside the tavern.

"The moon is bright."

She looked up at the night sky, then started climbing up to the top of the building by grabbing onto walls, pipes, and railings.

Swish— Thud— Tap— Tap—

Soon, the woman who had climbed up to the roof looked down and said.

"What are you waiting for? Climb up here too. No one will notice us above here."

Did she just climb a two-story building with her bare hands?

This was proof of exceptional strength or incredible skills, maybe both. Even though there were things to grab onto here and there, not just anyone could climb up a building wall like this.

"Hurry up! I'll get scolded if my brother—"

I reluctantly reached out to follow her up to the roof since she kept urging me on.

Tap— Tap—

With plenty of places for my feet and hands, climbing up to the roof turned out to be easier than I had thought.

“Your speed might be slow, but you seem to have a strong grip.”

Sandgirl Dorothea commented as she looked at me, as if evaluating me.

"So, why did you lead me here?"

Under this peculiar moonlight, the intoxication I had just moments ago seemed to fade away. Did I climb here on the rooftop just to gaze at the moon? Or would we do something good?

I observed the Sandgirl's slender waist with its jingling accessories, and her arms and legs appeared slim and well-defined. I could feel my lower body slowly hardening.

Of course, I clearly knew that my fantasies wouldn't become reality.

Still, my schlong always retained some hope and would spring to life whenever an opportunity arose. Having too good of health could also be a problem.

Anyway, I turned my gaze to the surroundings to calm my raging manhood. Standing on the high roof, looking at the western slums of Sodomora felt rather strange.

Buildings covered with tiles and plaster under the moonlight. Surprisingly, there were quite a few structures with open ceilings because they had no roofs.

Still, the clear view made me feel refreshed, and it was then that Sandgirl Dorothea spoke.

"Seeing an unfamiliar face with the executive’s insignia means you're the one who has passed Big Joe's test, right?"

The executive’s insignia? Big Joe's test? These unfamiliar keywords filled my ears. I racked my brain to deduce the context and meaning of her words.

"Big Joe, is that the masked man in the underground market? The one with the large build?"

"Yeah, that's right— the test to pick the titanium locks."

"Ah, I see. So, are you some kind of executive in the Thieves' Guild?"

"That's right. The eight scrolls are scattered all over the city. How could you end up coming to me? What rotten luck. I'm not the one that trains the new recruits, you know."

Training new recruits?

I didn't understand what she meant, but Dorothea looked around and continued speaking.

“Nevertheless, considering the fact that you made it up to this rooftop, it seems you’re capable of some basic wall climbing. You’ve picked the lock, too, so you must have some decent skills. Is there anything else I should be aware of?

"Are you really asking me this?"

"Yeah, if you don't know something, just tell me, and I'll teach you. Actually, I'm not good at teaching. I don't even know where to start."

“I think I will probably know less than what you think."

"That's a bit... serious. How could Big Joe let a guy like this pass the test? Are you even a thief?”

“He only said that I'd have an interview with the guild executives, is that what's happening?”

In response to my question, that woman hit her forehead with her hand.

"What the hell? Big Joe, that bastard, didn't explain anything to you, did he? That guy, ever since we had a new leader, he doesn't want to do anything properly."

My question seemed to have angered Dorothea, the mysterious female dancer who hid her face under the veil, and she groaned to herself.

"You're an executive of the Thieves' Guild now! Opening the steel bar is the test!"

"The fuck."

"What you said?"

"No, I'm just happy."

I never thought the day would come when I'd obtain a high-level position like an executive.

The highest position I'd ever held was probably being the leader of a group project or the party leader of a bronze-level adventurer party.

Hassan, who had been a gladiator in the slave arena, had now reached an executive position. Did that mean I had somehow succeeded in life?

But of all things, I was chosen as an executive in the Thieves' Guild that would soon be subdued. What good would that do me? So, I asked.

"Are there any benefits to being an executive in the Thieves' Guild?”

"Of course. First, if you present that scroll, you can freely utilize the information stalls in the underground market!"

"I see."

"Why the lackluster reaction? This is an incredible opportunity!"

"I see!"

It seemed like being able to use the information stalls in the underground market for free was something significant. So, I decided to act happy about it. Whatever it was, it had to be a good thing!

Dorothea scrutinized me as I exaggeratedly rejoiced. To have a woman stare so intently at me...

Maybe she noticed that the gauntlets I wore on both hands were remarkable items, each costing 4 golds?

"You're quite big. Having a large build can be a disadvantage during jobs."

"Is that so?"

"Lately, upper-level adventurers from the surface have been going crazy trying to catch us. They're even inviting high-level adventurers from other areas. I mean, we're not the ones who'll get caught, but you might stand out too much that you’ll probably get caught."

Me getting caught? I'm the one supposed to be catching thieves here.

But after hearing this, it reminded me that there were rumors spreading throughout Sodomora about a plan for a large-scale crackdown on the Thieves' Guild. However, the exact details were still unknown to others.

Well, if they knew the details of that, they would have been highly wary of me as I was the one who would crack down on the Thieves' Guild.

This was the first time I felt thankful to be in a world where the internet wasn't developed and communication networks were outdated.

I decided to focus on the advantages I could gain in this situation.

Dorothea added one more thing.

"It's hard to imagine someone with your size stealing things. A Samaritan thief, huh? Have you ever stolen anything before?"

Have I ever stolen anything? Back in elementary school, I used to steal coins from my mother's or father's wallet quite often.

In middle school, I became more daring and even took out some bigger bills like several thousand won. I got caught and got a good scolding for it. Anyway, if you could call that experience, then yes, I have some.

"I have, actually."

"...Hm, although I find it hard to believe, I just can't imagine it at all. Alright, come with me. I need to see your skills for myself."

* * *

Dorothea, the Sandgirl, leaped between the roofs like a mischievous thieving cat.

Whether it was due to her light body or her flexibility, she moved swiftly and gracefully on the uneven roofs, never slipping a step.

However, as I followed this dancer thief, I felt like I was going to die. I slipped and stumbled between the roofs, breaking several tiles and causing a ruckus.

Making quite a bit of noise with my clumsy movements, I felt sorry for the people trying to sleep, but this was all part of my undercover investigation, and there was no avoiding it.

The place Dorothea finally went to after running for a while was someplace near the security office close to Sodomora's western gate.

Due to the nature of the guards who worked around the clock, the office was brightly lit despite the late hour, with lanterns illuminating the surroundings.

Step— Step—

Dorothea gracefully descended from the roof. She peeked her face out from a corner of the alley and said.

"The guards at the western gate always carry ropes in their back pockets. I'll steal one for you to see. Watch carefully."

Dorothea's gaze remained fixed on one of the armed guards, who seemed to be yawning while looking at the surroundings. I observed alongside her.

Tap— Tap—

The guard's movements followed a predictable pattern.

It seemed that Dorothea had noticed that as well, so she took advantage of a moment when the guard turned away, crouched, and approached the man while keeping her posture low.

She was clearly wearing accessories that would produce quite a bit of noise. However, strangely, even though she moved quietly, not even the usual sound of footsteps could be heard.

Truly remarkable.

Indeed, was this because she was an executive of the Thieves' Guild?

More than that, damn it, I couldn’t believe this... the younger sister of Dorgo was an executive of the Thieves' Guild. Dorgo, you motherfucker, you didn't do a good job educating your little sister, did you?

Lost in such thoughts, I watched Dorothea, the Thieves' Guild executive, swiftly grab and seize the rope tied to the guard's belt from behind. Then, she crawled back towards me.

Dorothea unrolled the long rope in front of me. It fell to the ground like a coiled snake.

"What do you think? You should be able to do this much as a basic skill. Can you handle it?"

Can I handle something like this? To be honest, I didn’t think I could.

But perhaps Dorothea read my thoughts because she added a few more words.

"If you can't do this, I'll use my discretion to remove you from the executives. I'll take that scroll too, so you won't be able to attend the executives' meeting tomorrow."

"Executives' meeting?"

“Yes. This time, even the head, that old Hydra, will directly participate, right? We're going to do something really big tomorrow. We’ll steal something big once and then lie low for a while.

I might not have completely understood what she was talking about, but the main point was that there would be an executives' meeting tomorrow.

If I do my best to memorize the location and details and inform Hippolyte about what I learned, then launching a major operation to catch these thief executives wouldn't be unrealistic, right?

Launching a major operation to catch thief executives.

A reward from the Margrave of Sodomora.

A healthcare center.

Getting massive amounts of task points and substantial level-ups.

Becoming a Gold-tier adventurer.

A happy married life with Luna, a proud Hippolyte and a fuming Elfriede.

In the blink of an eye, various scenes flashed before my eyes.

Starting as a foreign illegal resident, working my way up the ladder to achieve a successful career, obtaining a home everyone envied, and having a wife—truly, it could be called a dream life on the Gaia continent.

Damn it, I can't miss out on this opportunity.

“Just this? Let me give it a try."

"Having confidence is good, but I'm not sure if you can hide that big frame of yours gracefully. Anyway, take this rope and tie it back to that man's waist without getting caught."

Returning the stolen item without getting caught was indeed a challenging task. However, I had my own secret methods to achieve it.

Because I possessed an odd blessing from Lady Knox, which could let me adjust the likelihood of getting caught during covert actions!

"I'll give you 5 minutes. That's when the guards will be mobilized."

"Okay, then I'll be back in no time, so wait."

Swoosh—

I grabbed the rope and lowered my posture, just like Dorothea did earlier.

Then, I slowly approached the guard by taking small steps. I had observed his movement pattern earlier, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Lady Knox—"

As I called out the name of Protogenoi, who ruled the power of the night, familiar letters came to mind after I took a deep breath.

『Blessing Night's Cloak 》is activated.』 『Using task points to adjust the likelihood of getting caught during covert operations.』 『Current task points: 97.』 96.

95.

94...

Good, it had been properly activated.

With 1 task point deducted every second, I had about 90 seconds left.

There was no need to use the full 5 minutes; If possible, I had to finish the job before these valuable points decreased further.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

I managed to get very close to the guard's back.

"Damn. Time’s so fucking slow. When is the shift change, you bastards?

I had gotten close enough to hear the man's grumbles. I then reached out and lifted the rope to his waist. Hmm, how do I tie it without getting caught?

The difficult task kept me second-guessing myself.

Tying the rope would inevitably require my hand to touch his waist, which not only would be easily noticeable, it might also disrupt my blessing.

However, with the blessing I received from the Sun God, which enhanced my dexterity, precision, and swiftness, it wasn't impossible to get it done, right?

A Gold-tier adventurer.

Hero Hassan.

If I gave up here, I would only get farther from my goal.

Recalling the image of my successful self, I finally reached out for the man's waist.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

Tying knots while setting up the tent was something I had done many times before, so it wasn't too difficult.

Tight—

Done. Dammit!

After securely tying the last knot, I returned to the alley corner where Sandgirl Dorothea was waiting.

"Phew... Is it enough now?"

I exhaled, finally releasing the breath I had been holding, and the familiar words came to mind again.

『Blessing Night's Cloak 》is deactivated.』 『Remaining task points: 60.』 My initial task points were at 97, I spent roughly 40 seconds doing this task.

Looking back now, I could have done it even faster, but I lost about 10 seconds due to my hesitation.

Wasting 10 task points... Damn, what a waste.

Anyway, I had successfully completed my task without getting caught. I wondered what kind of evaluation the veteran executive of the Thieves' Guild would give me. She just blinked her brown eyes under the shadow and said nothing.

"Is there a problem?"

"...Oh, no. You were even faster than me, after all. What the hell? What’s this? How did you do it? Was it because your hair and body were so dark that you blended in and became unnoticeable?"

Dorothea bombarded me with questions as if she couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. It seemed that even in the eyes of the veteran executive of the Thieves' Guild, my recent actions were quite impressive.

Damn, the skills I acquired from searching my mother and father's pockets came in handy at a time like this.

"Do you happen to have a blessing? Are you a follower of the God of thieves and messengers? Have you received a blessing from Lord Mercury that makes you skilled at stealing?"

"No, not exactly.”

"Then, is there any other God who could aid in thievery like this? Hmm, who else might there be? There must be one. Ah, could it be the Goddess of Night? Did I guess correctly? Of course, receiving a blessing from the Goddess of Night is absurd, but..."

"Well, it's somewhat similar—"

I was trying to end it vaguely, but Sandgirl Dorothea suddenly shouted as if she had forgotten to hide her presence.

"Oh my, you're actually an orthodox! Receiving grace from the Goddess of Night! You're a natural-born thief! A despicable and dirty thief! The scum of the world! A real son of a bitch!"

Fuck, I couldn't tell if she was complimenting or insulting me. But judging from her enlarged pupils above the veil, rough movements, and voice, it seemed more like a compliment.

So, while I felt a strange mix of discomfort from these backhanded compliments, Sandgirl Dorothea uttered another thing that was hard to believe.

"If-If it’s you, you could probably surpass that damned 8th and become the new Leader! No, you're the only one that can do it...!"