Chapter 315 – Tolf One and Two: Electric Boogaloo
Chapter 315 – Tolf One and Two: Electric Boogaloo
After the father angrily lectured the son for a while, he came to us and got on elbows and knees,
「I apologize for my son’s endless stupidity...」
The father definitely looked quite angry at his son.
However, there was no doubt that he used this anger to smooth things over with two slightly upset clients.
「We’re the ones who are sorry.」
Cruz said, as she lifted the man up.
However,
「mffmfffmfffmff」
Moofy was chewing on Cruz’ other hand very nervously.
She was probably stressed out about how the father had yelled at the son, so she always did this to help calm herself.
Cruz didn’t mind. She rather wanted the cow to calm herself by doing so.
However, now there was danger of getting Moofy’s slobber on the elder Toril’s clothes.
「Please, get up.」
I said, and Toril arose.
Then I bowed a bit to the son.
「I humbly apologize. We fooled you.」
「What...fooled me?」
「Yes.」
「The stones aren’t spirit stones?」
「They are.」
「But they’re not real?」
「They are. But that’s not the issue. The issue is that you’re dealing with a criminal.」
「Wha?」
「And in order to catch him, we used you as bait.」
So we explained the whole problem to the kid.
However, we did so exaggerating the danger of it all a little bit.
「We need you to understand what we’re saying, because if you fall into the enemy’s hands, we’re going to find out the information you’re keeping secret anyway.」
「The...enemy’s hands?」
All of the sudden, the kid had a lost look on his face.
He probably wasn’t understanding what he had gotten himself into.
「The person looking for the spirit stones. The criminal that caused a huge blizzard in Cruz’ realm. Someone that could take your life very easily.」
「But...why would they want to kill me?」
「Because you have information about who it is. And if we get that information, we can help.」
「And that’s it?」
「It’s the only reason we’re here.」
I said flatly, and Tokul’s face turned pale.
I guess the threat worked.
Then Cruz asked him,
「What did you expect to happen after you paid?」
「I thought the company might lend me the money, temporarily, and then after exchanging the stones...I’d be paid.」
「You FOOL!」
The father shouted at him again.
I looked at Moofy, thinking she would probably be stressed out by now.
「Mff mfff」
She had stopped chewing on Cruz’ hand and was now licking snacks off the table and eating them.
She had a pretty long tongue, but she didn’t look stressed out anymore.
Maybe chewing on people’s hands had nothing to do with stress after all.
「ryaa」
「Moo moo」
Shiggy started placing snacks on top of Moofy’s tongue.
Moofy ate them while Shiggy gleefully flapped her wings.
Femm just watched the whole scene with slight disgust.
Cruz grabbed hold of Moofy and pulled her from the table, saying,
「I see, so you had to get a loan...it’s a lot of money.」
「Yes, so much that I’d rather be attacked than hand that much over.」
After threatening him a bit, it seems we had him in a place to reveal who the buyer was.
So I continued, with a smile,
「Now, Tokul, would you reveal who you were buying for?」
「...but...」
He really was reluctant about who the buyer was.
I guess he really did think the contract was that important.
Then Cruz said, while holding Moofy and Femm in each arm,
「Hmph, if you cooperate, we both end up in a win-win situation.」
「And if you don’t, we both lose.」
「Lose...how would I lose?」
「Well, you’ll probably be sent to prison.」
I was charging the kid, which was an exaggeration.
The charge that he was an ally to the person that caused the blizzard.
In addition, the charge of fraud.
And possibly embezzlement from the company itself.
With all these charges being read to him, Tokul finally gave up.
「...I see. I will help.」
「Good. This makes things quicker for both of us.」
I immediately began questioning him,
「I have a lot I want to ask, but I’ll ask the most important first. Who is it?」
「A trader. I heard that he lived in the old Demon Lord’s region.」
「Race, sex, age?」
「A human, middle-aged male.」
「And where did you discuss this transaction?」
「About half a year ago, at a bar...」
It seems that he met someone while he was drinking at a nearby tavern.
The fellow must have known that he was Tokul, the son of the Tolf Trading firm.
「Half a year ago? That’s a lot of time to move around.」
「If he’s using the son of Tolf Trading to do his business, he’s probably got some money.」
「I think so too.」
He might have chosen the kid because he would be the most likely to find the stones.
And if that were so, then there might not be that much need to shut him up later.
Also, there was a lot of benefit in using an inexperienced kid to ask around.
「So where did you negotiate the conditions?」
「Well....」
It seems they both met in a house a little way from the capital.
There was no reason why they needed to leave the capital to negotiate, but if Tokul thought it over at that time, the reason would be obvious.
However, it was either the bad guy’s skill, Tokul being fooled, or his wanting to make the trade that led him to leave the safety of the capital at the time.
It was strange that Tokul didn’t think it was weird at the time.
「Did you tell him about our meeting at Linmia’s yesterday?」
「Not yet. I was going to meet him this afternoon.」
「I see. So you always negotiated with him alone?」
「Yes.」
Then Cruz said,
「We need to grab this guy!」
「Yeah, Tokul, show us the place.」
「...okay.」
He again seemed reluctant to do it, but he showed us the way.