- Shari -

Now that the criminals are all tied down and secured, the rest is easy enough.

We barely have to do anything at all.

They might now be able to look at us, but most opt not to do so.

Also, if anyone even gets the idea to try something funny, a single wave with my instant-death poison blades is enough to force them into submission.

Even though, I already got rid of the last remains of the poison inside them.

This, combined with the fact that their boss is now openly cooperating with us works well enough to prevent anyone from noticing that there's still a strand connecting me to my second body that keeps on looking through the other rooms on the ground floor.

It might be ethically questionable, but I hope that nobody is going to take offense if I grab everything of value.

The thugs out there won't need it in the long run.

This way, I manage to acquire another four silver and ninety-four in copper.

Five large pieces and forty-four small ones.

It seems I missed their big cash store and this was just what was lying around, but I don't want to examine the tied-up guys out there and don't have that much operational space without risking a disconnect from my core.

However, after I'm sure that I've investigated every nook and cranny in the lower rooms, I decide to check how Michael is doing.

While not being all too invested in that guy's fate, I want to see if the bandit boss is still alive.

It would feel slightly wrong if Michael had killed him under the influence of that weird trusting drug I gave him.

Getting up the stairs is a bit tricky, as I have to somewhat inconspicuously walk to the stairs with my main body and follow behind with the other, without making it appear too obvious that something is wrong.

Then I place my second body next to the railing and step up with the other, as the body that killed most of these guys should be more intimidating to them.

The complicated part comes when I need to establish a new slime strand through the railing, so I can give up on the other.

This way, I avoid a long visible line of slime on ground level and instead have a direct connection to the upper floor, which I can cover with the other body casually leaning against the stairway.

Once I get up, I'm kinda relieved when I don't find another spreading blood puddle, like with that Calios guy.

"Did you find anything interesting? Are we done yet?" (Shari)

"I need to say, it surpassed my expectations. This stuff is fantastic. Our 'friend' here showed me every little thing he had on all the criminal operations in town, and this while he was so obviously paranoid about it, given all the precautions I saw him get through before." (Michael)

"Damn you, Dad. I told you that in secret! Shut your trap!" (Renkos)

I might give them a weird look right now.

"Okay... it's still weird." (Michael)

"So you got something good?" (Shari)

"I got everything! This guy noted every single operation, every hideout, every exchange spot, every single place that is in any way connected to crime. We have enough to blow the whole underworld." (Michael)

This sounds great.

Maybe a bit optimistic.

I mean, getting rid of the ones terrorizing the already poor and desperate sounds like a just cause, even if probably won't just come as easy as proclaimed.

Not that I would like to work overtime, but at least I can feel good about the result of my exertions.

"Well, now that we know their bases, what are we waiting for? Let's raze them! We need to destroy the slave trafficking, right?" (Shari)

"Are you stupid? That's the last thing we're going to do." (Michael)

"What?! I kinda thought this was our mission. Weren't we supposed to do this?" (Shari)

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"As I said, only if we're dumb. You know, attacking targets in a city isn't going to remain unnoticed. And so I may remind you, you can't afford to get noticed. Especially not if a far better opportunity presents itself to us." (Michael)

A better opportunity?

Well, I’ve not been in this agent business as long as he has, but there isn't even anything coming to my mind.

"What do you mean? Shouldn't we try to cause as much damage as possible to the opposition's operation?" (Shari)

"Not us personally. Instead, we'll let the city guard do this for us." (Michael)

The city guard?

Now he sounds stupid.

If they would be in any way reliable, they would at least try doing something against the criminal underworld running rampant in Ekoras.

"The guard? Seriously? They didn't make an all-too-eager impression to be on the case until now." (Shari)

"That's funny, because 'until now' is the key here, as 'now' we have clear intel on the whole underworld, as well as a verdict. This might be enough for the greatest raid this town has ever seen. If we get to the city guard with this, the lord can claim that this was a long-prepared haul, culminating in this. It's perfect. The Marquis of the South gets the opportunity to do what's basically his duty, and if he does, he'll have clearly positioned himself in this conflict. All it needs is a little bit of convincing." (Michael)

If he says this, it sounds all so easy.

"Well, I won't complain if we get to finish this mission with a satisfying conclusion." (Shari)

"I can tell you that a success of this magnitude is going to have positive consequences for every single one of us. Naturally, only if we make it through alive." (Michael)

Yeah, that one is kinda crucial in my regard.

"Then we should get going, right? Before anything can go wrong." (Shari)

"About that. How long do you think that guy's 'state' is going to last? It might be helpful if he's still as talkative once we reach the barracks of the guard." (Michael)

I honestly don't know.

All I can say is that it took a midgrade detoxification potion to get Tamarah back to normal.

"Sorry, no idea." (Shari)

"Well, in that case, we can just count on our luck and better hurry up." (Michael)

I can't argue with that.

Though, it bothers me that I can't look through the rest of the rooms for any riches those criminals have amassed.

However, even if that isn't possible, there is one certain thing I can't delay any longer.

So I turn with the body I left in the lower room to Liqu.

"Liqu, could you please watch those people? I need a moment for myself up here." (Shari)

"Yes, yes! You can count on me!" (Liqu)

With this, she runs closer to the people we tied up, startling all of them.

"You heard my Shari! If one of you moves, I'll kill them! The others of you might get caught up in it. So please be nice, okay?" (Liqu)

Of course, none of them objects.

But I won't complain about her way of going about this as this break from my duties was desperately needed, as now I can get to my other body upstairs.

So I walk up to myself and once we're at the same place, we signal Michael in perfect synchronicity, that he may get the bandit boss down.

"Fine... But I hope you know that you're quite eccentric." (Michael)

I want to see you after your brain got stuffed into a stone!

Some minor quirks should be allowed.

Since there's now nobody left here, I'm finally able to put myself back together.

Literally!

Because I was by now for far too long two people, and it’s really starting to become annoying to maintain.

Not to speak of the possible mental issues this kind of multitasking might cause in the long run.

So it's all too welcome when I can finally connect with myself and have my core slip into the second body I created.

Shortly behind follows all the rest of my slime along the maintained connection until I'm just one entity again.

This makes more sense, as I suppose the bandits are more familiar with the one who killed half of them and might ask where she left.

Also, this body has the chest mail and it would be bothersome to remove it.

So instead, I leave a bunch of clothes behind on the ground, which I stuff away, and make sure that the good cloak covers me.

Once I'm good, I join the others.

"Ah, there you are." (Michael)

"Yay! You're back!" (Liqu)

"I had to finish some business up there. It shouldn't surprise you." (Shari)

I point two fingers at each other but am not sure if that's the right gesture to indicate that I had to merge with myself.

"Alright... we should get going. It's close to sunrise and I'd like to avoid getting into the morning traffic with this kind of entourage." (Michael)

Yep, that would certainly suck.

Also, we are quite limited in the things we can do once we're back out in public.

It's not like I could turn into slime mode or throw acid bottles at frequented areas.

Speaking of this, I'm getting second thoughts.

What we're about to do to get to the guard, and more importantly, to talk to the captain, could quite easily backfire quite badly on us if things go wrong.

Who knows if they weren't ordered to rather get rid of the annoying agents, or if anyone cares who we are if they by chance realize what Liqu and I are?

"Do you think it's gonna be fine if we walk through the whole city and deliver those guys straight to the guard?" (Shari)

"Of course. We're basically doing civil service, getting rid of the trash in the city for them. There's no chance anyone could have a single issue with this." (Michael)