Noemi was awakened in her sleep by a forest crow, and at first she thought it was just another one.

　There had been five young men who had fallen prey to the crow's numbing poison while trying to escape the village under cover of darkness.
　All of them were now working hard as if they had changed their minds on the tenth basement floor.

　If it was any of them, they would have to be severely punished.
　I went over there with a prayerful heart and found them lying on the ground.

So it's these guys. ......

　Near the entrance to the village, I saw two men I did not recognize.
　They were dressed in dirty, worn-out clothes and had a slight build.
　The lower half of their faces were covered with a cloth to hide their personalities.

　When he turned up the cloth to check, he found a man who looked like he had never been on the right path.

"Looks like one of the guys who's been messing with me for a while.
I'd say they've had enough.

　There were already four men who had visited the village posing as travelers, but they had all been fed to the demons in the labyrinth.
　They must have noticed that their companions didn't come back and realized that it was time to do something about it.

"So you decided to rough them up.
There was a customer who seemed to be storing up a lot of money today.
I see. I see. So you were greedy to get them as well.

　The forest crows that flew noiselessly in the darkness were impossible to avoid unless you were very skilled.
　Moreover, a single scratch from their claws can easily take away the freedom of your body.

Nice work. Morika.
"Kaa!

　The forest crow cawed triumphantly and pecked at the men's feet with its beak.
　The handle of a knife appeared on the hem.
　He took away their weapons from their waists and pockets, tied their hands and feet tightly with bloodsucking ivy, and gave them a small dose of the antidote.

Can you speak now?

　No reply.
　It just stares at us silently.
　Well, if he doesn't start whining and cursing right away, we can expect him to be more skilled.

Well, let's hear what you have to say. Paula, can I ask you a favor?
"Yes, sir. Acas, Lime, come in.

　The demoness smiled with a beauty that was hard to believe, and beckoned the red slimes over.
　With flickers of fire coming from their bodies, the two demons clung to the feet of the men pointed at them.
　As they began to burn and melt, the men opened their mouths rather easily.

It's getting tricky again. ......

After fifteen minutes of listening to them while ignoring their pleas and curses, I learned the following story.

　First of all, it seems that these men are a gang of rogues who have a hideout in the capital.
　The ringleader's name is Vim. Doesn't sound familiar.


　It's possible that it's a pseudonym, but since this unwelcome event itself didn't exist in the original Dracula 2, he seems to be a complete stranger.

　It all started when one of them saw Hans delivering a package to the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
　The men who followed Hans also saw him enter the mansion of Leocadio, a famous merchant.

　After that, Leocadio sold a very expensive white light stone lantern, and they suspected that Hans was involved in the sale.
　He then searched for an alchemist who might have been involved in the production of the lantern, and ended up here.
　Finally, I feel like I've connected some of the dots.

It's a funny story. If it was backwards and forwards, I could understand.
Yes, I don't understand why you would be suspicious of Hans, who was just delivering a package.
That's not entirely inconceivable.

　The face of my vindictive ex-colleague flickers in my mind unavoidably.
　The face of my vindictive ex-colleague flickered in my mind, although it was unclear how he and the ruffians were connected.

"Well, that's not the problem now. ......
Yes, I hope you're okay, Hans-sama.

　We are worried about the peddler from afar, who is probably just arriving at the royal capital.