Chapter 90

The merchant in question was, surprisingly, living in a grand mansion with a bold presence.

Facing the main street of the capital, it was more luxurious and elegant than any of the other houses lining the street.

Even with our sudden visit, once they learned we were S-rank adventurers, they welcomed us with open arms.

It seems that fame has its uses even in such situations.

Deep within the mansion, a young gentleman with a sharp and refined aura greeted us.

His handsome face suggested that he would be quite popular with women if he entered society.

"Indeed! Welcome, welcome! Thank you for coming!"

The master of the mansion, the great merchant, welcomed us with open arms.

"Please don't go to so much trouble. I feel quite uncomfortable visiting unannounced and without prior notice."

"Oh no! The visit of a hero who is the talk of the nation is always a grand welcome! I would cancel any plans to entertain you wholeheartedly!"

The merchant was affable and cheerful, creating an atmosphere that made one feel at ease immediately.

This was likely a technique he had honed to conduct business efficiently.

At first glance, he appeared to be a talented and capable merchant blessed with good looks.

Just by looking at him...

"I'll have the maid prepare tea right away! The highest quality tea leaves imported through our exclusive channels, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!"

"Your hospitality is appreciated, but..."

I positioned Noem behind me, shielding her.

Abinion had disappeared, but he would come at a moment's notice if needed.

"Since we've come in a hurry, I'd like to get straight to business. It's that urgent."

"Indeed, it must be. For someone who has climbed to the S-rank among adventurers, time must flow differently from others."

"Perhaps. But today wasn't particularly busy."

Eliminating all the pests in the capital, after all.

"So, what brings you to my place...?"

"Of course, it's about the goods you handle."

I hadn't yet slammed the evidence on the table.

I already had a good idea of what he was up to behind the scenes.

I didn't intend to go through the formalities of gathering evidence. I had the power and strength to judge and punish criminals based on my own convictions.

However, I didn't intend to end the destruction here.

In this country, where slavery is prohibited, it can only take root through external influence.

This means that someone is trying to introduce the slave trade from abroad.

The great merchant in front of me is likely just a pawn.

I managed to get his name from one of the thugs I slaughtered today.

Given his prominent position, he must have valuable information.

I needed to crush him more thoroughly than usual.

"Having an S-rank adventurer and hero interested in my goods is a great honor."

I had already destroyed all the slave traders' hideouts in the capital in a single day.

Compared to conventional investigations and arrests, this was an incredible speed, leaving even the ringleader no time to react.

I had eliminated all the communication channels before they could even make a sound.

Unaware that his limbs had been severed, he continued to play the role of a benevolent merchant.

"However, my business is quite diverse. We handle dozens of different goods. Which one caught your eye...?"

"I hear you deal in goods that are not allowed in this country."

"That...! I am primarily an importer. We have many rare items not found in this country...!"

"Your export business seems to be thriving as well."

"Export...? No, that...!?"

He began to sense the unease in my words and became more reserved.

He was cautious about being caught in a lie and avoided making careless statements.

"Let's stop this roundabout probing, shall we? It's unnecessary for a straightforward business discussion. Can you tell me what you're looking for?"

"Take it easy. Let's chat a bit more. How about what I did today?"

"......What did you do?"

"Pest control."

I had been systematically destroying the nests of pests hidden throughout the capital.

"I didn't take it as a quest, but I was enthusiastic about purifying and improving the capital."

"To think an S-rank adventurer would take the lead in such a mundane task. I am truly impressed...!"

So, here's the thing...

"This is the last nest of pests."

"Wh-what!?"

"And the largest, the main source. This is the grand finale of today's work."

He must have had a bad feeling.

The merchant... no, the slave trader who had many underlings operating underground, didn't show shock but began to sweat profusely.

Beads of sweat like countless pearls.

"What are you talking about...! I have no idea what you mean! Is this some misunderstanding!?"

"I've destroyed all the human trafficking dens you led. The captives were rescued before they could be enslaved."

"......!?"

"Did you receive any reports from your underlings? It should be about time, right?"

All the information had been collected as quickly as possible using Abinion's interrogation technique for the dead.

The slave trader, who had tried to turn his head sharply, stopped himself at the last moment.

If he confirmed what I said, it would be like admitting his guilt.

"I don't understand what you're saying. What do you mean? Please explain from the beginning. I'm sure any misunderstanding can be cleared up...!"

"You are a slave trader. You kidnap people from this country and sell them into slavery abroad. Your goal is to introduce and establish slavery in this country."

"That's not true!"

The slave trader stood up, kicking his chair.

It was hard to tell how much of his anger was an act and how much was genuine.

"No matter how much you are a hero who saved the nation, or an S-rank adventurer, there are limits to your accusations! Slavery is prohibited in this country! Do you think I don't know that!?"

"So you were involved in the illegal slave trade?"

"That's not true! All of this is your baseless accusation! This is not good! Accusing a hardworking merchant without evidence! If you start acting tyrannically just because you're an S-rank adventurer, people will think you've become arrogant, and it will tarnish the reputation of Princess Resleza, your future partner!!"

He tried to use Princess Resleza's name to make me back down.

"Are you saying I came here to execute you without any evidence?"

"Do you have evidence!? If you do, show it! If you have irrefutable evidence, I will accept my fate and go to prison or even the executioner's block! But you need evidence!"

This is the typical tactic of a cornered criminal: "Show me the evidence!"

No matter how deep the suspicion, without physical evidence, it remains just a suspicion, and a criminal can argue their way out of it.

Every time I see this, I realize that logic alone cannot corner a scoundrel.

Convincing someone through logic is only possible for those with enough intelligence to understand it and the integrity to act on it.

If they had those qualities, they wouldn't have become criminals.

Still, for this man to maintain such a bold stance, he must have his own confidence. He believes he can get away with it.

He has left no physical evidence linking him to the small dens where his underlings and potential slaves were kept.

Even if the captured underlings revealed his name, he could argue that the testimony of corrupt thugs is worthless.

Convincing a hardened criminal to repent is impossible, even for a god.

"Then I'll show you the evidence. ...Abinion."

"Sure thing."

The female ghost appeared at my call.

"Please."

In response to my request, Abinion snapped her fingers, and people, people, people appeared from the surrounding void.

People who shouldn't have been there, with lifeless expressions and dark, dull eyes, and bodies that were translucent, revealing the scenery behind them.

The transparency worsened the lower down their bodies, and their feet were completely invisible.

In other words, they were not of this world.

"Ah! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh