People often say that making money off others is one of the toughest jobs around, but that’s just nonsense from those who don’t understand anything.

“I really don’t get why everyone seems so slow on the uptake.”

Hans thought sincerely.

If you just toss aside your useless conscience and apply a little brainpower, earning money is a cinch.

You don’t even have to look far; you just have to see how Hans is doing right now.

The inn he built near the Demon Realm was enough to accumulate wealth that others would envy.

This was truly a breakthrough for his little pickpocketing scheme.

Once he set up the inn, his targets were practically walking in on their own.

“And the ones coming to me are mostly guaranteed wins.”

The guests were primarily adventurers about to enter the Demon Realm. In other words, golden goblins decked out in expensive gear.

Taking care of them was also a straightforward affair.

Hans used to be a renowned adventurer himself.

He crafted poisons from the materials obtained from monsters.

He’d sneak those into their meals, knock them out, and then it was just a matter of swiping their belongings.

“Plus, I don’t have to worry about being discovered by the Empire.”

The Empire’s law enforcement was indeed commendable.

Their guards would hunt down even petty criminals with all their might.

Well, it’s not because they are particularly noble or ethical.

It’s just their greed for money.

Whether it’s alchemy or some other purpose, there’s always a demand for human bodies.

Selling bits and pieces naturally leads to cash. No matter what happens, the records would just say, “The criminal suddenly worsened and died in prison.”

That’s why criminals feared the Empire’s guards.

Of course, they took bribes and were certainly the type to make sure to take care of the body as well.

The moment you get caught, death is guaranteed, regardless of the crime.

However, here, there was no need to fear them.

So what if adventurers challenging the Demon Realm didn’t return?

That’s just a regular occurrence.

If someone disappeared, folks just assumed they fell victim to some monster or demon somewhere.

Nobody would cast a suspicious glance at Hans.

It was the perfect money-making scheme.

Low risk, high income, and no drawbacks whatsoever.

Hans smiled pleasantly. The more gold coins piled up, the more he wanted to commend his five-years-ago self for cooking this up.

-Squeak

Just as he basked in his success, the sound of the door opening chimed in. But a smile crept onto Hans’s lips instead.

Could there be a target looking to be robbed? How could he not greet them?

Hans quickly observed their state.

This was his secret to survival. Always be on guard.

Avoid contact with unbeatable strong forces whenever possible.

And the three before him were…

“Jackpot! Just a bunch of rich kids.”

They were truly the best prey.

A white-haired boy and two girls.

Just to be safe, he leaked some mana, but they looked just as weak as he thought.

He sensed some mana emanating from the white-haired boy, but it was hardly enough to resist poison.

“Honestly, they’d die here comfortably at this rate.”

The white-haired girl was one thing, but the black-haired girl holding the staff…

The lack of mana was shockingly pathetic.

How could a so-called mage not have a single whiff of mana?

It was so ridiculous that he briefly wondered if there were mages who used something other than mana.

Ultimately, only the white-haired boy had any real power.

Though their robes and gear seemed expensive—probably worth hundreds of gold—

It’s like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.

No matter how fancy the equipment is, if the skill doesn’t back it up, it’s all for nothing.

They’d probably meet their end the moment they stepped into the Demon Realm. Better to die from poison than that…

“Good for you lot. And for me too, hehehe.”

Hans desperately suppressed his laughter as he welcomed the three young adventurers.

“Do you have a room for three?”

“Of course.”

With no suspicions at all and completely unaware of what was about to unfold, they entered the inn.

“You must be tired from coming this far. I’ll serve you meals right away.”

Hans said in a friendly manner.

Upon hearing that meals would be served immediately, they didn’t head up to the second floor but sat down to wait for their food.

A rare win had come to him.

He was worried the precious golden goblins would escape, but he thought there was no reason to fret that much.

Hans was no amateur.

It would be odd for the inn to be completely empty, so he hired mercenaries to act as fake guests.

They were all seasoned mercenaries. The types who’d die for their bread, so the adventurers would probably take them for fellow adventurers here to challenge the Demon Realm.

There were no elements to stir suspicion.

With an air of leisure, Hans began to cheerfully hum a tune while cooking.

He made sure to add his special sauce.

As he piled the plates high with food and returned to the table…

“You tricked me! You never mentioned you’d have companions.”

“No, I mean, if we’re going into the Demon Realm, naturally, you’d bring along anyone you can.”

Sure enough, they were talking casually, completely in the dark until the food was served.

Hans greeted them with a smile as he laid out the dishes.

The delicious aroma wafted in the air.

At a glance, it was a banquet that would make anyone drool.

Naturally, they devoured it without a second thought.

“…Wow! This is really tasty! You have to try this!”

The white-haired girl oohed with delight and even offered some to the boy. The boy, undaunted, chowed down too.

Hans’s face turned to a question mark.

Rather than losing consciousness, they looked utterly unaffected by any pain.

One of the mercenaries glanced over at Hans. His eyes seemed to say, “Did you accidentally not add the poison?”

The mercenary sighed heavily. After all, it was clear that the guy at the table was an easy mark.

It looked like he was about to step in himself.

A burly man standing from his seat.

And then…

Crunch, a sound echoed.

The spot where a human head had been moments ago now held nothing.

Only a black beast remained.

The sudden turn of events left everyone dumbfounded. But everyone gathered here were mercenaries.

They reacted quickly.

They grabbed their weapons in an instant. It was an instinctive reaction forged by their mercenary experience.

But despite those preparations…

The black wolf devoured everything voraciously.

What was once a human was reduced to flesh.

In front of their eyes, a person was losing their shape, turning into blood and guts.

Three seconds.

That’s all it took for the mercenaries present to be taken down.

Suddenly, Hans’s legs quivered.

He turned pale, indistinguishable from a corpse. Cold sweat drenched his entire body.

And approaching him was the white-haired boy.

With an unsettlingly kind smile.

“Oh, don’t worry too much.”

In stark contrast to the blood-splattered inn, he bore an eerie visage. Horrified, Hans tried to step back but failed.

He fell helplessly to the floor.

“My buds can be a bit savage, but they’re not bad kids. They just start fights first.”

The white-haired boy extended a hand as if to help him up.

Hearing that, Hans hoped deep down that perhaps this guy didn’t fully understand the situation,

but then there was a squelching sound.

A pain that could barely be described surged through him.

“My hand! My hand!!!”

He’d merely shaken hands, yet somehow, it twisted grotesquely and crumbled.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

The man offered his apologies,

but Hans wasn’t an idiot.

He wasn’t so naive as to think someone would accidentally do something like that.

…It was all an act.

The look of confusion, the semblance of regret was merely a facade masking insincerity.

The intent behind that was crystal clear.

To mock him.

That guy, who understood everything from the start, was toying with him.

But even if he figured it out, there was no way he could fight back.

Resisting a monster that can kill with a handshake? What’s the difference between that and suicide?

…In the end, there was only one remaining course of action.

*

Bad luck could only go so far.

Naturally, my head felt dizzy.

Siel had overreacted to an opponent who was about to attack, and now I was here messing up again.

In this inn, we had caused every ruckus we possibly could.

How the hell were we going to compensate for this? I knotted my brows in worry.

…Then something strange happened.

Bang, bang, bang! The pounding sounded repeatedly.

The innkeeper was bowing his head repeatedly in front of me.

He was crying and confessing.

About the plans he was concocting.

So… it seemed the guy was trying to poison us.

No wonder the food had such a sharp taste.

‘What the hell kind of ridiculous situation is this?’

Before even entering the Demon Realm, bad luck struck. We hadn’t even properly started, yet look at this.

As I sighed at this unexpected misfortune…

“PL-Please spare my life! I’ll do anything to be spared! I’ll give you everything I have! So please…”

He was saying all this while presenting various trinkets.

…Artifacts.

Each one a treasure beyond estimate.

One even usable for repairing a Holy Sword.

Counting them up hastily, there seemed to be at least six.

He even had five rare elixirs.

In an instant, my worries evaporated. This was more than enough for a life’s worth.

Let’s just take this as a lesson and let him go with a vow of mana. I thought, reaching out to grab the artifacts laid out before him.

But then came a shriek of “Eeep!”

Had he misinterpreted my intentions as hostile?

He blurted out with a deathly pale face,

“You… you came here to explore the Demon Realm, didn’t you? I can guide you! If you don’t believe me, I can vow on my mana!”

He’d been in and out of the Demon Realm making poisons. Just let him live, and he’d guide us anywhere.

A smile crept to my lips.

So it seemed…

What had come to me was not misfortune, but rather luck.