So I'm a Snake, Who Cares

The lower district of Nahagu is the largest among all the lower districts of the imperial road.

The guard patrol is merely a formality.

Whether it’s the intention of those in high places or simple indifference, the lower district is left neglected.

The same goes for wanted notices.

It’s strange that even petty criminals have warrants out for them, and stranger still that these wanted criminals walk the streets in broad daylight.

The authorities deliberately avoid putting direct effort into investigation and arrest activities.

That’s why the profession of bounty hunter could exist.

By funding citizens’ vigilante activities, they outsourced law enforcement and spared the lives of valuable guard members.

However, one can’t expect bounty hunters to have the same level of professional consciousness as guards.

It’s essentially the same as hanging a sign saying "Criminals and Wanted Persons Welcome."

Such taverns existed not only inside the sewers but also in the dark alleys of Nahagu.

Even though the sun was barely setting.

Creeak-

The man who came out of the red-light tavern was flushed with drink.

His name was Yaigan Yuzel.

A man with a 4th-class warrant for highway robbery.

He grabbed the tavern wall and suddenly started vomiting.

After spewing out reddish-yellow bitter liquid, he wiped his mouth with a groan.

"Ah, I’m drunk."

He was a man completely devoid of dignity or culture.

Though he’d emptied his stomach, it seems he hadn’t expelled his drunkenness.

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His steps were still staggering.

He trudged along in the direction of the setting sun as if chasing the twilight.

Yaigan wound through the alleys.

In a narrow alley, he happened to encounter someone.

A man was standing in the middle of the alley.

"...Move."

Though he could have passed by pressing himself against the wall, Yaigan said this instead.

But the man, Obern, spoke without concern.

"Yaigan Yuzel, is that right?"

"...Who are you?"

"So it is you."

The man blocking the alley was comparing Yaigan’s face with some paper.

Seeing that, the situation was obvious.

"This bastard... a hunter?"

He was clearly a bounty hunter.

Though drunk, or perhaps because he was drunk, Yaigan wasn’t intimidated.

Click!

His speed in pulling out and opening a pocket knife was impressive.

"Turn around and get lost if you don’t want holes in your guts."

But Obern had grown too confident to be intimidated by a mere pocket knife.

Instead, he conjured a magic bullet.

"Get on your knees and lie down."

Only then did Yaigan Yuzel snap to his senses.

A magician.

No matter how tough a robber he was, he wanted to avoid a one-on-one with a magician.

Especially since he was alone right now...

"Hey punk, we were wondering where you went after drinking so much."

"This idiot always tries to go home alone when he’s drunk."

That’s when it happened.

His brothers who had been drinking with him caught up to Yaigan.

"What’s this..."

"Ah shit!"

The brothers could hold their liquor much better than Yaigan.

In other words, they were still clear-headed.

One pulled out a throwing dagger, and another drew a long epee from his waist.

"The Yuzel brothers are all together."

Highway robber brothers assembled!

These three had even hunted a magician before.

Though it’s unclear if that magician was a proper one.

"Hey punk! Are you scared?"

The magician, Obern, suddenly shot a magic bullet high into the sky.

Bang!

A small spark burst.

What it meant was clear.

"Damn, he’s calling for backup. Run!"

The eldest Yuzel brother said this.

A normal person would have expected all three to run in the opposite direction from Obern.

But the Yuzel brothers were more experienced in the gutters than expected.

The moment the eldest shouted to run, the second brother threw his throwing dagger at Obern.

Simultaneously, the eldest thrust his epee.

Their strategy was to kill the distracted magician and escape.

It didn’t work at all.

Clang!

The throwing dagger bounced off without even penetrating the shield.

The same went for the epee.

With their low physical power and drunk, imprecise swordsmanship, they couldn’t match Obern.

As soon as their surprise attack failed, the difference in level became clear.

"Damn it! Let’s all rush him!"

The eldest shouted this time.

Ridiculously, he meant the opposite.

The three tried to run in the opposite direction from Obern.

If only a small snake hadn’t appeared in that direction.

They tried to ignore it and pass by.

The alley was wide enough that one small snake couldn’t block it.

Who could have imagined that small snake would grow large enough to fill the entire alley?

"Aaaaargh!"

The youngest screamed, and the second brother stopped in surprise.

And that was the end.

The snake swallowed both in one bite.

"Nooo!"

Though it seems they didn’t go down its throat.

Psssssst!

Steam burst from the snake’s nose with a popping sound.

"Ptui!"

The snake spat out the second and third brothers.

"B-boys!"

The eldest, Yason Yuzel, screamed.

Though he was a cruel and bold robber, the current situation felt like a dream.

Then a powerful impact struck the back of his head.

Bam!

Yason collapsed.

Behind him stood Obern holding a hammer.

"Whew, whew."

The snake, now small again, climbed onto his shoulder.

’That was some magical hammering.’

"Thank you."

’We caught them splendidly!’

"We should tie them up quickly."

Obern first tied the unconscious second and third brothers’ wrists and ankles behind their backs.

Then as he was tying up the eldest...

"C-crazy..."

Yason seemed to have quite a sturdy head.

To his ears, it must have looked like Obern was talking to empty air.

"Got caught by some crazy bastard..."

Even while groaning, his words were still thorny.

"Do you know who you’ve messed with?"

"..."

"We Yuzel brothers just joined the Mud House. They won’t let you get away with this."

It was a sticky threat.

However, neither Obern nor the snake paid any attention.

The snake approached the head of the bound Yason Yuzel.

"W-what are you doing! Get this ugly snake away!"

"Yason Yuzel, alone a 3rd-class wanted criminal. Same charge of highway robbery, with additional charges of killing a merchant and raping his daughter. He has the highest bounty."

"H-hehe, yeah damn it! If you know, then get the snake away quickly."

Yason was dripping with cold sweat.

"This one can be brought in dead or alive."

"Damn it, are you talking to the snake right now!"

Finally, the moment Yason burst out in anger.

The snake placed its tail on Yason’s face.

And like a lie, a voice echoed in his head.

’That’s right, farewell.’

Farewell to where?

His neck stung.

The snake had bitten his neck.

’Ow, salty.’

Those were the last words Yason heard.

In less than 10 seconds.

The snake’s venom had definitely sent Yason’s soul somewhere.

==

「You have killed Highway Robber Yason Yuzel lv49.」

Magic power seeps in.

Hmm.

Not particularly rich or abundant in taste.

Close to a small fry, far from enough to level up.

It might be better if we catch several of these. But there aren’t many wanted criminals with Dead or Alive notices in the lower district.

If we go down to the sewers, both the quantity and quality of prey should increase.

"Wow, that was quite some work."

Oliver, who had been occupying the opposite alley, came running.

Since fighting is prohibited in or in front of red-light taverns, we had set a trap and waited in an alley some distance away.

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