“…A bandit?” Tim looked taken aback. Was it because he heard something he didn’t expect? Or if he wasn’t…

‘Is he connected to the bandits?’ Zich carefully studied Tim’s behavior. 

“Hm, now you mention it, I do remember hearing something about a band of bandits near here.” Tim talked as if he didn’t know about them— but was that really the truth?

“Then, do you not know anything about it?”

“Pretty much. It’s hard for me to say this with my own mouth, but I’m a normal gangster who just wanders around the back alleyways. I can’t compare myself to scary guys like that.” Tim shuddered, and Zich smirked.  

“Are you aware that you are a gangster?”

“Kurgh! Do you think guys like us lack any sense of self-awareness? Types like us actually have better self-awareness than most clueless people. Of course, it’s different from saying this about myself than hearing the same thing from somebody else.” Then, Tim glared at Zich, perhaps indicating that he didn’t want to be called a gangster.

Zich didn’t get angry. Tim was a gangster because he acted like this.

“Did you not even hear a floating rumor?”

“Let me see…” Tim crossed his arms and thought deeply. Zich showed him the jewel he had placed in his belongings again. Tim’s eyes glittered...