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“Hey, get the hell up already.”

Along with those harsh words, I was woken up with a kick.
Though I say “kick,” it wasn’t a full-force kick—it felt more like my back was being jostled with a foot.
Naturally, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant way to wake up. Still tucked inside the futon, I looked up at Terrier-chan and said,

“Could you wake me up a little more gently?”
“What the hell do you expect from a bandit? I’m not going to be gentle, am I?”

I thought it was a bit much to step on the futon—which was his own property—with dirty shoes, but what he said seemed like a valid point, so I got up without arguing.
Just the fact that I wasn’t killed in my sleep is proof enough that he’s overflowing with kindness for a bandit. Though I didn’t really think I had to worry about that, since Cloneha-chan was here.
I yawned widely, wiped away the tears welling up in my eyes, and looked around.
Kuzuha-chan seemed to have woken up before me; she was just putting away her duplicate body. When our eyes met, she smiled and gave me a bow and a greeting.

“Good morning, Arje-san.”
“Yes, good morning.”

I returned her greeting and continued scanning the room, noticing Dachschund-chan and Chihuahua-chan bustling about.
They were probably getting ready to leave. The two of them were packing food and tools into a bag placed on the table.
From the looks of it, it was a leather bag, similar to the backpack Kuzuha-chan had made herself. However, there was one thing about that backpack that set it apart from ordinary ones.

……It sure can hold a lot, can’t it?

The two of them kept tossing things into the backpack one after another: a change of clothes, a lantern (unlit, different from the one illuminating the room), pots, knives, and so on.
Strangely enough, no matter what they put in, it slid right in, and the backpack didn’t seem to swell at all. Pointing at the leather bag, which seemed to swallow items one after another like a magic trick, I asked Terrier-chan.

“Terrier-chan, what is that? It seems to hold a lot of stuff.”
“We stole it from a rich family in the capital. It’s an Artifact called the Stomach of Ash. It can hold as many tools as you want.”
“Oh, I see.”

From what I can see, all sorts of things are being put into this Stomach of Ash.
It even seems to contain something that looks like dried meat, so unlike the Blood Box, it appears capable of holding items that contain blood.
So far, I’ve seen three types of Artifacts in this world.
The Oozing Sound of the Stillborn, the Ninefold Theater, and now the Stomach of Ash right in front of me.

The Oozing Sound of the Stillborn is probably a curse-type, the Ninefold Theater is a remote control and the Stomach of Ash has a storage effect. It seems Artifacts come in all sorts of varieties.
The sword I received from Oswald-kun seems to be one of them, but I wonder what kind of effect it has. He did say that as long as I don’t channel mana into it, it’s just an ordinary sword.

“Well, you can’t put anything in it that’s too big to fit through the opening. And living things are out of the question.”
“Oh, really?”

It seems it doesn’t have the power to store large items like the Blood Box. Still, there’s no doubt it’s incredibly useful.
I was a little surprised that they managed to steal something like that in the capital. Maybe that’s why they’re wanted throughout the kingdom.

“That sword you used earlier is an Artifact, too. Seriously, where on earth did you get something like that?”
“You can tell, Terrier-chan?”
“Well, duh. That sword is—”
“—Boss, we’re all set!”

Just as Terrier-chan was about to speak, Chihuahua-chan piped up cheerfully. As a result, the flow of the conversation was cut short.
Chihuahua-chan was breathing so heavily her nose hairs were quivering, and he already had the Stomach of Ash strapped to his back. He looked completely ready.
Since the conversation had been interrupted, an awkward silence fell between Terrier-chan and me.
After a few seconds, Terrier-chan stood up, scratching his bald head vigorously. It seemed that was the end of the conversation.
I don’t know how he figured out about my sword, and if he even knows its effects as an Artifact, I’d like him to tell me, but since he seems to have completely lost the will to talk, it would probably be pointless to ask.

“Alright, let’s get outta here, you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲.”
“““Aye, boss!!”””

At Terrier-chan’s words, not only his two subordinates but even Kuzuha-chan responded enthusiastically. That girl probably still thinks the three of them are entertainers, but it’s funny, so I’ll just keep quiet.
True to their reputation as a band of thieves, they’re quick on their feet. Terrier and the others extinguish their lanterns and head straight for the exit. Kuzuha follows them, so I end up leaving the hideout last, just like when we came in.
As I emerge through the side tunnel, the mountains are filled with the darkness and silence of night. “Ho-ho,” I hear what sounds like an owl’s call from somewhere. Ho-ho, so there are owls in this other world too. Just kidding.

“I’m getting sleepy.”
“Is that really okay for a vampire? I mean, you are a vampire, right? How come you were active during the day?”
“Oh, I’m a vampire who’s fine with sunlight.”
“……That’s total nonsense.”
“Shut up. Let’s go.”
“Sorry, boss.”

Just as I was talking to Chihuahua-chan, Terrier-chan interrupted us this time. I doubt it was payback for earlier. I hope not, at least.
Behaki must have been waiting nearby, because as soon as we stepped outside, he came over to us.
Terrier-chan led the way, followed by Dachshund-chan and Chihuahua-chan. Kuzuha-chan walked behind them, and Behaki and I walked side by side at the very back. In that formation, we began our descent down the mountain.
Terrier-chan, leading the way, was walking more slowly than he had during the day, but that wasn’t out of consideration for us—it was likely to minimize noise as much as possible. Every now and then, he’d stop to listen intently or scan the surroundings.
It’s easier for me to keep up when he moves slowly, so even if it isn’t out of consideration for me, I’m grateful.
Even though it’s a mountain path with no lights and where the moonlight barely reaches, all three members of the Terrier Bandits are walking just as casually as they did during the day. We’re not human, so it’s fine for us, but to ordinary people, the scenery must look almost completely pitch black.
Is it due to some kind of skill, or is it simply a matter of being accustomed to life as a bandit? I’m a little curious, but I just follow along in silence…

“…Stop, you lot.”

A lowered voice and a signal with one raised hand. Following the order from the front, the others stop one after another. Naturally, Behaki and I at the very back do too.
Terrier-chan looks around and lets out a deep sigh.
I focused my sense of smell and perceived what he likely did.

“Terrier-chan, we’re…”
“Yeah, looks like we’ve been found out.”

The Terrier Bandits went on high alert.