>>282168697
>the only thing they could have done is pretend they knew nothing about the boots but why?
They could literally say they got them from a random group of bandits they wiped out sometime back that had them. Heevee doesn't know who they are. Why do you think its smart for people that just barreled past all your monsters you thought could conquer the whole stratum, all the traps you set up, and then just punched through a door that you would consider an impossible feat of strength. You see that group and immediately go "THAT'S RIGHT WE'RE SUPER EVIL WE TOTALLY CUT OFF YOUR CHILDHOOD FRIEND'S LEGS WHILE SHE TRIED TO PROTECT THE GIFT YOU GAVE HER BAWHAHAHA I LOVE EVIL ITS SO GREAT"
The only possible outcome period is they now kill you with a righteous fury. Even saying you're bad but not that bad gives you some deniability and maybe all they do is throw you in jail. The only motivation for these guys is money, they would never do something to ensure they must be killed. Yet a casual question was enough for them to decide they need to massively antagonize an obviously dangerous group they know nothing about and make sure those people kill them.