Chapter 293 - A Newcomer's Greetings
The air in a seaside town feels different. Especially in the morning, it’s refreshingly crisp.
Damp winds sweep in, and sunlight glints off the endless expanse of ocean.
The unfamiliar scenery stretching before me holds my gaze for a moment.
"...Ah, what a pleasant day."
Watching the sea with everyone who woke up early lifts my spirits.
To shake off the sluggishness from constant travel and dispel the sense of unreality, I’ve decided to start reintroducing normal routines today.
We left the slums right after sunrise to enjoy the view, then ran together along the coast.
After running for a while, we passed beyond the town. Going further, the shoreline shifted from low cliffs to rocky outcrops, then finally to a stretch of white sand.
Thinking this might be a good spot to play in the water, I decided to do repeated sprints across the beach. Using a few rocks and driftwood as markers, we dashed back and forth, kicking up sand each time.
By the time fatigue began settling into our legs, we were all drenched in sweat and covered in sand. Notably, we weren’t lightly dressed—we were in full gear.
"Haah... haah... Maybe that’s enough for now."
"Perhaps... we overdid it just a bit."
Even I and Siegrune were pretty worn out. We both leaned on our knees, catching our breath.
"Onee-sama! I’m going to wash off!"
"A-And me too!"
"I shall accompany you!"
"Eeek! Me too, me too!"
Despite being tired, everyone’s energy stayed high, and they quickly sprang into obvious action.
Valeria tossed aside her coat and boots as if fatigue didn’t exist and bolted toward the waves. The rest followed like an avalanche.
Siegrune and I exchanged a brief glance, then did the same—discarding only our coats and boots—and charged into the sea at full speed, as if racing to overtake her.
About thirty minutes later, I came back to my senses and climbed onto the beach, with everyone else following shortly after.
It wasn’t just our clothes that were soaked—equipment tucked into belts and pockets had gotten drenched too, which wasn’t ideal.
We used water magic to quickly rinse off the saltwater, wind magic to dry ourselves, and each applied purification magic to thoroughly remove the grime.
Even if we could clean our clothes and gear, we couldn’t fix our stiff, tangled hair. A proper bath would be necessary. Our Kikyo Society has strict standards when it comes to personal appearance.
After a light jog back to the slum warehouse, we arrived just as the late risers were finally starting to stir.
"You lot are up to something early in the morning," Rosabel-san muttered.
I ignored her comment and took a shower in the makeshift bath the early group had prepared.
Once that was done and breakfast finished, it was finally time to get to work.
"Let’s make an unannounced visit right away. Our first target is the Vigilante Captain. Lead the way, please."
From the secretly taken photos, the Vigilante Captain looked like a flashy older man who enjoyed himself.
His shirt gaped open at the chest, and flashy necklaces and rings gave him the look of a mildly shady middle-aged guy. It was hard to believe he was the top of the vigilantes.
It was impossible to think the Intelligence Bureau would mistake someone like this—but he looked so much like someone who just wandered the nightlife that I wondered if it was a different person entirely.
"That’s all well and good, but are you planning to bring everyone? And will Yukari-sama be going too?"
"I’ll go, but let’s see. How about just the core members aside from Rosabel-san, plus about ten from the combat unit? Too few might make us look weak."
As the president, I don’t casually show myself around as Exembra. It’s better to keep some mystery.
It’s fine for people I know well, or just random neighborhood aunties, but those with even a bit of power or wealth might get the wrong idea. They could exploit the mere fact of having met me. Not to mention, it’s just annoying.
Still, in distant lands, there are things you can’t understand without being there in person. So I’ll stay light on my feet and keep moving.
Besides, showing up with a group of sixty people would be ridiculous. We’re trying to say we’re on their side, but if they think we’re just trying to pressure them, it’d backfire.
"Ten or so might seem a bit much, but if we include members who’ll stay on vehicles for standby and perimeter watch, it feels just right."
"Does that mean I don’t have to go?"
"Rosabel-san, your face might already be recognized. If people start asking you for healing every time we show up, it’ll get troublesome, won’t it?"
Rosabel-san often uses magical gadgets to disguise herself when she’s acting as Exembra, but she isn’t using one now. During negotiations with pirates, we plan to leverage her name recognition. For now, we’re just letting rumors spread that Exembra is in Rigaheim by letting her appear briefly.
Still, it’d be more effective to actively spread rumors after securing support from the town’s influential figures. And honestly, I don’t want to make her incredible healing magic too easily accessible.
She’s easygoing to me, but by normal standards, Rosabel-san’s authority isn’t something to take lightly.
"That sounds troublesome, but aren’t you going to use it as a bargaining chip?"
"Hmm, it’s an option, sure. But I’m thinking of going in a different direction for now, so it’s fine as is. Sorry, but you might be stuck with some downtime. Think of it as a vacation, Rosabel-san."
"I see. Then I’ll pass the time by dropping by the Healer Guild."
"Feel free to do as you like until the town’s chaos settles. Mary, could you pick the members from the combat unit who’ll come along?"
"In that case, how about everyone who came on bikes? That’ll be just the right number."
"Oh, that’s perfect!"
Great suggestion. Let’s make a flashy entrance.
Even for an unannounced visit, we can announce our approach with sound. When the roar of engines draws near, they’ll at least have time to prepare mentally.
We need to convey that we’re not hostile, so we’ll avoid overly intimidating weapons. No throwing knives or anything like that. Just minimal gear.
As for me, I’m wearing a casual shirt and pants instead of my combat uniform, with just a coat thrown over it. I add sunglasses to block dust, wind, and sunlight.
Everyone else dresses similarly—just everyday clothes with a coat, light and ready to ride.
We’re not wearing our new berets either. The only common items we’re carrying are our coats, personal non-combat magical gadgets, sunglasses or goggles, and the now-standard communication magic earrings.
If it comes to it, we can handle anything with magic or bare hands.
And if they mistake our lack of weapons for weakness and get too comfortable, I’ll just dismantle their fancy mansion as a greeting. That should help them understand the Kikyo Society a little better.
It was morning, the time when the town starts buzzing with activity, when an unnatural roar shattered the peace.
The sound jolted the slum’s late sleepers awake, startled people moving through the harbor-side market, and boldly announced our presence as we slowly rolled toward the town center, acting like we owned the place.
The Kikyo Society aims to rule Rigaheim from behind the scenes—not by hiding in shadows, but by being the acknowledged power behind the scenes.
We don’t mind being seen as the puppet masters. We’ll control port logistics while keeping a watchful eye on the town, ensuring stable business.
We’re bound to stand out anyway, so we never intended to hide our existence. That’s why we’re going all out from the start, making ourselves impossible to ignore. We’ll seize the initiative through sheer impact.
Heading in the direction of the harbor, I detected a cluster of magical signatures about five hundred meters ahead in a straight line. Likely the summoned vigilantes. We’d reach them after turning a couple or three corners.
We’d been moving slowly and noisily not just to draw attention, but also to politely signal, Hey, we’re coming your way. But it also gave the vigilantes time to do their job. Seems they’re dutiful and serious.
What’s strange, though, is why they’re stationed there at all. They can’t possibly know our destination.
"...Ah, I see. They were trying to guide us."
I hadn’t paid attention earlier since I was just moving forward, but now I noticed makeshift barricades built from stacked wooden crates and other obstacles blocking narrow alleys and side paths. They were clearly meant to funnel us into a defensive position. Useless against us, of course—we could blow them away with a breath—but it was their plan.
Breaking through would be fun, but I’ll play along this time. Charging through dramatically will make the biggest impression.
With complete ease, we roared around the corner, engine noise blaring, and there they were—waiting.
This was probably the second time they’d seen our bizarre motorcycle group. No surprise on their faces. They’d built up sandbag barriers and even set up stationary magical devices, clearly ready.
Last time, we’d brushed past them almost ignoring them. This time, I’ll give them a little attention.
"This is Shinogami. Siegrune and Valeria, synchronize your wind magic with mine and clear the obstacles ahead. Violante, you handle support—do a good job."
I relayed the rough order through the earring-shaped magic device.
Violante, a Gochou from the Second Combat Unit, had an affinity for wind magic. Before, she’d excelled at precise skills like using wind to carry sound. Now that we had communication magic, she could focus more on her role as a combat unit leader.
Right after my order, I launched a simple wind spell forward while still on my bike. No tricks—just a massive blast of wind fueled by overwhelming magical power.
The raw gale, combined with similar blasts from both sides, surged forward like a single furious beast.
It didn’t just kick up dust—it swept stones along with it, carrying even the vigilantes’ likely screams far behind them, slamming into the distant wall.
This wasn’t a storm. It was a solid mass of air, so violent it shoved aside stacked sandbags and carved a path straight through.
Violante’s support was flawless—minimal collateral damage, obstacles cleared, nothing more.
"Good job, Violante."
"Still far from Captain Liliane’s level."
I’d switched the comms on without thinking, and got a humble reply.
Captain Liliane of the Ninth Combat Unit was a special wind mage, no doubt—her strength truly shone in offense. But when it came to control and support magic, Violante was probably superior.
We leisurely rode through the cleared path and reached our destination without further incident.
We spotted a few armed figures along the way, but they were probably passing adventurers or something. Either way, no one reckless enough to pick a fight with a mysterious biker gang showed up.
The Vigilante Captain’s residence was a spacious house with a distinctive orange pointed roof, blending into the town’s scenery. It was the countryside, so houses here were all fairly large.
They couldn’t have missed the noise, yet there was no reaction from the mansion. I’d expected someone to come out, but nothing. Disappointing.
As I wondered what to do, Siegrune stepped off her blue bike and stood in front of the intercom. If they weren’t coming out despite all this, we’d just have to announce our visit properly. After all, it was their home.
I signaled everyone to turn off their engines so as not to interrupt Siegrune. Once it was quiet, she pressed the small doorbell.
"...W-Who is it?"
After a slightly long pause, a woman’s voice came through the intercom. Probably a servant.
"I am from Exembra, a member of the Kikyo Society. I apologize for the intrusion, but I’d like to pay my respects to your master."
A group that made such a racket and showed up unannounced in the morning couldn’t possibly seem normal. Whether they knew of the Kikyo Society or not, they’d surely think so. Let’s see how they’d respond.
"U-Um, may I ask the nature of your business?"
"Please tell your master we bring good news. If that’s not enough to grant us an audience, then please tell him our conversation ends here."
"...Understood."
I had no intention of playing the part of someone offering three invitations. If they refused to talk, that was it. We’d just take our offer elsewhere.
"Well, let’s see how they respond."
"It’d be a pain to go elsewhere. I’d rather settle this here and now."
If we could open dialogue, it’d be good for them too. But if we misjudged and got turned away at the door, there was nothing we could do.
Whether the Vigilante Captain was still groggy, discussing how to handle unexpected visitors, or just confused, it took a while for a reply.
We chatted idly for about ten minutes, then finally, the door beyond the gate opened.
A young woman in servant’s clothes stepped out, looking nervous. I removed my sunglasses, and everyone followed suit.
"I-I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve been instructed to guide your representative inside. U-Um, I’m sorry, but your companions..."
"Then just the four of us. Siegrune, Valeria, Mary—we’re going. The rest stay here on standby. Act as needed if anything happens."
I left the Gochou and lower-ranked members of the Second Combat Unit stationed on the road, regardless of who they inconvenienced.
The vigilantes we’d scattered earlier might gather their courage and come back, and we also needed guards for the Bloomstar Galaxy.
The servant hesitated slightly, as if four representatives were too many, but seeing our calm demeanor, she gave up and led us inside.
We entered a reception room near the entrance, where the flashy older man from the photos sat on a sofa with his arms crossed, looking annoyed. In person, he had more presence than in the pictures.
And no wonder. He was apparently a former mercenary, once leading a small mercenary group during his active days.
A man confident in his strength wouldn’t be intimidated by a group of unknown women. Not that we were leaking any power—we were careful about that.
"...What the hell do you want? I’ve heard rumors about you Kikyo Society, but you’ve already caused quite a scene. This isn’t Exembra, you know?"
He hadn’t even offered us a seat, and already this was his greeting.
After yesterday’s brush-off of the vigilantes and just now scattering them again, he probably knew and was angry.
Well, from his perspective, it probably felt like we were picking a fight. And since we were the ones barging in at dawn, we didn’t have the right to complain.
"Scene? We haven’t even started yet. If you’re already shocked, we won’t get anywhere."
Oops. Getting confrontational too soon wouldn’t help.
I cleared my throat in an exaggerated way and reset.
"No pointless talk. I’ve come today with a very good offer for the Vigilante Captain."
"What’s that?"
"I hear you’ve got some problems, Captain. We’re newcomers here, so as a greeting, we thought we’d help you out. That’s why we’ve come calling today."
"...Don’t mock me. Don’t you outsiders go around boasting like that!"
Oh, impressive presence. A former mercenary captain, current leader of the vigilantes, and a key figure in the nightlife—this level of intimidation made sense. This wouldn’t be easy.
I’d meant to say, We already know your situation. If it’s with us, we can fix it quickly. But words alone wouldn’t convince him. Then I’d just have to show him power. Let’s wrap up this preamble quickly.
"If you need a fight before we talk, that’s fine too. Mary."
"Yes."
"Take care of the two watching from the back room."
"I’ll be back in thirty seconds."
Including travel time. I’d known since entering the room that there were two capable fighters—bodyguards or close aides—watching from a side room. Not sure why they bothered hiding.
Anyone who thought the Kikyo Society was some weak group just because of rumors had made a grave mistake. I’d prove it quickly.
Besides, this Vigilante Captain seemed like quite a man. If I could get him on our side first, things would go smoothly.
This was the moment to shine. Let’s give it our all.
No polite greetings with a box of sweets. No quick introductions and “looking forward to working together.”
Instead—suspicious offers and blunt force!
Is it standard for the Kikyo Society to start with a fight before becoming friends?
Next time, the phase to win over the Vigilante Captain continues! Probably gets complicated.