Chapter 31 - The Price of Tea
The spell flung recklessly by the no-name mage. Now, let’s see what became of it.
Amid our keen interest, the spell flew straight for our table. What are the odds of that?
But I didn’t budge an inch. I calmly activated my Active Armor for defense. It wasn’t a powerful spell, so there was no way it could have caused any damage.
Mary, who isn’t used to such chaos, jumped up in shock, her foot hitting the table and spilling a bit of tea.
"I-I’m so sorry!"
There was no fault to be found with Mary’s contrite apology. Any rational person would have relied on my defensive magic. Besides, even a direct hit wouldn’t have penetrated the protective power of this cloak.
"It’s fine. The real culprit is the idiot who can’t even aim properly."
"Exactly. We should at least make them pay for the tea."
"This is unacceptable."
"They’ve ruined our elegant afternoon tea."
"Not just us, but everyone in this shop deserves an apology."
"Time for some justice."
They had been eagerly waiting for their moment, their excitement palpable.
"Spill the tea, and no blood. Blood stinks and ruins the tea party," said Bonnie with a grin.
"Ha ha ha, you’re right!"
They all stood up at once, their cloaks of ink-black and moon-white draping over their shoulders, the small amethyst Kikyo emblem on their chests, and the larger one floating on their backs. Each of them wielded a weapon, and they marched grandly from the terrace to the street.
The Kikyo Society commanded the attention of everyone, including the girl and her guards, who looked thoroughly bewildered.
I stayed back, maintaining a leader’s composure. I wasn’t worried, but I was ready to back them up if needed.
"Hey, you who used magic. Get over here."
"What a ridiculous stunt you pulled."
Bonnie and Paula took the lead, followed by the ever-grinning Gradena. They were the top two in the Kikyo Society, and despite being women, they exuded a formidable presence.
Both of them wielded traditional swords, still sheathed. They intended to strike with the hilts. They had been training with Siegrune and were getting quite skilled.
"What do you think you’re doing, you women?"
"Oi, anyone not involved, step back."
There were four guards, but we were eight, each of us radiating an air of danger. The guards, despite their job, were clearly intimidated.
"Well? You’re the ones who summoned the magic, right?"
"Get the mage over here."
They responded with a posture of authority, as if they had been doing this for years. This was their debut, but they handled it with a seasoned air.
To be clear, this wasn’t about the girl. It was about the disturbance caused to our tea time and the compensation we demanded. The Kikyo Society wasn’t going to let this slide over a mere emotional reaction.
"We didn’t use any attack magic. Stop making false accusations."
"Oh? You’re going to deny it?"
"Prove it, then. Ha ha ha, you’re a riot."
It was done in front of everyone. There was no proof needed. It was laughable that they even tried to deny it.
"Yukari, these guys aren’t listening. I guess we’ll have to teach them a lesson, but try not to draw too much blood, okay?"
"Make sure the man stays unharmed. We need him to pay."
"Got it."
The man, still not grasping the situation, maintained his arrogant demeanor. Either he had faith in his guards or he was just stupid. He was urging his guards to act, but they were visibly shaken.
Perhaps realizing that further magic attacks would be unwise, the guards tensed up, weapons at the ready, but they didn’t attempt any offensive spells.
This was a no-brainer. First move, victory. Bonnie, Paula, Valeria, and Mary, enhanced by Physical Enhancement Magic, moved in at lightning speed.
Before they could react, Bonnie and Paula smashed their opponents' wrists with the hilts of their swords, while Valeria and Mary brought their opponents to the ground with precise strikes. The guards, despite being professionals, were poorly trained and lacked combat experience. The Kikyo Society members, on the other hand, executed their moves flawlessly, even with Mary handling the weakest of the bunch.
The satisfaction of this performance was immense. We had an audience, and the story of our heroics would spread. Cheers erupted around us, and we basked in the praise.
Bonnie and Paula waved back, while Valeria and Mary blushed and looked down.
But some people just don’t get it.
"What are you women doing to my guards? I paid good money for this! Get serious!"
The man was accusing his injured guards. He had clearly paid too much for their incompetence.
"Sir, we can’t go on like this..."
The guard leader seemed broken. It was understandable given the display of skill.
Then, the man turned on us. He was a fool.
"Listen, I have connections with influential nobles in this city! You’ll regret this, I won’t let it go! You’ll end up as livestock feed after being used for the soldiers’ entertainment!"
His threats were worse than a cheap melodrama.
Regardless, such low remarks from a man like him were beneath us. Time was wasted enough.
"Alright, let’s get to the point. You ruined our tea, so you need to pay for it. Now."
"Are you kidding me? I, I—Aaaaagh!"
I adjusted the length of the iron spikes and drove them into the soles of his soft shoes.
"W-What did you do? Ugh, huff, huff..."
"What are you talking about?"
The spikes vanished, and I hid the evidence. Show me the proof, why don’t you?
Then, I attacked the same foot again, ensuring he couldn’t walk. Both feet were now useless.
"Aaaaagh, it hurts, stop, stop!"
"Stop what? Pay for the tea first."
"Wait! Wait! What for?"
"Didn’t you hear? The tea. Your guards ruined it. Pay up."
The flustered, fat man and I had a brief stare-off.
"Ugh, tea? Huh, alright, alright. Hey, you guys! Get over here and help me up! Bring healing potions!"
Did he really think we’d wait around while he healed?
"Bonnie, this could take a while if we wait for him to heal."
"True. The cake will dry out. Get over here."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
He was dragged by the collar to the café’s counter. I left the rest to Bonnie.
I didn’t forget to give the brave girl the minimum assistance she needed. Being mindful of my allies, I provided the same for her.
I generated a third-grade antidote and handed it to the deceived girl, who was still in shock.
"Here, take this."
"Huh?"
She didn’t seem to understand, but I forced it into her hands, and she seemed to regain her composure.
"It’s an antidote for poison. Third-grade should be enough."
"But—"
"Just take it. You’re in a hurry, right? Go on."
She hesitated for a moment but quickly made up her mind.
"Thank you! I’ll never forget this kindness. My name is Roberta. I’ll come back to repay you!"
She ran off as fast as she could. She was in a hurry, no doubt.
"Like a true leader, Onee-sama."
I stroked Valeria’s soft hair and returned to the terrace. We still had cake to finish and new tea to be served.
"Idiot! You didn’t even cover the trouble you caused! Other customers and the shop were affected too!"
"But why should I—"
"It was your lackey who did this. If you’re rich, don’t be cheap. Pay up."
Bonnie’s shouting was a bit loud, but they had done more than just ruin our tea. The shop staff and other customers were on our side, witnessing the attack and supporting us.
In normal circumstances, the guards would have intervened, but not today. We were here to handle it. Luckily, there was no real damage, and we were giving them a break.
In the end, they paid for all the shop’s cakes and tea. It wasn’t a significant amount for a wealthy man.
The shop offered free cake and tea to all customers, and the mood was festive. Our Kikyo Society, once ignored, was now being approached by people.
"You guys were amazing earlier."
"That annoying merchant comes around here often. Seeing you take him down felt great."
"Good job! That was refreshing."
We heard praises about our bravery and complaints about the merchant, but no one asked who we were. I would have answered if asked, but I didn’t want to bring it up unsolicited.
Sixth Avenue now had the Kikyo Society. It was fine; our reputation would spread gradually.
The sun was setting, and a familiar face appeared.
"Hey, what’s going on here?"
"Torietta-san, our cloaks look great, don’t they?"
"Yeah, the store’s best work. But that’s not the point! I heard about the big showdown?"
It seemed our heroics were spreading. I hoped Torietta-san would help spread the word.
"Sure, but it wasn’t much."
"But isn’t this kind of attention risky?"
"You already guessed, right? We’re taking over Sixth Avenue. We’ve made a deal with the Bruno Gang, so you can relax."
Torietta, with her rabbit ears, looked puzzled.
"I see. Well, if you’re in charge, things might improve around here."
"If you have any trouble, let us know at the Kikyo Society on Lightning Street. We’ll patrol during the day and set up a base here soon."
"The Kikyo Society, the one with the emblem. I can tell the other craftsmen as well?"
Absolutely. The more people who knew and relied on us, the better.
"Of course. We’ll be back soon. Until then, take care."
"Of course. We’ll be counting on you."
Today, we dealt with some small-time criminals and a corrupt merchant. In the future, tougher opponents would come. We had to stay vigilant.
We had to be ready for the stronger foes that would inevitably come our way. Every day, we must keep up our efforts.
Victory calls for tightening the helmet straps.