Chapter 32 - A Constant Stream of Guests
Today, I'm heading out to Sixth Avenue as usual. I must be quite dedicated.
Yesterday was quite eventful, and as the leader, I decided to check on Sixth Avenue just to be safe. Bonnie and Paula are staying behind today. They did well yesterday, so they can take it easy today.
There were some miscellaneous tasks, so everyone else went ahead, and I joined them a bit later for lunch.
We didn’t set a specific meeting spot, but we’d naturally find each other. The Kikyo Society members are quite noticeable, after all, even if it's in a bad way sometimes.
When I finally arrived at Sixth Avenue, it was as crowded as ever.
I decided to grab lunch from a street vendor first. The spicy aroma was tempting.
I chose a doner kebab-like dish. The delicious smell drew me in.
While waiting in line, I spotted a familiar face scanning the area. She must be looking for me. I waved, and she immediately noticed and ran over, looking relieved. There was someone unfamiliar with her.
"Thank you so much for helping us yesterday!"
It was the girl who was tricked by the fat merchant. Her name was Roberta, if I remember correctly.
"This is Violante. Thanks to you, she survived."
Ah, the girl who was poisoned.
"I want to thank you too. Thank you so much."
Violante looked at me directly and thanked me politely. She seemed like a responsible and cute girl.
I was glad to see they were both safe. It was worth helping them.
"No problem. I'm glad you're safe."
While responding, I noticed people around us. We were in the middle of buying lunch, and our conversation was attracting attention. They seemed to have more to say, so I suggested we change locations.
"Wait here while I get my food. Do you have lunch?"
"Not yet, but..."
"Then it’s perfect. I’ll grab some for you too. Go ahead and find a bench."
I usually prefer a quick meal on the go, but since we had to talk, sitting down to eat would be better.
Finding a bench wouldn’t be hard, and we could eat properly.
"That's too much. Thank you."
"Roberta, it's the least we can do. Besides, you don’t have any money."
"Ah, that’s true."
They were clearly short on funds.
"You both look hungry. I’ll get plenty. If there's any left, I’ll eat it. Go find a bench."
"I feel so bad."
I ordered more than enough, including extra-large drinks. They looked starving, and I’m a big eater, so there would be plenty to go around.
Carrying the food and drinks, I noticed Roberta running over to help, while Violante secured a bench. They were considerate and made a good team.
"Here, take what you like. I’ll eat anything left over, so don’t hesitate."
"This much... Swallow"
"So much! Thank you, we’re starving."
I started eating, and they eagerly followed. They must have been very hungry. They had something to discuss, but they were too focused on the food.
I like seeing people enjoy their food. We can talk later.
We finished our meal and the drinks. They finally relaxed and started thanking me repeatedly while cleaning up the trash. They seemed genuinely grateful.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Seeing their hesitation, I decided to prompt them. We needed to meet up with the others on patrol, and if they had something to say, it was better to get it over with.
They seemed to come to a decision and nodded.
"We want to repay your kindness!"
"Please, let us help you."
Their determination was admirable. But I wasn’t sure what they were offering.
"That’s very kind, but you don’t owe me anything. You’re adventurers, right? You should focus on finding jobs and earning some money. You really need it."
They looked a bit uncomfortable at my practical advice.
"Actually..."
Their story was quite pitiful.
They used to be part of a six-person adventuring party. The older members, a man and a woman, had a good amount of savings and retired to their hometown after the war. They left Roberta and Violante behind.
Roberta and Violante, being inexperienced, had been somewhat spoiled by their older teammates. Without the support of the older members, they struggled to find jobs and barely made ends meet.
One day, while gathering herbs in the forest, Violante was bitten by a venomous insect. They managed to return to the city but ended up encountering the fraudulent merchant. This is where we came in, and we helped them.
Roberta had lost her sword, her only valuable possession, and had no savings. Continuing as an adventurer seemed impossible. She was considering working as a waitress in the city.
But before that, she wanted to repay me. She was looking for a way to help, and that’s why she came to find me.
"I understand."
I didn’t expect them to have no backup or savings.
But they were looking for work.
Their experience as adventurers was a plus. The Kikyo Society is always short-handed, and they could be useful.
However, it was a bit concerning to drag inexperienced girls into a dangerous world. They would probably agree without hesitation, and it might seem like I was manipulating them.
But I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted them to do. Maybe I should recruit them. The Kikyo Society needs more members.
But the thought of dragging inexperienced girls into a dangerous world was troubling. They would likely agree without hesitation, and it might seem like I was manipulating them.
However, I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted them to do. The Kikyo Society needs more members.
But I was still hesitant. Just then, I noticed a familiar but unwelcome face approaching. And not just one, but a group of them, all looking like thugs.
They weren’t shoppers. All of them were armed, and some even had large shields. They must be the guards for the fraudulent merchant I dealt with yesterday. They were here for revenge.
"That’s..."
Violante followed my gaze and noticed them too. Roberta, noticing the tension, started to get worried.
They were clearly after us. I had no intention of running. As the leader of Sixth Avenue, I needed to handle this quickly and efficiently to prevent any collateral damage.
"I’m ready for a fight. Let’s see how they do."
I stepped confidently into the middle of the street, my black coat flaring dramatically. I was ready to face them.
They noticed me and approached with a smirk. The pedestrians, sensing the tension, quickly dispersed, and the nearby shops started closing up.
"Where are the others?"
"They’re already in the area, but on different tasks. They’ll notice if it gets too loud."
"That makes sense."
I wasn’t worried. The Kikyo Society has a strong presence, and we can handle this.
I started generating iron balls and throwing them at their feet. With my enhanced strength, even a light throw would cause damage if it hit. The cobblestones would shatter and send debris flying, causing minor injuries.
"What the...!"
"That’s not magic!"
It wasn’t magic. I used my enhanced strength and mineral magic to create the iron balls, but I was just throwing them. It was a simple but effective tactic.
After a moment, they realized the balls weren’t magical and started raising the ground to create a wall. Someone in their group was a decent mage.
But a wall wouldn’t stop me. I used my mineral magic to interfere and brought it down.
"Huh! They’re making another wall."
Their strategy was to create a series of walls to slowly approach us. It was a slow and ineffective tactic, but they were determined.
"They’re trying to get closer."
"I can handle the walls."
I used my mineral magic to bring down the walls. It was easy to do, and they eventually gave up on the walls.
"That’s better. Now, let’s see what they’ve got."
The leader with the large shield stepped forward. He was clearly the strongest among them. I was looking forward to this fight.
"That shield looks impressive. I wonder how it holds up."
The shield was made of mithril, a rare and valuable metal. It was a high-quality piece, and with the owner’s strength, it should be nearly indestructible. But I wasn’t just anyone.
My gloves, custom-made for me, were crafted from a superior black metallic thread, reinforced with specially created metal plates using mineral magic. These plates were a composite of heavy metals and orichalcum, far superior to mithril.
Mithril is valuable and high-grade, but it’s not invincible against higher-tier magical metals. In my hands, it was just a thin piece of copper.
I targeted the center of the shield, where it was thickest, and punched through it. The resistance was minimal, and I shattered it, creating a large hole.
I didn’t stop there. I continued my assault, punching through the shield repeatedly. It quickly turned into a large scrap of metal.
"This is getting out of hand."
The shield’s owner, the bald-headed man, looked at the scrap with a mix of anger and resignation. He had the decency to stay silent, which I appreciated.
But I wasn’t done yet.
"Your shield looked impressive, but it was quite fragile. Did you get a cheap one?"
He remained silent, drawing his large sword. It was also made of mithril and intricately designed, almost like a work of art. It was a valuable piece, both as a weapon and a work of art. He was clearly well-equipped.
But mithril was no match for me.
"Your abilities are impressive, but you can’t win against me. But because of a contract with my employer, I can’t run. If you can, please spare my subordinates."
"I see. Your employer is... the fraudulent merchant?"
"I can’t say."
"I understand."
His high-quality equipment didn’t matter. What mattered was his skill. He had it, and that’s why I was looking forward to this fight.
He seemed to resign himself to the fight, raising his sword overhead. That was good.
I was already within the range of his sword. I focused on his every move, ready to dodge his powerful strike.
Using a shield spell, I could easily block his sword. But I wanted a fair fight.
He swung down with the force of gravity, a perfectly executed strike. It was a powerful attack, on par with Siegrune’s. But after sparring with Siegrune, I was prepared for it.
I dodged perfectly, and he remained calm, tracking my movements. It was an interesting fight.
But then, he did something unexpected. He kicked the scrap of the mithril shield at me. It flew at me with no warning.
I almost dodged it but decided to take the hit. I wanted to see what he would do next.
"Not so easy, is it?"
I punched the metal scrap back at him, and he was caught off guard, dropping to one knee.
"Gah! You... monster."
"That’s not very polite. Calling a beautiful lady a monster. Maybe you need to train harder."
"...You’re a strange one."
He didn’t seem to have the energy to continue. The fight was still going on around us, and the odds were still against us, but we were holding our ground.
"What now?"
"If you let me go, I won’t fight to the death. I’ll call off my subordinates."
"Not so fast. I need a bit more practice."
He looked at me with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
"Watch. Your numbers are greater, but the fight is evenly matched. It’s quite interesting. If anyone gets seriously injured, I might help them. So, let’s let this play out for a bit."
I could intervene if things got too bad, but I wanted to see how the fight would unfold. Roberta and Violante were doing surprisingly well in their support roles, which was impressive.
The bald man, despite his injuries, seemed to be resting. He had given up on the fight.
The battle continued, and the tide slowly turned in our favor. Siegrune and Gradena took down the strongest opponents. The Kikyo Society members, though outnumbered, were holding their ground.
Mary and Shelby, while not as strong, were carefully managing their opponents. Angelina, with her endurance, was taking on multiple enemies to help the others.
Valerie was moving freely, disrupting the enemy lines, while Siegrune and others steadily reduced their numbers. Roberta used illusion magic to confuse the enemies, and Violante covered a wide area with wind magic.
Despite being a makeshift team, they were doing well. If I joined the backline with my iron ball throws, we would be even stronger. We had Bonnie and Paula on standby as well.
We were a well-coordinated team, and I was proud of our performance.
The fight gradually turned in our favor, and we took down the last opponent without any serious injuries. Everyone was tired but satisfied.
The enemy had many injured, but none were critically wounded. We didn’t need to use recovery potions.
"Alright, it’s over."
"I’m exhausted."
"I can’t do any more."
The battle-crazy ones were satisfied with today’s fight. No one was seriously injured, and everyone seemed content.
The bald man, now recovered, walked over to his subordinates.
"It’s over. Thank you for not killing us. We won’t cause trouble in the city anymore."
"Pass that message along to your employer."
"Understood."
He nodded and led his subordinates away.
The pedestrians and shopkeepers, who had been watching from a distance, started coming out. They quickly resumed their daily activities, a testament to their resilience.
It was amusing to see how quickly life returned to normal.
No one approached us casually, as this was a conflict between two groups of criminals. But I could hear people excitedly discussing the fight, which was fine with me. I wanted the Kikyo Society’s reputation to spread.
"Y-You! What did you do to the lord’s soldiers!"
Ah, I almost forgot. The fat fraudulent merchant was shouting. He must be the one who hired these thugs.
"Ignore him."
The bald man had already dismissed his men and was leading them away. He didn’t want to fight for the merchant.
"We’re done here."
I turned to Roberta and Violante.
"Thank you for your help."
"Of course, it was our pleasure."
"We couldn’t have done it without you."
They were humble, but they had been very helpful. Without their support, the outcome could have been different.
"Your illusion magic was great."
"And your wind magic saved us in several tight spots."
"Your physical enhancement magic was also impressive."
"You’re promising rookies."
"I won’t let you down."
"Thank you, we’ll do our best!"
They were so earnest. It was hard to say no.
"Onee-sama."
Valerie seemed to welcome them too. They were about the same age as Valerie.
They might even have a positive influence on Valerie.
"Since you’re so determined, I can’t say no."
They were still inexperienced, but I would train them well.
"Alright!"
"Welcome to the Kikyo Society, Roberta and Violante. But be prepared, I’m strict."
Everyone cheered, forgetting their fatigue.
We’ll take a short break at the sweet shop and then head back. Maybe we’ll have a welcome party at our usual restaurant tonight.