"On the surface, you're the owner of the handyman service 'Seasky.' Behind the scenes, you're the master of the small-time dark guild 'Sky View' that deals in dangerous information without batting an eye. You're just a small fry, aren't you—despite looking like a handsome older guy."
"Small-time dark guild?! How dare you insult my guild, you little—!"
Can't be helped. That's what [Divine Eye] is telling me.
"Get him! Everyone, capture Alan!"
The Sky View members who'd been posing as customers in the café came charging at me.
I knocked every last one of them down.
It was over in an instant with nothing worth noting—they were way too weak, seriously!
"Damn it! Our few combat-ready members just went down without a fight... I never thought I'd have to use this on a brat, but here's my trump card!"
The moment Shal's body blurred, he vanished from sight.
The next instant, white threads wrapped themselves around my body.
"Fufufufu—how naive! Anyone ensnared by this magical tool, the 'Marionette Strings,' becomes my puppet!"
A voice brimming with the certainty of victory came from behind me.
"You let your guard down, brat! The idea that 'Pandemonium' was on guard against a bottom-feeder like me is downright laughable."
Let my guard down? Hmm, I wonder what he's talking about.
I just had something I wanted to test out, is all.
Shal, completely oblivious, looked at me—now wound up like a mummy—and gloated triumphantly, piling up flags one after another like it was the funniest thing in the world.
"From here on, my dark guild 'Sky View' will soar! I'll leave 'Pandemonium' far behind, and make my name—"
RESOUND—
across the underworld of Meigrant!"
Having high goals is a good thing.
As long as you don't drag me into it.
"I'll spare your life on account of you settling my precious subordinates with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. But you're going to work for me long and hard, ha ha ha ha!"
"But I refuse."
Having thoroughly enjoyed Shaft's delusion-soaked ramblings—or rather, his fantasy-addled nonsense—I snap the strings one by one.
Shaft had somehow gotten behind my back at some point. I turned to face him and delivered my rejection.
"No way... The Marionet Strings made full contact!"
"Snatch Skill."
"Wh-what did you do to me?! If I can't control you, I'll just have to beat you into submission. You're finished! Wh-why won't my skill activate...? No way!"
Shaft moved to stab me with his short sword this time, but a sense of unease had crept over him and he was still reeling from confusion—wide open.
I slice off Shaft's sword hand, right at the wrist.
The severed hand drops to the floor with a thud.
The short sword clatters across the ground.
"Gaaah!! This measly amount of pain...!"
"Slave Choker."
I present a collar of submission to Shaft, who was trying to tough out the pain.
"What the—what is this?! Nobody told me you were a dark mage!"
You've got it wrong.
I'm not a dark mage or anything like that. Just an ordinary passing adventurer.
"Why won't my trump card, Full-Speed Action, activate?! That's impossible!"
"The [Heavenly Runner] skill? I confiscated it a little while ago. I heard there was a 'skill that guarantees you always move first,' so I thought, 'Is that really true?' and had them try it out, but sure enough, they still got beaten to the punch. You really don't deserve a skill like that, do you?"
◇◇◇◇◇◇
We have an announcement regarding the bonus short stories included with book purchases.
·Gamers (Paper)……"The Black Ogre"
Alan was secretly pulling the strings (without his own knowledge).
·Melon Books (Paper)……"Hot Spring Date"
I was torn between the swimsuit chapter and this one, but I went with the hot spring chapter.
·BOOK☆WALKER (Digital)……"Clash with the Fierce Jewel Gang"
They got narratively killed off in about three lines before even entering the royal capital, and I felt that was kind of pitiful.
※The bonus content for physical books is available in limited quantities.
Skills: [Reverse][Divine Eye][Sword God][Fist God][Spear God][Scorching Magic][Freezing Ice Magic][Clear Storm Magic][Rock Iron Magic][Sacred Magic][Dark Magic][Spacetime Magic][Thunder God Sword][Phantom Thief Gentleman][Ninja Master][Seeker of Truth][Miraculous Power and Divine Mysteries][Heavenly Runner][Pain Relief][Complete Status Abnormality Resistance][Dark Spirit's Protection][Super Intuition][Heaven's Gate][Abyss Contractee][Magic Hand][Treasure Search][Seduction][Incitement][Eloquence][Strong Luck][Growth Speed ×10][Growth Limit Breakthrough]
Rank: Orichalcum
Thank you for reading!