Holy Millis.
The capital, Milshion.
The full panorama of the city could be seen from the Sacred Sword Highway.
First, the Nicolaus River flowing from the Blue Dragon Mountain Range.
It flows into the brilliantly blue Lake Gran.
Floating in the center of Lake Gran is the great, pure-white White Palace.
The Nicolaus River continues onward from there.
Along its banks stand a gleaming golden cathedral and the silvery, radiant headquarters of the Adventurers Guild.
Surrounding them, orderly streets arranged like a chessboard spread outward.
And seven valiant towers positioned to encircle the city, with vast grasslands stretching beyond…
Dignity and harmony.
It is the most beautiful city in this world, possessing both in equal measure.
—From "Walking the World" by the adventurer Bloody Cant --- It was certainly beautiful.
The harmony of green and blue unique to a fantasy world.
On top of that, the orderly streets reminiscent of Edo or Sapporo.
It carried the same sense of wonder I'd felt when I first laid eyes on the Town of Licarice.
Ruijeld had narrowed his eyes too.
I'd always thought these two cared more about food than aesthetics, but apparently they could appreciate beauty when they saw it.
"Pretty awesome, huh?"
Geese said this with an oddly smug air.
I thought, why are *you* so proud, but if he'd seen this vista before, I could understand.
I'd be proud too.
That said, letting him get carried away was a bit annoying.
"It's impressive, but wouldn't a lake that massive cause problems during the rainy season?"
The spiteful comment slipped out before I could stop it.
Still, it was a genuine question.
There was an enormous lake right in the middle of the city.
Up in the Great Forest to the north, it rained for three straight months.
Surely it would have some effect here too.
"Apparently it used to be a real problem, but now those seven Magic Towers control the water perfectly. That's why they can have a castle sitting right in the middle of the lake without worry. No castle walls either — those towers maintain a barrier at all times."
"I see. So to conquer Holy Millis, you'd first need to deal with those towers."
"Don't say stuff like that, even as a joke. The Holy Knights hear you talking like that, they'll arrest you."
"…Let's be careful."
According to Geese, as long as those seven towers stood, the capital would never suffer disaster or epidemic.
I didn't understand the principle, but it was certainly convenient.
"Let's hurry up and go already!"
At Eris's excited exclamation, we drove the carriage forward.
--- The city of Milshion was divided into four districts.
The northern **Residential District**.
Rows of houses lined the blocks.
The quarters where nobles and knights' families lived and the area where ordinary citizens resided differed somewhat, but fundamentally both were lined with homes.
The eastern **Commercial District**.
A district where every manner of business gathered.
Retail shops existed, but they were small in scale.
Major trading companies held sway here — this world's business quarter.
Forge shops and auction houses could also be found here.
The southern **Adventurer District**.
The gathering place for adventurers.
Centered on the headquarters of the Adventurers Guild, it was stocked with adventurer-oriented shops, inns, and the like.
There was also a slum where washed-up adventurers lived, as well as gambling dens, so caution was needed.
The slave market, for what it was worth, was also located here rather than in the Commercial District.
The western **Holy District**.
The area where many connected to the Holy Millis Church resided.
It housed the massive cathedral and the cemetery.
The headquarters of the Millis Holy Knights was also located here.
Geese explained all of this to me, one point at a time, with care.
--- We circled around and entered the city through the Adventurer District.
According to Geese, if someone from outside the city entered or left through anywhere other than the Adventurer District, they'd attract unwanted suspicion and it would take forever.
What a troublesome city.
The moment we stepped inside, a jumble of atmosphere enveloped us.
Milshion had looked so pristine from a distance, but once you were inside, it wasn't so different from any other city.
At the city entrance stood an inn and a stable.
Street vendors lined up, noisily calling out to customers.
A bit further down the main road, weapon shops were visible.
In the depths of narrow alleyways, there were probably inns a notch above the usual in price.
Incidentally, the silvery, gleaming headquarters of the Adventurers Guild could be seen even from the entrance.
We left our carriage at the stable for the time being.
Asking around, we learned they even offered a service to deliver luggage to your inn.
That wasn't something other cities had.
In a big city like this, you probably needed services like that to survive.
"Well then, I've got business, so I'll take my leave here!"
After seeing the horse and cart delivered to the stable, Geese said this abruptly.
"Huh? We're parting already?"
I was surprised.
I'd assumed we'd stay together at least until the inn.
"Getting lonely on me, Senpai?"
"Of course I am."
To his teasing words, I answered honestly.
My time with Geese had been short, but he wasn't a bad guy.
Finding someone you clicked with was a rare thing on the road.
Thanks to Geese, my stress levels had dropped immeasurably…
And honestly, the thought that without him our meals would go back to being bland made me wistful.
"Don't be so lonely, Senpai. We're in the same city now, so we'll run into each other again."
Geese shrugged, patting me on the head a couple of times.
Then he started to walk away, waving his hand.
At that moment, Eris stepped into his path.
"Geese!"
Arms crossed, chin tilted upward — her usual fighting stance.
"Next time we meet, you're going to teach me how to cook!"
"I already said no. Give it a rest, will ya?"
Geese scratched the back of his head as he sidestepped past her.
As an afterthought, he gave Ruijeld a pat on the shoulder.
"Take care of yourself too, Boss."
"You too. Don't go causing too much trouble."
"Sure, sure."
Geese disappeared into the crowd with a final wave.
It was almost anticlimactic.
It didn't feel like we'd spent two months together.
It really was a remarkably clean break.
Geese, that ape-faced man, was about to vanish into the throng.
Then he turned back.
"Oh, right, Senpai! Make sure you visit the Adventurers Guild!"
"…Huh? Yeah, I will!"
I needed to earn money, so I'd definitely go.
But why mention it now?
I didn't know, but once Geese heard my reply, he melted into the crowd.
--- First, we needed to find an inn.
Securing lodgings was the basic first step whenever we arrived in a city.
In Milshion, inns tended to be clustered away from the main roads.
We went through an alleyway and walked a short distance before emerging into something like an inn district.
After looking around, we settled on one place.
**Dawn Light Inn** This inn was located a bit off the main road.
However, it was far from the slum district, and the area wasn't rough.
It had a full range of services and could be described as suited for C- to B-rank adventurers.
The slightly poor sunlight was its one drawback, if you could call it that.
We secured the room, organized our travel supplies, and if we had time, we'd scout the key locations of the city including the Adventurers Guild.
If there was still time after that, we'd enjoy some free time, then head back to the inn for a strategy meeting.
That was the usual routine.
"Why don't we just stay somewhere cheaper…"
Eris said this with a look of exasperation.
She had a point.
We should save money.
I was always saying that myself.
But right now, we had a bit of breathing room.
The money we'd earned guarding the village of Doldia for three months, plus the money Gees had given us.
Combined, it came to just over seven Millis gold coins.
We definitely needed to earn more, but we weren't exactly strapped for cash right this moment.
So a small luxury like this should be fine.
Even I wanted to sleep in a soft bed once in a while.
"Well, a little treat now and then can't hurt."
Ignoring Eris's exasperated expression, I went inside.
It was a rather nice, tidy room.
Having a table and chairs in the corner of the room was a plus.
The door could be locked, and the windows had shutters.
It didn't come close to the business hotels of my old world, but as an inn in this world, it was more than sufficient.
Now, the routine after checking in was set.
Maintain our equipment, note which consumables needed restocking.
Hang the bedding out to dry, wash the sheets, and clean while we were at it.
This routine had become second nature — without any instructions, everyone moved in silence.
By the time everything was done, the sun had set and darkness surrounded us.
Maybe it was because we'd arrived in the early afternoon, but we'd run out of time to visit the Guild.
Well, being a day or two late didn't matter much.
We ate dinner at the tavern next to the inn and returned to the room.
The three of us sat in a circle, faces close together.
It was time for the strategy meeting.
"Alright then, let's begin the team Dead End strategy meeting. This is our first meeting concerning the Millis capital — let's make it a good one."
When I said "clap" and started clapping, Eris and Ruijeld gave me a halfhearted round of applause.
They really had no enthusiasm. Oh well.
"Now then, we've finally made it this far."
I began with those words, feeling the weight of the moment.
It had been a long journey.
A year and a bit on the Demon Continent, four months in the Great Forest.
A year and a half.
A year and a half, and we had finally — *finally* — reached the territory inhabited by humans.
The dangerous areas were behind us.
From here on, the roads were maintained and the terrain was flat.
Compared to what we'd been through, calling it safe was no exaggeration.
That said, the distance remaining was still vast.
From Millis to
It was the equivalent of circling half the world.
Even if the road was easier to travel, the distance didn't shrink.
It would probably still take about a year.
Which meant the biggest problem was…
Money.
"For the time being, I'd like to earn money in this city for a while."
"Why?"
To Eris's question, I gave a careful explanation.
"We crossed the Demon Continent and the Great Forest, but prices in human territory are high."
I recalled the market rates I'd looked up.
I hadn't been able to check prices in Zantport, but I remembered the general rates across the Demon Continent and the prices in frontier towns.
Compared to those, the prices in Holy Millis and the Asura Kingdom were steep.
Even this inn's rates would make your eyes pop compared to Demon Continent standards.
Humans placed more importance on currency than other races.
I wouldn't call them cheap, exactly.
"The currency value in Millis is high.
It's the second highest in the world, after the Asura Kingdom.
Prices are steep, but quest rewards are high too.
Rather than visiting towns on the Demon Continent and staying a week each time to earn money, it would be more efficient to focus on earning money here for about a month."
The currency value of Millis was high.
That meant if we earned enough money here to sustain ourselves through the rest of our journey, we wouldn't run into financial trouble when passing through the southern Central Continent.
"I also don't know how much it costs for the Supard Race to board a ship."
At the word "ship," Eris's face twisted with undisguised distaste.
She was probably remembering her seasickness.
It was an unpleasant memory for her, but for me, it was a good one.
I'd taken advantage of it more times than I could count.
"We'll save up here and then move on to Asura all at once.
I might not be able to spread the word about the Supard Race as much as I'd like, but — Ruijeld, is that alright with you?"
Ruijeld nodded.
Well, promoting the Supard Race was something I did because I wanted to.
Ideally, I'd like to settle in somewhere and really work on restoring the Supard Race's reputation.
Six months, a year…
The bigger the city, the greater the influence we could have.
But it had already taken a year and a half to get here.
A year and a half.
That was no small amount of time.
I didn't want to spend any more.
Come to think of it, I'd been missing for a year and a half.
My family must have been worried.
How were they doing?
I was thinking about it when I realized — I'd never sent a letter.
I'd been meaning to, but this and that had come up and I'd forgotten.
A letter, then.
Right.
"Let's make tomorrow a day off."
The concept of a "day off" was something I'd used occasionally before.
At first, I'd created it to look after Eris, but along the way it had become a way for me to rest.
Eris never showed fatigue, and Ruijeld was tough as nails.
The only pathetic weakling was me.
Of course, compared to my old life, I'd built up some stamina.
I couldn't match the other two, but I had the physical fitness of an average adventurer in this world.
So it wasn't physical exhaustion.
It was mental.
My mind was weak.
Every time I killed a monster, strange stress built up inside me.
That said, I wasn't particularly tired this time.
Information gathering, checking quests at the Guild, and so on — if I threw myself into that, I'd certainly forget about writing letters.
That's how it had always been.
So this time, to make sure I didn't forget, I'd spend the entire day writing letters.
"
"No, it's something different this time. I want to write some letters."
"Letters?"
At Eris's question, I nodded.
"Yes. A letter to let them know I'm safe."
"Hmm… well, I'm sure it'll be fine if we leave it to Rudeus."
"Yes."
Tomorrow, I'd write letters.
I'd think of
I'd been told not to send letters, but under the circumstances, Paul probably wouldn't object.
The chances of a letter actually arriving weren't that high.
When
So I'd send the same letter through multiple couriers.
I'd do the same this time.
"What about you two?"
"I'm going to go subjugate some goblins!"
From Eris, that was the response I received.
"Goblins?"
When she said goblins, she probably meant *those* goblins.
Roughly half a person's size, equipped with clubs and such, with yellowish-green skin, a voracious breeding instinct, appearing with high probability in fantasy-themed eroge— Wait, wrong description.
"Goblins have been spotted around here — I heard about it in town earlier. If you're an adventurer, you've got to take on at least some goblin extermination!"
Eris said cheerfully.
Goblins in this world were the equivalent of rats.
They bred prolifically and caused trouble for humans.
They could communicate to a degree, so they were classified as Magic Beasts, but most individuals lived purely on instinct, so when their numbers grew, they were culled.
"Understood. Ruijeld, perhaps you could escort her…"
"Goblins? I can handle that alone!"
Eris cut me off with a shout.
Her expression clearly said she was offended by the suggestion.
I considered.
Eris was strong.
Goblins were supposedly E-rank monsters in terms of difficulty.
They didn't exist on the Demon Continent, so I'd never seen one, but they weren't dangerous.
Even a child with the barest sword training could defeat one.
Eris, on the other hand, could fight on equal footing with B-rank monsters.
Assigning Ruijeld as an escort for that seemed like overkill…
But if a female adventurer was defeated by goblins, she'd be headed straight for slavery.
I didn't know much about goblins in this world, but in my world, that's generally how they operated.
If I were a goblin and managed to knock Eris unconscious, I'd be in for a very fulfilling goblin existence.
Anyone would do the same.
I would too.
I was pretty sure she'd be fine.
But.
*But.* If something happened to Eris while my back was turned, I'd never be able to face Gilleen or Philip again.
"Rudeus. It'll be fine. Let her try."
While I was agonizing, Ruijeld threw me a lifeline.
That was unusual.
Over the past year and a half, Ruijeld had been instructing Eris on how to fight every type of opponent.
His teaching methods were hard for me to follow, but Eris had learned well.
Then… she'd probably be fine.
"Alright. Eris, never let your guard down just because the opponent is weak."
"Of course!"
"Make sure you're fully prepared."
"I know!"
"If it gets dangerous, run like a rabbit!"
"I told you, I know!"
"If the worst comes to the worst, grab their hand and shout 'This person is a groper'—"
"You're being so persistent!
I can handle some goblin subjugation!"
She got angry.
I was still worried, but I decided to trust the words of a seasoned warrior.
"If that's the case, I have nothing to add. Good luck out there."
"Yes, I'll do my best!"
Eris nodded with satisfaction.
"And what about you, Ruijeld?"
"I'm going to meet an acquaintance."
It was the first time I'd ever heard Ruijeld use the word "acquaintance."
"Oh? An acquaintance? You have acquaintances, Ruijeld?"
"Of course I do."
I'd always assumed he was a loner…
Well, if you'd lived for five hundred years, you'd probably know a person or two.
I wondered why he'd come to Milshion of all places, but on the other hand, this city was so large that it made sense his acquaintance might live here.
"Who is it?"
"A warrior."
Another warrior, huh.
Then it was probably someone he'd saved back on the Demon Continent.
Well, I wouldn't pry.
It wasn't as if I were his parent.
Asking detailed questions about who someone was meeting on their day off — how uncool could you get?
--- The next day, Eris and Ruijeld each headed out on their own.
I also went into town to buy paper, pens, and ink.
I'd also look into the prices in Holy Millis while I was at it.
Food was considerably cheaper than on the Demon Continent.
The selection was incomparable to the Demon Continent as well.
Freshly caught meat and fish lined the stalls, and to my delight, fresh vegetables were sold too.
What surprised me most were the eggs.
Chicken eggs sold at an extremely reasonable price.
Fresh eggs, laid that very day.
On the Demon Continent, there were shops that sold eggs from time to time.
But they were monster eggs, not chicken eggs.
They used imprinting to tame the creatures.
Obviously, they weren't suitable as food.
They certainly weren't cheap enough to casually fry up.
Incidentally, this world also had poultry farming.
In Buena Village, there were people who raised chickens.
Or more precisely, birds that closely resembled chickens.
It seemed poultry farming was also widespread in Millis.
For the first time in ages, I felt the urge to crack a raw egg over rice and eat it.
TKG.
Tamago kake gohan.
The perfect food.
But I didn't have rice or soy sauce.
I searched the market, but as expected, neither was sold.
Like the Asura Kingdom, the staple food of Holy Millis appeared to be bread.
That said, I'd already confirmed that rice existed in this world.
Rice was the staple grain from the northern to eastern portions of the Central Continent.
Roxy had written in her letter that rice appeared in the Kingdom of Siluone as well.
They mixed it with meat, vegetables, and seafood to make something like fried rice or paella — that was the main way it was eaten.
However. *However.* In that region, poultry farming apparently wasn't practiced.
Whether it was the climate, or the lack of chickens, chicken eggs were apparently very hard to come by.
Soy sauce was something I'd never seen either.
According to the Plant Encyclopedia, there were plants that closely resembled soybeans, but attempts to ferment them into a sauce apparently hadn't been undertaken.
That said, maybe if I looked hard enough, I'd find some.
Eggs and rice both existed.
Someday, I'd get my hands on them.
And I'd eat tamago kake gohan.
I didn't care about egg hygiene.
If I got a sick stomach, I'd just heal it with detox magic.
--- After finishing my market research, on the way back to the inn, I contemplated how to word my letters.
Come to think of it, this would be the first time I'd sent letters to Paul and Sylphie.
Should I start with what had happened at the Boreas estate?
No, reporting that I was alive was more important.
I'd start from when I'd been teleported to the Demon Continent.
Come to think of it, a lot had happened.
Traveling with the Supard Race…
Meeting the Demon Emperor…
Spending three months at the Beast Race settlement…
Would they even believe me?
At the very least, they probably wouldn't believe the part about meeting the Demon Emperor and receiving magical eyes.
Believe it or not, I'd write it as fact anyway.
Speaking of the Beast Race settlement, I wondered if Gilleen was safe.
With her strength, she'd be fine unless she'd been teleported somewhere truly bizarre…
I was also worried about the Boreas family.
Philip, Sauros, Hilda.
And the butler Alphons, the maids…
Sauros was probably still bellowing loudly wherever he went.
Lost in these thoughts, I turned into a narrow alleyway.
Milshion had many such narrow alleys.
From a distance, the city looked like a neat grid, but years of building and demolishing structures had shifted building sizes and positions bit by bit, creating these tight, damp little passages.
That said, because everything was arranged on a grid, there was no risk of getting lost.
So I always took a different route home.
Maybe I'd even discover a lover's lane or something.
Our redhead was a bit rough around the edges, but she did have a sensibility for appreciating beautiful things.
If we were staying for a month, there would surely be opportunities for dates.
The plan was to guide her to a charming spot and boost our favorability rating.
As I was thinking this, I spotted about five men heading toward me at a hurried pace from the other end of the alley.
They didn't look like adventurers.
More like local toughs, if anything.
Their clothing was somewhat intimidating.
In a word: young.
But having that many people crammed into such a narrow alley was inconsiderate.
The road was meant for sharing.
No matter that I was a child and small in stature, if they spread out to fill the entire width, we'd end up colliding.
This called for the same approach I'd used when I'd run into that juvenile delinquent boss — forming a single file line, angling my gaze downward, each side making way— "Out of the way!"
I obediently plastered myself against the wall.
Don't get me wrong.
I was simply avoiding unnecessary conflict.
They seemed to be in a hurry, and I wasn't.
It wasn't because they looked like thugs.
Really.
It wasn't a lie.
Besides, you couldn't judge a person by appearances.
They might look like delinquents but actually be renowned swordsmen.
If I'd arrogantly assumed my own strength and confronted them, it could've turned out they were some Mad Prince of Carnage, and then — Dead End.
Those kinds of things could happen in this world.
After all, a starving little girl on the roadside could turn out to be the Demon Emperor.
So yeah.
Avoiding unnecessary conflict was the way to go.
That's what I thought.
But.
In the instant they passed by, I caught sight of the two men in the middle carrying a burlap sack.
They held it between them, one on each side, pressed against their flanks.
And protruding from the sack was a small hand.
There was almost certainly a child inside.
(…Kidnappers again?)
This world really had a lot of kidnappers.
Criminals were always seizing children whenever they saw an opening.
In the Asura Kingdom, on the Demon Continent, in the Great Forest, in Holy Millis— Kidnappers were practically everywhere.
According to Geese, kidnapping was profitable.
The world was currently in a state of relative peace with only minor conflicts, and slaves mainly flowed in from the central and northern parts of the Central Continent.
But demand for slaves was high.
Especially in wealthy nations like Holy Millis and the Asura Kingdom.
Simply put, supply couldn't keep up with demand.
Kidnap someone, and you could sell them at a premium.
So kidnapping would never be eliminated.
Made sense.
Apparently, only a large-scale war could stamp out kidnapping.
Now then — a child.
Five of them carrying it — this had to be premeditated.
Was the child in the bag the son or daughter of some prominent figure?
Honestly, I wanted no part of this.
If I saved the child, I'd be mistaken for one of the gang and thrown in jail.
That bitter memory was only a few months old.
So should I look away?
No. Absolutely not.
The fact that this world would never rid itself of kidnappers, and the fact that I'd had a bad experience because of it, and the fact that I shouldn't save a child — these were all separate matters.
Dead End's First Rule: Never abandon a child.
Dead End's Second Rule: *Never* abandon a child.
Dead End was a force for justice.
Evildoers would be struck down without exception.
All children would be rescued.
That was how we'd gradually spread the Supard Race's name.
I followed the five men.
--- My stealth skill seemed to have leveled up.
Probably from the training I'd done to sneak up on Eris and Ruijeld in the village of Doldia.
The five men entered a warehouse without ever noticing my pursuit.
Sloppy, really.
Well, if they wanted to catch me, they should sharpen their noses.
If they could sniff out the scent of arousal, they'd nail me in a second.
The warehouse was located in one section of the Adventurer District.
It was even deeper in than my inn.
It didn't face the street and could only be accessed through a narrow alley.
A carriage obviously couldn't get in, and the road was too narrow for large cargo as well.
I wanted to call the manager over and ask why they'd built a warehouse in a spot like this.
It was a dead space.
The warehouse had probably been there first, and the surrounding buildings had come later.
I confirmed that the men had gone inside, then circled around to the back.
Using Earth Magic, I elevated my body up to a ventilation window and climbed inside.
Hiding behind one of the many wooden crates piled haphazardly, I watched.
The five men were discussing something.
It sounded like they had a large group of comrades at the tavern next door.
I could hear one of them saying to go call someone now that the job was done.
Should I finish them off before the backup arrived, or should I verify who the others were and then rescue just the child?
I chose the latter, of course.
So for now, I waited inside the crate.
But it was dark, so I hadn't checked properly — what exactly was in this wooden crate?
It seemed to be cloth.
That much was clear, but they were too small to be clothes.
Yet wrapped up like this, they strangely put one at ease.
I picked one up.
This texture, this shape — I recognized it.
The three-dimensionally sewn fabric had three holes.
One section was double-layered, and from it emanated a faint, wonderful *something.* "Wait — these are panties!"
"Who's there?!"
Oh no!
I'd been found.
Damn it. I hadn't expected them to set a trap like this. Despicable.
"Inside the crate?"
"Get out of there!"
"Hey, go call the boss and the others!"
This was bad.
While I'd been dawdling, they'd called for backup.
Plan change.
I'd grab the child and dash. That was the plan.
But they'd seen my face.
No — it was fine. I had my mask.
*FWOOOOSH!* I felt like ecstasy!
…Not really.
To hide my identity, I'd thought about donning a robe as well, but thinking about it, I'd come out to do some shopping, so I didn't have my robe, and I wasn't carrying my staff either.
"Whoa!"
"He's — he's got panties on his face!"
"He's a pervert…"
Leaving the men's jaws on the floor, I made my entrance and delivered my lines.
"Within the clash of power against power, you who would satiate your ugly desires— know shame for your deeds!
Man calls this… *heresy!*"
"Wh-who the hell are you?!"
"I am 'Ruijeld of Dead End'!"
"What the — Dead End?!"
Ah — no, I'd blown it.
Out of habit, I'd used his name.
This was supposed to be the moment where I said "I have no name to give you."
I'm sorry, Ruijeld.
From today on, you're a panty-wearing pervert who helps people!
But I *will* save the child!
"Kidnappers! Because of you, an innocent man has been framed! I will not forgive this!"
"Hey kid, go play hero somewhere else. We're—"
"No room for discussion! Sunlight Attack!"
"Bleagh!"
First things first — I fired a Rock Cannonball.
A preemptive strike was always the best.
Come to think of it, when I'd rescued the Demon Emperor from the clutches of that perverted old lolicon, I'd also struck first.
"Take that!"
"Blegh!"
"Oogh!"
In the blink of an eye, four of them were unconscious.
I rushed to the boy.
"Are you okay, kid! — Oh, he's unconscious…"
He was a boy who looked vaguely familiar.
Really, I felt like I'd seen him before.
Huh?
Where had I seen him?
I couldn't remember.
Oh well. There was no time for this.
If I didn't hurry, reinforcements would arrive.
And sure enough, men began flooding into the warehouse entrance.
"Whoa! Everyone's been taken out!"
"He's just a kid but he's a pro — hurry, go get the boss!"
"The boss has been drinking pretty hard today!"
"He's strong even when drunk!"
Two of them peeled off and ran outside.
There were already more than ten of them, and more were still coming.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Maybe I should have just looked the other way after all.
Or maybe I should have consulted Ruijeld tomorrow.
I'd made a mistake.
Now I had no choice but to knock them all out and break through.
"What the hell — he's wearing panties on his face!"
"Maybe he came here to steal panties!"
"He's an enemy of women!"
Looking closely, a few of them were women.
Sorry, Ruijeld.
I'm truly sorry.
Apologizing profusely in my head, I began the fight.
Fortunately, they weren't strong.
They came charging at me, and I met them with Rock Cannonballs.
They couldn't dodge, and one hit was enough to knock each of them out.
They didn't even have weapons, and there didn't seem to be any magicians among them.
Easy victory.
"C-can't get close to him!"
"What is that — is he using some kind of mana-imbued item?!"
"Is the boss coming or not?!"
I'd knocked out about half of them when the rest lost their nerve.
Just when I thought I had it in the bag— "Alright, sorry to keep you waiting."
The reinforcements arrived.
They got here fast.
They'd been in the tavern next door, so I supposed it made sense.
Five sharp-looking men flanked him.
He stood at the warehouse entrance, unhurried.
He was a man who looked vaguely familiar.
There was something nostalgic about his face.
But once again, I couldn't place him.
Never mind that — the big-chested woman behind him was more important.
Bikini armor.
It wasn't unheard of in this world, but the skin exposure was extreme.
Even on the Demon Continent, I hadn't seen a woman this exposed.
The other women wore proper robes, so she stood out all the more.
"Tch, running wild in here, huh?
*Burp*… Don't any of you lay a finger on him.
Ganging up on one kid is beneath you. I'll handle him alone."
The man seemed confident in his arms, but his legs were wobbly.
Even from a distance, I could see his face was flushed from drink.
But he really did look familiar.
Brown hair, thuggish appearance, a bit like Paul…
His voice was eerily like Paul's too.
But he looked nothing like Paul.
If you stripped Paul of all his composure and took that confident look off his face, maybe he'd look like this.
Somehow, his face made me hesitate to attack in earnest.
"You, going after my people like that— you'd better be prepared!"
The man stepped into fighting stance, drawing two swords.
Dual-wielding.
He was probably an expert swordsman.
Could Rock Cannonballs handle him?
No — killing was a bit much…
While I hesitated, the man lunged.
I was a beat late.
I reflexively fired a Rock Cannonball.
The man was fast.
He angled his right sword diagonally and deflected the shot.
"Water God Style?!"
"That's not all!"
The man closed in.
I reflexively unleashed a shockwave while leaping backward.
"Heh!"
"Whoa!"
Using Foresight Eye, I read ahead and dodged.
The man's sword speed was fast.
But his footing was slightly unsteady.
The alcohol, probably.
I might be able to handle this.
"Tch, moving like that guy…!
Vera! Shella! Help me out!"
The bikini-armored woman and the one in magician's garb stepped forward.
The bikini woman flanked me to the side, and the magician began her incantation.
Not good.
The man's attacks were ferocious.
I was struggling just to evade.
But I still had options.
"Ha!"
"Ugh!"
Using Voice Magic, I froze the man's movements for a split second.
At the same time, I sent him flying with a shockwave and hurled a Rock Cannonball at the magician.
Then, using Foresight Eye against the incoming bikini woman, I delivered a counter.
The magician, mid-incantation, took the Rock Cannonball head-on and collapsed.
The bikini woman took the punch and stumbled, but seemed to still be in fighting shape — her eyes gleaming as she glared at me.
And the man was closing in again.
"Shella! You — how dare you!"
I stopped his charge by conjuring a mud pit underfoot.
The man tripped pathetically and fell.
"Boss!"
Don't look away!
Without a word, I fired another Rock Cannonball.
The bikini woman went down too.
"Vera! Damn it!"
The man sheathed one sword and clamped the other between his teeth.
Foresight Eye.
*<Charging on all fours>* Was he a dog or something?
I fired a Rock Cannonball while retreating, trying to put distance between us.
But this was a cramped warehouse.
There was nothing to keep him at bay.
"GRAAAAH!"
From all fours, he twisted his body mid-leap.
The movement was feral.
From that beast-like posture, he drew the sword at his hip.
The slash was sharp.
A strange stance, and the strike came with a violent rotation of the body.
*<At the same time, he transferred the sword in his mouth to his left hand and struck in a reverse grip>* A unorthodox attack.
It exceeded my expectations.
Without Foresight Eye, I never could have dodged it.
The slash grazed the tip of my nose.
A stinging pain in my nose.
"…"
My heart began to pound.
I hadn't been thinking about killing the man.
But he'd been trying to kill me.
I'd only just realized that obvious fact.
If I didn't get serious, I was going to go down.
Thinking that, I dropped my stance low.
I remembered my training with Ruijeld, and with Eris.
The man's feral movements were reminiscent of how Ruijeld moved when he was truly serious.
But this man's agility wasn't on Ruijeld's level.
Just flashy.
I could do this.
Next time he came, I'd counter…
That's when I noticed the man had stopped moving.
I glanced down — the panties covering my face had fallen to the ground.
Oh no, my face was exposed— "You… are you Rudy…?"
Rudy.
Only one person in the world called me by that name.
And that stunned voice wasn't the boozed-up rasp mixed with rage, but something achingly familiar.
"…Father?"
--- Paul Greyrat, seen for the first time in ages, had hollow cheeks, dark circles under his eyes, a scruffy beard, and unkempt hair.
His breath reeked of alcohol, and overall, he looked completely disheveled.
He was nothing like the Paul in my memory.