Author's Note
This is a rare occasion where they do some serious sightseeing.
"Thank you for the meal. Now, what should I do today...?" (Jin)
After breakfast, I sat in my chair and thought about my plans for the day. Of course, the usual members were there too.
"Tomorrow we're heading to Eldia, and today we're sightseeing in Izumo Kingdom, right?" (Mio)
"Yeah, that's the plan." (Jin)
As Mio said, I had planned to sightsee in Izumo Kingdom until today, but Endo had been in ruins due to the Oni God, so it was in no condition to be able to sightsee. In that case, it would be best to ask Tooru or Kaoru about tourist spots other than Endo and headed there. Since Hannah probably wouldn't be tailing me anymore, I should be able to move around freely to a certain extent. Well, even if Hannah was there, there's no guarantee that I'd able restrain myself—
"For now, I think I'll start by asking Tooru and her sister if they know of any tourist spots. What will Mio's group do? Are you researching cooking again today?" (Jin)
"I've gathered almost all the dishes that can only be found at Izumo Kingdom, so today I'll be accompanying Master." (Mio)
"That's right. We ate a lot. It's satisfaction."
Looks like the two of them will be accompanying me today.
"I see. Then, shall we get ready and head to Izumo Kingdom right away?" (Jin)
"Yes" (x4)
(Oohh) (Dora)
With today's plan decided, I opened the door to the dining room to prepare, only to find Mimi kneeling and holding a dagger up. It seemed that the Holy Sword that she had started making last night had been completed without any problems.
"Jin-sama...... please...... accept......" (Mimi)
I was confused when Mimi offered her sword with the exact same words as in [Holy Sword・Messiah].
Huh? Do I have to do this every time?
"That's my dagger you asked for, right?" (Mio)
"That's...... right……" (Mimi)
"Well, why would you give it to Master?" (Mio)
Looking at the dagger, Mio tilted her head and spoke, to which Mimi nodded.
"All of my Holy Swords...... belong to Jin-sama........ Everything...... I will...... give them...... to Jin-sama......." (Mimi)
"I-I see...... I-I understand. Master, please give that sword to Mio-chan, okay?" (Mio)
"Oh, yeah. Got it. Look..." (Jin)
Saying this, I took the raised dagger and handed it over to Mio. Apparently I had to do it every time.
Holy Sword - Talisman
Category: Short sword
Rarity: Legendary
Notes: Ownership restrictions, Hero strengthening, Effective against demons, Miasma removal, Weapon summoning
"Wow, this is also a beautiful sword, isn't it?" (Mio)
Mio said as she looked at the dagger she had removed from its sheath. This Holy Sword was also white and beautiful overall.
"So what is this weapon summoning thing?" (Jin)
"Please put...... this ring on......" (Mimi)
In response to Mio's question, Mimi handed over the ring she was holding.
The Ring of Holy Sword - Talisman
Note: A ring that pairs with [Holy Sword - Talisman].
"I put it on. What should I do?" (Mio)
"Your hand...... open slightly, into the ring...... put a little magic......, and shout...... Holy Sword's...... name......." (Mimi)
"Yep, 'Talisman'! Oops!" (Mio)
At that moment, the [Holy Sword - Talisman] appeared in Mio's palm. By the way, it was without its sheath. Mio held on to the Holy Sword that was about to fall.
"You can see......, base of the ring...... the Holy Sword appears....... During battle...... it's useful......." (Mimi)
"Oh, this is interesting. [Inventory] can do something similar, but in terms of response, it's better than [Inventory]." (Mio)
Mio seemed impressed and tried calling Holy Sword several times. When using [Inventory], it could be difficult if you didn't concentrate to a certain extent. If you just summoned it by concentrating your magical power, there's no doubt that it would be faster and easier.
"This way, I don't have to carry it around all the time, and it might be handy to have on hand for emergencies..." (Jin)
"I understand...... I will add...... this function...... as much as possible..." (Mimi)
When I muttered something, Mimi, who heard it, replied immediately.
"You don't have to push yourself, but please do as much as you can." (Jin)
"Yes...... leave it...... to me..." (Mimi)
I feel a sense of romance in wearing these rings on as many fingers as possible on both hands and switching weapons depending on the situation. It's probably cool, too. Or rather, even though there is almost no teleportation magic in this world, the Holy Sword itself can teleport. Does it mean anything?
"Could you please make it for Sakura first?" (Jin)
"Eh...? For me...?" (Sakura)
"Yeah, you're focused on long-distance combat, just like Mio, right? Even though you have staff skills, it's not reassuring to rely on that alone. It's always better to have more cards in your hand, right?" (Jin)
If anything, it gave the strong impression of being an emergency weapon. It would be better for Sakura to use it rather than me, Maria, Sera, or Dora, who were accustomed to close-quarters combat.
"I see... I understand... Thank you, Mimi-san..." (Sakura)
"Yes……" (Mimi)
Once the next Holy Sword request was completed, Mimi returned to the room she was given. Apparently, she had been working all night on the blacksmithing and was about to go to bed. Her daily routine has been completely disrupted.
[She said that this lifestyle was better suited to dedicating her Holy Sword to Master.] (Alta)
…It's true that it's more convenient in many ways to have it handed over in the morning than during the day or night, but is it really necessary to go that far?
[That kind of reasoning doesn't apply to believers.] (Alta)
I suppose, huh...
This time, I finally finished my preparations and would use Portal to teleport to Endo.
The maid also told me to specify the transfer destination as a certain mansion in Endo. At this point, I can already guess what's going to happen, but will it actually happen...?
"Welcome" (Maids)
As expected, when we were teleported, there were dozens of maids lined up neatly. It seemed that they built a mansion, or rather a shop, in Endo under the name Chamber of Advanced Commerce. When we checked the location, we found it was in a prime location on the main street that we had passed when we first came to Endo.
"You've gotten used to being treated like a lord, haven't you? You didn't even blush when you saw this..." (Sakura)
"Well, if you've seen the same scene so many times, it's only natural that you'd get used to it to some extent." (Jin)
"I'm still not feeling at ease..." (Sakura)
As we left the mansion, chatting about trivial things, we noticed scars of destruction all around. There wasn't a single building that was intact—Except for the mansion we came out of. It seemed that the removal of rubble was almost completed during the night, and the construction of new buildings had already begun. In particular, the reconstruction of Endo Castle, a symbol of the country, seemed to be progressing at a rapid pace—Of course, this was led by the Chamber of Advanced Commerce. Apparently, they were using national construction companies to provide their construction techniques and were progressing at a faster pace than professional construction companies.
Those who know about the Chamber of Advanced Commerce's powers would naturally want to enlist the help of the maids to rebuild the castle. There's a clear difference in the speed. However, unlike things like providing soup kitchens and building temporary housing, it was not possible to carry out a large-scale project such as building a castle for free out of goodwill. Naturally, money would have to be charged. However, money was also needed to rebuild the country, so there was not much they could pay. So, what would happen? It was obvious. It was a payment in kind. And so, the Chamber of Advanced Commerce decided to open a shop in a prime location in Endo.
Furthermore, the amount that was still not enough was considered as a debt—It was the case that someone had effectively taken control of a country by subjugating the royal family, but maybe that ruling through debt was a new pattern.
No, it's not like I can do anything just because I have control over them...
After leaving the mansion, we checked the map and headed towards Tooru. Apparently, today, Tooru was acting as Tooru, and Kaoru was acting as Kaoru. They said they didn't have the capacity to switch places.
(Yahhoo!) (Dora)
"Oh, Jin-dono and everyone, you've come?" (Tooru)
Tooru noticed our presence and came out of the makeshift tent.
Tooru currently seemed to be struggling with various documents inside the makeshift tent. Apparently, she was being helped by Alta.
When royals get to know Alta, they tend to use her a lot.
[No problem.] (Alta)
It would be helpful if they could say that... The Royal Families.
Well, let's get the job done and get out of Endo quickly.
The reason was, if I was here, the maids would prioritize me, so the work wouldn't progress. Kaoru was doing something similar a little distance away (asking Alta for help as well), so there's no doubt they were both busy.
"...So, are there any recommended spots? Preferably somewhere I can spend the whole day at today. Travel time isn't a problem." (Jin)
"Tourism really is Jin-dono's number one priority..." (Tooru)
"...You have no idea? This is about your own country, after all?" (Jin)
I glared at Tooru with an exasperated look on my face.
If Tooru didn't help, then I would have to ask Kaoru. It's a pain to do it twice, but—
"Aahh, it feels good to be looked at with such cold eyes." (Tooru)
"Ah, that's right. That's the kind of people they were." (Jin)
"I don't understand... How can you be happy when Master glares at you..." (Mio)
She seemed happy, but her body was honest. If I looked closely, I could see that she's leaking—
"Stop it. Please don't pinch me. I don't want to hurt." (Tooru)
First, pinched her cheek. Then, applied [Clean]. Only physical damage worked on Tooru.
"Oh, there is! I have a few options in case Jin-dono asks me." (Tooru)
"Just tell me now." (Jin)
"If you want a town, try the commercial city of Akindo, and if you want to explore, try the Undine Spring or the Salamander Volcano!" (Tooru)
I'd heard of the two exploration ones, but never the town one.
Still, name like Endo and Akindo, the heroes are really stupid....
"The commercial city of Akindo is the second largest city in Izumo Kingdom after Endo." (Tooru)
"Right now, the No. 1 spot is in tatters, but haven't the rankings been reversed?" (Mio)
When Mio asked, Tooru also looked uncomfortable. Maybe the positions were actually reversed.
"Please don't say that.... Business in Akindo is more prosperous than in Endo, and a lot of goods from overseas flow in. It's not that tourism is the main industry, but there are a lot of shows going on, so it's worth going for the sake of sightseeing." (Tooru)
"Are the two quests similar to 'Gnome's Cave' and 'Sylph Forest'?" (Jin)
"Yes. Both of these lands are rich in rare materials and have strong monsters. Jin-dono and everyone here will have no problem with it." (Tooru)
Tooru nodded in response to my question.
"Since we've been doing a lot of exploring and fighting since coming to Izumo Kingdom, it might be a good idea to take it easy and do some sightseeing in the town at the end. If no one objects, I'd like to go to Akindo, is that okay?" (Jin)
"Yes... I'm fine..."
(Sure!) (Dora)
"As Jin-sama wishes." (Maria)
"Well, I said I'd come along, right?" (Mio)
"Just like Mio-san."
"Same on the right, no?"
After Tooru gave us detailed directions to the location, we left Endo. Tooru seemed to want to come along too, but Kaoru who happened to be passing by grabbed her tightly and she couldn't escape. Well, maybe she wouldn't let her the only one have fun.
We were rocked on the Blue for 20 minutes. We arrived at Akindo, the second largest city in Izumo Kingdom.
Just like Endo, at the entrance we paid a toll—none. This was because we received a pass from Tooru that allows us to enter any town in Izumo Kingdom for free. Some said I blackmailed her. Well, she was happy to be blackmailed—What struck me was that when we showed our passes as if it was the most natural thing in the world, the gatekeeper looked at us as if he was seeing something unbelievable.
[I think it's because the signature on the travel document was jointly signed by the King and the Prince.] (Alta)
...Well, that would be quite a surprise. I'll ask them to replace it with something innocuous later. It'll definitely stand out for no reason. Later, Tooru.
Akindo boasted an area comparable to Endo, and like Endo, it had a castle at its center. However, this castle was not in use and was open to the public as a tourist attraction. Considering the name Akindo and the fact that it was the second largest commercial city, I thought the motif was Osaka and Osaka Castle.
Compared to Endo, there were fewer administrative facilities, but the shops took up a considerable amount of space. The main street was busier than Endo. Food stalls were lined up here and there, and it's overflowing with people. As someone who mainly focused on sightseeing, this was a town I couldn't miss. Looking around, some people were dressed differently from those in Izumo Kingdom. It seemed like they had more exchanges with foreigners than Endo. I was not joking, but it might become the largest city in Izumo Kingdom someday.
"It looks like there are street performances going on in the market area. I'm interested, shall we go and check it out?" (Jin)
If the town was bustling with entertainment, you could easily spend the day looking around before you knew it.
"I'm just going to get some food from the food stall over there." (Sera)
"Oh, I'll go too! Takoyaki? I guess that sounds like a good idea, but it completely ignores historical accuracy..." (Mio)
"Please give me some too." (Sera)
"Okay." (Mio)
Sera and Mio walked down the main street, munching on the takoyaki they had bought.
Located a little off the main road, the market had almost no stores, but instead was filled with food stalls, street performers, and many people displaying their wares like in a flea market. It didn't seem to be any particular festival day, but the atmosphere was exactly like a Japanese festival.
(There are soo many people!) (Dora)
Seeing all those people, Dora exclaimed in surprise. By the way, I was currently carrying Dora on my shoulders. Because you can't let go of your child's hand in crowded places. Carrying her on my shoulders was easier than holding her in my hands. Even if I let go of my hands, she wouldn't fall because she had a good sense of balance. Well, there's a map, so she probably wouldn't get lost even if I let go, but just to be safe.
"I see, huh... There were really a lot of people there, and the atmosphere was really exciting..." (Sakura)
"Ah, Sakura, are you not good with crowds?" (Jin)
This might be a prejudice, but the words "Sakura" and "Crowded" didn't go together well.
"It's true that I'm not very good at it... Whenever I go to a crowd, people always look at me with displeased looks... But that doesn't happen here, so it's fine..." (Sakura)
"I, I see..." (Jin)
"It's really hard to comment on Sakura-sama's past, huh..." (Mio)
How many stories from the past that are difficult to comment on do you have in your repertoire?
Sakura seemed to be okay (for now), so we all wandered around the market, buying food from the stalls and browsing the street vendors. Everyone was having a fairly good time, but Maria had a stern look on her face.
"Since there are so many people, I must focus on protecting Jin-sama..." (Maria)
"Why don't you have some fun, Maria-chan? Here's some apricot candy." (Mio)
"That's not an option. Jin-sama's safety is my number one priority." (Maria)
"This is no good..." (Mio)
Perhaps because there were so many people around, Maria was more tense than usual and didn't even accept the apricot candy that Mio offered her. She probably didn't take it because Mio had already eaten it. It seemed that Maria didn't want me to go near crowded places as much as possible. Well, I didn't think she thought that telling me that would stop me.
After walking for a while, we came to an area with many street performers.
Perhaps because there were many people coming from overseas, there was a wide variety of street performances. In addition to Izumo Kingdom, or traditional Japanese street performances such as umbrella spinning and top spinning, I could also see fire juggling and magic. It might seem strange to call it magic in a world of swords and sorcery, but magic was not something to be enjoyed or shown off, so that's a different story.
"It feels very touristy to walk around and watch street performers while eating food purchased from a food stall, right?" (Mio)
"That's true. Come to think of it, even though they say tourism is number one, this might be the first time we've done something that really feels like tourism." (Jin)
Naturally, I talked with Mio while she was eating yakisoba noodles that were being sold at the food stall.
"Mio-san and I do similar things when it comes to food tours." (Sera)
"That's true. Food culture really comes to the forefront at festivals, so it's something you can't miss, right?" (Mio)
Ah, I think that's definitely what she said. It's not bad to do sightseeing with this kind of atmosphere once in a while. And there have been chances up until now.
"If you have the chance, take me with you." (Jin)
(Dora too!) (Dora)
"Okay!" (Mio)
"I understand." (Sera)
"If Jin-sama wishes, we can research festivals in various regions and make it possible for him to attend them at any time with [Portal]." (Maria)
"Maria-chan is really unwavering, isn't she..." (Mio)
And the typical story ended with Maria overreacting to my wish. I thought it was okay to check it out, but I told her that she didn't need to go as far as installing [Portal].
I slowly looked around the street performance booths and threw in some tips. After watching all the street performers, everyone gave a tip, varying the amount depending on how entertaining they were.
Many of the street performers had skills. Some of them had skills I'd never seen before, but I didn't have to borrow anything from them, so I didn't steal them. Naturally, those who had the skills to perform street performances showed performances several levels above those who did not. However, there were exceptions to everything. There were also people who didn't have skills but performed better than those with skills.
The funniest thing by midday was a street performer juggling knives blindfolded on stilts, obviously with no matching skill. Sakura was so nervous that she couldn't watch, and she kept glancing at them, not even looking. From the perspective of the street performer, she was a good customer.
And because I kept buying food from the food stalls, I wasn't hungry even by lunchtime. Furthermore, Sakura, who had a small appetite, hadn't eaten anything yet. Sera? She was the only one person who was clearly eating at a different pace, you see. She seemed to have a lot of personal money and kept buying food.
I heard there would be a performance on a special stage in the afternoon, so I decided to drop by for a bit.
The special stage would be set up with stepped chairs overlooking the stage. The one who thought of this must have been the hero who had been transferred there. Because they sold rice crackers and caramel. It smelled overwhelmingly Japanese. Or rather, he was getting too carried away.
"Hmm, I don't think Mio-chan is particularly keen on it. It's not something that only concerns me..." (Mio)
"You're right. It's not a very pleasant feeling, right?" (Sera)
"But when we were bought by Jin-sama, we were all worthless, so there was no way we could have been put up for auction." (Maria)
It's no wonder that Mio and Sera look displeased. The first attraction of the afternoon was a slave auction—and Maria was unfazed. Apparently, the entertainment on stage was not limited to street performances; the next one was a circus, and after that, an antiques auction.
"Well then, shall we kill some time until the next circus?" (Jin)
"Thank you." (Mio)
"That would be much appreciated." (Sera)
There's no need to go out of your way to watch if some people weren't interested.
Let's put off the special stage performances for now and visit other places.
So, I called the maids to participate in the auction. I saw on the map earlier that among the slaves being auctioned, there were several slaves with rare or unique skills. There was no way I could miss this chance. In fact, it seemed the maids had heard about it from Alta and were already standing by before I called them. Collecting slaves with rare skills was one of the maids' basic duties at the slave market.
I buy slaves (maids), and then I use the money that they earn (from something like Chamber of Advanced Commerce) to buy new slaves. In other words, this was one of the dreams of mankind: a perpetual motion machine. Well, as a result, the maids exceeded four digits... But who cares?
The auction was expected to finish in about two hours, so I would wander around the market again in the meantime. The good thing about markets was that there's no shortage of ways to kill time.
Then, about 30 minutes after the auction started, an alert appeared on the map. The alert was informing me that a certain monster had entered the town of Akindo.
"Now that I think of it, this guy was still here... How polite..." (Jin)
"Jin-kun, what's wrong...?" (Sakura)
(What's wrong?) (Dora)
Sakura and Dora (piggyback) asked, picking up on my sudden muttering.
"If Master suddenly muttered something, it means he found something on the map, right? Let's see..." (Mio)
Mio, realizing what I was doing, searched the map. Mio was more perceptive than I thought.
"Could it be, this? A vampire has infiltrated the town of Akindo...?" (Mio)
"Is it a vampire? It's still daytime. ...Perhaps it's another vampire who can stand the sunlight?" (Sera)
"Mio, Sera, you both got it right. It appears that a vampire who has overcome sunlight has invaded this town. We don't know what they're here for, but..." (Jin)
Yes, the vampire that had invaded the town of Akindo was one that had overcome sunlight and was active during the day. I said, "still here" and "polite" earlier because it was the last of the three candidates that Alta mentioned when I was trying out the Holy Sword. Now that I had defeated the murderer and the Oni God, the remaining "Vampire" had dutifully appeared. With two of the three candidates appearing, there's no way the last one wouldn't appear.
Yes, the usual (status).
Latina (Lv60)
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Race: Vampire
Skills:
- Martial Arts:[Unarmed Combat Mastery Lv4]
- Body Systems: [Physical Strengthening Lv7] [Flash Step Lv3] [Nightvision Lv2] [Flying Lv2] [Vampire Lv5] [Fighting Spirit LV2]
- Others: [Daywalker Lv5] [Dragon Awakening Lv-] [Brave Heart Lv-]
[Dragon Awakening]
Awakens the dragon's bloodline and greatly increases ability values for a certain period of time. In exchange, magical power is constantly circulating within the body, making it impossible to use any magic.
[Brave Heart]
You can roughly tell in which direction there is someone at the same level as you or higher. When fighting someone at a higher level than you, your status is adjusted.
Judging from the skills list, she might be the daughter of the martial artist vampire that Claude had spoken of before. She had the same [Dragon Awakening] skill as the Martial Artist Vampire, and the same [Daywalker] skill as Georg. And [Brave Heart] was probably a unique skill. This female vampire, when combined with [Flash Step], had four unique skills. Her level was also higher than Georg's—Was Georg level 52 when he fought us?...
"Looking at her status, she seems to be related to the vampires Claude's group were talking about... or rather, if you think about it, aren't all the vampires we meet related by blood?" (Jin)
"Now that you mention it, that's true... I guess you could say it's fate, or perhaps destiny..."
"Well, it's not like I particularly want to meet her, huh" (Jin)
The vampire that Claude's group met seemed to have been undergoing warrior training, so I wonder if this vampire was doing something similar. So, did they happen to stop by this town by chance? Was that even possible?
Then, all of a sudden, I was struck by something while looking at the skill description of [Brave Heart]. Since she possessed such skills, this female vampire was probably a battle maniac. Moreover, she was a seriously ill patient who targeted and defeated those superior to her.
If there was someone of higher rank nearby, wouldn't you just wander over to them? And who is in this town right now?
[There is no one in this town who is of a higher level than the vampires, except for Master.] (Alta)
...In other words, this female vampire's target is us.
"Maybe the effect of [Brave Heart] skill allowed her to capture someone of a higher rank, that is, us." (Jin)
"In other words, this vampire's target is us? Munch munch." (Sera)
"Probably. There's no one else who fits the criteria, so it's probably a sure thing." (Jin)
"In that case, I guess we have no choice but to pay her a visit. It’s such a shame, especially as we’re in the middle of sightseeing. Munch munch." (Sera)
Sera had a disappointed look on her face as she stuffed her cheeks with the skewers. In her hands she was clutching several bags of food she had bought from a food stall.
Where has the etiquette of the nobility gone? I want to tell her not to talk with her mouth full.
"If she's going to disturb Jin-sama's sightseeing, I'll clear the way." (Maria)
"Maria-chan is having normal luck too..." (Mio)
"Maria, please." (Jin)
"You're asking me to do it?!" (Maria)
Since I confirmed what Maria had said, Mio's standard retort fell flat. And so, a comment came flying towards me instead.
No, because I don't want to be disturbed while sightseeing... If Maria can do it, I think it's okay to leave it to her.
If it seemed interesting, I'd be happy to make one my subordinate (tame it), but considering how Mira felt after being turned into a vampire by Georg, I didn't want to just casually tame a vampire. At the very least, we needed to remove Mira's vampire transformation first—
"Well, I'd rather not tame a vampire, and I don't feel like fighting in the middle of sightseeing, so I'd like to ask Maria to do it." (Jin)
"Yes, leave it to me." (Maria)
"Also, listen to what she has to say, and if you sense no ill will, then don't kill her. It would be a waste to kill a simple seeker. Of course, if you sense clear ill will, then don't hold back." (Jin)
According to Claude, he was a proper battle maniac who wouldn't kill someone if they admitted defeat, so there was some hope for someone related to him. However, considering that she was related to Georg, then I completely against it—
"Master, you're pretty tolerant of decent people, aren't you" (Mio)
"Well, I suppose so. There's no value in a world where honest people aren't rewarded, right? Well, whether an honest battle maniac is an honest person or not is another matter..." (Jin)
"Tahaha..." (Mio)
When I answered, Mio could only give a wry smile.
"You'll know it as soon as you meet her. It looks like she's heading this way." (Jin)
The female vampire headed straight towards the market where we were. Since the people around her didn't suffer any damage, it was clear that she wasn't a villain like Georg who would attack unrelated people.
Ten minutes after the vampires had invaded the town of Akindo, the female vampire arrived at the market where we were. Of course, there's no reason to stop sightseeing just because a vampire is coming. I would keep sightseeing until she actually came—The food stalls in this market had a lot of flour-based products, probably because they're based in Osaka.
After waiting for a few more minutes, the female vampire, Latina, finally appeared before us.
Oh, sorry. I won't wait.
The powder made my mouth dry, so I bought some fruit juice and drank it—This subtle sourness, the secret ingredient was plum.
Latina had blonde hair like Georg, which she wore in a ponytail. The vampire that Claude fought had shaved his hair and removed anything that would be a disadvantage in a fight, but it seemed like the female vampire wasn't prepared to go that far. Well, even if a female vampire with shaved hair appeared, it would be hard to comment on it.
Her clothes weren't a uniform or anything like that, but a bright red dress that even nobles didn't often wear. She had a good figure, blonde hair and golden eyes that gave off a dignified and noble impression, so she suited the vampire very well, but there was a huge mismatch with her skill set. And it just stood out. It stood out like crazy.
Latina was the center of attention, but she didn't seem interested in the gazes of the crowd and approached us without a care in the world. When we were about three meters apart, Latina opened her blood red lips.
"I believe you are a man of considerable ability. Would you be willing to duel me?" (Latina)
She said as she stared at me with those narrow eyes.
It seemed like the main target was me. Thinking about it, I was the only one among this group who seemed like she could have a serious battle with. Three children (Dora, Maria, Mio), a quiet-looking girl (Sakura), and an aristocratic lady (Sera). When you listed them all out, it's a terrible party.
"What are you trying to say when you suddenly appear? And don’t you think it’s rude to just tell me what you want without even introducing yourself?" (Maria)
"Hmm, my apologies. I was a bit hasty." (Latina)
Maria stepped forward and scolded Latina for her rudeness. It wasn't surprising, but Latina quickly apologized.
"My name is Latina. I am a traveling martial artist. During my training, I repeatedly seek out strong opponents and challenge them. My keen observational skills have led me to judge you to be a capable individual. Therefore, I would like you to fight me." (Latina)
"I don't see any benefit to us in accepting that challenge, do you?" (Jin)
We're not battle maniacs, so "fighting" itself wasn't an advantage for us. As long as she didn't suddenly attack, there was probably no harm in negotiating. Of course, if she did suddenly attack, I'd kill her as an enemy right then and there.
"Of course, I have considered that. If you want money, I will give it to you, and if you want to do whatever you want with my body, I am prepared to accept that as well. If I lose in a fight that risks my life, then I will submit to what the winner says." (Latina)
You can do whatever you want with her body.
Hearing those words, the surrounding men's gazes converged on her voluptuous chest, exposed through the open neckline of her dress, and they gulped. This was unavoidable—This guy was putting her body on the line in many ways.
"Heeh... If I defeat you, I can do whatever I want with your body, right?" (Town Thug A)
With those words, a man with a macho, thug-like appearance appeared from among the surrounding men. There was no way that a "Town thug A" could defeat a level 60 vampire.
"...Ah, of course. If I'm facing someone of that caliber, I won't hesitate to offer my body to him." (Latina)
"Hehe. Then I'll take care of you, young lady." (Thug A)
"Town Thug A" approached Latina with a grin.
"Ah! That guy is the notorious adventurer who has been wreaking havoc around here recently, Goro the Poison Fist!"
"What?! Is that Goro Tsukishima?! He's the villain who uses up all these rookie adventurers and is known as 'Goro the Rookie Adventurer Hunter'!"
"I know him too. He’s the ‘Dine-and-Dash Goro,’ right? I guess he caught the eye of an adventurer with a bad reputation. I feel sorry for that girl…"
Ah! There's no need to go to the trouble of setting up such an obvious flag!
And he was often nicknamed "Town Thug A". Although there were many good-for-nothing things—
"You're my opponent? ...Isn't that a bit inadequate?" (Latina)
"I told you, amateur! Take this!" (Thug A)
The low-spirited "Town Thug A" raised his arms. He was wearing what looked like brass knuckles, which had been coated with poison. This was probably the origin of the "poison fist" that matched the onlooker's comment earlier.
Don't use such weapons in public...
—Punch!—
"Grrrrr!!!" (Thug A)
But his arm never came down. In an instant, Latina punched "Town Thug A" in the stomach. And then "Town Thug A" collapsed.
It's too early. Too early. The flag in "Town Thug A" was collected too quickly! Or rather, come to me with an easy-to-understand template like this one. Why does every template always pass me right by? Adventurer's guild! Thugs!
"Amazing. Though he may be a bit of a person, Goro is said to have great fighting abilities, so she defeated him so easily... That girl is no ordinary person."
"Yes, he may be the lowest scum, but in terms of fighting power alone, Goro is said to be the equivalent of a C-rank adventurer…"
The bystanders kindly explained who "Town Thug A"—whose real name was Goro—was.
"I'm glad you were able to get it right. Killing someone in the middle of town can be quite a hassle." (Jin)
It seems that Latina was well versed in human society and had no intention of causing trouble recklessly. Well, as for what happened to "Town Thug A (Goro)," it was his own doing—
"Hey... isn't this our chance? That trash Goro is unconscious. If we gather everyone who has a grudge against Goro..."
"Oh, I'm going to call a friend!"
"I, too, still feel resentment from back then..."
And for some reason, the conversation among the onlookers was becoming more and more dangerous. Yes, things had turned out a lot more interesting than I expected—That's why I regretted that we weren't the ones involved.
Author's Note
I like to include people related to characters from short stories in the main story.
I just as much enjoy featuring characters related to the main story in short stories.
I thought Goro was a pretty outstanding piece.
Translator/Editor's Note
Thank you to anyone who comments and/or make corrections/suggestions. I appreciate it.