Chapter 8

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.\n

–The labyrinth’s fourth floor.\n\nA group of rangers who have received word of the “Salvadore, the bounty target’s defeat” move in formation and conduct a search for him.\n\nSince he was a notorious criminal from their guild, they had been looking for an opportunity to take revenge for some time.\n\nSalvadore hid in the slum area, sometimes trapping his pursuers and reversing the situation. The hunt for him was overwhelming.\n\nThe news came just as guild master Klau was getting ready for a major mobilization. The head of their resented enemy Salvadore had been snatched from them and they lost face.\n\n\nLooking down at the yellow arrows on the stone floor, a man who seems to be the leader of the group blurts out.\n\n\n“What’s this? There are arrows drawn on this floor too, for Christ’s sake. Who would be stupid enough to do that?”\n\n“I heard that some idiot from the Warrior Guild painted it to make it easier for them. But that guy got eaten by a hellcat while he was painting it.”\n\n“So……..we’ve been beaten by a guild with an idiot like that. You’re making me cry.”\n\n\nThe leader strokes the cheek where a worm-like swelling has formed with a sad expression. His figure is as big as a bear, but the atmosphere around him is that of a small animal. The punishment from the guild master had broken many important things.\n\n\n“Chief. Cheer up, will you. Why don’t you get back to work and get elder sister’s approval?”\n\n“Yeah, that’s right. This was just a coincidence. It was just bad luck.”\n\n“Is luck enough to get that Salvadore?”\n\nNo, no. That’s not so.\n\n“That’s enough. Anyway, wipe all these arrows off. They’re the reason for all the fools running around falling into the trap.”\n\n\nWhen the leader stomps on the arrow, he gives instructions to his men.\n\n\n“Why don’t we just leave it alone?”\n\n“Even if he’s already been expelled, we still have to clean up after our own. Even if it’s a job like ours, there are things we have to uphold. If you understand, then do it.”\n\n“Yes!”\n\n\n

“…… good grief, that bastard Salvadore”\n\n\nThe man who was the leader – Bogan, had his eye on Salvadore. He knew at a glance that his talent could be further refined if he honed it.\n\nHe was able to instil into him the various skills required of a ranger and the art of fighting with his nimbleness. With his skills, Salvadore gained a reputation as a trapper worthy of being called first-rate.\n\nIt ended up with him being expelled from the guild and even getting a bounty on his head. Furthermore, he even had the blood of his guild members on his hands.\n\nThe Guild master Klau had given strict orders that she could not let him live any longer and that the guild must kill him and bring back his head.\n\nBogan volunteered to lead the pursuit. To send the traitor into the other world with his own hands.\n\nWhen Bogan heard that he had been taken down by a warrior’s guild brat, he couldn’t believe his ears. But the evidence, his right hand, was indeed proof of Salvadore’s death.\n\nBogan’s only task was to identify the body and gather the traps. But according to the little girl who had taken him down, he hadn’t retained his original form. How did she fight and how did Salvadore die? Bogan would have to find out later. Directly from the little girl who had taken him out.\n\nA moment later, the man he had sent ahead of him came back to report.\n\n\n“Ch, chief–“\n\n“I’ve been meaning to tell you all for a while now, but don’t call me chief. I’m not a guild master.”\n\n“But the chief is the chief. Elder sister doesn’t care about it at all, so it’s fine.”\n\n“It’s not fine. That makes me sound like a bandit.”\n\n“So, what should we call you then?”\n\n\nBogan, a little troubled, recalls the name of a certain general. He is a brave general of the Kingdom of Uz, who is known around Art for his military prowess. The army he leads has the moniker the Steel Division.\n\n\n“I see. Call me Steel Bogan. What do you think, it sounds strong.”\n\n\nBogan’s men stare respectfully at him as he assumes a cool posture.\n\n\n“Understood Chief!”\n\n“You’re the Chief! You look so strong!”\n\n“Chief, I’ll follow you my entire life!”\n\n“…..You don’t understand at all”\n\n\nBogan holds his head. With his skills and knowledge as a ranger: lock-picking, cloaking, handling traps and poisons, assassination. It’s a wonder he is considered first-rate in Art.\n\nFrom the point of view of his men, it’s more mysterious that someone as big as Bogan is more nimble than they are.\n\nA giant bear that moves with the agility of a cat, wielding a great axe and slaughtering his enemies. With his big, ridiculously large hands, he can dexterously create traps. Moreover, he’s also good at sewing and cooking. He’s also skilled at cleaning and washing clothes.\n\n\n“So what do you have to report?”\n\n“Yeah, yeah!　It’s a mess, chief!”\n\n“What’s the big deal? Is that idiot Salvadore still alive?”\n\n“No, no, no. I’ve found a small room where Salvadore’s party seems to have been. But there is already someone there.”\n\n“Who’s there?　You know what will happen if we get insulted even more? What am I supposed to say to Klau!”\n\n\nHe’s afraid to anger guild master Klau. She is truly relentless and extremely aggressive.\n\nIf you try to make an excuse, the whip will fly and you’ll look as Bogan does now. But this is still a mild form of punishment.\n\nOnce time it was too much for him but Klau still beat him with everything she had. The punishment that followed was too horrible to speak of.\n\nBogan’s body trembled and shrank as the nightmares of the past began to resurface. The trembling can even be seen on the axe.\n\nThey are supposed to be husband and wife in a way, but in reality it’s more like a master-servant relationship. It goes without saying who the master is. All the housework and childcare is done by Bogan.\n\n\n“Chief, get a grip!　Your face is turning blue!”\n\n“sh, shut up!　Yes, we’ll go now so show me the way the way!”\n\n\nBogan bites his tongue and lashes out. His men lead the way to the small room where Salvadore is said to have been struck down.\n

\nIn front of the red arrow, Bogan and his men stopped. Their movement was forcibly blocked.\n\n\n“–that’s as far as you go. I’m warning you, if you go past that red arrow, we will attack you with no questions asked.”\n\n“What?”\n\n\nThe people in the small room point a crossbow at Bogan and his friends to stop them . They are all built and equipped in a way that makes it hard to believe that they are fit for battle, but there is no fear in their eyes. If they don’t follow their warnings and proceed forward, they will certainly shoot at them.\n\n\n“I warned you because you’re a human. If you were a demon, I would have shot you. That is why, turn back and go away. We are busy.”\n\n\nA woman with a wild looking braid and four other men are on their knees, holding a crossbow. The others seem to be working with their equipment. They seem to be dismantling traps rather than recovering or investigating bodies. They are moving their arms, paying no attention to the tense situation.\n\n\n\n\n“Well, that’s not gonna happen. The one who was here is a guy from my guild, Salvadore. We’re here to clean up his mess. If you understand, then get out of here.”\n

As Bogan points his big axe at them, his men also draw their weapons. Some of them are holding throwing knives.\n

If they dare, some of his men will be killed, but he can wipe them out with the rest. Bogan decided.\n

“…do you know the old saying, ‘If need to hurry, you better run?'”\n

Bogan shook his head as the woman with the braids asked him a question.\n

“I don’t know it.”\n

“It means that if you have a situation that requires you to hurry up, you should run until you’re dead. Having failed that, you don’t deserve to be in this room. In other words, we, the Academic’s Guild, have a clean monopoly on this elaborate set of traps!”\n

“What the hell kind of idiotic ideas are you talking about? You spineless scholars, I’m going to kill you!”\n

His men shout at her, but the woman with the braids glosses it over without a care in the world. Her eyes are blocked by her long bangs, making it impossible to see her emotions. But her mouth is twisted in a confident manner.\n

“There’s a saying that curiosity can kill a dragon. Not even a mighty dragon can stand in the way of our scholarly inquisitiveness.”\n

“A great deal of confidence for a woman of your stature, but do you think you can stop us with a toy like that?”\n

“This crossbow is coated with poison, and I don’t think it will be possible for you to stop it. We scholars are more than aware of our own weaknesses. We work our heads hard to compensate for that. In other words, you shouldn’t expect an attack with only the crossbow. Do you understand?”\n

At the woman’s provocation, his men move their gaze to warn her.\n

“Tsk……….”\n

As Bogan observes the small room, he sees a impromptu trap that seems to have been set up. It looks to be of the firing type, but he’s not sure what will come out of it. Some of the scholars are nasty people who deal in explosives and poisons. While they didn’t have a talent for magic, they work on building weapons to make up for it. Their research findings are rarely recognized by the public, but they don’t care and just go about their business.\n

As far as Bogan can see, the traps set up by the scholars are not lethal. It would be a restraining type for protection. Flash or smoke. Or maybe it’s just a fake. The latter is more likely.\n

“Chief, what do you want to do?”\n

“A few of us might be killed but the rest will take care of it”\n

“While I agree with you, the question is whether it’s worth it to fight for Salvadore’s trap”\n

The minions are undaunted in their pleas to Bogan to go in.\n

“Whatever the value of the trap, it will destroy our reputation.”\n

“We can’t go home with this scholar taking us lightly. Elder sister will kill you.”\n

“I don’t care about our face. I care about your life. I’ll take the blame. The whip may fly again, but it won’t cost you your lives.”\n

“Chief!?　Are you sure you want to do this!”\n

“We’re turning back. I’ll tell Klau.”\n

Bogan kicked off the insistent underlings, and ordered them to withdraw in a strong tone.\n

The men, as if they had no choice, trudged back down the passage.\n

Bogan started to follow, but then he turned around and shouted.\n

“You there, braided girl. What’s your name?”\n

“My name is Rurile. My father is Hammond and my mother is Lurilah. My grandfather is a historian. My hobbies are–“\n

“I’d didn’t ask that much. But I’ll remember the name.”\n

Bogan gets a dumbfounded look on his face, then raises his hand and walks away.\n

Rurile watches him and then grabs her braid and waves it around. It’s a habit she has when she’s composing her thoughts.\n

The scholars who had been holding the crossbow in their hands deflated and toppled over. They’re not used to close combat, so they let out a breath of relief as it would have been a close call if they had assaulted them. They still have a lot of research to do. They aren’t afraid to die, but they don’t want to die.\n

Rurile, despite her scholarly disposition, is not bad at close combat either. She has gouged out the brains of several demons with the pickaxe she carries on her back. She likes the convenience of being able to use it for excavation work and cracking open demon skulls. She is a dangerous person if you get tricked by her mature appearance.\n

“That was a close call, Rurile-san. It would have been bad if they pushed into us like that.”\n

“The bear-like person seemed to be able to understand what I was talking about, so I blew him off. I’d rather have someone I can talk to than a demon.”\n

“I think he saw that the trap was just a decoration.”\n

“The bread for a baker. The trap for a ranger. What I’ve done is provide a good reason for them to turn back.”\n

As she finished spinning her braid, she looks at the trap left behind by Salvadore, the bounty target. This is the purpose for which the sluggish scholars had come all the way to the underground labyrinth.　\n

Early this morning, the news of Salvadore’s defeat had spread immediately. A trap sprung by Salvadore that even skilled adventurers would have to be wary of. Wanting to recover and study the elaborate trap, Rurile rode into the Warrior’s Guild and paid for the location. The quickness of the arrangements was as good as the ranger’s.\n

“Rurile-san. We have finished dismantling the trap. Do you want to go back?”\n

“That’s right. We’ll burn the corpse and clear out. Thank you for your good work.”\n

“Prepare to incinerate!　Let’s get out of here!”\n

“Huhu, if we can study the traps this madman has created, we’ll be able to create something even better. It’s truly unforgivable that you think of us as incompetent just because we don’t have the capacity for magic. The sorcerers who can’t afford to lose their abilities don’t have long left. Huhuhu!\n

With an uncomfortable smile, Rurile takes out a concoction in a vial. She confirms that the people inside have finished evacuating and throws the vial into the room. With the sound of an explosion, the small room bursts into flames and the corpses are engulfed in flames.\n

(We use our heads. We may not be able to use magic, but we can use our brains to create fire. You smug sorcerers, one day you will see.)\n

Following Rurile’s laughter, the scholars stare at the flames with amusement. Weapons, traps, tools and medicines that anyone can use. Mass production of these, and crushing the sorcerers. That is the dark aspiration underlying the scholar’s ambition.\n

Under the guise of researching effective strategies against demons and developing effective weapons, they actually devote their minds to the study to counter sorcerers.\n

For example, this ‘crossbow’ is an improved version of the bow that can be easily handled by anyone. If you apply poison to it, you get a lethal weapon. While the sorcerer is sluggishly chanting, you can pull the trigger. The production process is very difficult, so we are currently working on improving it for mass production.\n

The development plan for the “Strong Crossbow”, with further improved power without regard to its production efficiency, has also begun. It will take at least several years or even more to complete, but that’s what research is all about.\n

–The fact that the sorcerers are slowly losing their place on the battlefield is their achievement.\n

◆\n

“Um, can I ask you one question?”\n

“What?”\n

“Where’s my armor? And my shield.”\n

Matari comes to me after searching the room.\n

The damaged armor was discarded, of course. The holes in the armor made it useless. The shield was left behind because I couldn’t find it. I was able to recover the sword, though.\n

“I got rid of it on the spot because the moment you fell, it broke. I think the shield flew somewhere far away..”\n

Yuusha told the lie with a straight face. Sure enough, Matari gives her a dubious look.\n

“Are you sure?”\n

“It’s true. I’m not going to lie about something that doesn’t matter.”\n

“……..is that so. Well, it’s just that it’s not a good idea to fight without armor…”\n

“Of course. I’ve been waiting until you’re feeling better. We’ll go shopping later. I’ll also get mine.”\n

“Then we’ll have to find a cheap one. Armor is very expensive.”\n

“Oh, that’s okay. There’s a bounty of the trash called Salvadore or something like that. Ten gold coins should be enough.”\n

“Salvadore?　Bounty?”\n

” Salvadore the bounty target. It’s the outlaw I killed.”\n

Yuusha shows a bag full of gold coins with a look of pride on her face.\n

“Sa, Salvadore, is it the trapper Salvadore?　That infamous bounty target!”\n

Matari raises a loud voice. Yuusha throws her change of clothes she had bought to shut her up. Matari, who was directly hit, collapse onto the bed.\n

After you fell down, a lot of things happened, and then I found Salvadore’s head. Do you understand?”\n

Yuusha who has no intention of clarifying at all replies vaguely. After all, she can’t say that after Matari died, she was so angry that she killed them all.\n

“I had no idea.”\n

“Well, just get dressed. We’ll do some shopping, eat and then get to bed. You’ll be fully recovered in three days.”\n

Yuusha pokes her finger in Matari’s forehead and grinds it down.\n

“No, I’m ready to start today–“\n

“There’s no point in pushing yourself. There’s no reason to rush. Demons can’t come out of the ward. Besides, we have money. So there’s no need to force things.”\n

“….Well, yes.”\n

She was about to argue, but then decided that Yuusha’s words made sense, and Matari reluctantly nodded.\n

After finishing dressing and getting ready, they went out into the city. Yuusha’s expressions seemed to be cheerful.\n

–Yuusha liked to shop.\n

“This looks good.　It’s good-looking and sturdy. It would look great on you.”\n

“That’s five gold pieces!　I don’t want anything that luxurious!　It’s too much for me!”\n

Yuusha pointed to the centerpiece of this armor shop, the ” Magic Resistant Armor”. It is a strong armor made of well forged black steel infused with demonic essence. It is different from the second-hand armor that Matari had been using in the past. It’s also resistant to impact and durable, and the large amount of demonic essence it contains reduces damage taken from magic. It is armor that should be worn by a skilled warrior and is very much out of the reach of the fledgling matari.\n

“Money is useless if you don’t spend it when you have it. Don’t worry if it’s expensive or cheap, just get the one you like. Yeah, I like this one.”\n

But it doesn’t matter if Yuusha likes it, whether Matari likes it. That’s what is important.\n

“Well, it would be a lie if I said I didn’t want it, but it’s still too expensive!”\n

The shopkeeper of the armor shop appears, overhearing the clamoring girls. He frowns with a dubious look on his face.\n

It sounds like you’re talking big, but that’s not a price you can afford. You’re going to have to settle for leather or iron armor. It’s also a little bit resistant to magic. Best of all, it’s cheap.\n

“I’m certain this will suit Matari. I’ll take it. Here’s your money.”\n

Yuusha boldly slams five gold coins on the table. The shopkeeper opens his eyes wide and then carefully checks each piece.\n

“…..Hey hey. Where in the world did you get this much money? This money isn’t stolen, is it? Please don’t get me in trouble.”\n

“I got that money when I killed a bounty target.”\n

“A bounty target?　…You mean Salvador!　You were the ones who killed that bastard!?”\n

The shopkeeper claps his hands together and yells out. He was angry because he’d lost one of his best customers to Salvador’s trap.\n

” You understand?　Well then, Matari, put it on right away. Old man, help her. I’ll search for something for me.”\n

“Oh, oh. I’d be happy to sell it to you if you find what you want. Hey, somebody get in here!”\n

“No, don’t be unreasonable!　Don’t push me!　Listen to me–“\n

“Shut up. Just go and get it over with!”\n

Yuusha pushes Matari as she tries to argue. The shopkeeper agrees and calls for a female clerk. Matali is forcibly taken away by a fat female clerk who came over. Yuusha nodded with a satisfied look on her face.\n

“So, you people took care of Salvadore. That’s quite a feat.”\n

“Thank you very much. By the way, old man, I need some armor too. Something light and sturdy. It has to be good-looking, if you know what I mean.”\n

She don’t care about her appearance, but it’s better if it looks good. The most important thing, though, is whether or not she likes it. Yuusha values her intuition.\n

“I’ve got something but. It’s a little old and doesn’t contain any demonic essence so I can’t recommend it.”\n

“Let me see it, just in case.”\n

“Uh, hold on a second.”\n

When the Yuusha expresses her interest, the shopkeeper walks into the back and brings out a large, cloth-covered box.\n

After dusting off the box, the shopkeeper carefully opens it.\n

” It’s this. It was made by a stubborn blacksmith. he insisted on not infusing any demonic essence into it. He’s a stubborn idiot.”\n

From the box the shopkeeper opened, a white and silver light armor appeared. It may be years old, but its luster has not dulled. It is an article that can be recognized as a masterpiece at first glance. The chest is adorned with some kind of decorative features.\n

“It looks good. And it’s light. Why is it still for sale?”\n

“It’s strong and light, but it doesn’t have any magic resistance. That’s why these days armor contains demonic essence. That’s why it’s a masterpiece and yet we can’t sell it. It’s unfortunate that it was made too late.”\n

The shopkeeper strokes the armor lovingly. Definitely a masterpiece. But it was made in the wrong era. Still, he couldn’t bring myself to sell it for cheap. The soul of an eccentric blacksmith is contained in this white and silver armor. The reason I showed it to the little girl is because she has the achievement of defeating Salvador.\n

“I don’t need magic resistance. I’ll put up with it if it hits me, and if I avoid it, there’s no problem. Okay, I’ve decided on this one!”\n

Yuusha pointed to the armor with a big smile. The figure looked as if a girl was buying her favorite dress.\n

“For you it’s only one gold coin. I’d rather have the competent person who took down the bounty target use it than let it rot in the store.”\n

The list price is three gold coins. The shopkeeper decided that it was less than it’s worth, but he didn’t care because he couldn’t sell it anyway.\n

“Yes!　Hey, can I wear this here?”\n

After handing the gold coin to the shopkeeper, Yuusha asks as she can’t wait. The shopkeeper can’t help but chuckle at the situation.\n

“I don’t mind. I’ll be in the back. If anyone else comes in, call me.”\n

The shopkeeper retreats to the back of the shop, and Yuusha took off her jacket and put on the armor. The size didn’t seem to be a problem. Being a light armor, she wasn’t expecting it to be that big. She grabs the sword that is displayed beside her and swings it a few times.\n

It doesn’t feel particularly obtrusive. Yuusha nodded several times, saying that it was light, it fit her, and it felt really good.\n

Having made a very good purchase, Yuusha’s mood rose. Then Matari returns with a fat middle-aged woman.\n

The black steel armor matches Matari’s physique. The appearance of the heavy warrior gives a sense of intimidation. The expression on her face is indescribably dumb, though.\n

“I knew you’d look good in it. I have a good eye.”\n

“It’s nice, but isn’t it still too expensive?　I’d rather have more affordable steel armor–“\n

“I’ve already paid for it. Anyway, how is this?　Hey, do I look good?”\n

When the Yuusha is happily showing it off, and Matari gives her a puzzled look.\n

Because she’s never seen Yuusha looking so happy until now. The only thing that comes to mind is that kind of cheeky, lightly twisted mouth. And now she’s smiling so honestly that you’d think she was a child.\n

Even Matari couldn’t help but smile.\n

“Yeah, yeah!　That white and silver armor looks great on you. You look like a real hero! It’s amazing!”\n

Yuusha’s smile fades at the unnecessary remark, and her mouth twists into a crooked shape. Her good spirits plummeted in an instant.\n

“….I’m a real hero”\n

“Yeah, that’s right!　I’m sorry, well, I was wrong.”\n

“….I see. Did you make a mistake?”\n

“y, yes. I made a mistake.”\n

“Forget it. You should get yourself a shield. We still have the money. I’m going to find a cheap sword to use.”\n

Yuusha sighs and hands Matari a bag full of money. Somewhat mournfully, Yuusha begins to wander around in search of a sword. When Matari saw this, she made a firm decision to be more careful with her words from now on.\n

After finishing their shopping, Yuusha and Matari head back to the Paradise Pavilion. Both of them hold several full leather bags in their hands. Yuusha has bought all the things she liked, and it has become a ridiculous amount.\n

She bought a variety of things, from daily necessities, a change of clothes, and groceries, to a whetstone used to sharpen swords. There are even some weird figurines and dolls. She asked Yuusha what she was going to use them for, and she replied that she bought them because she liked them.\n

“Um, Yuusha. You bought too much, right?”\n

“I like to shop. I give them money and receive things in return. I love that moment. I don’t know why.”\n

“It’s true that shopping is fun. But you definitely bought too much.”\n

“It’s fine because I still have money. There still one gold coin left.”\n

“I think that “it’s fine” is the wrong answer!　How can ten gold coins be reduced to one in just a single day!”\n

“That’s because you bought armor and a sword and shield. It’s shiny and clean at first. It’ll get dirty soon though.”\n

A nondescript iron sword is tied around Yuusha’s waist. She got it for free with the armor.\n

“You even bought me something so expensive… I have to take care of it so it doesn’t get damaged as much as possible..”\n

“What are you talking about? It’s for your own protection. Use it as much as you can and then some more. Besides, the old man at the armor store said he could fix it a bit.”\n

“That’s right. Even if the price is high, it’s useless if I don’t use it.”\n

“Of course”\n

Just as Yuusha was about to continue, a boy bumped into her as they passed each other. He bowed his head lightly as if to apologize, and then quickly turned to leave in the opposite direction.\n

Yuusha reacts by taking something out of the bag and throwing it as hard as she could at the boy who was walking away.\n

The object hits the target’s back and the boy loses his posture and falls with great momentum.\n

“It hurtsssss!”\n

The boy screams and rolls around on the ground. His body is already covered in mud.\n

Yuusha quickly approaches him and roughly takes a drawstring bag from the boy’s pocket. This bag contains all the money that Yuusha possess.\n

The boy took the drawstring bag from Yuusha as they passed each other. He seemed familiar with the technique and quite skilled. An ordinary person wouldn’t even know they were robbed.\n

“You are a thousand years too early to try to be stealing money from me.”\n

“Shit! You’re quick to notice even though you look like an idiot!”\n

“You’re the idiot, aren’t you? It sounds like you want to have this crow thrown at you again.”\n

I press the object I just threw against the boy’s cheek. The object is a white crow figurine. It’s just a carved wooden figurine, and there’s nothing unusual about it, except that the face is strangely ugly. It was made by the old man at the grocery store, and it hadn’t been sold in several years.\n

Yuusha bought it on the spot, liking the “ugly” appearance. Matari was dumbfounded, though.\n

“Stop! Don’t do it! That sharp beak hurts!”\n

“Well, what do we do in this case?”\n

Yuusha asks Matari. She could thoroughly hurt him to make sure he doesn’t do this kind of thing again, but she had some reservation about doing it to a kid. If he was an adult, he would already be beaten half to death.\n

“Let’s see, if we hand him over to the church guards, he will be punished accordingly. Stealing is a serious crime, so it’ll probably be a hundred lashes with a whip.”\n

“Oh, give me a break. Those guys are going to kill him if they do it seriously!”\n

The Church does not increase or decrease punishment according to age. They do not care whether it is a boy or a girl, the punishment is carried out regardless.\n

Theft is punished with flogging, and murder is essentially capital punishment.\n

“It can’t be helped. I’ll let you off the hook this time. You should be thankful to this hero until your death.”\n

“Oh, really!”\n

The boy smiles.\n

“–I lied. How can I be so lenient?”\n

Yuusha betrayed the boy’s expectations with a big smile.\n

“Yu, Yuusha. He’s a child, so if you forgive him this time–“\n

Matari pacifies her, but Yuusha doesn’t listen at all.\n

“I know he’s a kid, but a sin is a sin. I’ll make sure he pays for it.”\n

“Ho, horrible! You demon! Demon King!”\n

“You’re the one who tried to steal from people. And since I’m a hero, I’m not a demon or demon king. Here, take care of this.”\n

Yuusha throws the bags in her hand at the boy carelessly. She takes Matari’s bags as well and does the same.\n

“Hey, what are you doing?!”\n

“Carry it to the Paradise Pavilion and I will forgive you. It’s not that heavy, and we won’t have to hand you over to the Church. It seems good to me.”\n

Smiling, Yuusha lightly poked the boy’s head with the ugly white crow.\n

When they arrived at the paradise pavilion, the Yuusha let the boy go as promised.\n

“Bye big sisters, if you ever come to the slums, call me! If you give me some money I’ll show you around!　Some interesting guys have been here recently!”\n

“Yes, yes.”\n

“And thanks for the meat buns!　We’ll all eat them together!　See you later!”\n

The boy waves and walks away. In his hand, he holds a bag full of meat buns that Yuusha gave him.\n

“……..He really was a energetic boy. I hope he doesn’t do anything like that anymore.”\n

“Well, that’s not going to happen.”\n

Yuusha answers simply. It’s a matter of survival, so there’s no reason to stop.\n

The boy, who introduced himself as Koron, started to talk about himself as he was carrying the baggage. Maybe he wanted someone to listen to him.\n

It’s a common story in this city, children abandoned by their parents who chose to live. A criminal act that even powerless children can carry out. –Theft.\n

If you get caught, you get a hundred beatings at worst, but if you don’t do anything about it, you’ll die from starvation. So the children choose to be pickpockets.\n

If they can grow up enough to challenge the underground labyrinth, they can feed themselves. The defeated Salvador climbed up in the same way.\n

The caring Koron said to earn more for the other children. His innate quickness helped him to never be caught before.\n

“Looking ahead, would it have been better to hand him over to the guards?”\n

“I don’t know. I’m not God. I have a feeling that neither of it’s right. But–“\n

Yuusha chose to let him go. Because that child was not a demon. Yuusha judged it by his smell. A human who falls into onto the wrong path smells rotten to the point of it being unbearable.\n

So she let him go even let him have some food. Once that was gone, Koron would pickpocket again. To survive. Will he survive to the end, or will he get his just reward on the way? That is something that Yuusha does not know.\n

“……….”\n

“For now, let’s go to the inn. I need to unpack my things and I’m hungry.”\n

“Yes!”\n

Picking up their luggage, Yuusha walks into the Paradise Pavilion.\n\n\n

<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\n\n\nA brave general leading the steel division, who is that…\n

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