“Huh? A Swordsman stronger than Luke appeared? Why... That’s not fair!” said Liz as she slammed her empty mug on the table, her eyes gleaming with perilous sparkles.
In response to her sister’s behavior, Sitri chuckled softly and traced the center part of her left arm with her finger.
“That’s your fault for coming back all too soon... Luke was overjoyed. He charged in alone the moment he saw the opponent had a sword, and he ended up getting bashed up by a single strike. He should’ve known better when the opponent wasn’t human—what a thoughtless guy.”
They sure had eye-opening stories for listeners, as usual.
High-level hunters were freaks, but the phantoms residing in the treasure vaults they aimed to conquer were usually even more resilient than they were. Even if Luke was a man who had devoted his life to the way of the sword and was hailed as one of the top Swordsmen in the capital, he was still no match for those outlandish monsters inhabiting high-level treasure vaults.
This was especially true when Grieving Souls always pushed its limits by challenging treasure vaults barely within its league. The treasure vault they’d conquered this time, Night Palace, was a Level 8 vault. Since the average level of our members was slightly below seven, they still hadn’t reached the recommended level for tackling it. And from what I’d just heard, this was just an adventure as grueling as always.
But when I saw them return with smiles like this, it was probably best for me not to say anything about it. At first, I’d been filled with trepidation thinking about my close friends’ reckless actions, but I trusted them now. Though Luke and the others usually acted without consideration for others, my words still held sway over them—after all, I was their party leader. Therefore, I must keep my words to only what was absolutely necessary.
On the table, large plates filled with food, which Tino had ordered, occupied every available space. Piled atop the large plates were mountains of rather large karaage, fries, crispy bone-in grilled meat, fish and chips, and even meat sauce pasta. This was an amount that would’ve lasted me alone for a whole week; just looking at it made me feel full.
And...fries and chips are the same thing! There’s also no salad—we’re not having enough vegetables...
Sitri, after emptying her mug in one gulp, softly let loose a somewhat erotic sigh, yet there was no sign of intoxication in her gaze. Despite the word “ale” in its name, golden ale was a drink with an alcoholic content exceeding thirty percent, making it strong enough to get even hunters drunk.
I wonder what’s going on inside her body.
Even Tino, who was meekly sipping from her mug, had somehow also consumed a similar amount of alcohol.
Liz, meanwhile, fiercely gripped a browned bone-in piece of unknown meat, lifted it up, and chomped down in a hearty bite.
Sitri, somewhat elegantly, cut apart her steak with a knife and a fork, performing movements that would be noble-like if it weren’t for the size of the steak, which could be better described as a massive chunk.
All three of them were voracious eaters, with appetites surpassing the level of healthy.
I wonder where all the food they ate disappears to.
Noticing my gaze on her sun-kissed belly, which never seemed to swell no matter how much she ate, Liz leaned in and smoothly wrapped her arm around mine.
Smiling radiantly like a flower in full blossom, she said, “Hmm? What’s the matter, Krai Baby? Why do you seem to be not eating?”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t eating; it was just that Liz and the others had eaten too much. I always thought the serving sizes here were way too big: one piece of karaage and I was already full—I ate slow.
Looking at me, the light eater, Sitri put up a wry smile.
“You won’t have enough strength if you don’t eat up. Even my older brother’s healing magic won’t be as effective if he doesn’t eat properly.”
“Yeah, it also makes me really hungry when I get an arm and leg to regrow with that... Krai Baby, you’ll be in a pickle when emergencies come, too, if you don’t eat well. Let me feed you. Here, open your mouth. Aaah—”
I really hope that such an emergency will never ever come...
Liz licked her lips and held out some fries right in front of my eyes. Although being treated like this in public was embarrassing even for me, Liz, who possessed a heart of steel, wouldn’t accept any excuses of that sort. Perhaps there was still some remaining kindness in her that the fries she offered me were at least easy to eat in this position.
“Liz, you’re pushing it too fast. As much as we’re hunters, we have our limits. You’re getting drunk at this pace, okay? What if you collapse again like the other day?”
“I’m perfectly fine. And this is nothing; this might as well be just worter! Come on, Krai Baby, say ‘aaah’ for me?” responded Liz with a slightly blushed cheek and a honeyed voice, ignoring Sitri’s advice.
My arm was squeezed tightly against her chest. With this much insistence from her, I couldn’t possibly refuse. Reluctantly, I was about to open my mouth when I noticed that Tino, sitting next to me, had widened her eyes. However, her gaze wasn’t directed at me, neither was it directed at Liz, with some fries drooping in one hand.
“Come on, come ooon, Krai Baby. Say ‘aaah.’”
“Aahum.”
As I accepted the offered fries, I followed Tino’s gaze: her eyes were fixed on Sitri. With a grin on her face, Sitri was stirring a mug of golden ale with a swizzle stick.
...Hmm? But that’s not a cocktail—that’s golden ale.
With me thoughtlessly chewing the heavily salted fries, Liz, seemingly satisfied, finally released my arm.
By then, Sitri had already removed the swizzle stick.
Reprimanding Liz, who’d returned to her original position, Sitri said, “Gosh! Liz, you’re bothering Krai again...”
“It’s not a bother at all, right, Krai Baby?” asked Liz with a smile.
I couldn’t possibly shake my head in disagreement.
“Krai, you’re too indulgent with Liz... I’ll stop her if she gets dead drunk, okay?”
“I’m not getting dead drunk. Siddy, what have you been seeing in me all that time? I’ve long surpassed mere alcohol—”
As if to demonstrate, Liz downed the mug of ale in front of her.
Tino let out a small cry.
The golden liquor in the cup, which had been filled to the brim, vanished in a blink of an eye.
Slamming the empty mug onto the table, Liz said, “By the way, Siddy, are you Akasha’s—?!”
But as Liz was about to continue, her eyes lost focus, and her body swayed wildly. The piled-up empty plates clattered as Liz almost lost her balance and barely managed to right herself by grasping the edge of the table at the last moment. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes wandered aimlessly as if she were shaken.
“See, Liz? That’s what I’ve told you...” said Sitri with a sigh. She chuckled as the corners of her eyes lowered.
Liz shook her head vigorously and raised her still-out-of-focus eyes at Sitri, aiming an accusatory glare at her.
“Si...ddy... You spiked it?!”
“Hey! Don’t blame that on me! Besides, Liz, I thought you’d ‘long surpassed mere drugs.’ Right, T?”
“I-I...didn’t see anything. I didn’t see anything at all.”
Tino, with tears in her eyes, clutched her own mug and shook her head fiercely.
Within our short stay at the tavern, Liz had emptied seven mugs. Perhaps because it’d been a while since she’d visited a tavern, I felt like she was drinking at a rather fast pace. Despite everything, Liz was still human; so with that amount of alcohol, she was surely going to get at least a little tipsy.
Notwithstanding the sinister tenor of Sitri’s moniker, she wasn’t someone so sinister that she’d spike her sister’s drink—above all, she didn’t have a motive.
Meanwhile, I tried to calm Liz down as she looked like she was about to pounce.
“Easy there, Liz. Sitri didn’t do anything. You probably just drank a bit too much.”
“Huh?! You serious, Krai Baby? Are you not going to be on myyy side?”
In a rare display, Liz appeared to be shocked.
Even if you say so...you’re going to start a fight at this rate, aren’t you? No matter how you put it, I can’t help but feel sorry for Sitri.
“I’m serious. Dead serious. And it’s not about sides. So, you want some tea? I might have accidentally taken a sip though.”
“Sureee.”
Looking dejected, Liz grabbed the mug of tea offered to her with both her hands and chugged it down.
Drinking was fine, but she should also consider her pace. If the high-level Liz got into a drunken frenzy and went on a rampage, there would likely be almost no one who could stop her. If things went wrong, she might even get banned from this place. That would not be a first, and that’d be a pain in the neck.
Sitri placed down two mugs of golden ale in front of Liz, the latter finally calmed down. The translucent golden liquid shimmered inside the mugs. Apparently, additional drinks had been served.
Plates and glasses were continuously being brought to the table as soon as we emptied the last serving; it was probably because Liz had nonchalantly started us off with food for ten people. She’d brought this upon herself.
“You see, Liz? The ones you ordered earlier are now here. How about a drinking contest? We haven’t done that in a while. We can even put tonight’s entire tab at stake—”
“Yeaaaaaaah?! You’re going to spike it with something again, riiight?! Don’t get daaamn cocky! Even if Krai Baby forgives you, it doesn’t mean I will! Okaaay?!” said Liz in a voice reminiscent of a drunken thug.
Not only was Liz still insisting that Sitri spiked her drink, but Sitri was also trying to get the already-drunk Liz to take part in a drinking contest. What’s more, she’d put the tab at stake without asking.
I said I’ll cover the tab, so let me do that at least...
I thought of checking the contents of my wallet behind their backs, but then I realized I’d left it in my room when I reached into my pocket.
Liz grabbed Sitri by her collar and lifted her off the ground, even though she was still wobbly. Her eyes were now entirely fixed on Sitri.
Yet, Sitri still didn’t stop smiling.
“Don’t you forget,” said Liz. “I lent you a hand with making that golem despite everythiiing! You, brat, are clearly building countermeasures against eeeach of us!”
“Krai, help me, please. My older sister here is making baseless accusations against me...”
“Mark my words: that damn piece of trash is nothing without its hardnessss! It’s only duuurable, nothing else! If Luke were here, he would’ve split that piece of junk apart riiight in the middle!”
“That’s just because we haven’t done any combat training yet! And with a few more improvements, even someone like you—”
“You heard that?! Krai Baby, did you hear that?! It’s all Siddy’s fault! Count Akasha in as one of her victims toooo!”
This is new—she is this drunk already after only seven mugs.
Liz let go of Sitri and leaped towards me as she spouted nonsense. I caught her body and patted her head.
“There, there. You’re being too paranoid. It’s thanks to Sitri that we were able to solve the case this time; we all know that.”
“Krai Baby?! You know it all, don’t you?! Whyyy are you taking Siddy’s side?”
Well, I’m not really.
It wasn’t that I was siding with Sitri just because she was Sitri, but rather because what Liz said was more like she was trying to pick a fight, and Sitri did have a point. Well, Liz probably didn’t genuinely believe Sitri was responsible for that anyway.
Sitri looked at me with a somewhat trancelike expression.
I admitted that I adore Liz, but I didn’t plan to make biased judgments because of that—fairness was one of my few virtues, after all.
Sitri pushed one of the mugs in front of Liz.
“Liz...come on. Let’s do a drinking contest, all right? Don’t worry, even if you get wasted, I’ll take care of you and make sure you’re put to bed. You can always run away with your tail between your legs if you feel sick... Or maybe if you’re feeling that bad, perhaps you should lie down? Hey, T, you’ll take care of Liz, won’t you?”
“I saw nothing, and I heard nothing...”
Tino was completely useless in between her so-called sisters’ quarrel. Seemed like today was an unlucky day for her.
Liz was obviously provoked, her eyes sparkling, and she swayed as she stood up. Trying to wake herself up, she slapped her own cheeks hard with both her hands.
Clenching the mug in front of her, she roared, “Yeaaah?! As...as you wish, Siiiddy! Who do yooou think you are? You little shit of a little sister. Don’t think you can beat me just by spiking my drink with some poison!”
“Of course that’s what you’d say, Liz. Though I haven’t poisoned anything... Your spirit is remarkable despite being almost wasted. Please, be gentle on me...”
Letting slip a single chuckle, Sitri took the gigantic mug before her just like Liz did. Despite it being just a drinking contest, the atmosphere was akin to a duel.
Tino looked at Liz rather worriedly.
But why does Liz still have to insist that Sitri has spiked her drink with poison...
That was when I came up with a brilliant idea. Not to boast, but I was quite confident when it came to mediating quarrels.
Snapping my fingers, I addressed the two participants about to start their drinking contest and said, “Before you start the drinking contest, why don’t you swap your mugs? You know, Sitri is surely feeling uneasy with all the suspicion, and, Liz, that’s acceptable, right?”
“What?”
This way nobody would end up unhappy. Surely Sitri’s feelings wouldn’t be hurt over such a trivial thing too. I was confident in the resolution I proposed, but for some reason, Sitri’s smile froze just like that.
Liz grabbed the mug from the frozen Sitri’s hands and pushed the mug she’d been holding towards her. She emptied it in one go and wiped the corners of her mouth. A triumphant smile appeared on her face.
“Hmph. Karma is a biiiiiiitch! Did you reeeally think Krai Baby would take yooour side? In your dreeeams! You should’ve dropped it earlier; this is what you get for trying something funny! If it’s a new drug that can penetrate my tolerance, you’re not getting away unscathed with it, Siddy! I drank mine; now, drink up, you piece of shit. Drink up! Drink up! Drink up!!!”
With Liz pressing towards her, Sitri’s eyes darted around. Her hand was about to reach for the potion bag hanging on her waist, but she stopped abruptly under Liz’s stare.
They fight each other so affectionately. For real...they look like they are having so much fun...
With my mouth full of newly arrived cold tea, I scanned the tavern. Every table was just as lively as ours, the noise almost deafening but oddly enjoyable. It was nice to experience something like this, occasionally.
With a sentimental mood, I returned my gaze to Liz, and I saw that she and Sitri were still in an argument. Despite their numerous differences in things like the looks in their eyes, height, and breast size, seeing them side by side like this made it evident that they were indeed sisters.
Stifling a yawn, I casually said, “You two are really close, huh? Oh, maybe I should get some ice cream—Tino, you want some too?”
“Master...” she said, withering herself and shifting her chair away from the two as if trying to distance himself from them, “thank you.”
But didn’t Sitri seem more composed just a while ago? I wonder why the tables had turned.
Mana material enhanced all aspects of a hunter’s abilities, not only their raw physical capabilities but also their senses like vision, hearing, and touch—even their resistance to toxins was heightened. And that was why drinks served at bars for hunters had an absurdly high alcohol content: they didn’t get drunk on normal alcohol. High-level hunters were wholly different on the inside.
The Grievers were no exception to this phenomenon: I’d almost never seen Liz, Sitri, or the others get drunk in the past few years. Yet, something was off here. Liz’s face was flushed red as she downed a newly arrived silver ale (which boasted twice the alcohol content of golden ale, famous for being flammable). Sitri was grinning on the surface like she always did, but her gaze was clearly unfocused.
The only sober ones were me, who hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol, and Tino, who’d been shrinking herself to try to avoid drawing attention from her two “sisters” as she quietly emptied her cups.
Letting out an unusually sluggish and inarticulate noise, Sitri came wrapping herself around me. She was completely drunk.
“Kraaai, weren’t you treating me as just some magical wallet that spews cash on its ooown?”
“Yeah, uh-huh...”
“Sob, sob... Liz, you heaaard him? Krai treats meee just as a convenient woooman.”
“Red copper ale, in a barrel. And bring me everything from this part of the menu. Siddy, wallet!”
“Sob, sob...”
With one hand fending off Sitri, who was pretending to cry, from rushing at me, Liz shouted out a terribly vague add-on order.
Our table had transformed into a cauldron of chaos. Wafting in the air was a palpable smell of alcohol that could make one tipsy just by being nearby, and piling up on the table were empty plate after empty plate. The customers who were sending jealous glances at me just a while ago were now wide-eyed, astonished by Liz’s and Sitri’s dining manners.
A cart carried over a barrel with a tap, the barrel wider than one could wrap their arms around.
Liz crunched down fiercely on the bone of meat and then downed the poured-out reddish brown liquid in one go.
Red copper ale was a drink even stronger than silver ale; it was a drink said to be ethanol with added scent and color and nothing else. Understanding what was inside the barrel, people from other tables began to buzz.
This was beyond the realm of mere heavy drinkers.
Liz wiped her mouth with her sleeve and vacantly placed her hand on her cheek like she was spellbound. With her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, she appeared much more erotic in profile than usual.
“Aah... I feel so good... It’s been a while since I got druuunk... Good job, Siddy. Get me another round!”
“Ugh... Liiiz, your tolerance develops waaay too fast... This was meant to be my trump card. Your tolerance just builds up in no time no matter how strong I make it... Maybe I should just give up on making them...”
“What? But isn’t that your job, Siddy? Who’s going to build our resistances if you’re not doing it?”
“Sob, sob... Kraaai, Liz is treating me like a convenient woooman!”
“Hey!!! Siddy! Back off! I said no touching Krai Baby! No touchy... N-O, no! T, you guard that side for me!”
“Yes, madam.”
“I lent you over a biiillion gild! I’ll have you repay me with your booody!”
With Sitri attempting to get around her, Liz extended her arms wide to block her from getting through. Seemed like she was still doing fine.
I would’ve broken them apart if this was a real sisterly fight, but Sitri looked fairly delighted despite her squeals. Gentleness was one of Sitri’s many virtues.
“It’s great that you two look like you’re having fun—by the way, Sitri, I think...I forgot my wallet...”
“Master...you’re such a fiend...”
“Sob, sob...”
If Ansem were around, he would’ve covered for me—I did pay him back afterwards every time.
Grieving Souls had been operating on a give-and-take basis. While I rarely “give,” I might have “taken” from Sitri the most; I often couldn’t help but rely on her.
As I was mentally kowtowing, the entrance door swung open with a loud noise.
The uproar hushed slightly as a boorish group kicked open the door and barged in, probably a group of hunters. They were a rather large party for a tavern with eight men, all fully armed. The eight of them all had robust and intimidating physiques that were typical for hunters, but their commanding presence as they scanned the tavern exuded a strong sense of menace.
Tino frowned and whispered, “That’s the newcomers...”
Exceptional hunters, regardless of domestic or foreign, gathered in the capital of Zebrudia. And since hunters couldn’t tolerate being looked down upon, newly arrived hunters were often on edge. A lot of them ended up clashing with the established hunters based in the capital. This was almost like a rite of passage. There were even some ridiculous hunters who’d purposefully go and provoke other hunters in order to establish hierarchy—and this was the atmosphere I sensed gushing from the group that had just entered.
As for me, the most troublesome thing was that many of these newcomers had never heard of the name “Thousand Tricks.” The moniker was only so well-known that hunters based in the capital would know it, but outside the capital, not only was the world so vast, but even if people knew the name, they wouldn’t have recognized my face to begin with. In other words, what I meant to say was that I was often an easy target to pick on with my weak appearance.
The man in the center was a large person. On him was a set of lightly tarnished yet tremendously sturdy-looking gray leg guards. He also wore a set of minimalistic, feral armor covering only essential parts, along with a chestnut brown overcoat. Under his sweep of naturally flowing dark-blond hair was a seemingly displeased expression. He was carrying a massive sword on his back like the young man Gilbert, but with his much different physique, he was exuding an intimidating aura orders of magnitude stronger than the young man.
Standing at close to two meters tall, his body breadth was also much thicker proportionately. This was a body comparable even to Gark’s. The most physically imposing hunter I knew was undoubtedly Ansem, but this man could easily rank among the top ten.
At the very least, this man was no novice. I supposed he’d be more befittingly described as a renowned hunter from abroad.
Shrinking my body, I quietly hoped this wouldn’t develop into anything troublesome.
Meanwhile, Sitri carefully examined from head to toe the man who seemed to be the leader and let out a fervent sigh.
“That’s a splendidly well-trained body; even his demeanor is refined. The mana material in him is top-notch too. He must be a high-level hunter. Aaah... How wonderful!”
“What? Sitri, you’re into thaaat kind of guy? Ew.”
Liz crossed her legs boldly and chuckled while Tino also looked at Sitri surprisedly.
Unfazed by their gazes, Sitri continued to stare at the man with her ardent eyes.
“Liz, you won’t understand. In the end, base physical strength is crucial for a male type... High-level hunters with high mana material absorption rates and limits are just perfect. What do you think, Krai?”
And I was suddenly put on the spot.
Hmm... Sitri seems to really like machos.
She was the quiet type, so I assumed her taste in men would lean towards the quieter side too. But it seemed there were things about her that even I didn’t know.
With a hint of indescribable loneliness, I answered, “Yeah, uh-huh, muscles are important indeed.”
“I know right... You’re the man, Krai! You get it unlike Liz! Killiam was made with patchwork, and its integrity is a bit...you know, worn down. And its appearance is just a little unsettling, so bringing it around causes a commotion sometimes—I was thinking there might be a need for me to get maybe another one as my bodyguard. Man, this looks so good; I wonder what level he is... I wish I’d brought Killiam along with me. I’d like to see how they compare...”
I feel like the conversation somehow wasn’t quite connecting.
With her eyes like an infatuated maiden’s, Sitri gazed at the hunter. Sitri was essential to our party, but if she ever desired to leave, I intended to support her decision. Everyone had their own path, and I had no right to stop her, or anyone for that matter. I was sure that the day would come when all members of Grieving Souls would each go on to walk their own unique paths.
“You, get out of my way.”
I hope he’ll stop acting like that.
The newcomers wasted no time in provoking other hunters. Approaching one of the tables, one of them slammed the head of a dead-drunk male hunter onto the table without a word.
The sound of dishes shattering reverberated. The atmosphere chilled instantly, and the bustle in the tavern ceased.
The lackey who’d slammed the hunter’s head was a man with long tied-back hair. Wearing a smirk of intimidation, he looked down on the rest of the hunters at the table, who were caught off guard by the sudden assault.
“Dude! What the fuck, bro? There are other seats availab—!”
Ignoring them, the newcomers forcefully expelled the rest of the hunters from the table.
The hunters were at a disadvantage in numbers, and some of them were intoxicated too. But above all, the newcomers seemed well accustomed to such an action. While those at the table had their weapons nearby, they were kicked flat onto the ground, ganged up on, and beaten up but before they could reach for their weapons.
It was nonsensical that they hadn’t been arrested yet. Wasn’t this already a criminal offense? And yet, curiously, this level of violence wasn’t considered a crime for hunters, granted that their opponents were also hunters. Since this was a somewhat rough profession, and they also had their reputation to consider, the victims wouldn’t press charges that easily. Besides, if they’d get arrested for this level of violence, Liz and Luke would be in rather serious trouble, so I couldn’t really object either. The world we were living in was crazy.
The enjoyable mood has been ruined, but Liz, for some reason, had a gleam in her eyes.
Moistening my throat with tea, I observed the situation.
There, one of the lackeys announced themselves in a shrill voice.
All eyes in the room turned towards them.
“Listen up! We’re Falling Fog from Nebulanubes, the Land of Fogs. And remember this well: this person here is known as the mightiest hunter in the Land of Fogs—Dragon Slayer Arnold Hail, the Crashing Lightning!”
Remaining silent at Lackey A’s introduction, a man, whom I assumed to be Arnold, arrogantly leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms.
The servers, noticing the obvious brewing trouble, discreetly backed away.
Arnold... An Arnold from Nebulanubes, huh? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere recently... Where was it again?
I furrowed my brow and tilted my head, but my memory was clouded under the influence of the pungent alcohol smell.
Meanwhile, the entranced Sitri was staring at the lackey and their foolish display of intimidation.
Giving up on recalling that memory, I let out a deep breath and repositioned myself straight in my chair.
Seriously, if I’d been by myself, I’d be on my way to settling the bill and getting out of this place.
Then, a lackey took a deep breath and, with a solemn tone, said the unbelievable, “Listen closely, you dumbass hunters of the capital—Arnold here...is a Level 7!”
What...?! Did he say “Level 7”? You mean that man in the company of those absolute small-fry lackeys is on the same level as Ark? Man, this world has truly gone crazy.
In reality, the criteria for level certification by the Explorers’ Association wasn’t standardized. While some branches focused solely on combat abilities, others valued personality more. But no matter how you put it, a man who unhesitatingly pummeled other hunters being recognized as Level 7 was a grave testament to the decline in hunters’ honor.
I’m gonna add this to my list of material to tease Gark with the next time I see him.
Upon hearing his words, Liz widened her eyes slightly and tilted her head.
“I see... The Land of Fogs, huh... We’ve never been there before, right, Krai Baby? Wouldn’t you be a Level 10 if you’re from there too?”
“No way, no way... I believe a Level 9 or 10 would require branches from around the world to gather and evaluate the circumstances—” And I don’t even want to level up in the first place.
“Well...if I crush that, I can probably become Level 7 too?”
“Hmm... Killiam with a Level 7 base... I’d love to get to know him better. Hey, Krai, can I go? They probably don’t know anyone here since they’re new—maybe this is a chance?”
Liz let out a deep sigh, while Sitri became seemingly restless.
No one was worried about the beaten hunters.
Well, I guess I’ll be the one who’ll worry about them.
Level 7—even if it was an evaluation from a small country, it was still a level impressive enough to make an opponent think twice.
There were eight of them. And even if the Crashing Lightning didn’t live up to his level, they were still fully armed.
I must say that being drunk put us at a disadvantage.
Confirming that not a person had voiced a word of resistance, Arnold mocked the hunters with a smirk.
“Heh. Nothing but cowards... I guess even the capital is nothing much. You, bring me some booze and women.”
“Roger that.”
Lackey A started scanning the bar, but unfortunately, there were few hunter-centric taverns with cute waitresses.
With his squinted eyes, he searched the area until he caught me monopolizing three girls at the back of the tavern. His lips twisted into a sneer.
Whoa, hold up. Is he seriously thinking of making a move on the female hunters of other parties? Is such a thing allowed in the Land of Fogs? Is that some country of shambles?
It’ll be bad if they start scorning me—even I’m more than ready to put up a fight. You sure? I’ll fight at least. Tino will fight too, and Liz even more so. You really sure? Sitri? I’m...not quite sure about her actually...
Tino appeared rather displeased.
Lackey A approached our table and grinned. But just as he was about to address us, Liz beside me stood up.
Looking at the surprised Lackey A, who’d widened his eyes at this unexpected turn, Liz blushed and said with a radiant smile, “Oh? You want me to pour you drinks? Well, I guess I can’t refuse, can I?”
“L-Lizzy?! I can go inst—”
“Forget it. You sit down. I’ll show you—how—it’s—done.”
Alluringly placing her finger on her lips, Liz threw a wink at the flustering Tino.
That’s the look when she’s about to pull mischief.
She’d been dressed rather revealingly, and though she didn’t have many curves, she had a bit of a chest if you looked close enough, and her sun-kissed skin exuded a healthy allure. Her face was attractive, and if one didn’t know her true nature, she’d probably look quite captivating.
“Wait, Liz, that’s not fair!”
“Early bird catches the worm!”
Lackey A looked at me as if he was looking at a coward.
What am I supposed to do?
Liz poured some red copper ale in the barrel into a mug.
With a dubious look on his face, Lackey A’s nose twitched for an instant. He must’ve realized from the odor that the contents were a highly potent liquor.
But before he could voice his concerns, Liz began to walk with the mug in hand. Approaching Arnold’s table, she raised the mug while maintaining her smile.
The lackeys’ gazes trailed along Liz’s skin, checking out her belly, thighs, and cleavage, finally lingering on the rather bulky-looking Apex Roots covering half her legs. They frowned. Yet, for the most part, they were grinning with lewd expressions.
Probably knowing Liz, some of the surrounding hunters stiffened up, but Liz seemed oblivious to it.
Arnold, on the other hand, was the only one wearing a dissatisfied expression.
Maybe...he prefers big breasts?
With a disgruntled look, Arnold said, “Sit. What’s your name?”
“You wanted some booze, didn’t you? Since I’m in a good mood, I’m going to specially treat you to some booze. Oh no, Liz, you’re so generous!” responded Liz, not answering his question—then she proceeded to tip the mug she held upside down above Arnold’s head.
“Wha—?!”
“I’ll treat you to the mug as well. Oh my! This doubles as disinfection too! Isn’t this two birds with one stone? Is this a new invention perhaps?”
And right as she’d said that, she smacked the mug into Arnold’s drenched head.
She beamed with joy, and she didn’t hesitate one bit.
Arnold’s companions were stupefied at her actions.
Oh well... She did it.
Arnold and his gang might be used to fights, but for Liz, hitting people was just part of her daily routine. The word “warning” didn’t exist in her dictionary. She was the Stifled Shadow, a girl who delivered blows at a godlike speed, leaving behind not a shadow.
Arnold clutched his head and staggered. Perhaps she struck him in a critical spot.
Yet, Liz showed no mercy at all.
Still maintaining her smile, Liz lifted her leg up high and, with roundhouse kicks, sent Lackeys B, C, D, and E, who were still trying to grasp the situation, flying. Taking her kicks head-on, the four fully armed large men, along with the surrounding tables caught in the way, were sent rolling on the floor. Her movements were agile, yet her strength was astonishing as always.
The first man who’d come to get Liz regained his composure and assumed a defensive stance, but it was already too late. He took another of Liz’s lightning-fast kicks and was magnificently sent flying along with food and drinks that got caught in the way. He raised his arm reflexively in defense, but Liz, equipped with her boots Relic, delivered kicks like artillery fire. These were kicks beyond what an average hunter could endure.
The surrounding hunters were dumbfounded. The ones who’d initiated violence were now subjected to even greater violence, so their expressions were understandable. I, too, wore the same expression. Anyone would probably react similarly if it was their first time witnessing this.
Having dealt with them, Liz delightfully tossed the handleless mug aside and grabbed still-somewhat-conscious Arnold by his hair. And just like that, she slammed his head against the table over and over. She was totally intending to finish him off.
Well, they started the fight, so in a way, you can say they’ve brought this upon themselves...
Sitri stood up and, with a whine, lunged towards me as if she was collapsing.
“L-Liz, that’s just mean! I said I wanted him. You always take everything I want... Krai, can you please tell her off?”
“That probably wouldn’t work.”
Shrieks and angry roars reverberated in the tavern.
I patted poor Sitri’s head as she clung to me, her arms wrapped around my neck.
Meanwhile, Tino stared at Sitri as if she’d seen a demon.
I surveyed the tavern. It wasn’t in complete ruins, but the damage was severe.
Starting to grasp the situation, the surrounding hunters began to cheer on the raging storm that was Liz.
This was now unstoppable.
Who’s going to be blamed for all this afterwards? I bet it’ll be me.
I quietly rose to my feet.
Guess I should settle the bill as soon as possible...
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