After the four of us chatted for some time, I heard angry shouts coming from outside the shop.

  “Is there a fight happening?”


  “Let’s go take a look.”


  Gonz and Stothun who were brimming with curiosity strove to be the first to have a look.

  Newman and I were left behind.

  We looked at each other.

  “Red-kun, I’m thinking of earning some medicine and treatment fee from injured fools.”


  “Ah~ That’s a good idea. Let’s go earn some pocket change.”


  We talked about what we would buy using the money we earned as we headed outside.

  However, the noise outside didn’t originate from a fight.

  It seemed to be an argument between a mother with two young children and a party of two men.

  The mother and the two children were residents of Downtown but I had never seen the men before. They were probably people from South Marsh.

  The children were clinging to their mother in fear. The mother wrapped her arms around the children to shield them and was snapping back at the men with a fierce look.

  “Give it a break! If you want to do it, you guys can do it yourselves!”


  “Madam is annoyed with the Guards and Congress as well, right? The South Marsh district, the Downtown and the Harbor district. If we oppressed people do not stand united to protest, Zoltan will never change!”


  “Stop it! You are frightening the children!”


  As expected of a Downtown mother, she firmly replied to the two men despite their intimidating attitude.

  “Oi Gonz, Stothun. What’s going on?”


  “I don’t really know that much but it seems that those South Marsh men are soliciting a protest at the Guard Station on Congress Street.”


  “Now that you mention it, I’ve heard people mention that they were gathering people these few days.”


  “They’re planning to serve meals to those who participate so apparently quite a number of the poor from not only the South Marsh district but also Downtown and the Harbor district are gathering.”


  I heard about that too.

  Thanks to that, the Guards had to recall manpower to maintain vigilance toward protests and the Ademi and analgesic drug case were suffering from the lack of manpower.

  On my side, we were outsourcing the investigation to adventurers but the adventurers themselves had their hands full with clearing the pile of requests that were neglected during the summer.

  Realistically speaking, it was a terrible situation in which the only ones able to take proper actions were Lit and me.

  “Sheesh, I can’t stand it anymore!”


  Stormthunder snorted fiercely and dashed out.

  “Oi, you lot! That’s enough!”


  “Who are you!”


  “You should name yourself before you ask for the other party’s name! I am Stormthunder! I run a furniture shop in Downtown here!”


  “Stothun!”


  “Doma, just go, it is a waste of time to talk to people like these.”


  Stothun spoke to the mother who was involved.

  The mother was a little lost but she quickly nodded and tried to leave but ……

  “Oi oi, don’t suddenly butt in our business!”


  The two men stepped in to stop them.

  “And so what about it!”


  Stothun did not attempt to hide his boorish manners and grabbed the South Marsh man by his collar.

  The man flew into a rage as he raised his right fist to punch Stothun.

  “No no.”


  I grabbed that hand from behind.

  “Ba-bastard!”


  “Stop it. If you punch Stothun, you won’t leave here unharmed.”


  “Wha-what are you implying!”


  “Take a look around you.”


  “Around …… !”


  The Downtown residents have started gathering due to the disturbance.

  “Ugh ……”


  Everyone was glaring at the two South Marsh people.

  Everyone there knew about Stormthunder’s furniture shop and everyone there bought furniture from his shop.

  If he punched that loveable Downtown Half-Orc craftsman, everyone would gladly join the fight.

  “Ah, uh …… shit, retards, remember this! All who opposed Big Hawk-san regret it in the end. Not a single person who opposed Big Hawk-san has come out unscathed so far!”


  The people were shaken when Big Hawk’s name came out. The number two of the Thieves Guild still carried enough threat even in Downtown.

  The men regained a little momentum.

  The man sharply shook off my hand that was holding back his right hand and Stothun who was grabbing his collar and held his arms open as he turned around and mentioned Big Hawk’s name.

  “I remember all your faces, a town like this, Big Hawk-san can destroy it whenever he feels like it, if I were you, I will brush up on my bootlicking skill while it’s not too late.”


  “Heeh~ by the way, I don’t regret it though.”


  A single woman passed off his caustic words with a cool face.

  “I have gotten in the way of that guy’s business countless time so I believe he must hate me. In actual fact, his lackeys attacked me when I was sleeping but I retaliated by killing 20 of his lackeys for disrupting my sleep and he has never done anything to me since then. I don’t regret opposing him in any way.”


  “He-he-hero Lit!?”


  Lit placed her hand on her shotel handle as she smiled.

  “Also, I patronize Stom’s shop too. I even bought the bed I’m using now from Stom. I would be troubled if Stom were to be injured.”


  “Eh, ah …… that ……”


  “By the way, I feel that 22 and 20 are the same, what do you think?”


  “I’m sorry!!!”


  The men screamed their apologies as they fled.

  “As expected of Lit-san!”


  “Thank you~ thank you~.”


  Cheers of praise came from all around.

  Lit waved her hands with a cheerful look that the two men before would never imagine.

  ☆☆

  Six days later. The promised day for the completion of the weapon.

  “Be careful. Come back immediately without taking any detours.”


  Lit waved at Al.

  Al was on his way to receive the weapon he wished for.

  Al was wearing a black cloak that covered his whole body.

  He hid his face since he might be targeted.

  “I’ll be going then.”


  Al seemed nervous but his cheeks were flushed from the excitement of obtaining his own sword.

  ☆☆

  Rain was falling.

  Summer had come and passed and the cold autumn rain gave the feeling of the coming of winter.

  Perhaps it was cold as the body shivered under the cloak.

  With a hand on the handle of the shotel around the waist, the cloak advanced forward.

  After crossing that alley, Mogurim’s smithy would be right ahead.

  ” …… !”


  The cloak that swayed with the footsteps stopped.

  In the rain, it stood still while gazing forward.

  Four in front. Four behind.

  “Hehe …… Al-kun.”


  The men smiled widely. They held axes in their hands.

  “Big Hawk-san is calling. Would you like to come with us?”


  The men gradually closed in as they toyed around with their axes as if to show them off.

  “Are you too afraid to even speak? Don’t worry, there’s no need to be afraid, we won’t hurt you as long as you come with us quietly.”


  In other words, they were threatening to act violently otherwise.

  The cloak looked down at the ground.

  ” …… Kukuku.”


  “What’s wrong Al-kun, have you gone insane from the fear?”


  “Wa-wait, that voice doesn’t belong to a young man ……”


  The Cloak of Disguise fluttered as it was tossed into the air.

  The girl smiled as she felt the illusion magic that was on her was dispelled and spoke.

  “Did you think I was Al-kun? What a pity! It’s Lit-chan!”


  Lit appeared beneath the cloak with the magic shotel that Al should have been holding on her waist.

  She was sporting a smug look on her face.

  “The Locate spell does not specify who is carrying the item! You guys got lured out!”


  Without missing a beat, the two men behind her charged at her.

  They probably thought that was the only time they had a chance of winning when she still had not drawn her weapon.

  However, by the time they charged past Lit, Lit already had shotels in both her hands and the two men collapsed to the ground after a spray of blood.

  “Increasing from 20 people to 28 people isn’t much of a difference.”


  Lit said with a fearless smile, causing the axe-wielding men to unconsciously take a step back.

  However, a man took a step forward.

  “Don’t worry, the number will stop at 27 when I join the count.”


  “Really? Well, I guess that’s true …… after all, you don’t seem to be human.”


  The dual axe-wielding man opened his mouth widely.

  The skin on the edges of his mouth ripped open and his body swelled to twice the size.

  Dense expanded muscles wrapped around his red copper body and the two axes fused with his arms.

  “I’ve always wanted to ask you, middle-rank Axe Demon.”


  “Hou, very well, I’ll answer if I feel like it. What is it?”


  “How do you wash your body with such hands? It should be quite troublesome but aren’t you bothered by the smell?”


  “Impudent girl!”


  Lit’s jest caused the demon’s red face to turn deeper crimson and it charged at her.

  Lit intercepted the demon with the shotels in both her hands.