Chapter 08: An average guy that won’t work for free
In “Ames” he looked for an inn first of all. Luckily for him, not many adventurers dropped by here, so there were enough empty rooms, only one double room was booked.
“Eh, ah, yes. Ex- Excuse me… Are you… an adventurer?”
“I… see.”
Hiiro inclined his head as he somehow didn’t feel welcomed. It was his first visit to this village, nor did he ever did something to them.
But there he noticed something strange. For some reason, he felt gazes on him. And from all directions at that. It was an atmosphere like he was an uninvited guest.
“Hey, Mister.”
“Hey, don’t ignore me!”
“What‘s up, shorty?”
“…Are you a bull or what?”
With his black school uniform underneath, it was a surreal combination, but Hiiro didn’t care at all.
“Isolated place?”
“You called it that.”
“H- Hey, wait!”
“I told you to wait!”
“Hey, man! Listen to me!”
“Hey… Please… don’t ignore me.”
“What do you want?”
“Sh- Sheesh, you’re such a meanie! All adventurer are like that!”
When he glared at him in a bad mood, the boy cowered with a shiver.
“Eh? Why’re you looking around?”
“Uh… Uhh…”
“Hah. Just killing time. I got here just now and plan to stay here one night during my travel.”
“Oh? You’re not going to sham the village?”
According to the boy, certain adventurers lately dropped by the village, barged into the general or weapon store and forcefully haggled products, doing whatever they wanted.
While he grinded his teeth frustrated, the boy clenched his fist.
“We cannot do that.”
“Ah, Uncle Panis!”
“And you are?”
That meant he was a victim of the two adventurer.
“Yes, it is. They currently picking at the general store.”
Panis looked troubled and made a big sigh.
“Huh? Why would they have that? Doesn’t the village chief usually keep it?”
In other words, the two stole it.
“Haha, you got us there.”
“You are the adventurer that arrived earlier? I am the village chief of ‘Ames’, Brey.”
Panis asked.
Appearing Hiiro’s arrival was immediately reported to the village chief and he came to see the suddenly visiting adventurer with his own eyes. He seemingly was relieved to see that Hiiro was just an average adventurer.
Suddenly the sound of wood breaking resounded. Everyone present faced the origin of the sound taken aback. The door of a house was burst opened and someone was thrown out.
The village chief widened his eyes and shouted. The man called Mick was thrown onto the ground and crouched. Then two people appeared from the house, where he was thrown out from.
“Keh! Try saying that again!”
Mick desperately pleaded. They most likely told him to hand over the products for free and he refused to. However, spiky beanpole showed an irritated vein on his forehead and kicked Mick’s face.
“Huuh? Look who we have here, the chief. Got something to say? Mh?”
“M- More food.”
“Hey, Junior, give it a rest, we’re leaving.”
“Tch. Make it quick.”
“Stop it already!”
(Looks like they’re being compelled to accept it because these guys are beyond their power, not just the title deed)
(They could ask the army for help, but I guess the guys would just run away with the title deed then. And there’s a fear for their revenge. The best solution would be for someone to subdue them)
“No idea what you want, but this doesn’t concern me.”
“What? Do I look like a demon or what?”
“…Listen, brat, I may be an adventurer, but I ain’t some advocate of justice. Ask the Heroes if you want justice for free.”
“Forget it! In the end, all adventurer are like this!”
“Ah, wait, Nies! Don’t go there!”
“No, I get it. This has nothing to do with you. A Hero that works for people without charge like from fairytales does not exist.”
Hiiro kept it to himself that sadly enough, he considered unprofitable things as bothersome.
“Huh? What?”
“So it just… has to be paid?”
Hiiro got a bad feeling.
“…..”
“…..”
While thinking so, he made eye contact with Panis. Looking into his eyes without averting his gaze, they stared at each other for a while. After a while, Hiiro sighed like being outlasted.
Panis’ face instantly brightened up, but turned gloomy again.
He asked while looking anxiously at Hiiro from head to toe.
Hiiro said so by looking at the chubby & beanpole combo. Panis had his mouth gaping open from that confidence, but Hiiro ignored that and swiftly went into action.
Spiky beanpole’s expression as he slowly looked at Nies spoke volumes: This brat is as good as dead.
“St- Stop it!”
“Brat, any last words?”
Nies shook his head while shedding tears, but that didn’t stop spiky beanpole. He smiled happily and raised his sword into the air, then swinging it down from there.
Everyone gulped and closed their eyes. They all thought Nies’ life was over now. However!
The one screaming in pain and bleeding was spiky beanpole. Something was pierced into his sword arm.
But the length of it was clearly too long. And they looked at the end of the blade, at the person, who performed the attack. It was Okamura Hiiro.