Chapter 415 First Day of the ‘Grand Market’ (Part V)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hiroya…weren’t you supposed to be on a mission right now?”
”Y-yeah, I am?”
Violet spoke up from behind me.
”So, I’m patrolling the ‘Grand Market’ venue, keeping an eye out for any troublemakers, right?”
”If there are any suspicious individuals, we’ll apprehend them and hand them over to the guards, right?”
Liz and Dorothy turned around to respond to Violet.
”──No matter how you look at it, you guys just seem to be flirting. Isn’t that what they call a ‘date’ or something?”
Violet muttered in an exasperated voice.
Yeah.
This definitely doesn’t look like ‘patrolling.’
Liz is clinging to my right arm, and Dorothy has her arm wrapped around my left.
”I mean, I don’t think this looks like we’re seriously patrolling either.”
”It’s not ‘doesn’t look like it.’ It *doesn’t* look like it!”
Even Violet is clearly annoyed.
”Huh? Mr. Hiroya…do you not like this…?”
Dorothy looked at me with a sad expression.
”No, but remember how Martina at the Clan house suspected us? She thought we were sneaking off on a date, right?”
”Hiroya, Violet…this isn’t a date, okay? If we were obviously ‘on alert’ while walking around the market, it’d just make the shops and customers uncomfortable. It’d ruin the atmosphere──oh, that accessory is so cute! Hiroya, let’s go check it out!”
”Liz!? This is totally a date!”
”Liz…I used to respect your qualities as a clan leader, but…”
Liz tried to dash off toward the accessory shop’s stall.
I finally grabbed her arm to stop her.
Seeing this, Violet looked completely fed up.
”No matter what, shopping is a no-go, Ms. Liz. ──Mr. Hiroya…I’m just happy to be able to walk arm in arm with you like this.”
”Dorothy, seriously…”
Let’s calm down for now, everyone.
* * *
”Just kidding, just kidding. I get that walking around like ‘I’m totally on guard’ can be a deterrent for troublesome folks. But, I just got a little carried away… right?”
Liz stuck out her tongue playfully.
”If you understand that much, then you should act more seriously.”
Violet, in her girl form, was scolding Liz.
Watching from the side, it was pretty comical.
”That’s right. Liz and Dorothy, we’re going to consider your date already over, okay?”
”No way! (No way!)”
Liz and Dorothy quickly let go of my arm in a panic.
”Alright. Then let’s focus on the mission.”
Violet puffed out her chest and took the lead, so we followed her ‘properly.’
* * *
”Still, it’s lively and nice, isn’t it? This ‘Grand Market’ event.”
Violet walked through the central square, her eyes darting around the stalls.
Her tone seemed a bit more cheerful than usual.
”Back in Razia Village, we couldn’t have imagined something like this. The ‘Grand Market,’ where merchants from the Yugria Continent gather, being held here.”
”It shows how much the economy has developed in the past 2 years.”
Liz and Dorothy also seemed deeply moved.
”From what you’re saying, it seems Lady Sasha and Kazumi’s contributions played a big role.”
”Yeah. The Zett Merchant Guild’s influence, of course, and Kazumi’s role as an observer for the merchant guild too.”
Before I knew it, I had caught up and was walking beside Violet.
Even after passing through the central square, the rows of stalls continued.
According to the security planning meeting earlier this morning, the stalls stretched all the way to the southern residential area and near the barracks.
”It’s not just about trade, right? The northern settlements are also getting on track. That’s also…”
”True. Ms. Kazumi was the one who mediated between Mr. Haken, the leader of the Snow Wolves, and the lord.”
”Hmm. She truly is a wise one.”
──”Demon Continent also needs to run its business more systematically.”
Violet listened to Liz and Dorothy’s story, crossed her arms, and muttered something while thinking for a moment.
* * *
We walked around the stalls set up on the streets branching out from the central square and made our way toward the street where the ‘Chick Gathering Inn’ was located.
”Della’s inn must be doing well, huh?”
”Of course. It’s probably fully booked, and the dining hall must be packed.”
”The dining hall, huh? Sounds like there might be some trouble with the drinks.”
Hearing Liz and me talk, Violet quickened her pace.
”You seem happy, Ms. Violet.”
”N-no, that’s not true at all!”
Violet waved her hands frantically, denying it to Dorothy.
(Well, since we’re on patrol, she probably wants to do something that feels like real work.)
I couldn’t help but smile wryly, sensing Violet’s feelings.
Just then, as the ‘Chick Gathering Inn’ came into view, we heard a commotion and a man’s angry voice from that direction.
”Something’s going on, huh?”
Liz’s expression immediately turned serious.
”Finally, our time to shine?”
Violet was the first to dash off, and we followed right behind her.
* * *
”I’m telling you! Get me a woman! Isn’t that part of your business here?”
”I’ve told you a hundred times, we don’t do that during the day!”
”If there’s no working girl, then this waitress will do! I’m taking her with me!”
As we entered the inn, we heard a man and a woman shouting at each other in the dining hall.
It was a customer and… Della, the innkeeper.
There were 3 men.
One of them grabbed the waitress’s arm and tried to drag her toward the stairs, while Della desperately tried to stop him.
”That girl isn’t that kind of woman!”
”I don’t care! Get out of my way!”
Witnessing this exchange, we were about to step in when Violet looked up at Liz and said,
”Leave this to me.”
Violet grinned, looking surprisingly reliable.
Liz must have thought so too, as she smiled back and nodded at Violet.
”Ms. Violet, be careful.”
”Yeah. ‘Just don’t overdo it.’ Right?”
Dorothy and I spoke, and Violet raised her hand in response, stepping closer to the men.
”You there! Let go of that woman!”
Violet shouted from the depths of her gut.
The force of her voice made the men freeze for a moment.
Even Della paused.
”What the…?”
”It’s just a kid.”
”Kid, get lost. Or──are you gonna take us on instead?”
The men looked down at Violet and sneered.
”Fine by me. If you’re saying that──you’d better be ready to satisfy me, right?”
”Yeah… we’ll make you scream until you can’t stand.”
The men seemed to misunderstand Violet’s words.
──Satisfy her.
That meant…
”Hey!”
Suddenly, Violet crouched down and swept the legs of the approaching man with a low kick.
”Nice move.”
Dorothy murmured in admiration.
Yeah, that’s how it’s done.
Violet, who’s been training hard, must’ve wanted to test her skills in action.
”You brat!”
The man who was holding the waitress tossed her aside and drew the sword at his waist.
The other man also reached for his sword.
”What’s this? Not so tough after all… Weren’t you gonna satisfy me?”
As she spoke, Violet also drew her sword,
──Click
gripping the hilt and turning the blade.
She seemed to be careful not to make it a bloody mess.
The man who’d been knocked down by her leg sweep was groaning, holding the back of his head.
”Madam, this’ll be over quick. I’m about to go wild, okay?”
”Hehe… Go ahead, my dear little swordsman.”
Della, perhaps having gauged Violet’s skill, picked up the waitress and moved to the inn’s counter.
The other customers in the dining hall also kept their distance to avoid getting involved.
”I won’t kill you… but I’ll make sure you can’t move.”
”Yeah, and after that… huh?”
Whether they were drunk or just clueless, the two men clearly hadn’t assessed the difference in their strength.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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