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Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Kabur & Silavin
It had already been five days after Kousuke had estimated that things would change in about a week.
The sabotage of the Inn where they were staying continued as usual, but thanks to Mitsuki’s transportation of goods, the Inn was open without any particular problems.
“What the heck is going on!”
The voice echoed in one of the rooms of the mansion.
The person who had been hit by the voice cowered once, without showing any signs of distress.
“Apparently, they have a way to buy from stores outside this town.”
“Nonsense! It’s only an adventurer and a shabby innkeeper! How would they have those means?! Where the heck are they getting it from?”
To enter the town, one must pass through four gates.
Checkpoints were set up at all of them.
Therefore, they could generally know where the incoming goods were flowing from.
Although he should have all of that under control, the man in front of him could not understand how he could be so sure that he was purchasing through other routes.
“Hmm. Well, maybe the guys in town are passing it on behind our backs?”
“That’s impossible. I’ve got the Innkeepers on watch 24/7, but I don’t see any sign of them stocking up in town.”
“Then why are they still serving food!”
To the agitated room owner, the man facing him gave some information without changing his expression.
“Rumor has it that one of the guests is able to use transfer magic, and that he is providing stocks for the restaurant.”
That line caused the Lord to briefly flinch.
“Ha, haha. What nonsense. Transfer magic? A magic that only a first-class wizard in the country can use? ! How can a mere adventurer use it?”
This one line revealed exactly what the owner of the room thought of adventurers.
He had plenty of material to contradict this, but he knew that saying so would have no effect, so he quickly changed the subject.
“So, are we going to continue? I thought you said we were running out of time?”
At the man’s question, the room owner snorted.
“Of course, I will make the next move. You just keep quiet for a while.”
“I see.”
The man nodded, not changing his expression in the slightest, at the Lord’s irreverent attitude.
If the Lord, his employer, had made the decision, he had no intention of intervening.
After all, that move probably wouldn’t work at all.
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Daytime.
The inn where Kousuke and the others were staying was calm and quiet, a stark contrast to the morning and evening.
The Inn, where many adventurers stay during the daytime to go hunting and gathering, was naturally deserted during the daytime.
However, this did not mean that there were no customers at all.
Those who had decided to take the day off could be seen here and there relaxing in the bar and cafeteria.
Kousuke and his group were among them.
Perhaps it was only natural that Nana’s popularity among female adventurers was on the rise.
Wanri, seeing this, tried to change her appearance but was stopped by Kousuke.
Even now, one of the female adventurers was smothering Nana’s back.
As a matter of reference, Nana’s fur was soft and fluffy.
One female adventurer said that, in the right hands, it would even surpass a fine fur coat.
In the dining room, where such a peaceful atmosphere was prevailing, Nana reacted abruptly.
“Oh, Nana-chan, what’s wrong?”
The female adventurer noticed the change in Nana, perhaps because she stroked her almost daily.
Nana did not respond, but quickly got up and moved to Kousuke’s place.
Seeing this, Kousuke inwardly wondered if what was coming had finally arrived.
Of course, Kousuke’s companions gathered right next to him.
As if waiting for this, an adventurer entered the dining room.
The adventurers in the dining room noticed his slightly flustered appearance.
“Hey, what happened?”
They must have noticed by the look on his face that something unusual was going on.
One of the adventurers by the entrance asked the one who had rushed in.
“The… The lord’s men are coming this way!”
These words caused everyone in the dining room to tense up.
However, the situation was neither panicked nor noisy.
If anything, it was as if they were expecting what was coming.
Even if they did not know when they would come.
They had also anticipated that they would appear during the daytime, when the number of people would be smaller.
“It was within a week, as expected.”
One of the adventurers beside Kousuke grinned.
“May I ask how you were able to predict the actual day?”
Kousuke shrugged at the question.
“Well, it was just a guess. However, this one today is probably not the real deal, yet.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Kousuke did not answer the adventurer who tilted his head, but asked the adventurer who came running in.
“Is that a private army coming this way?”
“Huh? Oh, no. They were the adventurers that usually surround this place.”
At that answer, several adventurers nodded their heads in agreement.
The adventurer next to Kousuke was one of them.
“So that’s how they were approaching this.”
“Well, I suppose they want to make a commotion, but they would like to keep it as a dispute between adventurers.”
At Kousuke’s line, several of the adventurers distorted their expressions.
They knew that if they made a bad move, it could be used as an excuse to arrest them.
Moreover, it would probably be only those on their side who would be captured.
“That’s why I’m asking you to stay out of it and watch.”
Kousuke’s words caused a look of surprise on the faces of most of the people present.
“Hey! That’s…”
Kousuke raised his hand to intercept one of the flustered adventurers.
“We’re fine here. Rather, please be on the lookout for anyone who might take advantage of the commotion over there or someone who might try to set fire to the Inn.”
Seeing Kousuke, who was completely unperturbed and unconcerned, the adventurers quieted down.
The adventurers remaining here now were those who were skilled in their own right.
Otherwise, they would not be resting in the daytime.
They sensed the pressure coming from Kousuke and the others.
Satisfied with what Kousuke was seeing, he nodded his head and then smiled back at them.
“Well, just watch.”
A short time later, the rumored group arrived.
There were probably more than thirty of them.
They took up a position not too far from the Inn, but not too close either.
At first, they were trying to get closer, but stopped when they saw Kousuke and the others coming out of the Inn.
Seeing Kousuke coming out of the inn, the man in the center grinned.
It was that man who had first challenged Kousuke.
“It’s good of you to come out of your stupor. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the women are disciplined.”
He seemed to be getting worked up by the sheer number of people on his side, even though he should have some idea of Peach’s capabilities based on their previous encounter.
Kousuke did not respond, but spoke to Mitsuki and Peach.
“Well then, please do as planned.”
“Okay.”
“Yes~yes.”
The two answered that much and immediately started to move.
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An adventurer who was on the scene later recounted what happened.
“It was like a strong wind blew just there.”
With each step Kousuke took closer to the group, the number of men standing decreased rapidly.
By the time the man in the center noticed this, it was already too late.
It was not only because he was only paying attention to Kousuke.
He was completely unaware of their movements.
The two women should have been on either side of Kousuke when he first saw them.
But the moment Kousuke said a word or two, they were out of sight, their companions fell one after another, and when he was left on his own, the women were back on either side of Kousuke.
He couldn’t believe it.
It was obvious at first glance what had happened.
But the man could only be stunned by the very unbelievable event.
Kousuke walked up to the man who was standing there, stunned, and leaned his head back deliberately after getting within range of the sword.
“Huh? Did you get hit by a strong wind, my friend? You don’t appear to be able to stand up, are you all right?”
The man’s face turned red at that line.
He said, “You know what happened and who did what without telling me”.
While he was too angry to express himself, one of the adventurers, who had been watching the situation from the inn, suddenly shouted loudly.
“Oh, my~! If the wind got you, it can’t be helped, can it?”
He came to Kousuke’s side with a grin and said so.
He probably realized what Kousuke was up to.
“You’ve got to be kidding…!!!”
The other adventurers were trying to get him more riled up, but Kousuke stopped them and asked the man.
“Hmmm, what? Are you telling me that we got this many people knocked out in no time?”
The adventurer who was watching laughed loudly.
At that point, the adventurers who were watching far away must have also realized what he was trying to do.
Laughing in the same manner, they began to make cheerful comments such as, “That ain’t right,” and “That would be too lame”.
Some of the non-adventurers who were watching the commotion were not aware of what was really going on.
It all happened so fast.
Of course, the adventurers on board Kousuke’s plan knew exactly what had happened.
They could barely follow it with their eyes, but they still knew that Mitsuki and Peach had managed to knock out the entire group in a matter of seconds.
The only man left standing in the group of men was busily turning red and then pale.
Perhaps the situation was finally understood by the remaining adventurer.
If Kousuke and the others had been defeated by their own hands, they would have been able to capture them or do something about it, if not for what happened now.
However, in the current situation, it was difficult to do so.
Because there was no witness left to tell that Kousuke attacked them, it would also take no more than a few minutes for the word to spread that his fellows were attacked.
The adventurers who were now stirring things up against him would spread the word in the form of rumors in no time.
That the Lord only hired minions who were defeated by two women in minutes.
Even if they dismissed the rumors themselves afterward, the rumors would not stop and still follow them around.
Normally, they would not have cared, but this was not a favorable time.
Above all, they had their own reasons for moving at this time.
That said, there was no way they could report to their Lord that they had actually been knocked over by the wind.
The man was completely caught between a rock and a hard place.
His mind was in a state of panic, and he could not think straight.
In the midst of all this, Kousuke said a few words.
“You might as well pull out while you’re still barely injured, you know?”
Of course, these words were completely inaudible to the others.
But for the man, it was enough.
He turned to his men, who had finally woken up, and said, “Let’s pull out!” and went back to their base.
