Chapter 30: The Old Man Gets Attacked by His Fellow Adventurers

The men standing there were that “Mighty Sword” and his cronies.

Fresh, raw bruises dotted their faces, and their arms and legs were injured.

From a glance, they looked to be in pretty bad shape.

I wonder what on earth happened to them.

Did they get attacked by a monster or something?

In any case, it was obvious that every last one of them was drunk.

Are they planning to vent their frustrations on a low-rank like me after getting their asses kicked by a monster?

I think it’d be better for them to be resting quietly…

“Um… I was just about to turn in for the night…”

As I spoke, I shifted my weight, ready to bolt at any moment.

When trouble arises, the best option is to escape.

In the end, that’s the least troublesome path.

Wait… hold on.

I have Fel with me now.

In that case, I can’t very well leave her behind and run away alone, can I?

Then again… if they’re this seriously injured, maybe even I could handle this without running away.

“Huh? Turnin’ in? Before ya do that, show us your face for a minute! Today was the worst. That woman, Emma, or whatever… just for touchin’ her a little… she did this to us… But still… what the hell is with that woman… she’s strong as a monster—”

“B-Boss… let’s just drop it. I-I… just thinking about it gives me… the chills…”

Mighty Sword and his men tensed up, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

It seems that for them, it had been a truly terrifying experience.

They’re adventurers; they should be used to fighting monsters on a daily basis.

For them to be this frightened, just what kind of dangerous monster did they run into…?

That’s what I was thinking, but…

Apparently, the one who put them in this state wasn’t some vicious monster… but Emma-san…

Hearing their story, I couldn’t help but feel a jolt of shock.

Emma-san is certainly a skilled former A-rank adventurer, and her abilities are the real deal.

A C-rank adventurer like “Mighty Sword” would be no match for her.

But… when it comes to Emma-san’s personality, my impression is of a very gentle person who is never without a smile.

At least, she’s been that way for our entire 10-year acquaintance.

A beautiful, benevolent noblewoman… that is my impression of Emma-san.

In fact, although Emma-san doesn’t talk about it much, she apparently comes from a noble family with a long and distinguished history in the Royal Capital.

Maybe it’s not because of that, but I have never once seen Emma-san get angry.

In short, Emma-san is just a very well-put-together person.

It’s true that other adventurers sometimes seemed scared of Emma-san.

And there were some who spread rumors about her, calling her “scary” or “frightening.”

Every time, I would tilt my head in confusion at the vast difference between their impression and my own…

…but thinking about it now, maybe their opinions were right, in a way.

Yes… Emma-san might be the type of person who completely changes when she gets angry.

Perhaps I’ve just been lucky enough not to run into that side of her so far…

If that’s the case, I need to be extra careful at tomorrow’s “Last Supper.”

Wait… hold on.

More importantly, didn’t they just say she snapped because they touched her…?

At that, memories came flooding back, and a chill ran down my spine.

…Haven’t I… touched Emma-san’s body quite a bit…?

No… it’s not like I ever forced myself on her.

Absolutely not.

Believe it or not, I’m a man who possesses a strict sense of Heisei-era corporate ethics.

I was the kind of guy who didn’t drink and drive, even when everyone around me was doing it.

Putting that aside… there were times when Emma-san would link her arm with mine on various occasions, or place her hand on mine.

What’s more, she’s asked me to give her massages for her stiff body plenty of times, and I have.

Because of that, I just sort of assumed she was tolerant about that kind of thing…

Apparently, that was my misunderstanding.

Come to think of it, I feel like Emma-san was always blushing…

Was that just her holding herself back from the brink of snapping…?

As I was turning pale with my own wild conclusions, I realized Mighty Sword and his crew had made their way right in front of me.

The others were moving to surround me, smirking.

“What’s wrong? Why the pale face? Haha! Don’t be so scared… I’ll let ya off with just two or three punches!”

Mighty Sword lunged for me, spittle flying from his lips.

As they began to move, I focused my consciousness.

Before I knew it, my vision shifted to slow motion. My personal standby time had begun.

The movements of everyone around me slowed to a crawl.

I could see Mighty Sword’s incoming punch, and the movements of his cronies, as clear as day.

Honestly, Mighty Sword’s movements were laughably inferior compared to Mira-san’s or Alicia-san’s from earlier.

Because of that, I had plenty of time to think.

Okay, how do I escape…

Jump out the window? No, this is the second floor. If I break a bone, I won’t be able to do my sewer-dredging work. Best to use the door…

Right. And before that, I have to take Fel with me.

As I was leisurely considering my options, something moved in the corner of my eye.

It was Fel.

Is she trembling in fear—

The next moment, my eyes flew wide open.

The little girl was leaping toward one of Mighty Sword’s men at an unbelievable speed.

Long, sharp claws, completely unsuited for her small hands, were extended.

And those claws were now just inches from the man’s throat.

Whoa!? So fast! What is this speed!?

Are all beastmen this fast, even as little girls!?

I was dumbfounded by her velocity.

To me, she seemed even faster than Alicia-san or Mira-san had been.