Ch.256256. Kuk! You guys are quite peculiar, aren’t you?

KWAAANG-!

With a thunderous sound, I gently loosened my stiff neck joints while watching the men who had been thrown against the wall.

“Ha! Seriously, what a nuisance.”

The men were already foaming at the mouth.

This time, women slowly surrounded me.

“Kuk! You people are quite unusual, aren’t you?”

I couldn’t help but snicker.

Among the group were the two women who had approached me and Jawil Wilson earlier and stolen our money.

What’s even funnier is that these women seemed much stronger than the men who had been thrown against the wall.

There were even several mages among them.

What kind of organization is this?

“W-what do you think you’re doing?”

The one raising her voice was the woman who had stolen Jawil Wilson’s money.

Barely hiding my laughter, I opened my mouth.

“Kh, kuk!”

No, the laughter escaped anyway.

The situation is just too funny.

Jawil Wilson, whom I had trained so diligently, fell completely for these women’s beauty and foolishly got his money stolen, while the men I had beaten were now hiding behind the women’s backs…

I can’t help but laugh.

I clutched my stomach, struggling to hold back my laughter.

“Are you people in the comedy business?”

“…You have the nerve to laugh after drinking without money?”

“You’re the one who stole it.”

At my words, the woman maintained her shameless expression and continued.

“Do you have any proof that I stole it? It seems like you’re just picking a fight with me because you have no money.”

“Is that so?”

Everyone in the restaurant had already fled outside, except for Jawil Wilson and the old man.

I comfortably drew the sword at my waist.

Srrrrng-!

The women also gripped their daggers and swords, taking defensive stances.

Yet most of them were trembling, fear evident on their faces.

That’s to be expected.

Since I had been continuously releasing killing intent, even standing must be difficult for them.

‘Huff…’

I had intended to keep things peaceful, but incidents kept occurring.

However, I had no intention of showing mercy.

Anyway, it was easy to distinguish friend from foe since everyone except Jawil Wilson and the old man were enemies.

“W-wait a moment, please!”

As I was facing the women, a voice came from behind.

It was the woman who had earlier claimed to be the owner of this place.

Her black dress revealing prominent curves made quite an impression.

“What is it?”

“Wait, could I have a word with you?”

“You steal my money and then say ‘Wait, could I have a word with you?’ Let’s see if you can still say that after everyone here is dead.”

And then.

I turned my head back and leaped toward the women in an instant.

Slash. Slash.

Two women had their arms severed with a single strike.

I casually shook the blood off my sword.

Screams filled the establishment.

Of course, despite seeing their comrades’ arms cut off, the women remained frozen in place, unable to move, like statues.

“I-I’m sorry.”

I turned around again.

Finally, the owner was on her knees, bowing her head.

I sheathed my sword and turned my gaze to the woman who had stolen my money.

“Did you keep your promise?”

“…What?”

As I approached, she trembled violently with a dagger in her hand, as if she’d seen a ghost.

I traced her face with my finger and curled my lips upward.

“I promised, didn’t I? That I’d call for you again after my important conversation ended.”

*

“I am Lillian, the owner of this place.”

After looking at Lillian, I turned my gaze to the woman pouring alcohol beside me.

“Hey, thief. What’s your name?”

“B-Bianca.”

“Pour without spilling. If you want to live.”

“…Yes.”

I had to speak forcefully.

The more easily someone is treated, the easier they become.

Especially in such a cutthroat underworld.

That’s why.

Even in a situation where I didn’t need to attack, I deliberately cut off the woman’s arm as a demonstration.

I needed to intimidate them as much as possible to quickly understand their intentions.

I held the glass in my hand and waved it toward Lillian sitting across from me.

“Have a drink too.”

“…Alright.”

After downing a glass of alcohol in one go, I placed the empty glass on the table.

“Why did you steal my money?”

“Actually… we run an inn and tavern, but our circumstances aren’t—”

I leaned forward toward Lillian, who was shifting her gaze around, trying to think.

“If you don’t speak truthfully now, everyone here will die by my hand. This is your last chance, so think carefully before answering.”

Lillian swallowed hard and nodded with a resigned expression.

“W-well, it’s actually because of Lord Rupert…”

“Who is Rupert?”

“The person who was at the same table as the young master is Lord Rupert.”

“The old man who was beaten by your people?”

“…Yes.”

Thinking they might call for reinforcements, I had ordered Jawil Wilson to make sure not a single person left the establishment.

That meant the old man should still be in the tavern.

I adjusted my posture and continued.

“I understand that the old man is Rupert, but explain more clearly.”

“W-well, Headmistress Giselle of Estella Academy ordered us to drive Rupert out of the territory.”

“Headmistress of Estella Academy? But why did she want Rupert driven out?”

“I-I don’t know that. All I know is that Rupert used to be a professor at the academy… We were just following orders.”

I could ask Rupert directly about this later.

I sighed briefly and raised my head.

“What’s your relationship with this Giselle, the headmistress of Estella Academy?”

“She’s a customer. All the academy professors use our establishment too.”

“You’re driving Rupert out of the territory just on a customer’s orders? Are you playing games with me? Should I cut off your neck instead of your arm to bring you to your senses?”

Lillian hurriedly showed her palms.

“N-no, it’s true! But the academy and we maintain a close relationship.”

“A close relationship?”

“…All the women working in our establishment, including myself, are from the academy.”

This was quite interesting.

I drank several shots in succession, then stopped and pushed the empty glass toward Lillian.

“How can all of you be from the academy?”

“We were all attending the academy when our families went bankrupt.”

“Your families went bankrupt?”

“Yes, the reasons varied, but we all graduated from the academy even while accumulating debt. That’s our common point.”

“You continued at the academy even after your families went bankrupt?”

Lillian downed her glass in one go.

“Whew! Since our families were ruined, the academy became our only hope. Graduating from the academy at least ensures we won’t starve.”

“But why are you working here after graduating from the academy?”

“As I mentioned earlier, we accumulated debt. We’re working here to pay it off.”

Ah, so that’s why there were mages among the working women.

I smiled faintly as the puzzle pieces began to fit together.

“So in other words, this headmistress Giselle said she’d reduce your debt if you drove Rupert out of the territory?”

Lillian squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.

“We had no choice. Even while working here, we have our own lives, and the debt wasn’t decreasing.”

“So the person you borrowed money from is this headmistress Giselle?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re saying the headmistress lent money to students and charged interest?”

“T-that was our choice.”

“I suppose so. You had no other options after your families went bankrupt except to borrow money to graduate from the academy.”

“…That’s right.”

I shifted my gaze from Lillian to Bianca sitting beside me.

She was still trembling, clearly terrified of me.

“So when I protected Rupert, you sent Bianca to drive us away too?”

Lillian nodded with a tense expression.

“…Yes. I’m sorry. I’ve been honest, so even though it might be difficult, could you please forgive us?”

Lillian begged earnestly with a desperate face.

After hearing the whole story, I felt conflicted.

What fault did these young girls have after their families went bankrupt?

They probably had no other options.

It’s just this world that’s filthy.

I withdrew my killing intent and took a deep breath.

“Are the women whose arms I cut off being treated? I noticed there were healing mages among you.”

Lillian looked startled.

“H-how did you know?”

“Anyway, they are being treated, right?”

“…They should be.”

I nodded indifferently and continued.

“By the way, what will you all do if you pay off your debts?”

“I-if we pay off our debts?”

“Yes, if you pay them off.”

“…Well, I haven’t even thought about completely paying off the debt yet…”

From my earlier assessment, I noticed several women who seemed to be talented mages.

If they joined me, I could form my own guard unit without having to recruit mages from other territories.

I placed my glass on the table with a ‘thud’ and gave Lillian a sly smile.

“What would you do for me if I paid off all your debts?”