Unexpected Encounter

“…I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Playing dumb won’t work. I came here knowing everything.”

When you do something illegal, you inevitably lose legal protection.

That’s why scams and deception thrive in such legal blind spots…

And incidents like this often occur.

“How dare you scam an Academy student?”

Games become tedious during multiple playthroughs without randomness.

Perhaps that’s why developers often include random elements outside the main story.

Even with the same character doing identical playthroughs, random numbers create slightly different experiences.

After countless playthroughs where I’d seen every event, I knew:

There’s only one scenario where this tavern becomes a complete mess.

The background changes like this when accepting a specific request.

Naturally, each request has different difficulty levels and rewards.

The request Leo presumably accepted was high-difficulty – one I sometimes failed when underleveled.

At first glance it appears to be a simple monster extermination request influenced by demons, but accepting it without knowing the backstory almost guarantees trouble.

I’d been there too. I remembered clearly getting betrayed after accepting what seemed like a normal request.

…The more I think about it, the angrier I get. How dare they scam me?

“Teacher, scam? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. Look there – that equipment in the corner.”

“…That’s the brat’s gear, right?”

They thought hiding it in the corner would work, but I’d recognize that distinctive armor anywhere.

I also noticed how pieces were conspicuously missing.

“Well? What’s your excuse?”

“…”

The request itself isn’t problematic – just a regular monster extermination near their home.

The problem is the betrayal trigger activating upon acceptance.

“…An Academy teacher?”

“What if I am?”

“Sorry, but we don’t know where Leo went. You seem to be misunderstanding. Let’s talk…”

“Bare-faced lies without even moistening your lips?”

First-time victims of this trigger almost always get game over.

After completing the request, they drug the “reward” drink. With lowered stats and a surprise attack, only the strong or forewarned survive.

My anger grew as I recalled staring dumbfounded at the ruined tavern illustration on the game over screen.

Separate from what happened to Leo, I’d suffered plenty from these bastards too.

“Leo would never remove that armor. He didn’t even care that it made him look shorter.”

Their motive for targeting Leo was simple.

With the recent war creating instability and the imperial family fighting for power, artifacts that strengthen users became extremely valuable.

They noticed Leo possessed artifacts and planned to steal them.

Though risky to target an Academy student, they thought subduing him would suffice.

“Seems words won’t work. Have it your way.”

“…Hey, Teacher.”

“I know.”

I glanced around. Someone must be watching us from hiding.

Unlike other students, my combat skills aren’t good enough to detect them.

“Hide behind me. You might get hurt.”

“Wow, are you protecting me?”

“Quiet. This isn’t time for jokes. …We’ll deal with that brat later.”

My heart swelled seeing Orca roughly push me behind her.

Orca protecting me? Our Orca has changed so much…!

This was a scene you’d never see in the original story – truly moving.

Orca, who’d been cautiously considering this tavern’s backers moments ago, now fully committed to helping me.

This showed how much she trusted me. Honestly, it made me incredibly happy.

“I don’t care who you are. Just give me that armor and the brat, and I’ll let this slide.”

“…Hah, are you insane? I gave you a chance to walk away. You blew it.”

“Really? Then I’ll give you a chance too.”

Orca’s eyes glowed red as sinister heat haze rose around her.

“Bring that brat before me now. Unless you want to suffer.”

“A demon possessor?! Kill her! Now!”

“Treating people like cockroaches? Want to die?”

“Orca, bad words.”

“…Want to get scolded?”

That’s not the point.

But I couldn’t correct her slightly misguided language purification because attackers emerged from the shadows aiming weapons at us.

“Don’t even think about keeping her alive! If she rampages, this place collapses! Just kill her! We’ll handle the body!”

“Now I’m a bomb?”

The continued insults clearly upset Orca.

Haze’s manifested fist behind her pulsed angrily.

“You won’t leave here intact today. I’ll kill you all…”

“Bad words.”

“…I’ll put you all in the hospital!”

Kwang! Kwang!

Haze’s manifested fists slammed down with explosive force, making the building creak alarmingly.

As people stumbled, Orca escaped the encirclement and grabbed the talking man’s collar.

“W-wait…!”

“Dieee!”

Thud!

The man faceplanted onto the dirty tavern floor.

The loud impact scattered white teeth and blood. Even I flinched.

…His teeth were quite nice. Useless now though.

I trembled at the sudden dental surgery before me.

Everyone else trembled too when Orca glared around after the gruesome sight.

“H-hic… Stop her! Stop her!”

“Perfect. I’ve been irritated staying quiet lately. You’ll leave your teeth here.”

…How bloodthirsty.

Clearly liking the scattered teeth, Orca’s declaration made the thugs charge despite their fear.

But fighting requires momentum.

Forcing attacks while afraid rarely succeeds.

Their hesitant charge created openings, which Orca exploited.

“Guhk!”

“H-hic! Sp-spare me…!”

“You won’t die! Just wish you were dead!”

“Hwaaaaah!”

Crack! Crunch! Snap!

Blood splattered as more pearly whites flew across the floor.

“Next.”

“Hiiik!”

“R-run! She’s crazy!”

“Ah, you want to go first? Should’ve said so.”

“Hwaaak! Mercy…!”

Our attackers’ lives changed to toothless existences faster than expected.

Orca tossed an unconscious man aside, muttering.

“That brat got caught by these losers? Why?”

“They drugged him with paralytic, laxative, alcohol, hallucinogens, and sleeping pills before ambushing him?”

“…How’d you know?”

“It’s written here in their plan. ‘We’ll do this.'”

Searching the twitching bartender’s pocket revealed the familiar request form.

Mixing laxatives with sleeping pills? Despicable.

They deserve worse.

“You should’ve left one conscious.”

“Huh? Why?”

“We don’t know where Leo is.”

“…Ah, right.”

“Thought you’d forget.”

Now what?

Orca’s help complicated things.

I could’ve hypnotized them to extract Leo without fighting, but now we’ve made a scene.

As Orca feared, the tavern’s backers would come soon.

We needed to leave before more trouble arrived.

“Should we take one for interrogation?”

“Unnecessary.”

“…!”

“Who are you? Who sent you?”

A black-hooded figure charged at Orca before we noticed.

Pressing a dagger to Orca’s throat, the figure threatened in a low voice.

“Talk now, or I’ll slit your companion’s…”

“…?”

Why did they stop mid-threat?

As I wondered, the hooded figure dropped the dagger and rushed at me.

“Boss!”

“W-wait. That voice…”

“Long time no see! Have you been well?!”

“…Boss?”

Seeing the face under the hood sent a sinking feeling through me.

Why are you here…?