episode_0027

The request I took on was maintaining public order in the dispatched city and subjugating surrounding monsters.

Normally, this city had enough power to handle such matters on its own, but.

As luck would have it, before the Saint resolved the Ogre incident.

It had already suffered devastating damage from the Ogre, making it difficult to maintain public order or suppress the monsters growing near the city.

That’s why it seemed they had requested a dispatch from the Adventurer’s Guild in the capital.

“…2 months of activity, they’ll properly count this towards my record, right.”

“They’ll count it. The less crime there is in the area you’re in charge of while performing public order duties, the more heavily it will be counted.”

“That’s good.”

“…Seeing your size and your rank, I wonder how many guys will be afraid of you, but give it your best shot.”

“I’ll have to try.”

“I’ll help too, so it won’t be that difficult.”

“……Yes.”

“Rather than acting alone, your status as an apprentice learning from me, a silver-rank, will make it much easier to pressure others, so use me as needed.”

“Aren’t you treating me too well?”

“There are several reasons, but if I had to pick, there are two. The first is the meaning of my self-reflection on having abruptly suspected and been wary of you. The second is the meaning of wanting to watch over you because I still have suspicions.”

He was a gentleman in many ways.

His clothes themselves suggested that from the start.

While thinking it might be because he wasn’t in combat gear, a fedora and a suit?

It was the first time I’d seen an adventurer dressed like this.

Yet, using a giant axe as his weapon felt mismatched in many ways.

Was it just unfamiliar because I’d never seen a silver-rank before?

“Then I’ll rely on you. More importantly, are all silver-ranks like you?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just that this is only the second time I’ve met such a kind adventurer.”

“I’m the gentlemanly one.”

“A gentleman doesn’t abruptly suspect and be wary of people.”

“That’s why I’m helping, aren’t I?”

Gentlemanly, my foot, I just thought he was a really brazen person.

Well, if he were gentlemanly and skilled, he would have become a knight. He wouldn’t be doing something like being an adventurer.

“Anyway, another Saint’s cleanup mission… Taking on tasks that get on your nerves from the start, you lack an eye for choosing jobs.”

“…The dangerous part was handled by the Saint, so if it’s just the cleanup, isn’t it a relatively easy job compared to other requests?”

“The job itself is much easier, but the people saved by the Saint usually belittle us by comparing us to the Saint. That’s probably why, even if cleanup requests from the Saint come in occasionally, most people are reluctant to do them.”

“I think a mission that just gets on your nerves is better than one where your life is at stake.”

“That’s just my thought, I have no intention of forcing my thoughts on you.”

He must think that way because he’s confident in his skill.

Since he has skill, there’s no reason for him to do cleanup tasks that are emotionally taxing and relatively low-paying, so he avoids them.

But despite that, the fact that he specifically follows me on such a task, does that mean what he said to me wasn’t a lie?

“If that’s the case, it’s like wasting 2 months doing a request he doesn’t want to do just because he’s suspicious of me, which is strange.”

“If a girl who seems unpleasant and is dressed strangely goes around perfectly hiding her sound, anyone would be suspicious. It also sparks curiosity.”

“It’s true I might seem unpleasant and hide my sound… but I’m not dressed strangely.”

“………Are you serious?”

“Uh, by my standards, yes.”

We had been talking calmly until now, but seeing him look surprised at that part, it really made me feel like I was dressed strangely.

If an adult woman wore it, it would have been revealing clothes, but since my body is small, I thought it was quite decent, but perhaps not.

I scratched my cheek and pointlessly gazed out of the carriage window at the scenery.

The carriage and coachman rented from the Adventurer’s Guild in the capital were skilled and well-versed in the kingdom’s geography.

They said we would arrive at the city we were heading to in five days, so there was nothing to do until then.

We exchanged trivial stories, and sometimes I practiced my sword during breaks.

The silver-rank adventurer came over and gave me a few pieces of advice on swordsmanship.

After a day passed like that, I suddenly realized I hadn’t even asked for his name.

“What’s your name?”

“…You’re asking now, it’s Shan.”

“I’m Elli.”

“Alright, Elli.”

“Yes, Shan.”

“I’m going to sleep, so don’t talk to me.”

“……Yes.”

He responded gruffly, but it was true that it was my fault for waking him up and asking in the early morning, so I awkwardly laughed it off.

After traveling for a few more days like that, the city we arrived at had its walls half-destroyed.

There was only one soldier guarding the gate instead of two as in other cities, and outside the outer wall was a shantytown that was almost like ruins.

The streets were covered in filth, leftover ashes and such were scattered around, and a foul odor hung in the air.

“……I feel nauseous.”

“That the situation is bad enough to request public order management means it’s like this.”

Shan adjusted his clothes, pulled his fedora down low, and gestured for me to follow.

I grabbed the request form and followed behind Shan, and Shan presented his silver token and the request form I handed him to the gatekeeper.

After that, even without saying much, things proceeded smoothly.

Entry was permitted not only inside the outer wall but also into the inner castle.

The area inside the outer wall, unlike the shantytown, wasn’t quite ruins, but the damage from fragments flying in as the wall broke was not light.

Inside the inner castle….

It was simply peaceful.

The castle walls were not broken, and fragments hadn’t flown in.

It seemed the battle had only taken place in the shantytown and on top of the walls.

“Ogres really are terrifying beings….”

“They’re 5 to 6 meters tall, and their hides are thick, so weapons don’t work well. To catch one, several silver-ranks would have to attack, or a gold-rank would have to engage.”

“They’re just a disaster… But, the Saint hunted such an Ogre alone?”

“Who said alone?”

“The rumors say that.”

“Rumors are naturally exaggerated as they pass from mouth to mouth. The Saint went into battle with the knights of this city. If you only consider adventurers besides the knights, the Saint was alone, so it must have spread as if the Saint hunted the Ogre alone?”

It was an exaggerated story.

But then, what kind of person is Shan, who knows that so well?

“How do you know that, Shan?”

“Without information, an adventurer is likely to die no matter how skilled they are. It’s good that you train, but before that, it would be better to grasp information about a request before accepting it.”

“…Yeeaah.”

It was taken as meaning there’s a way to get information in some form.

I decided to find out later, and since performing the request was the priority, I went through the administrative procedures, received a token showing I was on public order duty and put it on, then set out to handle the work.

I took charge of maintaining public order in the outer wall area, and Shan took charge of maintaining public order in the inner castle.

Of course, it was impossible for the two of us to handle the entire city, so several other adventurers were already undertaking public order activities besides us.

However, the personnel were severely lacking, which was why they had requested additional dispatch, and we had accepted that request.

“Then, see you after work.”

“Alright, I said you could use my name, but use it appropriately.”

“Yeeaah.”

“My name doesn’t wear out from being used, but if you abuse it, its value will gradually fade.”

“I know.”

I put on my cloak and strapped on my sword.

Right now, regardless of my skill, my appearance is that of an unpleasant girl.

If so, it means that people will only follow my control if I show them my personality and my way of handling work, separate from my appearance.

Would such an opportunity come easily?

“Let go! Let go! Why does this bastard keep drinking even though he’s weak to alcohol!”

“My daughter is missing! You! You kept looking at my daughter with lewd eyes! Didn’t you do something?!”

“Your daughter died under the wall long ago!”

“…Ha.”

An opportunity came more easily than I expected.

Bursting out of the bar, grabbing each other by the collar and rolling on the ground, even the conversation they were having.

I understand their circumstances are pitiful, but that doesn’t mean it’s a reason to fight in the middle of the street.

I slowly approached them and stepped between the two.

“Everyone, you shouldn’t fight.”

I smiled as broadly as possible – a foolish smile.

It’s not a good judgment to abruptly use force to stop them when they haven’t even been rude to me yet.

Even if an example was needed, I wasn’t foolish enough not to know that a fight without justification would eventually return as a blade without justification for me.

“What are you, too!”

However, justification is something that can simply be created.

I’ve also realized now how I need to live in this world.

If you step into the center of a fight, people who haven’t calmed down their excitement react aggressively.

Just like now.

The drunken man raised his hand high and brought it down.

It was a slow movement, enough to be easily dodged, but I didn’t dodge.

*Smack*-!! I got hit.

With the loud sound, the pain came, my mouth burst open, and a metallic taste and smell filled the air.

The impact was stronger than I expected, making my head spin, but I endured.

Yes, this is the justification.

Since I got hit while trying to stop a fight, what else could this be but justification for me to fight too?

I lifted my sword still in its sheath.

I didn’t show the blade.

I don’t intend to kill.

My purpose is simply to perform a slight over-suppression, in front of everyone who came out to watch the fight.

“It’ll sting a little.”

I swung the sheath.

No matter how weak my physical strength is, I can still break a few bones.

From that day on, people called me by the derogatory term ‘crazy bitch’, but they stopped ignoring me.