The Adventurers’ Guild Yoshanka branch, already overflowing with adventurers, faced yet another intrusion. This time, it was the merchants of Yoshanka! They surrounded me, forming a menacing circle with their arms crossed and glaring intimidatingly. Even the rough-and-ready adventurers stepped back, cowed by their presence.
So there I stood, Emi-chan, in the center of the lobby (with Kamasse caught up in the mix), encircled by the merchants, and surrounded by adventurers watching from a distance. The place was uncomfortably crowded.
“Wait, wait, wait… Uncle from the stall, and the innkeeper lady? What’s this all about?”
Kamasse, who was interrupted mid-speech, was clearly confused. He looked at me as if to say, “Did you do something?” Sadly, I had no clue. I tilted my head in response.
“No, our business isn’t with you. It’s with the cursed child beside you.”
Stepping forward was… oh, the stall owner whom I made cry once with my side-to-side jumps!
“Ah, that’s Bacchero, the owner of the ‘Togorudo Skewer’ stall!”
“What? The chairman of Yoshanka’s Chamber of Commerce?”
“The legendary ‘Togorudo Skewer Artisan’?”
The adventurers started whispering among themselves. Wait, was he really that famous?
“He’s got a bad drinking habit.”
“I heard he’s been divorced three times.”
“I saw him throwing up on the street last time.”
(Seems like I’m getting more irrelevant info…)
Good ears can be a curse, you know?
“Ahem!”
The stall owner coughed once, silencing the adventurers.
“Sorry to interrupt, adventurers! Currently, Yoshanka is experiencing an unprecedented boom! I’ve lived in this town since I was a child, and I’ve never seen it so lively! The fact that adventurers like you have started using this town as a base has contributed to this boom! On behalf of the townspeople, I want to express our gratitude!”
“Hmm.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“What’s a boom? Can you eat it?”
The impromptu speech by the stall owner drew various responses from the adventurers. One of them seems a bit clueless…
“We want to use this boom to revive Yoshanka, which had been fading due to depopulation. Each shop is exploring new business developments, like store renovations and new ventures! This will make Yoshanka more convenient and a better place for adventurers to live! More people will move in, and Yoshanka will continue to grow! A bright future awaits!”
“Hmm.”
“I did see some construction going on around.”
“Yoshanka? Is that edible?”
The stall owner was surprisingly good at public speaking, and the adventurers were getting drawn into his talk. Except for that one clueless guy…
“But!”
The stall owner’s loud voice suddenly quieted the buzzing crowd.
“And there’s someone who threatens this prosperity of Yoshanka! It’s you, the cursed child!!”
He pointed at me forcefully, and all eyes in the room turned my way.
Eh?
Me?
Why am I being accused?
What did I do?
“The ‘cursed child’ brings misfortune to those around her! A well-known fact!”
“You’re a demon sent to ruin our town! Be gone, demon!”
The round innkeeper and the old lady who threw salt at me stepped forward, joining in the verbal attack. Others joined in, each voicing their contempt.
……………………..
Ah, I see.
This is the usual… discrimination against the black-haired, black-eyed cursed child.
They’re vilifying me.
Just hurling insults because I’m a cursed child. They think it’s okay to say anything to me.
In summary, they’re telling me:
“Get out of this town, cursed child.”
………………….
Sigh.
I’ve experienced this before. In my godforsaken village, I was an outcast. Before meeting my master, I couldn’t even enter a village or town.
But it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with this.
Ha ha.
It’s a bit of a shock.
Yeah.
It’s a sad, nostalgic feeling…
As I remained silent, the merchants continued to slander me freely. They accused me of having no morals, of stealing to survive, of being a breeding ground for germs, of ruining the town’s scenery, of bringing bad luck…
What is it with this world?
Is being born with black hair and black eyes really that bad? Why am I constantly being condemned?
Why?
Why?
Why?
It’s too much, even for me.
I could feel it rising…
The urge to release…
My killing intent.
Just as I was about to let my killing intent seep out…
No, no, I must restrain myself…
Then came the voice in my head, urging me on.
(Why restrain yourself?)
…Omakesama?
(Let’s kill them, Emi. Let’s rip them apart. No, eight parts aren’t enough. Tear them limb from limb, and throw them into the sea. The adventurers here seem to have low combat ability. No one can stop you. Let’s kill them. Do as you please. Make a mess.)
Omakesama is quietly seething with rage.
But there’s someone else in this space, angry on my behalf.
“Hey! What’s with all this nonsense you’ve been spouting!”
Kamasse stepped forward, his face flushed with anger, defending me against the surrounding adults.
“She saved Yoshanka! She defeated the Togorudo Command! And you say she should leave because of her black hair and eyes? Are the people of Yoshanka so ungrateful and shameless?”
“How dare you!”
“What’s this kid going on about?!”
Kamasse stood his ground, not backing down, arguing for me.
“But I saw that cursed child climbing the wall to leave town without going through the main gate!”
The young guard rebutted. It’s him – the one who threw me out of town in the middle of the night. He must have seen me leaving town to save Kamasse.
“So what? Is there a rule against climbing walls?”
Kamasse momentarily stumbled. Yes, I did enter and leave town by climbing the walls, including when I carried Kamasse on my back.
“There’s no such rule! But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable!”
“Even if there’s no rule…”
“There might not be a rule, but it’s still wrong! The guards at the main gate are there to screen for criminals! That cursed child has avoided inspection! Why? Because she’s a criminal!”
This was bad. The situation was turning grim.
(We should crush his limbs, starting from the ends, and let him drown in a tank of his own blood.)
Wait, Omakesama, calm down…
“Indeed, it’s suspicious to avoid the main gate.”
“Why go through such trouble to climb the walls unless you have something to hide?”
“Is she involved in illegal drug trafficking?”
The bystanders started their own wild conjectures.
“Anyway, we’re taking the cursed child for interrogation! Then it’s either imprisonment or exile! Move aside, young adventurer!”
The guard attempted to push Kamasse aside. Imprisonment or exile – it seemed like there was no scenario where I would be declared innocent.
Kamasse resisted, using even 【Body Enhancement】 to stand his ground.
“Your actions are illegal if they’re not based on the law, guard.”
“What are you saying, kid…”
“And the Adventurers’ Guild has the ‘Adventurers’ Rules’!”
…Huh?
“These rules not only bind adventurers but also protect them from unjust state power like this! The international organization of the Adventurers’ Guild upholds these rules to protect adventurers! Isn’t that right, receptionist?”
Oh no, Kamasse, that’s a mistake.
“Is the Guild abandoning adventurers? What do you say, receptionist?!”
“Y-yes?!”
The receptionist, who had been watching from afar, panicked. The corrupt receptionist who had been exploiting me for herbs.
“Well, um, you see…”
She looked around, clearly in a dilemma.
The merchants, the guard, they were all against me. The adventurers were never too fond of a cursed child either.
In such a situation, what conclusion could she possibly come to?
Especially since Kamasse’s argument had a major flaw. If not for that flaw, she would have been obliged to protect me. As a Guild employee. But…
“Well, um, we at the Adventurers’ Guild Yoshanka Branch want to contribute to the town’s development! We’ve been working with that intention!”
“Is the Guild neglecting adventurers?!”
Kamasse bellowed.
“Neglecting adventurers,” he shifted the argument from me to all adventurers.
But, Kamasse, that’s not going to work.
“We won’t neglect the adventurers, of course!”
“Then!!”
“But we also won’t defend that cursed child!”
“Why not!?”
“Because!!!”
She took a deep breath and announced the reason with a shrill voice that grated on the ears.
“That cursed child is not an adventurer!!!”
Kamasse stood there, dumbfounded, unable to respond.
The Adventurers’ Guild Yoshanka branch, already overflowing with adventurers, faced yet another intrusion. This time, it was the merchants of Yoshanka! They surrounded me, forming a menacing circle with their arms crossed and glaring intimidatingly. Even the rough-and-ready adventurers stepped back, cowed by their presence.
So there I stood, Emi-chan, in the center of the lobby (with Kamasse caught up in the mix), encircled by the merchants, and surrounded by adventurers watching from a distance. The place was uncomfortably crowded.
“Wait, wait, wait… Uncle from the stall, and the innkeeper lady? What’s this all about?”
Kamasse, who was interrupted mid-speech, was clearly confused. He looked at me as if to say, “Did you do something?” Sadly, I had no clue. I tilted my head in response.
“No, our business isn’t with you. It’s with the cursed child beside you.”
Stepping forward was… oh, the stall owner whom I made cry once with my side-to-side jumps!
“Ah, that’s Bacchero, the owner of the ‘Togorudo Skewer’ stall!”
“What? The chairman of Yoshanka’s Chamber of Commerce?”
“The legendary ‘Togorudo Skewer Artisan’?”
The adventurers started whispering among themselves. Wait, was he really that famous?
“He’s got a bad drinking habit.”
“I heard he’s been divorced three times.”
“I saw him throwing up on the street last time.”
(Seems like I’m getting more irrelevant info…)
Good ears can be a curse, you know?
“Ahem!”
The stall owner coughed once, silencing the adventurers.
“Sorry to interrupt, adventurers! Currently, Yoshanka is experiencing an unprecedented boom! I’ve lived in this town since I was a child, and I’ve never seen it so lively! The fact that adventurers like you have started using this town as a base has contributed to this boom! On behalf of the townspeople, I want to express our gratitude!”
“Hmm.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“What’s a boom? Can you eat it?”
The impromptu speech by the stall owner drew various responses from the adventurers. One of them seems a bit clueless…
“We want to use this boom to revive Yoshanka, which had been fading due to depopulation. Each shop is exploring new business developments, like store renovations and new ventures! This will make Yoshanka more convenient and a better place for adventurers to live! More people will move in, and Yoshanka will continue to grow! A bright future awaits!”
“Hmm.”
“I did see some construction going on around.”
“Yoshanka? Is that edible?”
The stall owner was surprisingly good at public speaking, and the adventurers were getting drawn into his talk. Except for that one clueless guy…
“But!”
The stall owner’s loud voice suddenly quieted the buzzing crowd.
“And there’s someone who threatens this prosperity of Yoshanka! It’s you, the cursed child!!”
He pointed at me forcefully, and all eyes in the room turned my way.
Eh?
Me?
Why am I being accused?
What did I do?
“The ‘cursed child’ brings misfortune to those around her! A well-known fact!”
“You’re a demon sent to ruin our town! Be gone, demon!”
The round innkeeper and the old lady who threw salt at me stepped forward, joining in the verbal attack. Others joined in, each voicing their contempt.
……………………..
Ah, I see.
This is the usual… discrimination against the black-haired, black-eyed cursed child.
They’re vilifying me.
Just hurling insults because I’m a cursed child. They think it’s okay to say anything to me.
In summary, they’re telling me:
“Get out of this town, cursed child.”
………………….
Sigh.
I’ve experienced this before. In my godforsaken village, I was an outcast. Before meeting my master, I couldn’t even enter a village or town.
But it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with this.
Ha ha.
It’s a bit of a shock.
Yeah.
It’s a sad, nostalgic feeling…
As I remained silent, the merchants continued to slander me freely. They accused me of having no morals, of stealing to survive, of being a breeding ground for germs, of ruining the town’s scenery, of bringing bad luck…
What is it with this world?
Is being born with black hair and black eyes really that bad? Why am I constantly being condemned?
Why?
Why?
Why?
It’s too much, even for me.
I could feel it rising…
The urge to release…
My killing intent.
Just as I was about to let my killing intent seep out…
No, no, I must restrain myself…
Then came the voice in my head, urging me on.
(Why restrain yourself?)
…Omakesama?
(Let’s kill them, Emi. Let’s rip them apart. No, eight parts aren’t enough. Tear them limb from limb, and throw them into the sea. The adventurers here seem to have low combat ability. No one can stop you. Let’s kill them. Do as you please. Make a mess.)
Omakesama is quietly seething with rage.
But there’s someone else in this space, angry on my behalf.
“Hey! What’s with all this nonsense you’ve been spouting!”
Kamasse stepped forward, his face flushed with anger, defending me against the surrounding adults.
“She saved Yoshanka! She defeated the Togorudo Command! And you say she should leave because of her black hair and eyes? Are the people of Yoshanka so ungrateful and shameless?”
“How dare you!”
“What’s this kid going on about?!”
Kamasse stood his ground, not backing down, arguing for me.
“But I saw that cursed child climbing the wall to leave town without going through the main gate!”
The young guard rebutted. It’s him – the one who threw me out of town in the middle of the night. He must have seen me leaving town to save Kamasse.
“So what? Is there a rule against climbing walls?”
Kamasse momentarily stumbled. Yes, I did enter and leave town by climbing the walls, including when I carried Kamasse on my back.
“There’s no such rule! But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable!”
“Even if there’s no rule…”
“There might not be a rule, but it’s still wrong! The guards at the main gate are there to screen for criminals! That cursed child has avoided inspection! Why? Because she’s a criminal!”
This was bad. The situation was turning grim.
(We should crush his limbs, starting from the ends, and let him drown in a tank of his own blood.)
Wait, Omakesama, calm down…
“Indeed, it’s suspicious to avoid the main gate.”
“Why go through such trouble to climb the walls unless you have something to hide?”
“Is she involved in illegal drug trafficking?”
The bystanders started their own wild conjectures.
“Anyway, we’re taking the cursed child for interrogation! Then it’s either imprisonment or exile! Move aside, young adventurer!”
The guard attempted to push Kamasse aside. Imprisonment or exile – it seemed like there was no scenario where I would be declared innocent.
Kamasse resisted, using even 【Body Enhancement】 to stand his ground.
“Your actions are illegal if they’re not based on the law, guard.”
“What are you saying, kid…”
“And the Adventurers’ Guild has the ‘Adventurers’ Rules’!”
…Huh?
“These rules not only bind adventurers but also protect them from unjust state power like this! The international organization of the Adventurers’ Guild upholds these rules to protect adventurers! Isn’t that right, receptionist?”
Oh no, Kamasse, that’s a mistake.
“Is the Guild abandoning adventurers? What do you say, receptionist?!”
“Y-yes?!”
The receptionist, who had been watching from afar, panicked. The corrupt receptionist who had been exploiting me for herbs.
“Well, um, you see…”
She looked around, clearly in a dilemma.
The merchants, the guard, they were all against me. The adventurers were never too fond of a cursed child either.
In such a situation, what conclusion could she possibly come to?
Especially since Kamasse’s argument had a major flaw. If not for that flaw, she would have been obliged to protect me. As a Guild employee. But…
“Well, um, we at the Adventurers’ Guild Yoshanka Branch want to contribute to the town’s development! We’ve been working with that intention!”
“Is the Guild neglecting adventurers?!”
Kamasse bellowed.
“Neglecting adventurers,” he shifted the argument from me to all adventurers.
But, Kamasse, that’s not going to work.
“We won’t neglect the adventurers, of course!”
“Then!!”
“But we also won’t defend that cursed child!”
“Why not!?”
“Because!!!”
She took a deep breath and announced the reason with a shrill voice that grated on the ears.
“That cursed child is not an adventurer!!!”
Kamasse stood there, dumbfounded, unable to respond.
