The archer keeps laughing while I glare at her, as if mocking me.
“You were in trouble there, being attacked by a strong hill wolf! Good thing I saved you. Ah, no need to thank me. Instead, can I have the dropped items? I was the one who finished it, so needless to say, it’s my right. Hahahaha!”
“That monster was abnormally big. Was it one of those rare monsters? We’ll take that information too! I’m sure the association will pay well for it!”
““Gyahahaha!””
They’re saying something while cackling.
I can’t understand them, so I turn to Aira.
“Are those some new type of humanoid monster?”
“No, regrettably…”
I guess so.
“That cackling is making my blood boil.”
“Same here.”
Aira has the same cool expression as always, but her eyes are incredibly cold.
“Can I take them down?”
“They are detestable beings, but we cannot gain experience or magic stones from them. Perhaps it would be meaningless.”
“That’s too bad.”
“But wouldn’t it make me feel better?”
“Temporarily, but the ladies would be sad.”
…
“…I see. I want to avoid that.”
Then I guess I won’t hunt them.
“I take it by your silence that you agree. Get out of here then. And don’t go around our hunting spot like you own the place, F rank.”
“An?”
What did they say?
“Hey, who are you calling F rank?”
“You, the perennial F rank, slime guy!”
“Everyone knows you’re an F rank! I’m sure there was no one in that no man’s land, but you’re an eyesore trudging around here! Stick to goblins on the first floor, low rank!”
Don’t they know what happened this morning? I guess they were already here when I reached the second floor today, so their information is out of date.
Still, something they said caught my attention.
“Aira, do hunting spots have some sort of rank system?”
“There are recommended levels, but that is just a rough estimate. I believe they are using that to sidestep the issue.”
I see. I thought it might be them doing an unwanted favor, but they’re just trash.
“Hey! So it’s fine to steal my prey if I’m an F rank?”
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. We just helped you ’cause you were in danger.”
“Rank is everything in this world. A low rank like you has no right to complain!”
“If you don’t like that, start climbing until you’re here. Not that you can, if you spent three years in F rank!”
It doesn’t make sense for them to be doing this just because my rank is supposedly low.
Do they have some sort of grudge against me? About Maki, or maybe the Super Strength skill orbs? Or do they really just see me as an eyesore?
Should I tell them my rank… Or would that be boring?
Maybe I should make it really hurt, so they don’t mess with me again.
“You’re saying you saved me, but no one asked you. If I report this to the association, you’re going to receive a penalty, aren’t you?”
“Ah. Don’t even try to report. You’re a duo of iron equipment and no armor, and this is a canyon with an overwhelming number of enemies. Everyone’s gonna say we were right to decide to help.”
“Your F rank and iron equipment means your argument’s not gonna stick. Give it up!”
Yes, I am wearing magic iron that looks a lot like iron equipment. I guess the fact that a lot of people don’t know about this is one of the reasons why they’re looking down on me.
This is actually better than steel, but I guess being careless about my appearance is going to make it easier for teams like this to annoy me.
I need to think about that.
Then there’s Aira’s maid outfit. It’s actually way better than your average armor, but they don’t get that.
“Aira, does what they say make sense?”
“It depends. It could be a good excuse, or not.”
“So a low rank would just cry himself to sleep in a situation like this?”
“Probably, since there are too many opponents.”
This is a tough world. Differences in rank and numbers make the difference here.
If it happened to me when I was working alone, I might have been screwed.
“So, as high ranking adventurers, how should we make them pay?”
“I see. Well, for starters, this conversation is being recorded.”
Seriously? She’s got everything covered.
“I have been recording since the arrow hit its target, but what they said so far will probably not amount to a strong punishment. We need to draw some more from them.”
“I see. Let’s prod them a little.”
It feels like Aira is pretty pissed too. That actually makes me happy.
“And after that, let us ask for them to come with us voluntarily, due to the recording. It is likely they will run, or come after this smartphone, so we can beat them up and capture them.
They seem used to this, so it is likely this is not their first offense. I imagine there were other victims.”
“Understood.”
They start cackling again, probably confusing our whispering for arguing, and come down to the center of the crater.
The mage and the archer are keeping their distance, but the two with the heavy equipment walk right over to us.
“Do you people always act like petty thieves?”
“Ah? Are you mad ’cause you lost?”
“It’s your fault for being weak!”
“A perennial F rank shouldn’t defy D ranks like us! Get out of our way!”
The two guys push past us and approach the body of the Boss Wolf. I’m sure they want to check for drops, but it’d be funny if the next rare monster came out.
But it was the archer who got the kill, so…
She has less than a hundredth of my Luck. There’s no way it will.
Also, the other two members of their team still aren’t here. My map shows me they are a little far away, in a safe area. Maybe those two swordsmen were these people’s prey too.
Oh well. I can hear about that later.
Aira is telling me in her own way that what they just said is enough. She makes eye contact with me, and starts playing the recording.
They’re surprised by this sudden turn of events, and the air around us gets more volatile the more they hear.
The smoke of the Boss Wolf is gone, leaving just a fang and pelt, but their eyes are on Aira.
“We will present this to the association. We might not win with testimony alone, but this evidence should make your crimes clear.”
“Tch.”
The archer suddenly points her drawn bow at me, and the mage points his staff.
“Hand over the smartphone! Or your master gets it.”
“You are currently pointing a bow at him, correct? This is now being recorded somewhere else. Your qualifications will certainly be revoked.”
Nice, Aira. She really does have everything covered.
“Quiet! Hand it over!!”
The heavy warriors are also slowly unsheathing their blades.
“Aira, can you handle the ones behind us?”
“Leave them to me.”
“What are you mumbling!?”
One of the thieves says something, but I don’t care, and run forward. The archer fires her arrow in a panic, but I’ve seen how good she is already.
With Foresight and my stats, I dodge it easily.
“Wha!?”
Their levels mean my opponents are as tough as monsters. I should make sure they can’t fight anymore if I’m going to capture them.
“Gender equality stomach punch!”
“Geboh!”
“Guboh!?”
The annoying archer and the mage go down.
Maybe it’s Assassination working for me, but I got them right in the pit of the stomach.
They let out gastric juice, and bounce a few times before finally stopping.
Those aggressive mouths are only spewing out foam now.
“Damn you!”
“What do you think you’re doing!?”
“That’s my line.”
The two heavy warriors face a barehanded Aira. They swing their swords with no hesitation, looking pretty used to doing that too, but they picked the wrong opponent. They crumple to the ground, unable to do anything to a serious Aira.
She took down heavy warriors with a chop each… This maid is seriously strong.
“Master. You always have Fast Run II and Swift II active, correct?”
“Well, they don’t have a time limit.”
“These skills actually spend magic energy while in use.”
“Eh, they do? I didn’t notice.”
We tie them up while talking casually.
I don’t know why Aira had ropes in her bag, but she also teaches me how to tie them like she’s an expert.
This, the recording… This maid is just too competent.
“Because I am a maid.”
“Like there are a lot of maids like you.”
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Kill them
Gender quality punch is so funny 😂
Kazuma is proud.