We talk a bit more, and instead of handing mappingool, I’m going to test it for another month.
Lastly, she hands me documents about property.
According to Ai, these are only the places I can move into right away.
Still, the plastic sleeve has documents about four properties. I thank her for doing this much for me, and take it.
Apparently they’ll take me to go check out any I like, so I should choose before the next time I come here.
With my business in Honto over, I take Fuuma to the shopping mall.
Unfortunately, pets can’t enter stores, and a security guard says I have to leave it outside in a space for pets.
There’s nothing I can do, so I give Fuuma manga, and it looks like it will wait quietly with the other pets.
I’m here to visit the weapons store, but it’s not open.
There’s a paper taped to the entrance with the schedule for the end of the year and start of the new year. According to this, it’s the same as the guild’s, so they open tomorrow.
It’s too bad, but I turn around, thinking I’ll be back tomorrow.
And then I see girls acting suspiciously in an open area in front.
They seem wary of their surroundings, and are holding a smartphone tripod. They’re all wearing the same thing on their upper bodies, so they’re some sort of team.
I recognize one of them. I know her name, but we haven’t really talked. Still, she’s the daughter of someone that helped me out.
If the others are the same age, they should be in middle school.
I watch them quietly because I don’t know what they’re doing, but then they notice me and start whispering.
But I keep watching. Are they embarrassed because they felt my warm gaze? Jokes aside, what are they doing?
They give up and ignore me, and set the phone and tripod. Then they play music and dance.
Now I get it. They’re filming a video.
Yeah, middle schoolers nowadays do this sort of thing… Back in my day, there was a guy that uploaded videos too, but he gave up after a month because they went nowhere.
These girls are trying hard to go viral.
It’s a one minute video, but they’re all in sync and it seems really nice. The girls look satisfied too, so it must have come out well.
Then the security guard and some other people approach them.
I keep watching, wondering what’s happening now, and apparently they’re mad because the girls don’t have permission to do that.
They warn them that they’ll contact their guardians, and the girls look like they’re about to cry.
Then one suddenly points at me.
“He told us to do it.”
…Hn? Did I mishear that?
I felt like I was getting roped into it. Did I imagine that?
I cross my arms and think, but I can’t follow this. And as I wonder what’s going on, a security guard approaches.
What?
Do I know those kids?
I know one of them, she’s the daughter of someone who helped me.
I don’t care what they said, I didn’t do…
Ahh, what high school do I go to?
I went to Nishi○, but why are you asking?
It’s outside of the prefecture.
Contact them?
Sure, go ahead.
Have I learned my lesson?
What lesson?
I didn’t make those kids do anything.
Then who did? How would I know? Yes, I know who one of them is.
What? I’m the only one here? You~!
The security guard is treating me like an idiot with a threatening attitude the whole time, and starts scolding me.
I’m getting more and more annoyed, so I flare up.
We start arguing, and the security guards around the girls come over here to break it up.
It’d be easy to press this forceful security guard with a bad attitude, but I contain myself because I don’t want the others to get hurt.
But I’m not gonna shut up, and talk back to the security guard looking down on me.
There are many people in the mall, but since stores geared for seekers are closed, no one’s in this corner. That means not having to worry about attracting attention, so that’s probably why the girls chose here to dance.
Speaking of them, they disappeared as I argue with the security guards.
Ou, all of us are surprised to see they’re not there.
Even though we were arguing, we feel something I can’t describe, and end up apologizing to each other.
They let me go, and I go get Fuuma. I thought about looking for the girls, but I won’t find them if they went to the bathroom or something, so I’ll just report to Master Azabu.
Yes, that was his daughter. Matsuri Azabu. I remember him saying she was in middle school.
I have Master Azabu’s number, so I’ll send a message. That’s what I was thinking anyway, but then I see the girls where I left Fuuma.
The girls are looking inside the cage like there’s some sort of rare creature.
Found~you~.
I approach them while complaining about what they did, with my face full of anger.
They’re kids. If I’m too stern, they might cry. Then I’ll have the disadvantage. Let’s not get angry, and gently scold them.
Hey! You brats! How dare you do that!!?
No good. When you discipline someone, you should get mad like this.
I walk towards them, and they shrink back.
One tries to run, but stops when I reach in that direction.
Why did you get me involved!?
I didn’t have anything to do with it!
Did no one ever tell you not to bother people?
I don’t remember bothering anyone!
I don’t need apologies, tell me why you got me involved!
Got it!? What, Fuuma? Get out of the way.
As I approach the girls, Fuuma stops reading manga, comes out of the cage, and stands in front of me.
It’s like a warrior protecting young girls from a ruffian, with its big round eyes telling me that’s enough.
You…
…I’m not gonna stop, you idiot.
I try to get it out of the way, and it shakes its head like it’s thinking that’s a shame, and blows me away.
Magic. It used magic to blow me away.
It’s not that strong, but it makes me go back a few meters.
I didn’t detect the magic being activated and took it head on, but I’m more surprised that it attacked its summoner.
Fuuma attacked me… Well, it’s not the first time.
It bit my hand and cracked it multiple times.
Still, I’m calmer, and look at this situation from an objective point of view.
I look around, and see people looking this way with smartphone in hand.
Their fingers are on the call button, ready to call the police.
It makes sense, if they don’t know what happened, they’re just watching a well built guy threatening girls.
At this rate, the cops will be here.
I understand this isn’t good for me, tell them I’ll remember this, and head to the dungeon.
◇ ◇ ◇
The twenty-first floor.
Get this. I started working early in the morning for the first time in a while, and found all sorts of trouble.
Yeah, it’s okay, I’m not crying.
They got me involved when I didn’t do anything.
Yeah, this world’s unfair.
I’ve never bothered anyone. Isn’t this awful? The world is all wrong.
What? I did it and didn’t realize it?
…Yes, I did get taken away by the police a couple of times, and something does come to mind.
I’ll make sure to take a shower every time when I leave the dungeon. I feel like I’ve put away one worry.
Coming here really does make me feel better.
Can I come again?
No? Why not?
The one sitting next to me gets up with club in hand.
I ask where it’s going, and it snorts as it raises the club.
I casually watch as I wonder what that’s about, and it’s ripped apart by wind magic as it’s about to swing down.
Orc!?!?
My dear, dear chatting partner is dead.
It was Fuuma, who is looking at me coldly.
I look at it and ask why it did that, and it moves its head like it’s telling me to go already.
Ah, okay.
I end up leaving without doing anything.
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