"Little guy, don't shop at this store next time. It's notorious around here for ripping people off, especially outsiders like you who clearly came from somewhere else."
"Okay."
"Thank you."
Listening to the blue-haired girl's kindly warning, Luo Ge offered his thanks.
While the two were talking, the weapon shop owner's face had already darkened.
Calling his shop a rip-off joint right in front of him-was that polite? Was there no law anymore?
And... Isolte wasn't lying.
When she was very young, this shop's owner had swindled her once. She had bought a magic sword for one Asura gold coin, only to be told it was a fake when she showed it off to her grandmother.
Realizing she had been deceived...
Isolte had been furious, but since many years had already passed, the matter had eventually been dropped.
But Isolte, who held grudges, had clearly put the matter behind her completely. Having been caught in the rain herself as a child, she wanted to hold an umbrella over someone else now that she had grown up.
"If you want this sword that much... how about I give it to you? Here."
Luo Ge didn't actually want it all that badly, but he simply couldn't withstand the girl's kindness, so he reluctantly accepted her goodwill.
After all, Luo Ge really was poor right now. Even a copper coin made him wish he could split it in half to spend.
Somewhere else might have been fine... but Ars was Asura's royal capital, after all. With so many princes and nobles living in the city, the cost of living was frighteningly high.
Ever since arriving in Asura's capital, Luo Ge, a poor boy from the countryside, had not only been staying in the cheapest, draftiest inn every day, but also scrimping and saving to scrape together his travel expenses for the next leg.
Originally, he had wanted to become an adventurer, only to discover that adventurers here had less status than a stray by the roadside.
Even stealing or robbing people at random would have made money more easily than adventuring.
Even more ridiculous was...
When taking adventurer quests individually, the rules only allowed people to accept commissions at their own rank, one rank higher, or one rank lower.
For example, he was a newly registered rookie adventurer, rank F.
He could only take rank F or rank E quests at most, and those lousy quests barely paid anything.
Luo Ge had absolutely no interest in those paltry scraps.
If he teamed up with others to take commissions, the upper limit would instead be determined by the average rank of all the party members.
But Luo Ge didn't want to do that.
The reason was simple: finding high-ranked teammates was too much trouble.
So... Luo Ge had been wandering around the city these past few days, intending to buy some weapons and equipment with what little money he had left.
Then he had run into this unscrupulous weapon merchant and started haggling with him.
He hadn't expected...
A pretty older girl to suddenly pop up halfway through and offer to help him.
Had his luck with women finally arrived?
No!
But the very next second, Luo Ge dismissed the idea, because that was the sort of thought only a loser like Rudeus would have.
First of all, when a normal person suddenly encountered a beautiful woman on the street who showered them with kindness, their first reaction certainly wouldn't be to trust her unconditionally, but to question her motives.
Someone who offered favors for no reason was up to no good.
First she would win his trust, then lead him somewhere deserted and club him from behind. That fit perfectly with how the story would develop next.
"Something's wrong... could this be a honey trap?"
Perceptive and constantly on guard in this other world, Luo Ge grew wary.
However... with Transparent World active, Luo Ge didn't spot anyone lying in ambush along the street.
Only then did he finally relax.
Isolte had been watching Luo Ge's reactions from across from him. Seeing that he wasn't responding,
Isolte couldn't help reminding him, "
...little guy, stop looking all over the place. It's getting late. Won't your parents worry if you're out alone?"
"Um, do you need me to escort you home?"
"No... no need."
Luo Ge refused.
But Isolte didn't give up. Smiling, she asked, "Then where are the grown-ups in your family?"
"My parents aren't with me..."
"I see!"
Isolte looked thoughtful, then reminded him earnestly, "The capital is pretty safe, and there are knights patrolling the area, but without your parents around... you could still run into bad people."
"Don't worry, I'll watch out..."
Luo Ge nodded.
"Um, are you sure you don't need me to escort you? You really can give it some serious thought!"
Looking at this enthusiastic girl who had not only given him a sword but repeatedly insisted on taking him home,
Luo Ge found it stranger and stranger...
He was even starting to panic a little.
Especially since she liked to narrow her eyes when she spoke, looking as though she hid a knife behind her smile... it made Luo Ge increasingly feel that she wasn't a good person.
He remembered Paul once saying...
The nobles of Asura, men and women alike, indulged in all sorts of debauchery in private. Some nobles even specifically liked kidnapping children for their amusement...
Could it be?
Did this woman like them young?
Swallowing, Luo Ge instinctively took several steps back, putting some distance between them.
"Um, miss, I have something to do at home..."
"Right, my mom's waiting for me to come home for dinner. I'll get going. See you next time!"
Luo Ge made up a flimsy excuse at random and hurriedly fled.
"Huh? He's leaving already? How boring..."
Standing where she was, Isolte couldn't help letting a look of dismay spread across her beautiful face.
"...What a headache. I don't look like a bad person, do I?"
She murmured quietly.
She had originally thought that, since he was so good with words, he might be a promising prospect for practicing the Water God Style, and had wanted to find an opportunity to test him specifically.
But in the end,
He had run faster than a rabbit at the sight of her...
Watching his retreating figure disappear into the vast crowd, Isolte felt somewhat glum. Then, as though nothing had happened, she left and went home.
Isolte's home.
It was only one street away from the Water God Style dojo, roughly a little over ten minutes on foot.
When Isolte arrived home, there was only one rugged-looking man there, who had prepared a meal for her.
This man wasn't his father, but her older brother, Tantris.
The siblings had lost both parents when they were young. Their grandmother, the Water God Reida, was busy year-round with training and dojo affairs and had never had time to look after them.
Tantris had raised Isolte like a parent.
Since Tantris's talent for swordsmanship was unremarkable, he had remained at the level of an Advanced Swordsman, unable to break through. He knew his own talent could never compare to his sister's potential to become the Water God.
So Tantris had settled into managing the Water God Style dojo's affairs, wholeheartedly tending to his sister's daily needs.
Isolte had always respected this older brother and never put on the airs of a powerful fighter in front of him.
Never mind that she had already become a Water Saint-even if she became the Water God one day, she would still respect her older brother as she would a father.
Perhaps that would never change.
"You're back, Isolte... why are you home so late today?"
"Ah, it's nothing. I just ran into a little trouble on the way."
"Trouble? You were meddling in other people's business again, weren't you?"
"...Sorry, I'm very sorry. I've made you worry again, dear brother."
After that, the two sat together and chatted about a few minor matters at the dojo. Once Isolte had finished dinner and taken a bath, she wished her brother good night and went back to her room alone to turn in early.