The three of them walked along the street at a leisurely pace.
As the sun gradually set, fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the street.
The further Rudeus walked, the stronger his sense of unease became, as if something was always trailing behind him, neither near nor far, yet impossible to shake off.
However, it is too early to draw the following conclusions.
"Oh dear— Rudeus, how much longer do we have to walk?"
Eris puffed out her cheeks and complained listlessly, looking like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.
"Don't rush, we're almost there."
He smiled and pointed ahead.
"A kind passerby just told me there's a dark alley ahead; going through there will save me a lot of distance."
"But it's almost dark..."
Eris touched her belly and said with a pitiful expression.
I'm starving!
"Then shall I lead you by the hand?"
Rudeus reached out his hand to Eris.
"Who, who needs you to hold their hand! I can walk by myself!"
Despite her bravado, Eris blushed and quickly walked ahead.
Rujierd remained silent.
He didn't say a word the whole way, just silently followed at the back, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, the ruby on his forehead occasionally flashing a faint light.
The moment Rudeus entered the alley, he finally knew.
It wasn't a hallucination; someone really was following them.
Moreover, there was more than one.
There were two opponents, and they were quite adept at concealing their presence. If one hadn't deliberately entered such a narrow area, it would have been very difficult to detect them.
... No.
Perhaps only I have realized this now.
Rujierd probably already knew.
Rudeus turned his head to look.
He simply nodded slightly, his eyes filled with wariness.
It seems the two of them are thinking the same thing.
Just then--
"Oi--! oi--! oi--! You little brat over there!"
A rough voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the alley.
"Come here and squat down!"
The three of them stopped in their tracks and slowly turned around.
From the shadows, two tall figures emerged step by step.
A lizard race.
A Minotaur.
Both men gripped gleaming broadswords, their faces etched with undisguised savage grins.
Upon hearing this, Eris instantly bristled.
"Ha--?!"
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she put her hands on her hips.
"Who do you think you are, to order us around?"
"Kids, it seems you don't know the rules here."
The lizard man weighed the long knife in his hand and smiled sinisterly.
"Stop talking nonsense."
The burly man with the bull's head stepped forward.
"Hand over the money!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the two men attacked from the left and right.
Rudeus didn't intend to do it himself, but instead turned to look at Eris.
Her ruby-like eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth.
It was as if I were looking at two corpses, not two living people.
He smiled slightly and said softly:
" Eris, let's go!"
"Leave no one alive."
Buzz--
Magic surges.
The space around Eris suddenly cracked open, and a pitch-black spatial rift quietly appeared.
A long sword slowly emerged from its hilt.
She reached out and grasped it.
The next second--
He vanished along with his longsword!
The speed is so fast that it cannot be detected by the naked eye!
Before the lizard man could even show a look of astonishment, Eris had already appeared in front of him.
A flash of sword light.
Pfft--
Blood gushed out.
His body was neatly severed at the waist, and the two pieces slid off slowly.
However, this is not the end.
Eris kept walking.
Using the momentum from swinging his sword, he turned and disappeared again.
The next moment.
She was already standing behind the bull-headed giant.
The longsword swept across with a casual, sweeping motion.
Sizzle--
The bull's head shot skyward.
His burly body crashed to the ground.
Even after the body hit the ground, disbelief remained in their eyes.
The entire battle.
From beginning to end.
It took less than a second.
[ Emotion Points +300, from Rujierd.]
"Incredible..."
Rujierd looked at Eris, his voice trembling slightly.
"Is she... really human?"
What are you saying?
Rudeus stepped forward, smiling, and patted Rujierd on the shoulder.
" Eris was trained by me personally."
"To question her is to question me."
Eris flicked the blood off her sword, her expression as calm as if she had merely stepped on two ants.
What should be done with the body?
"Simple."
Rudeus raised his right hand.
A golden magic circle instantly unfolded.
"[ Holy Light Strike ]!"
boom--!!
A dazzling holy light descended from the sky, completely engulfing the two corpses.
In the blink of an eye.
The corpse began to rapidly disintegrate, turning into countless particles of light that dissipated with the wind.
Not only the corpse, but even the bloodstains on the ground were cleaned up completely.
It was as if nothing had happened.
"Wow--!!"
Eris's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over excitedly.
" Rudeus! What was that magic just now?"
"So cool!"
She grabbed Rudeus's clothes and shook him repeatedly.
Teach me! Please teach me!
Rudeus pretended to be deep in thought.
Then answer me first.
"Is magic more handsome, or am I?"
"Eh..."
Eris froze, her face visibly flushing red.
After stammering for a while, he finally whispered:
"Yes... it's because you're more handsome..."
"Hahaha."
Rudeus smiled and ruffled her soft hair.
Eris also very cute.
(Hmm... this grumpy little kitten is almost tamed.)
Rujierd coughed lightly.
" Rudeus, I think it's better if we don't flaunt our wealth so obviously in the future."
"Why?"
Rudeus shrugged indifferently.
Those who would harbor evil intentions because of money are nothing but small fry anyway.
"I don't even need to lift a finger to deal with this kind of trash."
"One look is enough."
Rujierd remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed.
"... All right."
The facts speak for themselves.
Rudeus's strength is now unfathomable.
"Let's go, Eris."
Rudeus took her soft little hand in his again, his thumb gently stroking the delicate back of her hand.
Eris's body trembled slightly.
Her face remained flushed all the way to her destination.
Not long after.
The three arrived at an elegant, upscale residential area.
The mansions were neatly arranged, their architecture exquisite, far surpassing that of ordinary hotels.
I nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, this is it."
Eris looked around, somewhat surprised.
" Rudeus, this place looks so expensive..."
"Expensive?"
I casually pulled out a handful of green ore coins and lightly weighed them in my palm.
The crisp, clear sound of the collision was particularly pleasant to hear.
" Eris, do you think we're short of money right now?"
Let's go.
"You've had a busy day, it's time for a good rest."
After pushing open the door and stepping into the hall, Eris immediately regained her energy.
She looked left and right, filled with curiosity about everything.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
" Rudeus! Look!"
There's a cat over there!
On the display case, a small black cat is curled up and dozing.
Eris immediately stepped forward, waving with a smile.
"Mimi?"
"Mimi↑ Mimi~~"
But the kitten didn't even lift its eyelids.
"Huh?"
Eris looked confused.
Why is it ignoring me?
The young lady behind the counter couldn't help but chuckle softly, stood up, and said:
"The cat in the Demon Continent named Mimi won't come~"
"Call me Pi Pi, and I'll bring it right over!"
"Pi pi~pi pi~"
She called out twice.
The black cat immediately jumped down from the cabinet, slowly walked to the counter, and stretched.
"You see."
The saleswoman smiled and gently scratched the kitten's chin.
"Awoo~ Come on, let's dance~"
Wow--So cute!
Eris immediately went over and happily petted the cat.
"Pi pi~pi pi~"
"This is a stray cat that the landlady took in a while ago."
The saleswoman explained with a smile.
"I felt sorry for it, so I've been keeping it in the shop ever since."
As she spoke, she looked at us.
Are you all staying overnight?
"If you're an adventurer, you can enjoy a discount by showing your Adventurer Card."
I took out the Adventurer Card and handed it over.
"Book two rooms."
One double room and one single room.
The clerk took the card, glanced at it, and gave a professional smile.
"He's actually a C-rank adventurer."
"We charge two green ore coins per day, and that fee includes all services."
"If there are no problems, I will check you in now."
"No problem."
"Okay, please pay the deposit first."
The procedures were completed quickly.
After getting the key, the three of them went upstairs.
Rujierd's room was two rooms away from Rudeus's.
However, after witnessing the battle just now, he had no objections to this arrangement.