Chapter 48: Great of Rounds ⑥
Ens is the superior one. There’s no doubt about that.
Probably, he could even fight on equal terms with Alweld.
But Axe faced him courageously and fought well.
No, more than that—she showed extraordinary skill.
It had been a wonderful battle.
Before I realized it, I was on my feet, applauding.
Ruriha and Mineha, still seated on my shoulders, were also clapping.
Celeste-san and Emi-san were clapping too.
Other Rank I explorers… ah, wait, Narcissus-san was here too… and she was crying.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have looked—she was crying while clapping.
She seemed genuinely moved. Maybe she’s not such a bad person after all?
Evening.
A gentle, cool breeze blew softly.
I wandered the streets alone, still soaking in the afterglow of the exhibition match.
From corner to corner, the streets were lined with rows of all kinds of stalls.
Various voices echoed.
“Mom! Buy that!”
“Geez, we already bought that one.”
“Today’s match was amazing!”
“Maybe I should aim higher as an explorer.”
“Are Axe and Ens brothers? They looked alike.”
“Hmmm… That Ens… he looks just like the young man we saved 20 years ago.”
“Ah, I’m hungry. I wonder if Cidre-inn is crowded again.”
“Shall we go to Goro’s place?”
“That diner’s crowded too.”
“Ah, seriously?”
“Take that! One Hit!”
“Psyche Fang!”
“Hey! Stop messing around!”
“Cheap! Cheap! Hero-grilled skewers, specialty of Hydrangea!”
“Skewers! Hero meat skewers!”
“Only here! Hero-seal pancakes! Sweet and delicious!”
“Destined confrontation~ That is the fate of these two~♪”
Hydrangea was boiling with excitement, a heat that seemed endless.
This was the first time I’d seen the city like this.
Perhaps that’s why the afterglow of excitement lingered in my heart like a mild fever.
It felt pleasant. I passed through the fountain plaza.
The fountain plaza had turned into a festival of street performers.
Various performers showcased their skills—knife juggling, ring toss, ball balancing, music, dance. All were amazing.
“Ohhh!”
“So beautiful…”
“What a beautiful girl…”
“What a dance…”
Something drew my attention. A crowd had gathered ahead.
Curious, I went closer.
In the center of the circle, a girl danced alone.
She wore a pale, leotard-like outfit with a thin, flowing cloth like a veil.
A beautiful girl with long hair in a two-tone of blue and green.
Her eyes were heterochromatic—one blue, one green. She danced fiercely yet elegantly, with a charming smile.
“…‘Waterwind Dancing Princess’?”
Yes. I had met her at Cidre-inn, and seen her at the meeting.
Rank I explorer “Waterwind Dancing Princess” Loliev.
Off to the side stood a tall knight in full armor.
Her attendant. The atmosphere was heavy.
She executed a high-speed turn on one leg.
Two-step. Triple. Turn. Amazing. Every movement was precise and fluid, perfectly executed as if natural.
When the dance ended, applause and tips were thrown.
Loliev jumped and smiled in response.
I felt like I had witnessed something special. I even threw a small tip.
Still, seeing a Rank I explorer performing street acts was surprising.
Now, it was time to move toward the main street stalls.
My stomach was just beginning to grumble.
The main street was impossibly crowded, so I took side streets and back alleys.
A shortcut only locals would know. Almost no one was around.
“All right, first…”
I sampled something rare from a stall.
“Hey! Let go of me!”
Again. I sighed. Ahead in the narrow alley, a woman was being dragged by some men.
Six men, dressed like explorers, looking shady as usual.
The woman wore a robe and hood.
A burly man grabbed her arm and tried to force her down the alley.
Despite resistance, she was dragged along. I followed.
“Uwaaahhh!!”
As we reached the back alley, a scream came—not from the woman, but a man.
“Gyaaaaahhh! My arm!!”
“W-what the hell are you?!”
“Don’t come! Stay back!”
Something was clearly wrong.
Peeking into the alley… what I saw… was shocking.
Men missing arms, men who lost legs while fleeing, bodies lying around.
The hooded woman looked at me.
“Wof… could this be your doing?!”
“Huh?”
“A revenge, huh?!”
“Eh… what?”
“You filthy, lowlife scum!”
She suddenly lunged at me. In her hand was a semi-transparent square… no way.
“[Vanish]!”
“Whoa, [Vanish]?!”
I instinctively countered with a semi-transparent spherical [Vanish].
Then her hood fell back, revealing purple hair and eyes clearly.
“Narcissus-san!?”
‘The Return of Generous’… of course, she could use [Vanish].
Still, it’s square-shaped? Wait… something seems off.
“Die! Die! Womanizer! Flirt! Party animal!”
“Th-That’s not—!”
“Enemy of women!”
“Wait! Hold on, listen!”
My round [Vanish] collided with her square [Vanish].
The two different forms of [Vanish] struck the space, sending shockwaves that warped the air.
Damn… it’s hard to fight because they’re the same kind of [Vanish].
Narcissus-san paused. Finally, had the misunderstanding been cleared?
“I still… can’t accept it.”
“!?”
The semi-transparent square [Vanish] in her hand elongated.
It became a rod-like shape, and her movements changed. She closed the distance swiftly and swung it downward.
This is bad! I blocked with my [Vanish].
Narcissus-san skillfully spun her arms and hands, swinging the rod-shaped [Vanish].
I deflected several strikes with [Vanish], creating some distance.
“Hah… hah… hah…”
I tried to steady my panicked breathing.
This is bad, bad. If even a bit of that touched me…!
I never imagined [Vanish] could change like that.
Narcissus-san clicked her tongue.
“Tch… I can see it, so I can dodge it. But…”
The rod of [Vanish] shifted shape. Its tip elongated and curved like a sickle.
A chill ran down my spine.
“How about this?”
“…Wha—”
This… this is going to kill me. I instinctively activated [Deep Quiet].
Narcissus-san’s footwork was fast… she closed the gap.
“Daeeeii Slash!!”
With a fierce shout, she swung the sickle-shaped [Vanish] sideways.
Scary. Terrifying.
But—I calculated the timing of her sweep with cold precision, aimed carefully, and unleashed my own.
“[Vanish]!”
I struck her sickle [Vanish] away with force.
Narcissus-san jumped back, surprised.
“That just now… those blue glowing eyes… what—”
She crouched slightly, holding the sickle [Vanish] downward, cautious.
Her purple eyes glinted sharply at me.
“Narcissus-san. This is a misunderstanding. I have nothing to do with those people.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I happened to see someone being dragged away and came to help. I have no connection to them. Please believe me.”
All the men were dead. Likely from massive blood loss.
No sympathy—this was the consequence of touching something they shouldn’t have.
But still… why did this misunderstanding happen?
Narcissus-san looked troubled, then slowly nodded.
“…I suppose that makes sense.”
“Phew… you understand?”
“When I think about it, I don’t want to admit it, but these people weren’t the kind to be dragged down by scum using such tactics.”
“Dragged down?”
I’m not sure what she means, but it seems she’s convinced.
Narcissus-san deactivated the sickle [Vanish].
“Oh, if you can use [Vanish]…”
“?”
“Could you help me clean up these guys?”
“?”
She tilted her head slightly.