Chapter 174: Felt!
"Don't be stupid. If she doesn't run somewhere crowded now, is she supposed to stay here and actually fight us?"
Shiro casually knocked out the burly thug kneeling nearby. Leaving Subaru with those words, he immediately chased after the girl.
The ability she had displayed while escaping had caught his interest.
According to the thug, it was a special power known as a [Divine Protection].
Unlike a Blazer ability, which someone was born possessing, a Divine Protection was more like a blessing granted to humans by this world.
In game terms, it was essentially a special buff.
And the power the girl had displayed while fleeing was something Shiro knew extremely well.
[Wind].
"Oh, right."
After Shiro pointed it out, Subaru lowered his head and thought carefully.
Putting aside whether that girl was actually the heroine who had summoned them, her earlier behavior made one thing obvious.
She had something important to do.
Whether she won or lost a fight here, she would gain absolutely nothing from it.
Either outcome would simply waste her time.
By the time Subaru finally figured that out and raised his head again—Both the girl and Shiro had disappeared.
Only the three unconscious thugs remained beside him.
"Wait a second! If all of you run off, what am I supposed to do?!"
...
Within the complicated alleys of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, a blond-haired, red-eyed girl darted around like an agile cat.
Her agility was already far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Yet the streak of white lightning behind her continued closing the distance.
"Hey, mister! I seriously won't tell anyone! Can you please stop chasing me?!"
Seeing that Shiro was about to catch up, the girl abandoned all dignity and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Everyone who witnesses a crime scene says they won't tell anyone."
"Relax. It'll only hurt for a moment."
Shiro followed behind her without the slightest urgency.
Every few seconds, the distance between them shortened again.
He wanted to see exactly how far a Divine Protection in this world could go.
"How is that supposed to make me feel more relaxed?!"
Driven to her limit, the girl continued increasing her speed.
To an ordinary person, her body would already look like an arrow fired from a bow, disappearing from sight the instant they looked away.
Their chase soon reached the end of the alley.
Joy immediately appeared in the girl's eyes.
Once she turned the corner ahead, she would reach a bustling main street packed with people.
As long as she made it there, this guy probably would not keep chasing her.
Unfortunately—
Her smile lasted less than a second.
A wall nearly four people tall stood directly in her path.
Like a guard stationed there specifically to stop her, it completely sealed off her escape route.
"You've got to be kidding me... That wall definitely wasn't here before..."
For an instant, the girl felt as though the entire world had turned against her.
She glanced back at Shiro.
Considering the speed he had displayed and the distance between them, there was clearly no time to climb over the wall.
"Wait! Mister! Time out! Time out for a second!"
With escape impossible, the girl frantically waved her arms, signaling for Shiro to stop.
Once he did, she hurriedly continued.
"Look, there isn't some huge grudge between us, right?"
"You're just worried I'll go report you to the knights, aren't you?"
Shiro nodded.
Then, under his surprised gaze, the girl reached inside the black cloth wrapped around her chest and pulled out an insignia.
An elaborate dragon-centered design was engraved upon it.
Unlike an ordinary insignia, the dragon held a faintly glowing red gemstone inside its mouth.
However—That was not what caught Shiro's attention.
Instead, he stared pitifully at the girl's remarkably flat chest.
'So that already tiny space was somehow hiding a gemstone insignia too...'
His mouth opened.
Eventually, only two words came out.
"My condolences."
"Say one more word and I'll kill you!"
Apparently, even this tomboyish girl would explode when the subject touched upon a woman's dignity.
Her red eyes narrowed into catlike slits, and a small fang appeared between her lips.
But combined with her appearance, the expression was not frightening at all.
If anything, it was rather cute.
Still, Shiro suspected that if he said anything else about her chest, she might genuinely bite him.
So he calmly changed the subject.
"So? What exactly are you trying to prove with that insignia?"
Fortunately, the girl did not continue arguing about what had just happened.
Instead, she proudly waved the insignia in front of him.
"You're worried I'll report you, right?"
"Well, I'm actually a thief myself."
"This is something I stole today."
"So? You don't need to worry about me running to the guards anymore, do you?"
Her blunt confession made Shiro fall into thought.
He could detect no sign that she was lying.
If she really was a thief, reporting him to the knights would be the same as walking into a trap herself.
Shiro would no longer need to worry about being chased across the world by the local authorities immediately after arriving.
And her profession offered another advantage.
"Your base."
"?"
"If you really are a thief, then you must have somewhere you normally sell stolen goods."
"Introduce me to that place, and I'll let you go."
Exactly.
If this girl was a thief, then she naturally needed somewhere to sell the things she stole.
Shiro could technically sell the items he planned to exchange for money through legitimate markets.
But explaining where those items came from might become troublesome.
A black market that did not ask questions about an item's origin would obviously be far more convenient.
"Whoa!"
"You looked so experienced when you were robbing those guys earlier, but you're actually a rookie?!"
Shiro's request apparently caused the girl to misunderstand something.
Her red eyes examined him in disbelief.
"Hey, mister. You look pretty talented."
"How about working with me from now on?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Are you taking me there or not?"
"Fine, fine. I'll take you."
"But once your business is finished, hurry up and leave."
"I've got a huge job today."
Remembering the major commission her employer had given her several days ago, the girl's tone became much more relaxed.
She motioned for Shiro to follow and began walking lightly toward the alley exit.
"By the way, I've been running from you for so long, but I still don't know your name."
"I'm Felt."
"If you ever need to hire a thief in the future, remember to come to me first."
"I'll even give you a special discount."
"Your surname?"
"I'm an orphan."
"Something luxurious like a surname isn't for people like me."
"You really don't look like it."
"If anything, you're much more cheerful than the other orphans I've met before."
"Right?"
Felt grinned proudly.
"The people I hate most are the ones who just give up on themselves."
"Here's a secret—my dream is to save enough money and finally get out of the slums."
"I'm sick of living in a place filled with losers who've already given up."
…
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