Through Black Rabbit's explanation, Ren Kuroda and the others finally learned the truth about the fox-eared girl they had met earlier—Lily.
Lily belonged to the Fox Clan responsible for managing No Name's farmland.
Her ancestors had once served Ukanomitama-no-Kami, the deity of harvest and prosperity, and had been granted a fragment of divine authority. That sacred lineage had been passed down through her family for generations.
Lily's mother had inherited that divine spark.
Unfortunately, it had been taken by a Demon Lord.
Still, Lily herself was born into the agricultural branch of the Fox Clan. Even without the divine fragment, she possessed an almost instinctive understanding of crops and soil. Tending fields came as naturally to her as breathing.
The thirty gold coins Ren had barely had time to warm in his hands vanished almost instantly—twenty spent in one stroke.
Black Rabbit's face twitched with visible pain at the expense.
And yet, she couldn't stop smiling.
Because No Name was finally—slowly—coming back to life.
As for the remaining ten coins, Ren had originally suggested visiting the high-end confectionery community Six Scars and buying a selection of premium cakes to bring back and surprise the children.
He was immediately met with Black Rabbit's fierce rejection.
Having endured years of hardship, she did not hesitate to scold him sharply for what she called outrageously reckless spending.
"Funds should be used where they're truly needed!"
Even if the farmland could be restored, they would still need to purchase seeds and agricultural tools. Spending money on luxury sweets right now would be irresponsible.
"Housewife!"
"Cheapskate!"
"Heartless rabbit!"
The so-called "problem children," who had been visibly excited at the prospect of celebrating with a feast—especially Yō, whose imagination had already started conjuring images of mountains of cake—turned on Black Rabbit with merciless teasing.
But no matter how sharp their jabs were, Black Rabbit's resolve didn't waver.
In fact, she confiscated the remaining ten gold coins outright.
Her reasoning was simple:
"Ren seems like the type who would casually waste money, and he tends to spoil the children far too much."
After leaving Thousand Eyes, the group split up.
Ren and Izayoi carried the newly purchased Gift back to No Name's headquarters to test whether it could restore the soil.
Meanwhile, Black Rabbit, Asuka, Yō, and Lily headed into the marketplace to buy seeds and farming tools.
They had originally tried to drag Izayoi along.
But as someone from modern society, he understood all too well how exhausting it was to accompany girls on a shopping trip.
Without hesitation, he shoved the community leader, Jin, forward as a substitute.
Thus, in the outer seven-digit commercial district, Black Rabbit and the others happily enjoyed their time shopping.
It proved once again that regardless of world, age, or race, women possessed inexhaustible energy when it came to retail therapy.
And today was different.
Black Rabbit and Lily were in especially good spirits.
Ren and the others had cleared Lady White Yaksha's Gift Game and earned a substantial reward. The community's land would soon be revived. Financial worries, at least for the moment, were lifted.
For the first time in a long while, everything seemed to be moving in a better direction.
Because of that, their mood—and stamina—were at an all-time high.
Which made things particularly miserable for the only male dragged along as labor.
Jin trailed behind them, his expression utterly numb.
Compared to the physical exhaustion of carrying supplies, it was his inner turmoil that hurt more.
Ren and Izayoi had only just joined No Name.
And yet—
One had already outlined strategic plans for the community's future.
The other had solved their immediate resource crisis.
Meanwhile, he—Jin Russell, the official leader of No Name—felt increasingly unnecessary.
Now his only role seemed to be carrying bags.
No Name was recovering, and he was genuinely happy about that.
But at the same time, doubt crept in.
Was he truly worthy of being their leader?
Wouldn't someone like Izayoi… or Ren… be more suitable to stand at the top?
—
Elsewhere, in the forest region bordering the outer gates—
Gale Gardo was in a foul mood.
That very morning, he had discovered that several of his subordinates had been killed.
Ordinarily, a few dead underlings wouldn't bother him. Gale Gardo was vicious by nature; he didn't mourn disposable pawns.
But these particular men had been among his most productive.
Worse still, their bodies had been found near the forest—practically at his community's doorstep.
His community, Fores Garo, was based in that very woodland.
For members to be killed so close to home—and for them to know nothing about it until after the fact—
It filled him not only with rage…
…but with a flicker of fear.
Fores Garo's hands were far from clean.
They abducted children from other communities. They forced talented individuals to join them. Those who resisted were either killed or sold outside Little Garden.
They had made many enemies.
The only reason they had survived this long was because they had powerful backing—and because Gale Gardo was careful. Before targeting any community, he always investigated thoroughly. He never provoked opponents he couldn't handle.
Yet last night, near their territory, several corpses had been discovered.
The men weren't top-tier powerhouses, but in the outer seven-digit gates, they were more than competent.
And yet—
Each had been killed instantly.
No warning.
No resistance.
Just a single, lethal strike.
The killer had attempted to bury the bodies hastily with dirt.
But against the senses of beastmen, that concealment was laughable.
When Gale Gardo examined the corpses and saw the blade wounds, his face turned ashen.
He hadn't met the attacker face-to-face.
But from those clean, decisive cuts, it was obvious.
The enemy was far beyond his level.
Had he accidentally kidnapped the child of some terrifying big shot?
Was this retaliation?
The thought gnawed at him relentlessly.
The anxiety had made him unusually irritable all day. Earlier, a careless subordinate had earned a slap—one that killed him on the spot.
Now, hoping to ease his tension, Gale Gardo had come out to stroll through the market.
And then—
He saw them.
Black Rabbit and the others, walking toward him.
In the outer seven-digit gates, No Name was infamous.
A community without a banner or a name that had somehow survived to this day—that alone made them noteworthy.
But more importantly—
They had Black Rabbit.
The so-called "Little Garden Noble."
Moon Rabbits were a high-ranking race, typically seen in the upper levels of Little Garden.
In the lower levels, one was a rarity beyond compare.
A crumbling, nearly dissolved community like No Name, yet possessing such a precious existence—
Gale Gardo had long harbored thoughts about that Moon Rabbit.
And today, he was in a particularly bad mood.
Now, by sheer coincidence, he encountered No Name.
Even their timid little leader was present.
Perhaps…
Taking out his frustration on them wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
..
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