Chapter 12: How Much Damage Does a Single Slap Do?
"I got to know them through a few circumstances."
Shirou replied with a smile.
Because of Shirou's interactions with the members of the [Loki Familia], the other adventurers in the tavern naturally noticed as well. Those who had previously taunted and mocked him were scared out of their wits, one after another standing up and sneaking out of the tavern in a fluster.
After staying in the tavern a little longer and seeing that the night outside was growing deeper, Shirou paid the bill and stood up, intending to leave.
"Um..."
Hestia looked at Shirou, hesitating to speak.
"What is it?"
Shirou looked at the Goddess of the Sacred Fire in puzzlement.
The main reason he had treated this goddess to dinner today was out of curiosity about the character. Now that he had a preliminary understanding, his interest had faded.
"Wu... Um... Could you lend me some Valis..."
Looking at Hestia, who was fidgeting and lowering her head, Shirou chuckled softly, then pulled a pouch out from his robe.
"There are ten thousand Valis in here. Feel free to use it; I never charge interest when lending money, and there's no time limit for repayment either. Of course, if you run out of money, you're welcome to come looking for me again."
That last sentence sounded practically like a devil's whisper, stirring Hestia's heart. She hurriedly suppressed the thought and shook her head.
"Lending me ten thousand Valis is enough."
The money lent was something this goddess had no way of paying back at her current stage. And Hestia, being lazy and idle at the moment, wouldn't be able to pay it back even if she wanted to.
By the time she truly realized something was amiss, she would probably already be working part-time for Shirou.
Clearly, Hestia didn't realize this at the moment. Having sealed her divine power, she lacked that sharp insight and couldn't see through Shirou's intentions.
"Thank you so much, Orihara~!"
Clutching the bulging coin pouch, Hestia said to Shirou with a face full of gratitude.
"Once I find a job, I'll pay you back as soon as possible."
Having just emerged from her good friend Hephaestus's familia and lost her subsidized lifestyle, Hestia had no idea how long she'd have to work part-time just to accumulate ten thousand Valis.
Soon, the next morning arrived.
The sun shone brightly.
The morning sun rising from the east crossed the city walls, illuminating the streets and alleys of Orario.
Whether it was the white-walled giant tower standing in the center of the city, the solemn Pantheon where adventurers surged like a tide, or the spacious circular arena, everything was bathed in the warm tones unique to early morning.
At the start of the day, the citizens were already full of vitality; numerous humans and demi-humans bustled back and forth on the streets, and the atmosphere of the entire thoroughfare gradually grew lively.
While passing through a narrow alley, Shirou suddenly felt like someone had bumped into him.
"Waaah!" Followed by a cry of pain as someone fell over.
Looking down, he saw a petite girl draped in a gray cloak.
Her hands and feet were overly delicate compared to ordinary humans, revealing that this girl belonged to the Pallum race.
"Are you alright?" Shirou looked down at the Pallum girl and asked.
"Wu..."
The miniature-stature girl stood up. Her chestnut-colored short hair reached her shoulders, and her long bangs in the front covered most of her fair, cute face.
Judging by her appearance, she was still very young, and a pair of amber eyes on her small, delicate cheeks left a deep impression.
There was a look of fear on the girl's face, but it didn't stem from Shirou—it seemed more like it was caused by something else.
"S-Sorry...!"
After bowing and apologizing to Shirou in a fluster, the girl looked back nervously. Hearing approaching footsteps growing closer and closer, she panicked and skirted around Shirou, fleeing toward the back of the alley.
At the same time, angry curses echoed from the front of the alley.
"Don't think you can escape, you damn Pallum!"
A man whose eyes were constantly flashing with fierce hostility came charging over. He looked to be about twenty years old at most, with a single-edged straight sword strapped to his back.
"I'll never let you run away again!"
Displaying a ferocious expression, the man sprinted straight toward Shirou's direction.
"Get lost, you brat! Don't stand in the way!"
In the somewhat narrow alley, if the man wanted to rush past, he had to make Shirou move out of the way. But in his blind rage, he clearly had no intention of doing that, unhesitatingly lifting a leg with the intent to kick Shirou flying.
Looking at the angry, nameless stranger who had charged at him without leaving a single impression on his face, Shirou didn't hesitate in the slightest. He shifted slightly to the left, dodged the flying kick, and swung his right hand fiercely across the man's face.
Shirou swore he had exercised extreme restraint just then, using less than half a ton of force—given an adventurer's physique, it shouldn't have been enough to kill him.
Yet that casual slap from Shirou sent the man's body spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in midair before crashing to the ground like a pile of falling apart debris, causing him to lose consciousness on the spot.
One could only imagine just how much damage that single slap had inflicted upon him.
"Oh well, sparing his life counts as showing mercy."
Shirou casually glanced at the man, who was left with practically only a single breath remaining. Confirming that the target wasn't dead, he left the alley unconcernedly.
Glancing back at the alleyway where the Pallum girl was no longer in sight, the corners of Shirou's mouth curved into a faint smile.
"A familiar character—I don't even need to learn anything extra before putting her to work. Pretty good, actually."
Having confirmed his next objective, Shirou was in high spirits; even the drizzling weather outside turned cheerful in his eyes.
The wind was light, the rain was soft, the sun still hung in the sky, and a rainbow arched across the horizon. Instead of dampening the mood, this kind of weather added a picturesque charm to Orario.
Even while strolling through the rain, Shirou's clothes showed no signs of getting wet at all. His forward pace felt as though it carried the wind, growing faster and faster.
"Let's go register our information at the [Guild] first so it's easier to handle things later."
Soon arriving at the [Guild] that managed the dungeon, Shirou walked straight toward the front desk.
A female elf staff member holding a small booklet in one hand looked up toward Shirou.
"Hello, is there something I can help you with?"
The elf woman named Eina Tulle left a deep impression on most adventurers who visited the [Guild].
She had slender ears, clear emerald-green pupils, and lustrous medium-length brown hair.
Her beautiful features didn't possess the sharp, flawless perfection characteristic of the elf race; instead, they had a more rounded, natural charm.
Her slender figure looked exceptionally good in the Guild's black suit trousers and uniform.
This young lady, who possessed the dignity of a career woman while remaining approachable, was actually a half-elf—a mixture of human and elf.
Looking at Shirou's face and recalling the recent explosive rumors circulating all over Orario about the god from another world, Eina's eyes suddenly widened.
"G-God—?! " Eina stared at Shirou in utter astonishment, her curious gaze practically acting as if she wanted to carve Shirou's appearance deep into her memory.
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