Pauline decided to continue her journey and not stay in the Bugfolk village, thanks to Lauren’s statement.
“We are outsiders,” he stated. “It’s common to be viewed with suspicion in such close-knit communities. But this is different, they’re avoiding us like we’re ghosts.” Sharin, walking beside him, seemed to feel the same way.
“I don’t feel very welcome,” she commented.
“Yeah, but is there anything that strange about us?”
He supposed it might be strange to see such a large group walking together. The various races present indicated it was unlikely a specific race dominated this place. Harpies, Centaurs, Satyrs… no, was that a Harpy? Wait, one of them only had a wing on one side.
Was he mistaken? But then, one person had a hoof on only one foot. What was going on? Were they half-breeds? Still, they looked different from any half-breeds he’d seen before.
“Let’s find an inn as soon as possible. We’ll handle it this time.”
Last time, they had asked Karubene and Cecilia for help. However, those two had taken considerable damage in their fight with Garlf and should probably rest.
“Then I’ll go this time. Right, Nina?”
“Fine. Hiroaki, you’re in pretty bad shape too, so you should rest.”
It seemed Philiana and Nina would be going. Honestly, his own injuries hadn’t healed yet. His bitten shoulder hurt and he couldn’t raise his arm.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then. We’ll take a break somewhere.”
This town felt ominous. Perhaps assassins were hidden here. And he still couldn’t trust Garlf. Pursuers might have already set up an ambush.
“Hey, I want to get Piyo’s goggles fixed.”
“Ah, right.”
“I’ll go with you. A little walk shouldn’t be a problem,” Cecilia offered.
Could she really move around without issue? Still, if she said she was fine, then it was probably fine.
And so, they split up to spend their time as they pleased. Philiana took Sen no Tsurugi by the hand and led her away. Perhaps because they were the same Centaur type, Philiana seemed like a good older sister to her.
The rest of them stopped at a nearby cafe. The atmosphere inside was calm and simple, but a pleasant aroma of coffee wafted through the air.
“Welcome. Please, have a seat wherever you like.”
The employee was bright and cheerful but when he saw her appearance, he froze for a moment. She… she had another eye on her forehead. Was he mistaken? But no matter how he looked at it, she seemed to have three eyes.
Damn, he shouldn’t stare at people’s faces. He immediately averted his gaze and sat down at a nearby table. For the time being, he ordered drinks for everyone.
What was this town? Was this the hometown of that young assassin boy? If someone told him it was, he might believe it. Now, he had to think about what to do next. If they couldn’t go to the Land of Satyrs, they would have to set a new destination. But right now, it felt dangerous no matter where they went.
And he still had to find Sen no Tsurugi’s family. They were from Bicorn, right? To do that, he first needed to talk to her, but she remained silent. She had said she was Claudio’s disciple… what had that guy done to her?
“Heh heh, c’mon, it’s fine, isn’t it?”
“Hey, please stop.”
The commotion of voices suddenly pulled him back to reality. The source of the voices was the three-eyed waitress from earlier. Another customer was harassing her. Honestly, there were unpleasant people everywhere. He turned to look at the man’s face and his blood ran cold.
W-why? A Dark Elf?! He instinctively recoiled and hid his face. Wait, calm down. Damn it, had Garlf betrayed them? Glancing at Sharin, he saw she was also perked her ears, on guard. What should they do? Discreetly withdraw and gather the others? If Dark Elves were here, his scattered companions could be in danger too.
There were three men behind him causing trouble. Judging by their conversation, they seemed like common thugs. They didn’t look like they were searching for them. Perhaps they weren’t involved, but it wasn’t certain.
“P-please let go!”
“Sir, please stop.”
The cafe owner, unable to watch any longer, intervened.
“Whatcha want, ugly? Three arms. Seriously, these guys here are all freaks.”
“And you’re the one talking to her.”
“Yeah, even if her face is gross, her body can be useful, right?”
“Hahaha, how pathetic.”
“I’ll call the self-defense force.”
“Arrgh? Who do you think is spending money in this poor town?”
Behind him, the sound of a chair being kicked echoed. He also heard the owner’s startled gasp. He should intervene, but the thought of them being discovered made him unable to move. Then, Veronica, seeing the situation, put out her cigarette and stood up.
“Hey, you guys, enough…”
“You guys, stop it!”
Just then, another man cut in. He was a Hunter Harpy with a large build, easily two meters tall. The man who had been a customer stood up from his seat and approached the thugs.
