Ian and his group carefully followed the suspicious figure who had entered the alleyway.
A dim, secluded spot a bit deep into the alley, where people’s eyes didn’t easily reach.
Rin, who was leading the chase at the front, looked back and signaled to Ian.
It was a sign that she had found sothing.
By the ti Ian arrived, the suspicious figure had already vanished from the alley, and Rin was examining the vicinity.
’They went in through this door.’
’Is it a basent warehouse?’
It was an old, abandoned building without an owner.
Since both the location and its condition were poor, and the price surely wouldn’t be cheap either.
It was a place that didn’t look like it would have a new owner for quite a long ti.
The scamr seed to have broken the lock on the basent and was using it as a hideout.
’First... only Lia co in with .’
’What about ?’
’Stay outside and catch them if they try to run.’
’Got it! Leave it to !’
Keeping the non-combatants far back just in case, Ian opened the basent door together with Lia.
Along with the sound of rusty hinges, a set of dust-covered stairs was revealed.
Lia, making eye contact with Ian, nodded and stepped inside without hesitation.
’W-what! Who are you guys!’
Since it was a small place barely fit for one person to hide in, the scamr inside imdiately noticed soone had entered.
Two suspicious figures wearing robes had entered the basent.
Since it was clear at a glance that they hadn’t co with good intentions, the scamr inside imdiately drew a weapon.
’Are you guys from 9th Street? Making such a fuss just because I did a little business in the market for a few days.’
When neither Ian nor Lia replied, the scamr raised a dagger with a nauseating giggle.
’Hehe, only two of you, not even knowing my skills? You’ve made a mistake.’
Holding an ordinary-looking, cheap dagger and taking a stance as if to pounce, the scamr moved first.
’Die!’
The scamr swung his arm wide and threw the dagger he was holding.
From the preparatory movent to it flying toward the two.
It was so embarrassingly slow that both Lia and Ian simply turned their bodies slightly and easily dodged it.
’Wh-huh?!’
As if he hadn’t even considered the possibility of the attack missing, the scamr wore a look of shock upon seeing the two who had effortlessly evaded the throw.
’....’
Lia approached the scamr without a word and swung her fist.
Without even being able to attempt a dodge or a block, the scamr was sent flying by a single blow from Lia’s fist.
’Gack, wait! I surrender! I surrender!’
’Eh, what... he’s weak?’
Rin, who had been peeking inside from behind with a tense expression, murmured.
Having heard the sounds of conversation flowing from within, Rin had been ready to jump in and help at any mont, thinking it was a formidable opponent.
However, the opponent was more of a loser than she could have imagined.
Wondering if it might be an act, Rin stared intently at the scamr with suspicious eyes.
Lia spoke to Rin with an expression that wasn’t particularly surprised.
’How strong could a thug who goes around pulling scams like this be?’
It was only natural that the opponent’s skills were unremarkable.
In this city, there are countless ways for a swordsman to make money.
In such a city, the skills of the bottom-feeders living as back-alley thugs go without saying.
As the fallen scamr was grabbed and dragged out by Lia, the other mbers who had been standing back gathered around.
Mika, coming closer, frowned upon hearing the scamr’s voice and shouted.
’Ah! That’s the voice! The guy who sold the fake magic to!’
’What? Oh, that sucker mage....’
’What! You...!’
Mika swung her staff.
’Kyack!’
On the outside, she looked like a frail mage, but Mika had already grown to nearly Level 20.
Although her strength growth was minimal since she was a mage, it wasn’t a level of power that could be ignored.
The scamr, who had been screaming while being pumled by Mika for quite a while, yelled out.
’Do you have proof?!’
’What?’
’You don’t even have proof that I scamd you!’
’Does that even make sense!’
Mika raised her staff with a furious expression.
...If one were to actually entertain those words, there really wasn’t any.
They hadn’t signed a contract, nor was it notarized by a witness.
There was no way proof could remain for a simple transaction at a street stall.
’Call the guards!’
Even without him saying so, the outside was already a bit noisy from the sound of the fight in the alley.
The guards were already approaching the alley.
’Do you know how close I am with the guards! Doing sothing like this without proof, you’d better be prepared!’
The scamr shouted confidently.
It was ti for him to collect on the value of the drinks he’d bought for the guards to get on their good side.
Of course, since he couldn’t just throw money around, he only knew a few, but that was enough.
In these common, unremarkable disputes, the guards usually ended up taking the side of the person they knew, even if just slightly.
The opponent seed to be a rcenary of so rank, but there was no proof anyway.
If both sides insisted without evidence, usually the side with more familiarity with the guards would win.
In the anti, several guards entered the alley.
’Over here! These guys suddenly barged in and attacked an innocent man like ....’
’Captain Ian.’
Cutting off the scamr’s words, the squad leader who brought the guards spoke to Ian first.
’I received the ssage you sent this morning.’
’Squad Leader Mikhail. You ca yourself.’
’Haha, didn’t I fail to give you a proper greeting when we t last ti?’
It was Second Lieutenant Mikhail of the patrol unit, who had received help from Ian in the forest previously.
Perhaps because he had finally transferred to the city duty he so desired thanks to Leona’s recomndation letter, his face was noticeably brighter than before.
Mikhail grabbed Ian’s hand firmly.
’It’s all thanks to you speaking well of , Captain.’
’....’
In truth, Ian didn’t recall much particularly ’good’ being said about Mikhail.
After a mont of thought, Ian spoke cautiously.
’No. Regardless, they seed to rember your face just by hearing your na.’
’Is that so!’
He didn’t make up words that weren’t true.
The man himself was happy, so that was enough.
Ian nodded without saying anything.
’By the way....’
After finishing his quite long greeting, Mikhail’s gaze shifted to the side.
The scamr’s complexion had turned deathly pale upon seeing Ian, who seed to have a genuine connection with the guards.
Since if neither side had proof, the cri would be decided based on one’s relationship with the guards.
’Is this the guy?’
’Yes. He’s a scamr.’
Mikhail’s gaze turned toward the inside of the basent.
’Illegal squatting as well. A serious cri indeed.’
The scamr ultimately couldn’t say a word and was dragged away by the guards.
Ian pointed to the basent and spoke subtly to Mikhail.
’Ah, one mont. One of our mbers was scamd. May we retrieve so items from inside?’
’Go ahead.’
’Mika. Co here.’
’Ah, yes!’
Taking Mika down the stairs, Ian quickly found the money pouch the scamr had hoarded in the basent.
Ian took out 7 gold coins that Mika had lost to the scamr and gave them back to her.
’Huh? Captain, I only lost 5....’
’You’re honest. Here, take the remaining silver too.’
Ian gave all the coins in the pouch to Mika.
It wasn’t like a contract or notarization remained.
In street stall transactions where there was no physical evidence, slight discrepancies were bound to occur.
’...Huh?’
Having returned the money, Ian’s gaze paused just as he was about to leave the basent.
Since it was the hideout of a scamr who dressed up worthless items to look expensive before selling them, everything inside was fake.
However, Ian’s gaze stopped on one particular item among them.
Ian quietly picked up an old book and tucked it into his robe.
’Did you find the item?’
’Yes. Luckily, it was still there.’
’That’s good. We’ll handle the rest.’
Since he had an acquaintance who was eager to help, the complex and annoying procedures were largely skipped.
After exchanging greetings with Mikhail, Ian was able to leave the scene just like that.
＊ ＊ ＊
On the way back to the base after perfectly resolving Mika’s issue.
Amidst the excited atmosphere of everyone chatting about today’s events as they walked, Ian handed a book to Mika beside him.
’Here, Mika. I’m giving you this.’
’Huh? What is... this?’
What Ian held out was one of the old books that had been piled up in the hideout.
Mika accepted it with a puzzled expression.
’There happened to be one real magic to in there.’
’...Pardon?’
The scamr who had been selling old books by dressing them up to look like magic tos.
Ian had discovered that one real magic to was mixed in among the fake ones piled there.
The man himself probably didn’t even know. If he had, he wouldn’t have needed to pull scams; he would have sold it for a high price long ago.
’M-magic to? This is?’
’Yeah. You said you wanted to learn new magic, right? It’s yours.’
Was there such a thing as fate after all?
She had been scamd and had half-given up....
Looking down at the magic to that had eventually ended up in her hands, Mika murmured in a voice filled with emotion.
’Finally.... Can I also learn an area-of-effect attack spell now?’
’...Huh?’
As Ian looked at Mika with a puzzled expression, Mika also asked with a confused face.
’Is it... not an attack spell?’
’I never said it was.’
...Now that she thought about it, that was true.
An attack spell was rely Mika’s wish.
Since the magic to was discovered by chance, the probability of it being the magic Mika wanted was almost zero.
’Well, I want to learn an AoE spell that sweeps away monsters....’
After a mont of thought, Mika cautiously spoke her requirents to Ian.
However, Ian shook his head as if that was absolutely impossible.
’There’s no way a scamr like that would have sothing like that, even by accident.’
’I see....’
For starters, to use a large-scale AoE spell like Mika wanted, simply learning one spell wasn’t enough.
One had to possess several auxiliary traits specialized for area attacks—like [Wide-Range Destruction], [Elental Dispersion], or [Explosion]—to produce such power.
In short, it ant talent.
’I see....’
Mika’s head slumped low.
She was very grateful for the magic to.
But another auxiliary spell.
It was a result satisfying only to Ian.
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[Mana Infusion]
- [Link] Attribute Magic
- Consus MP to restore an ally’s MP
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