บท 16: Chapter 13
After beating the bandits
Breaking the silence, Henrietta's voice filled the air, carrying a playful tone. "You can take your hand off now," she teased.
Mamoru couldn't help but chuckle softly. He felt the warmth of her embrace on his arm, but his grip remained gentle. "Maybe if you let go of my arm first," he responded in a similar light-hearted manner.
It was at that moment Henrietta finally noticed that she was still embracing Mamoru's arm. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly pulled her arm away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"How cute," he said before adding "then, let's loot them" Mamoru rubbed his hands together eagerly, knowing that a substantial sum of money was about to come his way. Oh money, he loves money.
Her eyes narrowing as she watched Mamoru sift through the motionless person's belongings, occasionally extracting a wallet or purse, and ultimately, a huge bag that sent coins sliding to the floor. It was clearly stolen money.
Mamoru looked up, his expression a mix of seriousness and innocence. "What does it look like? I'm collecting this money to return it to its rightful owners."
She couldn't help but chuckle at his act. "Really? That's quite noble of you."
Mamoru nodded vigorously, then handed over all the stuff he had picked to what seemed like thin air and remarked, "Sir, I think it belongs to you."
Without missing a beat, he activated his [Universal Shapeshift], instantly altering his position, tone, and posture to mimic an old man and take on the appearance of an older version of himself. In this new persona, he reached for the items, embodying the role of the elderly gentleman.
As the old man accepted the bag, he responded with gratitude, "Oh, my, you're a fine young man, aren't you? Bless you!"
Mamoru then smoothly transitioned back to his regular voice, wearing a sly grin. "See, it's all about doing the right thing."
Henrietta found herself torn between laughter and concern. This enigmatic man was an enigma, to say the least. Even though he might pose a potential threat to her country, she couldn't help but feel—
Gurgling sounds
"Ahem, thanks to this young man, our lovely lady can finally have a meal," he said, interrupting her thoughts.
….
Seated at a cozy coffee shop, where they savored their drinks and meals, Henrietta's curiosity got the better of her. She leaned forward, eager to seek more information about Mamoru.
Between bites, she asked, "Nom nom, say, was it you who named the little slime?"
Mamoru paused, choosing his words carefully. "I didn't name him."
Henrietta continued, "Both you and the little slime are from the Great Jura Forest, correct?"
Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "The little slime's name is Rimuru. Your King should have provided you with those details when he expelled us from your country," he responded, his tone tinged with sarcasm, dispelling the light-hearted mood she had tried to create.
Sensing her unease and the need to break the silence, Mamoru decided to change the course of their conversation. "Then let me ask you a question. What is your mission, little spy?" he inquired.
Stuttering and feeling the weight of the situation, Henrietta replied, "I... have been ordered to follow you and your companion." She realized the awkwardness in her response and decided to be more straightforward, "Well, Mr. Vampire, what's your role in the Great Jura Forest?" She opted for a more formal tone, attempting to ease the tension.
Mamoru, unfazed by the shifting dynamics, maintained his cool demeanor. "Is it an interrogation? Well, I'm merely protecting a small territory," he answered, addressing her inquiry.
"Ever since Veldora disappeared, some groups of monsters have become more active than before. I managed to prevent a group of direwolves from attacking a goblin village, and now I'm leading them as a unified group." That should be plenty of explanation for now, he continued, aware that she would likely have more questions.
As she digested her meal, she was also digesting what Mamoru had just said. Those were some valuable pieces of information that she could relay to her king if she managed to return alive.
"When you're finished, we'll head out. I'll take care of the bill."
"I'm done!"
With that, they departed. Mamoru made sure to settle the bill, extracting a handful of coins from his bag.
He strode ahead, and she hurried to catch up with him. When she reached him, she discreetly wrapped her arm around his, seemingly to blend in with the crowd and avoid appearing suspicious. Mamoru wasn't sure what they could be suspected of, especially since there was no one around when he dealt with the bandits, but he didn't mind and refrained from complaining.
As they arrived at a raised platform on the town's outskirts, a resounding voice echoed in the ears of everyone present. A burly man shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Vaizel Fight Festival is here! No weapons allowed! Step right in if any of you bastards dare to let your fists do the talking!"
….
Henrietta gazed at Mamoru with a blank expression. It had become apparent that he had omitted certain essential details about the festival. Mamoru, ever nonchalant, scratched his cheek in embarrassment, though he hardly cared about such trivial matters.
"Come on, it'll be a blast. You can cheer me on from the sidelines," he suggested, his smile charming and a thumbs-up accentuating his enthusiasm.
"Mphn, I could also participate, you know," she retorted, her displeasure clearly evident.
"Riiight," he responded, his demeanor remaining calm. "You do realize that we'll be competing against each other." He said this with a composed face, which succeeded in quieting her, even if she tried not to show it.
Without a change in his expression, he continued, "And there are people stronger than me too." He still felt the excitement in his heart.
As everyone was called into the fighting ring, Henrietta positioned herself by the side of it. She, too, harbored excitement in her heart, secretly hoping that Mamoru would at least receive a good thrashing.
"I'll have a glass too, please!" Mamoru said, crouching down to speak to a little pig walking with a barrel on his back.
"But, mister, you're a contestant!" the little pig squeaked.
"Come on, don't you want to make a sale?" Mamoru said with a look of sadness in his eyes.
Just then, a thunderous and high pitched roar announced the beginning of the preliminary round. This round was a free-for-all, with the goal of being one of the eight last fighters standing in the ring. Anything was permitted as long as contestants only used their bare fists.
"What a poor guy, right cap'n ?" A man named Baan said with compassion. What society has become when a man can't even get a beer.
"Hm?" Baan hadn't noticed it, but there was a peculiar look in Meliodaz's eyes when he recognized a hint of familiarity in Mamoru's face. However, that look quickly disappeared as he caught sight of Mamoru's cheerful smile while delivering a devastating uppercut that sent a man into oblivion.
….
According to the original script, only eight contestants would remain standing at the end of the battle. Mamoru pondered, "Now, I have to secure a spot among them. Whom should I eliminate? To make things interesting, it's a choice between that massive guy, the old man, and the two holy knights... Will the draw be the same, I wonder? Ah, I'm not entirely sure."
"Let's go with the big guy, Taizo, then."
Knock, knock. Mamoru tapped the back of Taizo while the big man was preoccupied carrying two other fighters, one in each hand.
Feeling an impact on his back, Taizo flung the two men out of the ring and turned to see who had dared to challenge him. "Another weakling wants to play with me?" he declared confidently.
"You're about 50% right, I guess," Mamoru responded with a bored expression. Beating a buff and cocky man held no entertainment for him at this point. The real fun would come later. As he contemplated this, he regained his smile.
Seeing Mamoru's expression change, Taizo's rage intensified, and he decided to throw a punch with all his might. But Mamoru caught the incoming fist with ease.
"Oh..." a voice filled with disappointment reached Mamoru's ears. If not for his [Universal Sense], he might have missed it, but he did not! The voice belonged to none other than Henrietta!
Mamoru knew he would have to reprimand this mischievous girl later, but for now, he focused on dealing with the punching bag in front of him. His expression darkened.
Sweat dripped from Taizo's forehead, and his senses screamed danger. Trapped in Mamoru's palm, he couldn't move, and Mamoru delivered a powerful kick. Taizo fell to the ground, clutching his injured area.
Gulp
The crowd watching felt their stomachs drop as they empathized with the sensation of having their sensitive areas hurt.
"Mommy..." a faint voice escaped from Taizo.
"No way! The three-time champion won't make it through the preliminary round!"
"Good, I've never liked that guy."
"Nooo! I've mortgaged my house to bet on him!"
….
Contestants who passed the preliminary round: Griamore, Matrona, Howzer, Cain, Old Fart, Meliodaz, Baan, and Mamoru.
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