Abruptly, I was mistaken for a battle-crazed boss.
No, is it ‘the guy’ here?
“Not bad….”
Of course, I was happy to receive a wallet as a kind of initiation gift. But the feeling of excitement wasn’t just because of the weight of my wallet.
What should I say? I somehow ended up in this situation, but the more I think about it, something deep in my heart began to boil.
A few months ago, I wouldn’t have even considered facing off against someone head-on, let alone picking pockets.
But not anymore. The punks in the neighborhood are no longer a source of fear for me…!
Stamina, muscle strength, reach, and so on. Most of my specs are still lacking. But who cares? As long as I fight, I win.
I’ve only dealt with monsters, and the first time I faced a raider, I started off with an ambush, taking them down halfway. I was always flanked by strong allies like Elina and Lydia, so I didn’t notice…
But I’ve grown stronger! I’ve long since surpassed the walls of my past!
Realizing this, it somehow started to make everything in the world seem trivial.
“So this is what it’s like to see through the eyes of a strong person….”
“Oh, Jonah is talking weird again.”
“Shh. He’s probably contemplating which organization to devour next.”
Lemon and Apple, unable to resist chiming in, were meddling with the mood.
“…Lemon, Apple.”
“What is it?”
“Did you call us?”
Obediently, the twins rushed over and stood in front of me, and I began to step on their feet in turn.
Squelch, squelch.
“You guys ruined my vibe, so you’re responsible!”
“What’s with this nonsensical request….”
“I just want you to step harder!”
Thinking she didn’t hear what she said, Lemon tilted her head. Apple was just in ‘let’s have fun’ mode.
I was intentionally stepping lightly, but I didn’t expect them to enjoy it so much.
After a few more solid stomps, I finally released the elven twins.
“Haah. Good. I’ll let this slide.”
“I don’t know what it is, but thank you.”
“Rewards are always welcome!”
“Enough chatter. Go fetch those growling kids over there.”
“Oh! Are we finally going to hunt our next target?”
“I’ll be right back!”
Laughing cheerfully, Lemon and Apple dashed toward the thugs with a fierce vibe.
As the two approached, the tension immediately relaxed, and they happily came closer to me.
The thugs, upon making eye contact, bowed deeply, greeting me with respect. The two former leaders of their group spoke in increasingly polite tones.
“Did you call, sir?”
“Please, share whatever you wish.”
“Uh. I wanted to ask something, but first, let’s settle this. Why were you glaring at each other earlier?”
“Umm… you see, we haven’t exactly been on the best terms for a while now.”
“Since we’re all crammed into this tight area… yes….”
They awkwardly responded. Just for reference, the leader of the first gang I encountered is still knocked out, lying in an alley somewhere.
I covered him with leaves to keep him from freezing on this chilly day. I’m such a warm-hearted guy.
“Really? The past can’t be helped, but from now on you need to get along. At the very least, don’t let me see you fighting. Do you understand?”
“Yes. You mean to say you’ll eliminate one of us if we bicker, right?”
“I will ensure it.”
“…….”
No. I just meant don’t needlessly fuss about. What the hell do those guys see me as?
Scratching the back of my head, I finally spoke up again.
“Alright. Let’s get along. …By the way, do you know of any other thugs besides you? Not the minor ones, but those worth shaking down.”
“Of course….”
“You were planning to take over this whole area from the start, weren’t you?”
“???”
The two marveled at their own conclusion. At this point, I couldn’t be bothered to care.
“So? Your answer?”
“As for any easy targets… there’s definitely Chloe in the south.”
“She is one of the Four Kings like us, but she is no match for a boss. If you head three blocks in that direction, you’ll find her.”
“…….”
The Four Kings in this little town?
Sighing heavily, I poked Lemon, who was still stuck to my side.
“Hey, Lemon.”
“Eek… my side is sensitive… could you touch it more gently?”
“Stop talking nonsense and squat down for a minute.”
“Understood!”
Being a bit of a fool, Lemon obeyed promptly and squatted down beside me.
I hopped onto Lemon’s shoulders. The classic piggyback pose.
“Oh, ohhh…! My thighs are on either side! The soft sensation on my head…!”
“Lemon is so lucky. What do I have?”
Lemon was squealing, while Apple gazed at me with sympathetic eyes. I waved my hand dismissively.
“Lemon, get up now. And Apple… I’ll do something for you next time, so just step back for now.”
“Got it!”
“Looking forward to it!”
The former crew members were gawking at Lemon and Apple with envy, but it wasn’t too important.
“You heard that, Lemon? We need to head that way.”
“Got it! I’ll become Jonah’s feet and run hard!”
“Then I’ll be the hands… Huh? So now if I hit you, am I the main hitter?”
Ignoring Apple’s nonsense, I tugged on Lemon’s long hair.
“Go, Lemon! Full speed ahead!”
“Lemon Lemon!”
Bursting with excitement, Lemon started running with me on her back, while a bit later, Apple and the others chased after us.
Needless to say, they were slower than me. But they moved comfortably and got to breathe the air at a higher altitude, so it was alright.
With the refreshing breeze tickling us for a while, we soon reached a corner three blocks away where a cluster of thugs was huddled together, giggling.
Surprising them with our sudden appearance, I jumped off Lemon’s shoulder, kicking off her shoulder as I sprang into action.
“Whoosh!”
And in mid-air, I spun around and delivered a kick to the head of the nearest thug.
Thud!
“Gah!”
After taking down one, I pointed at the other thugs with my finger and shouted.
“If you quietly hand over your wallets, there won’t be any bloodshed!”
“…This crazy kid! Do you even know where you are?!”
You’d think I was offering to bring a royal gift or something. The thugs, taken aback by my unexpected arrival, saw Apple and the remaining gang members running in behind.
Overwhelming odds against me. Yet shockingly, they chose to fight to the very end instead of surrender.
“How could you be born a girl and bow to a man! Do you have no pride?!”
“Pride doesn’t pay the bills!”
“Pride is worthless.”
Lemon and Apple nodded calmly. The rest of the thugs, though silently, seemed to agree.
The last remaining thug, probably the so-called Four King from the south called Chloe, scanned me up and down with a wicked grin.
“A man should always be beneath a woman in submission. Today, I’ll make you a man!”
“Wow! Did you hear that? I’ve never met someone who talks like that before!”
“Seriously, how can you say that without feeling embarrassed?”
“A man knows that it’s better to be trampled than to trample others, you clueless fool.”
“?”
“?”
Lemon and Apple stared at each other, looking like they were gazing at lunatics. They might’ve just been acting like fools as usual, but perhaps it came off differently to others.
Chloe, a mid-thirties muscle-bound thug, vigorously swung a bat, shouting out.
“What the hell! Go smash him! The first one to catch him can have me!”
Quite the shameless incentive. But it seemed to sufficiently rally her underlings’ spirits. Clearly, I’m such a stunning pretty boy.
Five thugs lunged at me simultaneously. I flashed my hands, signaling that I didn’t need help and then threw my body forward.
With the bonus from my Pathfinding Skill, my superior spatial awareness allowed me to recognize everything around me and find an escape route.
Then, relying on the agility I gained from my pickpocketing skill, all I had to do was move my body in the direction I needed to go.
Whoosh! Whee!
“Uh…?”
“What’s going on?”
Even surrounded, I easily slipped out of their grasp. It was the first time properly using my Pathfinding Skill, and it turned out to be quite effective.
…Though I hadn’t utilized it once for its original purpose of actually finding paths!
Keeping this sense intact, I steadily took down the nearest thugs one by one. Unlike the others, their crimes were more serious, so I used a dagger instead of my bare hands.
Swish—
I didn’t cut deeply. But I chose the weak spots on purpose to display that I could kill anytime I wished.
With vacant expressions, they clutched at their necks and chests, collapsing to the ground or retreating to corners. None were lemonade enthusiasts, but they knew enough to give up.
The last thug, Chloe, still swinging her bat in defiance…
“You’re dead meat.”
I narrowly dodged and snatched the bat from her with my dexterity. Then, I slammed it hard against the back of her head.
Whack—!
Perhaps due to my growing experience, she fainted in one go this time.
Thud!
Stepping on the plump figure sprawled on the floor with one foot, I declared my victory.
“I won! Now this area, the 4th Commercial District, belongs to my Jonah Family!”
“““Woooah!!!”””
The narrow alley erupted with cheers. Just as I felt that was enough and was about to start picking wallets again…
Clank.
With the clear sound of metal, a red-headed woman in bikini armor stepped into the alley.
“I received a report. I see someone I know.”
“……Ah.”
She was dressed quite appropriately today compared to usual, but how could I ever forget that blank expression.
“What’s going on, Jonah?”
The woman’s name was Lydia.
“Well, you see, Lydia… somehow I unified all the thugs in this neighborhood…”
“Dissolve it.”
“I just unified them! Dissolving right now seems a bit….”
Cautiously protesting, I got a flick on the forehead.
Whap!
“Dissolve it.”
“Everyone clear out! The Jonah Family is disbanded as of today!”
As soon as those words left my mouth, the thugs scattered in all directions. They must have been scared of Lydia, who clearly looked like a high-ranking adventurer.
Even Lemon and Apple bolted away in the fray. What traitorous girls.
“So much for world domination… such a fleeting dream….”
As I quietly sighed with my eyes closed, Lydia pulled my ear and said.
“Yep. Good job. Now let’s go.”
“Ow! W-wait a minute!”
“What now?”
“Even if we go, I have to pick some wallets first!”
“…….”
Please don’t look at me like that. Isn’t this just how we survive?
