Black Iron Magician

「So, what’s going on? I felt like you were observing us, but you kept silent not because you were afraid of these men, right?」

「You noticed that much, huh…. Yeah, that’s right. We were testing you. Ah, please don’t misunderstand. We’re not doing it to harass you because you are young girls. It’s Snowtail’s custom to test unfamiliar faces who came to the guild, especially young people like you who look like newbies.」

Haruna and Chinatsu looked at each other again. It seems that they really have no ill will.

「Err, why?」

「I think you can understand since you came here through the mountains. Snowtail is a closed country. It has never been invaded by other countries, but merchants also rarely come here. It’s a country with scarce resources and it needs to make up for every aspect on its own. It’s the same with people. We can’t just let them die for nothing. That’s why we will make sure of how the newcomers will act when they got caught in a dilemma like this.」

「Oh, I see. If they run away when threatened, they have no value as adventurers. And if they decided to face it, you can tell their personalities by how they solve it. In this Jiba continent, Snowtail is a place designated as a place with atrocious monsters that are equal to the ones appearing in Galdevalan. Setting aside the method, I think it’s not wrong to test their suitability.」

「O-Oh, I didn’t think you would be able to understand that far. You have a great insight, huh…. And you are really a big deal that you made them scared from the bottom of their hearts with pressure alone. I’ve been an adventurer here for a long time, but I’ve never seen a solution that severe.」

「Ehehe~. Err, I’m sorry….」

Knowing the circumstances, Haruna bowed her head deeply to the two who wet their pants while feeling awkward.

「No, we are the ones who should apologize! We were not skilled enough as the observers that we couldn’t see through your true strength. Also, these two were getting carried away. We are really sorry. Come on, you should apologize too!」

「Auh…! We’re sorry…!」

「P-Please don’t kill us…!」

The two lowered their heads more than Haruna’s, and their foreheads touched the floor. Perhaps remembering Haruna’s bloodlust, their hearts are still being grabbed by fear. Although the floor is now clean, they really look miserable.

「I understand your situation well. We don’t want to cause any more trouble, so we’ll just leave it at that. Haruna, are you okay with that?」

「Yes, I personally feel better now.」

Saying so, Haruna and Chinatsu passed by the men who are in dogeza state. Knowing that they were heading toward the reception counter, some adventurers who were standing on the way took the initiative to make way for them. They moved so quickly.

「Somehow, I feel like we did something bad….」

「I’m sorry, Chinatsu-chan. Maybe I should have suppressed the intimidating power a little more….」

「No, you don’t need to apologize. More importantly, let’s quickly finish our business here. The time is limited after all. Excuse me, we’d like to sell some monster materials――」

When the two started talking at the guild’s reception counter, the adventurers who were gathering gradually returned to their original place. The two unfortunate men sat at the table in the tavern for the time being. Probably feeling that they survived, or maybe they still can’t fully understand the situation, they are staring at the ceiling in a daze as if their souls have come out. A middle-aged adventurer, who is said to be the most powerful in this guild, came to them with beer mugs in both hands.

「Yo, I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your mind, but just drink this and rest for today. It’s on me.」

「Ah, Senpai….」

「Thank you very much….」

This middle-aged adventurer was one of those who stopped Haruna’s intimidation, and he usually takes care of young adventurers. The adventurers in this town adored him because of his ability and caring nature. The thugs are no exception―― rather, he took the initiative to scout those people and rehabilitate them.

「I’m sorry for showing such a disgraceful figure. It’s like I’ve brought disgrace on Senpai…. I’m really sorry!」

「M-Me too, I’m sorry for the trouble! You have trained us this far, but we did that foolish thing….」

「No, it’s okay. It couldn’t be helped. If I were in your position, receiving that bloodlust directly…. Uwaah, I don’t even want to think about it. Even I will wet my pants too. Hahaha!」

「S-Senpai, please don’t tease us~」

The adventurer laughed heartily, and the thugs regained their energy a little. He was joking like this to cheer them up. Even when they met for the first time, they fought him, defeated by him, and before they knew it, they were drinking shoulder to shoulder. It’s the same as that time. This person is always there to guide them through the worst of times. With that in mind, the shame disappeared, and their smiles returned to their faces.

After laughing for a while, the adventurer drank the liquor in one go and exhaled loudly. After confirming that the thugs have regained their energy, he made a slightly serious face.

「Just between you and me, what do you think about those girls?」

The adventurer looked at Haruna, who was leaning back and resting her elbows on the reception counter, and Chinatsu, who was talking with the receptionist, for a moment, and asked the two. The two didn’t expect it, so they hesitated.

「Eh? Let’s see…. It’s a little hard to imagine. However, I understand that she’s far stronger than us even though we didn’t exchange blows directly. Right?」

「Yeah. It’s kind of pathetic, even though we’ve been killing monsters for a living….」

「You are not pathetic. You guys have reached level 3 the other day, right? You’ve become full-fledged adventurers. You can be proud, you know?」

「T-Thank you very much! …… By the way, what do you think about them, Senpai? You are level 4 and the strongest here, right? If it’s you, Senpai, those girls――」

「――I can’t. I’ll be killed instantly without even being able to fight back.」

「「Eh? No way….」」

‘Is that another joke? Is he trying to make us laugh again?’ The two thought so and smiled bitterly, but the adventurer didn’t change his expression.

「Those girls are monsters among monsters. Listen, don’t ever be hostile to them, okay? This is a warning. Well, I couldn’t understand the difference in power before that girl let out her bloodlust, though. I gathered my courage as I could, but I don’t think I can get in front of those girls anymore. I probably won’t be able to save you next time.」

Under the table, the adventurer’s legs are trembling terribly. With his many years of experience, he understood how powerful the girls are. He can barely keep the upper body calm in front of the thugs, and he really wants to escape from this place as soon as possible.

「Err, Senpai…?」

「I’ve warned you, okay? Sorry, but I’m going back now and go sleep. I feel sick and I feel like I’m about to throw up….」

The adventurer stood up, paid the bill, and left the guild in a hurry. As for the thugs, they could only see him off dumbfoundedly.