Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Spring and Yuria's Chocolate Donuts (3)
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I arrived at the Twins' parts shop to find it in the midst of heavy construction.
The clatter of tools filled the air, and the sight of the ceiling and floor completely torn out was quite striking.
I wondered if something had gone wrong with the shop.
Hugging the bag to my chest, I curiously hopped up and down to peek inside.
A fierce-looking man who was watching the site from the entrance seemed to notice me and spoke up.
“Oh, you’re… the young lady from the general store?”
“…”
“What brings you here? Do you need some more parts?”
He was a rather intimidating-looking man, his face covered in all sorts of piercings.
But his tone, though blunt, was quite friendly.
The man's name was Verd.
Of the twin brothers known as the Twins, he was the younger one, a parts specialist.
‘Mr. Verd looks as scary as ever today. I’d believe it if someone told me he was an executive in some violent gang.’
It wasn't just the piercings; he had blonde hair with differently colored roots, as if dyed, and was covered in tattoos.
In my past life, his face would have been scary enough to intimidate me into leaving immediately.
But he wasn't a frightening person by nature, and now I had the power to protect myself.
Unfazed, I confidently pulled the defective part from the bag.
Verd strode over, took the part, and his face crumpled as he spoke.
“Whew, I’m really sorry about this mistake. I should have replaced it with a working one right away… We’ve been having a lot of line connection issues around here lately.”
“…!”
“Thanks for being so understanding, miss. Right, I’ll get you a proper one immediately. Please tell Mr. Greg I’m sorry. I’ll give him a better price on our next deal.”
“…”
Verd scratched his head, looking ashamed.
It seemed he hadn't been able to take Greg's call because he was in the middle of renovating the shop.
He seemed genuinely sorry, so I just shook my head lightly to show it was okay.
If it had been truly urgent, Greg would have come to exchange it himself.
And since he admitted his mistake and apologized right away, there was no reason to blame him.
Even respectable adults make mistakes sometimes.
‘…Still, it’s a relief his older brother isn’t here. That guy makes it so obvious he likes me that it’s uncomfortable. The younger brother, despite looking this scary, is perfectly normal.’
I was glad his brother was away.
Feeling a sense of relief, I exchanged the part for a working one and left the shop right away.
They seemed busy with construction.
There was no reason to linger, and we weren't close enough for that anyway.
As I retraced my steps with a much lighter heart.
I noticed a sound echoing from not too far away.
“…mand! …t once…!”
“…Waaaaaah!”
I didn't hear any gunshots, but it was a commotion that sounded far from ordinary.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I trotted over to see what was happening.
After turning a few corners and getting closer to the source of the noise, I found a crowd of metahumans filling the street.
Were they campaigning here too, just like before?
Tilting my head, I perked up my ears to find out.
“…The Fixer Association must immediately reveal the secrets concerning Tempest! Reveal them!”
“The citizens have a right to know the truth! Don't insult us with your clumsy lies!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
So it was a protest. That was unexpected.
It was a rare sight in Nighthaven, so I quietly watched the demonstrators.
Then, a chicken-like metahuman from the center of the crowd raised his voice as if to explain the situation.
Listening silently, I gathered that their claims were roughly as follows:
Tempest was an absolute master of magic whose influence extended beyond the Fixer world to the entire globe.
It was incomprehensible that he would step down as mayor for a simple reason like deteriorating health.
Therefore, Tempest must have been seriously injured in some recent incident.
And the Fixer Association was intentionally covering it up to protect their own reputation.
Well, they said a lot, but that was the gist of it.
Understanding the general idea, I nodded quietly to myself.
It was highly likely that the organizers of the protest knew what had actually happened.
‘With this level of accuracy, did internal information leak? No, if it had, their claims would be more aggressive. So the source of the story is probably… the Metahuman Liberation Army.’
The Fixer Association was convinced Tempest was in a state nearing retirement.
He relied on the magical power from his Dragon Heart for most of the energy needed to sustain his body.
With a problem in something as crucial as his Dragon Heart, that conclusion was inevitable.
However, since this news would have a massive global impact.
They were publicly being vague, saying he needed at least six months of recovery.
‘So if the source of the protesters’ claims is the Metahuman Liberation Army… they wouldn't have a way of knowing the exact extent of Tempest’s injuries. That’s why they have to be somewhat uncertain and prod at it clumsily like this.’
In that case, this was a protest the Fixer Association had no reason to respond to.
I figured someone would probably arrive to handle it soon.
Just as I was thinking that, a small dot in the high sky suddenly began to grow larger.
Had they fired a missile?
No, the small dot was, coincidentally, the shape of a pitch-black person flying at high speed.
“The Fixer Association must immediately reveal the secrets…!”
“Huh? Wait a minute. Up in the sky, what’s that…”
“U-Ugh! Everyone, get down!”
*CRASH!*
The shadow that fell from the sky landed on the street, generating a tremendous blast of wind.
The pressure was so strong that even the protesters, who had been shouting nonstop, flinched back.
As I stood a short distance away, clutching my wildly whipping hair.
A black-haired woman appeared, standing tall in the crater her impact had made in the road.
She had long hair that reached her waist, two horns on either side of her head, and a thick tail that made its presence known behind her.
The beauty, with her amber eyes and an aura as sharp as a blade, immediately declared in a chilling voice.
“Tsk, illegally occupying the street to hold an unauthorized protest. I’ll give you five minutes. Disperse immediately. Anyone still here after that will get a taste of a holding cell.”
“Hmph… W-Who are you! Are you using force to suppress ordinary citizens! Don't you know this protest is a brave act for all metahumans!”
Perhaps her cold, resolute statement had provoked a backlash.
The man with the cockscomb, who had been leading the protest, contorted his face and shouted.
But the woman’s expression didn't change one bit as she approached him.
Then, with a murderous aura that seemed capable of easily killing someone, she retorted.
“If you're asking for a name, I'll give you one. My name is Shiroko. Do you have any idea how many citizens you’re inconveniencing with this pathetic protest? What you’re doing isn’t changing the world; it's just noisy public disturbance that’s a nuisance to everyone.”
“Ugh, what…!”
“So, shut up and get lost. I’m more irritated right now than I’ve ever been.”
A crushing pressure, like being in the eye of a storm, consumed the space.
It was as if a powerful low-pressure zone had unfolded with Shiroko at its center.
Her presence was so overwhelming that one could tell at a glance she was a magician of considerable skill.
The other protesters nearby, sensing the grave atmosphere, darted their eyes around, taking in the scene.
“Grrgh…! Shut up! Don’t interfere!”
But perhaps the man with the cockscomb, who seemed somewhat desperate, didn’t have the sense to notice.
He reacted fiercely, reaching out a rough hand toward Shiroko.
Even if he resembled a chicken, he was still a metahuman.
His gnarled hands and sharp, blade-like claws held the power to harm others, but…
“Foolish.”
“Gah?! Aaargh!”
With a light flick of her palm, a fierce whirlwind instantly enveloped the man.
The tornado, spinning with incredible force, shot upwards and tore a scream from him…
When the wind died down, the battered man collapsed to the ground, the whites of his eyes showing.
It was an absurdly precise storm magic that had injured only the man with the cockscomb.
Shiroko quietly looked down at him lying helplessly on the ground, then let out a deep sigh and glanced around, speaking bluntly.
“The rest of you, disperse quickly. Unauthorized protests that can lead to armed conflict are a clear criminal offense in Nighthaven. If you leave now, I’ll overlook it. Of course, if you choose to stay… that’s a different story.”
“Th-The man over there…”
“This one will be handed over for trial as the ringleader. If you have any complaints, I’ll hear them.”
“N-No! None at all!”
Perhaps because her display of power was so overwhelmingly impressive.
The illegal protesters who had gathered around the cockscombed man hesitated for a moment before scattering in all directions.
Once the street, which had been so chaotic just moments ago, became quiet as if nothing had happened.
Shiroko turned her gaze to the citizens who had gathered as if to watch a spectacular fight.
Do something like this, and you could be severely punished.
Her gaze seemed to serve as a warning to the onlookers.
“…”
“…?”
Shiroko’s gaze naturally met mine as I watched the situation.
She watched me silently for a moment, then furrowed her brow slightly as if puzzled.
But she quickly lost interest, turning her head away.
She effortlessly lifted the unconscious man with one hand and promptly left the scene.
To appear in an instant and end the situation just like that.
She was truly a person like a storm.
‘…That was an interesting sight. Well then, I should get back on my way.’
Nighthaven really never has a quiet day.
I looked at the now-empty street, then spun around and headed back the way I came.
But perhaps because I had taken a slightly different route to watch the commotion.
A savory smell that made my stomach twist with hunger suddenly wafted to my nose.
This was, without a doubt, a delicious smell!
Wiping the drool from the back of my hand, I moved deliberately, as if drawn by a magnet, following the scent.
“Ba…”
The place I finally reached was, coincidentally, a bakery with its door wide open.
Because I happened to be a little hungry, I couldn't stop drooling.
Just as I was about to step inside, a thought gave me pause.
Was it okay to get sidetracked like this? Shouldn't I give Greg the part first?
But such a shallow thought was easily shattered by the sight of the glorious bread displayed before me.
No, how on earth was I supposed to resist warm, freshly baked bread?
Since it had come to this, I'd just buy some bread for Greg and Karen too.
Having made up my mind, I straightened my back and strode confidently into the bakery.
“Welcome!”
“…!”
“Oh, that mask… Could it be?”
And there, I came face to face with a very unexpected person I hadn't seen in a long time.
It was none other than the baker… from whom I had received help during my time as a ghost of the back alleys.