Shadows Cast by Light
Just as shadows form when light enters, even the most radiant imperial cities reveal their shadows when one wanders the back alleys. Those driven from the plazas for being filthy and unwashed, the impoverished among commoners forced onto the streets, and even outright criminals and thugs. Such people usually gathered in the back alleys on the city's outskirts. Fewer patrols meant the perfect place for shadows to hide. Unfortunately, that was exactly where I was now, which led to my current encounter with some local ruffians.
"Hey, you deaf or something? I said pay the toll. Don't you know what a toll is?"
Haa... I let out a sigh in my mind. Nothing was going right, so of course everything else had to go wrong too.
"Fine. First, hand over that robe you're wearing. I want to see your face."
Conversation wasn't going to solve this. I reached that conclusion quickly. The way they kept approaching while demanding a toll made it clear they intended to squeeze me for everything I had. Besides, I had no money to begin with. The damn system had only given me a pitiful starting amount, and even that had been spent on beer the first day—beer I hadn't even gotten to drink. Bastard.
That was why I was in the back alley in the first place. Without money, I couldn't reach the city center. In any case, I had not a single coin to give these thugs. Which meant there was only one answer.
Subdue them.
My decision was swift, and so was my action. I swung the wooden stick hidden beneath my robe.
Swing
It was a large, sturdy wooden stick I'd found while wandering outside the city. Wooden sticks were convenient—free, and with almost no lethal force, so I could swing them without worry.
"Aaaagh!"
"Kugh!"
Swish! Swish!
Two of the thugs groaned under my Swing skill. The one struck squarely in the face had blood pouring from his nose. Even though I was close to failing the quest, my current level of 24 was still well above that of ordinary people. A little more effort and I could probably earn a knight's title. These starving street thugs were nothing I couldn't handle.
One down for sure.
Thud!
I gave the second one a matching bloody nose. With those two dealt with, two remained. The big one probably had decent endurance, so I skipped him for now and went straight for the shifty-looking thug beside him. His eyes widened in panic. I swung the stick down from above—
Thwack.
...and it was blocked?
Huh?
When? My attack had been fast and precise. Confused, I looked up. The big thug had grabbed my weapon with one hand. He'd caught my swing with incredible reaction speed.
"...Interesting."
He muttered with a deep scowl, then his foot shot out and slammed into my stomach before I could react.
"Kuhak?!"
Air burst from my mouth along with a dull pain. My feet left the ground entirely.
"Looks like you've been in a few fights, huh?"
The pain in my stomach was intense, but the confusion in my head was worse. How? Weren't these just ordinary street thugs? What was that reaction speed, and what kind of power was in that kick? The thought lasted only a moment. He struck again.
Thud!
His massive fist crashed into my face. This time I didn't even have the chance to groan. Only a distant, overwhelming pain flooded my mind.
"I told you, asshole. This is my territory."
Thud! Thud!
His fists kept pounding into me. I tried to escape, but he had me by the collar. I couldn't get away. Damn it... These weren't simple street thugs after all. They had to be criminals hiding in the city after committing real crimes. Nothing else explained this level of skill. Of all the rotten luck...
After being beaten for what felt like an eternity, I was finally thrown to the ground. It hurt. It hurt so much. My mind was hazy from the pain, as if someone had been hammering my head nonstop. Through my swollen eyes, I could see my own sticky blood pooling on the ground. Meanwhile, the fourth thug seemed to have recovered. Clutching his bleeding nose, he spoke up.
"Kgh...! You bastard... Boss! What should we do with this guy?"
"Strip him of everything worth taking, then bury him outside the walls. If we leave him alive and he rats to the guards, it'll be a pain for us."
"Yes, sir!"
The fourth thug answered energetically and began approaching. Through my blurred vision, I saw the small dagger in his right hand. This was really messed up... The pain, the situation—everything was completely screwed. The tutorial hadn't even started yet, and I was about to die to some third-rate villain. If I died here, what would happen? Would I log out back to my basement room in reality? Or would I just disappear without a trace in this world? As long as the latter was possible, I couldn't just lie still.
"......"
I needed to do something, but my head was too battered to think straight. Meanwhile, the dagger crept closer to the artery in my neck...
Damn it, am I really going to die here...?
Just as that thought began to surface—
"—Ulyse! A blessing!"
"Yes!"
Two women's voices rang out from somewhere in the alley. At the same time, a silver flash streaked above my head.
Slash!
A sharp blue sword sliced across the fourth thug's chest as if cutting through the dark alley itself. A fountain of blood sprayed into the air, and a woman with blue hair appeared before me. For a moment, I could only stare in shock.
"...Huh?"
Camilla de Duke Bright. The heroine of this game and the front-line fighter of the hero's party. She stood before me just four days before the expedition to the Demon Realm. But that wasn't all.
"Camilla, duck."
"Got it."
A massive fireball and an arrow flew over her head. The attacks struck the second and third thugs, as well as the big one.
"Aaaagh!"
The screams of the second and third thugs echoed as they were engulfed in flames. Startled, I turned my head while still lying down. There stood the mage and rogue of the hero's party—Lily Spencer Beatrice and Adel. The red-haired girl and the silver-blue-haired woman glared at the enemies. Both were members of the hero's party as well.
"Kgh! Who the hell are these crazy bitches?!"
"So you're the boss of this area? Surrender quietly. I'll personally escort you to the guards."
With their arrival, the situation ended quickly. The big thug tried his best, even blocking an arrow with his arm, but he was still just a back-alley criminal. Against members of the hero's party, he was subdued in no time.
"...Haa, that's it. We just need to take them in like this."
The battered and broken thugs were tied up and left lying on the ground. The ones who had nearly killed me had been nothing more than that. Was it really this easy...? Still dazed, I watched as one of them approached me.
"Are you all right?"
Ulyse von Yugrasia. A member of the hero's party and the only saintess chosen by the goddess of this land. With her golden hair flowing brilliantly, she looked down at me with a gentle smile. It was exactly the same expression I'd always seen in the game. Even if she had a somewhat sinister side, she was still someone who smiled kindly at the weak and offered help whenever she could.
"Oh dear... You're hurt. Please wait a moment. I'll heal you right away."
She approached and began channeling holy power into me. A brilliant golden energy rose from the air and was absorbed into my body. The pain in my stomach and face gradually faded. By the time the sticky blood stopped flowing from my head and the bruises began to disappear, her treatment was complete.
"Haa... There. The basic treatment is done. There's still some swelling, but it should all be gone by evening."
I couldn't say anything. I just stared at her. Until now, I hadn't been able to react at all. It wasn't just because I was surprised to see the hero's party members before clearing the quest, or because seeing them in person instead of on a monitor felt strange. That wasn't the only reason.
"......"
It was simply because I looked pathetic. Getting beaten to the brink of death by some third-rate villain, while they effortlessly dealt with those same people and extended a helping hand to me—it was such a stark contrast that shame washed over me.
Whether they noticed my frozen state or not, they began discussing something among themselves.
"—As expected, the shadows run deep in these back alleys. To think they'd try to kill someone so casually..."
"It's because the continent is in chaos. With the monsters disrupting public order, the wicked are running rampant."
"First, we need to deal with this man."
After those words, they began whispering among themselves, as if trying to keep their conversation from reaching me. But it didn't last long. Soon the saintess looked at me and handed me a small pouch. It felt heavy enough that I could almost hear the coins clinking inside. In other words, money.
"Huh?"
"Take it. We just finished our journey, so we don't have much... but it should be enough for a set of clothes and a meal."
It seemed I'd already been branded as a pitiful vagrant in their minds. Well, I hadn't washed in days, and my face was a mess from the beating. It was understandable they'd mistake me for one. Only then did I get a proper look at their attire. It wasn't simply luxurious or dazzling. On the contrary, it was quite dirty. Their clothes were worn, frayed, and stained in many places. Just as she'd said, the exhaustion of travel was clearly visible. Yet, looking at them, I felt a sense of beauty. Even though they were clearly tired and weary, even though their travel funds were nearly depleted, they had rushed in without hesitation to help a single person from the back alley and offered their aid so generously. That was more than enough to be called goodness.
But—
"We understand you're going through difficult times because of the Demon King's army. But please, hold on to hope. A day will come when you see the light."
That was exactly why I had to stop them. I had to prevent them from heading to the Demon Realm. There was no hopeful future waiting for them there.
"May the goddess's blessing be with you."
With that, she drew a holy sign and began to turn away. Without thinking, I reached out toward them.
"Um..."
Then I spoke, my voice somewhat weak.
"Do you... have to go to the Demon Realm?"
At the unexpected words from the man they'd thought was a vagrant, their eyes turned toward me all at once.