I'll Do It with My Hands
Whether in terms of intellect or physical might, Labin possessed rather ambiguous stats.
In terms of combat power, she was below even Arciel.
Of course, a Saint who was both a healer and a martial artist was an anomaly in her own right.
But in terms of intellect, she couldn't match a mage or a shield knight.
Even so, she had elevated her survival skills and status by making objective judgments and leveraging her strengths accordingly.
However, that was only when she was the enforcer of a mere street gang.
Much like Arciel, Labin was utterly hopeless when it came to desk-bound politics.
"Well, you see, when it comes to the demons... we shouldn't unconditionally define them as enemies just because of some deep-seated historical grudge. That's what I'm saying."
"You merchant hack! Those demons are trying to slaughter us all! They're the ones trying to wipe us out first, so how are they not our enemies?"
"Well, you see, this is how the economy works. You buy what you want with money! You sell what others want for money! So, if the demons are also beings with desires—wanting to buy, wanting to sell—then we shouldn't unconditionally brand them as enemies. We must first view them as business partners. That's what I'm saying."
No matter how hopeless she was at politics, she wasn't so blind that she couldn't see through this farce.
Dumbfounded, Labin listened to the pointless bickering between the mercenary and the merchant with her mouth slightly agape.
"I don't know anything about the economy! I just know they're the bastards trying to shove blades down our throats! As the Mercenary Guild responsible for the security of Waltercroix, opening trade with demons is completely pointless! We don't know when they'll stab us in the back! For absolute safety, we must eliminate every single risk factor! We should slice the throat of every demon we find on the spot!"
"Well, then how does the Mercenary Guild plan to root out the demons hiding inside Waltercroix? Will they just come out if you yell, 'Come out so I can kill you'? Whether you want to trade with them or kill them all, you have to get them to show their faces first. We should lure them out by saying we want to do business and inviting them to the negotiating table. If you just run around waving weapons, you'll ruin everything. That's what I'm saying."
Wondering if she was just too uneducated to comprehend their genius, Labin glanced around, but the thieves under her command were also frowning or wearing blank expressions.
Even Adora looked the same.
Look at these clowns.
Suppressing the urge to flip the conference table right then and there, Labin prayed fervently.
She hoped Rin and Lucy would subdue the magic beast market quickly.
Once they did, she could finally fling this round table away with satisfying force.
And then she would rip those nonsense-spouting mouths wide open.
Such pleasant imaginations were the only things keeping Labin sane at the moment.
Lucy's fingers were itching with anticipation.
Not just her fingers—her legs were twitching, eager to dash forward.
This was her first battle since recovering her limbs.
I want to show Rin how cool I can be.
Having been pushed around by Labin lately, Lucy had been feeling quite disheartened.
With Rin showing her only the bare minimum of attention, she had been burning with anxiety.
But now, the perfect opportunity to prove herself had arrived.
A subjugation mission that would be child's play for someone of her caliber.
The plan was simple.
Go to the black market smuggling magic beasts, beat everyone to a pulp, and secure the beasts.
Conveniently, the conference hall was close to the black market.
Once they signaled that the market was secured, Lucy would take Rin to the conference hall and capture Reinfold's two lackeys.
Reinfold.
The very name made her blood run cold.
The despicable man who had deceived her for three years.
The man who had made her realize just how terrible her judgment of men was.
The greatest stain on her life.
If not for Rin's orders, she would have grabbed the lackeys immediately, wrung Reinfold's location out of them, and set off to kill him.
As long as that man drew breath, Lucy felt a gnawing anxiety that she could never truly be loved by Rin.
Even if she didn't hunt down the other enemies herself, Reinfold was someone she had to tear in half, even if it meant parting from Rin for a brief moment.
She would choke the life out of him and show Rin.
She would prove that she had completely swept away her foolish past.
She would present the left half of Reinfold's vertically split corpse as a symbol of her pure devotion, and the right half as proof of her unwavering loyalty.
And then she would say:
"I love only you."
Just the thought of it made her body flush with heat.
There were many obstacles to overcome to win Rin's love, but erasing Reinfold's existence was a massive step.
Once he was gone, no matter what she said, Rin would never associate her with Reinfold again, unlike during that conversation about ideal types.
The black market merchants stared at her with deep unease as she let out a faint, creepy giggle.
"Lucy, get ready."
When Rin whispered, Lucy snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.
Closing her eyes to sense the demonic energy, it didn't take long for her to detect the chaotic presence of magic beasts.
"Yes, this is the place."
It was indeed very close to the conference hall.
The layout was designed so that once they were ready, they could immediately link the evidence to Labin and publicly expose the traitors.
But Labin was no pushover either.
Aside from the thieves she brought to the meeting, hundreds more were on standby at their headquarters, the guild house.
In contrast, the force sent to subdue the black market consisted of only two people: Rin and Lucy.
This was solely because Rin had insisted on it.
In truth, the enemies here were minor event-level mobs.
The ones they actually needed to watch out for were the two traitors of the Triumvirate they would face next, and the member of the Demon Hero party who could appear at any moment.
In short, they just needed to secure this place quickly and meet up with Labin.
"Welcome! What are you looking for?"
A bald thug greeted Rin and Lucy.
Ignoring Rin's mild-mannered appearance, the bald man openly leered at Lucy's chest, which made quite a presence even through her clothes, and licked his lips.
"Well, well, gorgeous. The lingerie shop isn't here. There's a place over there that handles H-cups and up. Want me to show you the way?"
"Excuse me."
"Ah~ they look so heavy. Should I hold them for you on the way?"
"Excuse me."
"Hey, butt out. I'm talking to the lady here. Got a problem?"
A thug to the bone, the bald man snapped in irritation at Rin for repeatedly interrupting.
Raising an eyebrow and leaning forward in a classic bully posture, the bald man scowled, trying to look intimidating.
"Ah, fuck, what did you come to buy anyway? I'll get one of my boys to show you around, so just take a look and get the hell—Guaaargh!"
Crunch.
"Baldy, what's with that attitude toward Rin?"
Lucy was the first to snap.
Grabbing his face with one hand, she lifted him off the ground, her grip crushing his cheekbones.
"Apologize to Rin."
"Squeeeaaak!"
"I said apologize, you chrome-dome bastard."
"Gyaaaaargh!"
There was no way a man with fractured facial bones could speak properly.
His trembling, pig-like squeals quickly drew the rest of the gang.
"Who goes there!"
"Whoa, look at the racks on that chick."
"You idiot! Can't you see she's crushing Max's skull?!"
There were about several dozen of them.
Hmm, matches the number Adora gave us.
Rin took a step forward.
"I heard you have magic beasts here?"
"How did you...?"
"I'll pay you. Sell them to me."
"Those aren't for sale!"
Using big words, are we?
"Why? Because smuggling magic beasts and demons carries the death penalty? But you've already brought them in, so there's no reason to be scared now, is there? Sell them to me. That way, we're in the same boat."
"Don't talk nonsense...!"
"Wait, hey! How much did you bring?"
Apparently, someone was curious about the price.
Rin dryly pointed his thumb at Lucy.
"She'll handle it with her hands."
"Wh-what?"
"Rin, what do you mean by that?"
"Huh? What do you mean, what do I mean? Exactly what I said. She has no choice but to do it with her hands anyway."
The black market thugs began to murmur, and a flustered Lucy questioned Rin.
But Rin spoke with pure innocence.
"Be honest, Lucy. You don't have a sword, right?"
"...!!"
"Then you have no choice but to handle them with your hands."
"Ah..."
Lucy went to cover her burning face, only to realize her hand was covered in the bald man's snot and drool, which instantly irritated her.
"Hey! You only doing it with your hands? I prefer feet!"
"Huh...? I never said she'd only use her hands. It's better for us if she uses her feet too."
At that, the black market gang cheered.
"Oooooh!!! She does feet too!"
I don't know why, but they seem happy.
While Rin let out a dumbfounded chuckle, Lucy's expression grew colder by the second.
"So, are you going to sell the magic beasts?"
"No, quite the opposite."
The thugs drew their weapons.
"We're going to kill you, and that bitch is going to use not just her hands and feet, but every part of her body to please us."
Wow.
Rin was genuinely impressed.
They had just watched their bald buddy's face get pulverized, yet they were still letting their lower halves dictate their actions?
"Whatever. Who's the boss here?"
He wanted to at least drag back the beggar who had been paid to pose as the black market boss.
He was an important witness.
"If you mean that bald bastard, he's already lying right there. He paid us a lot, so you'll have to work your body extra hard to make up for his share."
Well, that's ruined.
Why did that beggar act like such a thug?
Rin pulled a pair of leather gloves from his Luggage Carrier's Bag and handed them to Lucy.
"It'll be more annoying if any of them escape and spread the word, so let's just kill them all."
"Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Rin personally helped her put on the gloves as he spoke.
"They said nasty things to you. Don't show them mercy."
"...Yes! I knew it, Rin, you're the only one who cares about me!"
Rin gently wiped the corners of Lucy's eyes as they welled with tears.
"Now, go get them, Lucy."
"Okay!"
Lucy spun around with a bright smile.
But the expression the thugs saw when the Hero faced them was completely devoid of life—utterly hollow.
Crack!
A single kick instantly shattered one thug's head.
"You said you preferred feet, right?"
She ground her foot against the floor to wipe off the brain matter.
"H-Hieeeek!"
"R-Run...!"
Finally grasping the situation, the black market thugs scattered and began to flee.
"You can't leave. Rin told me not to let you live."
Lucy swiftly gave chase.
And then, Rin realized something was wrong.
"Huh?"
Lucy had run off after the fleeing thugs.
Rin was left all alone.
And right behind him stood about three stragglers who had frozen in fear instead of running.
"Uh..."
Rin and the stragglers stared blankly at each other.
"Oh, damn it!"
Rin snapped to his senses and pulled a shield from his Luggage Carrier's Bag just as the stragglers lunged at him.
Slash!
A dagger grazed Rin's cheek, and the scent of his blood wafted into the air.
It took only an instant for that scent to reach her, the one hiding her identity nearby.
"...Rin?"
She bit her fingernail, trembling with rage.
"Who on earth dared to touch you...!"
"Information officer? What's wrong?"
A thief waiting in the conference hall asked, but Adora completely ignored him.
"Go tell the boss."
"Information officer, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"Tell her to prepare for battle."
"Hey, information officer!"
Despite the thief's calls, Adora vanished from the spot.
Or rather, she dissolved into thin air.
"What in the world is going on...!"
Just then, shouting erupted from the conference table.
The Mercenary Guild and the Merchant Guild were trying to frame Labin as a traitor.
"We mercenaries only know how to fight and conquer! But thieves know how to trade!"
"Well, you see, we merchants use trade as our weapon, but thieves also know how to conquer through force. That's what I'm saying."
Labin shook her fist, confronting the two of them.
"What kind of riddle is that?! You've been talking like absolute retards from the start, and now you're using that garbage logic to frame me, you idiots!"
A tense war of words and insults ensued, neither side backing down.
But a moment later—
Awoooooooo—!!!
"What was that?!"
Along with the sharp howl of a beast, their surroundings began to crumble.
The very building they were using as a conference hall disintegrated as if it had never existed in the first place.
Amidst the collapsing debris that scattered like smoke, Labin saw it.
"A unique... mutant...?"
A wolf magic beast the size of a house, surrounded by a pack of hundreds of smaller wolf magic beasts.
"Where's Lee? Information officer! Find Lee!"
"Boss! The information officer has left her post!"
"What kind of bullshit is that?!"
The sudden turn of events was too fast for her brain to process.
Labin could only worry about Lee.
Staring straight at her, the unique mutant howled once more.
Awoooooooo—!!!
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Labin drew her daggers.
The unique mutant began to move.
Following its lead, the horde of smaller magic beasts charged forward.
In this moment, the Merchant Guild and the Mercenary Guild were on the same team.
If they didn't work together, they would all die.
"Do we fight back together?!"
"If we leave them be, we're all dead! That's what I'm saying!"
As they hesitated, Labin barked at them.
"What are you waiting for, you bastards! Tear those mutts to pieces right now! This is our city! The Triumvirate's Waltercroix! If anyone's going to ruin it, it'll be one of us! We can't let some magic beasts or outsiders take it over!"
Only then did the two guild leaders draw their swords and charge.
"It's a fight, boys! Let's gooooo!!!"
"We must protect our assets! That's what I'm saying!!!"