Well, I’m back from school, and after taking care of various errands, I’m logging in. A few days have passed since then, and I’ve been itching to continue.


    "Good morning, I''m going out for a bit."


    "Y-yes..."


    I greet the innkeeper, but he just looks at me fearfully. He did manage to reply, though... He refused to let me stay on the first day, you know. I only dropped two of his fingers, but it seems I scared him completely... Something to work on in the future.


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    Now then, after leaving the inn, I''ll fully activate my stealth skills. After all, I''m a wanted person now. Today, I think I''ll just wander around town, both to secure escape routes for when things go south and for ‘fun’.


    Looking around the town again, it’s a cityscape reminiscent of early modern Eastern Europe. Imagine Warsaw or Bucharest, and you''ll get a good idea, maybe? The lord''s mansion looked a bit Russian, from what I glimpsed; I wonder why. I stroll through the exotic cityscape. Stealth skills fully engaged, and my familiars are on alert.


    As far as I can observe, the town lacks the vibrancy it had on the first day, and the faces of the residents are gloomy. And above all, the guards are heavily armed... I could understand pairs, but they''re always moving in groups of four whenever I see them, and patrols are frequent – it''s definitely my fault.


    I slip into a back alley to avoid people''s eyes. I skipped it on the first day, but I should definitely memorize the routes and record them on my map. It won''t hurt, at least. Entering the back alley, the bright, open feeling of the main streets disappears, replaced by a completely outlaw atmosphere; this is exciting! As I''m walking around, looking this way and that–––


    "Ooh, ooh, little lady lost, are ya?" "How about us uncles show you the way, huh?" "We''re real nice guys!"


    –––I''m being harassed by thugs. A trio of a fat guy, a tall guy, and a short guy. This is the worst. Was I too caught up in the back alley atmosphere and neglected my stealth and searching skills? I need to reflect on this…


    "Say somethin''." "Scared shitless, ain''t she?" "We uncles ain''t scary–––"


    Well, it''s perfect timing anyway, so let''s change today''s plans. I instantly behead the fat guy, and then sever the legs of the remaining two to prevent them from escaping.


    "Huh?"


    I then stomp on the short guy''s head and grab the tall guy''s jaw, slamming him against the wall.


    "Gyaaaaaaaah!!"


    He''s finally grasping the situation and screaming in pain now. The short guy is hard to hear since I''m stomping on his head.


    "You''re being a bit too loud."


    With a dull thud, I dislocate the tall guy''s jaw, and then, with another thud, relocate it.


    "~~~~~~~~~~!!"


    Once it’s a bit quieter, I start the interrogation.


    "There''s something I want to ask you."


    "O-okay! I''ll tell you anything! So please, help me!"


    "That''s good to hear. Now then, has anything changed recently?"


    "…A-apparently a big incident happened in the main part of town a few days ago, and now the back alleys are overflowing with unemployed people, and the治安 (public order) is terrible everywhere!"Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I see."


    So, it seems that due to my rampage, the Town of Beginnings is overflowing with unemployed people, and the治安 (public order) has deteriorated not only in the main streets but also in the back alleys.


    "Anything else?"


    "…These newcomers are being gathered up by a new organization called the Yagan Family, who are starting to expand their influence and have started picking fights with the Moonlight Family, who used to control this whole area, so in retaliation, the conflicts are increasing."


    I see, the underworld has its own troubles, huh? Well, that''s fine by me.


    "Then finally, one last thing: take me to the Moonlight Family''s place."


    "W-wait, no way! I can''t do that! If I guide someone like you, I''ll get killed!"


    "...Is that so? That''s unfortunate."


    Looks like he won''t guide me. I don''t need him anymore, then. I grab his jaw to keep it in place, and then start stuffing oil into his mouth.


    "~~~~! Guhk!"


    I then feed him the torch and light it up. A human bonfire, complete! The fact that flames are spewing from his eyes is a nice artistic touch, as expected of the Tall Guy.


    "Now then, Shorty-san, which do you prefer: being killed here and now, or being killed later? Or rather, who would you prefer to be killed by?"


    Saying that, I remove my foot from his head.


    "I-I''ll g-guide y-you~"


    Ugh, he''s all snot and tears, disgusting. I wipe my shoe on the ground to clean it. I''ve got his promise, so I hook the short guy''s collar with a clothesline prop and start moving.


    "Which way?"


    "T-that way."


    Seriously, can''t he stop crying already? I can''t crush his eyes because I need him to guide me, but should I at least slice off his nose or something?


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    "Boss! More Yagan Family guys again! This time it''s mayaku (narcotics)!"


    "Again?! How many times is that now?!"


    Damn it! Bad luck! Just when I was having a drink at the tavern – which is our front as a hideout – my subordinate comes in with this report. I just got promoted to executive in charge of this area two days ago, and then on the second day of my promotion, a major incident happened in the main part of town, and the number of underworld residents suddenly exploded... If it was just that, it''d be manageable, but then that Yagan bastard, who absorbed those newcomers, started expanding his influence and picking a fight with us! He was excommunicated, so he should just lay low!


    "What''s the damage?"


    "A few junkies, and over a dozen of our guys with minor and serious injuries."


    The damage is relatively light for something involving mayaku (narcotics)... More importantly, the problem is–––


    "More importantly, there''s a risk that the lord''s investigation will reach our side because of this."


    "...I know."


    Seriously, one thing after another... Fairly large countries have been destroyed by mayaku (narcotics), wiping out their entire populations, so it''s banned by continental treaties, but if you get involved with that stuff, we''ll be in danger too.


    "This time, we can''t just turn a blind eye. I''ll negotiate with the higher-ups for permission to crush that Yagan bastard–––"


    "–––Good evening~? Excuse the intrusion?"


    "–––Who is it?"


    A voice calls out, accompanied by the loud bang of a door being opened. Seriously, who is it? Did someone call for a woman? This isn''t a brothel, you know? I turn around to complain, and then–––


    "B-Boss! It''s Rolan!"


    Behind me, there was a beautiful woman. However, in her hand, she was holding Rolan by the collar, his legs gone, his nose sewn shut, and his eyes gouged out, a grotesque figure. Dan and Nosuri, who were with him, are nowhere to be seen, but… hopes are dim.


    "You, are you with Yagan?"


    "? No, I''m not?"


    What? I thought they’d finally come to raid us.


    "Then are you the lord''s pawns? Or are you a spy from another family?"


    "Neither of those either, though…"


    "Then who the hell are you and what''s your purpose!!"


    Damn it! Calm down, me. I know it''s infuriating that my subordinate was taken out, but stay calm… A woman who can kill three adult men alone is abnormal, I need to carefully assess the situation. And then, when I see an opening, all of us here will attack her together… After thinking that far, I exchange glances with my subordinates around me. I get nods and bows in return from each of them.


    "You see, I have business with the boss of the Moonlight Family, or something like that?"


    "You''re in luck, I''m the boss here."


    "Is that so? Doesn''t look like it, though…"


    I''m the boss here; I''m not lying. Even if she uses Appraisal, it should be fine.


    "Ah, that''s right. We can talk inside, so come with me."


    "…Well, okay, I guess."


    The woman follows me along, looking unconvinced – fool, the moment she gets further inside the tavern, she’s done for. I''ll torture her to squeeze out every last bit of information about who''s behind her, and then sell her off to a brothel. Turning my back to the woman, I advance a certain distance, and then give a signal that only my subordinates would understand.


    "Expose her to death!" "Prepare yourselves!" "For our three comrades!"


    At that signal, the subordinates who had been waiting around us attack the woman all at once.


    "Bad luck and bad judgment, you shouldn''t have followed us so trustingly–––"


    –––As I turned around, saying that, what I saw was three of my subordinates'' heads flying off, five more subordinates'' arms being severed, and weapons that looked like they belonged to her sprouting from the throats of three more, and two being sent flying out of the tavern.


    "–––I really have bad luck."