03-16 A Series of Unfortunate Events
Alysia and Lisel took flight over the royal capital while enjoying the cool breeze.
The scenery beneath them was a spectacle even more radiant and dazzling than when they had once viewed the academy from above during the grand tournament.
In particular, the bustling city center leading to the castle gate was filled with a myriad of shops and taverns.
“…Where should we land?”
“Maybe in an alley?”
“That would do.”
Given the dense population, finding a place to land was indeed a challenge. If they wished to land unseen, an alleyway was their only choice.
To avoid exposing the underside of her skirt at all costs, Alysia, who had been casually flying behind Lisel, adjusted her wings’ angle, reduced air resistance, and descended swiftly. Of course, she firmly held her skirt down with both hands as she did so.
Thud!
Following Alysia’s landing, Lisel touched down as well. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the brightly lit city center in the distance.
Keeping a comfortable distance, Alysia and Lisel walked side by side towards the city center after retracting their wings.
“This looks to be a tavern.”
After walking for a while, they eventually reached the city center where many lamps powered by fire magic were installed.
Just as Lisel had pointed out, it appeared they had landed near the back of a tavern. A group of drunken men were causing quite a commotion on the tavern’s roofed terrace.
“Ah, I sense trouble incoming.”
“Don’t say that… I’m trying not to think about it.”
Upon closer inspection, they noticed some kind of commotion at the center. Evidently, some kind of spectacle was drawing a crowd.
“Yahoo! The brown-haired guy won!”
At the center of the crowd, a cry was heard. As some rejoiced, raising their hands in the air, others collapsed to the floor, clutching their heads in despair.
“…Gambling.”
“So, want to give it a go?”
“I dislike such things.”
Despite Alysia’s words, a boy and a girl standing in an alleyway peering into a tavern would naturally stand out.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already become the center of attention among the tavern’s patrons, and the situation was veering in an unexpected direction.
“Who will you bet on, me or this lady!?”
“Hehe, it’s obviously you!”
“Wait, when did I agree to this?”
The men, engrossed in the conversation, completely ignored Alysia’s protest. However, Alysia was more surprised at Lisel being hyped up about the situation.
“Well then, I’ll bet a silver coin on Alysia.”
“What, Lisel!?”
Hearing about the wager of a single silver coin caused a noticeable change in the men’s expressions.
“…Well, this is interesting! Let’s get started!!”
The man at the front initiated the challenge, and the surrounding men roared in agreement.
Taking this as a cue, a man named Lutos launched a full-on attack at Alysia.
…Ah, she’s gonna die, everyone in the vicinity thought.
Yet, despite thinking exactly the same thing, Lisel considered the complete opposite.
“Take this!!”
“…Quiet.”
In response to Lutos’ roar, Alysia, with a disgruntled expression, gently placed her left hand on his incoming right one.
“Wha, ah…!?”
Numbness spread from where Alysia’s hand made contact, and in an instant, Lutos was rendered immobile.
His entire body was paralyzed and couldn’t move. The cause was the magic power Alysia had channeled into him from where her hand had touched him.
She moved her left hand to the back with a flowing motion and immediately activated her wind magic “Bullet Gust”.
With his body paralyzed, Lutos couldn’t even move his fingertips. The attack sent him flying a great distance.
“Ugghh!!”
Tumbling across the ground and finally coming to a halt upon hitting a building, Lutos was immobilized. Whether Alysia’s aim was good or it was by pure coincidence, nobody, not even the passersby or the shops, was impacted.
Staring at the sprawled out Lutos, Alysia spoke in an exasperated tone.
“…Your attack is too simple. You should try a more elaborate move.”
“I can still fight…”
“No, it’s a hassle.”
Observing Alysia’s decisive refusal to continue the fight, Lutos lost all will to continue.
He probably felt hesitant about fighting seriously against a young girl, even if he knew from her visible fangs that she was a vampire.
“…So you win because he lost the will to fight? Then, how about three times the wager, three silver coins?”
“No need. Just drink and enjoy your night here.”
Leaving these words behind, Alysia grabbed Lisel’s arm and briskly began to walk away. The reason was that a crowd had begun to gather around the tavern. If they made too much of a commotion, they risked attracting the attention of the local guards.
…However, at that moment, Lutos managed to slip a silver coin into Alysia’s pocket without her noticing.
After a while, the pair continued their lighthearted conversation as they walked, finally arriving at a plaza a short distance from the downtown area.
From the center of the plaza, a beautiful geometric pattern of bricks arranged in a circular design unfolded across its spacious expanse.
“How did you manage to immobilize that guy earlier?”
“I merely infused him with a slight flow of magic. I ensured not to stop his heart or lungs.”
“Isn’t that incredibly difficult to do?”
At some point, their conversation had pivoted to the fight from before. As they conversed, they settled down onto a wooden bench.
Alysia’s tone was gradually returning to normal. It appeared to have been affected by her emotional state.
Interrupting their talk as they sat down on the bench, Lisel raised a question that had been nagging at him.
“Speaking of which, that necklace of yours…”
“Well, I got this from a certain Valkyrie.”
“I see. I figured it must’ve been her…”
On Alysia’s chest was a necklace in the shape of a cross.
It was a gift from a woman known as Kurobi. Even now, it cast a soft glow as it reflected the faint light from the street lamps around the plaza.
“Do you know her real name?”
“I do, but I’m not allowed to tell you…”
“You’re mean.”
“I can’t help it. I promised her.”
From Lisel’s expression, it was evident he actually wanted to tell her. Likely because he understood Alysia’s earnest desire to know Kurobi’s real name.
“…Is it okay for a vampire to wear a cross?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? The idea that vampires despise crosses is essentially a religious concept, after all. Besides, isn’t the fact that a god and a vampire can be this close together proof enough?”
With that, Alysia sprung up energetically.
Even though Lisel (Yuu) was assimilated with a dragonkin, he was at his core still a divine existence. He was a “dragon god,” and his divine power served as evidence of this.
“I’m going to check out the weapons shop nearby. I need to get some souvenirs for Fia and the others.”
“I see. Have fun.”
“…No, you’re coming too.”
Alysia grabbed Lisel’s arm with a firm grip and took off running.
Despite her delicate appearance, her strength was formidable, catching Lisel off guard. He found himself unable to stop her.
“Whoa, wait!”
“Oh, found it. That weapon shop over there looks good!”
Like a child at an amusement park, Alysia tugged Lisel’s arm. She led him towards a weapon shop nestled in the corner of the plaza, as he wondered if they had ever done something similar before.
ThatGuyOverThere 