Take This! Cracker Ball!

It was a morning of heavy clouds.

I wasn't one to miss work just because the weather was bad, so I headed out to the dungeon again today.

Once outside, I double-locked the door to my apartment as a precaution.

I heard that there are frequent burglaries in this neighborhood.

Even if this was the country's capital, this isn't a safe neighborhood.

There are plenty of robbers, thieves, and drug addicts.

Bottakuro's proprietress said that it was because of the curse that prevented the King from engaging in government affairs, but from what I observed, that isn't exactly the case.

The curse casted by Michelle is just a mild one, and it apparently only induces headaches and stomachaches intermittently.

She assured me that the curse wasn't so bad that he couldn't go to work.

[Titti and the King are just living a carefree life.]

Michelle's resentment could be felt from her voice, but that does seem to be the case.

Rumor has it that there are even plans to build a new castle for the Queen Consort.

The Queen Consort, who loves flashy things, has asked them to make it a glamorous castle.

Even when there's a war going on at the border, what is she thinking, asking for such a thing?

As I briskly walked to the dungeon, I spotted a familiar face in the alleyway.

It was Regal, a regular at my shop who works as a porter.

Surrounded by three ruffian-looking people, I wonder what was going on?

I quietly walked over to the entrance of the alley.

[Come on, just hand it over. You've at least got some small change there, don't you?]

[That is...]

[Take it out already. I'm starting to get irritated here.]

It seems like he was being mugged.

Being called "mugging", it sounds like it's just a minor crime.

However, it's no different from a robbery.

Regal has no relatives and is working hard as a porter.

He's a regular customer who comes to my shop with his meager spending money.

I want to do something to help him, but it's not like I can use monster cards or pop rockets in the middle of a city.

Oh, wait, I think I have something good for a time like this.

Product name: Cracker Balls

Description: A toy that makes a loud sound when it hits the ground or is stepped on. A type of firework. It has a mild Fear Magic effect on a 50 cm radius around the point of detonation.

Price: 50 rims (10 pieces)

I quietly crept up behind them and threw cracker balls on the ground.

Pang! Pang! Pang!

[Uhyiihh!]

[Gyaaahhh!]

They were small balls, less than one centimeter in diameter, but they made a really satisfying noise.

The punks surrounding Regal jumped up and ran away.

It seemed that the Fear Magic had worked.

Even so, extorting people so early in the morning, I wonder if it's because of the lack of security.

[Regal, you're safe now.]

I helped Regal, who was slumped on the ground, to his feet.

[Y- Yahagi-san...]

Regal was trembling in fear.

He must have been caught within the range of the Fear Magic.

[Here, lick this. It should calm you down.]

I take out a grape-flavored powdered juice.

It has an Anti-Curse effect, so it should help with the Fear Magic.

Normally, you would dissolve this in water and drink it, but since I don't have a cup or the water to dissolve in, he could only consume it in powdered form.

[I- I'm sorry... Keho, keho!]

Licking powdered juice without water does make someone choke on them sometimes.

After a while, the color in Regal's face returned to normal.

[How are you? Have you calmed down?]

[Yes, thanks to you.]

Regal gave a small sigh.

[Does that sort of thing happen to you often?]

[I'm a child, so I'm not often targeted, but I hear that robbers often appear at night. I don't go outside after dark.]

[What a hard world this is...]

I looked at the workers passing by on the street.

I heard that the number of adventurers has recently increased again.

There were originally few people who wanted to be an adventurer, as it was a job that inherently held dangers to one's life, but society has become so devastated that one can't afford to be picky or demanding.

[Recently, it seems that even people who couldn't use Physical Strengthening or Offensive Magic enter the dungeon. Well, that's also the same case for me...]

Unlike Merle and Mira, Regal has no talent for combat.

However, since he doesn't have parents, he has to desperately find a way to survive.

Even though he's a child who's not yet 15 years old...

[Take this, in place of a charm.]

I handed Regal my favorite Monster Chips card.

[Ehh? Isn't this the SR-card Turtle Ninja!? I can't take this.]

[Just take it. I don't want my regular customer to die.]

If a cheerful ninja turtle can protect this boy, it would be a lot better than having it in my possession.

[Thank you.]

[If you feel even the slightest bit unsafe, use it. Don't think it's a waste using it. Your first priority should be to survive.]

[Yes, I promise. I also want to participate in the next MF Tournament.]

[That's the spirit. Come to think of it, there's that thing Minerva mentioned to me. Minerva told me that as one improves their mana manipulation, they may even be able to use new magic.]

[Is that true?]

[Yeah. I can only use "Open" and "Close" magic, the ones that help me with my shop, but I was told that I might be able to use one of the four major magics. It would be cool if I could use something like Fire Magic.]

[Then, I'll work hard in my mana manipulation too. It would be a dream come true if I could control Gungalf freely and also use magic.]

[Right?]

Regal is still a boy, but he has the toughness to make a living in the dungeon.

[Alright, it's about time we get going.]

Regal and I walked side by side toward the dungeon.