Chapter 93

In a corner of the city center, there was a small shop that had been there for decades, its age indeterminate. Though it was clean, it had a certain charm, or perhaps it was just an old building. The walls were cracked and stained so badly that their original color was unrecognizable.

The inside of the shop was also rather dingy, with oil stains deeply embedded in the walls, and the pillars were polished from years of use. Eight tables with iron plates embedded in them were set up, indicating that it was a place that served food. Despite its age, the shop was kept clean, and the lack of dirt gave it a certain character.

On the iron plates, the sound of sizzling could be heard, and steam rose up. The smell of oil filled the air, making Shoku Kuni Shori think that he would have to change his clothes afterward. As he stirred the monja-yaki on the iron plate with a spatula, he listened in disbelief to the rumor that the girl sitting across from him had just told him.

"Was 'Anemoi' stolen?"

"Yes, that's right. The sacred treasure of the Takanoha family, the artifact 'Wings of Anemoi,' was reportedly stolen by Takanoha Arashi, who had been disinherited. Moreover, that night, in one of the warehouse districts..."

The girl, who had transformed her appearance to look unremarkable using a magical device called 'Disguise,' tilted her head weakly as she spoke. Those who knew her true identity could see through the disguise and see her natural appearance: a beautiful girl with silver hair, ruby-red eyes, and a pale, delicate complexion. She was the world-renowned healer, the princess of the Japanese Magic Empire, the heroine of 'The Night of Magic,' and a girl who perfectly matched Shori's preferences. In his previous life, he had been a fan, and his ideal type was a silver-haired, red-eyed albino beauty. Although he never thought he would meet such a girl in reality, he had been grateful to the gods since his reincarnation. Despite his gratitude, he had not awakened to the holy attribute.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm grateful to you, Seina, for sharing information I didn't know."

The man, mimicking Shin, let out a light laugh and spoke with a pretentious tone. He was a reincarnated person who had recently become overjoyed at the possibility that the holy girl, Seina, might be in love with him. He, who claimed to be a god and knew all the important events in this world, smiled at Seina, thinking it was a refreshing smile. His servants, who had recently stopped hitting and kicking him, applauded and praised him for his refreshing smile, so he was confident it was indeed refreshing.

"Thank you. You're so kind, Shori. I heard that the Takanoha couple's bodies were in a state that I can't quite describe, due to magic."

Seina's cheeks were slightly flushed as she smiled, and Shori, hearing the spatula clatter, quickly regained his composure. He realized that he needed to take this conversation seriously.

"Was the culprit caught?"

"No, the culprit hasn't been caught. I overheard this by chance when I visited my father's office. It's a very scary story, isn't it?"

Shori, who was a god, immediately recognized that this was the work of 'Zephyrus.' 'Anemoi' was the beloved machine of the mercenary 'Zephyrus.' In the original story, 'Zephyrus' made his debut in Volume 3, manipulating Shin and showcasing his overwhelming combat abilities. Moreover, when he was thought to be defeated, it turned out to be a decoy, leading to an intense plot twist.

In the original story, despite his heinous actions, 'Zephyrus' survived and traveled the world with the money he had saved, living a carefree life.

From the story, it seemed that Takanoha Arashi was quite incompetent. In Shori's mind, Arashi was a fat, lazy pig who was easily manipulated by 'Zephyrus' and lost 'Anemoi.' He was a typical stepping-stone villain often seen in novels.

The recent party where Shin had excelled and the current 'Anemoi' theft incident indicated that the original story was gradually beginning. As a fan, Shori's heart raced with excitement.

The mercenary group equipped with mass-produced flying magic armor based on 'Anemoi' would command a powerful flying force and wreak havoc. 'Zephyrus' would become famous in the future. Shori felt a sense of superiority, like a fan who knows about a future big star before they become popular.

Of course, 'Zephyrus' no longer existed, as he had been killed by Miharu and the others. However, Shori did not know this. In the first battle, 'Zephyrus' and Arashi had introduced themselves by those names, but the Kongo and others knew their true identities and did not reveal 'Zephyrus' to the samurai group, as it was clearly a pseudonym.

Thus, Shori was greatly mistaken. He assumed that the incompetent fat man had used 'Anemoi' and was easily defeated by his guards, and then betrayed and killed by 'Zephyrus,' who he had thought he could manipulate. This was a typical story, and the setting guide only described 'Zephyrus' as a mercenary from the wind, not mentioning that he was originally Takanoha Arashi.

'Zephyrus' was one of Shori's favorite characters. He was an extremely evil villain who acted on his own whims and was a strong character that even the protagonist Shin could not completely defeat. Shori had been impressed by his villainy.

"'Anemoi' was stolen...?"

However, a sense of unease and anxiety began to grow in his heart. This was because 'Zephyrus' was a villain. His jobs were always dirty, and he had earned a lot of money, but his dirty jobs included assassinations and kidnappings.

'Zephyrus' became famous in the original story for kidnapping and selling many Druids who lived in Tokyo. Druids were hermits who lived in harmony with nature, residing in dangerous areas where monsters roamed and using the special magic 'Plant Magic' to create various medicines. They were rare beings.

Moreover, they were not registered in official records, making them easy targets for kidnappers. Because of this, they were often targeted by villains. Despite living in dangerous areas, Druids were individually powerful and used the dangerous terrain to repel intruders. However, 'Zephyrus' used the advantage of his flying magic armor to repeatedly attack from the air, killing many Druids and kidnapping children.

His actions became known not only in the underworld but also in the public. That was 'Zephyrus,' the mercenary of the storm.

The theft of 'Anemoi' meant that the Druids were likely to be hunted. In the novel, 'Zephyrus' was just a greedy villain, but in reality... Shori recalled the coming-of-age party and felt uneasy.

"No, but it's necessary for Shin. It's the reason that wild girl becomes his companion."

Shin, who had accepted a request from the Adventurer's Guild to transport goods, was about to deliver them to the designated location when a wild girl attacked him. The goods turned out to be drugged Druid children, and the guild member who had accepted the request was secretly selling them to a slave organization.

Upon learning this, Shin and the others took action to protect the Druids and engaged in battle with 'Zephyrus,' who was guarding the recipient. After defeating him, they returned the Druid children to their homeland, and the wild girl joined Shin's group, becoming one of his harem. It was a straightforward story.

However, the children were those whose parents had been killed by 'Zephyrus.' They were only there to say, "Thank you for saving me, big brother," to Shin.

"Shori, is something wrong?"

Seina, noticing his serious expression, asked with a worried look, her moist eyes blinking cutely.

"No, I was just thinking about what to do about the thief who stole 'Anemoi.'"

"Hmm, that's true. I can't even imagine, but do you have any ideas, Shori?"

The albino girl tilted her head, her index finger touching her cheek, and asked Shori. He smiled, thinking it was a refreshing smile, and decided to live up to her expectations.

The wild girl wasn't really necessary for Shin. She made potions and asked annoying questions like, "What's this?" while wearing fur and eating without knowing the value of money. She was a troublesome character.

Shori didn't like the wild girl. He decided he didn't like her. Therefore, he speculated that Shin, with his protagonist's advantage, would be fine without her.

"Yes... I don't know much about the Takanoha family's 'Anemoi,' but I've heard it can fly. So..."

"So?"

Seina's eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity as she listened, and Shori, feeling a bit smug, spoke like a detective, waving the spatula.

"Perhaps they will conduct a test flight somewhere. And maybe they will do something profitable at the same time..."

"Like what?"

Leaning in, Seina listened intently, and Shori, feeling even more smug, puffed out his chest.

"How about Tokyo? That area is a designated danger zone and a no-fly zone. It would be a good place for a test flight, wouldn't it?"

"Then, what about the profitable part?"

Seina's voice became quiet, and she narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to continue. Shori, unaware, continued to wave the spatula.

"Druids, perhaps? It's well-known that Druids live in hiding in Tokyo. They are highly valued in the underworld. If they attack from the air, there won't be any interference from monsters, and it will be a surprise attack."

"Ah, I see. Druids... What a wonderful deduction, Shori. I'll tell my father and take action."

"No, no, it's not that impressive. It's a simple deduction."

Seina immediately clapped and smiled innocently, looking grateful.

"That's quite specific..."

She smiled softly and whispered, but Shori didn't hear her. Her soft smile and praise for his deduction, which would seem like a wild guess to anyone else, remained unchanged.