What the h.e.l.l were they doing here? Why were they surrounding the masked woman?

I tried to observe them cooly as I addressed them .

“What’s this? Why are you blocking her?”

“Eh? It’s none of your business . Get lost . ”

“Unfortunately, for you, I just had dinner with her . I can’t just say, ‘alright’ and leave . ”

Perhaps they meant to abduct her as some kind of trap? For instance, I would have to leave all my money and disappear or they would hurt her .

“Hey, Black Rabbit . Leave your money here and scram before you regret it . Who knows what might happen to this lady here if you don’t?”

Woah…template…I was speechless . What is this? Was there a script?

“Hey! Be quick about it!!”

“I’m not giving you anything, you stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! Let her go now and begone! Before I beat you to a pulp!”

“You little s.h.i.+t…you’re just the Black Rabbit…!”

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d leader had veins popping out near his sideburns as his hand went down to the sword at his waist . As if on cue, the rest of the men flashed vulgar smiles and unsheathed their own swords .

There was no turning back now . There was nothing left to do but fight . However, I would prefer it if no one died here tonight . There was something too pathetic about the thought of Russell escorting me to prison .

And so I kept my sword sheathed as I raised it . The leader of the gang saw me quickly wrap the sword belt around the handle and shouted .

“Black Rabbit!! Do you think you’re playing with us!?”

“I’m not playing .

But the Chief gave me this sword…I won’t have it drinking such filth from you!!”

I held both swords in my hands now . The shortsword’s sheath was fixed with a b.u.t.ton, so it took me no time to prepare . And then I ran . Of course, not at full speed . Not yet .

“Arraggghh!”

The gang leader swung his sword up high . I dropped my posture low, somersaulting just as the sword dropped, missing me . The sound of the blade cras.h.i.+ng into the ground echoes behind me . In front were the followers who had made a wall to block the masked woman . I targeted the weakest looking of the bunch; charged at full speed and collided with a tackle .

“Guwhagh!!”

There would not have been much weight behind the impact, but there would be a unique bite from the disproportionate AGI, surely . I hoped anyway . Having broken through the wall, I now stood in front of the masked woman and faced the others, sword ready .

“Are you alright?”

“Uh, yes . Are you?”

“For now, anyway . Can you run?”

I asked, stealing a quick glance behind me .

“Of course . ”

“Then you should go to the guardhouse near the southern gate . I have a friend there . A captain named Russell . He should help you . ”

“What about…you?”

“Me? Running is the one thing I’m good at . ”

I said jokingly . She looked at me a little surprised at first but then started to laugh .

“You’re a funny one . Tell me your name . I’m Daniela . ”

“I’m Asagi

Asagi . Asagi Kamiyas.h.i.+ro . ”

The masked woman, known as Daniela, nodded . Then she began to run in the other direction .

“You…you think you can just mock us…”

The leader pa.s.sed through his gang to stand in front of me . He was in a real rage now . Even the men around him had beastly, s.h.i.+ning eyes as they brandished their weapons . They clearly wanted nothing more than to kill me .

Which was blinding them of their surroundings . Such as the fact that this was a park .

“It’s too bad, but I have no intention of fighting you . I’m stuffed after eating . I want to get some rest!”

The town was paved with stone . But around the park was different . There was dirt around my feet and a lot of sand . And so I thrust my sword into the ground and shoveled the sand into the air .

“Ghaa…! d.a.m.n it!!”

The twinkling, hungry eyes would have collected quite a bit of that sand . Which would allow me plenty of time to run . I ran, following the same direction that Daniela went . She was apparently quite fast herself, as she was nowhere in sight . I disappeared into crowds as I ran down the main street . Several people looked back in annoyance, but they’d have to excuse me . This was an emergency . My life was in danger . The trick to getting through dangerous situations was to prioritize your own survival . I looked back now and again to make sure they weren’t following, as

following, as I headed to the southern guardhouse .

The food at the stall had looked so good . Good enough to stop me in my tracks and stare . It was the same for the man who b.u.mped into me . But he didn’t chastise my lack of attention and apologized first . Upon realizing that I was hungry, he even bought me dinner . A kind person . His unusually black hair was quite long, almost like a woman’s . His eyes were somewhat hidden behind his bangs, but he had smiled gently .

Our dinner together at the park was a quiet, peaceful one . Far from the fights at the bar and the shouts of the street stalls . It was a different world . It was a good time . Good food . I wanted to slowly enjoy the taste of it, but he finished his food very quickly . I suppose he had nothing better to do, because he kept staring at me as I ate . It was kind of embarra.s.sing . One shouldn’t stare at a lady when she is eating .

We finished eating . He said that he would return to the inn he was staying at and waved goodbye before leaving the park . And then it happened, just as I too got up and decided to look for a place to stay .

A group of men who had been hiding behind the trees, sprung out and surrounded me . Each and every one of them wore a vulgar smile . I couldn’t help but raise my voice in surprise,

voice in surprise, but that ended up being a good thing . Because he returned . From what I could tell, these people knew each other . But not as friends, no, they were enemies . They had called him Black Rabbit, which he did not seem to take kindly to . It may sound adorable when just hearing the words, but to him, there was nothing but derision in them .

He and the leader of the group unsheathed their swords . I had a.s.sumed that a duel was about to begin, but he only dodged the attack and then continued to crash into one of the men in front of me as if he were a heavily armored knight . There was no panic in his face, he was only concerned about me . It was very kind . I could not understand why these men had gathered to torment him so . I could feel an anger rising up within me, but he told me to head for the guardhouse . He said that I should call for help, but I think he just wanted to allow me to escape . I hesitated for a moment, but there was no time to lose . I asked him his name and etched it in my heart so I would not forget it . This person who cared about me, regardless of the situation .

Asagi . Wait for me . I will reach this captain known as Russell .

I use wind magic to vault over walls and move over roofs as I make my way to the southern gate .