Translator: "Pink Tea" Editor: "Weasalopes"

I stealthy followed the gray-haired man, who followed the swordsman, who just had a fight on the plaza. Both had what could be called gray hair, so I get ready to cope no matter which one of them turns out to be S.

The swordsman moved from the plaza to a squalid part of the market district. When I had started to wonder if he had decided to hit a bar, he turned into a narrow alleyway.

Naturally, the gray-haired man did the same. I also tried to take a corner, but after entering the alleyway found the two confronting each other, so I hastily hid.

Listening attentively, I could pick up some bits of the conversation. The grey-haired man seemed to be trying to invite the swordsman somewhere, who in turn loudly denied that offer.

Looks like they didn't notice that I followed them.

The swordsman seems to have taken a great offense, so violence seems unavoidable.

I make my preparations for escape in order to avoid getting dragged into this.

However, after a short while, the grey-haired man just walked out of the alleyway. What really surprised me is that the swordsman followed after him with a blank stare.

Would someone who was so infuriated just quietly follow behind like an attendant? Careful about the signs of my presence, I tried to get closer to him.

First I appraise the swordsman.

He is strong, as expected, but he had no extraordinary skills. It seems that his occupation is a general store clerk. The problem was the gentleman beside him.

Name: Aies Midcarda

Age: 25

Race: Human

Level: 102

Occupation: Stone dealer, reformer

Skills: Brainwash, Freewheeling

If there is one thing that would mark him as S, that would be his occupation. Reformer sounds suspicious as h.e.l.l. Killing a king can in a way also be called reform.

I feel like the death of that tyrant might improve things a lot……

His level also is exceptional.

Mine is still higher, but generally speaking, that was sufficient.

In the first place, level advantage still doesn't guarantee victory. If it did I'd have already died in the hidden dungeon.

But really terrifying were his abilities. Yes, his 【Brainwash】and 【Freewheeling】sounded very scary. I could easily guess what Brainwash could do, and it seemed probable that it was used on the swordsman.

I was about to investigate the latter one with 【Edit】…… But the man suddenly turned around so I had to stop.

Probably sensing a presence behind him, he now stood at the edge of the street, scanning the surroundings. With my heart beating fast, I pa.s.s by his side.

Luckily, a lot of people were around, so I avoid getting called out. And just like that I pretended to be a member of the general public and made my way to an inn.

I don't want to use it too frequently, but by using 【Great Sage】I can always establish his location. Concealing my ident.i.ty takes priority here.

So for today, I picked the inn where I can stay and enter inside.

There seemed to be no signs of S or his henchman following me.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought I was done for.

For a coward like myself, strange opponents are really scary. No matter how much my power or the number of my skills grow that part doesn't change.

「Are you okay? You look like you saw a dragon?」

There was a girl who was leaning over, looking at my agitated expression. Distinctive orange hair, a bit of freckles.

Slightly taller than I, and with a good figure.

「I'm fine. I'd like to stay here today.」

「Aah, we do have vacant rooms, but today might be a tad bit noisy.」

The first floor had an area where you could have a meal, but it seems that some kind of meeting was planned there today. I tried to ask what kind of meeting.

The words that came out of her mouth startled me.

「a.s.sembly to crush Fangs of Counterattack. There are a lot of quite rough people, so you might be unable to rest at ease.」

「No, I don't mind at all. Quite the contrary, I'm interested. As a traveler, I'd like to take notice of dangerous people.」

I announced my desire to partic.i.p.ate in this meeting because I wanted to get at least a bit of usable information on S.

For a moment her expression became clouded, so I thought I would be rejected, but the next moment she ushered me in with a bright smile.

「I'm Naina. Let's get along.」

After giving my regards and greetings I leave my luggage in the room. After a short rest, I have supper.

The place seems to be run by a family, but I was surprised by how good the food tasted. Fruits also were fresh. I spent the time before the meeting pondering on strategy.

First, I learn 【Tailing】for 300 LP. As the name might suggest, it makes my tailing harder to notice. It makes it easier to instinctively grasp the perfect distance.

Of course, it isn't perfect, so I still should be careful since it can fail as well.

LP can be acc.u.mulated with eating tasty stuff, doing lewd things with attractive girls, indulging in greed, and also with a sense of accomplishment.

Well, the most effective way is playing with beautiful girls. After going through repeated increases and decreases, I now had around 2000 LP left.

To be honest, I feel like this is not enough.

I'd like to increase it to a minimum of five or ten thousand. However, I now had a problem of being unable to resupply since Emma and everyone weren't here……

Since there still seemed to be time until the meeting, I decided to take a walk through the night city.

As a result, I visited a store where s.e.xy dances were performed and earned 500 LP.

Leaving the store I head back.

Reaching the inn's entrance I witnessed brawny men entering inside one after another.

I guess those are partic.i.p.ants of the meeting.

Inside the store, Naina stood with hands on her hips. She appeared quite intimidating with that stance. Somehow she seemed different than when I first came here.

Shutting the entrance door she then locked it.

One can easily guess that this conversation was an important one.

The one you don't want to be overheard by strangers…… Eh, wait a moment.

「Seems like everyone gathered. Noir, so you also came.」

「Naina, there is an unfamiliar face, who's that?」

One of the partic.i.p.ants gave me a nasty look. Filled with plenty of hostility it was tad scary. After all, there are thirty of them, and as the appraisal showed, everyone was quite strong.

Nainsan slightly slanted her head and asked me a question.

「There are a lot of people troubled with Fangs of Counterattack or S. So we regularly hold information exchange. That's the place you came to.」

So that's how it is. There are no guarantees that spy from S won't come here.

Yet, I was accepted quite easily. Wrong, this is where they will confirm whether I am trustworthy or not.

As proof, a person with the best physique suddenly approached me and grabbed me by the head.

「It's still not decided that he is a spy. Stop with the violence.」

「Nm, what you wanna do then?」

「It's simple. We just should have him interrogated by Poporocchi.」

When Nainsan said so, another man showed up, this time a thin one of a small build, with a silk hat on his head.

He brought two stools and instructed me to sit on one of them.

I have no choice but to obey.

As I sit down I use this chance to appraise him.

Name: Poporocchi Chirocchi

Age: 38

Race: Human

Level: 12

Occupation: Storyteller, Conversationalist

Skills: Detection of Truth

My first time seeing such a skill, but in this situation, it was easy to understand its application. Most likely, he can tell when someone lies.

「Do you have any connection with S?」

「I have no direct connections with him. However, I saw him a short while ago.」

I told them about my Appraisal Eye.

And I also honestly told them about what happened not so long ago.

The inability to lie was one of the reasons why I did that, another one was that if they are enemies to S then they might become my allies.

Surprised, they asked me various questions.

It seems that I'm the only one who saw his real face.

Since I gave them valuable information, they decided to welcome me.

All of them had grudges against S or Fangs of Counterattack for all kinds of possible reasons.

Some simply had a huge sum stolen, some were injured in an incident caused by S, all sort of stuff.

「We are called s.h.i.+eld of Justice. And I'm the leader. Sorry for not telling you anything, Noir-kun.」

Even though she is still young. Nainsan is amazing.

「Be careful, Noir. She is scary as an oni when she gets angry.」

「Or actually, she is an oni.」

「She is still eighteen, but she is well over thirty in her head.」

「…You guys, be kind enough to remain afterward.」

Considering how pale became the misters that were cracking jokes, it would be to my benefit not to anger her.

Since plenty of capable people were gathered here, their information on Fangs of Counterattack also was worthwhile. I've gotten a lot more intelligence than from the King's underlings.

For example, Fangs of Counterattack had a lot of ruffians and wanted criminals among them, and all of them were adoring S. When his comrade was tracked down and put to torture, he chose to bit his tongue and die.

「We thought that S has a special skill. But with your story, it's now certain. What kind of resistance or tool might work against brainwas.h.i.+ng?」

One of the members of s.h.i.+eld of Justice was knowledgeable about skills, so he explained about 【Brainwash】and its effects. When activated, it gradually makes the target more and more devoted as the target keeps listening to the user.

Eye contact or direct physical contact make capitulation even faster. If the target is of a higher level then the skill won't work in most of the cases, but depending on the situation and personality chances are still there.

In other words, weak-willed and easily swayed people are in danger.

Isn't that me?!

Luckily there is a skill to oppose those effects.

【Abnormal State Resistance】or【Mental Resistance】of high rank should work. Even C rank in the latter will make brainwash harder.

Thus I immediately acquire【Mental Resistance C】. It's only 400LP so it's not a big deal.

I'm of a higher level than S, so I probably should be fine, but just in case.

Incidentally, even knowledgeable Poporocchi-san didn't have even the slightest idea about【Freewheeling】.

I have no choice but to investigate myself the next time we meet.

Now, let's take a sneak peek at everyone's abilities.

No one was especially extraordinary, but all of them were quite capable.

What surprised me a little is that the leader was the weakest.

Name: Naina Able

Age: 18

Race: Human・Kijin

Level: 8

Occupation: Receptionist

Skill: Onification