036 A Step Toward the Most Evil

Traba Town sat in the Fanscent Territory, even further north than Ligbelt Town.

If I had to describe this place in a single word, it was "shit."

In a major kingdom, a single death would be the talk of the town, but here, a corpse wasn't even worth using as a conversation starter over drinks.

That wasn't to say that villains were running rampant in the streets. There were tourist spots, the food wasn't half bad, soldiers patrolled the area, and there was even an Adventurer's Guild.

But still, it was shit.

Deep into the night was when Traba was at its liveliest. While young children slept and dreamed of leaving the town for the Royal Capital to join the Magic Knight Order, those dreams almost never came true so long as they stayed here.

"Gwahaha! Don't talk such rot!"

The first floor of a public tavern was packed. Most establishments in this town stayed open until the early hours of the morning. Villains loved the night. Whether it was in fiction, another world, or reality, that much stayed the same.

This was the town the protagonist, Allen, was supposed to visit during the mid-game. Anyone with a bit of intuition could figure out why. What happens when a young adventurer overflowing with a sense of justice lands in a literal toilet of a town like this?

It’s basically a playground, I thought.

You could purge the human trash without holding back. You could reap their heads without a second thought and be praised for it. Ah, as expected of the Protagonist-sama.

"That Billy guy... he got so obsessed with that woman that when she said she wouldn't pay him back, he cut her arm off and she kicked the bucket."

"Haha! He lost his cash cow, then. I told him before—being excessive is fine, but you have to know the limits."

"It’s tricky. Humans are just too fragile. Still, I never get tired of watching the look on their faces while they bleed out. It’s hilarious."

Ah, good. Very good.

Scum like you really puts my mind at ease.

"Hey, get me a beer! —Hm? Who the hell are you?"

"Don't come into a tavern in the middle of the night, kid. What’s with that pitch-black hood?"

"Haha! I used to be like that, too. Dreamed of roaming the streets at night and mowing down bad guys, didn’t I? Gwahaha!"

Is that so? Well, at least you’re quick on the uptake.

The three men before me were bearded, hairy-armed, and possessed physiques that were as unnecessarily large as their egos. It took a lot of effort to act high and mighty in a town like this. When dregs with no lineage or talent wanted to rise to the top, they had to either project overwhelming power or display pure madness.

Hesitation was a death sentence in Traba. But these men were capable of it—firing magic at point-blank range into the faces of people begging for their lives.

Corson Focus. Medium Bills. Beebee Fire.

Their list of crimes was too long to bother reading. For my first step, I just needed them to die.

"Hey! How long are you gonna stand there, brat? Show us your face!"

"What’s this? You’ve got a pretty cute face for a—GYAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... ah... ah..."

I delivered a single strike to the carotid artery. Reaping a head was a pain, even for me; bones were hard, and they tended to chip the blade.

You said it yourself, didn't you? That it was "hilarious." Well? Are you having fun now?

"You little shit!"

"—Lilith."

"Yes, Weiss-sama."

Lilith, who had already circled behind them, drove a concealed knife into the side of the man’s neck. His breathing stopped instantly, and he collapsed in an agonizing heap.

That left two: a small-fry lackey, and... what was it again? Ah, right. Bills.

"Shit! Hey, you!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Bills shoved the lackey toward us and made a break for the exit. Nice. I didn't hate that kind of trashy move.

"You bastard! Guheh—GYAHAAAAAAAAA!"

I made short work of the lackey. As for the one running... I decided to leave him to my fiancée.

"I won't let you escape."

Cynthia, who had been waiting by the entrance, pierced the man’s arms with an Ice Lance. As the transparent icicles impaled him, blood seeped out, staining the ice a brilliant, vivid red. It was as beautiful as a gemstone.

"GYAHAAAAAAAA! W-Who are you people?! What is this?! Why are you targeting us?!"

I approached him slowly, crouched down, and grabbed a handful of his hair. Was this supposed to be pleasant? This guy really did have terrible taste.

"Just killing time... I guess."

"...Huh? GYAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I kicked him with everything I had, snapping both his arms. He writhed on the floor like a worm. If I remembered correctly, I wouldn't get the bounty if this one didn't stay alive. This should keep him pinned until morning.

Cynthia, however, wore a sorrowful expression. She was a heroine at heart; her instincts weren't built for this kind of brutality.

"Cynthia, don't push yourself."

"...No. These men killed children, killed slaves, and tormented innocent people. There was no need to show mercy."

"That’s fine. Besides, these guys are just small-fry. Save those feelings for the real villains."

"Yes..."

"Weiss-sama, you were so cool!"

In contrast, Lilith walked over with a dazzling, radiant smile. The blood spattered across her cheek looked almost like makeup.

"Let’s just drink until morning. We can't turn them in for the reward until the Guild opens anyway."

"Great idea! Lady Cynthia, what would you like?"

"...Well, I suppose you're right. No point in brooding over it."

I sat at the counter and signaled the barkeep. He had clearly seen the whole thing, but he just kept wiping a glass with a completely blank expression. Now there’s a guy with some real guts.

"...The mess in the shop—"

"I know. I'll pay for the cleanup. Just give me some water and fruit. What about you two?"

"Orange juice, please!"

"Blueberry juice for me."

"Coming up."

After the survival test ended, we had entered the Estarm period. To put it simply: summer break. Most people headed back to their hometowns during this time to honor their ancestors. Since many students at Nobless Academy came from the countryside, the campus emptied out.

By chance—though "plot convenience" was probably the better term—I didn't need to go anywhere. The original Weiss would have spent the holiday wallowing in lazy indulgence at home, but I wasn't about to do that.

That said, I did go to visit my mother’s grave with my father. I would never forget the look of profound sadness on his face when he offered the flowers. And even though I had never met her, I felt a strange, inexplicable pang of grief. Ah, I guess Weiss is still in here somewhere. That realization hit me pretty hard.

"By the way, I heard that Allen has become an adventurer," Cynthia remarked.

"That guy? ...Already?"

That’s weird. In the original story, that wasn't supposed to happen yet... no, wait, this is definitely my fault. With Shari alive, the timeline had shifted. Those guys were obsessed with helping the weak and smiting evil, so I guess it made sense they’d spend their vacation adventuring.

"Already? I don't know the specifics, but apparently, he’s clearing requests at a terrifying pace."

"Haha. I bet he’s just diligently picking medicinal herbs."

"I wonder. He might even show up in this town."

We had arrived in Traba just last night. In other words, that skirmish just now was our glorious debut. I’d been a bit excited because those guys were somewhat famous in the original work, but they turned out to be a total letdown.

Incidentally, Teacher Milk was also back in her hometown. She loved her roots and wouldn't be back for a while. I could have trained alone, but I wanted to catch up to the "strongest" tier as fast as possible. There is no training that surpasses real combat. That was a lesson from Teacher Milk herself.

"Weiss-sama, what's our next move?"

"We'll use this place as a base for now. There are mountains of idiots here to deal with."

"Understood! I'll start gathering intel tomorrow!"

There was one more major reason I had come to Traba. I was Weiss Fansent, the notoriously "evil" noble. That reputation was still going strong, even after I entered the Academy. Since the Academy’s internal affairs were kept secret, it couldn't be helped, but I wanted to start chipping away at that image.

Not that I wanted people to think I was "actually kind." There was no merit in that—if anything, it was a disadvantage. What I wanted was to be seen as a force of overwhelming power. Someone so strong it was terrifying, yet who only slaughtered villains.

Doesn't that sound way cooler?

This town was crawling with people who deserved to die. If I killed a bounty head like the trash currently groveling on the floor, I got paid, and the townsfolk would thank me for it. Killing three birds with one stone—is there anything better?

Just then, a poster on the wall caught my eye. It was a wanted notice.

Heh... so this event has already started?

"Cynthia, memorize that face. Lilith, you too."

"...Billford Tucker? A bounty of... ten million Pence?!"

"A kingslayer...? To think someone could do that and still be at large..."

"He’s probably just good at running away."

He was also known as "Flash Tucker." If you ever faced him, blinking was strictly forbidden. The logic was simple: that single split-second was the difference between life and death. In the original story, he was a boss so powerful that even Allen suffered a crushing defeat against him.

Normally, this event was much further in the future. I wasn't sure if I could actually encounter him yet, but if I did, he’d be the perfect sparring partner. I figured I'd hunt some small-fry while digging for info on him.

And also...

"Old man, this fruit is amazing. Give me another round."

"You got it."

"Honestly, Weiss, you really do love your fruit."

"Weiss-sama, look! They have Melo-Melon too!"

"Old man... give me one of those, too."

"Coming right up."

I’d come up with plenty of noble excuses for this trip, but honestly? Being able to go on a fruit-tasting tour was a massive bonus.