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Fuuka Shinonome.
An Explorer belonging to the clan Copper Afterglow, which boasted its own S-Rank Party, she was known throughout the land by the alias "Sword Princess."
She was a singular talent—the undisputed ace of an S-Rank Party despite holding the position of Defender.
She possessed a formidable ability called Future Sight. It was whispered that no one, whether human or magic beast, had ever managed to land a single touch on her during combat.
Certainly, her ability was powerful enough to stand in a league of its own compared to most others. However, I personally believed that her strength didn't rely solely on her gift.
The true foundation of her power lay in her swordsmanship, which was refined enough to be called a sublime art, and her extraordinary physical control. No matter how much of the future one could see, reacting to it required sufficient physical and mental capacity. If someone without those traits possessed Future Sight, it would be a pearl before swine—a total waste of potential.
I had first seen her fight up close during a joint subjugation. Her movements were so polished and devoid of waste that they practically radiated brilliance. It had convinced me that she was the perfected form of the evasion-type style Carol was currently striving to master.
Furthermore, she hailed from Kyokutou, an island nation in the eastern reaches of the continent. The clothes she wore originated from her homeland and were called wafuku. They possessed a distinct elegance that I felt suited her perfectly.
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After relocating to a less congested area, Fuuka and I ate our skewers together.
"Is it good?" I asked.
Fuuka responded with several sharp, enthusiastic nods. Her facial expression remained largely unchanged, yet she radiated an aura of pure, unadulterated bliss. I suspected that if she’d had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously.
"Orun, thank you for the treat."
The meat vanished from Fuuka’s skewer in the blink of an eye, followed immediately by her words of gratitude.
"You're welcome. But really, why didn't you have any money on you?"
"When I was walking with Kati, she confiscated my funds. But then she just wandered off somewhere."
I had several retorts prepared for that...
"Kati" likely referred to Katina Oldham, a fellow member of Copper Afterglow. She had always struck me as a fairly composed, reliable person. I couldn't help but wonder which of the two had actually been the one to wander off.
"Why was it confiscated in the first place?" I asked, unable to stop the question from slipping out.
"I don't know. All I did was buy the things I wanted to eat."
Fuuka projected a dejected aura once again. It was honestly impressive how much she could communicate despite her face remaining so still.
"I-I see... Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re satisfied. Just try not to trouble the stall owners from now on, alright? Most of these stalls expect payment upfront."
"I will. This time, I only realized Kati was gone after I’d already spoken to the old man, so I ended up being difficult. I'll be more careful. Also, I want to do something in return. Is there anything you want? Haruto told me I’m not allowed to hold back during the martial arts tournament, so it has to be something other than that."
So Fuuka was indeed participating. And with no intention of pulling her punches, either.
I’d devised a few strategies to deal with her, but I wouldn't know if they’d actually hold up until we were face-to-face. It was going to be a steep climb.
"Hmm, I can't think of anything in particular... Hm? What is it?"
I’d been about to tell her I didn't need a reward, but Fuuka was staring intently toward the crowd.
"A snatching will occur."
Not "is occurring," but "will occur," huh.
Pondering her choice of words, I turned my gaze toward the direction she was looking. There, I spotted a man with shifty, restless eyes surveying the area.
Suddenly, the suspicious man lunged forward, snatched a bag from a woman walking ahead of him, and began to flee, violently shoving his way through the crowd.
"Eek! A snatcher!" the woman cried out. Her scream drew the immediate attention of everyone nearby.
That was a remarkably bold move... Then again, I might have missed it entirely if Fuuka hadn't pointed it out. In that sense, perhaps the thief’s timing wasn't as irrational as it seemed. Well, besides the fact that committing a crime is inherently irrational.
"Orun, shall we catch him?" Fuuka asked.
"Yeah. Since we’ve witnessed a crime right in front of us, I’d like to get a handle on the situation."
The culprit had already put a fair bit of distance between us, but I had already activated my original magic, Marking. I was lazily calculating that I could track him anywhere within a few kilometers when Fuuka suddenly vanished from my side.
She threaded through the sea of people with incredible speed, cutting the distance to the thief by half in a matter of seconds.
I didn't feel the mana flow of a spell activation. You mean to tell me she has that level of physical ability even without Support Magic?
I was once again floored by Fuuka’s agility and raw power.
In a flash, she had circled around to block the thief's path. Desperate, the man brandished a small blade and tried to slash at her. The surrounding pedestrians scrambled away in a panic, which ironically gave Fuuka even more room to maneuver.
Naturally, the clumsy attack of an amateur thief never stood a chance. Fuuka effortlessly caught the man’s arm and slammed him into the cobblestones with a textbook shoulder throw.
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By the time I caught up to her, the thief had taken a surprisingly defiant stance. "Dammit! You got me. Fine! Take me to the army and get it over with!"
He was remarkably chipper for a caught criminal. Now, how should we handle this...
"Fuuka!? What on earth are you doing to a civilian!?"
As I was considering our next move, the voice of a different woman rang out—not the victim, but someone else. I turned to see a woman in her early twenties with natural, wavy chestnut hair.
"No. I just caught a snatcher," Fuuka replied.
This was Katina Oldham, the Explorer from Copper Afterglow.
"It’s been a while, Katina-san."
"Orun Doura? ...Why are you with Fuuka?" Katina gave me a look of deep suspicion.
"We ran into each other by chance and were talking for a bit. A snatching happened right then, so we stepped in to catch the culprit."
"I see. I hope Fuuka didn't cause you any trouble?"
Accepting my explanation easily, Katina began to speak like a worried parent. Yeah, it was definitely Fuuka who wandered off.
"Kati, don't be rude. I didn't cause Orun any trouble. He even bought me a skewer."
"What?! He bought you a skewer?! I told you no more food because you're overeating, didn't I?!"
Why did she have to be so honest? Even with my limited experience with Katina, I could have predicted this reaction. So her money had been confiscated because she couldn't stop eating...
I had always respected Fuuka as a warrior and held a "cool" image of her in my mind, but that image was rapidly turning to dust.
"The second I try to manage her funds, she disappears and starts begging for food... This is so embarrassing..." Katina grumbled, burying her face in her hands.
Calling it "begging" felt a bit harsh, but I could sympathize with her plight.
"I was the one who offered it to her," I said in her defense.
"...But she was radiating 'that' aura, wasn't she? This girl is cute and she knows exactly how to trigger people's protective instincts." Katina then added in a tiny whisper, "I'm a victim of it myself..."
It sounded like she had a very difficult job.
"I feel like I'm being insulted," Fuuka complained.
"If you feel that way, then act with some dignity. —Anyway, Orun, how much was the skewer?"
"One large copper coin and five small copper coins."
When I gave her the amount, Katina immediately handed over the coins.
"There. Exact change. I'm sorry for the trouble she caused. —Now then, Fuuka caught this snatcher, right?"
"Yes."
"Then let's take him to the army. As for the victim..."
"U-Um, that would be me..."
The victim had actually been standing there since shortly after Katina arrived, but between Katina's venting and the thief's shouting, she hadn't found a gap to speak.
"Right. This is your bag, correct? Be more careful from now on."
"Y-Yes. Thank you so much."
"Ah, excuse me. May I ask you a question?"
The woman took her bag and tried to beat a hasty retreat, but I called out to stop her.
"W-What is it...?" she asked. She wouldn't meet my eyes and looked incredibly uncomfortable, but she stopped to listen.
"It’s nothing major, but are you from another country? You don't have to give me a name; a simple 'yes' or 'no' will do."
"Um... yes, I am. Is that all?"
"Thank you. One last thing: do you happen to know the 'Flockhart Trading Company'?"
I didn't miss the way the woman's shoulders gave a small, sharp twitch at the mention of the name.
Sigh... So it wasn't a mistake after all. Honestly, what am I going to do...
"N-No, I don't. Is it a famous company?"
"I see. No, it’s just a firm I’m close with. I’d heard they were expanding their business abroad, so I was curious if people from other countries had heard of them. Sorry for the odd question."
"I... I see. Well then, excuse me. Thank you again!"
The victim hurried away into the crowd.
"Katina-san, I’m sorry, but I have another errand to run. Could I leave the culprit in your hands to take to the army?"
"I've got it. Leave him to us."
With her prompt agreement, I turned and began to move—heading toward the Flockhart Trading Company, where the kidnapper I had tagged with Marking was currently located.