"Hey, Crestless. Over here."
A large man from the "Shield of the Sky" called out with an air of superiority, leading the way into the dark alley behind the tavern where piles of refuse sat rotting.
No streetlights reached this far back, and there wasn't a hint of moonlight. Our only sources of light were the Light Magic Tools hanging from their belts.
I trailed behind them, casually scooping up a few choice pebbles as I went.
"No one should interrupt us here."
"Don't go regretting this, now."
The large man cracked his knuckles while the slender one with sharp eyes drew a dagger. A [Martial Artist] and a [Swordsman], perhaps? If they’d mastered their class skills, engaging them in a direct melee would be a mistake. Skills like [Iron Skin] or [Iron-cutting] are a nightmare when your opponent is the one using them.
Better to keep my distance, suppress them, and end this decisively.
"Before we start, there's one thing I want to confirm."
I spoke to buy myself a moment. Thanks to the [Negotiation Arts] I’d honed during my time as a [Merchant], they instinctively paused to listen. That split second was all the opening I needed. I locked my sights on the Light Magic Tools at their waists.
Whish! Whish!
The stones cut through the air with a sharp whistle, unerringly shattering both Light Magic Tools. Total darkness swallowed the alley instantly.
I immediately triggered the [Hunter] skill [Stealth Arts], melting away into the shadows.
"Dammit! He got the lights! Where is he?!"
"Don't move recklessly. Just focus."
The two stood back-to-back, breathing shallowly as they strained to hear any sound in the dark. I could see their panicked expressions clear as day through my [Night Vision].
They were likely expecting me to come at them with a blade. I had a dagger visible at my waist, and I certainly didn't look like someone who could use magic. To them, I was just a "Crestless"—an unaffiliated nobody. They'd never dream I had a way to attack from range.
Technically, I couldn't use magic. However, I had plenty of other ways to strike from a distance.
I focused on my [Storage Space] and pulled an item from the void. It was a thin pouch filled with a liquid that would burst upon the slightest impact.
I tossed the bag at their feet.
Splash!
The bag ruptured with a wet thud, and the liquid inside pooled across the ground, vaporizing in an instant.
"Ugh, wha...?"
"Th-this is..."
The pouch contained a highly volatile anesthetic—a specialized product of [Compounding Arts] and [Alchemy].
"Ah..."
"Uugh..."
The two collapsed limply to the ground, their breathing slowing into a deep rhythm. The anesthetic had taken full effect.
Careful not to inhale the fumes myself, I cautiously approached and bound them tight with rope pulled from my [Storage Space]. They wouldn't be causing any more trouble tonight.
"Still, my anger hasn't subsided at all..."
Winning in such a low-key way didn't feel satisfying. Then again, beating on two defenseless men wasn't exactly my style either.
"I guess I'll go with that, then."
I pulled a pen and paper from my [Storage Space] and scribbled a note: We lost a two-on-one fight to a guildless bottom-feeder. I placed it in front of the two men, who were currently sprawled on the ground like caterpillars, and used a stone as a paperweight.
Someone would find them by morning. They had been incredibly disrespectful to both me and the other Adventurers in the tavern. They deserved to be humiliated.
I gave them a final glance instead of a goodbye and turned to leave—
"You. What are you doing there?"
A beam of light from a Light Magic Tool hit my face. The voice belonged to a woman. I recognized her.
"I was harassed by some thugs, so I took care of them."
It wasn't a lie. From where I stood, those two were no better than common thugs.
The woman kept her distance from me as she approached the two members of "Shield of the Sky."
"I've seen you somewhere before... Didn't you come to our 'Shield of the Sky' interview?"
Just as I thought. She was the woman I’d passed at the guild headquarters. She was so strikingly beautiful that it was impossible to forget her face.
"You've got the wrong person."
"No. I'm certain of it. I am Fiona of 'Shield of the Sky.' I never forget a face."
Fiona remained wary of me as she shone her light on the two men rolling on the ground. Her expression suddenly hardened.
"Did you lay a hand on our recruits?"
"Other way around. They're the ones who ruined my meal."
"Let's ask them ourselves. [Holy Purifying Light]."
As Fiona chanted, the alleyway flared with brilliance as a dome of light enveloped the area. Glimmering particles rained down on the two men, and they began to stir immediately.
"...Nnh... where am I...?"
"...Oh, Lady Fiona..."
The Martial Artist and the Swordsman woke up, and Fiona sliced through their ropes. They checked their limbs before unsteadily rising to their feet.
"This man claims you two 'ruined his meal.' Is that true? I find it hard to believe that members of 'Shield of the Sky' would behave that way..."
Fiona questioned them in a voice that was calm yet carried an undeniable weight.
"That's a lie! I wasn't the one who knocked over his food. It was some other middle-aged guy!"
"That's right! I saw it too!"
Are you kidding me? That’s hardly the point. You two were the reason it happened in the first place.
"I have a skill that sharpens my intuition. My senses tell me they aren't lying."
Good grief. Your intuition only picks up on surface-level facts! You’re completely missing the context and the true intentions behind the situation!
"He’s the one who picked the fight! He told us to 'step outside'!"
"And then he used some cowardly trick to knock us out!"
Fiona looked at their faces before snapping a sharp glare toward me.
"They are telling the truth."
God, this is becoming such a massive pain.
"If you go back to the tavern and ask the other Adventurers, I'm sure you'll find out what really happened."
"There is no need. It’s perfectly clear. You failed the 'Shield of the Sky' interview, grew resentful, and decided to vent your frustration on our recruits. You picked a fight and used underhanded means to win."
Are you serious...?! Logic just doesn't work on this woman, does it...?!
"I'll teach you a lesson so you never dream of touching a member of 'Shield of the Sky' again."
The atmosphere around Fiona shifted. Before I could even blink, she had drawn the rapier at her waist. As expected of an S-rank Guild member.
However, I didn't feel I was in the wrong at all. After being lectured like this, my own anger toward Fiona was starting to boil.
We were in a trash-filled alley behind a tavern. That skill should work perfectly here.
Fiona leveled the tip of her rapier at me. I activated the [Insect Master] skill [Insect Swarm Control]. Every bug lurking in the shadows spread its wings and took flight, swarming Fiona all at once.
"Wait, what—kyahhhhhh...!!"
Besieged by a literal cloud of insects, Fiona dropped her rapier and collapsed, rolling frantically on the ground. The Martial Artist and the Swordsman stood by, frozen in confusion, unable to process what was happening.
"Seems like you're in no position to be 'teaching' anyone anything. I'll be going now."
I maintained the [Insect Swarm Control] as I strolled out of the alley. Fiona’s screams continued to echo behind me, over and over again.