Megiddo-san’s teleportation magic deposited us in a city that was completely unfamiliar to me. At the very least, it wasn't the royal capital. It didn't feel quite like the countryside, but it had a certain peaceful, quiet charm to it.
"Megiddo-san, what part of the Hydra Kingdom are we in? This isn't the capital, is it?"
"Hmm? Oh, this is a city in the East of the Hydra Kingdom's royal capital. The capital is fine too, but the latest fashion trends are always concentrated there. Personally, I like edgy, aggressive styles, but for what we’re doing today, this place is better. This city developed through the clothing industry, so the number of apparel shops is pretty staggering."
"I see. Even a quick glance shows clothing stores all over the place."
While the Hydra Kingdom was famous for its textiles, the national preference leaned toward the cutting-edge. Consequently, the capital was home to all sorts of state-of-the-art boutiques and trendsetting goods beyond just garments.
In contrast, this city seemed to put its clothing industry front and center. It looked like the perfect place to browse a wide variety of reasonably priced clothes at a leisurely pace.
"The atmosphere is nice, too. It feels like we can enjoy our shopping without being rushed... Hm?"
"Oh... Heh."
Just as I was about to suggest looking for a good shop, my Sympathy Magic picked up a sharp, hostile vibe nearby. When I turned toward the source, I saw a group of young men and women with a delinquent-like aura squaring off against another group of the same sort.
They were shouting insults at each other, clearly in the middle of a heated confrontation.
"Hahaha! Look at that. Are those local punks? Looks like they’re having a blast."
"I wouldn't say they're having a blast... it looks more like a lot of trouble..."
"You think? They're practically adorable at that level."
"...Well, by your standards, Megiddo-san, they might be."
Hearing Megiddo-san laughing heartily, I found myself reluctantly agreeing with him. To put it bluntly, they lacked any real intensity. It was an unfair comparison, of course, but they didn't have the soul-crushing aura that filled the air when someone like Pandora-san and Agni-san glared at each other.
In that sense, to Megiddo-san—who was well-acquainted with real battles and slaughter—a brawl of that caliber probably looked like nothing more than children playing tag.
"Still, they're in the way. Hey, you brats! A fight's fine and all, but don't do it in the middle of the road. You're blocking the path."
"Huh? Who the hell are you?! You keep talking crap like that and I'll blow you away!"
Perhaps because they were glaring at each other right in the center of the road we were about to take, Megiddo-san had told them to take it elsewhere in a casual tone.
Predictably, people caught up in the heat of a moment weren't going to simply comply with such a request. Instead, they barked back at him.
Their behavior was only possible because they had no idea who he was, but watching it from my perspective made my heart race. I felt a surge of pity for these people who were committing what was undeniably a suicidal act by picking a fight with Megiddo-san.
I mean, Megiddo-san wasn't actually going to pulverize them, was he? That would be just a bit too much... Oh, it looked like it would be fine. He was laughing as if he found the whole thing hilarious.
"You've got spirit, I'll give you that. And you're lucky, too. Since I'm with Kaito, I'm being exceptionally gentle today. So, this time, I'll give you a gentle verbal warning. It's fine to be hot-blooded, and by all means, enjoy your fight... But listen, you brats. You'd better choose your opponents more carefully."
Suddenly, a crushing weight descended on the area, as if the very air had transmuted into lead. I had experienced this several times before, so I managed to endure it, but the members of the delinquent groups were struck speechless. Their faces went pale, and they began to shake uncontrollably.
On some level, they must have felt it through their skin—an instinctive realization of exactly how far above them Megiddo-san was.
"You understand? Good... Now then, go enjoy your fight somewhere that won't bother the people around you. Go on, get moving."
"M-My apologies!"
As Megiddo-san eased the pressure, the delinquents scattered like baby spiders. The match was far too lopsided. The fault lay with the punks for fighting in the middle of the street, but it was strange how I couldn't help but feel sorry for anyone who had the misfortune of crossing Megiddo-san.
"Now then, shall we head off? Man... even so, I really am being gentle today. Don't you think so, Kaito? It must be because I'm in such a good mood. With how I feel right now, even if I ran into someone I didn't like, I'd probably settle for just beating them half to death."
"...Y-Yeah, I suppose."
Just for the record, this wasn't a joke. Megiddo-san apparently had no hesitation about killing people he truly disliked, so stopping at "half to death" was, by his standards, a factually gentler response than usual.
I wasn't so sure about this. Even though it was resolved quickly, starting off with a confrontation right away... I felt a slight sense of unease about what lay ahead for us.
???: "Well, by Gorilla-san's standards, he actually likes reckless fools who pick fights with him. Even if he’d encountered them without Kaito-san there, I expect he would have just pinned them down somewhat gently."
Serious-senpai: "If Kaito hadn't been there, even if Megiddo held back, he still would have accepted the fight. In a way, you could say Kaito actually saved that delinquent group."
???: "Well, with a combination like Kaito-san, who has a trouble-prone constitution (attracting type), and Megiddo-san, who has a trouble-prone constitution (causing type), it's no wonder trouble would find them."