"F-Flynn-sama… no—sir. They've followed us."
Naberal walked half a step behind Ren Kuroda—currently going by the alias Flynn—her voice cold and precise as she tracked the presence behind them.
"As expected, a pack of brainless vermin. Creatures that can't even manage the most basic level of thought… To dare tail a Supreme Being… Shall I dispose of these parasites who've let greed consume them?"
"Stop."
Ren cut her off immediately.
"If we were in the Great Tomb, that kind of behavior would absolutely warrant execution," he said calmly. "But right now, we're adventurers. Even if things escalate, don't kill them. It'll only complicate things."
Listening to Naberal casually refer to humans as insects—and suggest killing them over the slightest provocation—Ren couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Now he truly understood why, when he had gone out before, he'd chosen Yuri Alpha instead.
Even though he himself had become something inhuman, remnants of his past life still allowed him to interact with people on a basic level. But the denizens of the Great Tomb… to them, humans were nothing more than livestock, toys, or lesser species. Trying to hold a normal conversation with them was like talking across entirely different worlds.
Especially Naberal Gamma.
She might look like a refined beauty, but with a karma value deep in the negatives, she was the type to kill first and ask questions never.
I should've brought Shizuku instead…
Shizuku Delta—another of the Pleiades battle maids—was one of the only two with a positive karma score, along with Yuri. Compared to Naberal, she was far easier to manage.
"Oi."
A rough voice cut through the air.
"Don't think that just because you're carrying a couple of flashy greatswords and walking around with a pretty girl, you can pass yourself off as some big-shot 'War Demon.'"
"Yeah," another sneered. "If you know what's good for you, hand over your gear… and let that little lady keep us company for the night. Maybe if we're in a good mood, we'll even help you crawl your way out of that bronze rank."
The ones provoking them were a pair of Gold-rank adventurers.
In the nine-tier system, that already placed them at a respectable mid-level—well-known enough in this city.
Not for their strength, though.
But for their reputation as scum who preyed on rookies.
Around them, the tavern's patrons merely watched, amused. No one stepped in. Scenes like this were far too common.
Ren let out a quiet sigh.
"There really are a lot of idiots in this world," he muttered. "I'd rather avoid trouble, but somehow, trouble always seems to find me."
"What the hell did you just say—?!"
One of the Gold-rank adventurers lunged forward—
—but before he could finish, a massive hand suddenly filled his vision.
In the next instant, Ren had grabbed him by the face and lifted him clean off the ground.
The man's legs kicked wildly in midair, completely unable to break free.
"Boom—!"
A thunderous crash echoed through the tavern as Ren slammed the man headfirst into the wooden floor.
The entire building seemed to tremble slightly from the impact.
"Controlling my strength so I don't accidentally kill you…" Ren said flatly, "is about as delicate as handling a fragile piece of glass. So don't provoke me again. Next time, I might not get it right."
Silence.
The entire tavern froze.
A single move had utterly crushed a Gold-rank adventurer.
This wasn't some ordinary bronze rookie.
So he wasn't imitating the so-called "War Demon" after all…?
They'd completely misjudged him.
Why are there so many absurdly strong newcomers showing up in this city lately…?
"…Um, sir."
A hesitant voice broke the tension.
It was one of the tavern staff, forcing himself to step forward despite the fear in his eyes.
"Whatever disputes you adventurers have is your business, but… before that, shouldn't you compensate us for the damage? Even adventurers can't just cause trouble in the city. If necessary, I can report this to the Adventurers' Guild…"
If he had a choice, he wouldn't have spoken up.
But the floor was shattered, and several bottles of expensive liquor had been knocked off the shelves. If the owner returned and saw this, he'd be the one held responsible.
Even so, standing in front of someone this dangerous made his legs tremble.
Naberal's gaze turned icy in an instant.
"You insolent worm. They were the ones who provoked Flynn—sir. And yet you dare ask us for compensation?"
She took a step forward, killing intent flickering—
—but Ren raised a hand and stopped her.
"If we break something, we pay for it. That's only fair," he said evenly. "But as my companion mentioned… could you explain why we're the ones responsible?"
The waiter swallowed hard.
Even through the full-body armor, the pressure radiating from this man was suffocating.
"I—I'm very sorry, sir. It's just… those two may be Gold-rank, but they're drunkards and gamblers. I'd like to make them pay, but they never even settle their tabs…"
"I see."
Ren nodded.
"So as both participants in the conflict—and the ones who caused the damage—we're expected to cover it."
"…Yes, sir."
Meanwhile, Naberal had already searched the two adventurers and returned with a slight shake of her head.
They were completely broke.
Ren suppressed a sigh.
He didn't want his adventurer career to end before it even properly began.
"Fine," he said. "But I don't carry much local currency. I'll use this as payment."
He reached into his inventory and produced a vial.
A potion—its liquid a deep, blood-red hue.
At first, Ren had been worried they wouldn't recognize its value and had even considered explaining it.
But the moment the vial appeared—
the entire tavern erupted.
"That color… that's…!"
"No mistake—that's the same type of recovery potion the 'War Demon' brought back from the ruins!"
"Just one bottle of that stuff is worth at least ten gold coins!"
"They have something like that… and they're insanely strong, yet only bronze rank… Could it be—?!"
"They're not imitators… they actually know the 'War Demon'?!"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Where there had been scorn and mockery before, now there was only shock—and a trace of awe.