A few minutes ago-
The group led by Lucas who entered the shop sensed something strange.
“What brings you here?” The clerk asked, looking at the three men.
The atmosphere was unwelcoming, even though they were customers. The other employees didn’t have the look of a businessman either, they had the eyes of a backstreet thug.
Worst of all, the store was empty. A black panther statue in the window was the only thing on display.
“I’d like to buy that statue.”
Pretending to be a buyer, Lucas pointed at the black panther statue. Once again, the clerks exchanged glances with each other upon Lucas’s request.
“Please wait a moment.”
Watching the clerks go inside through a door, Cain approached Lucas, “Your Majesty. They seem suspicious. Perhaps we should raid with our knights.”
“…….”
Lucas crossed his arms silently.
Now that Lucas knew something was off about this shop, he couldn’t just leave empty-handed. Even if he apprehended these individuals, it would only be a temporary solution. It would be pointless to not delve into the upper echelons.
After a while, the worker returned.
“Take a look at it.”
He held out a palm with something on it to Lucas and the others. ‘It’ looked like a reddish stone or a gemstone.
“What is this?”
“…….”
“It looks similar to what’s adorned in the eyes of the black panther, doesn’t it?” Lucas asked, but the clerk’s response remained the same.
“…I’m afraid we don’t have any for sale to our customers.”
The clerk gestured rudely, putting the object in his pocket.
Seeing this, Lucas smirked faintly, “I can’t believe some shops dare to turn away customers.”
“…….”
“Who’s the owner? I’d like to have a word with him.”
The staff’s eyes turned sour at the mention of wanting to meet the owner.
“Do you have a referral?”
“Was there a referral needed to buy things from a store?”
Despite their obvious wariness, Lucas remained unperturbed. The clerk who had shown him the mysterious item a few moments earlier replied sarcastically, “If you don’t have any references, please leave.”
Just then, the inner door opened, and several other men rushed out. All of them were rugged-looking, with scars on their faces and each carrying a weapon. Like the staff, they all looked like they had no business working in a shop like this.
Burnett’s hand went to the scabbard at his waist, and Cain swallowed dryly. Lucas, glancing at the door to the back of the shop, rested his arms.
“Oh, well.. If they come at us like this, they leave us with no option.”
Apparently, there didn’t seem to be any hidden spaces or important items inside. The shop was full of scraps and in no way could make money.
After calculating, Lucas smiled confidently and provocatively at the clerks, “Summon the shop owner. Then I’ll spare your lives.”
“Isn’t that something we should say?”
The men surrounding Lucas laughed at his words. It was clear they found Lucas amusing since they outnumbered him by far.
One of the men chuckled and patted Lucas’s shoulder, “If you say such things… ugh!”
The man screamed.
Barnett, who had grabbed his wrist and twisted it, growled as he spoke, “How dare you lay a hand on him.”
“Arghh!”
Burnett let go of the employee with a jerk, and the triggered men drew their weapons.
Burnett, sword in hand, stood in front of Lucas as a shield, while Cain, unable to fight, stepped aside. Lucas merely stood, not even drawing the sword at his waist.
“Get him!”
Someone shouted, and the men charged.
Burnett slashed at the first two that lunged at him. Lucas, on the other hand, fought the men with his bare hands as he didn’t need a weapon.
“Cain. Get out of the way.”
As Lucas raised a man by his throat with one hand, he shouted at Cain. Cain quickly moved out of the way, the large body of the thrown man slammed into the pillar with a loud thud.
“Arghh!”
The tearing screams of the men and the crunching of bones as Lucas struck continued. The tiles of the floor were covered with the bodies of men who had been hit by Lucas’s fists and slashed by Burnett.
Just when they thought the situation was almost under control.
An employee in the corner raised the black panther statue high in the air, trying to destroy the evidence.
“Haaahh!”
“No!”
Cain reached out, but it was too late. The man threw the statue down with all his might.
Just then-
“Oops!” A woman appeared in the doorway and gently scooped the statue up, “Don’t worry. It’s not broken.”
Her melodious voice sounded like a wind chime.
She was a woman with long black hair tied high in a ponytail, wearing only a white linen dress, with bright red eyes sparkling like rubies.
The shop was eerily silent as the woman suddenly appeared in the midst of a bloody scene.
“You.. Who the h*ll are you!”
The employee who was about to throw the statue asked pointedly.
“Oh! My introduction?”
The woman cleared her throat, her round eyes twinkling shyly, “I’m Rosedale, Rosedale Belle.”
***
After introducing herself, Rosedale felt proud.
It was already impressive that humans were curious about her name. It would have been better if it had been Lucas, but anyway, she seemed to have made quite a good first impression.
Moreover, she even picked up the item that the human had dropped before it broke.
Rosedale puffed up her shoulders in pride, remembering what she learned in the book that kindness begets favor.
It was a good thing to have come in to check when she heard the thud sound. However, the man who was robbed of the statue seemed to have different thoughts.
“Who asked?”
The man gave her a look of disbelief, and Rosedale gave him a nonchalant look.
She seemed to be the only one who was calm in this situation. Even Lucas, who had been composed the entire time, was looking at her in confusion.
Rosedale tilted her head, “Do you have anything else to add to your introduction? Oh, maybe your age? I just turned twent…”
“Are you crazy!” The man interrupted, trying to hit her. Lucas rushed to her side sensing the impending.
Slap!
Rosedale’s palm met the man’s cheek. The man’s head snapped to the side.
“Oof.. I should’ve controlled my strength.”
As Rosedale realized, the man, who was left with only white in his eyes, collapsed to the ground.
Rosedale looked slightly apologetic as she glanced at the man who had fainted with his cheeks swollen.
“Even though I picked up your item for you…”
‘Sigh! Some humans are just plain tr*sh.’
Rosedale shook her head.
Suddenly, her eyes locked with Lucas, who was now standing beside her. She wondered if this was what it was like to feel time stand still. The air they shared felt different.
Looking into his emerald eyes, I felt my throat burn with an unexplained thirst. The nervousness, excitement was making my heart continuously pound.
“Um.. So…”
Rosedale turned to Lucas, but the men who had been hoarding their strength interrupted.
“Give the statue back!”
The first clerk, whose wrist had been broken by Bennett, also stood up and glared angrily. Lucas gave him a cold glance, then turned back to Rosedale, “That…”
“Yes?”
Lucas spoke to Rosedale, his voice low and hushed, “The statue you’re holding. Do you think you could hold it for a moment?”
She thought his voice still sounded as sweet as the songs of fairies.
He didn’t smile, wasn’t particularly friendly or affectionate, but for some reason, Rosedale didn’t mind his expressionless face.
“I will.”
When Rosedale smiled, Lucas took off his robe.
With a swoosh, his robe, which had drawn a semicircle, enveloped Rosedale. When Lucas wore it, the robe reached his knees, but when Rosedale wore it, the hem touched the floor.
“I’ll cover you.”
“Hmm,” Rosedale nodded.
The robe smelled of citrus. It was similar to Lucas’s scent.
Having thrown off the cumbersome robe, Lucas turned back and stood in front of the men again.
“I’ll take the lead.”
Burnett swallowed dryly as he stepped to the side, his own injuries and exhaustion evident.
“Stay back.”
Lucas pulled the sword at his waist from its scabbard, “I’m not in the mood to play anymore.”
“……!”
Startled, Burnett quickly lowered his sword and stepped to one side with Cain.
“You lunatic!”
The clerks and men watching them gritted their teeth. Even though they had been at a loss earlier, being looked down upon like this was too much.
The clerk whose wrist was broken shouted.
“Let’s get him at once!”
“Thank you in advance,” A razor-sharp smile tugged at the corners of Lucas’s mouth, “I can kill you all at once.”
Crouching slightly lower, Lucas swung his sword at the men as they rushed at him. Three heads flew off in one arc, and two more spilled blood on the floor with another swing.
‘So that Cain was telling the truth.’
Rosedale was amazed at Lucas’s swordsmanship.
It seems Cain wasn’t just bluffing when he bragged about being the strongest man in the kingdom before we left.
I thought Elpis was the strongest man in the world, but with his swordsmanship, I wondered if he even could match Lucas.
It didn’t take long for the situation to be cleared up.
“Ugh..!”
The only one still conscious was the employee clutching his injured arm. Lucas’s sharp knife touched the nape of his neck.
“Who’s the owner?”
“I-I don’t know!”
The servant shuddered and shook, but Lucas’s cold gaze never left him.
“If you don’t know, there’s no point in keeping you alive.”
Blood trickled from the clerk’s neck where Lucas’s blade had grazed it, “Tell me.”
“I really don’t know! I’m just a c-c-lerk…”
Cough!
Blood poured from the man’s mouth.
Frowning, Lucas took a step back, and the bloodied employee collapsed to the floor, dead.
Cain rushed over and checked the man’s pulse, “He’s dead.”
“Is it su*cide?”
“…….”
The man seemed to ‘commit su*cide’ just as he was about to say something. Lucas had a premonition that this might be more to it.
But there was something else that mattered right now. Lucas turned and came straight to stand in front of Rosedale.
Their gazes met once more.
Rosedale kept staring at Lucas.
His eyes looking at her felt like the summer sun setting over a lake. A serene, quiet emerald lake where fairies loved to dwell.
This human with such beautiful eyes, was her first. The first one she blessed as the messenger of Eros.
Looking at a man more beautiful than a fairy, Rosedale felt as if she could hear the sound of bells ringing from the fairy lake she had heard before she set out.
