Chapter 19: The Gang Princess’s Death Flag

The merchant escort mission ended without any encounters with bandits or monsters.

After two days of travel, we arrived at the banks of the Clearstream River, the entrance to Yowin.

"This is Yowin… What an incredible city."

Under the blazing morning sun, we crossed a polished white stone bridge, and there it was—the academic city, sprawling before us.

It felt like we’d time-slipped into an ancient capital.

Fountains adorned with angel carvings, well-maintained canals with boats floating lazily, and ancient architecture stretching as far as the eye could see—starting with a massive clock tower.

Yowin was a mysterious town lined with beautiful yet antiquated buildings.

"First time in Yowin, my lady?"

"Yes, yes! I never imagined it would be such a stunning city!"

"Hahaha, this is the kinda place ya gotta visit at least once in yer life. A dream come true for history buffs."

Our client, the old merchant, had filled us in on Yowin’s details during the trip.

"Right. If yer plannin’ to stay a while, ya oughta decide whether to set up in the north or the south."

"North and south?"

According to him, Yowin was divided into two districts—North and South—separated by the prominent clock tower.

The North Area was centered around the Calibrate Progress Institute, a magical university dedicated to researching "advanced magical technology."

Dozens of small schools and laboratories worked tirelessly to develop "new and practical magic."

Meanwhile, the South Area was the exact opposite—focused on studying "lost ancient magic."

Scholars flocked daily to the Rissel Ancient Library, deciphering old texts in an attempt to revive "the magic of a golden age."

"So, North if you want cutting-edge magic, South if you’re after the romance of the past?"

"North and South don’t exactly see eye to eye. If yer sightseein’, stick to one side or ya’ll get the stink-eye."

Historians chasing the past versus mages chasing progress. Yeah, no surprise they didn’t get along.

"Hmm… I am curious about modern magic, but…"

"Shouldn’t we stay in the South? The people researching ancient magic are probably the ones who know about past Hero legends."

And as Maika said, we should get friendly with the South Area researchers.

Just learning what past demons looked like and how they fought would make this trip more than worth it.

...Wanting to learn new magic to grow stronger was just my own selfish desire. I never expected spirit cannons to be useless against demons.

If possible, I’d like to buy a state-of-the-art "magic staff" here to boost my spirit cannon’s firepower. I’ll ask Maika later if we can spare the funds.

"South, eh? Ancient magic does have its charm."

"Indeed. Hero legends sound fascinating."

"I get that feelin’! Back in my day, I devoured books ‘bout Heroes too… Tell ya what, how ‘bout I write ya a letter of introduction?"

Grinning, the old man pulled out a blank sheet of paper, eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Got a research-obsessed buddy in the South. I’ll pen ‘im a note so he’ll hear ya out!"

"Eh, is that really alright?"

"Don’t sweat it, don’t sweat it! Yer quick work on the job’s got me grateful. ‘Sides, lendin’ a hand to knowledge-hungry youngsters is just the ‘Yowin way.’"

Unbelievable—the old man was offering to introduce us to a researcher.

That’d be a huge help. No need to hunt someone down and negotiate.

"That’d be great! From me too, old man—thanks."

"No need fer bowin’. Yer the party leader, ain’tcha? Stand tall, quit with the grovelin’."

"Wow, what a kind soul…"

Talk about luck. Karl’s party really landed a sweet gig this time.

And so, our journey continued smoothly—

"Alrighty, I’ll just deduct the intro fee from yer payment, then—"

"Sure. …Wait, huh?"

Our journey continued smoothly, so we decided to ignore how the merchant’s shrewd tactics had shaved 10% off our pay.

"...This is just how merchants are. Favors usually ain’t free."

"Well, it is still helpful."

And so, our party secured a local researcher connection and safely arrived in Yowin.

---

"Alright, this is far enough for the escort job. Good work out there, adventurers."

"Thank you for the commission."

We'd safely delivered the old merchant to the shopping district, completing our request.

This area served as the hub for daily necessities—food, clothing, shelter—for the city's researchers. Apparently, the old man owned one of the shops here.

"If yer stickin’ around, drop by my place! I’ll give ya a discount!"

"Ahaha, appreciate it."

To the very end, he remained a merchant through and through.

—

"Phew, decent payday. So, what now? Head straight to that contact he mentioned?"

After parting ways with the merchant, we caught our breath in the district’s plaza and began discussing next steps.

"...Before that, I wanna scout the shops. This town’s tech level seems higher than Lewin’s..."

"Agreed. We should also liquidate Sakura’s assets while we’re here."

"I concur. We are already in the commercial area, after all."

Funds and gear were non-negotiable. Bulky loot was best sold today—clothing, gemstones, ornaments—each required different specialty shops. We needed to map the area first.

"Then we’ll need intel on store locations and market prices."

"Right. Let’s split up and recon for a bit."

Maika shared my view. We decided to divide forces temporarily.

"Regroup here in half a bell. Note shop locations, price ranges, and if possible, merchandise quality."

"...Understood. That’s my forte. Leave it to me."

"Very well. Until later, then."

"I’ll accompany the lady. She’ll get lost otherwise."

"I won’t! How rude!"

After hesitation, I chose to go solo.

An unfamiliar city made sticking with Lev or Maika wise... but I’d spotted something during the escort.

"Farewell for now."

"See ya, Irine."

If I had free rein, that purchase was mandatory—yet I couldn’t let anyone know.

After separating, I glanced over my shoulder repeatedly, slinking through shadows toward that particular store like a thief.

---

Meanwhile, Sakura and her retainer were...

"This is such a carefree city, isn't it?"

"Nah, it’s just that our town’s way too rough."

After the party disbanded, the two had completely forgotten their original mission of "gauging the market" and instead began wandering the streets as they pleased.

"Displaying goods so openly like that—aren’t they afraid of theft? I could easily swipe something without anyone noticing."

"Please don’t. This city’s crawling with nobles. If a thief gets caught, some passing mage’ll roast 'em to a crisp before you can blink."

"Ah, that’d kill any urge to steal, huh?"

Though their conversation sounded shady, Sakura didn’t actually have a habit of theft. In her city, leaving goods unguarded was practically an invitation.

As a former noble who managed shops herself, the lax security here bothered her. Had this been one of her own stores, she’d have scolded the staff and fixed it immediately.

"Speaking of, why are there so many nobles here?"

"Well, Yowin’s a city of magical research. Mages flock here—of course nobles would follow."

"Ah, right. That makes sense."

The residents of this city could largely be divided into two groups:

The researchers, who sought to advance magic itself through study, and the mages, who provided funding and magical energy in exchange for the knowledge gained from those researchers.

Patron nobles hired researchers to enhance their own magical prowess. That was the foundation of this city.

"Seems like some pretty high-ranking nobles are around, too. Wouldn’t be surprised if you accidentally bumped into a marquis’s daughter on the street. The peace might be nice, but in terms of danger, it’s worse than Lewin."

"Terrifying. A minor noble like me could be wiped out in an instant. Not that it matters anymore—we’re already ruined."

"Even if the house lost its power, you still hold your title, my lady. That’s what really matters."

Sakura nodded firmly at her retainer’s words.

"True. I haven’t lost my standing as a noble yet."

"...My lady."

A fierce light burned in her eyes.

From the start, her reason for joining Karl’s grueling journey to slay the Demon King was to restore her house.

After the recent battle, there was no doubt Karl was the real deal. To reclaim her lands, she needed undeniable achievements.

A connection to Karl, a warrior of unmatched strength—and the clear-cut glory of slaying the Demon King. These would be the greatest assets in rebuilding the Tendo family.

"Once the Demon King is dead, I’ll return to that city someday and take back everything that belonged to the Tendo house—the family that raised me."

"..."

"By now, the shops and inns have probably been seized by others. But they’re just borrowing them. I never intended to let them go."

"Of course. I’ll take back those shops too, one day."

"Good. Then follow me."

"Always, my lady."

This was her gamble—a path with no alternatives. Sakura had staked her entire future on Karl’s absurd strength.

Whether it would bring fortune or ruin, only the gods knew.

"Anyway, causing trouble here’s a no-go. If we pick fights like in Lewin and catch the eye of some high-ranking noble, we’re done for."

"Understood. The peace here seems decent, and we’re less likely to get into scraps anyway."

"Right. This ain’t like that town where a single glance could start a brawl."

And so, Sakura von Tendo and her retainer reaffirmed their bond as family, setting off on a new adventure—

———

———

———

———

"...Insult Karl one more time, and I’ll cut you down."

"Insult? Disdain? Contempt? Heh. How strange. Do you take the truth as an insult?"

"Stop it, Lev. I don’t care."

———Only to immediately stumble upon their party leader, Karl, already knee-deep in trouble.

"Mr. Karl... what’re you doing...?"

"...Are we really betting our futures on him?"

Well, turning a blind eye wasn’t an option.

With only a slight hesitation, Sakura hurried toward Karl and the others.

---

"Hey Karl, what's going on here?"

"Ah, Sakura."

When Sakura arrived, she found Lev exuding a dangerous aura while Karl stood with his arms crossed, visibly irritated.

And facing them—a woman with blazing red hair, the kind that screamed fire mage.

"Nothing serious. Just dealing with some nuisance."

"Nuisance? I'm enlightening you. About your blasphemy."

The woman Karl pointed at was short, sharp-eyed, and wore a black bandana with a crimson robe—the very image of a battlemage.

"That man dares to call himself the Hero. Even if the world tolerates such insolence, I will not."

Her glare at Karl carried outright venom.

"He's not claiming to be the Hero—he is the real deal. I can vouch for that."

"Oh? Another fool, or just another victim? Stick to being flat-chested, blondie."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FLAT-CHESTED?!"

Sakura, who had come to mediate, was instantly provoked.

"Hey. Call me a liar all you want. But insult my comrades, and I will draw my sword."

"Insult? It's the truth. Mocking fools who follow fools—what's wrong with that?"

"The flat-chested part is fact, but words can still cut. Push it further, and I will cut you down."

"IT'S NOT FACT!! I'LL MURDER YOU!!"

(Karl had seen Sakura’s... assets firsthand. He knew the truth.)

"You little red runt—take that back now, or I'll settle this right here!"

"Whoa, easy there! We came to stop a fight, my lady!"

Truth be told, Sakura was quick to rise to provocation. As a former gangster noble, pride was her weakness.

"Relax, Master. I'm not here to start a brawl."

"Mr. Karl..."

At this point, only Master and a mildly annoyed Karl remained calm.

Karl was used to mockery. A dreamer turned broke adventurer, rejected by his childhood friend—he’d long grown numb to ridicule.

"...Red. Apologize to Sakura now, and I’ll let this go."

"Tch. Annoying."

But if there was one thing that could ignite Karl’s wrath—

It was seeing his comrades insulted.

"That flat-chested brat over there? She’s trash with the manners of a monkey."

"————Fine. You die now."

The moment the words left her mouth, Karl’s sword left its sheath.

For real. The Hero blessed by the goddess was ready to kill.

"W-wait, Mr. Karl!!"

"Sorry. Can’t let this slide."

"...I’ll help... Karl..."

Around them, multiple mages raised their staffs—likely preparing to intervene if violence erupted.

"Stop! If you go wild, we’ll be banished from this city!"

"Stay out of this. You’re pissed too, aren’t you?"

"Well, yeah, but—!"

Master scrambled for a way to stop Karl.

A man who’d single-handedly slaughtered hordes of demons. One swing of his sword could mean countless deaths.

Not that Karl wanted collateral damage—but in his current state, control was questionable.

"That’s right. Stand down, Karl."

Ignoring (or perhaps understanding) Master’s panic—

The gangster noble stepped forward, facing the drawn sword head-on.

"That insult was aimed at me. It’s my fight to take."

"Oh?"

This was a girl raised in the streets, a noble without offensive magic.

"I am Sakura von Tendo."

Win or lose? Irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was whether she’d bite back.

Never lose your fangs, no matter the enemy. That was the Tendo creed.

"I’ll take that fight. Bring it."

"Hah. Didn’t expect you to bite. But fine—I’ll humor you."

The red-haired woman grinned, her face twisting in delight as she raised her staff.

"I am the Hero Aldebaran. Unlike that fraud over there—I am the true Hero."

"...Excuse me?"

The moment she finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of mana erupted from her body.

The air warped like a mirage, and a blinding kaleidoscope of light engulfed Aldebaran.

"You dared bark at me? I’ll kill you, you flat-chested wretch!!!"

"..."

(Oh. Crap. Picked the wrong fight.)

Sakura realized it instantly.

---

"...Good grief."

Far behind the commotion, hidden among the crowd—

Karl’s childhood friend sighed and shrugged.