We Will Not Let You Go

-.

-.

"That was… a metaphor," I said in a carefully even tone.

/"Yes, totally FAKE NEWS,"/ Monika whispered privately.

Zorah gave me a sneer that made her pasty white face look like a rabbit. "Enough of your irrelevant chatter! The man who purports to call himself the Zah Playa of Chara! You… you are truly not intimidated by my status as a noblewoman, aren't you?"

I could hear Yumina snickering and Elze sighing behind me. This lady was kinda pitiful in her sheer ignorance.

"Should anyone?!" Elze retorted from behind me. "Nobles who push around those weaker than themselves, who take and take and take just because they were born to other people who never had to work for anything in their lives…! Those are just the worst!"

"I completely agree."

"Bwuh?"

While Elze boggled, Zorah continued with her pursed red lips thinning out into a smile, "Respect must be earned. Nobles who take their will from the weak and give nothing in return are nothing less than execrable. But respect must be earned. If not by good works… then by force.

"So – you can say all those things, but it is not justice without the ability to live up to its yell. If you are not afraid to impugn the honor of your betters, are you prepared to deal with consequences? Can you prove your right to lay judgment… by the force of arms! The same way nobility was established in the first place, the same way it is perpetuated! By the precarious balance of powers!"

She opened her arms out. "Come, then! Oh you poor deluded souls! Prove to me that you are more than just meaningless boasts! Adventurers should not cry for fairness, they who put their lives on the line for mere money! For mere fame, for mere carnal release! You live and die only by your own hands!"

Huh. I was confused. Did she approve or disapprove of the standards of the nobility?

If it wasn't just for that /annoying voice/ I could probably treat her much nicer. It's like she's trying so hard to pull of this villainess act but instead of harassing the heroine she's somehow doing it against the demon king of a parallel world. Ahahaha.

Instead I just sighed and said "What in the flipping penguins are you talking about now?"

She let out a growling sound and shook her fist at me. "I challenge you pitiable pack of adventurers to a duel!"

I swept my arm horizontally, palm flat as if cutting the horizon. "I refuse."

"I refuse your refusal."

"I refuse your refusal of my refusal-"

"Ahem. Excuse me." Yumina coughed into her fist and inserted herself into the conversation. "Pardon me, but according to the rules and procedure of the contract between the Guild and the kingdom of Belfast – duels between nobles and adventurers are forbidden. Duels are only valid against those of the same social class in the first place."

"Well yes, but I do not directly challenge this man who hides behind the skirts of women."

I tilted my head in confusion. "… Did you not just see me shut down all of you with just a gesture?"

"Hmf. You say that like it's anything impressive. Sarah could do that too," Zorah huffed. "Isn't that right?"

"Indeed, my lady," said the mage with her. "Incapacitation of large groups is why magicians are important. Only amateurs and impoverished adventurers think that big flashy spells are the way to go." The mage woman sniffed and smirked at Linze. "And little girls with no endurance have no business standing around in the battlefield hoping to be protected by more worthy souls."

"So while nobles might not duel adventurers… adventurers can certainly challenge adventurers!" the long-haired swordswoman said.

"Yeah, the Guild doesn't really care how much we fight as long as we don't disturb good people," said the huge armored woman.

They then explained that these adventurers were hired to *very literally* teach Elze, Linze, and Yae a lesson. It would not be a fight to the death, but these adventurers were long-standing retainers of House Zenovivi and had the skills roughly equivalent to the girls' own specialties. It could be argued that they were *being helpful* with beating us down to the ground.

They would like to show us neophyte adventurers just how much further we have to travel in this road towards fame and fortune.

I bent down to whisper at Yumina's ear "This is such an obvious loophole. Is this even valid?"

"Yes it is, Sir Zah. However, since adventurers are taken by default to have no honor, they are not obligated to accept."

"Woooow. I should be offended by that."

Her lips quirked slightly with mischief. "But that is to your advantage." Then in a louder voice towards Zorah "Then what are the terms?! What is the profit behind this fight? You must offer something of value to make the fight worth compelling!"

"What am I, some merchant to be haggling over price? Ask from me whatever you want." Zorah opened her arms out again. "Come, then! You women who follow this suspicious man, show me why. Prove to me that you are not just weak in the head as well as weak in the body!"

I could feel Linze bristling with outrage behind me. Yae stepped up and there was the antagonistic *click* sound of a katana being pushed out of its sheath by a thumb. "There is no need for duels and terms. These people have made their intentions clear, Playa-dono. Let us just beat them down right here, right now, and be done with it, let us do so!"

"Yeah! It is punchface time!" Elze stepped up as well, followed by Linze.

"Um… bet a little something, please," Linze suggested softly. She opened and closed her fists. "I… would not mind… to test the limits of my capacity again."

"Wait, hang on- not in front of… huh."

They were all wearing white domino masks now. I looked down towards Yumina standing next to me, and she tilted her head aside trying to look innocent.

I looked up again and just had to say, "Yae… that look⁽¹⁾ doesn't suit you at all."

"P-Playa-dono!"

"It is the big hair and big brightly-colored bows on her head and on her waist," Zorah mused. "There is too much visual load around the head."

"With Elze and Linze at least with the deep purple trim on their arms with their center being white, it looks balanced," I replied.

"Yes it suits them well. They look good. But here there is also the clashing aesthetic of her Eashan robes with the western-style mask."

"What about a full black silk facemask⁽²⁾ for this mysterious heroine, leaving instead only her soulful eyes?" I waved my hand over my mouth.

"It has potential. It certainly is an interesting contrast with her pink battle robe, but it feels like her face would just disappear right into her hair."

"Hm. Well there is the possibility of opaque sunglasses⁽³⁾…"

"What are sunglasses?"

Yae blushed and fidgeted under our gaze. Then there was a sudden but long pause. Zorah and I realized we were pointing fingers at each other to illustrate our talking points.

Then we flipped our wrists over and snarled "HAAAAAH!" at each other.

"ANYWAY," Zorah huffed and crossed her arms. "Show me what passes for valor among your misbegotten kind!"

I raised my hand. "Could I just abstain from this fight? Like, I have zero reasons to entertain your nonsense. Zanac is *already* my friend. I like showing off sometimes, but I am confident enough in my own power that I don't have to keep throwing face on other people."

"Oooh, snap. Did you hear that, mistress?" one of her guards whispered in affront.

"Yes, how dare he call you an idiot who doesn't know her own power!"

"In all my ten years of service protecting you milady, never have I seen someone so impudent as to call you someone unemployable who has too much free time on her hands!"

Uh. Are you guys, like… allies at all?

"J-just like I expected from a coward like you! Have you no shame! Have you no honor?! Can you at all stand with having women fight for you? They deserve better than this!" Zorah roared out.

I let out a little laugh. Yeah. I was born in 2001⁽⁴⁾, traditional gender roles aren't enough to spur me into action. "You dare call yourself a lady when you're roaming around ordering people to get beaten up for your fun?"

"… well, he's not wrong," one of her female guards said.

"Shut up Lydia," Zorah hissed aside from the corner of her mouth. "Ladies of the Zeno family are not like those mincing useless baby breeders! Everybody needs to be able to fight to protect the things they care about. Let not the dignity of the Zenovis be trampled, for that is the first step to weakening the living wall that guards this nation. Let them not forget just how closely we all stride on the edge of annihilation."

I raised my hand again. "Objection. Zanac."

Zorah hid her mouth behind her fan again and her eyes crinkled up in amusement. "… Fufufufu. Just because Zenfield is a cadet branch… what in the world makes you think that Zanac can't fight?"

Huh. "Okay. That's… fair. I apologize." Just because Zanac has this open and friendly personality doesn't mean he should be treated as defenseless. "I guess being the height to be at the perfect punching range for other people's genitals would make him really dangerous."

Zorah forcefully snapped her fan shut and pointed at me again. "Yes, I must clearly beat respect into your skull. That is the only way you can learn."

/"… well she's not wrong,"/ mused Monika.

Nooo. Muh dark history.

"But really, there is nothing I want from you. You can't convince me to accommodate this silliness, we don't have time for it. We have an important mission in a few days."

"Your chicken is mediocre. I will teach you a better recipe," said Zorah.

"YOU DARE?!" I raised my fist and shouted back "I WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR except for Zanac because we still need him to sew more outfits."

Yumina quizzically looked up at me. "Are you being serious, Sir Zah?"

"I am perfectly serious. ZENOVIVI WILL BE THE HOUSE THAT FRIED CHICKEN DESTROYED."

"Really really?"

"… No."

Zorah laughed mockingly "Fu fu fu fu… Well, if a man like you truly needs incentive, I know what you long for! Behold!"

Zorah reached into a hidden pouch and then brought out a large gold-and-platinum key. "The Master Key to Alephis' finest whorehouse! With this you may request for anyone you want at any time! Whatever beauty, whatever scenario!

"Should you happen to win, then sate all your dark desires until you die!"

Well a warehouse would certainly be useful, I could set up a production line or a studio wait what.

She stood there proudly, brandishing the key like Link having just found the Master Key to a Dungeon, needed to open the Boss Room and face the enemy within.

"Wooow," I breathed out.

"Oh my gods," Maldon palmed his face. "Is this happening? Is this really happening?"

Linze eeped and hid behind her sister.

My lips began to widen out into a very amused Grinch-like grin. And then slowly, even through her thick pasty makeup, a dawning look of horror began to crawl across Zorah's face.

"I am actually very impressed that you even have that," I said gently. "I am sure it must have been such an ordeal for a Lady to… acquire such a prize."

Honestly, if I had been in a romantic relationship with the girls this would have been really insulting. Any slightest hint I may be tempted would drive a wedge of jealousy. But instead? THIS IS HILARIOUS. Look at her. Belfast intel gathering a shite. Monika was cackling loudly in my ears.

"S-s-shut up. Shut up! Shut up!"

"Stay strong, Milady!"

"Unforgivable! How dare you imply that our lady is a wanton woman who indulges herself among courtesans instead of having acquired this Key in order to tempt foolish men into bets they cannot fulfill?"

"Yes, there is totally nothing suspicious going here. None. There have been absolutely no dalliances with no brothel madams."

"She has visited the whorehouse only that one time. One time."

I smiled very very thinly and said in as friendly and conciliating tone as possible "… does Zanac know you have this?"

"CHANGE OF PLANS I WILL MURDER YOU RIGHT NOW WITH MY BARE HANDS," Zorah screamed shrilly. She screamed and leaped to tear open my throat like a completely berserk lioness.

Ohshi-

-.

-.

Ka-thoom.

Swish.

A crater about a meter wide and almost shin-deep abruptly sunk into the ground at almost the same time I slid to a stop several stride lengths away down the street. I had Yumina in my arms in a literal Princess carry. She blinked in confusion.

"Light on your feet, are you not…?" Zorah whispered darkly.

I grinned. I looked at the rim of the crater around her feet. It was fascinating how smooth it was, an almost perfect circle and a shallow pit. It was like matter was erased around her feet, except that I could see fine white dust staring to fall down around her like a halo. "Respectable," I whistled.

"Be careful, Sir Zah!" Yumina whispered as I put her down and she retreated to a safe distance away. "The Zeno family are known for their strength enhancements!"

"Ours is the strength to shatter mountains! Gods shall humble themselves before a Zenovi's will would break!" Zorah declared as she strode out of the pit with all the ponderous bearing of a giant robot. I could even hear strange creaking noises. "And now I will break. Your. Face."

"Oh nooo. She has lost control," one of Zorah's guards said flatly. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Wait, hang on. I have a solution."

A slap. "This is not the time for snackings, idiots!"

"T-that's right! Should we help?"

"This is a time for our pay NOT to be cut again for excessive property damage!"

"…"

Zorah gave a strangely unladylike roar and shot forth, her right fist reared back to punch. I stomped down on the cobblestones with my boot and thrust my palm out in a basic horse stance. "[Earth], Pillar, [Spike!]"

A blunt stone spike shot out of the ground, and Zorah was unable to keep from ramming her chin into it. The rock spike shattered on contact like it was nothing more than crumbly bread, sapping none of her momentum. Everything that touched her body shattered into pieces and blew away like powder.

I side-stepped quickly, but she arrived fast enough that her punch clipped the edge of my [Air Shield]. I could feel the whole thing just spin around me before my feet touched the ground again.

/"Player! I just calculated the strike force of that hit – it's equivalent to two tons at sixty kph!"/

Huh. There's saying someone hits like a truck - and literally hitting with all the force of an actual trailer truck. Even Elze would have to multiply her [Boost] several times over to equal that.

Interesting. Her power… it's not changing her weight, isn't it? It had something to do with apparent mass and/or density.

/"You're smiling. I guess you're starting to like the thrill of battle now too, right? Elze will like that, at least. This is the true adventurer lifestyle."/

I swept my hand out to reverse my open palm to pointing down. "[Water!]" A strong gout of fresh water sprayed out of my hands towards Zorah's face.

Blargh?

The water struck her face and turned into mist. She held her hand up to shield her face anyway. Her makeup ran down her neck. For a moment there I could see the real shape of her mouth and chin. "… N-no!" she screamed.

And then strong hands grabbed around her slim corseted waist and hoisted her straight up.

"… What, no!" Zorah yelped. "Let me go!"

"That's enough of that, milady," spoke the huge adventurer woman. "The reason we were hired was so you would not have to fight at all."

"Y-yes. Please calm down, milady."

"Mylah! Do not disobey me! How dare you! Let me go!"

"Hrgh!" Mylah bent down, her arm muscles suddenly bulging and straining to keep the noblewoman aloft. Her face twisted up into a pained grimace.

And then Lydia, the swordswoman from earlier, sidled up right with her index finger held up menacingly. "No." She stabbed Zorah's side with her finger.

"Gheeek!" the noblewoman screeched and bent her waist almost to a 'U' away from the touch. Zorah was apparently extremely ticklish. The heavy feeling vanished.

"Milady, please consider the social contract," said Lydia. "Your grandfather is the one that hired us, and so if you want to sow terror at least do it outside of town."

Zorah began waving her arms and legs about but had no leverage to free herself. "No! Mylah, let me go!"

"No we will not let you go," the large woman rumbled out.

"No, no, no, no!" Zorah screamed as her hired adventurers evacuated forthwith, still holding her aloft like she was a kayak being carried over land towards the next river.

Lydia remained. "I trust your words of acceptance earlier still hold? Please head over to Fashion King Zanac to work out the details of our duel. Please do not make us return," she said, only half threateningly.

And then she ran for it, following the rest of the group as they rounded the bend out of view.

Leaving a damaged street, bruises on the Ortlinde guards, and befuddled expressions as the only evidence they had ever been there.

Slowly I relaxed out of my combat pose. "What the heck was that…?" I mumbled out. Then I groaned and palmed my face. "I've been in Reflet for less than an hour!"

Yumina looked towards Elze and Linze. "Is this… normal for you?" From the pinched look on her face, she was wondering if this would become normal for her too.

"Yeah sure," said Elze.

"Um, we have only known Reflet for about as long as Mister Zah does. And… this sort of thing is not unusual, to our experience."

Yae looked away, unwilling to say but implying it anyway {You all Belfast peoples be crazy, hai desu}.

My head snapped towards Yumina. I slinked over and bent down to put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up nervously as I loomed over her.

And then I asked "Tell me everything you know about South Belfast's political situation."

Yumina brightened.

Belfast's intelligence gathering was shite. I refused to be blindsided again, next time it might not be mostly harmless weirdness. If we allowed ourselves to fall into a false sense of security, like the King that would open us up to poisoning and stabs in the back or all sorts of false accusations.

Man, what was it with Belfast's nobility? Was it something in the water?

/"You realize all this weirdness is just following you around, right? Being who we are, we can't escape it, Player."/

-.

-.

I healed up the guards and then asked them to disperse. The Inn didn't have the capacity to just have them hanging around. Obviously they already knew this, because they had already been hanging around surreptitiously for the past two weeks. They had their own accommodations.

Maldon put a hand to his chest. "My lord, please rest easy. No harm shall come to this Inn while you are away on your mission."

You're going to need more than just force of arms for that, dude. Leaving aside how Zorah is willing to go against Ducal authority, perhaps it was time to abuse Royal favor. Or seriously just move out to our own place so that this simple Inn stops being targeted.

"I just remembered that it was ZANAC who actually referred us to this Inn." I raised my hand again as if asking for permission to speak in class. "Does this have something to do with how Micah's dad is so obviously a Belfastian spy to Mismede?"

Elze said flatly "What."

"My father is WHAT?!"

"Umm… how ever did you come to that conclusion, Mister Zah?" asked Linze.

"I've been looking at the account books. Dolan works as a spice trader on the side and spends A LOT of time going between Mismede and Belfast. Somehow the Silver Moon Inn still manages to stay afloat even though it doesn't have many customers. I've been checking the trade records and there's not enough inventory to actually make up the difference.

"If it wasn't for his… enthusiasm to visit the free ladies in the capital last time he guilted me into bringing along the business owners of the town in compensation for how annoying our [Boom Tubes] have been waking them up and surprising them at odd times of the day… I'd have thought he had a family over at Mismede. Even now he's gone again to Mismede for business purposes… well ahead of us."

"Well if I wasn't so suspicious about you before, now I am, what the heck Playa!" Elze murmured.

"No way! My dad's too dumb to… oh dang it, now I won't be able to trust if he's playing dumb with me when I ask him things. I should have been suspicious when he turned out to be any good at your chess king game!" Micah groaned.

She set down a tray of sandwiches and went back to the counter. She sat there and cradled her head in her hands. "Oh gods! And visiting brothels with the money we earn… I have lots to scold him about when he gets back!

"If he had family over there, I wouldn't even mind as long as he told me about it and he started it after my mother died. I'm a grown woman now, I can deal with that. But if he's just being stupid again…" She shook her head. "Mister Playa, I kinda hate you now, that you put this thought into my mind."

Linze narrowed her gaze. "Has Mister Dolan been reporting about us to Miss Zorah?"

Maldon winced. "Please forgive me, but I have no idea."

I shrugged. "Nah, his tradecraft is probably about national concerns, not these little gossipmongery."

"How insightful… as expected from Sir Zah," Yumina nodded.

/"We have eyes,"/ Monika said ominously.

Yumina leaned back and rubbed at her own chin. How cute. She was imitating my mannerisms now. "I wonder… do you have an ulterior motive too for being so obsessed about chicken? If you want to make money, obviously there are faster ways of acquiring it. An adventurer should not need to mind inventory and trade routs.

"Instead of just a simple restaurant, this 'franchise' of yours is a unified brand that seeks to spread out across different towns and cities. It sounds the perfect cover to insert spies into the region."

"No, not at all. Franchises MUST be locally owned. If it had such obvious oversight it wouldn't be any good. Only the quality, the pricing, and the overall aesthetics need to be uniform."

"Then why…? Do you just want to be underestimated?" She blinked again and peered closer. "I see. What if no matter how powerful you get, as long as people can keep thinking 'Oh. It's just the Red Chicken man', people can remain comfortable around you. They can interact freely with you."

She began nodding. "A wise strategy, very wise. The peerage can't get away with that, we have to mind the appropriate levels of prestige."

Ahahaha. "Sure why not."

Linze's gaze towards Yumina sharpened. She whispered under her breath "I see. I should have expected this."

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AN:

(1) dl. dropbox \s\8wr7p4v5wwopyxv\Yae2a png

(2) dl. dropbox \s\7u2p8zdl68xyybr\Yae2b png

(3) dl. dropbox \s\gty12ln8dh74xap\Yae2c png

(4) Remember that Playa and Monika come from slightly to the future past the 2020s.