The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason chapter 4

4 – The Girls

Just as shadows are cast when the light enters. No matter how dazzling the city of the empire is, if you wander into the back alleys, you will inevitably see shadows.

Those who look pitiful and haven’t bathed, driven out from the square, those who were forced to the streets even among the commoners.

Or even young gangsters who have committed other real crimes.

And the place where such people gathered was usually in the back alleys located on the outskirts of the city.

Because there weren’t many guards around, it was a perfect place for the shadows to hide.

Unfortunately, the place I was in now was on the outskirts, which led to the encounter with a group of thugs.

“Hey, buddy, are you deaf? Pay the toll, will you? Don’t know what toll means?”

‘Sigh…’

I let out a sigh inwardly.

Nothing ever goes right; everything just complicates.

“Alright, first, hand over that robe you’re wearing. Gotta see your face.”

For now, this won’t be resolved through conversation.

I concluded that.

Seeing them approaching while talking about the toll, it seemed they intended to pressure me and strip me of everything I had.

And in the first place, I didn’t have any money on me now.

Damn system only gave me a measly starting fund anyway.

I even spent that fund on beer on the first day… Not even my own choice. Damn thing.

The reason I was in this back alley was because of this.

I couldn’t go to the city center because I didn’t have any money.

Anyway, for those reasons, I didn’t have a single penny to give these guys.

Then there’s only one solution.

‘Overpower them.’

The decision was quick, and so was the action.

I immediately swung the wooden stick hidden in my robe.

[‘Swing’ is activated!]

The large and sturdy wooden stick that I could find while wandering outside the city some time ago.

A wooden stick is quite handy. It’s free, and its killing power is almost non-existent, so I could swing it without worry.

“Ah!”

“Ow!”

Swoosh!

Two of the thugs hit by my swing groaned in pain.

One of them, who took the hit directly on his face, even had a nosebleed.

Although I was approaching the brink of quest failure, my current level was 24, which was definitely higher than that of ordinary people.

If I put a little more effort into it, I can somehow attain a knighthood.

Obviously, these worthless scum won’t even be able to eat properly.

I could easily take care of them.

“At least one is definitely taken care of.”

Kaboom!

I let out a loud crack as I hit the remaining guy who hadn’t been hit yet.

With that, the two guys are taken care of, and now there are two left.

The big guy seems strong, so I’ll pass for now. Instead, I target the sneaky-looking thug next to him.

He looked startled and opened his eyes wide.

So, I swung the stick I had in my hand from top to bottom…

Crack.

…and immediately got blocked?

“Huh?”

What? When did that happen? The attack was definitely fast and accurate.

I raised my head in surprise.

Suddenly, I turned my gaze and saw that the big guy next to me had caught the weapon with one hand.

He had grabbed my swing with impressive reflexes.

“…Interesting.”

He muttered with a frowned face.

And then, even before I could react, his foot came flying towards my abdomen.

“Eurgh?!”

With a sharp pain, air escaped from my mouth.

Was my body floating a bit? I couldn’t feel the sensation of my feet touching the ground at all.

“It seems like you’ve fought somewhere before, hyung.”

I felt intense pain in my abdomen, but the confusion in my head was stronger.

How? Weren’t these just random scum on the street?

But what was that reaction speed earlier, and what kind of power was in that kick just now?

However, continuing these thoughts was short-lived.

Because the guy sharpened his striking technique once again.

Kaboom!

The giant fist of the guy strikes my face.

This time, there was no time for groaning. Only an overwhelming pain that made my mind go blank.

“I told you, this is my territory.”

Thud! Thud!

His fists kept hitting my body. I wanted to escape somehow, but he had a grip on my collar, making it impossible to run away.

Damn… this wasn’t just a simple street brawl.

Now it seemed like the guy, who had committed a crime somewhere in the city and went into hiding, was a criminal.

Otherwise, it was hard to explain this powerlessness I was feeling now.

Damn, luck really isn’t on my side.

After taking a beating for a while, I found myself sprawled on the ground.

It hurts. It hurts badly.

The pain had left my mind foggy. It felt like someone had been relentlessly hitting my head with a hammer.

Between my swollen eyes, I could see my sticky blood flowing onto the ground.

In the midst of this, the thug, who seemed to have recovered, grabbed his bloody nose and opened his mouth.

“Ugh… What should we do with this bastard… Hyung! What do we do with this guy?”

“Strip him of everything he’s got, then bury him outside the city walls. Don’t keep him alive to cause trouble with the guards.”

“Got it!”

Thug 4 responded energetically and started moving towards me.

Through my hazy vision, I saw a small dagger gleaming in the guy’s right hand.

This is just messed up… This pain I’m feeling right now and the current situation, everything was just messed up.

It seemed like the tutorial hadn’t even started yet, but I was already being chased by third-rate villains.

What will happen to me if I die here?

Will I log out to the basement room of reality, or will I die here without anyone noticing?

As long as the latter possibility existed, I couldn’t just sit still.

“…”

I needed to do something, but perhaps due to the relentless head blows, my thoughts weren’t coming together properly.

Meanwhile, the guy’s dagger was gradually getting closer to my neck’s carotid artery…

From Noble mtl dot com

“Damn, am I really going to die here…”

“Rulis! Blessing!”

“Yes!”

Somewhere in an alley, the voices of two women could be heard.

At the same time, a silvery flash passed over my head.

Swish!

As if slicing through a dark back alley, a sharp, crimson blade cut into the chest of thug number four.

Along with the splattering of blood in the air, a woman with blue hair, covering my view, came into sight.

I could only be stunned for a moment.

“…Huh?”

Camilla de Duke Bright.

The heroine of this game and the woman in charge of the vanguard of the hero’s party.

She was standing right in front of me, just four days before the Magic Sword Unveiling Ceremony.

But that wasn’t all.

“Camilla, bow your head.”

“Got it.”

Shortly after, a huge fireball and an arrow flew over her head.

The attacks hit thug number two and three, swallowing them up.

“eeek!”

The screams of thugs two and three, devoured by the fireball, echoed.

Startled, I turned my head backward while still lying down.

There, the party’s mage and rogue were standing.

Lily Spencer Beatrice and Adele.

The red-haired girl and the woman with silver-blue hair stood, watching the enemies.

Both of them were also members of the hero’s party.

“Ugh! What crazy women!”

“Are you the boss of this area? Surrender quietly. We’ll escort you to the guards ourselves.”

Once they appeared, the situation ended very quickly.

The thug who managed to block an arrow with one arm was the only one who tried to resist. But even he was just a back alley criminal.

He could be easily subdued by the hero’s party members.

“…Phew, it’s done. We just need to take them away like this.”

The ruffians, cut and broken just right, had no choice but to collapse together in camaraderie onto the ground.

The fellows who had driven me to the brink of death were only able to manage that much.

Could things be settled so easily like this…? As I stared blankly, a person approached me.

“Are you all right?”

Yuliss von Uglatia.

A member of the hero’s party and the only saint marked by the goddess of this land.

With her golden locks fluttering brilliantly, she gazed at me with a compassionate smile.

Just as I always saw in the game, it was the same appearance.

Although she had a somewhat ominous aspect to her, she was the kind of being who always offered a gentle smile to the weak and could help.

“Oh… you’re injured. Just wait a moment. I’ll heal you shortly.”

Slowly, she came closer to me and began to infuse me with vitality.

A radiant golden energy started to rise from the air and was absorbed into my body.

The pain I felt in my abdomen and face gradually began to disappear.

As the sticky blood flowing from my head ceased and the bruises started to fade, her treatment came to an end.

“Phew… done. The basic treatment is finished for now. Some swelling remains, but it should all be better by evening.”

I couldn’t say a word; I just stared at her.

Throughout, I couldn’t react in any way. Whether it was the surprise of seeing the hero party members before clearing the quest, or the wonder of seeing those I’d only seen within a monitor in real life, it wasn’t just for those reasons.

“…”

It was simply embarrassing.

The sight of me, a mere third-rate villain, almost being beaten to a pulp, contrasted with these girls effortlessly dealing with the situation and extending a helping hand to me.

It brought me immense embarrassment.

Not knowing if I was frozen stiff, they began to talk among themselves.

“─ As expected, these alleys are steeped in darkness. To think such individuals would brazenly try to harm anyone…”

“This is all due to the turmoil in the continent. With public order crumbling due to monsters, it’s no wonder that evil ones are prevailing.”

“First, this man’s situation is urgent.”

With that, they began whispering something to each other.

It seemed as if they were trying to keep me from hearing.

But that too was short-lived; soon, the saint looked at me and handed me a small pouch.

It felt weighty, giving the impression it might make a jingling sound.

So, it was money.

“What?”

“Take it. We just finished our trip, so we don’t have much, but with this, you can probably afford a meal and some clothes.”

It seemed like I had already taken on the role of a pitiable beggar in their hearts.

Well, I hadn’t showered for days, and my face was messed up from the recent beating.

It wasn’t unreasonable to mistake me for a beggar.

Only then could I properly examine their attire.

It wasn’t just lavish and sophisticated clothing; it was rather tattered and had an air of weariness about it.

As she had just mentioned, the hardships of their journey were evident in their appearance.

However, I found beauty in their state.

Even though they were undoubtedly tired and exhausted, their willingness to run to the aid of a single person in a back alley, despite their financial constraints due to their journey expenses, was truly a display of kindness.

But…

“We know you’re going through tough times because of the Demon King’s army. Please hold on to hope. Someday, you’ll see the light.”

That’s why I had to stop them.

I had to prevent them from heading to the Devil’s Gate.

There was nothing hopeful there, as they wished to believe.

“May the Goddess be with you.”

With those words, she drew the holy symbol and began to move away from her spot.

Unconsciously, I reached out towards them.

“Um…”

Then, I uttered somewhat hesitantly.

“Do you really have to go to the Devil’s Gate?”

Unexpectedly, my words, coming from someone they had considered a beggar, caught their attention, and their eyes turned towards me.