Chapter 98

### The Capital's Morning

As I was preparing to open the store, Edgar arrived and we met.

Edgar, a tall and lanky figure, scratched his messy hair and said,

"Good morning, Mr. Alex."

"You're early. It's just in time."

"What's up?"

I took the communicator out of my pocket and handed it to him.

Last night, I had planned to beat up the person who cursed Lillith, but the plan failed because I couldn't get in touch with Edgar. I ended up venting my anger by clearing a dungeon.

---I did it out of frustration. I don't regret it, but I feel a bit better now.

I explained to Edgar,

"This is a magic item that allows us to communicate. You can contact me directly, or if I'm not available, you can leave a message with Kou at the dungeon core. It will make communication easier."

"Convenient, thanks... Wow, there are even puzzle games for killing time."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah, here."

Edgar showed me the screen of the communicator.

Sure enough, a colorful and vibrant screen was displayed.

It was a game called "Puzzle & Dungeon," or "Pazudan" for short, where you form a party using five god cards and solve puzzles to attack enemies and clear dungeons. There was also a game called "Minesweeper" where you catch and eliminate a book-loving girl hidden in a bookshelf.

I thought it was just a communication device, so I hadn't played with it.

I didn't know it had hidden entertainment features.

"...It sounds interesting. I'll try it when I have some free time."

"I'll play it too."

"So, why did you come to the store before opening?"

When I asked, Edgar, who had been smiling happily, suddenly became serious.

"Today, some thugs from the underground organization are going to harass us first thing in the morning. They also plan to poison the stock of Puchi Elixir."

"Hmm. Should we take them out?"

"Huh?"

"You know the criminal records and locations of the underground organization, right, Edgar?"

"Absolutely."

"Then let's take them down. When those thugs come, we'll act."

"Got it."

Edgar grinned.

At that moment, the door was knocked on roughly.

"---They're here already?"

I nodded, and Edgar moved to the door. Despite his lackluster attitude, he unlocked the door with incredible speed.

"Hey, Alex! Good morning! Are you there!?"

It was the landlady who came in.

Edgar and I, who had been ready for a fight, dropped our shoulders in relief.

"What's up, landlady?"

"I've secured a place to store the Puchi Elixir. Can you bring it over?"

"Sure. To your place?"

"No, to the warehouse I own. It's nearby."

"Got it. I remember we had 1200 bottles initially."

"Payment can be made later."

"Alright, Edgar, you take care of the store."

"Got it."

Edgar, leaning against the wall in the corner, answered casually.

The landlady, surprised, exclaimed,

"Wow, someone was here!? You scared me! I didn't sense you at all!"

"I'm often told I'm hard to notice."

"This is Edgar, an adventurer I know. This is our landlady."

"Nice to meet you."

"Wow, you're so skinny! You need to eat more! ---Let's go, then."

"Alright, thanks."

I followed the landlady to a nearby warehouse.

The warehouse was by the river, a sturdy building with a triangular roof and red brick walls.

Inside, wooden crates were being moved.

They seemed to be empty potion bottles, with compartments inside.

As I took out the Puchi Elixir from my magic bag and arranged them in the crates, I said to the landlady,

"By the way, the new Puchi Elixir has a Crown mark."

"Really? The king was delighted. It will sell even better. Maybe we should raise the price?"

"Good idea. Let's set it at 20,000 goats for today. In the dungeon town, it will be 30,000."

"Got it. I think it's still a good deal."

"Too high a price might make it unaffordable for some... Also, if you turn the bottle and it makes a sound, it's new."

I tried it with one bottle.

A high-pitched "psh" sound was heard.

The landlady's eyes widened.

"Wow, that's impressive."

"It helps identify old or contaminated bottles."

"It also proves quality. You really think of everything, Alex."

"Thanks."

Actually, it was Kou's idea, but I couldn't say that, so I just nodded.

After quickly packing the 1200 bottles, I left the warehouse.

On my way back, avoiding people on the back streets, I met Cheryl and Tety walking towards me.

The two beautiful elves, who turned heads wherever they went, looked like sisters.

Cheryl, with her golden hair swaying, bowed her head.

"Good morning, Mr. Alex."

"Good morning. Are you going to practice at the guild?"

"Yes, I'll teach them the basics thoroughly."

"We'll do our best, Mr. Alex!"

Tety, holding Cheryl's hand, jumped and answered.

Her golden hair spread out.

"By the way, did anyone come to the store?"

"Edgar was there?"

"Right. So, they haven't come yet. ---Good luck."

"Thank you, Mr. Alex." "Thanks!"

After parting ways with the energetic duo, I returned to the store.

Edgar was there, and Lillith was sitting at the counter. On her lap was the holy white dragon, Lana.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Thanks, Lillith. They haven't come yet, huh?"

"Yes. Lana seems ready, though..."

"Kyui!"

Lana raised her tiny fist and chirped.

Edgar, playing a game on the communicator, tilted his head.

"That's strange. They said they'd come first thing in the morning."

"Waiting for thugs is a first for me."

"I never want to do it again... ---Hey, a rare card!"

He was tapping the screen and moving it around, clearly hooked on the game.

---

Suddenly, the store door opened with a loud bang.

Two men entered, making rough footsteps.

"Hey, give us some Puchi Elixir."

They approached the counter, glaring at me with their shoulders tensed.

"Welcome. How many do you need?"

"Sell us as much as you can. At least a hundred."

They threw a single coin.

A large silver coin rolled on the counter.

Lillith frowned at the man.

"What kind of joke is this? Puchi Elixir costs 20,000 goats per bottle. That's two gold coins."

"Too expensive! It's just a potion! 1000 goats should be enough, hahaha!"

The man laughed loudly, but his grin was forced.

The other man behind him was leering at Lillith's figure.

Edgar silently moved to the door, put up a "closed" sign, and locked it.

He then pulled down the curtains on the windows facing the street.

Lillith told Lana, "Lana, go hide in the back."

The men sensed the tense atmosphere and started to panic.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" "Do you think you can get away with this!?"

I asked Edgar,

"Do we have evidence on these guys?"

"Absolutely. One is a robber, the other is a kidnapper."

The men's eyes widened in fear.

"What!?" "What evidence!?"

Edgar and I approached them from the front and back, cracking our knuckles.

I said in a low voice,

"To be honest, I don't care about the evidence anymore---I decided to destroy them last night!"

As soon as I finished speaking, I lunged at them.

They were shocked and stiffened.

"What!?" "Damn!"

One of them tried to punch back, but it was a wild swing in his panic.

I deflected it with the back of my hand and punched him hard in the side.

"Ugh!"

The man fell, rolling his eyes.

The store was small, and he almost crashed into a shelf.

I grabbed his belt and slammed him to the ground.

He went limp instantly, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Edgar had easily taken care of the other man.

He had knocked him out without making a sound, showing his skill.

After tying up the two men and gagging them, Edgar said,

"13 more to go."

I nodded and looked at Edgar.

"Let's go. ---Lillith, go to the guard station and arrange things."

"Got it." "Yes, Master!"

We left the store.

---To ensure the underground organization never opposes us again.

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→ 99. Thoroughly Taking Down the Organization!