Chapter 10

"Arrived!"

Mizuri cheerfully said as she got off the carriage, and Goushi followed her.

Riding in the carriage, Goushi and the others had arrived at the capital, Graham.

"The capital... It hasn't been that long, but it feels nostalgic."

"It has been half a year for you, Mr. Goushi."

Stalls lined the streets, and the main thoroughfare was bustling with people coming and going.

Also, here and there, people were performing street acts. It seemed they were streaming on Fairy Tube, and since video streaming had become a trend, it was not an unusual sight.

"Sure is the capital. It's lively."

"There are a lot of people streaming too. Oh, there's Zuri, who was ranked 53rd in yesterday's concurrent viewers. He's streaming arm wrestling. The eating contest over there is also being streamed. I heard the prize money for this one is a record 1,000,000 gold."

"You really know a lot, Mizuri."

"Hehe... I'm happy when Mr. Goushi praises me."

Mizuri scratched her cheek, blushing. Goushi felt that she was genuinely passionate about streaming.

"Do you want to participate in any of the interactive streams? With Mr. Goushi, you're sure to attract attention."

"No, let's go apply to establish a guild first. It might get crowded in the afternoon."

"R-right, that's right. Understood!"

Goushi decided to head to the Guild Association to apply for the guild, finding Mizuri's exaggerated salute somewhat adorable.

***

"Hey, hey, hey! Hello, everyone, this is Weiss from the Cute Girl Discovery Channel. Today's stream is 'Trying to Pick Up a Cute Girl!'"

[Hey!]

[Looking forward to cute girls!]

[Don't go too far, or the admins will get mad again.]

[Weiss, you're loyal to your desires. I like that.]

[I'm a first-time viewer. I came because I heard there would be cute girls.]

[Concurrent Viewers: 317]

"Hehehe. I have a trump card today, so I'm going to aim for a better catch than usual."

When Goushi and the others arrived in front of the Guild Association, a red-haired, long-haired man was standing near the entrance. The man, who introduced himself as Weiss, seemed to be streaming, greeting his viewers with a casual manner.

Goushi thought he shouldn't interfere with the stream and tried to take a detour, but Weiss approached them.

"Hey, I just found an incredibly cute blonde girl. Let's start the pickup plan. --Hey, you there, little kitty, is it okay?"

"Huh? Me?"

[Oh? Oh, oh, oh!]

[Who is this girl? She's super cute!]

[Approaching such a cute girl right away, Weiss is cool!]

[Blonde and blue eyes, my type. Thanks!]

[I'm getting excited!]

The comment section exploded with excitement as Mizuri appeared on Weiss's stream.

[Concurrent Viewers: 4,122]

Responding to the viewers' enthusiasm, the number of viewers on Weiss's stream increased. Seeing the numbers, Weiss inwardly smirked and resolved not to let the big fish in front of him slip away.

Weiss, without even glancing at Goushi, winked at Mizuri.

"You're so cute. You look like an angel or a fairy who descended into the human world. I wonder when this world started interacting with the heavens?"

"H-huh..."

"Meeting such a cute girl must be a sign from God. What's your name?"

"My name is Mizuri..."

"My name is Weiss. Mizuri, huh? What a lovely name. Hehe, hehe."

Weiss tried to smile gently, but Mizuri felt a chill run down her spine. She had a similar feeling when she met the guild leader of the "Flame Serpent," Asels. Mizuri disliked such overly familiar and casual men.

Mizuri subtly moved away from Weiss and stuck close to Goushi. Goushi, unsure how to handle the strange situation of Mizuri suddenly moving closer and the pickup artist in front of him, was at a loss.

Ignoring Goushi, Weiss decided to use his trump card on Mizuri.

"By the way, Mizuri, I happen to have these."

"These are... two restaurant tickets?"

"Yep. This is a high-end restaurant in the capital with a beautiful night view. It's a famous place where the songstress Melbis has visited. These tickets are quite rare."

"Wow, really?"

"Resisting a destiny brought together by God would be unrefined. I think it's okay to use these tickets with you."

"So, you're asking me to go to dinner with you? Of course, you expect me to go, right?"

Weiss confidently held out the two tickets in front of Mizuri's chest. He stood slightly above her, scratching his head with his free hand. This was Weiss's "decisive pose" and "no girl can resist this" stance.

Weiss thought, "Got it!" The viewers commented, "Cool!" Goushi wondered, "Is pickup a trend among young people these days?"

As for Mizuri:

"I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no interest."

"What!?"

She bluntly rejected Weiss's offer.

[Immediate ★ Response]

[She didn't even hesitate, wow.]

[Weiss, keep your cool!]

[The blonde girl's defenses are maxed out, wow.]

[Is it true that all cute girls have strong defenses...?]

[I'm a first-time viewer. Haha, serves you right.]

Mizuri's response was unexpected, and Weiss's confident expression completely crumbled.

"Why, Mizuri... This is a high-end restaurant that's hard to get into!"

"First of all, I don't think it's a good idea to go to dinner with someone I just met. But, well, I would like to go with Mr. Goushi."

Mizuri blushed and looked at Goushi, and Weiss naturally followed her gaze.

"Hey, you, Mizuri seems to be in trouble. Why don't you let her off the hook?"

"Who are you? I've been noticing a dull old man next to Mizuri... Oh, no way!"

Weiss seemed to have figured something out and showed hostility towards Goushi.

"I know! You're one of those sugar daddies who pay young girls for dates! Otherwise, a girl like Mizuri wouldn't be with an old man like you!"

"No, that's not what—"

"Shut up! Viewers, I'm changing the plan! 'Rescuing a Cute Girl from Evil Hands'!"

[This is unexpected.]

[Weiss is losing it.]

[If it's really a sugar daddy, that's hilarious.]

[What is a sugar daddy? Is it true that you can talk to girls if you pay them?]

[But it is suspicious for such a cute girl to be with an old man.]

[Wait, isn't this old man that guy who went viral the other day?]

[Concurrent Viewers: 4,599]

Weiss glared at Goushi and drew his sword from his waist.

"Hey, old man, let's have a duel! If I win, you swear never to touch Mizuri again!"

"No, what are you—"

"Mizuri, stay back! I'll save you from this villain!"

Misunderstanding the situation, Weiss shouted, pointing his sword at Goushi. Goushi, who was completely caught up in the situation, found that Weiss was not willing to listen.

"Mizuri, please stay back. Leave this to me."

"You don't have to accept such a crazy duel. Besides, it's my fault."

"Still, I can't just stand by. Especially for someone as important as Mizuri."

Goushi meant, "I can't ignore a friend who is about to start a guild with me getting into trouble," but Mizuri seemed to interpret it differently. Her face turned red as she moved away, leaving Goushi and Weiss to face each other.

[Oh, a duel?]

[Is the old man okay? Weiss is stronger than most adventurers.]

[Go for it, Weiss!]

[The old man is too reckless.]

[Embarrass him in front of the cute girl.]

"I'll accept your duel. But if I win, will you listen to me?"

"Hah. Do you think you can beat me, old man? I'm a B-rank adventurer in this capital, Graham!"

Saying this, Weiss charged at Goushi. His speed was indeed that of a seasoned adventurer, and a normal person would have been overwhelmed and pinned down.

However—

"Thwack!"

"Ugh—!?"

Goushi deflected the sword with a palm strike, causing Weiss to lose his balance and fall. He hit the ground face-first, blood streaming from his nose.

[What was that move!?]

[He changed the trajectory of the sword with his hand?]

[That refined movement... I remember similar techniques from ancient martial arts that I couldn't master. Could it be...]

[Hey, isn't this guy that 'Great Sword Man'?]

[What? A famous streamer?]

[Why is the Great Sword Man in the capital?]

[Concurrent Viewers: 5,291]

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Damn it!"

Weiss quickly stood up and, concerned, Goushi approached him. Weiss, however, pointed his sword at Goushi again and swung it repeatedly, but failed to hit him.

Goushi dodged with minimal movement and gently deflected Weiss's rough sword strikes with his bare hands, reminiscent of a sword master instructing a student.

Weiss's sword swings were futile, while Goushi exuded a calm and composed demeanor. The viewers of Weiss's stream began to notice Goushi's prowess.

[Wasn't this supposed to be a cute girl hunt? Why am I watching an old man's one-man show?]

[Hey, isn't that blonde girl in the corner looking smug?]

[She is. She's so cute.]

[Aww, so cute!]

[I'm a first-time viewer. I'm satisfied with this.]

[You guys, lol.]

The viewers marveled at Goushi's movements, and some were captivated by Mizuri, who appeared at the edge of the screen.

Meanwhile, Weiss was panting heavily and stopped.

"Damn it! Why... Why can't I hit you!?"

"That's enough. Will you listen to me now?"

"Shut up! I'll save Mizuri no matter what!"

Interrupting Goushi, Weiss charged again. Goushi sighed, thinking, "What can you do?"

"Sorry, but—"

"..."

Goushi stepped on the flat of the sword as it swept horizontally, simultaneously tapping Weiss's stomach lightly with his fist. It was a gentle touch, almost as if he was placing his hand there.

However—

"Ugh..."

Weiss fell to his knees, feeling a shock like being hit by a sledgehammer.

It was a technique from the ancient martial art known as "Dragon Hammer," which Goushi had mastered.

Weiss, clutching his stomach, looked up at Goushi with hollow eyes, clearly having lost his fighting spirit.

"Hehe, Mr. Goushi wins!"

Goushi took a deep breath, and Mizuri happily raised her hand, declaring the victory.