Security's a Bit Rough in the Capital

Exchange rates, huh.

For goods produced domestically, it didn't really matter, so I normally didn't pay much attention.

But when the exchange rate dropped, it eventually trickled down to everyday prices.

That made pricing a headache.

Set it too high and nothing sold; hold off on raising prices and you'd start bleeding money with every sale.

Worst case, the whole shop could go under.

Kaimol, who I'd left in charge, was sharp about that sort of thing, so I wasn't worried.

Even without Lady Anatia's request, I'd needed to check the latest situation anyway. Good timing, I decided.

When I returned to the carriage, a small crowd had gathered around it.

Finn and Alexia seemed to be arguing with someone.

I pushed through the onlookers to see what was going on.

"I'm telling you, this carriage is ours."

"You really expect me to believe that? A fancy carriage like this belongs to you lot?"

"You got a problem? Hey, wouldn't it be faster to just take these guys out?"

"Calm down. Making a scene here would be bad."

Several men had surrounded the carriage.

Finn's irritation was at its limit, and she looked ready to throw hands any second.

Alexia wasn't known for her patience either, but she was playing the restraining role.

Orleans seemed to be hiding inside the carriage. Good.

Elza stood in the center, trying to mediate, but the other side wasn't backing down.

Worse, they were openly leering at her, disgustingly obvious about it.

Elza's priest robes didn't show much skin, but the lines of her figure were clear enough.

A rough bunch. They'd probably come hoping for reconstruction work, spotted Alexia's group, and decided to pick a fight.

"You need something with my carriage?"

"Who're you?"

"Name's Yohane. Their employer. I run a shop and an inn in Kassad."

"This carriage is wasted on you. We'll put it to good use. The women too, while we're at it."

The men laughed among themselves.

The bystanders watched from a distance but weren't stepping in. The thugs intimidated them.

No soldiers or guards in sight.

If they'd timed it that way, they were more cunning than they looked.

Not just crude louts, then.

Bandits gone straight, most likely.

They'd probably slipped in under the guise of looking for work.

"Heheh."

One of them reached for Elza's chest.

Apparently, a man showing up hadn't deterred them.

Couldn't blame them, I suppose. I didn't exactly look tough.

Elza caught his wrist with her right hand, smiled sweetly, and crushed the bone.

"Naughty hands are a no-no."

The man tried to scream, but Finn jabbed him in the throat before he could, and he crumpled without a sound.

That had to hurt.

Reaching for Elza. What an idiot.

None of my girls were soft enough to be manhandled.

Had they not imagined that the absence of guards cut both ways?

The men hastily drew their weapons.

Concealed knives, easy to carry hidden.

So they'd planned this from the start.

"Drawing weapons, are we? Then this is self-defense, yes?"

Alexia received her battle-axe from Orleans inside the carriage and swung it one-handed.

"Tch — go!"

At the leader's command, the knife-wielding men charged.

"Please don't kill them. As long as they're alive, something can be worked out."

"Yeah, yeah. But they're getting hurt."

Axe versus knife: the reach difference was overwhelming.

Alexia slammed them aside with the flat of her blade.

She wasn't aiming for vitals, but the men she struck were visibly broken-boned.

"Well, that's that."

In no time at all, every man except the leader lay groaning on the ground.

All alive, but none able to stand.

"What the hell are these women…! Shit — move it!"

The leader turned and ran.

He shoved through the crowd, trying to escape.

Hitting him with magic now would catch bystanders in the blast.

"As if I'd let you."

Finn leaped onto Alexia's axe in a single bound, then vaulted over the fleeing man's head.

To him, she must have appeared out of nowhere.

"This is what you get for going after women!"

She drove her right foot straight up into his groin with everything she had.

He rolled his eyes back and collapsed.

Every man watching, myself included, instinctively went knock-kneed.

"Sorry for the commotion, everyone. Everything's fine now. We'll treat them and hand them over to the military police, so there's nothing to worry about. By the way, that was self-defense, right?"

I raised my voice to disperse the crowd.

Those who'd seen the whole thing nodded in agreement.

Better to confirm we were in the right in case anything came of this.

I had Elza heal only the worst of their injuries to avoid any accusations of excessive force.

Full recovery and they'd just go back to scheming. Let them suffer a while.

Some said we shouldn't bother healing them at all, but this was the Royal Capital.

There was also the matter of reputation. Being rumored to dish out one-sided beatings wasn't a good look.

If they came back for revenge, though, there'd be no mercy.

Before long, a pair of military police arrived, having heard the disturbance.

I handed the men over.

Apparently, security had been deteriorating as the population swelled with the reconstruction effort.

It was becoming one of the capital's current challenges.

They'd need to work hard to prevent slums from forming.