Living in another world as an Oni!-Chapter 111 - 107: Never bring a knife to a magic fight

Hm...

Yep.

I'm lost... （￣～￣;）

I'm pretty sure the way back to the inn was on that alley?

[System response:

What inn would be located inside crime-infested alleys..?]

I heard the system's exasperated voice. Its mechanical tone and words weren't really matching up but what right did I have to say that? I've been putting up facade for years back on Earth, maybe the system's doing the same?

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

Anyway, looking towards the alley I pointed at, I spotted some hooligan-looking fellows hanging out there...

"System," I said, my voice dripping with faux innocence. "Do you know where the inn is?"

The system responded with its usual snark.

[System Response: No. I was busy preventing your villagers from setting themselves on fire. Again.]

I blinked. "What? Why would they set themselves on fire?"

[System Response: That is a question you should ask yourself.]

I groaned. "You're supposed to be my guide, not my sass machine!"

[System Response: And yet, here we are.]

...I shouldn't have separated from Serena and the others.

----

*This morning*

"Alright, team, let's go and finish this-" so I can go and explore good food! But let's not say that, hehe.

"Are you sure you're just not thinking of playing?" Rea said as she smirked my way, knowing exactly what I was planning.

"Nope! Definitely thinking about the plan." The faster we finish here, the faster we can stop that mist from spreading and corrupting my villagers, after all.

I watched as Jin, Levy, Io, and Rea carried their things. "Where are you guys going?"

"The guild. We have to report back, or else we'll be deemed dead." Io said, the female mage patting off nonexistent dust on her cloth.

"Can I come?" I asked excitedly—who wouldn't wanna see the adventurers guild in real life?! Definitely not me!

"Aren't you supposed to go to the library with Leah and the others?" Jin said, pointing towards Leah, who was carrying Mika in her arms, with Titan standing beside them.

"It's just the library. I'll find my way there in no time!" I admitted proudly.

"Just let her go with you, we'll be fine on our own. She'll just run away to the guild anyway." Leah replied with a sigh, shooing me off in her usual 'tone' but there was a slight smile on her face which was weird, must be because of Mika. I thought with a shrug.

"See? Let's go!" I said, not minding that she just deemed me unnecessary.

The four nodded reluctantly.

"You guys do that. I'll be going to the Merchant's Guild with the wagon." Serena, who's been busy with checking the wagon since this morning, appeared at the door to our room.

Yeah, the room we got was the one with two beds. After all that time together, it didn't feel right to split up, so we decided on one more night of sleeping as a group!

Leah and Mika did sleep in a different room, along with Titan and Serena.

And no, nothing happened when I was with the adventurers. We just played charades and Old Maid the whole night. It was fun~ (^▽^)

Jin and Rea did disappear halfway through our evening card game though, saying they needed some "fresh air."

I thought they wanted to go and beat up those elves from last night, I was gonna ask if they needed a hand but Levy and Io just shooed them off with annoyance so I didnI didn't think much of it anymore—until this morning....

I think they went and opened another room. Why? Because I see a very conspicuous love bite on Rea's neck,it's hidden though.

She's wearing a cloak today, and the bite is on the back of her neck, so it's not visible unless you look carefully.

"Nice cloak," I said casually, leaning closer as I helped her pack up. "Really covers your... ahem, complexion."

Rea froze, her ears turning red. Jin, who was checking the weapons for any cracks nearby, glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. Her expression practically screamed, Say something and you'll regret it.

"What?" I whispered back, grinning. "I didn't say anything."

Rea, oblivious to our silent exchange, muttered something about cold mornings and pulled her cloak tighter. Jin smirked, clearly satisfied with herself.

I winced at their way of throwing their love everywhere, still I can see why she does—Rea's a beauty. All of them are, actually.

Rea's got a lithe but well-proportioned body, and with her playfulness, almost boundless energy, and elf nature combined? Viola, you get sunshine.

She does curse a lot, but that's probably due to her adventuring lifestyle. And she has been minimizing it because Mika's around.

Jin, on the other hand, usually doesn't speak, but when she does, you can see that she has her own humor. She's the silent beauty who likes observing people and by people I mean Rea, now that I think about it.

Io's an intelligent beauty especially with her glasses on, she reminded me of those top students on tv back on earth, and Levy was buffed, close to Fen but smaller, she usually wears sleeveless shirts that shows her arms and a feather necklace.

Both their aura's gave you the idea of mess with me and your dead.

"You done staring?" Jin asked, noticing me.

"Nope!" I replied. I appreciate beauty as much as anyone does. If it weren't for the mission, I'd be swooning every minute silently. o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

It was hard not to admire them. Honestly. Rea's sunny personality and sharp wit balanced Jin's quiet strength and subtle humor perfectly. Not that I'd say that out loud, after all—Jin's daggers looked very sharp this morning.

---

Anyway, back to the present.

I sighed, taking a step forward as one of the alley dwellers gave me a crooked grin. "Oi, sweetheart, you lost?" he called out, his voice dripping with fake concern.

"Oh no, I'm not lost. Just... exploring!" I said cheerfully, my eyes scanning for the quickest escape route they might take.

"Exploring, huh? Dangerous place for a pretty little thing like you." His buddies started closing in, clearly planning something stupid.

"Dangerous?" I repeated, tilting my head and giving them an innocent smile. "You mean for you, right?"

They laughed, clearly thinking I was joking.

I wasn't.

Seeing that I wasn't scared, the band of would-be muggers stopped laughing. "Alright, boys, enough talk. Let's see what this one's got."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Do you guys really want to do this?"

Why do they always act like this? Don't they know that saying that doesn't make them cool or intimidating?

One of them lunged at me, a rusted blade aimed at my side.

"Wrong answer," I muttered, stepping aside effortlessly. The moment the blade passed, I conjured a gust of cold air, creating a barrier of sharp ice that cut through the air. The bandit yelped as the ice formed, freezing his arm to his side.

"A piece of advice, don't bring a rusty blade to a fight with someone who controls ice."

The leader, clearly not the brightest, decided to charge anyway. I raised my hand, summoning the shadows around me. They writhed and twisted, forming tendrils that wrapped around the leader's legs, pulling him off his feet.

"And also?" I added, stepping over the now-helpless bandit. "Know when to back off."

The rest of the group scattered like frightened pigeons. I dusted off my hands, feeling oddly satisfied.

"System, remind me to add 'self-defense lessons' to the village curriculum," I said as I stepped out of the alley and back onto the main road.

[System Response: Noted. And next time, don't get lost.]

"No promises."

Little theater:

Jin and the others after noticing Aria wasn't following them anymore : (0ᗩ0!!)