Chapter 30

That night, we ended up staying at the Handyman Shop. We didn’t have a place to sleep since the purchase of the property hadn’t been finalized yet. I had initially planned to check into a random inn, but Letona offered us a room on the second floor as a courtesy.

According to her, it was an apology for her previous rudeness. She even cut the commission fee for the property in half and promised to include a professional cleaning service. Of course, I made it very clear that she wasn’t to install any magic tools for wiretapping or hidden cameras. Letona nodded emphatically.

She’ll probably be fine now. Letona is clever. She’s the type to act cunningly, but she’s obedient when faced with superior violence. Once she realized her bodyguard, Hack, was no match for me, she threw in the white flag immediately. Her powers of observation are sharp.

For now, she’s reliable. That said, the moment she secures a force that surpasses mine, she’ll likely betray me without a second thought. I’m sure she’s nursing a grudge over today’s encounter. If she gets the chance, she’ll definitely try to retaliate.

Well, I don’t think that scenario will play out anytime soon. Even she understands the risk of turning on me. Unless she’s absolutely certain she can finish me off, she won’t make a move. Letona is currently my only collaborator in this city. I’d like to keep her around as long as possible. If I can get by without killing her, all the better.

By the way, she told me I could take possession of the property in two days. Despite the suddenness, it was quite fast. It seems Letona is working hard for us.

“Alright, finished.”

Inside the rented room, I was at the desk making bombs. I’d been going through a process of trial and error within the scope of what I could craft myself. Currently, I was researching detonation methods. I wanted to mass-produce bombs that were either remote-controlled via a switch or time-delayed.

It was proving to be quite difficult. Constructing a simple mechanism using only the materials on hand was an utter chore. I needed to be able to produce a decent quantity of them. I could achieve it by relying on Alice’s magic, but I wanted to complete it on my own as much as possible. I can’t always count on her support being available.

Fortunately, thanks to [Bomb Manufacturing EX++], I can craft them as long as I have the mechanism planned out. Bombs are consumables. I need to develop various types during my downtime and keep them in stock. I want to be able to act flexibly in any situation.

The markets in this city sold a wide variety of goods. According to Alice, some of them could serve as raw materials for explosives. I’d spotted a few items that caught my eye myself. I’ll go buy them soon. It should make my bomb-making even more efficient.

Stopping my work, I gazed out the window. The cityscape visible from here was surprisingly bright, thanks to the streetlights placed at intervals. It wasn’t electricity, but likely light generated by mana.

“…I’m a little hungry,” I muttered to myself.

I didn’t have anything else to do tonight. To commemorate arriving in a new city, I might as well go out for a drink. Having made up my mind, I called out to Alice, who was rolling around on the bed.

“I’m heading to a tavern. If you’re tired or don’t feel like moving, that’s fine, but do you want to come along?”

“Yes, I’d like to go.”

Alice answered as she curled up and performed a single roll. She landed on the floor while sliding into her shoes, then stood up. For some reason, she looked quite proud of herself.

I gave her a light round of applause and then cleared off the desk.

Then, I equipped my knives and rifle. I made sure to carry a few bombs as well.

Eurea had terrible public safety, and that tendency would only increase once night fell. I wasn’t carefree enough to head out unarmed. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a constant state of war, but this much preparation was a matter of common sense.

I led Alice downstairs. There, we ran into Letona, who was eating at the counter. The moment she saw me, she stood up and straightened her posture.

“Hello there, Mr. Jack! Do you need something?”

“I’m heading to a tavern for a bit. Know any good places nearby?”

“In that case, I have a recommendation!”

Letona jotted down the directions to a nearby tavern on a memo. She even included the specialty dishes and popular brands of alcohol. Truly a handyman—it seemed she had the city’s basic information fully ingrained in her head.

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“No, no, it’s a request from none other than Mr. Jack himself. I’m more than happy to help in any way I can.”

Letona gave a graceful bow. She certainly talked a big game. There wasn’t a shred of heart in it; her words were paper-thin. However, it was certain that she was trying her best not to incur my wrath. The threat from earlier today was working. I hoped she would stay this way.

Alice and I left the shop and walked to the attached warehouse. I opened the shutter with the spare key I’d been given. The golem car was parked inside. I was being allowed to use the handyman’s warehouse as a garage. Despite not paying a cent, I was receiving excessively good treatment.

We hopped into the golem car and set off, locking the garage before heading out into the city. Though it was within walking distance, I chose the car out of consideration for the lack of security. Being able to move safely was the primary reason. Additionally, not being harassed by pedestrians made for a much more comfortable trip.

We reached our destination, the tavern, in a few minutes. I parked the golem car in front and entered with Alice.

The interior was enveloped in a constant, restless energy. Scruffy men were making a massive racket, laughing together with mugs full of booze in hand. It was a heat that stood in stark contrast to the chilly night air outside.

It was a good place. I didn’t dislike taverns like this. The cluttered, populist feel made the alcohol taste better. I secured a table in the corner of the room. Stopping a passing waiter, I ordered the drinks and food Letona had recommended.

While waiting, I observed the room. There wasn’t a sober soul in sight. Everyone had a flushed face and was raising their voice.

“This is an incredible place,” Alice remarked, her voice almost drowned out by the surrounding noise. She rested her chin on her hand and gazed around the shop. The sight of her was so picturesque it could have been a painting.

“Don’t you visit taverns often?”

“No. I wasn’t that interested. But I think it’s interesting. The atmosphere is overflowing with happiness.”

She was right; this place was full of happy people. Getting drunk and making a scene is fun. Even just watching was far from boring. I crossed my legs and gave a wry smile.

“Happiness, huh… That’s not a line I’d expect from someone who wants to destroy the world.”

“I don’t hate humans. At the very least, I like you, Jack.”

“I’m honored.”

As we exchanged small talk while waiting for our order, I suddenly felt a surge of bloodlust from the entrance. It seemed a customer who couldn’t read the room had just walked in. Honestly, what a pain.

The moment I moved to turn toward the source, I felt a cold sensation against my neck. Shifting only my eyes, I saw a double-edged sword pressed against me. It was grazing the spot where my carotid artery lay.

“—Heh.”

I continued to move my gaze, tracing from the hilt of the sword to its owner. Standing there was the man in the white coat, his face covered in bandages.