Chapter 48

# Chapter 48: The Tin Knight and the City of Gears (7)

“Is this doll insane!!”

Some of the gang, seeing their colleagues getting hurt, whipped out their weapons in a frenzy.

Turns out, the claim about their skills wasn’t just empty boasting; every angle and footwork when they brandished their swords was surprisingly sharp.

There was even a hint of sword mastery shimmering on their blades.

Creak.

You gripped your shield.

Maybe thanks to improving the magical circuits, you felt like your magical power consumption was significantly lower than usual.

After wrapping your shield tightly with magical energy, you swiftly swatted the edge of one sword with it.

Crack!

The sword broke, and the man’s eyes widened.

The price for reaching out recklessly was a shattered shin bone and a minor concussion, so it seemed only fair that the guy who swung his sword should pay an even steeper price.

You didn’t hesitate to deliver a kick right between the man’s legs.

Ouch.

Despite not having any particular sense, you felt like you could tell exactly what was happening beyond his pants at that moment.

Everyone around you gasped in shock.

Some even trembled, desperately trying to shield their groins.

Of course, there are always a few oddballs who just can’t keep in sync with the rest of the crowd.

Instead of freezing in shock, you saw some glaring at you with anger, brandishing their weapons once again, so you had to move your shield again.

Trying to avoid startling Adel made the whole thing quite cumbersome.

One of the two men dropped his sword, while the other’s sword was now broken.

If only there had been someone with a spear, they would’ve stomped the pole into the ground, but unfortunately, they all had swords.

It seems there’s a reason they call someone the “King of All Weapons.”

Clicking your tongue at their lack of originality, you kicked the other guy’s groin as well.

Whack! Bam! Thud! Crack!

After pulverizing anyone trying to draw a weapon or make a fuss in any way, calm finally returned.

You sneaked a glance.

You met the intense gaze of an old man, who had been glaring at you with fiery eyes.

His wrinkled face was a mix of anger and suspicion.

“So just a mere toy like you can wield this level of skill… No, more importantly, do you even have feelings?”

And what if I do, or don’t? You felt no obligation to answer.

In fact, even if you felt the urge, you probably wouldn’t have been able to.

The old man opened his mouth again.

“Do you even understand where you’ve decided to pick a fight?”

Hearing the old man’s question, you quickly glanced back at Adel behind you.

No matter how careful you were, there was no way she hadn’t felt some shock, so you wondered if she had woken up.

I mean, it’s not like a baby would cause any issues if they did wake up, but somehow it felt like it would be humiliating if she did, failing your challenge.

Fortunately, Adel was still sound asleep.

She was sleeping so deeply after rolling around a little, making you feel a need to improve her stamina.

Anyway, with this situation, it seemed a little ruckus wouldn’t be a problem.

Maybe because the magical energy consumption was good, you still had some reserves left.

You lifted your shield and scanned your surroundings.

Right then, you spotted a suitable rock.

It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the street, probably too heavy to be moved or removed, treated like an ornament and left there.

You pointed your finger at the old man, then at yourself and Adel.

You noticed the old man’s eyes twitch slightly.

Then, you raised your shield.

The lingering essence of the “Tin Knight” guided your movements in a predetermined manner.

You lowered the shield to the left, extended your right foot forward.

As you unfurled your twisted body, you expelled magical energy through the back of your shield and elbow, swinging it with the force of your momentum and rotation.

──Boom!!

Like a building struck directly by a wrecking ball, the rock shattered into numerous small and several large fragments in an instant.

If it were the full power contained in the memory of the ‘Tin Knight,’ the rock would have exploded entirely, but perhaps due to your current physical state or the poor quality of the shield, it was weaker than expected.

But hey, at least it seemed impressive enough for show.

Most people around you were staring at you wide-eyed in sheer terror.

The exceptions were Rene and the old man.

Once you reach the level of a leader in any organization, it seems like you develop some remarkable courage and skill.

Regardless of the old man’s character, he certainly seemed to have considerable prowess, making you somewhat curious to give him a go.

You repeated your previous gesture.

Pointing at the old man.

Then at yourself and Adel.

Finally, you added a gesture pointing at the shattered rock.

The old man spoke.

“Do you even understand where you’ve decided to pick a fight?”

So you decided to respond with actions.

– What about you?

Watching the old man’s face turn a deeper shade of red made you feel like your message was delivered just fine.

“Eek! Uh, um, huh?”

Only after hearing that thunderous noise did Adel seem to snap out of it, now frantically looking around in confusion behind you.

You debated whether to let her down, but since this was a rare occasion, you decided to just carry her along.

Throwing down the half-shattered, handle-wrecked shield onto the ground, you marched ahead.

Fortunately, there was no one blocking your way this time.

Adel was unharmed, and you clearly obeyed Dorothea’s warning to “not cause a major incident,” so you must undoubtedly be a patient and wise servant spirit.

If nobody got killed, then nothing was a big deal, right?

***

“What kind of trouble did you cause now, you burn victim!!”

Kaw! Kaw!

Dorothea’s staff relentlessly struck your head.

You protested, feeling wronged.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ claims that he didn’t kill anyone and resolved things peacefully!]

“What does it matter if nobody died!? You went and stirred up a ruckus in broad daylight, and now the guards are banging on the tavern door! Thanks to you, I nearly got caught myself!”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that as long as it’s Dorothea, she’d get out of any trouble swiftly anyway!]

After saying that, you suddenly thought, ‘Oh? Actually, that’s not a bad idea.’

Dorothea’s main reason for telling you not to cause trouble was mostly about joint responsibility and damage control.

If you could escape from prison easily, it meant the worries of damage control significantly decreased, so it wouldn’t matter much if you rampaged as you pleased—

“Uh, excuse me, Tin Knight. Could you say that again?”

Dorothea smiled sweetly.

She was even using honorifics.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ humbly admits his mistakes!]

You surrendered.

The letters from the encyclopedia rose out of the pages and started doing a synchronized breakdance, filling you with a primal terror.

Dorothea, that witch, was speaking sweetly to you!

It was a horrifying experience that sent shivers down your spine.

“What’s up with this? This is oddly unsettling…?”

Dorothea frowned, looking puzzled, but since you seemed to have properly buried your head, she didn’t raise her voice further.

“Haa. Anyway, the guards have given their warning, so please, no real trouble. You, or rather, wouldn’t it be better if you just stayed cooped up in the tavern?”

“That’s a bit troublesome. I’ve been waiting for my turn this whole time, and now you say it’s suddenly unavailable.”

At Sofia’s remark, Dorothea made a pouty face.

“This guy’s only useful for violence, bloodshed, and destruction. What use is it to prove your utility by bringing this fool along? Where would you even want to put him to use?”

You felt a twinge of discontent.

You showcased your remarkable negotiation skills today.

Perhaps you needed to argue for negotiation to be added to your list of useful traits.

“Well, that’s Dorothea’s field of expertise, right? Isn’t the Tin Knight’s main role to be an escort? Just being next to me should fend off any unwanted troublemakers. That alone is enough reason for us to be together.”

“Hmm.”

Dorothea looked quite skeptical, but she didn’t seem inclined to reconsider her previous promise and eventually threw in the towel.

“Haa, fine. Go. Do as you please. I’ll probably need a few hours to take care of this exhausted Adel anyway.”

“If you just give me a few more drops of blood, I can heal her with Holy Magic, you know?”

“If you use that, it’ll disrupt the defensive barrier I just set up, so absolutely don’t.”

Holy Magic.

The technique using divine power, and Dorothea’s method, which relied on summoning spirits and curses, didn’t exactly mix well together.

You were amazed.

What an incomprehensible party composition this was.

It felt as if you could sense someone’s malice too.

So naturally, you grew curious.

Right now, besides possessing one of the Kingdom’s treasures within you, there seemed to be no meaning or value in being with your party, considering how this vampire had yet to demonstrate her usefulness.

You followed Sofia out of the tavern.

***

The sky had darkened.

In the morning, you had gone to the Doll Workshop with Dorothea, and in the afternoon, you broke some boards with Adel, so in a way, this was only to be expected.

Seeing shops that didn’t close even as the sun set, but instead lit their lanterns to continue their business made Sofia’s eyes shine.

“The Empire is a remarkably affluent country. If it’s just a select privileged class, that might be one thing, but to have lanterns lit up all over the street, lighting up the ground so brightly.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ inquires if things were different in Sofia’s time!]

“Well, oil is a luxury item. I’ve handled both magical and divine power, and I hardly ever felt a lack of light. But for most people, the setting sun signals the end of the day.”

Sofia walked down the street with delicate steps.

Then suddenly, she turned to face you with a cheerful spin.

With a gentle smile, her eyes began to open slowly, gazing right at you.

The friendly impression she gave seemed to shift into something entirely different in an instant.

More seductive, colder, darker.

“─Was your time worse?”

The glint of her eyes, caught between pink and red, glimmered like blood.

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