Well, nothing more to see here, let me get away before the people start wondering about the blood-drained criminals ying around in this alleway, thank god people already ran away in fear from the thugs, giving me some privacy, I drank to my heart’s content and once it’s all done, I head back home.

  On my way back to the pace however, I ran into quite a surprising occurrence in the middle of the street. The pace guards, with Heather and Elizabeth as well.

  “What are you guys doing?”

  “M-Marisa!? You’re fine!”

  Asked me the sheep girl, clearly agitated and holding a box that I’m assuming it’s the cake I bought.

  “Yeah, why would I not be”

  “D-did you not go to the alleway to meet those mafia members?”

  “No, I did go, bunch of pushovers but, I couldn’t get any information from them, so I helped them with their dream of ceasing to breathe”

  “Marisa, what are you thinking!?”

  Oh great, here comes Heather’s sermon of safety and such...

  “Sorry...”

  “Sigh... we even came as fast as we could! I knew you would be fine but she was really, REALLY agitated, so for a moment we thought it was something serious!”

  “Is that so? You know I can take care of myself Heather, but thanks for worrying, you two Elizabeth”

  It made my tummy feel fluttery knowing Heather cares about me that much. I wonder if Rushka knows about it as well?

  “Are you sure you’re ok!? Did you seriously get rid of all of those thugs?”

  “Yep! I fended off an entire army by myself before, so this much is nothing, for now let’s go back”

  I said to the group dashing through the street, they really didn’t have to follow me, I can make do by myself, besides, let’s say in the off chance I can’t deal with a fight, what hope do they have?

  “Oh! Here”

  Mentioned the sheep girl, handing me the box with what I can only assume is cake.

  “Did I not mention to leave it at the pace, why carry it everywhere?”

  “Wait! You sent her Marisa?” Asked me Heather in a curious voice.

  “I did, she’s really good at baking”

  “Tell us this thing beforehand, we thought someone was trying to poison us...”

  As it turns out, they didn’t let her in to give the cake away, because the guards assumed it was a trap or something simir, I couldn’t help but sigh, in a way I can’t be angry at them, they do their job and protect Heather and Rushka to some degree, I simply looked at the little baker.

  “Elizabeth”

  I called her name, it seems she was taken aback by my sudden straightforwardness, she tends to startle easily it seems.

  “Y-yes?”

  “I’ll get to the bottom of this loan shark people, but in the meantime, if those assholes bother you again, drop by the pace, we’ll help you with them, and I hope you’re let in by then”

  A part of my words were directed at the guards. She's a guest and soon to be employee, so I need her to be able to come and go as she pleases.

  “O-ok!”

  “Great, see you around~”

  And so, I headed back to the pace, I wanted to share the cake with Heather and Rushka, but it got mushy and messy from the running around town, it was quite disappointing, but despite the poor condition it looked like, it was still delicious, Heather, Rushka and Ellie all had a slice, they seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, I promised Ellie to buy more, much to Heather’s dismay, mostly because she doesn’t want to give her too much sugar.

  Either way I want to get more, to share with Lassie and her kids, honestly our interactions have been pretty sparse after the funeral, mostly just work, so I want to get to know her and get close to her as well, the church rained on my parade with my retionship with her, how can I push her to romance when she’s mourning.

  Adele on the other hand might be a good alternative while she recovers, I can’t share cake with her though, she doesn’t eat anything, I drop by her apartment complex but she’s still just buried in her research, maybe a quest together could be fun, whenever my time is not as split as it is at the moment.

  Time flew by before I realized it, and not a sign of the thug organization anywhere, they’re also a priority given that I need to increase my public image but, I can’t exactly just go around interrogating civilians, and I don’t have much free time either to look around town, I’m waiting for them to make a move so I can chase them once again.

  The few times I did go to investigate I asked the shopkeepers for info and so on and so forth, I gathered that they’re just essentially a mafia that runs in town, and what I can tell is that they extort owners of shops around this part of town for money in exchange of protection, of them and other rival groups apparently!

  I didn’t know there was so much crime under the cover of the town, I’m gonna need to pay more attention, still, funnily enough, the town has been peaceful because they learned that I am on the prowl, and bearing overwhelming power, this doesn’t help me, I can’t cut the problem at the root if they don’t rear their ugly head.

  “But so far nothing, what about you Elizabeth?”

  “I haven’t heard from them either”

  I’m here having cake at Elizabeth’s bakery, while chatting with her, I came almost at close time, so it’s just the two of us, also to buy those cakes for Lassie and co.

  “I don’t think after that massacre that they’re gonna show their face again...”

  “I hope so, but knowing people like that, I don’t think it’s likely they’ll just quit crime altogether, I need them to make a move to get more information, asking person by person would simply take too long!”

  “I guess? if I find anything, I’ll let you know”

  “Thanks”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to help you with the accounting thing?”

  “Hnn? I wanna say yes but, I’ll keep my word, once I deal with the loan shark gang”

  I feel bad having her responsible for her side of the bargain, when I haven’t completed mine, more so because I promised Lassie to help the orphanages, and then that happened, I dislike how things panned out that time, so I need to do things differently, my help first, their favor ter, not the other way around.

  “But at this rate they won’t show up at all”

  “What about your ‘debt’? when is the deadline to come pick it up?”

  “It was yesterday, they haven’t showed up for that either, I’m really thinking that they just give up”

  “That’s no good!”

  “I think it’s great! We can bury this incident for good”

  “If only it was that easy, they’re just waiting for me to stop showing around, the moment I’m out of the equation, they’ll go back and probably with bigger aggressions”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah, but I will not let them, so let’s just get ready!”

  They already sent someone to check on, you can’t fool my senses enough to not realize the people stalking the shops, but I interrogated him and was also completely unaware of the loan shark boss, a disposable minion, like all of the other ones.

  Whoever their leader is, he’s one careful guy, no point in wasting more time, the orphanages have been going strong but are still not all complete, kinda made me realize how flimsy and precarious the first vilge I made was, I should go check on them honestly, for now I handed Elizabeth the money for the cakes, even if she doesn’t want to take it for some reason, and I headed back home.

  My pockets are starting to get light, I should stop with the ant costs, I gave myself a budget for my own spendings but it’s looking bad, just like every other budget honestly.

  I reached home, and asked some guards for Lassie’s whereabouts, she’s the st orphanage to be built by her request, so she can help me and keep her kids around as well, with each passing day there’s less and less people on the pace, the refugees are now in the other vilge, and the kids are not many, they’re either already on their new homes, or visiting each other as friends.

  “Haa, Home sweet-”

  Hm!? A scream? Where have I heard that voice before? I can’t put my finger on it, but it sounds familiar somehow. I turned around to the direction of the scream, only to find a guy, a guard, and a little girl in the back of the alley that way.

  Wait a minute! I know that girl! It’s the piggy! Uh, ex-piggy!

  I then dashed towards them, not before handing the cake to the guard and the entrance, and requesting him to give it to Lassie, she should know to share it with her children.

  “Hey! what’s going on over there?”

  All three looked at me dumbfounded, and the guy just made a stupid smile, getting the piggy close to him.

  “Hello dear, it’s nothing, this child was lost see, and I’m talking it over with the guard”

  Lies, plus the guard it’s so nervous he’s sweating bullets, he didn’t even bother to give an answer to my question.

  “Y-yeah, if you’ll excuse me”

  And then he tried to flee, who do you think you’re fooling? It seems the civilians don't know I’m the town lord yet, but this guard sure knows my identity.

  “Hold your horses! where do you think you’re going?”

  “T-to patrol Midy!”

  “Such hard worker, another stunt like this and I’ll slice your legs off~”

  I don’t get it, the pace knights love me for some reason, why do the military and city guards loathe my existence? Is it because of the disasters I do in town? Also, what are you hiding, more now than ever, I need every piece of information I can get my hands on.

  Anyways, the guy that’s holding Gwen doesn’t look scared at all, and Gwen is, well, she’s seen better days that’s for sure.

  “That girl it's with me, let her go” I ordered the man that’s holding the piggy by the arm aggressively, even though she’s really trying to get off, honestly it looks bad as is, but maybe Gwen got into trouble, although my intuition tells me that’s not the case.

  “M-Marisa! I!-”

  “Quiet you, we’ll talk ter”

  “I-I’m sorry but what are you to this girl? I can’t just hand her to a stranger”

  “You’re more of a stranger, she’s an orphan, and fled the premises after the whole town set abze, just taking her back to the pace is all”

  “Just listen to her!”

  The guard murmured aggressively at the other guy, he seemed taken aback, there’s something fishy going on, shifty people.

  “You know what, you three, into the pace, now!”

  “Who are you to order me around missy! Don’t you-”

  The guy didn’t even finish his sentence when the guard fled to the pace. Gwen also wanted to run but the guy it’s not letting go, so I closed the gap and pressured his arm holding Gwen. I could hear a crack from my pressure.

  “I’m Marisa, the new town lord, questions?”

  The guy just started screaming in pain, so I let go of his arm, only for him to panic and then tried to flee as well, carrying Gwen in his arms, the piggy on the other hand, it’s trashing trying to get off, I simply dashed in front and pced my feet to make him trip.

  “You’re super shady, I’m warning you, don’t get on my nerves”

  “W-what kind of town lord harasses the citizens like this!”

  “The kind that’s stopping a kidnapper, if you’re not cooperating, I’ll take you by force”

  And so I teleported both of them into different cells of the dungeons.

  “W-what!? Where am I!?”

  “Shh! I’ll deal with you ter, shady person, you first piggy, what’s the story?”

  “Marisa! I...”

  He then looked all defeated. Honestly I’ve never seen the piggy like this. He was usually pretty pathetic, but always had that fre of defiance in his eyes, now however, she looked miserable, along with that new body, it’s making me feel extremely bad! more so since I’m interrogating her inside a cell, but it’s the piggy, I can’t let my guard down even for a second.

  “Well... *sniff*”

  The piggy then started crying, and in the middle of whimpers and a voice I could honestly barely understand, he expined with luxury of detail, how the man I have on another cell essentially raped her, it was a bit difficult to stomach giving the situation.

  “Is that true?”

  I asked the man, to which he responded with a ‘no, she’s lying’ which is a lie in itself, corroborating the information the piggy gave me.

  that’s... harsh, even for someone like the piggy, eh-

  Then again he tried to kill and ensve me multiple times, made a pact with both the church and the demon lord cult, and tried to kill Ellie multiple times, oh and Rushka too he sold her as a sve, oh and the orphanages, and the refugees as well! Wasn’t he about to do the same to them as well?

  You know what, the piggy it’s an asshole, but...

  “Ok Gwen, your story it’s quite unfortunate, karma it’s a bitch sometimes”

  I know it, I’m paying for it too at the moment, not as hard as you have however.

  “Then! Are you gonna arrest this asshole! No! we should execute this monster!”

  “Quiet, I make the decisions here! And as for you!”

  I said to the guy in the cell next to Gwen, he was screaming and calling Gwen a liar while she was trying to tell her story so I threatened to rip his throat off and he remained silent after the first interruption.

  “...”

  “The silent treatment now?”

  “You’re gonna kill me anyways, why should I respond”

  “If it’s about Gwen, you’re excused of your crimes”

  “”EEH!?””

  Both Gwen and the guy excimed surprised at the same time.

  “She’s a criminal, while I don’t condone your actions, I’ll call it all even and let it go, she got her just desert”

  “Marisa!!”

  “Quiet Gwen, I said we’re all even, period, this also benefits you so shush!”

  “T-then you’ll let me free?”

  “Sure, your crimes against Gwen are forgiven, but tell me, did you raped someone else besides her?”

  “N-no! I would never!”

  ...lies, as usual.

  “I hate liars more than anything, so watch your tongue”

  “Marisa can tell when people lie! You won’t fool her!”

  “Gwen, shut it for a second you too please”

  “I... ok I admit it! We were both drunk and well, one thing led to another, I didn’t mean it! It’s- it was an accident!”

  Hmm, well it’s not a lie this time, but something tells me he’s trying to be sly about something.

  “That’s not what I meant, did you assault someone else on purpose?”

  “N-no! Of course not!”

  “Lies, alright, you're sentenced to stay here for the rest of your life! oh I’ll tell the guards to not give you food or water, you can admit your crimes or die in that cell~”

  “W-wait! You can’t be serious!!”

  I am, I don’t have time for small criminals right now, plus you didn’t know Gwen was an adult, how would I know you didn’t go for other smaller targets? I said I forgive you of what you did to Gwen, but you’re better off locked down.

  “Gwen, let’s go”

  I opened her cage, and we both headed outside the dungeon, all the while the other guy was screaming his lungs off, so I requested one of the guards to chain him and gag him, and remove it only once a day to see if he was willing to talk, or remain like that.

  At moments like this, I wish Celestial was around so she could probe his memory.

  ...

  ...

  *groooowl*

  “Ugh...”

  Gwen was looking defeated, and her belly was rumbling.

  “Hungry?”

  “Yeah...”

  “Listen well Gwen, Arthur has given up on you, and so have I, so hush”

  “I know...”

  She responds looking at the floor, a bit angry, still, I can see her swallow her own spit and then ask me with an embarrassed face.

  “C-could I... could I get something to eat from the pace...”

  Ugh! With her current appearance it’s so heart wrenching when he acts like this, I never expected the piggy to stoop this low, I was thinking about it, when he straight up got on the floor on her knees and begged...

  “Sorry... just leave already”

  Not only could she be trying to appeal to my soft side, I promised Arthur to leave Gwendal alone!

  “W-what do you know...”

  “Excuse me!?”

  “What do you know about what I’ve been through! Do you know what it is to sleep on a bench shivering every night! To know that there’s nothing left in the world for you! Hungry and alone!”

  Now she snapped at me, the piggy is really, really shaken huh?

  “You’re right, I don’t know much about that, fortunately I had always friends or family to support me, still you’re the st one with any right to compint”

  “Why!? Why me!?”

  “The life of an orphan sucks, you refused to help them when you could, now you suffer the same fate”

  “And you say that holding the position I once had, why do you help them!? They obviously bring nothing to the town! How could I possibly spend a dime on them when other matters were more urgent!”

  “You can say that again”

  “Then why not me!? Why do you refuse to help me, if I’m nothing more than an orphaned child as well!”

  “Because you’re neither an orphan, nor a child, I let go of your crimes, but nothing more”

  “What a hypocrite...”

  “Do you really WANT to know what I think Gwendal”

  I look around, what I’m gonna say is controversial, so I don’t want anybody but him to know what I really think about, once I realize the coast is clear, I speak my mind to the piggy.

  “I couldn’t give a damn about the orphans”

  “E-eh!?”

  “I’m incredibly selfish, but I’m also not stupid, there’s things I want, and helping the orphanage is simply another step for my goals, I try to keep my options open however, besides, it’s not entirely a loss, maybe one of those kids will help us in the future, it’s like a gamble, but if there’s a chance to reap a benefit, then I don’t mind helping all of those people!”

  I only got involved in the whole fiasco with the orphanages because I wished to get into Lassie’s private parts, not only that but also because she helped me with the war thing, all of my actions have been purely to get something out of someone or to repay debts.

  ...and yet, I can’t help but think about the people I met, Heather, Rushka, Celestial, Lassie, Adele... even Arthur and the people of the guild to some extent, their faces keep popping up in my mind for some reason, I wonder why that is...

  “S-so you’re only helping people because it’s convenient for you!?”

  “That’s a way to summarize it, but in short and missing all the context, then yeah”

  “T-then maybe I can help you somehow!”

  “With? What can you do that it’s something other people can’t?”

  I know the answer to that, but I want him to marinate in despair further.

  “I... I don’t know...”

  “Is that so? Then I fear you will have to leave”

  “I! I will do anything, just don’t send me back to the streets please!”

  “Anything?”

  “Yes, anything!”

  Do I have anything lewd in my mind? Not really, Adele’s guinea pig is back on the menu, and if Arthur asks, the piggy begged for such a thing.

  “I have a friend of mine who’s investigating the people of the church, as the only one that’s alive, you’d be a precious b subject, I can guarantee basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing and the like, MAYBE some spare coins, but nothing more, do we have a deal?”

  “T-that sounds like a terrible deal...”

  “It’s the only one you will get, working under me that is, although at this point you can also just go to any orphanage and ask aid, there’s nothing I can do to stop you from that, but you’ll have to find your way in life, if you work for me then, who knows, maybe you could even regain your previous position once I’m king”

  Or queen? Ah whatever, he gets the point.

  “You’re giving me empty promises... how can I be sure!”

  “I’m doing the same that you’ve done all your life, if you’re against it, the doors are wide open for you to leave”

  “Ugh...”

  She thought on the verge of crying, her stomach rumbling once again, but in the end she decided to agree, to which I simply gave her my hand, to end the deal with a handshake.

  It’s decided then, Gwen will be Adele’s assistant, and maybe she could help us with paperwork eventually. First she has to win my trust, I said it before, at this point in time we’re even, let’s see how things go from here onwards.

  “Go to the kitchen and ask the chefs to cook you whatever you want for today, tell them I sent you”

  I said ruffling her hair, and leaving her on the patio, I have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment, like having cake with Lassie, still, if we’re going to end up seeing each other more, then at least I want to not have her be as hostile as always, the good old carrot and stick, I feel like he will be able to change for the better, hopefully he becomes someone his dead father can be proud of.

  Gosh dang that was a philosophical thought! One to be written for the ages in my mind, jokes aside, at this point I’m pretty indifferent about the piggy, the only thing in my mind is Lassie and spending a rexed afternoon with her.

  ...

  ...

  It’s been a couple of busy days, Heather and Rushka are taking care of all the paperwork and essentially running the town as always, both of my wives are super useful and lovely! I need to reward them somehow, as I was thinking about this and rummaging through my backpack in search of any other ingot or gem I haven’t sold to get more funds, it reminds me of the pendants I used to have along the rest of my stuff.

  Celestial took them with her, and I haven’t heard anything from her in days. She headed out to investigate and hasn’t come back, should I worry?

  Nah, celestial it’s pretty strong, stronger than me even, I shouldn’t need to worry.

  There’s no need right?

  Then what’s this uneasiness in my heart...

  Joanne_carper