- Shari -

  I continue serving the customers until the bad premonition I got is finally realized when two guards enter my pce.

  "Hello! What can I do for you?" (Liqu)

  By now, Liqu perfected this business sentence when interacting with customers.However, I'm very sure those two have other business in mind.

  "Ehm, we were ordered to invite you to the guard captain." (guard)

  "Fine. Nia, Okin! Liqu and I need to leave for a while. Can you take care of the shop while we're gone?" (Shari)

  "Uh, are you sure?" (Nia)

  Oh, right. I never had her at the front since her transformation and Okin isn't quite as good with customer service.Though, at least I don't need to worry about another raid.I mean, it's daytime, and, well, the st group is all dead.

  "You can keep all the profits you make in the meantime." (Shari)

  Promptly, a fully dressed and covered slime girl, in perfectly presentable state, stands at the front.

  "How may I help you, Sirs?" (Nia)

  I knew she's a money grabber. Let's just hope that this kind of motivation is going to help her persevere. At least she should have enough investment for today.Be that as it may, it's time to get going.

  After making sure that I'm fully equipped, we head to the guard barracks. Once we draw closer, I notice a certain sense of urgency. Troops of guards are patrolling, and they seem overall far more active and serious. Funnily enough, I see some of the officers I paid a visit to during the recent days. Unsurprisingly, those who notice me flinch quite severely. And those are the mild cases.

  However, Liqu almost seems to revel in this kind of attention.

  "What is up with you, Liqu? You're walking as if you're enjoying this." (Shari)

  "But I do! This is so nice!" (Liqu)

  What!? After all this progress we made, this is her conclusion?!

  "Just so I understand it: You're enjoying that people are terrified of you?" (Shari)

  "Yes, yes. I like having power!" (Liqu)

  "Power?" (Shari)

  "Yes! Just as you taught me! If we wanted, we could ask these humans to do things and they would! Isn't this great?!" (Liqu)

  "Sigh. I get your point, but it isn't too great to be feared. It doesn't make people all that cooperative in the long run." (Shari)

  "Oh. But it's still better than nothing, and far better than being attacked on sight." (Liqu)

  Can't really say that she's completely wrong. In this particur case, it was even just what this city needed.But as I, on the other side, feel slightly uncomfortable with living out this kind of reputation, it urges me to walk all the faster to the captain's office, where the number of onlookers will at least be slightly reduced.Yet the man in question already waits for me in the hall before.

  "Greetings, captain." (Shari)

  "Hello!!!" (Liqu)

  Why is Liqu so eted?

  "Please, spare me the banter. We don't have much longer." (Gareth)

  What does he mean? It sounds urgent, so I should probably hurry a little.Even the way he gestures us towards his office is quite pushy.Once he closes the door and sits down, he visibly deftes.

  "Finally, you are here. I hope you have some time. This is going to be a long day." (Gareth)

  "Wait a moment! Already?" (Shari)

  "Yeah, shout it out even louder. But no. Rather the st big step before." (Gareth)

  "Ehm, what exactly are we talking about here?" (Shari)

  "I want to know too!" (Liqu)

  Since when is Liqu so interested?

  "Sigh. I got a messenger, right before I sent you my men. Today, more precisely, this evening, the reinforcements we were waiting for will arrive. I don't expect things to proceed smoothly." (Gareth)

  "Wait! Doesn't this mean that the great purge is immanent?" (Shari)

  "Quite, but not immediately. The operation itself is going to commence at the brink of dawn. This way, we can take advantage of the fact that upstanding citizens will mind the curfew." (Gareth)

  Was that a pointed look in my direction? Should I remind him that he was the one to set me up on most of those occasions with his missions?

  "In any case, I expect the hours between to get quite messy. With some luck, the gangs won't have enough time to react until it's too te." (Gareth)

  "Then why are you telling us?" (Liqu)

  "I need to agree. From what I could see out there, everyone with a brain, or without one, could figure out that you're preparing something. Calling us here won't make this any less obvious." (Shari)

  "At this point, it doesn't matter. You're already involved and loyal enough. Even the officers seem very committed to their tasks. Good job with that, by the way. Although, I had to do quite some aftercare with some of them." (Gareth)

  "Yes, yes! My Shari made them reeeaally scared! It was so interesting to see this." (Liqu)

  "Do you think this will suffice?" (Shari)

  "Honestly? I can't tell. It's a lot better than where I thought we would stand at this point. However, the task itself was, from the start, quite terrific. From here on out, it depends on whether the guild will do their part and what kind of reinforcements we're actually going to receive. That, and of course sheer dumb luck once things are getting rough. You know what they say about the best id out pns, right?" (Gareth)

  "What do they say? And who are they?" (Liqu)

  "Sigh. It's a saying, Liqu. It's supposed to mean that no pn will ever survive the first contact with the enemy. So to say, an incredibly complex pn is likely to fail because something out of order could happen." (Shari)

  "Oh! That is a good saying! It teaches such convenient things." (Liqu)

  "Ahem, just saying, I'm still here." (Gareth)

  To be honest, he slipped my attention for a moment.

  "Okay, then what's going to be the general strategy?" (Shari)

  "For the most part, exactly what we already discussed. At the given time, we will first secure the most important facilities. Then, together with the reinforcement, we will unch our attack from the north, taking out one after the other as many of those hideouts as possible. The guild will, at the same time, try to bring as many criminal adventurers as possible under their control. The cleanup should become significantly easier through this." (Gareth)

  I can see why he thinks there's too much to possibly go wrong about this.

  "Now that this is settled, I need you to accompany me." (Gareth)

  "For what reason?" (Shari)

  "Because, my dear, the message explicitly asked for the royal agents to be present." (Gareth)

  For real? Why would they need us? To provide personal insight on what happened? Actually, that might be a good enough reason.

  "Fine. Then let's make this quick. We wouldn't want to leave them waiting." (Shari)

  A short time ter, Gareth and us, as well as an escort guard troop, get on our way to the northern gate.Which is where we find a considerable commotion in action. After a short while, the reason becomes apparent, when I spot the first group of soldiers of apparently many more arguing to be let into town, of course unhindered in any way. Something their commander presses really hard on.

  Wait! I know this guy!