CH 180.1

In a resting room of Sleeping Shrimp on an early afternoon a few days later.

「The Elven woman that came a few days earlier. You are saying that she is now at the front of the store disrupting our business?」

He sat his long and hunched back body down, with his back upright against the backrest of the chair. At the tip of his long legs, which were crossed, are a pair of hard boots.

And on that face was a pair of eyes with dark shades.

Coupled with the shades below his eyes, which are thick to the point of it resembling one being caused by an illness, they would probably scare off even a brave person on their first meeting.

(I have gotten more used to it than before though)

The concierge swallows his spit while nodding his head. He then continued speaking.

「I have an interest in this store so let me take a look around, I will pay the money. She said that so I allowed here to have a look around」

The Grim Reaper urged the concierge, who had an expression suggesting that he had a hard time saying anymore, to speak as the Grim Reaper remained speechless.

「She seems to not understand the good points of our concept as she kept saying she did not understand」

There are no changes on the face of the Grim Reaper.

This is something similar to him saying to the concierge to throw aside a customer who is not compatible with the 『Sin and Punishment』. It is not something the Grim Reaper is concerned with at this point in time.

「And so, from the night of that very day onwards, she has been sleeping with our regulars」

「Sleeping with?」

The concierge wipes off his sweat using a handkerchief and nods.

「The customers who have finally come to accept the concept of our store. She pulls those customers to an inn and makes them fall captive to her Elven charms. Due to that, the number of customers has dropped quite significantly」

It is only now that one side of the Grim Reaper’s cheek dropped.

Even if the number of customers falls, the business will continue as usual. It is originally a store I started without any intention of making a profit.

However, stealing away the interests of regular customers is a huge problem.

(The flames of 『Sin and Punishment』 has just been lit in the hearts of humans after all)

He crosses his arms and closes his eyes.

The concierge was scared stiff just from those movements alone.

(The flame that is still young and ephemeral, one that disappears with just a single breath. It must be nurtured with care for now)

The light of hope that links to the future. That Elven woman is trying to put it out without showing any concern.

And that is just because it does not suit her taste.

(That is quite unforgivable)

A wave of chilling anger spreads inside his chest.

「Is she there even as we speak?」

The concierge nods when he hears that question.

Hearing this, the Grim Reaper stands up silently and heads for the exit at the back.

「Ah, erm」

Ignoring the concierge who was trying to say something, he heads out of the building just like this.

(What was I trying to say just now I wonder)

Please be amicable with her? Or is it – what will you be doing from now on? He felt like both are not it.

(That is the reason why the words will not come out)

The concierge shrugs and plops down onto the sofa.

He is not concerned about the owner at all. Over here at Landbarn, is the territory of the Empire. The social status of the Grim Reaper allows him to be someone whose words are equal to that of the very feudal lord himself.

Even if he is up against an Elf, he should not be at a disadvantage in a dispute.

(I should leave this matter to him)

And the concierge uses a handkerchief to wipe his face once again.

On the other hand, the Grim Reaper, with a rhythmical pace like that of a long compass, arrives at the front of the store in a flash.

Without needing to even search for her, he saw her immediately.

(Is that it?)

What he saw was a tall woman with long straight hair that is the color of chestnuts.

Under a shade at a location that is facing the store, the Elf is standing there with her back leaned against a wall.

That appearance is very similar to one of a beggar trying to snatch customers at the side of the road.

(Ho, it seems like she is doing this with full knowledge that I am the owner)

The other party has also taken a notice of him.

However, he could not see a trace of the other party being fearful. The other party remains as is, back leaned against the wall, with a fearless expression on her face.

「Long ears. What are you doing」

While hitting loudly against the stone paving the thick soles of his shoes, he crosses the road. He heads straight towards the Elven woman.

That name which he called her by, that can even be called a derogatory term, strongly expresses the displeasure that the Grim Reaper feels.

「Nothing much, just calling out to any men who have caught my interest」

She answers with a face that suggests she is feigning ignorance. Though at the same time, in the mind of the female merchant, she is clenching her fist with joy.

(I have caught him)

A store that only has a few regulars visiting frequently.

By luring these people in to disrupt the business of the store, the owner of the store, the Grim Reaper, will no doubt show himself.

She put this plan into action along this line of thought and she got her results immediately.

「Stop it, it is a nuisance」

「Is this not outside of the store? What is wrong with freely carrying out acts of love here」

She said this with an easygoing tone but on the inside, the nervousness was causing her to sweat profusely.

Even for her, that is an Elf, the dark and chilling intensity of the Grim Reaper is something that is terrifying.

(I can be killed without another word said after all)

That is because the other party in question is one of the symbols of the military in the Empire.

Killing off a single Elven traveler is not something that cannot possibly occur.

(See-through him I say)

The other party does not show any of those movements and is walking a very fine line. He does not cross that line and is trying his best to compromise.

It is now time for her skills as a merchant to shine.

「There is something that I would very much like to ask the Grim Reaper about you see. If you are able to give me the answers to just that alone, I would even leave the town immediately for you」

The Grim Reaper shows his back to her without saying a single word.

(Eh? Wait a minute)

It would be too fast for this to be called a breakdown of negotiations.

At that time when she took her back off the wall in a hurry, a shiver ran down her spine.

At the next moment, with a posture that is one of a roundhouse kick’s, the Grim Reaper unleashes a kick.

The boorish sole of his shoe brushes against the tip of the Elven woman’s nose.

The pressure from the leg that brushed across caused the hair, which is the color of chestnuts, to flow to the side.

「I will crush your face next」

After turning one round, the Grim Reaper stands at the same position with the same expression. However, only the content of the words that came out of his mouth is different.

(This is bad. This is worse than I expected; It seems like words do not work on this person)

She, that is against the wall and has nowhere else to fall back to, moves to the side slowly.

「Oh wow, so the Grim Reaper who is a world ranker would just unleash his violent leg techniques all of a sudden?」

Whether it is to divert the attention of the other party or her nature as a merchant, she moves only her mouth.

「It seems like you have not appeared in any other matches after you lost all of a sudden at the Holy City. Has your mind and the Death Scythe that you are so proud of been broken I wonder」