Having finished the report at the guild, we were making our way home when Lycia, walking beside me, spoke softly.

“...Master, have you noticed?”
“Yeah, there are a few people tailing us.”

Since leaving the guild, I’d noticed multiple individuals following us. While we could easily lose them by running, that might lead to complications later.

Quietly, I shifted course into an empty back alley. Lycia, understanding my intent, followed without a word. And, as expected—

“Hah! Moving to an empty spot on your own? You’re awfully considerate, aren’t ya?”

The pursuers who had been following us revealed themselves, as if waiting for this moment.

There were five of them, all men. While I hadn’t spoken to any of them before, I recognized some from the guild.

“What do you want with us?”

I asked, though I already had an idea.

“What, you don’t get it yet? It’s obvious. Hand over the Hydra mana stone you’ve got and the money you just got from the guild. Do that, and we might let you keep your life.”

As I suspected.
They intended to rob us.

But one thing didn’t make sense.

“No. But didn’t you hear about us defeating the Hydra? I don’t know how strong you are, but isn’t this way too reckless?”
“Is it? Sure, we’re all C-rank, but taking you down will be easy.”
“And your reasoning is?”
“Because you’re a puppeteer I’ve seen you before, and your combat puppet isn’t with you. That one there’s just a healer, right? A puppet master and a healer are no match for us.”

“So that’s what you’re banking on.”

It seemed they had planned this to some degree. Ordinarily, neither a puppet master nor a healer would have the strength to fight alone.

Ordinarily, that is.

“Ufufu, ufufufufu.
So, you’re nothing but pests trying to harm Master. Very well, I’ll turn you all to ash in an instant—”
“No, Lycia. Let me handle this alone.”
“...Master?”

I stopped Lycia, who was clearly losing her patience, and stepped forward.

It felt strange.
In the past, I would have done everything to avoid facing C-rank opponents alone. But now, standing before five enemies, I felt no fear.

I’d survived countless deadly battles against powerful foes.
Compared to those, this was nothing—a mere trifle.

“Body Enhancement.”
“—! Everyone, get ready!”

This wasn’t a duel or sparring match—it was a real fight. Without any formal start, I launched a surprise attack.

The five enemies consisted of two swordsmen, one heavy fighter, and two mages.

Wielding a dagger, I targeted the presumed leader first.

Swinging my blade at the unprepared man—

“Too slow!”

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the alley. Even with my enhanced body, he easily blocked my strike.

“Hah! Your speed surprised me, but you’ve got no power! Guess I was right; we didn’t even need all five of us for this!”
“...I see.”

With a single swing, the man’s blade sent me flying. Though I landed on my feet, the others had already surrounded me.

“Now! Take him down!”

Following their leader’s order, the two mages aimed their hands at me and shouted:

“Flame Lance!”
“Thunder Cannon!”

Flaming spears and thunderous blasts raced toward me. Both were intermediate-level spells and packed enough punch to cause serious injury.

That is, if they hit.

“Hahaha! You’re done for!”
“No, you are—Dark Veil.”

I activated the low-level spell Dark Veil.

A pitch-black darkness erupted from me, enveloping my form entirely.

The next moment, the flame and thunder collided with the darkness, resulting in a massive explosion. The area was consumed by dust and debris.

“Hey, what happened?! Did we get him!?”
“Yes! He tried to counter with a spell, but there’s no way he could have dodged—Gah!”
“!? What happened?!”

First mage, down.
Hidden by the dust, I had closed the distance without them noticing, landing a decisive blow.

“He’s here—Guh!”
“What the hell is going on?!”

Second mage, down.

Everything was going smoothly.

My initial skirmish with the leader wasn’t about defeating him—it was to gauge their movements.

By forcing a reaction, I observed their formation and pinpointed their weak links.

The mages stood out with their sluggish movements, making them easy targets.

Feigning defeat, I lured out an opening, taking out the mages first.

With their formation broken and panic spreading, the rest was simple.

By the time the dust settled, only the leader remained.

“Y-you’ve gotta be kidding...! You’re not really a puppet master, are you? You tricked us! There’s no way—!”
“It’s over.”

I struck him with the hilt of my dagger, knocking him unconscious.

“Whew.”
“As expected of you, Master!”

Having confirmed that all five were incapacitated, I exhaled deeply, certain of my victory.

Afterward, Lycia and I summoned guild staff to take custody of the men.