The street was filled with noise and chatter. Adults argued while buying what they needed, and children ran around through the crowd. What was more surprising was that most of them were demi-humans.
The Valerion Kingdom was vast—large enough for anyone to get lost in it. It was divided into four districts. The Southern District, where most civilians were normal humans. The Northern District, known for slave trading, where the wealthy often went to buy slaves. The Eastern District, a place where adventurers stayed. And the Western District—the only place where humans and demi-humans lived together, even starting families. Haruto had been summoned in the Western District.
"There's a lot of people here…" Haruto muttered as he followed behind Elina. They were on their way to meet the "good outlander" she had mentioned before. "Hey, Elina… what does this person look like?" he asked.
"He's kind and friendly," Elina replied calmly. "And… he's bald because of the invasion last time."
"B-B-Bald… you say?" Haruto tried to hold back his laughter.
Sensing something strange, Elina turned around—only to see Haruto covering his mouth, avoiding eye contact as he struggled not to laugh.
"Hey, don't laugh like that. He's taller than you, you know," Elina said, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, come on," Haruto complained, clearly bothered by being called short—especially by a girl.
Elina smirked proudly and continued walking.
They walked for about ten minutes without saying a word. Silence filled the space between them.
Suddenly—
"Acho!"
Haruto sneezed loudly.
"That's quite a big sneeze," Elina said jokingly. It was loud enough to startle the children nearby, who ran away in surprise.
"Oh, please…" Haruto groaned, rubbing his nose. "Anyway, how much longer do we have to walk? I'm getting bored."
"You're so impatient, Haruto," Elina replied, closing her eyes briefly. "It'll take another five minutes."
"Five minutes…" Haruto repeated. "I wish there were bikes in this world…" he muttered quietly.
"Did you say something?" Elina turned back.
"Nothing," Haruto replied casually, placing his hands behind his head.
"Hmm…" Elina stared at him suspiciously for a moment before turning forward again.
Then suddenly, someone bumped into Haruto.
"Excuse me," he said—but the person had already disappeared into the crowd without apologizing. Haruto shrugged it off and continued walking.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly—
"THEFT!!!"
Maybe luck wasn't on their side today.
"PLEASE HELP! HE TOOK MY MONEY!!!" a voice cried out from the crowd.
Haruto immediately turned toward the source. A woman stood in front of what looked like her bakery shop. She had long brown hair and wore simple clothing. From her appearance, she didn't seem well-off.
"Someone, please… help me…" she cried, her voice shaking as she pointed toward Haruto's direction.
Haruto followed her gaze—and instantly recognized the person who had bumped into him earlier. About fifty steps away, the man was running, holding a small box.
Without hesitation, Haruto took off after him.
"Haruto!!" Elina called out—but he ignored her completely.
In his mind, helping those in need was part of his duty as a martial artist.
The thief noticed him and glanced back. Realizing he was being chased, he quickly ran into the crowd.
"Hey, stop!!" Haruto shouted as he pushed through people.
After about thirty seconds of chasing, the thief suddenly turned right into a narrow street.
Damn, he's fast.
As Haruto followed, he noticed something—cat-like ears.
So he's a demi-human.
The thief zigzagged through empty alleys, trying to lose him. But Haruto kept up easily. He wasn't just anyone. He was a trained Kyokushin karate fighter.
Just as Haruto was about to lose sight of him, the thief stopped at a dead end.
"I can't believe you chased me all the way here," the thief said calmly, impressed.
Haruto observed him closely—tall, skinny, with short black hair and fur like a cat. He wore a sleeveless black shirt and shorts, still holding the box in his right hand.
"You should just give up. Hand over the box—it's the better choice," Haruto said confidently.
In a hand-to-hand fight, Haruto had the advantage.
But—
"No can do…" The thief pulled out a dagger and pointed it at him. "Why don't you drop everything and run away like a coward?"
Haruto's eyes widened.
A dagger.
This was no longer just a chase—it was life or death.
That won't scare me.
He had fought multiple opponents before. He wasn't backing down now.
"You're dead, boy!" A voice came from behind.
Haruto turned—and saw three more men blocking the exit, each holding a dagger. One looked short and impatient, while the other two were identical twins, wearing the same clothes and hairstyle.
He was completely surrounded. If he didn't act fast, this could end badly.
The thief in front lunged forward, aiming to stab him.
Bang!
Haruto's front kick struck the man's jaw cleanly, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Ahh—!"
Another attacker rushed from behind. No time to dodge. Is this it—
"Ough!"
Before the man could strike, he was suddenly sent flying, as if hit by something powerful.
"Take that!" A voice rang out—feminine.
Haruto turned in shock. A girl stood there, slightly younger than him. She wore a white uniform with a black-lined collar—and a black belt tied around her waist.
Haruto's eyes widened.
"A… Taekwondo…?"
There was no doubt about it. A taekwondo black belt had just stepped into the fight.
And she had just saved him.