Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Idle Talk 7: A day with Kaede

Volton is an adventurer city situated in the border regions of Valkyra Kingdom.

The Sanctuary appeared in the western edge of the continent when the Spirit Tree took root, and the Great Spirits of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Tree, Light, and Dark had manifested. At that chance, a highway was rapidly developed, connecting it to three fortress cities constructed in the Savage Lands beginning with Wedgefort.

As the city was relatively close to Wedgefort and connected by a highway constructed by Takumi, Volton was also influenced by the rapid development. Even if the rise in population and economic revitalization that came with it were omitted, Volton had quickly changed in recent years. These were improvements in the city’s environmental sanitation and the betterment of its public order.

Normally, when population increases radically and economy suddenly grows, the city’s environmental sanitation deteriorates. However, that was not the case for Volton. The reason for this was that it was being cleaned by Takumi’s inventions.

As for the betterment of public order…………

Frankly, an increase in adventurers coincides with an increase in ruffians and criminals.

Especially with the recent collapse of Divine Empire of Sydnia and the war with Triaria Kingdom. The center of this continent had fallen to ruin. It was impossible for the surrounding countries to not be affected by the aftermath.

Yet even with that being the case, the public order in Volton wasn’t too bad. Margrave Volton’s Knight Order and Sentinels were putting a lot of effort into it.

However, there was another existence that contributed to maintaining the security in Volton.

「Kyaaー! Please stop!」

「Hehehe, keep quiet. We’ll make you pretty, you know.」

「Hihihihi, what’s the fuss? After you’re all dolled up, we’re only selling you to a whorehouse.」

A young girl was taken into a back alley in Volton, and was surrounded by three men with unkempt beards and wearing dirty leather armor.

The adventurers active in Volton, such as Heath-san’s party 『Lion’s Fang』, were mostly respectable adventurers. Adventurers that do have a hand in crimes were being cracked down on relentlessly by Margrave Volton, as well as Guild Master Barack and the guild personnel were keeping a strict eye on them. Above all, the adventurers based in Volton’s Adventurers Guild make an effort to clean up by themselves, further contributing to the maintenance of the public order.

The ruffians who took the girl to a back alley and committing a crime were blockheads who strayed into the booming Volton.

「Hiih!」

One of the men readied his fist to hit the girl, and the girl shut her eyes in terror.

「Bullying is not allowed.」

「…………a, eh?」

Because the attack didn’t come no matter how long she waited and also because she heard a little girl’s voice, she opened her eyes timidly. There, she saw the men rolled in some sort of threads and had fallen over.

And then, the figures of two more people in the moonless night had crossed over a fence of a store in Volton.

「Could you be mister thieves?」

The moment they erased their presence and trespassed onto the property, the intruders heard the voice of a child somewhere and they were instantly bound by something, unable to move.

Thud

Dropping then and there, the two became wriggling cocoons, wrapped in white thread like a caterpillar.

Mercenaries that fell into thievery since Triaria Kingdom was defeated had made plans to burgle Volton’s #1 trading company, the Papeck Company.

Even if a dozen ruffians broke in, the Papeck Company had hired adventurers specialized in security and used barrier magic devices, though it didn’t mean that it left the intruders no chance.

However, the men truly had no chance tonight.

「Ah, another bad guy. Need to beat them.」

The voice of a small child could be heard.

Those who committed crimes downtown were suffering the consequences of their actions, rolling half-dead over to the front of the company.

「Oh my, Kaede-chan, you’re alone?」

「Yup! Taking a walk.」

「Kaede-chan, let’s plaaay!」

「La~ter~!」

Although the Arachne Unique Species is designated as a calamity-class species, perhaps because of her cute appearance, when Kaede walks alone in Volton, voices call out to her all over town.

Kaede was permitted to walk freely in Volton, so she goes around stalls with the allowance she received from Takumi and occasionally plays with kids.

To Kaede, maintaining public order in town was closer to a stroll in her spare time.

「Hm? It feels like there’s more baddies.」

When Kaede suddenly stopped moving and said so, the next instant, she disappeared like a haze from that spot. Then a cocoon rolled somewhere in town.

***