Kamisama Shop de Cheat no Kaori

Chapter 159. The Bumpy Family And The Slum Thugs

“…Huh? Who the hell are you?”

When I grabbed the arm of the guy holding a boy named Kudd by the collar, the thug spewed out a typical underling’s line.

“He looks like he’s in pain, and his clothes might tear. Put him down.”

“Who do you think you are, giving me orders—Gahhh?!”

I worked a spiral wave through the muscles in my fingers and slowly squeezed his arm, crushing it bit by bit.

“Gah! Damn it! Let… go… it hurts! Damn it! Damn it!”

“Let go of him.”

“Damn it!”

Cursing under his breath, the man released the boy, who fell to the ground with a thud. Looks like his legs had given out. Once I confirmed the boy was safe, I also let go. The man cradled his arm, trying to hide the deep imprint of my hand.

“You bastard! Who are you?”

“You already asked me that. Is that how people greet each other around here?”

“Don’t mess with me!”

“Good grief…”

This type of thug really follows the same playbook. It reminds me of back home.

“My name’s Akira. Just a traveling merchant.”

“A merchant?! No way a merchant would come to a dump like this!”

“So, on top of having no manners, you can’t see properly either?”

“You making fun of me?!”

“Glad you noticed. I am.”

Like I can take this seriously. It’s my break time—what’s wrong with having a little fun?

“Alright, that’s it—die!”

The man threw a full-force straight punch at my face.

…

So slow. What even was that? I could dodge that punch 30 times before it hits. Compared to Yaralai, this punch is a joke. Is this a prank? A feint?

I tilted my head slightly and dodged the punch. No follow-up. No tricks. Looks like he was serious.

Come on, his combat skills are worse than a goblin’s.

Staring at me in disbelief, the man was frozen in shock.

“So? Gonna introduce yourself?”

This time, I aimed a straight punch at his face—automatically adding a twist, of course—stopping just 3 millimeters from his nose. The pressure from my fist made his cheek muscles ripple, sending his hair flying.

We stood motionless, fists still extended. Sweat poured from the man’s entire body, drenching him.

“I-I’m Stodd… the name’s Stodd.”

“Stuck-up idiot?”

“Who’s a stuck-up idiot?! You wanna die, bastard?!”

“My bad, my bad.”

Gods sure are thorough—translating even this nonsense perfectly. I wonder how they process this stuff.

“Anyway, I already told you who I am. Got any other business? Want to buy something?”

“Like I’d do business with you! And if you know my name, use it properly, damn it!”

“Got it. Then we’ve got nothing else to talk about. We’re just hanging out here, so it’d be great if you guys could scram.”

“Use my name, damn it! Are you brain-dead?! And listen up! This slum belongs to the ‘Zebra That Runs Under the New Moon’!”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! And since you’re a merchant, you better show some respect!”

“Respect?”

“Yeah! With clothes like that, you must be loaded. Now—”

“Ngh?!”

“Oh.”

That last line came from Lalaila. Looks like she noticed what I shoved into Stodd’s mouth, glancing at me enviously as she sucked on her finger. Stop it, that’s kinda inappropriate.

“Don’t bite it. That candy melts in your mouth.”

“Wh-what… sweet… sweet candy?!”

Of course, what I gave him was a candy ball. One left.

“Hey, Kudd, right? Open your mouth.”

“Uh… but…”

“Just do it.”

“Okay… Ah… Mmm!”

“Don’t bite it, or you’ll break a tooth. Let it melt on your tongue.”

“Mmm! It’s so good!”

“You… How can something taste this… amazing?!”

Trying to act tough while licking a candy ball? That just makes you look ridiculous, Stuck-up Idiot.

Yeah, I should stock up on more candy balls. I still have the bag, so I’ll just need to refill it.

Remaining balance: 2,760,361 yen.

“It’s a luxury candy loaded with sugar. Any complaints?”

“Sugar?!”

Stodd shouted, spitting out the candy. He panicked, grabbed it, and stared at it like it was gold. Gross—don’t do that.

I know sugar’s a luxury here; Cherina told me. No wonder he’s shocked. But it only costs 8 yen at the shop.

“Alright, I’ve paid the protection fee, so go away.”

“Wait, what?! But—”

“Come on… it’s sugar. You tasted it, right? Or do you expect more?”

I leaned in close, deliberately putting on a menacing face. Right up to his nose. The reaction was immediate—he panicked.

“D-Damn it! I’ll remember this! Kudd, quit standing there! Let’s go!”

“Uh, yeah, okay.”

“Even your exit line is lame.”

“Shut up! I swear, I’ll kill you! I mean it!”

“Bro, you always say we can’t get money if we kill people…”

“Shut up, you too!”

The two of them argued their way into the crowd and disappeared.

They’d make a good comedy duo in Japan.

With a shrug, I turned around, and suddenly the whole area burst into cheers.

“Whoa! He chased off the Zebras!”

“Way to go, newbie!”

“You’re the hope of the slum!”

“Yeah! With you guys around, we don’t fear the Zebras!”

“Stay here and protect us forever!”

“Lalaila, marry me!”

“What’s his name?”

“They say it’s Akira.”

“Akira… Akira!”

“Akira! Akira!”

“Akira! Akira! Akira!”

One weird shout mixed in, but suddenly, a chant started using my name. What the hell are they doing?

…

Jokes aside, this is a bad situation.

“Lalaila, let’s head back.”

“Huh? Oh, okay. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Time for a tactical retreat.”

“Got it.”

We decided to make a quick escape back to base.

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Back at the base, we were busy with construction and tending to the sick. Hagg finished the building in just one day—an impressive feat. The residents, watching from a distance, looked stunned. As the sun started to set, more and more people gathered, their eyes filled with a mix of despair and hope.

This could get really bad.

I pulled Hagg aside and went inside. I detached a part of her armor and used a “light tool” to illuminate the room. This tool makes metal glow with light.

“So, what’s your plan? Things are looking dangerous.”

“What these people need isn’t charity or pity. They need jobs they can stick with.”

“From what I overheard, most of them don’t have steady work. They barely survive on temp jobs, like chopping wood. If they’re lucky, they can stretch that money for a few days.”

“That’s how it goes. There’s probably some work in a city this big, but there are too many people here. Employers will always pick someone better. These guys are at the bottom of the barrel.”

“A grim situation…”

“Exactly.”

If they didn’t want to work, I wouldn’t care. But they do. They’re just stuck in a cycle of defeatism. That’s what needs to change.

“Let’s start with the tool.”

“Understood.”

I pulled out a treadle sewing machine.