Chapter 266: A Date (Viola’s Edition) ④
“Hey, you lot!”
““Huh?””
As Rest called out, the men, their faces flushed with anger, turned to face him. Suppressing the urge to shout at them, Rest spoke in as calm a tone as he could muster.
“This bottle came flying from your direction. If it had hit me, I could have been injured!”
He stated the obvious, demanding an apology, but what he received in return was a chorus of coarse shouts.
“Shut up! We’ve got more important things to deal with!”
“Kids should just stay out of adult conversations!”
“…If you think you’re adults, could you at least act like it? If you want to fight, do it somewhere that won’t disturb others.”
He continued to speak reason, but the men only grew more agitated, barking louder.
“Shut up, shut up! If you’ve got a problem, why don’t you just leave?!”
“We’re having an important discussion here! If you interrupt us, I’ll make you regret it!”
“Oh no, please stop! Don’t fight over me—stop it, please!”
Amidst the men’s angry shouts, a woman was babbling nonsensically. While the fighting men were infuriating, it was this woman who was truly grating on his nerves.
“…Bow your heads and apologize. Then we can let it go.”
Rest narrowed his eyes, giving them an ultimatum. The men’s response was not words, but clenched fists.
“Yahh!”
One of the men lunged at him. Though he stumbled as if drunk, his strike was surprisingly sharp.
“Fortitude!“
Rest chose not to dodge, instead bracing himself with his forehead against the man’s fist. He enhanced his defense with magic.
“Ugh…”
A sound like metal clashing rang out. Immediately after, the man who had thrown the punch raised his right hand, writhing in agony.
“Guwaaaaaah! It’s so hard!”
The man’s fist had swollen significantly, his fingers bent at unnatural angles. It was clear he had broken something. Just watching was enough to make one wince in sympathy.
“W-What the hell? This kid has a rock for a head!”
“You bastard! You’re gonna pay for that!”
Another man grabbed a different sake bottle, raising it high to swing at Rest. Wait, why was he assisting his rival in this fight? Was he an enemy or an ally?
“I’d rather not get my clothes stained with alcohol.”
Though being hit wouldn’t be a problem, Rest sidestepped the descending sake bottle. As he passed, he delivered a swift backhand.
“Guuh…!”
The man’s nose crumpled, and he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. A clean hit. He wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.
“Ugh… damn it…”
“Ugh, ugh, ugh…”
“If you learn your lesson from this, remember to choose the time and place for your fights. Don’t disturb others.”
Rest tossed his words over his shoulder as he turned to return to his table. But then, the woman who had been sandwiched between the two men suddenly let out a bright, cheerful voice.
“Thank you so much! You saved me!”
“Huh…?”
“I was really troubled by these guys! Thank you so much!”
A woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a dress that was rather revealing, rushed toward Rest. With her arms raised and her body swaying side to side, her bust jiggled as she approached, trying to embrace him.
“My name is Meriana, and—Kyaaaaaaaah!?”
“Fireball!“
Just as she was about to throw her arms around him, a fireball came flying in from an unexpected direction, striking her in the head. Her hair ignited in a burst of flames, and she rolled on the floor in a panic, trying to extinguish the fire.
“That was close, wasn’t it, Rest?”
“…Viola.”
The one who had unleashed the flames was Viola. With a look of relief, she walked over to Rest’s side.
“You were almost caught by a bad bug. I’m glad I could prevent it.”
“…………”
Rest understood Viola’s intentions. She had simply eliminated the woman who was clinging to him.
(But still… is it really necessary to set fire to someone?)
Surely, that was a bit excessive. He didn’t care about the woman rolling on the floor, but a twinge of fear began to creep in.
“If it were a proper concubine or mistress, I wouldn’t mind. But… an affair is absolutely unacceptable! It would disrupt the household!”
“…Is that so?”
He wondered how that was any different. Rest leaned closer to Viola, looking down at the woman who was being doused with water from a bucket by a staff member.