Charlie faithfully accompanied Aishia as they wandered through Orario's Market District, sampling one stall food after another.
It was quite a sight—watching a woman of extraordinary beauty devour portions far larger than normal.
Typically, women were extremely cautious about their diets, fearing weight gain and loss of attractiveness. But Aishia was different; her physiology wasn't the same as a human's.
Regardless of whether she could bear children or not (thanks to reproductive isolation), one thing was certain: no matter how much she ate, her perfect body would never accumulate fat!
In short, Aishia could eat as much as she wanted without any worry about gaining weight—a fact that would make any human woman envious.
Meanwhile, to keep up with Aishia's seemingly endless appetite, Charlie subtly used Spirit Arts to accelerate her digestive metabolism.
After satisfying their exploration of the Market District, they arrived at South Street.
"Want to try watching that, Aishia?"
Charlie pointed toward the large arena owned by the Ganesha Familia. Its architecture reminded him of the Roman Colosseum from his past life.
"Mm."
Aishia nodded slightly, her expression remaining blank as ever.
"You're something else…"
Charlie smiled helplessly. Aishia's constant agreement with all his suggestions made him feel oddly fond of her.
Hand in hand, they walked toward the arena's entrance. After purchasing tickets, they were greeted by the roaring cheers of the audience filling the venue. The noise was so loud that no one noticed Aishia's presence—her beauty rivaling that of a goddess of grace.
"It seems they have betting here."
After sitting on an empty stone seat, Charlie scanned the arena, observing the people busy placing their wagers.
"..."
Beside him, Aishia sat calmly, her expression still monotonous, completely unaffected by the surrounding excitement.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On stage, a host held a magic stone-powered megaphone, projecting his voice across the entire arena.
"Today's 26th match features Werewolf Jack versus the human Aldebaran! Though both are Level 1 adventurers, Jack's natural strength as a werewolf has allowed him to dominate the stage twice already! Can Aldebaran defeat Jack, or will Jack continue his winning streak? Let's find out!"
The crowd's cheers intensified.
"Go, Jack! I know you'll win! Aldebaran is just a human! You can beat him in a few moves!"
"Don't lose, Aldebaran! Show the potential of humanity!"
The majority of spectators had placed their bets on Jack over Aldebaran.
This was the logical choice. In this Planar World: Danmachi, aside from the gods, most non-human races were known as Demi-Humans.
Demi-Humans could generally be divided into five races: magic-proficient elves, sharp-eyed Pallums, naturally strong dwarves, all-female Amazonesses, and Beastmen with various animal traits—like Werewolves, Cat People, Renards, and others.
Each Demi-Human race had its own strengths and weaknesses. By comparison, humans possessed no natural physical advantages and showed little innate talent for magic, making them relatively average.
However, humans had one extraordinary advantage no other race possessed: only humans could interbreed with any other race and produce offspring.
Thanks to this, humans remained the protagonists of this world—occupying the largest territories, creating countless miracles and legends, and standing at the center of global attention.
Yet, when it came to individual superiority, Demi-Humans were the ones in the spotlight.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"The human named Aldebaran will lose."
Before the combatants even began fighting, Charlie had already predicted the outcome based on his observations of both fighters through the Six Eyes.
"I think so too." Aishia nodded in agreement.
And indeed, the battle unfolded exactly as Charlie predicted.
With his natural speed as a werewolf, Jack easily defeated Aldebaran. The human's blood stained the arena floor, and the crowd only cheered louder, excited by the violence they witnessed.
"I don't understand… Why do people enjoy violence?" Charlie frowned. He disliked turning others' suffering into entertainment.
"I don't fully understand either." Aishia shook her head.
"Haaa… Let's go." Charlie sighed, pulling Aishia's hand and standing up.
He had lost interest. He had only wanted to experience how the Romans once watched gladiators in the Colosseum, and now he knew—he didn't like it at all.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Charlie and Aishia continued wandering Orario without a destination. They enjoyed their time together, unaware that their footsteps had led them to Daedalus Street.
This area was notorious as a slum—a labyrinth of narrow streets and interconnected alleys. Legend had it that anyone who entered would never find their way out, earning it the nickname "another Dungeon" among locals.
But for Charlie, with his Six Eyes and ability to fly, Daedalus Street posed no threat. His greater concern was the attention they attracted.
Their presence on Daedalus Street, especially Aishia with her heavenly beauty, drew stares.
From behind grimy windows, from the dark corners of narrow alleys, many pairs of eyes watched them—not with innocent curiosity, but with malicious intent, greed, and even lust. The two of them were prime targets in the eyes of criminals.
"Sorry, Aishia, I brought you to such a bad place."
"It's fine. I don't mind wherever Charlie takes me."
Her beautiful eyes gazed at Charlie with complete trust. Aishia didn't blame him at all. After all, with their combined strength, no one in Orario could threaten them—certainly not some low-level thugs on Daedalus Street.
And sure enough, trouble came their way.
Three men in ragged clothes stepped out, their eyes threatening. One held a rusty knife, another spun a wooden club studded with nails, and the third cracked his knuckles.
Their eyes weren't on Charlie—they devoured every inch of Aishia's body with lewd gazes.
"Hey, pretty lady~ Is a fairy like you lost in a place like this? Need a friend to walk you home?" one of them sneered in a hoarse voice.
The others snickered crudely. "Or maybe you'd rather play with us first? It'll be way more fun than with that pale kid."
Charlie sighed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with societal trash.
"We're not looking for trouble. Step aside." His voice was flat, yet carried a clear warning.
But the thugs only laughed mockingly.
"Hear that? He said 'step aside'! This skinny brat dares to threaten us!"
The man with the knife stepped forward, swinging it roughly. "If you wanna pass, leave the pretty lady with us and go alone, kid—"
*WHOOSH!*
Suddenly, the man was hurled backward as if hit by a train, slamming into an old building wall with a loud crash and lying motionless. His knife spun in the air before clattering to the ground.
"Hah?"
The other two thugs could only gape, unable to comprehend what had happened. They hadn't even seen Charlie move. All they saw was a faint blur—and then their friend was already unconscious.
Charlie still stood in place, one hand slightly raised. He hadn't even touched the thug; with just a controlled burst of energy from Spirit Arts, he had taken him down.
"Anyone else want to get in the way?"
His sky-blue eyes, as beautiful as a clear sky, gazed at the two remaining thugs.
They trembled in fear, their faces pale.
"Damn it! He's an adventurer!" One shouted before turning and running, his companion nearly stumbling in his panic.
Charlie sighed, lowering his hand. He glanced around, noticing how the onlookers had quickly vanished, terrified after witnessing his power.
"Daedalus Street isn't a pleasant place."