Yuruki stood quietly beside them, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. Adam's eyes flicked between her and the Knight, who remained an immovable presence beside her. "So… what do you want to do here?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and exhaustion in his tone.
The Knight shrugged, slow and deliberate. "What do you suppose…"
Yuruki tilted her head, letting a mischievous smile spread across her face. She raised her hands in a lazy shrug, poking Adam lightly with a single finger. "Well… I don't know," she said, her voice playful yet unsettling. "I already got what I wanted. Now that I have it all…"
Adam frowned, the weight of her words hanging between them. Yuruki muttered softly, almost to herself, "I don't really need beings." Then, without waiting for an answer, she walked off, leaving Adam in a haze of confusion.
A man in a green robe jacket and a neatly pressed white shirt stepped forward, looking flustered. A thick mustache twitched on his upper lip. "I-I'm sorry… Can you, good sir, explain this to me? Are you… going to buy a house, or…?"
Adam blinked at him, unsure why this random stranger had inserted himself into their path. He glanced at the Knight. "Do you… want to do something?"
The Knight shook his head slowly, left and right, silent but deliberate. Without a word, they left the man standing there, utterly bewildered, left behind in a world he could barely comprehend. Only nobles, The guy thought, would fuss over taxes and domains while the rest simply survived.
Ordinary people, like this man, understood limits. The rules dictated the rhythm of their lives. Money came only through obedience, and while it felt constraining, it was better than the alternative—powerless freedom, where monsters lurked in every shadow. True freedom could only come through power.
Adam moved through the bustling streets alongside the Knight and Yuruki, eyes catching the parade of adventurers moving with purpose. A black-haired warrior in iron-clad armor wielded a sword and shield, his presence commanding. Nearby, a white-haired mage in a flowing blue robe sighed, hands tucked into sleeves. On a rooftop, a childlike figure peeked with cat ears, tail flicking nervously. Another figure in black armor carried a long spear, its tip faintly glowing with a crimson sheen. A red-haired sorceress gripped a staff almost as tall as herself, eyes gleaming with quiet authority.
The black-haired warrior approached, voice firm but cautious. "Sir… you might be confused…"
Adam blinked, unamused.
Rehan, standing nearby, sighed, his presence calm and unshaken. The Knight towered silently, motionless yet exuding a quiet, magnetic power.
Adam forced a tired smile, stretching his hands in a mock villainous gesture. "So… who exactly are you?"
The short, white-haired boy grinned cheekily. "You're under investigation by the Isla Kingdom," he said, voice clipped and precise. "Unknown travelers passing through… suspected spies from another kingdom."
Adam nudged the Knight. "Well… we're not. Right?"
The Knight's gaze swept over them, silent and measured. "We assure you, we are not incoherently related to any kingdom on this plane."
The black-haired warrior's shoulders slumped. "But… we were ordered, so forgive us…"
Adam merely sighed.
"Nah."
Confusion rippled through the group. Their calm composure unnerved the adventurers—no panic, no sudden aggression. Just a quiet, assured presence that made even seasoned fighters hesitate.
Adam motioned to the Knight and Yuruki to walk ahead. The black-haired warrior's voice rose in alarm. "Wait! Didn't—"
Before he could finish, a writhing mass of dark energy erupted from the cat-eared boy, forming shackles that lashed toward them. Yuruki, unflinching, fired her laser gun, melting the dark energy instantly in a hiss of smoke.
The mercenaries tensed, eyes wide with apprehension. The black-haired warrior rushed forward, sword ablaze with aura, but the Knight flicked him aside effortlessly. A flicker of recognition passed through the Knight's gaze—this energy, though slightly different, bore the same essence as the power of his world.
The black-haired knight attacked again, slicing and dashing with relentless precision. The Knight was easily dealing with him, flicking it away. Each movement a demonstration of effortless dominance. Then came the fireball from the red-haired sorceress, growing as large as a person, hurtling toward them. Adam's hands swirled with dark miasma, devouring the fireball and letting it dissolve into nothingness.
A tense silence fell. The adventurers froze, realizing the true scale of their opposition. Even the cat-eared boy trembled, thoughts of retreat forming. The black-haired warrior stepped back, kneeling slightly, desperation plain on his face. "Please WAIT!… forgive us! Don't kill us!"
The harsh reality settled in: strength dictated survival. Guards, mercenaries, orders—all meaningless in the presence of overwhelming power. The red-haired witch murmured an incantation, "By the energy of the soul of Kerta… bless us with protection," and a soft yellow barrier shimmered around them.
Adam's gaze was deadpan. "Nah. We're not gonna kill you."
A collective sigh of relief ran through the group, though their stance remained cautious. Power like this demanded respect.
Moments passed in awkward silence. Adam's lips curled into a faint, predatory grin, revealing the sharp hint of fangs. "You gonna tell them?" he asked coldly, a teasing edge in his tone.
The black-haired warrior shook his head furiously.
Adam laughed lightly, the sound cutting through the tension. "Just kidding. Tell them what they want to hear."
And with that, Yuruki, Adam, and the Knight walked away from the Kingdom, the mercenaries watching them go. No guards dared intervene. Power like theirs made casualties irrelevant.. Or even useless to act.
They walked along the cobblestone roads, leading seemingly nowhere