IOBTML 47

Ahwin responded with a detached question, his disinterest evident. The man hesitated, realizing that Ahwin wasn’t the least bit intimidated or flustered.

“Isn’t that Lance over there? What’s going on?” A new voice chimed in as a young man approached.

Ahwin narrowed his eyes slightly and crossed his arms, as though curious to see how things would unfold.

The arrival of the newcomer reinvigorated the man called Lance.

“This crazy woman ruined my clothes and is pretending like nothing happened! She’s downright vile!” Lance shouted, his confidence swelling.

“Leave it to me, boss. I’ll make sure she learns her lesson so she won’t dare to be disrespectful again,” the younger man declared, rolling up his sleeves. His aggressive demeanor caused murmurs to ripple through the crowd.

“That scummy gang’s growing, huh?”

“They showed up a few weeks ago, right?”

“Yeah. Halo used to be full of kind folk, but now we’re getting more and more nasty types.”

“Shh! Quiet! If Lance’s gang hears you, it’ll be trouble for your business.”

“What are you gawking at? Scram!” Lance bellowed, his voice echoing. The spectators quickly scattered, while more gang members, presumably Lance’s crew, began to gather.

“What’s going on, boss?” one of them asked as they arrived.

“Perfect timing. Get some hefty compensation from this woman for the damage to my clothes. Make sure she understands she’ll be walking around in rags if she doesn’t pay up,” Lance said with a smug grin, leering at Penelope.

At that moment, Ahwin spoke up.

“Is everyone here now? Or are we still waiting for more of you?”

“What the hell is this guy going on about—”

Ahwin didn’t let Lance finish. With a casual flick of his fingers, Lance and his gang were suddenly lifted into the air.

“Argh!”

“What’s happening?!”

“He’s a wizard! A wizard!”

“Let me downnnnnn!”

The gang rose higher and higher until they were mere specks against the sky. Anyone who fell from such a height would undoubtedly meet a gruesome end.

The onlookers erupted into chaos, pointing and staring at the sky with fear plastered across their faces.

“What’s going on here?” A loud voice finally broke through the commotion as the long-awaited city guard arrived.

Penelope removed her hood and turned to face them with a calm demeanor.

The guard captain, Sir Ralph, gasped when he recognized her.

“Acting Baroness! What brings you here? Are you alone?”

“As you can see, I came with the wizard. But someone started a fight with me in the street,” Penelope replied, gesturing toward the sky.

Sir Ralph followed her gaze upward and gaped in astonishment.

“Why are those people up there?!”

“The leader is named Lance. He bumped into me and demanded I pay for his clothes,” Penelope explained. When she finished, Sir Ralph sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“My apologies, my lady. Despite constant patrols, it seems we failed to apprehend them.”

He bowed deeply toward Penelope. “I’ll rectify this immediately.”

Penelope, however, wasn’t angry with Sir Ralph. This situation wasn’t entirely his fault.

It was, in part, a side effect of the recent influx of people into the territory. With the rapid growth of immigrants, it was inevitable that undesirable elements had slipped through the cracks. As population density increased, so did crime—a reality that no territory could fully prevent.

“I think we’ll need to hire more people for the guard,” Penelope suggested.

“If you’re willing to approve additional hires, we’d put them to great use,” Sir Ralph replied enthusiastically, his eyes gleaming with gratitude.

Penelope turned to Ahwin. “You can bring them down now. Put them in the dungeon all at once.”

“Can’t I just drop them?” Ahwin asked lazily.

“They’d die if you did that.”

“Hmm, I suppose they would.” Ahwin sighed dramatically, clearly disappointed.

Ahwin replied nonchalantly, his casual demeanor reminding Penelope once again of his true nature. She shook her head inwardly.

“They can be judged for their crimes properly. If they’ve committed a capital offense, they’ll face the consequences,” Penelope said firmly.

“Why bother sorting through their crimes? They’re caught red-handed—it’s a waste of time.”

“The crime they just committed isn’t punishable by death. I don’t have time to argue. Let’s hand them over to the guards and move on,” she countered.

“…Fine.”

Ahwin deliberated for a moment before lowering his hand. Lance and his gang let out a cacophony of terrified screams as they began descending from the sky.

“Pathetic. All that bluster, and they’re scared out of their wits,” Ahwin sneered openly, disdain etched on his face.

The group landed on the ground with a series of thuds and yelps. Their fall slowed near the end, leaving them mostly unharmed. The city guards wasted no time in slapping cuffs on their wrists. Some of the gang members appeared to have wet themselves, much to the guards’ disgust.

“Get up. You’re going to the station,” barked Sir Ralph.

“P-please spare me…!” one of the gang members whimpered.

“You’re not dying yet, so get moving!” Ralph snapped, clearly exasperated by yet another incident in what seemed to be a never-ending stream of them.

Lance and his crew were hauled away under the guards’ supervision. Still simmering with frustration, Sir Ralph couldn’t resist a parting shot.

“Do you even realize who you just messed with? You dared to target the Acting Baroness herself! If she’d gotten so much as a scratch, you’d all be dead by now.”

“W-what?”

Lance turned pale as he glanced back at Penelope, who gave him a small wave. His face drained of all color.

The onlookers, having stayed to witness the spectacle, began murmuring amongst themselves. An older woman, gathering her courage, addressed Penelope directly.

“…Are you really the Acting Baroness?”

“I apologize for the commotion,” Penelope said with a calm smile. “Even if the guards seem busy, please don’t hesitate to report troublemakers like these.”

The woman exhaled in relief, her expression softening. She clenched her fist in resolve and replied, “Yes, we’ll make sure to report them. Those thugs have been causing trouble for everyone—it’s a relief to see them taken care of.”

“They’ve been harassing people on the streets and extorting money from merchants too.”

“From now on, I’ll make sure to report any others like them!”

Encouraged, the citizens began voicing their gratitude. Penelope nodded in acknowledgment, her smile warm.

“I’d love to chat more, but I’m quite busy today. Please excuse me.”

“Good luck, Acting Baroness!”

“My husband got a job with the heating installation team—we’re so grateful!”

“My mother works at the soap workshop now!”

“Thank you for your kind words. I hope to hear more good news next time,” Penelope replied, waving to the crowd as she moved on. Ahwin walked beside her, his presence radiating an air of authority that drew respectful stares.

Once they were out of earshot of the crowd, Ahwin asked, “So, are we still shopping for my gift?”

“How can we, after making such a spectacle?” Penelope replied with a sigh. Ahwin looked genuinely puzzled, but she ignored him and began adjusting his hood meticulously.

“Is this some kind of revenge for earlier?” he asked, bending slightly as she tugged at the fabric.

“You used magic so blatantly out in the open. You already attract enough attention as it is. I told you not to show your face in public.”

“And what exactly about me stands out so much?”

“That remark was insufferable. You know exactly what I mean!” Penelope snapped, narrowing her eyes.

“What?” Ahwin asked innocently, though his expression suggested otherwise. Penelope pursed her lips. He was definitely playing dumb.

“Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

“Spell out what?”

“That you’re handsome! Happy now?” Penelope said irritably.

“Hmm…” A faint smile tugged at Ahwin’s lips. As she suspected, he’d wanted to hear it outright. He clearly hadn’t appreciated her brushing it off the last time.

‘How childish,’ Penelope thought, rolling her eyes. She deliberately pulled his hood down further and resumed walking. Ahwin muttered something under his breath but quickly fell in step behind her.

After walking in silence for a while, Penelope spoke up. “We seem to have fewer people managing the territory than I thought.”

“You already said you’re hiring more. Just hire a ton of them,” Ahwin replied indifferently, his tone betraying a faint sulkiness—no doubt because they weren’t shopping for his gift.

Penelope stifled a laugh and responded, “It’d be nice if we got a lot of skilled applicants.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Do you have a suggestion?”

Her curious gaze made Ahwin pause, and he cleared his throat.

“How do you attract skilled people?” she pressed.

“Simple. Offer higher pay. Skilled people will flock to you,” Ahwin replied bluntly.

“…Do you think I didn’t already know that?” Penelope muttered, biting her lip as she quickened her pace. Of course offering high salaries would attract talent—it was common sense.

‘Do you think someone from a capitalist society wouldn’t know that?’ Penelope fumed silently. As a baroness, she’d grown to appreciate the desire to get the most out of people for the least cost.

Ahwin, oblivious or simply unconcerned, strolled beside her and delivered another infuriating remark with a straight face.

“If you’re not going to pay handsomely, who in their right mind—besides me—would work in a remote territory like this?”

“Stop pointing out obvious things!” Penelope snapped, throwing up her hands in frustration.