The citizens' gaze was fixed on the group crossing the main square. The group was composed of: Ana, the rank B adventurer, Kurone, the young foreigner, Noah, the maid and Sophia, the marquise.
Maybe it was Kurone's strange hair? Ana's huge hat or the unusual formation of the group itself that caught people's attention?
- I had never seen fruit like this before.
- They are Fallen's specialty. - Sophia answered the young man admiring the unusual fruits in the stalls.
Fallen, the town next to Sophiette's mansion had less than a thousand inhabitants, according to Sophia, in the past the population had reached the five thousand mark. Due to the mismanagement of the new lord of those lands, the population was forced to migrate in search of better living conditions.
The descendants of those who stayed behind live in misery, having to work double time in agriculture. In the main square, Kurone saw at least ten children, no older than seven, working. Some were selling flowers and others were guiding visitors around town. Noah bought a basket of flowers from a dirty little girl.
- So let's split up here. Noah, you go to buy clothes and medicines with Nakano and Ana comes with me to buy fruits and vegetables.
It was the best option at that moment, considering that Kurone and Ana had never visited the city. A large group would only take longer to go through all the stores, and at the moment, they needed to be as quick as possible.
- And Noah... Be careful. If anything happens, remember that our priority is the people in the village.
Even without understanding Sophia's concern, the maid nodded.
The pharmacy in the residential area was Kurone and Noah's goal. The girl always in charge of shopping for the Sophiette mansion knew the town like the back of her hand.
Unlike the main street where there was movement of people, the alley leading to the pharmacy was deserted and gloomy - it reminded her of the slums she saw in a documentary about Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Some old boxes and holes in the wall served as shelters for those who could not afford a house.
Fallen could be summarized in three areas: the commercial area at the entrance, where they were until recently, a slum in the center, the alley they were crossing at that moment was a part of this slum. Finally, there was the residential area, after the slum.
- It is after that other alley. - Noah pointed to the brighter part of the alley.
Unlike the young man, the maid was not afraid of the dark place. Even though she was a girl, she was still one of the employees of the Sophiette house, known for teaching both martial and magic arts to the employees. Kurone witnessed this scene as he left the mansion early: a man in guard's clothing was fighting as an equal against one of the maids.
"Fighting maids... I think I've seen that in a manga..." He tried to remember Japan a little, sending his consciousness away until he forgot about the place he was crossing.
Although she showed no fear, the maid's expression was something between hatred and melancholy. She looked ruefully at the dirty walls and the rats running through the sewage on the floor.
- N-Noah... you...
- We're here. - The maid ignored the young man.
By the time she realized it, she could see the sunlight and the busy street once again.
The pharmacy across the alley was the largest building on the street, with two floors. At the entrance was a wooden sign written "Pharmacopolium"- Noah read aloud-, adorned with two greenish snakes biting a medicinal plant leaf.
The bell rang with a "plinc" as the maid pushed open the door and a balding gentleman wearing a lab coat emerged at the counter.
- Miss Noah, what can I do for you today? - said the man gently.
- Medicines, the more the merrier. Prioritize medicines that treat serious wounds.
- Right away... Huh? Who is the young man? - The gentleman directed his gaze to Kurone, waiting in the doorway.
- I don't even know what to tell you.
The gentleman in the pharmacy frowned and stared at the young man, but then shrugged. Was he so dull that people lost interest just by looking at him for a few seconds?
Now that he was wearing an outfit given to him by Sophia - a blue overcoat - he could almost blend into the crowd, only his Japanese hair drew attention. In that world, people were usually born with colorful hair, like Sophia's pink strands or the green ones on the head of an adventurer she saw in the guild. Black hair like Kurone's, Elsie's, and Ana's was rare.
The blue buttoned overcoat given to him by the Marquise was over the clothes he wore when he was reincarnated. The clothes were dirty, but that was the only reminder he had of his world.
- Take it. - Noah handed two full baskets to the boy.
They were filled with colorful bottles of medicine, medicinal teas, pills, herbs, and other varieties of drugs.
- That should be enough for a week. - The maid spoke as she checked the two baskets she was also carrying.
You are reading story RAIFURORI: My Legendary Weapon Is a Loli With a Military Rifle! at novel35.com
In times of crisis like the one in the village, the important thing was to keep people healthy and avoid an epidemic that could spread quickly in a tight space like the guild.
- Did you notice something? - Noah stopped in front of the dark alley, the shortest way to reach the main square.
- What is it?
- The people... There's no one else around here...
The street, which until recently had been full of people, was now deserted. Some stores were closed and it didn't seem that the residents went home.
- They must have gone to the main square.
- Maybe... Let's go, I don't have a good feeling about this. - Noah hurried down the alley, leaving the young man behind.
The glass jars banged against each other, producing an echo in the alley, as the girl's quick footsteps made their way through the darkness.
- W-wait! - Kurone shouted, but the girl was not listening. What couldn't he understand?
People had disappeared from the street... Did something happen? An emergency evacuation or maybe Sophia and Ana had picked a fight while buying fruit and everyone had gone to watch?
"Speaking of Sophia... she said some pretty suspicious things to Noah earlier, no, since last night...", he reflected as he crossed the dingy alley taken over by darkness. She would only know what happened if she reached the main square, that is, if there was anyone there...
The light was already near, this time it took less time to cross the alley than when they went to the pharmacy. It was time to find out if something happened or if it was just Noah's paranoia.
- Ahhh!
The young man was pulled by the collar before he set foot out of the alley, being forced to hold the baskets tightly so as not to knock over any medicine.
- Shhhhhh! - Noah covered the boy's mouth.
The soft, cool feel of the girl's thin hand calmed him.
There was a crowd of people with their backs turned to the alley. Just as Kurone kicked, everyone was in the main square because something had happened.
- I can't see anything from here. - Noah took his hand away from the young man's mouth. Concentration on the crowd eventually made the girl not realize that there was something sticky on her hand.
Kurone couldn't help but run her tongue over something so soft, even though she knew that there was no place to do that.
"When I have time, I'll apologize."
With no other option, the pair had to leave the baskets in the alley and ask the nearest person what was going on.
- Ah, you have just arrived? Lady Sophiette is being arrested... it seems she is charged with attempted murder and kidnapping... - The man who was questioned by strangers turned his face to see the young duo. - Huh?
There was no one else there.
This time it was the young man who pulled Noah into the alley. Upon hearing "Lady Sophiette," the girl lost all reason, and for a moment Kurone thought she would run out at full speed to where Sophia was - who knows where that was.
- Relax, it won't do any good if we get arrested too.
He tried to calm the struggling maid in the alley. Some residents passed by and turned their faces away when they saw two young men doing "it" in broad daylight, even if this was the entrance to the alley, it was not an appropriate place.
The duo rolled on the floor from side to side, and, thanks to their strength, Kurone managed to subdue Noah, while the girl bit and bashed his head against the wall.
Taking advantage of a few gaps, Kurone groped suspicious places on the girl's body, more and more people's attention turned to the scene of two young men doing "it" - at least that was their impression - in a public place.
A shadow appeared over the pair rolling on the ground. It was a black-haired girl with a disgusted expression on her face and a huge hat that covered the sun.
- So while Lady Sophia is being arrested you are here? - Ana spoke in a cold tone.