An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"I see... Come to think of it, ever since we drifted here, we went straight to the casino, and that's how things turned out. Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm really exhausted."

Oscar let out a sigh with a wry smile, thinking, "I'm pretty strong to have made it this far."

"Anyway, it seems we've finally gotten rid of them, but..."

Natsu had an indescribable expression on his face as he looked at the thing Oscar was holding at his side with one hand.

"..."

It was Meredith in a formal dress, and she looked as if she was trying her best to eliminate her own aura.

Of course, this wasn't to escape the pursuit... maybe, no, she was definitely trying to avoid being discovered by Oscar. However, being held by his side, her efforts were in vain.

"Ah, Meredith? Am I supposed to put you down?"

Surprisingly, Oscar put Miledy down gently in his usual gentle tone.

Meredy blinked and asked timidly:

"Um... Oh? Aren't you angry?"

"I'm angry."

"Ah, yes."

Ao's smile was full of silent pressure, as if saying: How can I not be angry?

Milady broke out in a cold sweat and looked away guiltily.

Oscar's silent pressure lasted for a long time. He stared at Meredith with a smile on his face, but because his glasses reflected the moonlight, his eyes were difficult to see, which made him look scary.

"O-Oscar, I'm sorry, I lost all my money too."

Natsu seemed hurt by the words "penniless," a look of shame on his face. As an adult, the word "penniless" seemed to have a profound impact on him.

"No, that money was originally meant for fun, so it's fine if you use it. Within that amount, I have no say in how it's used. As long as Natsu has a good time, that's all that matters."

"Hmm... Really?"

While gambling, Niz was suddenly surrounded by a group of brown-skinned beauties. Before he knew it, he was tricked into gambling a lot and then lost everything. However, for Niz, his first casino experience seemed to be quite enjoyable.

"That being said, having fun to the point of borrowing money is wrong."

"terribly sorry!!"

Mireidi knelt down with all her strength to apologize!

It was even more unbearable to look at her because she was wearing a beautiful dress.

Oscar stood straight, folded his hands in front of his chest, and looked straight at Meredith.

Mireddy would occasionally look up to peek at Oscar, but when she saw Oscar glaring at her, she would quickly lower her head and repeat this action over and over again.

"Miledi, are you reflecting on this?"

"I have reflected on this."

Although the ending of her sentence was a little strange because she spoke too quickly, you could basically feel that she was reflecting on herself.

Oscar sighed and held out his hand to Meredith.

"Aoh?"

"Well, you were a little crazy, but since you seem to have reflected on your actions, I'll let it go."

“Oh!”

Meredith couldn't help wanting to hug Oscar, but Oscar stopped her by grabbing her face with one hand and then shrugged.

"And this time, the fault isn't just Meredith's."

"what?"

"? What do you mean, Oscar?"

Meredy and Natsu tilted their heads in confusion, and Oscar replied with a wry smile:

"Milletti, you've been ripped off."

“What! What’s going on!?”

According to Oscar, a faint trace of magical energy could be seen at the table where Meredith was playing. The magical energy was probably coming from the position of the man betting against the dealer, which was why the man betting against the dealer was able to get the cards he wanted.

"Ugh~ I actually fell for it. I was so careless!"

Meredy stamped her feet in frustration. Natsu looked at her and thought for a moment before asking Oscar:

"...Hmm, could that be the reason?"

"What's the reason?"

"No, when we escaped, I felt that you were more angry than usual. I wondered if it was because Meredith was being taken advantage of."

"Eh? Oh, is that so?"

Oscar pushed his glasses up, thinking of the man who was looking at Meredith with lustful eyes, and replied in an angry tone:

"The other party tried to attack my companions. This is the natural retribution."

It was so dark, Oscar exuded a dark aura.

Borrowing money? Taking advantage of your friends, it's only natural that you'll be defaulted on, right?

Property loss? What an unfortunate accident.

People were killed? Please make no mistake: you are the perpetrators, and we are the victims.

This is called self-defense. You call it excessive defense? That concept doesn't exist.

"A-Ah? Calm down. Look, everyone's fine. Hey, Na-chan!"

"Yes, yes, that's right. It can be said that one learns from experience."

The person who is most suitable to survive in this city of criminals should be Oscar...Milletie and Niz thought so.At the same time, they also tried their best to comfort Oscar who had turned evil.

Oscar coughed.

"Anyway, it's best if we don't get too close to the center for now. Let's just find a place to stay nearby for today."

Seeing Oscar's personality return to normal, both Miledy and Nez breathed a sigh of relief.

"Maybe from all that running around, I'm hungry. Let's go eat before we find a place to stay, shall we?"

Oscar made this suggestion as he walked out of the alley towards where there might be restaurants and accommodation.

Meredith agreed and followed him, saying:

"Hey, Ao."

"Um?"

"Thank you♪"

This was a thank you to Oscar for running away with her in his arms, and for being angry for her.

Oscar stopped and looked back.

Meredith smiled with a gentle expression.

Oscar quickly turned his head and walked forward again.

"You're welcome."

All that was heard was a happy and joyful laughter.

Oscar pretended not to hear and quickened his pace slightly.

"Really... it's never boring being with you guys."

Oscar pretended not to hear Nez's meaningful laughter or the words that conveyed warmth.

As expected of the Outer Circle area, every shop here is a bit dirty, but it is full of energy and noise.

Apparently, after escaping the Central Casino, Meredi and the others arrived in the westernmost region, the Erogan Region. This seemed to be a so-called artisan town, and the people I encountered were more artisan-like than those in other regions, with serious and forthright personalities.

The number of ships and docks in the port rivaled that of the major port of the Avid Region. If there was any difference, it was probably the sheer number of shipyards. Besides ships being repaired and dismantled, you could also see many under construction, creating a truly spectacular sight.

Although it was already night, the sharp sounds of iron hammering and shouting, which were different from the noisy sounds in the bar, could still be heard everywhere, making Oscar very excited.

Because, whether it was the sound of hammering or shouting, it was the sound of craftsmen that Oscar hadn't heard for a long time. The craftsmen must be working hard to ship the goods on time.

"Alright, alright, Ao! Stop looking at me with such curiosity and let's go into the restaurant and eat! Xiao Mi is really about to give up. The delicious aroma wafts over and my stomach is about to burst."

After saying this, Meredith took Oscar's arm. She had changed into her usual travel clothes, as had Oscar and Nez. The dress and tuxedo were taken as compensation and put into Oscar's treasury.

Regarding Oscar's still faintly visible dark side, Meredith and Nez had nothing to say.

With her stomach rumbling, Mireidi took Oscar's arm and went into a nearby store.

The sign outside read "Wanda Inn," and since it seemed to double as a restaurant, a mouth-watering aroma wafted from inside. Furthermore, it looked like the cleanest place in the area, which was a key factor in Meredith's decision to dine there.

"Welcome! Please feel free to take a seat!"

A tanned girl, about the same age as Meredith, greeted them energetically.

The girl had dark blue shoulder-length hair and bunny ears on her head.

She held several wine glasses in her hands, dancing as she spun around, serving meals to the guests. Her round, round tail danced with her every turn. She was a very cute girl, yet also gave off a lively impression.

The restaurant's kitchen is a bar-style setting, allowing customers to watch the food being cooked. Inside, the owner, a man with an eyepatch, a full beard, and muscular build, resembling a pirate, confidently grills fish fillets. Beside him, a woman, complete with rabbit ears and tail, pours wine into glasses with a celestial flourish.

This shop should be a family-run shop, but the owner seems to be an ordinary human, and the rabbit-woman and human man seem to be a couple.

"Oh……"

Meredith smiled happily and sat down as she said.

After that, they ordered some dishes at random, and the food and drinks were served very quickly. Maybe it was because this was a town of craftsmen and there were many impatient customers.

Miledi and the others were already extremely hungry. Seeing the various delicious dishes steaming in front of them, they immediately began to eat them voraciously. At this time, the rabbit-eared girl came over with a smile.

"Hey, you guys are from out of town, right? Have you found a place to stay?"

"No, not yet. We're planning on looking for it."

Hearing Oscar's answer, the girl's eyes became even more joyful.

"Then please stay at our place! Someone who had been staying here recently passed away, and most of our customers are from the same area and won't stay at a hotel. So please, stay at our place!"

The girl begged Oscar, blinking her eyes.

The big customers teased her, saying, "Qiara, if you are willing to sleep with me, I will stay in your store." The girl grabbed Oscar's wine glass and threw it boldly, hitting the drunk uncle accurately in the face, and the uncle immediately rolled off the chair to the ground.

Then I heard everyone cheering in unison. It seemed like this was a common occurrence.

Speaking of the Bunnymen, they were supposed to be timid and not fond of fighting...

But the signature waitress, who was born and raised in the city of criminals, seems to be very strong.

"Oh, let's stay here. It's hard to find a place to stay right now, and this place feels nice."

"Oh, miss, thank you for speaking up! As expected of a woman who has two good men by her side!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Meredith didn't specifically deny it, but instead showed a smug expression.

To Chiara, Meredith's attitude seemed to please her.

"My name is Chiara. We don't often see girls my age from other places coming to our restaurant. If you'd like to stay overnight, I can provide you with special service! Isn't our food delicious?"

Chiara rubbed Mireidi's shoulders affectionately and begged her to "stay here~". Mireidi seemed to like Chiara very much.

"Fufu, does your so-called service include letting me touch your bunny ears? If so, it seems that Xiao Mi can't resist the temptation of staying in this hotel!"

"Eh? My bunny ears? Ugh, I'm a little shy, but... never mind, she's a girl anyway! To keep the guests here, take them all, thief!"

Chiara hugged Meredith from behind and put the rabbit ears close to Meredith's face.

Meredith panted like a pervert, then pressed her face against the furry rabbit ears, stroking and rubbing them. Feeling the scent of the sun and the sea, Meredith was quickly conquered by the rabbit ears.

"I can actually touch Chiara's rabbit ears on our first meeting?" The regulars looked at Meredith with shuddering eyes. It seemed that this was a very rare and precious service.

"Oh~ It's so nice and fluffy. Xiao Mi wants to stay at this hotel."

"Ah~ You look so dazed... Uh~ Are you Miss Chiara? How much is the accommodation fee? If I want to stay consecutively, how many days can I stay?"

"Just call me Chiara, little brother. Calling me Miss makes my bunny ears itch!"