The night sky in the town of Green Dale has already reached midnight, making the streets, which are only illuminated by a few Magic Lanterns street lights, at their darkest time.
The guards who usually patrol the streets along with the locals who are awake because of the nature of their work and usually taking a walk in these streets are nowhere to be found.
All of them have gone to the station at the southern gate of the town to see the arrival of the Mana Train.
The guards are helping in the management of the passengers of the Mana Train while the locals aim to witness the greatness of the giant metal vehicle.
The arrival of the Mana Train, which happened to be before midnight, is something the staff of the station or the crew of the Mana Train is expecting. It's one of the events that the staff and crew need to prepare for in case of happening.
Either the Mana Train encountered some monster along the way that made it reduce its speed, or the rails got destroyed by some monsters, and it took some time for the crew to fix it and continue their journey.
Whatever the reason is, the Mana Train arriving this late in the evening favors the plan of the one hiding within the darkness of Green Dale Town. After all, the woman it's looking for arrives by the Mana Train and is walking alone right now in this dimly lighted street of this town.
The woman has disappeared from Green Dale Town more than a week ago. She ran away leaving the destruction and damage caused by her crimes along with the victims who continue to suffer from all the cruel things that she did to them.
She thought that by being away for more than a week, the shadow of her crimes would disappear and that all of it would be forgiven and forgotten.
But she never thought that from all the cries of her victims, a Vengeance would be born.
A Vengeance that will bring her the punishment that she deserves.
The woman keeps on walking alone on the dimly lighted street, not knowing the presence of Vengeance lurking in the shadow observing her.
She's wearing a fashionable dark crimson red dress paired with black high boots, an expensive-looking gold shoulder bag, along a stylish red hat that hides her golden blonde hair.
Her appearance might have been changed from her usual black colored hair but Vengeance never forgets, and Vengeance never forgives.
...Today marks the start of the first week of the second month of the year, and today is the day that this wicked woman will receive her punishment...
Or so the Vengeance has thought.
"Premium Stinky Grenade... Ha!..."
...Boom!...
Hidden within the shadow, the Vengeance throws its Magic Item Stinky Grenade towards the wicked woman, a Grenade that contains an illegal Stinky Perfume that will make anyone engulfed by the smoke it releases wear a stinky smell that won't fade for a month.
...Regret all of your crimes as you suffer every day living with that stinky smell for a month, wicked woman...
Seeing the wicked woman engulfed by the stinky smoke, the Vengeance prepares itself to disappear into the darkness. However, the cry and scream that it's expecting to echo within the dimly lighted street never came.
"Sheesh!... And here I thought you would not welcome my arrival. What took you so long?!"
Surprised by the reaction of the wicked woman, the Vengeance remains hidden in the shadow observing what the wicked woman did to counteract the effect of its Stinky Grenade.
"Do you think I don't have a way to counter your Stinky Grenade?!"
The Vengeance uses its Mana to enhance its eyes, and it's surprised to see a faint transparent crystal-colored Magic Barrier around the wicked woman.
"It's a simple Magic Barrier made of pure Mana without any Attributes. It's much weaker than normal Magic Barrier, but it's not easy to notice and strong enough to block your Stinky Grenade."
With its plan failing to take down its target, the Vengeance is about to retreat. Yet the mockery of the wicked woman made the Vengeance rage in anger.
"Aren't you gonna come out?! Didn't you have a lot of things to ask me for?!...
...Like the Adventurers-Party name that I gave to your group?!...
...How was it?! How does it feel to be called by that funny name Dwarf Cat-eared Elf?!"
"Stinky Grenades... Ha!..."
The Vengeance, unable to control its anger, made a rampage by throwing multiple Stinky Grenades towards the wicked woman, thinking that it would be enough to break her Magic Barrier. However what the Vengeance did made the wicked woman aware of its location.
"There you are!... Wind Vortex..."
...Boom!...
"Gyahhhh!!!..."
The wicked woman didn't even hesitate to use an offensive Magic skill to destroy the roof canopy in which the Vengeance was hiding. Her wickedness is so deep she doesn't even care if she injures anyone.
The Vengeance was able to evade the wicked woman's attack by jumping down to the ground. However, that made it reveal itself to the wicked woman.
But revealing itself won't be a problem. After all, the Vengeance is wearing a disguise to hide its true identity.
"Ehh?... Is that perhaps the infamous Zaku-No..?"
Zaku- No., a group of mysterious individuals that are selling illegal Stinky Perfume not just within Green Dale Town but all over the Monochrome continent.
Their disguise includes a white insect skull mask, which is a Magic Item capable of changing their voice, along with a black robe, a Magic Item made for stealth.
"That looks is super creepy, Vier."
"I don't know who that person is!"
"Ohh!... Your voice sounds creepy too."
"I told you that's not who I am."
"Then tell me... Who are you?"
"I am the shadow of all your crimes!...
...I am the one born from all of the sufferings and cries!...
...I am the one who will never forget!..
...I am the one who will never forgive!...
...I am the one who will deliver your punishment!...
...I am Vengeance!"
...clap!...clap!...clap!...
"That's quite a wonderful speech!"
...clap!...clap!...clap!...
"But are you sure you have the time to deliver my said punishment when your punishment is coming after you right now?"
"What?..."
As soon as the wicked woman said those remarks, hundreds of spider web threads appeared on the ground on which the Vengeance was standing and bound its legs together.
It made the Vengeance fall to the ground as the spider web threads slowly dragged the Vengeance toward the shadow at the corner of the street.
The Vengeance tried to resist by stabbing its Dagger into the ground. But while it's giving everything it has to resist being darg towards the darkness, the wicked woman comes towards the Vengeance, sits in front of it, and removes its mask to look at its face.
"Hello, Vier. It's only more than a week since I last saw you, but I already miss you so much."
"Arghhh!... You, Lair!... What's the meaning of this?!... What's happening, Heleen?!"
"I got no idea, Vier. Maybe you did something bad that's why your Master, Ms. Arenea, is trying to capture."
"If there's someone who did something bad then it would be you. You just destroyed the roof of that house with your offensive Magic Skill."
"Well, destroying a roof is nothing compared to the crime of illegal possession of Stinky Perfume, right?"
"What?... Arghhh!!!..."
While Vier is confused about what Heleen said, the dragging force of the spider web threads becomes much stronger, and she almost loses her grip on her Dagger.
"I wonder what kind of punishment Misaki-sensei will give to you this time... Pfft!... Hahaha!..."
"Arghhh!!!... This is all because of you!... Why did you do that despicable thing to our group?... Why did you give that weird and funny name as our Adventurers Party name?!"
"You really don't remember who I am. Right, Vier?"
"Who you are?... What do you mean, Heleen?"
"Sigh!... That's disappointing you know, Vier. Being forgotten even though I'm such a very significant person to you."
"What are you saying?... Who are you, Heleen?"
"I'm the... Ohh!... Wait, maybe I can also make a cool speech like what you did earlier while wearing your mask... Hmmm.... How does this thing work... Ohh!... My voice is changing! This is so fun!"
Heleen put the Zaku-No. mask and use its Voice Spell to change her voice. Then Heleen continued revealing her true identity to Vier.
"I'm the shadow of all your crimes!...
...I'm the one born from all of the sufferings and cries!...
...I'm the one who will never forget!...
...I'm the one who will never forgive!...
...I'm the one who has to suffer first!...
...Alone from all the mockery of the others!...
...And I'm the one who swears to give you that same fate!...
...I am Vengeance!"
Aside from Vier's complaint about the copyright, she was confused as to what Heleen meant.
...What does she mean that she is the one who suffers first? That she was mocked by the others because of it... Wait!... Don't tell me...
"Ohh!... That reaction on your face means that you already figured it out, right?"
"Heleen..."
"That's right, Vier!... I'm the first victim of the stupid Stinky Perfume that you made."
"Is... Is that true?"
"Pfft!... Hahaha!..."
Upon seeing the surprise on Vier's face, Heleen removed the Zaku-No. mask that she was wearing and laughed at Vier.
"Of course, it is! That's why I did my best to become your assigned receptionist after learning from the Adventurers Guild that you are the Progenitor of the stupid Stinky Perfume...
...So that when the day of choosing an Adventurers Party name comes, I can give you a weird and funny name that will make everyone laugh at you...
...Now, you will have to live your Adventurer life using that name while being mocked and made fun of by others. Just like what you did to me three years ago!"
As soon as Heleen said the last of her remarks, she smacked Vier's hands which made Vier lose her grip on her Dagger and be slowly dragged by the spider web threads towards the darkness at the corner of the street.
While Vier is being helplessly dragged on the ground, her thoughts keep on blaming herself for everything that happened.
If only she hadn't created the Stinky Perfume, then Heleen wouldn't have to become a victim, and her Vengeance wouldn't have been born.
Without her Vengeance, the weird Adventurers Party name, Dwarf Cat-eared Elf, wouldn't have been created as well, and she, along with her friends, wouldn't have to suffer with it.
"If only... No!!!..."
Vier said that one word of resistance while being dragged by the spider web threads.
"The money that I earned from that stupid Stinky Perfume helped not only me but every one of my friends!...
...If I'm getting punished again because of it then so be it! I will endure whatever punishment!...
...If the consequence of what I did is to carry that weird and funny name for my whole life as an Adventurer then I will accept!...
...All I have to do is make that name so great that others won't dare to mock and make fun of it!...
...I'm gonna make the name Dwarf Cat-eared Elf the greatest Adventurers Party to be ever heard!"
"Fufufu... Then I like to see you try, Dwarf Cat-eared Elf."
"Just wait for it!... I will soon come back to slap that name into your face, Heleen."
Heleen looks at Vier with her eyes full of confidence as she accepts Vier's challenge, and Vier looks back at Heleen with the determination to accomplish what she declared.
That's the last thing Vier remembers as the spider web threads drags her toward the darkness, and her consciousness fades.
.
.
.
PuroShark Writer's Note:
This marks the end of the main story for Volume 1.
There are still 5 Extra Stories before Volume 2 begins, but they will be under Premium Chapters. So I hope everyone reading the ReWorld book will subscribe and continue supporting the Adventurers Party Dwarf Cat-eared Elf.