Chapter 116
"What? But that just happened a few days ago."
Not understanding Tony's words, I brought up the recent Luddite gang Incident.
It wasn't an ordinary accident, but a terror Attack by a Psycho gang. There were even Customers who lost their lives.
Even though I, an Employee of the Bar—though it was known to the Outside World as Dragon President's doing—managed to stop Ned Ludd, the fact that such a Major Incident occurred meant the Bar's image was bound to take a hit.
The Bar had been closed for three days, so we had to consider that Customers would have stopped coming during that time.
Therefore, my logical analysis was that the number of Customers would decrease and there wouldn't be much work today. But Tony seemed to think differently.
"Everything you said is right, and it's a perfectly reasonable conclusion, but you missed one thing."
"I missed something?"
"Yeah. Think about the Customer demographic that frequents our Bar lately."
The Customer demographic that frequents our Bar lately.
There was no need to overthink it; the Answer was already set.
"Ronin, the Mercenaries of Dusk City, right?"
"Yeah. And Ronin aren't the type of people who move for reasonable and logical reasons like you said."
Come to think of it, he was right.
In the first place, a sane, rational human being wouldn't jump into the Mercenary industry where they risk their lives over a single sword or gun, killing and being killed.
"If we were talking about Regular Customers, you'd be right. If word goes around that a terror incident happened at a Bar and people died, they'd try to avoid that Bar. Because it could be dangerous."
"But you're saying Ronin are different."
"Yeah. Ronin actually tend to seek out dangerous and noisy places. Like moths to a flame. Of course, there are Ronin who aren't like that, but... think about the Mercenaries you've met so far."
At Tony's words, I thought back to the Ronin I had seen at the Bar.
Man Hunter, whose arm I cut off myself; Chainsaw Man, who I fought alongside; the Mercenary with Mantis blade arms who lunged at Ned Ludd...
I found myself nodding.
No matter how I looked at it, they weren't the type of people to get scared and turn away at the news of a Psycho gang's terror Attack.
Tony was right.
The folks called Ronin were the type who, if they heard a terror Attack happened somewhere, would actively seek the place out rather than avoid it.
To find work, to make money, or out of grudges or curiosity, or if nothing else, just to fight and kill.
It had been quite a while since such Mercenaries of Dusk City started gathering nearby, and of all places, a massive issue that would catch their Attention had erupted at Dragon's Lair...
"Are you saying... our Bar might have become some kind of Hot Place for Ronin?"
Just imagining it sent chills down my spine.
At my question full of foreboding, Tony shrugged.
"Well. I can't give you a definite Answer either. It's not like I can see the future. But what is certain is..."
"What is certain?"
"I saw it on my way here, there were a lot of people wearing raincoats. And they were all carrying a weapon or two inside their coats."
Now that I heard it, I felt like that was the case too.
I had also run into many pedestrians wandering the Street in pitch-black raincoats on my way here.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but thinking about it now.
"You're saying they were all Ronin?"
"I can't say all of them, but a good number of them seemed to be Mercenaries who make a Living by the Sword. I guess the harsh weather isn't a problem for them at all. In fact, since it's pouring rain, they might want to come indoors even more."
Toward my pale face, Tony delivered the finishing blow.
"Plus, you remember what the boss told us at the company Dinner, right? The reason why Ronin are flocking to the Bar these days."
"Yes."
"Honestly, the boss isn't exactly quick with news. If it reached the boss's ears, you have to assume it's already late in the game.
A lot of time has passed since the incident happened, so we should assume pretty much all the Ronin have heard the related news."
"That makes sense."
"Then where will all the Ronin who heard the news go?"
They would all come to the Sprawlfield border.
Because they'd expect the Dead Cell member to flee to their home base with the data.
They'd flock in droves like a pack of hyenas, Aiming for a big score.
And that was... near our Bar.
"Now you get it, why I said today would likely be the peak."
"..."
I had nothing to say.
I hurriedly wiped the smudged moisture off the window and focused my gaze through the curtain of pouring rain, and sure enough, he was right.
*Inside the alley where the blood-red neon signs splashed and spread, just the shadows of people briefly wavering through the water mist numbered close to several dozen.*
And we hadn't even opened yet.
"...We're fucked."
"We're fucked. With dangerous Ronin swarming in one place like this, the DCPD will take action, so it won't stay like this forever, but."
"Until then, it'll be like this for at least a whole day."
"Correct. Today is the Critical Moment. If we just get past today, it should be manageable."
Tony's voice sounded gloomy, or perhaps resolute.
Just like he said with his own mouth, “I can”t give you a definite Answer either,' it would be really nice if he was wrong.
Should I say it was expected of a Former Net Diver?
There was absolutely nothing wrong with his words.
* * *
"Why aren't you taking my weapon, Waiter? Are you ignoring me right now? I heard you were the hand Butcher or whatever..."
A Ronin sneered, holding out a tiny, ultra-compact pistol that looked like it belonged in an alien movie.
I quietly tapped the calculator in my head.
Minus 1 point for pointing the muzzle at me.
An additional minus 2 points for pulling that gun out of his pants crotch, of all places.
Minus 3 points because those pants were none other than pink hot pants that made the viewer's eyes rot.
Minus 4 points for wearing a highly revealing mesh shirt that fully exposed his nipples above the pants, and for the fact that the person wearing such an outfit was a dark, balding man with a beard, belly hair, and armpit hair.
Just seeing his long fingernails dyed hot pink, with curly pubic hair stuck between them, instantly ruined my mood.
With his appearance and all, could he be a Friend of Man Hunter Alexgey?
Is that why he's picking a fight with me?
An additional minus 10 points because I was personally extremely displeased.
Total: minus 20 points.
The calculation was finished.
From this moment on, that was not a Customer, but a Troublesome Customer.
He would receive the exact same treatment as the New Mecha Communist believer or the Cult of Omtology cultist who got their asses kicked and were thrown out a few minutes ago.
"Uh, I don't need your weapon. You're just getting kicked out."
"What does that─"
[Combat Mode Activation. Kinetic Drive Activate.]
Before I could even hear his response, I activated the Nanosuit and moved my body.
Due to the aftereffects of the Ramos Fizz, using my arms would be difficult, and my legs seemed like they would be enough, so I lightly extended my foot.
Swoosh—CRACK.
I merely twisted my waist in that state, but the next moment, I was drawing a beautiful trajectory straight out of an action movie and kicking the pink Ronin's hand away.
At the Unexpected Attack, his hand lost its strength and the pistol flew far away, and in that state, I planted my foot on the Ground to shift my Center of Gravity and moved my other leg this time.
A fantastic Spinning Back Kick exploding right into him!
"──Keugh."
He must have somewhat reacted to the second Strike, as he reached out both hands to block it, but that Alone wasn't enough to completely eliminate the impact.
It was a Kick with a lot of power behind it, and the feeling against my foot was very solid. It landed perfectly, so there was no way it would end there.
Whoosh.
With a dull thud, the pink Ronin was sent flying.
If there was any bad luck for him, it was that the Bar's Main Entrance was right behind his back.
Under the impact of a whole person flying into it, the door burst open all too easily, and the pink Ronin rolled down the wet stair floor, tumbling all the way down.
Thud thud thud, every time he hit the stairs, a bizarre sound that could have been a groan or a scream echoed out.
"Uheok, kkeuah, kkuek, bwek, kkieeeek──!"
How loud.
Just as calculated, one Troublesome Customer successfully kicked out.
I dusted off both my hands and closed the open door.
Looking through the window on the Main Entrance, it seemed he had pitched headfirst into a puddle full of rainwater down below, and it would probably take him some time to get up.
This is what happens when a guy who isn't even worth a single Punch picks a fight.
In the past, before resorting to violence, I would have worried about things like, “Is it okay for me to do this?” or 'Shouldn't I hold back?', but there was none of that anymore.
Now I was a Full-time Employee too, and I had been properly delegated authority as the On-site Manager by Dragon President.
This space is under my control, and it has to be.
At a chaotic and hectic time with many Customers like now, if someone shows even the slightest hint of being a Troublemaker, kicking them out immediately is the best policy.
It was a truth I had realized after getting into scuffles multiple times.
And for that method, kicking them out right from the entrance like this is the most efficient.
It's good for imprinting on the other Ronin that they'll be thrown out immediately if they act like shits, it doesn't cause any damage to the Bar, and I can get help from the stairs.
Of course, it wasn't a method that could be used universally on all Troublemakers, and if they swarmed in as a Group or looked stronger than me so I couldn't easily take them out with Combat Mode, I'd have to come up with another plan, but...
“At least that guy just now was a Normal Troublemaker who didn”t fall into that category.'
Working as a Manager, I had reached the level where I could slowly get a feel for whether the Troublesome Customer in front of me was a Normal Pushover Troublemaker or a Super Ultra Rare Troublemaker just by looking at them.
Wooooo—clap clap clap clap—
I shrugged my shoulders as I received enthusiastic cheers and a round of applause.
Would the Customers think poorly of me resolving problems with violence like this? There was no need to have such thoughts.
The Customers filling the Bar today were all Ronin, and Ronin love watching a fight.
They are people who go crazier than anyone else over blood bursting and people getting sent flying.
If I were some unheard-of nobody, they might have looked down on me acting up, but since the infamous name of “hand Butcher” had spread through the Ronin Community, everyone acknowledged my authority to some extent and was enjoying watching me beat up Troublemakers as eye candy.
Everyone was chattering in excitement, asking if this was Eastern Martial Arts, kung fu, and Karate.
“Am I doing Manager work, or am I working as a clown or a bouncer...”
Grumbling inwardly, I moved my body once again.
Work was busy.
There were too many next Customers to Guide, tables waiting for orders and Serving, and weapons to move to the Warehouse to celebrate blowing away one Troublemaker.
Even ten bodies wouldn't be enough.
It was manageable so far, but if I faltered even for a moment, the work would pile up and accumulate in an instant, and I would taste Hell just like that.
I had to move quickly.
As I was walking around holding a tray, clearing glasses and taking new orders at the same time.
──────!
I heard a strange sound from Outside.