Chapter 5. The "Ally of Justice" of DanMachi!?
At dusk, the sky over Orario was dyed a deep orange-red.
Returning from the Dungeon, Shirou Emiya first paid a visit to the Guild.
"A-Are all of these your spoils for today, Emiya-san?"
Behind the counter, the half-elf advisor with short auburn hair—Eina Tulle—was staring dumbfounded at the mountain of Magic Stones and drop items piled on the counter.
"Yeah, more or less," Shirou nodded. "Mainly from monsters on the 5th to 7th floors."
"The 7th floor..." Eina pushed up her glasses, her tone becoming stern. "Emiya-san! I heard you're a newcomer to the Loki Familia, but didn't you just register yesterday? Going down to the 7th floor on your first day and even taking down power-type monsters like Orcs... that is far too reckless!"
As a Guild advisor, Eina had seen too many rookies die in the Dungeon because of greed and over-ambition. She was a kind-hearted person and didn't want to see this gentle-looking, red-haired youth follow in their footsteps.
"I'm sorry for worrying you."
Shirou didn't argue; he simply gave a warm smile.
"But I had an excellent guide, and I value my life quite a bit."
Looking into the boy's clear eyes, which lacked even a trace of arrogance or flightiness, the lecture Eina had prepared suddenly stuck in her throat.
"Sigh... Honestly." Eina sighed and quickly finished counting the materials.
"A total of 38,000 Valis. For a newcomer, this is a record-breaking sum. Take the money and go have a nice meal to relax."
"A nice meal, huh?"
Shirou took the coin pouch and weighed it in his hand. Although he could cook for himself, since he had come to a different world, he felt he should experience the local culture and atmosphere.
"I heard there's a famous tavern on West Main Street," Shirou asked casually.
"You mean 'The Hostess of Fertility'?" Eina's expression turned slightly odd.
"The food there is indeed filling and the portions are large, and the proprietress is very... hearty. However, the staff there have very strong personalities, so please don't cause any trouble."
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.
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West Main Street, Tavern: "The Hostess of Fertility."
Even before entering, one could hear the boisterous noise and the clinking of glasses from within.
"Welcome~! Oh my, a fresh face!"
The moment he pushed open the wooden door, a grey blur approached him.
It was a human girl with grey hair and grey eyes, wearing a white apron and a smile that was somewhat hard to read.
"Table for one? You're quite a handsome one, aren't you, mister!" The girl enthusiastically grabbed Shirou's arm, giving him no chance to refuse.
"Come, come, there's an empty seat over here!"
Syr Flova.
For some reason, when this girl looked at him, the [Mind's Eye] within Shirou's body twitched slightly. The sensation was like being scanned by some kind of higher-dimensional existence.
"I'll be in your care then."
Shirou calmly pulled his arm back and sat down at a corner table.
"What would you like to eat? Today's recommendations are Mama Mia's special 'Potato Puffs' and 'Fire Dragon Steak'!"
"I'll take those two, and a cup of fruit wine."
"Coming right up~! Ryuu, order over here!" Syr shouted toward the bar.
"Understood."
A cool, crisp voice rang out.
Following that, an elf girl with pale green hair wearing the tavern uniform approached with a tray.
She was beautiful.
Different from Riveria's noble, royal-like beauty, and different from Ais's doll-like purity. The elf girl before him was like a dagger hidden in a sheath—beautiful, but with a piercing coldness.
Ryuu Lion.
Former Level 4 adventurer, known by the alias "Gale."
She wordlessly placed the utensils in front of Shirou, her movements as precise as a ritual. Those sky-blue eyes swept over Shirou's palms and his sitting posture, her pupils contracting slightly.
The calluses on the webs of his thumbs.
The distribution of his weight.
And that state of being extremely relaxed, yet capable of exploding into action at any moment.
This red-haired youth was no ordinary newcomer.
"Here are your utensils," Ryuu's voice was faint.
"Please do not wander around aimlessly; there are many drunken adventurers in the shop tonight."
"Thanks for the warning," Shirou nodded politely.
Ryuu shot him one more look before turning to leave.
The tavern was indeed chaotic.
Adventurers were loudly boasting of today's achievements or complaining about the unfair distribution within their Familias. Even in Orario, the "Center of the World," the bottom-tier adventurers still lived a life of "drinking today, for tomorrow we may die," living on the edge of a blade.
"Hey! You there, elf girl!"
Just then, a bald, burly man at the neighboring table suddenly stood up, his face flushed red as he waved his mug.
"Get over here! Why does this ale taste like water? Are you looking down on me?"
He was pointing at Ryuu, who was clearing a table.
Ryuu stopped her movements and turned around, her gaze icy. "Sir, this is the shop's standard ale. If you are drunk, please settle your bill and leave."
"Ha? You're kicking me out?"
The burly man slammed the table. Fueled by alcohol, he reached out to grab Ryuu's wrist. "Don't think being an elf makes you superior! Here, you're just a plate-pusher! Apologize to me, or else..."
Ryuu's eyes narrowed.
Her fingers curled slightly. Although she had "washed her hands" of her former life, facing trash like this, she only needed 0.5 seconds to snap the man's wrist.
However, someone was faster than her.
Snap.
A hand, not particularly broad but exceptionally powerful, steadily clamped onto the burly man's wrist.
Ryuu froze.
She hadn't even seen when the red-haired youth had stood up.
"Excuse me, mister."
Shirou Emiya had a harmless smile on his face, but the grip of his hand was like an iron vise, keeping the Level 2 brute immobile no matter how much he struggled.
"If the ale isn't to your liking, just go somewhere else next time. Putting your hands on a lady is not the conduct an adventurer should have."
"You... you bastard... let go!" The man's face turned purple from the pain; he felt as though his bones were about to shatter.
"Also."
Shirou did not let go. Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his gentle aura sharpened instantly.
"Just now, you said 'plate-pusher'? People who earn money through their own labor are much more noble than someone who just uses alcohol to act like a fool. Apologize."
"I-I'm sorry!" The man was terrified by the pressure Shirou was exerting and immediately begged for mercy.
Shirou released his grip, and the man scrambled out of the tavern, not even waiting for his change.
The tavern fell silent for a moment before returning to its usual noise. in this city where strength was everything, such interludes were not rare.
Shirou sat back down as if nothing had happened and continued cutting the Fire Dragon Steak that had just been served.
"Mind your own business."
Ryuu walked over. Her tone was still cold, but she placed a beautifully colored drink on Shirou's table.
"I could have handled it."
"I know."
Shirou looked up at the awkward elf.
"If you had acted, his arm probably would have broken, right? That would have caused trouble for the shop."
Ryuu fell silent.
It was true; if she had struck just now, it certainly wouldn't have been so "gentle."
"And..." Shirou took a bite of meat, his eyes growing somewhat profound. "I can't stand guys like that. If I see it, I have no reason to just stand by and watch."
"You'd offend someone just for a reason like that?" Ryuu looked at him.
"Are you a fool?"
"People tell me that often," Shirou laughed. "But I want to be an 'Ally of Justice.' It sounds childish, but it's my ideal."
'Ally of Justice.'
The moment she heard that phrase, Ryuu Lion's body stiffened violently.
In those sky-blue eyes that were normally as calm as still water, a violent wave of emotion flashed—pain, nostalgia, self-reproach... a myriad of feelings intertwined.
Once upon a time, her Astraea Familia was also a group of fools who shouted about "Justice" and stood by their convictions even when mocked.
But they were all dead.
Only she remained—a blood-stained "revenge ghost," barely clinging to life.
"...Justice?"
Ryuu's voice was a bit hoarse, carrying a hint of self-mockery.
"In this city, Justice died a long time ago. Only power is truth. Such a naive ideal will only make you die faster."
"Perhaps."
Shirou took a sip of the drink Ryuu had brought—it was sweet and sour fruit juice, very refreshing.
"Justice doesn't mean you won't die, nor does it mean you must be revered by thousands."
He looked at Ryuu, his amber eyes seemingly seeing through to her soul.
"As long as you reach out when you see injustice, and don't turn away when someone cries for help... that intent itself is Justice.
Just like how you instinctively shielded Syr-san just now, despite your cold words."
Ryuu was stunned.
When the burly man was throwing his drunken tantrum, she had indeed instinctively moved to block Syr behind her. The movement was so subtle she hadn't even noticed it herself, yet this boy had seen it.
"You..."
Ryuu opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
This red-haired youth possessed a light that felt incredibly familiar yet even more pure. That kind of light didn't belong in a city of desire like Orario.
"Shirou Emiya."
Shirou pointed to himself. "A newcomer of the Loki Familia. This juice is delicious; thank you for the treat."
Ryuu looked at him deeply, as if trying to engrave the name into her mind.
"Ryuu Lion."
She whispered her name, then picked up the empty plates and turned to leave. After a few steps, she stopped. Without looking back, her voice was slightly softer than before:
"Next time you come... I'll give you a discount."
Sitting in the corner, Shirou smiled.
It seemed this cold-looking elf lady was unexpectedly soft-hearted on the inside.
Behind the bar, Syr, who had been observing the whole time, curled her lips into a playful arc.
"Oh my, even the stone-like Ryuu has been shaken?"
Deep within Syr's grey eyes, a trace of heart-stopping divine brilliance flashed.
"Shirou Emiya... truly a soul that makes one want to 'collect' him completely."
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Meanwhile, at Twilight Manor.
Finn, having just finished a meeting, looked at a report in his hand with a furrowed brow.
"What is it, Finn?" Riveria asked.
"News from the Guild. It seems remnants of 'Evilus' have been showing signs of activity recently." Finn tapped the table.
"Also, the Soma Familia has been secretly selling a prohibited 'Divine Wine,' causing many adventurers to lose their minds.
Restlessness appearing at a time like this..."
Finn gazed out the window toward the West Main Street.
"I hope our 'super-rookie' doesn't get himself caught up in anything troublesome."