DanMachi, My Members Are From Slice-of-Life Anime

“A sword, and wings! Yes, that’s it.” The bald man confirmed again.

"hiss--"

He gasped.

Others may not know, but Beck, who has spent years in Orario, is no stranger to this clan crest.

Astraea...

It is said that the clan that was wiped out two years ago has now been resurrected.

This wouldn't have been a big deal at first; it was just a newly formed clan.

but……

That madman, the ghost known as "Swift Wind," is still active! Countless competitors have been killed! He doesn't care about any reason whatsoever!

To say that the Albera Merchant Guild could support the entire economy of Orario and become one of the major players, it's impossible that there wasn't some unethical behavior during the Dark Ages.

Or rather, they are the type who will do anything for money. Not long ago, they even tricked some adventurers from smaller clans into collecting ores on dangerous floors, along with the Ishtar Familia.

Of course, none of these people came back.

It's precisely at this time, when things aren't exactly clean, that if that madman targets them and labels them as part of a dark faction...

Then... I'm the one who will bring about destruction!

No! We have to leave immediately!

But what about the goods?

Baker paced back and forth in the cramped basement, lost in thought. As the bald mercenary's forehead beaded with sweat, he slowly spoke:

"In this way, you can still deliver the goods to the designated location, and the chamber of commerce branch there will settle the payment with you."

The bald mercenary looked bewildered: "And what about you, boss?"

“Me?” Baker chuckled. “I make hundreds of thousands of fares in profit every minute. Is that something you can find out?”

"Yes, yes. The boss is right."

He did have another business deal to make, but given the current situation, he needed to reconsider whether or not to do business with that mysterious boss.

Ignoring the mercenaries, Baker quickly packed up his ledgers and documents, slung his briefcase over his shoulder, and headed outside.

Before closing the door, he didn't forget to give the mercenaries some instructions:

"Remember, even if you are caught red-handed, don't say you have anything to do with our Albera Merchant Guild!"

"It's written in the contract!"

Because the goods were not clean, the mercenaries signed a similar confidentiality agreement, and of course, they were paid a generous fee.

Baker, accompanied by a bodyguard, left as the mercenaries watched him go.

"Tell me, what is the boss really thinking?" a thin mercenary asked.

"Don't ask, we'll just mind our own business." The bald man breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the black cage shrouded in darkness.

Unbeknownst to anyone, within the pitch-black, abyss-like steel cage, a pair of scarlet vertical pupils suddenly snapped open.

……

Late at night, Cecil's blacksmith shop.

Xia Jia lay on her bed in her room, stretched out her palm, and stared blankly into space.

Now he seemed to realize that he had had intimate contact with a girl.

"Does the black cat have a bit of a crush on me?"

"This is the suspension bridge effect, isn't it?"

Xia Jia sighed inwardly at the cruel twist of fate.

However, without another world, it would be almost impossible to get close to someone like Kuroneko, who is arrogant and sarcastic upon first meeting.

"I'm not called Kirino Kousaka's sister."

Xia Jia recalled the black cat she had met online...

"If it weren't for the bestselling author's pen name, The Descendant, I probably wouldn't have been able to get a word in edgewise."

While thinking about all these random things, what really mattered to Shaja was what Astraea had said to her.

The search for Dekomori and Kuroneko was purely a matter of fate. One was his childhood friend who volunteered, and the other relied on his wealth.

But Shaka did overlook the cruelty of this world, as well as his thoughts on the black cat and Dekomori's age.

Fortunately, although this world is the real world, it is no different from a game for Kuroneko and Dekomori.

The problem that troubles Xia Jia is what kind of people to bring in next.

"First, we need to think about what I can do for them? Money? No, perhaps something more valuable. Only in this way can our interests be aligned."

Fighting is painful; getting slashed by a knife will hurt like hell, and even throwing a punch will injure you. Running will leave you breathless and exhausted.

Shaga clenched his fist, the stinging pain clearly visible on it.

No one wants to suffer like this for no reason...

I need to find someone who becomes stronger for themselves, not for me.

Only by striving for oneself can one unleash one's full potential.

"Alas, I am still too kind-hearted and cannot become a ruthless capitalist."

With that in mind, Xia Jia slowly took out her phone and started filtering for suitable candidates.

Chapter 25: Group Member Reactions and Changes in the Chat Group

"My fellow inhabitants of the Dark Realm, even if I am submerged in the Abyss and sealed in a cold stone coffin, I will still shout with my decaying voice! This game is truly awesome!"

Early in the morning, Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat popped up in the group chat, and this unexpected statement caused several submarines to appear.

[Blank: "Damn, you almost broke my winning streak! Do you even know what time it is?"]

[The Demonic Hero: "March 29, 2022. Around 4 AM. By the way, Blank, did you stay up all night again?"]

[Blank: "Oh, this kind of thing probably doesn't matter to a shut-in."]

[Kotoko Iwanaga: "Wow, you guys are living in the sun now!"]

[Shadow: "Too inexperienced. The sunrise in Sakura City at four o'clock is beautiful."]

[The sadistic hero: "Laughing my head off, I see it every day, but I don't see anything beautiful about it."]

[Blank: "What? What's a sunrise? That stuff just burns my skin and blinds me."]

[Shadow: "Hmph, foolish passerby."]

Shadow only found the group noisy; a new day begins with a ten-kilometer run.

[Kotoko Iwanaga: "Huh, am I the only one working overtime until now? By the way, @Chiba no Fallen Saint Black Cat, how's the game going?"]

As the sun rose just above the horizon, Kotoko Iwanaga, with dark circles under her eyes, strolled along a deserted path. Because most yokai (spirits) hid in the mountains and forests, her daily routine was also somewhat irregular.

She kept her eyes glued to the screen: "What exactly is that vanished visitor plotting?"

After a while, Tokomaru also appeared.

[Thunder Hammer User: "Lunch was delicious! The elf's ears are so soft, but she has a bad temper. The catgirl's ears are so soft and comfortable to rub! And the Mad Moon Thunder Hammer is super cool! It's just too heavy to lift at all."]

[The devilish hero: "Nani! Cat girl!"]

[Blank space: "What?! An elf!"]

[Yotsuya Miko: "What game?"]

[Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat: "It's that game the group admin posted in the group before, a complete stealth game that surpasses SAO. Speaking of which, another night owl has appeared."]

[Yotsuya Miko: "Oh, can I say I didn't sleep all night?"]

An apartment in Hehe County.

Seeing Zi standing blankly in front of the bathroom mirror with dark circles under her eyes, she realized that she had been seeing strange things since school ended yesterday.

At night, those things even crawled into his bed.

Too scared to sleep, she could only close her eyes and pretend to be asleep, but the restlessness in the bed made it impossible for her to fall asleep.

When he heard the notification sound from his phone, Jian Zi pretended to be woken up, and went to the bathroom to hide while looking at his phone.

"Ah, how could the world have become like this..."

[Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat: "Can't you sleep?"]

[Chiba's Fallen Saint Black Cat: "Then you can try applying for a spot with the group admin."]

[Yotsuya Miko: "What do you mean?"]

In front of the mirror, Jianzi stared blankly at her phone, her eyes lifeless. Behind her lay a face without pupils, and the stench of the air echoed in the girl's ears.

Can you see it?

You can see it, right?