Chapter 15: An Unexpected Encounter in the Bakery

‘Surely, it must be bustling inside?’

Harboring this thought, Leaf Su slowly stepped through the entrance.

However, the reality diverged completely from his expectations.

Beyond a room overflowing with pastries, there was not a soul to be seen; the place was utterly deserted.

Even the shopkeeper was dozing off behind the counter, so subtly that Leaf Su might have overlooked her entirely had he not looked closely.

“Oh, a customer?”

“Strange… why would there be a customer?” the shopkeeper mumbled, rubbing her bleary eyes.

‘She’s a cute little girl,’ Leaf Su mused.

‘Well, she’s probably a bit older than this body of mine, but your comment just now seems a little problematic!’

‘What do you mean, “why would there be a customer”?’

Leaf Su realized all his previous deductions were utterly mistaken.

This shop appeared to have serious issues; the complete lack of customers suggested its quality was far from satisfactory.

“So, my young customer, are you here to buy these delicious pastries, or… are you here to buy me~?”

The teenage girl’s provocative words, directed at him, struck Leaf Su as truly peculiar.

Nevertheless, as a former otaku (TL Note: A Japanese term for a person with an intense, often obsessive, interest in something, typically anime, manga, or video games), he found himself unable to hold his tongue, and a phrase slipped out involuntarily.

“Of course, it’s you, Big Sister!”

“Hahaha… you’re quite the joker, little brother!”

“Big Sister isn’t for sale! And I bet your little ‘DD’ (TL Note: A euphemism for male genitalia) hasn’t even grown hair yet, has it?”

Upon hearing such an unexpected reply, the young lady shopkeeper was quite astonished.

She inwardly lamented that children nowadays were far less adorable than before; shouldn’t he be blushing furiously, his head steaming with embarrassment, in a situation like this?

Meanwhile, Leaf Su also mused inwardly, ‘Who knew you were a veteran driver (TL Note: ‘Lao Siji’ or ‘Old Driver’ is Chinese slang for someone experienced, often in a sexually suggestive or humorous context) too?’

“Hmph, if you’re not selling, fine. My sister is a hundred times prettier than you!”

Leaf Su, surprised by the taunt, decided to retort in kind.

The young lady’s expression soured.

“You brat, what did you just say?!”

Just as she was about to give the child a proper scolding, numerous figures suddenly burst into the shop.

Each of them wielded gleaming weapons—long sabers, broadswords, and even war hammers.

Their faces were concealed by black scarves, though if balaclavas (TL Note: A type of headwear that covers the whole head, exposing only part of the face) made from stockings were a precedent in this world, they might well have opted for black stockings to mask themselves.

At that very moment, the young lady abruptly tossed Leaf Su behind the counter, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

‘Ow, Big Sister, did you really have to throw me with such force?’ Leaf Su thought, wincing.

‘That hurt!’

However, Leaf Su dared not utter a sound.

The group that had just entered clearly looked like bad news.

‘Why does it feel like trouble follows me wherever I go?’ he wondered.

‘It’s not like I’ve sworn brotherhood with a certain elementary school detective (TL Note: A humorous reference to Detective Conan, a popular Japanese manga and anime series where a young detective protagonist often finds himself embroiled in various criminal cases).’

“Did you truly believe you could escape by hiding in a remote corner, opening a small bakery?”

The masked man’s voice boomed like a great bell, his words crushing down on the young lady with palpable oppression.

This was the use of a [Pressure] skill.

While it seemed to have little effect on the young lady, Leaf Su, who was sprawled on the floor behind the counter, felt as though his head might split open.

The sound was both loud and jarring, and a profound sense of fear welled up from deep within him.

“Hand over the item, Kushi.”

“Out of consideration for our past acquaintance, we can still pretend you’re dead.”

Seeing that the [Pressure] skill had no discernible effect, the man ceased its use, speaking in a normal tone.

Yet, every word he uttered conveyed an absolute refusal to accept any refusal.

“The item isn’t with me; no matter how you threaten me, it will be useless.”

The young lady maintained an indifferent facade, but her black-stockinged legs, hidden from view by the counter, were trembling incessantly.

Evidently, having endured the full brunt of the [Pressure] skill just moments before, she was now gripped by profound panic.