Is it Okay to be a Hero as well as the Demon Lord?

Chapter 5: To the town! (Part 2)

Chapter 5: To the town! (Part 2)

Because I couldn't use magic in public without care I ran. This decision was filled with immediate regret as I reached the adventurer's district huffing. Curse my lack of physical prowess. Next time I'd float while pretending to run.

"Why'd you just run off?" Alicia and Sayuri caught up to me easily. Alicia looked at my state with a smirk, "Wow you really need to work out more."

I frowned and kept moving. There was a large crowd gathered in front of the adventurer's guild. It was the largest building in town and where all work relating to adventurers passed through. I tried to ask my way through to no avail when Alicia came forward and forced a path, much to the disapproval of those around us. Sayuri and I just sighed and followed her. The sight that welcomed us was about what I expected.

A big man with a very large axe on his back was yelling at a smaller but more recognisable figure, Carl. Behind the man was a cart with a broken wheel, behind Carl was a small girl crying while clinging to his pants. Gary was nowhere to be seen.

"I said let me have that girl!" the man yelled getting angry.

"No," Carl refused adamantly.

"Look here brat, she's the one that caused this accident. Now give me the girl and scram."

"I said I'd pay for the damages, can't you just let it go. Besides it was you that was driving so recklessly."

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"Partially yes."

The man drew his axe and stamped it beside him, "I'm getting angry kid."

I analysed the situation. The cart itself wasn't laden with that many goods and its broken wheel looked old. Given enough time it would have crumbled eventually anyway. The man looked strong but he had a rough look to him and a nasty glint to his eyes. My analysis, this was a set-up. It happened now and again. It was the, ah you broke my cart and ruined my stuff, pay the damages, type of thing. The victim just happened to be a little girl. With a Hero like personality it would be odder for Carl to not interfere. Why the man refused his money was probably because he knew he could extort more money from the girl's parents.

Carl didn't back down. The man looked around uncomfortably. He didn't anticipate such a large crowd to gather. If he took too long the town's guard would get here. I felt Alicia push forward to help but I pulled her back.

"I want to see what Carl does," I explained so she wouldn't anger.

The man reached for the girl forcefully but Carl knocked his hand away.

"No matter what happens here, I won't let you have her." He was actually looking pretty cool and the crowd was siding with him.

"F-fine I'll take your money instead," the man began to back down but then another familiar face ran forward.

"Here I bought you a new wheel," Gary said carrying the wooden structure.

"Like that could pay off all the damage," the man snapped. "It'll cost ten times that much to cover everything."

"Eh? But your broken one is old and splintered," Gary leapt over to the cart before the man could stop him. "Hey isn't this cart just filled with boxes."

"Get away from there," the man snapped.

"Hang on," Gary niftily lifted the cart with magic and replaced the wheel and stamped it in place. The cart was now in a better condition than before. "Your products are fine. Or should we inspect them more closely?"