I tried to engage in a conversation with Clarice while I waited for the owners' decision. Clarice was mostly silent though, but she answered some of my questions.
I learned that she was the wife of the owners' son. She married him two years ago and was living with his parents while he worked as a guard in a nearby town. Her husband was usually away due to work, only coming back once or twice each month.
Besides her and the owners, the house had a fourth inhabitant. It was a fifteen-years-old young girl called Nana. She was the daughter of the owners and was already sleeping. She worked in a store and had to wake up early every day.
When Mrs. Lluvia and Peter finished their talk, they walked towards me. Mrs. Lluvia had her usual gentle smile, but Peter had a disgruntled look.
"Then?" I asked.
Mrs. Lluvia bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, young master Clark, we need a bit more time to make a decision. Why don't you come back tomorrow and we'll give you an answer."
I hesitated slightly before nodding. "I understand, but I hope you can give me a definite answer tomorrow so I can find another place to stay if I can't stay here."
Mrs. Lluvia nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, you will have an answer tomorrow."
"I understand. Good night then. I need to find an inn for tonight."
The three of them bade me farewell and accompany me until the door.
Contrary to my words, I did not search for an inn when I left. Instead, I wandered slowly through the dark streets of the imperial capital.
I'm pretty sure they will agree to my proposal. After all, they seemed to be in a dire need of money, and the amount I offered for the room was more than anyone else would offer.
So, now that I solved the problem of my lodgings, it's time to begin tonight's main course.
After a while, the streets became desolate. Almost nobody else was in the streets other than me, and the few that sometimes walked near me, seemed hurried and a bit afraid.
Soon, I noticed a few gazes. Gazes filled with malice and greed directed towards me. Robbers.
A few minutes later, some people were following me. It looks like they can't wait anymore.
I curved my lips up. My prey is here.
I looked back briefly and feigned a frightened look. Then, I started to walk faster, as though trying to escape from the people following me.
However, they also accelerated. As such, I was soon surrounded in a dark alley.
"Hehe, What do we have here? You look lost, kid." The one that seemed as the leader spoke.
"W-W-What are you doing?" I stuttered.
The leader grinned. "What are we doing? Haha, brothers, the kid is asking what are we doing!"
"""Hahahahaha!!!""" The robbers laughed mockingly and pulled daggers and shortswords out of their belts.
"Kid, I suggest you make things easier for us. Give us all you have and you can leave alive. Of course, your clothes too."
"Hahahahaha!!!"
"Yes kid, those clothes are wasted in someone like you!"
"Boss, he looks petty handsome! Maybe we can sell him to a brothel! I heard that some people have some special hobbies!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"I'm sure his red hair will be popular with fat nobles!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
I looked around to the robbers and lowered my head. "I-I h-have a better suggestion."
"Oh? I want to hear it." The leader looked at me curiously, like a cat playing with a mouse.
"You can, you can… You can die."
Then, I lifted my face.
My eyes shone with an ominous red color, and my lips curved up in a demonic smile. Abundant mana flowed through my body, filling it with overwhelming strength.
"Careful!" The leader shouted, but it was too late. The next instant, an overwhelming pressure had filled the surroundings.
The robbers' faces paled. They finally realized that they had offended someone they could not afford to offend. But even if they want to apologize now, the pressure around them prevented them from speaking.
Only the leader, a sixth-layer warrior, could barely move. However, when he saw my smiling face, his legs trembled.
"G-Great warrior, I beg for your forgiveness."
"Oh? But, why would I forgive you?"
Cold sweat flowed through the leader's back. He could feel the world trembling around me, bending its knees to obey my orders.
"You see." I smirked. "I think you all need to be punished."
"!!!"
"N-No... Nooooo!"
For the next minute, the dark alley was filled with bloodcurdling screams.