However, no matter how Andrew calculated, whether she would go there ultimately depended on her own thoughts.
Before Andrew could attempt to ask Ellen if she had any interest in that regard, an incredibly abrupt and extremely arrogant voice suddenly came from outside the shop, interrupting the words Andrew was just about to speak.
"Ellen Joe! Don't think that just because you changed your part-time job location you can dodge me as if nothing happened! Don't try to be a cowardly turtle, come out here if you have the guts!"
Although Andrew didn't know Ellen's surname, judging by her slightly changed expression upon hearing the shout and the completely matching name, Andrew knew that this voice was most likely calling for her.
Only...
Although the person shouting was trying hard to lower their voice, imitating the timbre of a voice after puberty, the childishness belonging to a kid contained within it couldn't be concealed no matter what.
To Andrew, it felt just like a child trying to pretend to be an adult.
However, although the timbre of the shouter's voice sounded extremely immature, the underlying hooligan-like vibe contained within it—akin to someone who had spent a long time in a gang mixing with the underworld—was extremely obvious.
This made Andrew's brow furrow slightly and subconsciously.
Still a junior high student? Starting to mix with gangs while still in childhood?
What kind of gang is beastly enough to target children, expanding their membership to junior high students who haven't even grown up yet?
Shouldn't this be met with a heavy punch straight away?
However, regarding this sudden incident, Andrew didn't rush to get up and react immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Ellen, preparing to see exactly how she intended to handle this matter.
Accompanied by the clamoring outside, Ellen also couldn't help but subconsciously reveal an expression of having encountered something troublesome.
She hadn't expected it.
She had hidden away in Sixth Street, so far from her usual part-time job location because she disliked trouble. Yet, even so, those guys actually chased her here.
Are these people dogs?!
Running this far, and they can still find me?!!
Even though I was lucky enough to find a good job this time.
After sighing, Ellen turned to Andrew, who was just an ordinary blacksmith in her eyes, and said:
"Sorry, Store Manager. I accidentally got you involved in unnecessary trouble."
Subsequently, she somewhat helplessly put down the half-sewn material in her hands and prepared to walk out of the workshop.
Before going out, Ellen turned her head and spoke to Andrew in a comforting manner:
"Rest assured, Store Manager. Since they came looking for me, I will take responsibility. I won't let them affect your business, Store Manager."
Although she still looked extremely unmotivated, Ellen decisively pushed open the workshop door.
In her line of sight, Andrew, who had said he was just an ordinary blacksmith shop owner, had remained froze in place without saying a word since the shouting appeared.
Looking at his state, Ellen was certain he must have been scared stiff by those thugs.
However, she didn't feel particularly surprised.
Because for a Store Manager who was just an ordinary person, being scared by a group of gang members suddenly blocking the shop door was practically the most normal thing in the world.
Instead, Ellen felt a little apologetic that the people she attracted had scared such a good Store Manager.
If I had known they could find me this quickly, I should have gone to a street even further away.
Regarding the fact that she would be tracked down by those guys, Ellen actually already had a certain degree of mental preparation.
As Ellen walked quickly to the sales area of the shop.
Outside the shop door, a group of a dozen or so boys, who didn't look very old, had completely surrounded Andrew's shop door, blocking it so tightly not even water could trickle through.
Besides these dozen or so boys, there were six young men standing in the middle of the crowd who looked a head taller and significantly older than the others.
They stood there like generals holding the line, or like pillars of stability.
And the other people who were originally shouting continuously in front, whose toughness was merely a facade for their inner weakness, began to sound full of confidence as their peripheral vision swept over these people, barking like dogs who had someone backing them up.
It was as if as long as these few people were here, there was nothing to be afraid of.
It had to be said.
The appearance of these few leaders—who were old enough to be in high school yet weren't wearing school uniforms—consisted of outfits that looked like 'Smart' subculture punk fashion.
At the same time, the faces of the six also carried a ruthlessness that could be seen at a glance.
Compared to the stragglers around them, these few were obviously on a different level.
If not for the absence of weird, colorful hairstyles, Andrew would have thought he was dreaming back to the era of the year 2000 in his previous world.
Standing beside the six leaders was a student with a bruised and swollen face, obviously having been beaten up severely.
Looking at him, he should be the same age as Ellen.
The school uniform on his body, identical to Ellen's, proved this point.
However, although their mouths were clamoring non-stop, none of them had any intention of entering the shop.
They just formed a human wall, looking fiendish as they blocked all customers who wanted to enter.
Clear objective, mature methods.
It didn't look like a tactic a bunch of kids could come up with.
It was just that for Andrew's blacksmith shop, which didn't have many customers to begin with... this method of blocking customers was truly of mediocre effect.
Following Ellen's footsteps, without anyone noticing, Andrew silently arrived in the shop, preparing to see exactly what was going on.
Ellen, on the other hand, showed no fear towards the group outside the door and directly pushed open the shop door to walk out.
Then, taking two steps in one, she walked directly into the middle of the encircling crowd.
Only...
Although they had shouted very fiercely before, after Ellen actually appeared in front of them, the dozen or so boys who had been shouting subconsciously took a step back in unison.
It was as if it wasn't the dozen of them surrounding her, but she alone surrounding the dozen of them.
But upon seeing the people standing behind them, feeling they had backup, those subconsciously retreating footsteps were forcibly halted.
And the person with the bruised and swollen face, upon seeing Ellen, immediately revealed an arrogant smile on his face.
"Hmph hmph! Ellen! I told you, my brother is from the White Heart Gang! If you dare hit me..."
Listening to his voice, the sentence shouted at the very beginning was most likely shouted by him.
However, before he could finish his sentence, Ellen spoke up with a face full of disdain and laziness:
"Alright, I know your target is me. Let's change location to talk, don't affect the Store Manager's business."
Compared to Ellen's indifference, her attitude of being completely indifferent to his words just now actually angered that person enough to choke.
He pointed a trembling finger directly at Ellen, looking exasperated.
"You! You you you! You actually still dare to have this attitude!"
However, he was interrupted halfway through again.
And the one interrupting this time was the leader among the three older students standing beside him.
The leader, wearing a pair of triangular sunglasses and sporting a pompadour hairstyle that looked like a cow pat, looked fierce as he pointed to a small alleyway to the side and said:
"Good. Since that's the case, then we'll talk after we go in there."
After getting the word from the opposing leader, Ellen simply nodded and turned her head without hesitation to walk towards that alleyway first.
Behind her, the boy who had been interrupted a second time and didn't dare to let out even a fart immediately jumped up.
He spoke loudly as if instigating:
"Big Brother! Look! That guy, she dares to look down on you! Hurry up and mess her up!"
However, the boy he called Big Brother was not moved by his clumsy goading method.
He glanced at the boy with some annoyance, snorted coldly, and said:
"Hmph! Seven or eight boys getting beaten by a little girl until they're looking for their teeth on the floor, and you're the only one who can move until now. Milin, I don't know why I have such a useless brother like you!"
After speaking, he directly ignored his brother's limping movements and led the dozen or so boys to follow Ellen into that alley.
To be honest, regarding this mess his own brother created, as the older brother, he actually didn't want to get involved.
After all, relying on his gang identity to harass girls all over the school every day was one thing, but seven or eight boys fighting a little girl only to be taken down by her in two or three moves?
Not only that, but until the end of that battle, that little girl was actually unharmed, directly clearing the level against them without a scratch.
It was as relaxed and free as if she were on a field trip.
Even if the opponent's race was a Thiren, whose physical fitness is generally stronger than ordinary humans, this was still too useless.
After all, in most cases, although the so-called Thiren physical fitness is stronger than ordinary people, it is only stronger to a very limited extent.
As for physical fitness that far exceeds ordinary people, that's basically one in ten thousand.
As long as there are a few more people, strong physical fitness is useless.
In the final analysis, to be able to be perfectly counter-killed when so many people were fighting one, he genuinely felt his brother might as well delete his account and start over.
And because of this, he couldn't help but remember Ellen's name. The moment he learned of this matter, he began trying to recruit Ellen into the gang.
The result was that after hearing his recruitment offer, the other party directly, decisively, and firmly expressed rejection.
Originally, he intended for this matter to end right there.
But according to the leader's will, this messy business really couldn't be ignored.
As the main base where they were just starting to develop members, the people's hearts were already wavering because the scene at that time was too one-sided.
If they got beaten by a little girl and didn't hit back... then the subsequent development of members in this school could be said to be completely hopeless.
As the saying goes, the gun shoots the bird that sticks its head out.
Although her battle record caused many of the developed members to waver, as long as they took care of her under these circumstances, then the effect of this matter could be reversed.
At that time, it would definitely make the gang's development in this school much smoother.
So he still came.
Even considering that no matter how useless his brother was, there were still seven or eight people, so for safety's sake, including himself, he brought a total of six people.
Under these circumstances, presumably taking down this little girl was already extremely secure.
Slowly following Ellen into the small alleyway, until they reached the depths where there was no one around, facing Ellen who had stopped and turned her head, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes seriously.
He spoke up:
"Sorry about this. No matter what, he is my brother, and also a reserve member of my White Heart Gang."
Taking a deep breath, half-speaking and half-acting, he said in a deep voice:
"Whether as a member of the White Heart Gang being bullied, or as my brother being bullied. I, as the older brother, will definitely claim back all the grievances he suffered."
This speech was delivered with impassioned emotion.
The dozen or so boys and Milin on the side were moved to the point of tears.
But for Ellen, this stuff was pure nonsense.
She shook her leg with some impatience from waiting, her small leather shoes making a pat-pat-pat sound on the ground accompanying the impatient shaking.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Ellen spoke directly to interrupt:
"Alright, alright, I got it. Anyway, you just came to find me for a fight, right? Since that's the case, don't talk nonsense. Come at me all together, I'm pressed for time right now."
After all, Andrew had said that if she finished these three sets two days in advance, there would be a bonus!
Thirty thousand Dennies!
Ellen didn't want to miss this bonus because of this kind of thing.
Although his speech was interrupted by Ellen, Milin's brother wasn't angry.
After all, after stabilizing the morale of the troops, his main objective had actually been achieved.
Looking at the appearance of those boys, when they returned to school after this event, they would inevitably brag about their status properly.
At that time, under the tireless persuasion of this group, there would definitely be more people willing to join.
They wouldn't even need to pay Dennies as remuneration.
At that time, there would be no shortage of cannon fodder to help them hunt for treasure in the Hollows.
And now, only the last step remained.
That was to beat up this very good-looking little girl severely.
Although it was a bit of a pity.
But as soon as he thought of the Dennies he could earn later, he suddenly started to feel it wasn't a pity anymore.
Focusing his eyes slightly, he said in a low voice:
"Since that's the case, then don't blame me."
Saying that, he waved his hand.
The next moment, the dozen or so boys who had just received encouragement rushed up in a swarm.
While above the heads of these people, Andrew was silently peeping at the scene in the alley below with Meow-Da.
Because he was worried about Ellen's safety, Andrew had hidden in the dark and witnessed the entire process of everything that happened before.
And he was ready to intervene at any time.
However, what he truly hadn't expected was that Ellen looked thin, weak, and lazy, but her combat power was actually unexpectedly very good?
This was truly a surprise for Andrew.
After all, according to Andrew's understanding of Victoria Housekeeping Co., there were definitely many places in their commissions related to Hollows and combat.
If Ellen's combat power was strong, then if she really joined Victoria Housekeeping Co. later, it would also make her safer.
____
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