I left the office as expected, knowing that the water supply was contaminated by monster carcasses, which is the main source of the disease. Luckily, Lord Phillip cut off the water supply just in time, knowing that the disease was highly contagious.
I, too, is also infected. Lord Phillip says that high-ranked healers who possess high-healing magic are often busy at quests in Caria City, so it has no time to make a cure, plus the Town Allure is not well known at the outskirts of Andromeda.
As I was walking by, I happened to stumble upon Calix and his group, who were sitting at a table full of alcohol and rye.
The bureau has a built-in tavern inside of its exterior, so that adventurers will reward themselves with a simple drink of beer. Even the most charitable of people would have a hard time describing the bureau's interior as anything but disgusting.
The fact that it reeked of alcohol even as early in the morning didn't help matters. The building induced a small bar, ostensibly as a place to introduce adventurers to possible party fellow members. It was currently full of several muscle-bound men who reside in Calix.
"Hey, Roxy, join us."
"Sure, Calix."
I sat at one of Calix's party members, all consisting of stone-ranked adventurers, the table reeked of alcohol, and tankards of beer were sitting at the table.
"Roxy, what brings you here? Want a drink?"
"Sorry Calix, I'm a light drinker."
Calix handed me a tankard of beer but I refused it, even a single drop of alcohol will leave me drunk though, I had a low alcoholic tolerance through my body, so does the Earth. So I responded to Calix about the origin of the disease.
"Calix, I'm here to tell you that the town's water supply was contaminated. I suppose to warn you that the disease spreads rapidly, so I asked Lord Phillip to cut off the water supply."
"Oh, that sucks."
Then, Calix lent out a worried face and continued drinking his tankard full of beer. It seems that Calix was aware of this situation despite the fact that it would risk his life in a gamble.
Calix nodded to himself as he listened to my preferences. The first two were common answers. He started making a mental list of recommendations after hearing them, in fact. However, my third question threw him off.
"A guarantee, of what, Roxy?" Calix tilted his head in confusion
"Ah, let me explain. Say for example, we got into a dispute of some kind, and we clearly weren't the perpetrators, you will assist me for the investigation so that the three of you will be rewarded handsomely." I replied
"So what you're saying is that, I will join your investigation and claim all the reward? Are you crazy, Roxy?"
"Indeed, I don't care about the rewards, I just want to end this nightmare. All we need is loyalty and manpower."
"Sure Roxy, it's a deal."
I smiled awkwardly while Calix accepted the recruitment
Normally I'd agree, I just wanted to save this town from this disease. It acts like an ebola virus as well as the symptoms.
After that, I recruited Calix to join our investigation. I don't bother claiming the reward, only Calix and his group will be rewarded. I didn't visit the ravine myself, I just wanted to gather some assistance for the sake of my safety.
I insisted once more that in the end it was only possible, but Calix was an adventurer that collects bounties through and through. Now that it had been requested of him, he would see it done.
"Leave it to me." Calix said
Then, he asked one of his forces if there was anything else they wanted out of their inn. Answering the needs of the customer to the best of my ability and my company. Calix offers a good deal.
"Roxy, so what you're saying is that, I will join your investigation in exchange for manpower, as well as the rewards have been settled."
"Indeed."
I just said "Leave it to me." like before, but this time, my cheeks were slightly red. As my gaze shifted back and forth between Calix's party as my face grew redder.
The guys sitting at the surrounding tables were all glaring daggers at Calix's, but he was used to it at this point, so he ignored them.
Then, I began explaining the rewards in more detail. Halfway through the explanation, Calix felt a strong gaze pointed their way. It was far more impolite that any they had felt so far, including the ones they'd received. As they had grown accustomed to such attention as well, they only raised their eyebrows slightly at it.
Calix pointed out a different direction, unsure of what had happened, I turned to see who was staring and saw… a pig.
There was no other way to describe him. He easily weighed over a hundred kilograms, his face was greasy, he had a bearded appearance and his black hair was slick in oil. The only thing positive about his appearance was the fancy clothes he was wearing.
"God, what a pain" I thought. At the same time, the fat pig started slowly lumbering over to where they were sitting. Looks like it was too late to make a stealthy escape. Not that I would ever run.
He stopped next to our table and leered through me. When he saw that I was wearing a commoner's dress, as if just noticing him for the first time, he demanded the following in a haughty voice.
"H-Hey, brat. I-I'll give you a million gold coins, so hand over that girl of yours. You peasant girl, you're going to be my concubine." The man asks Calix
The fat man's stutter didn't match his arrogant tone. He reached out to take my arm, thinking I was already his. That instant, I used my pain manipulation over his arm, making him scream in pain. Even people sitting a few tables away balked. Some fell out of their haste to get away from Calix.
The walking pig, who had taken that pain head on, screamed incoherently and fell on his ass. He wet himself on the spot, unable to muster the presence of mind to even crawl away.
"Roxy, let's go. I don't feel like staying here." Calix interrupted and told me.
As he didn't want his meal to be tainted by the smell of piss, Calix opted to leave. I had honestly wanted to kill that bastard who harassed me, but as I hadn't done anything more than talk to them yet, I wouldn't really be able to justify it to the authorities. And no town would let a murder roam free. Like Elias, I had the bone to kill him just by harassing me.
As we're about to stand up at our tables. The fat man immediately responded through me and said in a callous tone.
"Hey stone-ranked adventurer, I just want that bitch of yours? Is it for sale."
The fat man mistaken me as a prostitute, since Town Allure has increased the rate of prostitution, it is normal for us to encounter a slut in broad daylight. But calling me a bitch was out of the question. So Calix snapped back.
"Whom are you calling bitch? This girl is no other than Roxy, the gold-ranked adventurer. You should be ashamed of yourself." Calix lent out an angry face.
Then the fat man responded.
"H-hey stone-ranked adventurer, you're lying. That girl is a slut. Look at her dress. She is a bitch."
Unable to stand it any longer, I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind. But before I could get out a single word, Calix instinctively punched the fat man into the face.
"Ah…"
"Apologize to all the pig mascot fans in the world, you damn hog."
I grimaced as I thought about how his appearance resembled a certain famous mascot character back on Earth, as Calix stepped angrily on the fat man's face.
Calix too, has a protective side for me. If Elias has been in this situation, he has no choice but to kill the man instead, knowing that his little sister will call her a slut.
Calix bore down harder, until he could hear the fat man's skill crackling.
"Hey, pig. Don't ever show your face to me again. You never try to do anything to me again, directly or not… and I will kill you."
The fat man desperately tried to nod, his face still stuck underneath Calix's foot. He didn't even try to act tough. His pride has completely shattered.
After that, Calix let go of his foot, then responded to the fat man once again.
"If you called Roxy a bitch one more time, I swear I'll crush your skull off. You hear me."
Despite him being a stone-ranked adventurer, he was more of a gentleman than an adventurer. He desperately tried to defend me with the man's insults. Like ever since I've saved Calix's brother, he showed deep respect for me.
"Roxy, let's leave this place."
"Umm sure."