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The branches and leaves of the Dragon Trees, having passed the flower season, were growing even greener and stretching towards the clear sky.

Alfe and I, now in our second year at St. Salaius Middle School, welcomed our second spring, and Hom had also passed the period of being viewed with curiosity by the other students.

Thanks to the early awareness spread among the new students who enrolled in April about Hom, who accompanied me, Hom was now treated no differently from the attendants that other students had.

This was partly due to the excellent education provided by the teachers, but it also made me realize anew that homunculi in this era were granted proper human rights¹. However, in the shadows, incidents of homunculi kidnapping by criminal organizations were reportedly on the rise.

Although Hom had already learned self-defense techniques from my father, these were focused solely on protecting herself. Hom expressed a desire to acquire combat skills sufficient to protect both Alfe and me, so we decided to head to Canado Street on the west side of town during the May holiday.

Canado Street was the name of the bustling commercial district on the west side. It was located across the lake from our living area on the east side of town and featured buildings that carried the strong influences of various cultures from different times and places, along with many shops, including food stalls and street vendors.

Due to the holiday designated by the Black Dragon Religion, Canado Street was bustling with many people. Following Alfe’s suggestion, we shared sweet steamed buns as we searched for a suitable dojo. That’s when I noticed Hom looking around cautiously.

“…What’s wrong, Hom?”
“It seems that some unsavory individuals are approaching.”

Hom responded quickly, tightening her fists with heightened vigilance.

“Ah…”

Alfe’s Pure Eye also seemed to have detected something, as her expression mixed with fear.

As expected, we stand out…

Since we were known at school, many people knew about us. In our living area, this was reassuring, but the situation changed when we were in places away from our usual environment, even within the same city.

Well, given that I put a lot of thought into Hom’s design, she does look quite appealing. She would fetch a high price on the black market, and targeting children is easier than going after adult alchemists.

I thought we would be safe with such a crowd and liveliness, but it seems I was too naive.

“…What shall we do, Master?”

Hom asked in a hushed voice. At that moment, I noticed a large man approaching us with a sly grin.

“Lady Alfe, please step back.”

Hom stepped in front of us and assumed the basic stance she had learned from my father. The sight of the imposing man approaching caused people around us to naturally begin to avoid our area.

“Well, well, look who we have here. I’ve been searching for you. Come here.”

The man sneered as he reached for Hom’s arm. Hom silently shook off his hand and urged us to move further back.

While it was unusual to see a girl-type homunculus, I hadn’t expected someone to make contact so brazenly in broad daylight.

“Leafa…”

Alfe’s voice trembled behind me. Hom could probably handle this one man by herself. What we needed to do was ensure our safety so that Hom could fight without worrying about us.

“Alfe, let’s ru—”

Once I decided to flee, I acted quickly. Grabbing Alfe’s arm, I turned my back on the large man and started running. However, our path was already blocked by another man with a potbelly.

“Where do you think you’re going? Come to this uncle’s home.”
“…Ah… Ah…”

Alfe’s face turned pale with fear. I gripped her hand tightly, thinking about what to do next when a bold voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Are you kidnappers!?”

The stout woman who sold us the sweet steamed buns earlier shouted bravely. People, who had been watching us from a distance, began to murmur. No one could have imagined a kidnapping attempt in such a crowded place. Neither had I.

But the relief I felt was short-lived.

“Ha ha ha, what a terrible thing to say.”

The potbellied man laughed loudly, closing the distance between us even more.

“Oh no, we’re just taking care of our relative’s child who’s a bit rebellious.”
“Isn’t that right, brother?”

The potbellied man asked, and the large man confronting Hom nodded. Then, another voice rose from a nearby stall.

“I get it. I was mistaken for a kidnapper myself when I was just babysitting for my wife².”
“It’s tough when the kids start crying for their mom. People get the wrong idea,” added the potbellied man with an exaggerated gesture to elicit sympathy from the crowd.
“You guys just have that kind of look, huh?”
“Don’t judge by appearances,” laughed the stall owner, as the tough-looking man put on a pitiful face and whined. The crowd laughed, and jeers were directed at us.

“What a misleading situation,” the stout woman who had initially spoken up also backed down, caught up in the atmosphere of the crowd.

It became clear to me that these men were far more skilled at manipulating the situation than I had anticipated. Realizing that we had no allies in this crowd and that our only option was to escape, I sharply commanded Hom.

“Hom—”
“Understood.”

Hom instantly grasped my intent and swept the legs out from under the large man, causing him to fall³.

“Hey! Stop!”

I dodged the potbellied man’s grasp by using a nearby sign as a shield and, still holding Alfe’s hand, took off running at full speed. Given the difference in our physiques, Alfe quickly outpaced me, pulling me along faster.

“Just keep running!”
“Got it!”

At times like this, having a child’s body was a real disadvantage. Even with Alfe pulling me along, it was clear I was slowing us down. I had to do something about this situation.

“Alfe, leave me and go ahead.”
“No way!”

Alfe weaved skillfully through the crowd, keeping me hidden as we continued to flee. However, the gap between us and our pursuers was rapidly closing.

“Hey, don’t run away. Let’s all have fun together,” the large man shouted, closing in on us. His hand finally grabbed my arm.

“Leafa!”
“Let go!”

I struggled to break free, but the difference in our sizes made it impossible.

But what if it were Hom?

“Hom!”

At my shout, Hom suddenly appeared from the crowd and delivered a fierce kick to the man’s solar plexus.

“Ugh…”

The large man, caught off guard, doubled over and vomited all over the place. Freed from his grip, I hid myself in the crowd and looked for Alfe.

“Lady Alfe, find a safe place!”

Hom, seemingly unable to spot Alfe, called out to her.

“No, we have to escape together!”

I could hear Alfe’s voice, but I couldn’t see her. The thought that she might have been caught by another one of their companions sent a cold sweat down my back.

“Now, now. Let’s end this game of tag. Don’t trouble us too much.”

The potbellied man, having caught up, approached Hom. The large man, having recovered, also stood up and looked down at Hom.

“Quite the tomboys, aren’t you? Looks like you need some discipline.”

The men continued to play the role of ‘relatives,’ preventing the people on the street from openly intervening. Unfortunately, due to the crowd, there were no police officers in sight.

Hom and I could easily be lost in this crowd. Even if people noticed the commotion, they might just think a child was throwing a tantrum if they heard the men’s story.

I realized it would be best if Alfe escaped alone. I didn’t want to involve her any further, and I couldn’t bear to let her experience more fear because of me.

“Alfe, listen to me. You need to run now.”
“—O swirling winds. Bless us with your speed. Wind Flow!”

Instead of a reply, I heard the incantation for wind magic. As the spell was completed, a whirlwind enveloped Hom and me.

“This way, run!”

A hand reached out from nowhere, gripping mine firmly and pulling me along.

“Alfe!”

I shouted in surprise, quickly closing my mouth to avoid biting my tongue as I matched Alfe’s sprint down the street.

“This way!”

We dashed through the main street like the wind, but our escape led us, unfortunately, into a dead-end alley⁴.

1. Robinxen: Human rights when a child can make them?!
2. Robinxen: It’s difficult… I got weird stares once taking my BROTHER to the shop. Like What the hell????? But this is obviously a different situation you know!
3. Robinxen: I think at this point I would be suspicious of their motives… or at least their parenting.
4. Robinxen: Unfortunately? You’re literally magic cannons! They only have one avenue of approach now just keep pelting them to death! Lady protagonist here is an infinite wellspring of energy to abuse!