Chapter 131
"Ugh......"
Clael struck with a liquor bottle, and his older brother collapsed to the floor with a splat.
For now, the punishment for the traitor was complete. He had always intended to hit this man, so it was a temporary goal achieved.
"Restrain him!"
One of the ruffians nearby shouted.
The men all rushed at once to restrain Clael.
"Well, I kind of figured it would turn out like this......"
He hadn't known he was a wanted man with a bounty on his head... but still, it had been ten years since he'd received a letter from his brother.
He had suspected it might be something unpleasant.
That's exactly why Clael hadn't come here unprepared.
"Kuma—"
From inside Clael's coat, a bear plushie leapt out.
Reina had hidden it in Clael's luggage; it was a plushie she lived with at the staff dormitory.
"Kuma—"
"Kuma kuma"
"Kuma!"
"Gwahh! What the hell are these things!?"
Three bear plushies attacked the ruffians one after another, swinging their short limbs and pummeling them.
They dodged the blades in the ruffians' hands with finesse, leaping from table to table as they launched their attacks.
"Damn it... what are these plushies!?"
"Ignore them! Go after the guy over there!"
A ruffian set his sights on Clael.
He was likely trying to take Clael hostage to suppress the bears.
"That guy's just a priest! He should be easy to restrain!"
"Ooh!"
"Stay still, damn you!"
A ruffian closed in on Clael.
He tried to restrain him by force with brute strength.
"...I've really been underestimated, huh."
But... Clael dodged the ruffian's hand.
Then, using magic to enhance his physical abilities, he punched him square in the face.
"Gahh...!"
"It's easy to forget since the plushies are winning... but I'm not bad at fighting either."
Clael struck, kicked, and threw down the ruffians who came at him.
"This guy... he's strong!"
"Isn't he just a priest!?"
The dwindling number of ruffians shouted.
The self-proclaimed tough guys were being taken down by Clael—who didn't even have an impressive build—and the knee-high plushies.
For those gathered here, it must have been a nightmare come to life.
Though he usually stayed out of fights, hiding behind Reina and the plushies... in truth, Clael was fairly strong.
Clael used a combat style commonly referred to as a 'punching healer', fighting by enhancing his physical abilities with support magic.
Even during his student days, he had participated in monster subjugations, and though he was a healer, he had built up decent combat skills.
"Since I started living with Reina, even my Holy Arts have been strengthened like crazy... I might lose against a pro soldier or adventurer, but I'm not losing to some street punks."
"Gwoh...!"
Stepping on the stomach of a fallen man, Clael shrugged.
Most of the surrounding ruffians had been subdued. Thanks to the bears' efforts, they were beaten and collapsed on the floor.
"Tch... you bastards think you'll get away with doing this to us!?"
"Hm?"
"You messed with the Shortfoot Family! You better be ready to die!"
The last remaining thug shouted furiously.
Shouting while all his comrades had been defeated made him look rather pathetic.
"Well... I don't know how impressive this Shortfoot family is, but from the looks of it, they're on the verge of collapse."
"Don't get cocky just because you beat some small fry!"
"No, you're included in that small fry too."
"Shut up! We still have Mr. Johann! He'll dice you into tiny pieces!"
The thug shouted loudly toward the door behind the counter.
"Mr. Johann, we're counting on you! It's bodyguard time!"
"............"
In response to the thug's cry... a man appeared from behind the door.
"............!"
He was clearly different from the other ruffians.
Apparently, he wasn't a thug or a ruffian, but a bodyguard.
He held a long, rod-like weapon, had a rugged face, and sharp eyes.
You could say he had an aura... he radiated the presence of a 'powerful man'.
"This... might be a bit bad..."
He was quite strong.
Even an amateur like Clael could feel the man's strength in the air.
"Gahh..."
But the man collapsed.
He vomited blood and rolled onto the floor... and from behind him, another person appeared.
"Hey there, Mr. Burn. Good day."
"...Professor Amlet."
The one who appeared from behind the man was one of the capture targets—a seductively charming male teacher, Albert Amlet.
Amlet pulled at his shirt to show off his thick chest and raised two fingers with his other hand.
"I saw that a leave of absence was submitted from the staff dormitory, so I came to check on things... looks like it was the right call."
"...That was quite a hassle for you. Thanks to you, I was saved."
"Well, I'm sure things would've worked out even if I hadn't come."
"............?"
What did he mean by that?
Clael gave him a puzzled look, but Amlet didn't answer.
Instead, he knocked out the last remaining thug with a punch to the stomach.
"Now then... it seems the ones targeting Mr. Burn have been dealt with."
"...I hope this is the end of it."
"What do you mean?"
"They said it. That there's a bounty on me."
Perhaps... there was also a bounty on Reina, not just Clael.
"We have to do something... but first..."
Clael glanced to the side.
The person there was the one who had called Clael here in the first place.
"Sorry, I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
He must have regained consciousness at some point.
Clael's second-oldest brother... Liel was down on his knees in just his underwear, bowing in apology.