Outside, Yuta showed concern, because even after being expelled she still had a contract with the council to recover weapons, and now realized that the users of these weapons were far stronger than she had imagined. The problem was that without a forge, she could not craft or earn money.
That was when Banzon Packard suggested something simple. Buy a forge. And he tossed a bag full of gold in front of her. Ash was surprised by the amount of money, and he explained that it represented lives on the front lines, and that thanks to the two of them he had been able to protect his family and his comrades, so he was simply repaying them.
Yuta felt a bit awkward, but he insisted that they had given him something no amount of money could buy, and that he believed her skills could give hope to many people, just like they had for him. He made it clear that it was not an obligation. He was doing it because he wanted to. Ash was moved by this, but Yuta broke the mood by asking if the money came with no repayment, which made Ash call her crazy.
Even so, later on, already at a real estate office on blacksmith street, Yuta asked for the most expensive place, while Ash reminded her that the money was not even hers, and Banzon Packard simply agreed and told them to go ahead.
Suddenly, however, a hooded man appeared with an extremely powerful gauntlet, activated the weapon, and blinded the entire group, disappearing in seconds along with the bag of money.
Ash realized that was not normal, since even she could not react, and Yuta concluded that there was a monstrous weapon within blacksmith street itself, and that recovering this item had now become their job. Banzon Packard commented that it was probably a weapon made by Yuta herself, and that her life was never peaceful, while Ash asked if he was not worried about the money. He replied that such a large sum draws attention, so sooner or later someone would notice.
Yuta, however, said it was not that simple, and asked Ash if she knew where to find certain people, mentioning the leader of the pickpockets. Ash confirmed that she did, and Yuta asked her to take them there, since they had no other choice.
Thus, they headed to the underworld of the craftsmen's district, a place hidden behind the surface's shine, filled with scrap and discarded iron, known as Beckers. There, they arrived at the Bleak Pawn Shop, where Ash knocked on the door impatiently, demanding they open up immediately. After a brief exchange with the guard, the door opened, and Ash remarked that it was time to face her past. Just by descending the stairs into the underground, Banzon Packard could already feel the heavy, bloodthirsty atmosphere.
Inside, Risala, the owner of the Bleak Pawn Shop, greeted the group by saying that they take anything to sell, and if they do not have it, they steal it. Upon seeing Ash, she mocked her, asking if she had come crawling back or if she missed the mercenary life. Ash responded dryly that it had been a long time, while Risala commented that she still had that irritating expression. She then ordered the mercenaries present to leave, saying that their veteran had arrived, making it clear that Ash's presence still commanded respect in that place.
Banzon Packard looked at those bloodthirsty mercenaries and got confused when he heard Ash being called senior, so he asked what that meant. Yuta explained simply that Ash used to work as a mercenary before staying with her, and that it was an old story.
Without hesitation, Ash stepped forward and explained the situation, saying they had been hit by a massive flash near the real estate office and the money had disappeared. Then she directly asked if it was the work of someone connected to Risala. Risala replied that she was accusing the wrong person, saying that if she had someone with that kind of ability, she would have hired them long ago, and made it clear that it was not her. In fact, her own business had been suffering because of this so-called red flash individual.
She said she even had a guess about who it might be. But since the person used a monstrous weapon, no one could act recklessly. She also took the opportunity to mock them, saying all of this was happening because some idiot let these weapons slip away, which made Yuta turn her face aside, clearly bothered. Ash then said she could deal with that person as long as she knew who it was, and Risala seemed interested, asking if the famous yellow eyes was going to act again.
With nothing to lose, she decided to help, and gave them information about a hideout in an alley around blacksmith street, a place made by abandoned children called Shang Wei. Hearing this, Banzon Packard suggested it might be better to understand the environment first before acting, but Yuta had no patience for that, and said that since it seemed like everyone wanted to fight, she would handle it herself, in a polite way.
As soon as they arrived at the location, she simply broke down the door and walked in, demanding the money back and threatening to take everyone there down if they did not hand over the thief responsible. The mercenaries were surprised to have been found, but they had no intention of letting the group leave alive. Yuta, without wasting time, sarcastically said she had tried to resolve things peacefully, and asked Ash if she could act now.
Ash replied that if they just returned what they stole, everything would end there. But one of the mercenaries recognized her and commented that she was the famous yellow-eyed mercenary, asking if she had not retired. Meanwhile, Yuta reinforced that they already knew what would happen if they did not cooperate, and since no one responded, the confrontation began.
One of the enemies ordered them to block the path and protect the inner room, which raised suspicion in Ash, who decided to advance to check what they were hiding. In the middle of the chaos, Yuta appeared beside one of the mercenaries and knocked him down with a direct strike, while Banzon Packard, even without his original strength, fought using magic thanks to the large amount of mana he still possessed.
With that opening, Ash pushed through the doors and ended up finding something unexpected. Children. It was not a normal hideout. They were just lost kids.