Published: January 4, 2026
At today’s "ga fes 2025," the anime adaptation of this work was announced.
For more details, please refer to the official website or activity reports.
"I'm going to follow after them. Since it’s bound to cause a commotion, you come after me."
"Yes!"
Cindy nodded firmly and dashed off to gather information.
I followed the residents a little later.
Though some time had already passed since they left, the noise was loud enough to be heard even from a distance.
Chasing after it, I found the residents gathered in front of another rice shop.
There were a few customers in the shop.
Women and children were among them.
The women and children who had come just to buy rice were frightened by the group of residents holding primitive weapons like wooden clubs and sticks.
"Customers, please step away."
"Hey, this isn’t something for the children to see. Take them somewhere."
"Go check if there’s any fire inside."
The group of residents efficiently carried out their tasks.
They first evacuated the customers, then some of them convinced the young-looking children to move away.
One of them entered the shop and carefully extinguished the lanterns, candles, and any other sources of "fire."
"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?"
A man who looked like the shop owner appeared from inside.
He seemed half confused and half scared by the sudden situation.
"We’re about to destroy this shop."
"W-why?"
"Because you engaged in unscrupulous business during such a time."
"That’s not true! Business is—"
"Alright, all the fires are out."
"The women and children have been moved away."
"We made mud water."
"Alright! Let’s do this!"
With the momentum of having prepared everything, the residents swung their weapons again.
Just like what I witnessed at the previous shop, they smashed the shop, scattered the rice products everywhere, and splashed mud water carefully on top of them.
In no time, the shopfront was destroyed and the goods ruined.
"Aaah!? What are you doing...!"
The shop owner screamed, trembling and then collapsed to his knees.
Whether it was because his goods were ruined or because he was frightened by the sudden rampage, the man slumped down, looking pale as death.
"Alright, next!"
"Yeahhhh!"
After finishing their actions, the men shouted a unifying cry and dashed off to the next target.
They had done quite a lot, yet so far, no one was injured.
It was very interesting that they were making efforts so that innocent people wouldn’t be harmed.
The fact that they checked for fire sources in advance and moved children away was notable.
What they were doing was very unusual and strange, and my curiosity outweighed my judgment.
There was another point of curiosity.
How should these people be judged legally?
This was a disaster-stricken area.
So initially, I thought this was the usual "looting" that comes with such situations.
If it were looting, it would be a serious crime, and if anyone was killed or injured during the process, the death penalty could be imposed.
However, under imperial law, looting is defined as "carrying away" money, valuables, or goods.
These people hadn’t taken anything away.
Therefore, it wasn’t looting.
Similarly, it didn’t fall under theft or robbery either.
Those are also defined as forcibly taking and carrying away goods.
So what they did could only be described as property damage.
Since there were no human casualties — and they seemed to avoid causing any — that was the only applicable charge.
Even in terms of disturbing public order, if someone could testify that children and women were moved away in advance, there would be considerable room for leniency.
Moreover, as they said themselves, they acted out of righteous indignation because prices were raised during a disaster.
This was also plausible, and usually, there would be plenty of witnesses, so the judgment would consider the public’s anger and mitigate the sentence.
There is a story.
Once, a foolish son of a landlord got drunk and forcibly violated a tenant’s daughter.
The girl could not bear the shame and hung herself shortly afterward.