Chapter 155 – Rejection (1)
Spada is structured with the royal castle in centre, and the castle town spreading in concentric circles.
It is the same as the capital city of Daedalus, no, as a matter of fact Daedalus was made taking Spada as a reference.
Daedalus was protected by the outer walls, and inner walls covering the royal castle, but Spada has crossed that and there are triple layers of protection.
The third protective wall, in other words the first outer wall, just inside it is the lower cla.s.s district, the common people live here, the inn Kurono and others are living is also located here.
Next the second outer wall, is separated from the inner wall, it is the upper cla.s.s district, the wealthy merchants or n.o.bles live here, the adventurer guild of Spada is also located here, but is only available to rank 4 adventurers and above. It is completely unrelated place for Kurono and others right now.
And the most inner part is the third protective wall, it is the outer wall which protects the royalty of Spada, centre of the country, the royal castle.
It is the most important area where an outsider like Kurono will be punished the moment he steps there. The most probable way for a normal person to stand here would be to join the Spada Army.
Having no intention to change the job from adventurer, Kurono and others can only use the area between 3rd protective wall and 2nd protective wall, the lower cla.s.s district.
And, the place he is headed towards the place where refugees were living, was also naturally in this area.
「This place seems like slums」
Fiona gives out her as usual extremely frank impressions.
「Don’t say that much, people will can hear it.」
Though Kurono acted slightly modest, but deep in heart he too had the same thoughts.
But it couldn’t be helped, even without any discrimination intentions, it is very difficult to say this place, with filthy and dirty houses made of broken stone and wood, is a very good living environment.
The images of slum quarters of Rio de Janeiro, Kurono saw in Television long before, frequently pa.s.s through his mind.
Beyond the dark alleys, it wouldn’t be strange if some man with good body build is doing the illegal transactions of drugs, this atmosphere was drifting all over the place.
「But, they weren’t driven off to the extreme slum areas, Spada does give some generous treatment to them」
Though Lily thought it to be already nauseating here already, but her words were not a lie, because outside the third protective wall, is the most lowest area in much more bad state.
「Yeah, you’re right」
Kurono too shows agreement.
Because he is also engaging in occupation like adventurer with life at risk, that he is living in simple yet clean inn.
They were all farmers till now, having lost their lands, how will they live in this Spada, maybe they will unwillingly become adventurers, Kurono guessed as such.
However, he discards the idea of looking after them, after all it is only a sort of arrogance.
「Hey Kurono, after meeting them, what will you say?」
While walking through the somewhat complicated maze-like alleys, Lily asked.
「I……」
There are survivors of refugees though very few, the time he head this news, he was extremely delighted.
But, at the time of meeting them, there wouldn’t be a chance both him and others will be pleased at each other’s good health.
The 50 survivors who survived with only the survival rate being 0.5% he couldn’t finds the right words to say to them.
「……Don’t know」
Will it be good to say, it’s good that you’re alive?
Or to repent, saying that he couldn’t save anyone?
Or would he worry, how they will live from now on?
「Though I don’t know, but if they are alive, I need to talk to them.」
He can’t find the words, but his feelings are without a doubt true.
That’s why, the moment he got the news about them from the letter from Simon, he without hesitation came walking till here to meet them.
Lily already had a bad premonition, but she couldn’t find the right words to stop Kurono.
.
.
.
Around the three-story apartment like stone building, bungalows of wood are lined.
Not any different from the deserted place from before, this one corner was, given to the refugees to live here temporarily.
The small childs, have been given to orphanage or temples of Spada, but other than them most of people are still living here.
In front of apartment, there were groups of people talking about of something.
Middle-aged men, small werecats, goblins wearing bandages on arms, lizardmen having many scales broken, there are various people of various races there.
Kurono finds some faces he has seen, and is convinced the refugees from Daedalus are really here.
However, Kurono couldn’t find any words for them, they looked depressed and had no life in eyes.
The moment he resolved to call out to them, at that moment.
「Oi, b.a.s.t.a.r.d!」
To the sudden voice, he turns back quickly, there stood a young man.
「b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you’re Kurono, the adventurer one! Why are you alive! How dare you show your face in front of us, huh!!」
The face of screaming man, Kurono remembered it.
「You are, Nachim」
This man was the child of chief of Kwar Village, and the leader of vigilante corps.
At the time of meeting in village, he abused Kurono and rejected his proposal to run to Spada. Kurono has some past with him, so he remembered him clearly.
Even 1 month hasn’t pa.s.sed, but his good physique body is now ragged out.
With just that much, it’s simple to imagine what sort of situation he met with.
「b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Just because you said to run to Spada, that it ended up like this!!」
「S-Stop, that——」
To the sudden false accusation, he tried to reply back, but Nachim didn’t pay heed to it.
「How dare you deceive us! I didn’t knew we would be hunted by t-tha-that dreadful monster!」
「I didn’t had any intention to deceive, if we didn’t run then all would have died.」
The ‘monster’ he is saying, is most probably the apostle.
Even if he said, that he didn’t knew that that monster would hunt them, but Kurono himself didn’t knew that an Apostle was waiting for them.
To the escape to Spada, Kurono has no doubt it was the best option available.
However, the results which are near the extent of complete extinction, are without a doubt the reality.
「Shut up! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault, you jinx, angel of death! f.u.c.k, what happened to adventurer, f.u.c.king you yourself are only alive! s.h.i.t! Fu, Hihihi, I see, I understand, b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you let every other adventurer die as sacrifices so that you can run away yourself! Isn’t that right! That’s why a sc.u.mbag sleaze life adventurer like you are alive!!」
「That’s wrong! I didn’t leave anyo——」
Kurono’s words don’t reach, they can’t.
Nachim couldn’t control his anger with just screaming, and took out his sword hanging on his waist.
He was more or less the head of vigilante corps, the posture while holding sword is also somewhat refined.
But, his anger and bloodl.u.s.t increased, due to it the point of sword started trembling.
「Oi, Wait, Calm down——」
「Shut up! It’s all you fault many died……father too, my subordinates too, everyone, everyone died because of you!!」
Nachim talks big as if he would cut at any moment.
But, even before the sword is swung downward, Kurono took an ‘attack’ on his body.
「!?」
That was, a small stone.
It hit Kurono’s collar and returns to being a road-side-lying pebble.
With a dumbfounded expression, Kurono looked at the person who threw the stone at him.
「It’s your fault」
It was a young boy.
His age has pa.s.sed 10, his skin is tanned due to sun, maybe from helping parent’s field work.
Even in Irz, in Alsace too, it was a boy who can found at any farm village.
However, the boy is right now making an expression filled with hatred, that a young boy would never make.
「I, ……」
One more stone came flying.
This time it wasn’t the boy, but the mother of yet small girl.
「It’s due to you, all because of you——」
Before he knew it, many people made a crowd in front of him.
「It’s all your d.a.m.n f.u.c.king fault!」
「You dare deceive us!」
「Return my child!」
「Die! Die and apologize!」
And many stones, rapidly are thrown on Kurono, filled with malice and hostility.
「Ku……S-Stop it……」
On Kurono’s enhanced tough body, stones thrown by people, won’t even make it near the damage point.
But, the malice in each stone, scooped out Kurono’s heart.
The ‘worst’ attack, which couldn’t be blocked by any defensive magic.
「S-Stop, It……」
The responsibility for this large sacrifice all lies in only Kurono, looking objectively at it, it just can’t be.
The person who was wrong is, the 11th Apostle Misa, there isn’t any other person more worst than her.
But, that thing matters no more to them, it won’t be a reason from them to stop throwing stones.
The blasphemous comments of Nachim, are now the only reality to them.
It only that, Kurono got chosen as the scapegoat to run away from the responsibility of this unbearable sorrow.
However, even if he knew it, Kurono right now, neither could say anything back to them, nor could block the stones thrown at him.
Hence, the person to stop it,
「Stop it——」
was only Lily, no one else.
「——or I’ll kill you」
At that moment, a sphere of white light pa.s.s through Kurono’s vision.
The flood, of light and explosion sound gulps down the surroundings.
「Wha, OI!? Lily!?」
「It’s alright, I’ve not hurt anyone」
The worst scenery went through Kurono’s head, but Lily standing in front of him, denies it with a cold voice.
It’s only the warning shot, in other words, a flash grenade sort of thing.
The moment light and sounds reduce and silence returns, in front of Nachim wielding his sword, stood Lily in her young girl, true form.
「L-Lily-san……?」
It’s the first time Nachim saw the true appearance of Lily, but he still understood her ident.i.ty.
Having an overwhelming beauty in front of him, the anger in Nachim’s heart is overwritten by the Charm’s ability.
「Don’t do anymore than this, We too, will never come in front of you people again」
「H-However……」
「Please?」
To Nachim, the words of Lily smiling coldly, felt like the words of G.o.d.
「I-It can’t be helped! Stop, Stop everyone!」
Nachim turned back, and to the group who were throwing the stones, he threw the words to stop.
Maybe he still had the charisma of vigilante corp leader, or he was afraid of Lily’s threat, the stones or abuse both didn’t come again at Kurono.
And, he dispersed everyone, the people dispersed here and there while speaking words of complaints to Kurono.
Now, only Kurono, Lily and Fiona, who stood completely unrelated from start till end, were left there.
Lily, took the hand of dumbfounded and petrified Kurono, and smiled warmly at him.
「Let’s go back, Kurono?」
「Yeah, you saved me Lily, Thank you」
Showing much more brighter smile, Lily tried to speak the words of grat.i.tude, but the next moment her expression froze.
「But, sorry, can you leave me alone for now……」
Having said that, Kurono quickly shook off Lily’s hand.