Translated by mranon
Edited by Frosty and OnionRings
Volume 2, Chapter 18 【A Little Courage】
――In the middle of the night, the conversation between the men in black slowly resounded inside the Lana Village orphanage.
「…Well, I don’t mean to say that Captain Serdio is soft at making judgements, still.」
「I know, right? Shouldn’t we just dispose of everyone?」
「Hey, hey. Refrain from acting at your discretion. If they resist, it will be inevitable. Basically, though, we have to maintain the status quo.」
「Aa… I know.」
Roy, Minii, and the other kids set out to work in the sugarcane fields per norm. The group that attacked the orphanage wouldn’t make a move as long as they were tight lipped. Thus, they had been living their usual life for the past few days.
For some reason, most of the men in black had vanished this morning. Only two of them stayed behind to stand watch.
――The kids a.s.sisted with harvesting till evening and received wages from the farmers.
「Well then, I’ll be needing your help tomorrow, too.」
With the meagre wage in hand, Minii *tokotoko* trod the way to the orphanage in the outskirts of the village.
A boy who was waiting for Minii there――Roy, spoke.
「I’m so tired.」
「Un. What about the others?」
「I had finished my work, so I returned ahead of them.」
「Is that so? Umm… is your wound from the other day okay now?」
When the orphanage was invaded by Serdio and his group, Roy was punished for resisting. Fortunately, there was no abnormality with his bones and such.
「It aches a little, but it’s fine. Still, I was so miserable… I don’t want to remember it.」
「No… it’s not like that. Our opponents were adults and bad guys. I could only tremble…」
「Because you’re a girl. Even though my body was small… I wanted to train. I mean, aren’t orphans all poor? So, I thought I would become an Adventurer and earn a lot of money when I grew up. I even underwent secret training with a fellow whenever I had time, yet I ended up like that… what’s more――… In front of everyone…」
Having said that, Roy opened his mouth with a slightly nervous look.
「What’s the matter?」
「Nothing… Minii, what do you want to do in the future? Is there anything you want to do?」
「I haven’t thought about it at all. I guess it’s enough to just be able to return the kindness I have received from everyone.」
「Yeah, I guess… Minii, when I leave this village, will you――」
Roy’s words――stopped right there.
For on the road leading to the orphanage, his eyes caught sight of a figure he didn’t want to see.
Black from head to toe, face concealed behind a mask—a lone man who belonged to the group that attacked the orphanage. Roy reflexively put his guard up and hid Minii behind his back.
「What do you want? We didn’t do anything suspicious. We have been living our usual lives as you told us to. We didn’t ask anyone for help.」
「That’s so nice of you, but… unfortunately, you will all be killed in the end.」
Roy fought off the unpleasant feeling creeping up his back and shouted.
「W-We will all be what?! We have been diligently…」
「I see. That’s right. That would be too unreasonable. So, here’s a suggestion. Why don’t you――call for help right now?」
「What are you saying? If we do that… everyone will be…」
「I will just say I didn’t see that. Fine? …This is the only way you can survive. Now go.」
Roy and Minii exchanged glances and nodded.
The two turned back and started running in the direction they came from.
Silently watching the two tiny bodies running for their lives――the man leaked a faint laughter.
His facial expression, which was supposed to be concealed behind the cloth, could be clearly seen through his voice.
「Conceited brat, who dared to oppose Captain Serdio… your end is inevitable. And if everyone can be gotten rid of together with you, even better… Kuhi, hyahaahaahaaha!!」
The man pulled one of the innumerable knives out of the leather belt on his waist.
「Run, run. A hunter cannot hunt if the prey doesn’t run. Only then will the hunter’s blood rush.」
「――Hey, even if we call for help, then what?」
「There was one more person on the lookout beside that guy. It would be dangerous for the villagers. If we contact the Adventurer’s Guild in a nearby village or a Garrison――… watch out!」
Roy pushed Minii, who was running by his side, away.
A knife, which was thrown from behind them, dug into Roy’s arm and a red speck strewed the ground.
「Oow… what’s the meaning of this?」
The one who appeared out of darkness, relaxedly, was none other than the man from a while ago.
「Good. Your movement is better than I expected. You could have a promising future.」
「d.a.m.n… you never had any intention of letting us go…」
「Perceptive, too. As a reward, I will put killing you off. First, I will chop that brat over there up―― 」
At those words, Roy momentarily forgot the pain in his arm.
All his turbid emotions surged in one direction.
――Anger.
「Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa」
While screaming, he clung to the back of the knees of the man in front of him. With his all, he rammed into him from behind in an attempt to push him down.
His opponent might have been careless. Nevertheless, this move was the best of Roy, whose physique was far inferior.
As the man fell, having lost his balance, Roy cried at the top of his lungs.
「Minii, run away without me!」
「But…」
「Hurry!」
It was the first time she heard the boy, whom she had grown up with, yelling.
Minii took his words and ran away with crumpled face.
Although Minii was hard working, she was a girl who had yet to reach 10 years of age.
Although she was repeatedly wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, her vision was still blurry.
Although she wanted to ask for help, words wouldn’t come out of her mouth.
Only trembling cry came out.
To begin with, whom was she supposed to ask for help?
In such a small village as this, there was neither an Adventurer Guild nor a troop of guards.
Should she have the adults in the village go to a town and ask for help? Everyone at the orphanage will be killed in the meantime. Besides, Roy…
With despair of helplessness in her chest, Minii got her foot tangled and fell onto the ground.
‘I must get up and help…’ she thought. However, the crying fit that forced itself out of her body didn’t allow her to.
「U… eeeeeen… Roy… everyone… someone… someone save them.」
「――Hey, are you alright?」
Because her cry had been answered, she hurriedly lifted her face, that had been dirtied with soil and tears, up.
Although the face of the person in front of her was blurry due to her teary eyes, his voice was very gentle.
Although his body was covered in a long robe, he had an armor equipped inside, and was also carrying a sword on his waist.
‘Is he… an Adventurer?’
‘Did he visit this village on someone’s request…?’
Thinking so, Minii pushed her palm out to the person in front of her with a glimmer of hope.
Her palm—that had a few copper coins, which she had earned for a.s.sisting with the harvest, clasped.
「Please. I know this is not enough, but later… so please, save everyone…!」
――Roy raised his fist at the opponent, who had fallen.
However, he was kicked in the guts. He flew over and rolled onto the ground in an unsightly way.
While feeling bitter at the fact that his body was too light, he stared at the opponent.
「You want me to do it, don’t you? But killing you right away would be such a… waste!」
「U… gu!」
As the knife, which was stuck into Roy’s arm, was pulled out, a spray of blood flitted about.
「Ah, right… I will feed you to my pet. I’m sure it will be excited.」
「W-What did you say…」
*Hyuu* the deadly weapon, which seemed to rip the air apart as it was swung down, was barely dodged.
「Don’t move too much. If I don’t drain the blood properly, the meat will stink… So, I will chop all your body up. Hiyahahaa」
First hit, second hit… the deadly weapon, which had been drawn out, cut through Roy’s skin and ripped it.
He was most likely toying with him.
If he intended to kill him, he could do it right away. However, he must be enjoying watching Roy desperately trying to dodge.
Gradually… strength left Roy’s body.
His body became heavy, and his thoughts intermittent.
He was bleeding too much.
「Now then, should we end this? After all, I have to deal with that runaway brat, too.」
Amidst hazy consciousness, Roy gazed at the knife as the man in front of him swung it down.
‘Aah… so, I’m going to die in such a place, huh?’
‘In the end――I wasn’t able to save anyone.’
‘Minii… sorry…’
――On the cheeks of Roy, who had shut his eyes close, something warm *bishari* trickled down.
He wiped it with his finger, thinking it was tears.
‘What happened…?’ Right when Roy opened his eyes, the man in black strangely screamed.
「Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! M-My arm, my aaaaaaaaaaarm! 」
There were three people there.
The man in black, who had lost his right wrist, which he was holding the knife in.
Roy, who was looking amazed.
And-――between the two stood a man clad in a robe.
Grasped in his hand was a sword, which had an erratic red pattern crafted onto its slightly curved jet black blade.
Dyed in blood, it somehow looked even more beautiful.
「A gentleman doesn’t take pleasure in making a girl cry. The reward of the quest this time is priceless――that girl’s smile, you a.s.shole!」