C128
"Hey! Stop!”
Shirone took a step and shouted.
Gamose looked back at Shirone with a ridiculous expression. He wondered just which guy didn't know anything jumped out rashly, but it is actually a boy that was still in his teens, and he even held a basket in both hands.
"What's up with you, kid? Where did this brat come from?"
"Please let go of that woman. Everyone is watching, and guard will be here soon."
“Puhahaha! Guard? Do you even know who I am?"
"What difference does it make if I know who you are? If you keep doing this, I'll personally go and call for guards."
“Hmm….”
When Gamose loosened his grip, the woman quickly slipped away and hid behind Shirone. He was just a boy, but among the many people in the crowd, Shirone was the only person she could rely on.
"Please save me. This man was trying to..."
Gamose frowned and approached.
"What a miserable thing, you're making me annoyed. Hey, kid, I'm a trader here on Galliant Island. That woman stole my things. She tried to steal fine porcelain and broke it.”
"Huh? Ceramic?”
Shirone blinked. If the man's words are true, then the woman standing behind him would be a thief.
In the end, it was said that he tried to get compensation with her body because she tried to stole something, it was an ambiguous situation to take someone's side.
"That's right. Of course, I did ask for her body on the premise of the ceramic. But since she broke my stuff, shouldn't I be compensated in some way? If you call the guards, the one who's going to get arrested is her."
When Shirone turned around, the woman who met his eyes hurriedly averted her gaze.
“Is what he said true?”
"Yes, I'm sorry. But I really needed that ceramic. I really am."
"Hahaha! There's no case in the world where someone absolutely needs a ceramic. If you need something, it's money. I was just trying to help you make money. You see, kid? It's not good to get involved with women like her. Of course, unless you're looking for a companion for the night. Isn't that right, folks?"
The onlookers burst out laughing along with Gamose. It wasn't a particularly funny situation, but it was because the tension that had been overlapped with various factors was relieved at once.
“It looks like you came to hang out with your friends, so why not scram and cook some delicious food. This is what happens when you carelessly interfere in the affairs of adults.”
The woman waved Shirone's arm and pleaded.
"Please don't leave. I don't know what that man will do if you leave."
"Why don't you just confess? If you talk to guard, it'll be resolved."
"I absolutely can't. That man has a tight grip on this island. Please believe me."
“How much does the ceramic cost?”
"I don't know the exact price, but it's probably around 50 silver."
Shirone was lost in thought. It's not difficult for him to shell out 50 silver for a woman. But is it really right to pay compensation just because he has money? He thought that just as he had no right to judge someone else's sins, he also had no right to pardon someone else's sins.
Shirone made a decision and approached Gamose.
"I'll compensate for the ceramic instead. So please let this woman go."
Gamose narrowed his eyes in surprise. Of course, 50 silver is not a lot of money for nobles. But what could be the motive for him to protect the woman even against his powerful position on Galliant?
"Ahh, I see you want to take her for yourself? But well, where would a kid like you get such a beauty for 50 silver?”
Shirone's brow narrowed. He was uncomfortable with Gamose's words, who only saw things from a lustful perspective.
"I don't think like that. Do people think everyone is like you?"
"Then why are you stepping in? This woman is a thief. You could just hand her over to the guard and she’ll be fine."
"Whatever this woman did, it's not my place to judge. Nevertheless, the reason I'm willing to use 50 silver is because I think she shouldn't pay a greater price for the crime she committed. If you plan to do something more to this woman, please accept this money and let her go."
The woman who heard Shirone's words lit up her eyes as if she had realized something. Gamose, on the other hand, snorted at her. He only pay 50 silver, so what's the point of thinking so complicated?
"Here, 50 silvers. Now, please let the woman go."
Gamose stared at the silver coin on Shirone's palm.
To be honest, he couldn't feel good about this situation. The woman was too precious to let go, and he disliked Shirone's attitude.
From his point of view, it looked like an ignorant kid who lost his senses over the beauty of the woman.
"There's no need for money. I've got plenty. But I do have one condition."
"Condition? What is it?”
"I know you're a gallant man who sacrifices for a woman. Then, can you apologize to me on her behalf? I mean, bow your head to me in front of everyone."
The attention of the onlookers was focused on Shirone. It was uncommon for someone to accept humiliation for another, but Shirone stepped forward without hesitation.
"Alright. If that's what it takes for you to forgive her, I'll apologize."
"Don't just talk, bow down. I want a very sincere apology."
Shirone bent down deeply.
"I apologize on behalf of this lady for stealing the ceramic. Please forgive her."
“Hmm.”
The man arrogantly lowered his eyes and looked at Shirone. Then, he snorted a laugh and took a step forward, swinging an uppercut.
Seeing the fist hurtling in front of his eyes, Shirone reflexively backed away. The man's large hand whizzed by, barely missing his nose.
“Wha- What are you doing?”
Gamose clicked his tongue as if he expected this and pointed at Shirone.
“Look. You avoid it? . You weren't truly sorry to me. If you had taken the punch, you might have saved the woman. But you dodged. You were scared of getting hit. Do you see now? The world isn't so easy. If you can refute, do it. You're just pretending to be good."
People agreed to Gamose's words. If he truly wanted to save the woman, he could have clenched his eyes shut and taken the punch. But Shirone dodged. In the end, it meant he was hypocritical.
Voices of contempt flew from here and there.
"That's right. He seemed so virtuous but now shows his true colors. I thought he was some saint."
“Anyway, kids these days are so rude. They think acting like this makes them look cool."
Shirone couldn't understand crowd's reactions.
"What's the problem with me dodging?"
"He doesn't even know to be ashamed! Everyone who was watching is disappointed in you. You acted like a great apostle of justice, but it was all a pretense!”
Shirone's face turned into an embarrassment.
"What are you talking about? Doing good deeds, even if they're just for show, is much better than doing evil like you, isn't it?"
"What? That's..."
Gamose was speechless. Even those who had been ridiculing them could not hide their bewilderment.
The woman, who had been watching the situation from a distance, came to a conclusion close to certainty.
'My guess was correct. This child… He’s a mage.'
A mage does not ask 'Who is the correct answer?'. What they questioned was 'What is the correct answer?'.
This boy doesn't rationalize himself. His method of acknowledging the facts and inferring the correct answer was a common thinking system among mages.
The woman sneered at the people who had been left speechless.
'Hmph, none of you thought to help, only keen to denigrate someone else's good deeds, that's why you're unsuccessful.'
Either way, it was now time for her to make her move. While everyone's attention was on Shirone and Gamose, it was best for her to slip away.
The woman, moving slowly along the wall, disappeared quickly around the corner at some point.
Meanwhile, Gamose's face was flushed. From his entrance until now, the boy who had been constantly offending him was now insulting his worldview.
All this in front of numerous people.
“Little boy, you seem to have touched the wrong person.”
Gamose's voice sank heavily. It was his original voice, stripped of the merchant's guise. Then, the quick-witted bodyguards pulled out the swords that were worn around their waists.
Murderous intent is just a concept, but it is a force that affects reality. Simply the presence of a sharply honed longsword in the space makes a human imagine death.
"What are you just standing there for? Go beat him up good!"
At Gamose's instructions, the bodyguards rushed from left and right. They wouldn't rashly kill someone, but they were ready to slash if necessary.
At that moment, dirt and dust flew in the eyes of the bodyguard. Then another stone flew and struck another bodyguard's forehead.
Shirone looked back at the spot where the stone flew. In the alleyway, the woman from earlier stood holding a heap of stones.
She continued to throw stones at him. As the bodyguards hesitated and fell back, she grabbed Shirone's wrist and ran down the alleyway.
"Let's run! Follow me this way!"
"Huh? Excuse me….”
Shirone knew early on that the woman had left.
He pretended not to know, however, because he thought it was a good thing.
Gamos, who he had a direct conversation with, was a person who would make a woman pay much harsher than the punishment for her sins.
"But why did you come back?"
"Quickly! It's a headache if you get tangled up with them!"
The two of them ran down the maze-like alleyway. Thanks to the woman who was navigating the complicated path, they disappeared from the bodyguards' sight in an instant.
Gamose's voice came from the market.
"Go and catch them all! I will make them completely ruined!"
-----------------------
The warehouse was filled with a feverish heat of violence. Falkoa's kicks mercilessly slammed into Jis' side as he fell to the ground and curled.
Each blow felt like his heart was stopping. He was so overcome with fear that he couldn't even remember where he was being hit. The only sensations he could perceive were the stimulus and non-stimulus.
"You piece of trash. You like getting hit, huh? Hmm? You must like it. So get hit more."
Jis' friends were kneeling in the corner of the warehouse.
Their eyes were swollen from crying, but the tears showed no signs of stopping.
“Please forgive us! We'll go out and earn some! We're going to die at this rate!"
"Oh, really? So from now on, you want to get hit?"
His friends' bodies froze. Falkoa's face, his eyes wide open, looked like a devil.
If he put his mind to it, he could kill Jis as much as he like. But Falkoa deliberately didn't hit his face. That fact was even more terrifying.
Falkoa grabbed Jis's hair and yanked him up forcefully. Despite being completely drained, Jis sprung to his feet.
Though he wasn't hit in the head, his eyes were vacant. It felt like his brain was paralyzed due to the mental shock alone.
“Spa- Spare me. I did wrong……"
"Does it hurt? It is? Tell me. It hurts? Hurts?"
Falkoa slapped Jis across the cheek. Even though it wasn't a particularly powerful attack, Jis convulsed every time he was hit.
His friends burst into tears again at the sight.
'Oh man, this crazy bastard. He's really going to kill someone.'
Falkoa kicked Jis to the ground. It wasn't for any particular reason.
If he had to question it, it was because he felt that the drug effect he used was diminishing?
"You returned 5 gold because your pride was hurt? Well done. Really well done, Jis."
"I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!"
Jis felt wronged. He wanted to fight. But he was too terrified. In front of Falkoa's madness, his pride was useless. He felt like he could do anything if only he could get out of here.
---
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
