Only Then Did I Feel Relieved
Only Then Did I Feel Relieved
From what I'd heard, they apparently weren't parents.
The war with the Demon King's Army showed no sign of ending, and while it wasn't at the level of fighting every other day, there had been many battles over the past three years.
The guys I'd beaten up and the ones who were looking for me because of it were probably friends who'd run off claiming they'd become adventurers without knowing how the world works, only to bring hardship on themselves—that was what Asilie had surmised.
This was a world where adulthood started at 16. Those kids were chaotic colts in the throes of adolescence, drunk on delusions of heroism and charging into the world without a clue.
"Couldn't they be war orphans?"
"There's no way kids like that would be in Ogwen."
Asilie gave me a long, steady look, silently letting me know there was more implied in what she'd said. I understood.
But. Aside from our village being destroyed, no war had really broken out around here. Under normal circumstances, that meant I was the only one who fit the special case of 'war orphan.' To begin with, even I couldn't say what would've happened to me without Asilie. Even being four or five years older than me, kids thrown into that kind of situation had virtually no chance of making it all the way to distant Ogwen alone without any help.
In other words, those bastards really were just pitiful morons who didn't know the world.
"Truth is, to kids like that, a city that's steadily growing is going to look like a land of opportunity, really. Not many violent gangs or anything around, so if they manage to stake a claim, couldn't they lord over the drifters like kings?"
"Is that common?"
"Common. Because it's war."
If they can't manage an honest living and are chasing such pathetic opportunities instead, the world really must be in its final days. Since even an elf—not a human—knew about it, calling it a disgrace to their species wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to meet them."
When I answered immediately, since it was an utterly obvious matter that didn't require any deliberation, Asilie pressed her fingers to her temple.
"Honestly, if we're just looking at skill, I'm not worried. Even without aura or anything, you could be called exceptional among your peers. But in real combat, variables always arise, don't they?"
"Which is exactly why I should get some experience while I'm young. It's not like they're going to draw swords or something."
Age aside, it was also a matter of money. In the end, these were kids who'd drifted around and were now gathering to play thug in town. They weren't even an established gang yet; they were still in the process of becoming one.
If anyone besides the leader even carried a dagger, that'd be impressive. Even if they did draw one, where would you find a lunatic who'd commit murder in a city?
"This is an opportunity, really. A chance for real combat experience that's safe beyond belief."
I'd called those bastards brats not just because of their mental state, but also physically.
I'd been fed and raised differently. From the age of eight, I'd deliberately built my life around training and conditioning for the day I'd enter society at sixteen. Three years was not a short time. Some of them might be taller than me, but once I passed ten and increased my training load, my body became unusually solid for my age. Sheer numbers might make things difficult if I relied on my body alone, but the odds of actually losing were still close to zero. I didn't enjoy bullying people weaker than me, but I had no intention of backing down when they picked the fight first. Doing that would violate my principles.
No matter how much you practiced, your body would stiffen up if you didn't get used to the sensation of being surrounded by people or fighting them, so this was good experience. After all, I wasn't a genius.
And so, as I was genuinely laughing and enjoying this heaven-sent opportunity, Asilie let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"You really are impossible to figure out."
"Don't worry so much, Sis. Trust your little brother. I told you, I'm not some punk who throws the first punch."
If I didn't have to fight, then I simply wouldn't fight. Anyway, once I made a living as an adventurer with the skills I'd learned, my life would be one of constant fighting, so why would I stain this peaceful moment with violence? That wasn't what I wanted.
"Right. I may not know everything about my little brother, but I do know that much. There was talk that around noon, they take up a fixed spot in front of Mr. Yans's smithy. Go check it out tomorrow."
Her experience with me kept her from treating me like some kid my age, but it seemed the worry was unavoidable. For Asilie's sake if nothing else, I resolved to settle this smoothly and diligently cleaned the fireplace.
◈
After that, I'd been worried I'd wake up early since I'd fallen asleep without overdoing it in case of a possible fight, but unexpectedly I slept like a log.
After my usual morning routine—exercise and checking the traps I'd set in the forest—I finished the breakfast Asilie had made, then rode my horse toward Ogwen at the appropriate time.
It felt like it took about twenty minutes, riding the horse at speed for the first time in a while. When I waved in greeting to a familiar face standing guard, he waved back.
"Eldmia, isn't it? Asilie was here just yesterday. What brings you here today?"
"Heard someone was looking for me, so I came to see what it was about."
"Hmm. Don't cause trouble."
"You worry way too much. What trouble could come from just meeting someone?"
"Kids your age cause trouble even in their sleep, you brat. Be careful. There've been more strange characters around lately, and that isn't good."
The number of guards who'd gotten to know our faces over the past three years had grown considerably. Exchanging casual banter, I entered the village and headed straight for the smithy Mr. Yans ran. The 'strange characters'—were they the ones I'd beaten up after all?
It was getting close to noon. I took in the bustling town as I approached the smithy, where an unmistakable group was glaring at passersby from a corner.
The six kids were scrawny, filthy, and the look in their eyes was something I really didn't like. At least one of them was definitely among the ones I'd beaten before.
I dismounted casually, tied my horse in front of the smithy, and when I approached them, that one glared daggers at me and started something.
"What, you little shit? You not gonna get lost?"
"You said you were looking for me, so I came. Should I leave?"
The eyebrows of all six twitched strangely before their expressions unified into an Ah-ha! look. Probably didn't recognize me at first because I'd cut my hair. The one I'd hit shouted.
"You son of a bitch! Just the guy I wanted to see!"
The ones who'd been squatting stood up and started swarming toward me all at once. It was obviously an attempt to surround me, so I took long strides backward, and another one shouted.
"Fuck, you running away, you moron?"
"What are you talking about? You're obviously moving to surround me, so I'm moving to keep that from happening."
By the time I'd backpedaled to where my horse was, they were glaring at me while maintaining their clumsy attempted encirclement. When several seconds passed and they still did nothing, I finally had to open my mouth first.
"What are you looking at? If you've got business, spit it out. I came because you said you were looking for me. I don't have business with you. I'm busy."
When I said that with a sigh because the sight was so frustrating, a freckle-faced one snickered and opened his mouth. Even his eyes were bleary—seemed a bit lacking somewhere.
"Dumbass little shit. What, you scared?"
He acted exactly as stupid as he looked. My brow furrowed at the breathtaking leap in logic I couldn't even begin to follow.
"No, if you're stupid, don't open your mouth. Please, whoever's the smartest among you, answer my question. What's that guy spouting nonsense for?"
"What's this dumbass saying?"
"I said you were looking for me, so I came and asked what your business is, and this rock-head asks back if I'm scared—what the hell's that supposed to mean? Nothing to say? If standing around glaring like this is your business, can I go now?"
"You fucker!"
I truly couldn't understand it, but Freckles twisted his face into a scowl and swung his fist. But, I didn't necessarily have to understand.
-Bam!
"Gurk!"
His fist hit my stomach, not my face, so I just took it and gave him a clean shot to the jaw in return. As expected, it didn't hurt much—just got a little dirt on me from his filthy fist. I brushed myself off and surveyed the rest of them.
All five gazes were fixed on the one who'd taken the punch to the jaw, lying on the ground and unable to get up.
"Alright. The champion rock-head has shut up, so let's have a proper conversation now. Why were you looking for me?"
"O-our boss is looking for you. Come with us."
After some dithering, the one I'd beaten before finally opened his mouth, but the content was awfully weak.
"Why should I?"
"What?"
"He's your boss, not my boss. What gives him the right to order me around?"
Maybe it was because I'd stated an undeniable fact. The guy suddenly started trembling, then shouted as if he were having a fit. Heh. Watching him physically recoil from a fact bomb was almost...
"Fuck, shut up and come with us! Unless you want to see that elf whore dead!"
"...What?"
What? Elf what?
I don't know what my expression looked like because my mind couldn't keep up for a moment, but I must've looked pretty dumbstruck. As if that were the signal that they'd won, the five of them started laughing.
"Dumbass little shit. You think we wouldn't know? We heard you live with that elf bitch. We know all about where she goes wandering around. You get it now, moron?"
"We heard that fucking bitch whored herself out to raise you. Unless you want to see her get gang-raped for free, shut up and come."
Only after I'd stood there frozen for a long while could I grasp what they were saying.
It took me another moment to understand who exactly they meant by 'elf whore,' 'elf bitch,' and 'fucking bitch.'
Aha. So what these bastards had called Asilie was 'elf whore,' 'elf bitch,' and 'fucking bitch'!
Had they writhed in their desire to die until they'd finally gone completely batshit insane?
"I am Eldmia Ega."
"What?"
"Dumbass little shit, what's he suddenly on about."
I couldn't bear to properly look at the bastards running their mouths without grasping the situation. A kid my age really shouldn't have been like this, but given the circumstances, the back of my neck genuinely went stiff. For now, I forcibly pushed down the blood that had surged to the top of my head and continued speaking.
"Just remember this: never mess with Eldmia Ega."
It was a change of plans.
I'd use these bastards as sacrifices to carve my principles into Ogwen.