Chapter 196
Chapter 196
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: Sword of Justice (2)
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Hubbub.
The street bustled like a marketplace.
Beyond the throngs of people, the magnificent Colosseum—a Roman landmark everyone had heard of—stood proudly.
“I thought you’d make some grand wish… but all you wanted was for us to go hang out in the city together?”
Oh-jin chuckled at Ha-eun, whose eyes sparkled with excitement as she took in the sights.
Her wish, after winning the bet, was simply ‘to go out and have fun in the city together’.
It was a perfectly ordinary suggestion for an outing, hardly needing the grand title of a ‘wish’.
It wasn't even a date for just the two of them; she had invited Vega and Riak along as well.
“We didn’t even get to have any proper fun because of those monster bastards.”
Ha-eun shrugged, licking a gelato she'd just bought.
Just as she said, their trip to San Fruttuoso, intended for relaxation, had been ruined from the start by the sudden incident on the first day.
He understood her lingering disappointment, but.
“You could have just asked. I would’ve come without you calling it a wish.”
“Well, a girl needs a good excuse sometimes, so don’t worry about it.”
Ha-eun laughed as if it were nothing.
In truth, the bet itself had been half a joke, and she didn't have anything she wanted desperately enough to call a wish.
‘My wish… you’ve already granted it.’
Ha-eun gently wrapped her arms around Oh-jin's and gave a faint smile.
The warmth radiating from his firm, muscular arm.
The soothing, subtle scent of vanilla from his skin.
This moment of being together, this time of doing nothing.
This was the wish she had longed for more than anything.
“Why? When I said ‘wish,’ were you expecting something naughty?”
Ha-eun smirked and playfully tickled Oh-jin's side.
As if he’d actually had such thoughts, Oh-jin averted his gaze and cleared his throat with a cough.
“Hehe. You little pervert.”
Giggling, Ha-eun tightened her grip on his arm.
Standing slightly on her tiptoes, she whispered sweetly in his ear.
“For something like that, I can grant all your desires without you even needing to make a wish.”
Gulp.
Oh-jin swallowed hard.
Ha-eun's impossibly tempting actions were like fuel to the fire, making his desire blaze.
Just as he turned to look at Ha-eun, his eyes filled with temptation…
[My child! My child! Look at this!]
Vega flew over, huffing with excitement and holding a three-scoop gelato bigger than her own body.
It was from the same shop where Ha-eun had gotten hers.
[They gave me this *huuuge* one and said it was a freebie!]
“So that's why you were so late.”
Cuteness, it seemed, was a universal language.
She had clearly ordered the same thing as Ha-eun but received a gelato twice the size.
Vega hugged the massive gelato with a smug expression.
[Indeed, even in this physical form, my divine presence cannot be hidden!]
*Huhu!* Vega laughed and stuck her chin out.
Oh-jin chuckled and took the gelato Vega was hugging.
[Aah! What are you doing, my child! That is mine!]
Vega flew over, flustered.
“It's too big to eat like this. I'll hold it for you so you can eat comfortably.”
[A-ahem. Thank you.]
Seemingly embarrassed at not realizing his consideration, Vega let out an awkward cough, landed on Oh-jin's hand, and began to eat the gelato.
“By the way, did that mutt really just leave because he had something to do?”
“About that.”
Oh-jin recalled Riak, who had shaken his head with a bitter expression at the suggestion of an outing and returned to the Sanctuary.
After realizing that Oh-jin had intentionally lost to Ha-eun, Riak's expression had hardened, his eyes holding a hint of anxiety.
‘Was it a mistake to let her win?’
If he had simply overwhelmed her, would this have happened?
But if he had, it would have been Ha-eun who was dispirited, not Riak.
‘She’s been feeling pretty down lately anyway.’
Watching Oh-jin grow at a rate that could be described as monstrous, Ha-eun's self-esteem had taken a big hit.
The fact that she had told him to seduce Isabella, practically her rival, saying she couldn't protect him with her own strength, showed just how insecure she felt. That was why he had intentionally lost the spar.
He just never expected Riak to be so affected.
‘That was unnecessary.’
He felt a pang of regret for doing something that Ha-eun would have found out about eventually anyway.
[Do not worry, my child.]
Vega, who had been eating gelato, flew up and sat on Oh-jin's head.
A small hand stroked his forehead.
[Possessing a special power means you will inevitably affect those around you. You cannot avoid it, nor can you stop it. You have no choice but to accept it.]
Vega wore a somewhat bitter expression.
Had she too gone through many things before being called the Constellation of the North Star?
Oh-jin nodded, his lips pressed firmly together.
“What are you two whispering about?”
“It's nothing.”
“Hmm.”
Ha-eun, who had been squinting at Vega perched on Oh-jin's head, soon broke into a bright smile.
“More importantly, we came out to have fun, so let’s have fun! Let's go sightseeing, quick!”
Ha-eun pulled Oh-jin's arm with an excited expression.
“Hehe. Do you have any idea how upset I was when you said you were going to Italy alone before?”
“I get it, so stop pulling. You'll stretch my shirt.”
Oh-jin chuckled and followed Ha-eun into the Colosseum.
“Wow, it feels weird to actually be at a place I've only ever seen in pictures!”
Ha-eun looked around the Colosseum, her eyes sparkling.
After seeing the Colosseum, Oh-jin, Ha-eun, and Vega went on to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Trevi Fountain, some of Rome's most famous tourist attractions.
“Woah! This place is freaking huge too! It's like Vega's temple, isn't it?”
“Oh-jin, they say if you toss a coin into that fountain, it brings good luck!”
After wandering around Rome for a while, Ha-eun abruptly stopped.
“But, Oh-jin.”
“Yeah?”
“This isn't as fun as I thought it would be.”
The excitement in her eyes from seeing things in person that she'd only seen in pictures had given way to boredom.
Oh-jin nodded as if he felt the same way.
“That's how sightseeing usually is.”
The first time you see something, it's 'Wow, amazing, incredible,' but it’s natural to get tired of it after a while.
“Ugh. Playing at the beach was way more fun.”
Ha-eun pouted with a disappointed expression.
Wandering around with Oh-jin was certainly enjoyable, but…
Just looking at cultural heritage sites she had no interest in didn't suit her personality.
“Should we just find a decent restaurant and get something to eat?”
“Hmm… alcohol over food!”
“Let's find a pub then.”
Oh-jin also preferred having a drink with some good food over wandering around places he had no interest in, like the Colosseum or the basilica.
[Hmm. I, for one, enjoyed seeing the ancient civilization of humans.]
“We can come again later. We'll probably be staying at the Colagrande mansion for a while anyway.”
[I understand.]
So, he started looking for a suitable pub with Vega and Ha-eun.
Just then.
*Thump.*
Was he about fifteen?
A boy in shabby clothes bumped into Ha-eun.
“I'm sorry.”
The boy bowed his head and then walked quickly past her, moving away.
“…Hey, that kid.”
“That little brat has some quick hands.”
Ha-eun clicked her tongue, watching the boy's retreating back.
In that brief moment of bumping into the boy.
The wallet she had in her pocket had vanished without a trace.
Well, no matter how skilled the boy's hands were, there was no way a high-level Awakened like Ha-eun wouldn't have noticed.
“You're just going to let him go?”
“Well… there was nothing in it but a few bucks.”
Ha-eun shook her head with a bitter smile.
Seeing the boy in his shabby clothes somehow reminded her of herself and Oh-jin when they were young, stirring up feelings of sympathy.
“Still, should I catch him and give him a good scolding? Tell him he shouldn't do this kind of thing anymore.”
“Not really, unless you want the money back.”
Oh-jin shook his head.
Unless they were going to take full responsibility for the boy's life, simply catching and lecturing him was meaningless.
‘It's not like he's in a situation where he can do something else just because we tell him not to.’
Having suffered from severe poverty, he knew all too well.
That if he didn't prey on others, there was no way for that young boy to survive.
Just as he himself had in the past.
“Let's just go then.”
“Alright.”
Just as Oh-jin nodded and was about to turn away.
“Aargh! I-I'm sorry!”
The boy who had bumped into Ha-eun was being dragged by the arm.
The one dragging him was a young man with a simple-looking face and shaggy brown hair.
The young man held out the wallet, clutched in the boy's hand, to Ha-eun.
“I happened to see this child pickpocketing.”
“Ah… yes.”
Ha-eun took the wallet with a reluctant expression.
The simple-looking young man smiled brightly.
“I'm glad you got your wallet back.”
“Sob! I-I'm sorry! I was wrong!”
The child bowed his head to the young man, tears streaming down his face.
The young man smiled gently and said in a chiding tone.
“I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, am I?”
“Ah… I-I'm sorry, miss.”
Only then did the boy bow his head deeply to Ha-eun.
“My mom is very sick… s-so I needed the money. I'm sorry!”
Tears flowed down his grimy cheeks.
Ha-eun stared at the boy, then took some money from her wallet and held it out to him.
“I don't know how much the medicine costs, but use this to help.”
“Ah…”
The boy took the money Ha-eun offered and bowed repeatedly.
“And you, could you let go of the kid's arm?”
Ha-eun said, turning to the young man who was firmly gripping the boy's arm.
The young man slowly shook his head.
“No. This child has committed a crime. He stole from another and caused harm.”
“I got my wallet back…”
“But the crime of him having laid hands on another's property remains. Committing a crime is an evil act.”
He continued in a resolute voice, as sharp as a knife's edge.
“Evil must be punished.”
“So you're going to turn him over to the police?”
“Yes. I will guide him so he can be properly punished, so you need not worry.”
He didn't know what the punishment for juvenile offenders was like in Italy.
But it was clear that the moment this case was handed over to the police, the boy would lose his means of earning money for his mother's medicine.
“N-no! Then my mom's medicine money…!”
“Receive your proper punishment, then get out and find a job to earn money.”
“Where am I supposed to find a job? Even if I do, there isn't enough time to earn money for the medicine!”
“It can't be helped, even if it's too late.”
The young man continued, his voice full of conviction.
“Because this is the right thing to do.”
Not touching what belongs to others.
Not harming anyone.
Working hard with one's own strength, sweating, and justly obtaining what one desires.
Just as the young man said.
It is, indeed, the right thing.
It is, indeed, a just thing.
Indeed.
It is a good thing.
“……”
Only then did Oh-jin realize who the young man was.
‘The Sword of Justice, Damian Salvatore.’
He was the Awakened who held the position of the Heavenly Ship Star among the Chilseong.