A Commotion at the Church
The serene and lush environment now seems like a lie compared to the uproar from earlier.
Even within the bustling trade city of Ganos, this is a little-known tranquil spot.
A church stands a bit farther away.
Thinking to rest there for a while, I approached, only to hear:
"Get the kid out of there now, dammit!"
"I'll kill you, you hear me!"
Shouts that hardly seem appropriate for a church echoed loudly.
Looking over, I saw two large men armed with weapons standing at the entrance, their attention fixed on a nun who had spread her arms wide, protecting something.
"That’s…"
Behind the nun, clinging to her legs, was a boy around ten years old.
So, the child they’re yelling about must be him?
But… it’s hard to imagine why two grown men, armed and working together, would go after a child like that.
The boy looked utterly ragged.
His "clothes" seemed to be a haphazard assembly of random scraps of fabric, hardly worthy of being called clothing.
His hair was unkempt, and his face and body were caked in grime.
If he were the son of some notable noble, they might be aiming to kidnap him for ransom.
But why target a child like this?
Frankly, I’d rather avoid getting involved in such troublesome matters.
However, I could feel the intensity of Lucina’s burgeoning sense of justice pressing on me from behind.
"… Lucina, I—"
"I understand. Let’s help them."
Before I could finish my sentence, Lucina dashed off.
It was futile to stop her.
Even if I had tried to quietly leave the scene, she would have charged in anyway.
… Well, fine.
Earning the favor of a cleric might prove useful later on.
Think of it as an investment.
While I’m at it, I might as well improve Lucina and Connie’s impressions of me too.
"Cease this barbarity in front of a holy church at once!"
Armed with today’s weapon of choice—a whip—Lucina and I confronted the men.
"And who the hell are you?"
"You’ll regret interfering, pal."
"Oh? Then let me see this regret you speak of."
"This bastard’s cocky… I’ll teach you!"
One of the large men, bald-headed, swung his sword at me—only for his weapon to be deftly disarmed by Lucina’s skillful whip.
"Huh?"
"Gotcha!"
As the man let out a foolish noise, I drove a front kick into his abdomen.
"Urgh!?"
Ignoring the writhing man, I turned to the other, who stood frozen, and placed my sword at his throat.
"S-so fast…"
The man’s face, drenched in sweat, revealed that he wasn’t standing still out of defiance but because he couldn’t keep up with my speed.
"Get lost."
"D-do you know whose subordinates we are—"
"I said get lost."
"Hieh!?"
A glare from me sent the man scurrying off, his companion hobbling away with a whispered “You’ll regret this” like a child.
And with that, the situation was resolved.
"Thank you so much!"
"No need to thank us. We merely did what was right."
Lucina addressed the bowing nun.
Hey, that’s my line!
I’m supposed to be the one delivering those words!
Also, shouldn’t we be negotiating some compensation here?
While I was internally protesting, the boy we’d saved ran up to us.
"You guys are so strong!"
"Hmph, of course we are."
"Do you think you could defeat the people at the auction too?"
"No matter the foe, Lake Gallard knows no defeat—Wait, auction?"
An auction?
And what does he mean by defeating them?
Curious, I asked the boy for details—and learned a horrifying truth.
This so-called "auction," orchestrated by the one named Zarfin, involved gathering orphans like this boy and selling them as goods to nobles and wealthy individuals.
"H-how awful…"
"Such despicable acts, treating people as mere objects… Unforgivable."
Connie was visibly appalled, and Lucina’s anger grew more intense.
The nun, meanwhile, looked ready to faint.
The boy had been slated for auction but managed to escape when an opportunity arose.
"Please! Save the others too!"
The boy wept as he pleaded.
The stares from the women around me were piercing.
Faced with this situation, my decision was clear—
"Understood. I’ll take care of it."
And so began my confrontation with Zarfin.
“"(Young) Master Lake!"”
Connie and Lucina’s admiration soared, and the nun finally fainted, overcome with emotion.
Still…orphans, huh?
This is valuable information.
I’m a merchant.
Charity work doesn’t interest me.
But this idea sparked something in me, and suddenly, I felt motivated.
Besides, that Zarfin character might become a threat to my business.
It’s better to act preemptively.
The underground arena and Beckart family incidents may have ended in failure, but this time will be different.
I’ll make sure of it!
… Oh, and I need to remember to buy supplies for the school store on the way back.
What do you think about this chapter?
