The Baby Who Raised the Devil

Competition (7)

Emeline, who was looking around, said with a very nervous expression.

"What's going on? Whatever happens, it is impossible to pass through the Odis gate barrier......I need to call the school first. You must explain that crossing the border gate is a mistake.”

"Wait."

"Kenpas? You have to be fast! If it's like this-”

"Look over there, Emeline."

Emeline's eyes followed where I pointed, and she narrowed her eyebrows.

We can see the school. The distance from the school to Gate 1, the farthest border gate, was quite far. If we pass through the border gate, we can't see the school.

“Let's check the coordinates again. Do you have a map?”

"Yes." Yeah."

We opened up the map that Emeline had brought and checked her location.

"We're about two kilometers away from our destination."

"Alan, this trash ......"

“Why Alan?”

“He taught me coordinates. Isn't he crazy?”

“He sucks but he won't do anything too extreme. Because if we actually passed the border gate, he could be held responsible for giving us the wrong coordinates. Also, we will not be able to get out of the boundary gate barrier.”

"Pig it ......"

I shrugged and said as Emeline clicked her tongue.

"Let's go. Not too far away, so can we walk?”

"Yes." Yeah."

We walked together and got out of the alley.

When we reached our destination, we exclaimed, "Wow!"

It could not compare to a mansion like Dubblede or a shopping district, but the village on the mountain slope was somehow very beautiful.

“There are stores, stores that specialize in rolls in blacksmith shops, and even bakeries!”

“It's festival period. Blaine, look over there! Pierrot!”

A pierrot on stage staggers while juggling with four balls.

Toy trains are everywhere on the streets. Toy trains running on the rails have promotional flags for stores.

Each stall sells tempting food, and at the end of the street, someone hands out balloons to excited children, and colorful paper flies through the air.

We ran around the village while holding hands vigorously as if we had returned to our childhood.

Suddenly, my hands were full of snacks, like candy and juice.

"Ups, I gotta find West."

As I lifted my head in amazement, Emeline, who was chewing on the marshmallow next to me, stopped as well.

"I also have to find Juliet."

We gulped, gulped, and looked at each other.

'Surprisingly, the festival .. it drives us crazy.'

We handed over a lot of candy and items we bought unconsciously to passers-by.

"You haven't eaten, how about this?"

“Come, grab this mill. Free."

Emeline grumbled, wiping her closed hands the rest of the marshmallows.

“That's all because I didn't experience this when I was a kid. I didn't enjoy it when I was a kid, so I became like this when I grew up.”

"I admit it too."

“Aren't you already prosperous in this life?”

"What difference? I have a vivid memory of my past life. Didn't I live as a beggar until I was nine? I've lived as a beggar longer than you. Both in my second life and in my first life and cannot imagine such a festival.”

"Yes God. We forget our goals and our game. Sorry, please don't tell Tri about this. Blaine, this is our secret.”

"of course. I'd feel bad going here without him. ”

We shook hands and turned around to find each other's targets.

“See you at school.”

"Yes." Yeah."

I asked about Mina's whereabouts to every new student I met on the street.

"He's at the flower shop."

"I think I saw it at the souvenir shop."

"He's buying juice at the end of the stall."

I arrived at a place that looked like a slum. That's where I first arrived. And at the beginning of the alley, I finally found Mina and West.

"Leblaine?"

Mina, who was holding hands with West, looked at me.

"Why are you here?"

“I have business with West. I'm looking for you because it looks like she's with you.”

"West?"

"Me?"

West looked at me with a confused expression.

Being a werebeast, he grew slower than an ordinary person, so even though he was over twenty years old, he was shorter than me.

"There's something I want to say about East."

“K-why East.

When he stuttered,

Bumped!

A shout sounded along with the collision in the alley.

"This thief!"

Mina and I looked at him at the same time.

A large man with a grim look pushed the boy, who was about thirteen years old, against the wall, and he was furious.

Next to the boy was a short girl who looked like her little sister, she looked as young as six or seven years old.

"Hi! What are you doing!"

Mina who shouted, let go of West's hand and went inside the alley.

West said, “Mina~!” and following him, I had no choice but to go after West.

“Let the child go. What did you do to that boy!"

"Who are you?"

The man frowned as he glanced at Mina.

“I'm sure you're an Odis student, judging by the way you go.”

“How should I let go of this? Hey, are you okay?”

When Mina looked at the boy and asked, the man snorted.

As the atmosphere became noisier, people with dirty faces and clothes appeared one by one from the alley and looked towards us.

"stealing……?"

When Mina asked, the boy shrugged, and the girl, who seemed to be the little sister of the man, cried.

“I-it wasn't my brother's fault. I'm evil, huwaa-! That's because I'm hungry..!”

It was bread in the boy's hand. Mina who was looking at the children with a confused expression, turned her head towards the man who was definitely the owner of the shop.

"How much? I'll pay for it.”

"…… really?"

The man's attitude changed when he said he wanted to pay. Then he continued,

“100 franc.”

Mina took the money from her pocket and handed it to the man, and the man glanced at the boy once, took the money from Mina and disappeared.

Mina took a deep breath and bent her knees towards the brothers who stole the bread.

"Are you okay?"

"…… Yeah, thank you."

“I know you're worried about your sister, but stealing someone else's stuff is bad. Next time, don't do it, okay? ”

“…….”

Looking at the boy who did not answer, Mina smiled and took the bill from her pocket.

With a sizable amount of money, the cost of living for several months in such a rundown alley was enough.

"Had it. And looking for work-”

I took the money from Mina's hand instead.

Mina looked at me confused.

"Leblaine?"

"Don't give it to them."

“Ah, don't worry. This is my money. The temple gave it to me....”.

"It's your money, so don't give it to them."

"What?"

Mina frowned and stood up.

"Is something wrong? If someone does not help them, they should immediately do the wrong thing.”

"Do you think you're helping these kids by giving them money?"

"What?"

I walked out the alley and bought food from the stall in front of me. Then I handed food to the brothers.

"Eat this today, and go to the relief center for the poor starting tomorrow."

"I heard that the refugee camp is on the side of Gate 1. It took an entire day to go back and forth at the speed of the children."

“Stay only, go there.And Don't steal again.”

“Leblaine!”

mina shouted, but I ignored her and pushed on the backs of the sisters.

"Go quickly."

The brothers looked at us and then disappeared, and Mina looked at me while biting her lips.

"What's? Why do you think I helped them? Leblaine, I think you're doing this because you don't like me like the other kids say.”

“Yes, Mina. I hate you."

"… what?"

“I hate the arrogance of believing if if you do good, anything will work. I hate your faith.”

Mina's eyes trembled slightly, and West who was looking at me and Mina alternately shouted.

“You are very rude. You smell like a bad guy, you're really bad-! ”

"What do you think would happen if the kids came back like that?"

West and Mina blinked at my words.

"What do you mean?"

“If a lot of money falls into the hands of such children, what do you think will happen?”

“......Are you saying that people will want money and even hurt children?”

Mina sighed and shook her head. He looked at me and then he opened his mouth again.

“Leblaine, the world is not that bad. There are people who have hatred, but there are more people who do not have it. There are more good people than you think.”

“Yes, there must be people who have hatred.”

"That's not what I mean"

"People who have that hate!"

Mina's face hardened as I shouted. I looked at him and spoke.

"How can you be sure that no one who has just seen a sibling get paid has hate?"

"What?"

"How can you believe that those children are not in danger?"

"Why do you just think someone is bad?"

“Because I have to. We must think of the worst rather than the best!”

“…….”

“As you say, with rights there is an obligation. I have an obligation to all that I enjoy. Nobles protect the commoners! Those who must protect must always think of the worst first. Just like parents take care of their children!”

“…….”

“That's why we have to think of worse results. The same goes for you, who say you are supported by the temple. ”

“......You and I are completely different.”

Mina and I looked at each other. Then Mina said,

“So we can't do anything for fear of the worst that hasn't happened yet? No, if it were me, I would. If my kindness could change the world, I would do anything.”

"So?"

“I think you are the child of destiny in this world. I'll finally be back, so you're the one who's gonna protect this place. But now that I see it, you're just a coward, Leblaine.”

“Now after the introduction is complete, just tell me the main points.”

"I can't give up this world to you."

Mina grabbed West's hand and spoke firmly.

"I'll do my best now."

"Then I will do my best to stop you."

I smiled at him.

"You have to do your best, Mina."

In my fourth life, it was the first time that Mina and I had argued.

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