Chapter 236

TL: Zimmings

Emeline, who looked around, said with a very nervous expression.

“What happened? No matter what, it would be impossible to pass the barrier of Odis’s gate…… I need to contact the school first. You have to explain that crossing the border gate was a mistake.”

“Wait.”

“Why? You must hurry! If it’s like this-”

“Look over there, Emeline.”

Emeline’s eye followed where I was pointing at, and she narrowed her eyebrows.

We could see the school. The distance from the school to Gate 1, the farthest border gate, is quite long. If we cross the border gate, we cannot see the school.

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

“Yes.”

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

“We’re about two kilometers away from our destination.”

“Alan, this trash…….”

“Why Alan?”

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

“He’s annoying but he won’t do anything too extreme. Because if we really crossed the border gates, he could be held responsible for giving us the wrong coordinates. Also, we won’t be able to get out of the boundary gate barrier.”

“That swine…….”

I shrugged and said as Emeline clicked her tongue.

“Let’s go. It’s not that far, so can we go on foot?”

“Yes.”

We walked together and out of the alley.

When we reached our destination, we exclaimed, “Wow!”

It cannot be compared to a huge mansion like the Dubblede’s or the shopping district, but the village on a mountainside is somehow incredibly splendid.

“There’s a tavern, a shop specializing in scrolls in a blacksmith’s shop, and even a bakery!”

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

A pierrot on stilts staggered while juggling with four balls.

A toy railroad is everywhere on the streets. Toy trains running on the railroads have promotional flags for shops.

Each stall sells mouth-watering food, and at the end of the road, someone gives out balloons to excited children, and colorful papers fly in the air.

We ran around the village holding hands with excitement as if we had returned to our childhood days.

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

“Oops, I need to find West.”

As I raised my head in amazement, Emeline, who was chewing the marshmallow next to me, stopped too.

“I also need to find Juliet.”

We gulped, swallowed, and looked at each other.

‘It’s scary, the festival… it’s driving us crazy.’

We handed over a bunch of sweets and things we bought unconsciously to passersby.

“You haven’t eaten yet, how about this?”

“Come on, take this pinwheel. It’s free.”

Emeline grumbled, wiping her hands covered in marshmallow residue.

“It’s all because I didn’t experience this when I was young. I didn’t enjoy it when I was young, so I became like this when I grow up.”

“I admit it too.”

“Haven’t you been prosperous in this life?”

“What’s the difference? I have clear memories of my past life. Didn’t I live as a beggar until I was nine years old? I lived as a beggar much longer than you. Neither in the second life nor in the first life could I have imagined such a festival.”

“Oh my God. We forget our purpose and play. I’m sorry, please don’t tell Tri this. Blaine, this is our secret.”

“Of course. I would feel bad going here without her.”

We shook hands and turned our backs to find each other’s targets.

“See you at school.”

“Yes.”

I asked about Mina’s whereabouts to every freshman I met on the street.

“She was at the flower shop.”

“I think I saw her in a souvenir shop.”

“She was buying juice at the end of the stall.”

I arrived at the place that looked like a slum. It was 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’ve got business to do with West. I was looking for you because it seemed like he was with you.”

“West?”

“Me?”

West looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

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

“I have something to tell you about East.”

“W-why East…….”

When he stuttered,

Crash!

A shout was heard along with a crash in the alley.

“This thief!”

Mina and I looked at him at the same time.

A large man with a grim look was pushing the boy, who looked about thirteen, against the wall, and he was very angry.

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

“Hey! What are you doing!”

Mina, who screamed, let go of West’s hand and entered the alley.

West said, “Mina~!” and followed her, I had no choice but to pursue West.

“Let the child go. What are you doing to the child!”

“Who are you?”

The man frowned as he glanced at Mina.

“I’m sure you’re an Odis student, judging from the way you went.”

“How am I supposed to let this go? Hey, are you okay?”

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

“It’s already the third time this guy stole something from my store!”

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

“Stole……?”

When Mina asked, the boy shrugged, and the girl, who seemed to be the boy’s younger sister, burst into tears.

“I-it’s not my brother’s fault. I’m bad, huwaa-! It’s because I’m hungry…!”

It was bread in the boy’s hand. Mina, who looked at the children with a bewildered expression, turned her head to the man who must be the owner of the store.

“How much is it? I’ll pay for it.”

“…… Really?”

The man’s attitude changed when she said that she wanted to pay. Then he continued,

“100 francs.”

Mina took 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 to the siblings who stole the bread.

“Are you okay?”

“…… Yes, thank you.”

“I know you’re worried about your sister, but stealing other people’s stuff is bad. Next time, don’t do that, okay?”

“…….”

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

With a fairly large amount of money, living costs for a couple of months in such a shabby alley would have been enough.

“Have it. And look for a job-”

I took the money from Mina’s hand instead.

Mina looked at me in bewilderment.

“Leblaine?”

“Don’t give it to them.”

“Oh, 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.

“What’s wrong with it? If someone doesn’t help them, they will have to do the wrong thing soon.”

“Do you think you’re helping these kids by giving them money?”

“What?”

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

“Eat this today, and go to the relief center for the poor from tomorrow.”

“I heard that the refugee camp is on the side of Gate 1. It would take a whole day to go back and forth at a child’s pace.”

“Still, go there. Don’t steal anymore.”

“Leblaine!”

Mina shouted, but I ignored it and pushed the siblings on the back.

“Go quickly.”

The siblings looked at us and then disappeared, and Mina looked at me as she bit her lips.

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

“Yes, Mina. I hate you.”

“… What?”

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

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

“You’re so harsh. You smelled like a bad person, you’re really bad-!”

“What do you think will happen if the children go back like that?”

West and Mina blinked at my words.

“What do you mean?”

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

“……Are you saying that people will want money and even harm children?”

Mina sighed and shook her head. She stared at me and then she opened her mouth again.

“Leblaine, the world isn’t all that bad. There are people with malice, but there are more people who don’t have it. There are many nice people than you think.”

“Yes, there are certainly people with malice.”

“That’s not what I mean-”

“The people who had that malice!”

Mina’s face hardened as I screamed. I looked at her and spoke.

“How can you be sure that none of the people who just saw the siblings get paid have malice?”

“What?”

“How can you believe that those kids won’t be in danger?”

“Why do you only think that there are people with malice?”

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

“…….”

“As you said, with rights there are duties. I have obligations for everything I enjoy. Nobles protect commoners! Those who have to protect should always think of the worst first. Just as parents care for their children!”

“…….”

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

“……You and I are really different.”

Me and Mina looked straight at each other. Then Mina said,

“So we can’t do anything because we’re afraid of the worst that hasn’t happened? No, if it’s me, I’ll do it. If my kindness can change the world, I will do anything.”

“So?”

“I thought you were the child of fate in this world. I will eventually go back, so you’re the one who will protect this place. But now I see it, you’re just a coward, Leblaine.”

“Now that the introduction is over, just tell me the main point.”

“I can’t leave this world to you.”

Mina grabbed West’s hand and spoke firmly.

“I’m going to do my best now.”

“Then I’ll do my best to stop you.”

I smiled at her.

“You’ll have to do your best, Mina.”

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

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