Days after the tournament in Osraed, it was one of my days off when I don't have to go to school. I usually stay home on these days and train by myself but it was getting boring so I skipped it and decided to go for a stroll.
While walking I stumbled into Aria and crossed paths with Sebastian, he joined me and we got some food to snack on while we walked.
Aria was lively today, a lot of people were out and about. Those that were doing errands and working, or simply out for a stroll such as I, and Kids that were younger than us running around playing.
...
"So, I never got to ask, but how did the tournament go?" He asked, looking curiously at my face for some reason.
"It went well, I cleared every opponent with relative ease and won the whole thing," I respond monotonously.
"Haha, well that's to be expected. What was the prize?" He asks.
"Nothing much, just 100 silver," I say.
"Wow, that's a lot!."
"Yeah, I guess so... The older kids received more and the top winners received official recommendations to the academy in the capital."
"When you get older, do you plan to go to the elite academy in the capital?"
"No not really."
"I heard It's tough to get in. Some kids were talking about it and you can only get in by recommendation or paying a hefty entry fee of 500 silver." He explains.
"Could just be a rumor, I wouldn't think about it too much."
"Yeah, I'm aware. I'll ask my parents about it when I go home."
...
Still walking, he looks over and visibly studies my face while I'm still looking forward, being sure not to bring attention to it.
"...Hey, Touma. I have a question." He asks with a change of tone.
"What is it?"
Even without looking his way, I can tell what's going through his mind and what he's about to say next.
"Are you not proud?" He asks.
"Of what... Winning the tournament?"
"Of everything. I notice you don't look satisfied when you complete something, you're really smart, an amazing swordsman, and an excellent magic user... but you look so... bored."
"...I'm not sure I know what you mean."
I know exactly what he means. However, this was a question I wanted to avoid as long as possible. I guess he was more attentive to me than I thought.
Before he can continue, I quickly change the subject.
"I better get going, My mother told me not to be out late."
Doing a complete 180 and walking back to the entrance I came through. He takes a glance at me once more and says "Okay."
...
For someone his age, I must acknowledge him for being a well-observative individual. But I'm still unsure if he can help me.
My problem is that I can't trust the help of anyone anymore. After I gave in and tried to get help from someone, I was still stuck where I was.
However, although she was nice and helpful, Sebastian is a far more considerate person. It could be because he's young and innocent.
Would it help if I seek the help of someone who has a different perspective of the world?
The help from someone who puts themselves in the crossfire to help someone in need.
I'm cold and numb, I want to feel the warmth without thinking that I'm forcing it, and after the incident with Keith, it's clear that Sebastian has that warmth... It might just be worth a shot.
"... Sebastian, I think-" I turn to speak to him directly but find he is no longer walking by my side.
Where did he walk off to? I wondered. He might've walked home without me noticing, but the turn to his house is further ahead. I didn't see him standing at a booth. Without thinking I started searching for him.
...
Walking up the street I found no sign of Sebastian.
"He probably just took another route home, I guess." I think out loud.
Finally figured I'd just head back home too, but not without stopping at a booth for another light snack...
"Please enjoy, come again." the vendor says happily.
Even this man. He spends his days selling on the street with a smile on his face. Nothing crazy happening in his life, but he lives day to day satisfied with where he's at. Everyone currently walking on this street, they all look so lively. In their own ways.
Those that are walking with pride in their steps and smiles on their faces. Those that are dragging their feet and clearly upset about something.
They all have something in common... Emotions...
I've been in positions where I should've been happy, sad, excited, and even scared. And I went through each one with a fake expression, hoping that I'm only imagining the emptiness inside me.
"I can only hope I'll be like that eventually..."
I turn to toss my wrapper into the trash and find a familiar-looking kid hiding behind a booth near an alley that I missed earlier.
Walking toward him I was about to call out his name, but he was tense and fixated on whatever was down the narrow alley, so I didn't want to interrupt him.
Curious about what he was staring at, I stood behind him and peeked as well.
The scene before me wasn't what I expected to say the least. The natural phenomenon of two individuals who love each other very much and are slobbering all over each other.
It's quite unsanitary to do something like that in a place like this, I'm surprised no one on the street heard this going on.
Glancing down at the kid in a low crouch and clenching the wall without making a single movement. He's focused, maybe even more focused than when he trains with a sword or his magic.
"...It's natural to be curious about these things, but you really shouldn't stare, Sebastian." I speak out.
Startled he backs away from the corner.
"What the?! when did you get here, Touma?" Sebastian whispers loudly.
I only stand silently and stared at him. Until finally, he put two and two together.
"Ew, no. I'm not looking at them."
"Really...?" I ask in a condescending tone.
"I'm not! Here, take a look for yourself." he says as he moves back to the corner of the wall.
Not sure what he's going on about, and figured he probably does have a good reason since he's such a nice kid, I go next to him.
"Look further down the alley." He gestures past the couple, pointing to another sight I wasn't expecting.
"Beastmen children," I whisper.
"Yep." Sebastian says.
Beastmen children; with dirty skin and fur, depressed looks on their faces, wounds all over their bodies, tattered clothing, and... Locked in a cage fixed on a wagon.
On the opposite end, the alley opens wider. Wide enough to fit the wagon.
Just then some shady-looking guys came walking out of the building. They open it and continue to drag the children out of the cage, with satisfying looks on their faces.
Those kids don't even yell for help, have they just given up saving themselves? Or maybe they were threatened.
The couple didn't even notice what was happening since they were in between some boxes.
The sight of the kids getting pushed around, I could tell it was angering Sebastian. I need to think of something before he acts.
"C'mon Sebastian, let's go alert the guild they can-"
He suddenly cuts me off, "No, we'll be too late. Look, they're loading some different kids back into the cage. They're getting ready to leave again."
This is something I'd like to avoid, it's not my problem nor do I want it to be my problem.
"The other kids are still in the building, we can still help them."
"No, I can't leave those other kids to be transported someplace else where they can't be helped."
"This isn't something we can handle ourselves, Sebastian. Let's go before they see us."
"...I'm sorry, Touma... You can go get help if you want, but I can't sit back and do nothing when kids our age are being treated this way... Besides, I think you know very well that even you can take them on."
He lightly shoves me back and starts leaping wall to wall getting to the rooftop, startling the couple as he leaps right above them, making them leave in shame.
Damn it. He has a good heart, but he's naive as hell. I can't let him get himself killed.
And before I know it I'm slinging myself onto the roof with my dark magic.
"He's quick. He's not even up here anymore, is he already at the wagon?"
I make my way across the top of the buildings until I reach the large opening in the alley.
"Well, I'll be damned, he knocked them out. It was only two guys, but still..." I say to myself.
He looks up toward me with a smug smile to say 'I told you so'.
"Yeah yeah, ok I guess you CAN handle it." I say to him.
Were these guys just amateurs? I'll wait up here, just in case. I think to myself.
Sebastian begins walking to the wagon.
"Hey, are any of you hurt?" He speaks to the kids in a light tone.
However, they don't react to the fact they're about to get rescued. Instead, they continue sitting hunched over with dead looks in their eyes.
"Hey! Kid!" He speaks more sternly.
two of the kids finally look up at him, a little wolf boy and a girl.
"Please, just go... Or they'll kill you." The boy says in a trembling voice.
"I'm going to get you out of here," Sebastian says reassuring the children.
"The cage is metal, so fire won't help. And water won't do anything either... Jeez, my affinities are useless at times like this." Sebastian says thinking out loud.
He moves to the far end of the cage and tries to force it open with his strength alone.
"It won't budge!" Sebastian exclaims.
"Please, we're only beastmen. Just leave." The wolf girl spoke up this time, trying to get Sebastian to give up.
"We are not different from one another...I'm not going to stop, you hear?" Sebastian says.
"Did one of these guys have a key?" He asks the children.
"Those two were only keeping watch, they wouldn't have the key." The kid answers.
"Hey Touma, Can your earth magic work on these metal bars?" He asks.
"Unfortunately, no." I respond.
It might help, but depending on the sturdiness of the cage I might just flip the cage over.
"Damn... Come down here and help me get this thing open, will you?"
"Alright..."
Actually... I think I have a way to get around the key problem.
However, just before I can jump off the building to Sebastian, the door suddenly swings open, and the kids who were previously looking up quickly buried their faces in their knees.
"Well well, look who we have here. A kid trying to play the hero, huh?" The leading man with a scar on his cheek spoke up as two more men follow behind him.
They slowly walk toward Sebastian, trying to scare him, but he stands his ground ready to fight.
"Oh look at the little man trying to be tough." One of the guys says with obnoxious laughter following afterward.
They quiet down and unsheathe their swords and the man with the scar speaks up once more. "listen here you little brat, you made a mistake getting yourself in this mess. We're not letting you walk away, nor are we afraid to kill a kid like you, and it won't be the first."
After saying that and saw the look of people who have killed before. Sebastian's confidence began to waver.
The main thing here is that Sebastian didn't grab his sword before leaving home, so he doesn't have his sword right now, he caught the other two guys keeping watch by surprise. Now he's about to fight 3 guys who can see him. Without a sword, it will be a tough obstacle for him to get passed.
I wanted to see how he would handle this situation, but after pulling out their swords and saying what they said, I guess I better step in now...
"Do you want to kill this kid?" The scarred man asks directing his question to the second guy behind him.
"Nah, I already took care of one of the brats a few days ago... Do you wanna do the honors?" He redirects the question to their third friend, only to find he is no longer behind them.
"Where did he...?"
A loud thud breaks the confusion as they find the third man dropped into a pile of boxes, breaking them... They look up.
Annoyed one of them speaks up. "Another brat playing hero!"
"No not a hero, just think of me as a spectator who's stepping in on children roughhousing."
"Damn brat!" The leading thug exclaims.
"Hey, Sebastian!" I call out.
He looks up as I toss down the sword of the guy I knocked out, piercing the ground in front of him while I snatch the second guy and yank him up to me.
"I'll let you take care of that one."
Sebastian grips the handle and pulls the sword from the ground, readying himself for the impending battle.
"You've got some nerve to think you can take me on brat."
"Well, I'm not completely confident in my sword skills, that's just how I am... But I am confident in my speed." Sebastian says as he moves one leg back and a smile begins to form on his face.
"You don't have the guts to kill."
"I don't want to kill you. My friend gave me this sword merely to defend against yours should I fall short."
"Haha, go ahead and try. Whatever you have planned, it won't work." The thug says as he grips his sword causing the veins in his forearm to pop.
Sebastian accepts his challenge. Still standing a couple of feet away from the man, he makes his move.
"Oh, I will..." Sebastian proclaims, "...Just try to keep up." He says, now speaking directly into the ear of his opponent.
"What the??" The man, surprised by Sebastian's speed, reacted as fast as he could but he only cuts the air, Sebastian was no longer next to him. Panicking he turned around in circles in search of his opponent.
"C'mon..." Sebastian speaks in a ghostly matter. "You've gotta be faster than that." Now speaking from behind his head.
Before he could react this time, Sebastian knocks him to the ground, losing consciousness.
"His speed never fails to surprise me, I think he got faster, not to mention he's quite scary looking when he's serious." I speak to myself while sitting comfortably watching as the fight progresses.
The thug behind me grabs my attention as he tries to squirm out of my dark magic restraints. I remove part of it that was covering his mouth to let him speak.
"What the hell! I thought we were going to fight, why are you just watching them?!" He exclaims.
"I was more curious about my friends' development and I need him to think I'm up here fighting you. Also, you're just too boring for me, that fact I can contain you so easily like this speaks for itself." I explain.
"Yeah, well you just wait-" I cover his mouth again and knock him out before he can say another word.
"You're weak and annoying, don't even bother." I say as I drop him down next to the other guy.
Sebastian, trying to catch his breath, looks up and gives me a proud smile. He turns his attention back to the wagon once more and the kids that were scared before were looking at him with amazement in their eyes.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out" while speaking, a sudden pressure in the air cut him off.
The children in the cage quickly turned back around hiding their faces.
Sebastian's eyes dart around looking for the source, finally looking at the door that was left open by the other thugs, he became tenser than before, holding his sword up once more preparing for what was about to walk out.
This pressure was even enough to catch me by surprise. Unsure of what would happen next, I stayed on the rooftop.
Within the dark entryway, footsteps can be heard getting closer and louder, and out came who I assume was the big boss.
A man, taller and much more built than the others, with his stylish brown hair. Although tough looking, you wouldn't even think he was someone who would want to commit a crime, but it's clear from his aura that he's bad news... and unlike the others... He has no weapon. Yet the children seem to be much more afraid of him than any of the other guys, and the power emanating from him is comparable to that of my fathers.
With everything taken into account. Can I take him on?