"That was fun, right, Fai?" Austin asked enthusiastically.
"Yeah."
"Too bad that we only have little time to enjoy it." Xander said as she thought about Oriana.
Their footsteps slowed as a beautifully adorned carriage, came to a graceful halt by a pair of majestic horses in front of the gates. The sound of hooves on the cobblestones drew everyone's attention, causing them to observe. But what they witnessed was a distressing sight instead. Austin and Xander couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as they watched the scene unfolds.
Two little girls, wrists bound in metal chains, were forcibly dragged out of the carriage by a guard. One figure exuded a sense of calm with its ebony skin and dark hair, while the other had fair skin, blonde hair, and a petite frame, visibly trembling with fear.
A portly nobleman, exuding haughty arrogance even from a distance, imperiously ordered the girls to carry his heavy luggage. The composed one, driven by necessity, effortlessly lifted two large bags onto her shoulders without a word of complaint. Meanwhile, the fair girl struggled under the weight of a single bag, her arms trembling with effort.
With a cruel sneer, the noble lashed out, delivering a vicious kick to the girl's side, causing her to crumple to the ground in pain. Tears welled up in her eyes as she cried out in agony, her voice echoing in the air.
Austin's heart clenched with the urge to intervene, to help the defenseless girl in her time of need. But before he could take action, Fai's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"We can't interfere with this, Austin," Fai said quietly, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene. "As much as it pains us to witness this injustice, it's something beyond our control. We can't risk making things worse."
Though his heart ached with frustration and anger, Austin reluctantly nodded in understanding. With heavy hearts, they started to walk away from the scene, their footsteps heavy as they continued on their way.
But when Austin saw the haunting scene of the girl's blood coming out from her lips as she cried due to the continued kicks of the nobleman, Austin's instinct to intervene surged within him, overriding Fai's cautionary words. With determination blazing in his eyes, he stepped forward, his voice ringing out with indignation.
"Stop! You can't treat her like that!" Austin shouted, his voice carrying across the courtyard.
The noble turned his attention to Austin, his face contorting with disdain at the sight of the young boy daring to challenge him. With a scoff, he approached Austin, his expression filled with contempt.
"Who do you think you are, brat?" the noble spat, his voice dripping with arrogance. "This is none of your concern. Know your place."
Undeterred, Austin stood his ground, his fists clenched at his sides. "I won't stand by and watch you abuse her," he declared, his voice trembling with righteous anger.
With a swift motion, the noble raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap across Austin's cheek, the force of the blow sending him staggering backward. The courtyard fell silent, the sound of the slap echoing in the air.
"You insolent little brat!" the noble seethed, his face flushed with rage. "How dare you speak to me like that? You are nothing but a lowly commoner, unworthy of my attention."
Austin gritted his teeth against the pain, his cheek stinging from the force of the slap. But his resolve remained unbroken as he glared defiantly at the noble, refusing to back down in the face of injustice.
The nobleman continued slapping, punching, and kicking him. He would drop down due to the uncontrolled force from time to time but he would always stand back as he stared at the noble with feisty eyes.
"You, s** of a b****. Know your place you peasant!" As the confrontation escalated, the noble's eyes began to redden and bulge with anger. He exerted force on Austin, causing him to falter and ultimately pinning him to the ground.
Xander tried to intervene, his heart pounding with the desire to protect his friend, but the calm girl acted before he could. She pushed the nobleman that was on top of Austin and positioned herself between the noble, who had now rolled on the ground, and Austin, her eyes blazing with defiance.
"Stop!" her voice rang out with strength despite the fear that flickered in her eyes. She spread her arms wide as if to cover the unmoving Austin behind her.
The noble's face twisted with fury at the girl's audacity, he reached out his hand to the girl and clenched it as he glared down at her. With a muttered incantation, he cast a spell. His mana channeled through the girl's metal collar as it glowed red.
A surge of pain tore through the girl's body as the spell took effect, causing her to cry out in agony and stumble backward, clutching at her throat. Her saliva started blurting out of her mouth as her eyes became white after it rolled upwards. Her body dropped backward as her whole body trembled wildly on the ground. The collar glowed ominously, its magic leaving burns on her skin as she writhed in pain.
Xander's heart clenched with anguish and fury as he watched helplessly, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He longed to rush to her aid, to somehow ease her suffering.
Torn between his desire to protect Austin and his fear of provoking the noble's wrath, Xander stood frozen, his gaze locked on the girl trembling in pain helplessly. And as the courtyard fell silent once more, the weight of their powerlessness hung heavy in the air. Xander fell to his knees, totally frustrated and wrathful towards the noble.
"Fai! What are you doing? We have to help them!" Xander cried out with tears gushing out of her eyes.
"We can't"
"What do you mean we can't?" stood up but Fai stopped him and pinned him on the ground.
"Release me!"
"No," Fai replied coldly.
"Stop! Please stop. No! Please I beg you! We're sorry, we're sorry. Please!" With a coarse voice due to the forced yell, Xander begged as he watched Austin who couldn't move, and the girl dying in pain.
The blonde girl's face was covered with blood as she crawled towards the trembling girl, crying with worry. No one here understood the pain that the ebony-skinned girl was feeling more than she could.
As the chaos unfolded, guards from the chateau rushed forward, their expressions grave as they intervened to calm the enraged noble. With firm yet respectful words, they managed to placate him, guiding him away from the scene and offering assistance with his luggage. The nobleman's guard who was only standing nearby helped the two little girls into the chateau as well, carrying them on each arm.
Meanwhile, the butler, sensing an opportunity to assert his authority, entered the scene with a smug expression on his face. He approached the noble with a deferential bow, his tone dripping with false humility.
"My apologies for the disturbance, my lord," the butler said smoothly, his voice oozing with insincerity. "Please allow me to assist you with your luggage. Are you here for the Young Master's Birthday party, you're always so diligent. Admirable indeed."
As the guards and the butler attended to the noble's needs, the butler went over to the trio and glanced a smug look, lips curling in a sneer of contempt.
"Well, well, well," he taunted, his voice laced with mockery. "It seems the commoners have once again overstepped their bounds. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, given their lack of manners and understanding of their place in society."
His words cut through the air like knives Xander glanced at the butler with a heart heavy with indignation. He knew better than to respond to the butler's taunts, realizing that any further confrontation would only worsen their situation.
With a resigned sigh, he turned away from the Baron's chateau while supporting Austin, his spirits weighed down by the unfairness of it all.
In an empty street, he gently placed the unconscious Austin to a nearby bench. He glared at Fai who did nothing until now.
"What did you do?" He yelled.
"What do you mean? I did nothing." Fai responded.
"That's the point. You did nothing! We could've helped to stop that pig so why?" he inquired with fury.
"We can't make any changes and will only get things worse if we intervene. Did you understand why Austin never hit the Noble and just let him lash at him instead of the pitiful blonde girl?"
"It doesn't matter, we are his friends so we must help in times he needs it."
"It does matter to Austin. And at that time, he did not need our help."
"Nonsense! AAAAAAARRRHGGG!" Xander yelled as he rushed towards Fai to punch him but before he could, Fai's fist landed on his face.
"Imagine, if it was the noble you rushed forward to and the sword of the guard that was standing nearby reached you, not my fist. Would you still be able to watch your sister get better? Would you still be able to see your missing father? Would you still be able to get stronger to take revenge on that fat noble?" His words and tone contain confidence and persuasion.
"..." Xander who is now kneeling on the ground after receiving a heavy blow of punch and realization has his head bowed to the ground as tears fall to the cobblestone. "Why am I so weak? I wanted to protect everyone I care about but why can't I do anything."
"Stay alive, Xander. Because if you are alive, you can become strong." Xander looked at Fai with pleading eyes. "As long as you're alive, that helplessness and pain you're feeling will help you become stronger. Get up!"
Xander stopped crying and went back to the unconscious Austin, helping him to get up. The only difference now was the determination in his eyes and Fai's support as they carried Austin together. Along the way, Austin woke up, feeling warm and supported by his friends when he needed them the most.
The memory of the noble's cruelty and the butler's scorn burned in Xander's mind, they swore to himself that he would become stronger. So strong that no one will be able to hurt anyone he cares about.
***
When they arrived at Austin's house, Austin's mother's eyes widened in concern as she took in Austin's rugged appearance, his clothes disheveled and body bruised, cuts visible everywhere. Worry etched lines on her face as she rushed forward to meet them.
"Austin, what happened? What have you done?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with maternal concern as her hand glowed in response to her encantation.
Xander stepped forward, his expression grim as he explained what had transpired, sparing no detail of the altercation with the noble and the butler's subsequent mockery.
Austin's mother listened intently, her eyes widening in anger as she heard about the injustice her son had faced. Her heart ached to see him in such a state, his bravery in standing up against cruelty was both admirable and worrisome.
Austin's mother enveloped her son in a tight embrace after the cuts healed. Her arms wrapped around him protectively. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held him close, overcome with emotion.
"I'm so sorry, Austin," she whispered, her voice choked with tears. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't give you the life you deserve."
Austin returned to his mother's embrace, feeling the tension in his body melt away in her comforting embrace. "It's okay, Mama," he replied softly, his voice filled with emotion. "I'm just glad to be home with you and that's enough for me." With a sigh of relief, they stood together in the warm embrace of family.
Xander left the scene before Fai. Fai watched Xander leave who he noticed was envious. He understood him more than anyone could.
"I'll get going now, Neve. I'm sorry that I was unable to protect Austin. Your son is so brave."
"I understand, Fai. I know that you would have intervened if it was necessary so you don't have to worry. Please be careful on your way home."
The sun may have set filled with bitterness today, but tomorrow will be a new hope for everyone. There's no need to worry about what has been transcribed or what is to come. What's most important is to keep moving forward.
Austin and Fai bid their farewells as Neve waited for Austin by the door.