Chapter 10

Absolutely do not touch Eldmia Eg. - Chapter 10 (10/599)

"Be ready by 6 AM tomorrow morning. If you don't pop out after I knock three times on the door or if you pop out unprepared, I'll make you sleep forever."

After finally getting the kids, who had started to regain some vitality in their eyes, back to their rooms, I was able to return to Yans' blacksmith shop where I had tied the horse. Yans, who loves horses even though he doesn't raise them, was feeding them with a grin, but when he saw me, he pretended to be angry and frowned.

"You brat. Is my house a stable? Where have you been all day, and only now you show up!"

"That's what I'm saying. As an apology, I'll give you this for free, so show me a good practice longsword. I need to buy a new one."

"What is this? Did you run it over with a cart wheel? Why is it like this?"

"Accidentally?"

"I didn't sell anything that would end up like this..."

Scratching his bald head in confusion, Yans still managed to pull out something that fit my height. But it wasn't a practice sword made of iron; it was a real longsword.

"Huh? This is just a longsword with a dulled edge?"

Seeing my surprise, Yans chuckled and said,

"Given your size, it's better to get used to something like this. Your muscles are starting to shape up. Get used to it, and when you get Ashelie's permission, I'll sharpen it and make a few adjustments."

"But the price..."

"Don't worry, I'll give you a discount. Just give me 20 silver coins. When you get it sharpened later, add 5 more."

"Let's just settle for 25 now."

I handed over the silver coins without hesitation. Even if my judgment isn't perfect, I know that a longsword of this quality would cost twice as much. This sudden impulse buy is a bit unexpected.

"You have a good eye and quick calculations. Ashelie has really taught you well."

"Of course, I learned all that from her, didn't I?"

Of course, I didn't learn everything just because I was good.

After that, I returned home as usual. It took longer than expected, but I was satisfied that I made it back before evening.

"I'm back, sis."

As I reached the cabin along the forest path, Ashelie, who had been milking the goats, greeted me.

"It took longer than I thought. Did you finish everything?"

"There won't be any more trouble, but I'm still cleaning up."

While I was tying the horse and giving it some feed, Ashelie, who was carrying the milk bucket into the house, hesitated and asked,

"...Sigh. This is a really strange question, but... did you kill anyone?"

"About five with broken legs? And one, their leader. I killed him."

"...Why?"

"They threatened to use you against me. So I killed him."

"Couldn't you have spared him?"

"I thought it was better to kill the leader and completely suppress them rather than leave room for future trouble by half-heartedly letting them live and causing factional fights."

If the leader had been left half-dead, the second-in-command might have risen up, and the situation could have escalated. But if the leader, who was the cause, was eliminated, the second-in-command could take over and maintain control, avoiding unnecessary trouble. Of course, the second-in-command might still cause problems later, but that's a different story.

With that in mind, I started by killing him. The effect was even better than expected, and there was no second-in-command left.

As I was about to go inside, Ashelie looked uneasy.

"I've killed many people in my life. As an adventurer, that's part of the job. Sometimes, I fought more humans than monsters. Even so, if I had seen a child, especially an 11-year-old, killing someone out of necessity, I would have tried to stop it."

Putting down the milk bucket and twirling her hair, Ashelie's face showed a mix of emotions.

"Even if they were threatening you, I would have tried to stop you from killing. I'm not sure... After watching you for the past three years, hearing that you killed someone feels like just another story about an adventurer killing a thief."

"So, you want to believe it's not a big deal, but you're also worried that I might become a murderer when I grow up?"

Her eyes widened for a moment, then she laughed and nodded.

"You... are always surprising. Yes, honestly."

"Since telling you not to worry wouldn't help... If something like this happens again, I'll tell you and we can talk about it."

"Talk?"

"Yes. I'll explain why I think I need to kill someone or what adjustments need to be made. You can listen and judge whether I'm just relying on violence and murder to solve problems or if I'm thinking and acting."

Ashelie's instincts are sharp. My actions and thoughts are those of a 30-year-old man who has grown bitter from too much injustice. Using an adventurer as an example is almost perfect. But my appearance is that of a child, and it's natural for a guardian who has raised me to feel uneasy.

I don't want to ignore a problem I can solve and make my savior anxious.

"If you think my judgment is wrong, I'll follow your advice. Even if you think it's right but you're uncomfortable, I'll try to avoid killing."

I hope this will reduce your worry about my mental state.

Ashelie hugged me in response. I felt grateful and a bit guilty for the care she shows me, despite not being related by blood.

"To be honest, I thought we'd just have a teacher-student relationship or a somewhat awkward one. But we couldn't do that, could we?"

"Yes, my little brother is kind and smart. Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome."

With a bright smile, we finished the day and moved to have dinner. The meat stew made with fresh milk was as delicious as always.

"By the way, what do you mean by 'still cleaning up'?"

"Oh, I killed the leader, and most of the gang members were runaways, so I sent them back. But five of them had nowhere to go. One was a real orphan."

"Runaways...? Anyway, what did you do?"

"I'm trying to help them find jobs and get settled. Today, I just got them rooms at Alixa's inn. It will take time to settle them, so I'll be going to the city more often than before..."

"Good grief, you should have told me that first!"

She jumped up, nearly spilling the stew, and hugged me. Despite my confusion, Ashelie kept patting my head.

"See! My little brother isn't a cold-blooded killer who kills people for fun! What a good deed!"

"It's not that big a deal. I used the money from the leader's loot. Here's the leftover money, 3 silver coins and some copper."

"Good job, good job! I knew our little brother, who hates slavery, wouldn't change!"

"Why did you bring up that topic...?"

I didn't understand, but I was satisfied that Ashelie's worry had lessened.

◈

The next morning, I woke up early and headed to Ogwen without breakfast. Since it was obvious I wouldn't find work before 7 AM, I could still have breakfast with Ashelie when I returned.

Although I realized I had become the crazy person who openly kills people in the village, I decided not to dwell on it since it was already in the past. There are too many waves in life to be troubled by just one death.

It was not even 6 AM, but many people were already active in Ogwen. Not just inns and restaurants, but also grocery stores were busy preparing to open.

All these changes happened after the Adventurer's Guild was established.

In just one year, many things changed, and even more rapidly.

"Milena, are you busy?"

I waved to a woman in her 40s with a kind face, who runs a grocery store that supplies many restaurants. She's always busy.

"It's Eldmia, isn't it? What brings you here so early? Haven't seen you in a while. Are you looking for work again?"

"Not for me, but for some other kids."

"Other kids?"

"Yes. I found some street kids yesterday and thought I'd give them some work."

"Street kids...?"

"I'm Eldmia Eg, Milena. I already cleaned them up and bought them decent clothes from Tex's shop. You won't even know they were street kids."

"You're clever. But why street kids all of a sudden? Did you get a job from the church or something?"

How do these adults see me as such a versatile worker? Getting a job from the church is tough even for a good adventurer.

"Just... They're like me. Thinking about how I might have ended up if I didn't have Ashelie, I felt compelled to help."

"Wow... You're so kind. Anyway, things are busy lately with construction sites and street vendors. How many kids are there?"

"Three boys and two girls. The boys are over 14, so they'll be useful soon. I can offer 3 copper coins for the first day, and 4 if they do well. What do you think?"

"I can give 5 copper coins if they work well. But it's physical labor, so boys are better. I can take two."

"I'll bring them over soon~"

I smiled and parted ways with Milena, then approached other familiar merchants. It's a good deal for them if the conditions are right. If they do exceptionally well, they can become apprentices, and even if they're average, they're easy to teach. Without a home, they'll work hard for living expenses. This also helps build a reputation as someone who helps street kids find jobs and careers, which is a win-win unless I hire a torturer.

Even if not immediately, if they prove useful later, it's worth considering. For now, I'll focus on shops that are busy from early morning to lunchtime. Once they get used to it, they can work other jobs in the afternoon.

When I arrived, the five kids were waiting for me in front of the inn, ready to go. It was impressive. They must have slept well since they don't look tired.

"Getting up early means more work. Places that work all day pay more, and working half a day leaves the other half free for other jobs. That's what I'll teach you."

While explaining this, we walked together, leaving the horse at the inn.

"...Why..."

One of the girls spoke up. She was the only one, a 13-year-old orphan with short red hair and freckles, sharp but pretty eyes, and a brave demeanor. She might have been a neighborhood beauty if not for the war, with boys flocking to her. Or, her looks might have gotten her into trouble with the lord.

"Why are you helping us?"

"Are you short on words? Did I say I'm 11 and you should crawl to me?"

"...What?"

She changed her tone, but there was no fear in her expression. Considering she witnessed someone being killed and is talking to the person who caused it, she's incredibly brave. Her curiosity impressed me, so I stopped and said,

"I'm a war orphan who lost my village, friends, and family to the first attack of the Demon King's army when I was 8. Technically, I'm your senior."

The other kids' faces froze. At least they understand how bad the situation was. Lack of empathy is one of the few things that can ruin a job.

"The elf who investigated your gang leader is my savior. Without her, I would have ended up like you or worse. She gave me a chance."

I continued walking, as this was all in the past. Three years is a long time.

"You didn't meet someone like Ashelie, my savior, so you ended up like this. You just didn't get the chance. I'm giving you that chance."

It's not exactly helping. I'm not a saint or a do-gooder.

"It's a chance I can give because I have the means. I'm just giving you something I can take away at any time. You might feel like I'm helping, but to me, it's not that significant... It's just a chance."

Just because I saw you.

"Of course, the people in this town are closer and more important to me. If you don't work out, I'll throw you out. So, whether this is really help or not is still to be seen."