Chapter 53

I stood at the door of the "Apple House," bringing some scrap materials as a gift.

I judged that it would be better to let Oyaji know about today's events.

Amur's senior hesitated to report, saying, "It all ended well, so it's fine, isn't it?" but communication is important.

I convinced him by saying that the more difficult it is to say, the more important it is to let it be known early, as it is the basic principle of an explorer.

"Quite early...

Well, I can guess.

Ren must have been enthusiastic about his first mission.

Unfamiliar work must have been tiring, right?

If you plan to come again tomorrow, you should rest early today."

As Oyaji said, I was actually quite tired.

I had a competition of wills with the old man who operates the magic construction machinery, and we worked at a pretty fast pace.

I had plenty of magic power left, but the physical strength required for "dumping" is different from swordsmanship or morning sprints. I'm sure I'll have a lot of muscle pain from my buttocks to my thighs and back tomorrow.

I'll go home and practice the unfamiliar bow, so I'm sure I'll have a hard time getting up with full-body muscle pain.

But it's not at all hard because I feel like I'm doing what I love.

"Thank you.

I'll go home for today.

But before that, there's something I want to let you know..."

When I said that, Oyaji frowned.

"...What did you do on your first day...?"

Amur's senior was so scared that I had to report the whole story as objectively and calmly as possible.

"...So, the guy who underestimated the Apple Family, I took care of him properly."

Oyaji, who had listened to the whole story without interrupting, said to me and the senior, "What do you mean, 'Apple Family'!" and gave us each a punch.

When I was rubbing my head, Oyaji said,

"...Well, if you were underestimated that much, there's nothing you can do.

If the other party draws a weapon and you are unarmed, the fault is always on their side.

It doesn't seem like you caused any injuries either.

And the most important thing is that you honestly reported the facts to me before I heard it from somewhere else.

From now on, if something happens, report it to me first.

Then, I, who take care of you, will protect you no matter what.

I can't protect you if I don't know what's going on."

Oyaji smiled in a dandy way.

Amur's senior visibly relaxed at his expression.

I asked just to be sure.

"...By the way... then why did you hit me?"

"...Because it looked fun and I was envious."

...

◆

Well, I'm tired, so I stood up to leave.

Just then, a shout came from outside.

"You guys who worked at the demolition site with my young ones today, Amur and another kid!

Come out!"

Oyaji and I sighed in unison.

"Ha.

This happens a lot, which is why reporting is important.

I'll go and smooth things over, so you guys stay inside."

"...Oyaji.

I'll clean up my own mess."

I tried a line that would be in the top three of the lines I admired from the outlaws in my previous life.

"Ha ha ha!

Clean up your own mess, huh?

That's funny. But no.

If you go out, it'll just get more complicated.

This is a job for adults."

Oyaji said that and went outside.

◆

When Oyaji, whose real name is Lind Izrapol, went outside, there were about ten young men from the Gold Rat gang.

One man, who looked to be around 27 or 28, stepped forward, surrounded by them.

"You weren't called, Lind!

Stay out of this!"

"...Sava, right? From the Gold Rat.

I heard you're going to be promoted to C-rank soon and are in charge of the young ones.

Calling me by my first name, you've become quite the big shot, haven't you?"

Lind's intimidating presence made Sava flinch for a moment.

But, perhaps seeing the pleading eyes of his followers, he decided he couldn't back down and took another step forward.

"I'm just here to settle a fight between kids!

Don't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong!"

Lind was exasperated.

Leaving aside the obvious question of what Sava was doing, it seemed that as the leader of the young ones, he lacked confidence in himself.

Lind could see the naive desire to be relied on by his subordinates and to produce results.

He could have just beaten them up and sent them away, but that would have caused more trouble later.

On the other hand, with the eyes of his followers on him, it wouldn't be easy to resolve the matter through discussion.

"Sava, I don't know which kid was involved, but does your boss know about this?

He's a greedy guy, but he's not that clueless."

"Shut up!

It's just a fight between kids!

Our gang is big!

This isn't something that needs to be brought to the boss's attention!"

"It might have started as a fight between kids, but now that you've brought in kids from other mutual aid societies, it could turn into a conflict between gangs.

What are you trying to do by making this bigger?

If you're in a position of leadership, you should have checked the facts with your own kids before getting angry."

Sava's face twisted into a sarcastic smile at these words.

"Talking down to me when your own gang is falling apart because the kids you've been taking care of since they were young have abandoned you...

Your old ways don't work in this capital anymore!"

Lind's face twisted as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.

At that moment, Roy, who had been on a cleaning job with two children whose magic organs were not yet fully developed, returned.

"Father, what's all the commotion?"

One of the Gold Rat's followers, who looked particularly stupid but was strong, said,

"You're Roy, who's always with Amur, right?

Go inside and bring out Amur and the kid who was with him today.

Talking to this old geezer is getting us nowhere!"

He then punched Roy in the stomach.

"You!

Do you know who you're hitting and where you are?"

Lind's demeanor changed for a moment, but he quickly calmed down when he sensed the door opening behind him.

"Roy!"

"Roy's senior!"

Amur and Allen burst out of the door.

◆

After listening to the exchange between Oyaji and the idiots outside, I asked Amur's senior a question that had been on my mind.

"Why has 'Apple' lost so many people?"

I thought there might be some difficult circumstances, but the senior answered my question straightforwardly.

"Father doesn't make excuses, but it seems that recently, there's been more work near the border with the northern Rozamul Empire, and there aren't enough explorers.

The capital has a lot of work, but it also has a lot of explorers.

We have a lot of kids who can't earn enough, and we don't take much in membership fees, so the finances of the gang are always in trouble.

So, the seniors who grew up in this house have decided to go there and become explorers, to make a name for themselves and provide opportunities for the younger ones who are struggling for work here.

Father says, 'Be free as explorers, don't worry about this house.'

Father, who could reach A-class as an explorer, has given up his dreams and everything to support this house, and we feel ashamed.

That's why I understand the feelings of the seniors.

In fact, I wanted to go with them.

...But I was told I was too young and wasn't taken."

Amur's senior's eyes were moist, and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

I see.

The senior's words were not eloquent, but his feelings were clear.

I had one thought that I shared with him.

"I understand how Oyaji feels.

I don't think Oyaji is sacrificing himself.

I think he's just doing what he wants to do.

I don't think he cares about status, honor, or wealth."

My intuition was right.

In this house, everyone is living by pursuing what they want to do.

I decided that if I was going to train as an explorer, the "Apple House" was the best place for me.

Just then, the senior, who had been peeking through the door, shouted, "Roy!" and rushed outside.

I hurriedly looked outside and saw a crude fat man punch Roy's senior in the stomach and step on his fallen head with a dirty shoe.

"Roy's senior!"

I followed Amur's senior and rushed outside.

◆

"Idiot!

Why did you come out!"

"Finally, you came out!

Hey! I'll hold the old geezer!

You guys, settle this properly.

Show them what happens when they defy us!"

Sava shouted and grabbed Lind around the waist.

"You idiot!

Who are you holding!

Stop Ren, the one with the dark brown hair!

Idiot! Don't go alone! Attack together!

What are you doing with your bare hands! Use the scrap materials around you!

Idiot! Throw them all at once!

Roy! How long are you going to lie there?

Hold down Ren with Amur!"

◆

Thus, a new star suddenly appeared in the outlaw world of the capital.

Shellbur Montstel, the charismatic outlaw who rose to the position of president of the Explorer's Association through sheer physical strength.

Even "Lind of the Apple," his drinking buddy, couldn't hold back the "mad dog."

The rumor that a dangerous guy named Ren had joined the "Apple," which had recently been in decline, slowly spread through the underworld of the capital.

Incidentally, the news soon reached the ears of the president of the Gold Rat, who personally brought a gift to the Apple House and apologized, thus settling the matter.

Thank you always!

Due to a busy schedule, I'll take a break for one or two days!