Chapter 149

I felt guilty. Well then, what did I have to do to get rid of it?

We managed to find a relatively dry patch of dirt where we were able to lay down a blanket. It was there that we huddled together and waited for the morning. Daniela was on the alert the whole time while I wallowed in my emotions.

This hollow bag that I had used all this time. It was also taken from bandits. But it was confiscated by guards as part of their job, which made the means completely standard.

But what of these boxes we had now? Was it right for any random Adventurer to take them?

The answer was no. There had been no quest issued for us to retrieve it. And so there was a part of me that insisted that what we were doing was nothing short of robbery. It had been on my mind for a while now.

I was an outsider who came from a very peaceful world. But Daniela had lived here ever since she was born.

We usually saw eye to eye on most things, so I was a little surprised to see how different our mindsets were on this matter.

It was something that we needed to talk about seriously. Thankfully, we had some time now.

And so I opened my mouth after deciding to speak.

“Hey…Daniela.”

“What, Asagi?”

The back of my nose hurt. Maybe I was just nervous.

“First, allow me to make my excuses.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I’m not from here. I lived in a different world, and so there are fundamental differences in the way we think. I didn’t say much because I didn’t want you hate me.”

“Ah. Well, I do know how you feel.”

“Thank you. And so, it’s about those boxes…I don’t think we should keep them.”

“Hmm… You will have to explain this to me so I can understand.”

Daniela said as she stared at me. Ah, my hands were starting to sweat. I hated these kinds of things. We Japanese are not great when it comes to saying no. Conflict like this was usually to be avoided.

However, I told her what I had been thinking. I wanted her to know how I felt without looking away.

“…And so, because we did not acquire them by rightful means, we should pass it on to the town guards. If we want to continue to live with pride. That’s what I think.”

“…I see, yes. Asagi, your view is correct. I see nothing wrong with it. It is good. However, Nicora is known for being a dangerous place. What will you do if it turns out that the town guards are in league with the bandits?”

Of course, I had considered this myself. But…

“That is up to the empire to deal with. Even if it results in there being victims in the future, that would not be on us. Of course, if that happens right in front of us, I am prepared to kill those bandits.”

“So you are willing to risk the possibility that giving it to the guards may help the bandits in the long run?”

“Yes. I have to. If I want to continue to live as an upright person.”

Yes, ultimately it was all just for a sense of self-satisfaction. I didn’t want to think of myself as a criminal. I didn’t want others to think of me that way. I wanted to live with pride. I didn’t intend on shouldering all the responsibility even if it led to sadness for someone else. My way of thinking was nothing short of selfish.

I didn’t want to commit a crime. That’s all it was. And that mere wish had brought on a storm of emotion.

But as a human who had been brought up in a peaceful world, it was something I wanted to cling on to.

“…Asagi, I understand how you feel. It reminded me of something.”

“Reminded?”

“Aye… There was a time when I thought just like you.”

Daniela sighed and then chuckled.

“Living so long really does things to you…before you know it, things start to shift where your eyes cannot see.”

“But that’s how you’ve lived all this time, isn’t it? And there is nothing wrong with that at all.”

“Indeed… But just now, there is something righteous and blinding about you, Asagi. It makes me hate you a little.”

She said as she pinched my cheek.

“I too had a sense of justice. Evil is evil. We should do good, etcetera. But…when pushed to my limits, I learned to take from others in order to survive. And it turned out to be a much easier way to live. Before long I forgot what it had felt like at first.”

“You’ve gone through so much…”

“Aye, in a way.”

She seemed to be staring off into the distance. I could see a whirl of emotions in her profile. Sadness, regret, joy and nostalgia. The look in her eyes changed at a rapid pace, as if she were chasing memories of her travels. But there was something in her expression that I couldn’t read.

Still, I thought she had never looked more beautiful.

□ □ □ □

The spot we had chosen to wait was not far from the town. It was only about a twenty minute walk from the gate. And so we could see the town clearly from here.

It was surrounded by a ash-colored wall to protect it from monsters and bandits. There was something very dark about it considering it was near a river.

While it wasn’t as big as Spiris or Replant, it was quite big to be called a town. Its walls were high and thick, with sentries holding torches standing guard on top. It seemed that those men were at least doing their job. Perhaps they were forced to do it against their will? I couldn’t help but wonder.

We could see the west gate from where we were. We had come straight from the east, but there were also roads leading from the north and south as well. I saw several carriages flinging mud as they dashed down the road. It really was a necessary stop for any who wished to enter the capital. The last caravan I saw was accompanied by many guards as they headed for the gate.

We were watching this all very leisurely because we were eating breakfast. I wasn’t used to having arguments and it had made me hungry. It was definitely a rare thing for me to be the first to suggest it, but regardless, I started a fire and began to cook some meat.

Some people who passed us by gave us jealous looks. And they were quite right to, as our breakfast was very delicious.

“Let me get this straight, Asagi.”

“Yeah?”

“So, we give the guards the boxes. The empire is now responsible for what happens to them. And we immediately leave the town.”

“There’s no need for us to do everything for them.”

“I suppose so.”

Uhhhh… So, we stayed the night in this lodge, you see…and then there were these boxes…uh…yeah…they were suspicious looking…and so we opened them up and they were full of these rocks.

And with that, our conscious would be saved. We could leave knowing that we were 100% in the right. After that, Nicora’s problems would be dealt with by the country. I wasn’t from this world and I wasn’t from the empire.

“Alright. We’ve satisfied our hunger. Time to go!”

“Riverside Town of Nicora… I have not been to a shanty town in a while. I must stay on my guard.”

“I wonder how it will compare to Alessa?”

“Alessa should be nothing in comparison. This is a place where their military has no power. If one is not careful…hehe.”

“Which side are you even on…”

I put the dirty blanket back into my bag and got up. Now, off we go.