Volume 6 Chapter 5-2 Agito The Rebel
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Professor’s stories are interesting, but when I’m made to listen to those endless, never-finished talks, it really does feel like there’s no end. I can understand why the other Hero residents of the apartment tend to avoid them.
When dinner is offered, I politely take my leave.
After leaving the apartment, it occurs to me that maybe the Professor actually wanted to eat my cooking. Should I go back and make them something for dinner? If it’s something simple, I could still prepare it now. I’ve got some stock in my magic bag, too.
But if I go back just for that and it turns out I was being presumptuous, that’d be embarrassing. I’ve heard actual professional chefs from Japan often drop by to visit the Professor. All I can offer is amateur cooking that relies on skill alone.
Alright, time to go home. If the Professor starts talking, I might end up pulling an all-nighter this time.
Miss Floria seems busy with work lately, so I guess I’ll stay over at Ms. Mahal’s again tonight.
Before I knew it, the sky was filled with orange light. Even the nearly-collapsing, filthy row houses looked like something out of an exotic, picturesque foreign scene in this sunset.
The smell is still terrible as always, but I’m getting used to all sorts of bad odors since coming to this world. Maybe Japan was just too clean.
”Sir Hero, please stop!”
A girl’s scream tears through the sentimental twilight atmosphere. Sir Hero? I wasn’t the one being called, but I still flinched instinctively.
Near the intersection where the slum street and the main road meet, a crowd was gathering.
Getting involved out of idle curiosity never leads to anything good. Normally, I’d just coolly walk on by, but I recognize the voice of that girl from moments ago.
The one who shouted was a beautiful girl, poorly dressed, whom I sometimes see around here. I once helped her after she was hit by a carriage. She was cautious and never gave me her name. I think she’s a smart one.
Now, I see a familiar summoned hero is one-sidedly roughing up a shabby-looking boy. He’s one of the residents in Professor’s apartment──if I remember right, he claimed his name was the Warrior Agito. His real name is probably Akito, Akihito, or something like that.
He said he was just summoned around autumn. Apparently, he was in his second year of middle school, so about 14 years old? The other boy probably isn’t much different in age.
Is he beating up a pickpocket or something? There’s a big crowd of onlookers, too. If he goes too far, it might damage the image of all summoned Heroes.
”I don’t know what happened, but that’s enough.”
Agito glanced at me, but kept kicking his crouched opponent regardless. The boy, battered like an old rag, seemed used to this and endured by curling up like a turtle. Still, if Agito, a level 18 warrior, got serious, one hit would turn him into a lump of meat.
It’s not uncommon for poor children to be unbaptized, and if those kids die, they just stay dead without receiving the blessing of resurrection.
Looks like Agito is holding back a bit, but his eyes are anything but normal──kind of scary, honestly. Yeah, he’s clearly enjoying picking on the weak.
Among the summoned Heroes, there are sometimes guys who, after coming to this world, become weirdly violent.
”Stop, any more and he’ll die. If he’s a criminal, hand him over to the officials.”
Since I do know him, I muster up some courage and give him a proper warning.
”You’re wrong! Malik was only trying to protect me!”
The girl protests to me. Now that she mentions it, the boy does seem to be trying to keep Agito away from her.
In the eyes of the boy desperately clinging to Agito’s leg, I can see a life-or-death resolve. Is he protecting the girl he loves? He’s practically the protagonist here.
”Don’t touch me with those filthy hands!”
And then there’s Agito, spouting total villain lines. He even reeks of small-fry character. I’m embarrassed just hearing it, so please, I beg you, stop.
”Hey, Agito. What the hell are you doing?”
”Shut up. This girl’s my prey. I’ve had my eye on making her my slave for a while, so don’t butt in after coming late.”
It isn’t unusual for nobles to catch cute girls in the poor street and make them slaves. Of course, it’s illegal. There are all sorts of loopholes in the law, but you still have to go through a process.
Among the summoned Heroes, there are many people who absolutely cannot tolerate slavery. Even so, there are also a fair number who support it, and some even go out hunting slaves themselves.
I’m buying Ms. Claire and the other slaves, so I’m in no position to act all self-righteous. As for enslaving criminals and monsters, I don’t think I can entirely deny it. I also think there’s no ignoring the fact that slaves are an important labor force in this world. Though, I do think illegal slave hunting is absurd.
The problem is there’s no way to remove the subjugation skill. On that point, it’s still being researched, and I have some ideas.
From what I see, Agito is probably pro-slavery. Plus, he doesn’t seem to know much about this world’s laws.
Even though he’ll get in trouble with the law at this rate, he doesn’t care at all.
Did he find a cute girl and act on impulse? Maybe some bad friend filled his head with a bunch of nonsense.
The truly bad guys slip through legal loopholes and get away with crimes like it’s nothing. Compared to them, I guess Agito isn’t as bad, but an idiot is still an outlaw.
I just heard that new Heroes have been causing heinous incidents all over the place. Talk about timely.
Someone like Mr. Raoh has supposedly been running around cleaning up all day. Try not to cause any problems, seriously.
Anyway, looks like I get it now──Agito’s the one in the wrong here.
His face is bright red. He’s so worked up, he can’t have a proper conversation.
Is this what they mean by short-tempered youth these days? Thinking back, there was always at least one hot-headed guy like this in class.
Back in middle school, the guidance counselor could calm savage students like magic. What kind of tricks did he use? I sure couldn’t pull that off.
Anyway, first off, I should probably calm Agito down.
”Hey, hey, don’t go acting like some villainous punk when you’re still a kid. Gotta have the Professor give you a proper scolding.”
Bit pathetic, but I’m going for the classic ‘I’m telling the teacher’ tactic. Works wonders on kids.
Even if he won’t listen to me, he definitely can’t go against Professor, who takes care of him.
”What did you say? You bastard, don’t get too cocky.”
No good. Agito’s face got even redder.
Bringing up Professor might have actually had the opposite effect. It was like pouring oil on the fire.
Agito stopped kicking the boy and turned to face me. I felt the target had switched to me. There was a sense of déjà vu in the glare he gave me.
That’s right, Alex. He has the same eyes as Alex.
It’s understandable for adolescents to get carried away when they gain strength. It’s just rebellion. It’s that step toward adulthood. I can’t say I don’t have some experience with that myself.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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