Ch. 119
We were right in front of the city gates, and then this—what a disaster. This is why I hate kids.
If I could, I’d just leave her on the side of the road and go.
“Are you serious?”
“I don’t want to go to the academy! I want to stay with Mom! I want to go back! Waaaah!”
“…Haa, Big Sis won’t be too happy about that.”
“Sniff… sob…”
Hold it in. Just hold it in.
She’s a kid. My nasty temper was starting to rear its head, but I forced it down.
I walked over to Annie, who was sobbing in the bushes, and held out my hand.
“Come on, let’s just go. Once you wash up and eat something decent, you’ll change your mind. You’re just tired from travel—”
“I’m not going!”
You little brat.
The smack of my hand being pushed away didn’t hurt, but it was deeply humiliating.
That was me being as kind as I possibly could, and she still rejected it. Now what was I supposed to do?
She’d really chosen the wrong person to throw a tantrum at. Because I’m even less mature than she is.
“Fine. Then don’t come.”
[Are we going without her, Master?]
“Let’s go, Rai.”
[Kekeke, honestly, that brat was annoying!]
I looked down at Annie one last time, then turned away like I didn’t care.
I saw the color drain from her face for a moment, but I didn’t stop. I knew she’d follow me once I left.
And if I was right, Annie would start bawling again in… three seconds.
Let’s count. Three, two, one—
“Sniff! Hwaaaaah! Waaah, aaahh!”
I glanced back. She was dragging herself after me, wiping her tear-streaked face with her sleeve.
[Ah! She’s following! Should I drive her away?]
[You little devil. Let her come.]
[We’re taking her with us? Ugh, I don’t like it…]
Rai hated kids. Maybe that’s why we got along.
I grabbed the horse and started walking slowly toward the city.
It would’ve been faster to ride, but I didn’t want to risk losing her for real.
Once she gave up and surrendered, I’d let her on the horse.
The continued sobbing behind me told me she was still following, even without me checking.
One thing was clear now.
I wasn’t cut out for looking after kids. Taming a dragon would’ve been easier.
I found myself missing Magi.
At least that guy didn’t cry when he tried to eat me.
—
As we entered a larger road where side paths intersected, the crowd noticeably grew.
Mielta was a major transportation hub in the west, and this area was where people traveling to Elan or Dmitri often passed through.
It was also the city where you’d see the most tribal folk.
I looked around, tracking the colorful array of people passing by as if I’d never seen a crowd before.
Then I checked behind me to see if Annie was still following. With so many people around, I was worried we’d get separated.
She was still sulking after her tantrum and trudging along behind me with her head down.
Then she got startled by a merchant cart speeding past and tumbled over.
Ugh, seriously?
[Rai.]
[Yep?]
[Take out one of that cart’s wheels.]
“I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me!”—is it that hard to say?! You were so good at whining before!
“Sniffle, sob! Waaah!”
Maybe it actually hurt when she fell, or maybe she just felt pathetic—either way, Annie burst into tears again.
She sat right in the middle of the road and started bawling so loudly and miserably that everyone turned to stare.
That was her way of protesting.
It meant, “Please comfort me. Pick me up. Put me on the horse. Forgive me like nothing happened.”
But I had zero intention of giving in.
I wasn’t her mom. I’d take responsibility for her safety, but that was all.
Smothering her with love wasn’t part of my job.
I had made up my mind: unless she truly reflected on her actions, I wouldn’t give in.
But just as I was firming up my resolve and turning back toward the city gates, someone ruined it with a shout.
“Hey, missus! Take your kid!”
Uh, they’re not talking to me… right?
“Little one, why are you crying?”
“I miss my mom… and sis… Mom…! Sniffle!”
“Oh no… looks like she got left behind by her mom.”
“You there! In the gray cloak with the yellow mutt! Missus, take your daughter—”
I flung off my cloak and yelled back before the stranger could finish.
“Look properly! Who are you calling ‘missus’?! And don’t say it twice!”
[Kraaah! Who’s the mutt, huh?! WHO?!]
That overly nosy man had just made enemies of both Rai and me.
Rai bared his shining white fangs and growled viciously. I stormed over with heavy, angry steps.
If I had fangs like his, I’d be doing the same.
“You’ve got a kid with you, so I figured you were a missus.”
“I’m nineteen.”
The big guy who’d surrounded Annie with two other travelers blocked my path and shrugged.
He was probably the one who called me that.
He was two heads taller than me and built like a battle ox.
“You’re kinda young to have a kid that big. Then again, you look like a total rookie.”
“You’re really starting to piss me off.”
“Well, the way you’re glaring at me isn’t exactly polite either.”
“What’s your problem?”
I couldn’t stand guys who relied on their size to act all tough.
“You were just abandoning a kid on the street. How am I supposed to ignore that?”
“Got a hobby of sticking your nose in other people’s business?”
We were practically grinding our teeth at each other.
It was clear from the start—we just didn’t like each other. Our faces were practically touching by the end. It wouldn’t have surprised me if one of us suddenly headbutted the other.
“Grrr!”
Rai stepped between us and bared his teeth like he was ready to pounce. If the man’s companions hadn’t stepped in, I would’ve grabbed his collar already.
“Chad! Enough.”
Until that moment, all my attention had been on the big guy—understandably so.
“You saw it too, Ash! She’s the one who started it!”
“No, *you* were rude.”
“You always take their side!”
“Chad, apologize. Now.”
The man called Chad turned and gritted his teeth like it physically hurt him. Then he gave a completely insincere apology.
“Sorry ‘bout that?”
Didn’t hear a word of it.
“Whatever. Move.”
“What the hell…”
I shoved the big guy aside and stepped up to the man they called Ash.
He had the most painfully average face I’d ever seen. Brown hair, brown eyes, not too big or small, average nose, average build—so generic I probably wouldn’t even recognize him if I saw him again later.
But something about his absurdly plain face gave me a strange sense of discomfort.
Was I just being paranoid?
Or was it the name Ash that bothered me?
“Your name’s Ash?”
I asked suddenly, and the man looked confused, unsure why I was focused on him now.
Somehow, Annie had ended up in his arms.
She was perched comfortably on his arm, arms around his neck, looking way closer to him than she ever did with me—even after ten days in the woods together.
He must’ve been kind to her.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Full name?”
“…Yes.”
“Commoner?”
As I fired off questions, the bespectacled man standing next to him stepped in to block me, clearly suspicious.
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? Interrogating him like that when you’ve just met?”
“Sorry. He just has the same name as someone I know.”
“You don’t seem sorry at all…”
Okay, I admit it—I was being rude.
The name Ash had completely thrown me off, but then I remembered how common it actually was.
“My bad. I’ll take the kid now.”
“Of course. Come here, little—”
“…No! I’m not going!”
Annie had a knack for making people uncomfortable.
She clung to this guy’s neck like her life depended on it—even though they’d only just met.
Ash looked flustered as he patted Annie’s back.
“Little one…”
“I hate her! She’s mean! She’s scary! Waaah!”
Fine, I get it—his voice is soft and pleasant, and his hands have a kind of gentle warmth I could never fake.
But still, Annie, *I’m* the one you came with…
“You.”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to comfort her… I didn’t expect this…”
“What’s with your hand? That hand.”
“…Huh?”
The right hand that was supporting Annie’s small back had a faint red scar.
An old wound, like something that had been pierced—by, say, a dagger…
‘No way.’
Ash?
Could it be… *that* Ash?