[128] Island: Galliant (5)
"Hey! Stop that!"
Shirone stepped forward and shouted.
Gamos turned to him with a bewildered look. He'd expected some clueless punk to barge in, but this was a boy not yet twenty, carrying shopping baskets in both hands.
"Who are you? Some brat—where do you get off acting like this?"
"Please let her go. People are watching, and the guards will be here soon."
"Puhahaha! Guards? Do you know who I am?"
"So what if I know who you are? If you keep this up, I'll go fetch the guards myself."
"Hmm…"
When Gamos loosened his grip, the woman who'd been freed hurriedly hid behind Shirone. She was only a young woman, and among the crowd Shirone was the only person she could cling to.
"Please save me. That man—he's going to—"
Gamos scowled and stepped forward.
"You worthless flea. You make people annoyed. Hey, kid, I'm the merchant of this island, Galiant. That woman stole from me. She tried to steal an expensive porcelain and ended up breaking it."
"What? Porcelain?"
Shirone blinked. If the man's words were true, the woman behind him was being accused of theft.
Gamos was saying he'd used that as an excuse to demand sexual compensation. Whether he was right or wrong could be argued, but it wasn't an easy situation to take sides in.
"Sure, I used that as a pretext to demand her body. But she did damage my goods, so I should be compensated somehow, shouldn't I? Call the guards and it'll be her who gets taken away."
The woman averted her eyes when Shirone turned to look at her.
"Is what he says true?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. But I really needed that porcelain. I swear."
"Hahaha! There's no case where porcelain is absolutely necessary. If it's necessary, it's money. I was only trying to get you some coin. Now, kid, you understand? Don't get mixed up with women like her. Unless you're looking for a one-night partner—then by all means. Isn't that right, folks?"
The onlookers followed Gamos and burst into laughter. It wasn't really funny, but the tension that had been building unraveled all at once.
"You came here with your friends—go eat something nice instead. If you meddle in adults' business, this is what happens."
The woman grabbed Shirone's arm and pleaded.
"Please don't go. If you leave, I don't know what that man will do."
"Why not just tell the guards? It'll be taken care of."
"No! He controls this island. Please believe me."
"How much is the porcelain worth?"
"I don't know exactly. Maybe fifty silver."
Shirone thought for a moment. Fifty silver wasn't a hard sum for him to spare. But having money didn't automatically make it right to pay off someone's wrongdoing. Just as no one had the right to judge another's sin at will, he didn't think anyone had the right to absolve it with coin.
He made his decision and stepped toward Gamos.
"I'll pay the value of the porcelain. Please let her go."
Gamos narrowed his eyes, surprised. Fifty silver wasn't much to a noble, but what motive did this boy have to oppose a powerful local and defend the woman?
"Oh ho, so you intend to take her for yourself? A runt like you couldn't possibly get a beauty like that for fifty silver."
Shirone frowned. He was offended at being dismissed as a lecher by Gamos.
"I don't want her like that. Do you assume everyone's like you?"
"Then why interfere? She stole. Hand her over to the guards."
"Whatever she did is not for me to judge. I'm willing to spend fifty silver because I don't think someone should suffer a punishment harsher than their crime. If you intended to do anything more to her, take this money and end it."
The woman's eyes brightened as if she'd realized something. Gamos snorted. Why be so complicated about fifty silver?
"Here—fifty silver. Forgive her now."
Gamos stared at the coin in Shirone's palm.
Honestly, he didn't feel pleased. The woman was too good to pass up, and Shirone's attitude irked him.
To Gamos, it looked like a naive kid who'd lost his head over a beauty.
"Compensation isn't necessary. Money's a dime a dozen anyway. But there's one condition."
"A condition? What is it?"
"Since you're such a noble fellow sacrificing yourself for her, you could at least apologize to me on her behalf. Bow your head and apologize to me in front of everyone."
All eyes in the crowd fixed on Shirone. It was rare for someone to accept humiliation for another, but Shirone stepped forward without hesitation.
"All right. If that will get her forgiven, I will apologize."
"Don't just say it—bow your head. Offer a proper, polite apology."
Shirone bent at the waist.
"I apologize on behalf of this woman for stealing the porcelain. Please forgive her."
"Hmm."
Gamos peered down at him arrogantly. Then he sneered, took a step forward, and swung an uppercut.
Shirone reflexively stepped back at the rising fist. The huge knuckles cut the air and brushed past his nose.
"What—what are you doing?"
Gamos clicked his tongue as if he'd expected it and pointed at Shirone.
"See? You dodged. You didn't truly apologize to me. If you'd taken the blow, you might have saved that woman. But you dodged—that's because you were afraid of being hit. See now? The world isn't so easy. If you can argue against that, try. You're just pretending to be virtuous."
People accepted Gamos's explanation. If he'd really intended to save her, he could have closed his eyes and taken the strike. But Shirone had dodged. It looked like affectation.
Jeers and contempt rang out from all sides.
"Figures. All pomp and no substance—finally showing his true colors. I almost mistook him for some great saint."
"Kids these days are so full of themselves. They think they're so heroic."
Shirone couldn't understand the reactions.
"What was wrong with dodging?"
"How can you still be oblivious? Everyone here's disappointed in you. You acted like a paragon of justice, but it was all fake!"
Shirone's face registered bafflement.
"What are you talking about? Doing a good deed, even if it's a show, is far better than doing something bad like you."
"What? That—"
Gamos fell silent. Even those who had been hurling insults looked taken aback.
The woman, who had been watching from the sidelines, drew a near-certain conclusion.
My guess was right. This kid… he's a mage.
Mages don't argue over who is right. They argue over what is right.
This boy didn't try to rationalize himself. He accepted the facts and reasoned toward the correct action—a way of thinking common among mages.
She sneered at the stunned mockers.
"Hmph. You who never lift a finger to help but are so quick to belittle others' good deeds—no wonder you're useless."
Anyway, it was time to move. While everyone's eyes were fixed on Shirone and Gamos, slipping away was the best option.
The woman walked slowly along the wall, then at a certain point turned the corner quickly and disappeared.
Meanwhile Gamos's face had reddened. The boy who'd irritated him from the moment he appeared had now insulted his outlook on life—in public, no less.
"You picked the wrong person to mess with, kid."
Gamos's voice dropped. The guards, quick to react, drew the real blades from their hips.
Murderous intent is just a notion, but it affects reality. The sight of sharpened swords alone makes people imagine death.
"What are you just standing there for? Go and give him a good beating!"
At Gamos's order the guards lunged from both sides. They wouldn't kill recklessly, but they were ready to cut if necessary.
At that moment dust kicked up in the guards' faces. Another stone flew and smacked one guard in the brow.
Shirone turned to where the stones had come from. The woman who'd slipped into the alley stood there clutching a bundle of rocks.
She began pelting them with stones in quick succession. When the guards hesitated, she grabbed Shirone's wrist and pulled him into the alley.
"Run! Follow me this way!"
"Uh? Wait—"
Shirone had known she'd already slipped away. He'd pretended not to notice deliberately. That had been fortunate.
Having spoken directly to Gamos, Shirone could tell the man would punish the woman more harshly than the crime warranted.
"Why did you come back then?"
"Hurry! If they get involved with you, it'll be trouble!"
They ran through the maze-like alleys. Thanks to the woman's knowledge of the winding streets, they vanished from the guards' sight in an instant.
From the market came Gamos's voice.
"Chase them all down! I'll have them killed!"
* * *
The warehouse sweltered with the heat of violence. Falcoa's kicks rained down mercilessly on Jis curled on the floor.
Each blow felt like his heart stopped. Terror made him forget where he'd been hit. Only the sensations of pain and numbness remained.
"You worthless brat. Feels good to be hit, doesn't it? Huh? Feels good. Then take more!"
Jis's friends knelt in the corner of the warehouse.
Their eyes were swollen from crying, and the tears showed no sign of stopping.
"Please forgive us! We'll go out and earn money! We'll die like this if you keep—"
"Oh, really? Then from now on, you want to be the ones who get beaten?"
His friends froze. Falcoa's squinting, fierce face looked like a demon.
If he wanted, he could kill Jis easily enough. Yet Falcoa deliberately avoided hitting the head. That made it even more terrifying.
Grabbing Jis by the hair, Falcoa hoisted him up. Even slack with weakness, Jis jerked upright.
His pupils were unfocused even without a blow. The psychic shock felt like his brain had gone numb.
"P-please… I was wrong…"
"Does it hurt? Does it hurt? Tell me—is it hurting?"
Falcoa slapped Jis across the cheek repeatedly. Even though the blows weren't delivered with full force, Jis convulsed with each strike.
His friends broke into fresh sobs at the sight.
'Damn, that lunatic. He's going to kill someone at this rate.'
Falcoa hurled Jis to the floor. There was no particular reason.
If you had to say why, it was because he felt the effect of the Loop he'd put in his mouth wearing off.
"You were too proud to give back five gold? Good for you. Really top-notch, Jis."
"I'm sorry! I won't ever do it again!"
Jis felt wronged. He wanted to fight back. But he was terrified. Pride meant nothing in front of Falcoa's madness. If he could only get out of here, he thought he would do anything.