Chap 86: Because Now, You’ll Be Paying Attention to Us

“Alright, time to give up. …Well, not that you have any other choice left.”
Ceris said with narrowed eyes.
We were outside the town, on an empty street.
In our line of sight, their legs had been pierced by Sierra’s ice magic, and the robes they’d been wearing had been blown away by Ruela’s wind magic.
Finally, two men were bound and unable to move by a special rope I’d made with my [Creation] skill.
The men looked like they were up to no good, with scars on their faces and arms.
Kidnapping children and pickpocketing, like they just tried to do, is probably an everyday thing for them.
“Dammit! To think there were people this skilled in this town…”
“We can usually get away in an instant…”
“Hmm, I see. So you’re outsiders.”
“!”
The men visibly flinched at Ceris’s murmur.
Well, if they were from around here, there’s no way they wouldn’t know about a major guild like [Crimson Rose].
I mean, I’m pretty sure they’re famous outside this town, too.
Are they out of the loop when it comes to adventurer news?
After that, the men stubbornly kept their mouths shut, but Ceris eventually cornered them, and we found out they’d kidnapped the child and resorted to pickpocketing because they were desperate for money.
It’s what I figured.
“Crow, is there anything you want to ask?”
“Hmm, let me think…”
Honestly, it’d probably be better to hand them over to the knights right away instead of doing this.
But there was something I absolutely had to ask.
“Have you two ever killed anyone?”
I asked.
“Wh-what!?”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
The men stared at me, shocked and disbelieving.
“Hmm… So you haven’t, then. You’ve never killed anyone.”
“Wh-why would we have to go that far?!”
“Y-yeah, that’s right!”
“I see.”
That’s what they say, but…
“If you’ve never killed anyone… Still, with the things you do, one wrong move is all it takes, you know.”
I stepped closer to the men.
“If you ever do try to kill someone… I will not forgive you.”
I felt the men catch their breath at my words.
After that, the knights arrived and took the two men away.
“Crow,” Ceris began, her tone perceptive. “When you asked them that… was it because of…”
It wasn’t just Ceris.
Ruela and Sierra were also staring at me, waiting for what I would say next.
We were all in the same guild, after all.
And that didn’t just include us… but Lulu, too.
“Ah, yeah. That’s right. I wanted to see if they knew anything about… the people Lulu told us about from her past.”
Lulu’s parents had been assassinated.
We had heard the story from her own lips.
A group in black jackets, boots, and masks. They had broken into her home under the cover of darkness and taken her parents’ lives.
I figured they probably weren’t the ones, and judging by their reaction earlier, it’s not like they have no qualms about killing.
If they were the ones who murdered Lulu’s parents… they would have reacted differently.
“For someone who’s always talking about quitting the guild, you sure care a lot about your friends,” Ceris noted.
“Well… yeah.”
I gave a wry smile and scratched my cheek.
I continued, the words spilling out of me.
“No matter what my position is, if I can do something about someone’s painful or tragic past… I think I want to be the one to act.”
In my past life, I was the one being bullied.
I asked for help, but no one ever reached out a hand to me.
That doesn’t mean… I want to become a bully myself this time.
And yet, there’s a part of me that can’t show mercy to my enemies.
But I’ll still take action.
Because if my actions can save someone, that makes me happy.
“Crow-san, you really say things like that without a second thought, don’t you?”
“No wonder those other girls can’t leave him alone.”
Sierra and Ruela said, sounding slightly exasperated.
But their eyes were warm.
“But from now on, you have to pay attention to us,” Ceris said.
“? Well, yeah. Now that we’ve safely caught these guys, I’ll be with all of you.”
When I said that, Ceris gave me a thoughtful look for a moment.
“That’s right.”
Then, she broke into a bright smile.