Something to Protect
At the end of the dimly lit hallway, there was a sturdy-looking door.
The door opened into a staircase, and Crow and the masked man went down without any sense of danger even though there was no light.
She felt very unsafe even though she didn’t have her feet on the ground in the dark. Maybe it was because the enemy was holding Sheila, though.
At the bottom of the stairs was a spacious room with high ceilings. It might’ve originally been used as a warehouse. A single lamp was lit.
Sheila was absolutely stunned by the scene that unfolded there.
There were a number of children dressed in fine clothing for commoners.
Their skin was clean and free of dirt and grime. Except for the fact that their hands and feet were bound with ropes, they looked like children of a good family who cared for them very much. But their eyes were darker than the darkness itself. They looked so lifeless that it was hard to believe that they were a child of this age.
“This….”
“The quieter the doll is, the higher the price will be. Rich people really have bad taste, don’t they? That’s why we keep them locked up like this until they get hopeless.”
There were five children. For some reason, Abby didn’t seem to be there, but the number of children was consistent with what she had been told by Isaac and Zola.
In other words, the first boy who was kidnapped was trapped in such a place for about two months.
“How cruel….”
“Hahaha, that’s because we’re bad guys.”
Crow’s expression turned vacant, even as he laughed.
“――But don’t feel sorry for them. The moment these guys were caught by the traffickers, their hellish lives were already decided. Only those who persistently try to survive, even if it means slurping muddy water or eating moldy bread, will be strong.”
The air around him was freezing cold. His self-mocking words were as if he were pointing a blade at himself.
Sheila, who was unintentionally able to observe the change in his facial expression up close, noticed that there were no emotions reflected in his golden-green eyes.
“――Crow had to be strong like that.”
…. Time seemed to have stopped.
The bright eyes slowly turned to Sheila.
Eventually, Crow exhaled a thin breath and then smiled a terribly calm smile.
In contrast to his previous smiles, he looked like a battle-weary veteran soldier. It was an expression that was so disproportionate to his still-young appearance.
But Sheila knew by instinct that this was the true nature of Crow. His dismissive tone was the reality of his own life, in which he had no choice but to live like that. For a moment, Sheila thought back to the tragic life he had lived to be able to make that kind of expression.
Crow’s golden green eyes shone in the darkness.
“….. You really are a strange girl. Are you trying to save my soul under these circumstances?”
“I’m not trying to save you. Crow who can do such a terrible thing without hesitation is my enemy.”
She immediately denied it, but her voice lacked the bravado it had earlier. It was because she had caught a glimpse of the cruel world around him. She now knew that he had not willingly committed the evil he had done.
No matter what the reason, a crime was a crime. It couldn’t be forgiven. But now, it was terribly sad to say the word “enemy”.
Crow gave a wry smile to Sheila, who was looking down, and gently lowered her to the floor.
“If the Count decides you’re not for sale, I’ll definitely make you mine.”
She looked up at him, who had returned to his mischievous expression. “The Count,” he said.
“….. Absolutely not.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have the right to refuse. I do enjoy your cheekiness, though.”
“Cheeky, you said. I’m definitely older than you.”
“You’re acting like an adult when you’re not even a few years older than me.”
“….”
Sheila couldn’t argue back and continued to silently stare at Crow as he waved his hands and left the room.
Crow and the masked man left, and when the lock sounded, Sheila looked around.
The children’s expressions did not change, even though they could’ve heard their conversation. Seeing them as if they lacked emotion made her sad.
Still, help would surely come. So, she had to do her best.
For the time being, she had to secure an escape route. Although she had no grasp of the internal structure of the building, it was necessary in order to escape quickly. She also wanted to remove the restraints so that she could move immediately in case of an emergency. Was there anything in this room that could be used as a weapon?
But first and foremost, she had to bring the children back to their senses. There was a possibility that they would be involved in a battle when help arrived, so it was dangerous if they weren’t at least able to move of their own volition.
‘Can I do it….?’
Could she open the hearts of children who had been trapped and mentally tortured for months?
Sheila shook her head and looked forward determinedly.
Her weapons had been taken away from her, and even though she was dressed in a patrolman’s uniform, she was still just a student on the inside. But the pride in her heart, the desire to be a knight, was real.
She had to raise her head properly like a knight and be firm and confident.
Like Claushezade, who was her dream knight.
“――Who is the boy who ran out of the house after a fight?”
The first to react with a twitch was a boy sitting in the corner of the room. He had a well-groomed appearance, but perhaps because he’d been confined for the longest time, he was very emaciated.
Sheila managed to get close to him and looked into his face.
“Your mother regretted it. She said she shouldn’t have scolded you so hard. If she hadn’t done that, none of this would have happened.”
The boy’s gaze moved slightly.
“….. Mom…. Did you meet with her?”
He had kept his mouth shut for so long that it was hard to hear his voice, which was very hoarse. However, Sheila nodded back strongly.
“Yes. She’s still looking for you. Always.”
It was so frustrating not being able to hold the boy’s hand. If her body was free, she would be able to hold him as his eyes shook slightly.
“….. I….”
A faint voice rose from another place. She was also a pretty-looking girl.
“I regret it, too…. Why did I let go of my mom’s hand at that time…?”
From her story, Sheila recognized her as the second girl who had disappeared. As she gazed into the darkness, Sheila shared her thoughts.
“Let’s tell your mother how you feel. Don’t worry, help will definitely come.”
The other children responded to her assurance that help would come. Their eyes blinked, as if they had just noticed Sheila’s presence for the first time.
“Big brother, you’re wearing a corp’s uniform…..”
“Yes, though I’m still an apprentice.”
She didn’t say that she was a student of the Royal Academy. The title of “Patrol Corps” would give them more credibility. It would give them hope.
“I’ve left behind some clues, so help will definitely come. In the meantime, I will protect you. I promise to return you to your family.”
She could feel their gazes converge on her. A tiny sliver of hope, a great sense of urgency, a desire to still believe and hang on. The fear of having that hope crushed. All of that was painfully conveyed to her.
Sheila smiled as if there was nothing to fear. It was an honest smile that made them forget that they were locked in a dimly lit room.
It reminded the children of a clear blue sky. Yes, that was right. The season had suddenly changed to summer before they knew it.
The five of them recalled memories of the summers they had spent up to now.
The sunlight that burned their skin. The hot, humid wind. Sweat pouring from their body as they ran around. They wondered if their friends were soaking wet in the fountain plaza right now.
Memories naturally turned into hope.
Hope that they would eventually be free to the glorious, outside world.
“….. I want to go home.”
Someone whispered.
Sheila’s smile deepened and she nodded back.
“――Yes. Let’s definitely go home.”
The children’s eyes gradually regained their sparkle.
While she was talking to each person and asking for their name, Dilliam, who had been knocked unconscious, finally woke up.
“I’m so glad you’re awake! Dilliam-senpai, is there anything wrong with your body? Do you know who I am?”
His brown eyes wandered for a while, and he let out a groan.
“Damn it…. Why am I in this mess….?”
From the way he hung his head, he seemed to remember why this had happened. She was worried that his memory might be clouded, so she was glad that he was fine.
Sheila told him about the situation with the intention of encouraging him.
“It’s not all bad. All the children are safe. If they had crossed into Hypraya, we would have never been able to bring them back.”
Dilliam raised his voice as if he had lost his temper.
“So what! There’s nothing we can do if we’re tied up like this! We could have been sold….”
His shoulders trembled, gripped by fear and anxiety. He looked down with the same eyes as the children from earlier.
“――Dilliam-senpai, don’t turn your head down.”
Sheila’s voice was sharp.
Dilliam raised his face while blinking his eyes, as if he had been hit on the head.
“We shouldn’t give up so easily if we have someone to protect. ――We have to have our pride as a knight, right?”
The quietly admonishing words contained their previous exchange at the academy. Dilliam, not expecting the question to be asked back, was about to glare back at her when he realized.
Sheila was also trembling slightly as she said this. However, her yellow-colored eyes hadn’t lost their light. Dilliam thought he saw a burning determination there.
“We will protect them. We can definitely do it.”
Dilliam nodded back before he knew it, as if drawn by Sheila’s strength.
