Common Sense of a Warrior Chapter 35

Generally the same as the previous Chapter 30.

“Haa haa……”

For the first time in my life, I ran with all my might.

Desperately, in order to run away.

It was an unthinkable conduct for the usual me.

Exposing this appearance covered in sweat with such disorderly hair.

However, right now I don’t care about that.

In any case, I have to run.

But, I’ll soon hit my limit.

My breathing was faint, and my feet were staggering.

As a result, though I was about to reach the main street, I tripped on a pebble on the wayside and collapsed.

I despaired at the approaching footsteps I could hear coming from behind me.

“How bothersome, Jou-chan. Could you not cause us so much trouble?”

“Right, right. Ojou-chan, be a good girl and wait with us until your father comes to pick you up~”

“It’s like that. Whether or not you can stay safe until daddy comes to pick you up depends on yourself after all.”

I continued to draw back in order to escape from the vulgarly smiling men that approached.

Perhaps he didn’t appreciate my actions, as one of the men appeared irritated, clicking his tongue.

“……I’ll ask just in case, but do all of you Oji-sans plan on properly escorting this child back to her father?”

Suddenly, I heard the voice of a newly arrived third party.

Even though it was an unreliable voice that contained a hint of childishness, the fact that it didn’t belong to one of the men made me relieved as I raised my head.

“Hm? Are you alright?”

The figure of the person I looked up at was small.

They were about the same age as me.

Based on their hair and appearance, I thought that it was a boy.

That person didn’t show any signs of fear and looked at me with a smile.

“Are those people your acquaintances?”

I shook my head several times at their following question.

“I see, I see……”

That person nodded, appearing to have understood something.

How easygoing……-it instinctively made me want to let out a sigh.

“Who the hell are you?”

“We don’t have any business with you. If ya don’t wanna get hurt, then hurry up and go somewhere else.”

“If it’s with this child, then I’ll go elsewhere. Otherwise, I won’t leave…….so what do you want to do? Oji-sans.”

Not paying any heed to the scowling men, that person spoke aloofly.

“It seems like you won’t get it until you feel some pain!”

The men held their respective weapons and attacked that person.

I closed my eyes for a single moment at such a dreadful scene.

……even if he is a boy, there’s no way a child my age could win.

There’s such a difference in physique……the way things were, the boy would definitely end up receiving a good beating, or so I thought.

When I timidly opened my eyes, the scene that appeared before me was the complete opposite of my thoughts.

The large men had become covered in wounds, and were rolling around on the ground!

I could only gaze at that spectacle in mute amazement.

This isn’t a dream, is it? – thinking that, I instinctively pinched my cheek.

……I pinched it harder than expected and it hurt.

“Are you alright?”

The young boy approached me.

Although he was the one who produced such a scene, I didn’t feel any fear.

Rather, a sense of relief and joy enveloped me instead.

“……y-yes. I’m alright……”

“I see……that’s great. That was quite the disaster. You’ve become this injured……”

The boy gently brushed my face.

I couldn’t possibly say that because I pinched myself, it began to swell……embarrassment and the boy’s kind hand drew me in, spellbound, as my eyes narrowed.

“Thank you very much for saving me.”

“There’s no need for thanks. A cute girl like yourself shouldn’t go through this path. Come, I’ll take you to the main street, so let’s go together.”

Charmed by his hand, I stood up and began to walk.

Curious about what happened to the men while feeling a bit worried that we would be attacked from behind, I glanced briefly behind us.

“It’s alright. I tied them up so that they won’t be able to get up by themselves.”

The young boy seemed to see through my thoughts as he gave a wry smile while speaking.

“I-Is that so……”

“Yup. I plan on handing them over to the Army later.”

“Understood. Honestly, it is thanks to you that I was saved. Thank you very much.”

At my thanks, this time the boy made a true smile, without a hint of impurity.

How shocking……

After being beautifully struck by that smile, I ended up going silent for the rest of our journey together.

When we exited onto the main street and walked for a bit, a group releasing a different kind of presence from within the crowd approached from the opposite direction.

……it was soldiers from the Army.

Not only that, but they were soldiers under the direct control of the General.

They possessed an ability that did not shame the General’s name, being at the top of the true strength faction. Perhaps because they went through such intense training, they acted in a dignified fashion.

“……ah, shoot……”

Upon seeing them, the young boy who had been silent like me up until now, muttered.

He was clearly flustered.

Why would he, who boldly challenged the big men, act in such a way……-although such a question rose in my mind, I soon came to know the answer to it.

The man that appeared to be leading the Army’s soldiers, clearly made a surprised face when he saw the young boy……and came charging.

“……you idioooooooot!!”

…….while shouting angrily.

As I wondered what was happening, the man turned to the young boy and swung a fist down.

“I thought I didn’t see you around – just what are you doing in a place like this?! No, wait……I generally get what happened. Geez……don’t go poking that nose of yours into other’s affairs, just don’t!”

“It’s not like I went out with the intention of poking my nose around. It’s just that when I was walking around town, I learned about this case, and when I walked around a bit, I found her.”

“……haaaaaaah……fine. Hurry up and go back.”

“Gooot it…….sorry, it’s like that so I’ll be going.”

The young boy waved his hand lightly and quickly departed.

“……ah……”

Just when I was about to call him to a stop……I realized that I didn’t know his name, and was thus unable to do so.

“I deeply apologize for being late. My name is Gazelle. I have come to pick you up.”

The entrance of a hero normally would draw applause.

However, right now, rather than the country’s hero, the one who was a hero to me was more important.

……after that, on the way back, I asked the General countless times for the young boy’s name, but……the General continued to respond with vague words and absolutely would not tell me.

……I will definitely meet him again.

At that time, I will thank him, and……-making such a decision, I vowed thus in my heart.