Chapter 42 - Adults Only Remember The Winners

A philosopher from the past once said.

People should do designated work from designated positions.

Meaning, protecting the sniffling girl before our eyes is a police officer's job.

Then what should a student like me, the future of this country and rising star of the hero world, do?

"It's time to go home and sleep."

"What are you saying? You're not really going to leave her crying here?"

Yes.

No. Well I'm tired. Call a police officer. You think I've been diligently paying taxes before coming here for nothing?

It's all for times like this. Therefore legal. Yes story over. End. Good night. See you tomorrow.

"Oppa. Are you leaving?"

"She's calling you?"

When did we meet for you to call me oppa? Don't know. Still, as a matter of human duty I'll at least call the police.

As I took out my phone to call 112, the child looked up while sniffling.

"I miss mommy. I miss daddy too... sniff..."

"So what?"

You be quiet for a bit. I pressed down the blonde who was snickering and adding comments from the side and approached the kid.

"The police officer will come soon okay? That officer will find your mommy and daddy. Got it? If you wait here─"

"No."

"What?"

"I saw oppa fighting earlier. I want to go with oppa. Find mommy and daddy for me."

What kind of tantrum is this? More importantly, she saw me fighting?

"Ah. Seems she saw the ranking battle. Looks like she's saying she prefers Seonghoon over some unknown police officer? Must be nice being popular."

Ah. This feels kind of good. I was feeling a bit down since no one said anything, but I was pretty cool.

While I was nodding, the kid approached. Looking up at me with teary eyes─

"Yeah! You were really like trash!! First time seeing someone treat weaker people like that so it was interesting!!"

"Pffft!!!!"

Good.

You stay here forever. You damn brat.

***

Though I said that, I knew it would end up like this anyway. I'm dying of exhaustion but what is this situation.

The day is too long.

Getting a challenge while being last ranked, using up all stored runes, worker runs away so have to catch her, almost getting killed by classmate's parent.

And now I have to find the parents of a kid whose name I don't even know?

"Just kill me instead. I don't know. Finding is the police's job. I'm just going to take her there."

"Yes yes. You already said just to the police station. Stop whining."

"Hehe. Saying that but doing everything~ Oppa is actually a good person? I thought unnie would be good because she's pretty!!"

"Yes. Of course! I am a good person. But the person beside me isn't?"

I ignore the blonde adding words like she's a really bad person~

It's not like her nonsense is new, and I'll just tire myself out dealing with it.

"Hmph~"

The sniffling expression from earlier gone somewhere, the kid is waving her arms with a smiling face. Of course those arms are connected to Raphael.

She whined at me to hold hands too, but I firmly refused since it would look strange.

Well though the streets are still pretty empty, we need to go to downtown to hand her over. If we meet someone I know during that?

I'm confident I could commit suicide. I'm confident I'd go buy rope to hang myself right away.

"Will your hand wear out? If you hold it?"

"This isn't that kind of problem."

When I firmly refused, the kid stopped. Then she looked up with those teary eyes from earlier, but if that would work twice I would have gone all out from the start.

"Kid."

"Silvia."

Silvia? Seems that's this one's name. Well since people come from all over the world to watch the ranking battle it's not strange if she's foreign, but you're just a kid. Kid.

The damn kid who stole my rest time.

"Kid."

"Silvia."

"Kid."

"Silvia."

"Kid." "Silvia." "Kid." "Silvia."

In the endless battle, though Raphael frowned and Lachesis slapped my cheek saying to stop, at the end of the endless battle.

"What!!"

I won. You might think I'm petty for winning against a child, but there's no such thing in the world of competition. It's a world where only winners are remembered.

Adults only remember the winners. Remember that. You climbed another step as an adult today.

"The world doesn't go as you want. Hope you learn that today."

"I don't know about that."

"Now you'll know."

Making a pwoo─!! sound while puffing her cheeks but I don't know what she wants. Only parents in the world give in to acting cute.

You climbed two steps with this, Silvia! Congratulations.

When I started walking while clapping inside, Silvia walks while puffing her cheeks as if unsatisfied.

Raphael threw out random words to comfort her.

"But isn't she really pretty? Somehow different from kids her age? Maybe she'll be pretty when she grows up, though not as much as me?"

"Don't compliments usually lower yourself and raise the other person?"

"What can I do. It's because I'm perfectly pretty. Blame God."

Let's stop talking. Ignoring Raphael rambling on, we walked and a quite bright downtown appeared. On the other side of the street still quite full of people, a sign reading [Lost Child Center] was visible.

"Just to there. I'm dying of exhaustion."

"Let's hurry then."

"You know you're the cause of that exhaustion?"

"You know you're ultimately the cause of that cause?"

"If we keep going up like that wouldn't it ultimately be God's fault? Huh? Ultimately it's the fault of God who created humanity?!"

"That's a logical leap."

Won't give up a single word. Better than someone who won't give up a single word to a child. Is this trying to pick a fight?

While exchanging such words while walking, a snickering sound was heard from below.

"Oppas are funny."

"This is funny? We were just about to start throwing punches?"

"Because the moment you throw a punch you'll get it back double, Seonghoon."

This is really. Should we try? When Raphael and I started another staring contest, Silvia now looks like she's about to roll on the ground holding her stomach.

Is this that funny?

"Kind of awkward when you laugh while we're fighting seriously."

"Right?"

Watching Silvia laugh making kyahahahaha!! sounds made the will to fight disappear. When we stopped fighting and she finally calmed down, it didn't take long to take her to the lost child center.

Seeing her brightly smiling and waving goodbye in front of the center made Raphael's words somewhat understandable.

"Unnie!!"

"Yes? What?"

"I'll give this to unnie. Thank you!"

In Silvia's hand reaching out to Raphael was a cross.

A cross pendant. The necklace type you can wear around your neck.

"A black cross...! How wonderful!!"

Raphael's eyes sparkle brightly as she likes it. Silvia grins broadly too. I smiled in the warm atmosphere.

"What about me?"

Silence.

The gazes of laughing Silvia and Raphael fixed on me and I waited for an answer. But what returned was an expression of disbelief.

"You want something when you wouldn't even hold hands?"

"I don't want to give oppa..."

"..."

Even so this makes me feel a bit left out. I came along too but this treatment─

"Should have just gone home after all."

What riches and glory was I seeking doing such troublesome things.

"Do you normally say that out loud?"

I guess not.

***

"What are your parents' names?"

"Huhu."

"Kid?"

Silvia didn't answer the questions and looked into space with a face seeming to contain lingering feelings.

The expression commonly called spacing out. However her mind was full of earlier events.

It was fun. That man Lee Seonghoon was more. Even more fun than expected.

Every word he speaks is fun, everything he does is funny.

"I like him."

"Kid?"

"So noisy. Really. I'm savoring the lingering feelings from earlier. Be quiet for a bit."

"...What?"

She glares at the lost child center worker asking back in disbelief. Then Silvia's eyes shine.

Brightly, deeper than blood red.

"Ah."

With those words the worker's movements stopped. Silvia saw that scene but acted like nothing happened while swinging her legs and recalled the earlier situation.

Lee Seonghoon bickering with Raphael.

The annoying face not giving in once even to a child.

Then raising his nose like he won.

Being disappointed about not getting a gift too.

Smiling brightly again when leaving.

Going back further.

Enjoying spraying rune magic.

Being satisfied asking if someone was scared.

After recalling all Lee Seonghoon existing in her mind.

Silvia jumped. Then mist envelops her.

What emerged from the mist after a while was a beauty in her late 20s.

Click.

Though she received many gazes landing with a sharp sound, she didn't care.

"Stop."

One word from her mouth. With those words all living beings around stop moving.

"I'm sure I told you not to do anything conspicuous? I clearly said contact after the job is done."

"Shut up. Do you know love?"

Love? At the sudden words, the man emerging from darkness tilted his head.

"Let's finish the job quickly. I can't wait."

"You mean?"

"Tomorrow. Start tomorrow right away. Or I'll quit."

"Crazy bitch."

"Now you get it?"

Silvia smiled sweetly and walked elegantly. The man follows from behind. His expression couldn't understand.

"What's so special about that man?"

"Love at first sight. You'll never know. You impotent bastard."

The man frowned but didn't say anything else. Because it was true.

"What about these people? Will you release 'Charm'?"

"Are you crazy? Leave them. These guys are the catalyst."

Click. Click.

Silvia walked quietly, elegantly toward outside. Yet she wasn't looking ahead. Her attention was fixed on only one thing.

"What expression will that child Lee Seonghoon make when he becomes my subordinate?"

"He'll probably beg to be killed."

I don't think so? Silvia's smiling eyes were shining brighter than the moon.

***

Next day.

After returning home, when I tried to wash the items with holy water, Raphael came saying things like 'As expected you need me~' and helped so I slept well, and this morning.

Currently I'm at an empty lot.

And in that lot are

Me wearing a red hat.

Raphael and Lachesis wearing black hats.

And Ishia kneeling before them.

"We will now begin trainee Ishia's hell training. Any questions?"

Nod nod.

Ignoring Ishia shaking her head vigorously. When I clapped my hands, Sophia approached with a bitter smile.

"Now we will see a demonstration from experienced instructor Sophia!!"

"I'm really sorry but what does this have to do with Lucy─"

"KATSU!!!!"

"Eek─!!!" Ignoring Ishia screaming in surprise, I looked down with crossed arms.

"No questions."

"But you just said─"

"KATSU!!!!"

"...Okay."

Nodding at Ishia who finally agreed, I continued speaking.

"What you'll see now is 'Parallel Chanting' and 'Magic Chant Breaking'. Watch carefully and be ready to follow!!"

"Following at once is impossible─"

"KATSU!!!!!!!!!!!"

Okaaay─!! I smiled satisfactorily watching Ishia scream.