Chapter 8
I ran quickly in the direction the current was carrying the child.
In that instant, a hand slipped under my arm and my body was suddenly lifted off the ground.
“Kyaa!”
I screamed in surprise before I could stop myself, then quickly covered my mouth with both hands. At the same time, I was pulled into a firm embrace.
I found myself looking straight into Mr. White’s eyes and was met with a gentle smile.
“…”
“You’ll get hurt if you run like that, kiddo. You just want me to save that boy, right?”
“Y-Yes!”
I nodded frantically.
“This kind of thing is for adults to handle.”
Leaving me dazed, Mr. White spoke kindly and then snapped his fingers.
“Cough!”
The moment he snapped, the boy shot up out of the water in an instant.
“Wow…”
I had been at a loss as to how to pull him out, but Mr. White rescued him so easily.
I’d thought so from the moment I first met him—Mr. White seemed to be someone who could use magic.
I’d heard that people who wield mysterious powers with the mana in their bodies are called mages.
I’d only heard about them, never actually seen one in person. And here was someone who could make magic spring out with just a flick of the hand.
Ah, right—say thank you!
“Thank you!”
I hurriedly gave my thanks, then climbed down from Mr. White’s arms and ran to the boy.
Since he was out of the water, I had to make sure he was safe first.
My future depended on this—he had to be all right.
“Are you okay?”
The boy was busy coughing and spitting out water, looking completely out of it. I patted his back to help him, noticing that he was soaked to the skin.
Up close, I could see scratches all over his arms, and even though he’d just come out of the water, his clothes looked filthy—like he’d been rolling around in a dusty pit.
There were also worn and torn spots here and there. Somehow, it reminded me uncomfortably of what I looked like right before I almost died.
“Ah!”
The boy slapped my arm away. The force was strong enough to make me stagger and nearly fall backward.
“What the heck, get away. Cough!”
Oof, those thorns are sharp.
But I understood right away. I had been exactly like that—when everyone around you feels like an enemy, you hate having anyone come close.
If you accept help even a little, you never know when you’ll be accused of something or attacked.
Suspicion was the cheapest and easiest shield I had.
I brushed off my clothes and stepped back without hesitation.
“S-Sorry! I was just passing by! I’m not asking for anything in return, so if you’re fine, that’s enough.”
But the boy only glared at me more suspiciously.
Ah… that didn’t work.
The truth is, the reason I ended up getting 100 million gold all started with a “favor” from Mafius.
“What kind of proposal?”
“If you do me one favor, I’ll add more gold for you. I’ll also provide extra support for your living expenses.”
“Why should I—”
Clink!
Gold coins rained down around me like a sudden shower.
“Do—”
There were so many that even when they hit me on the head, it didn’t hurt at all.
“—ne.”
Was he using magic?
They weren’t just scattered on the floor—they piled up to my knees. A heap even formed on my lap as I sat on the sofa.
My jaw dropped. W-Was he really going to give me all this?
“Fifty million gold.”
Gulp.
“F-Fifty…? Just how difficult is this favor supposed to be? You said you’d pay me, but what exactly is the favor?”
“If you take on a task in my place, I’ll give you the funds that were allocated elsewhere. For you, it’s a very simple job.”
I glanced at the massive pile of gold and swallowed hard.
F-Fifty million gold?
That was… money that could actually exist in this world?
You could buy the best houses in the village several times over and still have some left.
With that much, I could do just about anything, right?
Even among nobles, only a handful would have that much wealth.
Back where I lived, five gold coins could buy a year’s worth of firewood. Ten gold could get you proper, dry logs without twigs mixed in.
But for poor commoners, even that was a luxury—most bought sacks of fuel made of damp leaves and twigs for about five coppers a sack.
I didn’t even have a home, so even if I bought a sack, I’d have nowhere to store it.
And now… fifty million coins?
Plus extra support?
That sounded like enough to wash away all my sorrows.
“What is it?”
“There’s someone experiencing a similar problem to yours.”
“Again?”
Why were there so many mistakes in this place? I couldn’t help frowning.
“Since the position you were supposed to fill was vacant, we couldn’t identify the problem and tried to patch it together… and, well, that happened.”
It was clearly their fault, but somehow it sounded like they were also blaming me. Probably my imagination.
“So?”
“There’s a person in Amor going through the same phenomenon you experienced. Could you help them? And while you’re at it, there’s a small problem in the same world I’d like you to take care of.”
Someone with the same problem as me.
And I was supposed to help them.
Was that what he meant?
“So in exchange for a new life and money, I have to follow someone around for the rest of my life and protect them?”
How was that a good deal?
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. We were late in finding you, which is why we couldn’t fix your case right away. But if you just grant my small request, we’ll quickly take care of it on our side so that person can live a normal life.”
…And so, that’s how it ended up happening.
Looking back, it was a bit suspicious, but while talking to Mafius, I got so caught up in longing for a new life that I agreed before I knew it.
Too late to take it back now.
But now that I’d saved the boy… what was I supposed to do next? Red light shimmered faintly around him, like a heat haze.
What if I left him alone and couldn’t find him again later?
Mafius! Aren’t you supposed to react to this?
The moment I thought that—
[You found him faster than I expected. I thought it would take you at least a few days.]
Mafius’s voice sounded in my head.
At the same time, fwash! light flared around my wrist.
Startled, I stepped back as a red pattern began to form on my wrist.
It looked like a rose… or maybe a spiderweb. Once it was fully drawn, it turned pitch black.
W-What is this, Maphius?!
[Since you’ve found him, it’s a mark that will let you check his location and condition. In an emergency, it can even restrain him. You can confirm the mark’s location through the Cornette. Only you can see it, so don’t worry.]
A mark?
My eyes drifted toward the boy.
A matching light appeared on his neck as he sat there, revealing the exact same mark as the one on my wrist.
Wait—showing me his location was great. Really great. But…
Why put it on his neck?!
Mine was on my wrist!
Even if I was the only one who could see it, it still looked like a collar was etched onto him.
Worse, his mark was about the size of my palm.
They could have just put it on his wrist too!
[What does it matter? Only you can see it. Anyway, since you’ve solved the first problem, here’s a coin. I’ll give you the next request soon, so adapt well until then.]
As soon as Mafius finished speaking, a golden coin dropped into my hand.
I stared at it in a daze.
That was… easier than I expected.
I thought I’d have to actually do something to get it.
Why hand it over so easily?
Maybe he was nicer than I thought… though I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
[Don’t worry. I actually prepared it expecting this to take quite a while. I didn’t think you’d find him in just one day.]
Well, yeah. Finding him at seven years old this quickly—pretty close to genius, right?
I puffed myself up, then quickly sobered as my mind synced with the fact of my age.
[You’ll have to support him well from now on, so it’s best you take it before I change my mind.]
Mafius spoke as if he had read my thoughts.
W-Well, in that case…
I had found the boy Mafius mentioned, after all.
Afraid he might suddenly go back on his word, I quickly shoved the coin into my pocket.
I’d use it later.
So… what do I do with this kid, Maphius?
[That’s for you to decide. When I have something important to ask, I’ll tell you directly. Other than that, you’ll have to think of ways to protect him yourself. You already know what it’s like.]
“You already know what it’s like”—those words jabbed straight into my chest.
The way he spoke so casually, as if it hadn’t been my experience, was infuriating.
