Chapter 196: Sword of Justice (2)

Chapter 196: Sword of Justice (2)

Murmur, Murmur—

The street was crowded like an open market.

Beyond the people-filled street was one of the staple sights of Rome in all its glory that everyone would have heard of at least once: the Colosseum.

"I thought you'd wish for something big... all you wanted was to go play in the city?"

Ohjin chuckled while looking at Ha-eun, who was observing the surroundings with excitement.

What she wished for after winning the bet was for all of them to go have fun in the city.

It was really nothing more than a normal date request that didn't deserve to be called a 'wish'.

In addition, what she wanted wasn't for just the two of them to go have fun but also Vega and Riak.

"We didn't get a chance to have proper fun before because of those fucking monsters."

Ha-eun licked the gelato she bought in passing and shrugged her shoulders.

As she said, the first day of their vacation trip to San Fruttuoso had been immediately ruined by a sudden incident.

He understood why she was bummed out, however...

"We would've accompanied you even if you didn't use a wish, you know?"

"Well, don't worry about it. I just wanted to create a reason to go."

Ha-eun laughed like it wasn't a big deal.

Truth be told, she was half-joking when she brought up the bet in the first place, and there was also nothing she wanted badly enough to call a 'wish'.

'My wishes... have already been granted.'

Ha-eun slyly embraced his arm and smiled faintly.

—The warmth felt through his muscular arm...

—The calming, subtle vanilla scent of his skin...

Every moment she spent with him, insignificant or not, was what she desperately wished for above all else.

"Why? Were you looking forward to me wishing for something lewd?"

She smirked and playfully tickled the side of his body.

It appeared that a part of him actually did have that in mind since he averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

"Hehe. What a perv."

Ha-eun tightened her grasp on his arm while cackling out loud.

She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear with a sweet voice.

"You can do whatever you want to me even without using a wish, you know?"

Gulp—

Ha-eun's deceitful action made his lust build up like gas pouring on a fire.

When he looked back at Ha-eun—

[My child! My child! Take a look at this!]

—Vega excitedly flew over with a three-scoop cone of gelato that was bigger than her own body.

It was gelato from the same shop that Ha-eun had bought hers from.

[The owner gave me this massive~ amount as a service!]

"So that's why you were so late."

Cuteness was universal.

Despite ordering the same thing as Ha-eun, she received gelato that was nearly two times in size.

Vega hugged the gelato that was bigger than her body with a proud expression.

[Indeed, it appears that I cannot hide my greatness even when I'm in this form!]

While she giggled and raised her chin, Ohjin swiped away the gelato she was hugging.

[Ahh! What are you doing, my child?! That's mine!]

Vega flew to him with a panicked expression.

"It'll be hard to eat with how big it is. I'll hold it for you, so eat it comfortably."

[A-Ahem. Thank you.]

It appeared that Vega was embarrassed about being unable to notice Ohjin's consideration since she awkwardly cleared her throat. She sat on top of his hand and started eating the gelato.

"By the way, what was suddenly brought up to that mutt for him to abruptly go back?"

"That's..."

Ohjin recalled how Riak shook his head with a bitter expression and returned to the sanctum after being invited to join them on their outing.

Something in his eyes looked anxious, and his expression looked stiff after he found out that Ohjin lost to Ha-eun on purpose.

'Was it a mistake to lose to her?'

It wouldn't have happened if he just overpowered her. However, the one feeling down in that case would be Ha-eun instead of Riak.

'She already seemed a lot less energetic recently.'

Ha-eun was feeling less confident from seeing Ohjin grow at a speed that could only be expressed as bizarre.

He had lost to her on purpose because he could tell just how unconfident she was feeling to tell him to get Isabella on their side.

Riak experiencing shock from that was something he hadn't expected.

'I did something unnecessary.'

He regretted making an issue out of something that Ha-eun would eventually find out in the future anyway.

[Do not worry, my child.]

Eating her gelato, Vega flew over and sat on top of his head.

Her small hands patted his forehead.

[Possessing special power itself will influence the beings around you. It is something that is unavoidable and unstoppable, so you must learn to accept it.]

Vega's expression looked somewhat bitter.

She must've also experienced several issues until she achieved the status of 'North Star'.

Ohjin nodded his head with his mouth shut tight.

"What are you two whispering about?"

"It's nothing worth mentioning."

"Hmm."

Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and looked at Vega perching atop his head, but she soon smiled brightly.

"Anyway, we should play since that's what we came here to do! Let's hurry up and go sightseeing!"

Ha-eun pulled his arm with an excited expression on her face.

"Hehe. Do you know how sad I was when you said you would be going to Italy alone last time?"

"I got it, so stop pulling. My clothes are going to stretch."

Ohjin smirked and followed Ha-eun into the Colosseum.

"Wow, it feels strange to come to a place that you've only ever seen in photos."

Ha-eun's eyes sparkled as she looked around the Colosseum.

After Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Vega finished looking around, they even went to St. Peter's Basilica and Trevi Fountain, which were known to be some of the best attractions in Rome.

"Woah! This place is also huge! It kind of feels like Vega's sanctuary."

"Ohjin! I heard you're supposed to toss coins into that fountain and wish for good luck!"

Ha-eun looked around the city of Rome and then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Ohjin..."

"Yeah?"

"It's not as fun as I imagined."

Her eyes that were once filled with excitement from being able to see those sights in person were clouded with boredom.

It appeared Ohjin thought the same as he nodded his head.

"I guess that's just how attractions are."

Even if you were to say, 'Wow, that's incredible' at first, you would naturally become tired of it after seeing it a couple of times.

"Meh, playing at the beach was way more fun."

Ha-eun pouted with a disappointed expression.

Going to places with Ohin was definitely something she enjoyed, but looking around at cultural heritages she didn't have much interest in wasn't her cup of tea.

"Do you want to go to a restaurant?"

"Hmm... I'd rather have alcohol than food!"

"Then let's look for a pub."

Ohjin also preferred eating tasty snacks and taking sips of alcohol over sightseeing places like the Colosseum and St. Peter's Basilica.

[Hmm. That's unfortunate. I enjoyed seeing the old civilizations humans built.]

"We can just come back later. We'll have to stay in the Colagrande Household's residence for a while anyway."

[I understand.]

Just like that, he took Vega and Ha-eun with him in his search for a pub.

* * *

Translator - Maccas

Proofreader - ilafy

* * *

At that moment—

Tap—

—a scruffy boy that looked to be around fifteen years old collided with Ha-eun.

"I'm sorry."

The boy lowered his head and quickly walked away.

"...Ha-eun."

"That damn kid's hands are fast."

Ha-eun clicked her tongue while looking at the boy's back growing distant.

The wallet inside of her pocket had disappeared in the short instant the boy walked into her.

Well, no matter how dexterous the boy was, there was no way he could fool the eyes of a high-rank Awakener like Ha-eun.

"You aren't going to do anything?"

"Eh... there wasn't much money in there anyway."

Ha-eun shook her head with a bitter smile.

She needlessly felt sympathy for the scruffy boy since he made her recall their own days of youth.

"Do you think it'd still be best to catch and scold him about how he shouldn't do such things?"

"Not really. Not if it isn't to get your money back."

Ohjin shook his head.

If they weren't going to take responsibility for that boy's life, simply catching and scolding him would have no meaning.

'Even if we tell him not to, it's not like his situation will allow him to do anything else.'

As someone who lived in deep poverty himself, he was well aware of the fact that there was no way for that young boy to survive if it wasn't leeching off of others.

"Then let's just go."

"Alright."

When Ohjin nodded his head and was about to turn around—

"Ahh! I-I'm sorry!"

—they saw someone approaching them while dragging the boy by his arm.

The young man dragging the boy had messy brown hair and gave off an innocent impression.

He took the wallet from the boy's grasp and handed it over to Ha-eun.

"I came across this child pickpocketing by chance."

"Ah... I see."

Ha-eun received her wallet with a reluctant expression.

The innocent-looking young man smiled.

"It's a relief you were able to get your wallet back."

"Sob! I-I'm sorry! I did something wrong!"

The boy shed tears and lowered his head towards the young man, and he nicely responded to the boy with a gentle smile.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me."

"Ah... I-I'm sorry, miss."

Only then did the boy bow down his head to Ha-eun.

"My mother is very sick... Th-That's why I needed money. I apologize!"

Tears flowed down his scruffy face.

Ha-eun gazed at the boy as she took money from her wallet and handed it to him.

"I don't know how much her medicine costs, but hopefully this helps."

"Ah..."

The boy took the money Ha-eun extended and bowed again and again.

"Could you let go of his arm now?" Ha-eun said to the young man that had a firm grip on the boy's arm.

The young man slowly shook his head.

"No. This child has sinned. He stole the belongings of another and caused them harm."

"But I got my wallet ba—"

"However, the sin of stealing still remains within this child. Committing sins is an evil deed."

He continued with a sharp and resolute voice.

"Evil must be punished."

"So are you saying that you'll hand this child over to the police?"

"Yes. Do not worry since I will guide him to a place where he can receive punishment."

She had no way of knowing how harsh the juvenile law was in Italy, but one thing for certain was that he would have no way of making money to pay for his mother's medicine the moment the incident was reported to the police.

"N-No! Then my mother's medicine...!"

"Get a job and earn money after you finish your sentence."

"Where will I find a job? Even if I do, there isn't enough time to make enough for her medicine!"

"It can't be helped."

The young man continued speaking in a voice full of conviction.

"This is the righteous thing to do."

Rightfully earning what is desired through exhausting labor without causing harm and desiring the belongings of others...

Like the young man said, it was truly the 'righteous' thing to do.

"..."

Only then did Ohjin notice who the young man was.

'The Sword of Justice, Damien Salvator.'

He was the Awakener occupying the seat of 'Second Star' among the Seven Stars.