Seirei Gensouki Konna Sekai De Deaeta Kimi Ni
Decision Day

Decision Day

The next day, the incident the night before had already spread throughout the village.

That morning, as the villagers began to wake up and exit their homes, they were greeted with a strange spectacle in the village square.

There, Gon and his men are detained and shown for all to see.

Their faces were reddened with shame.

One of Hayate's subordinates stood guard nearby, providing an explanation for the villagers passing by.

When the villagers heard about the rape attempt and peeked at Ruri, they all directed scornful gazes at Gon.

However, they were relieved to hear that Ruri's chastity was protected thanks to Rio and Hayate's collective efforts.

The guard kept telling the villagers about how Rio almost beat Gon to death and how the other wanderers were left outside on a freezing winter night.

The official punishment will be decided in the meeting later that day, but Gon being the main culprit, there is no way he can get away with it easily.

Throughout the day, whenever any villager passed by Rio, they would call and thank him.

Gon will do yobai.

It was a custom carried out among the villagers where a man would visit a woman in the middle of the night and propose to have a relationship .

Assuming the feelings of both parties are mutually beneficial, if the woman gives her consent to a relationship, the two will be formally involved.

However, the man had to back off if the woman rejected his proposal.

The Karasuki Kingdom, where Rio was currently living, practiced monogamy unlike the countries in Strahl.

Exceptions are only given to privileged classes where it is necessary to produce heirs.

Therefore, once a man and a woman make an appointment for each other unless there is a major problem, they will remain married for the rest of their lives.

As a result, the virginity of a woman is very important.

Socially it is unacceptable to be unfaithful, one should only dedicate his life to their important person.

That is why rape is a grave offense equivalent to murder and arson in Karasuki Kingdom.

It did not say what began as a yobai ended up as a rape attempt. It was a truly unforgivable act.

In this incident, Gon abuses the yobai habit and threatens Ruri to agree that it is a deal.

No further explanation is needed for anyone to understand how grave the crime is.

Fortunately, the incident only ended as Ruri's efforts and chastity were maintained.

However, a deep scar that should never have been left in his heart.

Now Gon looks disgraceful in the village square. To Gon who became arrogant, overconfident with his own strength and as a result, straying from the right path, no one felt sorry for him.

As for the punishment for Gon and the voyeurs, it was decided to call the village chief Gon to discuss the matter.

Some of the people who were currently living in the village returned to another village to call the village chief.

It took several days to decide on a suitable punishment for Gon and the others.

Although the sentence has not been decided, it has never happened for the victim to only receive monetary compensation.

Whether he will be tried by their hands or by the state and made a slave to crime, Gon's future looks bleak.

In addition, Hayate has promised to act as a witness if Gon is tried.

The sentence is as good as what was decided.

As the rumors walked through the village, the residents of Yuba's house began to eat their breakfast.

「All right, let's have breakfast. 」

Serving food, Rio spoke in a bright tone.

Rio acted like his usual self, as if the demons had been cast out, as if yesterday's madness was all a lie.

「O— Okay ..」

「Su— Sure ..」

「You— Yes ..」

Although the veil of darkness covered the room, yesterday, Ruri, Hayate, and Yuba all witnessed Rio's anger last night and they responded in bewilderment.

His attitude confused them.

As usual, Rio could feel their confusion.

He almost let his cherry mask slip away.

However, Rio managed to deceive them with his trademark wry smile.

He wanted to restore peace between them, even if it was only on the surface and thought now would be his best chance.

「I sincerely apologize to everyone for losing my composure yesterday. 」

Rio did not expect that he could dismiss the incident last night and resolve it without an apology.

Bewilderment, worry, anxiety, it was a definite feeling they felt. Rio felt that his actions caused unnecessary grief.

Ruri, in particular, had immeasurable difficulties.

When she was attacked by Gon and panicked, far from alleviating her suffering, Rio simply added to her grief, causing an uproar and making her even more frightened.

That's why, right now, he's going to apologize to her and everyone.

He was truly sorry from the bottom of his heart.

He wanted to restore their relationship from before if possible.

A little doubt and doubt may remain, but at the very least, he wants to regain their peaceful life, even if it is only on the surface.

It was important for him to take the initiative to improve their relationship because he was the one who created the rift.

That was Rio's mind.

Although her apology was shocking, it was imperative that she emphasized her sincerity.

Even if it came out as unwise, delaying it any further would only cause unnecessary worry.

「Haa .. if Ruri is not injured, then I have nothing to say now. 」

"Religion . If Rio-dono allows it, let me say that if at that time, had Rio-dono not interfered, I don't know if I could hold it in as well. 」

Sighing, Yuba spoke while glancing at Ruri.

Hayate also continued.

「Rio ... Are you okay now?」

Ruri voiced her concerns despite hesitating to touch on such a sensitive issue.

"I . Rather than worrying about me, Ruri-san suffered more than me. I'm sorry I scared you last night. 」

は い。

Ignoring the matter on his own, Rio apologized, lowering his head so that it almost touched the ground.

「T— Please don't. Rio saved me and .. Uhm, it would be a lie if I said I was not a little scared, but Rio became angry for my sake. That's why I'm fine. 」

Ruri's words were a little shaky.

However, a stiff feeling remained in his voice.

Perhaps, it was already impossible to return to its original state as before.

That's natural.

What's he thinking? How does he feel about her? Rio could not read her heart.

But he knew he was unstable.

This is the result of his actions.

He has to take responsibility.

Once again, Rio felt the weight of his actions weighing on him.

「I'm so sorry. 」

With a sincere voice, Rio voiced his apology again.

There was nothing else he could do but rebuild their trust.

So they started eating. It looks like a peaceful morning.

After finishing breakfast, Hayate went to work, ordering his people to load the tax crops onto his carriage as he had to arrive at the next village tomorrow morning

On the other hand, Rio went to help with the work around the village.

Meanwhile, Yuba arranged for Ruri to rest for the day.

When Hayate's preparations for departure were completed, news spread throughout the village and Rio and Ruri gathered in the village square to escort him away.

While exchanging farewells, Hayate turned around and spoke to Rio.

「Uhm, the matter about Rio-dono and Ruri-dono has burdened my mind, so may I ask for help?」

Hayate spoke with a slightly regretful and sad expression.

Although Hayate could not help but worry about Ruri, he could not abandon the mission entrusted to him by the state.

That's why, she had no choice but, with a heavy heart, to rely on Rio.

His words were full of sincerity.

"Yes of course . 」

Asking permission from Rio was unnecessary since it was natural for him to accept.

Rio immediately responded with a powerful voice.

「It looks like last night's incident is still weighing on his mind. It might be disrespectful for me to ask because we just met but still, please listen to me, please don't do anything that would make him worry further. 」

「Ya .. I will remember it. 」

「Mhm, I'm happy. I want to talk to Rio-dono again if the situation allows. I pray that we meet again soon. 」

Hayate showed a peaceful smile.

Rio lowered his head.

Finally, they shake hands with each other.

「Hayate-same. 」

Waiting until the two of them finished their conversation, Ruri approached Hayate.

「Ah, Ruri-dono .. Anything?」

「Uhm, this ..」

Hayate smiled brightly at Ruri.

Ruri timidly reached out, revealing a small bag in her hand.

"This is?"

Hayate looked at the bag with a confused face.

「Uhm, this is a lucky charm. Although, it was a bit worn out because I made it rush. Uhm, I'll pray for your safety. 」

What Ruri presented was a lucky charm unique to this country.

Inside the small bag was a piece of wood with the name of the engraver engraved on it.

It is believed that when danger befalls the recipient of the talisman, any loss will be transmitted to the best.

「Ah— I— It! Thank you very much!"

Although Hayate knew about the habit, he never expected to receive one from Ruri causing him great confusion and excitement.

Deeply moved, he received the talisman with trembling hands.

「Yo— Both. You stayed by my side all night. This is my token of appreciation. Not much but .. 」

"There's no such thing! This is the best parting gift I ever expected. I will cherish Ruri-dono's gift forever! 」

Hayate said what could be considered a confession with such intensity that it seemed like he would dance at any moment.

Despite this, the person himself seemed to be unaware of the possible implications of his own words.

Ruri smiled awkwardly at Hayate's exaggerated reaction.

「I also want to reward you but .. sorry. I will definitely prepare something the next time I come. Uhm, I know the emotional wounds you have suffered are hard to bear, but please continue living with a strong will. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to tell me. You can even visit my house in the capital if you need something. 」

"Yes nih . … In that case, please be careful. 」

Saying goodbye, Ruri gently wrapped her hand in the hand of Hayate holding the spell.

Hayate's face instantly flushed.

Breaking through the awkward atmosphere—

「Then, I guess I should pray for your safety as well. Hayate-dono, can I trouble you to send this letter to Gouki-dono after you return to the capital? 」

Yuba came while saying those words.

* Twitch*Getting back his senses, Hayate's body jolted as he faced Yuba.

Yuba gave him a disdainful smile when he saw her reaction.

He lightly cleared his throat and received the letter presented.

Instead of being delivered orally, the message was written on valuable paper indicating that it was a very important message.

「For dad? Okay, I'll send it without fail. 」

「Thank you. Please be careful not to lose it because this letter is important. 」

「Understood. 」

In response to Yuba's warning, Hayate replied in a serious tone.

「I want to say a big thank you for the hospitality we have received at this time. Accept your sincere thanks. Then let's meet again. Pray for your good health! 」

Hayate kept an important letter in his breast pocket and said goodbye to all present.

Floating a fearless expression on his handsome face, Hayate turned around and mounted his horse.

It was an incredible horse, giving off an impression of strength with a black mane and a large body.

Without a doubt, it was extremely fast while running.

However, it only ran at a steady speed to match the speed of the carriage.

After confirming that Hayate had boarded his horse, the coachman signaled his horse to begin pulling the carriage.

* The vocabulary*Wheel echoed in the street as it slowly moved away from the village.

Rio and the others looked at Hayate's party with a smile.

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

Then two days passed.

The village chief in Gon village and a man who acted as PR for the trade group were summoned to the village.

As expected, it was to discuss the incident involving Gon and his group.

Despite having committed crimes within the jurisdiction of the village, they were still foreigners belonging to other villages.

If they wanted to ignore that fact and have Gon executed, they would have to hand him over to the state for him to be publicly condemned.

However, such an action could incite hatred in the future so, for now, the cooperation of Gon village was sought.

「So how do you intend to compensate us for this incident?」

In order to make them faster, Yuba recounted the events first before asking for compensation without trying to hide her humiliation.

「So, I must say that I am also very surprised by their actions .. I convey my deepest apologies for this unfortunate incident. 」

「Hee ~ You are Gon's father yet you have no qualms about admitting his mistake?」

Receiving an unexpected calm response from Gon's father, Yuba furrowed her brows.

「This and that are separate things, don't you agree? We have no say in his sentence at all. However, he is an adult so we are troubled that you imply that his actions are our responsibility .. 」

"What did you say?"

It was a very calm tone.

However, it was a very selfish thing to say.

Yuba could not help but become angry at those words.

Rio, who was listening to their conversation from the side, also felt disgusted at Gon's father.

Of course, adults are expected to take responsibility for their own actions, even if they grow up to be selfish individuals.

However, part of the blame also lies in the environment in which he grew up.

Gon grows up in a village that treats him like a tumor.

If they left him unsupervised and never scolded him for his mistakes, then it would not be surprising for him to develop such a character.

As one might expect, it was the neighborhood where Gon grew up, a household that only prioritized the eldest son and ignored the youngest son.

Gon's father was brave enough to pretend not to be involved in his son's actions.

Still, he probably wouldn't be able to become the village head if he didn't act like this.

Type The type of person a child is raised with, reflecting the environment in which they are raised. Do you have no responsibility in shaping his character? 」

「As you said, but you know, it's also their responsibility to shape their own future. After all, wouldn't he be a slave to evil? He will be cheaper than a normal slave but you will still get money from selling him. That should be enough to compensate. 」

Gon's father only gave evasive answers to Yuba's questions.

For Yuba, her grandson's precious life was almost ruined.

The sad amount of money as compensation is just insulting.

Judging from the attitude of Gon's father so far, it was likely that he had already planned to sever ties with Gon and his group that were wrong in case of this kind of situation.

That's a very suspicious attitude.

Catching his gaze, Rio nodded slightly.

「You should get something by allowing them to travel with a trading group. Since that's the case, I suggest you use it to make up for the damage it caused. To just consider the benefits and ignore the possible consequences, isn't that a selfish decision? 」

「Is that true?」

Rio gave an indifferent answer.

Yuba nodded in agreement to his words.

As expected, since Gon's father let the troubled children act as escorts for the trade group, he was responsible for overseeing their actions.

He reaps the benefits of hiring them yet does not want to be associated with them when they cause problems; such convenient arrangements are unacceptable.

In modern society, this is a common ethical issue, but it is not known whether such behavior is also practiced in this world.

「Ugh, but so ..」

As expected, Gon's father became troubled in the face of Rio's quarrel.

However, despite being at a loss for words, he seemed unwilling to accept responsibility.

Before Gon's father arrived at the village, Rio had already consulted with Yuba on how to deal with this matter and the current flow of events in their prediction.

If the understanding between the two parties could not be met, they would seek alternative avenues to push the discussion forward for their sake.

They would have no choice but to take strong steps if the situation demanded it.

Rio and Yuba were patiently waiting for Gon's father to continue.

「This incident will cause me to lose a large amount of labor so it will be difficult for the future of my village. Since we are both victims here, can't we both accept our losses and move on? 」

Gon's father constantly denies responsibility for the incident.

Also declaring himself a victim makes no sense at all.

After all, the number of youths participating in the incident was five, including Gon.

Although it was still unclear what kind of punishment they would receive, excluding Gon, even if the others returned to the village, they would no longer be accepted.

What awaits them is a life of social exclusion.

If he had a choice, Gon's father would prefer to exile them, rather than accept them back to his village.

As a result, his village would lose precious human power.

A pretty big loss.

"I saw . Ah, by the way, we have already seized the shipment of goods from your trading group. 」

Facing the stubborn man, Yuba revealed the trump card he had held so far.

「A— What are you saying !? Isn't that a regular robbery !? Don't give me that shit! 」

The change was instantaneous, furious, Gon's father got up and started shouting.

「Yeah, listen to me first. I have an offer that will benefit both of us. 」

「.... What are the conditions?」

Lured by Yuba's abstruse offer, Gon's father sits down again.

For now, there seems to be room for negotiation.

「First of all, let's assume Gon becomes a crime slave. Do you mind this? 」

"No…"

It seems like he has accepted this as a fact.

Despite being a troubled child, Gon is still his son, but he has no choice but to accept punishment because Gon has committed an unforgivable crime.

「You believe that they should take responsibility for their own actions. That's your mind, right? 」

"Rubber…"

「Then it makes things a lot easier. I propose that you sell the rest as ordinary slaves. 」

Gon's father showed a puzzled expression at Yuba's proposal.

「But, they did not commit a crime that would guarantee them to become slaves to evil and many of them reached adulthood. Since they are adults, we will need approval or a reason to sell them as debt slaves. They may have peeked but I doubt they will agree easily .. 」

「They have a debt to Ruri. It's called reparation, you know? 」

「No, reparation by itself is not enough to make him a debt slave. 」

Gon's father spoke with a puzzled expression as if he was told something strange.

For a person to become a debt slave, an act stating that they owe money is necessary.

However, reparations are not entirely in the form of monetary debt.

Of course, with the cooperation of the perpetrators, reparations can be disguised as monetary debt but it is very difficult to get their cooperation.

First of all, it is common for perpetrators to ignore the payment of damages to their victims if no real damage is inflicted.

Therefore, when the victim is damaged, reparations will be authorized but usually pie in the sky. Reparation by itself is not enough reason to make the perpetrator a debt slave.

「Fumu, you can make excuses in place of reparations. 」

「... Ah, reason yes?」

「You and those people are all responsible for providing reparations. In other words, if you pay full compensation out of your own pocket, you can then claim that they now owe you the amount of each repair. 」

「Yeah, it can't ..」

However, even if Yuba's proposal was put in place, it would be meaningless if those people had no way to pay for Gon's father.

Those who were second and below sons were not allowed to own such a large amount of property that they would not be able to afford to pay for reparations.

That was the reason why Gon's father tried desperately to blame them so that his village would not suffer any losses.

From the beginning, Yuba did not ask for reparations from those people but from Gon's father who, as the village chief, would have more than enough to pay the requested amount.

「Then, you acknowledge that you are responsible for paying damages to Ruri and will pay the full amount. 」

"What did you say…?"

Gon's father voiced a complaint in surprise.

With that, the negotiations returned to where they started.

Since the property to be collected from the convicts does not exist, despite denying responsibility on his part, Yuba still asks him to pay the full amount of reparations.

Gon's father couldn't understand what his motive was.

「If you do that, they will be forced to borrow money from you, right? It should not be too difficult for you as the village chief to give them help by paying off their debts for them and then writing a deed. You can easily turn them into debt slaves if you follow these steps. 」

「!!!」

Finally, Gon's father understood the meaning of Yuba's words.

Until now, Yuba, Gon's father, and those who attempted to harm Ruri were in a 3-way struggle, but Yuba was able to drag Gon's father to his side.

「You will hand over your goods to us. But on the other hand, you can sell those people as debt slaves to recoup your losses here. Of course, we will accept monetary payment in lieu of goods if you want. The choice is yours . Those fools will be punished and no village will suffer any harm. 」

Only those who attempt to harm Ruri will be punished.

In other words, they reap what they sow.

However, Gon—'s father

「Isn't it just a peek …? To go to such an area .. 」

He felt a bit of guilt for those who, despite the troubled children, were also residents of his village.

「Do you look down on the importance of a girl's virginity?」

「N— No...」

Pressed by Yuba, Gon's father's voice faltered.

「Away from trying to stop Gon, they even actively support his disgusting behavior. Don't you think this incident is much worse than just peeking? 」

"Yes…"

「They almost caused permanent damage to my precious granddaughter. I won't let them down easily. If you do not accept my terms, I will forcibly confiscate your items here and now. Well, it will likely cause friction between our villages. The decision is up to you . 」

"That's…"

Gon's father immediately calculated the possible pros and cons of accepting the deal.

The advantage of selling merchandise in the capital is to support the village for the whole year to come.

It was not at all an insubstantial amount of money.

However, comparing that amount to selling four slaves in their prime numbers, it was difficult to determine which one would be more profitable.

Of the children, the four of them were males in prime numbers so they had to produce quite a lot.

Unlike the crime slaves who had no chance of emancipation, ordinary slaves could gain their freedom after they worked their punishment.

If they were expelled from the village, at worst they would become bandits.

If that was the case, Gon's father thought that having them reap what they sowed might be better than giving them mercy.

「Understood .. Then I will transfer ownership of the goods to you. 」

Gon's father decides to sell the men into slavery with his own hands.

Rio just looked at her in silence.

After that, Yuba continued the negotiations on how to gather Ruri's reparation.

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

That night, Rio walked to the small hill where his parents' tomb was erected.

Lately, he visited their tombs almost every day after finishing work.

Signs of autumn could be seen from where he stood.

Standing in front of the stone pillar that acted as the grave of his parents, Rio watched the afternoon sun begin to set, dyeing the sky red.

A few days ago, Rio lost himself due to anger.

Despite being able to recover after one night, it was the first time Rio had become so aware of the unspeakable anger within him.

Over the next few days, he continued to fight against himself.

His own heart could not be understood easily.

Rio as himself harbored strong emotions of hatred and vengeance for his mother's killer.

On the other hand, Rio as Amakawa Haruto is unable to forgive Rio's mother's killer.

However, the implications of the term revenge were too heavy. As of now, Rio— No, Amakawa Haruto has been actively avoiding her other self.

He hesitated to take a path that could not return.

Amakawa Haruto had suppressed Rio's desire for revenge all along.

Although it might be a careless way to say it, the events of a few days ago proved to be a good opportunity.

The incident allowed him to renew his determination to live in this world.

The events that made him remember his mother's death cut deep into the darkness of his heart.

Revenge would not fulfill anything for him.

Even if he achieved his vengeance, only an emptiness awaited.

Even though his mother was killed, was he qualified to be an existence that could judge good and evil?

He would be no different from the man he hated.

He refused to be selfish.

Those who stand on the sidelines can easily spout such idealistic rhetoric.

By not directly addressing the problem but ignoring it and hoping it will go away, Haruto tries to suppress the feeling of revenge.

Not wanting to face his other self, he denied Rio's existence.

If he did it—

He had no choice but to face the ugliness that lay within him.

He had no choice but to realize his own arrogance.

He had no choice but to open his old wounds that had yet to heal.

This was the reason why Haruto was afraid of facing his other self.

He wanted to continue wearing bandages without actually dealing with the infection.

Wh why? Because it's the easiest way out; it's comforting.

Out of anger, he took a defiant attitude so that he would not become a selfish person.

Being one made her feel like she was tarnishing her mother's death.

She lost her husband right after giving birth to Rio. Despite living a difficult life after that, she still wholeheartedly loved him so much that he could not make himself become selfish.

Making such excuses, Haruto continued to flee from Rio.

He is indeed a pragmatist.

He decided to never lose control.

He decided not to act on instinct or emotion.

That doesn't necessarily mean he'll be an intrinsically good person, but at least one who won't bring trouble to others.

If everyone acted like that, surely the world would be a better place.

Isn't that beautiful?

However, even if he lived by such a principle, the world would not follow him.

He is forced to realize that this world is cruel and unforgiving.

Even seemingly good people have a distorted sense of value.

Life is cheap and malice wins.

Greed and emotion make people direct hatred towards others.

When one encounters others acting evil, they will have no choice but to act human. 2

One cannot help but act on desires and emotions.

This is an inevitable destiny.

Rio had also experienced some such incidents.

During each and every one of those moments, Rio suppressed his desire to protect himself.

Every time he recalled one of the incidents, it left a bitter taste.

Surely, deep down, he understood that it was just a human reaction.

If one were to analyze it carefully, revenge was just a lump of instinct and desire.

It was a fact he could not deny but at the same time, he was unwilling to face it.

He would dodge whenever the thought of revenge got into his mind; he would not admit to the ugliness that was within him.

Although he holds a grudge against the man who lives according to his wishes and instincts, to live according to his own desires and instincts—

Not likely.

It's not something he can live with.

However, after experiencing the emotional turmoil of the day, Rio inevitably paid attention to his hypocrisy.

He is also a man who lives according to his desires and instincts.

When he understood that, he became aware of something cold, something sinister, living inside him.

Even now he still wants to continue to exercise strict self-control, to stay alive as a rational human being.

However, now he realized that he was just an ordinary human—

Not wanting to face his vices and just lick his wounds like a hypocrite, it was no longer the kind of life he wanted to lead.

The world is cruel yet he wants to follow the most comfortable route in life.

Therefore, from now on, even if he faced hell himself, he would not run away.

He will make decisions based on need because he is, and will remain, human no matter how hard he tries.

He would not mind getting his hands dirty if the situation required him.

He will no longer be easy against his opponents.

He will no longer run away from the evil in himself.

Even if all of this determination was only for self-satisfaction, he would have accomplished it.

Every sin, hell, he will take all that.

He won't run away again.

He will no longer try to justify his actions.

For now, Rio decided to return to Strahl to finish his business there.

As long as that person died, he did not care if he was also killed.

However, if he survived, he would atone for his sins.

He came forward irresponsibly.

It's farewell.

Farewell to her former weak self.

Finally, he could proudly say that this was a sincere wish that he had decided on his own.

On that day, with renewed determination, disposing of her helpless former self, her previous grievances, Rio was reborn.