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Back Alley Tussle
It was just an ordinary day until that moment.
As I took a sip of the soup for my lunch, I noticed something abnormal in the surroundings. Outside the dim dining hall, there were the sounds of footsteps bustling about.
I wondered what happened? It has nothing to do with me....no.
I quickly picked up my plate - having a bad feeling - and swallowed as much soup as I could. And then, I shoved all the soup’s ingredients into my mouth. And if possible, some bread too.....so I thought, but I did not have the time.
「Everyone gather! Stop eating! Quickly gather in the courtyard!」
A grim-looking man in charge of security shouts. Unable to disobey this, I reluctantly stand up, wipe my mouth, and rush over.
The servants who gathered in the courtyard were almost everyone in the mansion. I wonder what the occasion is? The Viscount was in the government office building for official business and his wife was out having a meal with another noble today. In that case, the only nobles in the mansion were Liliana and Wym. Whose instruction was it to gather everyone, I wonder?
The answer quickly came out. The footsteps and voices of the servants talking to each other who had been gathered in a hurry, suddenly stopped.
In this height of summer, on the stone pavement glaring white in sunlight, only the sound of a person’s footsteps resounded. An aged man with gray hair and wearing a black pseudo-tailcoat. It was Ifroz.
He spoke briefly in a low tone.
「Report」
「Yes!」
The security manager standing beside him had sweat pouring down his face. I’m sure it must not be because he was wearing thick armor and a helmet.
「Just a moment ago, the lady’s maid in charge of the young lady lost sight of her. Following the report, we tried searching inside the mansion but we still have not found her. The entrance and exit have been blocked off but...」
His words trailed off when he reached the part he did not want to talk about.
「Continue」
「……the young lady’s.....that is, dress.....was found in the servant children’s room」
She took off her clothes?
「Instead, a set of children’s plain clothes has gone missing」
Ifroz nodded once, his expression still stern.
The security person stepped back, his shoulders slumped.
「It is just as you’ve heard. The young lady may have gone outside the mansion’s grounds. Everyone, immediately search for her」
The young man standing next to me muttered a complaint under his breath.
「……again」
Again?
Ifroz continued with a detailed explanation.
「All maids on duty, please change into plain clothes at once. You guys should also change into clothes you can wear for going out to the city. The maids on duty will stand by at each location in the urban area. The rest of you, thoroughly search the city in all the places you can think of. In addition」
His gaze became stern.
「If you discover her, report to the nearest maids on duty as quickly as possible. Even by mistake, you must never call the young lady’s name. Also, male servants must not touch the young lady. Understand?」
Eh? I didn’t understand. Why?
I understand that we had to find her as fast as possible since the young lady had left the mansion. It would become a serious problem if she gets kidnapped after all. What do you mean, report to the nearest maid? And what about calling her name?
Ifroz immediately saw through my thoughts. I must have made a strange expression. Our eyes immediately met. His gaze was sharp.
「This is not the first time the young lady has gone out without permission. It would be undesirable for the outside world to know that the young lady has escaped again and again. You understand?」
So that’s the situation. A search after changing into ordinary clothes. And the reason the maids on duty were meeting her was to put on the role of a mother or a sister protecting a normal lost child. It was not a situation where the young miss of a Viscount House was running away from home, but just a girl whose guardian had come looking for her. An act to make it look like that.
There were several reasons for this. First, what if some people with evil intentions found out that the young miss of the Viscount House was wandering around unprotected outside? Even if we managed to safely bring the young lady back this time, she could be targeted in the future.
There was more. She was a noble. What would happen if there was a rumor circulating that a woman with status had wanderlust? The necessary reputation for her was that of 『A well-disciplined, clever girl』. Other images were unnecessary. Therefore, this incident could not be made public.
As for the male servants.....this may not even be worth thinking. Judging from how she was the other day, she was quite a shy child. Despite that, she does crazy acts like this, but well, it was not strange she would be shy only around other people.
「I will report this matter to the madam. This is all of our responsibility. .....now that you understand, get moving!」
At this command, everyone started to scatter. I also tried to go outside, then I suddenly realized. Where should I go and search?
「Um」
I forcibly clung to a man who happened to be passing by nearby.
「What!」
「I’m sorry! I haven’t been told where to search the young lady」
「Aaah!? No one expects anything from a brat! Just look around!」
After saying that, he pulled my hand away and ran off.
In all likelihood, the adults probably receive instructions on where and how to look, depending on the team they usually work with.
A voice called out to me from behind when I was thinking about this and that.
「Fay?」
It was an adult’s female voice. This was, Miss Katug.
「Look at this. When she left outside, the maids on duty wore this kind of yellow ribbon. If you see the young lady, look for a woman wearing this ribbon or people from the mansion, and follow their instructions」
「Thank you」
That was helpful.
There was nothing I could do without someone explaining this part.
「No, please go quickly. Otherwise, there will be a big problem」
Right. I would leave a horrible impression if I were to be tardy during incidents like this.
I immediately rushed out of the mansion’s premises.
Now then.....
The servants’ goal was to find the young lady. If we could find her and protect her safely, then this emergency would be over. Everyone would then return to the mansion.
But, how about me? To put it bluntly, it doesn’t matter. I wondered how many points I earned from delivering the letter last time. But it’s not like my rating in their eyes skyrocketed because of that. Punishment? What if I could find the young lady? That’s the problem of the servants as a whole, and more than that, the mistake of the person in charge of security for the unauthorized coming and going. If this was not the first time this kind of thing has happened, then their responsibility was even greater.
So, since I was not responsible for this....there was no need to even search for her seriously. If anything, I could just take a leisurely stroll under the pretext of searching for the missing young lady.
Yes, unless it was because of me.
Luckily, I could search anywhere. So, where should I go? The east side of the city, near the craftsman’s district.
I really had no idea what the young lady was thinking. The only contact we had was basically our exchange yesterday. In that case, I guess I could only search around within the area I could guess.
No way. I don’t think so but.....the savings box she did not snatch from me. What if she wanted the same thing? So she may step foot into the east side of the city for that purpose. That would be bad. That would be very bad. If the cause for this incident was that thing, I would have given it to her, without hesitation.
From the three-way intersection in the center of the urban area, I searched for a pathway that led to the craftsman’s district on the east side. Last time, I went way north from the wharf and came down southwest, so going the same route again would just be a detour. If I am heading to the craftsman’s district directly, then I should just go straight through. It’s my first time on this road but I’m sure I’ll manage.
I regretted that decision 10 minutes later.
I couldn’t believe such scenery was spreading in front of me.....
A little away from the town center, after passing through a small alley on the east side, there was an area where the passageway between tall stone buildings was draped with cloth overhead. The area was dimly lit, almost like an arcade street. I decided to step into that area to see what was in there.
There were lights lit up everywhere, even though it was daytime. A pick cover was placed over small candles. Each of the building’s entrances lacked a door, with semi-transparent cloth hanging in its place. And there was a strong floral scent. And I could also hear the faint sound of flowing water from somewhere.
This was...uh, this was, that kind of place. In my previous life, I had neither the courage nor money, only interest so it was something that had nothing to do with me.....
This was no joke. There was an area like this right next to the craftsman’s district?
No, but, isn’t it unnatural? This was a harbor city. Even in my previous life, there were such places in harbor cities. The sailors had lived a life of abstinence for a long time at sea, so they would want some sort of release. In addition, ordinary merchant ships come to the east. If pushed to say, many of the lodgings they stay at were located on the eastern side of the city. Naturally, brothels were also set up around that area.
Even so, this scene gives the feeling of dirtiness. When I came to myself and looked around my surroundings, I saw plenty of things to retort. First, the narrowness of this alley. There was often a lot of trash in the gaps between buildings. If not for the strong floral scent, I would have wrinkled my nose from the foul smell. There was an unidentified puddle of water at my feet, and it felt damp and clammy.
I immediately realized the source of the water noise. There was a river that crossed through the city nearby. Only, there were stone pavements covering the river in other areas, but not here. Near the wharf, the river water was flowing into earthen pipes. In short, it was like an exposed drainage. It won’t be surprising for an explosive increase in mosquitoes in summer.
The problem was whether the young lady went here. She was still 5 years old, so it was impossible she had a detailed grasp of a wide city such as this....unless she’s been wandering around the city on a daily basis. If she was looking for a store while only knowing - vaguely - that it was on the east side.....
No.
There was no problem as long as she did not come here. No problem.
So, I would search this area thoroughly. If she was not here, then it was not my responsibility.
Thinking like so, I walked down every alley.
This was a really bad environment for one’s mental health. Sometimes, I could faintly hear a seductive voice. Calm down. I’m not supposed to be a virgin anymore. When I told myself this, I could only remember that night of tragedy and the experience of being toyed with by that old hag before. Uwaa, that’s enough to make me depressed instead.
There were people passing by, occasionally. That said, this was still a place for people to play at night. Occasionally, I would pass a fully hooded adult men, but that’s about it.
Despite such a location, I did not particularly get the impression that the public security was bad. There was no graffiti on the walls and no traces of violence to be seen. Just, the alley was narrow, and sometimes there were places with trash lying around. It might not be a very hygienic environment.
It was when I finished walking around this shady section - which was not all that big - that it happened. I caught a whisper from the other side of the alley.
「……I see I see. Then, uncle will take you there, alright?」
A slimy, disgusting voice. Physiologically and instinctively, it makes me feel that the person saying that was not a decent person.
Thinking ‘no way’, I quickly peek from the shadows.....
There stood a middle-aged man with a shaved, oddly rice-grain-shaped head and a blonde girl.
What the heck. How come I find her here? It wouldn’t be such a hassle if I hadn’t found her.
In any case, it was almost certain that the girl was the young lady. So, I had to report this to the nearest maid. I would like to do that, but I could not take my eyes off this situation. Usually, you’d make arrangements in advance, like moving in pairs or setting a meeting point with the others, before starting a search. The fact that they did not expect anything from me as the search personnel backfired.
What to do now. If I run to the main street, I would definitely be able to find a maid there. If I rush there and back, it would only take 3 minutes, if I’m lucky. In those 3 minutes, how far would the situation go? If it were still the young lady acting alone, we could simply tighten the encirclement. But, not right now.
That middle-aged man's eyes. It was disgustingly lewd. He completely sees the young lady as a sexual object. She’s still 6 years old, y’know? I don’t want to see it, but the slight bulge in his pants was evidence enough.
Even so, the young lady was unaware of it. Being such an overly protected young lady, she might not only fail to tell good people from bad, but perhaps she can’t even properly tell the difference between men and women.
It was just 3 minutes. But, in those 3 minutes, that man could take the young lady away to who-knows-where. The surroundings were made up of five-storey buildings and moreover, there were a lot of small rest rooms, conveniently arranged for doing 「business」. There were probably prostitutes staying permanently here but there must also be rental rooms for bringing in streetwalkers. If she were to be placed in such a place, it would be impossible to find her. Even if we find it later, it will probably already be too late. If this were my previous life’s Japan, he would immediately get arrested if he were to bring a child to a hotel, but there were no such laws in this world.
I still had the magic pills around my neck. Unfortunately, I don’t bring any weapon with me, but if it was just with the superhuman strength from the pill, I could easily defeat this middle-aged man. Ifroz told me not to come into contact with the young lady, but the situation calls for it. When push comes to shove, I would knock this man down and snatch the young lady. I had to do at least that much.
I held my breath and continued to watch the situation.
「Ojou-chan, where are you from?」
「……over there」
「From the city, aah, you came from the other side of the city with the hill eh, even though it’s far, you walked all the way here」
「Un」
Eh? Young lady? I thought she had a more passive personality.
She could actually have a normal conversation, y’know? Isn’t that strange? Even though I could hardly hear her voice back when we were in the mansion. Listening ot her voice like this, it was truly a cute voice.
「I wonder what your father does?」
「……work」
Oh?
「Hahaa, of course, right! Your father, he usually works right」
You’re one to talk. A middle-aged man hunting for women in the middle of the day.
Rather than that, the young lady. It was obvious she was trying to make her father’s occupation ambiguous.
「What kind of work does he do?」
「Hmーm.....」
She had been deep in thought with a serious expression on her face but at some point, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she looked up and said.
「I don’t really understand」
「Hahahaha, is that so, I see, that’s how it is」
It’s confirmed.
This young lady, she was actually quite capable. She may seem shy, delicate, and pure, but in reality, she was ignorant of the ways of the world.....but she’s not stupid. She tries not to say anything inconvenient and was properly calculating the situation in her own way.
And, that ‘inconvenient’ in this situation, was probably her father’s status. Because.....
「So, what are you going to do once you find the savings box?」
「Hey hey, ojisama, will you play with me?」
A voice that obviously sounds spoiled. Was this the young lady’s true personality?
But, ojisama (uncle), not ojichan (uncle/middle-aged man), huh? Each of her words subtly shows her good upbringing. The middle-aged man also notices this but, rather than being scared of the little girl status in front of him, his gaze becomes increasingly filled with desire.
「Yeah yeah, of course.....that’s right, then, let’s play first」
「Un......but, the savings box store」
「We can find that later, that’s right, let’s go in here, okay」
I knew it, it was the correct choice not to let my eyes off of her.
I quickly jumped out to the street and shortened the distance between the young lady and me
.
「Ah, Aulia! So you’ve been here all along, we’ve been looking for you, you know. Father is looking for you, let’s go home」
I haven’t forgotten the young lady’s name. But, her true identity was a secret. So, I had no choice but to act here.
On the other hand, seeing my face, the middle-aged man clearly became displeased.
「What the hell are you」
「Aah, I’m sorry, I am that child’s step-brother, my name is Noor. My sister got lost, so I came looking for her」
The man intently stared at me.
This man was weighing whether to give up his prey....and as expected, the moment I thought like that and braced myself, he pounced at me.
He moved as I expected. I quickly looked around my surroundings after evading his first attack without relying on the pill. An old, weathered carrying pole was leaning against the wall. It was a little short but it was not unmanageable. I picked it up and stood ready.
「Uoraora!」
The middle-aged man came at me with a shout, but he’s full of openings. I hit him once on his head and shin while taking a step back. Easily knocking him unconscious. As I looked down on him, groaning and rolling on the ground, I suddenly glanced and around and caught the sound of small footsteps darting past me.
Crap! The young lady was running away!
That’s obvious. There was no way she didn't know my face after just yesterday. Seeing me knocking the 「kind uncle」who was going to play with her unconscious, how would I look in her eyes? There was no doubt she would think I would take the young lady back to the mansion at this rate. Would she be caught quietly? If she has that kind of intention, she will not escape from the start.
「Please wait!」
I shouted out loud and thought ‘crap’. Would an older brother say 「Please wait」to his little sister? Darn it, I’m losing my cool.
She continued running recklessly without looking ahead. That being said, at this point in time, there was a large difference of a year in physique. I would catch up soon. We would leave this narrow and gloomy alley a little and come out to the main street.
And the sudden brightness backfired on her.
The young lady did not realize the small steps at her feet and fell over. The moment I had the thought of ‘Ah. I rushed to her side, only to see a carriage closing in fast.
I was completely absorbed in her. I lifted her up and jumped out of the way without looking at anything else. The feeling of a solid wall against my back. At the same time, a sharp gust of wind brushed against my nose.
That was dangerous.
Nervously, I looked down at my feet. I’m glad. There was no disaster, such as the young lady’s leg getting crushed beneath the carriage’s wheel. The thing getting crushed beneath those wheels, was just the young lady’s shoes. In an instant, it slipped off, leaving the shoes behind.
I loosened my grip after suddenly realizing. The young lady in front of me, had her eyes open wide. Looking both surprised and scared.
What to do now? Men were told not to touch the young lady. But, if I let go of her right now she was going to run away again.....
My doubts were quickly dispelled.
There were sounds of several rustling footsteps approaching. 3 women wearing yellow ribbons. Also, 2 men. All of them were silent, approaching with sharp eyes. My relief lasted but a moment as I froze stiff, as if a rod were jammed inside me.
One of the women quickly tore the young lady from my hands. The rest was done with utmost efficiency. Within a minute, a carriage arrived and, quickly and without standing out, picked up the young lady. Then it left at great speed from the scene.
And as I look at all that like a fool, I suddenly feel my hands being grasped strongly. The man continued walking with big strides. There was no consideration at all for a child’s strides.
And the real sufferings started from there. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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