CH 18

Chapter 18 :  fighting scene

"Let me ask you to explain. Why are you here?"

"That's my line."

Krishna raises her magic gun.

Zophia maintains a low center of gravity.

And I was caught between two women staring at each other.

"Wait, both of you. There's a reason for this."

Everything was in shock. The cheating man tried desperately to explain himself.

"Y-You up there, do-don't go around entering a strange narrative!"

"Krishna-san, this nee-san, s-she said she was lost."

Lily, who was standing behind me, was flustered but quick-witted.

Krishna let out a low voice, keeping his muzzle pointed toward Zophia.

"...... You got lost and came here? You've got no sense of direction."

No, it's you.

Zophia seemed to sense what was going on and slowly release her stance.　　.

"Yeah. What's wrong? I got lost, so I was asking this guy."

Krishna, being cautious, took a step closer.

"Zenos-shi. Be careful. She's a very evil one."

"I don't want to hear it from someone who's pointing a gun at me. If you want to get into a fight, I can be your partner, but are you sure you want to be here?"

"..."

Krishna looked around the room and said softly.

"Zenos-shi really helped me. I have no intention of ruining this place."

"Well, I guess the match is off. Why don't you just put that thing away?"

"All right. But first, let me ask one thing."

Krishna's cold pressure could be felt from the raised muzzle of her gun.

"Zofia the Gale. What happened to your arm?"

The air in that place suddenly became several times more tense.

The deputy division commander gradually closed the distance between him and Zofia with a blank expression.

"I can't believe it, but you're completely healed....... I knew I wasn't mistaken. The person who healed the wound on your arm, who is a master of healing, is probably the Mediator."

The deputy division commander finally got to the heart of the matter.

For a moment, Zofia had an expression of shame on her face, but it quickly disappeared.

"What if that's the case....?"

"What?"

"The person treated the wounded one. The woinded was happy. What's wrong with that?"

"What we are aware of is that person's influence. He can coordinate the discontent in the favela and threaten the life of a good citizen. As a guardian of order, he cannot be ignored."

Staring at the muzzle of the gun pointed at her, Zofia shrugged.

"The poor threaten your lives? Good grief, it's always the poor who are at fault."

"...... What do you mean?"

"I can't say that because I'm actually a little bad guy. There are bad guys everywhere, you know."

"It's rumored that the Royal Guard Division is investigating a case of child trafficking, do you know that the source of the case is a nobleman?"

"What....!?"

I looked at Lily at her surprised words.

Krishna was indeed surprised, and his brows were furrowed.

"Nonsanse. A lair of illicit trade is clearly in the favela."

"They're spreading the ends so they don't get caught. That's a story we're hearing recently. We know a lot more about dark stuff than you do."

"You expect me to believe that story? Do you have any proof?"

"The thread that leads back to the nobles has been cleverly erased, so you have to catch them in action. As the investigation intensified, they moved some of the children to a special room in the mansion because it was the safest place for them..."

Krishna took another step closer, keeping her gun raised.

"...... I can't believe it."

"I guess so. I guess our words won't reach you anyway."

"Hmm. Then tell me who it is."

"Kalendor."

"Lord Kalendor? More and more unbelievable. He is a man of character who is dedicated to helping orphans with their education."

"It's because you only saw the surface like that that you were deceived."

Zofia didn't back down, but stepped forward.

Her gaze momentarily turned to me beside her.

"But the Mediator is different. He doesn't judge us by our status. He doesn't judge us by our looks. He doesn't distinguish us by our past. He just saves the lives in front of him. That's why we love him so much. I hate to break it to you, but if you get hurt, he'll treat you too. He'll take your money, but he's not like you, who thinks only the poor are bad. Your justice is just a fake."

"What you say....!"

Krishna's finger reflexively latches onto the trigger of her magic gun.

But before the bullet could be fired, I stood in front of Zofia.

"Zenos-shi, get out of the way."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. Zofia is my patient, you know."

"Patients......?"

Zenos sighed heavily.

"That's enough of that. I don't want this place to become a battlefield, and thank you Zofia for taking care of everything."

"Sensei~~"

Stopping Zophia with one hand, I slowly turned my head towards Krishna.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm the mediator. Krishna."

.....

.....

.....

Krishna blinked a couple of times as I made my confession.

"Zenos-shi is the...... "mediator"?"

"Yes, I'm."

I don't want to stand out, and we'll see what we can do, but I don't want to see any more trouble with this mediator-thing.　

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make such a big-."

Before I could finish, however, my words were interrupted.

"You're being too pushy, Zeneos-shi. Mediators are masters of healing magic. Instead, you specialize in protective magic. There's no way you can master two magic systems at the same time."

"I haven't mastered it, and in the first place, healing and protection only enhance the body's functions, so the basics are the same."

"I've never heard of such a theory, not even in magic class."

Krishna said expressionlessly - but somewhat sadly.

"But one thing I learned is that you stand by the side of the demi-humans and the Mediators. Too bad. I thought you were a man worthy of respect. I had to find a hiding place somewhere else."

"Krishna."

I called her back, but Krishna did not look back and grabbed the doorknob.

"The people need a...... perfect hero. I'm not a fake......."

+++

After Krishna left, Zofia put her hands together and apologized.

"Sensei, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my bad acting."

"It's not Zofia's fault. If anything, sorry to trouble you."

"Huh, looks like the second wife won this time. As expected, the meeting time make different."

Before I knew it, Carmilla was sitting on the edge of the bed.　

And who's the heck second wife?

"Li-Lily, what number Lily is, Carmilla-san?"

"Lily, you don't have to take this seriously, okay?"

"But it's an unusually tense situation."

"Don't you come out at all in those situations, do you?"

"It's not that interesting."

"It's not interesting."

"Besides, the dead should not interfere with the living when they are struggling with their beliefs."

"We...Well.."

Carmilla lifts her hands and stretches.

"What do we do now, Zenos?"

"Well..."

To resolve this situation, I admit I am the "mediator", but in the end, I don't think they trust me.

In a sense, the crisis is over for now.

I wonder if Krishna is going to keep looking for the Mediator.

As I looked silently at the closed door, Lily snorted.

"What's wrong, Lily?"

"Krishna-san, she planning to go to the favelas, right?"

"Maybe so. Krishna seems to think the Mediator is hiding out in the favelas."

"But, she was heading in the opposite direction instead."

"That's directionless one."

I hold my head with my hands and suddenly think.

Is that really the case?

"It's can be......."

"Sensei, what's wrong?"

Zenos said to Zofia, who looked into his face.　

"Krishna's destination is probably not the favelas."