Chapter 94 : Shadow
“If it’s neither of the two, then maybe the whole village just enjoyed bullying one person too much.”
A few people who made eye contact with avoided my gaze or left the shop altogether.
Through this match, they must have vaguely realized it too.
That on that day 3 years ago, Ria might not have committed a foul.
That Ria isn't the kind of person to secretly hide a weapon and enter the stadium, the villagers would know best, better than Ratel or Jing whom she t less than a week ago.
Despite that, the fact that their attitude toward Ria hasn't changed a bit might be because they are conscious of the temple, but there must be other reasons too.
Fun.
It must have been fun.
Having soone to openly badmouth.
In a poor and difficult daily life, the existence of a weakling suffering more than themselves must have given them a sense of superiority just by watching.
Choosing fun over the dignity of a neighbor they've watched since birth—is it because of brainwashing, or is it human nature?
As people whose excitent cooled left one by one, only custors who really ca to buy goods and a few onlookers remained in the shop.
No one seed interested in how Ria knocked down Jinger anymore.
Except for Jinger's father, who was dissatisfied with the commotion that had died down a bit.
“Lan, we should get going too.”
Jing said, pointing to the people slipping away.
I nodded in agreent.
Because originally in fights like this, the one remaining till the end loses more.
“You seem to be arrogant just because you won once, but let’s see how long you can be brazen, Ria.”
The man's muttering voice was heard behind our heads as we were leaving the shop.
Unfortunately, what he pulled out was a highly efficient card.
Because Ria’s face, who had kept her mouth shut tight, began to be dyed with guilt.
“You haven’t forgotten how great an opportunity your brother kicked away while cleaning up your ss, right?”
Joy spread across his face as he confird her face turning miserable every ti Idan was ntioned.
“Go ahead and try to leave clinging to those guys, Ria. Only the plight of Idan, who kicked away his own opportunity to help you, will beco laughable.”
Bang!
The people of this village seed generally inclined to solve things with violence.
I thought as I looked at the leather shop mister’s precious shop door that was half-broken.
And I raised my gaze to look at the face of the culprit who made the thick door end up like that.
Ria, who also turned her gaze to the door, confird the cause of the commotion.
“Brother.......”
Idan, who smashed the door energetically, looked at Ria once and then glared at the leather shop owner again.
“It is not good to interfere uselessly in soone else’s family affairs.”
“Wh, When did I interfere.......”
“Watch your mouth.”
Idan cut off his words as he tried to make an excuse even while terrified.
“Before I interfere in Jinger’s life too.”
Idan’s threat was more effective than I thought.
The man, who was no longer in a state to sell goods, stopped taking his anger out on Ria and sent all the custors outside.
Thanks to that, acquiring Ria’s new gloves went down the drain.
What stopped us as we tried to return to the lodging empty-handed was Idan’s call, as sudden as his appearance.
“Ria, let’s talk for a mont.”
“Do as you wish.”
When Jing asked Ria’s intention, Ria pondered for a mont and then turned her body toward Idan as if she had resolved sothing.
“Please go ahead first. I also have sothing I want to say to Idan.”
***
“Don’t hurt Lan too much!”
Ria, who suddenly shouted, lowered her head deeply in frustration that she had buttoned the first button of the conversation wrong upon seeing Idan’s impassive face.
“Did you follow to make that request?”
Seeing Idan burst into a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded, it seed like it wasn’t a bad choice either.
“No, this is just the most urgent thing. The thing I want to say most is separate.”
When Ria answered while scratching her cheek, Idan’s expression changed strangely.
“Seems you got quite close with those strangers in a week.”
Is that so?
Ria looked back on the past week.
They were kind, strange, and slightly awkward people, but comparing it to the past 3 years, it was the most comfortable week for her heart.
Probably because they were strangers, it was possible.
Strangers who didn’t know , didn’t bla , and offered small considerations.
Objects of admiration living the life Ria had once dread of.
Although they were slightly strange people, they were good people at the sa ti.
A faint smile spread across Ria’s face as she recalled the three.
“They are people I’m thankful to. Before you ca earlier, they even took my side.”
Ria raised her head and t Idan’s eyes.
“So Idan, don’t hurt those people. Originally, Lucha wasn't a competition to harm people.”
At Ria’s earnest request, Idan nodded his head slightly.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t know I would hear the words thank you from you again.”
As Idan answered grumpily, the corners of Ria’s mouth went up.
Ria thought it felt like she was facing Idan properly after a really long ti.
It had only been 3 days since the Lucha Competition started, but the conversation with Idan felt like it was the first in 3 years.
Looking at Idan with a calm face unlike herself, Ria swallowed a bitter smile inside as she felt she sohow knew the reason.
Because during the past 3 years, the one building a wall alone was herself.
Feeling sorry to Idan who ruined his life because of her weak mistake, she couldn’t bring herself to think of having a proper conversation with him.
Ria thought receiving Lan’s help that day was a fortune that wouldn’t co again in her life.
Thanks to that, she got the opportunity to participate in Lucha once again, and beca able to face Idan a bit more confidently.
“Ria.”
“Wait! Wait a mont! I still have things left to say. I said I had sothing I wanted to say! I’ll speak first.”
Feeling like tears would co for so reason, Ria hurriedly blocked Idan’s words.
If she didn’t pour it out at once, she felt she would hesitate again and postpone the opportunity to next ti.
Looking at Idan’s face, staring at her quietly with surprised eyes, Ria slowly opened her mouth.
“Idan, I won’t leave.”
Whether Ria’s words were quite unexpected, surprise spread across Idan’s face where expression changes weren’t big.
“......You won’t regret it?”
At Idan’s question, Ria nodded her head slightly.
“Did you think I would leave blindly? This suddenly?”
“You’ve wanted to leave the village all along.”
“So you knew.”
Ria, laughing as if embarrassed, tightly grasped her torn gloves.
“This year, I just want to do my best helping those people. I’ll postpone really leaving a bit more.”
“Why? Such an opportunity won’t co again.”
When Idan asked as if he couldn’t understand, Ria slyly brought out the sincerity she had been harboring.
“Let’s leave together with , Idan.”
Idan opened his eyes a little wide and looked at his younger sister whose nervousness was evident.
“Whether next year or the year after, let’s go out of the village together with and travel the world.”
“Ria, I.......”
“I know you like the village. Still! even for a mont is fine! Who knows, it might suit your aptitude better than you think.”
Wouldn’t it be good to think of it as going on a trip.
“What was it you were trying to say?”
At Ria’s question, Idan smacked his lips for a mont.
While Ria felt puzzled at that movent, Idan took out gloves from his pocket instead of speaking.
“......Your gloves were torn. Use these tomorrow.”
At the gift that made her forget the unpleasant mory at the shop, Ria smiled brightly and accepted it.
***
Ria, who returned to the shop not too late, had a relieved expression as if she had put down a heavy burden.
“Ratel and Jing finished their al and went upstairs.”
When I spoke to Ria who was looking around, Ria hesitated for a mont and took a seat on the chair across the table.
“Um, Lan.......”
“Did you decide to remain here?”
When I beat her to it before she could finish, Ria opened her eyes roundly.
“How did you know?”
“Didn’t you go to tell Idan that. If you had co back after saying you would leave, you would have looked more like a person attending a funeral than now.”
At my explanation, Ria laughed awkwardly.
“Since Lan seems to know everything, I don’t know if it’s comfortable to talk or uncomfortable.”
She handed sothing where I didn’t know if it was a complint or an insult, kneaded her fingers placed on the table a few tis, and continued speaking.
“I tried asking Idan if he wouldn’t leave together. I know Idan loves the village, but still, let’s think of it as a trip and go outside even a little bit.”
Well, it wasn’t the worst result.
Since the option of Idan and Ria leaving with us together would arise.
Of course, the trouble of having to be careful so Idan doesn’t die at Ratel’s hands would arise, but increasing by one person would be less risky than Ratel’s comrades decreasing in the original work.
There was one thing that bothered .
The person who would feel burdened by the adventure with Idan would be none other than Ria.
“Will it be okay? Just because you are family doesn’t an you have to be together for a lifeti.”
“I know. But I also need ti to pay back the debt I owe to Idan.”
Debt.
I could understand her aning that a price was needed for the sacrifice of an older brother who took care of his younger sister.
However,
“I’m not sure if growing up under violence is sothing to pay back even debts for.”
One-sided sacrifice is a condition harder to establish than one thinks.
***
At my question, Ria’s complexion repeatedly turned pale and dark.
Soon, after controlling her emotions and taking a deep breath once, she opened her mouth.
“......Idan is a good brother.”
“For that, you seed quite scared.”
“That’s not because of my brother. It’s just...... my problem. I’m just stupidly getting scared over sothing that’s all in the past.”
“In the past, you say?”
When I asked narrowing my eyes, Ria made a groaning sound.
“......When I was young, there were tis I got hit by my brother a few tis. It wasn’t hard, just lightly....... At that ti, my brother was young too, and I was young too so I didn’t listen well. Since there were only the two of us, my brother was admonishing while playing the role of parents.”
“Does Ria swing fists when admonishing people.”
At the ridiculous defense, a sneer popped out without realizing.
“It wasn't that many tis. My brother regrets it a lot now too. After I grew up a bit, he has never raised a hand.”
Perhaps uncomfortable with Idan getting criticized, Ria defended him again.
“I suppose so. Since hitting a fully grown adult could no longer be called discipline.”
Despite that, when I didn’t stop the sarcasm, Ria flared up.
“How many children in the world are there who don’t get hit even once while growing up. Why does Lan keep criticizing Idan when I said I understood?”
It was a sharp point.
Co to think of it, even in the world I lived in, and in this world, it would be hard to find parents who don’t raise the rod to a child.
“......I’m sorry.”
Whatever she took my silence for, Ria offered a small apology.
“......Still, Idan really isn’t at fault. It’s just getting scared on my own. Idan actually cherishes . It was Idan who ran around in all directions to sohow cover up the sin I committed in Lucha.”
“Is it related to him winning the championship in Lucha?”
At my question, Ria nodded her head.
“Yes....... Originally Idan never wanted to enter Lucha in his life....... He was forced to enter because of . Because other people shouldn’t be eliminated from the competition because of .”
At her explanation, the 3 years she spent in Lucha Village were drawn before my eyes.
Ria, who committed a sin in the competition held by the temple, would have been in danger of becoming the public enemy of the villagers at once along with Idan.
The anger of the people who were disqualified from the match along with Ria must have been formidable too.
What silenced all of that was Idan’s victory as Ria said.
I looked at Ria’s neat eyes that still seed to have no intention of changing her mind.
Will Ria beco unable to escape Idan’s shadow just like in the original work.
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