Chapter 36. What Are You... Doing!
---
"Bell?"
Returning with Ryuu, Cyd was stunned as she scanned Loki Familia's camp.
The place where Bell had been was now completely empty, with all the equipment gone, and Welf's bundle containing the magic sword was missing too.
If it were just a walk, there'd be no need to take all the equipment...
Something happened!!!
"Hey! Did anyone see Bell?" Cyd shouted, turning to a passing member of Loki Familia.
"Uh... the Hero's Apprentice? He left with that smith who doesn't make magic swords, Welf," the member replied, a bit dazed by Cyd's urgent tone, but after a moment of silence, he pointed in a direction.
"Thank you!" Cyd bowed quickly to the Loki Familia member before dashing off.
"Uh... be careful on the way?" Ryuu also bowed to the member and turned to follow Cyd.
Bell... Teacher's on the way!
Cyd clenched her fists.
All those thoughts about letting Bell soar on his own, not getting in his way... were all thrown out the window.
The child's heart is being wounded...
Those are scars that last a lifetime!
As a teacher, as a guardian...
Who cares about those other concerns!
…
Bang!
A heavy punch darkened Bell's vision, nearly knocking the air out of his lungs.
It hurts so much...
But I can't fall!
Bell bit his tongue, the sharp pain bringing him back to consciousness. He clutched his chest where the punch had landed, barely standing upright.
"Oh~ Not bad, as expected of the Hero's Apprentice, a perfect punching bag," Moldo grinned widely. "But that was only 25 hits, still a long way to 100!"
"Don't worry, I've endured worse beatings," Bell wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Pffft! Moldo, you're getting soft!"
"Hahaha, Moldo, you're being mocked by a rabbit!"
"Hey! Didn't you waste your strength on some woman?"
"Stop looking down on me!" Moldo's forehead bulged with a vein.
Malice...
It's all malice...
From people I've never even met...
Their faces are filled with unfounded malice...
Why is this happening to me...
Bell looked over at Lili, unconscious and hanging from a tree, and Welf, pinned to the ground nearby, along with a few other adventurers who were beaten and tied up, with a scar-faced man among them.
How did it turn out like this...
Where did I go wrong?
Why are Welf and Lili getting dragged into this?
"Stop looking around!" Moldo yelled, landing another heavy punch on Bell's face.
It hurts...
But I can't fall!
Bell staggered back but forced himself to stand straight, his red eyes glaring at Moldo.
"26!"
But it's okay, as long as I endure a hundred hits, everything will go back to normal! Lili will be safe, Welf too, and we can all laugh and go on adventures again!
"Damn it! How dare you look down on me!" Moldo, startled by Bell's red eyes, stepped back in fear, his anger rising as those around him snickered.
And he felt guilty too.
He had kidnapped Lili with an invisibility cloak and left a challenge note, but once the fight started, he knew in an instant he was no match, so he shamelessly changed the rules.
[Consider it mercy from your senior. Stand still, take 100 hits, and you can leave. But if you fall, block with your shield, or fight back, we start over.]
It was blatant cheating, but when Bell saw the spikes under Lili and the knife against the rope, he... gave in.
"Ah~ I'm bored," Moldo exaggeratedly shrugged.
Have they given up?
Bell's eyes brightened slightly, but Moldo's next words plunged him into despair.
"Whoever wants to take a shot, come on! After all, it's the Hero's Apprentice! How often do you get the chance to beat him up? Anyway, you agreed to this, right?"
If this is a dream, please let me wake up...
When the first stone was thrown tentatively at Bell, more people joined in. They didn't know each other, yet they united in their malice against Bell. As Bell remained silent, their actions escalated.
"How's that, Hero's Apprentice? Use your shield to block!"
"Hey, hey, when you were slaying goblins, you weren't this pathetic! Where's your proud quick attack?"
Bell endured the attacks silently, counting each hit.
"Move aside, let me use this!" Moldo pushed away the adventurer kicking Bell's knees, trying to make him fall, as he lifted a spiked club.
"That's... going too far..." The adventurer hesitated.
"Huh? We're all in this together. Why do you care?" Moldo dismissively shoved the adventurer aside and raised the club high. "Hey! Hero's Apprentice, if you stay down, it'll just start over!"
Bell calmly looked up, even with his face swollen from the beating, his eyes were still clear.
They couldn't do it. Their malice couldn't taint his will. To them, he was like a clown, spreading malice.
"Don't look down on me! Die here!" Moldo's face twisted as he swung the club at Bell.
"Stop it!"
Welf broke free from his restraints and charged, knocking Moldo aside.
"Damn it! Just a blacksmith!" Moldo stumbled, steadied himself, and then angrily kicked Welf to the ground.
Welf's bundle burst open, dozens of magic swords raining down.
"Those are... magic swords!!!"
"Grab them!!!"
The surrounding adventurers shouted, rushing for the scattered swords, shoving and cursing each other in their scramble.
"This guy's got a big one too!"
Countless eyes focused on Welf.
"No! Not this one!" Welf clutched the large magic sword wrapped in white cloth.
"Get lost!" A tall adventurer cursed, lifting his foot to stomp on Welf's head.
Welf braced himself, closing his eyes tightly, gripping the sword.
Bang!
It didn't hurt?
Welf slowly opened his eyes to see a swollen, bruised face.
"Bell, you..."
"Hahaha! The Hero's Apprentice fell! Start counting from zero again!" Moldo first looked shocked, then laughed, kicking at Bell. "Hey! Get up! If you don't, the count will always be zero!"
"Bell, get up!" Welf shouted in desperation, trying to push Bell off him. "Don't you want to become a hero! Do you want it to end here? I can make more magic swords, but you..."
"No! One of us getting hurt... is enough!" Bell forced a smile. "If I can't even protect my friends, I'm not worthy of becoming a hero!"
"Making magic swords!!!" Moldo's expression twisted.
Why do you get to be loved by the gods!
Why do you get to have such great equipment!
Why does this smith who refuses to make magic swords make them for you!
Why do you get everything!
Moldo stomped on Bell's left hand, "Let go! Or I'll break this smith's leg!"
Bang!
The white shield flew from Bell's grasp, the holy inscriptions on it dimming.
Sorry, teacher, I didn't mean to let go...
Bell bit his lip.
Why! Why can you still have that look on your face!
How dare you make us look so worthless!
Moldo's face twisted with rage as he lifted the spiked club.
Fall down!
Become just like us!
Hero's Apprentice!
"What are you..."
A hand clamped down on Moldo's shoulder, white hair fluttering gently, and a pair of bloodshot eyes slowly opened, flame-like red markings appearing on his left cheek.
Moldo's mouth opened wide in a silent scream.
His skin tore, muscles shredded, bones slowly crushed, as he experienced unimaginable pain.
"What are you doing?"
The pain brought Moldo to his knees before Bell. Bell struggled to lift his head, looking at the figure standing behind Moldo, a figure that filled him with relief.
"What are you doing to my student!!"