NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2 - Episode 2: The Protagonist Observes.
Episode 2: The Protagonist Observes.
I don’t fully understand myself right now.
I’ve lived over 20 years and I’m dreaming, or I’m dreaming now that I’ve lived over 20 years. ……
There are so many things I don’t understand, but regardless of which life is correct, I have no choice but to live.
Woken up in the morning, eating terrible food, and being used.
There are no basic human rights, but I can’t make a fuss. Even if I do nothing, Pakis will hit me, and if I make noise, Pakis will hit me even harder. No one will reprimand him for it. My knowledge of many years allows me to read between the lines of things. In this cobblestone city, there are clearly non-human races with long ears or lizard-like walks. There are no people carrying smartphones, and wallets are not paper bills but coins… There are no baths, and the stench of sweaty bodies permeates the air. The toilets are so filthy that it’s hard to imagine how they got that way… You can see the level of civilization. Whether I was abandoned or something else, I’m living as a street child. Both Pakis and I are members of the lowest-tier organization of an antisocial force like the mafia. According to the innkeeper, while many people can use magic, there are few who can produce delicious water like me. And those who can produce such a quantity are not common among commoners. Surprisingly, magic is easy for me to use. With water magic, I can produce a lot of water just by putting magic power into my words and fingertips. And its value is higher than ordinary water or even alcohol. Alcohol is of poor quality, and you can’t drink it every day. I miss beer.
So, I’m being used like this.
“Hurry up and do it, you idiot!”
“Yes.”
I thought I should take better care of myself so I could eat a little more, but the boss gave me a decent amount of money before I regained consciousness. Along the way, when I was being shaken down for money by Pakis’ superior, I hesitated and said, “Th-this is for the… b-boss! He told me to eat a little more,” and got beaten up for making a fuss. My whole body still hurts. Since I’m still new here, they’re watching me to see if I’m useful before they take care of me. It’s like they’re saying it’s okay to die. The boss doesn’t give me pocket money every time, and maybe he gave me pocket money because the water I produced tasted better than he expected, or maybe he was in a good mood.
It’s a terrible country, a terrible place.
There are no human rights or child welfare facilities, and even if there are police agencies, they are either bribed by the boss or allow this kind of thing to happen… Even though I’m being beaten up in front of them, no one does anything. I even witnessed soldiers who are supposed to maintain law and order and uphold justice directly extorting shops. Everything is rotten. God, is it possible that this is happening because the child who fell down the escalator hit his head badly, or rather, because I thought I was helping him, I ended up crushing him? Please forgive me as it was beyond my control.
***
“.”
It’s quite fun and enjoyable to produce water. It’s exhilarating despite my age. When was the last time I felt a sense of accomplishment at work? Even though I know it’s escapism, there’s nothing else enjoyable. It’s also interesting to be able to adjust the output, whether it’s a sudden gush or a slow trickle… I also enjoy the feeling of something diminishing inside me. Maybe because I’m mentally strained as a child, I strangely feel a sense of accomplishment even in such a terrible situation? What I need now isn’t a sense of accomplishment or magic, but nutrition and safety… If I had to say, I want freedom, rights, and peace of mind. I realize how luxurious it was to live without any problems in Japan.
I want to improve my life with various insights from my surroundings and adult-like intelligence, but it’s not that easy.
There are rules to evil, and once you’re caught up in them, it’s not easy to get out.
This boy named Pakis, who is supposed to take care of me and keep an eye on me, is useless even though he’s a child. He resorts to violence right away, even if I haven’t done anything wrong. A homeless person who felt sorry for me spoke up.
“Are you okay, miss? Hey, you’re going too far!”
“Huh? Shut up! I’ll kill you! Frim! Get to work, you piece of crap!”
―――… When I passed through that alley after finishing work, the old man was lying there with his eyes open but not moving.
“Huh!?”
“Huh? Isn’t this usual, Frim? Hurry up and come.”
It’s the usual… right… Pakis was just as hopeless.
He’s not just misbehaving like a typical child. He easily kills those who oppose him, and in Japan, he would undoubtedly be sentenced to death. He’s an irredeemable scumbag.
If he doesn’t like something, he’ll hit you, and he’ll easily throw stones at shops that are paying tribute to opposing factions.
Even if I wanted to escape from this situation, I can’t do anything, and I can’t even eat properly.
“You’re slow at work, you idiot!”
“Ugh!”
Perhaps because I rubbed him the wrong way, I was kicked hard and tumbled awkwardly, but even though the main street was crowded, there was no one to help me. Everyone just averted their gaze as if it were better not to get involved.
It’s truly… disheartening.