Chapter 5 - Without a Reason.
“Say, Yume...”
Another doubt stroke her.
“What are you going to ask me this time, little girl?”
It wasn't hard for him to guess her intentions.
“Hehe, I'm sorry. It’s just that I can’t get it out of my...”
The girl was quickly interrupted.
“Come on, we’re prison brothers! Spit it out!”
It scared her at first, but then she giggled.
“Okay okay! well... you see... um... Why are you helping me?”
The demon didn't need to think twice his answer.
“No reason.”
She thought he was making fun of her.
“... Seriously.”
But he was being totally honest about it.
“Yeah”
Still, the girl felt anything but convinced.
“That doesn't make any sense!”
Yet the man remained oblivious.
“I'm aware of that.”
---
“Is there something bothering you, milady?”
Yuki gets startled by the guy. As you can see this happens too often.
“N-no, it’s just...”
She quickly realizes what she once again did and apologizes, but Gladio doesn't seem concerned.
“It is my duty as a gentleman to help someone in need, no matter how small the problem is.”
What a nice fellow!
“I was just wondering.”
The girl's anxiety shows up in her eyes as she continues gazing at Yume's picture.
“How is it that someone labelled as a hero has a bounty over his head?”
The smile of gentleness fades for seriousness over Gladio's face.
“Well, it is common knowledge around the kingdom of Algalord, but the knights have done everything to prevent outsiders to know the story.”
So, when he says “everything”...
“But I intend to fulfill my previously mentioned duty.”
Our girl expresses her gratitude with a delightful look in her eyes. She listens silently as Gladio breaks an order issued by the knights to clear her doubts.
“It happened one year ago in this very city. The knights were holding a private execution behind the walls of the Academy. A demon had murdered an entire family of Algalord nobles, but thankfully was captured right afterwards, impeding another massacre. A total of one hundred and fifty recruits were present at the time, the one with higher rank being a young Lieutenant. Nothing could possibly go wrong... or that was what they believed. Just before the executioner could cut the head of the culprit, a man fell from the sky... and took his. Armed with two single-edged swords, the murderer rushed to the witnesses. In a matter of seconds, one by one, a hundred knights were savagely slain. Among others, the Lieutenant had his life spared, he was the one who helped in the making of the “wanted” poster. He said he could never forget his evil glare and pretentious grin. Also, according to him, the only words the criminal shouted were: I am the Demon Hero.”
The story sends shivers down her spine.
“So, as you can see, it is not like they think of him as a hero, but it is the only name they got.”
She doesn't know what to think, how to react, what to say. The girl mutters the first words that come to her mind.
“That story... it’s sad...”
“It is in many ways.”
That answer didn't came from Gladio's mouth. A man walks slowly towards Yuki, carrying a helmet in his arm. The cape he wears floats elegantly. As soon as the girl recognizes his armor she forgets everything she was worrying about and only the anguish of having offended the knights she admires so much engulfs her mind.
“I-I beg your forgiveness! I spoke carelessly.”
She bows her head before the knight. He looks down on her. He and Gladio exchange looks. While not as tall as the latter, his presence is overwhelming.
“There’s no need to apologize, woman. I truly agree with your words.”
Even if he has a deadly serious all-mighty attitude, the sign of approval makes our girl smile. He stands in front of the Wanted posters.
“To think that many recruits were deprived of their existence by one filthy demon it’s utterly pathetic.”
Those words crush Yuki's initial thoughts. Gladio closes his eyes and stays silent. It’s like he doesn't want to get involved in the discussion. Or maybe he just can’t disagree with what the knight is saying.
“This images are here as a reminder of the failures of those who died on that day and disgraced the good name of my beloved Aurea Aurora.”
Our heroine finds it hard to hide her rage. She has been idolizing Algalord’s royal knights for years. And now she has to listen how their fallen soldiers are humiliated by a knight himself. She at least tries to say something.
“B-But they died whilst fulfilling their obligations and...!”
“And they failed.”
She could say no more. She’s about to unsheathe her blade.
“That is enough, Captain Vindice. I will not tolerate any further insult towards those men.”
The gentleman finally steps up.
“Mr. Magna...”
The knight doesn't seem to care about him.
“Oh, I'm sorry. Do you think that I'm wrong?”
Their eyes meet once again. While the knight’s eyes show indifference, Gladio's gaze denotes a combination of anger and understanding.
“They were once your companions. No matter the circumstances in which they perished, you are meant to respect their memory.”
The mood gets pretty dense. Yuki's nervousness is off the chart.
“I don’t want to be lectured by the very man who’s at fault of this conversation. Or should I remind you of the law you just broke?”
With a fast movement of his arm Gladio takes his cape away, revealing the shiny golden armor underneath.
“General Magna.”
The girl is amazed at the revelation.
“It is true that I disobeyed the law. But worry not, for I will accept any punishment the Commander decides to give me based on the consequences of my actions.”
The Captain frowns, then turns to Yuki.
“I'm sure you are aware of the fact that this information is meant to remain inside the frontiers of Algalord, aren't you?”
Yuki watches her tone as she responds the question.
“I will not betray Mr. Magna's trust.”
After that, Vindice walks away inside the walls of Aurea Aurora without losing his all-mighty demeanor.
“I am terribly sorry about the Captain’s behavior, young maiden.”
“What kind of man is he? How can someone like him be a member of the royal knights?”
And suddenly she remembers that she is not talking to an ordinary man anymore. The girl apologizes for taking such a friendly attitude, but the General doesn't mind.
“Listen, milady. Even if what he says seems to be ill-intentioned, the Captain has strong reasons to believe his own speech. And I highly recommend you to wait until you know those reasons before judging him.”
Our heroine just got scolded by a knight of the highest rank. Although she feels bad about it, she also sees it as an honor.
“Now It is time for me to go inside the academy too. Do not forget that you must not speak about what you learned here with any outsider nor outside of Algalord.”
“I won’t, General Magna. Thank you for giving me the privilege of meeting you and for regarding me as worthy of your trust.”
She bows before him, then marches to the Algalord entrance of the city. And just as Gladio is about to take his leave...
“I almost forgot! My name is Yuki! I'm a daughter of the Mornen family from Loregard!”
Yuki then gets back on her course. Gladio remains shocked.
“... Mornen.”
Once she is far enough from Orin's walls, the girl turns around and sighs.
“What took you so long?”
The demon’s sudden arrival make the girl scream and fall out of surprise.
“Please don’t do that!”
She waves her arms in a comical way.
“Haha~! You should have seen the look on your face little girl!”
Yume keeps on laughing, Yuki doesn't try to get up. Her mind is blasted with the story she heard about the demon hero. It’s anything but easy for her right now to face the guy standing beside her. Because the feeling of being unable to prevent other from dying it’s not beyond her.
“Shall we?”
Then she looks up. The man on the Wanted poster smiles at her in a pretentious yet gentle way as he offers her his hand to help her get up. The very same man that offered her his hand to help her reach her goal.
“Sure.”
The uneasiness is still in her heart. There will come a day when she will have the strength to confront him for his actions, but not today.
