‘But…’
Bati gets real when it comes to Gaspar.
It’s tragic, but people assign deep meaning to those who accepted them in childhood.
Bati is no different.
Even after breaking free from him, he’s still been swayed by his presence.
Bati’s a hero—cool-headed and logical, far more than I am.
He has stronger mental fortitude too.
And yet, the fact that he was so shaken by my brief encounters with Gaspar—enough to break things off between us—tells you how deeply he’s still affected.
If I say we should leave Gaspar to rot and not help him, what would Bati say?
Even if it’s me saying it, would he resent it?
Just the thought of being hated by Bati terrifies me.
This “unnatural mental strength” I supposedly have is no help at all right now.
“Please, just hide me. Just this once…”
Gaspar begged.
“I don’t want to die like this… please, Bati…! I swear I won’t be a burden again. Just this once—for old times’ sake…!”
His voice trembled with desperation as he crawled up to Bati, face soaked in blood and sweat, and clung to his leg.
People around us murmured in alarm at the sight.
More and more eyes turned our way.
Even though I know he’s a complete piece of garbage, the mood was shifting to make us look like the bad guys if we didn’t help him.
‘…No.’
Get a grip.
Are you really going to let Bati get sucked into that mess again?
Let him get hurt and suffer all over again?
No. Never.
I closed my eyes tight, then opened them again.
I raised my head and met Bati’s gaze.
“Let’s take him.”
Bati spoke, looking at me.
That was the answer I’d been afraid of—and yet, the moment our eyes met, all my fear vanished.
There was no turmoil in his gray eyes.
They were calm and dry, just as always.
His gaze held no emotion—indistinguishable from how he might look at a stranger on the street or at his old teacher.
“Where to?” I asked.
This wasn’t for Gaspar’s sake.
I was certain of that.
“Anywhere. Somewhere others won’t get in the way.”
Bati gestured.
From the direction he pointed, I could sense multiple people approaching.
So that’s why Gaspar had been running like hell on a busted leg.
Whoever they were, they wouldn’t give us time to decide what to do with him.
“Alright!”
I grinned and slung Gaspar over my shoulder.
Like a sack of flour, I carried him toward the Zeppelin mansion where we were currently staying.
We had planned to stay at an inn, but Dieter had pleaded for us to stay at his family’s mansion while we were in the capital as a way to repay us.
Funny how I ended up bringing trash into his home.
Still, whatever bastards were chasing Gaspar, they wouldn’t dare follow us into the Zeppelin estate.
The servants of the mansion, under strict orders not to trouble the benefactor, paid no attention to whether we brought in an injured man or not.
All they did was bow politely when they saw us entering the room, as if saying, ‘Welcome back.’
“Ugh, Bati… Thank you, really. I knew I could count on you.”
Once we were safely inside, Gaspar started rambling, probably thinking things were going his way.
I’m the one who brought him here—how ungrateful.
I dropped him to the floor like a sack of trash.
His abused body hit the ground with a sickening crack, but I didn’t care.
If it weren’t for Bati, I’d never have brought this kind of garbage here in the first place.
“Aagh! Guh, khh…”
He curled up, trembling.
Some adventurer—he can’t even land without collapsing.
Makes me wonder what kind of hell he went through after being captured.
Not that I care.
“So, what do you want to do now?”
He must’ve had a reason for bringing Gaspar here instead of handing him over to someone else.
Something that required no interference.
“What do you mean, what?”
Bati answered flatly.
“That’s for you to decide.”
“Me?”
“You said last time that if something like this ever happened again, you’d handle it.”
Unbelievable.
So that’s why he didn’t give Gaspar to someone else—because I said I’d deal with him?
Bati has no lingering feelings for Gaspar anymore, and he still brought him to me so I could decide what to do?
My chest tightened.
“…Are you okay?”
I remembered the burning fury in Bati’s eyes the day Gaspar showed up and framed him.
The way he glared at Gaspar like a betrayed disciple.
I’m sure his feelings have changed since then, but…
“Of course.”
His voice was crisp and final.
Ah. I’m so glad.
I was glad Bati had completely severed his emotions toward that trash—and even more so that he trusted me enough to leave this decision in my hands.
It made me feel guilty for ever doubting him.
Bati always trusts me… and yet I worried.
But none of that mattered now. I had a job to do—one Bati entrusted to me.
I smiled brightly.
“What should I do with you? Killing you right away sounds too easy, and boring. So maybe…”
“W-Wait! That, uh—cough, cough! Kkh, ggh… What are you—”
Gaspar, finally grasping the situation, struggled to sit up and started coughing violently.
He looked up at Bati with trembling eyes.
Pathetic, for an adventurer who can’t even steady himself off the floor.
“Bati…! Ngh!”
When Gaspar tried to grab Bati’s leg, I kicked him away.
His broken body flopped to the side.
“Who said you could touch him?”
But what seemed to shake him more than my words was the fact that Bati stood by, unmoved.
Gaspar hadn’t looked at me once since earlier—his gaze was fixed on Bati.
Even though he was the one who treated Bati like garbage, he clearly thought he still had some kind of pull.
Yet Bati hadn’t spared him even a glance.
He looked only at me.
“B-Bati. This isn’t real, right? You’re kidding… right?”
Gaspar scrambled to his feet, panicking, ignoring his condition.
His knee buckled under him and he collapsed again.
What a mess.
Even now, he’s still calling him Bati.
What does he think is going to happen?
“W-What happened last time, I—I was wrong! I got caught up in the sweet talk of those nobles… I must’ve been out of my mind! It was the debt, I swear…”
Enough.
He was getting on my nerves.
I figured I’d knock him out and think later. I took a step toward him—or I tried to.
But Bati stopped me with an arm.
Why?
It annoyed me to see a flicker of hope return to Gaspar’s face. Still, I stayed put, because Bati said so.
“Is talking the only thing you understand?”
Finally, Bati turned his gaze to Gaspar.
His eyes were empty—like he was looking at a pebble on the roadside.
I realized then that the way Bati looked at me the first time we met after returning from the past was at least with some recognition of my humanity.
“You mean nothing to me now.”
Gaspar’s hand trembled.
I felt a bit bad for making Bati say it out loud, but also—yeah, that was satisfying.
“B-But I’m your master…! You became an adventurer because I trained you… I just made one mistake—things were hard back then… I love you. I really do…”
A pitiful voice.
Tears streaming down his cheeks.
To someone who didn’t know better, it might’ve looked moving.
But Bati didn’t even blink.
Maybe this wasn’t the first time he’d seen such a scene.
“There was a time I wanted to believe you were sincere.”
His voice lowered.
I could guess what he might be remembering, and it made my chest ache.
“I—I was always sincere! You’re my only disciple… I love you! I really did care for you!”
“Love?”
Bati gave a bitter laugh.
“Even if that’s true, I don’t need your shallow excuse for love anymore.”
Then suddenly, Bati wrapped an arm around my waist.
He pulled me into his arms in one swift motion.
I was stunned.
