Weiss And Leopin (15)

Inside the barn, angry shouts, dull stomping sounds, and muffled screams echoed one after another.

“We hate young masters like you!” Thud! “Guh!”

“Take this! Growing up all pampered like that, die!” Bash! “Gah!”

“If you get hurt any more than this, you’ll spend the rest of your life in the hospital! Are you still fine with that!?” Wham! “Ugh!”

“Hurry up and give up, and get away from those brats! Otherwise you’ll die!” Thump! “Ugi!”

But no matter how much the bandits kicked him, the new teacher never let go of the children.

He wrapped them in his cloak as though they were precious treasures and did not let even a speck of dust touch them.

A few days ago, he had been stung by a swarm of bees, leaving his face covered in bandages.

Just when those wounds had finally begun to heal, he had been hit by the foot-pedal cart.

His dream appointment at the elementary school had been postponed, and his carriage had been wrecked.

And yet, and yet…

He was risking his life to protect the children who had caused it all.

From the unreasonable violence of wicked adults.

At first, the bandits had been kicking the new teacher as though it were entertainment.

They thought that after a few kicks, he would quickly cry out and hand over the children while sobbing.

However, even after they kept kicking him until they sobered up, the new teacher continued enduring the rain of kicks.

Like a father protecting his own children, even at the cost of his own life…!

At last, the bandits were drenched in sweat and began breathing hard.

“Hah, hah, hah…! What the hell is with this guy…!”

“Wh… why, why!? Why is he protecting those brats even after all this!?”

“Even if they’re his students, at this rate, he’s seriously going to die!”

“Wh… what is this man…!?”

A solemn atmosphere mixed into their rough breathing.

Suddenly, one of the bandits muttered.

“This guy’s amazing…”

“Yeah. If we’d had a teacher like this when we were kids…”

“If a teacher like this had taught us, maybe we wouldn’t have strayed from the right path…”

“M-maybe we should stop already…”

But then an angry shout cut in. “You idiots!”

The leader, who had been watching from the sidelines, came stomping over with his shoulders squared.

“If the young master doesn’t change his mind, he might rat us out to the guards! If that happens, we’ll be beheaded! You don’t want to die for a damn young master like this, do you!?”

The leader shoved his men aside and drew his leg far back, as though unleashing a full-force shot.

“In that case, we’ll just kill him! …Dieeeeeeeeeーーーーー!!!!”

…Thuuuuuuudーーーーーーーーーーーー!

The new teacher took the leader’s powerful kick and was blown away as though torn off them.

He slammed into the barn wall and collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

“Heh, we should’ve done this from the start. Now then, the brats…”

The leader looked at the fallen new teacher, then lowered his gaze to his feet.

But there was something unbelievable there.

Amazingly, only one boy was there…!

“Wh… whaaaaaaaatーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー!?!?”

Shock ran through the bandits.

“Th… the brat who said he was a Sage is gone!?”

“There were definitely two brats there! Where did he go!?”

“Don’t tell me he vanished…!?”

“That can’t be…! Ahh!?”

While the bandits were surprised, Leopin sprang to his feet.

When he got up, the rope wrapped around his body slipped loose and fell away.

Leopin slipped between the bandits and began running toward the outside of the barn.

“H-he slipped out of the rope!?”

“Impossible!? We should have tied him up tightly!”

“Idiot! That doesn’t matter! Catch him!”

After being shouted at by the leader, all the bandits panicked and started running.

The bandits, being adults, were faster on foot, and the distance between them and Leopin shrank rapidly.

Just as Leopin was about to be grabbed by the scruff of his neck, a voice came from behind him.

“Good work, Leopin!”

“Wh… who’s there!?”

The bandits stopped and turned around.

And they witnessed an even more shocking sight.

At the back of the barn was the foot-pedal cart the boys had ridden in on.

In its seat sat the girl, still with the burlap sack over her head.

And beside her…

“W… Weeeeeeeeissーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー!?!?”

Amazingly, Weiss, who had vanished without a trace, had somehow reclaimed the Saint.

He was sitting calmly on the foot-pedal cart…!

“Wh… why!? Why, why, why!? Whyyyyyyyyーーーーーーーーー!?!?”

The bandits screamed like mad, but only the leader remained calm.

“Th… there must be some trick to it! Catch him and make him talk!”

The bandits who had been chasing Leopin turned around and rushed straight toward Weiss.

Weiss, with plenty of composure, was wiping his glasses with a handkerchief he had taken from his pocket.

He spoke to the girl in the passenger seat.

“Monica-san, it may be frightening not being able to see what is around you, but could you endure it just a little longer? Something unbearable for a Saint with a beautiful heart like yours to see is coming this way.”

Then, like a hawk taking flight with majestic ease, he slowly began pedaling.

“But once we get out of here, you should enjoy a night-sky drive. With the person you love, that is…!”

Weiss’s foot-pedal cart accelerated all at once.

The bandits were startled by its momentum and instinctively jumped aside, opening the way.

With nothing blocking it, the foot-pedal cart cut straight through the barn and joined up with Leopin, who had reached the forest outside.

Leopin jumped onto the moving foot-pedal cart, but as though switching places with him, Weiss jumped off.

“Go, Leopin!”

“Weiss, what are you doing!?”

“Even if we escape here, they will chase us on horseback! That is why I will hold them back here!”

“That’s reckless!”

“If we are caught again, escaping will become impossible! That is why at least you must escape!”

“How could I leave you behind, Weiss!? Together, we can…!”

“Besides, at the harbor, there are Saints who will be shipped out tonight! If you hurry back to town now and inform the guards, they can be saved!”

“B-but what about you, Weiss…!”

“Before holding burning passion, remain calm…! Have you forgotten those words, Leopin!? No matter the situation, stay calm and take the action that will produce the greatest effect! The chance we gained together…!”

There, Weiss swallowed his words tightly.

While looking at the rag-like shadow visible deep inside the barn, he appealed at the top of his voice.

“The final chance that I, Leopin, and Teacher… the three of us held together…! Please don’t waste it, I beg you!”

Weiss looked as though he were pleading.

Leopin finally started running like the anchor who had received the final baton in a relay.

Even though they were in such a desperate situation, Weiss watched his back with a look of having done all he could… and with a gentle smile.

“Do it well, Leopin…!”