19 Chapter 19 : Truths And Lies ( Part 3)

Note from the author: I've chosen to switch the narrative to third person. I had a lot of trouble writing in the first person.

***

Algus' face was a picture of intense perplexity.

The leader of the bandits was dead. His lifeless corpse plummeted to the earth, accompanied by a thump. 

This was a fortunate thing for him. The man who intended to defile the honor of his fellow female classmate was dead, with a large hole in his filthy chest. So, why, then, did he have this picture of perplexity?

It was because he wasn't the one responsible for killing the bandit leader. The bandit leader was killed by a burbling swift jet of water that suddenly came and tore a hole in his chest as went straight through it.

There was just one thought on his mind: 'Who shot that magic?' as he looked at the deceased bandit leader's corpse.

"Boss!" He heard the blad bandit yell in terror as he watched his boss die and plummet to the ground, but he disregarded him as his mind and attention were occupied with something far more important.

Then an audible voice spoke, returning his mind and attention to the present moment. "Seriously, can someone explain to me what the hell is going on in this place?"

He knew that he had heard this voice before, but unfortunately forgot who's voice this was. He turned and looked, his eyes widen and open in surpised.

It was the Janitor, Narvi Oson, who was now at his feet, though slightly unsteady and with a bewildered and obnoxious grimace on his face.

"Why are you all starting me like that?" Narvi said to Algus, Elvis, And Luina, as they were just silently staring at him, though he knew exactly why they were staring at him, which is why he opted to break the silence.

"Was it you who shot the magic earlier?" Elvis inquired, his tone surprised and disbelieving. He had no idea the janitor was a practitioner of magic, much less a skilled one capable of killing the bandit leader with a single blow.

"I did, indeed..." Narvi spoke in a solemn yet audible tone. In his thoughts, he didn't want to answer any of their inquiries since he knew if he did, he'd get in trouble. He only wanted to know the answers to his own questions, not those of others.

He could easily make up lies on the fly to answer queries from others if he wanted, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't lie; lying was bad; one should only lie in the most severe of circumstances, and this was not one of them.

Even if there were such a server circumstance, it would be a futile endeavour, and why wouldn't it be? After all, people here could readily detect lies with magic.

However, perhaps some half-truths might suffice.

"This is impressive.." Luina remarked, placing her palm on her chin. She was highly amazed by Janitor's ability to do magic; after all, not everyone from the lower strata of society has access to magic. She was curious about how he gained access to magic and to what extent he could use it.

Internally, she was overjoyed since she was correct; this wasn't such a dull day after all.She had made up her mind that she would not return home today but would instead go to the Janitor's place to learn more about him.

Her father would not object, and why should he? He didn't like her at all; she was a burden to him that he was enduring because his late wife died giving birth to her.

She also figured she'd perhaps have to "persuade" the janitor if he refused to let her stay at his place. He owed her a lot; she gave him a ride home, or at least nearly halfway, so he needs to listen to what she says or what her wants are.

"Thank you for saving my life." Algus muttered as he gently stood up, wiping the dust from his clothes.

He looked at Jantior, who returned his gaze. Despite the fact that Jantior had saved his life, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling he had whenever he saw his face; he always felt that there was something wrong with this guy. There was something just weird about him.

"I know he saved my life, but my instincts told me to be cautious around him, just like before," he thought. "At first, I just shrugged it off, but now that I see he can do magic, perhaps it's best to increase my guard around him."

His instincts had been correct, unbeknownst to him. Narvi saved him because it was necessary—for this world, for the story to unfold, and, most importantly, for him.

Narvi wasn't a saint, and he didn't consider himself a decent man; he had changed a little, but he was still the same sadist, vile man who revelled in the screams and pains of others, a part of him that was now sleeping inside.

He would not have saved for Algus if it weren't for the fact that his life wasn't that crucial.

Narvi then stepped out of the carriage, examined his surroundings, and proceeded to approach steadily towards the bald bandit, who was crawling on the ground like an earthworm in an attempt to flee the incident.

Algus, Elvis, and Luina stood there silently, wondering what he was going to do.

He raised his hand and launched a ball of high-speed water into the bald bandit's back, causing a surge of excruciating anguish to run through his body. The flesh where the water ball struck likewise peeled off, exposing the inside of his back.

"I can't just let you go like that," Narvi said to the bandit. "I notice we're close to my house." He hoisted the bandit and grasped his neck, turning his face to ask his question and giving him a hollow look. "Tell me, have you seen a house that has tulip flowers near the entrance before coming here?"

He had to ask that question since he was concerned for his wife, who was alone in the house. The bandits were close to his house, and he needed to know if his wife was safe; it was more important than everything else he was thinking about right now.

"Yes...," the bandit said.

Narvi then let go of the bandit's neck and seized his face, asking, "What did you do to the woman who was inside the house?"

"Woman?" said the three Aeos Academy students. Who was this woman, and what kind of relationship did he have with her?

"We beat the fat woman and took whatever copper coins we could find in her house." The bald bandit answered that, unbeknownst to him, he uttered something he shouldn't have, and now his fate was determined.

Boom!

A head had exploded into fragments.