Leaving the slave market, Filia and the others walked with a slightly awkward air to a less crowded area.

'I'll leave for a bit. Rona, stay by Filia's side.

　Saying that, Filia anxiously looks off the back of Aldis as she walks away by herself.

'Hey Rona. Aldis...... angry?

What makes you think that?

Because .......

　Filia's voice lowers as if she were in an embarrassing situation.

'Al is certainly strong, but he's not a god and he's not a king. It's a good idea to have a strong arm, and if everything is going to be the way you want it to be, we didn't have to leave the forest of Causus. Well, that's not the only reason, though.

　The strangely expressive golden-colored beast showed a bitter smile as it curved its mouth.

''Probably didn't want to get Filia involved. If it's just me and Al, it's a pain in the ass, but I can do whatever I want.''

...... my fault?

No. It's for Filia.

　I don't know how much difference there is between Filia's question and Rona's answer, but even so, Filia couldn't help but hug Rona as she felt something hard inside her unraveling.
　Rona's tail, which was swollen like a brush tip, swayed as if to stroke Filia's head.

''Well, since Al won't be back for a while anyway, let's go buy something tasty to eat at a stall around the corner.

Yes.

　Filia, who has regained her bright expression, replies cheerfully and stands up.
　At that moment, a faint shocking sound could be heard in Filia's ears.

''Hey, Rona.''

Yeah, I guess so.

　Rona seemed to understand just by calling out to her, and she twitched her ears to pick up the sounds around her.

'The alleyway over there. Fighting ...... No, I guess it's one-sided. Three people surround one of them ....... Surrounded by kids, I guess?

　Following Rona's gaze, Filia also explores the magic power.
　Although she can't explore a wide area like Aldis, nor can she discriminate with high accuracy like Nere, but Filia was also able to detect whether or not there was a creature with magical power there.

　At the end of the dimly lit alleyway, about twenty meters away, there are four magical powers.
　Apparently, the sounds were coming from there.

　The sound of a human body being beaten and kicked.
　If it was just a fight, let it go.
　But if what Rona was saying was true, then the child was surrounded by three humans.
　It's easy to imagine that he would have been assaulted in a one-sided manner.

Rona: "Rona ......

'Don't bother sticking your head in the sand. As Al said before, we can't save everything. "We can't save everything.

　Rona was right.
　Even that Aldis can save some people and some people can't.
　I'm sure the hubris of being helpless and trying to save someone else is a good place to start.

But still, Filia is struggling with this, and she hears a faint voice.

...... someone, ...... help me.

　Maybe it was an auditory hallucination.
　But to Filia, they were words of salvation that could never be dismissed.
　It was a longing they had said hundreds of times and cried out in their hearts tens of thousands of times in the past.
　Nightmares of the many times they had wished they hadn't met a boy named Aldis came to mind.

　At that moment, Filia was running out of the room.

'I'm sorry, Rona!

　With that said, I walked into the alleyway and immediately noticed the source of the sound.
　Three men of mediocre physique, who are not flattering and of mediocre build, are kicking around a small boy.

　The child is huddled on the ground and does as he is made to do without showing even a hint of resistance.
　I can't help but think of my former self, and Filia runs up to them, desperately stifling the fear that is resurrecting.

　She could tell by her senses that the concentration of magic power around her was sufficient.
　The men didn't even notice Filia approaching, and they were torture the boy with a prickly smile on their faces.

　Enemy number three. First, eliminate the coordination.
　Filia instantly confirms the situation and makes that decision, and uses the magic power floating around her to create a blade of wind.
　The invisible blades produced are three. They appeared on Filia's left and right sides and above her head.

''Wha, what's up with you!

　At that moment, the men noticed Filia running up to them.
　Filia immediately unleashes a blade of wind at the feet of the men, who are suddenly confused by the suddenness of the situation.

''Ouch!''

　Blood flowed from the legs of two of the three as the blade instantly caressed their feet.
　Beside the two cowering in pain, the last one, showing hostility, kicked at Filia.

You little brat!

　It's hard to tell if Filia's aim was off, or if her opponent avoided the invisible magic blade.
　But Filia immediately makes her next move.
　She creates a puddle of water to the area around the man's shaft leg and immediately freezes it.

''Whoa!''

　The man can't even stand his ground and slips and falls.

'Now while you're at it, quick!'

　Filia held out her hand as she called out to the boy.

　The boy looked at Filia's face with a look of disbelief at what had happened, but then he said, "I'm running away! I guess he understood the situation when he called out to me.
　He stood up, his face contorted in pain, and grabbed Filia's hand firmly.
　Pulling on that hand to keep it from being let go, Filia starts to run.

　But the boy's body, which had been assaulted by three adults, is in tatters, and is in no condition to run as fast as he can.
　He was desperately trying to move his legs, but his speed was no different than that of an adult walking in a hurry.

''Don't let him get away!''

　When the man who recovered from his fall reached out his hand, the rapidly compressed magic power began to gather at his feet.

''Oh, my foot!''

　At that moment, Filia saw the man's feet being enveloped by a block of ice.

'Hurry!'

　When he saw that the other man had stopped, he forcefully pulled the boy's hand and Filia escaped down the alleyway and continued to run further.
　After a number of alleys, she finally decided that she was safe and stopped.

'Ha, ha, ha ......'

　The sound of Filia and the boy's raspy breathing was the only sound in one of the quiet alleys.

'Are you okay?'

　Catching her breath, Filia approached the boy.

　He's still a young boy.
　His age is probably about six to eight years old.
　He seems to have been kicked all over his body and is covered in blue bruises, and his nose is bleeding.

　The clothes he was wearing were tattered and discolored with mud and grime to the point where I couldn't tell how long he hadn't washed them.
　A strange smell that passed for sweat irritated Filia's nostrils.

''Totally, why do you want to charge in all of a sudden?''

　Rona appeared at the same time as a dumbfounded voice.

'I'm sorry. And thanks for earlier.

　As they fled, Filia mouthed her apologies and thanks to the beast that had taken the place of a protector, who must have frozen the man's legs for the last time.

'I really didn't even mean to touch it. If it hadn't been for that, it would have been caught (or grabbed), and if Filia got hurt, what would Aldis say about it ......?

I didn't do as well as Aldis did: ......

　Rona sighs and gives a chase to the dejected Filia.

'Your aim is poor. If you were standing, you would have hit all three of them, but if you are running, you have to aim more precisely to use them in a real fight.

Yes. ......

'But well, it's good that you went for the leg and tried to break the linkage first. You took him by surprise, confused him, and then broke off the blow. It's not a good idea to confront him properly, so it's not the wrong way to think about it.

Really?

''But don't get carried away. Although it's good that the opponent was just a punk this time, you shouldn't think that childish tricks like that will work against an expert swordsman or sorcerer.

Yeah, I know.

　Shifting her gaze from Filia, who honestly accepted her advice, to the side, Rona changed the subject, "So.

What about the boy?

　Rona looked ahead to see a boy holding Filia's hand.
　The boy looked at the unseen talking beast and tried to hide behind Filia as he jumped up and down.

'It's okay. Rona may be a nag, but she's strong and gentle.

　Rona gives a frustrated look at Filia's words as she tries to reassure the boys.

'I wonder if she knows whose fault it is that she's nagging them.

Aren't you Aldis?

...... I don't deny that in and of itself, but it's not all Al's fault these days, either.

Really?

'Yes. Do you understand?　Somebody, somewhere.

　Filia, who tilted her head at Rona's deliberate tone of voice, replied somewhat off.

''All right. I'll make sure to tell Liana when I get back.''

Not really, though.

　He let his guard down at the laid-back atmosphere of his conversation with Filia and Rona's dexterous nodding, and the boy's hand relaxed from his grip.

'That said, what are you going to do with the boy after all?'

Um, .......

　Filia looks troubled by the question again that Rona utters.

'Would you like me to take you to your family?'

Well, it's a safe bet.

　With Rona's agreement, Filia bends down a bit and smiles at the boy.

'Hey, what's your name?'

...... Hal.

'Where is Hal's family?　We'll take you there.

　At Filia's words, the boy who called himself Hal's eyes began to water.

'It's okay. I'll make sure those scary people from earlier don't find you.'

　Filia thought she must have remembered the fear she had just experienced, but the next thing Hal said was something she hadn't expected.

'...... ta, scoff.'

'What?　What is it?

Help your sister, help your sister ....... Please, help my sister, please help my sister!