Vol. 6 Ch. 1 Ep. 12: Field Trip 2

Over there, Subaru. Look! In the tree...

*sob* My precious baby... My kitty... *sob*

Meow...

A kitten is stuck in the tree?

It must have climbed up there without realizing how hard it would be to get down.

Heh. I've only read about things like this happening.

How do we get it down...? I tried my best, but I couldn't do much.

...

I have an idea. Let's handle this Arius-style.

Excuse me! Please step back!

Nyaaaagh?!

Wh-Whaaat?!

Wh-What are you doing?!

Did she just...shoot at the kitten?

Hissssss!!

Ah... That made it jump down.

Got you. You're safe now.

Here, your kitty...

*sniffle*...

WAAAHHH!

Uh, um...?

What were you thinking?!

What would you have done if my cat got hurt?! Or worse?

I-I was just...

Creatures tend to freeze if they're afraid.

So I was just trying to shock it out of that...

What're they teaching kids at school these days?!

Huh? Look at that emblem! It can't be...

No, it is! They're Arius students?

They are?! Aren't they the ones who caused the Eden Treaty tragedy?

What are you delinquents doing in our neighborhood?!

...Ugh. This is why a child's upbringing is important.

It's not just their fault. Surely part of the problem lies with Kivotos...

We're called the Academy City, but look how the students' education has been neglected.

But other districts aren't nearly as terrible as them...

A NORMAL school would never let their kids run amuck like Arius does.

That's true. Explosions and gun fights may be par for the course, but some kids are just bad kids.

...

Come on, sweetie. You mustn't get too close to those people.

Why...?

Just be good and listen to Mommy, okay?

Okay...

U-Uhhh...

Aaaaaah...!

Maia?! What's wrong?!

You haven't been paid for five days?

So you mean to say you don't have any academic records at all?

Get lost. If you're not going to take the job, I don't even want to talk to the likes of you.

Get a hold of yourself!

S-Subaru...?

I just remembered something.

That day...happened just like this...

Do you mean?

Come on, Maia. Let's get up.

If we stay like this...

...

People are REALLY going to start to judge us.

Subaru, I...

Hey. You're safe right now.

It's okay. Everything's going to be fine.

...

Even I...almost got carried away.

I can't let that happen again. I have to be the one to look out for everyone.

Geez. That Sensei... I can't let my guard down around them.

Eh? What about Sensei?

Nothing. Don't worry about it.

Sensei...isn't a bad person.

Relatively, you could probably say they're one of the good ones.

But not every adult is like them. The world isn't all good either. That's for certain.

Subaru...? Are you sure you're okay?

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about me.

We managed to safely return the kitten to its owner.

That's what matters, right?

I-I think so?

Good. Let's head back.

We don't want to attract anymore attention.

Tea, tea!

Remember when we only had warm water to drink?

Thanks to Subaru, we've had things like "tea" now!

But it feels kind of different drinking it here!

Right? Like, everything is so busy around us, but we're just standing here, doing nothing and drinking tea...

This is amazing!

*sigh*

Wh-What?! No. It's nothing. I'm fine!

What a surprise. Hello, Sensei.

And who are all these people?

Hello, Sensei! And all the friends I haven't met!

Wh-What?!

Uh, h-hello...?

"What is the Vigilante Crew doing here?! And not studying?!"

W-We are studying! We're just...patrolling too!

Academic and public safety are equally important!

Huh...? I've already used that excuse?

You have, Reisa.

Oh! That's good to hear!

(...No part of that is good, though.)

Anyway, who are these people?

W-We're...

Well, um...

We're also Sensei's students.

Huh? Really? Us too!

...

So you're from Arius...right?

!!

...

"Arius"...?

Oh, right! I remember now! I heard about that!

Heeheehee! Come to think of it, even back then, that idol of the Vigilante Crew, this Uzawa Reisa...!

Yes, yes. Sure, exactly.

I tried to explain it to her as simply and fairly as possible. Did I do okay, Sensei?

Thank you.

(So that's how Trinity views what happened and Arius' involvement...)

(...People do tend to interpret things in a way that benefits them the most. Even so...)

(Heh...)

In any case, it's nice to see all of you enjoying yourselves here.

Huh? Isn't that, like, totally normal? Why's it nice?

...

Uhhh... I feel like I stepped on a weird landmine. I'm real sorry!

No. It's fine. It'd be hard to understand from the point of view of a Trinity student.

...

So this is the Vigilante Crew? I've heard that you do patrols around the district, without any pay or recognition.

That's right! We stand for justice everywhere!

R-Reisa...?

That's impressive.

Although, you must have a lot of free time.

Yep! Trinity, Arius, honestly, I don't really get all of that stuff!

We just do this because we want to!

...

So...we want to help you out too, in our own way!

What...?

How?

Like this!

Look at this one! These thugs dug traps in the road to collect tolls from passersby...

And this is the photo of me shoving them headfirst into their own pit!

Wooow... So that's what someone looks like after being dug out upside-down...

That's hilarious! Ahahaha!

And then, this photo...!

I'm glad they're all getting along.

Reisa can be a little...excessively energetic.

It's a relief that it seems to be benefitting everyone here.

...

...

Huh? You guys?

If Reisa or I did something to offend...

Uhm...

I understand that.

I just wish there was something I could do.

How's everyone doing? Did you have fun with Reisa?

Subaru, we...

It's just...kind of...

...

Hello! I'm Uzawa Reisa! Your name was...Subaru, right?

...

Yes, that's right. I never properly introduced myself. Nice to meet you, Reisa. And you as well, Suzumi.

I really am sorry if we did anything to upset you.

Not at all. Nothing like that.

If you really think about it, it's a little rude of us to even be here.

Huh? I don't think that all. I'm really happy I got to meet all of you!

...

Even if it's just words, that's nice to hear. Thank you.

It's similar to being told that if I just keep on living, everything will work out somehow.

I think so too! Because there's lots of love in the world, and peace!

...

Let me ask you something. Sure, there's love, and there's peace.

But what if there isn't? If things don't work out the way you think they will, what do you do?

E-Ehhh...?

"..."

Why bring up something that scary all of a sudden, you ask? Hmm... no reason?

You don't always need some special reason to bring something up, do you?

"Suzumi, why don't you answer this one?"

"Just from your point of view."

M-Me? Hmm...

Understood, Sensei. I'll do my best.

Well, it's not as if I think it's a given that everything will always be okay.

Things go wrong more often than not in life. That's just how it is.

But I think you have to believe anyway.

It's not a feeling, as much as a choice. A choice of the ideals we want to follow.

...Ideals, huh.

Yes.

Those ideals won't be fulfilled today, tomorrow, maybe ever.

However, if I can take at least one step a day towards achieving them, then that's enough for me.

Progress isn't an overnight endeavor. It's the culmination of all the little choices we make.

That's why we don't look to be paid for what we do. The justice we uphold is the compensation.

Exactly! That's it! That answer was so you, Suzumi!

Haha. I see. That was very helpful.

(What idealistic optimists, through and through. Most people see that as a good thing.)

(It makes it easy to ignore the fact that optimism is just the result of a good environment and circumstances.)

Um, Subaru...?

Yeah?

Ah... I see. Right.

Sensei. If you'll excuse us for a bit. You too, members of the Vigilante Crew.

I'm going to take a little stroll with these two.

What is it?

...Well, I can guess.

This has been hard, hasn't it?

...Yes?

I think after those "lessons," it feels even worse.

Hm? How come?

The ones who were all buddy-buddy with the Vigilante Crew, they're the same ones who have been trying really hard in class.

But for us...

We hate listening to those people talk.

It just...makes us so mad.

...Are we bad people, Subaru?

No. Not at all.

That's the most natural reaction in the world. At least, that's how I'd feel.

The world we've lived in... These Trinity kids couldn't even being to imagine.

Subaru...!

In the end, believing that everything will work out is easy.

Believing there's no sin in the world, that all its twisted parts will untangle somehow...is easy.

...From what I've seen, those easy beliefs are the ones that are the furthest from reality.

Have you heard? These days, they say the rich are kind.

They're nice, gentle, and mild-mannered, even.

It's because...the rich don't lack for anything.

Through their eyes, the world must be such a beautiful, peaceful place.

Ack...

But for us...

Exactly. That's their world. Our world is nothing like their soft bed of flowers.

Privileged children like them will never understand.

They can look at us and boo-hoo and pity us. At the end of the day, it just gives them a feeling of self-satisfied superiority.

If those brats saw the hell we've experienced...

...would they look away? Or stand by their "beliefs"?

And...

Just how long will they keep averting their eyes from their own complicity in creating that hell?

S-Subaru? Are you okay?

Your face...! You look...

Huh? What about my face?

N-Never mind... It's nothing...

...?

Anyways, it's about time, isn't it? I'll let Sensei know that we should head back.

Back home. Back to our Arius.

"Did everyone have fun on the field trip?"

Yes!

...Yes.

Welcome back, Sensei, everyone.

Your timing is impeccable. We have a...situation that may require your assistance.

"Huh...?"

U-Um. Sensei. Over there.

Go forth with faith and honor in your heart.

Medicine knows no borders.

...?

Good evening, Sensei. And...

...to all the rest, as well.

Aha. Hah... Hello, Sensei...

Hellooo! It's us, Sensei!

"How did you even know to come here?"

The sound of someone in need of aid called to us, so we marched towards it in accordance with our duty!