After asking many people, Bedell was sure that everyone knew about Allen and tried to hide it from him. He wondered why they had to hide Allen? And the answer made him even more dizzy.
"We were all trying to protect Allen from people like you," Vash said.
"Ha-hah? Just what do you think I am?"
"I don't know, but what is certain is that Allen is soone anyone might investigate; even before you, two people had co to ask about Allen. Our job as people around him is to protect Allen so that strange people don't attack or arrest him."
Still confused, Bedell continued asking, "Wh-what? Why are you guys protecting him? Are you kidding ? You're protecting that monster boy."
-SPLASH
Vash picked up the glass in front of him and sprayed it at Bedell.
"Huh?"
"Don't say that in front of Allen. He might forgive you, but I won't."
'W-what's going on? What's wrong with this kid? Why is he mad for Allen?
The problem is that he's a monster child, isn't he?
He's very strong.
He's also very cruel.
He's a cold-blooded kid, a murderer!
But why?
Why is this kid, no, why is everyone here trying to protect him?'
Vash drew the fire amnis then dried Bedell's wet face again.
"Huh, sorry, I got carried away. I can always restrain myself when dealing with anger, but I can't when it cos to Allen."
Bedell did not answer or respond to anything Vash said. Because he was currently very confused. It was like being hit by a fact that was completely different from what he believed. Bedell's mind raced with questions, his thoughts a swirl of puzzlent and intrigue.
"Hey uncle, do you have a grudge against Allen?" asked Vash.
"N-no. In fact, I should be grateful that he saved my life."
Vash scanned Bedell's entire face and movents. Then he took a cloth and wiped it on his face.
"I apologize for what I did just now. But you were the one who was at fault.
As my apology, I will take you to the tavern where Allen works. I'll leave the matter of you to the master of that place."
...
Bedell and Vash strolled side by side through the bustling city streets. Vash clutched a conspicuously large bag in his grasp, visibly struggling to maintain a firm hold on it. The bag's weight seed to bear down on his slender fra, causing a slight hunch in his posture and forcing him to take deliberate, asured steps. Observing Vash's effort to keep the bag aloft, Bedell couldn't help but feel a concern gnawing at him.
"Do you want to help you?" asked Bedell.
"Oh you want to help? Then go ahead. Carry it carefully, don't damage the contents."
Bedell lifted the bag, which turned out to be heavier than he expected—heavy enough that a child as small as Vash shouldn't be able to lift it.
'The contents of this pouch are... bowls and plates? And there are so many of them. What is he carrying this for?'
As if reading Bedell's mind, Vash said, "They're plates from the neighborhood rchants. I want to return those plates to the people first, and then we'll go to the tavern."
'I knew it, this kid must have brought along to help him! He planned this!' Bedell thought with annoyance.
First, they went to the fruit vendor, who turned out to be one of the people Bedell had asked earlier. A fat, grumpy lady.
"You again! I told you we don't know Allen!" the shop owner said when she saw Bedell.
"T-this ti I just-"
"Auntie, this guy probably isn't a bad guy. You don't have to worry about him," Vash said.
"Vash! What's the need to co here?"
"I wanted to return the bowl you gave us during the fruit donation. Thank you so much for your help; God bless you."
"Hahaha just consider it a gift from God. Everyone should be kind to others. Just like that boy did."
"That boy?" asked Bedell...
Vash nodded as the aunt glanced at him.
"He's suspicious, but he's not a bad person," Vash said about Bedell.
The aunt sighed. "Well, if Vash says so, I'll believe it." She then looked at Bedell and said, "I'm sorry for lying to you. I was worried that the boy would get into serious trouble. We just want him to live peacefully here."
"That boy... Are you talking about Allen?!"
"Yes... our family already owes that boy a lot, no, I'm sure most people in this town owe him a lot."
'How the heck. This aunt used to look like a grumpy woman, but now her treatnt has suddenly changed? Or maybe she was like this from the start, and her behavior changed just because I asked her about Allen?! I-that's absurd!'
The aunt went on to say, "Two years ago, our son fell gravely ill with what appeared to be an insidious and perilous plague. With countless others losing faith in his recovery, our own hearts grew weary and began to relinquish hope, However, Allen ca before us just as despair threatened to consu us. He was the only one who refused to give up; he was a ray of light that gave us hope that our son would recover.
We were asked to bathe our child in hot water while he was away. Then a week later, he ca with an expert priest from the next town and saved our child."
The aunt told the story through tears, as if rembering the most touching incident in her life. They then left, making Bedell's head almost explode from the day's confusion.
"T-that's impossible! Allen couldn't have done sothing like that! I think I've got the wrong person!"
"What about the Allen you used to know?" asked Vash.
"He was a scary kid; he had this horrible stare like he wanted to kill anyone in front of him, and then he had a bad temper, and didn't care about his surroundings. Anyway! He's not soone who would help others!"
"I don't know what Allen was dealing with before he ca to this town either. But you can confirm whether he's the Allen you know or not when you et him later."
Bedell and Vash continued their journey to other shops to return the plates. And every ti he stopped at those shops, he always saw their friendly and happy faces when Bedell asked them about Allen. It was very different from the first ti he asked.
After hearing the heroic stories told by everyone, Bedell was convinced that the Allen he was going to et would be a different person. But, because of that story, he beca even more curious about the Allen that people were talking about. What kind of person was he? How could that boy make people tell stories with such joy at the ntion of his na?
"Hey, Allen, that you know, was he also killing people too?" asked Vash.
"He kills his enemies brutally. Even though it's a one-ti attack, sotis the way he kills them looks more like he wants to get it over with."
"I see, no wonder Allen is so tornted."
"Wait a minute, don't tell this Allen is also a killer?"
"WAS. And yes, that's right."
"Liar! How can a murderer make others faces like that?!"
"Not only that, so of the people we t earlier, even their families, were killed by Allen."
"Wait, what?"
"the fruit vendor Auntie, her cousin, was killed by Allen; then the at vendor, her husband, was killed by Allen. The gatekeeper's brother was also killed by Allen.
Of the many people we t, five of them knew that Allen had killed their families. Even so, they don't hate Allen. They forgave everything he did and even went so far as to respect Allen and love him like their own family."
"That's a rather improbable story."
"I thought so too at first. Before saving those people, I told him what he would do was impossible. There is no way a person whose family he killed will forgive him. But Allen wanted to atone for the sins he had committed. He said that even though they wouldn't forgive him, he still wanted to help everyone. He never gave up and didn't want such deep hatred to spread among everyone.
Indeed, so of them tried to kill Allen when they found out the truth. But Allen already had a lot of support. What he did to everyone was so big that we couldn't hate him anymore.
Then... The turning point of everything was last year. When the plague hit the city."
"A plague that was spread by rats?"
"Yes. That was when Allen heroically helped everyone in the city. And that's when no one cared about Allen's past anymore."
The ntion of a plague that had been spreading through the town, carried by rats, triggered Vash's recollection of Allen's unwavering determination to help everyone affected. At that mont, Vash could vividly rember how Allen's actions had caused a shift in the mindset of the townspeople.
Vash turned around, looking at Bedell with teary eyes and a smile on his face.
Vash extended his arms in a grand gesture, "Right now," Vash exclaid passionately, "Almost everyone in this town stands firmly by Allen's side!"
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