The Imperial Capital's main street was bustling as usual, filled with a constant stream of people and lively vendors shouting their wares.
The vibrant scene brought Shirou back to memories of the pleasure district in Yoshiwara. That too had been a thriving place—only, compared to Yoshiwara, the Empire's prosperity felt superficial, a thin veil covering countless injustices lurking in every dark alley.
Corruption wasn't just restricted to the Empire's ruling class—even commoners engaged in abuse, routinely preying on those weaker than themselves.
As Shirou walked down the busy street, he noticed several raggedly dressed individuals beating a frail-looking child in a nearby alley.
"What're you looking at?"
Noticing Shirou's gaze, one of the sturdier men stepped forward, glaring fiercely.
The others paused, turning their attention toward him as well.
Judging by Shirou's modest clothing and demeanor, he didn't appear to be a noble. Even if he were, most nobles would hardly care about such abuse—some might even applaud it, tossing coins to encourage the tormentors.
The beaten child turned his gaze toward Shirou. His eyes weren't pleading for help; instead, they silently begged Shirou to leave.
This scene abruptly reminded Shirou of an incident involving himself and Shinji back in middle school.
They'd once rescued a boy being harassed by a group of delinquents, but rather than being grateful, the victim had lashed out at them angrily.
If Shirou hadn't intervened, Shinji's temper would have surely led to a more violent outcome. Yet Shirou could never forget the boy's pale, terrified face—as if they'd pushed him deeper into despair rather than pulling him out.
Days later, Shirou had found that same boy nearly beaten to death beneath a bridge. Had Shirou not been passing by, he would've died. He'd never imagined those bullies would escalate their cruelty to outright murder.
When Shirou went to confront them, the injured boy had desperately grasped his hand, shaking his head pleadingly. Only then had Shirou realized that his earlier actions had been futile.
He and Shinji couldn't protect him around the clock. Unable to retaliate against them directly, the bullies had vented their anger mercilessly upon the boy instead. Before Shirou's intervention, the boy would've suffered nothing worse than a beating and loss of money. But now, because of their good intentions, he was severely injured—scarred for life.
Shirou's intervention hadn't resolved anything; it had only made things worse.
If I had completely subdued those delinquents, made them too afraid to harm others again, none of this would've happened.
Shirou clenched his fists tightly, a feeling of powerlessness gnawing at him once again.
Could he really punish those commoners before him? They themselves were victims of the Empire, merely passing their pain down the chain, becoming oppressors in turn.
Shirou wasn't from the Empire, and punishing them wouldn't be as simple as dealing with schoolyard bullies. His interference now might lead several innocent families to ruin.
He noticed the deep whip marks on their bodies—perhaps injuries from harsh labor or prior abuse. Who knew whether they were the sole breadwinners of their families?
Shirou couldn't stay in the Empire forever, nor could he realistically take this child with him. And even if he did, he had nowhere safe to keep him.
Right now, Shirou was barely surviving himself, let alone capable of protecting others. His attempt at kindness might simply hasten the child's demise.
In this twisted Empire, similar injustices occurred everywhere.
If Shirou truly wanted to help, he would have to change the Empire itself from top to bottom. Only by eradicating the root corruption could the people be genuinely saved.
The Empire was rotting down to its bones; the oppressed, rather than resisting, merely took comfort in oppressing those weaker than themselves.
Shirou felt both grief for this broken country and frustration at his own helplessness.
These people were merely distorted products of a sick nation.
...
"Welcome—Little Lubbock's Bookstore."
A languid voice suddenly caught Shirou's attention. In a nearby shop, a young man with messy green hair and a pair of goggles resembling a pilot's lounged lazily, greeting customers without enthusiasm.
Drawn by curiosity, Shirou stopped in his tracks.
He was in a foreign land, ignorant of the Empire's true nature. Rather than rely solely on Liver or his companions, Shirou preferred investigating the Empire's history personally.
Due to last night's incident, Liver had lifted daytime restrictions on Shirou, provided he still participated in Esdeath's missions at night.
Though Shirou disliked these nighttime assignments—suspecting Liver hid their true purpose—he knew a bookstore was the best place to uncover objective historical truths about the Empire.
At least books were likely more reliable than Liver's explanations.
With that thought, Shirou entered the bookstore.
"Hello! How can I help you today?"
Seeing Shirou step inside, the green-haired young man instantly perked up, donning a friendly, merchant-like expression.
"Excuse me, do you have any books on the Empire's history?" Shirou asked politely.
"Empire's history, huh? Right this way," the shopkeeper replied after a brief pause, turning to search the shelves. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No, I come from a place very far from the Empire," Shirou answered honestly.
"Then why would you come here? The Empire isn't exactly the nicest place," the young man casually remarked, still browsing the shelves.
"I guess…I was hoping to change something," Shirou admitted. "At least trying feels better than doing nothing at all."
Even if Shirou lacked the power to truly alter the Empire's course, he refused to stand idle and watch people suffer helplessly. Foreign land or not, Shirou was determined to do whatever he could for these oppressed people.
"Oh, here it is," the young man announced, pulling a thick, dusty volume from deep within a shelf. He blew the dust away, patted it clean, and placed it gently on the counter. "It's been ages since anyone asked for this book."
He studied Shirou curiously, intrigued by this strange, earnest red-haired foreigner.
"Even locals don't really care about Empire history. What made you so interested?"