Capítulo 50: Just because it shimmers, it ain’t gold
I followed Seel's instructions and moved past the weapon's shop. The shop was at the very edge of what I could only describe as the livable zone.
It was the downtown area alright. The fresh smell of human waste was the first thing I noticed. I wished I hadn't, but reality wasn't so nice. The houses in these parts were rundown and barely standing. People were in the streets, naked, hardly alive. I was glad I didn't come here yesterday. The weapons shop must have been at the better edge of the downtown.
Some guys looked like living skeletons: their skin was so tight that I could even count the bones. I wondered how they were still alive. Why were they alive? Was living really that fun?
The kid squeezed my neck a bit too tight. "You're making it hard for me to breathe."
"Sorry." He eased up. "It wasn't always like this you know."
"I didn't ask you know." The last thing I needed was his backstory. The more I'd know the more I'd feel bad. So I didn't want to know.
We arrived at a small hut. The area around was kind of clean. At least, better than the rest of the slum. I went inside the hut and saw two faces. One belonged to a girl who was younger than the kid and another which was an infant. The infant was in the girl's arms.
"Didn't you say you had only one sister?"
"He is a boy!" He pointed to the infant.
"Not what I meant but-"
"Who is he brother?" The girl spoke in a rather cute way. She couldn't yet pronounce words properly. She reminded a lot of my little sisters; they weren't so little anymore though. It put a smile on my face.
"He gave me food yesterday and saved me today." The boy proudly introduced me. He couldn't properly stand up on his feet but he still made a triumphant pose regardless.
The girl looked at me with shock and recovered almost immediately. "Please have a seat. I'll get something for you to eat." She sounded like a kid but acted like an adult. And then she realized how scarce food was for her family. But everything about her was cute as hell.
"I already ate, so it's okay." I reassured her. "Now that I'm here, why don't you tell me how this all happened?" I asked Seel.
I didn't want his backstory but at this point it was unavoidable. After all, I couldn't just leave like this and I couldn't ask for their food either. SO I had to change the subject somehow.
"I thought you didn't want to know." The boy tilted his head in confusion.
"And now I want to know. Spill the beans." My tone was more ordering than I intended.
"But we don't have any beans!" All of a sudden he started to panic.
"Oh!" I sighed. "Just tell me what happened."
The kid began to explain. His father was a soldier. His mother was a worker in an inn. Two years ago his father went on an expedition and didn't make it back. His mother worked as hard as she could. But after six months of their father's death, his mother became pregnant and couldn't work as much.
I could understand what sort of work his mother did and why she did it. It was to feed her children, so I didn't have the right to criticize or even feel sorry. She made her choice. She was free to do so.
"She worked less and less and eventually wasn't able to go to work anymore. We didn't have a house after that. We moved here and shortly after Herin was born. My mother died two weeks after that," Seel continued. He was on the verge of tears.
The newborn-Herin wasn't their real brother. Seel knew that: I could see in his eyes. I didn't know how he'd known at such a young age but he didn't seem to care. He had better things to worry about.
"And now you've taken over as the eldest son of the family." I wondered aloud. It was hard to imagine. I was the eldest son too and my father died at a young age. So I could sympathize with him. However unlike him I never had to go through much hardship. My mother took care of everything on that regard. Now that I think about it, you must have had it really tough, huh mom? I could finally understand why she'd just stay up late at night crying alone and act all strict.
"Yes."
"Tell me, isn't there any money reserved for the martyrs?" I didn't know much about the world, so I couldn't really say much either. But this much was supposed to be mandatory for a city.
"The kingdom was supposed to provide us ten silvers every month but they never really provided any. When mother went to the enforcement camp the first day, she didn't come back. The next day she came with some food but no money."
I guess corruption is everywhere. To think even the soldiers…. I sighed. "So what's your plan? You can't keep stealing forever, you know."
"I Know! I know that." For a kid who was an orphan and had siblings to look after, he didn't seem the least broken. He might have been stronger than me: strike that, he was definitely stronger than me. "I-I plan on taking jobs but no one hires me."
I thought for a moment. There was nothing I could do about it. I could just give him some money. But what difference would it make? He'd have to steal again, after the money was used up. I couldn't take him with me either. Dealing with one brat wasn't an issue, but dealing with three was more than a chore. They'd die faster than saying cheese.
I sighed, I didn't really have any means so console or help him.
"Don't worry… Brother. I will- I will work and- and I will surely make better living for my family." He hesitated to call me brother. But I felt at ease hearing him say that.
"I know you will kid. Why don't you let me hire you? Let's say if you do this job well, I'll give you one silver. I know it's not much but, let's say it's plenty for your first job. Right?" I wasn't thinking straight but that was the best I could come up with. And I had just the right plan.
He smiled while tears streamed down. "I'm finally going to do my first Job?"
His sister started crying too. Even the infant sensed the atmosphere and let out steam.
I felt awkward and tried to get some attention. "I need information on how I could get information about the information of being a summoned." The words flowed out of my mouth like a waterfall gushing with water.
"Wait what? Are you alright? Did using too much money on potions rid you of your senses?" Seel genuinely seemed concerned about me. It only made me feel more stupid.
I could have phrased myself better. Honestly even I couldn't understand what I told him. I had to rectify. "I just need information on where I can find the information about summoning. I mean summoning guys from another world."
"Oh yeah, like the legends. There's a small elf hut in the town square. You could start there. I'll lead you-" For a kid, he seemed to know his shit.
"I only wanted information. And now that you've given it to me, catch!" I threw a bag of one hundred coppers at his face. I'd kept three bags like that in case I needed a small change. He barely caught it.
"Bu-But!" Plus, he had something to say too.
"I don't want any butts from you. Use the money well and next time, don't get caught." Another Frenzy of cries went out. They bowed their heads and thanked me. It felt a bit too awkward but I didn't mind.
I walked out of the hut, looked back, and whispered, "Live well."
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