Chapitre 1: Beggar
Éditeur: EndlessFantasy Translation
Arc 1: Return of the Blood
"That is why Baudrillard considers 'things' and 'requirements' as false symbols. He criticized Marx's labor theory of value1, believing he had fallen into the trap of capitalism and political economy. He then even proposed his own idea of political economy." Wu Qiren finished his presentation. He opened up his last slide and nodded his thanks to the teacher and his classmates. Upon the teacher's signal, he left the podium and awaited the next classmate's presentation.
"Thales!"
The next moment, former postgraduate student Wu Qiren woke up from his dream.
He was curled up, lying in a cold hollowed-out hole in the wall. He could feel the cold wind blowing from the gaps.
Wu Qiren sighed. It had been five years but he still dreamt of his past life. His previous life was boring but it was definitely better than his current miserable situation.
"Thales! Thales!" A large hand stretched into the hole in the wall and grabbed Wu Qiren's ear before roughly pulling him out from that small and damaged place.
It was a dilapidated house. The bright stars in the night could be seen in the sky through the half-collapsed rooftop but the positions of the stars looked unfamiliar.
Wu Qiren could not hold out against that rough hand as he was only seven years old.
He was dragged on the rough brick floor. His knees hurt from the friction against the floor but he did not make a single noise. This was because the cruel Quide was especially intolerant with the wailing of children. It was said that he once broke the legs of a six-year- old girl who had cried for food.
"I've already asked Rick. The money you collected was five coppers less than last week! You've stashed some away!" Quide was angry and looked as red as the mane of a lion. His protruding nose made him look even more ferocious.
Wu Qiren was flung to the ground. His gray eyes looked at the holes in the walls. The five beggars living with him in the same house, ranging between age four to ten, all shuddered at Quide's roar.
At the innermost hole was the smallest girl. The short-haired girl bit hard on her left hand, her face turning red. She looked at Wu Qiren who was on the floor in fear. At the hole beside her was Ned, a six-year-old boy who screamed with fright.
The girl was Coria. Wu Qiren understood the reason she was afraid.
In fact, Wu Qiren's luck that week was good. He, currently known as the beggar Thales, had obtained thirty-seven coppers this week. It was eighteen coppers more than the previous week.
However, he only surrendered fourteen coppers to Quide, the head of the beggar trade in a Black Street Brotherhood. The rest of the money, along with two years of coppers that he had saved, was delivered to Grove Pharmacy. With the help of the kind-hearted worker Yanni, he bought a course of medicine for typhoid fever.
Thales fed the medicine to the four-year-old Coria. Having typhoid fever at her age would be fatal without any medicine.
Over the last five years, Thales relived his past memories from the age of two to his current age of seven. From an ignorant child, he began recalling his past life bit by bit. The memories appeared fragmented and disordered. Even then, during these five years, he began to gain more and more awareness as compared to the initial fuzzy stage. He had a profound feeling when he saw others meet their end.
There were those who died from illness, those who fell to their deaths, those who drowned, those who were hanged, and those who were beaten to death (Thales even saw a crying beggar suffocated to death by a supernatural power from ten meters away once). The human trafficking business of the Black Street Brotherhood had no bottom line or principles. Even if they were gangsters, they needed time to hammer out rules and order. It had only been ten years since they started and expanded.
Additionally, the Blood Bottle Gang, also known as the 'nobles of the gangsters', in its ninety years history, had blood debts with its enemy.
Most of the time when witnessing these deaths, Thales felt helpless. Even he himself avoided a fatal end more than once by relying on scattered memories of his previous life.
Just like his current situation.
Quide was itching for a fight and was in high spirits. The look in his eyes was so characteristic of sadistic gangsters: vicious, cruel and sadistic.
"I did not stash any money! It is almost winter. Fewer people are passing by these three districts..." Thales got up from the ground as he quickly thought of and gave an excuse.
*Slap*
What greeted him was a ruthless slap in the face. Thales fell back to the ground.
"Hand over the money before I beat you up! Or I could beat you up first until you hand over the money! Take your pick!"
Obviously, Quide did not want to hear his excuse. The leader of the Brotherhood probably just wanted to extort for some beer money from them. Another possibility was that he simply wanted to beat somebody up.
"You can also be stubborn. I love stubborn children the most," Quide grinned hideously as he started rubbing his fists.
Looking at the large fists in front of him, Thales knew that Quide would not let him go even if he did not say anything.
Quide had tortured a beggar from the fifth room to death the previous month.
Thales held his red and swollen face as he quickly thought to himself.
Normally, Quide did not care about the accounts. When night fell, he would proceed to the subway's Sunset Pub to hang around or drink. He would not know how many Midier coppers was one Mindis silver, let alone how much the beggars under his care had turned in. This was all done by his deputy, the steady and dependable Rick. Even the shrewd Rick knew that the beggars earned about eight coppers per person every week.
Somebody had told on them.
That was the only possibility.
Thales looked around at the group of beggars. After getting his money from a rich female noble, he had returned directly to the Abandoned Houses2. The beggars in the house must have seen this. In such a grim environment, a child's heart could become even more terrifying than what an adult could imagine.
Quide started to kick again. Thales secretly protected his abdomen with his elbow. He used some of his strength and pretended to be in unbearable pain from the kick. He could not make any sound as Quide loved the screams of children.
"I will speak!" Thales said with a fearful expression. "Don't hit me!"
"That depends on my mood!" Quide looked around and saw the other five beggars cowering in fear. This made him feel satisfied as his authority was respected.
"Wednesday morning, I met a noblewoman. She gave me ten coppers." Thales spoke as he trembled and hid in a corner.
"I knew it! Begging? It was stolen right? Nobody can hide the truth from me, especially a little thief like you!" Quide rubbed his palms viciously as he prepared for the next round of beatings. "Take out the money!"
Without even waiting for Quide to raise his eyebrows, Thales then added. "But I went to Red Street Market!"
"Red Street Market?" Quide lowered his raised hand a little. "You went to the Blood Bottle Gang's territory?"
"Yes. We cannot earn much money in our place anymore." Other than those in the Brotherhood, the brilliant and brave, and those with a specific purpose, there is none that would enter the three districts near the shady street without being cautious. Even the guards from the city defense team with swords and shields were unwilling to enter such a place full of crime."
"I got so much money the first day but the Blood Bottle Gang did not appear. I thought there would be an opportunity the next day."
"Idiot!" Quide fiercely kicked Thales. Thales saw Coria tremble at a distance. He then heard Quide shouted, "Think about it. How could the Blood Bottle's territory be such an easy pick?"
Thales recoiled back and really trembled. "Yes. The next afternoon, the Blood Bottle Gang caught me and hung me up. I said I was lost but they did not believe me. I gave them all my money and they still did not let me go."
"You good for nothing! How did you escape?" Quide spat ruthlessly.
"After that, I said I was Boss Quide's subordinate and they laughed loudly."
"What?" Quide clenched his fist and grabbed Thales' worn-out burlap collar. He raised Thales from the corner of a wall and asked, "What were they laughing at?"
Thales shook his head and replied, "I did not understand what they said."
Quide fiercely looked at him. "Speak quickly!"
Thales showed a terrified expression. He trembled and said, "Amongst them was a bald person. He said to 'spare the child since the child belongs to Quide and that Quide really needs children..."
Before Thales could finish, Quide had flung him against a wall.
He tried his best to protect his head and chest. He used the back of his body to endure the impact from the wall. He then immediately turned his back to Quide and withstood the blows of fury. After taking the blows for a moment, he tilted his back a little to cushion the intensity of the blows.
"Son of a… this bald... Sven... How did he know... I will kill you... Useless... Idiot!"
Mad with rage, Quide yelled repeatedly as he continued kicking Thales, but only a few words were discernible.
The children in the other holes in the wall were horrified to see Thales beaten up. However, they tightly covered their mouths and dared not say anything.
Thales kept enduring Quide's enraged kicks that vented his anger.
At the very least, now Quide would not ask where the extra money went. Besides that, although he was terrifying, an enraged Quide was much safer than a Quide who was gleefully torturing some kids.
Thales' words were half-truths. Thales did go to the Red Street Market but he hid at the dark corners of the alleys and watched his surroundings carefully. He did encounter a noblewoman who wore clothes of goose feathers. By her side were twenty Swordsmen of Eradication. This was when he came out to beg. It was the reason the Blood Bottle Gang did not interrupt him. Thales also obtained twelve coppers from the noble. (He was not stupid enough to steal it in front of twenty Swordsmen of Eradication.) Thales did not wait for the noble to leave, he disappeared into the crowd, never returning.
As for the bald Sven, Thales had never actually met him before. He only knew that the man was the head debt collector of the Blood Bottle Gang. Quide himself was once a thug for the Brotherhood. That was until Quide provoked the wrong person and had a lower part of his body broken. This information was a secret. Thales found out about this at the Brotherhood's large house when he overheard the Assassins, Layork and Felicia, secretly laugh at Quide.
Once Quide finished venting and cursing the bald Sven, he took out a bottle of wine and left grumbling. The back of Thales' clothes had been torn. His back looked bluish purple. Because Thales avoided getting hit directly and had turned sideways, some parts of his body bled from being scratched. The pain came, throbbing in waves.
Blood flowed to the ground. Thales could feel a burning pain. Perhaps because he had not been beaten in a very long time, his muscles felt as though they were burning.
Ever since transmigrating into this world; getting beaten up, becoming hungry, falling sick and feeling cold were all common experiences. However, ever since Thales gradually recovered his memories as Wu Qiren, by staying cautious and also relying on his previous experience, he had not been viciously beaten like this for a long time.
When Quide's voice faded away, the other five children crawled out from their holes. They proficiently carried the weak Thales to the yard. The ten-year-old 'Big Boy' Sinti scooped out water from a jar with a worn-out bowl. The crippled Ryan and the black-faced Kellet were both eight years old. They struggled to gather dead branches and weeds. They then start a fire with flints. The six-year-old yellow-haired Ned and the youngest Coria gathered a few strange leaves. They chewed the leaves and then rubbed it on Thales' badly-bruised back.
Thales endured the pain as he tried to find a way to distract himself. He turned to see a crying Coria and a dejected Ned. He then tried to speak in a calm tone.
"It is alright. Ned, I do not blame you."
Ned suddenly raised his head and looked alarmed. The other four children gazed at him.
"How did you know?" Ned could not help but feel guilty and horrified.
When Thales was being beaten up by Quide, the three older children, though afraid, were gazing at the sight unwaveringly. The remaining two were Coria and Ned. One covered her face and did not dare to raise her head. The other looked at the wall and occasionally glanced in horror.
Coria's typhoid medicine was the sole purpose of those coppers. Coria would definitely not divulge that. Thales was not sure if it was Ned but now there was no doubt.
He tried to squeeze out a smile. "It is alright. Quide will not pursue this matter anymore."
"I… I…" Ned blushed in shame. He looked at Thales' back as his tears ran down. "I did not manage to obtain any money this week. I also did not dare to go and steal." He sobbed, "Rick did not say anything but Quide was very unhappy. He said if this continued, he would sell me to the desert where the Barren Bone people will eat me. I was so scared that I told him that you came back with a lot of coppers on one of the days… I thought that this way they would not… Quide then sent me back and said that he would come tonight."
Coria's face turned red too. The herbal medicine in her hands trembled and a few drops of blood dripped down to the floor from Thales' back. Thales moaned in silence. The diminishing burning sensation of pain was once again aggravated by Coria's actions.
Ryan glared angrily at Ned, causing Ned to lower his head even more. Kellet looked at Ned with a surprised expression and then looked at Thales. Only Sinti remained silent and continued to bring the water over.
This kid was only six.
Thales thought to himself.
This child was so innocent. Faced with Quide he was terrified and, in the commotion, he had uttered the wrong words.
"It is alright, Ned, Coria." Thales felt his injury getting better. He gently held Ned's hand. "But, you have seen it too, what Quide is capable of..."
Ned sobbed a little in terror.
Thales looked at him solemnly and said, "Next time, if you all cannot find enough money, just tell me. I will think of a way."
"When compared to Quide, only we are in the same group."
Ned cried uncontrollably. His words were interrupted by his sobbing. "Th-Thales. S-So-Sorry."
Thales silently watched Ned crying non-stop.
Finally, he turned his head around and inhaled lightly.
"It is alright now, Ned." Thales sighed and took the bowl of water from Sinti for a sip. "Don't worry. I will find a way."
Even then…
He looked at the other five children. Even the recovering Coria still looked terrified.
Tomorrow I must find a way to get more money. He thought to himself.
…
At the Sunset Temple of the Eternal Star City, after the prayers at sunset, a trainee priest who was cleaning the altar stopped her movements. She looked in surprise at the lamp containing Eternal Oil.
Ever since she started taking care of the altar she had never seen this lamp being used. It was a lamp that had never gained attention. That lamp suddenly lit up with a bright yellow flame.
The flames suddenly turned vigorous and red like the color of blood.
An elder priest noticed the trainee's unusual demeanor. She shouted resentfully and chided the trainee before shifting her attention to the altar. But when she noticed the unusually lit lamp, she screamed.
"Niah! Quick! Inform the ritual master!"
The elder's surprise could not be concealed. She trembled and scurried over to that lamp, raised her right palm and then her left palm, as she prepared to pray.
What is going on? This was the first time the trainee Niah saw the respected priest lose her composure. It was to the extent that she herself was influenced.
Did I make a mistake? But I did not touch the lamp.
"But. But what do I tell the ritual master? Someone secretly came by and lit up the lamp by the altar?" Niah asked feeling flustered.
"No."
The elder kept staring at the lamp. Her praying hands continued changing their positions.
"This light, even if you search across the two continents of Errol and its countless islands, there is only one person who can light it up."
"That person would determine the future of this kingdom!"
Translator's Notes:
1. A theory of value usually associated with Marxian economics. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_theory_of_value
2. Abandoned Houses: The name of a group of abandoned houses in the Lower City District.
Chapitre 2: Nervous Rick
Éditeur: EndlessFantasy Translation
"How did he end up like this from drinking?"
In the slums of the Lower City Second District, Quide's deputy, Nayer Rick, looked at the wine bottle in front of him with disgust. Quide was so drunk that he was like a heap of mud. Rick waved his hand and had two members of the Brotherhood carry the man down.
"Lock him in a room for a day. Release him when he is sober."
For him to drink to this state would mean that he could not do much to the child. Rick gave a mysterious smile.
Nayer Rick was a person who preferred others to address him by his surname. Quide fell in ranking from the thugs' chief to the beggars' chief after some setback. In comparison to the sluggish Quide, Rick was an ambitious and capable member of the Brotherhood.
He once studied at an accounting academy at Shocker City, south of the kingdom. If it was not because his scribe father had made a mistake, Rick could be working in the department of a city or even as a treasurer of certain households. He could also go even further and become a merchant of an industry. After some time, he would buy a title and join the upper ranks of the Constellation. Three hundred years ago, a clan with the sunflower symbol, Seucader, had risen just like this and was now a prominent noble clan in the kingdom.
But even though he fell from grace and joined a gang and thus was forever severed from the path of a noble, Rick also believed that his words would have more sway compared to his colleagues whose heads were only filled with muscle and women.
When the Brotherhood expanded to the southern coasts of the kingdom, Rick who happened to pass by was recruited. He utilized his talents and successfully sold a few slaves. The higher ranked members of the Brotherhood took notice of him and promoted him. They then dispatched him to Eternal Star City, the capital of the kingdom, the heart of Constellation and the bright pearl of the western part of the continent. They allowed him to manage the Brotherhood and the accounts of the beggars.
Rick knew that although he had been sent as Quide's deputy and accountant, the beggar's business had already been entrusted to him by the Brotherhood. He looked at his 'boss' Quide who was once a well-known thug in the Third Street for being skilled at using swords and axes. Quide had now become trash that sought dignity from beggars. If Quide was not the son of a high-ranked member of the Brotherhood, he would have long been drowned and left to rot. On top of that, most of the beggar's losses were caused by Quide.
Naturally and fortunately, Quide's father had given Rick a lot of bribe money every month. This was how Rick could still profit.
With such a son, Quide's father would have immediately loss influence and power were he not an arms-dealing Powerhouse1.
What would the outcome of an underworld bigshot that lost his influence be?
Rick shook his head and watched Quide leave.
The beggar's business appeared petty and lowly, especially when compared to smuggling weapons and drugs, the trade of Eternal Oil and Crystal Drop Ores, as well as debt collection.
However, Rick believed that this was his opportunity.
The Brotherhood had grown quickly but human trafficking had always been its major source of profits. They dealt with everything including infants, elderly, humans, elves and even intelligent beings from the Magic Empress' territory. However, the most crucial thing was the origins of the Brotherhood's member. Among them, 'Widow Blackheart' Behrs was responsible for gathering and raising them. She would also sell some of them. The older ones would be sent to Rick to be tempered into beggars. When they grew up, the teenagers would be trained as thugs by 'Ironsheet' Locke and prostitutes by Felicia 'the Unfaithful'. They may also go to the other leaders and be disciplined into becoming members of the Brotherhood.
This was why Rick who ran the beggar business thought he was working at the foundation of the Brotherhood's business and the future of the Brotherhood's transportation lifeline. It was also an information network in the capital. Thinking about it, he could identify all the promising and young future prospects for the Brotherhood. He can then obtain favors for the future.
This went to show that Nayer Rick was an ambitious person.
Besides that, Rick was very excited when he thought of something. This was Eternal Star City! It was the capital of Constellation, the second largest kingdom on the western part of the continent. It was also the birthplace of the Black Street Brotherhood. They can surely see that working here was like being a representative for the bigshots. This also meant that there would be opportunities for promotion.
Naturally, the chances for there to be a bad accident was also quite high.
'I am lucky.' Rick clasped his hands behind his back as he looked at the drunk Quide from afar with his eyebrows raised. 'I am lucky that this guy is a walking disaster.'
Under the moonlight, Rick turned and looked at the dozen or so abandoned houses. He knew that there were many beggars in each one. These seedlings were important chips for his future advancement.
One example was the black-haired Thales from the sixth house. Two years ago, the caretaker Behrs sent him here. She had displayed a different attitude towards that child.
The child who was eight years old at most was clever and crafty. He managed to act out a play and begged for money. A cute child who was beaten up by other children and had his money and food taken away. When he hid at a corner to weep alone, the ladies passing by could not help but give him compensation. Rick found that he was unlike other beggars who cried hoarsely to the extent that others felt depressed. 'We need more people who can use their brains in the Brotherhood.'
'When this child grows up, he would definitely climb higher. I should give him a reward and make him feel grateful. Naturally, without a contrast between the rewards, people will not feel grateful.'
This was also why when the boy from Thales' house claimed that Thales was secretly in possession of some money, Rick urged Quide to investigate the reason. When Thales was almost beaten to death by Quide, Rick would appear and stop him. He was even willing to antagonize Quide if necessary (that was all Quide was good for). Thales would then treat Rick as a patron.
Rick did not care about whether all the money the beggars earned was handed over. This was what only short-sighted people would care about. Compared to a few coppers, Rick understood that human relationship was a more important property.
But this Thales was too clever. Rick knew that Quide would torture Thales to death regardless of whether he possessed the money (which would only be worse if he did have money). However, the boy found a way to escape disaster. According to common understanding, the spirited Quide would 'meticulously' punish the disobedient children to foster talent regardless of whether they were actually disobedient.
'It does not matter. What must be done had to be done. If the effect was not good and it failed, a reason could be found for Quide to beat him up.'
Rick went to the sixth house and walked across the ruined door. He then saw weeds at the yard and Thales gasping for breath as he lied down on the ground. Next to him were a few children smearing something onto him. My God! Children under the age of ten knew how to grow and use Urth Dragon Leaves? Only experienced gang members and the poor that lived for a very long time possessed the know-how to use this herb as a cheap cure for injuries.
"Ah! Mister Rick!" The crippled Ryan noticed Rick's arrival. His experience of having one leg broken had made him more sensitive to the surrounding environment.
It had been less than an hour after Quide was gone, the fear in the yard had yet to have subsided. The informant, Ned's face was covered in tears. Kellet was covering her black face. The eldest, Sinti, flinched.
The youngest, Coria, even screamed from fear.
Behrs had once said that this person had a noble inheritance and was most likely a beautiful woman in the future. She must not be ruined. Profits would come after she was trained by Felicia. It was a pity that the beggars must be handed over at the age of ten, or at latest at the age of twelve. It would be great if I could keep her until fifteen. Thirteen would be fine as well.
"Mister Rick!" Thales interrupted Rick's subtle thoughts. He turned his head with difficulty. The injury on his back caused him to grimace in pain.
"Ah. Thales. I am sorry," Rick sighed and showed a compassionate expression. "I could not stop Quide. I am only his deputy. I also cannot offend his backer."
"I could only come here quietly after that." While being cautiously watched by the other children, Rick squatted down and carefully examined Thales' injuries. "Fortunately, he was not so rough today. Otherwise…"
"Mister Rick. I am fine." Thales struggled genuinely. "I am sorry. The money I earned last week was actually…"
"Forget about the money!" Rick took the worn-out bowl from Sinti's hands. He threw away the water and placed a few Urth Dragon Leaves in it. He then picked up a stone and started to grind it. "You were sent here the moment you began to be aware of your surroundings. These few years, I watched all of you grow from a mere child trembling from the cold into a rough and thick-haired child. For me, all of you are more important than a few coppers," Rick said with a pained expression. "At this age, all of you are not even supposed to be begging but these are the rules of the Brotherhood."
"Mister Rick." Thales looked as though he felt touched by Rick's sentiments. He then tightened his fists. "I…"
"Come. Use the stones to grind the leaves. It is better than chewing it." Rick smeared the contents onto his hand and then smeared it on Thales' back. Next to him, Kellet bit her lip and whimpered.
"Thank you, Mister Rick," said Coria in a soft tone. "It would be great if you were in charge of us instead of Quide."
"Don't let Quide hear this." Rick laughed helplessly. "To be honest, I am very afraid of him."
The other children also laughed. Rick knew that people would accept another person easily when a common ground and a sense of humor was shown.
"Thank you very much, Mister Rick." Thales earnestly said. He knew that he was very mature in the eyes of many and did not need to show a child-like side.
Rick nodded. "Protect yourself well. You are a smart kid. I believe you can do it!"
"Oh right." Rick seemed to suddenly remember something. He returned the bowl to Ned and took out a purse from his waist. He then handed it over to the bewildered Sinti. "I need to hand over money to the higher ups every month and do not have much. Here are thirty coppers. Go to Grove Pharmacy at the intersection between Twilight District and the Lower City District and buy some medicine. If the price of the medicine has not yet increased, the amount of money here should be enough."
Naturally, the money would not be enough. Rick thought to himself. He had been to the pharmacy a week ago and the price had just hiked. When the children discover that the money was not enough, they would think it was caused by a temporary price hike.
If they did not have enough money, they would need to beg for more. This way, they would not have enough for next week's quota. After that…
"Be careful when you leave to buy the medicine. Do not let others, especially Quide, find out." Rick said as he stood up.
Of course, Quide would find out. Rick thought.
If they do not buy the medicine, that would be even better. Quide would find out that they were hiding money.
The corners of Rick's mouth raised.
At that moment, I can obtain all of their loyalty.
"Mister Rick." Coria looked at the purse in Sinti's hand as tears were about to fall from her eyes. "You are really a good person."
Ned bit his lips and nodded.
Even the eldest, Sinti, was touched and weighed the purse in his hands.
Rick sighed and waved his hand. "No. I am the one that should apologize. I could only do this for you."
"Mister Rick," Thales was lying down on the ground and hesitantly looked at Rick. "I wonder…"
"Eh?" Rick raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"
"I heard that when we grow up, we would be sent elsewhere to be trained." Thales asked cautiously as though not wanting to offend Rick. "In that case, I wonder if we could work for you once our training is complete."
Hearing this, Kellet, Ned, and Coria looked at Rick expectantly.
Rick felt as though his heart grew.
Score. Faster than I expected.
"Haha. This?" Rick gave a smile. "Don't look at me like this now. I am an ideal man in the Brotherhood."
Rick smiled and bent down to touch Thales' hair, appearing more intimate. "The people under me are the best and the strongest in the Brotherhood!"
'This is just my truth.' Rick added in his heart.
"That is why, if you all want to work for me, you must work hard!"
"Mm!" The children nodded with hope. Thales was no exception.
"I am going now. Thales and the rest of you…" Rick turned his head around, showing the side of his face. "The next time this happens, secretly come over and inform me. Although I cannot stop him directly, I could look for some trouble and prevent him from approaching."
After Rick was finished, he showed his white teeth that gleamed under the moonlight and left without looking back.
"Mister Rick is such a good person." Ned's face was in a mess from the tears. "Not like that Quide."
"Mm." Coria nodded and seemed content as though she was eating sweets.
"But," The crippled and fearful Ryan hesitantly said, "I've always felt that Rick is more terrifying than Quide."
"So, you are a coward!"
"Ryan the coward. How are you going to earn money like this?"
Only Thales looked calm after Rick left.
When he saw Sinti counting the thirty coppers in the purse one by one, Thales breathed out a sigh.
He still felt pain on his back. He knew that medicine would be good for his injury. However, Thales had gone to Grove Pharmacy yesterday morning. When he took the typhoid medicine from Yanni, he had heard her complain about her stingy boss raising the price. The price of medicine for injuries had gone up to thirty-five coppers. It was five coppers more than the amount Rick had given them.
However, he also knew the daughter of the boss of the Sunset Pub. That was how he knew an important point. Rick was in charge of all of Quide's expenses at the pub.
But…
"I would also need to hand over the money to the higher ups every month and do not have much."
Rick's voice resounded in his ears and he could no longer bear to look at the purse filled with coppers.
The other beggars had already forgotten their fears and started being noisy.
Only Thales frowned. With difficulty, he turned to look at his own bruised back. He then sighed heavily.
This damn world.
...
Rick went to the tenth house. There was an eight-year-old named Kalak who was young but ruthless. Rick pressured Karak into joining him when he suddenly felt his neck turn cold.
This was his innate ability.
When he was absolutely calm (a little distraction would cause it to fail), his neck would feel cold when there was a living thing five meters near him.
That was all.
However, he was not a warrior. Even if he was a warrior, his ability was useless compared to those in the military with psionic abilities, the powerful Swordsmen and Knights of Eradication, and even those mysterious Mystics. Even trainees in the temple could push him down.
However, Rick felt that one day, this skill would save his life.
Just like this very moment.
Rick quickly turned and looked around under the moonlight. At the same time, he put his left hand into his pocket and took out a compact but deadly crossbow.
The moonlight was bright. The streets were empty and there was nowhere to hide. Yet, there was nothing.
Rick took a deep breath and kept himself absolutely calm. He could feel the cool feeling behind his neck persist.
'Was it a rat in the sewers?'
Rick ran quickly to three different locations and the feeling remained. This made him reject his assumption.
What kind of rat would follow me for twenty meters after running towards three different directions?
Rick started to become more frightened.
Rick believed he should not have ventured out alone even though he was merely visiting the Abandoned Houses in the Brotherhood's territory.
He should have brought along twenty guards, with each of them wielding a Mystic Gun in each hand.
Just like the bigshot of the drug business Lazans Fischer, he always brought thirty people with him whenever he went out.
If I had enough money, I should have hired two Swordsmen of Eradication or a Psionic Warrior. Maybe even a Mystic. Forget it, Mystics were too scary.
Nayer Rick. You must be calm. He told himself. In the future, you would be in charge of Eternal Star City. Even the underground people of Constellation were calm. You must stay calm.
Rick turned around and calmly backtracked as though he was jogging.
'Did I offend someone? Does someone want my life? Was there something interesting in this neighborhood?'
He jogged away for hundreds of meters under the moonlight. There was nobody around him, yet his neck still felt cold.
Translator's notes:
1 Powerhouse: One of the three divisions of the Black Street Brotherhood.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
58 Power
stone 
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