Chapter 3: Childhood (3)
I heard the news from Flint.
Before meeting Sien today, as I was wrapping up a street fight to assert my position in the slums, Flint hurriedly approached me and spoke.
“Berg!”
"Flint, just give me a moment. Let me finish this."
"Now's not the time, Berg!"
At his urgent voice, I set down the wooden stick I was holding and looked at him.
“...?”
"Go... Go back to your friend! Her parents...!"
From the urgency in his voice, I could sense the seriousness of the situation. If it had been something insignificant, Flint wouldn't have displayed such temperament.
I left everything behind and started running toward Sien.
It wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
I just hoped that my predictions were wrong.
Dizziness overwhelmed me as I ran.
Death was no stranger to me, yet the mere thought of Sien being hurt made my heart race with anxiety.
The idea of her innocence being compromised felt like a sharp blade piercing through my chest.
I fervently prayed that the situation wouldn't be anything serious, even as I continued sprinting toward her.
Since Sien's parents were doctors, they often traveled from village to village, leaving their house vacant.
There were times when Sien would accompany them, but those seemed to be stories of when she was sick.
This time, I heard from Sien that the two of them had gone to the village of Wolfmans, known for their expertise in medicine, to expand their knowledge.
'Could there have been any issues during that journey?'
When I arrived at Sien's house, I saw a lot of people filling the place, which I hadn't seen before,
Whispered sobs could be heard from all around.
It felt like I could truly sense and grasp the extent of her parents' kindness and impact on the city.
Frozen by the sight, I took a deep breath for a moment.
Amidst the crowd, I saw Sien sitting in the center.
Tears were streaming down her face.
"Ugh... Sniff!"
Seeing that, my body reacted on its own.
I didn't even think about pointing fingers that would come at me because of my slum background.
Our secret relationship, which had been hidden, could no longer be hidden.
Pushing through the crowd, I ran toward the crying Sien.
“What- the fuck, what is it? Is he a slum rat?”
"Keep your wallet safe! That bastard might steal it!"
I couldn't even hear the erupting chaos.
The escalating chaos around me became a distant noise, barely audible.
In my eyes, all I could see was Sien, crying.
Breaking through the crowd, I made my way to the area guarded by soldiers.
An adult dwarf dressed in luxurious attire was consoling Sien, gently patting her shoulder. However, Sien remained frozen, showing no response.
Seeing her in that state, I called out her name.
"...Sien!"
Startled by the sound of my voice, her stiff expression transformed into one of astonishment.
Her eyes and nose were red from crying so intensely.
Sien examined my face slowly, then distorted. Her expression was stained with sorrow.
"Sob... Berg..."
Sien staggered to her feet.
"Berg...! Huuung...!"
Then, with her arms wide open, she stumbled towards me and embraced me with great effort.
In my arms, she began to sob uncontrollably.
"Mom and Dad...! Sob...!"
Even those who had once restrained me no longer made any attempt to stop me, their skepticism evident.
I didn't pay any attention to them.
I just hugged Sien tightly and stayed with her without saying a word.
.
.
.
It was said that Sien's parents were attacked by monsters.
Despite being accompanied by numerous escort soldiers, they all perished in an instant.
Based on the traces, it was said that they were attacked by a special kind of monster and couldn't do anything.
It was an unfortunate accident.
Sien had to be held captive by wealthy adults for a long time. And since she didn't want to leave me, I had to be with them too.
Unlike the neighbors, the wealthy adults didn't show much mourning for Sien's parents and quickly moved on, focusing on the complicated matters left behind for Sien.
They talked about keeping the inheritance, asking her to come in as their adopted daughter...
At first, these stories seemed innocuous, but upon closer inspection, they took on a sinister undertone.
I had to pick out the trap on behalf of Sien, who couldn't come to her senses.
I didn't have the qualifications to step forward, but I didn't concern myself with such formalities.
It was a moment when I needed to calm down.
In the face of wealth, many individuals would cast aside their moral compass.
Having seen the bottom of life, I was certain of that...
A considerable amount of time passed.
Sien just shed tears in my arms without saying anything.
When she didn't give any answer, the adults made excuses about giving her time to mourn and left.
Left alone in the spacious house, Sien and I sat in silence.
With only the two of us left, Sien's crying and trembling intensified.
The more that happened, the tighter I held her and supported her.
I hoped that my sincerity would reach her, even if just a little.
I stayed silent, holding her tightly until her crying ceased.
She, too, struggled to stop crying, as if her heart was gradually calmed down by my comfort.
After staying up all night with her, she finally opened her mouth.
“Berg...”
"...Tell me, Sien."
"...I want to live with you in the slums."
"What?"
Sien's proposal, spoken after much contemplation, took me by surprise.
“...I only need you. Can't we...?"
Her desperate voice and considering our relationship... It was a truly difficult request to refuse.
"...No."
However, I had to be firm.
"W-what?"
Sien started crying again with a sense of betrayal.
Still, I shook my head and continued.
"No, it's not possible. The slums are too dangerous. It's not a place for you to come."
In particular, I couldn't bring her because I personally knew how harsh the slums were for human beings.
I wanted to protect her innocence.
I didn't want her to see those dirty things.
"...Berg...please...I-I just want to be by your side... I-"
“-I will always be by your side, Sien.”
"..."
"So go to the orphanage. Forget about being a foster daughter or anything like that... Ignore all that looks dangerous... Go to the orphanage. I heard there's a good one in the northern part of the city."
As if she was relieved by the words that I would not leave her, Sien hugged me again, wiping away the tears that were welling up.
"...Will we still be best friends?"
I nodded my head at her sudden question.
"Yes. I promise."
Sien looked at my face for a moment, seemingly dazed. Then, with a determined expression, she said, “…Okay, then. I will do as you say.”
She believed in me more than anyone else.
.
.
.
That was how Sien started living in an orphanage.
She had to give up all her possessions, but this was necessary for her.
She shouldn't waste money.
There were many who would risk exploiting her for her inherited fortune.
In the past, I wouldn't have considered such things, but when Sien's life was on the line, my perspective shifted.
'What was it about her that changed me so much?'
Sien lost everything, but my feelings for her only deepened.
I gradually reduced the amount of time I spent living in the slums, to be a pillar Sien could lean on. I always hovered around the orphanage.
If anyone dared to bully her, simply because she was human, I would step in and confront them. And whenever she shed tears, I would be there to wipe them away.
Sien also leaned on me like that and got used to the orphanage. Gradually, with her unique sociability, she got along well with everyone and continued her life courageously.
“…It would have been very difficult without you.”
After four months in the orphanage, one day Sien expressed her gratitude and said.
"..."
"Thank you, Berg."
Every time she said those words, somehow I felt the worth in my life.
"There is no need."
And so, another three years passed in this manner.
I was now 16, and Sien was 14.
Our bodies were undergoing rapid changes.
The baby fat disappeared, and we grew taller. The distinctions between men and women became more apparent.
However, our relationship remained unchanged.
After overcoming the loss of her parents, Sien returned to her previous self.
She was a storyteller, so the conversation never stopped.
I learned many things about the world through her.
Even trivial conversations always brought happiness to us.
But if there was something that had changed... it was that the physical distance between us had become closer.
What used to be hand-holding had evolved into interlocking fingers, and during breaks, she would often sit between my legs and lean against my chest.
It felt so natural that I couldn't recall exactly when it started.
We still cherished each other the most.
However, because of that, feelings of jealousy gradually arose.
"...It's annoying."
Sien said.
"What?"
"Why do you keep getting more handsome?"
"What?"
I chuckled, but Sien maintained a serious expression as if she had a genuine concern.
“...People keep getting attracted to you just by looking at your face. It's so frustrating. I wish you were ugly instead."
"You're the only one who thinks I'm handsome."
"No, it's not true. Ah, how about cutting off all your hair?"
“…What are you talking about? Besides, I'm always with you anyway.”
"...Lie."
As she said that, her expression turned cold.
"...What?"
“-Bell, you were talking to Hailey earlier. What did you say then?”
Somewhere along the way, she started calling me 'Bell' as a nickname.
“With Hailey? I didn't talk much.”
Hailey was a girl who was in the same orphanage as Sien.
“You didn’t say anything, but you smile like that?”
"What are you talking about, seriously."
“…Are you going to keep running away?”
“I really don’t know.”
“You smiled at Hailey. And I don't want you to do that in the future. Do you know how much she goes around telling everyone in the orphanage that you're handsome?"
"Just because I smiled-"
"-Then should I smile and play around with other boys?"
“...”
Her point was made, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter again. Clearly, giving such an example made me feel uneasy.
"...I see. I'll be careful."
Only after I agreed, Sien relaxed his expression and showed a smile.
I also started feeling jealous like her.
As Sien entered the orphanage, she began to believe in a god.
The god of purity, 'Hea,' was her god.
Not to the point of being overly devout, but... There wasn't a day she missed a prayer.
"Can you please stop praying?"
I asked one day. Even though I was always with her, I didn't like the time that was taken away from me because of her prayer.
But Shien was adamant about this.
"No. I must pray.”
"Why do you pray every day?"
"So that you can be happy."
"...Isn't that a forbidden thing to tell? What good does it do if you told me that?"
"But that means you think it's true?"
I couldn't beat Sien in an argument.
Her voice, her words, and her beautiful smile always left me speechless.
Even when I was angry, I would foolishly surrender.
****
As the time passed, we started talking about the future.
"Do you have any dreams, Bell?"
"Dreams?"
I first thought about dreams through Sien. Because it was awkward for me, who always lived in the present.
“Yes, a dream. How do you want to live in the distant future?”
After thinking about it for a while, I listed some positive things I could think of.
“I just…want to live. I don't really want to live rich.”
“Be a little more specific.”
“I want to save enough money and live comfortably. I mean, I want a little bit calmer life. I don't want to live with constant tension as I'm in a slum every day. Should I move away from the city?"
“Are you going to live alone?”
"Ah. It would be nice to have friends by my side.”
“...Who are your friends?”
I burst out laughing as I pressed the cheek of Sien, who was starting to protrude.
That was the end of the joke.
From the middle part onward, I already knew what kind of answer she wanted.
"And you should be there too."
At that answer, Sien smiled and pretended not to show it.
"What about you?"
At a question like that, I also immediately become curious about Sien's dream.
Sien leaned her head against me and spoke.
“...I want to travel the world.”
Her voice, as she uttered those words, carried a dreamlike atmosphere.
“It was fun when I traveled with my parents. To you..."
Sien glanced at me briefly and whispered.
"...I want to show you the things I've seen."
Seeing Sien's shy expression, I burst into laughter once again.
When I laughed, Sien continued as if to make an excuse.
"...Well, you sometimes don't believe what I say...! That's why..."
Whenever Sien told astonishing stories about the world, sparkling with excitement in her eyes, I often teased her for lying.
Deep down, she seemed to have been caught by that.
But in reality, even without seeing with my own eyes, I already knew that everything Sien had told me existed.
It was because I knew Sien could lie.
If she had lied, it would have been evident.
And just like Sien's dream, the thought of seeing everything she had told me with my own eyes seemed enjoyable.
The lighthearted conversation about that day's dream woke me up.
The moment to escape from the slums would come soon.
Living by stealing like I did when I was a child had become difficult.
From my age now, those from the slums would find a new path.
I had to do the same.
There was no way I could obtain a future with Sien through thievery. There was no way I could travel the world with her. The income was too low for that.
In the end, after a long thought, I revealed my answer to Sien.
"Sien, I'm thinking of joining an organization. There have been offers recently, too."
Sien frowned in horror. Although she looked cute to me.
"...But we decided that you would not get involved in crime anymore."
"These are the only options I have. If you don't like anything illegal, I could become a mercenary. They've been recruiting lately."
There were not many paths that people from the slums could take.
In any case, it was natural to fall into the path that required strength.
"Becoming a mercenary is even worse...!"
Sien shouted in protest.
Her expression was filled with anxiety and trembling.
"Becoming a mercenary is too dangerous...! You have to fight against monsters, right?"
Whenever something was related to monsters, she always became agitated.
Of course, she couldn't forget the things that took her parents away.
So, even though I knew it, I didn't hide my feelings.
“...It has to be done to survive.”
Sien sat on my lap and held my face with both hands.
Her weight on my lap was endearing.
But seemingly unaware of my feelings, Sien explained with a worried expression.
"Bell... Let's not do dangerous things... We have to live together for a long time..."
Having lost her parents, she always feared losing me.
“Is it because I want to travel the world...? Don't you notice that you are the first priority...?"
“...”
“I like your dreams too…”
Suddenly, this was something only Sien could do to me.
When I heard her earnest voice, even my firm resolutions wavered one by one.
I also had a stubborn personality, but I was too gentle in front of Sien.
Perhaps her words touch the depths of my heart.
So, I also held Sien in my arms and said.
"...Okay. I won't do that.”
.
.
.
A few days after that conversation, I left the slums.
There was no longer a need for me to stay in that long-time shelter.
It was after Flint and Max had already bid their warm farewells and set off on their own paths.
I got out of the slums and wandered around the city, looking for a job.
When I was looking for a job, some people kicked me out with verbal abuse just because I was from the slums, but everything was fine.
I wasn't even angry.
I was able to endure it because I thought it was for Sien.
As I wandered around the town, I occasionally came across recruitment flyers for mercenaries.
'Recruiting men who want alcohol, meat, money, fame, and women. Excluding the human race.'
There were mercenaries that accept Humans, and there were mercenaries that did not.
That was how much the humans were ignored.
But now it didn't matter much to me.
The option of joining a mercenary group had been a difficult decision, but now it didn't even catch my attention.
After walking around the city for two days, an opportunity came to me.
The place I found this time was a tavern.
“Aren’t you from the slums?”
The dwarven tavern owner asked after seeing my scars and hands.
"You're right."
"-Get lost. How can I trust someone from a slum?”
“....”
I swallowed the insult as usual and turned away.
But before leaving the shop, the tavern owner opened his mouth again.
"Wait. You..."
“?”
With a bulging belly, he looked me up and down.
"Aren't you the one taking care of Asger and Hilda's daughter?"
I expressed my confusion.
"Who are Asger and Hilda?"
“A two-human doctor who died after being attacked by a monster a few years ago. You... What was her name... Sien...? Anyway, you're the one taking care of their child."
It seemed that Asger and Hilda were the names of Sien's parents.
I learned something new about her.
"Sien is my friend."
"Hah, this is ridiculous..."
He scratched his head and asked.
"So, you're doing all this to take care of Sien? Why did someone from the slums crawl into the civilized world?"
"...Exactly as you think. I'm doing this to take care of Sien."
"I'll give you a job."
"Is it just empty words or will it truly be a week's worth of work?"
“...”
The man pondered for a while. Then he sighed deeply and spoke.
"I'm not doing this for you. It's because those two people once treated my son in the past, so I'm repaying the debt. Come tomorrow. I'll teach you the job."
A smile spread across my lips.
“I'll see you tomorrow.”
The one who was happiest about this news was Sien.
She jumped up and down in place, blessing me for escaping the dangerous slums.
"Is it true? Really, Bell?"
"Why would I lie to you? I'll be working at the tavern from tomorrow."
I grabbed her jumping legs and hugged her.
A smile more beautiful than any flower bloomed on her face.
To see this, I had been humiliated and bowed my head. And I could continue to do so in the future.
Looking in her eyes I said, “It’s all thanks to you, Shien.”
“You did well-”
"No, Sien. The person who gave me the job... was an acquaintance of your parents. That's why I could get the job."
“........”
"Thank you."
Tears began to well up in Sien's eyes, who had been smiling brightly.
"...I'm thankful too, Bell. For working hard for us."
She lowered her upper body and embraced me again.
After a few months passed like that, I was able to gain the recognition of the tavern owner.
It was possible because I worked hard while thinking of Sien.
Consequently, I was able to rent a small room.
It was a room of the right size to be with Sien later.
When she would be old enough to leave the orphanage, this would be the place to start.
I was gradually establishing my place.
So, I believed that the news of that day had nothing to do with me.
"Did you hear the news?"
It was a voice that echoed from a table while I was working at the tavern.
Even if I didn't want to hear it, the sound that I could hear pierced my ears.
"What news?"
"They say the demons have chosen a king?"
– – – End of Chapter – – –
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