Chapter 10
WTITF“Put that down. It’s already over.”27q
fA8N“Yes, as long as the old man keeps his mouth shut.”xHqR
bDpy5swHer hands were as small as a child’s, but the eagerness they held was real.beY
pHGvvw“Ugh… huh.”dkmrsN
oSKZPOShe was trying to look threatening, but Zemina’s hands were shaking because of fear and not knowing what to do.XkJ
w73S8z…9bz
8WOjUThe old man saw a boy who was very nervous about the approaching threat and a girl who was crying and didn’t know what to do.J2E
obtdy9XYoung children who had been abandoned by the world stood in front of him. They both looked pitiful.lLMzc
oU3“I am really going to stab you. Hiccup.”J4h
QcqF8i“I get it, so be quiet. It’s okay now.”bhYy
Oao20vsThe old man gazed silently into the eyes of the crying girl with insight only age could provide.PTFgHS
qXnwCTears welled up in her eyes because of fear, but determination glimmered in her pupils.6lV
6aEeq92“…Alright.”SPRQ
kSXblqThis child could indeed stab him for the boy standing beside her.JZ9Sdef
59wcpkd“What’s going on? Speak up.”HAO
FhcThe old blacksmith asked quietly as the voices of the men in the background faded.oLhAa
HoMpHowever, the words didn’t come out easily from the boy’s mouth. He seemed to have difficulty saying those with his own mouth.XCwA6
vPD3VHs“We lost.”J99J
8TJThat’s all he said, but the old blacksmith understood.75F6ETs
mKUJHe had been living in the back alleys for a long time, after all.V73ST9S
aHc“Jorge is dead.”6R5
Pln“…He was a good boss.”FDMLXQ
fYon“Hiccup! Sob!”60C
Pn3rThick tears began to flow from Zemina’s eyes as Jorge’s name was mentioned.tf7
siHQZh“I understand the situation. So, put down that piece of metal for now.”CTeW9Co
gso“Hiccup! No!”ix03
tULHowever, even though her emotions were crumbling, Zemina knew exactly what she needed to do.lrd
NvI“Give me the sword!”ZcSpl
TDYf“What?”ynbLJg
ru7She has to send Vlad out of the city.M1s6x5k
IN8F“Give me that sword hanging there! Even if Vlad gets out of the city safely, he might still be killed by monsters!”Oasa8aF
R1hdjX“No, but this girl…”WI0lAS
RyMShe was mumbling, but Zemina’s words were not wrong.oNS
R4xEven if Vlad escaped One-Armed Jack’s eyes and escaped Shoara, it was now dark dawn and a cold winter day.8jJR
ixOIt was a very harsh time to move to the next village without proper preparation.MSBy
HpB“This isn’t a joke! If Vlad dies, I’ll die too! So give it to me!”fzeKKjd
zaManThe piece of metal in the girl’s hand reached up to the old man’s chin.M1ZgaHF
M9Bg“You, you bitch!”2wzsf
AYehsEwThough it was held in her childish hand, the blade was still sharp.EvkC
Kt3utkThe uncontrollable emotions were swirling in the girl’s tear-filled eyes.sFNT
zts“Are you crazy?”Uqe
FEhI3“Bring out the sword!”x11MRm7
HOzThe old blacksmith felt a deep bitterness as he faced Zemina’s threats to hand over the sword.tP9hi
bXlaw‘Fine…’xCmqut
SZaAL5This was the nature of people living in the back alleys. The nature of those who had to take from others to survive.EOlkx
U9fM5He himself had been that way, and the time has come for the kids before him to be like that too.Qsq
ef1ahlJust like he did.8S2I
Wgr“Zemina! Put it down!”CaaxQb4
ZzQJn7HThey heard Vlad’s muffled cry, but Zemina’s hand continued to shake dangerously.U6Zwq
kdRiThe girl had made up her mind to swing the piece of metal in her hands.m0oJ8I
KXhhPQHShe was prepared to do anything to save the boy.UPK
5UAMxL“Zemina!”XxL3MJ
LB3FRThe blade gleamed when Vlad shouted.LrNqf
J8MksJm“…”EWq
MbKOXo5The old blacksmith closed his eyes, expecting something sharp to dig into his throat.SjkGK99
BdHo“I’ll repay you.”cWdIMa
9x60xYHowever, the blade the girl was holding wasn’t aimed at the old blacksmith.M8N63pn
Ghv“This might not be enough, but I promise I’ll repay you later. I swear!”ngYyYXh
7uXLRThe old man opened his eyes, and froze upon seeing what was sprawled out before him.iCN9
TX855oA mass of curly red hairs filled his vision. The red hairs were the pride and joy of Zemina.Nm2bi1
toFt6k“You little bitch…”JOpw
c70D“Please, just give it to me. Please.”Dt5S8SA
Dre5zFThe girl had given up her most precious possession for the sake of what was most important to her.e6D666G
Hv6The girl’s eyes, filled with eagerness, were not yet tainted by the back alleys.ZnRDB8
EDiEKThe teary eyes of the girl were looking at a different place from where he had been in those days.kRdej7N
0iT“Ha.”J10Hxso
IOl4The old man’s eyes stinging from the dazzling flames in front of him, so he turned his head to look at the boy.ey8cjmm
YiPJJS“Are you going to leave?”P22
QPetrn“Yes.”hU7
AIe2e4The kids before him were doing things he had dreamed of his whole life but never accomplished.sMVq7
jX7They are accomplishing all this with the wings that had not yet fully matured.px41
PyWyH“You kids bother me so much.”hSI
nG6wThe old man was an adult. And there were things adults had to do for children even without getting anything in return, especially for children with potential.7m3ot
DmsVg7“Come with me.”FEzv
pnAThe old man decided to raise his head and look at the stars, just for today.goSyT
K2GKIt was something he had wanted to do his whole life but had never done.OGj
RhcTJBx※※※※SDeHx
DaucjELate at night.VWZi4W
hY1IYiqThe back alley seemed quiet on the surface, but it was filled with hungry gazes.sgykURS
0wIThere, the old blacksmith and a short boy were pushing a cart.lVHF
L9uzw“It’s so heavy.”T6r
SYfErRO“Quit complaining and push.”bx1i
6Gk3JThe creaking sound of the cart filled the dead silent back alley. The place they were heading to was one of the outskirts of Shoara.xbE35rO
M9aThe overflowing garbage of the city was dumped there, and a place where only those at the bottom of the back alley lived.pA5S
nmBThat’s why it was a place that people didn’t easily seek out.rgcXII
VZW“I never get used to this no matter how many times I come here.”Zk102DE
bBFypOdThe stench reached their noses even in the dead of winter.eFMlnro
OuENHA‘If they are blocking off even this place…’6nhJWvy
a2oH6CThis was the last stop.XfID2WT
trobOne-Armed Jack’s henchmen had already infiltrated various parts of the back alleys.cfJ
p47M9wIt wasn’t clear whether it was to capture any surviving members of Jorge’s organization or to find the unknown assassin, but One-Armed Jack wanted to keep a tight grip on anything trying to escape his sight.BRz
dG5E2So the old blacksmith and Zemina had been pushed to come this far.jm1Ojo
np7j“Old man.”tjo
EgzMEzHowever, contrary to their hopes, Jack’s henchmen had already taken positions in this place.YJ8
SBuY“What?”Urpi
aV0“Why did you come here in the middle of the night?”O58UMm
7YN“Can’t you see?”dfi
HzQTknc“…To dump garbage?”rpu0rV
djFUYc“Then what does this look like? Have you eyesight already gone bad at such a young age? You bastards.”az32o
K2dLoavThe old man tried to stand his ground against the hyenas, who were clearly agitated.b1XCp
5MoM“But why dump it now?”2JdMt
fWFnThey were treating the old blacksmith with respect because he had been in the back alleys for a long time, but Jack’s henchmen had something they needed to find right now.oWqUrz
0jG“Well, I have no choice but to dump it at this time. You guys have been blocking the alley all this time, fighting and causing trouble. The forge is going to explode with all the stuff I couldn’t dump!”xTGN0my
nm2phHV“…Who’s this guy?”PVlCS
dyLIvOne of Jack’s henchmen pointed to the boy standing next to the old man. They had heard that the old blacksmith always worked alone.gpDJWh
ieltMFg“I am getting old and weak, so I asked him to help in exchange for some bread. Or you guys can push the cart instead!”fw3tY23
g0SO“Wait.”qwKSJPk
bVIYWhIt was a plausible explanation, but they needed to confirm it at this moment.ZCl1nM9
0FtidfN“Don’t move.”uV7z
Hx1BThe boy, who had been pushing the cart, began to panic as he saw the man approaching.isust
BqnV“Stay still. Today is a day when swords may come out instead of fists.”U3QK
UCs“…”Wnb
l32In the end, the hooded figure was grabbed by the ruthless hand and lifted up.o2O
0lCT“What’s with you? It’s fucking hard to believe. Seriously.”fzBZp
XdBwEyr“….. Pass.”szhuQkz
SE58tIt was the red-haired boy.gvBg
NiL5y7Judging by the dirt smeared on his face, it seemed he had been working quite vigorously at the blacksmith.rl5
yB0X“What are you guys looking for?”dCO3s
Oew“The blonde kid of Jorge. He’s the only one missing. And… tsk.”gcGD
t2okeThe inspecting man bit his tongue and stopped talking.Pve
afXfFlg“And what! If you’re not going to tell me, can I leave now?”KYOaga
9wK1Kh“Just one more thing.”evBK9
reyvvmThe man turned his head and gave an order to someone.qosvD
ME1DzG“Hey, black guy. Check this cart.”1b6c
g5oKAt the man’s words, the three who had been holding their breaths swallowed hard.hFDjVN
3mYwd4“Don’t let the dirt fly here, do it somewhere else.”Flam7Zm
GEe“Yes.”VocLl
lnSCZemina looked at the man approaching the cart with trembling eyes.1a7f3UU
Z116He was a huge man in shabby clothes. His skin was black.3sA25
kMzN4“Go to that guy.”gfIMei
LQxU2D3“You son of a…”KvE8V
OqwtThe old man grumbled with a trembling voice as he began pushing the cart.pKuS
M9aAlthough he pretended to be composed on the outside, sweat was already soaking his back.JxgUPUG
Yl0Zm‘Should we have gone somewhere else?’NosZpN
M97ihfqHowever, it was too late for regrets. There was nowhere else to go besides this place.H3Ec9
GQkMThey came here with their last hope, but One-Armed Jack had his eyes set on the dirtiest parts of the city.VKS
0UP8kHz“You’ve brought quite a lot.”jk1
gzK“There was a lot piled up over time.”CExw
AsvNkZ4The old man replied with a weary voice to the dark-skinned man.Pot3r6Q
j3gdok“Let’s check it… shall we?”y69o
u7zk185At that moment, Zemina’s eyes met the dark-skinned man who was trying to lift the cart.8pjZ
Wp27“…”U7Ig
PW2“…..!”FZb
Fnw5Zemina quickly lowered her head, but she wondered if he recognized her. Because Zemina knew the man in front of her.LO8gZR
zjAu“It’s quite dusty, perhaps because it’s garbage from the blacksmith. We should move it further ahead.”kSx
akOThe dark-skinned man muttered to himself as he pushed the cart forward.iPT
o9ZUBThe two quietly followed behind him.e8z5cU
eOS“But why did you cut your hair?”E1vdFR
kM6aVD“…”hLUzKu
0X7hAs they moved away from the people around them, the man spoke to Zemina in an indifferent voice.8Qt
mMtVWK“W-what are you talking about?”ZYtZw57
GOEBUSZemina managed to reply with a trembling voice, but she bit her lips in panic at the thought that the man might have recognized her.DooRsF
lnAfe7f“…”ZxzDSc
N3tRZFeAt the same time, the pile of garbage inside the cart started to shift subtly, creating a small opening where a sharp blade could emerge.PtH8O
KDL“You looked like a boy after cutting your hair. Maybe it’s because you are flat from front and back.”YDW8kbb
hymThe dark-skinned man was talking to Zemina, but his eyes were fixed on someone inside the pile of garbage.s1e
KKyQr“Nobody will recognize you as long as you keep doing that.”6o3
BvdXThe cart that the old man had brought was steadily moving away from Jack’s henchmen, perhaps because the man was pushing it.183WN
6AcX“I guess this far will be enough.”brI
yN6As they walked away from the men who were checking them, the dark-skinned man took out a skewer.T9kWY
7nwMTIt was an unremarkable and rusty skewer, but to Zemina, it looked sharper than any sword.VrVfa
qGn49bg“This is my job.”PS8dj
d9AEcSlish-GF8
6ZjoAnd he mercilessly began stabbing the garbage pile inside the cart.8PNB
bnubfBThe man started poking the garbage pile all around with his skewer, and Zemina couldn’t bear to watch and closed her eyes as if finding it too difficult to look at.uNk5o
B0CyS“Rumor has it that Harveon had sailed a boat on the river.”jaYu3e
cSHsz“…”07gji
avYbiHe cleverly avoided spaces where a person could be hiding.J58Gip
UqdjU“All of Jack’s men have flocked there now. They said there must be a reason why that cripple asshole put the boat on the river.”hLmknn
zV8“What are you talking about?”hc6
2tacRAlthough Zemina pretended not to know and continued acting ignorant to the end, Vlad, who was hidden inside the cart, could hear and understand what the dark-skinned man was saying.sqbeT
yXT“Just know it for now. Alright, you can pass.”xIt58c
L6K“… thank you, Otar.”p4Hx
hxwQmA small voice came from inside the cart, but Otar, the man addressed as such, didn’t seem to hear and only turned his head.vc5V
Ll6KDO9“Go.”w4LxzG
OSgVP4oAs soon as the words “You can pass” were spoken, the old man and the red-haired girl quickly clung to the cart and began pushing it.FkvhZ
CW6“My brother’s 40 silver debt has been paid off with this.”AzgvkFo
LcZBoThe black-skined man said as the cart passed by.QXvr
6Q5The price of a life can only be paid with one’s life. The cart began to move again after his last words.hNdrpL
oq4S2msCreak!r0o3
L74DRUThey started to move towards the hole in the city’s wall, the one that led outside.ik2n
CGDSrzThe sadness welled up in the girl’s eyes as they approached the hole.hBR9W
cmbnfTNow it was time to say goodbye.gR7pmO1
txoTx“Farewell, Vlad.”sqyI
sss6The old man and a girl pushed the cart toward the mountain of trash and the hole lay beneath it.2jAUIG
hzw“You need to stay healthy.”IJ3OdR2
sg5Zemina choked back tears but thought of the boy’s well-being until the very end.yy9Z
sUxLO1KWhoosh-YaZDQCz
NAgZSOhAs the cart was lifted all the way up, tears fell from the girl’s eyes.yEO
Zdd“Do you have to come see me?”1stz
XlvThe trash was falling outside the city under the moon in the night sky with the tears of the red-haired girl.5N2irb
zc2jkThese tears were shabby things that no one in the city cared about.hCQFdO
kyNEveryone holds onto what shines dearly, even without realizing it.QHCSNAn
HX7“Ha…”bmO8BO
a7YxRCAThe boy stood on the pile of garbage outside the city’s wall and looked up at the night sky.w192Zn
4PuyBHis vision was blurry from tears, but the sparkling stars in the night sky were still there.6E5BYmW
CzFHb2oBut tonight, only one star was shining on the ground.JLutPC
q5kTThe star that the boy was holding tightly was made from the old man’s dream and bought with the girl’s tears.BWw
T85vUZ“I’ll definitely come back.”k7b2x
PjZjEven if you aren’t up in the high night sky, even if you’re stuck in a back alley where no one can see you, if you want to shine on your own and still have light in your heart, then you can become a star. Just like what’s shining in the boy’s heart.CVM
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