Chapter 11

It was a large city, that was the first impression.

The caravan passed through the checkpoint. Perhaps it was a tax on goods; the guards looked at the merchandise and wrote something on the papers in their hands. Once the familiar task was completed, the carriage quickly entered the city.

Most of the buildings were made of stone. I had only seen two other villages, but in those, most buildings were made of wood. Perhaps things were different the further one got from Nerg.

The roads were also completely different. Perhaps because there were no roots, the hard-packed earth was flat, and the carriage's jolts had decreased.

"Alright, let's go to my shop. We'll finalize the contract there."

"Understood."

Kilia and Kisan also parted ways. It seemed they didn't have an exclusive contract and had to sign one each time they traded.

We had arrived safely in the large city. Though I had decided on my own, there was no longer any reason for me to travel with them.

This was where we parted. I turned my back on them and started walking.

It was indeed a large city. There were many people, and naturally, many shops. There were various types of businesses, including restaurants, inns, and clothing stores, which were almost non-existent in the village.

Speaking of clothing stores, the people on the streets wore a variety of outfits, which was interesting to watch. There were young men in armor, an old man with an unusually high level of exposure, and a girl with a thin ribbon-like cloth wrapped around her, making her look puffy. It was hard to understand the practicality of such outfits.

"Hey, hey, we have some good fish today!"

"Ma'am, you look beautiful today! How about buying this?"

The city was lively. Perhaps because there were many people on the streets. There were also many street vendors, something I had never seen in the village.

As I looked at the shops, I realized I didn't have any money.

I couldn't use the shops without the means to pay for them. Moreover, I hadn't really thought about the value of money.

I couldn't do anything here. I needed to get some money. But I couldn't think of anything. I had left the village on a whim, without any plan.

I looked like a dirty five-year-old. I certainly couldn't do any business.

This was the result of leaving the village without thinking. I smiled wryly.

I had decided to live outside the village, but I still couldn't do anything.

My stomach growled.

There was no point in standing around. I needed to eat first.

I would go hunting in the forest outside the city, as usual.

I returned to the forest as soon as I arrived in the city.

The birds in this forest were also delicious.

After eating and calming down, I thought about my next steps.

I thought I could live as a wild human, but I also wanted to live using the city like other people. Looking at the buildings lined up in the city, I honestly felt that way.

Moreover, I had decided on the carriage. This time, I wanted to live without hiding. I decided to live in the sunlight.

If so, I needed to start living in the city. With renewed determination, I stood up.

It felt like a long time since I had seen my own shadow.

I wandered around the city.

First, I needed a job, but I couldn't think of anything.

From what I had seen in the village, everyone had their own family business. Hardly anyone even considered leaving the village. Kitch was the exception.

I couldn't take over a family business. I didn't even have one. I might have had one, but I didn't know my parents' faces, names, or occupations. There was no way I could take over such a business.

How could I get a job? Even thinking back, there was no one to use as a reference.

However, my determination didn't change. I could return to the forest, but there were still options.

This thought came to me when I saw a child who looked like a vagrant at the edge of my vision.

He looked about the same age as me, or a little older. To be frank, he was wearing dirty, simple clothes, had messy hair, and his thin arms and legs suggested he was probably a vagrant.

He was surviving. He might have a guardian and a normal life, but that would be a different story.

If I watched him, I was sure I could find a way to make a living. There must be something I could do.

I believed this and waited. I leaned against the wall at the edge of the alley, subtly observing his actions.

His actions were sudden.

He suddenly stepped into the crowd and smoothly approached a man.

Then, he quickly snatched the leather bag from the bald man's hand and ran away.

"Stop! Stop!"

The man shouted and ran after him. However, it was difficult to chase the boy who had disappeared into the crowd.

The people around him first looked at the man, then at the running boy. After that, they cleared the way with surprised expressions.

"Damn it."

The man spat and chased after the boy. However, the boy also wanted to spit. There was no crowd to hide in anymore. From here on, it was a race of speed.

I watched this in amazement.

So, the boy's job was pickpocketing.

Right, ... but I couldn't just stand there! I immediately started chasing him.

Like the parting of the Red Sea, I ran through the split crowd without drawing attention. It was easy to be inconspicuous. Everyone's attention was on the man who had been pickpocketed.

The boy ran. He seemed to be heading somewhere, running straight without hesitation. He was quite fast, perhaps from experience.

The man and I chased after him, but we couldn't catch up.

Reluctantly, I ran into a inconspicuous alley and used transparency. Then, I flew in the air to chase him. This way, I could easily keep up.

After a while, the boy, who was smaller in stature, was about to be caught by the man.

"Stop, you little brat!"

The man's hand reached for the back of the boy's neck. He was almost there.

At that moment.

A barrel rolled over from the side, as if to support the boy.

"What?"

The man was surprised, and his hand paused.

Taking advantage of this, the boy increased the distance.

"Damn, I won't let you get away!"

The boy ran into an alley. The man tried to follow but stopped abruptly. He tried to enter several times, stomping his feet.

The man's face was twisted in frustration. After looking around the alley, he spat and turned away.

"Damn... those wretched kids..."

Why wasn't he chasing? I wondered, but then I heard his parting words.

"Slum trash..."

Slum, a poor neighborhood, perhaps. I probably saw it for the first time.

Indeed, the entrance to the alley was quite different from the rest of the city.

There were many wooden buildings, which were rare in the city, and they were oddly shaped. They had been repeatedly expanded, with gaps in the walls, thin roofs, and some half-collapsed houses covered only with cloth.

I almost lost sight of the boy, fascinated by the scene. I hurriedly followed him.

A little further in, the boy walked into an open square-like area. Another boy of about the same age ran up to him and gave him a high-five. He was probably the one who rolled the barrel earlier.

"What did you make today?"

"Pretty heavy, this. Maybe it's full of gold!?"

The gray-haired boy who had pickpocketed threw the leather bag up and spoke happily.

"Hyro is fast, as usual."

"Yeah, the barrel earlier really helped."

Hyro, as he was called, laughed. His full smile revealed a missing front tooth.

"Well, let's exchange it for money. Let's eat something good today."

"Sure!"

The two started walking straight down a road littered with garbage and debris.

The transaction took place in a dirty-looking house.

A sign that read "Stone Shop" was hanging, though it was broken.

Hyro and the other boy, apparently named Riko, pushed open the creaking door and entered the dark shop.

I slipped in with them.

"Well, that's about it for today."

A wrinkled old man held out some items. A few fruits and some dried fish on skewers were lined up on the counter.

"No, that's too little."

Hyro and Riko complained.

"Fair enough. Want to count again?"

The old man listed the contents of the leather bag.

"First, iron and copper coins, totaling one copper coin. Then, this is a pair of scissors? A poor-quality whetstone and a used file, totaling one copper coin. And the scraps of paper and cloth, which are probably worth about half an iron coin."

It seemed the weight was due to the whetstone.

"One and a half copper coins... that's about it..."

The old man sighed as he saw the two boys' shoulders droop.

"Well, bring something else if you have it. I'll exchange it for money or goods."

The two boys, finally convinced by the gruff explanation, left the shop dejectedly.

"Damn! I thought we could eat something good today."

Riko patted Hyro's shoulder to encourage him.

Their stomachs growled simultaneously.

"Well, there's no choice. Let's eat somewhere right away."

The two, carrying their goods, walked off into the distance.

After watching all of this, I decided to take action.

It seemed that the residents of the slums who didn't have jobs obtained food from this shop. They repeatedly committed crimes like theft and pickpocketing to get the means to obtain food. Therefore, the slum residents were disliked by law-abiding citizens.

To law-abiding citizens, this shop was nothing but a nuisance.

However, this was where I could get money. For me, this was a necessary facility.

I smiled wryly, realizing that there was no difference between a pig rooting in a field and what I was about to do. I mocked myself.

However, I convinced myself that there would be no problem as long as I didn't get involved in crime.

I didn't know if I could use this "Stone Shop," but I wouldn't know unless I tried.

There was another problem.

I had nothing to exchange.

I had left the village with only the clothes on my back, so it was natural.

The old man had dealt with fish and fruit. Perhaps I could exchange fish and fruit for money.

Thinking alone wouldn't get me anywhere. I decided to go to the forest immediately.

I flew to a deep part of the forest, where people hadn't yet intruded.

I didn't know where the fruit was. The vegetation in this forest was different from the village, and the red fruit I often saw in the village was not there.

However, there were green fruits that looked similar. They tasted like pears, so I decided to call them pears. I was sure the same fruit was sold in the shop. I would take some.

Then, I looked for a river. I found it quickly. Fish were swimming in it.

I immediately spread my magic and used telekinesis to grab a couple of fish. I made a cut on their necks, and they quickly bled to death.

I wrapped the fish in a large leaf nearby. It was still dripping with water.

Now I had the goods. I would go to the shop I had seen earlier.

"You're new, aren't you?"

Unlike Hyro and Riko, the old man's reaction was different. He spoke without looking at me, just as before.

He didn't refuse the fish and fruit, but inspected them with his fingertips. Then, he turned to me and spoke.

"So, what do you want to exchange for? Other food? Money? I have alcohol too."

"Um, I'd like money, please."

I wasn't short of food. When I asked for money, the old man searched a box that looked like a safe behind him.

"Two small fish and five well-shaped pears... I'd say half a copper coin."

"That's fine."

I still didn't understand the value of money. This was my first transaction, so I would learn from it.

When I held out my hand, a coin split in half was placed in it. The blackened coin was probably a copper coin.

"What can you exchange here?"

The old man looked at me uninterestedly and then spoke after a pause.

"I'll exchange anything. Money, food, anything except living things."

"By the way, can you buy things from children like me?"

The old man sighed again.

"Obviously, I'm exchanging them now."

"Ah, sorry. I was just curious."

I apologized in form.

"I don't discriminate against customers or items. I'll buy anything from a kid like you, no matter how shady. As long as you have the money, I'll sell you anything. Food, weapons, medicine, you name it."

I narrowed my eyes in admiration. If his words were true, this place was worth using.

Since he dealt with stolen goods, I couldn't trust him. There was a risk that the items I bought were stolen, and I could be called a thief.

However, as a young child who couldn't get a job, I could earn money here.

I clenched the copper fragment I had just obtained. I would try to earn money here for a while.

There might be a better place. There might be a place where I could work.

But for now, selling goods here would be my job. I decided on this.

"Thanks, I'll come again."

The old man turned away without a word.