Chapter 23

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"You seem to have caused quite a stir..."

On that day, when I, who had just come back to life, went to the Stone Shack, Gustav greeted me with an unusually stern face.

"Let me ask you, what are you talking about?"

I asked, feigning innocence, though I had a pretty good idea.

Gustav sighed and turned his face away before speaking.

"You caused a commotion on Fifth Street."

"Oh, yes."

As I expected, it was about Haman.

"The rumors started spreading on Fifth Street. They say, 'If you get close to the slum dwellers, they'll attack you without a word.'"

"It seems the story has been quite distorted, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Gustav frowned and looked at me, deep lines forming between his eyebrows.

"But that's how rumors work. They get twisted by those who spread them and change as they pass along, becoming something absurd by the time they're heard."

"Right."

"I've confirmed the situation with Nixki and have a good understanding of what happened. It wasn't the worst, but it was a bad move."

"Was it?"

"Yeah. It was good that you didn't kill him. It was also good that you didn't seriously injure him. But fighting was a mistake."

"You mean I should have avoided the fight?"

Exactly. The people in the slums are in a weak position. If you win such disputes, you'll have trouble later. You should have run away."

"…I can understand that, but I can't accept it…"

"Yeah, I get it."

He nodded, showing some understanding, but his expression remained grim.

"But that's the wisdom we need to live in this slum."

Then he looked outside, his voice tinged with sadness.

"If you want to live long, don't stand out. Live quietly and within your means."

His face seemed to convey a deep sense of reality.

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"Do you know the story of 'The Crow That Flies by Day'?"

"…? No, I haven't heard of it."

"It's a cautionary tale told to children."

"What's it about?"

"It's a simple story."

Gustav began to tell the fable solemnly.

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One night, a crow was sleeping in its nest when it had a dream of becoming the king of birds.

It made the other birds bring it food and shiny coins, and it cawed proudly.

When it woke up in the middle of the night, it still felt like a king, as if it were still being revered and respected.

The crow tried to caw like it did in the dream, but no one came.

When the sun rose and it was daytime, the crow left the forest and went to a field where small birds were gathered.

It tried to caw loudly, just as it did in the dream, thinking the birds would gather around it.

But instead of the birds, it was met with stones thrown by humans.

The stones hit its belly, and as it died, the crow thought:

"Ah, it was a mistake to expose myself in broad daylight. I should have just cawed as much as I wanted in the dark forest at night."

---

In essence, that's what the story is about.

"If you don't know your place, you'll end up in a bad situation. That's the moral of the story."

"……"

I couldn't judge whether his words were right or wrong, so I just remained silent.

"Even if you didn't have the ability to run away, Nixki could have easily carried you and escaped. Maybe he was just too cocky."

Gustav sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, you should stay away from Fifth Street and the craftsmen's district for a while. Rumors in the slums are common and will fade quickly."

He added, "But until then, you should be careful around the others."

---

I left the Stone Shack and headed back to my place, lost in thought.

Indeed, there was no need to pick a fight there. I could have used my magic and combat skills to escape normally.

But it still felt unjust.

He was a nasty guy.

At the clinic, he pushed me aside and even tried to shove me out. In the city, he gathered people to carry out a vigilante punishment.

And just for retaliating, I'm the one who gets in trouble.

Gustav said it would cause trouble later.

What kind of trouble?

Being in a weak position means not being recognized as a resident of the city.

You don't get the city's protection.

Indeed, that alone could make you a target for crimes by the citizens.

You might get lynched just for walking around the city. If you get robbed or hurt, they might let you off with, "He's just a slum dweller."

To avoid such terrifying situations, everyone must endure.

As long as I'm in the slums, this endurance will continue.

I don't think I can bear it.

So, how can I escape the slums?

How can I get citizenship and be on equal footing with them?

I remember Stona's unpleasant gaze.

The look that judged me as "unclean" and "someone to avoid" based on my appearance.

I remember Haman's evaluating look.

The look that decided I was "someone who could be pushed aside."

If I get citizenship and move out of the slums into the city, will their gazes change?

If I live in the city without changing my appearance or attitude, will they be able to judge differently?

I explored the city once and thought, "Even if I change, nothing will change."

But is that really true?

I want to try.

If I change, will they change too?

Can they treat me as a regular citizen, not just a slum dweller?

I want to laugh at those who don't change.

I want to laugh at them and ask, "What are you looking at?"

Yes, I will escape the slums.

It might take a long time, and I have no idea what to do.

But maybe it's worth trying.

After all, I have nothing else I want to do.

From now on, this will be what I want to do.

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"The Crow That Flies by Day" was the original title of this story.