Chapter 9: Jim-2
"Not that it matters to me," Kai strolled through the town square, his legs shaky and his body sore.
In a few minutes, he exited the town square and made his way behind the Adventurers' Guild, then took a road that led to a narrow alley, which brought him to the slums.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he leaned against the doorway of his shackle.
"Haa... Haa!" He panted, clutching his ribs before stepping inside.
As he entered, his gaze fell upon the sleeping figure of the little girl, who had fallen asleep where she sat.
Without a second thought, Kai quietly grabbed a blanket and moved toward her, bending over to cover her.
He placed a piece of bread near her that he had stolen from the vendor. "You can eat this when you wake up," he whispered.
He stood up, moving to another blanket spread across the ground, Kai settled down and pulled a piece of bread from his tunic and started munching on it. As he ate, his thoughts drifted to revenge.
'You guys will pay,' he thought bitterly. 'Just you wait.' He glanced at the sleeping girl, then resumed munching on the piece of bread.
After finishing the bread, he lay down, pulling the last tattered blanket over himself for warmth. Within seconds, he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, morning sun rays washed over Kai's face through the tattered roof. He forced himself up, the soreness from yesterday's beating still lingering in his body.
"Yawn..." He stretched but winced immediately. "Argh!" The pain surged through him, a grim reminder of yesterday.
"Damn it," he muttered as he got up from his makeshift bed.
Turning his head to the corner, he noticed the girl was awake. The blanket still covered her frail figure, but the bread slice he had left for her yesterday was gone.
"No, it's not time yet, not yet," he murmured under his breath before walking toward the table.
A small red pouch, caked in dirt, lay there. He picked it up, opened it, and counted the coins inside.
"Three... That's all I have left," he said with a sigh, tossing the pouch back onto the table before walking outside his house.
Kai walked the familiar path to the shop he had visited the day before.
Approaching the vendor, he asked cautiously, "Sir, by any chance, do you have any clothes you don't need? Something worn out or just trash?"
The vendor glared at him, his face twisting in irritation.
"I already told ya before, just go away! Don't waste my time!" he barked.
Kai opened his fist, showing the coins.
"I have money, sir. I will buy them, please, if you have any." Kai pleaded with the man.
The vendor glanced at the coins in Kai's hand.
"Just three? You petty beggar! Even the cheapest ones start at ten coppers," he growled, his face twisted in frustration.
Before Kai could plead further, the vendor's expression shifted into a sly smirk.
He snatched the coins from Kai and turned toward the back of the shop. Walking to a trash can, he rummaged through it and pulled out a long cloak, he handed it to Kai.
"Now get away from here, you filth!" Without waiting for a response, the vendor returned to his work. Kai glanced at the cloak, his eyes lighting up with amusement.
"Thank you, sir," he said and quickly left.
Despite being pulled from the trash, the cloak was in decent condition—far better than anything Kai owned.
It wasn't patched, though its color was faded, and it was stained with dirt.
"Finally, something useful," he mused to himself, folding the cloak and tucking it under his tunic. He had sewn a hidden pocket into his clothing to carry small items with him.
Returning to the market square, Kai wandered past several stalls until he stopped at a fruit vendor.
"Please, sir, could you spare some food?" Kai asked, his tone pleading.
The vendor barely glanced at him. "Get lost," he snapped, narrowing his eyes, he waved his hand to shoo Kai away.
But Kai wasn't ready to give up. He clenched his fists at his chest, mustered invisible sparkling stars in his eyes, and pouted slightly, activating his "trump card."
The vendor's lips twitched in irritation as he tried to ignore the boy, but Kai stood his ground and kept pleading with his trump card activated.
"Just f#ck off!" the vendor finally exploded, his patience gone. He threw a coin at Kai's face and turned away, completely ignoring him after that.
Kai flinched but quickly picked up the coin. "Thank you, sir," he said, a grin spreading across his face as he ran off.
Emboldened by his small success, Kai went from stall to stall, pleading for food or coins, but everywhere he went, he faced utter rejection.
He endured harsh words, shouts, and even a few slaps or shoves for his efforts. His spirits hadn't fallen since getting that coin—he was motivated that he might get another, but he was wrong.
Hours passed with no success. His body ached from the beatings, but he pressed on until he finally stopped at an equipment shop.
"Please, sir, could you spare som—" Before he could finish, the owner shoved his chest forcefully, sending him to the ground.
"I've already told you to stay away from my shop, you pest!" the man shouted.
"Argh..." Kai grunted as he picked himself up. He didn't argue, knowing it would only make things worse.
Clutching his sore arm, he left the shop, walking slowly out of the market square, his body was still aching.
If only he hadn't been beaten to a pulp—he would have tried his luck at work, since it had better scope than begging.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Kai stopped at a bakery and exchanged one copper coin for a piece of bread.
Tucking it into his tunic, he left the square and headed down a narrow alley leading to the slums and, eventually, his shackle.
As he passed through the slums, he overheard a group of people talking.
"What, delayed really?"
"But why?"
"Does it even matter? It's just a festival for those high and fancy folks—they won't even let us spectate."
"Hey, did you forget the amount of money we can snatch from bystanders?"
"Oh! You're right. How could I forget that? Haha!"
People were chatting about the festival's delay, what had happened, why it was delayed, or when it would happen. Kai ignored them, uninterested in their opinions since it was already delayed and nothing could change that.
Let them babble about their theories and plans—it wasn't his concern.
"Poor Mayor," he remarked sympathetically, recalling the rumors he'd overheard in the town square earlier.
"Hey, Kai!"
As he was about to reach his shackle, he stopped in his tracks at the sound of someone calling his name from behind. Turning around, he saw the same black-haired, black-eyed boy from yesterday.
"There you are, my little piggy bank," Jim said with a cruel grin. He grabbed Kai by the neck, tightening his grip as if savoring the moment.