n

n

n

n

"Smelly men, what do you want?

"

n

"_

"

n--silence--

n(>°□°)

nGringo looked up to the sky and didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

nHow could he have forgotten that this brat was always rude through and through?

nEven though It has been over 4 months since he last came to the brat's home, how could he have forgotten the boy's true nature?

nSmelly man?

nDid these magnificent men look like smelly men to the brat?

nBut even though he glared at Dartomi, he couldn't help but feel anxious for the poor kid.

nGringo secretly looked at Beri and the rest before sighing from relief.

nGood, they weren't angry.

nHe looked again and was even more confused than before.

nEh?

nWhy were sir Beri and the rest smiling instead?

nDid they like being insulted?

nBut how would Gringo have known that the men were actually admiring Dartomi's courage instead?

nEven though he was trembling, he never yielded or diverted their eyes in the least while insulting them.

nSoldiers: the kid's got spunk.

nBeri smiled at the lad in amus.e.m.e.nt.

n

"What do we want?

nKid... We want to help you!

"

n

"Really?

nAnd why would you want to do that?

nThere's no free meal in this world, so why?

" Dartomi asked curiously.

n

"Hmm... it's because our ruler and our people have once suffered a fate that made the entire world shun us too.

nSo we are here to provide aid to those who truly need it.

nOf course, we can talk on and on about what we can or can't do.....But in your heart, I know that you've already made up your mind on what you will do.

nIsn't that right, Dartomi.

"

n

"Hmmmm.....my place can't take all of you at once, so only you and the village chief can come in.

"

n

"As you say, this is your home after all.

"

nWith that, Beri turned to the rest of his men and nodded at them, before heading in with Gringo.

n.

nBoth Beri and Gringo spent over an hour trying to satisfy the young man's curiosity.

nUnlike most, Dartomi had actually never heard of Baymard before as he never left the mountain region for anything.

nHe used to live in the village with his parents when he was younger... Even though he was still shunned by everyone.

nBut unfortunately for him when he turned 4, the Pure Evil cult that was newly established at the Time went to each village in hopes of spreading terror.

nOf course they attempted to take his mother and defile her, but his father wasn't having it.

nHis father was killed and his mother committed suicide, rather than be defiled.

nAnd so he became an orphan who fended for himself since then.

nHe moved here and never went back down again.

nBut hearing about Baymard made him feel like he didn't know the world outside at all.

n

"Can I see it?

"

n

"Are you sure you want to?

nI've been called a monster my whole life, and many people say that the hole under my nose is a scar marked by a demon.

nIt's said that looking at it would make one get bad fortune.

nSo, do you really want to see it?

" Dartomi said with a serious expression on his face.

n

"Hahhhhahhahahah!

nWhat stupid curse?

nKid... I've seen 3 people like you, and they have already been treated by our healers (doctors).

nWhat curse?

nAs I said, ignorance is this world's biggest sin.

"

nHearing Beri, both Dartomi and Gringo jumped in shock.

nThey were cured?

nSo this wasn't a curse?

nBeri went in to explain the basic knowledge about what he knew about it, which took the other men by surprise.

nThey were also shown pictures of the before and after treatments of some patients.

nWithout a doubt, they were shocked by the picture thing that didn't look anything like a portrait.

n

n

nBut the patients in the pictures stunned them even more.

nDartomi looked at the smiling boy in the picture and felt the flames of hope grow deeper within him.

nSo this illness was called Cleft lip, and it was just a defect from during pregnancy?

nHe looked to the ground, slowly took off his scarf and raised his head back up again.

nHe tried to hold back his tears, but in the end... He wept like the kid that he was.

n'Woo...Woo...Woo...Woo'

n

"There, There.

nIt's all better now, isn't it?

"

nGringo looked at him and sighed.

nAll he saw now was a pitiful child.

nAnd now that he knew that it was an illness, he felt even more empathy for the orphaned poor boy instead.

nHe couldn't help but feel ashamed when he thought of the behaviour of some of his villagers towards the boy who had no one in this world to turn to.

nWhat monster?

nClearly, the poor guy was just sick and needed help.

nGringo promised himself that if he ever found people who were like Dartomi, he would immediately send them to Baymard for treatment.

nAnd anyone who ever called Dartomi a monster in his presence, would definitely feel his wrath.

nSigh..... The world was really ignorant, and so was his previous self.

n.

nBeri allowed Dartomi to cry to his heart's contempt.

nAnd after 5 minutes, the red puffy-eyed boy quickly resumed his so-called cold look... which at this point only made him look like he was pouting.

n

"So you all are leaving now?

nWait!

nDo I need to go with you now?

"

n

"No... Not now.

nThis is only the first village that we visited.

nSo after distributing everything to all chosen villages and towns, then we will make a U-turn and pick everyone up.

nPlus we also have to take care of the out evil can't before we leave.

nSo in about a week or so, we should be back.

nAfter all, it's only 2 P.M, and we are already on our way towards the next village now.

"

n

"Okay, I'll wait for you all.

"

n

"Good!

"

nWith that, Beri and his team left.

nBut they weren't the only ones who were preparing for battle.

nFar away from Carona, danger was silently brewing in the dark.

n

n