n

n

n

nRankin's eyes were filled with tears as he tried to cry without making a sound.

n~Sniff, Sniff~~

nEdwin and Hoshen, who had been sitting against the cave walls, calmly opened their eyes and sighed.

nWell, they did understand the boy's emotions.

nEdwin got up and walked towards the boy.

nThe cave itself wasn't too big.

nIt was just 16 feet long away from the edge and 5 feet wide.

nOne could really do wonders with a pickaxe in their hands.

nEdwin walked towards the boy with a bottle of water at hand.

n

"Kid. Let's talk.

"

nUpon hearing the voice, Rankin's heart leaped with all sorts of emotions.

nHe was afraid, curious and hopeful.

nHe took a deep breath, quickly wiped his eyes and tried to maintain a calm demeanour.

nIt was just that his eyes were already swollen, and his emotions were all over the place.

nSo the demeanour he wanted to conjure up didn't work.

nLooking at the 5-year-old boy, Edwin immediately compared him to those his age in Baymard.

nHe should be living a happy life as a child.

nYet here he was, carrying a burden that was too great for his age.

nSigh...

n.

n

"Kid. Let's talk.

nFirstly, we mean no harm. So you can relax a bit.

"

n

"Yes,

" Rankin replied seriously.

nYet, he still didn't relax.

nIt wasn't that he didn't want to, but his body didn't seem to heed his command.

nLooking at him, Edwin inwardly chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt.

n

"Kid, what's your name?

"

n

"Rankin.

"

n

"Good name.

nSo, we did save you. But what do you want to do from here?

"

nEh?

nRankin felt perplexed while looking at Edwin before him and Hoshen far back.

nDidn't they rescue him because they knew his identity and needed him?

nWhy was this situation different from what he imagined?

nThey didn't even ask what his last name was?

nOr could it be a trap?

nCounties thoughts passed through Rankin's mind, making him confused and even more curious about his saviours.

nIf he asked about them, would they be pissed?

nHe thinned his lips helplessly, as he didn't know what to do.

n

"Kid. What are you going to do now?

"

n

"Sir... I... I don't know.

" Rankin answered with his head lowered.

nEdwin rubbed his chin and nodded.

nThis was understandable.

nThe kid had lost his only support. So he should be left in a muddled state.

n

"Kid. If you have nothing young, then why not come with us?

"

n

"Erm... Sirs... Where are you from?

"

n

"Baymard.

"

nRankin quickly widened his eyes in shock.

nBaymard?

nThat place that is said to be outstanding?

nHe felt it was too unbelievable.

nWere they really from Baymard? Or was this how they typically trapped people?

nRankin was very vigilant!

nEdwin wasn't offended at all.

nOne should be vigilant, especially when meeting someone for the first time.

nWhat if they were child traffickers?

n.

n

"Kid. All I can say is that we were here on an errand and just happened to run into you.

nFor 5 days, we'll stay here quietly.

nAnd after that, we'll regroup with a few more and leave.

nWe'll take you towards one of the Coastal areas around.

nAt that time, if you want to come with us, you can.

nAnd if you don't, then we can just part ways.

nKid, the choice is yours.

nBut just know that in everything you do, a man needs friends and allies.

nYou are more likely to succeed working with great friends and allies than doing things all alone.

nThat said, you should also pick allows that are trustworthy.

nYou must carefully study them and never make any rash decisions.

nWhichever path you choose will decide your fate.

nTread carefully.

"

nRankin listened seriously and nodded gratefully:

"Thank you.

"

n

n

nHe just needed some words of comfort right now.

nSo Edwin's words came at the right time.

nHe also believed that he couldn't take down his enemies alone.

nSo he decided to observe these people until they reached the coastal region, before he made his decision.

nAt that point, whatever he chose, he was sure that he wouldn't regret it.

nAs his uncle said, mistakes aren't a bad thing, provided one learnt and grew from them.

nSo even if the choice was wrong, he wouldn't regret it.

n~Grrrrrr

nHis belly grumbled, leaving in embarrassment.

nEdwin grinned while Hoshen, who had been leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, quickly opened one of the bags and took out some belly-filling snacks for the kid to eat.

n.

nNow wasn't a good time to cook since those damn birds were already circling the area.

nIf he dared to cook now, the smell would make them barge in here like crazy.

nThe fake wooden shield

/door they had placed using barks of trees would definitely not be able to hold those birds back.

nSo it wasn't advisable.

nAround 8 in the morning, the birds typically flew straight down the abyss, heading towards the streams, lakes and other regions below.

nAs everyone knows, where there was a water source, there were bound to be several creatures drinking from it.

nSo these gigantic birds liked swooping in and carrying animals away.

nWith their strength, they could even carry an entire Hangol away.

nAnd it was during this time that they would quickly cook, eat and remove the barks of wood at the edge of the cave to properly ventilate the place.

nThese birds moved in flocks and did things together, just like wolves who shared different responsibilities amongst each other.

nThey had been studying the movements of these birds while making the cave.

nSo they knew that the birds did everything together.

nRankin ate the snacks before him gleefully.

nDelicious!

nWith that, the trio in the cave successfully ironed everything out.

nAt the same time, the other 2 back at the Inn suddenly sat up from the heap of straw at the stables and looked at each other grimly.

n

"They're 3 hours late.

nSomething happened.

"

n

"Hmhm. We need to follow protocol.

"

nWith that, the duo laid back down calmly and closed their eyes yet again.

nTomorrow was going to be a busy day.

n

n