n

n

n

"Ah, so it's you!

"

nThe baker's wife suddenly nodded and put away her broom...!

n

"I see, I see...

"

nShe kept on nodding her head and went back inside.

nThe nameless boy wanted to use this chance to escape but he was too slow.

nThe baker's wife returned but what shocked the boy the most was that she was holding a loaf of bread in her hand.

nThe boy couldn't hold back the saliva from flowing out of his mouth at the sight of proper food.

n|What does she want...? Is she going to start eating it in front of me to spite me?|

nHe could feel tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

n|I knew it! It's definitely not the world of Kampf um die Liebe! This is just a...!|

nBut then...

n

"Here, it's yesterday's, it won't sell anyway.

"

nThe baker's wife stretched her arm holding the bread towards him.

n

"...?

"

nAt first, he couldn't believe what was happening.

nWas... was it really possible...? Surely this was just a mean trick...!

nThe boy cowered cautiously as if expecting the woman to throw the bread away and laugh at him, but the woman hasn't taken back the bread and was waiting for him to receive it.

n

"...

"

nThe boy trembled, but in the end, hunger won over fear and so he slowly, very slowly, walked up to her and grabbed the bread.

nThe baker's wife let go of it and nodded her head as she turned away.

n

"...seriously, what a shame - you poor little thing...

"

nShe sighed while walking back inside the bakery.

nThe nameless boy gulped down his saliva, staring at the loaf in his arms.

nHis body shook uncontrollably as he hugged the bread.

n

"Aunty, are you an angel...?

"

nHe raised his head and asked the back of the baker's wife in a tearful voice.

n

"!!!!

"

nThe woman froze and looked back at the heart-wrenching sight of the neglected child with pity in her eyes.

n

"No, far from it...

"

nShe couldn't watch the crushing view any longer so she turned away.

n

"You can stay here until you finish eating.

"

nShe added and closed the door behind her.

nThe black-haired boy made sure that no one would see him from the street and sat down.

nAfter the first bite, he couldn't control himself and laid down on his back.

n

"It's so delicious...!

"

nIt was the most delicious thing that the nameless boy tasted in his life, and because he was either starving or stuffing himself with waste the boy thought that even in his dream – in the previous life of his – he never tasted anything as delicious.

nHe was honestly dreading the moment when he finishes eating it.

nThe thought of hiding some of it for later didn't even cross his mind, even if he did, it could be found and taken away by the stronger kids.

nAnd basically, everyone was stronger than him - even younger children – after all, everyone else was getting fed while he was left starving.

nBut that day, for the first time in forever, his stomach was full.

nHe never felt happier.

nHe stood up and decided to return to the house - Edung and Boren would go out each morning to sell the stolen goods and spend the money on cheap alcohol and in even cheaper brothers, only then they would return with some food for the kids who stole the most, there was no chance for them to be there, and if he was lucky all the other kids would also be out searching for targets and fishing through their pockets.

nThat was what was supposed to happen, but for whatever reason as soon as the scrawny black-haired boy got to the street where the house was, he saw both Edung and Boren walking inside the house!

nNo, wait! That wasn't the shocking part!

nThe taller and bald one, Boren, was holding an unconscious black-haired girl in a green dress under his arm, like a sack of flour, and the fat one with brown hair, Edung, was looking around checking if no one saw them.

nThe small boy easily hid behind a leaking barrel with the rainwater on the corner of another ruined shack as soon as he saw them, and he even covered his mouth with both hands to be completely sure that he wasn't seen

n|They've kidnapped someone!|

nHe realized and got terrified.

n|What are they going to do to that girl!?|

nIt was an even more terrifying thought.

nOne time, after a particularly severe beating, the nameless boy woke up in the middle of the night, and in the dim light of the moonlight, he saw Edung vigorously moving around under the blanket belonging to one of the oldest girls from the group of kids...

n...while the girl was under the blanket...

n|I can't let that girl get hurt!|

nBut the chances of him saving the girl by himself could be shown only as negative numbers. It would be far better to find someone else to help!

nAnyone would do!

nHaving decided what to do the black-haired boy started running as fast as he could, which still was considerably slow, while he was desperately looking for someone whom he could ask for help.

n|Maybe the angel aunty...? No! She would get hurt!|

nFor a second he thought about the nice aunty from the bakery but discarded the idea instantly.

nAs he was starting to panic, he spotted two knights in full armor and swords at their waists looking like they were searching around.

n|They! They could help!|

nThe boy almost tripped as he ran towards them and started tugging on the closer knight's sword's scabbard.

n

"Sir knight...! Sir knight...!

"

nHe was gasping for air so he had trouble with speaking properly.

n

"Hmm...? Oh, dear heavens...

"

nThe pale-blue-haired knight looked down at him with a complicated expression and reached towards his purse in an almost instinctive move, he took out a few copper coins and tried to give them to the boy.

n

"Here kid, I'm sorry, but go away now, we're very busy.

"

n

"...n-noo...!

"

nBut the child only shook his head and kept on tugging on the scabbard of the blue-haired knight's weapon.

n

"Then what do you want, little one?

"

nThe knight's voice even though dyed with worry was surprisingly gentle.

n

"Are you lost? We need to find someone so you'll have to wait, alright?

"

nHe kneeled down and patted the boy's head.

n

"Sir Knight! I saw a girl in a pretty green dress! Edung and Boren were taking her inside the house but she wasn't moving! You have to help her!

"

nBut that was the moment when the scrawny boy had finally managed to calm his breath and cried out, looking up at the blue-haired knight with urgency.

n