CH 94

Chapter 94

Zecko was sure his parents would’ve met him if he waited there a little longer.

However, they were not the people who came to Zecko as he waited in the dark alley.

Back then, a person dressed as an imperial mage reached out his hand, and he lost his consciousness without time to resist.

It was hell after that.

“Hey, kid. Look ahead!”

He couldn’t focus because he recalled the bad memory for a while.

Zecko was criticized by a stranger in the middle of a huge market and stepped back with a big frown.

“Hmph. It’s also your fault for not paying attention.”

“What? You punk!”

Zecko began to run, avoiding the adult who looked back at him with an angry face.

He was glad he could escape ‘that’ place and was fed up with the Empire. There were only mean adults everywhere.

“They’re all the same.”

The man wearing the imperial mage robe was a person who was seen quite often in the commoner’s district.

Zecko knew he wasn’t a nice person and did not like the guy walking around with a smile.

There was also a hideous rumor that the children who disappeared became the mage’s disciples and did not return.

Of course, there were plenty of children who gambled just so they could escape poverty.

‘I’m sure the princess won’t be any different.’

The welfare foundation’s caretakers claimed that mage was the only bad guy.

The imperial family realized it and saved them. But Zecko couldn’t believe it.

In the first place, no one really knew the truth.

Maybe the foundation was made to bury the truth and settle the case.

‘But why did they ask me to go to the foundation?’

Actually, Zecko didn’t even want to go there. Because he didn’t want to be fooled by them again.

He didn’t know what it took to be a spy and wanted to end it at the Imperial Palace.

However, these people asked him to head to the Princess’ welfare foundation.

‘I should’ve quit.’

But suddenly, he remembered the dark basement where he was locked up.

Goosebumps sprang up all over his body as he trembled while running.

“Hmph. If I hide like this, they won’t be able to find me.”

Zecko deliberately bragged to himself and headed back to the slums again.

Zecko still did not know the identity of the guys who bought the children and locked them in the basement, even though he was a spy at this moment.

When the Crown Prince showed up, Zecko had agreed when he said he would send him back if he didn’t carry out his tasks in the future.

He remembered the dark basement he was locked up in again.

‘I-I’m not scared.’

Zecko started running again to shake off the fear that threatened to overtake him.

Soon after, shabby buildings began to come into sight as he headed to a dreary place in the commoner’s district.

That place was located on the edge of the magic circle, so the cold air of the North sometimes penetrated the slums.

‘They’re not here… Not here.’

Today, he even went to a person who was close to his parents and asked for their whereabouts, but it was in vain.

Zecko was not originally from the slums.

He wasn’t all that rich but he was able to live without starving.

But at some point, his parents’ faces started to become somber all the time.

Did they really want to abandon him?

‘Is that why they didn’t even leave a trace?’

One of his friends at the welfare foundation said that their parents sold them to the mage themselves.

The fact lingered in his head.

He was afraid it was the case with his parents.

‘But no, I don’t think so.’

The reason he followed the princess even though he didn’t believe in the empire and the imperial family was because he still had hope about his parents.

“I missed the other child, so take him instead because we need enough children.”

He recalled what the mage had said before he completely fainted. So there must have been some mistake.

His parents wouldn’t have sold him to a mage.

“Hey, you punk. Where are you hiding?”

Zecko wandered aimlessly in the alley because he lost his way again.

Then, like before, he ran into a passerby, and soon that person screamed at him.

“Huh? Hey you, ugh!”

“Watch where you’re going!”

However, unlike near the market earlier, he was immediately hit by a fist.

He was hit fiercely as if the guy never intended to let go of a young child like him who looked about ten years old.

Only then did Zecko realize how dangerous the slums are.

“Speak again, you little rat.”

“I- I…”

This time he curled up reflexively as he was about to be kicked.

His anger was constantly building up in his heart.

He hoped this shitty empire and bad adults would fall into ruin.

“Stop!”

“What? Who dares… Huh?”

Then he heard urgent steps.

Zecko was lying down and heard a child’s footsteps and inadvertently raised his head.

“Ptooey.”

After that, he heard the clanging sound of armor.

The rogue spotted the knight behind him rather than the child in front, hence, he immediately left Zecko and fled.

Even though his kicks had stopped, Zecko still stared blankly ahead.

“Are you alright?”

“……”

Although the color of her eyes and hair were changed a bit, he couldn’t help but recognize her face.

She’s a princess who should be in the imperial palace, why the hell was she here?

Then, she held out her hand as if she was worried about him.

Only then did Zecko, who suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly stand up.

“S-stop it!”

If she does this, he might be in big trouble later.

The knights behind them might grab Zecko at any moment.

That made Zecko frantic. It was scary.

‘How did they know I was here?’

Zecko broke out in a cold sweat as he rushed between them. He ran out thoughtlessly to a place with bright sunlight and wandered around as if no one would find him.

Zecko did not realize that running away suddenly made him seem more suspicious.

‘It must be a coincidence.’

It was not until when everyone returned home and the streets were quiet that Zecko came to his senses.

‘The Princess must be walking around the city.’

The Princess had originally been hard to see yet had been coming to the welfare foundation very often recently.

Even though he was busy looking for his parents outside, Zecko knew of it.

So it was just a coincidence that they encountered each other in the slums.

In addition, his actions weren’t suspicious until now so he shouldn’t have been suspected.

‘Where should I go?’

Zecko wandered the streets until it was dark and eventually returned to the welfare foundation.

He received nice clothes and bedding, but strangely, it didn’t seem like a home.

Nevertheless, he had to return because he had nowhere to go.

“Zecko! Are you okay?”

As soon as he entered, his roommate approached him in surprise.

“M, mind your own business!”

Hearing the uproar, Angel, the oldest child there, rushed to look at Zecko.

As if they were annoying, Zecko waved his hands, but each child still made a fuss. They must’ve thought there was a big problem because he came back in this state.

“I’ll get Madeleine right away,” Angel said urgently after getting up.

Finally, Zecko, who failed to acknowledge this unknown emotion, screamed loudly.

“Leave me alone!”

It was only after he shouted that the children quieted.

Their gaze made Zecko feel bad that he hurriedly slept in his own bed.

It was a very chaotic day.

* * *

The slums were a place where people were beaten up just because of a slight mistake, but Zecko couldn’t stop wandering around the slums.

It was the last place he had seen his parents. And there was nowhere else to check.

‘If only I had strength, I’d easily beat them up. Right now, I’m just putting up with it because I don’t want to be suspicious.’

He thought so, even though what he was doing now wasn’t spying.

Nevertheless, Zecko carefully wandered around the slums for days, working hard to justify his actions.

It was a coincidence that he ran into the Princess that day, and he hadn’t seen her since.

Also, there was no news of his parents.

“……”

He was snooping around and got into fights three more times within a few days. They even kicked him two times, but Zecko did not give up. He kept asking for news of his parents without pause.

“Hey you. Kid.”

“Don’t call me a kid.”

How dare he call him a kid when he became a spy for scary people?

All the guys here were stupidly running wild without knowing a thing about him.

Zecko bragged inside while backing away with slight fear.

“Yes, you. You said you were looking for your parents.”

“…!”

How did he know?

Well in fact, it would easily be known if he observed and followed Zecko.

Zecko approached him and was about to ask him his intention.

“I’m an informant.”

But before that, the person said so, and Zecko was convinced by his claim.

As an informant, he could easily know about Zecko.

“What’s the matter?” Zecko asked as he leaned against the wall.

Zecko often met adults who had bad intentions toward him, so it felt weird to be suddenly approached.

“I have that information.”

“…Really?”

Zecko rushed up to him, forgetting to deliberately act nonchalantly.

Meanwhile, the big man had a weird smile on his face.

“Where are they?!”

“Oh, I can’t just give it to you. Do you have any money to pay for the information?”

“……”

Zecko did not have money.

As he looked up at the informant without hiding his nervousness, the man sighed.

“It’s a pity, but I have to make money, too.”

“What should I do?”

Zecko had only been there for a few days, but he knew a thing or two about the slums.

Even though he had no money,the informant didn’t turn his back because he needed him.

When asked by Zecko, the informant smiled broadly and wrapped an arm around Zecko’s shoulder.

“You said you live in the Princess’ welfare foundation?”

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