Chapter 99 Prologue - Gareth Hale

My name is Gareth Hale, and I was once a successful merchant in the bustling town of Thornehold, located in the northern region of the Atrana Kingdom. I had a wife and two children, and we lived a comfortable life. I was known for my shrewd business sense and my ability to turn a profit from almost anything. But that was before everything fell apart.

It all started when I came to the city of Adenberd in the Duchy of Whitesburg of the Atrana Kingdom with a grand plan to expand my business. I had dreams of becoming a prominent merchant in the region, and I thought I had it all figured out. I invested all my savings into my business venture, hoping to make a fortune.

I rented a large warehouse in the heart of the city and hired a team of skilled workers to help me import goods from all over the kingdom. I had high hopes for my business and believed that I was going to make a killing.

However, I soon realized that I had underestimated the fierce competition in Adenberd. The other merchants were ruthless, and they were willing to sell their goods at a lower price than mine, no matter the quality. I tried to adjust my prices, but it was already too late. I was already in debt, and things were only getting worse.

Desperate to save my business, I turned to lenders for help. I borrowed money to keep my business afloat, but the interest rates were high, and I couldn't keep up with the payments. Before I knew it, I was drowning in debt, and everything I had worked for was slipping away.

I was forced to sell everything I owned, including my warehouse and the goods inside it. But even that wasn't enough to cover my debts. I was left with nothing but the clothes on my back and the few coins in my pocket.

I thought I could start over, but it was too late. No one would lend me money, and no one wanted to do business with a failed merchant. I was left with no other option but to live in the slums of Adenberd.

The slums were a far cry from the life I had known before. The streets were narrow and winding, and the air was thick with the stench of rotting garbage. The people who lived there were destitute and desperate, and crime was rampant. The slums were a place where only the strongest could survive.

But I had no other choice. I had to survive somehow, and the only way I knew how was to hustle. I started doing odd jobs for anyone who would pay me, from carrying crates to cleaning houses. It was a hard life, but it was better than starving.

As I sat alone in my dingy room, my mind often drifted back to my old life. I missed my wife and children terribly. They were still back in Thornehold, and I knew that they must be worried sick about me. But I couldn't bring myself to face them, not when I had failed so miserably.

The thought of never seeing them again brought a lump to my throat, but I quickly shook it off. I couldn't afford to be sentimental. I needed to focus on surviving in this new, harsh reality.

And that's how I ended up here, in the slums of Adenberd, with nothing to my name but the memories of my past life.

I suffered many hardships in the early days of living in the slums. The little coins I had were robbed forcefully from me as soon as I set foot, then I was almost beaten to death and whatnot. For a shelter, I only had a small dirty shack and I thought I would certainly die. I soon fell ill and was on the verge of death. But by some heavenly miracle, I managed to persevere.

The few months were worse than hell as I couldn't bring myself to eat the dirty food of the slums. I would often sleep on an empty stomach and cry in the corner, reminiscing about my family back home.

I thought of going back home but how? The journey is long and full of hazards. Without money and the protection of the mercenaries, I can never make it back alive. One thing I can never do is sell myself even if I have to die. And that's why I decided to live in the slums because I had some hope left in me.

Although I was shit of a merchant, I was afterall still known for my shrewd personality back at home. Using my shrewdness, I made some like-minded friends here to save myself from vile characters.

The slum is no kind of place, there are criminal violent gangs here that rule the slums. These people were once in my place but they grew accustomed to depravity. So much so that it became an important part of their lives.

And so they would never let the slum develop into something better despite the many endeavors taken by the Duke. In the end, growing indifferent to such behavior, the White Family gave up on the slums entirely. Instead, hiding it from the public as if it were some forbidden realm of demons. Although there might be some truth to it.

I, on the other hand, continued to make more friends. From violent cold-blooded killers to those just like me who wanted change and craved salvation. Soon enough, I also created a gang of my own, becoming a little monarch of depravity. How ironic, isn't it?

But it was important for my survival. Although I managed to accomplish this much, I began losing hope of ever escaping this hellhole. The kind of money I needed was simply too much and even though I had my group of hooligans to protect ourselves, I still couldn't escape.

But one day, a carriage showed up in the hellhole. The carriage wasn't just any normal carriage though. It was so extravagant that if I were to sell it, I could easily make a fortune.

But of course, I wouldn't dare even think of such a thing because that carriage bore the insignia of the White Family. The Nobles setting foot in a vile, dirty place like the slum? I couldn't believe my eyes.

Remembering the hell I had experienced, I lashed out at whoever was inside. I tried to incite the crowd in the rush of the moment but when I came to my senses, it was too late. I expected to be killed right there by the three ironclad escort knights by the carriage's side.

But something very unexpected happened. The curtain of the carriage moved and a child's face came into view. The child looked less than ten years old, he had long silky white hair grazing over his shoulders and an angelic, calm face as he looked at the crowd with his piercing gaze.

What's a little kid doing in a place like this? I had thought back then as I dumbfoundedly looked at the kid. I feared for a moment that the crowd would do something irreversible resulting in a bloodbath, however, the knights escorting the carriage were very intimidating and so nothing bad happened.

As the crowd grew somewhat calmer, the boy began speaking in a firm voice. I couldn't believe that he was a kid as his demeanor would even put adults to shame. The Young Master introduced himself as the second son of Duke White.

Just as I was wondering why he was there, he looked straight at me and my heart stirred. One by one, he began exposing all the truth of the slum and its inhabitants. What he was uttering were the darkest parts of my heart that haunted me everyday and night. He made me feel ashamed deep inside, rubbing salt on my regrets.

He recited exactly what had happened to most of the people in the slums. We overreached, trying to make it big in the world despite knowing the risks, and when things began crumbling, we made the situation worse instead of finding solutions or backing off completely.

When the Duke tried to help the people of the slums, the people refused to be helped as they drowned in their depravity. Even though I wasn't one of those people but what could I do? How would I, a lowly failed merchant, possibly make any difference?

The boy then gave us the hope of salvation. I knew what he wanted when he said that there was a need for change. He was presumably referring to the people's mentality and will to grow out of poverty.

But I, a commoner, how could I trust the words of a noble? And a child at that!

I simply left without saying a word. But then when my mind had cooled off, I realized that what if he was right? What if the kid really wanted to help? If so, then this would be the greatest opportunity. Afterall, he, a kid, had set foot in the hellhole that is the slum without a hint of haughtiness, disgust, or disdain on his face.

This exact reason as well as the wish to grow out of the dirt made me take a chance. However, if I was going to act risking my life and peace, then I needed assurance.

And so after thinking, scratching my head in contemplation for a few days, I set out into the city to investigate.

As silly as it was, I needed to know more about the person who wanted to help me, especially if the person happened to be a kid, the heir of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom, and someone who was shrouded in mystery.

So when for the first time in a long while when I went out of the slums and into the city, the first word of gossip that fell on my ears was the news of the attempt on Young Master Ethan's life.

Apparently, he had suffered the assassination attempt right after he left the slums. Many bystanders were killed, hurt, and allegedly, the Young Master first asked to reimburse the families of the dead and wounded when everything had passed. Not only that, but he supposedly identified an assassin acting as a little girl and decisively killed her with his own hands.

He was calm throughout the entire ordeal and did not panic. One could ever say that he was like a tiger cub.

After that investigated more, a boy said to have one of the greatest potentials for power in history. 'Could this be an exaggeration?' This was my first thought. but then recalling his confident, soporific gaze and the fervor look in his eyes made me doubt myself again.

I also got to know that Young Master Ethan frees several slaves every day. He employs them in the mansion and he goes to the slave market personally. He is not arrogant like the other nobles and interacts casually with the locals. He likes to eat street food from the marketplace and he always pays extra tips.

I couldn't believe my ears. Could a child from a powerful noble family be so kind? It simply felt unreal. I thought that the boy wouldn't take one step out of his castle after the assassination attempt but he acted as if nothing had happened.

Only after I repeatedly confirmed these details and witnessed it secretly with my own eyes did I believe all of it.

After a long while, my spirits were reignited once again as I decided to put my trust in Young Master Ethan's promise. I could finally see a ray of hope after a lot of time. Instead of rotting in the dirt my entire life, I'd rather die trying.

And so I began taking the initiative. I somehow convinced my gang of friends and companions to follow me in this cleanup. I decided that this time I would have no regrets.