Tak, Tak....
It's been a month since that incident. After a week of rest me and Anna began training properly.
I've now started to develop proper muscles and my bony body started to gain some mass. I overall look like how an average 8 year old athlete would look like.
Currently me and Nara are sparring. Well, more like I've been giving my best while Nara is just fighting while drinking her coffee.
She is strong, no doubt.
I've tried multiple times to atleast graze her but no, I can't even seem to touch her shadow let alone her.
"That's enough for today Roy, go on now, your sister has some work she has to attend to." Nara said looking at me.
I simply nodded and wished her luck.
I quickly reached the inn, freshened myself a bit and looked around it.
The heavily reinforced wooden walls and the heavy protection at the entrance was becoming too much of a sight.
Although it was unnecessary for all this but my father deemed it necessary.
The two huge men guarding the entrance of the inn, was costing a huge fortune. And considering how things have began to move a bit uncomfortable in the slums my father thought it was best to leave it that way.
I've tried numerous times asking about what happened to the one who attacked us or who exactly they were but I never got any answers.
I just sighed and went to Anna.
"Roy you're up early, what is it??", Anna asked a bit confused.
"Ooh, morning Anna, Nara said she had some work to attend so today's practice ended earlier than expected. Anyway can you lend me the inn's expenses the previous month?" I asked.
"Ha, why so??",
"I'm just curious" I said looking solemnly into her eyes.
She was a bit reluctant but passed the book either way.
I quickly skimmed through the book and realized I was right.
The inn was losing a lot of money on guards and repair and our earning was not matching upto it.
'We per day earn an average of around 3 gold coins. Roughly around 360 silver coins. We have to monthly pay 5 gold coin to each of the guards. If we sum it up, 10 gold coins along with housing and eating fee. Considering we have 30 gold coins a month we would only have 20 coins on food, and other services. Considering the number of people who just barge in and eat for free the amount of raw materials is extremely low. Hmm this is a problem.',
"Anna, step down the rate a bit but make it compulsory to pay up. Won't it solve our shortage of money" I said trying to sound as childish as possible.
It was going to work. I was a CA in my previous life, so I was well versed with finances and other business related things.
Currently the slums is in a turmoil. Due to the those guys in the suit killing 4 people just like that, there's been heavy movements from one place to another.
I also learnt that the weaponry below our inn is actually the slums' whole defense stash.
The weapons began moving in and out of the slums.
A lot of people have started to do military drill runs.
If the general public was this scared then I could only come to a conclusion that the people who had come were extremely dangerous. If that was the case we would need one thing to survive, MONEY.
We would be needing a lot of money and with our current rate it seems hardly possible.
So I thought of throwing a bait in and see if she catches it.
Anna thought for a while thinking about my recommendation.
Under normal circumstances people would avoid listening to kids trying to act like adults but in dire situations like this people always are ready to take up any hand offered.
Irrespective of good or bad.
Although it did feel like I was exploring them.
Nevertheless, I laid the foundation, it's upto them to decide if it's strong enough.
Afterwards I began practicing mana like how Anna had instructed me a week back.
I sat down below a banyan tree near our inn and closed my eyes.
I gently collected mana in front of me and let it flow all over my body.
At first the amount was negligible but slowly I started to push gallons of mana into my body integrating every part.
Then quickly I summoned a small gale around my palms.
Pouring more mana into the plethora of gases in my hands, I watched as it danced to my flow.
I tried condensing the wind to spread around my body like an armor.
A thin layer of gale lingered around my silhoutte making me look like I was the wind God at flesh.
The green hue around me condescending the colourless nature of wind lingered a sense of superiority.
I quickly felt my mana reserves depleting and canceled my small but effective show.
Over the past few days I have learnt to control wind extremely well.
It felt as though the wind was created just for me.
I wasn't kidding by any means when I said. I legit felt that way.
Suddenly a man appeared riding on his huge brown horse.
His babyish face and his Asian type complexion made him look extremely attractive.
"Sir Klein, good day to you, is it time for my lookout?? Looks like it's going to be a busy month", I said.
"Aah Roy, indeed. I'm sorry as a child you have to go through this but you're the only one mature enough compared to others to understand the extent we have been tied to a Gordian knot." He said with an apologetic face.
"You don't have to worry about all that. Please get our horses in front the inn, I shall briefly join you" I answered back with a smile.
To sum up the situation, every three hours once, the guards keep changing for the lookout of potential threat against the slums.
But the elders decided that even the children aging from 7 to 14 would be joining as a means of providing them experience.
Of course for their safety an effective individual would be sent along with them for protection.
Well in my team there were 5 members with 3 horses.
The one assigned to look after us was the guy who talked us before, Klein. He had no second name for whatever reasons.
He carried a Mace on his back, and had a lean build looking around 30 years or so.
He sat on his brown horse.
Meanwhile the rest of the three horses were occupied by us.
Well on the white horse named Mobius, me and Alice were seated.
On the horse named Zeer, Nero and his friend Jack were seated.
Only me and Nero learnt to ride the horse so the rest two, sat behind us.
"Bahahaha, let's go Royy!!!!", Nero shouted looking extremely excited.
He was the only guy who looked exited for this, all the others were gloomy, while I myself maintained a neutral expression.
I quickly sat on my horse and helped Alice get comfortable with herself.
Nera and Jack sat down too.
"Shall we go then?", I asked looking at Alice.
She just nodded in conformation tugging onto to me tightly.
I heaved and the horse began moving.
The sights were usual. The exterior of the slums were in condition worse than being called pathetic.
The children all looked like they had kwashiorkor and marasmus.
Their bony endoskeleton made them look like an undead.
I felt my heart grip at such a sight.
No matter how and where I go such a scene always torments me.
Klein looked unaffected as though he had gotten used to such a sight.
Looking at our sulking expression, he just uttered.
"Look here kiddos. Right now there's nothing you can do. The moment you offer a helping hand to one of them all the people will begin flocking you forcing you to tend them too.
But as of the moment we don't have such capabilities. But in case when you grow and find yourself well in society then at that time help them." He said as he sped up slightly.
We were just silent and the defeaning silence was too huge.
I then followed Klein speeding up a bit closing in on him and finally even Nero followed.
As we strode through the stony path, I once again noticed a small group of people looking healthy and fit among others.
Why did I say again??, because ever since we began our look outs from last week this particular group always has been coming to our sights, as though they were deliberately trying to catch our attention.
"Klein," I uttered a bit alarmed.
"Hmm, looks like you caught it too Roy, well then it's about time you kids see how an interrogation takes place", he said jumping out of his horse.
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Hey there,
Just mass released a bunch of chapters. From the next chapter onwards the updates are going to be slow...
Maybe around two chapters per week...