Chapter 9 Yes, I like children

After two hours of journey, Haina did not feel tired at all.

As we leave the Red and White Queen District, which is the city center of the capital's "Glass Island", the number of factories emitting thick smoke and speeding trains gradually increases.

The choking fog was accompanied by the fishy smell of fish and shrimp, and the sound of whistles mixed with the cries of vendors.

The aroma of baking wafted from the street bakery, and people wearing thick windbreakers and top hats walked down the street.

A down-and-out painter wearing a beret sat on the street, painting the dark high-rise buildings across the street and the metal pipes that coiled around the factory walls like snakes; an inspector in silver-white armor flew overhead on a tall and majestic white griffin that was more than two meters tall.

A newsboy with short red hair, about eleven or twelve years old, was carrying two bundles of newspapers and shouting on the street:

"Glass Steps' headline today! Bishop Mathers of the Red Queen Parish was recently appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as a Spiritual Councilor! The number of Spiritual Councilors from the Church has now increased to six!

"The Finance Minister plans to impose a tax on matches and kerosene lamps next year! The Star Antimony Kingdom has expelled three knights of Avalon for murder, espionage, and interference in another country's internal affairs. Her Majesty the Queen strongly condemns this!"

The Glass Steps had already sold more than half its copies, leaving only a few. The rope had to be tightened again and again to prevent it from slipping off his shoulders.

The other bundle of newspapers behind the newsboy had sold less than a quarter of it.

He shouted with his cracked lips, "A copy of Lloyd's Weekly is only five red coins! The hanging day is approaching, and the list of November's death row prisoners has been confirmed! Thirty-eight people will be sentenced to death this month, the second highest number in the past three years. There is a clear list of death row prisoners!"

"The Nicas Gypsum Factory in the harbor is recruiting apprentices for the third round, lowering the age limit to fourteen!"

"A painter on Green Flute Street committed suicide at home last week! The Lloyd's Bank was robbed yesterday, and the robbers have all been arrested! Come and see! Only five red coins for one copy—"

"Senior."

Aiwass suddenly said, "Buy me two newspapers."

"Um?"

Haina was stunned for a moment. "I think someone in your family should have given you a copy of The Glass Steps? Do you want to buy a copy of Lloyd's Weekly?"

"No, buy one for each," Aiwass emphasized.

“…Oh, I see.”

Haina finally realized that Aiwass saw that the newspaper boy was working too hard and wanted him to sell the newspapers as soon as possible.

"It's almost noon, no one will buy it. Besides, this is Lloyd's Quarter, full of sailors, fishermen and laborers. They don't have that much money to buy newspapers."

She whispered, "How about I buy them all?"

"No, just buy one of each."

Aiwass shook his head: "The child is working, not begging."

"……I see."

Haina was in awe.

She nodded seriously and reminded him, "I'm going to buy the newspaper, be careful."

Aiwass opened his eyes and nodded silently.

Just as Haina left him, a girl tiptoed over to him.

She was a little dirty, wearing thin clothes and had a thin body.

Looking at the hooded Aiwass, the girl hesitated, not knowing how to address him.

"...Uncle, buy some flowers."

She whispered.

Apparently, she noticed that Aiwass was in a wheelchair—although she could tell from the pattern on the wheelchair that Aiwass was a wealthy and kind person, because she had just overheard their conversation.

But because Aiwass was suspected to be disabled, her tone was not firm enough when she was selling.

Aiwass reached out and touched her head.

When he stretched out his hand, the girl shuddered as if she had been electrocuted, and her body leaned back in fear, as if she was afraid someone would hit her.

But because Aiwass's hand was slow and the hand emerging from the sleeve was young enough, she soon realized that she seemed to have called it the wrong name.

"—It's my brother."

Aiwass said softly.

His fingertips touched the girl's hair, but he only felt dust and grease. It was obvious that she had not bathed for some time.

But the girl obviously knew it.

Because Aiwass touched her hair, she took a step back in fear and apologized to Aiwass: "I'm sorry, my hair is dirty... I'll leave now..."

"Or sell me a bouquet of flowers."

Aiwass said with a chuckle.

As he spoke, he turned his outstretched right hand over and opened it.

A red coin with a face value of 1 suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand, which was empty just now.

This wasn't some extraordinary ability, just a simple magic trick, but it made the girl's eyes widen.

She looked at the banknotes and then at Aiwass. Apparently, she thought Aiwass was a transcendent, so she hesitated and didn't dare to take his money.

The corners of Aiwas' mouth rose slightly under his hood.

He clenched his fingers deftly and slowly withdrew the banknotes from his hand.

But at this moment, he suddenly let out a soft "eh" and reached out to touch the back of the girl's neck: "Hey, what is this?"

As he spoke, he gently took out a brand new red coin from the girl's neck.

The girl opened her eyes wide in surprise and confusion, obviously not understanding how it flew over.

Without waiting for the girl to refuse, Aiwass deftly folded the red coin in half with three fingers of his right hand, and then put it into the big money bag hanging on the girl's chest.

Aiwass lifted the corner of his hood slightly, revealing his young face to the girl with a smile that came from the heart.

"Shh..."

He put his hand to his mouth, silencing him.

Then, he put his hood back on and stretched out his slender white right hand: "Miss, where are my flowers?"

“…Ah, here you go!”

The girl finally reacted and handed Aiwass a dried wild rose with a slightly red cheek.

"Are you buying flowers, Aiwass?"

Just then, Haina came back with a newspaper, looking a little confused.

Seeing this, the girl shuddered with fear and almost fell to the ground. Looking at Haina dressed as an inspector, her face turned pale and her whole body trembled with fear.

But even though she was so scared, she didn't run away immediately. Instead, she forced herself to be brave and whispered tremblingly, "Wait a minute, sir! I still need to give you the change...!"

With her trembling hands, she stubbornly counted out nine wrinkled copper coins from the paper bag hidden in her chest and respectfully handed them to Aiwass. Then, she carefully folded the new red 1 coin Aiwass had given her and placed it inside. She tucked it away against her chest and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was under Haina's gaze the entire time, and when she said goodbye and left, her legs were so weak with fear.

"I'm not that scary."

When people feared her before, Haena didn't care.

But now, perhaps because of what she had discussed with Aiwass, or perhaps because the girl looked so young and innocent, Haena felt a little frustrated at being frightened by her.

After watching the girl walk away, she whispered, "Do you need me to help you throw away the flowers?"

This dirty wild flower really doesn't match Aiwass's attire.

"No need."

Aiwass replied: "After all, it is the child's intention."

"You seem to like children very much?"

Haina thought for a moment and realized something.

Compared to his attitude towards himself, Aiwass's attitude towards the two children was obviously much friendlier.

"Well, I like innocent children."

Aiwass nodded in response, speaking the truth from the heart for once, without a lie. "It's like liking cats and dogs. Spending time with them relaxes me. There are many things I like, but I just don't like people."

"...Why does this sound like an insult?"

In the end, this sentence sounded like a joke, and Haina also joked: "You can't treat children like cats and dogs."

"That's all it sounds like."

Aiwass raised the corner of his mouth slightly without further explanation.

He was indeed cursing people - but he was cursing the adults.

In his opinion, those adults who are dirty-minded, profit-driven, and two-faced are worse than cats and dogs... Of course, this includes himself.

While chatting and laughing, with the guidance of Aiwass, they finally arrived at the Pelican Bar.

It was more like a house or warehouse than a bar. Its front door was painted white, with an exaggerated, almost cartoonish image of a pelican with its mouth wide open. Various fish were stuffed into its mouth, floating in the beer foam, as if it were a fish stew in beer.

Next to it hung a wooden board with a long list of onomatopeia for drunken burps painted in capital letters.

——This is the sign above the bar.

In other words, strictly speaking, the "Pelican Bar" should actually be pronounced as "(hiccup) Bar."

It was almost noon, but the door was not closed. There were even quite a few customers inside.

Apparently it also operates as a restaurant during lunch hours.

The moment Haina pushed Aiwas in the wheelchair slowly in.

Her steps suddenly stopped.

She opened her eyes wide and was in shock.

Because the bartender who was leisurely washing wooden wine glasses at the front desk was not a human being - but a rare wild elf!

Elves, as a race, not only live four to five times longer than humans, but are also generally much taller. Even females are generally over 1.8 meters tall, occasionally reaching 2 meters, and male elves are not uncommonly reaching 2.45 meters.

This means that if an elf is not well-educated, it is easy for them to develop a hunchback due to frequent interactions with short humans during adolescence. However, if an elf is well-educated - or in other words, has parents who take care of them - they generally do not develop a hunchback.

Therefore, hunchbacked elves are called wild elves. The number of wild elves is much smaller than that of elves.

Elves place great importance on honor, family, and bloodline, and therefore are quite hostile to wild elves and their parents, believing that this is a disgrace to the elven race. Because if an elven parent dies for a matter of honor, they usually entrust their children to the care of relatives and friends.

They would not entrust their children to others unless they died of shame... such as being sentenced to death; or they were abandoned by their parents, or were rebellious children who ran away from home. For these reasons, they grew up to be wild elves.

Wild elves lack the elegance and reserve of elves, but have similar lifespans, wisdom, and extraordinary powers to elves, and are therefore often seen as unstable elements.

They typically operate in rural areas, often working as con artists, assassins, and mercenaries. All wild elves within the capital, Glass Island, are theoretically registered. Anyone who causes trouble can be pinpointed to a specific cause, and as a result, the free-spirited wild elves often disdain to stay in the capital.

But for some reason, the wild elf bartender didn't react at all when he saw Haina. He even glanced at her with contempt.

On the contrary, when he saw Aiwass, the bartender was obviously stunned and even stopped what he was doing for a moment.

Even though Aiwass was wearing a cloak, the bartender easily recognized his identity.

——It was as if he had never thought that he would be here today.

...Why, Mr. Bartender?

Do you think I...should be dead by now?

Aiwass narrowed his eyes, his pupils as deep blue as the sea and as deep as the abyss.

Remember to read the new book~

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(End of this chapter)