Ch. 30 Villain – Chapter 30: A Terrifying Plan
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 30: A Terrifying Plan
A girl, seemingly lost in worry, sat crouched with her cheeks cupped in her hands.
She sat on the steps of the request office building, letting out a deep sigh. Though her face was mostly hidden under a hood, her delicate jawline and fair cheeks peeked through. Her small, pretty lips and white cheeks stood out.
“This isn’t working…”
She muttered under her breath.
Did she really think it would work?
Regardless of Sugar’s thoughts, she had been kicked out due to the request office’s age limit. It was the result of persistently bothering the staff.
So, she got rejected.
Even if she wanted to earn money, being barred by something as trivial as an age limit was frustrating.
She had chosen this path because she thought it was much better than being stuck in a chimney all day. Fighting weak monsters to gain real combat experience while earning money—it was killing two birds with one stone.
But now that she’d been kicked out, there was no way forward.
A place that always welcomes children?
Guess I’ll have to go back to the chimney.
“Ugh…”
Just as she was feeling reluctant, the thought of her friend—who would probably pretend to dislike it but would be happy to receive a gift—rekindled her motivation.
But won’t I get covered in soot?
If I come back dirty or injured, I can just say I got hurt while playing, but soot? That’s a dead giveaway.
What’s the problem with that?
It’s because working outside can’t get back to the orphanage.
From the orphanage’s perspective, they can’t be labeled as a “heartless place that makes children work.” No matter the child’s intentions, others would only see it as adults exploiting kids.
If that happened, the public’s scrutiny would be harsh. The donors’ opinions would be even worse.
It’s funny how people are okay with kids cleaning chimneys but quick to criticize an orphanage for “making children work.” People are so strange.
Sugar tried to think positively, assuming they just wanted to protect the kids within their reach.
Just as she was about to get up and try somewhere else, the request office’s door opened, and four or five people rushed out.
“Can we finish by evening?”
“No way. We’ll probably have to work through the night.”
“Ughhh…”
They seemed like a group that tackled requests together. As Sugar watched them, wishing she could join, the burly man at the front glanced at her.
“Oh. The 15-year-old girl.”
“The one who was bothering Meru earlier?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
It seemed they had heard her arguing with the staff earlier.
Feeling awkward, Sugar cleared her throat.
“Kid, you really wanted to take on a request, huh? What do you need the money for?”
“You seem busy, so you should get going…”
Not in the mood for jokes, Sugar replied half-heartedly, but the man just laughed.
“No, I’m saying this because I’m impressed. At your age, trying to earn money on your own?”
“…Really? You’re impressed by me?”
“Of course. When I was your age… let’s see, I was always breaking things and driving my parents crazy with compensation fees.”
“Compared to that, I’m pretty amazing, huh?”
“Yeah, you are.”
“Then let me join your party.”
“No can do.”
Not a chance. The group burst into laughter.
“Listen to this kid.”
“When you turn 15, we’ll go together then.”
As they joked around, Sugar watched them with envy. The burly man suddenly approached her.
What’s he up to? Sugar tilted her head slightly. The man crouched down to her eye level, covered his mouth, and whispered.
“Cafe Street. If you’re sharp, you might find something.”
“…Huh?”
Before she could ask again, he stood up and walked away. The others seemed to have caught on and scolded him.
“Why’d you tell her that?”
“Ugh, why tell some short kid?”
“What if something happens? So irresponsible.”
“What! It’s her choice. You all lived perfect lives or something? Think you’re so great?”
He dismissed their complaints with a loud voice, waving his hand. The group clicked their tongues and shook their heads, teasing him about smelling like an old bachelor. The atmosphere wasn’t hostile—it seemed like they always joked around like this.
“Well, we’re off. Good luck.”
“Don’t overdo it.”
“See you around, kid.”
After a round of banter, they finally snapped out of it. Each gave Sugar a word of encouragement before heading off.
Sugar waved back at the amusing group.
Now alone, she recalled what the man had said.
‘…Cafe Street?’
A street lined with cafes. She knew it. She had glimpsed it a few times while out with the orphanage director. The cafe she had visited with Lubsey was also near the entrance of that street.
What exactly was he suggesting she do there?
It couldn’t just be about finding a part-time job at a cafe.
‘If you’re sharp, you might find something…’
Was it about finding something specific?
Considering what the others had said, it felt like there was some danger involved.
She wasn’t sure what it was, but standing here thinking about it wouldn’t help. Sugar decided to go and see for herself.
At least that group didn’t seem like bad people.
It was past lunchtime, and the streets were quiet with only a few people around. But she had come this far.
Time to observe.
Sugar sat down at a rest area in the middle of the street. The floor was made of wooden planks, with a large canopy overhead and benches scattered around—perfect for resting.
She sat there for about 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the central clock.
“Hmm…”
Nothing unusual stood out.
There was nothing particularly unusual except for the busy people passing by and those shouting, “Coffee, coffee profits!!”
Looking around the rest area, there were a few people sitting besides Sugar. In the back was a woman, diagonally across was a man, and on the ground were dark pigeons with hollow eyes…
Again, there was nothing particularly noteworthy, so I turned my gaze forward.
Since I had time to spare, I decided to wait a bit more leisurely.
Another 10 minutes passed like that.
“Umm…”
Can’t I just stay still? Should I wander around the streets?
It’s boring just watching people who don’t want to work fidgeting. I decided to wait until 30 minutes were up and then get up to wander the streets.
Time passed, and another 10 minutes went by. A dark pigeon scurried past me, making a “tototo” sound.
‘I’ve filled 30 minutes…’
Sugar brushed off her bottom and stood up. Where should I go first? I was pondering that when—
“How about a cup of coffee?”
I heard someone offering and turned slightly to look.
It wasn’t directed at Sugar.
It was the man who had been sitting diagonally across from Sugar. A boy who looked quite young was offering him coffee.
“…Sure.”
The man replied softly, and the boy spoke again.
“Is two spoons of sugar okay?”
“One spoon would be better.”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
A somewhat strange conversation. As soon as it ended, the two started walking.
Sugar’s radar activated. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and in her mind, a voice echoed, ‘This is it!’
All that was left was to follow them. She calmed the excited flow of magical energy within her and walked as quietly as possible.
The two entered an alley, so she followed.
She hid behind a box, then hopped onto a wall and hid on the other side.
She wasn’t sure if this was what the old man meant by “Cafe Street. If you’re sharp, you might find something.” But she enjoyed the chase, hoping it was. If not, she could always go back.
Eventually, the two stopped at a spot. Peeking over the wall, Sugar saw a row of slum buildings. She realized they had walked quite a distance, but the location was closer to where she lived, which felt strange.
“Here. This is the batch.”
“Good. This is your share from last time.”
The boy pulled out a damp-looking bundle, and the man handed over a small package. The jingling sound suggested it was a bag of money.
“I split it the same as usual.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m grateful too. It’s good for both of us, right?”
“Yes, so what about this job?”
The man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the boy. It looked familiar—similar in color and size to the one Sugar had seen recently.
“Here. The deadline is as written.”
“Ah, this should be easy. I’ll bring it back soon.”
“Good. See you next time. Don’t forget to bring the request form.”
“Don’t worry. See you.”
The two exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Hoho. Sugar nodded as she watched them.
From the looks of it, it seemed like an underground deal.
But the paper the man had pulled out—Sugar remembered it. She jumped down from the wall.
“What, what’s this? Where did you come from?”
“How about a cup of coffee?”
.
.
.
The paper was identical to the ones she had seen at the request office.
Inside the request office building, there was a bulletin board. The requests posted there had details like the job, deadline, reward, and requester.
But why was a man who didn’t seem like an employee showing such a paper to a young boy? Sugar had a rough idea.
“I want to work with you too.”
“W-what are you talking about, kid? Go play somewhere else.”
“I know everything. You’re taking requests on their behalf, right?”
Kids who are capable of completing requests but are too young to do so officially.
The man takes the requests for them, and the kids carry them out.
Once completed, they hand over the proof to the man, who then delivers it to the request office and collects the reward.
The reward is split—some goes to the man, and some to the kids.
This way, the kids can earn some pocket money, and the man can make easy money, albeit with the risk of a fine if caught.
‘It’s like buying cigarettes for minors at a convenience store.’
Except here, it’s the opposite—selling instead of buying.
Anyway, as Sugar laid out her understanding, the man reluctantly nodded.
“Alright… alright… But do you have the skills for this? That kid earlier was pretty good with a sword. But you look too small and weak.”
She had been waiting for this.
Sugar smirked, picked up a small stone from the ground, and infused it with magical energy.
With a whoosh, it shot into the sky and disappeared without a trace.
She was supposed to control it freely, but somehow, she only got better at shooting it.
“I can do this much.”
“Hmm…”
Still seeming unconvinced, she jumped off the ground. Without much effort, she landed softly on top of the wall.
“How’s that?”
The man seemed to ponder for a moment before reluctantly nodding. It seemed Sugar’s small, hooded appearance made her look unreliable.
But since money was involved, he couldn’t afford to take risks. He needed someone who could reliably complete the requests.
The man prided himself on being a “request broker pro.” Quite a fragile ego.
Still, he had seen many talented kids, so his judgment was sharp.
“…You pass, more or less. Alright. Let’s work together from now on. There are no requests left for today, so come back tomorrow.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best.”
Sugar grinned excitedly.
‘So, when should I do this… Should I sneak out at night to handle it?’
Depending on the request, nighttime seemed better.
If she suddenly disappeared during the day, her friend, who always stuck by her, would find it suspicious. A day or two might be fine, but doing it every day would raise questions.
‘I can’t let the orphanage staff find out either…’
But if she worked hard for a few days and saved up some money, she could stop after that.
Just hang in there for a while!
Sugar clenched her fist.
Her terrifying plan to give a gift to her friend, mentor, and beloved younger brother was steadily progressing.
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