Ch.48Chapter 48. About Sewage Alley (3)

Ravin was what adults would call a kid with a bad streak.

When he brought the silver-haired girl to their hideout, Brak showed interest because she was female, but after seeing her face, he didn’t pay much attention—perhaps she wasn’t his type.

“How did you end up here?”

“Oh, you know, I was picking pockets and got a bounty on my head. Got chased and ended up here.”

“Are you any good at it?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Ravin rummaged through his pockets and began pulling out various items.

Brak, who had been snorting dismissively, found it quite amusing as more and more objects kept emerging from the pockets.

On the contrary, the adults in the group were shocked when Ravin pulled out their belongings.

“That’s my dagger!”

Grum, the knife-wielder, was particularly furious when he realized his weapon had been stolen.

“You little rat!”

“Ah, let it go. She seems useful, so let’s train her as a fighter. She’ll be in the vanguard with Arsil.”

Brak rose from his seat and patted Ravin’s shoulder in praise.

“You’ve got skills.”

“Thank you.”

Then he grabbed Ravin’s shoulder while she was off guard and drove his knee into her stomach.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t even think about touching our stuff again.”

“…Yes.”

And so, Ravin was accepted into the group without much friction.

However, her compatibility with Arsil was the worst.

“You crazy bitch!”

Arsil woke up in the morning to find Ravin snuggled up in Lee’s arms and cursed.

It seemed that this was when Arsil’s foul mouth began to develop.

“Shut up, I was sleeping really well.”

“Get away from Lee!”

“Don’t want to. This position is perfect. Makes me really sleepy.”

When Ravin completely ignored the scolding and even rubbed her cheek against Lee’s chest, Arsil exploded.

“I haven’t even gotten to sleep cuddled up with Lee yet!”

“Then keep sleeping separately. I’m going to sleep like this.”

“Y-you… damn bitch!”

From that day on, the hideout greeted every morning with physical brawls between Arsil and Ravin.

The adults, who didn’t have much entertainment, even joined Brak in placing bets on the daily fights.

The one who suffered was Lee, who got hit while trying to break up the fights.

—

Time passed quickly.

Living day by day for survival left no other choice.

Arsil learned boxing from Brak, while Ravin learned knife handling from Grum.

As the girls grew, learning skills that matched their innate temperaments and talents, Lee was being harshly beaten and burned under Spindle’s tutelage, learning to cook.

In fact, he had mastered all sorts of miscellaneous skills except combat.

By the time they turned 13, they were accepted as proper members of the group, unlike “other children.”

But that didn’t change the work they did.

If they did well, they got more work; if they failed, they got beaten.

However, their skills only improved as they honed them daily to survive.

That day was no different.

Lee was now performing beyond Spindle’s expectations.

When he returned from the forest surrounding Sewage Alley with enough foraged food to feed more than ten people, and even made jam from unidentifiable tree fruits, even Brak gave him uncharacteristically high praise.

And today, having found a couple of large bird eggs in the forest, Lee was making a special fried egg.

“Ravin, sit down if you’re here.”

Though he spoke toward the tree, there was no answer.

Lee sighed and uttered that embarrassing line.

“I’ve been waiting for a man like you for a long time.”

“That’s not right!”

Ravin burst out, jumping down from the tree branch and landing gracefully.

“I’m a girl, so you should say you’ve been waiting for a woman like me!”

“But I wasn’t waiting for you at all…”

“Shut up, stupid! Ugly face! No woman would take you except me!”

“I don’t particularly want to live with anyone.”

“What?!”

“Like you said, I’m ugly…”

“Who said that! Who!”

The silver-haired girl with messy hair frowned and demanded to know, but what came in response was Arsil’s fist emerging from the bushes.

She jumped in surprise but couldn’t avoid the clean hit to her chin.

“Kuheck!”

“Who else but you, you flirt? You’re always making fun of him for being ugly!”

“Arsil!”

Ravin fell down, doing a somersault in the air.

Lee scolded Arsil for using such harsh words again.

“But she started it…!”

“You could just phrase it differently. The way you say things changes the meaning so much.”

Though he had initially directed these words at Ravin, somehow he found himself using them more often with Arsil.

Arsil was trying to be careful, having noticed how Lee’s expression visibly hardened whenever she cursed, but it wasn’t easy with Ravin constantly provoking her.

“Lee! The gorilla hit me!”

“Arsil, apologize.”

“Why should I!”

Another sigh escaped him.

“Ravin, stop playing pranks on me just to provoke Arsil.”

“Ugh…!”

Ravin was taken aback at earning Lee’s disapproval.

Arsil, who had been gloating, soon wore the same dejected expression at Lee’s next words.

“Arsil, if you don’t apologize, neither of you gets fried eggs.”

“But why!”

“Can’t be helped. Arsil gets the overcooked one.”

“Urgh!”

Ravin immediately struck a haughty pose, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.

Seeing this, Arsil trembled with anger.

“Y-you…”

“Hmm? Mimi?”

She cupped her hand to her ear, taunting Arsil.

“Mimimimimimi?”

“You…!”

“Is ‘you’ all you know? Where did the rest of the words go?”

“You…”

“Haha! Lee, did you see? She can’t even speak prop—”

“You crazy bitch, I said stop it!”

A second punch landed cleanly on her chin.

After being knocked out for a few seconds, Ravin woke up with daggers in both hands, grinding her teeth.

“You damn bitch!”

“Yeah, come at me. I’ll make sure you can’t chew by yourself ever again.”

“You two, seriously!”

Just as the situation was about to explode and Lee grabbed his head in frustration—

Pwoooooooo!

The sound of a horn blared.

“An attack?”

As Arsil lowered her fist at the meaning of the horn, Ravin immediately put away her daggers.

“Arsil! Ravin!”

“Jack! What’s going on?”

“Soldiers! Three squads of soldiers are heading this way!”

“Three squads?”

Ravin was shocked.

Why would they send so many soldiers to a slum like this?

Jack, putting his slingshot in his pocket, urged the fighters to hurry.

“Gather quickly! And Lee, the adults said to prepare food for when they return.”

“We’re running low on supplies…”

“It’ll be fine if we steal some lunch boxes from those soldiers.”

“Alright. Don’t die, Jack!”

“And Lee, call me next time too! I like fried eggs!”

The three of them hurriedly left the forest and headed for the entrance of Sewage Alley.

Watching them disappear into the distance, Lee hoped they would all return safely.

“Ah, it’s all overcooked.”

The boy ruefully gathered the overcooked fried eggs.

—

When he hurriedly returned to the hideout, no one was there.

Even Spindle seemed to have gone out with a kitchen knife.

It was eerily quiet.

He wanted to join the fight too, but whenever he brought it up, all the children, including Arsil and Ravin, would angrily dissuade him.

Spindle had also told Brak that if he died, Lee would be responsible for the cooking, so he was always assigned to guard the hideout.

“Huh?”

While tidying up the shabby kitchen, Lee noticed that the food storage was slightly open.

Had Spindle forgotten to lock it properly?

Judging by the still-burning fire in the crude furnace, it seemed they had left in a hurry without cleaning up.

As Lee approached the storage, he could hear someone eating voraciously inside.

“Chomp, chomp, urp…! Keck!”

They seemed to be choking but didn’t stop eating, repeatedly pounding their chest.

Though he was a non-combatant, Lee was still a member of Sewage Alley. He decided to pounce while the intruder was distracted.

Fling!

“Who are you!”

“Eek! Hup… up! Hiccup!”

The startled intruder choked on what they were hastily swallowing.

As they knelt down, gagging, the panicked Lee offered water to the intruder.

“Are you okay? Here’s water, drink it quickly!”

The intruder grabbed the cup reflexively and gulped it down. Seemingly calmed, they looked up and glared at Lee.

“Ah…”

Skin as white as snow, never seen in the alley.

Hair like molten gold.

Features reminiscent of a fox, with a somewhat stern impression.

Bright, gray-shining eyes.

And a green dress made of fine fabric, though covered in dust.

Was this what they called love at first sight?

Lee found himself captivated.

“How dare a lowly creature like you stare at me!”

However, the girl’s manner of speech was extremely rude.

Lee realized for the first time that there were ways to offend people other than cursing.

“How did you get here? This is a very dangerous place.”

“Where is this? Tell me.”

“This is Sewage Alley…”

“Sewage Alley? Even the name is filthy.”

But I’ve come to the right place.

Lee clearly heard the girl’s mutter.

As he later learned, Sewage Alley was the ruins of an old fortress that had been destroyed while holding back demon forces during the First Hero’s era.

Despite being located just below the institution, it was hardly known to people due to the forest surrounding the ruins, and since it was a gathering place for criminals and exiles, the authorities turned a blind eye to it.

The girl, unlike Ravin, had come here deliberately, not by chance.

“What’s your name?”

“I have no name to give to a lowly creature like you.”

“I’m Lee. I don’t have a first name, just a surname.”

The girl was extremely rude, but Lee was simply happy to be talking to her.

Wanting to win over the prickly girl, Lee brought the fried eggs he had saved.

Though it was just a cold fried egg on a plate, the girl who had been gnawing on raw food in the storage swallowed her saliva.

“Want to eat? It’s cold, but I made it not long ago.”

“You eat it. What do you take me for?”

“This is really special food. Usually only the boss can eat it, but I’m giving it to you.”

“Boss?”

“Yes, the highest-ranking person here.”

“Hmm. So this is a sort of delicacy here?”

Licking her lips, the girl accepted the plate as if reluctantly.

“Oh, let me get you a fork…”

“Slurrrrrp!”

She must have been very hungry, as she buried her face in the plate and sucked up the fried egg with her mouth.

It looked comical, unlike her earlier pretense of dignity, but Lee found even that adorable.

“You’ve got oil here.”

He took out a relatively soft and clean cloth and wiped her mouth. The girl lifted her chin as if it were only natural.

“Not bad. I’ll give you that compliment.”

“Thank you.”

“What should I call you?”

“Lee. Since I don’t have a name, just call me Lee.”

“Alright, Lee. I hereby appoint you as my first retainer acquired here.”

“Thank you.”

“Good. It’s a lord’s duty to reveal their name to their retainer. My name is Rinasi… Rina.”

“Rina! What a beautiful name.”

“Of course, my mother was proud of it too.”

“She certainly would be…”

Pwoooooooo-!

The horn sounded again.

“What’s that sound?”

“The battle is over. It seems the fight with the soldiers who came is finished.”

“The result? How did it go?”

“Since only we blow the horn, the fact that we can hear it means it’s our victory.”

“That’s a relief…”

Rina sat down, letting out a sigh of relief.

But soon after, the group returned to the hideout.

Brak, drunk on victory, was laughing heartily with his arm around Arsil’s shoulders.

Unusually, Arsil seemed to be in a good mood too.

“Lee, who is this little lady?”

Brak’s eyes widened as he saw the pretty, pale young girl.

“How rude…!”

As Rina was about to flare up, Lee grabbed her wrist in panic.

Seeing this, Arsil and Ravin’s expressions immediately hardened.

“He’s the boss. The leader of this place. We’re all under the boss’s rule.”

Surprised by Lee’s explanation, Rina straightened her posture and curtsied, lifting the hem of her dress slightly.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Rina. I happened to visit this place by chance. I hope your generosity will…”

“So you’re the concubine’s daughter the soldiers were chasing.”

“…!”

“I don’t know which noble family’s concubine you belong to, but here, I am the king. You heard what he said? Yes, everyone here is under my rule.”

Though the words were insulting, Rina endured.

Finding her amusing, Brak chuckled and then kicked Arsil in the buttocks.

Arsil, who had fallen ungracefully, quickly got up, but Brak didn’t even glance at her.

“You’re dismissed now.”

Brak beckoned to Rina with his finger.

“You need to be by my side from now on.”

“What?”

“Being by my side means no one else can touch you except me.”

Everyone in the hideout understood.

A white, pretty young girl.

It meant Brak wanted to have her.

The clever girl also understood immediately.

She didn’t like it.

Rina wanted to be the one in power, not to live off someone else’s authority.

But she currently had no foundation.

Young but ambitious, the concubine’s daughter nodded.

“Alright.”

Conversely, Lee lowered his head.

That night, Ravin asked Arsil, who was lying down:

“Hey, was that the meaning of being by Brak’s side?”

“How would I know?”

“You were in that position, so if you don’t know, who would?”

This time, even Lee perked up his ears to focus on their conversation.

“I don’t know. I just made small talk, laughed at his jokes, and he taught me boxing. That was it.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing, I just thought after seeing today that Brak’s side position was like… you know, that kind of position?”

For Ravin’s personality, this was an extremely roundabout way of speaking, but Arsil understood.

Naturally, she was furious.

“You damn…! If it was like that, would he have let me sleep separately every night?”

“Maybe it’s because we’re still physically young? Look, I’m just starting to develop breasts.”

“Huh? You have breasts?”

“Yeah, here.”

“You really do! They’re a bit swollen.”

“Ow! Don’t just touch them. There’s like a lump that really hurts.”

“Sorry.”

Arsil was so amazed that she apologized with a dazed expression.

“I’m jealous. You’re even starting to grow breasts.”

“Heh, eventually I’ll have a super hot, nice body.”

Here, we must pause to wipe away a tear.

Meanwhile, Lee pretended to sleep with a bright red face.

However, he sat up abruptly at the voice he heard shortly after.

“Hey, is Lee here?”

“Rina!”

Arsil and Ravin immediately became upset at his intense reaction, different from when they called him.

Especially Ravin, who openly growled at Rina.

“What are you doing here?”

“Brak told me to sleep here.”

“There’s no place for you here. Go sleep somewhere else.”

After Ravin, Arsil snapped at her, and Rina stared directly at Lee.

Lee hurriedly gathered straw and other materials to make a comfortable bed for her.

Finally, he placed a mat on top, and Rina nodded with satisfaction.

“Well done, Retainer Number One.”

“Thank you.”

Arsil’s eyes bulged at the casual condescension.

“Who’s Retainer Number One? Don’t call Lee that way.”

“He’s the first retainer I’ve taken here. Would you like to be my retainer too? No, you’re too vulgar. Didn’t Brak kick your butt earlier?”

“Why you—!”

“Let it go, Arsil. Let’s just sleep.”

Surprisingly, it was Ravin who stopped her.

The perceptive girl knew that quarreling with Rina now would not please Lee.

‘Damn, Ravin alone is annoying enough!’

‘Why is this girl from a different world coming here and ordering our man around? Should I stab her in her sleep?’

‘Rina’s skin is white even at night.’

‘Damn it, why am I even in a place like this…!’

Lying down in the order of Arsil, Ravin, Lee, and Rina, they each tossed and turned with their own thoughts before finally falling asleep.

Morning

“……”

“……”

Arsil and Ravin were looking down at Rina, who was sleeping pressed against Lee’s back.

“Do we have to tolerate this again?”

“No, not at all.”

From that day on, every morning in Sewage Alley changed to physical brawls between the three: Arsil, Ravin, and Rina.