I’m a Bastard But You’re Worse!

POV: A certain diviner

Sorry, I dont date men. Farewell.

The man then disappeared from my sight.

His servant also bowed in my direction and quickly chased after him.

Damn, I really got turned downI thought I was more popular!

I covered my glasses with my hand and looked up at the sky.

My name is Cerros, Cerros Baal.

I used to be the third prince of the Baal empire, the feared conqueror empire of the continent.

I used to be because I was now a traitor, unable to return to my homeland, for two reasons.

In the past, I borrowed the strength of a neighboring country and attempted to wrest the title of emperor from the hands of my brother. This rise to power, however, was thwarted by the awakening of an ancient weapon: I thus had to flee my homeland in order to escape the pursuers.

On that fateful day, thunder rained on me from the sky it was a miracle that I survived.

I always had a penchant for collecting Pseudo Magic Tools, items of unknown function dug out of the ruins of the ancient civilizations.

Thanks to an incredible stroke of luck, one of the pseudo tools I had that day turned out to have the power to shield the owner from lightning hence, I could save myself.

I took out the magic tool which resembled a clumsily made childs doll and smiled.

Thunder God CharmI only kept it around because it was funny, but to think that itd really save melife can be so unpredictable! Yep!

The instant before I was pierced, the name of this doll appeared in my mind and the lightning bolt dodged me and struck the ground instead.

My face was burned due to the resulting fire, and the lightning flash robbed the sight of my left eye.

Even so, I could still breathe. I was still alive.

Luckily enough, my new career as a fortune teller was picking up.

Thanks to the complex circumstances of my birth, I spent a lot of my infancy reading the moods of nobles and court officials, so I had confidence in my observational skills.

Negotiating with the Huang Dynasty had also improved my speaking skills, so I really felt like fortune telling was a job made for me.

Hey, Cerros, what happened?

I was still lost in such thoughts when a girl approached me.

The young girl, characterized by a petite stature, black hair and other features of the people of the east, was Xiao Mao. She was my attendant, and had escaped the empire with me.

I had lost most of what I had, but she was still at my side.

Hey, Xiao, welcome backwhat are you eating?

Hm? You cant tell? Crab. You know crab? Seafood.

Crab?

Xiao Mao peeled off the shell of that unfamiliar food and leisurely suckled the contents.

If memory served me, crab was a relatively expensive treat, but

Sorry, but none for you! I paid 2 silver coins for this.

2 silver coins!? Thats way too much!!

I couldnt help but raise my voice.

I was earning a bit thanks to fortune telling, but it was always an unstable business.

Our lifestyle was still pretty rough: we surely didnt have the leeway to spend 2 silver coins on a single meal.

Mmh, cant help itI can give you a little bit.

Xiao Mao frowned and gave me a piece of the crabs body. It looked thick and hard, certainly not appetizing by any means.

Whoa, whats this smell!?

Crab paste, they call it. I dont like it, so eat.

Youre just giving me what you dont want to eat!? This thing reeks, I cant eat it!

No time to be picky. Were poor, remember?

If you know that much, stop wasting money!

As we bickered, I prepared to close up shop for the day. The sun was still high in the sky, but this pointless quarrel had drained my willingness to work for the day.

You closed already? Poor people must work more.

Thats why youaah, whatever.

I gave up, shaking my head, then fiddled with my fake crystal ball.

I met an interesting man today, so yes, Im done! Satisfied and content!!

Really? You should work more, make me have a better life.

youre the greatest attendant ever, for sure.

Xiao Mao and I headed towards our temporary lodging.

I closed the shop when I didnt feel like working, went home, took a bath and went to sleep. That was the lifestyle of a third prince freed from his obligations.

Its a shame we had to leave the empire, isnt it. I lost my army and many comrades paid the ultimate pricebut in exchange, I have freedom now. We should enjoy this wandering lifestyle as much as we can.

Who wants to wander? Get rich quickly, please.

is that so. Xiao Mao, youre a tough little one, arent you

My shoulders dropped, but Xiaos small hand held mine. I glanced at her and noticed her cheeks were flushing a bit.

Heh

She was as whimsical and impudent as a cat, but also as adorable.

Sometimes I thought of her as a sister, sometimes as a mother, sometimes as a daughter

She was the only family I had left.

Im a good-for-nothing, but Im going to protect youat least you.

Hm? You say something, Cerros?

Nope! Not a thing. Must be your imagination.

I pushed up my glasses to hide my eyes and looked away from Xiao.

I couldnt say it out loud. Even so, I wanted to express my feelings of gratitude to her, and was about to hold her hand tighter, when

Boom.

Whoa!?

Aaaahhh!?

An explosion suddenly shook the air and ground behind us, sending us flying.