Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

Chapter 391  Stray kid

It wasn't like the kid didn't understand what death was. When he was a little bit younger, he had a small kitten. His brother had found the kitten near the jungle and brought it home. The little kid liked the kitten a lot. He spent his days playing with the kitten until one day when it was cold outside, he came home but the kitten didn't. No matter what he did, his mother didn't allow him to go out and search for his friend. The boy couldn't sleep that night, worried about his kitten.

The little boy found the kitten the next morning. It was lying in their back garden, unmoving, its body cold and stiff. He hugged the kitten and took him home, placed it near the fire, and warmed it, but his friend didn't open its eyes. That day, his mother explained to him that the life of the kitten has come to an end, that it'd never wake up again and its body will never move. -That little thing is now in a better place, somewhere it can be as happy as possible. It's in peace and ease, so you don't need to worry about it!

"Hmmm..."

The little kid knew what death was. He knew, clearly understood that his brother, whose body was cold and stiff, wouldn't open his eyes again. His mother, father, and brother were now in a better place where they could be as happy as possible and live with peace and ease. So why wasn't he there? If it was such a wonderful place, then why did his brother tell him to live? Why didn't Redmond take him with him? Did he want to have fun with their parents and his kitten all alone?

"Hmmm..."

But they'd told him to live, so he wanted to live. His brother didn't wake up, and the kid, who had to live, could only cover his brother's body in leaves and soil, the same thing his mother did to the little kitten, and move to where he was told to go. The city was big and crowded. He didn't know anyone and no one paid any attention to him. His brother told him to sell the necklace, but he didn't know how should he know that. He was a little kid, after all. He walked around the city for hours until he found a place that had lots of those dazzling stuff that looked similar to his mother's necklace. He asked the man for money in return for the necklace, but things didn't go as he planned.

Growwll

The boy covered his stomach with his arms and curled up even more. He watched people pass by him without looking his way, or if they looked, snort and frown at him. It'd been a few days since he last ate anything and even more since he's bathed. The kid knew that he looked dirty and disgusting. "Hey, you brat!"

With a man's shout, something was thrown at him. It was a small rock. The rock hit his face and dropped down, leaving a clear red mark on his face and a small cut near the forehead. Drops of blood dripped down his already filthy and bloody clothes. "Haven't I told you not to sit here? Go do your begging business somewhere else!"

The same tall and chubby man shouted at him as he picked up another rock. The little kid covered his face with his arms and stuttered a line he'd repeated many times over the past few days. "I-if you return me m-my necklace-"

"Shut up!"

Another rock was thrown at him but the kid didn't budge. He'd been sitting at the corner of the street where the man's shop was placed. He didn't know how long he could keep persisting, but he didn't want to give up. He didn't want to lose the only thing he had left. His brother tried so hard to hand him the necklace so little Reyn wanted it back. Growl

But he was hungry and tired. He was also wounded. How long could he live this way? Little Reyn was told to live, so he had to!

"Go somewhere else, you unsightly thing!"

"..."

Little Reyn curled even more, ready to receive another beating, wondering if he'd got beaten up again, would he be able to go where his family was or not. "Sir."

Just as he closed his eyes, ready to be beaten up, he heard a voice that didn't belong to the mean, chubby man. Through his half-open eyes, little Reyn saw a man in a cloak standing in front of him. "Do you know where can I buy some metal?"

The chubby man stopped his actions and turned to the newcomer.

"Metal?"

"Yes," the man in a cloak elegantly nodded his head. Even though nothing of him besides his eyes could be seen, it was clear that he was tidy and properly clothed, something that showed his wealth. The chubby man hurriedly nodded his head. "Yes! Yes, of course, I know! Let me show you the way!"

He pointed at a location and began moving while urging the man to follow him. He even forgot to lock the door of his store.

Before walking behind the chubby guy, the hoodied man glanced at the young kid beside the road and opened his palm, throwing something at him.

Scared of being hit by a rock again, little Reyn covered his face and shuddered slightly. However, the thing that hit him wasn't hard and didn't hurt at all. "Ah...?"

When he opened his eyes, the kid found a piece of bread in front of him. The man who'd thrown the food at him was no longer visible in the street. . . . . . . . . The child managed to live through the day without being bothered by that man again, however, "You don't learn your lesson, do you?"

The next day, little Reyn couldn't escape the beating. "I. told. you. to. get. the. hell. away. from. my. shop!"

"Ugh! Ack!"

With every word, a punch landed on the kid's body. The child didn't even scream. He'd called his mom many times, but she wasn't there to help him anymore, so little Reyn decided not to say anything else. "Uhm, mister?"

Before the little kid could lose consciousness, a familiar voice entered his ears. Both he and the man turned to the source of the voice. The same person as yesterday was standing there, looking at them. The mean man stopped his actions and hurriedly let go of the child. "Yes? Do you need anything?"

"Ah, do you know where can I fetch some papers? I'm new here so I don't know many things."

"Sure!"

Forgetting everything, the shop owner told the man to follow him and walked to an alley with confidence. Just like yesterday, the man in the cloak glanced at little Reyn before following the other person to the alley. The man's eyes that had looked upon the kid had a rare and pretty color on them.