Me and Alice have been travelling in the sewers for quite some time now. We have a little chatter here and there but not much. She did ask where I was from I gave a loose answer about having a small village in the mountains and she just left it there.

I was interested in one thing about her: how did she end up with Mama?

I mean she is pretty and everything but she doesn't seem the type to walk in a brothel. But it was rude to just openly ask that so I will keep it to myself for now.

"Hey Kaito, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"As long as it's not to personal, sure..."

"Okay then, how did you end up working on this job for Mama? I ask because she doesn't really trust men."

"I got this job from my master, he told me to come visit Mama and help her out as a part of my training."

"Wow! That's cool, you have a master! What's he like?"

"Old, wise, always seems to know what I'm thinking and can change from a sunny grandpa to a murderous monster at the drop of a coin. That's why he is the scariest man I have ever known."

"He sound really nice, he must be a very good man. I think if I met him, I would like him..."

"I think most people would like him as long as they weren't his enemies."

"Now, I really want to meet him!"

"Alice, do you mind if I ask you a question now?"

"Same rules apply, nothing too personal..."

"Seems fair, so how did you meet Mama?"

"My mother is a old friend of Mama so when my mother saw I had talent with maths and money, she decided that I should get a job and Mama offered me one at her place, doing the books and that's what I've been doing for the last 3 years."

"So you enjoy working with numbers?"

"Of course, who doesn't like maths and numbers? They make everything simple and they follow rules which is very important so yes, I like my Maths... What, you don't?"

"Not really, I have always been a History kind of guy."

"Well, history has numbers for example what year an event happened and then there's....."

She continued to talk about math and how it is connected to everything.

I wasn't really listening at that point. I was was just happy that she had gotten out of her shell just a little and by the looks of it, she won't be too badly traumatized. I made a good choice in not letting her see what had happened to the others.

We should be reaching the exit soon but what will I do once I am done with my job for Mama? Head back and do more training with Master?

If so, then I should maybe buy a few books to read at night when I can't sleep.

Now that I have Night vision, I can read without a candle or maybe a gift for Master since he has been like the father I always wished for.

My own father was a lot different to Master, he was a man with similar appearance to me but he was older.

He worked in some kind of big business with money he always wore a suit.

Whenever he came home, he would collapse onto the couch from how hard his boss had been working him. He never got a day off and supported me and my mom one day I asked him

"Daddy, you always work really hard, why don't you have a day off tomorrow?"

"I can't, I am so close to my promotion. Just a little longer and I will get it so hold out."

"Okay, Daddy."

The next day at school, I was sitting on the rooftop of the school main building, eating my lunch when the school president came in through the rooftop.

He was a very respected man, his dad owned a lot of companies and he was the future head of the empire.

His appearance was that of a businessman, he had blue hair slicked back and always kept his uniform in very sharp order. His name was Kirito.

He walks up to me.

"So, how are you Kaito?"

"... I'm alright..."

"That's nice... You know, I heard something interesting yesterday. Your father is up for a promotion at one of my dad's companies. What do you think about that?"

I couldn't respond. Damn, why I can't stand them bullying me? But not my father Dammit... Why does everyone hate me?

"You know what, I think it is the responsibility of the son to help the father... What do you think?"

"I-I-I agree!!!"

"Good... Then look at my shoes they look a little dirty but I think you can clean them, right? Oh, and I think it would be best if you used your tongue like a proper dog."

I couldn't fight back not only did I have to do this for myself, but also for my father who has worked so hard for me and my mother, I licked his shoes clean the bottom and the top and after I was done he looked it over.

"Your father will be rewarded on how well you did today."

When I got home, I waited for my father then he opened the door and a rushed up to him.

"So father, how was your promotion?"

He didn't answer me, he just kept silent. He didn't even look at me, he just kept his gaze on the floor but I got the feeling that something was off... I looked for my mother but she was still in the kitchen.

"Father, are you alright? How did it go?"

He looks up at me with dead emotionless eyes, filled with nothing but black void.

"How did it go well... I didn't get the promotion but the interesting part was when I didn't get it, I asked why and the boss just said ask your son."

"So, what did you do?"

"What did you do?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

He takes off his belt and starts beating me again and again, more and more. My mother stays in the kitchen, not calling the cops, not doing anything while my father keeps shouting as he beating me.

He stops after an hour and goes into the kitchen and start talking to my mother then I hear laughter... Fucking laughter in there... Like it never happened.

I can't stand I have to crawl to my bed to try and sleep but one thing keeps me: asleep the pain from the beating and the pain from knowing that no matter what I did at school, this outcome was unavoidable.

The next day, my parents greet me like nothing ever happened. In fact, they seemed happier than I have ever seen them.

At that moment, I no longer had parents, I only had more people in my life to hate.

And that is why I think of master as my father because he has never hurt me, he cares for me, feeds me and no matter what, I think he would always put himself in front of me to protect me from any danger.

'We have arrived.'