Tar furrowed his brows and rubbed his temples impatiently. “Should I make a move now? There’s no guarantee we can save all of them. Won’t we just be captured alongside with them?”

“Tar?”

“No, no, no… Let’s take a step backwards. What are my options? Save them now or wait. But what are we waiting for though? Someone to help? Less security? Too unrealistic. Plus, if they are locked inside, it’s going to be much more difficult to save her.”

“Hey, you!”

The boy, despite being called repeatedly, was still in his own world, cut off from what was happening right in front of him. “But saving them now? How? I can use my connection to the Revelle’s, but who’s going to believe a child? Too much risk. And even if it worked, people will come to know of my background. They’re going to spit on me and step on me. Again and again. They will… they will…” Tar shivered. “I… I don’t want that to happen. Ever again. There’s no telling what they might do this time.” Tar wrapped himself around with his arms, hugging himself. He had kept his background a secret so tragedies would not happen again. Was he going to allow another tragedy to happen to him?

Lya saw the fear in Tar’s eyes. She felt betrayed. Did he not promise he will save Kyu? Where had the person she saw earlier gone? Seeing Tar’s eyes began to dim, Lya’s rage was ignited. The person beside her was a coward. Hesitant, and scared.

Lya slapped Tar on his cheek. “Tar! Tar!”

Strangely, Tar did not feel pain. He felt… empty. As if nothing mattered at all. Tar couldn’t help but avert his gaze from Lya.

“I… I…”

Seeing Tar’s expression which spelled out resignation, Lya became even more furious. Before Tar said another word, Lya punched Tar in his nose but not even that was enough to quench her anger. She headbutted him hard enough to cause blood to trickle down from his nostrils. “You’re a fucking coward,” she scowled at Tar.

“I… I… Yes… Yes, you’re right.” Tar gritted his teeth. “I’m just a coward.”

After five years, he finally understood what that feeling was. Self-loathing. No matter where he went, he was a filthy being, the son of a filthy man. No. That traitor could not even be called a man. But the harshest belittlement came not from others, but from himself. He hated himself. Numerous times he wished he had died instead of his father. Maybe, even alongside his father. Why try so hard to be responsible? Why cling to life like a parasite? He wondered.

“We can’t save them if we loiter around here! Get the hell up!” The girl shook Tar desperately.

“Maybe I’ll resign after I help this girl. I’ll quit after I get the sisters to safety,” Tar thought. What did he mean by “resigning” and “quitting”? Even Tar himself might not know.

“A-alright. Let’s save them now.” Tar got up and was ready to sprint to the gate, but it was too late. All the captives had entered Revelle’s castle. There was one small figure who trailed behind, the back of this person had a small patch of blood was visible at the back of this person.

“Sister!” A high-pitched voice rung. Lya immediately covered her mouth after realising what she did.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes, I think it’s coming from back there. Should I have a look?”

“Yes. Take two other men with you.”

Muckley and two other soldiers approached the noise slowly. The triangle formation they were in meant Tar could not ambush them from behind and make a breakthrough like last time. He had to think of something else.

Tar looked around frantically, before landing his eyes on some of the sleeping beggars nearby. “I hope this works,” he muttered to himself, before quickly grabbing Lya’s hand, and sprinted away from the soldiers.

“Footsteps! Chase!” The leading soldier pointed at a direction and started running. The two soldiers followed him without hesitation, while still retaining a triangle formation.

Like fish in a turbulent flow, the pair of children dove left and right in narrow alleyways, trying to escape from the soldiers. Tar was not sure how far the soldiers were behind them, but judging by the sound of their footsteps, he had at least a few seconds. “A few seconds should be enough,” he thought, as he grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground.

Tar rubbed the dirt onto Lya’s face and then his. At first Lya resisted, but after seeing the numerous beggars lying beside them, she quickly understood what Tar was trying to do. She cooperated by making small tears in her clothes, and dirtying her clothes with mud. Tar sneakily “borrowed” a metal bowl from a nearby beggar. In just a few seconds, the pair of children transformed into two desperate, homeless orphans.

The three soldiers arrived and looked at the children.

“S-sorry! I-I won’t try to ask you people, no, you warriors for food ever again! I-I thought you were carrying a lot of food so… So… I’m sorry!” The boy orphan shook his metal bowl, clearly afraid of the soldiers.

Muckley looked at the boy up close. The boy was hideous. Not only was he wearing an undershirt that was dirtied to the point of losing its original white colour, but his face was also covered in dirt and grass, and his hair was messy too. Even among beggars, the boy looked terrible. Not wanting to look at the boy’s unkempt appearance any longer, Muckley told his men to head back.

As Muckley was about to leave as well, he caught a glimpse of the girl orphan beside the boy. The girl was an orphan all right. She had dishevelled hair, holes in her clothes… But her eyes… Muckley turned back to face the girl and gazed right into her eyes. Those were not the eyes of a beggar. There was a living rage inside of those eyes. Muckley was startled. He thought a beast was about to jump out of the girl’s eyes and tear him apart.

“Why are you here, girl?” There was only coldness in Muckley’s voice. “Answer me. Now.”

“She’s my sister and she’s starving! I’m sorry for…”

“Shut up. Am I asking you? No.” Muckley took a step forward toward the girl. “For the last time. Why are you here?”

Tar could hear Lya’s breath becoming more laboured, advancing almost to the point of panting. If Tar moved in closer, maybe he could have heard the grindings of her teeth too.

Muckley move in closer. He was already suspicious, and if he were to take a closer look at Lya, he might recognise her! That would mean they had no chance of escaping.

Tar placed his hand on top of Lya’s. Startled by this, she looked at Tar. The boy did not look back at her, but instead faced forward. She felt his grip tighten. Somehow, she felt it. He grabbed her hand not because he was scared, or he was anxious, but he was trying to comfort her. “It’s alright.” That was the message conveyed through their hands. “It’s alright, so calm down. I’m here.”

Lya took a deep breath and loosened her expression.

“Mr Warrior, I’m really, really hungry. I haven’t had anything to eat in days. Can you please spare me some food? I saw the huge cart you’re carrying. You must have food, right? Please! I’m really hungry!” Lya crawled onto Muckley, praying for food.

Muckley’s clothes was ravaged by Lya, and he was irritated. His clean clothes! Now he had to wash it after getting home!

“Ugh… I don’t have food. Try your luck with the others tomorrow. The Revelle’s will be giving away leftovers tomorrow morning, as usual.” Muckley said as he left the two children be.

“So that’s why there are so many beggars here.” The answer to one of Tar’s questions was unexpectedly given here.