Chapter 18

I walked along, but I didn’t have any particular destination in mind.

However, there was a destination.

That tall tower, which I could see all the time. After leaving the stone house, I caught a glimpse of that tower and decided to make it my temporary destination.

"Mom! Mom!"

Suddenly, a child’s cry rang out.

Startled, I looked to the source of the voice and saw a child crying right next to me.

The child, though, was about my age, or perhaps a little younger, around the age when I would have been about to start elementary school in my previous life.

"Um, what’s wrong?"

I couldn’t help but ask.

However, a crying child wouldn’t listen to someone like me. The crying continued.

The adults around us paused for a moment but, perhaps thinking something because I was there, they resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

I must have been a nuisance. I used magic to block out the sound. The crying no longer leaked out to the surroundings.

After a few minutes of crying and wailing, the child seemed to tire out, and the cries grew quieter.

It was probably time. I called out again, though I had a vague idea of why the child was crying.

"What’s wrong?"

"My mom went somewhere."

The voice, mixed with sobs, was hard to understand, but the child was lost.

What should I do?

I had already spoken to the child. Leaving the child alone made me feel uneasy. However, if I took the child with me, it would be troublesome if we got separated from the parents.

"What’s your name?"

I spoke as kindly as possible, with a smile.

"...Lulu..."

Lulu answered, still looking down, gripping the hem of her dress and pulling it.

"Lulu...-chan? Then, can you tell me your mom’s name?"

"Stona"

"Your mom’s name is Stona, right?"

Lulu nodded, with tears still in the corners of her eyes.

"How far did you go with your mom?"

"We were shopping."

"Do you remember what you bought?"

She shook her head, and the tears increased. It was getting dangerous!

"Let’s go look for her."

I thought I should do something to distract her, but nothing came to mind!

In the end, we decided to walk and look. If we found a place to leave her, we would do so. However, the only place I could think of was the guard post. Was there something like a police station?

"Which way did you come from?"

Lulu pointed to the middle of the shopping district, indicating the way back.

I thought about giving her a piggyback to make her more visible, but we were about the same size. I could give her a piggyback, but it wouldn’t make her much taller.

As a result, we ended up shouting her name loudly.

I asked Lulu to help. I used my fighting spirit to make my voice a bit louder and continued shouting.

"Stona! Lulu’s mom! Stona!"

"Mom! Mom!"

Even so, a child’s voice calling for someone is noticeable. The key was for this voice to reach Stona, or someone who knew her.

A doubt crossed my mind.

Was Stona really separated from Lulu?

An unpleasant thought came to mind.

Was Stona looking for Lulu?

Was Lulu in the same situation as me?

An unpleasant thought came to mind, for no reason. I had just found a lost child.

My unnecessary worry was quickly dispelled.

"Lulu!"

A woman with long black hair ran up to Lulu.

I tensed, thinking she might be a suspicious person, but it was unnecessary.

"Mom!"

Lulu smiled and hugged the woman. This must be Stona.

"Where did you go? I told you to stay with me!"

Without taking time to enjoy the joy of finding her child, Stona immediately scolded Lulu. She put her hands on Lulu’s shoulders, knelt down to her eye level, and continued to explain how worried she had been and how dangerous it was to be alone.

A few minutes must have passed. Staring in shock, I felt Stona’s gaze pierce me.

"Who is this...?"

It seemed she had just noticed me. She asked Lulu about me. I realized I hadn’t told Lulu anything about myself.

"I am..."

"Big brother! He helped me look for Mom!"

Lulu interrupted me and introduced me.

"Hmm... You are..."

Stona looked me over from head to toe a few times and immediately frowned.

"Are you from the slums?"

"Yes, but..."

Before I could say anything, Stona immediately pulled Lulu up.

"Let’s go, Lulu."

She urged Lulu to leave, avoiding eye contact with me. Lulu, looking confused, started to walk with Stona.

"What’s wrong?"

"You shouldn’t interact with people from the slums."

"But..."

Stona continued to pull Lulu’s hand, stopping her from protesting.

Lulu looked back and forth between her mother and me, with a puzzled expression, and then waved.

"Bye, big brother!"

Stona, hearing this, quickened her pace.

The two of them soon disappeared into the distance, becoming tiny dots.

What just happened?

I stood there, dumbfounded, watching them go.

Stona had become cold as soon as she found out I lived in the slums. That’s how it felt.

I didn’t know this because I had always lived in the slums, but perhaps the slums were so disliked.

I knew that some residents committed theft and robbery, and that the slums were disliked because of this.

However, I, a child who hadn’t committed any crimes, was disliked to this extent.

It was an unpleasant experience, to be met with direct hostility.

I tried not to let it bother me and turned around.

I walked quickly through the shopping district.

I tried not to let it bother me. I tried to pretend it didn’t bother me, but for some reason, I was afraid of the gazes around me.

My steps were a bit heavy.

I thought about going back, but I still wanted to reach today’s destination.

Look, the tower is close. If I reach that tower, I can go home today.

I entered the residential area after the shopping district.

The town was made of stone, somewhat organized. The streets were dirty with small trash, but not in ruins.

I was curious about what the inside of the houses looked like. I could enter with an invisibility spell.

However, for some reason, I felt I shouldn’t. I hesitated, even though I had freely entered houses in the village.

It was strange.

What was different?

I had stolen salt and clothes to live. Theft was a part of my life. I had even entered the guard training ground without hesitation earlier.

Why was I feeling guilty now?

I tilted my head, but no answer came to mind.

For some reason, Lulu and Stona’s backs came to mind.

I decided not to enter the houses and hurried on.

The tower was close.

I passed through the area with workshops. There were more short, muscular men on the streets. The sounds of hammers and saws filled the air, the sounds of the craftsmen at work.

I was interested, but I was tired today. I wanted to go to the tower and go home.

I walked silently, passing by.

I envied the energy of the place.

How long had it taken to get here? After walking for a while, I finally reached the base of the tower.

This was the First Street, where the nobles and royal family lived.

Of course, there was security. The area was surrounded by a wall about 10 meters high.

There were guards at the gate leading from the shopping district. They didn’t seem to collect taxes, but they were just monitoring suspicious people.

I tried to slip in quietly, but the guard was watching me.

Stopping would be suspicious, so I walked past with a casual face. Just a little more, and I could get in.

However, the guard stopped me.

"Hey, do you have any business ahead?"

He leaned in to ask, his hand gripping his spear, a sign of caution.

"No, I don’t have any particular business..."

"Then, you can’t go in unless you’re with someone. Sorry."

He maintained his smile but sent a signal to the guard post behind him. I was definitely being suspected.

I couldn’t cause a commotion. I didn’t think they would let me through just because I wanted to see the tower.

"It’s okay."

I decided to go home today. But one last thing.

"What is that tower?"

I pointed and asked the guard. The guard followed my finger and looked at me and the tower with a puzzled expression.

"That tower is... the White Bone Tower."

"White Bone Tower? What is it?"

After a moment’s thought, the guard answered.

"It’s where important people who die in this city are placed. Do you know what a ceremony is? It’s used for various ceremonies."

"A cemetery?"

"Sort of, but not exactly. It’s like a cemetery for important people."

I had learned what I wanted to know.

"But why?"

"I came here to find out."

The guard looked confused and was at a loss for words.

"Thank you. Good luck with your work."

I turned and quickly left. If I looked back at the tower, the guard was watching me with a puzzled expression.

My purpose was accomplished. Now, let’s go home.

I walked back to my residence, ignoring the sounds of hammers, the delicious smells, and the gazes of the people around me.

I returned to the entrance of the slums.

Now, let’s go home. I was about to step in.

For some reason, I hesitated. The atmosphere changed, and my feet stopped for a moment.

Ah, I see.

I now understood how the man whose belongings were stolen felt when he turned back here.

The boundary of the world. An invisible line was drawn.

I stepped in again.

It’s okay, I can walk this far.

I can step into the slums.

When I returned to my residence, it was already dark.