Chapter 2

In the midst of the scent of the ragged children, the smell had seeped into my body, making it stink.

There was a mixture of a sweet, cloying smell and a unique, animal-like odor amidst the milkiness. Sweat, blood, excrement. This sewer, where all the filth of the world flows, is the den of the children.

"Di, are you awake?"

In the darkness, I sensed Abby getting up, and the children who had started to stir also began to wake up.

The girl clinging to the left side of my body had rabbit ears. She was about four to five years old. On the right side was a girl with cat ears, about twelve to thirteen years old. For convenience, I call the rabbit-eared girl 'Rabbit Girl' and the cat-eared girl 'Cat Girl'.

Straddling me from the front, hugging me without reserve, was a dwarf girl. Her age was unknown, but despite her small appearance, her build was sturdy and heavy.

On my right leg was a girl with an unusually bluish skin tone. She was unusually cold. Upon closer inspection, her fine skin was scaly. This one is called 'Lizard Girl'.

On my left leg was a slightly larger girl. She was a bit smaller than Abby, but the protrusion on her head was painful against my waist. She seemed a bit older, around twelve to thirteen years old. I decided to call her 'Ogre Girl'.

There seemed to be six to seven others, but I didn't know them. I didn't want to know them either.

"We're about to go."

I sensed Abby nodding, and the children followed her down the sewer-like path.

"It's dangerous. Hold hands."

Lizard Girl said this and firmly gripped my hand.

It was unusually dark, making it hard to see. The smell of decayed water mixed with faint water sounds. It was definitely a sewer.

Led by Lizard Girl, we walked a winding path for a while. It was like a maze. If I were asked to return to the original position, I wouldn't be able to do it alone.

Eventually, a light like dappled sunlight pierced the bone-chilling cold, and Lizard Girl reluctantly let go of my hand.

"Thank you. I'm saved."

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. I'll take care of Di. This much is fine."

"…What are you talking about?"

The sewer was unusually large, as big as a tunnel. Assuming this is part of the infrastructure, it suggests we are in a fairly large city with a developed civilization.

While thinking about this, Ogre Girl poked my back with her finger.

"Walk faster. You're holding us up."

Ogre Girl's fingernails were long, and it hurt when she poked me.

I looked at Ogre Girl again.

She was definitely taller than me. Her build was not bad, muscular. She had a horn-like protrusion on her forehead, and her eyes were sharp and aggressive. She looked very prone to fighting.

I said bluntly,

"You're a weak person, but you're warm, so I'll favor you a little."

"Thanks…."

Lizard Girl and Ogre Girl might have trouble regulating their body temperature. As I vaguely thought this, Ogre Girl added irritably,

"But if a dog person comes, you'll be useless. Don't get too cocky."

"…"

What an annoying kid.

We reached the exit and walked through the dirty path of the sewer in the cold wind.

On the way, a dwarf girl with an unusually friendly smile held my hand, and I let her.

The 'Dwarf' was smaller than me but had a sturdy build with broad shoulders and seemed strong. She had large, round eyes and looked very spoiled.

Enduring the cold, we walked along a narrow path at the edge of the sewer.

Due to my numb nose and the strong wind, I couldn't smell much. On the other side of the drainage沟 where sewage flowed, there was a narrow path similar to this one.

"The other side is Frankie's territory. Absolutely don't go there."

Cat Girl said this bluntly and poked my back like Ogre Girl. It wasn't as bad as Ogre Girl's, but her nails still hurt.

'Cat Girl' was thin but had a good posture. She walked with a slight sway in her hips and had a long tail.

Ogre Girl and Cat Girl seemed to get along well. They walked side by side.

I could tell from the atmosphere. Both of them didn't seem to like me much.

…If that's the case, don't cling to me.

Purely based on intuition, they might have a relationship close to yuri. Well, it's a group of girls, so it's possible.

There were others trailing behind me, but I didn't know them. If they wanted to be friendly, they could, but I didn't want to be the one to initiate it. I didn't particularly want to talk to them. If they wanted to ignore me, that was fine too.

Ogre Girl pushed me aside and went to the front, whispering something to Abby, who was leading the way.

"…No. First, we'll leave it to Zoi. Ashita, I can't do what you say."

"…But!"

"Sui is a matter of life and death. Who said that Eva is too skinny and uncomfortable to hug? You slept well last night, didn't you? How does the new one feel, Ashita? Huh?"

Abby said this teasingly, and the girl called 'Ashita' retreated with a mix of frustration and a tongue click.

"Get out of the way!"

Ogre Girl pushed me and returned to Cat Girl's side.

…This kid is really annoying…

I didn't show it, but I didn't feel good.

I'm the new one. I want to avoid fights while I'm called that. I gripped the dwarf girl's hand tightly, and she relaxed her mouth and gripped my hand back.

I casually observed my surroundings until I got bored.

After walking for a while, a rope ladder hanging on a distant wall came into view, and Abby turned to check behind her.

Leading the children must be tough.

Abby, the girl, didn't seem bad, but she had a cold atmosphere. In the light, I could see that her appearance was different from the others. She wore a dirty cloth outfit like the children, but she also had a leather chest plate and two large knives in sheaths on her belt.

Clearly a leader.

The one who leads this group is 'Abby'. The queen bee. The queen of the children.

"…You're following well. And… I haven't heard yet. Di, what can you do?"

"…? I'll do whatever I'm told, but that's not what you mean, is it…?"

"…"

At this, Abby raised one eyebrow and rubbed her chin as if thinking.

"Have you been to the church yet?"

"Church? Is there a church?"

"Huh…?"

For a moment, Abby looked surprised, scratching her neatly cut short hair.

Through her hair, I could see the animal ears poking out. Fine jaw, sharp eyes. Abby's face had a 'fox' quality.

Everyone stood on two legs and had two hands like humans. They were similar to me, but not the same kind of 'human'.

Abby snorted.

"Then, after we finish eating, we'll go to the church… No, we should check the area first… First, to Ada…"

The latter part of her words was in a low, almost monologue-like voice. However…

It's a suspicious story.

Abby was definitely thinking about something. And it was convenient for her, not for me. I was about to question it—

But. But, still.

My eyes were drawn to something at the corner of my vision.

"Seriously…?"

I muttered, and Abby looked at me with a question mark on her face.

"What's wrong, Di? …Oh? It's a corpse. What's the matter with that?"

"…"

I was speechless, unable to find words. But from Abby's unperturbed face, it wasn't something particularly unusual.

—A child was floating in the sewer in front of me.

He had a slightly surprised look, his mouth half-open. I even thought he might blink and notice me—

But there was no light in his eyes.

Only bottomless darkness and an empty gaze. There was a bloodstain on his left chest, a single stab. He must have died before he could even think about what happened.

I had never seen a corpse, especially a child's, before.

"…!"

Something rose in my throat, and I quickly averted my eyes, trying not to think about it.

"What's wrong, Di? Feeling sick? Hmm…"

Abby looked at me suspiciously, then smiled broadly.

"…That's good!"

—It's not good at all. Damn kid.

This scene must have happened somewhere in the world I came from. But I am Japanese. A person from a peaceful country. It was a moment when the reality of my incredibly privileged life hit me.

"What's wrong, so weak. …Isn't this one from Frankie's place?"

Ogre Girl said, and Abby looked back at the corpse, nodding in understanding.

"Oh, yeah… I recognize him a little. He's Frankie's lackey."

After saying that, Abby seemed to lose interest and returned her gaze to the rope ladder on the wall.

"Let it go. Let's go."

—It's not good at all.

I swallowed the words and the nausea, nodding slightly.

—The one who died is a kid too.

You, who are kids just like him, shouldn't talk about it as if it's nothing.

Please, spare me…

A shitty environment, a shitty situation.

This is the current reality I am in.