Chapter 45

45. The Beggar Gang (2)

In response to the priest's words, the fence opened.

The black gate creaked, and with that, the beggars who had been waiting outside rushed in all at once.

It was as if water was draining from a sewer.

Oliver was swept up in the crowd and entered the poorhouse. After a few shoves, he managed to get in line.

"Thank goodness. From what I can see, we should be able to get some... "

"It's been a while since we've had bread."

"You're right."

The beggars in line each said a word as they looked at the piled-up bread.

However, they only whispered, never loud enough to be annoying.

Upon closer inspection, they were all watching the poorhouse staff and the priest in charge.

It was no wonder, as the poorhouse staff and the priest all looked at the beggars with disdain, displeasure, and a strange sense of superiority.

It was clear that if they upset them, they would be chased away.

"Hey... Don't stare so obviously."

An old beggar forced Oliver to bow his head.

"Bow your head. Look at the ground. Just the ground... They don't like eye contact or peeking. In the first place, you shouldn't be given anything that can be criticized."

Oliver lowered his eyes as instructed, though his curiosity was not satisfied.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Question...? Keep it short."

The old beggar said this while watching the priest's reaction.

"Earlier, you mentioned a secular reason for giving out bread... What is it?"

"......Do you really want to know that now?"

"Yes, please."

Moved by the polite and sincere request, the beggar grunted.

He then watched the priest's expression as the line shortened.

"......I'll explain later. Later."

"Thank you, Botti."

"This kid... He makes it hard for people to refuse."

Meanwhile, the line had shortened, and it was Oliver's turn.

Oliver followed Botti, bowing his head and looking at the ground.

Still, he could catch glimpses of the staff and the priest distributing the bread.

Was it because they were closer? Their condescending attitude was even more apparent.

"......"

"Five people? Here you go."

The poorhouse staff gave ten loaves of bread, matching the number of people.

Botti put the bread in a prepared sack and thanked them.

"Thank you. Thank you. You will surely be blessed."

"......"

The priest did not respond.

However, Botti, as if used to it, led the group out of the poorhouse.

"Phew... Lucky. There wasn't much bread left. If we had been wrong, we would have come up empty-handed."

"Empty-handed? If the bread had run out, what would have happened?"

"Well, what would happen? We would just go back without getting any... You have a lot of questions, don't you?"

"Oh... But would we really just go back?"

"Yes. What can you do if there's no bread? You'd have to suck your thumb. I told you to go before it was too late, didn't I? Even beggars can't be lazy. If you do, you'll starve to death."

"Oh... I see."

Oliver nodded in response.

Indeed, the beggar gang in Cant was far from lazy.

Harmonica, Red Nose, the old man and his grandson, and others always went begging at a set time,

and other ordinary beggars collected trash from back alleys or gathered edible food waste.

The only leisurely thing was the club that guarded the beggar gang?

Contrary to the content of the diary Joseph had seen, the beggar gang in Cant was very diligent and upright.

The diary had depicted them as foolish and greedy creatures who committed all sorts of terrible crimes, such as selling their comrades for a few coins.

So they were easy for the black mage to use.

However, the reality Oliver encountered was different.

It was quite interesting. The gap between the book and reality.

"Ah, everyone, stop."

Botti suddenly stopped and said.

He looked around. There were quite a few people outside.

"Oh... It's been quite a while. Let's go back."

"Huh? Go back?"

"Yes, if we walk the main road and get noticed, it will only make us tired. It's a longer way around, but it's better."

Everyone frowned at Botti's words, but no one objected.

He had seen this before.

When collecting trash, the beggar gang avoided crowded places and moved through back alleys.

If they were noticed, they might be targeted for crackdowns?

"Come on, instead of complaining, let's move. After all, we didn't come up empty-handed today and got bread, so it's lucky. Let's go... Oh, right. Oliver."

"Yes?"

"Earlier, you asked about the secular reason?"

"Yes."

"I'll only tell you once, so listen carefully. I'm telling you because you're part of our gang."

"Yes."

"It's because they want the world to know that they are the agents and saviors of their god... "

"Saviors...?"

"Yes, bread is precious to those who are starving. They have no choice but to listen to the person giving out bread... Besides, it helps them create a good image of helping the poor."

"Oh... But the priest doesn't seem to look at us favorably, does he?"

"Hey, I told you. This kid has a good eye."

"Individuals must follow the overall flow of the organization, even if they don't want to. There are many such people... Some even embezzle relief supplies for their own benefit."

"Wow..."

Oliver marveled at the obvious yet new fact.

The holy knights were surprisingly clean and pure, but the priests were different from what he had imagined.

Of course, Oliver hadn't met all the holy knights and priests, but what he had seen was indeed like that... It was quite interesting.

The fun of gradually learning new facts, perhaps?

The best part of this fun was that it always led to new questions.

"By the way, does everyone know this?"

"Yeah... It's not a big deal. I heard it from someone else, too."

"From who?"

"The former leader, the priest... "

"The priest?"

"Whether he was a real priest or not, we called him that... He has passed away, but he brought us together and taught us many things. He was a good person."

Oliver saw respect in Botti's emotions. The others felt the same way, which was quite rare.

To respect the dead... When death is the end.

As if to prove this, someone said,

"Whether he was real or not, he was a great person. He mediated conflicts with other beggar gangs through dialogue and even brought Cant here."

"Cant?"

"Yeah, it's true. The priest brought Cant here. He used to be very different, though. Now he's much more relaxed, but at first, he was really tough."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he was like a dead body. He would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. He's completely different now."

Completely different now. Oliver's curiosity was suddenly piqued.

He was so different from the cheerful person now. He wanted to know why.

Just as he was about to ask more, Botti suddenly interrupted.

"Come on, let's stop this. Don't talk about others behind their backs, especially among us beggars. Everyone has a story. Let's stop talking."

Everyone shut up at Botti's words, and Oliver did too.

It seemed to be a sensitive issue. Still, Oliver wanted to satisfy his curiosity.

You have to scratch where it itches, don't you?

"Hey... What's that over there?"

One of the group pointed to a narrow alley far away.

There were several beggars gathered there.

"That's...?"

"The Mole gang... "

Botti said quietly.

Moles.

He had heard the name a few times but didn't know who they were.

Oliver quickly observed them to satisfy his curiosity.

There were many who looked like they had fierce fists, and among them was an old man with a large dog.

The atmosphere was not good.

Their presence, their aura.

They seemed more like a gang than beggars, and in fact, some of the beggars they had caught were being robbed of part of the bread they had received from the poorhouse.

Oliver silently observed them.

"......"

"......What should we do? Botti? Should we go back?"

"Hmm... No, we've come too far and made eye contact. If we show fear here, it might be more dangerous. Let's go forward confidently."

With that, Botti walked forward.

It was clear he was pretending to be strong, but it showed how dangerous they were.

He remembered that when he first met Cant, the people who chased him also feared the Moles.

"Stop there."

A large, bearded man stopped Oliver's group.

He wore a hat with a torn brim.

"You have to pay a toll here. You all went to the poorhouse, right? Give half of what you got."

His attitude was absurdly confident. Botti objected.

"I've lived on this street for over 30 years. What do you mean by a toll? What are you talking about?"

"Ha...! You've been a beggar for a long time. You're boasting about it."

"Are you not a beggar?"

"I'm not just a beggar. Don't put me in the same category, it's offensive... Anyway, until recently, there was no owner of this alley, but now there is. If you want to pass, you have to pay a toll."

"How can an alley have an owner?"

"It does now. It's us, the Mole gang. What do you think? Do you want to give it all and get beaten up? Or do you want to give half and not get beaten? Personally, I prefer the first option. My hands are itching."

The hat-wearing beggar cracked his knuckles threateningly.

His behavior reminded Oliver of the Dominic family, but Botti, though trembling with fear, mustered his courage.

"Hey, how dare you-"

"Wait a moment."

An old man, who was on the same side as the hat-wearing beggar, intervened.

He was squatting with several large dogs by his side.

The dogs panted when petted.

The old man said,

"......Are you the priest's... I mean, the Cant gang?"

Botti quickly replied,

"Yes... Aren't you the old man with the dogs?"

"Yes... Ah, Henry, let them go. They're from the Cant gang."

"Cant? Ah... The Cant from the Quarterstaff or the Resolver?"

"Yes, let them go."

The hat-wearing beggar, called Henry, narrowed his eyes and leaned in.

"Cant from the Quarterstaff... From what I've heard, his subordinates don't seem to match. They all look weak, especially that one."

The hat-wearing beggar pointed at Oliver.

Well, it was true based on appearance.

"Only the subordinates... Just let them go. The Moles don't want to clash right now."

It seemed the situation was going well, but the hat-wearing beggar spoke with dissatisfaction.

"Well, I want to, but I don't like the look of this old man."

He looked down at Botti.

"He treated me like a beggar. Old man."

"You are a beggar, aren't you?"

"I'm not just a beggar... I have a high-income job as a beggar. It's offensive, and what if I touch you? Old man."

At this, the other beggars, who had been watching, started to surround them with clubs and fists.

"......I don't know. The Moles said not to. I'm against it."

"Then what if I do it on my own?"

"Ha... Do as you please. I don't know anything about it. By the way, why is this dog panting so much?"

The old man petted the panting dog and pretended to be indifferent.

The hat-wearing beggar tilted his hat forward and said,

"Hey, did you hear that? Do as you please."

The beggars had already surrounded them, and the tension was palpable.

"Sure, let's see what you do. I'm curious."

Cant appeared from the other side.