Chapter 47

47. Kent (2)

There was a minor dispute with the mole gang, but daily life didn't change much.

Xiaoming woke up early every day to make a living, wandering the streets. Even as the weather grew colder, Oliver and the other beggars continued to go to different areas to collect garbage every day.

“Are you all here?”

“Yes.”

The beggars, sweating and reeking, answered.

“Then, dump it!”

Numerous pieces of garbage spilled out from the burlap bags. There were old pots, broken furniture, worn-out clothes, and bent tableware, all items that could be reused here.

But the most important among them was the paper waste, specifically the torn or cut pieces of paper.

The beggars who collected the garbage squatted down and began sorting the paper waste, carefully separating it from the garbage collected from other places.

After sorting, they brought the paper to an old man squatting in the corner and a middle-aged beggar wearing glasses.

“This is from the restaurant in front.”

“Ah...”

“This is from the gang hideout behind.”

“Put it there...”

“This is from the factory dumpster.”

“...”

White and yellow paper waste quickly piled up like a mountain, and the old man and the middle-aged beggar only nodded and sighed each time.

They looked very tired, but the task of matching the papers did not stop.

Oliver had once asked why they did such work, and they said it was to create valuable garbage.

To find out what the competing shops or factories were doing or if they had found better deals through their documents.

The price usually ranged from several hundred thousand to several million rands, and although it was more of a side job, it was a significant source of income.

Oliver, suddenly curious, asked:

“Why do only those people do this job? Shouldn't we help too?”

“Huh? How can you help? Can you read?”

“... Ah, that's right.”

Oliver said so.

Thinking about it, it made sense. He had only learned to read recently.

It was actually impressive that people like Marie and those around him could read.

This led to a new curiosity.

“But, how do they know how to read?”

“You're so nosy. But since you're not lazy, I'll answer... The head priest taught them.”

“The head priest?”

“Yeah, that's right. Thanks to him, we're the only ones doing this job. Recently, the price has dropped due to competition, but it's still the reason we don't starve.”

“... If they learned from the head priest, they must have been here for a long time, right?”

“Well, yeah. They've been here longer than Mr. Kent, so they're all well-versed in this business.”

“Hmm...”

At that moment, a loud voice scolded them.

“What are you all doing, dawdling! Hurry up and collect the useless garbage?!”

With that, the beggars, who had been slacking off, started moving busily again.

They put the usable garbage in a corner of their shelter and put the rest of the unusable garbage back into the burlap bags and carried them outside.

Then they dumped them back into the garbage bins they had brought, marking the end of one task.

It was simple labor, but it was tiring and often left a bad taste, so after finishing, they were usually guaranteed some rest. Oliver usually took a deep breath to recover his strength at this time.

However, today was not the usual.

“Um...”

“Yeah?”

Oliver approached the group of beggars matching the papers and spoke.

They looked at Oliver with tired and irritated eyes.

“... What? We're busy.”

“Can I help you?”

At this, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at Oliver.

They all wore expressions of disbelief, and Oliver, noticing this, spoke up.

“I can read. I learned.”

Everyone was silent.

Their emotions were a mix of confusion, displeasure, doubt, and suspicion, but the middle-aged beggar with glasses spoke up.

“You can read?”

“Yes, I learned a long time ago.”

“But why didn't you mention it before?”

“No one asked.”

“... That's a reasonable reason. So, why are you bringing it up now?”

“I have a question, but I didn't want to ask directly... I learned that if you want something, you have to give something.”

“You learned well. But I don't think you'll be much help. This job isn't just about reading... Look.”

The middle-aged beggar with glasses showed a small piece of torn paper.

It was about the size of a finger, with two small characters written on it.

“Reading is the basic part, but you also have to analyze the shape of the torn paper, piece it together like a puzzle, and infer the missing characters based on the context. It's not something you can help with just by reading.”

“Shape, context, shape, context... I understand.”

“...?”

The middle-aged beggar with glasses looked at Oliver with a mix of disbelief... no, a bit of irritation.

“Fine... You're not backing down. Try matching the paper over there. But if you don't do it properly, you'll get a slap. We're already busy, and you're just causing trouble.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Oliver answered confidently and went to the pile of paper on one side.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands of pieces, all torn very carefully.

Everyone watched Oliver's sudden action, which was certainly noticeable.

Regardless, Oliver focused solely on the task at hand.

“Shape, context, shape, context...”

Oliver muttered to himself and started laying out the torn pieces of paper on the ground.

He concentrated on the shape and context, just as he had been told.

“...”

After a long silence, Oliver finally started moving.

He picked out a few pieces of the laid-out paper and began matching them at a noticeable speed.

In no time, more than half were matched, and Oliver, after examining the context of the paper, picked out more pieces and matched them.

“Oh...”

“What is this...”

“...”

“This is unbelievable...”

Those watching began to express their amazement.

After all, a task that usually took days was being completed by a newcomer in no time.

Before long, Oliver had completed a single document. The middle-aged beggar with glasses, watching this, said:

“... You're fast.”

“Thanks to your guidance.”

His tone was matter-of-fact.

It was so out of place that no one knew how to react.

An awkward silence fell, and then the middle-aged beggar with glasses spoke up.

“Well... Good. Since we have a lot of work, can you help more?”

“Of course... In return, can I ask one question?”

“What is it?”

The middle-aged beggar's eyes sharpened, as if trying to see through Oliver.

“A while ago, I almost got beaten up by some beggars.”

“I heard. Kent helped you, right...?”

“Yes. But, who exactly are the moles?”

“Why are you curious?”

“Just because I keep hearing their name and almost got beaten up. I think I should know, right?”

Everyone quietly watched Oliver, their eyes full of suspicion.

Why? It seemed like a natural curiosity.

Perhaps it was because Oliver's curiosity felt more like that of an ant rather than a predator.

Oliver didn't realize this, and the awkward silence continued.

After a while, the middle-aged beggar with glasses slowly spoke.

“... They're a group that established themselves in this area two years ago. The moles.”

“Oh...”

“They're said to be fixers, former soldiers, and gang members.”

“So that's why everyone thinks they're dangerous?”

“No, it wasn't like that until a year ago. They were a bit aggressive, but not to this extent. But in the past few months, they've changed suddenly.”

“How so?”

“They suddenly started recruiting beggars who could throw a punch, and one by one, the beggars in the area joined their gang... Even encroaching on other beggar gangs' territories.”

“A ruthless bunch...”

Someone muttered.

“They extort money from the areas they control, and use that money to hire more muscle... Recently, there are even dangerous rumors circulating.”

“Dangerous rumors?”

“Yes, like kidnapping and selling other beggars. For slave labor or guinea pigs.”

“I've heard that too. There are even rumors that they deal with black mages.”

Someone interjected, but the middle-aged beggar with glasses dismissed it as a rumor.

“No, that's not true. It's an exaggeration... Why would black mages come to a place like this?”

“Is that so?”

“Yes...”

“...”

If necessary, black mages could certainly contact beggars, but Oliver remained silent, observing the situation.

The middle-aged beggar with glasses continued:

“And black mages are not to be trifled with. They are extremely dangerous.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They use people as ingredients and can even consort with demons if needed. They are very dangerous...”

Oliver suddenly thought of Joanna. She had said something similar.

Was what she said true?

Maybe. Thinking of Joseph, Andrew, and Dominic, it didn't seem like a far-fetched story.

“Why are you interested in such things?”

“Oh... Just curious.”

The awkward silence returned. Then someone spoke up:

“By the way, what will happen in the future?”

Oliver and the middle-aged beggar with glasses turned their heads.

“What do you mean?”

“You know... The moles are expanding their influence. Not just small gangs, but even large ones... Honestly, it's hard to call the mole gang just a beggar gang these days.”

This comment sparked a wave of unease, as if a forgotten fact had resurfaced.

“That's true.”

“Botti said that even the old man eventually joined them.”

“Really? That old man?”

“They started charging tolls and forcing people to join their gang if they refused.”

“Yeah, I heard that too.”

“Maybe joining them isn't so bad?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they're trying to take over W District. Why fight when you can join? Kent has a good reputation, so if he joined, they might treat us well.”

“That's true... Maybe our lives would improve.”

The room buzzed with numerous opinions and emotions.

Some wanted to join the tide and make life easier, others felt uneasy, and some were willing to follow whatever Kent decided.

Amidst the chaos, a silent old man spoke up:

“Nonsense. Kent wouldn't join the moles just to make life a bit easier. If it were that easy, he would have left long ago.”

Everyone fell silent. The silence was a form of agreement and a belief in Kent's character.

“... Is it related to the previous priest?”

The sudden question made everyone look at Oliver.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Just curious.”

“Why are you curious?”

A voice from behind interrupted.

Turning around, Oliver saw Kent standing there with a quarterstaff in his hand.

Oliver looked at him and said:

“Oh, hello?”