Chapter 27

27

If I had a piece of mana stone this big, I could sell it and it would cover my living expenses for a few years.

If the grades of mana stones range from S to F, this one is at least a B+ grade.

I need to inspect it more carefully, but if I get lucky, it might be a slightly lower-grade A.

In any case, there’s a difference in purity between B and A grades. A grade is much better than B+.

With one of these, even if I’m a bit short on mana, I can still live independently for a few years.

I can use the smaller ones as auxiliary when I cast spells.

I grinned and buried my face in Deshar Clown’s shoulder again.

"Ha!"

"Hehe, you’re quite a smart one. You’re strangely greedy, though..."

Mana stones are the best, the best.

I prefer mana stones over money.

I can convert them to cash whenever I need to, they’re not heavy, and I can cast spells whenever I want.

Honestly, that’s enough for me.

Even if I can’t convert them to cash, I can solve most problems as long as I can cast spells. It means I won’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter.

Deshar Clown, seemingly very satisfied, rubbed my sparse hair with his large palm.

I obediently shut my mouth and quietly felt the strange sensation.

"Call me grandpa from now on."

"Ugh..."

I pouted, showing my dissatisfaction.

The fact that I have to call Deshar Clown ‘grandpa’ in exchange for that A-grade mana stone is a lifetime of pain.

Can I really weigh my lifelong suffering against an A-grade mana stone? I twisted my face and tightly shut my lips, pulling back my outstretched hand. I could feel his gaze on me as I fell into deep thought.

"...I know you don’t like me or Sharent very much."

I don’t just dislike you; I hate you. How else would I be pondering the title and an A-grade mana stone?

I looked up at Deshar Clown, who gave a wry smile.

‘...Why does he look like that?’

It’s creepy.

I never wanted to see this different side of the person who always yelled at me.

I tilted my head back and stared at Deshar Clown for a long time with a sullen face.

"Would it have been different if I had accepted the woman Valian brought?"

Even if I was mistreated, at least I would have had a guardian.

No, not me, but Shina.

Having a guardian makes a big difference.

"No, it’s just a sentimental thought. You wouldn’t have understood anyway."

No, I understood everything.

"Take this for now. If you call me grandpa, I’ll give you more sometimes."

I opened my eyes wide as I took the mana stone he handed me.

If I call him grandpa, he’ll give me a mana stone? Then... it might be a fair deal.

"Ha!"

"Yeah, you greedy thing."

Despite that, Deshar Clown’s laughter didn’t sound particularly annoyed.

When he put me down, I crawled straight to where the mana stone was.

"Valian doesn’t seem to have a materialistic side..."

He muttered quietly, calling Vera, that he had never seen such a greedy child.

I hugged today’s harvest in my arms and hurried to Vera’s embrace, heading quickly to my room.

* * *

They say that when a person is happy, misfortune also comes, but it didn’t come the next day.

"Hey, half-breed! Go fetch it!"

A straw ball, as big as a fist, thrown by an ugly kid, rolled on the ground.

I glanced down at the mana stone tied to the end of the pacifier I had begged from Vera yesterday.

‘Why did they bring me to this rotten party?’

It was Deshar Clown’s order, but who would leave a baby like this at a party?

‘Vera can’t attend either.’

I was left alone on the floor, trying to figure out how to get more mana stones from the corner when those kids came to bully me.

There were about five or six of them, gathered together.

How can they all look so unremarkable? They’re not even worth a bite.

I glanced at the snotty-nosed kids and then slowly crawled towards the forest.

There’s no reason to deal with these annoying kids.

"Hey, what’s a half-breed?"

"A dirty kid. He can’t even be part of a family and will probably be kicked out later. My mom said he’s like a slave."

"Slave? Yuck, that’s dirty!"

Someone kicked me with their foot.

My small body tumbled and rolled on the ground. The dress Vera put on me in the morning got dirty.

"Wow! It’s a ball. It rolls so well!"

"Me too! Me too, big brother!"

Thud, thud.

The kids kicked me around.

Even though they were small, it was too painful for my baby body.

I couldn’t even stand on all fours when someone kicked me again.

"Ouch!"

I rolled to the side and, before I could get up, another kid kicked me hard. As a result, my pink dress turned black.

I quickly stood on all fours and quickly put some distance between me and them.

It hurts, but I can endure it.

‘Damn, it hurts...’

Actually, I don’t mind if my clothes get dirty...

‘Why do they pick on a baby who’s just sitting there?’

Why? They must be crazy to want to die.

I sat a bit away, sucking on the pacifier, and slowly thought.

I brought the smallest mana stone from yesterday, but even this size would be enough to drown a few of these brats without any problem.

'Hmm...'

Besides, I plan to use dark magic to grow faster, so killing a few more people won’t be bad.

‘Young kids don’t have much vitality, but...’

With that attitude, they might have more vitality than expected?

‘I can make it look like an accident.’

No one would think a baby killed other kids.

The kids would be witnesses, but the dead can’t speak.

After finishing my thoughts, I picked up a stone nearby and threw it at the kid who was acting all tough.

The stone, which used to just fall to the ground, now flew forward.

"Ouch!"

It hit the kid’s forehead with a thud.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt much because I’m weak, but it would annoy him.

Does it hurt? I hurt more.

I saw a blue bruise forming on my wrist.

How do I explain this to Vera? Should I say I rolled down the stairs?

Thinking of an excuse made me angry. I crawled into the bushes, showing the kid a thin smile.

"Hey! Catch him!"

I heard the clumsy footsteps of the kids chasing me.

‘Oh no, if I get caught while luring them, I’m done for.’

‘Run!’

I used all my strength to crawl into the bushes, stepping on the well-kept grass.

The rustling of the grass and my clothes brushing against it didn’t matter much.

I held the pacifier in my mouth, making my cheeks hollow, and moved my arms and legs quickly.

I was heading to a different place from Sharent Clown’s garden, a pond I found while exploring.

The Clown’s mansion is so vast that various gardens are scattered around.

Fortunately, it was close to the garden party, making it easy to lure the kids.

"That cockroach-like...!"

Cockroach...?

I twisted my face in anger and turned my head to see the kids chasing me.

"Yaaah!"

I moved my arms and legs frantically to stay alive.

Who would be so unlucky as to be a guest at Sharent Clown’s party? Especially when they all say the same thing.

"Ah! Poo!"

Who’s the fool!

Cockroach? You, who gather to bully a weak baby, are the real cockroaches.

‘I’ll make the one in the middle suffer the most!’

First...

"Ahhh!"

Survival comes first.

I ran desperately and managed to stop in front of the pond.

Seeing the water was such a relief.

"Pfff... H... Pfff..."

Why can’t this body even take a proper breath?

I quickly took the pacifier out of my mouth and caught my breath. Fortunately, the kids who followed me lined up in front of me like sausages.

"Huff, huff, huff."

"Keh, ah... Keh..."

"Ah, ah, ah..."

There were four kids.

Three were boys and one was a girl.

They were all busy catching their breath.

This is the perfect moment to drown them, but I’m the one who’s short of air.

"You, you...! I won’t let you... Huff, get away with this!"

That’s what I should say.

I put the pacifier back in my mouth and, after a few moments, grabbed the mana stone hanging from it with my tiny hand.

"You, you... Daa... Joo...!"

You’re all dead!

The mana stone I held tightly began to glow a bright blue.