Chapter 64

"Basically, you're saying that this ink was splashed in front of your friend's shop?"

Georg and William had also woken up, so they consulted Harold about the ink.

"It was bright red ink. No matter how much I rubbed it, the color wouldn't come off at all. I'm at a loss. Is there any good way to remove it?"

"Red... The same color as the ink used on the nobles' kids during the food distribution... Sorry, but that ink can't be removed. The paintings on this wall are all done with the same ink, and they haven't faded or bled at all, right?"

In the room where a whole wall had collapsed, the paintings, which should have been exposed to the rain and wind, were in perfect condition. They had hoped there might be a way to remove the ink, but it seemed impossible.

"The food distribution was stingy, and the ink was stolen and splashed at Joshua's shop... I have one suspect in mind..."

They had recently encountered someone who would take such a tacky action. Both Georg and William had the same person in mind.

"Where can this ink be bought?"

The ink, which they couldn't find in the commercial district or the commoners' district, was unexpectedly found in all colors in the slums. It might even be imported.

"It's obvious that it's not sold anywhere; I made it myself."

Harold proudly showed them the ink, which was stored in simple containers, each containing a vivid liquid.

"Handmade!? By Mr. Harold?"

It was unbelievable. The ink was beyond the level of handmade. They had never seen ink that remained so vivid and couldn't be erased, even in their previous lives.

"I used to wander around and paint for a living, but the materials were more expensive than the money I earned. So, I started experimenting and making my own stuff, and I got hooked. Now, I just stay here and take care of the kids while drawing on the walls."

Harold laughed as if it was nothing, but with the sudden economic boom, those who could work left the slums, leaving behind the children. According to what Hugh had told them, this kind and handsome man was trying to save all the children in the slums, putting his own needs last.

"You can stay here if you have nowhere to go. You're old enough to work, and I can teach you reading and writing."

Seeing the patched clothes of the three brothers and Emma's scars, Harold offered to take them in.

"No, we're fine!"

Georg quickly replied.

"Really? You don't have to push yourself."

Do they look that troubled...? Not only Harold, but the children who had gathered around also told them they didn't have to be so reserved. The smell of poverty, once ingrained, was hard to get rid of. The three brothers looked at each other, twisting their necks. They wondered if their school friends thought they smelled poor.

"Huh?"

For a moment, the light from the collapsed wall was blocked.

...thud.

They realized someone had entered the room with a light landing sound and turned their eyes toward the source of the sound. A large beast was there, blocking the light.

"Wha???"

"What the hell, a monster!!"

"Whoa!! A monster??"

The children screamed at the sudden appearance of the large beast. It had jumped from the third floor and entered through the collapsed wall, something a human couldn't do. Even in the slums, children living in the capital rarely encountered such a large beast. They wanted to run but were frozen in fear.

"Meow~"

The large beast headed straight for the three brothers, moving almost silently.

"Hey, it's dangerous! Come here! Run!"

Harold reached out to the three brothers, but it was too late. The beast reached them in an instant. The surprised brothers shouted.

"Komei!?"

"Meow~"

The large beast, which was actually a calico cat named Komei, started purring and rubbing against Emma. It was so big, yet it moved almost silently.

"Why are you outside?"

Emma stroked the cat, which was licking her cheek, but got no answer. Komei was just happy to see her.

"Hey? Are you okay?"

Harold cautiously approached. At first glance, it might look like the monster was attacking Emma, but the three brothers were smiling and petting it.

"This is our pet cat. His name is Komei."

William introduced Komei to Harold, who had cautiously approached. Komei, realizing he was being talked about, stopped licking Emma and turned to Harold.

"Meow!"

"Komei says hello."

Emma translated for Harold, who seemed to be getting used to the situation.

"...A cat? No way!! Is a cat really that big? Wait, but... it did say 'meow' just now... But it's too big!"

It was a very reasonable point. The form was that of a cat, and it meowed like a cat. It was just big.

"What's a cat?"

"Cat?"

The children in the slums didn't know about the existence of cats as high-end pets, so they looked at Harold for an explanation.

"It's the most expensive animal that rich people keep. It's said to cost as much as a house... But it shouldn't be this big... Do I just not know?"

The cats Harold knew were about the size of a lap, but the one in front of him was bigger than Emma.

"High-end!? Cool!!"

"A whole house!? For an animal? Rich people are crazy!"

The children, now relaxed, approached to touch Komei.

"Hey! It's dangerous! Don't get too close!"

Harold, still unsure if it was a cat, tried to stop the children, but they had already surrounded Komei and started touching him.

"It's so fluffy!"

"It's purring!"

"It's big, but cute!"

Komei let the children pet him calmly. He was good at being a babysitter.

"But, a high-end cat? How did Georg and the others get one? Did they steal it?"

Hugh asked, puzzled. Even though the three brothers claimed to have a high-end cat, no one thought they were the children of a noble family; they were still seen as poor.

"Komei was a stray cat. There are three others."

"Stray cat? Like a stray dog?"

Stray dogs were common in the slums. In this world, dogs were often used for hunting and were familiar as pets among the common people.

"But, Komei? How did he get here?"

Opening doors and jumping over walls were easy for Komei, but they had agreed that he shouldn't go outside. Komei wouldn't come alone unless the three brothers were in danger, but they were all fine and hadn't encountered any danger.

A bad feeling washed over Georg. If Komei wouldn't come alone, someone must have brought him.

There was only one person who could have done it.