51

The Capital reached the sunrise, the place was gloomy and you couldn't see any people on the road. Two massive incidents happened last night and the place was in a serious predicament. The citizens were afraid and a lot of them were going to leave the Capital but a battalion of Knights was blocking the gate. No one could leave the Capital and no one could enter. 

The Emperor declared that all of the entrances must be closed. The people were shocked when they heard it, many of them protested but nothing happened.  

The nobles and higher-ups were the only people who knew that there are dozens of Masters outside. If the citizens tried to leave, those Masters would surely kill them. 

They kept this information a secret because they didn't want the people to panic.

Right now, the passageway of the Palace was noisy. Shouts and screams were echoing. The people were begging the Emperor to use the teleportation Gate, but the Palace was quiet. No one answered them.

……………………

"Ugh…"

Yuusha opened his eyes, he saw that his shoulders were intact. He looked left and right, the place was shabby. Rats were crawling and the smell was awful. 

He tried to stand up but the voices of children entered his ears. 

"Look he's alive! See!? I'm not lying he is an Awakener!"

A little girl shouted and pointed at him, together with her, four other children came at him. These children were from the slum. Their area was safe compared to other places. No one wants to bother this dirty place, and even if all of the people died here, no one is gonna mourn. 

When the explosion ended, these kids saw Yuusha lying on the roads. When they saw his appearance, they shook their heads because Yuusha was horribly injured. They thought he would die. Since the man was going to die they decided to steal his belongings, they found some gold inside his pocket. 

While they were busy finding stuff, the little girl, Rachel, screamed when she saw that Yuusha's body was regenerating. The other kids were surprised and they back away. They thought that maybe Yuusha was an undead. They shivered thinking about it. 

The oldest child decided to get close. He used a stick to identify if Yuusha was alive or not. He pokes his stomach and Yuusha groaned. When he found that there's a reaction, the boy sighed, he looked at his siblings and said that the man was alive. 

One of the greedy children recommended that they must help Yuusha because there's a possibility that he can reward them. Some of them shook their heads in rejection. However, the majority agreed. 

They carried Yuusha using their small feeble bodies. 

"Where am I?"

Yuusha asked. The greedy kid coughed and spread his arms.

"You're in our house Awakener. We helped you, that's why you must repay us."

The kid said straight to the point, the oldest smacked his head. 

"I'm sorry, my brother, Moss, was just joking. By the way, I'm Ben, we brought you here when we found that you're alive.…… And we stole your golds, I'm sorry about that."

Yuusha listen to him, these kids' appearances were dirty and unsanitized. His heart ached when he saw their situation, as a person who grew up in a peaceful and well country, Yuusha was sad that there's a kid like them. You can see in their thin bodies that they don't eat enough food, they're suffering from malnutrition. 

The Empire may have been the richest and strongest but it couldn't protect every citizen. Yuusha knew that the world was not equal. Fair and justice were only for the nobilities but for the normal people like them, there's no such thing as equal.

"No, it's fine. You can have the gold all you want." 

He waved his hands, the golds were nothing for him. 

The children jumped when they heard him. The golds were actually unmoved, they're afraid that Yuusha would get angry if he learns that they took his money.

They thanked him. While they're happy, Yuusha stood. 

The image of hell was imprinted in his mind. He couldn't let himself do nothing while the others were doing their best.

The little girl came at him and smile, Yuusha patted her head. He wouldn't let their innocent smile to be tarnished. The Capital was large but he knew that there's a possibility of every people dying.

"Mister, where are you going? It's not safe outside. I think you must stay here longer."

"Un! We saw a large pillar of light last night. Many people were hysterical right now."

The kid tried to stop him but Yuusha didn't listen. If he didn't do his job, more people are going to die. But before that, he must take these kids to a safer place. 

"What's your name kid?"

He looked at all of them, when this crisis end, Yuusha would take these kids into his house in Harakk Region, the territory of Duke Zarasa. 

Ben and the others started to say their names, Yuusha nodded firmly remembering it. 

"This place is dangerous, I have a friend in the Palace, I can take you there."

The children paused when they heard him. However they didn't accept, the kids shook their heads. They knew what would happen if they go to the Palace.

They look at themselves, their clothes were stained and they smell nasty. Yuusha stared at them.

"Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you."

Ben saw his siblings fidgeting. He knew the reason why these kids are not answering. They had a mark, Ben brave himself and show his slave mark. On his back, burn marks of slave company was imprinted.

"Sir…… we are not a citizen of this country. W- We are slaves that were forsaken by our master. I'm sorry…… but we must decline your offer…"

Ben said, he knew that this week, the Annual Conference would happen. He's afraid that he would see his master. 

In the Empire, the slavery system was not acceptable but many nobles were secretly engaging in business with the slave merchants.

Ben and the other kids were slaves that their master thrown away in the slum. They were closed to death when the master tossed them. 

Yuusha was stricken, he saw many marks of maltreatment. Now that he realized it, the dirt was covering their skins but if you look closely,  marks of scars and wounds were on their bodies. 

(Note: Who do you think is the master of these kids?)