Clang! Clang! Clang!

The bells rang to signify the end of school for the day. The day looked to be about 3 pm.

"Make sure you do not forget to carry your slates with you. If I find it, you will receive a good beating." Miss Bethany said as she walked back to her desk.

William took his slate and followed his classmates to progressively exit the classroom. No one dared to misbehave in front of Miss Bethany.

She snuck a glance at William, who was already looking at her but she looked away, actively ignoring him despite this being his first day.

William never raised his hands to answer questions during the class despite knowing the answers and remained relatively unnoticed by Miss Bethany and his peers.

"Look, he's the one. The cursed new student."

"And I heard he's also a Viscount's son."

"Who cares? As long as he's cursed he will bring tragedy wherever he goes."

"He looks a bit cool."

"Why didn't he just go to the esteemed school for elites? Now our girls will be all over him."

"Yeah, what a cursed cunt. Ptooey! I bet his mother was some whore the Viscount forgot he ploughed."

…These kids don't shut up do they?! William thought to himself as he walked through the crowds to get to the school's gate.

…Argh, I wish I could retaliate but Father won't want me to make a scene on school grounds. Dammit! And this isn't like my old life. I have a target on my back and I don't know what the enemy is capable of.

William stood in front of the gate and asked himself, "How on earth am I supposed to go home?! Ah, why didn't I think of this earlier? And I don't remember the way back. Dammit!"

Right opposite the gate of the school were storied buildings. This part of the city was called Barnelton Estate.

William followed the path majority of the students walked in, but before he realized he was lost, he was already at the Trade District filled with screams of merchants and shop sellers.

"Discount! Discount! Every fabric has a 30% discount when you buy two!"

"Fifty silver coins only for a treasure map of Gilstein the great adventurer's treasure trove."

"Buy your fish here! Fresh fish!"

"Extra! Extra! Get the latest news about the war between The Holy Solaen Empire and the Thu Dynasty here!"

It was bustling with so many people William didn't know where was right to follow. Due to the clash of sounds and rapid movements along with his oversensitive hearing, William started feeling a little dizzy.

He had no control over his movements due to the crowd and was pushed wherever.

Suddenly, a small hand grabbed William by the wrist. He didn't resist and was led to a dirty alley.

William saw that the hand belonged to a little girl. She left William and ran then hid behind a boy.

The boy seemed to be about William's age but the girl was much younger. They were both in shabby and torn clothes.

"Don't you know these streets aren't safe?" The boy spoke in a slow and low tone with a hand shielding the girl behind him.

"Thank you. I got lost on my way back home." William sighed.

"Are-Are you a student?" The boy asked.

William nodded and answered, "Yeah. On my first day and I got lost. My name's William."

"I'm Berne, and my sister is Emma."

"Are you also a student?"

"No."

"But the school is free to enroll in, isn't it?"

"That…" Berne was about to say something but was stopped by his younger sister, Emma.

"Cursed…" She said and hid further behind her brother.

"!!!" A shocked expression appeared on Wiliam's face but he quickly recovered and gathered his thoughts …Wait, maybe if I ask them they will tell me.

William sighed and acted like he was about to cry, "In school, no one wants to talk to me. They all say I'm cursed but I don't know what they mean by that."

"It's… it's your hair." Berne confessed.

"What?! My-My hair? So it's been my hair all along??" William exclaimed. He searched the busting streets with his eyes. No… No! How come I never noticed this?! The common hair colors are black, shades of brown and gold, but my hair is red! It was such a simple fact, what the f*ck!

"Sigh, no wonder I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was my hair all along."

"They don't want to talk to you so they won't be cursed. Most especially with the news going around." Berne added.

"Huh? What news?"

"Children have been going…" Berne looked around sneakily then whispered, "missing."

"That's tragic and sad. Aren't the police doing anything?"

"I don't know. People say the disappearances are the works of vampires."

…Vampires? William felt a little on edge since it had been long since he heard that word. Also considering his eventful "past" with them.

Emma tugged Berne's shirt and he said, "My sister thinks they're scary."

Brrr… The children's stomachs cried out in hunger.

William used a few copper coins he had to buy a loaf of bread and gave the children.

"Thank you! My sister really likes bread."

…These children are poor and starving. It's sad but I know it's common in every era of humanity. I was once like this too in my past life. But still, they should try to change their fate, right?

"Why aren't you guys going to school?".

"We need to help our father. He's a scientist."

"Very brilliant…" Emma added as she nibbled on the piece of bread in her small hands.

"Haha, yes he's very brilliant too." Berne said and patted her head.

…Well, they aren't orphans in this era so I guess it might just work out for them I hope. I should get going… William thought before asking, "Please do you know the way to Viscount Maxton's manor?"

"Viscount Maxton's manor?" The boy's face brightened a little and he grabbed both of William's hands, "You're his son aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah."

Berne's eyes glowed brightly, he gasped, "Woah! I heard he was of lowly birth and rose to be the Emperor's guard and then gained peerage! You have a remarkable man as a father, William."

William scratched his cheek and said, "Uh, thanks, I guess…"

Berne smiled brightly and offered, "I can help you get back home! After all, you helped me and my sister."

William let out a sigh if relief and said, "Then I'll have to thank you in advance, Berne."

Under a grocery stall, Selene watched William silently as Berne led him out of the Trade District.

❈ ❈ ❈

Over the next few days, after school, William always met with Berne and Emma at the Trade District and regularly bought them something to eat. He realized they were always at the Trade District to beg.

School for William was boring as usual and even more so now than ever because he already knew what they were teaching.

On the last day of the weekdays, William was on his way to see Berne and Emma.

…Sigh, I wonder when I will be able to learn my father's sword skills. Can I really wait that long? William walked down the streets of Denvern while swimming in his thoughts.

Boom… Thud!

William bumped into a man and the books he was carrying fell to the ground.

"My goodness, my apologies sir." William bent down and helped the man pick the books up.

"It's ok, it's ok. A book must fall once in a while, right? It's my fault for being lost in thought while walking on a busy street. Haha…" The skinny bespectacled man with eyes far apart from each other and a bar head was wearing a faded and worn-out lab coat. He laughed and nudged his thick, round glasses.

…Analytical Readings on Movement Limits of Humanoid Structures, I wonder what this is about. William read the title of the book that was on top, but the man quickly snatched the books from his hands.

"You're a kind young man." The man smiled and walked away.

"Huh. What a weird fella." William didn't bother with that and continued walking down the roads until he got to Trade District.

William sighted Berne at the usual place he met the siblings but he couldn't see Emma with him.

"Hey, Berne."

"How was school, William." William noticed Bernie was looking a bit gloomy and this wasn't common for a boy obsessed with royal knights.

"Good. Where's Emma?"

"She went somewhere and I'm supposed to go get her now. Do you want to come?"

William felt the situation was a bit off but he still agreed, "Sure, where is she?"

"Just a few blocks away from here." Berne brought his brown cap further down in an attempt to cover his eyes.

Berne led Williams up the streets of Cottonshire and entered a dark alley.

…I have a bad feeling about this. They probably stole something and Emma was held captive. Sigh, I'll just convince the person they stole from that my father can pay. William followed Berne without any hesitation into the dark alley.

Thud!

William and Berne heard a thud behind them and quickly turned around to see what it was.

"Nice. Now get out of here." A man wearing a black hooded cloak said fiercely.

Ta Ta Ta Ta… Berne quickly ran past the man and shot the sorry gaze at William and went his way.

"Who are you? What is happening here?" William was suddenly on high alert. He slowly moved back and tried to look for a way to escape.

"You still don't understand? Kekek. Your friend sold you out." The man cackled loudly and gently walked closer. The man's eyes were shrouded under the hood but a red glint was highlighted in them.

"S-Stay back! What do you want?"

"What do I want?" The man gave a wide smile, showing his sharp fangs, and later bared his claws. He added, "Kekeke, I am to assassinate the son of a certain viscount."

…I-I-I-It's a Vampire!