Daisuke was slipping the impressively endowed woman a tip and some fruit when a group of kids arrived on the se.

  Most of the people living in the slums had one or two side hustles—this woman’s main gig was to receive old clothes from dignitaries, mend them as best as she could, ahem for cheap in the slums.

  Today, she pyed the role of an exceptional distra—a lovely dy in distress. After receiving her payment for the job, she quietly left with a sly smile.

  “Haxks!” a small boy approached exuberantly. “Did we do good today?”

  “You did great!” Daisuke replied, tousling his hair. Then he passed a gnce over all the other kids whose eyes glittered eagerly. “You all did. Now head oo Casper; he’ll distribute food for you and your family.”

  They cheered excitedly and scampered over to collect their reward for dumping trash on the shopkeepers. Daisuke, at the same time, started making his way into a crude building.

  This was just one of many successful raids over the past four years. Daisuke and the others had studied the yout of the vilge, and anized escape routes prepped with obstacles leading into the slums.

  In moments of peril like today’s, they frequently relied on the assistance of the children to facilitate their escape, promising generous rewards iurn.

  These rewards were not limited to the children but exteo their families as well, provided they agreed to actively participate in agricultural endeavors.

  While the farming initiatives were designed for the families’ own be, the people of the slums had lost their sense of purpose and needed iives to engage in productive activities.

  Reizing this pressing need, Daisuke introduced this program to ence a renewed sense of industry and purpose among the unity.

  The vilge lord turned a blio the plight of the slums; sis residents her worked nor paid taxes, they were deemed unworthy of any form of aid.

  However, Daisuke had vision: he believed that if the rampant stealing became a signifit enough issue, it would pel the lord to intervene. And ohe lord observed the residents engaging in agriculture and striving for ge, Daisuke hoped that he would finally extend a helping hand.

  At least, that’s how he envisio unfolding.

  “How is he?”

  Mia, the bunny-eared girl who was busy ing gauze around Brek’s head, turo Daisuke as he spoke. “Luckily, he doesn’t have any broken bones,” she reassured, her tone calm and f. “Just a bit sore and a few bruises here and there.”

  Daisuke returned her smile, but his expression hardened as he looked at his injured rade. “I’m sure I don’t o point out where you went wrong?”

  The Wolfkin clicked his tongue, his expression filled with chagrin.

  “Yreed put both you and your scout at risk,” Daisuke remarked, his tone firm but not unkind. “Please try to have a bit more self-trol; you may not be as luext time.”

  The core team watched in silence, the evolution of Daisuke and Brek’s retionship over the years. What had once been a rickety friendship had gradually eroded into full-on rivalry, with Brek and a few others viewing Daisuke’s methods as overly cautious and soft.

  In Brek’s eyes, he believed that assuming the role of leader would genuinely uplift the people in the slums. By adopting a more assertive approach—venturing out on runs more frequently and seizing greater resources—they could accelerate the improvement of the slums far beyond Daisuke’s more measured approach.

  “You guys should get some rest and y low for a while,” Daisuke stated, turning to leave. “I’ll be heading home for today.”

  ***

  dlelight glowed on the worn pine walls of a small house. The shadows flickered like apparitions of evil. The soft st of inse hung in the air, and a ma beside a futon, his eyes fixed oionless figure beh a white b—his departed wife. His eyes were red fr, his face etched with sorrow.

  He was a simple mert, saving every for his wife’s medieeds. But the stant theft by the slum kids chipped away at his earnings. Uo provide the necessary care, his wife’s health deed, aually, she slipped away.

  The man’s heart ached with the weight of his loss, and his grief transformed into something else—a burning desire for vengeance.

  In the dimly lit room, his fingers ched into fists and eyes became bloodshot, anger fueling his resolve. He stared at the empty space beside him, imagining his wife’s presence, and vowed to himself that he would make those who had robbed them of their time together pay for their as.

  ***

  Daisuke tousled his hair in frustration as he pted the unpleasant atmosphere between him and a handful of the troop. He also sidered Brek’s ambitions with a scathing expression.

  Increasing the frequency of thefts would diminish their element of surprise aen the risk of getting caught. Moreover, seizing rger quantities would leave insuffit goods for sale, depriving shopkeepers of food for themselves and their families.

  Such as would spark a level of e and animosity from the vilge folk that they’ve never seen before. Fet angering the Lord; it would ihe entire vilge to form a mob and desd upon the slums with the io massacre everyone.

  Daisuke knew Brek was only looking out for the poverty-stri slum folk, but he was also being shhted. And that recklessness could possibly cause everything they’ve built up over the past few years to e crashing down.

  Brek was also eager to introduce pickpocketing into their repertoire, but Daisuke was strongly against it. Right across the board, stealing was wrong, but robbing people of their felt like it carried a heavier moral weight pared to taking food.

  From a pragmatic perspective, attempting to rob certain individuals, such as nobles and pyers, could potentially lead to disastrous sequences.

  The shopkeepers were fairly manageable, but pyers could murder NPCs given the right circumstances, and nobles could hire assassins or eveo do the same.

  Daisuke smiled wistfully, returning the gestures of gratitude from the people in the slums who were thankful for all he was doing.

  He desperately needed mooo. As a matter of fact, he was saving up for his mother’s medical expenses by doing odd jobs around the vilge. But he had never once sidered stealing money, and that would never ge.

  As he thought about his mother’s health that hadn’t particurly improved at all over the years, Daisuke couldn’t help but wonder about her mysterious background.

  Eleven years had passed and he hardly knew anything about his virtual mother—any less and she would practically be a strao him. He couldn’t begin to uand why she was so secretive about her past, but he respected her decision and didn’t try to pry.

  As for his father, sidering the nature of her job, it wasn’t difficult to piece together the likely story. He was also certain that she was fleeing from something or someone, making her somewhat of a fugitive. However, he respected her privad refrained from probing into that aspect of her past, as well.

  His sole curiosity tered on one simple question: her hat was all he wao know.

  Daisuke struggled to define his emotions toward the reserved woman. She didn’t fit ly into the role of a mother, yet she was more than just a friend. It was a plex retionship, but he knew deep down that he would be devastated if anythio ever happen to—

  Fear of monsters & the unknown: 79%