Chapter 44

After introducing himself, Oliver went with Kent and his comrades to their abode, the beggar’s den. 

It was in an abandoned building with a few people, and it seemed Oliver’s presence was not a welcoming one to all of them.

“Huh, why the hell did you bring such a troublesome guy?!”

A stocky, thick man who was called Bigfist shouted, looking at Oliver. 

Although he was dressed like a beggar, his fists looked big and stiff, and Kent smiled shamelessly and comforted him.

“Hmm…why? I felt good today because my income was pretty good, and I met that guy at that time. If it wasn’t for either one, then I wouldn’t have brought him. Isn’t this God’s will?”

“What do you mean god…? There are already a lot of useless mouths, so why are you expanding the mouths?”

“Ugh, don’t get too mad. I’m just following the will of that senior. If you have any dissatisfaction then tell the man who left a will and asked me to do it. Guess what, I don’t like it either.”

“What, then why not stop it!”

“Oh, my friend. How can I break a promise so easily just because I don’t like it?”

“It’s not a promise… it’s just a request.”

Kent rubbed his cheek. 

After a long silence, he pulled out a bundle of money from his pocket.

“… Stop nagging. I just came back and I’m tired. Aren’t you curious about how much I have earned today?”

Money has magic.

The words that Joseph had told Oliver were true here as well, as soon as everyone saw the bundle of money, their anger subdued in an instant.

But when Bigfist stretched out his hand for the bundle of money, Kent took it back.

“Ah…..”

“By the way, it may be me who got the money, but it’s them who turned the garbage into money. So don’t call them useless again.”

Bigfist kept his mouth shut. 

Still, he seemed to have something to say.

Dark emotions such as greed and dissatisfaction were all visible in Oliver’s eyes.

“Isn’t it me who bought you here, Bigfist? Look at you now, you have become the person I can rely on the most… This friend will also learn and soon, he’ll be able to pay for his own meals.”

Kent said while patting Oliver’s head.

In the end, Bigfist reluctantly opened his mouth.

“… Yes, I’m sorry. I was a bit rude.”

“Thank you for your understanding. Thank you! Now, here’s the money. Check it together and bring it back. I’ll put it in the joint safe.”

“Okay, Kent… By the way, what was that kid’s name?”

“Oliver. It’s Oliver. He doesn’t have parents, and he says he was from Wineham.”

“I see.”

“Oliver?”

“Yes?”

“Say hello. They are the Sticks that protect us beggars.”

“Sticks?”

“Yeah, Stick. It’s a term for those who protect the beggars Union to which they belong.”

“Ah… hello?”

Oliver bowed his head. 

However, the expression of strong beggars including Bigfist and other sturdy beggars didn’t look good.

The emotions of wariness and displeasure shone brightly.

In a way, it was similar but slightly different from the time when Oliver first went to the Joseph family.

“…..”

“…..”

“Okay. Now that the greetings here are over, I will introduce you to others. Follow me.”

Oliver followed Kent’s lead.

Both came to the old man called Rednose and the boy they met on their way.

“Did you remember the two you met on the way?”

“Yes…Mr.Rednose and…”

Rednose burst into laughter.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve been called ‘Mr.’ in my life. Even though you look gloomy, you are polite!”

“Thank you.”

As soon as Oliver’s conversation with Rednose was over, Kent spoke again.

“As you said, this man is Rednose, and he is his grandson Harmonica… just call them Grandpa and Grandson.”

“…… grandson?”

“Yes.”

“She is a woman, so why are you calling grandson?”

His words made Kent and Rednose look at Oliver in surprise.

The first one to open his mouth was Rednose.

“This guy… I thought he would be stupid, but who thought he would have a pretty good eyesight, isn’t that right?”

“Um, why?”

Oliver shrugged.

“Uh… How?”

Kent looked at Oliver for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“……… Yes, she is a girl. But, don’t say such things in the future. The streets are hard for women to live in. If you were to open your mouth freely outside,  then you’ll get hit on your mouth.”

Oliver nodded his head knowing what Kent meant to say. 

His words not only contained his anger, but also his concern about the child.

Kent seemed to really care about other people here.

“The grandson is good at playing the musical instrument harmonica, and Rednose is good at selling matches. Rednose and his grandson walk the streets together begging.”

Oliver nodded mechanically.

Kent wondered if Oliver understood what he was saying, but he didn’t bother explaining it again.

“They regularly provide a source of income for our beggar Union through begging. They are the precious benefactors that keep us from starving. So, treat them with respect when you are here.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Kent stared at Oliver silently for a moment and then took Oliver to a corner.

The place had living quarters on one side of the abandoned building, and the only dwellings were roughly built tents and old household items.

There were more than dozens of people who looked like beggars, and among them, some of them were old men, women, and children.

Another unusual thing was the piles of garbage that were wrapped around the walls on both sides.

“These are the ordinary beggars of our beggars Union…. they don’t have a fixed role, but they are no different from the people you have met before. They are our comrades.”

“Um… Is that so?”

“Yes, they will be friendly when needed, and when an intruder appears, they fight together.”

“Will there be intruders?”

“Yeah… Landa isn’t very kind towards the poor. Everywhere things are the same, but it’s worse here. But don’t worry. Nothing happened until recently. Hmm…well, that’s all there to explain. You have to work with them from now on. Anyway, you’ve joined our beggars Union. Just in case, don’t whine if the work is hard. You might have not known, but it’s not easy to join our beggars Union. So, pay your bills by working as hard work as you can.”

Oliver knew that everything he said was the truth.

There was neither cunning nor lies in Kent’s emotions.

“Yes… I will do my best. By the way, what should I do specifically?”

“Well, if you think you can do anything, then you can do a lot. Whether it’s digging through garbage, getting aids, getting old clothes, running errands… Since it’s your first time here, I’m going to teach you the easy things you can do.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Is there anything else you would like to ask? I accepted you into our Union on a whim, but you still have to do your part and earn your meal.”

“Yes, I will work hard.”

“Good, that’s the attitude. Let me see how long that attitude of yours lasts.”

As Kent was about to leave, Oliver called to him.

“Um, wait a minute. Mr. Kent.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you tell me earlier if I had any questions to ask you?”

“Yeah, yeah… It’s just a figure of speech, but why? What are you curious about?”

“…… Why are you helping me like this?”

“….. Ah”

Kent looked at Oliver without saying a word, and Oliver looked at him as if he was longing for an answer.

After a brief silence, Kent spoke.

“…I’ll let you know when you become a part of us.”

Oliver answered with a nod.

“Yes, I understand. I will do my best.”

From that day on, Oliver’s unintentional beggar life began.

It wasn’t his intention, but it wasn’t too bad either.

In the first place, he only had a vague purpose, and there was neither a compass nor a map to his goals.

Rather, he thought that he should learn about life in this city.

Even though it was a beggar’s life, he thought he might be able to learn something here.

And it wasn’t a bad idea.

“Hey, wake up… What? Are you awake already?”

A fellow beggar who had come to wake Oliver up looked at him and asked in surprise.

“Yeah, you told me to get up early…”

“Ah, yes, I did. Still, it’s rare for someone to get up early on their own….. great!?”

“I usually get up early… Now, what should I do?”

“You have to go to the Church right away. They will give you bread today. So, get dressed and come out right away.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As soon as Oliver answered, he put on a rag that had been folded next to him.

He got it after joining  Kent’s gang, and it wasn’t really useful, but he would be able to get some money while begging for sure.

Without even washing his face, Oliver immediately followed the senior beggars to a place called church.

From among the beggars, a beggar who was two or three years older than Oliver murmured.

“Ugh… I’m sleepy. I haven’t woken up yet. Hey, rookie. Aren’t you tired?”

“Um… I’m tired.”

Although Oliver replied that way, that was actually a lie.

Although just sleeping, eating, and washing was incomparably inferior to what he was doing when he was leading the family, it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for him.

Oliver didn’t know exactly why.

He did not feel any discomfort in the first place, maybe because he was already accustomed to the harsh environment during his time in the orphanage and mine, or maybe because he was the type who was not very concerned about what job he did.

Oliver wasn’t interested in that, so he didn’t think deeply about it, and if there was any inconvenience, then it was the fact that he can’t wash, but that too he got used to quickly.

Therefore, Oliver was neither uncomfortable nor dissatisfied with his life as a beggar.

Rather, he even thought that it would be very beneficial to remember the little knowledge he learns every day.

“Is this Church?”

Oliver asked looking at the building with brown bricks, dusty windows, and a rusty iron cross.

It looked like a collection of three boxes, and there was a black iron fence around the building.

However, what stood out more than the desolate building were the numerous beggars waiting near the fence.

“Yeah, this is Church. Look at the dirty people standing there.”

“Ahhhhhhhh….. Damn it, Even though they are beggars, everyone is uselessly diligent.”

“Well, it’s time for everyone to get hungry… Don’t be sleepy and stand in line.”

At his urging, Oliver lined up with the fellow beggars. 

Well, it can’t be said he was standing in line, he was just standing near the door rather than in a line. 

Everyone in that place was dressed in tattered clothes, clutching their hungry stomachs, and waiting for the servants of God to open the door. 

Oliver suddenly became curious and asked.

“Why is the Church giving away bread? That too for free?”

The old beggar raised his finger pointing to the sky and said.

“It’s because that heavenly Father considers it a virtue, to be kind to the poor.”

“Ah….”

“Instead, we should humbly say that we love that father very much.”

A young beggar intervened suddenly.

The old beggar spoke again.

“But, why are you asking about that?”

“Ah…it’s my first time being a beggar and begging.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’ve been scavenging through the garbage all this time, haven’t you?…. But, aren’t there any beggars in Wineham?”

“…Um. I wasn’t interested in it back then.”

“Tch tch.….. That’s why Kids these days are so fu*ked up. You don’t become beggars like us because you are taking life for granted. Your parents are not going to take care of you for the rest of your life, so you have to look around and learn how to live in the world.”

“Un… I see. Thank you, I’ll learn it properly.”

Oliver said with sincerity.

Oliver didn’t feel it when he was at the orphanage and mine, but when he went through a Warlock organization and came out to the world alone, he realized how ignorant he was.

In a sense, it could be said that he was more ignorant than a beggar.

The beggars felt conflicted by Oliver’s sincere reply, so they didn’t talk back to him.

Originally, everyone was disappointed because Oliver came in suddenly, but since he had done everything he was asked to do without a fuss, they felt it was all right.

Of course, there were those who didn’t feel like that.

Oliver asked.

“Then, they are giving this because God thinks it is a virtue to give us this bread?”

“Ah… that’s the official reason, and there are the other direct and indirect reasons as well.”

“What are the direct and indirect reasons?”

“that’s…”

DING DING

At that time, the sound of the ringing bell spread through the church.

At the sound, the beggars, who had been waiting, raised their heads like dogs that were ready to eat.

Soon the staff brought the bread out of the Church.

The smell of old bread was faint, but all the beggars were drooling, and soon a man in a stiff priest’s uniform came out.

“We will begin the distribution.”