Vernum City V

Despite his warning, Benedict kept his word and told Carolyn where to find Derrick.

"You can return in a week to report whether you've completed your task, and then I can tell you where to go from there. I'll secretly check in on you from time to time, but be careful. The city isn't necessarily safer than the wilderness."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With their conversation wrapped up, the two said farewells, and Carolyn went to find Derrick. The other children immediately turned to watch her once she exited the church, but they didn't approach, nor did they say anything to her. Carolyn wanted to get along with them as well, so she waved towards them, but they plainly ignored her. She considered approaching them, but that would likely heighten their wariness, so she gave up on the idea and continued to find Derrick.

Derrick's house, if it could be called a house, wasn't far from the church. It was a battered shed with barely enough space for an adult to lie down in, but for a child, perhaps it would do. Gingerly, to avoid breaking it off its worn out hinges, Carolyn knocked the door.

"Derrick, are you there? It's Carol."

At this range, she could sense two presences behind the door, but since Benedict had warned her against giving Derrick money, there wasn't much that she could tangibly offer. She had other ideas for helping the siblings, but there was nothing she could do if they weren't willing to trust her.

On the opposite side of the door, Derrick had a scowl on his face as he sat next to a pale girl lying on a patchwork blanket. This girl shared his green eyes and brown hair, but besides that, they looked nothing alike. She had on a worn out shirt and pants like her brother, but her clothes and skin were cleaner. This was both a result of her rarely going outside and Derrick taking care of her. The girl wasn't infected with any serious illness, but her body wasn't tough enough to stay healthy in the filth of the slums, so she frequently experienced minor symptoms such as coughs and low fever.

"Brother, who's that?"

"Just some busybody that knows the Priest. He must have told her about this place. Let's stay quiet until she leaves, Lety."

"She knows Mr. Priest? Did they seem friendly?"

"Hmm, they didn't look to be at enemies at least."

"In that case," Lety slowly sat up while facing the door.

"Lety, what are you...?"

"It's okay, Brother. You can open the door."

"But Lety,"

"It'll be fine. If Mr. Priest told her where to find us, then she shouldn't want to hurt us. And if she does, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to break down our door."

"That might be true, but she's an outsider. She seems kinda ditzy, but she's hella fast and who knows what she's really thinking."

"You're right. At the very least, we don't know for sure what she's thinking. So if you really believe she'll hurt us, then we can stay in here. But if not, could you let me talk to her?"

When he saw the firm look in her eyes, Derrick gave up on trying to persuade her. He didn't know what he was teaching her, but ever since Lety started meeting with the Priest, it became harder for him to hide anything from her. Most times she would listen to him, and that would still be the case if he lied, but she would give him the silent treatment for at least a week if he did that. Given that she would even keep quiet about her health, that wasn't something he wanted to risk.

"...Fine. You win."

"Thanks, Brother."

"Just because you thank me doesn't make me feel any better about this."

She knew that was a lie, but Lety stayed silent with a smile.

After almost ten minutes of waiting, Carolyn wondered if she should knock again, but then the door opened.

"Just so you know, I'm not glad about this, but Lety wants to see you."

Derrick spoke frankly as soon as he opened the door.

"Thank you. I won't be able to hand you my coin pouch, but I promise to do my best to help the both of you."

Derrick snorted, "Keep your empty promises. We don't need them. Just hurry up and get in."

Given that she didn't give him any money, Carolyn knew it would be hard for him to trust her, so she could only work to gain his trust going forward. After she went into the house, Derrick closed the door and returned to his seat next to Lety. When Carolyn saw the pale girl, her first thought wasn't about how pitiful she was or how thin she looked. It was the light in her eyes that made the strongest impression. Derrick also had a firm will for someone at his age, but she could still find plenty of hesitation and doubt in his eyes. On the other hand, the resolve in her eyes was so strong and pure that it left Carolyn stunned.

"What's wrong? Is the floor too dirty to sit on?"

Derrick's thorny comment awoke her from her daze, but she still kept most of her attention on Lety as she sat down.

"No, I was just a little distracted. I don't know if he's introduced me as yet, but my name is Carol. May I have yours?"

"She doesn't need to give you-"

"Letira. You can call me Lety, Ms. Carol."

"If I should call you Lety, then it's only natural that you call me Carol."

"Okay, I'll call you Carol from now on."

Derrick looked like he bit something too sour as Lety and Carolyn disregarded him, but he clicked his tongue and remained on the sidelines.

"Great. I came here intending to help you and your brother, but I wonder if you already have some ideas about what you would like me to do?"

Though she had been stunned at first, Carolyn hadn't forgotten the plans she considered to help the siblings, but her plans lacked real world applicability because of her unfamiliarity with the city. She had been confident that she could improve her plans as she spoke to the siblings and heard their story, but now she had a much better idea.

"Me?"

"Yes. It's fine if you don't have a clear idea. Your thoughts alone would be plenty."

Derrick scoffed at Carolyn's words, believing her to have neither the intent nor the ability to make a meaningful improvement in their lives. However, Lety showed a pensive expression. She kept that expression for a few minutes, long enough for Derrick to wonder what she was thinking about, but Carolyn's anticipation never waned.

"....Carol, Brother mentioned that you were really fast. Have you done any sort of training?"

"Yes. I learnt how to hunt from my father and though I have had little experience lately, I keep up with my training."

"Perfect. Do you think you could teach Brother how to hunt?"

"Lety?!"

"I've never taught anyone before, but getting him to a basic level shouldn't be a problem as long as he's willing."

"Well I'm not willing!"

"Okay. When will you be able to visit again?"

"Hmm, I can't promise any earlier than a week, but I can work something out if it's urgent."

"No, a week will do. I can't tell you everything right now, but with your help I have a plan that can save not only my brother and I, but every child in the slums."

"Oh? I'm curious since you don't seem to be lying, but I'll hold myself back for now. And you don't have to worry. Although I do want to help all of you, I won't prioritize them over you two. That, I promise."