Chapter 32: Slum

Next Morning, Shawn was stood by the palace gates, adjusting his gear one last time. A small dagger was hidden beneath his clothes, alongside a pouch of emergency supplies and another pouch filled with gold coins.

“You sure are a cautious one,” a voice called out to him from behind.

He turned to see Celestia approaching. She wore a commoner’s dress—a mixture of green and brown—but there was something else that caught Shawn’s eye as he stared.

“Wh-What! Do you have something to say?!” she scolded, her face blushing.

“Sorry for pointing, but as far as I can see… why are you carrying those leather pouches and those boots?”

“Huh? Why do you ask? It only has—”

“No, what I am asking…” He sighed again. “You know, if you go into the slums like that, you’ll become the immediate target of the people there. It’s better for you to drop them.”

He turned back as he tightened his shoes. “Also, don’t meet their eyes. If you bump into anyone, don’t try to fight back, and—”

“I see… You seem to know a lot about how the slums work, don’t you?”

He paused for a moment and continued, “Of course I know. I’m from one of the eastern slum areas in the eastern part of the Aqualilia Kingdom.”

“Wai—Wait! You’re a slum child? By the time you became an elite knight, I thought you must have come from a noble knight family.” Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You might think that way. Before I joined as a knight, Sir Marvin picked me up from a dark alley near the slums and trained me for approximately two years. So, he’s kind of a father figure to me.”

“I see… I didn’t know about that.” Her head dropped to the ground as she continued, “What about your parents? Any siblings?”

“They were all killed by the time I returned from hunting in the forest. My entire slum was completely destroyed; all I could see were blood, corpses, and demolished huts.”

“Sorry, I must have—”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“So, did you try to find out what happened there?” Celestia questioned.

“I tried, but I found no official clues about it. I asked everyone, but no one had heard anything. Even Captain Marvin had no clue.”

Before Celestia could respond, a heavy voice interrupted them.

"You two are really noisy." Zenjo walked towards them, his massive body casting a shadow over the ground as his eyes scanned for the others.

"Where are the others?"

"Rikka is helping Aria get ready. I told her to make Aria look like a commoner."

“I see… Anyway, did I interrupt something? Your princess friend over there seems quite troubled,” Zenjo pointed out.

“Huh? Na… I was just thinking about something,” Celestia snapped out of it as he pointed.

Shawn stepped forward to meet him. “Anyway, there is one thing I need to confirm first. Could you please answer me?”

“What is it?”

“Do you hold any kind of grudge against us? I mean, I defeated you and Kaelen, your partner…”

“Partner? You think very highly of him, don’t you? I just followed him because he said he would give me the title of Sword Saint after everything settled, that’s all.” He scratched the back of his head and continued, “And you defeated me fair and square—well, not entirely fair, since you used those stupid tricks, but a win is a win, no matter how you get it. It’s a…”

“A rule of the slums,” Shawn finished, then continued, “Thank you. Now we can move on without any awkwardness.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Zenjo burst out laughing. “Bawahaah! You really are a strange one, just like your Sword Saint.”

“It seems like you get along well,” a voice called from behind as Aria and Rikka walked towards them, with Rikka escorting her.

Aria was dressed in a simple brown tunic with trousers, and her hair was tied back in a messy bun.

“You certainly took your time, didn’t you?” Celestia said, taking in her new appearance.

"Did you like it, Celestia? I might look like an entirely different person to you."

Celestia started, “Well, of course. You look exactly like a proper beggar in this attire.”

"Honestly, it's impressive. You almost look like you belong in the slums," Shawn commented.

"Hey!" Aria raised her voice. "I'll have you know I put a lot of effort into this look!"

"A blindfolded beggar with silver hair," Zenjo muttered. "Yeah, that won't draw any attention at all."

Aria turned toward him, her expression softening. "Child... thank you for guiding us today. I know this must be... hard for you."

Zenjo shifted uncomfortably. "It's... fine. Just following orders. Plus, stop calling me 'child.' I might be older than you."

"I see. Then how about Onii-san?"

“What?” Zenjo stepped back and continued, “Just call me Zenjo.”

The group departed for the slums, passing through a bustling market area where the streets were filled with the scent of strong spices and grilled meat. The crowd hummed with life as merchants shouted to draw attention.

Rikka’s eyes sparkled at the new environment. “This place is amazing! Apart from my village and the Aqualilia Kingdom, this market seems entirely different from the others.”

"You can look at this later, but for now, keep moving," Zenjo grunted. "We're not here for sightseeing."

As they passed through the main market, the scenery began to change. The roads turned into dirt paths, the colorful stalls dulled with torn tarps, and lively chatter was replaced by whispers.

“We are entering the slum area now. Keep your precious belongings close, try not to draw any attention, and if you see anything suspicious, just call it out.”

Rikka checked her belongings and clutched her pouch close, while Aria remained calm, tightening her grip around Celestia’s arm.

“What are you doing? If you grip that tight, it’s going to leave a mark,” Celestia complained.

“But… Celestia, Zenjo said to keep a tight grip on your precious things! What if someone tries to steal my precious Celestia from me?”

“First of all, it’s Celestia, and second, I am not your belonging!” Celestia snapped her head around, causing Aria to trip and fall to the ground.

“Aria-sama!!” Rikka rushed to help her up.

“Is she really the Sword Saint everyone worships?” Zenjo questioned.

“Don’t ask me, I’m trying to figure that out too,” Shawn replied.

As they navigated narrow streets and avoided dangerous areas, Rikka noticed something and pointed it out.

“You really know your way around this place, Zenjo-sama.”

Zenjo glanced back. “I was born here, chibi, so it’s normal to know the place.”

"Ch-Chibi?!"

“I grew up here and made a living by fighting until a knight saw my potential and brought me to the king, who later gave me a position there.”

Celestia whispered as she glanced toward Shawn. “Just like him.”

Aria said out loud, “Then you’re just like Shawn! You might not know this, but he’s from the slums too.”

The air turned awkward instantly.

“Huh? Sir Shawn is from the slums? Isn’t he from a royal family or something?” Rikka asked, surprised.

"Nah… Shawn grew up in the Aquallian slums," Aria said, completely oblivious to the tension. "He was picked up by Marvin the exact same way Zenjo was."

"Is that so..." Zenjo's eye twitched.

"You could say that," Shawn said quietly.

“That explains your stubbornness back in the match. Fighting another slum kid is much harder than fighting royal goons.”

“I can say the same,” Shawn replied.

Rikka leaned toward Aria. "Are they... bonding?"

"I think so?" Aria whispered back.

A few moments later, as they wandered around, Zenjo finally stepped in front of a building.

“That’s it, we’ve reached it. It’s an illegal store where stolen and contraband items are sold. We might be able to find something here. Just follow me and don’t cause any commotion.”

With that, Zenjo entered. The interior was dim, with various strange relics hanging on the walls.

“Zenjo…?” an old man called out.

“Yo… Long time no see, old man. How are you?”

“I’m fine…” He looked past Zenjo to find unfamiliar faces and immediately put his guard up.

“Don’t worry, they’re with me. I brought customers. They want information regarding something, and they’ll pay for it.”

“Pay? Do you think anyone here is capable of paying the amount I demand?” the old man said.

Celestia stepped forward and set down a pouch overflowing with gold coins. The store owner quickly snatched it up.

“So, what do you want to ask?”

“We heard someone is selling forbidden relics. You know, like crimson orbs that absorb mana from their surroundings?”

“You’re talking about Kaelen. Who bought it? I heard he used it against the Hero and the Sword Saint.”

“So you know about that. Then tell me, who did he purchase it from?” Shawn pressed.

“One…? You might have heard wrong. There were two people selling those things off—a girl and a boy.”

“Two people? Do you know—”

“No. They were hiding their faces with cloaks, but I noticed something: the tone of one of them wasn’t from around here. It sounded like it came from a northern region.”

“You mean…” Rikka pressed.

“Yes, I think one of them is from the Frosthold Kingdom, though I’m not entirely sure.”

“I see. Is there anything else you might have noticed?” Shawn asked.

“Nothing… that’s all.”

“I see. Thanks.”

Having gathered the intel, they exited the store. After a few hours of walking, they finally crossed out of the slum area and back into the marketplace.

As they reached the market place, the aroma of spices tickled Aria’s nose.

“I’m hungry.”

“Just hold on for half an hour more, we’ll be soon—”

“No, I want to eat street food! Don’t you want to, Celestia?”

“Huh? Why are you dragging me into all thi—”

A large growling sound echoed from Celestia’s stomach. Everyone stared at her as her face turned bright red.

Shawn sighed. “Okay.” He turned to Zenjo. “If you don’t mind…”

“Don’t worry, I know a better place to eat. Plus, I haven’t had a decent meal in a long time either.”

The group entered a small shop, and an elderly woman with kind eyes and flour-dusted hands emerged from the back.

"Zenjo!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to hug him. "You've grown so much! Look at you!"

"Maria, it really has been a long time," Zenjo protested, his face reddening.

"Hehehe… Now, who are these guests?"

"Aria, Shawn, and Celestia," Zenjo introduced, gesturing vaguely. "And the little one is Rikka."

"I'm not little!" Rikka protested.

"Chibi," Shawn coughed.

"Sir Shawn!"

Old Maria laughed warmly and led them to a large table. She brought out bowls of steaming soup, fresh bread, and a pitcher of cold water.

Rikka stared at the spread in disbelief. "Everyone knows Zenjo-sama... This is kind of surprising."

"Shut up," Zenjo grumbled, shoving bread into his mouth.

After finishing their lunch, they discussed their next move while Zenjo stepped outside for a moment.

“So, someone from Frosthold. That means we also need to investigate there, which means we’ll have to split up.”

“I’ll go there!” Aria raised her hand.

“I know about that,” Celestia muttered. “So I’m staying behind, as there are many things I need to discuss with King Malakor.”

“Then I’ll stay as well,” Shawn continued.

“Even though this place seems decent now, aside from me and Aria, you and Rikka don’t know how to fight. While Aria is investigating things over there, I’ll investigate things here.”

“So, it’s settled then. You and Shawn will stay here, while I and Rikka go to Frosthold.”

"Me?!" Rikka squeaked.

"Sorry, but I need eyes, you know? I can see a person's mana, but mana only tells you what their intentions are—I can't tell who’s acting suspicious or not. You can guide me!"

"I... I mean, yes, but—"

Zenjo overheard everything as he walked back inside, clearing his throat. "It takes at least two days to reach Frosthold by carriage. Maybe three, depending on the weather."

Aria tilted her head, a serene smile spreading across her face. "Oh, we don't need a carriage."

Rikka's blood ran cold.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no—"

"Rikka~" Aria sang out.

"I'm not doing it! I refuse!"

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

"I know exactly what you're going to say, Aria-sama!"

Zenjo looked between them, utterly confused. "What's happening?"

Shawn pinched the bridge of his nose. "You'll see."

Later that afternoon, a piercing scream echoed across the desert sky.

"ARIIIIIIIIAAAA-SAMAAAAAAA!"

Rikka clung desperately to Aria’s arms as they hurtled through the clouds, the ground far below reduced to mere specks.

Aria giggled. "Isn't this fun?"

"NO! IT'S NOT! PUT ME DOWN!"

"We'll reach Frosthold in a blink! So don’t worry!"

"I WANT TO LIVE!"

"Don't be so dramatic~"

"I'M GOING TO DIE!"

As Aria accelerated, a sonic boom shattered the air, leaving a white trail behind them.

Far below, Zenjo watched the two dots disappear into the horizon, his mouth slightly open.

"She really just... flew away."

"Yup," Shawn said.

"With the chibi."

"Yup."

"And she's... screaming."

"That's normal."

“I see…” Zenjo said as the trio turned to head back toward the palace.