40. Conflict With Astra Part 8

A boy around the same age as Fritz stood in front of his mother. She was fixing the lunch she worked hard for. Both were frail, scrawny, or malnourished. The table was all set. The mother's son sat down on the chair and stared at his food.

"T-thank you for the food," the kid reluctantly said. What was on the plate was stir-fried pumpkin flowers, dried peas, and a small amount of brown rice where traces of small rocks could be spotted. He needs to pick every single piece of small rock before he could eat it.

"It's boring eating the same food every meal, right, Silverwar?" Even though it pains her to see her child eating so little and the same food at that every single meal, she couldn't bring herself to look weak in front of Silverwar.

Gleaning the dirt off his three spoonful rice, Silverwar wasn't finicky about the food they eat. Instead, he showed his mother that he's enjoying the food she worked so hard for and relish every bite.

"As always, Mom, it was delicious." A bright, grateful smile showed on his face. Silverwar's mother almost burst into tears.

Every day, his mother would go on her way to pluck pumpkin flowers and dry the peas she harvest. As for the rice, she would gather the leftover grains, pick them up from the ground where the farmers parch their rice and put it in a small bag afterward.

She tried selling her body for men's entertainment or look for a job. But, with her frail body and wrinkled features, she looked old. None was effective. One time, she musters up the courage to steal some food but, she was later on caught and beat up.

"If Dad didn't leave us, things might have been easier."

Silverwar would always hear his mother crying every night after he went to bed but little did his mother know that he was not able to sleep because of the hunger and his worry for his mother.

She engraved the lie she made up to Silverwar's young mind that his father died when he was about a year old. He would often visit his false grave and offer his father a bouquet of withered flowers.

A bitterly forced smile on her face let show. She wanted to tell her son that his father was not dead and, it was the King of the Kingdom they are in. However, she can't have her kid resent his bastard of a father for the rest of his life.

As Silverwar sprang from his seat, his gaze low, slowly raised his eyes and the dreadful sight of his mother hanging herself on the ceiling with a rope flashed and carved the scene onto his brain for all eternity.

Gasping after being brought back to reality, Silverwar outrageously sprang from his seat. He didn't know that he fell asleep when he was blankly staring at the ceiling, rocking his chair.

"What's wrong, chief?!" Asked one of his henchmen worryingly. Grudgingly, Silverwar's headache, massaging his temple.

"It's nothing. Just having a nightmare." After a few touches, eventually, the pain went away. "Anything unusual happens? How about tomorrow's transports? All ready?"

"Ah, yes, chief! Right hand, Plum was done with the preparations for tomorrow night's departure."

"Good," he said and went towards the cells where they put the abducted kids.

The kids do not have a proper toilet and bathroom. They were given food three times a day and, by the time they are transported, the henchmen will take really good care of them. Give them a bath and nice clothes to look presentable in front of the buyers from all over the Kingdom.

Silverwar's top client was none other than Goldnard, his brother on his father's side. Goldnard would buy from a minimum of ten to a maximum of twenty kids. What are they doing with the sold kids? They play with them, of course!

"I have never felt like shit!" Cursed Newt. He could smell him and the other kids' odor that it stays on his nostrils. "They took my Holy Sword and Bane!"

"Are you nothing but a useless kid when you don't have your sword?! Can't you do something?!"

"Huh? Why should I do something when I know that Fritz is definitely coming to our aid."

"What would you do then if Fritz is not coming to save you?"

"He is coming because he is my best friend."

Silverwar came into sight. The disgust and anger let show on their faces as other kids begged to be freed, while some asked for water. He heeds no requests and instead did a roll call.

"Exactly twenty kids." They almost racked up the kids in the City. Tomorrow night's transportation will be their last on Malkar. They would need to move to another town or city and set base.

The door behind him went banging on the wall when it was opened vigorously. Panting, Silverwar's henchmen spoke: "C-chief! I-intruders! A kid and that two persistent guards bashed one of our henchmen skull open! The others are fighting them at the escape route when I run to tell you, chief!"

Bewildered, Silverwar cast a sidelong glance over the two new kids, Newt and Lily.

"How far have they push in?!"

"If I'm not wrong, they would be at the general's doorstep by now!"

Relieved to know that the three intruders would be facing the general, he calmed down and let out a deep, exasperated sigh.

"Then there is nothing to worry about. Surely, General Schalberg will kill those fucking bastards. After all, he is Malkar City's 'Criminal Executioner.'"

A group of Silverwar's henchmen was not enough to stop Claude's rampaging fury when he finally confirmed that the kids are being confined inside the headquarters of the guards.

Banging on the door of General Schalberg, Claude called out to him angrily, his face grim. He kept slamming on the door until he lost patience. He decided to use force.

"Ah-uh, you just break the damn door."

Puffing cloud of smoke from his tobacco, his feet crossed on top of his worktable. General Schalberg disappointedly welcomed his guests.