Chapter 86
Two menacing-looking men were arm in arm, seemingly getting along.
It was quite shocking, as they looked like they were about to charge at each other just moments ago.
Had I misjudged people based solely on their appearances?
Tentatively, I looked up at them and asked,
"Are you... friends?"
"Yeah. We're friends."
"Practically friends who've been through life and death together."
Hahaha.
The laughter of the two men seemed utterly harmless.
Looking around, I realized that what I had mistaken for two rival groups on the verge of a fight were just people enjoying each other's company.
Perhaps I had been too quick to judge based on appearances.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were fighting... I thought it was very dangerous..."
"Ha, haha, no way. We never fight."
"Exactly, we're very close."
The two men laughed harmoniously.
Feeling safer, my tail wagged slightly.
"So, what are you doing in this alley?"
"Adventuring with Levinas and the king!"
Levinas, peeking out from my arms, chimed in.
She clung to me like a cicada to a tree.
"Adventuring?"
"Yes! Levinas is really brave!"
"Wow, that's amazing?"
Clap, clap, clap-
The men arm-in-arm approached us.
I kept noticing the koi tattoo on his forearm.
"Kids, this alley is too dangerous."
"Da, dangerous?"
"Yes. While everyone here is nice, there are others who aren't. There are many bad people in this alley."
"Ah..."
The alley was oddly dark and eerie.
It was a very dangerous alley, after all.
I hurriedly looked back the way we came.
Having run through the maze-like alleys, I couldn't remember the way out.
"What should we do if we don't know the way out...?"
"Lost your way?"
"Yes. We were trying to adventure all the way to the department store but got lost."
"How about we escort you to the department store then?"
An offer to escort us.
Yeoreum had emphasized several times not to follow strangers.
This could undermine Levinas's education.
But not knowing the way out, and since they seemed harmless, we had no choice but to accept their help.
"Would you really help us? Wouldn't that be too much trouble...?"
Feeling sorry, I fidgeted with my fingers and looked up at the man with the koi tattoo.
"Ha, trouble? We enjoy a good adventure ourselves, so it's no bother at all."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, of course."
The man then lifted Levinas into the air.
Levinas, floating in the air, flailed her arms and legs.
"Yikes!"
"Uh...?"
Why did he suddenly lift Levinas?
I looked up at him in surprise, but he was just giving Levinas a piggyback ride.
"Ah! Levinas got taller!"
Perhaps she was pleased with the heightened view?
Levinas swayed her upper body back and forth, looking around curiously.
Just when I was relieved that she wasn't scared, someone suddenly lifted me up from behind.
The man who lifted me gave me a piggyback ride, just like Levinas.
"Shall we go?"
"Ah... Yes."
A piggyback ride at my age.
I blushed with embarrassment, and then, about a dozen men began to follow us.
Despite their menacing appearance, I knew they were good people.
I was just grateful that they were helping me and Levinas.
<+>
Arriving at the department store, passing people were startled by and stepped aside.
"Why are the kids...?"
"Should we report this to the guild?"
"I think it'll be fine. Those people never mess with civilians."
"Really? Now that you mention it, the kids do look happy..."
Perhaps our menacing companions were misunderstood due to their appearance.
It's a shame, considering how kind and good-hearted they are.
Just as I felt this regret, the man carrying me gently set me down.
"Here we are."
"Thank you so much."
I bowed deeply to our helpers.
Their guidance was the only reason we made it safely from the dangerous alley to the department store.
"Alright, have fun, but make sure to head home before it gets dark. And never go back into that alleyway."
"Sure, we'll be home before dark."
Their well-wishing added to my gratitude.
Waving goodbye to them, Levinas suddenly jumped up.
"Mr. Koi, you and your friends should also get along and not fight!"
"Yeah, yeah... We won't fight today..."
The man with the koi tattoo scratched his head and looked at his companion, who just shrugged.
Both men sighed deeply and started to head back the way they came.
"King, Mr. Koi is a really nice person."
"Yeah."
"And Mr. Dragon is nice too."
"Uh, yeah..."
There was someone with a dragon tattoo as well.
Entering the department store, I felt that people in this world were quite tolerant towards tattoos.
"King, can we start from the basement?!"
"The basement? You do know that's just a parking lot, right?"
"Yes! Parking lots are dark and scary, but it's fun because there are so many cars!"
"Ah..."
Perhaps to Levinas, a parking lot was like an exciting place for an adventure.
Indeed, from a child's perspective, it might feel like an adventurous spot.
Since today was about having fun with Levinas, I decided to go along with her request.
"Just remember to stay away from any approaching cars, okay?"
"Yes! Levinas is good at dodging!"
Well, she is a beast-kin, after all.
She likely wouldn't get hit by a slowly approaching car.
Feeling a bit anxious but trusting Levinas, we headed to the parking lot.
"Yippee!"
Levinas darted around the parked cars, playfully shaking her stick.
Thanks to a beast-kin's innate reflexes, Levinas managed to swing her stick around without hitting any cars.
"King, do you smell something weird?"
"Yeah. It smells strange."
In the farthest corner of the parking lot, a familiar yet unpleasant odor wafted through the air.
Levinas and I, as if on cue, ran towards the source.
"Ah..."
It was food waste.
We had found where the department store disposed of its food waste.
Despite the foul smell, which should have wrinkled our noses, we were surprisingly unfazed.
'This is...'
Sniffing the food waste out of curiosity, I realized that my sense of smell had improved since becoming a beast-kin, making the unpleasant odors less overwhelming.
Unlike when I was human and had to take in all smells at once, my enhanced senses now allowed me to identify and separate each odor, including the distinct stench of different foods.
'This is incredible.'
Practicing to strengthen my sense of smell here seemed like a good idea.
After making sure no one was around, I approached the food waste bin to experiment.
<+>
With buffets producing as much food as it did, it also generated a substantial amount of food waste, typically handled by part-time workers.
Min Chaewon, a part-timer at the department store's buffet, was dragging a handcart loaded with food waste bins towards the basement.
'Ah, the smell.'
It was always dreadful coming here.
She needed to quickly empty the bins and head back up.
As Min Chaewon entered the waste disposal area, she was shocked to see two young beast-kin children peering into the food waste bin.
"King, there's pizza in there!"
"It looks like someone threw it away after eating some."
"Wow...! Throwing away pizza is unbelievable...!"
"Yeah. Pizza is something you eat once in a lifetime..."
Once in a lifetime.
The way the children spoke and acted, it seemed as if they were about to pick up and eat the food waste.
The sight was so shocking that it made her momentarily forget about the foul smell of the dump.
'They must be the kids from the Daybreak Guild...'
She'd heard rumors, but it seems they really don't receive financial support.
Min Chaewon found herself unable to move, simply standing and watching the children.
"King, Levinas is hungry! We can't eat this, right?!"
"Right. Eating this would make us sick."
"Then what should we buy to eat?!"
"Since we're out, let's buy something."
Gyeoul and Levinas simultaneously pulled out their coin purses, looking like twins as they turned them upside down to count their money.
"Levinas has two thousand won!"
"I have six thousand won."
"Wow! That's a lot of money! Can we buy something with this?!"
"I guess...? If we combine our money, we should be able to buy one thing..."
What should they buy to eat?
Pondering over this, Levinas tugged at Gyeoul's sleeve.
"Just one? Can we only afford to eat one?"
"Yeah. We can only eat one. I'll add some money, so Levinas, you eat. I'm actually not hungry."
As Gyeoul said this, a rumbling sound came from their stomach, audible in the quiet space, even to Min Chaewon.
"Sniff... I don't want to eat something tasty all by myself..."
"Well, um... I'm sorry I don't have enough money..."
"No, it's Levinas's fault for not collecting enough empty bottles. If Levinas hadn't played around and had collected bottles, we could have eaten something delicious together..."
"No, it's okay. Levinas is still young, so it's right to play a lot."
Gyeoul quickly waved her hand in dismissal, and at this gesture, Min Chaewon, forgetting her hands were dirty, covered her open mouth in shock.
Levinas is still young, she says, as if she isn't young herself.
To Min Chaewon, both seemed like children who should still be joyfully playing at their age.
"My god."
Children talking about their hunger while looking at food waste.
Unable to fill their stomachs due to lack of money, they could only stare hopelessly at the food waste.
Min Chaewon felt dizzy.
<+>
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