On the way back home, it's already evening as the sun has already set. I pick up Elijah from the nursery home and pay the teacher for the amount that she demands and agree with her. It really cost me a lot to pay per hour. But considering her risk to take care of Elijah illegally, I submit to her request for 2 Verdajade.
Maybe I should do a proper registration for Elijah to get into that nursery home as we are going to stay in the capital soon.
As Elijah and I were heading back, we both encountered some problem with a stranger that we don't know.
A man, clad in tattered attire, blocked our path with a smirk.
Acting swiftly, I positioned Elijah behind me, my guard up against this unknown threat and unaware of his identity. Suddenly, he took out his knife and slowly approached us.
Suddenly, Mara and her friends come out from nowhere. They gasped for air as they must have been running to come here.
I noticed they all were not looking so well. Their body is left with so many red marks. The bruise is still fresh.
"Owen, please… stop. He's one of us. He's not well-off." Mara convinces him to stop.
She tried to reason with him.
I got to know this guy's name is Owen. He is the one that they look up to be like him as they admire him. Owen's face twisted with anger as he blocked my plea.
"Get back! This guy is mine. I already have a background check on him. He is not poor, but he is freaking loaded."
Mara and her friends look shocked as they hear that.
"But I already asked him. Right, Oruvan?" She looked at me with a pleading look.
"That's true sir. But I am actually living outside the capital. I'm not one of you. I only live in a small village."
I directed a disappointed gaze at Mara for deceiving her and her friends. Owen's fury grew as he absorbed my words.
"Liar! I already saw your house when I spy on you. You bought expensive foods and I saw you send your brother to the nursery home. Besides, you also meet your friend at the Royal Palace!"
Their shocked gazes converged on me, awaiting my response.
I was speechless and I realized they had caught onto my secret. I know there is someone who is following me in secret, but I didn't expect it was Owen. I had to hide the truth about the money that I got. I can't tell them about my magic to create money. I also can't tell them about my relationship with Liora.
"But that house is not mine! Jake is only my benefactor." I try to reason with him.
"You expect me to believe that? Explain the fancy clothes and tell us where your money comes from." Owen added. He couldn't believe everything that I got is only coming from my benefactor. What he believes is I am the son of the Royal Duke.
I struggled to form a coherent response. Everything I say is not used. He already believes I am rich.
"You can't! That's because what he told you guys is all nothing but a lie. He must have felt pity for you and gave spare money and he must have enjoyed looking at your faces for believing him. In his mind, you guys are only a stupid little kids! Owen started to sound crazy.
"NO! THAT WASN'T TRUE! I CAN EXPLAIN IT." It's frustrating to talk with him. He didn't even listen to me.
I vehemently rejected his false narrative.
"Please, believe me. I wouldn't do such things. I can explain it to you guys later." My eyes pleaded to them.
"There is no need." Owen advanced with his knife, and I shifted my gaze to Mara and her friends, who stood frozen.
"Do you think you can hurt me?" I focus my eyes on Owen as defeating him is my priority if my word is not working.
I use the earth magic to defend my arms and work as a weapon too. I fight with him but my movement is limited. Using a toddler body is really a disadvantage for me to move around. Unlike him, Owen can easily overpower my strength despite my ability to use magic. But in combat, I have more experience than him.
I turned the ground that he was standing on into mud and made him lose balance.
"Please, stop this. If you really need money, I can give you. But not this way. You should work to earn it. As adults, don't you feel ashamed of me for being just a kid?" I try to convince him to stop.
"As if… Do you think I care! You don't even understand how hard it is for us to live here without magic." Owen sounds desperate.
Suddenly, Owen reached into his pocket and dropped a smoke bomb that blinded my vision.
Without realizing, Elijah was already in his arm while he was pointing the knife at his throat.
"Brother!" Elijah screamed for help.
Elijah looked scared and I could feel he was about to cry, I immediately calmed him down.
"If you don't want to see your brother's dead body, you better do as I said." He threatened to harm Elijah.
I had to surrender myself to him and regret that I can't protect my own brother.
He asked Mara and her friends to search my body for anything. The thing that he gets is a coin change after buying an ice cream earlier.
"How dare you play a trick with me! I saw earlier you have a 3 Mythril coin. Where did you hide the money? Tell me now before I slice his throat!" Owen started to lose his patience.
He must have seen me play with the coin before changing it back to a 3 Verdejade coin to buy three ice creams in exchange. Now I really don't have anything with me.
I sighed tiredly. "I told you. I have no money. So, please, let him go. My brother is innocent."
Owen looked disappointed but it didn't stop him from getting something from me.
"Fine then. I will ask your parents instead. I bet he will pay any ransom money that I want." Owen started to think he can suck money from Jake by using me and Elijah.
Finally, I had to do everything he wanted obediently. I have to give up because he uses Elijah as a hostage.
Owen continues his plan by forcing me to write a letter to Jake. As they are not knowledgeable about words and cannot read, I write a letter for him.
I already have a thought that Jake would do anything that I asked him. All he needs to do is play a part in this role play.
Unexpectedly, Owen knocked me out when I wasn't paying attention to him.