Chapter 218: The Refugee Camp (1)
“Yaro! Where have you been and what have you been up to all this time? You disappeared all of a sudden!”
As the man continued to speak to me in a friendly manner, Lappy remained on alert, while Leo seemed to nod as if he had come to some understanding. It appeared Leo grasped the situation.
The name Yaro belonged to a male member of the Reka race who had been synthesized with me. I knew from seeing the fragments of his memory during the synthesis process that he was a petty rogue at the time.
The man standing before me was not present in the memories I had seen of Yaro. Only truly significant memories of Yaro had remained, so this man was probably not a fellow rogue. Considering his overly familiar and somewhat condescending tone, he was likely a higher-up in the world of ruffians.
Well, whatever the case, I needed to correct his misunderstanding… wait, perhaps not. Should I correct the mistake, or could I use this situation to my advantage? If I were to gather information, it would be wise to visit not only the royal capital but also the refugee camp. Yes, I decided to go in that direction.
“Calm down. I am not Yaro. He was a member of the Reka race, right?”
“Eh…? Oh, yes, that’s right. But you have the same look around your eyes… Wait, if you know that Yaro is from the Reka Race, does that mean you know Yaro?”
“Yes, I know him. I had the chance to talk with him briefly.”
It made sense that my eyes resembled Yaro’s, as his body was the base for my current form. The only aspect of my face that Rinne’s illusion masked was my compound eyes. So, it was understandable that he thought I looked like Yaro.
However, the part about having had the chance to talk with Yaro was a complete fabrication. But since I have seen fragments of his memories when we were synthesized together, I clearly knew the truths important to him. It was as if I had heard only what mattered most to Yaro.
“…I see. What is he doing and where is he now?”
The man, upon hearing that I was not Yaro, seemed more disappointed than sad. From his demeanor, it was clear that he intended to cozy up to this “Yaro”, who had somehow risen to the status of a noble’s guard during his absence. His attitude was frankly unpleasant.
Well, considering he was originally from the slums, it was no surprise that he lacked admirable qualities. Yaro had been of the same ilk, so it was to be expected. I suppressed my discomfort and addressed the man who knew Yaro in as cheerful a manner as possible.
“If you want to hear about it, it’s a bit of a long story. Actually, Yaro is someone I owe a great deal to, and I too am interested in his whereabouts. Is there somewhere we can sit down and talk at length? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Huh? Really! Ah~… but if we do that, it would have to be outside the city; is that okay with you?”
“That’s fine. Let’s go.”
Upon hearing the promise of a reward, the man’s expression noticeably brightened. However, in order to have a long talk, it seemed we needed to head outside the city walls, specifically to the refugee camp. Refugee criminal activity was already a point of concern. I didn’t know why the man was here, but lingering for a long time might attract unwelcome attention from the guards.
Following the man, we made our way outside the city walls. The refugee camp was located a short distance from the city walls, and it was lined with old cloth tents with holes here and there and ramshackle huts built from scrap wood. Surprisingly, there were clear paths that could be called roads, so getting around through the camp was not as difficult as one might expect.
Business was conducted even within the refugee camp, and it seemed there were establishments similar to diners. The man appeared to be guiding us to one such place.
During our walk, I managed to learn a bit about the man himself. His name, as it turned out, was Nord and he claimed to be a former associate of Yaro, which was more or less what I had expected.
Their homeland had been in the northern part of the continent, but it had been destroyed by the invasion of the republic. The royal family had perished, and many powerful nobles were either dead or missing, making any hope of restoration bleak.
“What will you do once the war is over?”
“There’s not much to do. Even if we go back, I’ve heard our hometown’s been razed to the ground. I’ve been lucky to find a way to make a living here, so I’ll keep at it. If that fails, I’ll figure something out then.”
Nord replied with a laugh as if it were a trivial matter. His casual demeanor suggested a life led haphazardly, both in the past and likely in the future. He took it for granted that this was the natural course of things.
Our paths were unlikely to cross again, and Nord’s life was his own to lead. I had no intention of interfering, so I simply responded, “I see.”
“It’s surprising. Are Mister and his friends okay with this smell?”
“I don’t like it, but I’ve gotten used to it.”
Nord was remarking on the stench that permeated the refugee camp. Given that the refugees lived there, they naturally had to relieve themselves and produce waste. The foul odor that hung in the air was a mix of human excrement, rotting food, and an odd medicinal smell. While the city itself was not free from bad odors, the intensity here was on a completely different level.
However, we have lived on the battlefield. The smells of war were far worse, and one couldn’t afford to be overwhelmed by such odors if one wanted to stay alive. Even for a demon with a keen sense of smell like myself, it wouldn’t matter much if I just got used to it. And even though both Lappy and Leo had disgusted expressions on their faces, they were not so affected as to be unable to move.
In fact, it was the incessant, intrusive stares that were more annoying than the smell. Most of these glances seemed driven by curiosity or wariness, but some clearly harbored malicious intent. There is no doubt that there will be some confrontation.
“Still, Mister and his friends are brave. I know I’m one to talk, but this place is notorious for its poor security. Dressed up so neatly with kids in tow, you look like easy targets.”
“No problem. We possess enough skill to be hired as guards by the nobles.”
“Yeah, sure, you seem strong but…ugh!”
At that moment, Nord who had been looking not at me but at Lappy, who was holding my hand, and Leo, who was curiously observing the refugee camp, contorted his face. This was because a group of about a dozen men had appeared, blocking us from both front and back.
Apparently, Nord hadn’t noticed that we had been followed since entering the camp. These men were part of the group that had been casting hostile glances in our direction. On the other hand, Lappy and Leo had been aware of them all along and showed no sign of surprise.
The men who appeared showed no sign of tension. Perhaps it was their numerical advantage, but more likely, they were accustomed to using violence and intimidation. Although they looked ragged and thin, likely due to being refugees, their demeanor was intimidating enough to make anyone without experience shrink back in fear.
“Hey, Nord, you’ve brought some pretty clean-cut folks here.”
“Y-yes, Mr. Heinz. Just met some common acquaintances, that’s all. Heh, hehe…”
The leader of the men, a man named Heinz, had a sadistic grin on his face. Nord, in turn, lowered his head and smiled obscenely.
It was clear that this group held significant power among the rogues of the refugee camp. At least, they were fearsome enough that even Nord felt compelled to grovel before them. Indeed, the other refugees who had been staring rudely at us earlier quickly distanced themselves as if they wanted no part in this troublesome situation.
“Heeh, is that so? Well, that doesn’t matter. We want to have a word with that mister over there. Why don’t you go somewhere else?”
“Eh!? But, Heinz, this person is…”
“Quit your yapping and scram!”
“Y-yes!”
Nord seemed about to say something more, but upon being shouted at by Heinz, he quickly fled. His escape was swifter than expected. The speed with which he sensed the danger and fled impressed not only me but also Leo and Lappy.
However, Nord who had fled, seemed intent on watching the proceedings from behind a nearby tent. It appeared that while he couldn’t defy Heinz, he still harbored some lingering attachment to us who were more likely to be a source of profit for him.
“Hmph, worthless trash… Now, mister, let’s have a little chat.”
“I have an idea of what this is about, but what do you want?”
“See, we’re refugees, right? Struggling to get by. So, we were thinking you might be generous enough to help us out with some money.”
“And if I refuse?”
“If you refuse, well, we’d have no choice but to give up, but… By the way, mister, do you know the going rate for kids these days?”
“…I see.”
Heinz was implying that if I refused, he would resort to kidnapping Leo and Lappy for human trafficking. He assumed that by threatening me with the seemingly vulnerable children, he could extort money from us. Heinz continued to smirk triumphantly.
While we were talking, Heinz’s henchmen were gradually closing the distance between us, clearly planning to pounce on the two children the moment negotiations failed. They seemed experienced, so this wasn’t their first time.
“So, what’s it going to be? You’ll give us something, won’t you?”
“I refuse. Try your luck if you think you can.”
I flatly rejected Heinz’s extortion. He seemed stunned by my direct refusal, standing with his mouth agape. His henchmen showed similar reactions of shock.
The same seemed true for the onlooking refugees who had been watching the unfolding events from a distance. A buzz of conversation broke out among the gatherings that were previously silent. Among the murmurs, there were voices questioning my sanity and others mocking Heinz for being rejected.
Some hurried off somewhere. Whether they were going to call for Heinz’s reinforcements, summon the guards, or had a different purpose, it would soon become clear.
“…Brave words. Get them!”
Heinz, who had been standing in shock, apparently didn’t miss the mocking words directed at him from the others. Scoundrels like them needed to be feared; without instilling terror in others, no one would succumb to their threats anymore, whether they were bluffs or not.
This meant that backing down was not an option for Heinz. To preserve his bruised ego, he had to attack us and demonstrate their terror anew. As expected, Heinz commanded his henchmen to attack us.
“I’ll leave it to you two. Just don’t kill them.”
“Got it!”
“Okay.”
I decided to let Leo and Lappy handle it and stood in my place with my arms crossed. I aimed to deter any future harassment by showing that not just I but even the children were strong.
Leo eagerly rotated his shoulders, and Lappy, releasing the hand that was linked with mine, bounced lightly on the spot. The ragtag scoundrels creeping towards the children lunged forward.
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