Chapter 221: The Refugee Camp (4)
“…May I sit down?”
“Ah, yes. Please, take any seat you like.”
Most likely, the leader of the vigilante group had not anticipated our meeting here, just like me. However, just staring at each other wouldn’t advance the conversation. I was the first to recover and I asked him if I could sit down.
I took a seat on a random chair along with Leo and Lappy. The vigilante leader followed suit, sitting down as well. Although I was surprised at first, I felt a sense of relief. I knew from his actions at that time that he was someone I could reasonably communicate with.
“I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Crane, and I am the leader of the vigilante group in this refugee camp.”
“I’m Antares. These are Leo and Lappy. Let me apologize first. I’m sorry for causing a disturbance inside the camp.”
After introducing ourselves to the vigilante leader named Crane, I decided to offer my apologies first. Although the trouble had been instigated by Heinz’s group, it was true that we had caused them some inconvenience.
Crane seemed a bit surprised, and he probably didn’t expect that my first words would be an apology, but he quickly smiled warmly and said there was no need to apologize.
“On the contrary, I’m grateful to you. Heinz’s group had been causing trouble in many ways in the refugee camp. We were able to detain them thanks to you all. Thank you.”
Crane expressed his gratitude and bowed so deeply that his forehead almost touched the desk. I didn’t actually expect him to be so thankful for something that didn’t seem to warrant such gratitude. Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the situation, I urged him to raise his head.
“Officially, I invited you here to hear your side of the story, but I’ve already learned the details from eyewitnesses. The real reason for calling you here was to express my gratitude.”
“Is that so?”
“We can’t offer much hospitality, but is there anything we can do for you? I don’t want to speak ill of the camp I’m trying to protect, but this is not a peaceful place. I surmised that there might be something you’re seeking. Is there?”
“Yes, It’s just as you said Mr. Crane. Actually, I…”
I proceeded to tell Crane the same story I had told Nord, including the part about Yaro’s son being in this refugee camp. I concluded by asking if he knew where his son might be.
Crane listened to my story till the end but then furrowed his brows and he had a difficult expression on his face. Was there a problem?
“A group of children… They are well-known both inside the royal capital and in the refugee camp. They are infamous for sneaking inside the city walls and committing thefts in various places.”
“From your tone, they sound like troublemakers.”
“Yes. I understand he’s the son of your benefactor. But let me tell you in my humble opinion, that it would be wise to avoid getting involved with them. While they rarely cause trouble in the refugee camp, they are in some ways more troublesome than other criminal organizations.”
It appeared that Yaro’s son belonged to a group of troublesome children, troublesome enough to make even the steadfast leader of the vigilantes, Crane, throw in the towel. I wondered what kind of child could lead such a strong-willed man to give up. In fact, it piqued my curiosity.
While listening to Crane, I also eavesdropped on conversations outside. Much of what was being discussed related to us, but there were also snippets of information about villains in the refugee camp.
Heinz’s group, it seemed, dabbled in various crimes. Their involvement was widespread, yet they managed not to delve deeply into any single criminal sphere. Though they committed a diverse array of criminal acts, they were careful not to encroach on the territories of other major organizations. This approach earned them a reputation as infamous, albeit small-time, villains within the camp.
The details were unclear, but it appeared that the criminal organizations in the refugee camp were broadly divided into three categories: stolen goods, human trafficking, and drug dealing. Each had connections with similar groups in the slums inside the royal capital, so it was difficult to catch them. It was evident that Crane faced considerable challenges in dealing with them.
Especially problematic was the drug dealing organization. They had allowed narcotics to proliferate within the camp, resulting in many refugees becoming addicts. The vigilantes were determined to apprehend them by any means necessary. They seemed more radical than I had initially thought. It would be wise to avoid getting involved with them as much as possible.
“I appreciate the warning, but even if I’m rejected, I still want to meet him. Can you tell me where he is?”
“…Understood. I’ll guide you to the vicinity.”
Saying this, Crane summoned the captain of the unit that had been waiting outside and had brought us here. He ordered the captain to guide us to the location of the group of children. Despite his face contorting in reluctance, the captain nodded in agreement.
As we stepped outside the tent, I wondered why the leader was so opposed to going there. Logically, parting ways here meant we would likely never meet Crane again, but somehow, I felt that our connection with him wouldn’t end just yet.
“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”
“Yes. Take care.”
After exchanging a few words and a handshake, we left the vigilantes’ tent. Following the young captain, we set off toward our new destination: the dwelling of the group of children.
The young guide, however, was visibly tense. It was clear that even in the face of a few ruffians, he would stand his ground, yet he seemed wary of a group of children. They must be quite feared.
“Uh, it’s just beyond here.”
“What’s this?”
“A wall of trash?”
The place to which we were led seemed, at first glance, to be merely a pile of garbage. But upon closer inspection, it revealed itself to be skillfully assembled, with a structure robust enough to withstand more than just a slight disturbance. It was both tall and thick. Indeed, as Lappy had described it, the term “wall of trash” seemed quite fitting for this structure.
Moreover, the surface of the wall was bristling with broken wood and rusted metal pieces, which was likely to injure anyone trying to climb over. It seemed vulnerable to arson, but doing so would harm the entire refugee camp. And somehow, I had the feeling that they had taken measures against such threats. It was just an intuition on my part, but it felt almost like a certainty.
This walled area seemed to be the territory of the group of children. The space within the wall was quite spacious and large enough to accommodate at least five of the typical tents seen in the refugee camp. It could house about twenty children, maybe more if they were packed in tightly.
I kicked the ground lightly with the tip of my toe, using the vibrations to understand the structure of the wall and the interior. From this, I deduced that there were twelve children inside, that there was no gate in the wall, and that there were several tunnels running underground.
Normally, no matter how sturdy a wall might be, its gate would be a weak point. However, this wall had no such gate. The absence of an easily identifiable weak point like a gate was probably another reason why it was very solid.
The means of entry and exit, then, were the narrow tunnels dug underground. These tunnels branched out in countless directions, extending not only throughout the refugee camp but also into the interior of the royal capital. They seemed to be using these tunnels to move in and out.
One might think that finding these tunnels would allow entry from the inside, but that wasn’t a concern. The tunnels were so narrow that adults could never fit through them. They cleverly exploited the small size of children. The person who thought of this was quite ingenious.
“What are you doing here!”
“Stay back! Go away!”
As I was admiring their ingenuity, two boys appeared on top of the wall. Like the other refugees, their clothes were dirty, but their voices were strong, and they didn’t look emaciated. It seemed they weren’t struggling for food.
Now that I think about it, I heard a voice yelling that a child thief had appeared inside the royal capital. It’s likely that the culprit was one of the children from here. They must have been sneaking into the royal capital through the tunnels connected to it and then stealing food.
The children who appeared on top of the wall were spinning leather cords while warning us. Were those slingshots? Indeed, even with the strength of a child, such a weapon could easily harm an adult. It seemed there were more children waiting behind the wall, ready to throw without hesitation if they deemed us enemies.
It felt as if we were facing bandits entrenched in a strong fortress. With their defensive capabilities, they could easily repel weak opponents. Since they hadn’t caused any trouble in the refugee camp, they should be under the protection of the vigilante group. But, honestly, they seemed to possess a combat power even greater than the vigilantes. No wonder Crane found them to be troublesome.
“Leo, Lappy. Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
“Understood.”
“What!?”
However, our combat capabilities were on a different level compared to the vigilantes or common thugs. The three of us leaped simultaneously and landed effortlessly on top of the wall. Such feats were simple with the physical abilities of a demon, even without enhancing our strength with fighting spirit.
The children spinning the slingshots were so astonished that they stopped their motions, gaping at us with their mouths half-open. This was the same reaction from the young man outside the wall…and the children who were waiting below in case of an emergency.
We calmly jumped down from the wall and landed inside it. It seemed to be the first time intruders had breached their defenses, as the children were visibly shaken. Despite their preparations, they had likely grown complacent, thinking the inside of the wall was safe.
We had no intention of resorting to violence, so there was no need for them to be scared of us. Just as I was about to convey this, I sensed a surge in spiritual power. It appeared that, albeit unskilled, one of the children had the ability to use spiritual arts. As I restrained Leo and Lappy, who sensed the imminent attack and became alert, the ground beneath my feet suddenly swayed, causing me to lose my balance.
“…Sand?”
“Oryaaaaa!”
The spiritual art used transformed the ground beneath my feet into sand. By the time I noticed this, the boy who had been hiding in the shadows burst out with a battle cry. In his hand, he wielded a club, wrapped with bent nails and metal shards.
He swung it at my head without hesitation. The force behind it was enough to kill an ordinary person on impact. Such boldness was probably a necessity for their survival in dangerous environments.
“Don’t let them get hurt.”
“Got it.”
“Mhm.”
However, shouting while launching a surprise attack defeats the purpose. Besides, I could see behind me with my compound eyes, and both Leo and Lappy had already sensed the attack through their heightened senses. Leo smashed the club with a roundhouse kick while Lappy effortlessly caught the stones thrown by the children on the wall with her bare hands. This much was natural for us, who had destroyed the advanced armor of the Republic and had come through a hail of bullets.
I then channeled spiritual power through the ground beneath my feet, wresting control of the terrain. The boy might have been able to use spiritual arts, but in terms of power and skill, he was no match for me. I pulled my feet from the sand and dusted off the hem of my trousers.
“Let me go!”
“Stop struggling… You’re too hot-headed.”
While I was doing this, the child who had attacked me was already pinned face down by Leo. His arms were secured behind his back, and considering Leo’s strength, escape was impossible. Yet the child continued to struggle, which only made Leo look at him with a mix of frustration and disbelief.
The boy who was restrained appeared to be about the same age as Leo and seemed to be the eldest among the children. He must have felt that he couldn’t back down, especially for the sake of the other kids behind him. He clearly could see the gap in our strengths, yet his spirit remained unyielding which was admirable. I felt that he had the potential to become a good leader once he acquired the necessary skills.
“I don’t intend to harm anyone. We’re just here looking for someone.”
“Shut up! Get out of our territory!”
“Wait, big brother Magna. Let’s hear them out.”
The boy restrained by Leo was audibly growling with hostility, but his outburst was cut short by another voice. There were four tents inside the wall, and the voice had come from one of them.
As everyone’s focus shifted to that tent, a boy of about four or five years old emerged. His skin was as white as snow, complemented by fluffy, soft-looking golden hair. His facial features were remarkably well-defined, and despite his dirt-stained clothes, his radiant beauty was in no way diminished.
While Leo and Lappy gasped when they saw the boy, my gaze was directed toward the boy’s forehead. The reason was the third eye located there, which was a unique characteristic of the Reka race.
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