Boreas POV
A week went by fast and by Friday night, after talking with Isabella, I went to meet with the headmaster who had a mage in charge of teleportation to help us teleport to the city that is managed by the baron, some city called Narva, a stupid and lazy name that the author thought up because he thought it was funny.
"What took you so long?" the headmaster asked
"I had to talk with my girlfriend."
"Is she in the school?"
"No, she's a very beautiful and funny individual who is usually occupied with her duties."
"Is this one of those my girlfriend goes to another school trick?"
"Don't worry, I'm too lazy to use such an excuse."
As I arrived at Narva, a mountainous city nestled amidst rugged terrain, the town wasn't large by any means, but it was simple and modest. There's also a mountain next to it which is home to the red snail fungus and where it's commonly found, I ate the poison before, a couple of times, but it didn't affect me much, but I think it's because I got a lot of resistance built up already.
The cure is a flower that grows in that very same mountain but it's easier to grow so it can be found everywhere now, it's just that the potency varies by region, it's called the blue honey flower. Simply because the honey made using that flower is blue in color.
Anyway, we arrived in the middle of the night and we then walked around town to try and find a proper inn to stay in as Mari and the headmaster dressed heavily to disguise themselves while also hiding their presence. After getting a twin bedroom, we wandered around at night as it's easier to hide ourselves in the dark and just sleep during the day where if we do happen to walk around and only attract unwanted attention.
We arrived at the house of that baron and investigated it before making our way in, but we couldn't really find out much on the first night, well...apart from the fact that we did sense a demon nearby, the demonic aura was coming from his bedroom, but this isn't any ordinary demon...it's that of a succubus. And considering the news of the baron having a young and beautiful wife...well, for now we need to study the layout for a bit and to see if there were other traps.
We know that either the baron is in on this or is just being coerced to do it against his will, so I'll just have to come tomorrow during their dinner time to see their interactions closer. We also need to see the motive and find out how they're poisoning the people, a demon like that won't tell us anything, and the estimated interrogation time is about the same as trying to find it out ourselves, there's also a chance that the succubus to curse her subordinates to continue doing the poisoning even after she's captured.
On our way back though, as we were going through this alleyway, we happened to walk by some kids huddling around a fire in front of this broken and shabby shed.
"You guys must be cold...where are your parents?"
"I left home, my mom usually likes to have guests at our home often and they usually turn her away if they see me...so I left to help her," the oldest kid pleaded "Please don't take us away..."
"Uh, that's not what I'm here for, if anything, I can offer some help if you want."
"No please, that's what happened with the others who accepted food, they died and we had to bury them over there." he pointed to about 7 mounts of a somewhat rough burial.
Based on the lengths...2 seem to be at least in their latter teen years...but these kids, looked a bit too malnourished though, and based on the bruises and injuries...it seems that they were beaten and cuffed too tightly, they had to rely on stealing to live, and yet they still look like this, the eldest looked the worst, as his injuries were the most severe, and so I just use magic to heal the 5 kids.
"How old are you?"I asked the eldest
"13." he answered
"13? Are you sure?"
He's small...very small, this is not how a 13-year-old should look like.
"How many others of you are there?"
"Why do you need to know?" he asked protectively as he and the others tensed up
"You guys don't have to worry, I'm a commoner, I'm just concerned for you guys, and if you do need help...you see that beautiful woman over there, she can help send you to a shelter."
"No...please don't send us to shelter. There's too many adults and they'll steal our food."
I guess it's the same in this world, a homeless shelter is just a temporary solution to a much larger problem. As much as I want to reassure the kid, I can't deny the reality. He's right as shelters can be risky places, especially for vulnerable children. It's not just about the shortage of resources most of the time, but it's about the environment itself.
There are adults with their own struggles and sometimes their desperation can lead to unpredictable behavior. Theft, violence, substance abuse...these are all too common in shelters, heck I've even heard some women being taken advantage of as I tried to sleep... And for a child, it's terrifying, it's why some would rather roam and sleep on the streets. If only that damn uncle of mine didn't exist...hah.
"Okay, I have a solution for you guys to lead a better life, but you're going to have to promise me something."
"Please, if it's being sold to slavery, it's a no." he replied
"Slavery? No, look, my dad got some savings and recently our school has had a lack of kids for a while now...if you promise me to work and study hard, I'll help pay and send you to my village, we don't have a lot of people and there are a few people who are looking out for y'all, if I send you there, I need to know that you're going to promise to study hard."
"What kind of school?"
"Just regular school, you'll get a proper education and maybe one day you'll earn enough money to help take in others like you or open an actual shelter that isn't dangerous, or maybe you can try and join a magic academy like me, you can be a mage, you can earn even more money to look after one another."
"How do I know that you won't lie to me like the others?"
"If I lie, she can arrest me." I then pointed to the headmaster, "She's a very scary mage who has arrested many bad people, but she's also a teacher, I'll get scolded if I'm not good. I'll help bring you food and blankets in a bit, and try to gather others like you, others who you think deserve a better life, I'll hire a mage and a carriage to help bring you to my village in 3 days, okay?"
"Are you sure you won't feed us poison?"
"No, I'm a healer, I don't hurt people, it's against my code of conduct, if you want, I can help heal you further, you guys need a proper checkup."
Laurel POV
"I was shocked that you stopped me, but...I'm now even more shocked." I muttered as I pushed Marianna's arm away, "Does he show this side of him often?"
"Which one? The lying one where he said killing is against his code or the nice soft one that can steal a woman's heart? Did your heart skipped a beat?"
"The latter...and he did not steal my heart."
"Yet." the stupid dragon chimed in
"Jett, why do you insinuate every woman that he's involved with to want to have a romantic relationship with him?"
"Not every, only a few, and you are one of the ones who I'll be willing to accept into the group."
"Since when did you have a say in anything?"
"He is my human, he saved my life, and so it's my job to protect him, if there's a worthy mate that can help increase his happiness, I will help."
"His lustful nature must have rubbed off on you."
"I'm the least lustful creature on the planet, otherwise dragons wouldn't be endangered."
I watch as the kid pleads, their eyes wide with fear, begging not to be sent to the shelter. It's a tough situation, but I can't help but feel a pang of surprise at the reaction of Boreas. He's always been the sarcastic, self-centered type, never showing much concern for anyone else's problems. But here he is...maybe there is more to him than meets the eye...but my heart did skipped a beat for a second there, and I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.
Boreas POV
A week went by fast and by Friday night, after talking with Isabella, I went to meet with the headmaster who had a mage in charge of teleportation to help us teleport to the city that is managed by the baron, some city called Narva, a stupid and lazy name that the author thought up because he thought it was funny.
"What took you so long?" the headmaster asked
"I had to talk with my girlfriend."
"Is she in the school?"
"No, she's a very beautiful and funny individual who is usually occupied with her duties."
"Is this one of those my girlfriend goes to another school trick?"
"Don't worry, I'm too lazy to use such an excuse."
As I arrived at Narva, a mountainous city nestled amidst rugged terrain, the town wasn't large by any means, but it was simple and modest. There's also a mountain next to it which is home to the red snail fungus and where it's commonly found, I ate the poison before, a couple of times, but it didn't affect me much, but I think it's because I got a lot of resistance built up already.
The cure is a flower that grows in that very same mountain but it's easier to grow so it can be found everywhere now, it's just that the potency varies by region, it's called the blue honey flower. Simply because the honey made using that flower is blue in color.
Anyway, we arrived in the middle of the night and we then walked around town to try and find a proper inn to stay in as Mari and the headmaster dressed heavily to disguise themselves while also hiding their presence. After getting a twin bedroom, we wandered around at night as it's easier to hide ourselves in the dark and just sleep during the day where if we do happen to walk around and only attract unwanted attention.
We arrived at the house of that baron and investigated it before making our way in, but we couldn't really find out much on the first night, well...apart from the fact that we did sense a demon nearby, the demonic aura was coming from his bedroom, but this isn't any ordinary demon...it's that of a succubus. And considering the news of the baron having a young and beautiful wife...well, for now we need to study the layout for a bit and to see if there were other traps.
We know that either the baron is in on this or is just being coerced to do it against his will, so I'll just have to come tomorrow during their dinner time to see their interactions closer. We also need to see the motive and find out how they're poisoning the people, a demon like that won't tell us anything, and the estimated interrogation time is about the same as trying to find it out ourselves, there's also a chance that the succubus to curse her subordinates to continue doing the poisoning even after she's captured.
On our way back though, as we were going through this alleyway, we happened to walk by some kids huddling around a fire in front of this broken and shabby shed.
"You guys must be cold...where are your parents?"
"I left home, my mom usually likes to have guests at our home often and they usually turn her away if they see me...so I left to help her," the oldest kid pleaded "Please don't take us away..."
"Uh, that's not what I'm here for, if anything, I can offer some help if you want."
"No please, that's what happened with the others who accepted food, they died and we had to bury them over there." he pointed to about 7 mounts of a somewhat rough burial.
Based on the lengths...2 seem to be at least in their latter teen years...but these kids, looked a bit too malnourished though, and based on the bruises and injuries...it seems that they were beaten and cuffed too tightly, they had to rely on stealing to live, and yet they still look like this, the eldest looked the worst, as his injuries were the most severe, and so I just use magic to heal the 5 kids.
"How old are you?"I asked the eldest
"13." he answered
"13? Are you sure?"
He's small...very small, this is not how a 13-year-old should look like.
"How many others of you are there?"
"Why do you need to know?" he asked protectively as he and the others tensed up
"You guys don't have to worry, I'm a commoner, I'm just concerned for you guys, and if you do need help...you see that beautiful woman over there, she can help send you to a shelter."
"No...please don't send us to shelter. There's too many adults and they'll steal our food."
I guess it's the same in this world, a homeless shelter is just a temporary solution to a much larger problem. As much as I want to reassure the kid, I can't deny the reality. He's right as shelters can be risky places, especially for vulnerable children. It's not just about the shortage of resources most of the time, but it's about the environment itself.
There are adults with their own struggles and sometimes their desperation can lead to unpredictable behavior. Theft, violence, substance abuse...these are all too common in shelters, heck I've even heard some women being taken advantage of as I tried to sleep... And for a child, it's terrifying, it's why some would rather roam and sleep on the streets. If only that damn uncle of mine didn't exist...hah.
"Okay, I have a solution for you guys to lead a better life, but you're going to have to promise me something."
"Please, if it's being sold to slavery, it's a no." he replied
"Slavery? No, look, my dad got some savings and recently our school has had a lack of kids for a while now...if you promise me to work and study hard, I'll help pay and send you to my village, we don't have a lot of people and there are a few people who are looking out for y'all, if I send you there, I need to know that you're going to promise to study hard."
"What kind of school?"
"Just regular school, you'll get a proper education and maybe one day you'll earn enough money to help take in others like you or open an actual shelter that isn't dangerous, or maybe you can try and join a magic academy like me, you can be a mage, you can earn even more money to look after one another."
"How do I know that you won't lie to me like the others?"
"If I lie, she can arrest me." I then pointed to the headmaster, "She's a very scary mage who has arrested many bad people, but she's also a teacher, I'll get scolded if I'm not good. I'll help bring you food and blankets in a bit, and try to gather others like you, others who you think deserve a better life, I'll hire a mage and a carriage to help bring you to my village in 3 days, okay?"
"Are you sure you won't feed us poison?"
"No, I'm a healer, I don't hurt people, it's against my code of conduct, if you want, I can help heal you further, you guys need a proper checkup."
Laurel POV
"I was shocked that you stopped me, but...I'm now even more shocked." I muttered as I pushed Marianna's arm away, "Does he show this side of him often?"
"Which one? The lying one where he said killing is against his code or the nice soft one that can steal a woman's heart? Did your heart skipped a beat?"
"The latter...and he did not steal my heart."
"Yet." the stupid dragon chimed in
"Jett, why do you insinuate every woman that he's involved with to want to have a romantic relationship with him?"
"Not every, only a few, and you are one of the ones who I'll be willing to accept into the group."
"Since when did you have a say in anything?"
"He is my human, he saved my life, and so it's my job to protect him, if there's a worthy mate that can help increase his happiness, I will help."
"His lustful nature must have rubbed off on you."
"I'm the least lustful creature on the planet, otherwise dragons wouldn't be endangered."
I watch as the kid pleads, their eyes wide with fear, begging not to be sent to the shelter. It's a tough situation, but I can't help but feel a pang of surprise at the reaction of Boreas. He's always been the sarcastic, self-centered type, never showing much concern for anyone else's problems. But here he is...maybe there is more to him than meets the eye...but my heart did skipped a beat for a second there, and I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.
