Beggar Siblings - Family
Silence fell over the stable as the two men pointed their weapons at each other.
Leo cautiously assessed his opponent. There was a significant difference in their physiques, and while his opponent had a shield, he had no armor whatsoever.
A two-handed sword, while powerful in offense, was a disadvantage in defense. He had learned some swordsmanship and had been on the battlefield, but a two-handed sword meant you could get hit in the blink of an eye.
So Leo struck first.
He feigned a clash, aiming his sword near the shield to draw his opponent’s weapon, then swiftly spun, aiming to cut his thigh.
But the shield blocked his attack.
Leo circled towards the shield, taking steps to distance himself from the man’s sword.
A skilled swordsman would have pressed forward with the shield, sealing his movement, but this Daol foolishly swung his sword at the distant target.
Leo abruptly changed direction, dodging the sword.
And thrust his own.
“...I yield.”
The tip of his sword touched Daol’s throat.
In a one-on-one fight, superior swordsmanship reigned supreme. Leo’s body was weak, and he would be helpless against three or four men with shields. But with a single opponent who left himself open while attacking, there were plenty of opportunities for his {Swordsmanship} to shine.
The thugs who had gathered around to watch were speechless at the unbelievably swift conclusion.
Behind them, quiet applause rang out.
“Wow. You completely outmatched him. Daol, good work. You can come over here.”
The leader dismissed the thugs and led Leo back to the room.
He finally introduced himself and offered a handshake. Uniquely, a tattoo of a hanged dog was etched on his palm.
He asked a few personal questions, but Leo answered vaguely, concealing anything related to Lena.
“You’ll be working outside the castle for a while. There’s not much for a skilled swordsman like you to do inside.”
A lie. Inside the castle walls was where a handful of skilled individuals were valued. He was simply sending Leo outside because he didn't trust him.
But Leo didn’t mind and followed the thug assigned to him. The thug, having witnessed the fight, acted vaguely friendly.
“Good to have you. Our Corolla Family is the best. You can get cheap drugs, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to lay your hands on some slaves.”
Leo listened attentively to the thug. It seemed the Corolla Family’s main businesses were drugs and slaves.
The thug led him to a small inn outside the castle walls.
A sign at the entrance of the inn read, “Seeking individuals to be sold.”
The innkeeper at the counter read the letter handed to him by the thug and said with a grin, “A new recruit. Welcome.”
He ripped up the letter and offered Leo a handshake. The same tattoo as the man he had met earlier was etched on his palm.
The tattoo on his palm had faded over the years.
This meant the tattoo was merely a mark of being an active member of the Corolla Family, and the real tattoo was likely elsewhere. Or perhaps it was temporarily inked on those of leader status.
Leo clasped the hideous hand.
* * *
Lena woke up early.
She had taken to sleeping and waking up early out of boredom from being stuck inside all day.
It wasn’t that unpleasant.
She had always enjoyed leisurely pursuits, especially sleeping. Even if she spent half the day sleeping, she wouldn't complain.
“Ugh…”
Stretching, she felt her body had gotten much healthier. She had gained some weight from eating well.
She waited for the sound of water from outside to stop before stepping out.
Sister Cassia always washed up at dawn. Part of Lena's reason for waking up early was to coincide with this time.
“Good morning.”
“Morning. I’m done, so you can take it.”
Lena took the bucket and carried it back to the room, closing the door behind her as her brother had instructed, and washed up.
Her brother had been hard to catch sight of lately. He had found work outside the castle walls and said he had to stay at an inn because it was too far.
When she asked him what kind of work it was, he hesitated for a long time before saying he was guarding an inn.
He said this city had guests arriving at night, so they had to receive them even after dark.
She knew it was all a lie.
On their first night living with Sister Cassia, her brother had come home covered in blood. He had tried to hide it by smearing dirt on his shirt, but there was blood on his body too.
Frightened, Lena had checked his body for injuries while he slept and discovered he was hiding two swords.
And the next day, her brother had left, saying he had found a job. With his swords.
She had asked Sister Cassia about it.
“What else could it be? Thugs.”
“What are thugs?”
“Men who fight with swords for whatever they can get. Doesn’t seem too dangerous though? At least from what I know...”
“Is it hard?”
“Is any job easy?”
She had asked her teacher what thugs were.
“They are people who do very bad things. Things so bad I wouldn’t want to tell you. They break the law of the land and line their pockets.”
“Are all thugs bad people?”
“Hmm… Most of them are. They do bad things, after all. Of course, it’s not good to judge people superficially. I’m sure they have their own personal reasons for doing such things.”
“...”
Lena's heart ached at the thought of her brother doing such things to earn money for them.
Even without knowing exactly what it was, it was obviously dangerous enough to require weapons.
‘I wish I could help…’
She was studying hard. It was all she could do.
But Lena felt a pang of sadness, thinking her brother was working so hard so she could study.
‘Why was I born like this…? Why does everyone, brother and teacher, tell me to be careful because of how I look? Why would they take me away?’
With a heavy heart, Lena quietly read her book in her room. Cassia’s soft snores could be heard from outside.