Chapter 43: The First Footprint (2)
"Who is Mole?"
Everyone silently turned to look at Oliver after his almost childlike question.
"......"
"......"
"......"
"......"
After a long moment of silence, someone burst into laughter.
"Puhahahahahaha! Hah, you don’t know who Mole is?"
"Uh, no. Who is it? I mean, it seems like a person?"
"Seems like a person...? Hah! Of course, it’s a person. Pretty famous around these parts these days... But really, does this guy seem like someone who works for Mole? He doesn’t even know who Mole is."
"Well, maybe he’s lying?"
"Yeah, he could be lying. Or maybe he genuinely doesn’t know. Look at this guy's face. Does he look smart enough to lie?"
The man named Kent grabbed Oliver’s face with his calloused hands as if he didn’t understand the concept of personal space.
Despite his rough appearance, his grip was incredibly strong.
Seeing Oliver's blank expression, the people who had chased after him seemed to lose some of their aggressive spirit.
"Well... still, he might not know, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. We can’t be sure. But—"
"Kent... We owe you a lot, but sending him off just like this... You know how uneasy things have been lately."
Although Oliver couldn’t fully understand the conversation, he could sense their anxiety, nervousness, and fear.
Even Kent seemed to agree to some extent.
Is something bad going on?
"Hmm... I understand what you mean. So, how about this?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I’ll take him."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I’ll take him with me. If he turns out to be suspicious, I’ll deal with him myself. With this!"
Kent waved his wooden cane as he spoke.
The people who had chased Oliver looked visibly startled.
"No, that’s... that’s ridiculous..."
"Ridiculous? I think it’s a reasonable compromise. Or... you don’t trust me?"
"Ah, no, of course we trust you, Kent."
"Then what’s the problem? I’ll keep an eye on him. That way, you can all rest easy. Or... do you really not trust me? Damn, that makes me sad."
Under this relentless pressure, the pursuers hesitated and eventually backed down.
"Fine... We owe you a lot, Kent, so we’ll trust you with this. But if there’s any trouble because of him, we won’t let it slide."
"Thanks! Really, thank you... I knew I could count on you. You’re making me tear up! Here, take this as a token of my personal gratitude. Come on, take it."
Kent pulled out a few bills from his coat and forcefully stuffed them into their hands.
Though they protested at first, they eventually gave in to Kent’s insistence.
"Ah... You really didn’t have to. Anyway, we’ll be going now."
"Sure, take care. And come to me if you run into any trouble. It was good seeing you."
Kent saw them off with a bright, almost overly cheerful attitude.
Once they disappeared, only Kent and Oliver were left on the street.
Oliver felt it. The feeling of emotions fading away one by one as people left Kent’s side.
He wasn't an ordinary person, that much was clear.
"...Hey. Hey! Can’t you hear me?"
Oliver snapped back to reality. Looking ahead, he saw Kent snapping his fingers.
"Do you space out often like that?"
"Ah... sorry. I was scared."
"Scared? Hmm... You don’t really seem scared."
"I... well, either way, thank you for helping me. You saved me."
"Oh, so at least you know that. If you were really sent by Mole, you’d have been beaten to a pulp by now, and even if you weren’t, they’d have taken everything, down to your underwear. Of course, you should be grateful."
"Yes, thank you."
Oliver quickly bowed his head, a mannerism he had learned from his time at the orphanage and the mines.
It seemed to work, as Kent grinned slightly.
"Speaking of which, where are you from?"
"...I came up from Wineham."
"Wineham? Oh... there are still people living there? But why would someone from Wineham come all the way to Landa? And to X-District, no less?"
"I had my reasons..."
"Reasons? Huh..."
Kent muttered to himself as he looked Oliver over.
The worn, shiny jacket he had been wearing for years and the dusty shoes...
It seemed like Kent came to his own conclusion as he nodded.
"...Where are your parents?"
"I don’t have any."
"Really? No parents, huh... So why did you come here? I’m really curious. It’s rare for outsiders to come even to V-District, let alone X-District."
Oliver didn’t answer right away. He stared into Kent’s eyes.
Despite the man's unshaven, scruffy appearance, his eyes were sharp, much like those of James, the apothecary.
Oliver instinctively knew he couldn’t just give a vague answer. But he also couldn’t be completely honest.
"...Someone who helped me a long time ago lives here... I came to see if I could meet them again."
"Who is this person?"
"...Someone who helped me back then."
"...I see. Did you find them?"
"Um... no."
"...And why do you want to meet them?"
"I... just wanted some advice. It’s my first time out in the world, and there’s a lot I don’t know."
"...Your first time out in the world? You’re really well-spoken for someone who looks so clueless."
"Thank you?"
"Hah... no parents, and you came to Landa all by yourself... Did something happen?"
"Well... a lot of things."
"A lot of things, huh? Ha, you’re a strange kid."
"Am I?"
"Yes... let me ask you something again. Answer seriously, for your own sake."
Oliver looked into Kent’s eyes and replied.
"...Yes."
"Do you really not know who Mole is?"
Kent's eyes gleamed sharply, much like James' did when scrutinizing someone.
"Yes, I don’t know... Who is that?"
"There’s someone like that... a real bastard... Do you have anywhere to go?"
Oliver glanced at the park where he had met Joseph.
The hot dog stand, the ice cream booth, the fountain, and the statue of a baby angel... People who seemed to enjoy their leisurely lives.
He had decided to go there, but after looking at this mysterious man in front of him, his interest quickly waned.
"...No, not really."
"No place to go, huh... You don’t have a place to stay tonight either, I assume?"
"Uh... no."
"I see... hah."
Kent scratched his rough beard, clearly conflicted.
"Hmm... am I really crazy? You don’t even look like him, but... kid, if you really have nowhere to go, come with me. The nights are getting colder, after all."
"......"
"Well, if you don’t want to, don’t follow me."
"...If it’s okay, may I ask a question?"
"A question? Well, you’re polite at least. Sure, ask. What, are you worried I’m going to kidnap you and sell you off somewhere?"
"No... I can tell you don’t mean any harm. I know you’re genuinely trying to help. Thank you."
"..."
"But... I’ve never met someone who helps purely out of goodwill. Can I ask why you’re helping me?"
"Hmm... why, huh? I don’t know either. Let’s just say I made a lot of money today and I’m in a good mood. So, what’s it going to be? Are you coming or not? Just tell me."
Oliver looked toward the other side again. He sensed no ulterior motives from Kent.
"...If you’ll allow it, I’d like to go with you."
"You sure know how to say the right things. Alright then, follow me."
...
Oliver followed Kent.
With each step Kent took, his cane struck the ground with a sharp tap-tap sound...
As they passed through the streets, beggars and a few thugs either greeted Kent with friendly smiles or deliberately turned away, pretending not to see him.
"Hey there, Kent!"
"Oh, hey. Good to see you."
"Coming back from work?"
"Work? Nah, just collecting some money."
As they passed several people, Kent turned to Oliver and asked.
"Aren’t you curious where we’re going?"
"Huh? Oh... yes, I’m curious."
"Doesn’t seem like it... Aren’t you scared?"
Kent’s question was fair.
Even though they had left X-District for W-District, it was still a poor area with low security, and Kent was leading him deeper into a desolate, eerie place.
Most kids, or even adults, would have started to feel anxious by now.
But Oliver showed no signs of fear.
To Kent, this made Oliver a very strange child.
"...I’m actually scared."
"Oh, really? By the way, I hate lies."
"I’m not lying. I’m scared of getting hurt, scared of dying, and scared of a lot of other things too."
"Most people are afraid of pain and death. Well, except for a few with strange tastes... but they’re the exception."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, geez... do you always talk like this? I feel like I’m going crazy."
"...Someone once told me I was broken."
"Did they? Sounds like they were right. Who was it?"
"Ah, that was—"
"-Oh, here they are!"
Just as Oliver was about to respond, a loud voice interrupted them.
Turning toward the source of the noise, they saw a man and a young boy.
The man was middle-aged, with deep wrinkles, a bulbous nose, and a completely bald head.
The boy had bright blond hair and wore a coat and shoes that were far too big for him.
"Kent! Kent! Our beggar boss, Kent!"
The man all but tossed the boy aside as he approached Kent.
His unsteady gait and red nose made it obvious that he was an alcoholic.
Still humming to himself, the man continued to speak.
"Finally, you’re here... Finally! I’m so glad you made it back safely!"
"Yeah, good to see you too. Are you coming back from work?"
"Work? Me? Hah! I haven’t worked in 20 years! The kid did all the work. Right?"
The man pointed at the blond boy as he spoke.
The boy gave a simple, honest smile and bowed to Kent, who acknowledged him with a nod.
"So, since you made it back safe, that means you’ve collected the money, right? Come on, show me how much you got. Come on, show me!"
"Seeing you rambling like this... I’m guessing you’re running low on booze."
"I’m always low on booze! So, how much did you make?"
"Later. We’ll deal with it when everyone’s here. That way, no one can complain afterward."
"Ah... fine, fair enough! But can I ask something else?"
"You sure talk a lot today. What is it?"
"Who’s the kid?!"
The man with the red nose pointed dramatically at Oliver as he asked.
Kent glanced at Oliver before answering.
"The kid? Oh... just a boy I picked up on the way here."
"What, like you’re picking up a stray dog? Kid, what’s your name?"
The red-nosed man leaned in so close that it was uncomfortable.
Despite his casual attitude, his eyes were surprisingly sharp, though not as piercing as Kent's.
It was as if he was trying to see through Oliver’s words, to figure out if he was lying.
Oliver met his gaze calmly and spoke in a steady voice.
"My name is Oliver. I just came up from Wineham."