Chapter 44: Beggar Clan (1)
After finishing his introduction, Oliver followed Kent and his comrades to their hideout, the Beggars' Den.
It was an abandoned building in a desolate area, and it seemed not everyone was thrilled about Oliver’s presence.
“Why on earth did you bring such an awkward fellow here?!”
A short, stocky man yelled.
His name was King Fist, and though dressed in rags, his large, fierce fists gave him a menacing appearance. Kent chuckled shamelessly and tried to calm him down.
“Well... why, you ask? I was in a good mood since today’s income was quite decent, and then I happened to run into this guy. If just one of those things hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have brought him along... Couldn’t you say it was fate?”
“Fate? We already have more mouths to feed than we need, so why add another useless one?”
“Come on, don’t be so worked up. I’m just following the wishes of my predecessor. If you have any complaints, take them up with the man who left his will to me. It’s not like I’m thrilled about it either.”
“Well, why not just refuse, then?”
“Oh, my friend, how can you so easily go back on a promise?”
“A promise? It was just a favor.”
Kent rubbed his cheek. After a long pause, he pulled out a bundle of money from his coat.
“...Alright, that’s enough griping for now. We’ve just returned and I’m tired. Besides, aren’t you curious about how much we made today?”
Money has its own magic.
That phrase Joseph had taught Oliver seemed to apply here as well. The moment King Fist saw the money, his anger eased somewhat.
As if entranced, he reached out for the money, but Kent pulled it back.
“Ah…”
“By the way, I’m the one who brought in the money, but it was these guys here who made the junk profitable. You know, those people you called useless mouths...”
King Fist fell silent, though it was clear he still had more to say.
Greed, frustration, and other dark emotions were written all over him. Oliver could see them clearly.
“You remember I brought you in as well, right? Now, you’re one of the people I rely on the most... This kid could prove his worth, too, if given the chance.”
Kent tapped Oliver on the head as he spoke.
In the end, King Fist grudgingly opened his mouth.
“...Yes. I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn.”
“Thanks for understanding. I appreciate it! Now, here’s the money. Once everyone’s checked it, bring it back, and we’ll put it in the communal vault.”
“Yes, I understand… What was the kid’s name again?”
“Oliver. He’s Oliver. No parents, and he’s from Wineham. You get the general idea?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Oliver?”
“Yes?”
“Greet them. These guys are the ones protecting our Beggar Clan.”
“Protecting?”
“Yeah, protecting. It’s slang for the enforcers of the Beggar Clan.”
“Oh... Hello.”
Oliver bowed, but King Fist and the other burly beggars didn’t seem too welcoming.
Their eyes shone with suspicion and the displeasure of being saddled with another burden.
It was... somewhat like when Oliver first joined the Joseph Family, though different in its own way.
“...”
“...”
“Well then. Now that the introductions are over, let me show you the others. Follow me.”
Oliver followed Kent, who led him to where Red Nose, the blonde boy, the blind old man, and the girl were gathered.
“You already know these two from earlier, right?”
“Yes… Mr. Red Nose and Mr. Harmonica…”
Red Nose burst into laughter.
“‘Mr.’! I can’t remember the last time anyone called me ‘Mr.’! You’re a gloomy kid, but damn polite!”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
After their brief exchange, Kent spoke again.
“This old man and this kid... they’re grandfather and grandchild. You can just call them that.”
“...Grandchild?”
“Yeah.”
“But, she’s a girl. Why call her grandson?”
Everyone seemed slightly startled by Oliver’s observation.
It was Red Nose who spoke first.
“This kid… I thought he was slow, but he’s pretty sharp, huh?”
“How’d you know?”
Oliver shrugged.
By reading their emotions, it was easy to distinguish whether they were male or female, but he couldn’t exactly explain that.
“Uh... just a guess?”
Kent looked at Oliver for a moment before speaking again.
“...Yes, the ‘grandson’ is actually a girl. But from now on, don’t mention it. The streets are harsh for women. If you open your mouth carelessly, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Oliver knew Kent was being sincere. It wasn’t just anger; there was genuine concern for the girl.
He seemed to really care for the people around him.
“Hmm… These people are professional beggars. Harmonica plays his harmonica, Red Nose sells matches with his quick wit, and the old man and his granddaughter beg together.”
Oliver nodded mechanically.
Kent wasn’t sure if Oliver truly understood, but he didn’t bother explaining further.
“They earn regular income for our Beggar Clan through begging. They’re important because they ensure we don’t starve. Treat them with respect while you’re here.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Kent watched Oliver in silence for a moment, then took him to a secluded corner.
It was a small area in the abandoned building, barely fit to be called a shelter. It was nothing more than a tent and a few old household items.
There were about a dozen beggars, some of them elderly, women, and children.
Aside from that, one noticeable feature was the piles of trash lining the walls.
“These are the regular beggars in our Beggar Clan. They don’t have fixed roles, but they’re no different from the others we met earlier. They’re still our comrades.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, they beg when needed and fight together if any intruders appear.”
“Intruders?”
“Yes... Landa isn’t very kind to its poor. It’s the same everywhere, but it’s worse here. But don’t worry. There haven’t been any issues recently.”
“Recently,” Oliver thought. The word carried an unsettling weight.
“Hmm... That’s all the explanation you need. From now on, you’ll be working with them. Since you’ve joined our Beggar Clan, I’ll just say this: don’t whine when it gets tough. You may not realize it, but it’s not easy to join a clan like ours. So, work hard and earn your keep.”
Oliver could tell Kent was telling the truth.
There was no deceit or trickery in his emotions.
“Yes... I’ll do my best. But what exactly will I be doing?”
“Well, there’s plenty to do. Sorting through trash, collecting donations, getting hand-me-down clothes, running errands... Since it’s your first time, we’ll start with something simple.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Any more questions? Like I said, I let you join because I was in a good mood, but you’ll have to pull your weight.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Hmph, good attitude. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
Just as Kent was about to leave, Oliver called out to him.
“Ah, wait a moment, Mr. Kent.”
“Hm?”
“You told me to ask if I had any questions, right?”
“Yeah, I did... just as a figure of speech, but why? What do you want to ask?”
“...Why are you helping me like this? I mean, really?”
“...”
Kent looked at Oliver silently, and Oliver, in turn, stared back, eager for an answer.
After a brief pause, Kent finally spoke.
“...If you can prove yourself to be worth something, I’ll tell you.”
Sincerity. Oliver nodded in response.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll work hard.”
From that day on, Oliver’s unintended life as a beggar began.
It wasn’t what he had wanted, but it wasn’t all that bad either.
After all, he had only vague goals, without a compass or a map.
Perhaps this was a chance to learn more about life in the city.
Even if it was a beggar’s life, there was still plenty to learn, wasn’t there?
And as it turned out, he wasn’t wrong...
“Hey, wake up... What? You’re already up?”
A fellow beggar came to wake Oliver and was surprised to see him already dressed and ready.
He looked genuinely shocked.
“Yes, you told me to get up early...”
“Oh, I did say that, but not many actually do... Impressive.”
“I’m used to waking up early... So, what should I do now?”
“We need to head over to the church’s alms house. They’re giving out bread today. Finish dressing and come out quickly.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Oliver immediately threw on the rags he had folded by his side.
It was given to him after he joined Kent’s group. Though not very useful, it made him look like a proper beggar.
Without washing his face, Oliver followed the senior beggars to the church’s alms house.
One of the beggars, about two or three years older than Oliver, grumbled.
“Ugh... I’m so sleepy. The sun hasn’t even come up yet. Hey, newbie, aren’t you tired?”
“Huh? Oh... I am tired.”
Oliver’s reply was a lie.
Although everything—sleeping, eating, and washing—was much worse than when he was with the family, it didn’t bother him all that much.
The reason, even Oliver couldn’t say for sure.
Maybe it was because he’d grown used to harsh environments in the orphanage mines, or perhaps it was just in his nature not to care about such things.
Either way, Oliver didn’t dwell on it much.
The only downside was not being able to wash, but even that became bearable after a while.
So, Oliver found the beggar life neither uncomfortable nor unsatisfactory.
In fact, when he thought about the little things he learned every day, he felt like he was gaining something...
“Is this the alms house?”
Oliver asked as he looked at the brown brick building with dust-covered windows and a rusty iron cross standing on top.
It looked like three boxes stacked together, with a black iron fence surrounding it.
But what stood out more than the building was the crowd of beggars waiting near the fence.
“Yes, this is the alms house. Damn, there are a lot of people.”
“Yeah... Everyone’s way too diligent, it seems.”
“Well, it’s that time of year when people get hungrier... Don’t just stand there. Let’s line up.”
Hastened, Oliver stood in line with the others. Though it wasn’t much of a line, just a group standing near the door.
Everyone wore tattered clothes, clutching their hungry bellies as they waited for the alms house to open. Oliver, filled with curiosity, asked,
“So why does the alms house give out bread or money? And for free, no less?”
An older beggar raised a finger and answered,
“The Father up in the sky considers charity toward the poor a virtue.”
“Oh...”
“But in return, we have to grovel and talk about how much we love the Father.”
A younger beggar interrupted with a cynical tone.
The older beggar continued,
“Why do you ask anyway?”
“Oh... It’s just my first time at an alms house.”
“Ah, that’s right. You’ve only been sorting through trash up until now... But doesn’t Wineham have an alms house?”
“Well... I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t paying attention back then.”
“Tsk tsk... That’s why kids these days end up like us beggars. You can’t just live aimlessly. Your parents won’t take care of you forever, so you better learn how to get by in this world and keep your eyes open.”
“Yes... I’m starting to realize that.”
Oliver replied sincerely.
Back in the orphanage or even at the mines, he hadn’t realized just how little he knew about the world. But after leaving the black magic organization and stepping out into the world on his own, he began to grasp how ignorant he had been.
In a way, he was even more clueless than the beggars.
The earnestness in Oliver’s voice made the beggars feel somewhat awkward, and they stopped lecturing him. They had initially disliked him for suddenly joining their group, but since he had been doing everything without complaint, they were slowly warming up to him.
Of course, not everyone felt that way.
Oliver asked another question,
“So, do they give out bread because the Father believes it’s virtuous?”
“Ah... That’s the official reason. But there’s a more direct, practical reason too.”
“A more direct and practical reason?”
“Yeah, and that is...”
Deng— Deng— Deng—
At that moment, the sound of a bell rang from the church's alms house.
The beggars, who had been idly waiting, perked up like hungry dogs at feeding time.
Staff members emerged from the alms house carrying bread. Though it smelled faintly, as if it were old bread, the beggars drooled at the sight.
A man in a crisp priest’s robe stepped forward.
“We will now begin the distribution.”
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