Magic Warrior Chapter 21 Part 1 (Patreon)

[Mirell PoV] Goddess and Treasure Part 1

"I'm Mina, nice to meet you."

Said Mark's daughter, a former fellow adventurer.

She had beautiful long ice blue hair and emerald eyes.

She looked just like her.

--She was the one who gave me something precious, my family, and the meaning of life.

◇

The Royal Capital, Solgeplante.

A vagrant and a stranger to her parents, Mirell usually scavenges for scraps of food. The town had an orphanage, but it was not accepting enough children, and there were a few vagrant children in the slums at the edge of the town.

Mirell did not even know her own age. When she remembers, her old man was taking care of her. He lived in a shack-like place, a collapsed building covered with boards he had picked up from around the area. It was a hut that could somehow withstand the wind and rain. It was just a shack.

But the old man died from an epidemic last year. There was no medicine for those of them who lived on the street. Since then, she was alone. The old man told her that she would be about eight years old this year. He said that she was shorter than the other children her age because she couldn't eat properly.

--I'm not attached to him.

***

The store that usually gives me leftovers was closed, or other vagrant children had gotten there before me.

Sometimes I could get food or old clothes to help out, but no matter where I went and asked for help, there was no work to be done now. It didn't help that there was seldom any work that could be left to a vagrant child with worn out and dirty clothes.

If I had been a little older, I could have registered with the Adventurers' Guild and found some grass to eat outside the city. If I used my head and did well, I might even have been able to hunt rabbits.

Vagrants don't have the identification cards that every citizen has. Without a card registered with the Adventurers' Guild, I could not hunt outside the town on my own, because it would cost money to enter and leave the town.

I haven't eaten anything for the past few days. It was only a matter of time before I would collapse from hunger.

--It can't be helped. Mirell was ready to do anything.

Targeting passersby's wallets to get food. It was a last resort because I had never been so cornered before.

If I was found and caught as a criminal, at best I would go to jail or fall into criminal slavery. As a vagrant without any backing, I might get the death penalty, depending on the person involved.

However, if I don't do anything, I will lose my strength and even that will not be possible.

◇

--The main street of the town.

Stealing wallets from the unwary. Ideally, it would be a tourist, but if I, in my shabby clothes, if I watch passersby for a long time without moving, I will look suspicious. I didn't have time to be rummaging around.

As I watched from the shadows for a while, I saw a large man walking around, looking around. Conveniently, his wallet was sticking out of his pocket.

Mirell, who had been living on the streets as a vagrant for a long time, was observant and had good crisis management skills.

I could do that, I had to do that.

Mirell puts on a rag he picked up at a garbage dump as if it were a hooded cloak. Gently, I walked behind the big man and pulled out his wallet. My heart continues to beat like a fast bell, but I put on a nonchalant face and walk quietly away from the man.

As I enter a back alley, I stop to see how much money is in the stolen wallet.

"A ring..."

What I thought was a wallet was an envelope. It was made of leather and used by nobles and others to hold less important letters and gifts. Mirell could not read, and had no way to redeem the stolen ring.

If the old man had been there, he might have been able to do something about it.

No, the old man was smart enough that he wouldn't have even needed to pickpocket people when he ran out of food.

It's really not my lucky day.

"Pickpocket!"

"It's the kid, isn't it?"

--I was found!

I run towards the alleyway. The other guy may not look like much, but he's a man in a position to be entrusted with transporting letters for the nobility. If he finds me, I'll be in deep trouble.

The structure of the back alleys of the town is almost fully understood in my brain. I hope that they did not see my face and that they give up on me if I keep running away at random.

◇

I was naive.

Now there are at least five people looking for me. I wonder if this ring is that important.

As I continued to run away, I ran out of roads and entered the noble district. The sun was beginning to set.

This town is divided into two parts: the commoners' district and the nobles' district. The two areas are separated only by a narrow channel, so it is possible to enter the town from anywhere.

As the name suggests, the noble district is reserved for the nobility and is lined with residences and high-end stores, and is rarely used by commoners other than the wealthy. In addition, in order to maintain security, commoners are sometimes kicked out of the aristocratic district after evening if they are there without business. In the daytime, some stores are open to commoners, but with my outfit, I would only look suspicious.

It's not good. It's very bad.

In this town, you won't be killed for being a vagrant, but if you are caught, you will be sent to the commoner's quarter or an orphanage at best. If I do anything conspicuous, they will find me.

However, it is unlikely that I will be able to return to the alley from which I fled.

Moving deeper and deeper into the noble district, I was on the lookout for patrolling soldiers.

The big men looking for me did not seem to be stopped by the soldiers. From that, I can think that the big men were probably sent by the nobility, after all.

"Dead end!"

"Not this way!"

"Where the heck did that kid go? What should we do if we find the kid?"

"But the kid should be around here somewhere."

As expected, I don't know my way around the noble town. But I can't go back because I can hear the voice looking for me approaching.

Quickly, I hide in a corner of the open mansion garden. I can only hope that the hedge will hide me well.

"It's kind of noisy, isn't it?"

There was a figure coming out of the mansion where I was hiding. It was going from bad to worse.

It appeared to be a woman coming out. I hide in a corner of the hedge and try to move as little as possible so as not to make a sound.

The woman glanced at where I was, but in the near-darkness, she didn't seem to notice me and headed outside.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you. Did you see a kid dressed like a tramp running this way?"

"I haven't seen anyone. I don't think someone would have come this way, because it's a dead end here, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hey, let's look that way!"

The big men's voices faded away. Thank God.

The woman walks away from the men and walks toward me.

--She knew!

"Were you being chased? Come here for now. I won't hurt you."

If I didn't come out and say anything, the soldiers might be called, let alone the big men. I give up and step out of the hedge.

"My, aren't you a pretty girl. Why were they chasing a girl like this with such a large group of men?"

The woman had light blueish silver hair and emerald eyes. She was very beautiful. She wasn't dressed very luxuriously, but I think she was a noble. The woman pulled me into the house.

It looked like it was the back door of the house, and there was a kitchen.

There was a big table. I was made to sit on a chair and the woman offered me a glass of water.

"So, why were you being chased?"

When I drink water and calm down, she started asking me questions.

I could fool her into thinking I don't know, but considering how persistent those guys were, I don't think I'd be able to calm down even if I went back to my dwelling place.

"I haven't eaten anything for a long time... and for food... this."

If she found out I was a pickpocket, she might report me, but I gave up when she found me. I honestly put the stolen envelope out on the table.

"I see... it must have been hard for you. Let me take a look at it."

The woman patted me gently on the head and opened the envelope. After looking at the ring, she opened the paper and started reading.

The woman who was reading the letter stood up as if surprised.

"Let me take this for a moment. It's still dangerous out there, so can you wait here for a minute?"

"Nn."

There was nowhere to run anyway. I nodded, and the woman told me I could eat as much as I wanted, put a basket full of water and bread out on the table, and walked out into the hallway.

I haven't had food in a few days, and it tasted so good.

Soft, fluffy bread I had never eaten before. Each loaf was about half the size of my fist, but it was a lot of variety.

As I was silently eating my fifth loaf, the woman from earlier brought two women with her, one a noblewoman because she was well-dressed, and the other a maid, I think.

"Oh, by the way, you didn't tell me your name. I am Croze, and this is Tiness, who is the master of this house."

"I'm Mirell, thank you for dinner."

"No problem."

The maid didn't introduce herself. I wonder if that's how it is with aristocrats.

Croze-sama hugged me, almost in tears. I tried to get away from her, thinking I would stain her beautiful dress, but she wouldn't let go.

"Croze, if you don't let go, she'll be surprised and stunned."

"Uh, yeah. Yes, I know."

Croze-sama said she wanted to buy the ring and letter I had.

It would be nice to get some money, so I could have a meal at a time like this. But if I leave it in my dwelling place, it might get stolen.