Living in this town is hard... People are harsh, shelter is rare to find, and food is scarce. No one will help you when you're struggling. It's either you die in hunger in a quiet alley somewhere, or you pick up trash to barely sustain yourself. Life is horrible for everyone... Even for me...
But I'm one of the proud wolfkin clan! I'm supposed to be tough! So I won't let anything get in my way of surviving!
My name is Log, but everyone I know calls me Squirt. Despite having the appearance of a small child, I'm actually an adult. I don't know when I was born and what my real age is, but I know, I'm an adult. And an adult... Feeds himself...
I eyed the apples a store merchant in the marketplace was selling. They look tasty, and I'm hungry. I want one.
I don't have any money, so I need to reveal one of my special skills and use it instead...
I'll go and steal it...!
Like the wind, "Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!", I dashed into the stall and caught exactly two apples. I carried them in my clothes and ran right away.
"H-Hey! That brat just stole my goods!"
I'll ignore the fat, stupid, slow merchant, and I'll continue to run away with my stolen treasures.
He can't catch me! I'm fast. As one of the wolfkins, I am far more skilled and talented than any human out there.
"Keke... Stupid human! You won't catch me! Keh...!"
A wall?
"Give those back, and you'll at least be able to get away with your hands."
S-Shit! Adventurers!
Seeing their strange-looking garbs, I knew right away that they were those adventurers. Now that they're right in front of me, I can clearly see the gap in our heights. They're far taller and bigger than me. But! I'm faster! They can't catch me!
I kicked a handful amount of sand into their faces and run away immediately in a different direction as they were distracted.
"T-This brat! How dare you do that!?"
"Now you've really done it!"
"Stupids! You can't catch me!"
I made sure they understand just how different I am from them. They're merely humans. They can't compare to someone like me.
"Kekeke..." I laughed.
Even though they could barely see, they're still trying to capture me. But I'm already out of their reach, so there's no way they'll be able to catch up to me. Once again, I'm successful with my hunt.
"Keh!"
Another wall!?
"What is this about?"
Before I can even react, I was taken by my shirt and was lifted up from the ground.
S-Shit! It's the town guards!
I'm well familiar with their faces, after all, I'm always on guard when they are around. Just how are they able to pass my senses?
"Another brat from the slums?" one of the guards said.
"I'm not a brat, stupid! I'm an adult!"
"What are you saying? You're clearly a child..."
"I'm not!"
How many times should I say it!? I'm an adult who survives on my own. I'm more of an adult than any other person.
"There you are!"
"Keh!"
The adventurers... They caught up...!
These damned guards got in my way! I need to get out of here immediately! I'll use my special attacks!
"Guh! S-Stop struggling! You'll scratch my face!"
The guard skillfully dodged all my attacks. My claws should have been able to decapitate his head by now. He's good!
"Haa...! Guards...! That brat stole from my shop!"
Huh!? When did that fat-ass store owner get here? He's able to catch up to me too? I-I underestimated him...!
"I'll punish him myself! Give him to me!" he shouted at the guards.
"He's all yours. Do whatever you want with him," the guard holding me said indifferently.
Are they really going to allow him to shout at them like that...? But that's so disrespectful...
"Kuh...!"
Just like that, I was thrown on the ground like a piece of garbage. I landed hard on my face. It was painful, but that's not a problem.
Now that I'm free from the clutches of those guards, I can escape. I just need to stand up and run away as fast as I can.
I'm fast. I'm a wolfskin! I can still get out!
"Uguh...!" I choked on the pain that suddenly struck me.
Before I could lift my feet up and escape, I was hit on the side of my stomach.
"This brat kicked sand on our faces..."
"Cough! Cough!"
That... That adventure did not hold back... I can feel the pain of his kick drilling into my stomach... It hurts...!
Why did he do that? He's not even the one I stole from. I only kicked some sand on his stupid face!
"Waha! You deserved that, brat! Now give me those apples brat!" the store owner said.
Give... Give the apples back?
"Hm? This brat's trying to resist! Why won't you just give it back!"
I can't give it back to him... I'm hungry and I need to eat...
"Why you...!"
As I try my hardest to hide the apples inside my shirt, the fat store owner only got angrier and angrier. All of a sudden, he forced my arms to let go, and he took the apples back with his brute strength.
"Hmph! Now they're dirty! How do you think I'll be able to sell these!" he yelled.
If he will not be able to sell it anymore, then shouldn't he just give it to me...? He's so selfish...
"Give it..." I tried to talk, but the pain in my stomach prevented from me continuing.
"Give it? To you...!?"
"Kuh...!"
With an angry shout, the store owner kicked me in the face. Like the adventurer, he also did not hold back. He might have been weaker than the adventurer, but because he hit me in the head, the pain he caused me was even more painful.
It was as if... He really was trying to kill me...
As I slowly lose consciousness, I saw the store owner, the adventurers, and the guards, all staring down at me with smug looks on their faces. Then, there were the onlookers, the ordinary people watching from the sidelines. They were either staring at me with pity or disgust. Either way, they only stopped for a few seconds, before they lose interest in me and walk away.
How cruel...
Just like that, my vision darkened and I passed out.
...
"Oh? You're suprisingly tough for a kid..."
When I opened my eyes, I saw two purple pupils staring at me. Those pupils reflected the light, and they seem to shine and glitter. Those eyes—were looking at me with so much interest and intrigue. They're very different from everyone else's.
"K-Keh...!" I immediately sat up on the floor and raised my guard up.
T-This person! How dare she sneak up on me when I'm at my weakest!
"Heh? You're so energetic as well."
"Who... Who are you!"
The person in front of me is not like anyone I have seen before. First off—she's so pretty! Her face looks so pretty, her short hair that has a tinge of puple appears to be so smooth, and her eyes... They're so mesmerizing...!
She's not from this town...? If she was, I would have known of her...
"Oh!" I voiced in realization.
I heard this once before in the slums. Apparently, if you perish or die, you'll get to meet the prettiest lady in the sky. Is... Is she that person...?
Did I die? But I'm a proud wolfkin... That can't happen to me...
"Mm? What are you thinking?" the pretty lady said as she suddenly poked on my cheek.
"Eek! D-Don't touch me!"
"Eh?"
"Ahh..."
Ahhh!!! Why did I use my special technique on her!? She's the lady in the sky...! I'm so stupid...!
"I...! I'm sorry!" I apologized right away, but... "Huh...?" the lady didn't seem to be hurt.
How can I forget!? They do say that the lady in the sky is the most poweful. That's why, even my most powerful attack won't work on her...
"What are you apologizing about..."
Did it feel that weak to her that she didn't even notice?
"Keke..." I chuckled, unsure of what I should say.
Will she punish me if I told her I attacked her with my special technique? I need to make an excuse... But what if she figures out I was lying... Then she will punish me still...
W-What should I do...? I will get killed either way...
"Ehh!? Why are you crying all of a sudden!?"
"Huh... Am I...?"
"You are..."
"But adults do not cry..."
"What's that got to do with you...?"
"I'm an adult..."
"I... I see... So you got hit in the head so hard that even my healing couldn't completely fix you..."
Hit in the head? Me?
Suddenly, I remembered what had happened earlier. I was trying to steal apples, but I got caught and got beaten instead...
Looking around, I can see that I'm still on the same street, still with the same busy crowd of people. However, instead of being in the middle of the road, I'm now on the sidewalk.
So... I'm not dead...? And this person here is not the lady in the sky...? Since she was so pretty, I instantly thought she were...
"W-Who are you...!?"
"But I told you my name already..."
What? I didn't hear her say her name earlier. Was I too focused on my own thoughts that I missed it?
"Hmrr... Were you not listening?" the pretty lady frowned.
"N-No! I was! I just... Forgot..."
"Is that so? Then, let me introduce myself again. My name is Eria, I'm an adventurer."
An adventurer? But she's too pretty to be one. All adventurers I've seen so far were only grumpy-looking men and scary females... She's totally different...
Ah... She's staring at me... Is she expecting me to say my name too...? Her eyes are really pretty... She smells so good too... Like a field of flowers...
"Um... I'm... My name is Log... I'm a wolfkin..." I tried my best to imitate her.
She's the first person I ever talked to who I feel the need to be courteous. I somehow don't want her to dislike me, which she might if I talked in the vulgar way I usually do.
"Growl~..."
What...? Why is my stomach complaining to me now!?
"Fufu... You must be hungry. Here," she said as she holds a bag of bread buns in front of me.
The buns inside the bag all seem to be freshly cooked. I can tell from how they smell that they are no ordinary bread buns either, they're the kind with fillings inside. Is she giving them to me?
"Eat... You seem to have been badly beaten up earlier, so you need to recover. Not everything can be fixed with magic after all."
"Gulp..."
Those buns look tasty... But...
"I... I can't! I'm an adult. I need to provide for myself. Growwwl~..."
"Hmrr... You're obviously still a child!"
"Keh!"
The lady suddenly hit me in the head, but it didn't hurt? Then, with an angry expression on her face, she forcefully handed the bag to me.
"You can have it."
"B-But! That's right! You must be aiming for something! Are you trying to get me to lower my guard...! Or something..."
I honestly don't believe she was trying to do that, but I can't think of any other reason she would be so kind to me and give me this amount of food.
Wait a minute... That must be it! Does she want me to do something for her in exchange for it? Like... kill someone...!?
"What are you talking about? That's not it at all," she scolded. "I bought this food for you because you look like you're starving..."
"Re... Really...?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"Really," she nodded.
"Kah...?"
I couldn't say anything.
I don't get it. Whenever I get beaten up or pass out from hunger, I only get stares of disapproval from everyone. Some of them would look at me with pity, but none really help.
I heard that the lady in the sky is kind, and she would help people in need. Is this lady actually her...?
"Well, I need to go now..." she said as she stood up, "I'm actually quite busy..."
"A-Ano...! Are you really giving this to me...? I... I don't have any money to pay you back..."
"You don't need to pay for anything..."
She patted my head with a smile, and simply left after. I silently watch as she slowly dissapear into the crowd.