Episode 888: I Have a Plan for Everything (3)
Lake Boldero.
A lake near the capital, fed by several rivers, it boasted an overwhelming size.
Its beautiful scenery also made it a popular destination.
Maurice had lost his son on an outing to the lake, and Hubert had also picked up Alphoy while playing there.
They knew each other’s stories, but they had never shared the details. Now, the name of Lake Boldero had come up.
No one spoke first, for
countless possibilities raced through their minds.
Of course, they were only possibilities, just guesses. Premature expectations lead to greater disappointment.
They were both old enough to understand this.
Maurice asked first, his voice trembling.
“Uh, when was it? When you picked up Alphoy?”
“Well, that’s… well…”
They tried to guess the approximate time. It
had been so long ago that neither of them could remember the exact date. But considering Alphoy’s age, the dates were surprisingly close.
So Maurice asked again.
“Do you remember what season it was?”
There are moments you can never forget, no matter how much time passes.
For Maurice, it was the day he lost his child, and for Hubert, it was the day he lost his disciple, who was like a child to him.
Hubert nodded and answered immediately.
“I remember it was towards the end of summer.”
Maurice’s eyes widened. It was similar to the time he had lost his son.
But even that wasn’t enough. It could have been a coincidence.
Before the kingdom became such a livable place, orphans were plentiful.
His heart pounded furiously. He tried to catch his breath and maintain composure.
Just because the time was roughly the same, it wasn’t enough to be certain. He needed more concrete evidence.
“R-Right! Clothes! The color! Do you remember the color? Do you remember?”
No matter how common an orphan is, the probability of their clothes being exactly the same color is low.
Even if they were wearing the same color, there would be a way to tell them apart.
The clothes were worn by the Marquis’s child. The material had to be different from that of ordinary orphans.
Hubert hesitated before speaking.
“Yes, yes. I remember. So…”
“Wait! Speak at the same time! My heart is about to burst!”
“T-Please do so.”
“When I count to three, we’ll speak at the same time. Got it?”
“Okay.”
“One! Two! Three! Blue!”
“Blue!
” “…….”
“…….”
Silence fell between them.
Maurice’s eyes trembled. Hubert, sweat dripping down his face, looked around carefully.
Maurice asked cautiously one last time.
“What material was it made of…?”
“It was… a very… luxurious silk. So… I remember….”
“Was there anything unusual? Like embroidery, or embroidery, or something like embroidery?”
“Embroidery…?”
Hubert, who had been pondering for a moment, suddenly opened his eyes.
“Ah! Ah! There was something!”
“What was it!”
“There was a very cute duck embroidered in gold!”
Maurice’s mouth fell open at those words.
The cute duck embroidery was something his wife had personally embroidered onto their child’s clothes.
Maurice opened his mouth in a trembling voice.
“Finally… I finally…”
He had found his lost child.
… … And.
He had found that kidnapper too.
Maurice, his fiery temper rekindled, immediately grabbed Hubert by the collar.
“Hey! You kidnapper! You kidnapped my child! I didn’t even know that and I was so close with you!”
“Gasp, groan! Marquis! It’s a misunderstanding! This is unfair! I just took in an orphan who was wandering around alone!”
“An orphan wearing such expensive clothes? Didn’t you think something was wrong? These are clothes only nobles would wear!”
“I thought their parents dressed them in nice clothes before abandoning them! I thought they were just children with stories! Aren’t there many orphans like that? What noble child in the world would wander alone without an escort?” Just
hearing the words made it seem like Alfoy was really Maurice’s lost child.
But Hubert felt wronged. He had definitely asked Alfoy.
“Why are you alone? Aren’t your parents here?
” “I don’t know. They abandoned me.”
Even though he was a very young child, he always spoke correctly. That’s why I thought he was a real orphan. Even if his speech was a bit arrogant, he was smart for his age, so I figured that was probably why.
Hubert, remembering the old memory, shouted loudly.
“Back then, Alfoy said his parents abandoned him! No, did they say they threw him?”
Maurice paused for a moment, then grew even more angry.
“Don’t be ridiculous! How scared must he have been, all alone! Didn’t he cry? What? He would have cried! And you still took him after seeing that?”
“He didn’t cry at all?”
“He didn’t cry? No, even if he hadn’t cried, you would have dragged him away anyway!”
“I just showed him some magic and asked him if he wanted to go with me, and he came along.”
“That’s because I showed him magic! You really did seduce him! You kidnapper! You magical duckling!”
“Oh my! Marquis, I’m so wronged! I really thought he was an orphan!”
“Shut up! Why would you take a child with parents without permission? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for him? How on earth did you manage to sneak him away without my knowledge!”
Maurice actually put up posters everywhere and distributed countless leaflets. He even sent a horde of people to search the depths of the lake.
However, Hubert returned to the north the very day he picked up Alfoy.
The distance was long, and he had no contact with the central nobles, so news was difficult to reach.
Moreover, most wizards lived in their own worlds, locked in the Magic Tower. So Hubert had virtually no way of knowing what was happening.
Maurice never imagined that his lost child would end up in the Magic Tower in the north.
After so many years, they finally learned the truth.
Maurice, who had been trying to harass Hubert for a long time, shouted in surprise.
“Ah! This is not the time! My child! I have to go find my child! Listen! Get ready now! Quickly! We’re going to the slums!”
Maurice hurriedly headed toward Alfoy.
Hubert followed, his expression a bit distraught.
* * *
Even in the seemingly impoverished capital, Cardenia, slums existed.
These were places where those who couldn’t integrate into the world and were pushed to the margins naturally gathered: those addicted to alcohol and gambling, those who hated work, and those with violent personalities.
The Kingdom of Lutania didn’t force these individuals into work. It simply provided them with a minimum level of welfare, ensuring they wouldn’t starve.
Instead, it drew a clear line.
They were never allowed to form criminal organizations or to leave the area and cause harm to others.
Giselle always prioritized public safety over the well-being of her people. She believed that public safety was the only way to ensure the well-being of her people.
In fact, she personally went out to crack down on criminal organizations.
Following in his footsteps, the Kingdom never allowed criminals to thrive. Instead, as long as they didn’t harm others, they didn’t interfere.
Believing that it was better to confine and manage the situation, they preferred to leave the slums alone.
Of course, it was a stark contrast to the slums of old.
Instead of dilapidated ruins, the streets were lined with perfectly built houses, and the roads were neatly maintained.
However, the people who lived here were characteristically littered with trash, and everyone was either lost in alcohol and gambling or just passing the time.
And in one corner of the slums,
beneath a sun-drenched wall, lay a grimy Alfoy.
“…Don’t block the sunlight. I’m disinfecting myself with it.”
Alfoy frowned at the girl standing before him, who was equally grimy.
The girl tilted her head and asked,
“Don’t you have a home, sir? Why are you always lying here?”
“I did!”
“But why are you here?”
Alfoy was silent for a moment before muttering,
“…I was stolen from.”
“By who?”
“There’s a devil. You wouldn’t know it even if I told you. Anyway, I used to live in a very large mansion. Probably the most expensive in the capital. Isn’t it amazing?”
“P-lie.”
“It’s true!”
Alfoy immediately flared up.
Although he had fallen so far, he had been incredibly successful in his time. He had even been revered as a hero who had saved the world.
That’s why he still couldn’t adjust to his miserable situation.
It felt like a dream. That’s why he couldn’t help but dwell on the past.
Alfoy jumped up in anger and shouted,
“It’s me! I’m the White Hero, the 9th Circle Archmage who defeated gods, defeated dragons, and saved the world!”
“Why is such a great person here?”
“…There’s a reason! I’ll be back soon! Then I’ll sweep away this damned slum! It’s so filthy here!” He
truly wanted to go back. He longed for the luxurious mansions, the clothes, the food.
But now there was no way back.
The kingdom had prospered under the queen’s reign, and it had been even more peaceful. There was no chance of even a stroke of luck, like before.
Alfoy’s eyes flushed red at that thought.
‘I have to go back… I have to go back… ‘
He knew it. He realized
that it would be difficult to enjoy the same power, wealth, and fame he once enjoyed.
Of course, a Circle 5 wizard was still a rare breed. He could make money if he tried, and if he worked hard, he wouldn’t starve.
But that kind of life wasn’t quite up to his standards. He was so busy enjoying his power that he still didn’t know anything about Circle 5 magic.
Ultimately, all he could do was the arduous work of using low-level magic.
‘I don’t like it… … . I don’t want to do that kind of work… … . Construction is boring… … .’
He hated working under someone else, but the fact that he had to work with other wizards was even more devastating.
Because of his past actions, the other wizards all hated him. Even
if he returned now, there was no way they would accept him, and even if they did, he didn’t want to live that way.
He even considered forming a criminal organization here to make some money. But he quickly abandoned that idea. Partly
because of his shame, but also because the Kingdom of Rutania absolutely did not tolerate criminal organizations.
Even the slightest harm to the people would be mercilessly apprehended and punished. The “Labor Shock Brigade” still existed in the kingdom.
Ultimately, there was nothing Alfoy could do now.
“I could really do well now… … I could live without doing anything bad… … .”
He regretted his arrogant past. But it was already too late to regret.
He had lost all his foundation.
Even if things went well here, he would only be able to survive on an allowance from the royal family.
“It’s over… … . I’ll never be resurrected… … . Ah, the old days… … .”
Alfoy was living in this state of helplessness due to that immense despair.
The girl who heard Alfoy’s words smiled again and said,
“Isn’t this place really dirty? I wish I could clean up all the trash in this neighborhood so it would be clean. Please, mister, sweep it all up later!”
“…”
The girl was truly innocent. Alfoy had nothing to say
when the other person acted like this. It seemed pathetic to even argue with such a child.
“Ugh, enough. I’ll sleep better, so just go.”
Gurgle.
Alfoy clutched his hungry stomach and turned around.
The kingdom did provide rations to those struggling economically, but he never accepted them. His pride was hurt. It was
better to just ask for a little bit from passersby. He thought he couldn’t bear to run into even a familiar administrator if he went to collect rations.
That was when.
The girl cautiously held out a loaf of bread.
“Sir, are you hungry? Have some.”
“……What? You’re giving me this worthless, insignificant, yet precious bread?”
“Yes! Sir, you just lie here all day! Aren’t you hungry?”
“……I am hungry.”
“Then have some.”
“……And you?”
“I can eat a little less.”
Alfoy averted his gaze upon the girl’s smiling face. He felt a bit embarrassed, yet grateful.
Still, he was so hungry that he took the bread. He even got some water for free.
Even as he ate, he was proud.
“What about me? When I return to the castle, I’ll make sure to repay you for this, you worthless, poor child.”
“When you succeed, please clean up this place.”
“……Okay. What’s your name?”
“It’s Tina, Tina.”
“Yes, Tina. I remember. Be honored that this body remembers. My name is Alfoy. If you have any more bread left, bring it.
” “Yes!”
Tina beamed.
And from that day on, she continued to visit Alfoy and share bread.
The reason was simple: Tina had no friends.
And another:
Alfoy seemed to shine in Tina’s eyes.
Those who knew him would laugh at this, but to Tina, it really was.
The people in this slum were divided into two groups: the listless and the vicious. They were
always staggering drunk, shouting at the gambling tables, or fighting over trivial matters.
They wasted their days cursing and pushing each other away.
That was all Tina
had ever seen of adults. The adults here were all twisted in some way. There was no hope or confidence to be found.
These streets were filled with a deep depression even a child could sense.
But Alfoy was different.
He lived alone on a street corner, yet strangely, no one approached him.
And he accepted it as a given. Unlike the people in the slums, his self-esteem seemed incredibly high.
Unlike other people, he didn’t fight constantly or curse. Whenever you spoke to him, he was busy showing off.
The adults all called Alfoy crazy.
But to Tina, Alfoy seemed like a nobleman.
He was just like the other slum dwellers, lazing around like a beggar, but the atmosphere was the same.
This piqued Tina’s curiosity. So she visited Alfoy more and more often.
Alfoy, too, secretly waited for Tina.
It was lonely, but he could fill his hungry stomach with the bread Tina gave him.
And so, the two began to forge a strange friendship in a corner of the slum.
