Leuko - Blind to the Sunlight

Chapter 23: A Dirty Liar

"So this is how I plan to create even more problems!" Klara said with a smile toward her screen that was generated by her Meltan. She was currently lying on her bed while wearing the same outfit as during the test, it was her best one after all. 

"Why are you like this Klara?" Piers responded in an exhausted tone from the other side of the screen. Contrary to Klara, he was currently sitting in front of a table with a plate of food in front of him containing some cooked Staravia meat with a brown sauce on it.

But before Klara could answer, a high-pitched voice responded. "Because she's a meanie!" 

"Oh, hi Marnie." Klara casually said, not even bothering to react to the insult. "So, how's your first day here?"

"It's so cool! I don't have to worry about losing big brother!" 

Piers took the camera and lowered it, allowing Klara to see Marnie with a happy smile and a cooked Tranquill tight in her hand. "I don't even have to worry about food! There is so much food! I love the food!"

"Oh that's simply wonderful, you definitely deserve this meal my little Marnie."

But instead of being happy about this comment, Marnie puffed her cheek. "I don't need your order to be happy."

"Marnie, it's not nice to be mean toward Klara, apologize to her." Piers chastised Marnie with a calm voice.

Marnie puffed her check before pointing toward the screen in indignation where Klara seemed to be on the border of tears. "How…how dare you tell this to me…it breaking my heart…sniff…sniff."

"Stop acting like you're really sad you meanie!" She screamed in indignation.

"But I am really sad Marnie, to be told by such a cute girl that she doesn't need my help, it breaks my heart."

"Tch, I'm sorry! Happy?!"

"Extremely so." Klara completely changed her expression, as if she wasn't just about to cry a second ago. "So, how are your roommate Piers?"

"Oh, they are extremely sympathetic, and most of them are also from the street, so they are fun to interact with…well there is a more wealthy girl, but he doesn't seem to judge us at all, and all of them seem to like music."

"Let me guess, he called Marnie cute and all of your defence crumbled away?"

Piers looked shocked before awkwardly scratching his head. "Yes…yes that's what happens."

"You're falling too easily into their trap Piers, this guys probably just want you to become his sidekick so someone can praise him for every time he is able to breathe without choking on his own ego."

Piers frowned at her comment. "Don't you think you're too harsh on them?"

"No, I think I'm starting to get too lenient on them instead."

"…listen Klara…I understand more than anyone else why you hate them…but we're in a new environment…maybe try to become a new you at the same time…"

Klara thought about it for a short moment before shaking her head. "Please, I have so many me, do you really want to add more to the mix?"

Piers sighed before taking his fork to take a piece of his meal instead of responding.

Klara completely lost focus of Piers and instead fixed intensively the food in front of Piers with some saliva flowing out of her mouth.

Piers noticed it and spoke to her in concern. "Are you alright Klara?" 

Klara recovered her mind and looked at Piers in surprise. "Eh? Ah of course I'm alright! Why are you asking?"

Piers frowned at her before deposing his fork on the table.

Noticing his action, Klara pushed a sigh of exasperation in preparation for what was to come.

"You didn't eat yet did you?"

"What? Of course I've eaten something! Why would I refuse to eat the extremely expensive food since these snobbish idiots seemed just so eager to throw their money away just form."

"Klara. Did you eat?" Piers asked again, but this time with more intensity.

"But of course, I just said yes." Klara tries to say calmly.

"…what did the Tranquill tasted like?"

"…salty?"

"It was a sweet sauce." Piers answered, making Klara's expression crumble.

"Well…I just didn't it this part."

"Klara…the food isn't poisoned."

Klara's expression completely changed to one of anger. "And how would you know that?! For all you know, they could have poisoned the food of every poor here to dispose of them so they don't have to worry about our stench in their billion of gold coin!" She screamed at Piers, but he didn't change his expression and simply looked at her with defiance.

"Klara, it isn't going to happen again, I already made my Zigzagoon sniff out the food in case they did it."

"Well, then they might just have created a new poison that a Zigzagoon sense of smell can't detect! You know very well how much money they are ready to throw away if it means disposing of us!"

"…did Slowsleeper eat at least?" Piers asked.

Klara took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "What, of course, he did, this little fatty can't survive one minute without eating, you really think I'm going to let him starve?" She said in a mocking tone, but there was still a trace of affection behind it.

"Then eat as well!"

"I SAID NO!" Klara screamed before throwing herself to her pillow. "If you're just going to pester me about this, then I will hang up!"

 Piers looked at her in silence and worry before sighing, deciding to give up on convincing her to feed herself for today, she would do it herself eventually anyway. "So, how are your roommates?"

"Tch, you really just want to lower my mood don't you? Well they are all ass…

"Klara!" Piers immediately covered Marnie's head, to her great confusion.

Klara immediately realized her mistake and changed her world. "Well they are all the trash of even richer trash."

"…are they just rich or are they really bad people?" Piers said while releasing Marnie from his hold.

"What the difference?" Klara responded snarky, before actually answering. "Well I suppose their one girl that isn't as bad as the other, but the rest are definitely ordure. One even tried to scam me the moment I entered the door, another clearly looked at me with the combined disgust of all of his ancestors, and the last didn't even bother looking at me and just retreated himself into his room…also I'm pretty sure the other girl was indeed scammed by the first guy, so I will probably use this fact to take her under my control."

Piers audibly sighed at her remark. 

"What? Do you I shouldn't? But she looks like such an easy target, I just have to control her with her pride and she will eat right into my hand."

"Like Yellow?"

Klara made a difficult expression after hearing that. "…yes."

"Why do you have to bring Yellow down too? She helped you didn't she? And she's not even rich, so don't you dare use that argument!"

"…well she is technically rich now…she has infinite Solar Point…so it technically makes her the second richest person here."

"And make me remember the reason why she has this privilege in the first place?"

"…well…it not my fault…"

"But you could have prevented it, couldn't you?"

"Yes, but then I would be the one in danger for her own action!" Klara said in frustration before looking a Piers with a sultry smile. "You don't want me to be in danger, do you my dear friend?"

Piers immediately blushed at Klara's attack, but it gained the ire of Marnie who jumped in front of her brother. "Keep your dirty…cough….cough…" Marnie suddenly choked herself with the food that was still in her mouth. 

"Marnie! Don't talk with your mouth open!" Piers reached for a glass of water and handed it over to Marnie who took it in a hurry and gulped all of the content.

"Pfwaaa!" Marnie pushed a sigh of satisfaction.

Piers also pushed a sigh of relief before looking back at the screen before freezing at the sight. "KLARA!!!"

Klara had a horrified expression on her face and her entire skin was as white as a sheet.

"She's fine Klara! She's completely fine!" Piers screamed at her, but it was too late, she was already lost in memory she would have preferred never to be confronted to again.

***

"Eheheh, the lord is going to be so happy." An old fat man wearing an expensive tuxedo said while sitting on a luxurious carriage being trained by two galarian Ponita. 

Suddenly, the carriage abruptly stopped, almost making the fat merchant fall off the carriage.

"What in tarnation?!" The merchant angrily took hold of his whip and started to whip the two Ponita in front of him. "What are you waiting for stupid pokemon? Can't you see I have important business to do?" He said while whipping them again.

But no matter how many times he whipped them, they just refused to advance and even started to back down despite the assault they received.

"Eh sir, I think they're something in front of us that block our path." One of his guards murmured into his ear.

"Well then go remove it! By the holy knight, why must I do everything here?" The merchant complained, but his servant didn't say anything, as they didn't wish to be the next victim of his whip. 

They moved in front of the carriage, just to see a particular occupant in front of the road.

"Sir, there is a Slowpoke in the middle of the road."

"A SLOWPOKE!? Wonderful!" The merchant practically had money symbols instead of the eye as he realized what pokemon was in front of him. "Quick! Catch it, his tail can sell for an extremely high price."

"Of course sir." The man approached the Slowpoke who didn't even seem to notice that people were approaching him, content enough with relaxing under the sun.

But as they approached the pokemon, they soon noticed a strange particularity of the pokemon. "A yellow head?"

But before they could stop to question its appearance, I left my hiding spot and ordered Slowsleeper to attack. "Slowsleeper, use your poison gas!"

Immediately after my order, my Slowpock woke up and looked at the man in front of him with an eye full of malice as if his previous laziness was nothing more than an act, then he opened his mouth wide and a purple mist left it, covering all of the guards.

"Couph! Couph!"

"Blergh!"

The guard immediately grew sick and fell down on the floor.

"Hey! Who allowed you to sleep during the job?!" The merchant said in fury.

I used the opportunity where the merchant was distracted to run toward his chariot and jump into its reserve to take one of his bags, I sadly couldn't take the biggest one because of my small stature, but we didn't need that much food anyway. The moment I took it upon my hand, the mist started to dissipate, and the guard was starting to feel the least sick. So I immediately left the chariot and moved toward Slowsleeper and grabbed him with my other arm.

"COME BACK HER YOU WRETCH!!!" The merchant screamed at the top of his lungs as I ran toward my escape path while holding tightly my bag and my pokemon.

And why does he even care that much about this stupid bag, doesn't he already have enough? And I'm only helping him have the least weight on his chariot, he should thank me instead. Well whatever, I already got my payment for this endeavor.

The guard tried to stand up to pursue me, but Slowsleeper opened his mouth once more, and an even bigger purple mist left his mouth from over my shoulder.

"Avoid the poisoned mist!" The leader of the guard said while bringing out one of his own Pokeballs and throwing it toward me.

But it was too late, as the moment the pokeball opened, I was already climbing some barrel I left earlier to help me climb onto the balcony of a nearby house. I started by letting down the bag I collected on the ground before launching Slowsleeper into the air, where he easily landed on the roof. I let out a sigh of relief before taking the bag and also launching it into the air, where it landed beside my pokemon. 

I took a quick look behind me and turned into horror when I saw that the guards were already climbing on the barrel.

Come on! It is just a bag, this lowly merchant can't possibly pay you enough to march into poisonous gaz just to retrieve it.

…it is weird thought that he has so many guards, they usually only have one or two, not five.

I didn't dwell on those questions and started to climb on the rails to take enough height to jump just on the roof. But no matter how high I jumped, I wasn't able to reach the extremity of the roof. 

I tried once more but I suddenly felt someone grab my ankle, and I looked back in horror to the guard who grabbed me with one hand with a nasty grin. "Ah! Where do you think you're going?"

But before I could fall into more despair, Slowsleeper showed his face himself down the roof and spat a purple liquid right into the face of my attacker. "Ah! My face!"

The guard released me by surprise as he proceeded to fall onto his other companion.

Not done with this, Slowsleeper turned around and let his tail down low enough for me to catch it with a little jump, and then he used all of his force to drag me onto the roof.

"Good job Slowsleeper." I complimented him before taking him in my arm and took the bag in my other and started to run on the roof to jump onto the next.

I slowly started to create distance toward the crime scene, but I didn't stop running, because the moment they caught me, was the moment where they were going to make me pay for all the crime I committed.

Well, crime, according to them, as I still see nothing wrong with wanting to eat at least one more meal per day.

They certainly don't, as they eat three! THREE MEAL per day! And they just leave us with one poor gruel bowl for an entire week! PER FAMILY!!!

I'm lucky I only have my little brother and Slowsleeper to share my food with, I've heard some pretty horrifying stories about it after all, stories where parents have no choice but to disown their children just so they could eat enough to live to the next week. My close friend Piers was in this situation, but at least he was able to keep surviving…legally at that…I can't pride myself on the same. 

Sure they blame the lack of food on the condition of the Crystal War, but it doesn't look like it stopped them from eating as much as they desire!

"Tch." Just thinking about the round belly of this idiot of a merchant made me extremely mad, especially when I compared it to the tin belly of my cute little brother.

But then a smile came to my face as I looked at the bag in my hand, with this, I would be able to feed him for at least one week!

With renewed joy, I stood up from the roof and looked down for something that could soften my fall and found nothing.

I could only sigh before grinding my teeth and jumping down on the hard floor.

*Bam*

"Urgh…I hate it so much." I groaned before slowly standing up, the height of the roof wasn't enough to break any bone in my body, it still hurt like I've been through distortion.

I looked at my shoulder and my knee and I could see that they were currently bleeding, but I didn't let it affect me and stood up and started to walk away from the city wall until I completely left the city wall.

There were guards stationed at the gate, but they ignored me after throwing one look at me, whether they didn't realize I wasn't the one who just stole a merchant in the middle of the town or they weren't paid enough to care, whichever it is doesn't concern me.

I started to walk off the predetermined path and instead moved near the freezing lake, as this is where our camp resided.

Our refugee camp.

Even from here, I could see the tent installed in a circle area delimited by some barbered. This is where the name Spikemuth came from. It was an attempt to raise our morale after losing our home during the war.

Several of us died during the attack…some were neighbours… others were family…well not me of course, my parent died on the front…or not, I didn't hear any news from them for a long time, so I just presume that they were death.

But what is sure, is that even if they were alive, my parent was long dead inside my heart…as what type of parent abandons their child to fight for the honour of some fat rich!?

Well a lot apparently.

I thought as I entered the camps and looked around me just to see mostly children with dead looks in their eyes. There were some elderly, but no adults.

Most adults who lost their homes decided to join the war effort, as dying on the battlefield is still better than living here.

At least over there our nation wants to keep you alive the longest they can.

But here, despite being once normal citizens, we were treated as nothing more than parasites.

"Oh, hi Klara, who did you steal from today?" I heard a voice to my side and saw Piers, one of the rare kids whose eyes didn't look dead, and most importantly, my only friend.

He was currently throwing a leather ball to his little sister Marnie, while his galarian Zigzagoon alternated between the two of them to try to catch the ball in mid-air with a stupid smile on his face, but always falling short of catching it.

Seeing the scene, Slowsleeper giggled in my arm and left them to join them with a naif smile on his face.

"Slowsleeper!" Marnie exclaimed in joy and ran toward his direction to hug him, which caused the ball to fall on the ground and Zigzagoon to be able to catch it and play with it.

I smiled at the interaction, before looking a Piers with a teasing smile. "So, I was able to have a rather big bag this time, so if you beg me on your knee, then I would be willing to share some with you."

Piers rolled his eyes before responding to me with exhaustion. "Oh please have mercy oh you noble hero, I already lost everything, at least let me keep my dignity."

"Mmph, then this gracious hero shall accord you her mercy!" I said in a prideful tone while looking seriously at Piers…before exploding with laughter. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry, I just love your expression when I do that!" 

"Sure, I'm glad that someone here has still a worse sense of humour than me."

I looked offended at his comment. "Please! That's low, even for you!" I said jokingly, but Piers's expression fell.

"Yeah…sorry." He said shamefully.

"What?! Don't apologize! I was just joking!"

"Oh…"

Seeing that if it continued like this, the conversation would only turn awkward, I tried to change the subject. "Anyways, how's Rimu doing?" 

"Oh, you know, still trying to sew some workable outfit for everyone here."

I couldn't help but smile, despite being sent to this distortion hole, my little brother still wanted to help others…he's truly the best.

"Well then, do you want to come with us Marnie?" I said with a kind smile and Marnie looked at me with curiosity before throwing a look toward her brother for confirmation.

Piers simply nodded, which caused Marnie to do the same to me.

"Wonderful, then come with me, I have a surprise for you." I said while continuing to march toward my tents with a smile.

My temps were as similar as the others, the only thing making it different was a small flag posed right outside our temps showing two badly drawn faces, one girl with pink hair that was drawn a little larger than the other face who looked like a little boy with red hair.

I smiled even more while seeing the flag, which was one of my brother's first actions when coming here, in an attempt to rebuild my morale after our home was destroyed. I still remember his words. 'It may not be our home… But it is the place where my sister is! Which makes it my favourite place ever!'

He said it with so much pride, so much hope, that I knew I couldn't let it down.

So I started to steal around the town for any food, money or anything that could have any value just so I could keep that hope in him.

Because he was also my last hope…without him, I would probably look like every other kid here…or maybe we wouldn't even be able to look at me as I would be long buried.

Shaking my head to stop thinking about these grim thoughts, I opened the curtain then saw my little brother fully concentrated on a small tissue, not even remarking we were there.

I wanted to warn him of our appearance when I suddenly had a terrible idea.

Which means it's an excellent idea!

I silently approached behind him without making a noise and leaned toward him to look at what he was doing.

It looked like he was trying to sew together two white pieces of tissue together, but each time he tried, the wire seemed to break off and he was forced to start over again. 

"How is my favourite brother doing?" I said directly in his ears, which made him jump out in surprise before looking toward me in shock. But his expression was soon replaced with a beaming smile.

"SISTER!!!" He immediately dropped his work to jump in my arms. I caught him without difficulty and raised him in the air, making him jiggle in joy. "Sister! How was your day at work?" He asked me innocently, which immediately made me sweat out.

My brother evidently didn't know that I turned in a life of crime to offer more food for dinner, so I lied to him about working in some factory to earn more money.

But of course I would never work in a factory, these places probably kill more children than the war itself! Which might be a blessing for some of them, but I had to keep myself alive for my brother, he would be totally lost without me.

Realizing that I stayed silent, Rimu started to frown inspected me, and realized that my shoulder was bleeding. "AH! You've hurt yourself again sister!" He said angrily.

"Ah…sorry…but I can't control it."

"Mmmph! You should worry more about yourself!" He said while jumping out of my arm to go take some tissue and tie it around my wound to absorb the blood. "You must worry more! If you continue to injure yourself like this, it will create cicatrice! And if you have too much cicatrice, then you will become too ugly for anyone else other than me to love you."

"Eh, who says I care about how others find me? As long as I can make my little brother smile." I said while patting his head.

*Slurch*

I looked behind me just to see Piers and Marnie entering inside with a calm expression.

"Ah…ah…hel…hello…hello…Mar…Marnie…" My little brother said shily while saluting Marnie. It was hard to control my laughter toward his awkward presentation, especially when his cheeks were completely red from embarrassment. 

Sincerely we should praise me for not teasing my brother here, but I know that it would just piss off Piers more than Rimu, he can get quite protective of his sister.

"Well, now that everyone is here, we can show my gift!" I said with a smile before taking the bag I'd stolen in front of me and opening it!

But to my horror, it wasn't food inside of it…it was just some white tissue…

No…how can it be? I made sure to only attempt my robbery when a food carriage would come. I made sure to analyze their schedule to not be wrong! So how…no…it must just be hidden by these tissues.

But as I dug deeper, the only different thing I was able to take out were tissues of different colours.

…oh no…

I slowly looked at my brother with shame, but instead of the disappointed expression I expected, it was joy that met me. 

"Tissue! For me! THANK YOU SISTER! I can work even more on making clothes for everyone now!" My brother immediately hugged me while I stood there awkwardly.

I looked to my side just to see Marnie pick up a pink tissue and approach it from her body, and for some weird reason, she chuckled with joy.

Piers was the only one who shared a similar reaction to me, but in the end, he just shrugged his shoulder.

I know he wasn't that disappointed I wasn't able to procure food, we were already used to starving, so it wouldn't be any different now.

And I could still find a way to sell them, but it will take some time, because if a store suddenly receives a lot of merchandise from a refuge, then they will immediately try to arrest me.

"Ah…no…no I can't accept it…" My brother suddenly said while backing out with sadness. "You…you must have spent all of your money on it instead of food…just to make me happy…I can't allow it…please send them back and buy food…" He said rather regretfully, clearly desiring to keep the tissue.

I looked at him in confusion before smiling again. "You don't have to worry…I can survive without any food for a long time, and we still have some of our gruel in reserve, don't we?"

"…then…I can keep it?" He said hopefully.

"Of course you can keep it!" Your smile is worth more than the price I could get from selling them anyway.

"Yeah!" Without any reserve left, my brother completely emptied the bag from all of its tissue. "There's red! There's pink! There's black! There's yellow!" Rimu said in quick succession while emptying the bag.

Sincerely I didn't understand his enthusiasm, but if it made him happy then it was enough for me.

I still wonder how I got the wrong merchandise, however…did they expect my robbery? No, they wouldn't have sent these complete amateurs its that was the case…or maybe that was the best they had.

I returned my attention to my brother, trying to distract myself from these thoughts, when I realized my brother completely shut up from shock.

"What is it?" I said worriedly before looking into the bag too, and being as shocked as him to see…

…a golden crown.

"What!?"

I took it out of the bag immediately and inspected it, it was indeed real gold, and the motifs were extremely complex. It was made without a shadow of a doubt by an expert artisan.

I looked back in shock to seek the opinion of Piers, but he looked as shocked as me, even stopping from scissoring the tissue his sister gave him with his own nail.

"Klara…where did you say you found it?"

"IT PERFECT!" My little brother interrupted before going over the pile where he kept all of his finished projects and took out a white bow that looked almost like a butterfly. "I wasn't able to find anything to fill it with! But this crown is perfect!!!" He said while taking the crown from my hand and covering it with the bow.

He then raised it proudly in the air before showing it to me. "Isn't it beautiful!"

It was indeed beautiful, not only did it have the shape of a butterfly, but it also had some pink circles in the middle, with a beautiful purple border. "A perfect crown for a perfect sister!" He said while putting the crown on my head.

"Glory to the queen!" I was so confused by the situation, that I couldn't even react to his gesture until Marnie screamed in excitement while clapping with her hand.

I could only give out a weak smile to her antic, especially when I was already thinking of a way to sell the crown the fastest I could.

I can't sell it to any open merchant, but I'm sure some dirty people would be more than willing to buy it.

…of course I'm not going to sell the little decoration my brother made, I would just buy some cotton or something to fill it, it would be less dangerous.

But before anything else could happen, we heard a huge cacophony right behind us.

"FREE FOOD!!!"

"EVERYONE!!! THERE IS FREE FOOD!!!"

"FREE FOOD?"

"REALLY!!!?"

"What? What is going on?" Piers said with worry while putting Marnie behind her.

I did the same, but I also made sure to hide the bag so no guard could see it.

Noticing that the noise was slowly starting to get farther away, me and Piers nodded at each other to remove the curtain, just to see everyone running toward the entrance.

"Stay here alright, we will verify what it is." I said to Marnie and my brother, before leaving the tent with Piers.

When we were far away enough from our tent, Piers leaned toward me and murmured inside my ear. "If it's about the crown you've stolen, then just act as if everything is normal, but start to run away the moment you're out of their sight. If they notice you before that, I will cover you, alright?"

I looked at Piers in surprise, before nodding to him with slight regret.

If I knew that this merchant was about to deliver a crown, I would have never stolen him…I just hope they didn't get to see my face completely, or else I'm on a one-way trip to the distortion world.

But to my relief, I only saw two guards at the entrance, with a black marmite right beside them.

If they really wanted to catch a thief, they would have sent more, so they probably aren't aware I am here yet.

But then why are they here? The distribution of food should only happen in four days, they are way early…or maybe something changed in the administration?

…did they finally start to care about us?

…or are we finally winning the war?! Do they finally have enough resources to spare to feed us?

…or is it a trap?

"Do you think it a trap?" Piers whispered beside me.

"I don't know…do you?"

"…I'm not sure…but I doubt they would want to harm us, we're still citizen of their kingdom after all."

"You're right…maybe it just a noble that wanted to feel like a good person once in his life?"

"SILENCE!" We immediately shut our mouths and looked at the guard who just shouted. We weren't the only ones to stop talking as everyone in front of us also stopped to fix at the guard.

"Hrm hrm, on the decree of the Marque of Francovish, the refugee has the right to one more portion of food to celebrate him being born! And he asks you to be grateful to have the same opportunity to share the same air as him!"

…well I guess that settles it, he was just feeling generous on his birthday, so I suppose that means there will be no problem.

"So, refugees coming from destroyed homes, make a line in front of our lord's gift, and we shall give you one portion by people!"

Without asking any more questions, every child made a line in front of the cauldron. Satisfied by our obeisance, the guard opened the lid to reveal some curry.

"Curry? No gruel?" I asked in confusion.

"Maybe he's just feeling that generous." Piers snickered beside me.

…I was more wondering how were they even able to afford that much food, weren't they almost in rupture of stock?

…and they allow it so many giveaways just for some noble birthday?

…I knew they were just a bunch of Tepig, why can't just realize we're all from the same kingdom? We should have the same treatment as them!

Well, I'm not going to complain in front of them, or else they will probably refuse to give me a portion.

After some time, it was finally our turn, the guard looked at us with indifference and gave both of us a wooden bowl then took one spoon of the cauldron to give us a beautiful orange curry.

Immediately, a delicious smell invaded my nostrils, and I could barely resist taking a bite of it.

I bowed to the knight before leaving the line with Piers.

"Well what do we do?" Piers asked me.

"Hmm, first we will depose our food in our tent, then I will try to get more portion from the guard."

"Are you sure? They might beat you for daring to ask for more." He asked me with worry.

"Well it's worth trying." I said while hunching my shoulder and approaching our tantrum.

Once we entered, both Marnie and Rimu looked at us with worry, before smelling what was in our hand. 

"CURRY!?" Rimu exclaimed with joy before inspecting the bowl. "IT IS CURRY!!!"

"Curry?" Marnie responded in kind. "Brother, did you make the curry?"

"No, apparently it's the birthday of the Marque in this city, so he wants us to also be happy for his birthday."

"He's so kind!"

"…I suppose he is." I said to my brother with the most honest tone I could bring out.

I knew very well he was the one putting us in this horrible situation, but I suppose that just for today, he do was kind to us.

"Well, rest here, and don't eat it yet, I will try to get myself another portion of curry, alright?" I said to my brother before placing the bowl on the ground.

Piers also did the same thing and prepared to stand up, but I stopped him. "Don't, it better that you stay here."

"What? Why?" He asked in confusion.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some people couldn't contain their hunger and go inside our tent to eat try to steal our food."

"…hmm, alright, don't worry, I will protect it to the best of my capabilities." He said while patting his Zigzagoon who tried his best to look ferocious.

But I didn't worry too much, despite looking absolutely adorable, Piers was probably the strongest here, even stronger than me, so unless all the camps attacked him, he wouldn't have any problem chasing them away.

While leaving our tent, I immediately saw some children running away from even more children who were purchasing him for the curry he was currently holding.

But despite running for his life, the child still didn't have any life inside his eyes, same for his pursuer.

They just try to survive without even questioning themselves if they want to live in the first place.

I just sighed at the sight before continuing to march to the center. 

Some child looked at me as if they wanted to rob me, but they detoured their eye when they realized who I was.

Being the friend of Piers can bring some benefice, I can tell you that.

When I finally reached once more the center, I could see that the line was already starting to shorten. So I didn't have to wait as more to receive another portion, but right before the guard could hand me another bowl, he stopped in his tracks.

"Wait a minute, didn't you already receive a portion?" He said with suspicion. "Yes! Yes, I remember you, I can remember your ribbon from anywhere." He said while pointing at my head.

I gridded my teeth at such an easily correctible mistake, but I still showed a smile toward them. "Yes, but I'm just here to collect the portion for my brother."

The guard looked at me with even more suspicion. "Then why isn't he here to collect it? Is he that lazy? Well lazy people don't get any food!"

"Oh no, it isn't that. When our village was attacked, our house fell into my brother's legs, so he can't walk anymore." I lied through my teeth, but the brown of the guard eased up.

This is not an uncommon story among us, so it is no wonder the guard buys it up.

"Well then, I suppose we can give you another portion."

"Oh, thank you very much kind guard!" I said with the most joyous tone I could muster.

He handed me over another bowl, and the other guard took a scoop of the curry before versing it…to the ground…

I looked in confusion at the ground before looking at the guard who looked at me with a mocking grin.

"Eh…mister…I think you missed my bowl."

"Oh did I? Well how unfortunate, be we cannot allow you to receive another portion."

"Oh, I know, why don't you ask your brother to ramp here, the food should be on his level now, shouldn't it?" The other guard joined in the mockery.

…tch, I should know they would try this. Well, if they think some dirt would be enough to stop me, they are death wrong!

I lowered myself to the ground and started to reach out for the meat pieces that were still warm on the ground.

"Well would you look at that, here I thought it was just a myth that people like you were ready to eat anything."

I ignored the mockery of the guard and grabbed the first cube of meat to put it in my bowl.

"Blergh!"

Eh?

What was that?

I stopped reaching looking at the curry on the ground and looked at my side just to see a child currently vomiting blood without being able to stop.

…what?

"BLERGH?!!!" 

"BLERGH!!!"

"ARGBLERGH!!!"

…are they all…dying?

…

I inspected the victim, and realised that all of them had an empty bowl in their hand.

"Oh? The effect were faster that I thought." The guard commented noncalently.

…RIMU!!!

I threw the bowl away and immediately started to run toward my tent, Ignoring the other children who were all throwing up their own guts in my way.

It going to be fine! I told him to not eat it up yet! I told him to wait for me! It going to be fine! He is going to be fine!

It's here…I'M HERE!

Right in front of me was my tent and I didn't even take the time to push away the curtain out of the way as I entered in force.

The moment I entered I saw Piers currently trying to make Marnie eat a piece of the curry, so I immediately ran toward them and smacked away the piece of meat in his hand.

"KLARA! What got into you?!" Piers screamed at me, but I didn't even care anymore as I watched for Rimu.

He should be fine, he would never start to eat without me!

"Sister! It was delicious." He said with a smile while showing me a half-eaten bowl of curry…

…

…

…

Rimu…

"RIMU!!!"

I immediately jumped toward him and held him dearly.

"Couph! Si…sister…yo…you're…stran…strangling…me…I…I can't breathe"

It going to be fine…it going to be fine! 

It's just because I'm hugging him too tightly…not because the food was poisoned…they would never do that! Why would they do that? The food must simply have been too spicy for the other refugee…but Rimu can handle spice…he was able to eat a whole spicy pepper by himself once! He's going to be fine…

"It going to be fine! It going to be fine!" 

"…Klara?" Piers said with worry.

"Sister? You…you don't have to worry…I kept you half of…cough…cough…curry…you can eat it.." His voice started to grow more rough as he started to talk.

…maybe his tolerance to spice lowered since last time…but it is going to be fine.

"Sister…I'm feeling…weird…" Rimu said weakly.

"It going to be fine Rimu, everything is going to be fine…trust me, I would never lie to you!"

"…cough…right…sister is no liar…I'm going to be fine…"

"Yes…yes you are." I desperately caressed his head, in hope…in any kind of form…that he will be okay…

"Sister…is really the…cough…BLERGH!!!"

I felt a hot liquid on my shoulder…but it was probably nothing…it can't be blood…blood is cold after all…it has to be.

"It alright…It going to be alright…right…Rimu?"

…there was no answer…

"Please Rimu…don't joke like that…it not funny…"

…there was no answer…

"Are you sleeping? Was the curry that good? You always loved curry after all…that must be why you couldn't stop yourself from eating it…right? Don't worry, I'm not angry…your sister is just acting a little crazy…don't worry, I won't be mad…I promise."

…why…why was there no sound…

…

…

…why…why must have they done that…

…why…why did they poison our food?

…in the end…I never had the courage to look at my brother's face…I…I was too cowardly…to look at the expression…of my brother who finally realized…her sister…

Was a dirty liar.