Not a barbarian warrior.

She slowly parted her lips. She explained why she had come all the way here.

“The people at the church won’t listen to me. I tried asking the guard as well, but it was the same… I told them that the children seem to have gone missing, but no one cared. It was as if their eyes were saying that street urchins might as well disappear.”

There was almost no variation in the pitch of her voice. It was an emotionless, flat tone. However, it clearly contained concern for the marginalized.

“The light of this city doesn’t reach the back alleys. No one pays attention… You are the last person I can ask for help…”

Realizing that there was no suitable place to ask for help, after much consideration, she thought of Eugene. He was a merciful person who, unlike a barbarian from the North, had given money to a pickpocketing child and sent them away.

She held a sliver of hope. Maybe… maybe he would help.

“Those poor children seem to have been erased from the world. Please… could you check if they are safe?”

“…”

Eugene didn’t answer immediately. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

“…That’s how it is for street children. They live day by day, in a life where it wouldn’t be strange if they died at any time. It’s sad to say, but that’s the reality. They might have already starved to death, or maybe been beaten to death by someone.”

Eugene knew what it was like to live in the back alleys of a city.

When he first fell into this world, he had wandered in a city whose name he didn’t even know. He slept using wooden boxes and wet cloth as blankets, and sustained his life by rummaging through garbage cans and stealing leftover food.

As the priestess had said, no one asked for his name. At that time, he was neither Kim Woo-jin nor Eugene, just a non-existent being.

“I see… I understand your intention, Brother.”

At Eugene’s unwelcoming tone, she slightly bowed her head and spoke. In that appearance, Eugene saw it. The tips of her fingers were trembling slightly.

The priestess turned around weakly. Her departing footsteps seemed somehow slow and heavy. It looked as if something was weighing down on her back.

Eugene thought about that something. Was it guilt for not being able to take care of the children? Or some kind of religious sense of mission? Or it could be compassion and affection for them.

At the end of such thoughts, Eugene reflexively reached out his hand. He didn’t know. Why he did it. It was something that would bring neither money nor honor. However, the conclusion that he had to do something wouldn’t leave his mind. The moment he grabbed her slender shoulder, Eugene realized it was already spilled water.

The priestess’s footsteps stopped. She slowly turned her head to look at Eugene. Still an expressionless face. However, a small, faint light flickered in her eyes. Eugene scratched his head vigorously, then snatched the pouch she was holding as if stealing it. A pouch containing only a few copper coins.

“I don’t work without compensation. I’ll refuse the favor, but I’ll accept it as a request.”

“Um… Why the pouch…?”

“The payment will be the coins in this pouch.”

At those words, the priestess’s eyes wavered slightly. She hurriedly opened her mouth.

“Will this be enough…? If it’s a reward, I can give you more. Here…”

The priestess took out another small pouch from her bosom. It was an emergency fund made by diligently saving a little of her living expenses. Eugene waved his hand without even checking how much was in the pouch.

“That’s enough. The payment I just received is sufficient.”

A faint light returned to the priestess’s dull eyes. She conveyed words of gratitude to Eugene. It was still a flat voice, but it contained her sincerity.

“Thank you. Surely God will remember your goodwill…”

Eugene smirked and shook his head at the embarrassing words. What goodwill? It’s a job I’m getting paid for.

Eugene immediately went out to solve the request he received from the priestess. Covered in a large robe, he headed towards the blacksmith street.

Stopping at a shop displaying various weapons, Eugene carefully examined each item with a discerning eye.

“What are you looking for? Just tell me. We have everything except what we don’t have.”

The shop owner walked out from inside and was about to introduce each item while sticking close to Eugene. Eugene vaguely explained what he wanted.

“I’m looking for something sturdy and strong. It should be small enough to swing in tight spaces, and it would be good if it could easily subdue an opponent. However, it shouldn’t be able to kill the opponent too easily.”

It was like a riddle. But the owner brought out an item without hesitation. It was a mace made entirely of iron, from the handle to the round weight at the end.

“How about this? You don’t have to worry about it breaking while using it, and it’s an appropriate length to swing with one hand. The weight is… well, a bit heavy, but… try swinging it once.”

Whoosh-!

As Eugene swung the iron club with one hand, a dull sound cut through the air. With his strength, this weight was fine. Rather, it felt good to handle something hefty.

“Good. I’ll take this.”

He immediately took out a silver coin from the pouch he had brought and handed it over. As he willingly paid the price without haggling, the owner’s face brightened. Leaving the bowing owner behind, Eugene hurriedly moved his feet. It would take quite some time to search the back alleys of this vast city.

Walking away from the wide main street, following a narrowing path. The paving stones on the ground disappear at some point, replaced by stagnant rainwater and mud. Carelessly discarded garbage and filth pile up along the roadside. Rats can be seen busily gnawing on something among them. Along the side of the road, makeshift shacks and dilapidated buildings stood side by side.

The further away from Carlisle’s square, the narrower the road became and the darker the surroundings grew. This place was covered in shadows where sunlight didn’t reach. The dark alley, despite it being broad daylight, sent a subtle warning to Eugene, the unwelcome guest. Do not come any further. But his footsteps did not stop.

Splash- Splash-

No one approached Eugene. Only his footsteps echoed in the silence. How much time had passed? While walking through the maze-like winding alleys and observing the surroundings, there was someone crouching ahead. He carefully approached the person who was letting out small sobbing moans.

“…Why are you like this here? What’s the matter?”

When Eugene spoke, a shabby-looking woman who had been crying absentmindedly raised her head. She grabbed Eugene’s sleeve and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“My, my lord… I lost my child. Those bad guys… They took my precious, only daughter…”

No more tears came from her dried-up eyes. Instead, a red liquid flowed down from her eyes.

“…”

Eugene quietly took out a handkerchief and held it to the woman’s eyes, which were shedding blood tears. After the white cloth had been stained crimson for a while, Eugene carefully opened his mouth.

“Could you tell me in detail what happened?”

“…Those bastards, those bastards kidnapped my daughter… My lord… Please, please find my daughter…”

Eugene stared at her hazy face and asked again. He needed clues to quickly find the children.

“I need clues to find your daughter. Who, when, and where did they kidnap the child?”

“My lord… Give me back my daughter… Please…”

“…”

She kept repeating the same words over and over. It seemed it would take a long time for her to regain her lost mind. Eugene was at a loss for what to do.

At that moment, Eugene reflexively stood up at the sound of someone approaching the two of them. Shadows moved from around the corner. They were wearing worn-out cloths and carrying weapons like rusted knives or clubs made from whittled wood.

They quietly and slowly surrounded Eugene in a semicircle. Their eyes were deeply tinged with greed. One of them twirled a dagger at his fingertips and spoke.

“A face I haven’t seen before? Anyway, welcome. We welcome you.”

“What is it.”

Eugene asked shortly. The one who had been twirling the dagger stopped it with a click and stated his business.

“Hand over everything you’ve got. If you don’t want to die.”

No further conversation was necessary. Eugene reached inside his robe. His fingertips touched the cold metal handle at his waist. As the iron mace revealed itself, the guys momentarily flinched.

Eugene looked at them while firmly gripping the mace. He could see cautious fear gradually coloring their eyes, which had been full of greed.

“Shit…”

As the one holding the dagger scrunched up his face and spat out a curse, Eugene took it as a signal and moved. The muddy ground caved in, and for a moment, his form seemed to stretch out.

The guys reflexively thrust out the weapons they were holding. However, those could never stop Eugene’s movement.

Crack!

The mace, which had smashed through a club, shattered one guy’s shoulder. Then it consecutively broke the ribs of the guy next to him, and after spinning once more, crushed another one’s right arm.

As three people fell without even being able to scream properly in that instant, the one holding the dagger rushed in. He aimed precisely for Eugene’s heart and stabbed with the dagger held in reverse grip. Then the rusty blade that had pierced through the robe made a sharp sound as it broke.

“Wh-What…?”

Eugene didn’t tell him that he was wearing armor underneath. Instead, he answered by swinging the mace he was holding. The sensation of bursting the guy’s skin and muscle and crushing bone was transmitted directly through his hand.

“Guk…!”

“Now, what’s left is… a little over ten?”

Eugene counted the number of guys with weapons and swung his arm. Then another one fell with a thud. The remaining guys showed terrified faces at that sight.

“Th-This damn… Run away!”

“…Hey, you bastard! Come together!”

The mace flew lightly towards one guy turning his back to run away. With a thud sound, he collapsed, and the rest of the guys fled, leaving their fallen comrade behind.

As the surroundings became quiet as if nothing had happened, Eugene picked up the mace that had fallen to the ground and hung it at his waist. Then he grabbed the nape of the last fallen guy and dragged him somewhere.

Under the roof of an old building, in front of a wooden barrel overflowing with collected rainwater, he whispered into the ear of the limp guy.

“Keep pretending to be unconscious. Let’s see how long you can keep it up.”

“Heuk…!”

Before the guy could say anything, Eugene shoved his head into the wooden barrel.