Work in the morning to eat in the morning, work in the evening to buy simple bread, work at night to sleep on a full stomach. That's how Kyle life always is from a very young age.

Kyle, a teenage boy with childish appearance, straight black messy hair with some dirt on it and slightly muscular body thanks to his always never-ending work always said, "if you're lazy to work, then you can just eat tree leaves." It's sad to see a teenager seemingly at 13 or 14 years old with that mental, but that's how reality is for Kyle.

‘But, what else can I do?' that's the question on Kyle mind. He is not some rich kid who's parent left money or valuable heritage, he is just a single child with nothing valuable in his possession. That's right, a single child with neither parents nor siblings.

The hot weather and blazing sun suggest it's still noon. At this time, Kyle always went around the town to find work while other children usually swim at the river north part of the town.

The place that Kyle lives is a small town called Ragtown which consists of farmers, town guards, town lord, some wandering merchants and town merchants, which Kyle usually help to carry their heavy wares to receive pocket money.

Town merchants and town lord live in central part of the town while farmers live on the outskirt of the town. Farmers usually live their daily life outskirt of town. They only went to central part of the town only to buy farm tools, necessity housewares, and selling their products such as wheat and livestock.

Shack after shack, house after house. Kyle just walking along the outskirts east part of Ragtown. Sometimes he knocked small house wooden's door, which is commonly live by townsfolk to find a job. It doesn't matter what the job is, as long as it can feed him throughout the rest of the day, he will do it.

"Kyle, can you wash all my laundry? I'll pay you 3 copper coins," ask middle age woman with a slight wrinkle on her face while putting 1 basket full of dirty clothes, trousers, and bedsheet when she saw Kyle after opening her door.

"Yes, aunt Jeanna. I shall finish them in 3 hours," said Kyle as he carried the basket that the brown hair woman put on her house wooden tile. As he turns around to walk away from aunt Jeanna small house to carry his task-

"Kyle, can you help me in harvesting ripe corn tomorrow? I need you to work from morning to evening. I'll give you one small sack of corn."

"Yes, uncle Rupert. Thank you for always asking me to help you in farming work," Kyle turn back and saw middle age man around forty, with a warm smile on his face standing next to aunt Jeanna with an iron sickle in his hand and tunic clothes that look slightly rag and patches everywhere.

"We should be thanking you instead for helping our family works. If only our son can be like you. Always, and always playing. Humph, He should just help his father doing farm works," grumble uncle Rupert, "have you eaten yet Kyle? You can join us this evening."

"Well, I hate to intrude upon your family dinner. But if uncle Rupert and aunt Jeanna doesn't mind, why not," smile Kyle to both of them while try to kept his composure from showing how joyous he felt right now.

For Kyle, who only eat dry bread with light season soup every day, eating dinner with uncle Rupert family at least will give him a more satisfying meal.

"Nah, we have known you for a long time, Kyle. You are not much stranger from us-"

"Yes Kyle, you should join us for this evening dinner," chime aunt Jeanna.

"Then, I shall join your family dinner later," said Kyle ask he walks away with a basket full of laundry from their house.

"Haiigh, I wish Abbot at least have Kyle's trait in doing work. Always play with his friends in the morning and sleep like a log at night," sighed aunt Jeanna.

As Kyle walk along the village road, some kids who saw him said "hey lone child. Where are you going?" , "hey lone child, want to play with us… oh, I forgot, you always work. Hahaha!" tease a group of 10 teenage kids who saw Kyle while playing a fighting game with tree stick.

"Heh, you cowards who play like chickens. Even baby can use stick better than any of you guys," said Kyle as he just walked along, ignoring them.

The biggest teenager among the group, who is 1 foot taller and twice fatter than Kyle, which Kyle height already reach 1.65m felt angry by Kyle provocation, "come here you lone child! How dare you say that to me."

Kyle, who is not far from them stop and look at a large teenager, "what, didn't what I said is the truth? Wanna bet you large chicken?" said Kyle as he walks to him, and putting his laundry basket on the dirt road as he stops.

"Fine, what is the bet then?" said large kid.

"If I win, you give me 3 copper coins but if I lost, I'll work for you for free in 1 day. You can make me tending your family farm. How about it Abbot?" said Kyle cunningly.

Kyle knows how much is 3 copper coins in this bet, as 1 copper coin can buy him dry bread enough for next morning meal. This is easy money when fighting against these town kids.

Compare to other teenagers with similar age as him, he always works from morning to evening and develops his strength from simple farming work to carrying heavy wares. Although his body is lean, but it is full of muscle that even adult men would be jealous if he takes off his shirt. Even if he lost, doing farm work is just daily occurrences to him.

"Heh, just look at how smug you are. I will beat you like a dog and sent you crying home."

"Just don't go home crying to aunt Jeanna like a baby if you lost," taunted Kyle back.

Kyle and Abbot ready their stance. Abbot threw a punch at Kyle's face. Kyle evades his punch and kicked Abbot's right leg. Abbot back off from Kyle's second punch and stable his swaying body. As Abbot threw a heavy punch on Kyle's stomach, Kyle kicked Abbot's stomach first. The two of them then back off from each other.

As Kyle and Abbot want to punch each other again-

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"Stop! Both of you!"

They heard shout and footsteps nearby. They then saw a man wearing guard uniform with a sword inside leather scabbard on his left side of waist coming towards them. When the group of village kid saw the guard, they run away leaving Kyle and Abbot.

"What're both of you think you're doing, can you guys play like a normal kid?"

"But he start first," said Kyle.

"But he call me chicken," said Abbot in protest.

"Enough," said the guard as he knocks both of their head with his fist, "Kyle, go do your work. Abbot, go back home."

"Yes sir," answer Kyle and Abbot simultaneously and went on their way, leaving the place to avoid any trouble.

Kyle then proceeds along the road to northern part of Ragtown by using road mainly consist of farms, as it is faster compare to entering bustling central part of Ragtown. Although central part of Ragtown connect all north, south, west and east part of Ragtown, but the road is longer because of the bustling town with merchants and townsfolk everywhere.

If Kyle doesn't have any job, sure. He will gladly go to the central part of Ragtown to earn pocket money like helping innkeeper, blacksmith or anyone that need an extra hand.

Along the way, Kyle greets farmers who are tending their livestock, harvesting corns and tending their wheat. He also saw many young adults from 15 to 20 years of age helping their parents. Such is live of farmers, once a farmer's son, always will be next generation farmer.

Sure, some teenagers may go different path such as being town guards, starting a small business or maybe…just maybe, went to central part of Ragtown, pay 10 silver coins which are 1000 copper coins and taking mage test to see if they have aptitude in magic. But, only noble and merchants' kid usually do that because only 1 out of 10 people has talent in magic.

And that is only testing for their aptitude. They need to go to a big city and entering academy for 7 years which needs lot and lot of money throughout the learning process. The dream of becoming a mage for farmers is like a guppy fish want to become a platinum Arowana.

Kyle understood that. Although both of them are fish, but 1 platinum fish at least as expensive as thousand guppy fish.

Although mage can live luxury life and valuable to the kingdom of Elderam, which is Kyle nation, but the dreams are impossible. He needs money... lots of money in order to become a mage. If, and only if Kyle manage to find some desolate gold mine near outskirt part of Ragtown, then he should just live luxury life rather than becoming mage. Why should he become a mage? He only cared for money.

As Kyle arrive at the river of Ragtown, he saw many town kids playing in the water and at least 3 town guards patrolling the area.

He walks to a group of 8 housewives near the riverbed and joined them. There, he saw a big jar with boiling hot water, a scoop inside the jar and burning firewoods under the jar which is used to heat water.

Kyle went to one of the housewive who are washing the laundry and say "how about I provide aunty's family firewoods for tomorrow used while aunty washes my laundry"

"Ok Kyle," said middle age woman who is washing a tunic cloth, "how about you also help these 3 aunties collecting firewoods. We'll give you 2 copper coins," said the woman while looking at her 3 other friends.

"Deal," said Kyle without any hesitation.

Kyle then went to nearby forest, take a small axe from his left waist and start cutting on a tree 

which is about twice his size. After the tree falls, he started cutting the branches from its main body to make it shape like a log. He then cut the log into 10 stacks of firewood and tied them with a small rope. This process had taken him nearly 2 hours.

After he finishes the task, he places 8 stacks of firewood near the middle age woman who gave him those jobs. She smiles kindly as she waits for Kyle with her friends. She gave Kyle his laundry basket and also 2 copper coins after patting Kyle's head, "you're really a good child. Don't forget to take care of your health."

Kyle placed 2 stacks of firewood on his right shoulder and carry aunt Jeanna's basket with his left hand. Kyle then went on his way after saying goodbye. He walks around 20 minutes to reach aunt Jeanna's house.

Knock, knock.

As the door open, aunt Jeanna greets Kyle warmly. She took the basket from Kyle's left hand and takes 3 copper coins from inside her blouse's pocket. She placed that money on Kyle's hand and said with a warm smile, "this is your payment. Don't forget to have dinner with us this evening."

"Yes, aunt Jeanna. I'll go home first," said Kyle with a happy smile. He walked for 10 minutes and enter his shack made of wood and straw which is small, but enough for Kyle as he lives alone.

Inside the shack is a small kitchen area, living area with a large pot hanging on top of the short table made of iron with a hole in the center. Under the hole was already used piles of firewood, a small bathroom, and a single wooden bed.

He went to his bathroom after removing his clothes. He scoops water from a big jar and splashed it to his body. He then rubbed his body with a bar of rough soap. He splashes water on his body again and wipes his wet body. He then wears a tunic cloth, raggy pant and also a pair of shoes so torn with patches everywhere.

At dusk, Kyle walk to aunt Jeanna house as he hummed cheerfully, "wonder what's for dinner? Today is my lucky day as I don't have to spend money for dinner."

"Come in Kyle, we just finish preparation for dinner," said uncle Rupert as he opened the door.

As he entered the house, he saw aunt Jeanna arranging dishes on a table. He saw warm soup inside a large bowl, several pieces of corns and rough loaves of bread on a plate.

Abbot, who was sitting on dinner chair said, "It's you huh, Lone child. What are-"