Sahro watched over the employees with a wrathful look in his eyes.
‘There’s something wrong with this situation. Even if Glenn took the kid apart…’ The Black Heir shook his head as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, ‘...No, I’m sure the kid is innocent and is being framed. Glenn probably also knows that, so… it must mean that he’s getting the boy’s version. I need to buy time and find more proof if I can…’
He looked at the bundle of Moon Grass that fell on the ground after being found in the kid's pockets by the owner. He spat on the ground, disregarding any sanity rules in a kitchen. This shit–and he wasn't exaggerating with this term, was an absolute cancer to society as a whole.
It was primarily distributed by the Thorns Church to their followers to numb their self-inflicted pain, conjuring 'visions of their god,' which were nothing more than hallucinations. This drug was predominantly found in the Repentir, the Church's District.
It had infested the Sewers, as many chose to surrender to its numbing embrace rather than confront their suffering head-on. Sahro had witnessed several unsuspecting Black Heirs succumb to its allure, thanks to the nobles who once ventured into the Sewers. It had always struck him as odd that these haughty nobles would descend into their wretched abode, only to mock and exploit them, but the older he grew, the easier it was to understand. The cruelty of humans knew no bounds, and they, for some wretched reason, loved to inflict pain on others.
And all these times, he had been helpless in front of their mockeries, their insults, and shameful acts. But this was going to change. As soon as he managed to get Callum back, everything was going to change for the Black Heirs. Sahro clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening.
He suddenly snapped back to the present and refocused on the truly perplexing matter at hand. How did this Moon Grass end up here? Was there Thorn’s Church priest amid these idiots? Unless they were delivered with it…But then, it wouldn’t be such a small quantity. The Moon Grass hidden in that boy Liam’s pockets wasn’t enough for even one person. To drug the whole inn, they needed a considerable amount of it…
With a gnawing unease in his gut, he methodically combed through every drawer, cupboard, cabinet, and storage space. The owner initially attempted to intervene but thought better of it after Sahro fixed him with a deathly stare.
“Not here…not here either…” Sahro mumbled as his thorough search turned out fruitless. He slammed the last drawer closed in frustration and disappointment; it seemed like his hunch had proven unfounded. He clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, leaning back against one of the workstations.
“...Did I miss something…?” The Black Heir muttered while looking at the ceiling, reviewing what other places he could search for. Accidentally, his eyes stopped on the bundles of plants hanging from the ceiling. He paused as a sly grin crept up his face. He walked up to the bundles and slowly unsheathed his sword. The Auberge owner’s eyes widened and he stood up in protest, but it was already too late.
“Where do you hide a tree? In a damn forest!” Sahro spat as he sliced open the leaves bundle with a swift stroke of his sword. The plants fell on the floor to the great dam of the employees. He crouched and slowly picked up a small leather bag, utterly out of place.
Sahro opened the bag and stepped back, the acrid smell of Moon Grass assailing his senses. He tossed the bag aside and inspected the other packages, discovering five more bags, all filled with the drug. The customers who had observed the entire process were shocked. Familiar with the drug and its effects, they could somewhat comprehend a Sewers child having a small amount and using it for theft. But this quantity of Moon Grass was unattainable without significant funds or connections within the Thorns Church—both nearly impossible inside the walls of King's Rise.
Sahro fixed his gaze on the owner and the employees, realizing their eyes were all glued to the leather bags. Dismissing them with a scoff, he tossed the entire collection into a massive pot in the corner of the room, sealed the lid, and guarded it. Predictably, panic washed over the employees, with the owner rushing toward the pot, halted in his tracks by the tip of Sahro's sword, emanating an intimidating crimson Aura.
“Come on, tempt me,” Sahro hissed as he forced the owner back. He turned to the other employees and hardened his expression, “If anyone so much as touches this pot, I swear on my name, that I, Sahro of the Black Heirs, will carve them into a thousand pieces."
With this stern declaration, he drove his curved sword into the ground, both hands resting on the pommel.
Now, he just had to wait for Glenn.
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Glenn rubbed his eyes as he observed the young child voraciously devour one of the leftover meatloaves he kept in his dimensional pouch.
"I don't understand. Why wouldn't they feed Liam? He practically lives in the Auberge, which produces a ton of food," Glenn pondered, genuinely baffled by the mistreatment. It simply did not make a shred of sense to him. Additionally, why starve one of your workers? It would decrease his efficiency, and he would have a harder time doing his job.
No, it didn’t make any sort of logical sense.
'My bet is because he came from the Sewers. Racism seems quite prevalent in this city,' Diamanes remarked, somehow interested in the situation.
"Hey, slow down," Glenn advised, attempting to calm the child who was gobbling down the food like a squirrel that had stumbled upon its first nut in ages. He took the opportunity to examine the emaciated figure beneath the oversized assistant-cook outfit, noting visible bones and bruises, some appearing quite severe.
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Glenn rested his chin on his clenched fist as he watched Liam finish the meatloaf. He threw him a leather flask of water, which the kid graciously accepted and emptied down his throat. Glenn took out another meatloaf, the last ration that was left in his pouch, and presented it to the child.
Liam’s hand shot out to reach for it, but Glenn dexterously retracted his hand, startling the child. He didn’t have the time to wait for the kid to eat his fill, and overeating after being starved was a common cause of death for vagrants. He wasn’t going to kill the boy because he fed him too much food too quickly.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get your food in due time,” Glenn said as he placed the meatloaf beside him. The kid followed his movements, his shoulders hunched in disappointment.
‘Sorry kiddo, but if the Thorn’s Church is implicated in this mess, this makes it personal, and I really, really want to fuck them over. Moon Grass is a fucking bad omen,’ He thought without a shred of guilt.
He crossed his arms and leaned back, “Tell me everything you know, about who did what and why. If my hunch is right, this has been hurriedly planned,” mused Glenn as he looked at the kid.
Liam took a deep breath and made sure his mouth was empty, carefully licking each finger to savor the crumbs before wiping his face. "Well, uh, Mister, first, thank you for stopping Boss. My dad always said to express gratitude to those who help you..."
Glenn nodded gently, aiming to put the child at ease. "Were you living with your parents in the Sewers?"
Liam nodded slowly, tears gathering in his eyes before he wiped them away. "M—my parents thought it was a chance for a better life when the Boss offered me work."
Glenn remained silent as he felt that this would lead to the explanation he needed. Liam fiddled with his thumbs as he looked down dejectedly, "At first, it wasn't so bad. They didn't treat me as an equal and fed me rarely, but I still felt like a human being." A flicker of resentment flashed in his eyes as he clenched his tiny fists. "But then some strange men visited the Boss. They gave him Moon Grass."
Suddenly, Liam's eyes widened in realization, and he began to panic. "About the Moon Grass in my pocket—"
"It wasn't yours, I know," Glenn reassured him, connecting the dots, "Do you know what those strange men told the Boss?"
Liam nodded gravely, fidgeting with his hands. "I hid in a cupboard to eat a piece of bread because Jason, one of the cooks, decided I didn't deserve any food that day. It had been a while since I hadn’t eaten, so I couldn’t help it…"
He paused for a moment, taking a sip from the leather flask Glenn had given him. "They spoke right beside me, and I dared not move. I could barely see through a gap in the cupboard. There were three robed people, and one had removed their hood."
Liam's voice trembled as he recalled his memories, "His head had these weird scars that formed a scary pattern. He gave something to the Boss, who did something with it. After a few minutes of silence, he collapsed on the floor. I almost gasped, but I was too terrified to even breathe."
"He had seizures, writhing on the floor with a happy smile. Then he snapped out of it. That's when they made a deal on paper. I know because I saw the paper one of the robed men took from their robe, and the Boss hastily signed it. They gave the Boss a ring with a purple gleam."
Liam sighed as he reflected on these memories, "After that day, everything changed for everyone, be it the Boss, the employees… or even me."
He shuddered as he hid his bruises, “They... they started hurting me, feeding me spoiled meat and dead rats. They made me sleep in a cave, then outside like a dog. When customers were present, they acted normally, but once no one was around, they... transformed."
Liam sniffled again, wiping away any remaining tears and mucus. "It happened about a month ago... Last night, they received a message demanding payment for their Moon Grass supply. I know because I read it for them. My pa forced me to learn how to read and write..."
Glenn smiled, gently patting the child's head.
"Your father was a wise man. And a good one."
Liam smiled back weakly, his hands tightly clenching the water flask.
"So, when they saw that, they panicked. Then, you all bunch of folks arrived from the Cleaner's Workshop, so they used the occasion to rob you of all of your things to make the money." Liam shook his head with a surprisingly mature coldness, “They idiots. Fixers and Cleaners are rumored to be as rich as they are powerful. It was a foolish move.”
Glenn grinned wickedly as he clenched his hands tightly, his knuckles whitening. Diamanes laugh was resounding in his head, echoing like an encouragement to what he was about to do.
“That is was, kid. That it was…” He sighed deeply, everything falling into place. He had one more question for Liam before he descended to deal with the Boss, the employees, and, especially, Jason. "Do you know where they hid all of our stuff?"
Liam pointed at Glenn's dimensional pouch.
"In a magical pouch like yours, Mister."
Glenn rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. Hmm, a batch of bad guys to beat up, what better way than that to relieve some stress?
Suddenly, Liam remembered something and prompted himself upright.
"Oh, and everyone was clear about one thing: the Church of Onnea shouldn't find out what's happening here."
Glenn's grin widened as he brainstormed ideas. He placed his hands on the child's shoulders, noting the deep navy blue of Liam's eyes.
"Listen, Liam. I'm sure you want to get back at those bastards downstairs, right?"
The kid nodded eagerly.
"Well, then, I have a mission for you. While I take care of them, you're going to the nearest Church of Onnea. Tell them the Thorn’s bastards are in the Auberge, and they’ll come running. Probably.” Glenn moistened his lips and shrugged, “If that doesn’t work, just tell them your story. Okay?”
Liam nodded as all of his fear had disappeared, replaced by a vengeful smile, “Okay!” He jumped out of bed, revitalized and full of energy. Glenn smiled, tapped lightly the kid's shoulder, and opened the door. There a few customers waited, wondering how Glenn's interrogation would go.
Liam nodded again, rising from the bed and heading outside toward the nearest Onnea church. Glenn didn't know exactly what they did or who they were, but anyone who had a bone to pick with the Thorns Church was an ally in his book. If the Thorn’s Church was scared of them… That meant they had to be strong enough to scare them.
Glenn cracked his knuckles and returned to the kitchen, ready to divulge the truth to everyone and deliver rightful retribution to the culprits: the employees, the Boss, and especially, Jason.
Oh yeah, Jason was going to have a delicious time meeting his right fist, Glenn was sure of that.