The bleak cold wind swirled up the dancing snowflakes in the air. They waltzed gracefully in the gloomy sky, spinning elegantly and leaving behind fascinating dance steps, before landing lightly on this otherworldly stranger. In the vast whiteness, each snowflake was like an angel’s feather, pure white and delicate.
Kanaro reached out his hand to catch a snowflake. The icy sensation made him shiver involuntarily. He breathed out a wisp of white air, gazing at the road covered by the snow, imagining the ground beneath also shivering from the cold.
Winter had arrived, yet he was dressed lightly, not because he didn't have warm clothes or couldn't afford them (before coming to this otherworld), but simply because he had been brought here by a beautiful aurora when exploring Antarctica.
This was a strange yet familiar world. Everything was medieval here, but humans coexisted with some walking beasts and creatures completely different from those on Earth, somewhat demon-like. This must be the kind of world found in ACG or transmigration fiction. However, Kanaro didn't seem very interested in these elements, only catching glimpses of them in advertisements and TV shows. But he felt no fear or strong rejection, on the contrary, he was delighted by the prospect of an adventure in this unfamiliar world.
However, such delight lasted only for a while, when he saw the human child curled up and warped by the cold in the alley on this freezing winter day, barely recognizable as a human anymore, shivering violently. Seeing the trembling child, Kanaro showed sympathy before he knew it.
He took off his own winter coat and put it on the child without thinking twice.
"Uncle, you'll get cold too! I can't accept this." The child tried to return the coat immediately.
"Uncle is not cold! Although my physique is not first-rate, it's still quite strong! This chill is nothing," he said, quickly stuffing the last chocolate from his pocket into the child's hand.
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Then he hurried away, pretending to "flee".
But he didn't get far before some non-mainstream thugs, along with a one-eyed bear (its eye probably damaged by a blade), blocked his way. They were all holding blunt weapons. A fierce-looking man with scars on his face (probably their boss) barked: "You seem quite well-off, outsider!"
"Well...you're here to rob me?" Kanaro asked calmly.
"You're smart. Since you know it, be quick! Otherwise you'll suffer our beating," the boss made a hurrying gesture.
"Can I keep some stuff?" Kanaro asked sincerely.
The boss laughed and said, "Keep some stuff? Sure! You can keep your underwear, that shows our great benevolence! So you don't have to suffer streaking. You should thank us well!"
The minions around laughed and chimed in, "You should thank us well!"
Kanaro calmly took off his clothes and handed over his backpack, left with only a pair of briefs. "Alright, can I go now?"
The mobsters laughed out loud. "Sure, sure! In all these years, you're the first to cooperate so readily. But we never let anyone go, so letting you go would set a precedent! Brothers, shall we let him go or not?" The minions including the bear all laughed and shouted, "Let go! Let go! Let go!"
"Fine! Today I'll make an exception and let you off. I'm an honorable man!" The boss waved his dagger in front of Kanaro and signaled his men to clear a path.
"You guys should go home early! This business isn't easy. It's cold today, yet you're out robbing. Even the furry bear looks frozen stiff. Go home and light a fire." Kanaro pointed to the boss's chest, "You don't want your men to work so hard in such freezing weather, right? As their leader, you should care about them, that's only natural."
Kanaro patted his shoulder and turned to leave. The boss forced out loud laughs, but his men remained silent. So he stopped as well.
"I'm Erani. What's your interesting name?"
"I'm Kanaro."
"Kanaro...?" As he walked away with his gang, he yelled over his shoulder, "Bye now! Don't let me run into you again! We'll rob you bare!" He turned back again with a roguish look before heading off.
"He actually cared about us. What an interesting fellow, eh guys?" They all laughed in agreement.
Suddenly, Kanaro turned around and rushed toward them again...