Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 9 Yes, I Like Children
After the two-hour journey, Haina didn't feel tired at all.

With the departure of the Red and White Queens District, which is the center of the "Glass Island" of the capital, the number of smoky factories and speeding trains gradually began to increase.

The choking fog is accompanied by the smell of fish and shrimp, and the sound of sirens is mixed with the cries of vendors.

The aroma of baking from the bakery on the street came, and people in thick trench coats and top hats walked through the street.

A down-and-out painter wearing a beret, sitting on the side of the street and drawing the dark high-rise buildings across the street, and the metal pipes hovering around the outer wall of the factory and winding around the building like snakes; the inspector in silver-white armor Riding a tall and majestic white griffin more than two meters high flew across the sky.

An eleven or twelve-year-old newsboy with red short hair, carrying two bundles of newspapers, shouted on the side of the street:

"Glass Steps" is the headline of the day! Bishop Mathers of the Diocese of the Red Queen was recently appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as a spiritual councilor! Now the number of spiritual councilors from the church has increased to six!
"The Chancellor of the Exchequer plans to tax matches and kerosene lamps next year! The Star Kingdom expelled the three knights of Avalon for homicide, espionage and interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Her Majesty the Queen strongly condemns it!"

More than half of the "Glass Steps" has been sold, and only a few copies remain.The rope has to be tight and tight so it doesn't slip off the shoulders.

The other bundle of newspapers behind the newsboy was only sold less than a quarter.

With some chapped lips, he yelled loudly: "A copy of Lloyd's Weekly is only five red coins--the hanging day is approaching, and the list of death row criminals in November has been confirmed! There will be 38 people sentenced to death this month, nearly three In the second most months in the past year, there is a clear list of those sentenced to death!
"Nikasi Gypsum Factory in the port area is recruiting apprentices in the third round, and the age has been lowered to 14 years old!"

"A painter in Green Flute Street committed suicide at home last week! Port Lloyd's Bank was robbed yesterday, and all the robbers have been arrested! Come and see! A copy is only five red coins—"

"Sister."

Aiwass suddenly said, "Buy me two newspapers."

"Ok?"

Haina froze for a moment: "The Glass Steps should be given by someone at home, right? Do you want to buy a copy of the Lloyd's Weekly?"

"No, just buy one copy." Aiwass emphasized.

"……Oh, I get it."

Only then did Haina react.This is Aiwass watching the newspaper boy's hard work, and wants him to sell the newspaper earlier.

"It's almost noon, and no one's going to buy it. And this is Lloyd, and it's full of sailors, fishermen, and laborers, and they don't have that much money to buy newspapers."

She whispered, "How about I buy them all?"

"No, just buy one of each."

Aiwass shook his head: "The child is working, not begging."

"……I understand."

Haina was in awe.

She nodded seriously, and said: "I'm going to buy newspapers, be careful."

Aiwass opened his eyes and nodded silently.

As soon as Haina left her, a girl tiptoed over.

She was a little dirty, with thin clothes and a thin body.

Looking at Aiwass in the hood, the girl hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to call him.

"... Uncle, let's buy a bunch of flowers."

she whispered.

Obviously noticed that Aiwass was sitting in a wheelchair-although it could be determined from the pattern of the wheelchair that Aiwass should be a rich man, and he should be a kind person.Because she just overheard their conversation from the side.

But because Aiwass is suspected of being disabled, her tone of promotion was still not firm enough.

Aiwass reached out and stroked her head.

When he stretched out his hand, the girl's body shook suddenly as if she had been electrocuted, and her body was raised backwards in fear.It's like she's afraid someone will hit her.

But because Aiwass' hands are slow, and the ones coming out of the sleeves are young enough.She soon realized that she seemed to be called the wrong one.

"—It's my brother."

Aiwass said softly.

His fingertips touched the girl's hair, but only dust and grease.Apparently she hadn't showered in days.

But the girl clearly knows this.

Because Aiwass touched her hair, she immediately took a half step back in panic, and apologized to Aiwass: "I'm sorry, my hair is dirty...I'm leaving..."

"Sell me a bouquet of flowers."

Aiwass said with a light smile.

As he spoke, his outstretched right hand opened in reverse.

A red coin with a face value of 1 suddenly appeared in the empty palm just now.

This is not a supernatural ability, but a simple magic trick, but it made the girl's eyes widen.

She looked at the note, then at Aiwass.Apparently thinking that Aiwass is an extraordinary person, he was a little hesitant and did not dare to accept his money.

And the corners of Aiwass' mouth under the hood slightly raised.

He clenched his fingers deftly, and slowly withdrew the banknotes in his hand.

But at this moment, he suddenly let out a little snort, and reached out to touch the back of the girl's neck: "Hey, what is this?"

While talking, he gently took out a brand new red coin from the girl's neck.

Seeing the girl's eyes widen in surprise and confusion, she obviously didn't want to understand how it flew over.

Without waiting for the girl to refuse, Aiwass deftly folded the red coin in two with the three fingers of his right hand, and then put it into the big money pocket hung on the girl's chest.

Aiwass raised the corner of the hood slightly, showed his youthful face to the girl, and smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Shh..."

He held out his hand and put it to his mouth.Make a silent gesture.

Immediately afterwards, he put the hood back on again, and stretched out his white and slender right hand: "Miss, where is my flower?"

"...Ah, here you are!"

Only then did the girl react, and handed Aiwass a dry wild rose with reddish cheeks.

"Are you buying flowers, Aiwass?"

At this moment, Haina who was holding the newspaper came back somewhat confused.

Seeing this, the girl was so frightened that she almost fell to the ground.Looking at Haina, who was inspecting her attire, her face turned pale immediately, and her whole body trembled with fear.

But even though she was afraid of this, she still didn't run away immediately.Instead, he forced himself to be courageous, whispered tremblingly and stutteringly: "Wait, wait a minute, sir! I still have to change...!"

She stubbornly counted out nine crumpled copper coins from the paper bag hidden in her chest with her trembling hands, and handed them to Aiwass respectfully.Immediately afterwards, she carefully folded the brand new red coin with a denomination of 1 that Aiwass gave him, and put it in.Putting it back inside his chest, he breathed a sigh of relief.

She was under Haina's gaze the whole time, and when she resigned and left, her legs were already a little weak from fear.

"I'm not that scary."

When she was feared by people before, Haina didn't care.

But now, maybe because of talking about something with Aiwass.Or maybe it was because the girl seemed young and innocent, and Haina was a bit frustrated by being feared by her.

After watching the girl go away, she whispered, "Do you need me to throw away the flowers for you?"

This dirty wild flower really doesn't match Aiwass' attire.

"No need."

Aiwass replied: "After all, it is the child's heart."

"You seem to like children very much?"

Haina was thoughtful, realizing something.

Compared with his attitude towards himself, Aiwass' attitude towards those two children is obviously much friendlier.

"Well, I like innocent children."

Aiwass nodded and replied, it was rare that he didn't lie and told the truth from the heart: "It's like liking cats and dogs, getting along with them can relax the mood. There are many things I like, but only Don't like people."

"...It sounds like you're scolding someone?"

In the end, this sentence sounded like a joke, and Haina also joked: "You can't treat children like cats and dogs."

"It sounds like it."

The corners of Aiwass' mouth raised slightly, without much explanation.

He was indeed swearing at people—just the grown-ups.

In his opinion, those adults with dirty minds, profit-seeking, and double-faced knives are not as good as cats, cats, and dogs... Of course, this includes himself.

While talking and laughing, under the guidance of Aiwass, they finally arrived at the Pelican Bar.

It's not so much a bar, it's more like a private house or a warehouse.Its main entrance is painted white, with an exaggerated, caricature-like representation of a pelican with its mouth open.And all kinds of fish are filled in its big mouth and float in the beer foam, just like stewing fish with beer in its mouth.

And next to it hangs a wooden board with a long list of onomatopoeia for drunken hiccups written in capital letters.

— This is the sign above the bar.

In other words, this "Pelican Bar" should technically be pronounced "(hiccup) bar".

It was almost noon now, but it was not closed.There were even quite a few guests inside.

Apparently it also operates as a restaurant at noon.

The moment Haina pushed Aiwass in the wheelchair slowly.

Her footsteps stopped suddenly.

Her eyes widened, in astonishment.

Because the bartender who was washing the wooden wine glass leisurely at the front desk was not a human - but a rare wild elf!
As a race of elves, apart from their life span being four or five times longer than that of humans, their height is generally much higher than that of humans.Even females are generally more than 1.8 meters long, and occasionally grow to two meters, while many male elves even grow to two meters four or five.

This means that if the elves are not well educated, they can easily become hunchbacked by frequent exchanges with short humans in their teens.And if the family is well-educated-or in other words, elves with parents taking care of them, they generally don't hunch their backs.

Therefore, the hunchbacked elves are called wild elves.The number of wild elves is much smaller than that of elves.

The elves attach great importance to honor, family and blood, so they quite reject the wild elves and their parents, thinking that this is discrediting the elves as a race.For if an elf parent dies in an act of honor, it is customary to entrust their children to the care of relatives and friends.

Unless they died of shame... For example, if they were sentenced to death, they would not entrust their children; or they were abandoned by their parents, or rebellious children who ran away from home. For these reasons, they grew into wild elves.

Wild elves do not have the elegance and restraint of elves, but have similar lifespan, wisdom and extraordinary strength to elves, so they are usually regarded as unstable elements.

They are generally active in rural areas and are usually tricksters, killers and mercenaries.All the wild elves in the royal capital "Glass Island" are theoretically registered.If anyone makes trouble, they can all be seated accordingly, so the wild elves who advocate freedom usually don't bother to stay in the capital.

But for some reason, the wild elf bartender didn't react when he saw Haina.Even just glanced at her contemptuously.

On the contrary, when he saw Aiwass, the bartender was obviously taken aback, and even stopped for a moment.

Even though Aiwass was wearing a cloak, the bartender easily recognized him.

——It was like, never thought that he would be here today.

...Why, Mr. Bartender?
Do you think I... should be dead by now?

Aiwass narrowed his eyes, his pupils were as dark blue as the sea, as deep as an abyss.

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(End of this chapter)