Chapter 17.5: Bell

All men are born free and equal in rights, the biggest lie I have heard in my life. Already because freedom is an abstract concept that totally escapes human understanding. When to equality it could not exist to the extent of institutions such as the police and the government exist. I read that in a book that I had stolen from an aristocrat and until recently I still didn't know what it means. But by spending time in this huge mansion I think I finally understood.

-Young man please change your dinner is ready. *The housekeeper had said.*

-I'm coming Rita.

The Cailum mansion run by the family of the same name, even in my wildest dreams I never imagined setting foot in such a luxurious place. I still remember when I arrived, I had the impression of not being in my place ... No I was clearly not in my place, a lousy of the underground of the capital like me had nothing to Do here. However....

-Who is this adorable little boy? *Lady Asgeir asked.* Don't tell me that he is your....

-Don't even imagine what I'm thinking. *Mr Alfar replied.,

-Oh come on, I'm just kidding.

-Master Zell it is true that you made madnesses *said Rita* ... But bring a peasant at home with us never.

-Little one, I bring whoever I want to my mansion and little two it's Arianne's idea not mine. This little madman assaulted us.

-I plead guilty.

-I see but no need to tie him up, he's only a child.

Lady Asgeir approached me and untied the rope with elegant grace as in novels. She looked like a real princess. She then stroked my hair and smiled at me.

- Tell me kid what's your name?

I couldn't answer, I was fascinated by what I saw. I saw quite a few noblemen when I lived in the poor neighborhood and most of them spat in our faces whenever we asked them something. But here I had the impression of having landed not with nobles but ... with human beings.

- Do I have something on my face? *Lady Asgeir asked.*

-Well enough, we have to change his clothes. *Said Mr. Alfar.*

This is how I was brought to the guest room that was to become my quarters, I was washed, combed my hair, my hair cut and I was given clean clothes. I even took a bath for the first time in my life. I have eaten dishes that I did not know existed until then. I really loved all these moments spent with them, but in the evening I woke up suddenly with a bang.

-It's time to get down to business.

During my visit to the mansion I spotted all the objects that were supposedly of value. I then hid a bag under my bed in anticipation of this moment. So after the lights went out I quietly left my room. I grabbed a light object not too heavy because the bag would not be enough on its own. I even took a knife from the kitchen in case I got caught. This is not the first time that I have broken into a house and it certainly is not the last. After filling my bag, I sneaked up discreetly by closing the doors. It would be as if I had never come. I still remember the words of my boss.

- You know kid, the nobles are all motherfuckers, they make you believe that you are important they push you to follow them in their war and when the time comes for the rewards they spit in your face.

He had shown me his leg which he had lost due to a saber cut. At the time he surveyed the seas under the orders of a corsair who has become a noble today.. He had lost his leg and back home he was just ignored.

-Do you now understand why I have this wooden leg? I took a blow with the saber for this motherfucker and this is how he thanks me.

I could hardly give him twists the majority of the nobles that I saw are like that, servile, rich and selfish. The cailums are surely good people, they surely don't deserve that I betray them like this. But I am a stain in their eyes, a stain that deserves to be bleached, and that's why they gave me these beautiful clothes. But enough procrastination, I had to go home.

-Hola kid the hunt was good?

-And how. I managed to get out of it unscathed ...

-Show me....

One of the guys walked over to touch my satchel but I cut off his fingers with the knife I had stolen. Come to think of it, it was Mr. Alfar's.

- You dirty little .....

- You touch that satchel and you're dead asshole. *I Tell him threateningly*

I had learned to steal very young just as I had learned to lie and kill. In the lower town if you do nothing to gain the respect of others, you are stepped on and respect here is violence.

-Little bastard.

He pounced on me but nimble as I was I ducked down to his legs and sliced ​​his knee. As he collapsed I sliced ​​off an ankle and wiped the blood off his shirt. The guy was literally squirming on the ground but I sat on his back and faced the boss.

-It's because he slices this knife well. I think I'll keep it. Another volunteer to fuck my ass?

The others stepped back when they saw my threatening gaze which made me smile slightly. The boss who until then was lying on a pile of newspapers straightened up.

-My my, you are always so brutal you. *He said with a sigh*. What are you talking about? Your beautiful clothes don't come from nowhere. Besides, all the guys on your team are dead it's rare that you mess up like that.

-It is the risks of the profession, there is nothing we can do about it. Still, I stole quite a bit of valuables from Count Cailum's house.

-The Count what? *Yelled the boss*

-Hehe surprised eh, I still managed to steal 2 or 3 interesting stuff just like this knife. The rest is in the bag.

-So hat kid, you amaze me more and more. Come here that I take you in my arms ...

As I was about to get up I suddenly felt paralyzed. A presence stood there right behind my back at the entrance to the hangar. As if I was being attacked I jumped straight back to distance myself and brandished my knife.

- The kid has good reflexes. *The man said.* That said if I had held a gun you would already be dead.

Who the hell is this guy, he releases enormous pressure like a wild beast, no a predator, the others probably don't see him but I have faced enough people in the lower town, Cailum is not the first soldier that I attack, I even kill one. But in front of me it was something else.

-I was wondering what the hell was coming out of Zell's house so late at night. Looks like I did well following you. *He said, biting into his apple*. Do you want one? The crevard.

- Who the hell are you?

There were more than 30 of us in the building but I had the impression that there wouldn't be enough of us to beat him. At the same time, he doesn't look more muscular to me than anyone else. He must be in the meter 90. And he is as blond as mister Alfar. But his eyes were a deep black.

- You kid, you will follow me the others sorry for the inconvenience.

- Is it Mr. Alfar who sent you?

-Who is this Mr. Alfar? *The boss asked*. And the kid will go nowhere rich motherfucker.

-Exactly. *I retorted*. If you want me to follow you, you'll have to take me by force.

The man suddenly gave me a frightening look while until then he seemed like something.

-Oh, you want to settle this by violence? Ok go ahead I'll wait for you.

-Be careful the young, this little one is full of resources, you won't be his first victim.

- I wonder to see. *He said in a confident tone.*

I rushed at him as quickly as usual but he remained still. It's crazy he did not move but I had the impression that he had no blind spot. If he doesn't have one, I'll just have to create one. I plunged diagonally from his vision, the human eye has trouble following this kind of movement and it's easy for a little guy like me to disappear in the eyes of an adult.

-Great mistake. *He said*.

I found myself on the floor with my face completely bleeding.

-Attacking below the belt is indeed waste methods. Finally, all the means are good.

The fucking punch he gave me. I had been hit by adults before but I felt like he had hit me with a brick. I couldn't move as he pulled my hair out.

-Wait where are you going like that? *Said the boss who got up, drawing his old privateer saber.*

The man sighed and turned around.

-Listen, I am a warrant officer in the EA*. If I kill you here, I won't hold it against me and if you kill me, which seems even more impossible, you will all be hunted down and executed.

Editor's note: Elysion Army

-You tell me that all I see is a young person trying to kidnap a child.

-And I see an adult who pushes him to commit crimes.

The old man was speechless for a moment.

-And what do you want us to do? We have to steal in order to survive, during the winter months we even have to devour each other. This country has a big problem of poverty and nobody is doing anything about it.

-So what ? *He said with indifference*.

The blond man's response surprised me. For a friend of Mr. Alfar I didn't expected him to be so mean to us.

-Who does not work does not eat, it is the motto of the holy church. Instead of sitting there patrolling in the mud find a decent job, a good wife and feed your family. And if, as you say, you don't work honestly then become brigands but good brigands. Don't waste your money no matter how smart you are.

I see, this man he reflects exactly the values ​​in which I want to believe. And I'm sure Mr. Alfar thinks the same. We people in the underground have never tried another voice than that of theft, our money we spent directly on gambling or on beer it was not at all fair. After his speech a short moment of silence settled down.

-What do you plan to do with this kid? *Asked the old man*.

-I will give her a better life than the one you gave her. *Said another voice*.

I raised my head slightly and saw Mr. Alfar disembarking. He gave off a different aura than his friend, but he was clearly angry. That said, it couldn't be seen on his face.

-You finally came.

- I'll be clear. *He said verbally." I would have let this kid die if my fiancée hadn't intervened but she insisted that we take him. This kid deserves better than the life you lead now. Instead of stabbing strangers in the streets he should go to school, fall in love, make friends, have a girlfriend. You will find me hypocritical to help him instead of another but who am I in this world to end the misery of the world? I wanted to give him a chance, a chance that you didn't. Do you not agree? ... Lotan.

He had called the boss by his name, it could still be seen written on his sailor's jacket. The old man stared into Alfar's eyes as if he was trying to perceive sincerity there but he was obviously struggling.

-Give me your word. You nobles are crooks you will not be able to go back on your word.

-In this case I will give you my word as a noble and my word as a man. This kid will have a better life than he had here.

-On this contract concluded.

Before he left he took one last look back and said ...

-And the old man ... Don't worry about your leg, you'll be rewarded one day.

So I was forcibly brought back to the Cailum home without anyone knowing anything. Well almost.

-Where were you passing by at this hour of the night? *Had ask the mother of Mr. Alfar.*

-I am an adult mom I come home when I want. And I just wanted to take him around town.

-At this hour of the night you're not serious. And you my little one, you have nothing?

Definitely this family was goodness incarnate. The following days I took a few evening classes. Monsieur Alfar taught me Geography, History, the Elysian. Dame Asgeir taught me math, physics and science.

-You're pretty good at math.

-Normal had to know how to count the money we stole. Oops

She laughed when she saw me talking like that. After that Mr. Alfar and Mrs. Arianne are going to see a certain gentleman to finalize the adoption papers.

-So how did I record it ? Is he your son....

-NO. *Alfar yelled.*

-sorry it seems like it does...

-I said no. See him as a little brother. That's it. And then how old are you already?

-14 years.

-How do you know that already?

-I know how to count. *I said*.

-Good, say the big guy. I record under what name already?

Once outside I huffed out a breath of fresh air. Monsieur Alfar put me on his shoulders while Dame Arianne laughed. I finally had a new family and above all I got out of this rat hole.

-Listen to me, you crummy bands. I am not like you me. Had I said. One day I will be rich and I will get out of these slums.

-Yeah that's it, you kid.

The poor will always envy the rich if they don't work and just sit there. But there is a unique case where a poor person becomes poor overnight and it is called luck. The chance to run into the Cailums.

-Listen from now on you are a member of the family. You'll have to work hard and prove yourself to be an asset to us. Did you understand ?

-Yes Mr. Alfar.

He ruffled my hair and smiled.

-I'm your big brother now. Just call me Zell or Alfar.

-Y ... yes

The Cailum family is my family. She gave me freedom and hope for a new life, and me ... my name is Merak Bellamy (Bell) Cailum

End of chapter