A Mentor
"Well, Who is the kid?" Haru asked pointing at the girl who was sleeping on Zenobia's lap, it was the same kid who was glaring at him before.
She had been trying to stay awake in order to keep an eye on Haru for some reason but ended up falling asleep on Zenobia's lap as she kept her hand on the kid's head.
"I found her when she was trying to steal food from our stock," Zenobia smiled softly.
"Oh, she must have good senses," Haru muttered since it would take a good amount of skills to be able to bypass a number of people. Zenobia's group at the time wasn't big but their food stock was well guarded, so that spoke of the kid's talent.
"She has that, but she also has a bad sense of life," Zenobia said and explained further about what happened.
When she caught the kid, Zenobia didn't look mad at all, and even at the time she wasn't really angry at the kid as she herself knew what it was like to be forced to live that way.
But the kid…
"You can kill me, I know I am a bad person," That was all the kid said.
The child's sense of normalcy was wrapped in a few days, it was clear she had seen people fight over food and even kill others who stole the food from them.
The kid was fully aware of that and still chose to do it while knowing what can happen to her.
And when she was caught rather than crying and begging for forgiveness like a normal kid her age would've done, she accepted the result if she got caught because she was sure that she was a bad person for doing such a thing since if she steals the food to fill her stomach someone else who the food belonged to will starve in her place and die.
And Zenobia could understand why this little girl was so ready to give up her life.
Zenobia had always thought that she was lucky to her teacher found her and was able to get out of the life of constant stealing from other people or from the kids and bums in the slums as well.
Zenobia has never seen herself as the good person that the people of her continent made her out to be, her actions may have saved the lives of people but it was never her intention.
'If I was a good person I would have made a weapon for anyone since that would help protect more people and not narrow down my vision based on senseless criteria,' That was Zenobia's own thought about herself, she knew her decision to do so could've been a detrimental blow to her continent if they were to fight Agrona who was already planning on taking her away at a moment's notice.
But even knowing that she didn't plan on lowering the requirements she had set in place, they were there was a reason, and changing them would only further her from the actual goal she had in mind.
It was like her teacher had said, if you make a compromise once, you'll just keep on making them forever.
"Hopefully I can be something similar to her," Zenobia muttered slowly looking at the girl who was sound asleep.
"I am sure you will become a good mentor for her," Zenobia looked at Haru and smiled, it always felt nice hearing his support no matter how many times she heard it.
'It feels like I am back to my childhood when I was starting out in the forge,' But as much as Zenobia liked this feeling she knew her limits to an extent.
"I can't help her much with her skill so I'll need to leave her with Queresha," Zenobia said as the girl's skills were out of her area of expertise, she had been asking Queresha for some help and she seemed way better suited for these type of skills.
"You can take of other things, between me and you I think that Queresha is too strict when it comes to teaching so it would be better for you to do it," Haru said and Zenobia couldn't help but giggle.
"You know if I tell her that it would become a problem?"
"Ah! Please don't, I might get in a bad situation if you do," Haru said with a little panic, and Zenobia just smiled gently.
"Ok I won't," Haru looked relieved when Zenobia said that but she was still not done yet, "But you owe me one for this Haru."
"Totally," But even with that Haru just smiled happily with a thumbs up.
"By the way what is the kid's name?" Haru asked since he didn't even know.
"Shin Yoo-sung," Zenobia said and Haru nodded with a smile, that was the inclusion of the kid into the group.
And that was also the first meeting between Haru and the Disaster of Floods, the most powerful catastrophe from the upcoming Main scenario.
But of course, none of them had any idea about it at the time.
"Then I'll leave Jin-ah here and head out for a bit," Haru said pointing at Jin-ah who was sleeping on the couch quite peacefully.
"Shouldn't you rest as well?" Zenobia was getting news of what was happening with Haru's group and things didn't seem to be that relaxing for them, especially Haru according to Queresha.
"I'll rest later, plus I need to talk to a friend here," Haru said as he walked towards the door.
"Alright, if someone stops you from entering an area tell them you were allowed access by me," Zenobia said and Haru nodded exiting the room.
"Thanks for guarding the door," Haru said to the two guys outside the door.
They didn't really expect him to talk to them as they had shown a clear bit of hostility to him when he entered, which is why they were caught off guard.
"…That is our duty," One of them spoke after regaining his composure.
"Ahaha yes, take care alright it will be quite cold tonight," Haru laughed as he walked away waving which made the two question…
'Why are we waving back?'
Anyway, leaving their dilemma aside Haru walked around the building and soon reached where he sensed the person who he wanted to talk to.
"There you are," Haru spotted Pil-du sitting on a bench in the middle of the empty parking lot smoking a cigarette while keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"Why are you here?" Pil-du asked with displeasure clear on his face.
"Geez straight to the point, No greetings or anything?" Haru said as he walked over and sat down on the bench.
"We weren't exactly on terms that would require them," Pil-du said and Haru laughed with a nod as if he already knew this would be his answer.
"So, why are you here?" Pil-du clicked his tongue and asked again.
"Stuff happened and here I am, the main question is, why are you here?" Haru asked and Pil-du's frown got deeper.
The very reason Pil-du left Chung-muro was because he didn't want to work under someone else, but here he was doing exactly that and he didn't seem to hate it at all.
'He seems very serious for some reason,' Haru thought while looking at Pil-du with curious eyes which were pissing the latter off.
"My wife and daughter," But Pil-du didn't lash out, he spoke calmly after taking a puff.
"Hmm?" Haru tilted his head and Pil-du continued.
"She saved them, I came on this side searching for them hoping they were alive somehow and thankfully they were saved from those Werewolf bastards," Pil-du's hand tightened on the bench's armrest of the terrace just thinking about what could've happened to his wife and daughter.
Just the thought alone was enough for him to shred those bastards alive, and he still would've done it if they weren't killed by the group from Seoul penitentiary group.
And this was how he ended up working under Zenobia installing his military zone in key places to guard against monsters that tried to enter their settlement.
"So, I have a question for you as well," Pil-du said and Haru nodded.
"Sure," Haru had zero problems with questions.
"You don't plan on deceiving our leader, do you?" Pil-du asked as he kept his eyes on Haru as if to examine even the most minute detail to somehow get a hint of whether his next words would be a lie or not.