CH 2: Different World

"Really?" The boy asked incredulously. He looked to be unsure if I really had anything to teach him.

Well, he is a child. He must think that he knows all he needs to know in this world.

Right?

"I'll start with something simple..." I said as I closed my eyes, only opening them once again when I thought of something interesting. "Why do you think we use coins as currency, and not barter?"

The boy, who I presume is eight, tilts his head cutely while trying to come up with an answer. Though, sure enough, he isn't able to come up with one.

"I don't know big brother, can you tell me?"

Within that sweet voice was a sliver of innocence, a glimpse of something childish and sincere. That voice made me doubt myself. It made me wonder if I was mistaken —If I was wrong? Perhaps it would be better to give in to the comfort this child brings, to trust and have faith in the boy.

It was at this moment that my heart whispered to me softly, right in my ear. Its words were sweet yet bitter.

'Trust the boy. Stop being so suspicious of him.' It murmured, as though it knew that the way to persuade me was not by telling valid arguments, but by stabbing me sharply with my flaws, my wounds.

But in the end, even if my emotions tell me that I'm wrong —that I'm mistaken. My head calls out to me with a loud and overbearing shout.

'Do not doubt yourself merely for the boy! Hesitation and regret are for the weak!'

These words sway me away from my heart, they convince me to doubt and question what I see and feel.

"Big brother?"

My silence makes the boy nervous, causing him to pull at my robe, blue eyes gazing up at me in worry.

I smile, trying my best to reassure the boy as I answer his question.

"There are many advantages to metal coins, some examples are ease of storage, standardization, and inherent value." I take out a copper coin from my pocket. It was something the boy gave me for playing with him yesterday. "But there's a little more to it than that."

Flipping the coin and catching it just as it reaches the boy's head, I place the coin onto the boy's hand and smile.

"A miracle," I said as I brushed away stray strands of hair from the boy's eyes.

The boy's eyebrows scrunch up in doubt, his gaze harboring lots of disappointment. He probably thought that what I was saying was nonsense.

"Big brother... What does this have to do with coins?"

Seeing the boy's doubt, I take the coin from his hand, and with an unhappy expression, I explain.

"If I had more authority over you, I could have forced you to accept what I had done as something that you have no control over. I could have even forced you to nod your head helplessly as I pressure you to agree with me. Despite both of us knowing that there is no miracle, you would have to pretend, to save your life." I once again place the copper coin in my pocket. "The people who gain the most from metal coins are those in power. Because branding something that can control the economy with your symbol brings a certain amount of authority and political power into one's hands. This kind of authority can force obedience and subservience from the unwilling."

I sit down, placing my elbow on my lap, and my chin on my palm. Then looked at the boy before me, his face is as cute as ever. But something in those blue eyes of his scares me. It threatens to kill me if I cross the line.

"Of course," I said listlessly as I looked away. "Authority can be used in many different ways, not just what I have explained."

The boy comes closer to me with a big smile, but those eyes of his tell me this action was just a facade.

An act.

"Big brother... What does this all mean?"

I look at the boy's face, that adorable face, and thought of all my suspicions.

A merchant family allowing a suspicious stranger anywhere near their heir and cargo.

The little boy's lack of a bodyguard while interacting with me.

My inability to recall the boy's and his companions' names.

My MP is being used up.

And finally, the fact that nobody ever asked me for my name, nor what happened to me. They just accepted what I said at the start and left it at that.

That last point was the final nail in the coffin.

Because if they weren't asking me for any information, they were either idiots, crazy, or getting it using dubious methods.

"You are such a cute child," I said monotonously as I cupped the boy's cheeks in the palms of my hands. "but you are too suspicious."

The boy looked into my eyes, his gaze skeptical.

"Big brother, this was just done to see if you were a spy or a bandit. We hold very valuable cargo."

"I guessed that was the case."

I could tell based on my interactions with the people here. They were testing me, not trying to harm me.

The child's expression turned into one of surprise as he opened his mouth to mock me.

"Then why talk? We could have brought you to the nearest city peacefully. You didn't need to cause trouble."

"I know."

"Then why?"

I didn't answer, opting to instead cover the boy's eyes with my hand.

"Answer me." The child said in a venomous tone.

I knew that I couldn't keep being obnoxious after hearing his tone, so I answered.

"To tell the truth, I just didn't want to keep pretending that I didn't notice anything."

"That's a foolish reason to reveal yourself."

"I know."

I've told myself that my reasons were foolish, something I would never do in my right mind.

But... I don't think I can think straight right now.

I don't want to reach the city at all.

I close my eyes as I recalled a conversation I had with big brother. He had taken me away from my friends and locked me in the house. Before leaving me, all he said was, "I hate traitors and backstabbers, little brother. Don't betray me again."

They were naive words that didn't understand that in this world, betrayal was an everyday occurrence. Just living meant that you were betraying someone.

After all, life couldn't be lived without hurting somebody else.

But still, those beautiful words were spoken by a pure man nonetheless. So I will listen and obey those utterances wholeheartedly.

Because at the very least, if I do my best to refrain from betraying my big brother, perhaps he will...

Moving on from that thought, I open my eyes and stare at the boy's image, which by all accounts, was still very adorable.

Sadly, outward appearances are not going to stop me from getting my answers. Yet I wasn't pleased with my determination, instead, I was rather unhappy.

[Heichmer Vladimir Von Blood

Vampire

243 years old

Lv: 63

HP: 2000/2000

MP: 3209/4890

Magic Attribute: Fire; Earth; Darkness

Skills: Transform; Blood Bat; Lie Detector; Hypnotism; True Scales; Intuition

Titles: Greatest Vampire Merchant; Secret Emissary of the Vampires; Right-hand man of the Vampire Lord]

"I trusted you, yet you still betrayed me," I said monotonously.

"You don't seem very upset about it."

"I assure you that I am."

I remove my hand from the boy's eyes, then gazed deeply into them, trying to find any hint of shame or guilt in those blue orbs. There was none.

Those blue eyes looked at me with composure and dignity, as though this man wasn't pretending to be some child! As though this man didn't pry open my secrets, and peeked at what I wanted to keep hidden and forget. This man was acting as if he were truly innocent of any crime or sin.

He disgusts me.

But I cannot find it in myself to hate him, nor

to be angry with him.

Because I can somewhat agree with his choice.

So how dare I be angry?

"I won't do anything to you. I'll just drop you off at the city with some money." He said calmly.

"Why?" I asked, but he didn't respond.

Without a second thought, I lunged at the child imposter with all my might, preparing to throw a right hook at them.

He hypnotized me to learn more about my background, and not be suspicious of whatever he was doing.

But there had to be more to it because if not, I should have been killed already.

I really should have.

Unexpectedly, just as my fist was about to hit the man's cheek, I stopped moving.

I was hypnotized again.

My thoughts moved quickly throughout my exhausted mind. They blamed me for letting this happen to me, for letting me be so careless. It was embarrassing.

'How much did you learn?'

I wanted to ask but found that just as I wasn't allowed to punch the man, I also wasn't allowed to speak.

And so, I was left without any answers.