"Hahahahahaaaaa!" Maruna laughed joyously as she rode on Ryuma's back.
He nervously smiled as he crawled on the ground. How this little girl had him playing a makeshift horse for her, even he didn't know. Hearing her laughter and seeing her smile however warmed his heart despite the bleak future this girl likely had.
No matter the circumstance, children always found the smallest reason to smile. He was fascinated by their ability to adapt to their environment regardless of how harsh it was around them. Knowledge was indeed a curse, one that is given with age.
Before she grew up and experienced the world around her, he thought that giving her these small memories now would somehow help her to keep going and to strive for better. This small act might help her change the world.
He thought of his own childhood. After Erin Frost, he had forever lost his innocence.
"Again! Again Ewin!" She said.
Maybe he shouldn't have used Erin's name as his identity. It was always a small reminder of that day every time they used it. At least when Maruna used it, she always butchered the name, so it came off lighter to him. That was just another one of her charms. Her youthful age, short stature, brunette hair, and the cute, innocent face she made had Ryuma fighting tooth and nail to not be enamored by the girl.
The worse part about it is that the little devil wasn't even aware she was doing it.
"Alright already," Ryuma said. He put his arms behind his back to keep her legs supported and stood on his legs. He started running back and forth quicker than he could have done on the ground.
"Haahaahahahaaaa!" She laughed even harder than before. "FASTER EWIN, FASTER!" She ordered.
{This little slave driver is going to exhaust me faster than that dumb ape.}
"What!? Faster?" Ryuma reached behind himself and flipped her over him to where he was holding her by the under arms. He held her high into the air and started spinning fast.
"AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" She screamed. It was a scream of joy and fun. He threw her ten feet into the air and all the color drained from her face the moment she hit the highest point.
She fell and was caught instantly by Ryuma's trusting hands. She didn't even have time to scream but began smiling again once she knew she was safe in his arms again.
"Whoa, that was scawy Ewin!" She said.
"Oh really? Well, it's a good thing you can fly!" He flipped her forward and started running back and forth. She held her hands out making her feel like she now had the ability of flight. The magic in her eyes were far stronger than anything his Artes could produce.
Saya yawned as she opened the front door to her house. She smiled as she saw the two playing outside. "Ok you two. I think that's enough playing. It's time to come in and eat,"
"Awwww. I want to play more with Ewin," Maruna said.
"What did I say Maruna!? Playtime is over!" Saya demanded. She looked crestfallen at her mom's decision and Ryuma smiled.
"What? You don't want to eat with your big bro?" Ryuma asked.
"I do want to eat with big brutha," Maruna said.
"Looks like we got to fly to the table then. Nrrrrmmmm!" Ryuma flew her all the way inside towards her seat at the table.
"Erin, you're a godsend. Thanks for watching over her all day," Saya said.
"Not at all. Maruna is such a cute girl," He said. Saya had to work the nightshift, which meant that during the morning she was already dead tired. With a schedule like hers, Maruna would be forced to stay in the house all day. With nobody to watch her, she could easily get snatched up by some stranger. Saya had to hide the girl's entire existence to keep that from happening.
In this short amount of time, the two had gotten close. Maruna got to experience what it was like playing with someone who wasn't constantly working, and Ryuma got to loosen up from everything that's happened so far. It was a therapeutic way to unwind from it all.
It was moments like these however, that the two could talk like adults when the girl was preoccupied with eating her meals.
"You know Erin. If you want to learn all the gossip going on in the world, I suggest you work at the local inn. Take it from me, you get enough alcohol in anybody's system, and they'll love spilling their lives," Saya said.
"Me? Work at an inn?" Ryuma pointed at himself as he asked that. "I don't know. If fighting is what I'm good at, then shouldn't I just be a mercenary, or bodyguard? Ryuma asked.
"Oh please. Anybody could be a waiter. The main thing you need is to be social and handsome. You at least got half of that. I can teach you the other half. If it's information you want more than pay, then that's the job you want to get,"
Maruna was trying to get her beef between her chopsticks, but for a four-year-old it was difficult to do.
"Does it matter what kind of job I take?" Ryuma asked.
"Yes, it does. Mercenaries and bodyguards aren't well liked by clients when they ask too many questions, even innocuous questions. Bartenders however, most people spill it all out for them especially those who know how to break people's walls. Trust me when I say, you won't know what's going on anywhere as a bodyguard. At least learn before you do,"
"I get what you're saying," Ryuma scratched the back of his head nervously. "I have to admit though, I'm not social and I don't know how to get people to relax themselves,"
"Erin… you're talking to a professional escort," Saya got up close to him and whispered seductively into his ear. "I could teach you a thing or two about relaxing people,"
Ryuma turned red. Now that he thought about it, this was his biggest weakness. Woman and socializing with people. Thinking about it, this might be the best chance he got to learn that.
Sure it wasn't something that would help him with fighting demons, or the priest, but in the situation, he was in, it was a necessary skill for survival. Learning to blend in and gather information was a vital skill. He had to keep in mind that he was no longer the mindless soldier he was bound to end up being, but a fugitive on the run.
With the goal of changing the world, he had no plan, no vision, and only a vague idea of how the world worked.
Ryuma nodded his head. "Ok… I'll do it your way,"
Saya pulled back from him. She took the chopsticks and helped Maruna pick up some of the meat she was trying to get and stuck it in her mouth for her. "I knew you were a smart boy. Don't worry. My specialty may be men, but I'm sure I can teach you how to swoon girls just as easy,"
Ryuma gave her another nervous smile. {What did I get myself into?}
Later in the night. Ryuma escorted Saya to the brothel she worked at. Once they made it to the front entrance, she turned and faced him. "I hope you got it all. Every day after work, tell me any and everything you hear… even if you think it insignificant. I want to know it all,"
Ryuma rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got it," {Toga and the rest could be learning gods know what. Down here, my master is a hooker.}
Saya narrowed her eyes towards him. "You just thought something nasty about me, didn't you?"
Ryuma put his hands up. "Not at all,"
"Is that so? Now that I think about it. Maybe I should teach you the slums most important survival technique…" Her face became ghost like. "How to spot lies,"
"Oh would you look at the time. I think I should head back and see if Maruna is nice and tucked in," Ryuma said. It was best not to associate with her right now.
"Saya! If it isn't my favorite courtesan," It was an overweight, knight who was balding that ran up to the entrance. He grabbed her by the hands and pulled her further in.
"I'll see ya later Erin. Ciao!" Saya said. She gave a cutesy little giggle as she followed her client in.
Ryuma had a nauseating feeling rise from the pit of his stomach. It made sense that most of her clients weren't going to be dashing looking heartthrobs, but to see them in person… How did she do it? He couldn't tell if her bubbly attitude was really how she felt, or if it was just an act.
"You know what? I don't even want to know," He finally turned around and left the scene. {I should stop thinking about these things, less it gets stuck in my head forever.}
Anyway, he had a job he needed to do. Practicing espionage was one of them.