Kevin sneezed as his nose itched. He contemplated the likely reaction from the palace, causing the hairs on his arms to stand at attention with rigidity.
The young boy tied into a silkworm chrysalis squirmed on the ground, unable to break free from the vines on his body.
He displayed restlessness and irritation, his countenance flushed from repressed fury. Despite attempting to vocalize his emotions, and about to yell, but met Kevin's dark face and swallowed it back.
Kevin knelt before the youngster, patted his head affectionately, and asked softly, "Which hand?"
The youngster responded with bewilderment, failing to comprehend Kevin's request: "What?"
Despite being relatively young, his voice should have been clear and crisp, but the youngster's voice was gravely and hoarse, indicating that he had endured a great deal of hardship.
Kevin looked at him calmly, though his lips held a menacing edge as he inquired softly, "I ask which hand you are holding the leather bag?"
As he spoke, he made a deliberate move to touch the hilt of his short knife.
The young boy: "..."
He stuttered, flustered and lost for words, his face flushing a bright red as he stuttered defensively, "I, I merely saw a black beetle - that was all! Didn't I just kill a black bug? At worst, I will pay you! I swear upon it!"
Amused, Kevin chuckled, his chapped lips parting into a sly smile, "Pray to tell, good boy, how do you intend on settling your debts?"
The boy squirmed uncomfortably, fidgeting with his ragged clothes, before extending one hand toward Kevin whilst scratching himself with the other, offering a fluttering, iridescent butterfly as compensation, "Here, take this, I return it to you. A colorful one that can fly."
Kevin: "..."
After a moment of contemplation, Kevin found himself unable to discern whether the child's behavior was intentionally provocative or simply lacking in intellect.
It was not an uncommon occurrence for children to exhibit erratic thoughts and actions, and Kevin's extensive experience in dealing with them had taught him to approach each situation with cautious reserve.
Regrettably, the individuals he had encountered thus far had been as unmanageable as bears, with one particular child proving to be particularly adept at causing frustration and annoyance.
Reflecting on these thoughts, Kevin found himself immersed in the tranquil waters of the river, while washing the muddy water on his body.
His mind was preoccupied with the task of elucidating the concept of "resurrection from the dead".
The young boy who opened his mouth with a confrontational demeanor as if looking for a beating, found himself suspended on a grand tree by the river.
He resembled a sizable silkworm chrysalis, bound upside down, undulating, and howling loudly at the top of his lungs.
One may note the young boy's remarkable origin from a tribe such as the giant orcs, known for their fighting prowess.
Despite his youth, his manner was anything but respectful.
He directed his words toward Kevin in a scathing tone: "It is shameful! You are so shameless! You would resort to violence against a child—"
Kevin paid him no mind and replied, "That is not the case."
The young boy continued bellowing, "I am only eight and a half years old. I dare not even harm a small insect—"
Kevin chuckled, "But can you ward off spirits? If you transformed, you could sink your teeth into my neck if you liked."
The boy's response was a bout of nausea and retching.
Boy: "I'm going to throw up ahhhhh—"
Kevin advised, "Please, spit it out. I won't look at you."
The boy feigned weeping with a dramatic "oh."
Kevin concluded with, "..."
The young boy continued to howl, but Kevin remained unfazed and made his way to the shore.
His departure was akin to that of a mysterious water ghost with a deadly dagger in hand.
The boy was depleted by silence.
Minutes later, Kevin returned, carrying three plump Andorha gophers and a handful of fist-sized wild bird eggs.
He wasted no time getting to work, deftly skinning and gutting the animals.
After washing them with water from the river, Kevin expertly roasted the meat, burying the eggs in the fiery embers.
As the aroma of the sizzling meat wafted through the desolate forest, Kevin knew he was in for a filling and satisfying meal.
The succulent Andorha gophers, each measuring the length of an adult's forearm, sat plump and glossy, roasting over the fire.
Kevin expertly applied crushed fruit to the meat's crispy surface, enhancing its flavor and unleashing an even more enticing aroma.
Eyes transfixed on the grilling meal, Kevin suddenly caught a glimmer from the corner of his eye.
Kevin was turning over the barbecue, but upon closer examination, he saw that the little boy, who had once been hanging upside-down and howling, was now quiet and drooling with his mouth agape.
"I have enough seasoning, I don't need you to add any," Kevin snapped in anger, moving the barbecue aside.
The boy's hunger had become insatiable at the scent of the sizzling meat, and his stomach rumbled, sounding like distant thunder after an extended period of silence.
There is little worse than "eating in front of someone who is starving", and the boy eventually succumbed: "Why are you so cruel to me?"
Kevin flipped the meat, sneering in response: "Not too long ago, I had to teach a young brat around your age a lesson, and my methods were far more cruel."
The boy's hair stood on end at the thought of what "more cruel" meant and he thought to himself, "Won't you be in his shoes one day?"
At first, the corpse that the young boy Kevin had stumbled upon was unidentifiable.
It was covered in black mud, and its features were almost indistinguishable.
But after a good washing, the true character of the corpse began to emerge.
It was pure and gentle, like fresh plaster.
The boy was surprised by the transformation.
He had expected the corpse to be hideous, but it was not. In fact, it was quite beautiful.
The boy wondered who the corpse had been in life, and what had happened to him.