I knew that I had to reveal many things to my new mother Melani about what happened, and that is exactly what I did, except for the part of me becoming a Demon-Human, even though I feel like I should have told her, my gut feeling and my brain were telling me that it wasn't the right time to tell her, since the existence of Demon-Humans is still not known amongst human society, I stay awake staring at the ceiling, while laying on my bed.
"sorry Sister Melani, but I can't tell you yet."
I hear a knock on my door, with Sister Melani asking.
"Darius, are you awake?
I reply.
"yeah, come in."
she opens the door and said.
"this will take some time, getting used to seeing you in my house."
she looks at the small study room that we converted into my bedroom and said.
"this is only temporary, we'll move to a bigger house."
I sit up from my bed.
"don't worry about that, I'm just glad that I get to be around who actually cares about my well being."
she sits on the side of the small bed, she bought after we left the palace.
"you don't have to worry about any of that anymore, I'm just happy to see you again."
she looks at me with a sad expression, and then gives me a warm hug.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn have fought harder for you to stay at the orphanage, and you wouldn't have gone through all that with the demon lady Isabelle."
she pulls away and smiles while holding on to the stone necklace I gave her.
"but now you are here with me, safe and sound."
she stands up and said.
"come on, let's eat some breakfast before I have to leave for the orphanage."
I get up and follow out of the room and into the kitchen.
"are you working the same days and the same hectic hours?
she replies.
"no, ever since you got adopted, I started working from morning to afternoon."
she makes us some scrambled eggs and pours a cup of water for the both us, and as sit down and begin to dig in, I ask.
"while I look for a job that someone around my age can do, is there anything I can do to help around the house?"
she shakes her head.
"what you want to work? but your only eight, that is too young for a job."
she then said.
"focus on just being a kid, and don't worry about me, I will take care of you."
I reply thinking about the academy.
"well remember the mercenary lady Margaret? she showed me the academy that is in the capital and I'm interested in getting in, and it doesn't feel right asking you to do it for me."
she looks at me with a worried expression.
"why do you want to go there? after everything you went through?"
she shakes her head.
"no, I don't want you getting hurt."
I sigh.
"but if this is my desire? will you prevent me from following my dreams?"
she pouts.
"that's no fair."
she sighs and gives in.
"okay, but you will have to work for it, and you can only work, at places I approve of, and you've got to do house chores as well."
I nod.
"thank you Sister Melani."
she pouts again.
"you don't need to had the Sister."
she smiles.
"you can call me mom or mother."
I reply.
"maybe one day, once I get used to this new dynamic."
after finishing our breakfast, I help her with the dishes.
"do you have something in mind, about where to look?"
I shake my head.
"I have no idea, but it can't hurt to wander around and see what I can do."
she makes a suggestion.
"check out the courier's office, they are always hiring since most don't stick around too long."
I ask.
"why?"
she responds.
"the pay isn't good, and you mostly deliver letters, documents or packages on foot, so there is a lot of exercising involved."
I think to myself.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out."
I ask her.
"do you know where the courier's office is at?"
she answers.
"yeah, if you want, I can take you there myself, since it's on the way to the orphanage."
I nod.
"yes, please."
after we finish the dishes, and leave her house, she said.
"whenever I have the day off, we'll go visit the academy together, and find out exactly how much
tuition costs."
I laugh in my mind.
"she was against it at first, but now she is already trying to find a way to help me out."
I ask myself.
"is this what a parent does?"
even though Mistress did many things in my past life that could be considered as something a parent would do, but she used her magic to manipulate and entrance us, so she mostly did what she did for selfish reasons, my train of thoughts gets interrupted by an elderly woman with long gray hair, who walks up to us.
"oh dear Melani, who is this lovely child?"
she answers.
"oh, hi Missus Choi, I finally decided to adopt a child of my own."
I wave.
"hello, Missus Choi, my name is Darius."
she smiles.
"a pleasure to meet you my dear."
she then giggles.
"well I guess all that is left for you is to get married."
Melani laughs nervously.
"I don't think I'll any luck with that, you should already know that."
she dismisses what she said, and replies.
"don't give me that, any guy would be lucky to marry you."
she smiles.
"thank you."
after a moment of awkward silence, Melani said.
"well anyways, I really need to get going."
Missus Choi waves goodbye as we leave, I then said.
"she does have a point Sister Melani."
she places her hand on my shoulder.
"I wish that were true."
as we continue walking through the crowd of people, I ask.
"what is the problem?"
she answers.
"It's something I'm not really comfortable talking about."
I reply.
"I understand, I won't ask again."
she stops me and gets on one knee in front off me, and said while holding both of my hands.
"please don't say it like, I'll tell you someday once you and me become closer and comfortable around each other."
I nod without answering, she stand up and takes my hand.
"alright let's keep moving."
we arrive at the front of plain looking three story building made of stone and wood, with a small sign in the front that says.
"courier office."
I ask her.
"isn't it kind of small for a courier office."
she replies.
"yeah, but it is one many offices around the city."
she then gives me a key.
"make sure you return home early, I'll have a new key made for once I return."
she hugs me.
"good luck, Darius."
she hurriedly walks away, I then approach the office and just as I'm about knock on the door, it swings open and a young kid who looks a few years older than me, with black combed hair, dressed with a dark gray traveling cloak, tan jacket, light brown trousers, traveling boots made of leather and the garment made of wool, he looks at me while adjusting his courier bag.
"whatchu you looking at kid?"
he walks past me and starts jogging away, I then think to myself.
"is he a courier, I hope they don't make me wear what he is wearing."
upon walking in, I spot a man behind the wooden counter who looks like he is in his mid fifties, with light brown hair, with some strands of gray hair, adjusts his glasses, and asks.
"how can help you, young man?"
I approach the counter and ask.
"are you hiring any new couriers."
his light brown eyes light up.
"of course we are, couriers are always needed."
he asks.
"young man, can I get your full name and age?"
I answer.
"Darius Edwards, and I'm eight."
he smiles.
"nice meet Mister Edwards, my name is Joseph Stewart and I'm the manager of this courier office."
I reply politely.
"a pleasure Mister Stewart."
he shakes my hand and is surprised by the firm grip.
"you've got a nice grip there son."
he then asks with a slight smirk.
"aren't ya a bit young to be looking for a job?"
I ask.
"is that a problem?"
he shakes his head.
"on the contrary, I believe that jobs can teach children responsibility and instill discipline."
he asks.
"can you start today?"
I respond.
"I would like to, but I promised my mother that I'd only be looking for a job."
he sighs.
"I see."
I then ask.
"how much do couriers make?"
he answers.
"depends on the delivery and how urgent those deliveries need to be made."
he stops and grabs a brown parcel from one of the many cube slots behind him.
"these parcels have the name of the street, and the nber of the house, and the name of the recipient, to help us make deliveries efficiently."
he then continues.
"couriers get payed by each successful parcel delivered, and it can come at a range between one silver coin and one gold coin."
I respond.
"sounds simple enough, should I come in dressed a certain way?"
he shakes his head.
"just wear whatever is comfortable, but you are required to carry a courier card with you at all times, so that the patrolling guards don't give you a hard time."
he then asks curiously.
"so does that mean, I can count on you returning back so that you can begin working here?"
I nod.
"yeah, just give me a couple days to discuss things with my mother and you'll see me again."
he replies.
"well you know where to find me."
after leaving the courier office, I think to myself.
"the pay might not be ideal, but I get to keep myself in shape while working here."
I then remember the route we took to get here, and begin returning back home.
"I need to make sure to do house chores and have them done before Sister Melani returns home."
I continue walking through crowds of people.
"cities feel like a completely different world, when comparing them to villages, the streets are always busy and lively."
I think back at the time I visited one of the Demon King's cities and how much the demon folk were suffering and struggling with poverty, I look around see thee most humans are living somewhat better lives than the demon folk in the city visited, but then I spot a dark skinned human with tattered clothing sitting on the floor, with a cup in his hand begging for coins, I then think to myself.
"well almost living better lives."
I ignore the man and continue walking back home.
"maybe once I save up enough coin, I can buy myself a wooden training sword and continue training myself, so that my sword skills doesn't decline."
as I get closer to home, my thoughts get interrupted by a kid who runs into me, causing us to fall down, I get up and offer my hand to help him up.
"you okay?"
he slaps my hand away.
"keep your filthy hands from me, brownie."
I sigh, while his friends laugh at his insult to me.
"alright."
he yells at me, as I walk away.
"come back here to apologize!"
I return and said sternly.
"sorry."
but he continues to yell, when I leave him be, even after I create a huge distance between me, him and his friends.
"this isn't over yet brownie."
I sigh.
"no point in wasting my energy on him."
after arriving home and using the key that Sister Melani gave me, I enter clap my hands together once, while thinking to myself.
"alright, let's get some chores done."