I am Fin Divy Veer, the 2nd prince of the 'Divine Sword kingdom' and currently I am running away from some drunk adventures.
"You take that other route from the restaurant while I distract them for you, Your Highness" I said to the imperial princess of 'Divine Relic Empire', she nodded with some exhaustion evident in her expression. As I had already taken notice of the exhaustion quite earlier.
While we ran I picked up a stone and focused my senses on the wind for a moment and then.
~Bang~
I threw the stone at full speed which I could have mustered while running and the stone met its target.
The glass full of chilly powder broke as the wind gave the powder its direction towards the adventures.
They immediately noticed the powder in the air and tried to cover their noses and eyes a little while running.
[Sorry shopkeeper I will deliver the money for losses I swear.]
I thought as Princess got the chance to escape which she used perfectly.
The adventures came back to their previous momentum as they were veterans in dungeon exploring and labyrinth diving.
~Sigh~
[let's do this.]
With a resolute sigh, I increased my speed. I was only holding back because Princess has low stamina compared to me as she is a magician while I am a swordsman.
But the adventures also had good stamina and speed but they could not catch us due to their drunken state dulling their mind which let the princess escape easily.
"Wait you bastard, where is your companion" one of the adventurers shouted.
I kept running as I reached the slum area of the city, passing by a naked kid I thought.
[Is this really a part of the empire's capital city?]
"Just you wait bastard, I will peal your skin alive for sure"
Ignoring the threats and curses of the two adventurers I started formulating my escape plan.
As I looked ahead I saw a big food carriage which was soon going to turn left with the road.
[Gocha.]
Opening the button of my black cloak with both hands I made myself ready for the coming chance, just as the carriage started to turn I spread the cloak in the air which hid my body for a second and I used my empowering technique on my legs for that exact moment to take a full power leap towards the carriage.
I grabbed the handle of the back door of the carriage while propelling my body towards the right side of the carriage, but nothing goes as planned in this world.
The reason for the road turning left was the pig farm in front.
Just as I swing towards the right of the carriage, I couldn't find any other thing to grab for me to hang and due to the speed, I couldn't react in time.
Hence I fell into the black mud with some big beside me.
[At least I can hide here for some time if I kept submerged in this.]
*****
After 15 minutes I got out of the wallow and slowly started to look for any water source I could find.
Walking through the slum I saw some half-naked kids and women here and there but never encountered a single male adult.
Although people avoided me, I still found someone to ask about the source of the water in the slum.
"Little girl"
"Humm? ekk..."
The little girl shrieked at my approach but I immediately took out a silver coin which stopped her.
"I will give you this if you take me to a well or any water source you use" I said to her which led her contempt to accept my offer or not but in the end she accepted my offer.
"O... Ok I will take you there but I want the money in copper coins instead of silver" She said giving me an offer instead which I accepted.
"Okay"
Well given the circumstances it would be wise for her to take copper coins instead of silver coins.
She gestured for me to come which I obliged.
[How can she be so mature despite being a slum dweller? From her appearance, I think she is at least 9 or 8 years old.]
I followed her to the well where a giant man was sitting on the edge with a black box beside him.
As we got closer to the well the man stood and stopped us by intercepting us in between.
"For 5 buckets of water 1 copper coin" he said.
[What? When did the empire start taking taxes on water?]
I looked at the giant man for a while then I shrugged and took out a copper coin from my inventory and gave it to him.
The man took it and started drawing out water from the well with a bucket which was connected to a rope.
The girl stood still and quiet as if she was a stone.
[She has a talent for an assassin. Her presence is weak or is she trying to make it weak?]
As the man starts filling the large bucket with water, I start washing by pouring water on myself with a mug.
Soon the whole 5-bucket quota and my washing were completed but still, one bucket's worth of water was left.
I looked towards the man and then towards the girl, I couldn't help but notice her malnutrition body and dry lips. So I offered her the leftover water.
She hesitates as she might be thinking I will give her fewer coins for taking water.
"Take it, I will not reduce the coins for this" I said to her and dispelled her hesitation.
She hurriedly drank a mug full of water and ran towards the slums.
Probably to get something to carry the water.
The man didn't care what we were doing with the leftover water as he turns towards the well and put the coin into the black box.
At that moment I noticed the mark on the back of his neck.
[That's a slave mark, right?]
The slave mark is made with runic technology by the top Runic Grandmasters of the imperial court, only criminals and war refugees are marked as slaves.
That means he is a criminal because there has been no war with any other empire or kingdom.
[But what is he doing here in the slums? he should have been in a mine or working under some nobles and knights.]
My eyes narrowed at the giant man with suspicion but I refrained from doing anything as my action might alert his master.
Soon the little girl returned with an empty earthen pot, she poured all the water from the bucket into it and bowed a little to me.
"Thank you, Mr." she said.
[Oh... I remember now Princess Veronica had used concealment-type magic on both of us to hide our identities that's why she thinks I am some adult man.]
"It's my pleasure" I replied.
After that, I glanced at the man for a second then turned to the girl again.
"Let's head somewhere else" I said to her while showing some copper coins.
She immediately understood that I am considering her safety and privacy while giving her the money.
Life in the slums is very brutal, people here can fight for a single coin of copper and as a kid, she is defenceless in such a fight.
We walked through a dark alleyway and stopped at a small hut, which seemed to be her home.
"Wait here" she said and entered the hut with the pot.
After 5 minutes she came back and opened her palm gesturing to complete the deal, to which I complied.
Giving her a pouch full of copper coins, then I asked.
"Do you know where are all the other adult males have gone? "
The question made her expression sad but she quickly recovered from it and replied.
"They have been recruited for something by lord Wilson, I don't know the specific though but they have not come back for a week now"
[There must be someone close to her who was recruited too.]
I thought as I saw the sad expression again.
[It's time to head back to the Princess's side.]
**********