Urban slums

"Huhuhu, we should run away." Do gasp and retreated to the wall beside the alley, then carefully stuck her head out to observe the street.

After realizing that no one was following him, he chose to find a place to sit in the corner of the alley.

This wasn't the first time Snow had been chased like this.

To be precise, this is nothing new for homeless kids in the ghetto.

Basically everyone has had similar experiences.

As for why? The reason is simple.

A business between slave owners and those in need - the slave trade.

Although slaves can be prisoners of war from the losing side of the war, nobles who failed in political battles, heinous criminals, wanderers with no human rights, and desperate civilians who sold themselves.

But most of the prisoners of war will be sent to the army.

There is no need to say more about the criminals. In many cases, they are not targets that slave traders can choose, even if they are caught.

Collecting the bounty is far more attractive than the profits from the slave trade.

The number of nobles and civilians is simply in short supply, so most slave traders will focus on wanderers.

These poor people, who have no identity and are not protected by the law, are undoubtedly the best prey.

Even though the Kingdom of Tulane has quite heavy fines in this regard, it still cannot stop these greedy businessmen.

Of course, these snows don't know and don't care.

Now she just wants to get rid of her pursuer.

Returning to the little nest that only belonged to her, she ate the remaining moldy black bread that she finally found in a pile of garbage in the slums yesterday.

It was a little sour, but still had the unique sweet taste of pasta... I originally planned to enjoy it slowly today.

To shake her head hard, knowing that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't solve the problem.

Snow trembled and stood up from the wall again.

She decided to go back to the streets, not because someone spotted her.

But the hostess of the shop next to the alley is coming back. If you beg next to the shop in the civilian area, you may be able to get some useless iron products and a piece or two of black bread from the shop owner.

But such good things will never happen in the slums. If you are discovered, you will only be treated as a thief and beaten up.

In cities that are already in late autumn, the temperature at night is horribly low. If the wound is infected at this time, it will basically not survive the winter.

The biting cold wind blew on the girl's face, making Due feel the pain like a knife all the time, and her feet were so cold that she couldn't feel much.

But reason is still telling Due that she must not stay here.

That's right, Due had discovered on the way here that this time it wasn't that simple. If things had been left in the past, this hunt that lasted for half a day should have ended long ago, but it didn't.

This may be because the traders have a big appetite, or maybe the hunters are more diligent this time.

But either way, it's not good news for snow.

After detouring into several alleys and escaping from the sight of several pursuers who had already obtained their prey, the white-haired girl arrived at the largest market in the entire civilian area - the Tattered Market.

The mud mixed with rotten matter and excrement turned black and smelly.

On it are wheel marks and potholes of various sizes, where sewage accumulates, and there is only a layer of linen between the goods sold by the vendors.

It's a name that really lives up to its name.

Not only Due has this idea, but probably all the people who have been here have the same idea.

Do struggle to walk through the crowded crowd. At this time, she had to pay attention to her steps at all times.

Once you slip on rags, moss, etc., you are likely to be pushed down and stepped on by the people following you.

No one will pity a homeless person.

If you're lucky, it'll just be a minor scratch and some stinky mud.

If she's unlucky, maybe a homeless man whose arm was "accidentally" trampled by a passing donkey is her role model.

She looked back from time to time, hoping that those strong pursuers with swords hanging from their waists would not appear in the crowd.

Amidst the noisy cries and crowded crowds, Due's thin body finally arrived at the end of the shabby market.

At this time, the old cloth on her body had been cut open by something visible to the naked eye, and there was a medium-deep black footprint on her back.

It was probably kicked by a merchant who was rushing to deliver goods.

Even so, Due should be grateful to the goddess of luck, who does not know whether she exists or not.

Otherwise, she should be lying in the market at this moment, waiting for the market managers to find her at the end of the market and throw her body into the smelly ditch in a certain alley.

Of course, at least the snow did come here.

The place that separates the citizens from the poor, the border between the two districts.

There are ten steps, no marble road, no soldiers to guard it, and no name.

But behind the ten steps, which are dilapidated due to long-term disrepair, is a place that countless wanderers have longed for and will never be able to live in.

Civilian area.

In front of the steps, Due stopped for a long time, as if she was mentally preparing or struggling.

Do walk up the steps carefully, her little face solemn and serious, her expression like a church fanatic.

And it seemed that she was not walking on shabby steps, but on the luxurious marble steps of a church in a wealthy area.

Not ten steps away, Due soon arrived at one of the residential areas in the civilian area.

The row houses made of stone are somewhat damaged, but the roads paved with stone bricks are not prosperous, but they are neat and clean.

What makes Due relieved is that the pursuers should not have expected that she would come here, but she will not be able to return to that shabby, cozy little nest.

Those who break the rules are only worthy of being sold to merchants. This is the punishment imposed by slum managers on homeless people who do not understand current affairs.

"Anyway... we need to find a place to rest first..." Do had no time to think about the future. She was now without food and had a stomach underwater for almost a day.

Thoughts stick together like a ball of paste.

The dizziness even made her unable to control her young and slender body.

But maybe it was precisely because of this that Due was able to drag her legs with several bloody mouths to get here.

"?!" The sudden blackness in front of his eyes made Due stumble to the ground.

After all, she still couldn't support her tattered body.

His little face was pressed against the cold ground, various parts of his body were stinging from wounds of all sizes, and his head was completely blank due to strong dizziness and dizziness.

Snow issued conscious instructions to the body again and again, but human consciousness could not overcome instinct after all, especially when the body truly reached its limit.

Do finally pass out like many wanderers by an unknown stone wall.

...

"Here is..." After an unknown amount of time, the "corpse" under the old stone wall moved its fingers slightly, and then the "corpse" slowly opened its eyes.

"Damn, this joke isn't funny at all." Do really want to yell out, but her cracked and bleeding lips and dry, sore throat made it difficult for her to even speak.

Do is not stupid. After working hard for so many years, she certainly understands what she should not do now, even if this time she is in a more desperate situation than before.

The snow nearly squeezed out every ounce of strength left in this body.

She successfully turned her body over and sat up, but sitting up against the wall was already the girl's limit.

And this only made her mushy mind clearer.

No one knows when the next comma will come, or whether he will be so lucky next time.

Even so, the dizziness that didn't slow down at all still hit Due's weak nerves like a torrent.

In addition, due to low temperature and frostbite, Due could hardly feel the pain from other wounds.

This is a bad sign - severe frostbite and, in the case of wounds, left without proper treatment for a long time, means disability and severe infection.

No disabled wanderer will live to see the next spring sun.

Do know all this and was very clear about it, but the reality was like this. She tried hard and struggled, but the result didn't change much.

"If I had known this, I might as well have been a slave. At least I don't have to die now, right?" Do smile lightly, looking at the sky that was gradually darkening as the sun set.

She was at her wits end.

Before nightfall, the guards will drive homeless people who entered the civilian areas during the day back to the slums.

This is "official work" that the city guards must do to show their hard work.

But accidents are always unexpected.

Just like the owner who just appeared in the house where the snow leaned against that wall.