Chapter 8:

the slums

Sara

I fucked up, I got on the mood before even getting to the bed, and then I got scared just before doing it, I push and spinning side kick him in the face…he must hate me by now…

I had to make myself clear that I did not want to do that right from the start, instead of kicking a Royal son in the face.

And well, from the sheer fear I had I ended up locked inside my room for two days straight, until Sariel managed to convince me that Michael wasn't going to send a hit squad after me.

Now, a year has passed, Sieghart barely goes to class, passing with the bare minimum but at least he does something. Sariel has improved in fencing along with unarmed combat, I'm her main sparring partner and as such I can actually notice some changes.

Her style is more focused in using Water god techniques to parry and find an opening to create a grab or disarm, it reminds me of certain videos I saw about aikido and wing chun, just more painful to be in the receiving end.

According to Sariel, due to her having just an above average mana pool, she has to properly manage her use of the touki, otherwise she would get exhausted.

That made me realize that the Magic Martial Arts touki is really dependant on draining the user mana, I have a surprisingly big mana pool so I just assume is my general endurance, but for someone average, even more a human, using that kind of technique can let you empty in matter of seconds.

Besides that I have gotten fond of being with Sieghart, he has interesting stories and tips about most of things we have in common, and in general he seems more active when me and Sariel are around him, to much of the demise of the Sariel fanclub.

Also to add, I'm 13 years old now and I'm top class student, being a reincarnated give you advantages on seeing things a certain way, so my clever and interesting observations are actually stolen from my past classmates back when I was just a tomboy who really likes to kick….I still am, just blonde now.

As a middle year I have the little power of being the sempai of the new kids, still Sieg is down that tree, where me and Sariel spend the day being with him.

Michael hasn't spoken to me since…the incident, maybe he lost interest in me or something, I don't mind though…

This day is a holiday. Each 10 days you have a free day to do shenanigans around the school, one is not allowed to leave however…and so, is it royal privilege the last time I went and had an adventure at the royal palace?No, the school doesn't mind that you sneak out of the buildings to wander around the city.

I either use that time to visit my parents or stay in the school doing stuff, well today Sieg proposed something to me.

"...And what if we go to the slums?"

"What…why would we?"

"I don't know, it seems fun to wander around there…." is he looking for a fight with a thief or something?.

"...alright, but what about Sariel?, she is a princess, she shouldn't be wandering around there"

"...then it's just you and me" what…i mean…fair but…

"...ok…if you want to…." Still I'm not going to let him go alone to that place.

And, as a secret to Sariel, Sieghart and I went outside of the school into the slums.

The slums are dirty, poor and separated from the rest of the wealthy class by walls, is a place where everyone is one way or another suffering…well if you talk about the ones who are homeless.

"...what a creepy place…." Is really scaring the living shit out of me, not even when I was back in my world I would go near any of these places….

One thing is fighting for pride, the other is doing it because otherwise that crackhead is going to kill you.

"...hey..relax we'll be fine, you have me here, so no harm is coming your way" Sieg says while giving me pats in the back.

"L-let's not make assumptions shall we?" I had to swallow my fear, so for now, we kept walking.

The drunk man on the ground over his own puke, still drinking, little kids running almost naked, and a slave trader moving with one young female beastfolk, her eyes said it all, she lost any hope.

And said slave trader, we decided to follow, Sariel is really good at stalking people, and I learned from her, so it was fairly easy to follow his trail.

We found a small place where they were selling the slaves, as if they were in sale shouting how cheap they were.

"...that one is a fighter ... .look at the bruises on his hand…."

"I don't think so… maybe from using a hammer instead of a sword, and his arms…more like a blacksmith"

"...true" We started talking about the buyers, the slaves and if our assumptions match up.

A bit morbid but, we are already looking at a slave trader in a city where slaves are illegal.

We spent a good time there just seeing the situation until it ended.

Sieghart

I considered myself a protector of justice, growing inspired by the stories my father and his friend told me when I was little, Cheddar-man, a hero, saving and protecting the weak, I wanted to be like him.

That's why I wanted to get stronger, i asked for training to a coworker of my father, Kalman III, my first master, from who I learned to fence and use a sword, and the creator of the magic martial arts touki, the vanishing master, from who I inherited such touki.

I train in secret of my father, yet I would fight the evil from within the city, defending the weak, or…so I thought, before finishing my studies in the Ranoa magic academy my master told me I was going to study in Asura, a place I only visited when I was really young, yet I knew little of the place, still, I went to Asura.

I was an outcast, not for more than my hair, making me resemble the look of a Superd, nobody talks with me, even after helping them, so I just existed, in my gray school life.

After a sempai the next day told me that I almost got expelled because of who I attacked the day before what one of the "top class" in the school, I understood why I was alone, I wasn't fighting for justice, I just abused the power my family had in the region, blinding myself to a reality where I was the hero, and as such, I was on my own, even stopped going to class, just sitting under a tree.

That was until, after a few months, Sara and Sariel decided to greet me. From Sariel's perspective, it is obvious it was because she was ordered by her mother to try and get married with me, in an attempt to get the Asuran family closer to the Greyrat.

From Sara, I helped her our first day at school, maybe it was her way of giving me thanks for that, even after months of the event.

Still, everyday they would go and talk with me, even if they were to skip one or two classes.

I grew fond of their company, even if me and sariel don't have that many topics to talk about, i still like having her around.

The same with Sara, is just that she and I…we do have more things in common, so we can have actual conversations where we spend time going back and forth.

And so, today we went out to the slums. One of my ways to waste time is wander around the city, today was no different.

"..i'm wondering…what kind of actions you have to take in your life to end up like that.."

"as a slave?" she denies with the head.

"as the slave trader…" is a weird question for me

"why..would that matter? he is still selling people"

"maybe if you knew why he became what he is you would understand how to prevent the trouble from the roots ... .or how to actively change him for the better".

"What, is better to take him out instead of that,he's evil, and the evil should get destroyed"

"..." she looked at me in silence

"really?... I guess you see that as justice… but it's not how it works"

"tell me then"

"Why do you think people sometimes get a second chance?"

"..well…maybe because they did some good at some point and they were spared?..."

"sometimes…other times is not that…., is more about..a purpose than everything..the reason you do the things you do.."

"..." purpose?... a goal in life is what she means?.

"you get it don't you?...you must have a goal in life…"

"...I…don't know what to tell you honestly… being a protector of justice was something I aspired to be in the past… but is a dream I left behind" I look at the slave trader, wondering if I would have a life after school

"...being some kind of hero right?... I…get it, don't worry, I myself have some kind of crusade of my own" I look back at her

"...you have?..."

"yeah, i'm looking for someone, and when I can, I will go outside this..closed society and wander around the world…looking for him…" that is giving me more questions than before

"who…is that person?..." she smiles a bit, but her face gives off a nostalgic look

"...someone that made me who I am…someone I lost in the past…but now I know he is alive…he is here…" .

"...maybe…I could help you find him" her eyes widened, surprised, maybe happy.

"...you?...nah…you wouldn't..right?" with a little smile in disbelief.

"...yes I will…, after all you are my best friend, and life at home is really boring compared to that kind of adventure…"

"...thanks….but…I have to decline…there are more people that could benefit from your help…". her face darkened, as if guilt were to consume her.

"...are you sure?..."

"yes I am!...don't say more of this alright?..."

"...understood…"

We stood in silence after that, until sunset.

And like that,we went back to the school just for the sun to hide.

Creator notes: i find out that periods trigger google docs autocorrect, so maybe it was more consistent the writing this time, if you are reading this, thanks for keep looking at this fanfic, see ya next time!