# Chapter 3
As the coachman had said, the carriage arrived at Chellion’s city gate the following day. Contrary to the coachman’s claim that they would arrive late in the afternoon, they reached their destination shortly after noon. Del, who had urged the coachman to help them arrive in the city faster, had to deeply regret his decision. In exchange for advancing their arrival time by just a few hours, he had received the gift of tremendous motion sickness. It was something he wouldn’t do again. He had no opportunity to appreciate the beautiful city walls that were said to resemble a star shape when viewed from above.
“Coachman, it’s been a while. It seems you still have no shortage of passengers these days?”
“As always.”
While the coachman chatted with the guard at the gate, all Del could do was cover his mouth to prevent any unfortunate incidents inside the carriage. Fortunately, the inspection didn’t take long, and the guard didn’t have to open the carriage door to witness Del’s pitiful state. The desert coachman’s passengers were typically people who could afford the fare. They were often very wealthy or high-ranking nobles, and from the guard’s perspective, there was no desire to conduct thorough inspections that might upset them. With the coachman’s identity confirmed, his passenger’s status was also guaranteed. Del was able to pass through the city gate without even opening a window. Of course, during this process, he had to struggle miserably to calm his stomach.
It was quite a while after the carriage began slowly following the well-maintained road that Del finally regained his senses. Only then did he open the window to let fresh air into the carriage. The road visible outside was completely paved with stone, preventing any sand dust from rising. After spending some time in the breeze settling his stomach, Del asked the coachman:
“Do you always drive that fast?”
“Some passengers request it.”
“What’s the usual reaction?”
“Not much different from yours, young master.”
You knew and still drove like that. Del let out a groan and sank into his seat. While it was true that the coachman hadn’t sufficiently warned him about what happens inside a carriage when it travels quickly through the desert, Del couldn’t blame anyone but himself since he was the one who had asked for speed. There was nothing more foolish than blaming others for self-inflicted troubles, so he simply kicked the seat in frustration. Of course, since this only hurt his own foot, he ended up nursing it while groaning again.
The coachman—whom Del grumbled was giving him medicine after causing the disease—drove slowly on the paved road until Del was sufficiently stable, then asked:
“Young master, where shall I take you now?”
“A place where light doesn’t reach. Where people live like slaves. A boy about my age.”
“Sounds like a riddle.”
“I feel like I’m grasping at clouds too.”
“Will you recognize him when you meet him?”
“Are there people who can’t recognize their own hands?”
“Haha. I think I roughly know where to go.”
Del’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly quick response. While he had been counting on the coachman’s ability to find destinations, he hadn’t expected this level of knowledge.
“Do you know the city well?”
“As well as most people.”
“You’re joking.”
Despite the impossibility of a desert coachman not knowing about a city, he spoke with perfect innocence. Thinking the man’s feigned ignorance was masterful, Del listened carefully beyond the carriage. The coachman’s voice began to recite about the city, almost like a song:
“All residents of the Star City live lives like slaves.”
“Why? This place is wealthy from trade, and the lord of this place is richer than the kings of most kingdoms.”
“That’s the lord’s situation.”
The coachman’s laughter mixed with the sound of hoofbeats. It clearly wasn’t a pleasant kind of laughter.
“Wealth is for the few at the top.”
“That’s true everywhere.”
“It’s especially severe here. Not all residents can share in the wealth, but it’s excessive. Look at the road, young master. How many people do you see, even though it’s midday?”
Indeed. The scenery visible from the carriage was well-ordered but desolate, with hardly any people in sight. The few who could be seen appeared to be either wealthy or merchants catering to them. It wasn’t just because of the hot midday sun.
“It’s like an island in the desert. Poor and miserable, but impossible to escape.”
“Even though they’re free people?”
“How would they cross the desert?”
Del nodded. Transportation across the desert was expensive. If someone had enough wealth to buy a camel or a horse, they wouldn’t be described as ‘poor’. It was said there were no slaves here. But what was the difference? In this isolated city, they were exploited and forced to remain in an inescapable cycle of poverty. Their lives might have neither room for improvement nor escape, just mere existence. The conversation ceased.
The regular sound of rolling wheels and the almost cheerful sound of hoofbeats continued for quite some time. The scenery visible through the window progressively revealed more poverty and decay. Is it possible to become even poorer? While Del was still gaping in surprise, the carriage stopped. It was the most dilapidated and filthy place he had ever seen in his life. So much so that it was hard to believe people lived here. Del nodded at the coachman’s explanation that this was a slum. Indeed, the term “hole” suited this place better than “village.”
“Is this really the right place?”
“Shall we look elsewhere?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Shall I go with you?”
“Seriously?”
“Have a good journey.”
As he lightly jumped down from the carriage, his skirt fluttered. The eyes of people sprawled in the shade flickered toward his dress, which was made of high-quality fabric and obviously expensive. Del completely ignored the gazes directed at him.
“Where shall I wait?”
“It would be faster to tell me where to come to you.”
“Anyone in the slum will know the southern puddle. How long do you think you’ll be?”
“Long enough for me to cross this place. I don’t want to stay here a moment longer than necessary.”
“I understand.”
With a “giddyup,” the coachman drove his horse away quickly from the location. Left alone, Del chose what looked like a path and moved deeper into the slum. Every person he passed flashed their eyes at his delicate, pretty face or expensive dress, but they didn’t approach any further. The fact that a girl was wandering alone so boldly through the slum made them sense something that shouldn’t be disturbed, rather than thinking she was naive. People who live for survival itself tend to have strong instincts for such feelings.
“Pretty sister. What are you looking for?”
Of course, there were exceptions to this rule. A dirty boy who looked three or four years younger than Del approached and spoke to him. The young boy was still too inexperienced to hide the greed flickering in his eyes. Yet there was still an unrefined wariness. How instinctive. Del smiled brightly and said:
“I’m looking for a boy about my age. Light brown hair. Slightly darker eyes.”
“Ah, that handsome brother?”
“Yes.”
“I know him well! Just follow me.”
Even the faint wariness disappeared at Del’s words. He probably thought Del was a naive girl who had followed a handsome boy she’d fallen for at first sight. Instead, malice took its place. The boy was too young and inexperienced to hide his greedy gaze directed at the jewels and expensive dress Del wore. Del decided not to mind. Whatever the process, all that mattered was reaching the destination. He followed behind the young boy who—though not very trustworthy—moved lightly, telling Del to trust and follow him.
The boy walked confidently through narrow and complex alleys. Del was slightly surprised to feel gazes from tight corners where he wouldn’t have thought people could live. It was truly a place where any space just large enough for a person to crawl into became a home. His curious looks at the increasingly filthy alleyways must have appeared fearful.
“It’s still livable!”
“If you say so.”
The boy’s effort to prevent the prey who walked in voluntarily from being stolen by adults was even admirable. In any case, the boy was an excellent guide, and Del was able to arrive at his destination quite comfortably. Though his knees got scraped here and there on the narrow paths, it was sufficient. Had he come alone, he might have wandered for years in this chaotic neighborhood.
“Sit here and wait a moment. I’ll call the brother!”
“Alright.”
“Don’t go anywhere, promise!”
Upon reaching the home—he decided to call it that—the boy, perhaps thinking Del might run away, extracted promise after promise before scurrying into some room. There must be trustworthy “brothers” in there. And those “brothers” were very likely not the person Del was looking for. But they would be big and strong enough to pick Del clean. The boy had told him to sit and wait, but feeling no desire to sit on the dirty chair, Del stood blankly waiting. There seemed to be a commotion inside, but no one came out. Then,
“Who are you?”
The voice of a boy just entering puberty was heard. A rough but rather pleasant voice. Del turned his head.
It was a tall, slender boy. His face still retained youthful features, but his height was such that, seen from behind, he might be mistaken for an adult. His very handsome face had some minor scratches but was clean and neat. Though still young, his features were so well-defined that by next year he would have a face worthy of being called handsome. His light brown hair and dark brown eyes created a neat and calm impression. Even his appearance was clean for someone living in such a place.
“How did you get here?”
The boy frowned when he saw Del. One could guess what thoughts were crossing his mind. Attire unsuited to the place and an unnecessarily beautiful face were factors that invited danger here. The boy strode over and took his hand.
“It’s dangerous here, you should go back…”
The boy’s and Del’s eyes met. Green eyes. The moment their eyes met, the boy felt as if he would be drawn into those eyes. Is this what they mean when they say fates are entwined? Despite seeing him for the first time, there was a feeling of having seen him for a very long time. It was similar to familiarity, yet there was a sense that one shouldn’t approach carelessly. It wasn’t fear. It might be closer to the feeling of handling a delicate glass artwork that could easily break. This confused the boy.
“…?”
A body dressed in high-quality clothes and jewels unsuited to the place. A white, pretty face with long, fine hair flowing down. The green eyes looking up at him directly seemed to exist in a world of their own. Like meeting a being that shouldn’t exist here, a feeling of someone misaligned by distorting the axis of time. Suddenly, he wanted to ask:
Why are you here?
As if seeing something that shouldn’t be there. But in the blink of an eye, and the moment he heard the voice before him, all those feelings vanished instantly.
“Nice to meet you, Ethan.”
The voice that came from the red lips opening was lower than expected, but it didn’t particularly bother him. He was just surprised that this person had called him by name. They had clearly met for the first time today.
“I came to meet you.”
Facing someone who knew his name despite having a face he’d never seen before, Ethan couldn’t give any answer.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
