Heavenly Castle

Chapter 85 – Life of the children and Leticia

Translator: Drey Editor: Ryunakama

The children are drooling from the corner of their mouth while looking at us with meat skewers in our hands. There are some children whose stomachs rumbles loudly.

However, we, who have the grilled meat, are accompanied by an elf magician with a menacing look and two golems.

…… What will they go through if they approach anytime…..?

…… I could somehow understand that everyone in this place is looking at us with such eyes. While paying attention to the presence of those who watch the situation around us, I look and smile at the woman who stands to protect the children.

“I already said it earlier, but we don’t intend to harm you. Can you lower your vigilance for now?”

When I said that to her, the woman moved her eyes filled with surprise away from the meat that had stolen her gaze and looked at me.

“Do, do you think we will believe your words? All of us came here after escaping from something painful. Don’t think that we are going to believe you so easily in our first meeting……”

She was talking with a stern expression, but her stomach rumbled with a sound that can be heard over here in the middle of her speech.

The easy-to-understand sound “Guuu……”, gives an illusion like time has stopped for an instant.

The woman kept silent for a while, but eventually opened her mouth again.

“…… Why did you call out to us? Why, did you give bread to that child?”

And the woman kept talking as if nothing had happened.

It seems like she has a mind of steel.

As I was praising the woman in my mind, Ayla came one step forward and opened her mouth.

“U, um…… would you like to eat meat skewers too? I can eat it first if you suspect a poison……”

When Ayla timidly said that, the woman groaned with ‘Uu’ and lowers her head.

Perhaps the words of the sincere Ayla have created a sense of guilt in the woman’s heart. While being at a loss, the woman turned towards Ayla, Yuri, and me.

“…… Who exactly are you……?”

I’m the King of the smallest country in the world. Additionally, they are also princess of the Azul Kingdom, royalty of the Imperial Country of Fleida and former imperial court magician of the Blau Empire.

There’s no way I can say such things. I laugh vaguely and shrug my shoulders.

“We’re travelers.”

When I answered that, the woman narrowed her eyes with a serious look.

“…… With a magician who can control golems as a bodyguard, huh? No matter how I look at it, your status is more than that, though……”

Despite saying that, the woman’s expression became slightly relaxed.

Although the suspicion in her eyes didn’t disappear, the woman seemed to be willing to listen to our story for the time being.

“De, delicious……”

“Right, delicious……”

The children mutter their thoughts while biting deeply on the meat. There are also some children who cried and could not eat properly.

The woman turned her pained expression towards their appearance and she exhaled lightly.

We change location and moved to the hut at the corner. By the way, the sister-like woman, her name appears to be Leticia.

Maybe because the hut where Leticia guided us was extended from behind, it looked like a disfigured tenement. Boards are placed on the ground to serve as floors, and both the wall and ceiling have been attached with irregular boards.

It’s terribly made little more than a livestock shed, but maybe because there are no extra things and the cleaning of Leticia is thorough, the room is unexpectedly clean.

It doesn’t look so wide, but I wonder if she is staying with the children here?

As I was thinking such things, Leticia spoke embarrassed.

“…… I am sorry for the dirty place. It is just, we were attracting too much attention outside, so……”

When Leticia said that with a hollow laugh, Ayla hurriedly shook her head.

“N, no, it’s not dirty at all……”

Leticia gave a wry smile to Ayla who tied to assuage her by choosing her words.

“But it is the truth…… You can probably understand it just by looking at this house, but we can’t even thank you with a meal. We can only put our gratitude into words……”

Hearing Leticia who said that somewhat anxiously, I think with my arms folded.

I don’t really mind about thanks, but when I look at this living environment, it makes me want to do something.

But saying such arrogant thing makes me hesitate.

“U, um…..?”

Though, as I’m contemplating, Leticia becomes more and more anxious.

I can’t help but speak.

“No, you don’t need to thank us. Can I ask a question instead?”

“Eh? Ah, ye, yes…… I, I will answer you as much as I can……”

While looking at the puzzled Ayla, I ask a question.

“If you and the children can enter inside the city beyond this wall, what would you do?”

“I will stay here. The children will also not go inside.”

Leticia answered immediately. Her answer was to stay here unexpectedly, but I also felt like it’s as expected.

But I would like to hear if she has a definite reason.

“…… Why is that?”

When I ask her, Leticia’s expression relaxes slightly.

“…… As I thought, you are nobles who came from another country, right? I got that kind of feeling.”

After saying that and laughing in self-deprecation, Leticia took a deep breath and began to talk about the whole surface of the country.

“This country is where the merchants from all over the world gathers and various goods are being bought and sold. Even with the taxes alone, the royalties and aristocrats of this country can be able to live an incredibly rich life. A great number of merchants, travelers, traders who make business with mercenaries as well as adventurers and mercenaries who undertakes the job of escort are all making money. However, there are also people among them who couldn’t make money. The future awaiting those people are either a criminal slave or a debt slave.”

After Leticia said that, she opened her robe and exposed her shoulders.

My eyes unconsciously landed on her shoulders and neck which were too slender, but what caught my eyes apart from that was the big slave mark spreading from the back of her neck to her shoulders.

Ayla, who also has a slave mark, covers her mouth with both hands and gasps, and a deep fold forms between the brows of Aifa.

Yuri was keeping silent with her brows in a ハ character, but her eyes were shaking in compassion.

“…… I, was a nun in the Callisto Church in this city. As the teacher of Callistoism, I was giving meals to the orphans with the donations that were given by every city.”

While pausing there, Leticia cast her eyes down and exhale weakly.

“However, it wasn’t enough no matter how much we solve it. There were too many orphans contrary to the donation. At first, I was being opposed and forcibly convinced by the priest, but seeing the appearance of the orphaned children starving to death one after another and seeing them becoming a slave after stealing leftover food in hunger, it made me unable to endure it.”

“…… Then, why don’t you steal food?”

When she heard that, Leticia made another hollow laugh. And she says unbelievable words.

“No. I couldn’t bring myself to do something like stealing things, so I sold myself as a slave and personally gave a donation to the church.”

It was an insanely heavy story.