The Slums of Barakan

Before I knew it, the carriage was winding its way up an unpaved, zigzagging path.

‘The driving is a bit rough.’

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the carriage came to a halt with the loud neighing of a horse.

‘What’s going on?’

Soon after, the coachman threw open the door and poked his head inside.

“My lady. The road gets dangerous from here on out, so I must charge extra……. Is that acceptable?”

“…….”

I figured a few gold coins would suffice. I reached for my reticule.

“……?”

The reticule that was supposed to be hanging from my right wrist was gone. The other wrist was empty as well.

“……Where did it go?”

“My lady?”

I searched every corner of the carriage, thinking I might have dropped it, but the reticule was nowhere to be found.

“Um, well. Just a moment.”

Sensing my panic, the coachman asked cautiously.

“Surely you aren’t telling me you don’t have the fare?”

“…….”

“My lady?”

He rubbed his hands together, offering a practiced, professional smile.

“…….”

I offered an equally awkward smile and slowly nodded my head.

“If you don’t have money, use your legs, lady!”

Slam! Crash!

After a series of loud noises, I was kicked out of the carriage.

I had planned to hand over a ring or a necklace if it really came down to it, but the carriage sped away before I even had the chance.

“I didn’t plan on running away from home like this.”

I didn’t want to go back to that house, sure, but I didn’t want to become a runaway in this manner.

I sighed, dusted off my skirt, stood up, and took a slow look around.

“This place is……”

It was a strange, unfamiliar sight.

What entered my vision was a slum so dilapidated that I couldn’t believe it was still within the capital.

A gloomy atmosphere hung in the air, and emaciated people were slumped over everywhere. Some of them looked as though they were high on drugs.

‘…….’

I was momentarily stunned by the sight, something I had never witnessed in my life, but soon I froze for a different reason.

Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at me all at once. My attire, so out of place in this environment, naturally drew everyone’s attention.

To make matters worse, the sun was setting. It felt as though total darkness would fall any second.

‘……I should just move for now. There must be a place to stay.’

I was about to take a step when—

“Liquor! I told you to bring me more liquor!”

A man’s roar echoed from somewhere. Instinctively, my eyes were drawn to the source. The others didn’t even look, as if they were used to it.

“You, hic, useless brat……”

The owner of the voice was a heavily intoxicated man. He was brandishing a broken bottle, acting like a madman.

‘A child?’

Standing across from him was a boy less than half his size. He stood with his head bowed low, looking utterly terrified.

“D-Dad……. We don’t have any money……”

“Find some, no matter what!”

Smash!

The bottle shattered right next to the boy. Glass fragments flew everywhere.

“Dad, please……. Stop this.”

“You little bastard……”

The man grabbed the boy by the collar and hoisted him up.

Slap!

A thick hand sliced through the air and struck the boy’s cheek.

“……!”

“You useless……! Just like your mother!”

After that, the man swung his fists several more times until the boy lost consciousness. Once the child slumped to the ground, the man gulped down the remaining alcohol.

What was most shocking was the attitude of the people in the slums. Even as a child was slapped and knocked out, no one reacted. No, they didn’t even look. It was as if this were a daily occurrence.

I hurried toward the boy.

“Hey, are you okay? Open your eyes.”

I placed his head on my lap and checked his condition. The capillaries in his right cheek had burst, and it was swollen red, but he seemed to have only fainted from the shock. His life wasn’t in danger.

‘Thank goodness.’

After carefully laying the boy’s head back on the ground, I stood up and placed my hand on the shoulder of the man who was walking away.

He turned his head.

“Hic, what……”

“You crazy bastard.”

Slap!

I struck the man’s cheek with all my might.

“Y-you crazy……! Hic……”

I must have hit him quite accurately, as the man’s body wobbled from side to side. Eventually, he regained his senses and grabbed me by the collar.

“Why, you little……!”

“Let go.”

I struggled to pry his hands off, but it was no use. The strength of a man who had lost his reason was not something I could overcome.

“I said…… why did you…… hit the child……”

My vision began to blur. I couldn’t even breathe properly because he was choking me. The man stammered, his mind still clouded.

“You…… damned girl…… how dare you slap me……!”

The man’s thick hand rose into the air. With a hand that size, I’d likely be knocked out in one blow.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“…….”

“W-what!”

Contrary to my expectation, I didn’t feel the impact of a fist. I only heard the man’s panicked voice.

What happened? I cautiously opened my eyes.

“I thought we agreed to stay quiet, old man.”

“……?”

A man with red curly hair was firmly gripping that thick wrist.

At that moment—

Ding!

◎ Final Male Lead discovered! ◎

◎ You have found all the male leads. Reward: ‘Telescope of the Heart’ provided. ◎

‘……The final male lead?’

“Hey. Are you okay?”

The man asked me, his left hand still holding the drunkard’s wrist.

“L-let go of me!”

Immediately, the man tossed the drunkard aside without a moment’s hesitation. With a series of crashes, a terrible scream followed. Come to think of it, there were broken bottles over there.

“Did you get hit somewhere?”

When I didn’t respond, lost in a daze, he knelt down to meet my eyes.

“…….”

“Hey.”

The man spoke to me. He possessed a beauty that didn’t pale in comparison to Gervan or Johann.

Curly red hair and piercing crimson eyes. His sharp fangs made him look both playful and mischievous. However, one thing was clear—he didn’t look like a high-ranking noble.

“You don’t seem hurt……”

He turned my head this way and that, examining my state.

‘……!’

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

‘If this man is the final male lead……’

The only courtable character. The only solution to escape this world. It was the man standing right in front of me.

“……?”

I hurriedly grabbed his sleeve. He looked visibly flustered. I knew it was rude, but I didn’t have time to worry about etiquette. Losing this man meant losing the chance to see the game’s ending.

“You don’t look like you belong here. Did you take a wrong turn?”

“Pardon? Ah.”

When I nodded cautiously, he continued.

“Do you have a place to stay?”

I shook my head. He pondered for a moment, then reached out his hand toward me as if he had no choice.

“Can’t be helped. The nights in Barakan are dangerous……. Grab on.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, take my hand.”

He pulled me to my feet.

“Let’s go find a place to sleep.”

He offered a playful grin, revealing his fangs.

“I’ll give you a place to stay, just for tonight.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________

I followed the man through the twisting alleys of the slums. The red of his hair was the only vibrant thing in this grey, dying place.

“I’m Kael,” he said without looking back.

“Evelyn,” I replied softly.

He led me to a small, surprisingly clean shack at the edge of the district. It wasn’t a palace, but compared to the street, it was a sanctuary.

“Stay here. Don’t go outside until morning,” Kael warned, his crimson eyes glowing slightly in the dark.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, clutching the ‘Telescope of the Heart’ in my pocket.

Kael paused at the door, a half-smile playing on his lips.

“Let’s just say I have a weakness for ‘lost’ things. Especially pretty ones.”

◎ Likability increased by 2%! ◎

◎ Current likability for Kael: 2% ◎

As he closed the door, I pulled out the Telescope.

If this man was my only way out, I needed to know exactly what kind of ‘lost’ thing he was.

One thing was for sure: the final piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place.