168
Hierarchy exists everywhere in the world.
There are class differences even within a country. Even within the same class, there is a significant gap between the rich and the poor. The same goes for slums.
Even though it is a slum, there are people who wear expensive jewellery and show off their wealth. And there are also untouchables who fight until their whole body breaks but cannot escape the ‘dump’.
“Is this your house?”
I said, looking at the hill formed by the piles of industrial waste and garbage. Next to it was a house made of scrap iron and sheet metal.
“Crunch.”
Even though the crawler couldn’t speak human language, it seemed to understand what I was saying.
Squeak.
The crawler led me into the house. The rusty iron door creaked open. I was a little puzzled.
‘A guy with this level of fighting power lives in a place like this?’
This was the Bellato Federation, where all kinds of alien races lived together. Unlike the Empire, they did not deprive alien races of their rights.
This crawler was treated very poorly compared to his fighting ability. He was not treated well even among the gangs.
There was a noise inside the crawler’s house. The door opened and someone came out.
“Father, are you fighting again? Who are you?”
It was a fluent human language. But the child who spoke it was not human.
‘Young Crawler.’
The young crawler looked at me and quickly hid behind the wall. His movements were quick.
thud.
Crawler put Gabriel down on the bed and sat down on the torn up sofa.
Knock knock.
The crawler pointed to the fridge. The kid sighed and took out a beer and brought it over.
“You still drink alcohol when you’re so injured?”
The child grumbled. Crawler snatched the beer bottle away and drank it in gulps.
“Eww!”
The crawler trimmed heavily.
“Kaha, ke, dodo… … .”
The crawler pointed at me and said something to his child. It seemed to be the crawler’s language.
“Translate, kid.”
I said as I sat down on the chair.
“… … Are you rich?”
The little boy asked.
“I’m not rich, but I work for a rich person.”
The little boy’s expression brightened slightly. I didn’t find it very pleasing to see his father, who was half dead, making such an expression.
A conversation took place between the crawler and the kid. What was strange was that the kid did not speak the crawler’s language.
“My father is asking if you can take care of me. He wants me out of the slums.”
“I don’t quite understand. With that level of ability, you could just work as a mercenary or a bodyguard.”
“If you’re honest, you can just work. But most of the crawlers are trash, so they don’t do proper work. They’d rather fight and take it. They’re stupid, lazy, and narrow-minded.”
The boy spoke with contempt for his own race.
‘Interesting.’
Aside from work, I was curious about the crawler and the kid.
The conversation continued with the crawler speaking and the kid interpreting.
“My father judged you to be a wealthy man with plenty of money to spare. He also thought you were an honorable man who respected warriors.”
To some extent, that’s true. And to some extent, it’s also false.
“so?”
The crawler threw a beer bottle at the wall. It hit the wall and shattered badly.
“Bowl!”
The crawler lowered his head along with the little one’s, crushing his head.
‘A request made with all pride thrown away.’
Although it was a brief meeting, I could see his character. If it was something that concerned only his own safety, he would not bend even if it meant death.
But I could bow my head for my children.
Regardless of the circumstances, the crawler in front of me must have been an outstanding warrior among his kind. He must have been full of pride and knew honor befitting his abilities.
There must be a reason why such a person ended up as a slum cleaner.
‘shit.’
I squinted my eyes. Looking at the crawler with his head down, I was reminded of Heilas. It felt like someone was poking at my vulnerable emotional core.
I’m busy. When things calm down, I have to take Gabriel to a good hospital, get him treated, and listen to his story. I can’t waste time feeling sorry for him.
“You gave me shelter, so I’ll just listen to your story.”
Only then did the crawler smile. The boy opened his door as if to tell her to follow him.
“My father’s name is Legor. He was exiled and has no tribe. My name is Boyan.”
I looked into the little boy’s room.
It was shabby and messy, but… … this was a scholar’s room. The walls were lined with books of unknown origin, and next to the old computer were data chips neatly organized by subject. It seemed that he was a person who was good at organizing.
And on the table, the notebooks were scattered, as if someone had just been studying.
“Do you know the meaning of this room?”
“Little one,” Boyan said with a bitter smile.
I don’t know much about the Crawler race, but they are a ferocious fighting race, and far from being academic.
The standard values of a race do not apply to individuals absolutely. There are large differences between individuals in intelligent races. However, there are not many cases where temperaments are completely opposite. Even if such temperaments and tendencies exist, they tend to soften or be lost as one lives.
Even though there are beings who are born with individuality that is often isolated from others, the environment and society suppress and level that individuality.
However, among the ‘often born personalities’, those who are particularly outstanding are not suppressed until the end. They collide with the environment that surrounds them, become frustrated, and die…
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‘… … or change the environment and society itself to suit yourself.’
A heterogeneous and uncomfortable entity that is difficult for others and society to accept. We call that an ‘irregular’. It is a being that is the seed of chaos and the beginning of change.
I looked back at Boyan’s words and actions. He did not speak the language of the crawlers. He despised and loathed his own race. Even his feelings toward his father were complex love and hate.
It was clear to me why Legor and Boyan were here.
“… … Your own kind must have been hostile to you or tried to kill you. That’s why your father took you and hid in Border City.”
Boyan opened his eyes, embarrassed by my words.
“how?”
“Nothing to be surprised about. You’ll get used to it… … No, that’s enough. Keep talking.”
I bit my lower lip as I spoke. What am I supposed to do if I’ve already decided in my heart to accept it? It’s like a life-size doll, really.
“… … Our species is being eliminated from the planet Novas. We have to compete with other species with advanced social systems, yet we still choose leaders who are better at fighting. Just because we win a fight, we get to decide whether or not the survival of the entire group will be determined!
This is barbaric, even uncivilized. Fight, fight, fight and die! Just being used like fools! You don’t know what politics and diplomacy are and you don’t intend to understand them!”
Boyan let out a sigh. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
Even his father, Legor, would not understand Boyan. Legor was a typical crawler whom Boyan despised.
“I said that a leader should not be someone who is good at hunting and fighting, but someone who can see into the future and make wise decisions. Then everyone tried to kill me for insulting the honor of a warrior. You fools who don’t know what’s right or wrong!”
“You were young. Your remarks were without wisdom or insight. You ignored long-standing traditions, so it is only natural that they want to kill you.”
I spoke indifferently, but I felt something stirring inside me. I understood Boyan better than anyone else.
Heilas kept coming to mind. He had given me advice when we first met.
‘It’s okay to be better than others. But you shouldn’t be different from others. That is, if you want to live long.’
The young, even the young ones, make fun of the wisdom of those who have lived before them. Only with the passage of time do they understand the meaning of the words.
“What do you want to do when you leave here?”
“… …I will study and become a federal official.”
The moment I heard it, a smile came out along with a hollow laugh.
“That’s funny.”
Boyan flared up. A low, crawler-like growl escaped his lips. When this guy grows up, he’ll be a monster who can easily tear apart a human or two.
“If you’re going to do it, be a politician, a leader… … What was it, oh, yes, president. You should be at least president. It’s probably impossible, but try hard.”
I laughed.
Even the Bellato Federation is a human nation. Even though it outwardly advocates freedom and diversity, it will not hand over the decision-making power of the nation to a non-human race.
‘A foreign race, especially one as uncomfortable as a crawler, can’t possibly become a high-ranking official or leader.’
Obviously, Boyan will be frustrated with reality. He will crash countless times and break. He will live a life far from happiness.
But I wanted to help Boyan, if only he had the courage to choose an unhappy life.
Damn, this is what it ends up being.
Actually, the moment I saw Boyan’s room, I expected that I would be like this. I have several psychological weaknesses. This is one of them.
I am weak to those who try to fight the world alone.
“Pack your bags.”
I said as I left the room.
“Khuhaat!”
Legor was laughing heartily and drinking beer after beer. He must have heard the whole story of me and Boyan.
“I will take your son. I will hire you too… … .”
Legor shook his head before I could finish speaking. He thumped his chest.
“My father will leave Border City as soon as he gets rid of this worm called me. He is not a person suited to this kind of civilization and city life in the first place.”
Boyan said from inside the room.
I waited for Boyan while checking on Gabriel’s condition.
thud!
Meanwhile, Legor stretched out his fist and slammed it into the wall. The scrap metal-lined wall buckled and shattered, revealing a small box inside.
Click.
When I opened the box, jewels and gold coins sparkled.
I did not refuse the gold and jewels. To refuse would be to insult Legor.
“I will accept your sincerity.”
Boyan came out of the room quickly. His luggage was small. The number of books was embarrassing.
“… … I’ve read the books inside so many times that I’ve memorized them.”
Boyan said, sensing my gaze. He seemed to be quite perceptive.
“Kat, Toha. Rui… … .”
“Legor said as he carried Gabriel.
“They say they’ll guide you out of the slums. They say if you’re confident, no one will attack you.”
“You’re incredibly strong. Your bones must have been broken a lot… … .”
After hearing my words, Legor laughed even louder.
“Even among the father crawlers, he is quite strong. If I hadn’t been there, he would have been able to aim for the position of chief. My presence is an obstacle… … .”
Before Boyan could finish speaking, Legor rolled his eyes. Boyan closed his mouth.
‘It’s complicated.’
It was a rich man’s relationship mixed with love and hate. I have no way of knowing what kind of conflicts they went through.
‘Legor is a typical crawler. If Boyan wasn’t his son, he would have torn him to pieces long ago.’
There were probably frequent handcuffs as well.
‘Legordo couldn’t change his child’s personality and gave up. He just accepted it as it was.’
I had no idea how difficult the process of acknowledging my child’s specialness would be.
As Regor had said, there was no trouble while they were wandering around the slums. Even after they left the slums, Regor continued to move around for a long time while carrying Gabriel.
‘Everyone is slowly avoiding the crawler.’
People hated being associated with crawlers. There’s a reason they avoid them so much.
Even though they were of the same combat race, the way they viewed the Equusians was completely different.
‘It’s probably because most crawlers are hasty and impulsive.’
Crawlers cause trouble by wielding violence over trivial matters. It is different from the violence of the Equusians, who operate on principles.
Regor carried Gabriel to the hospital. As soon as I paid the hospital bill, a group of medical staff dressed in nice gowns came out and took Gabriel away on a gurney.
“Are you going to get treatment?”
I said this while looking at Legor’s back. He refused even the treatment and was about to leave.
“Kedah.”
Legor turned around and spoke to me. I don’t know the language of the crawlers, but I could tell that he meant thank you.
“You may never see your father again.”
I said, pushing Boyan’s back. Legor was catching his breath and looking at Boyan.
The two did not speak in human or crawler language. They just looked at each other awkwardly.
Boyan spoke first.
“I finally feel relieved that I have passed the buck to someone else… … Ugh!”
I quickly raised my hand and hit the back of his head.
“I am an orphan who grew up without a family. So listen carefully, Boyan. I don’t think family gives you anything for granted. You should thank Regor, not your father. It must have been thanks to Regor’s efforts that you were able to survive until now.”
Boyan thought about something and then spoke in the crawler language for the first time. I couldn’t understand the content, but I could understand one word.
“… … Keda.”
Boyan bowed his head and said, “It seems that ‘Kedah’ means gratitude.
Legor waved his hand and disappeared. Despite his serious injuries, his steps seemed light. He really seemed quite carefree.
Legor must have been conflicted all along, because his life was ruined because of his son.
“He wasn’t a good father. He used to beat me a lot. I was beaten so much that I can barely see out of my left eye.”
Boyan muttered.
‘… … But I didn’t run away from you.’
I didn’t say that. That’s presumptuous. Their feelings are beyond my understanding.
“Still, I think I’ll miss my father often.”
Boyan’s big tears fell.
