"You speak the common tongue?" Kiana looked surprised. After all, even the guards inside the city only spoke the local dialect; it was hard to imagine a scavenger child from outside the walls had received any foreign language education.
"Only... a little," the boy replied haltingly. It was clear he hadn't received systematic schooling. Then, he asked again, "Are you gods?"
Strange. Normally, the first question is 'Who are you?', right?
Though curious, Kiana patiently explained, "We're not gods, just foreigners who recently arrived in South Asia."
"Oh, I see." Visible disappointment washed over the boy's face. He lowered his head, staring blankly at his bandaged wound.
Strangely, even though the wound was clearly deep, he didn't feel any pain.
Of course not. To stop the bleeding, Ren had directly frozen the wound using his Herrscher of Ice authority, forcing the pain nerves into necrosis. Naturally, the boy couldn't feel anything.
"Why... did you think we were gods?"
"Because the people from the Relief Association said these monsters are trials sent by the gods, and only gods can kill them. And just now, you both..." The boy trailed off, clearly having witnessed them using their abilities.
"Relief Association?"
"Mhm, they can cure the sickness on us." With that, the boy seemed to remember something. He tugged his sleeve down, covering the purple markings on his arm, and subconsciously took a step back. "Sorry, I shouldn't get close to you."
Kiana wanted to ask more, but the boy clearly didn't want to talk further. Looking at his thin frame, she felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy.
"Are you hungry? I have some snacks here." She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a few packets of snacks.
But just as she was about to hand them to the boy, Ren suddenly grabbed her wrist and shook his head. Confused, Kiana looked up and saw the scavenger children who had fled earlier had returned, gathering around them.
Judging by their gazes, they were clearly staring at the food in Kiana's hand.
But Kiana, overwhelmed by sympathy, wasn't thinking straight and simply thrust the food into the boy's hands.
"Eat something first. You need energy after being injured so badly."
The boy's face showed no joy upon receiving the food. Instead, he flinched instinctively. Glancing around, he saw only faint green glints in the eyes of the other children his age.
He had no doubt that the moment Ren and Kiana left, the food in his hands would be snatched away instantly.
"Tsk." Unable to watch any longer, Ren clicked his tongue, reached into his pocket – actually accessing his Imaginary Space – and pulled out a large stack of compressed biscuits.
He raised his hand and spoke in the local dialect, "One each. Eat it now. You know what happens if you try to take it with you."
His tone was cold. Every scavenger who met his gaze couldn't help but shiver, having no doubt this foreigner could easily kill them.
With that, Ren tossed the biscuits at the scavengers' feet, as if feeding lowly stray dogs.
However, the children showed no sign of feeling humiliated. Instead, they obediently picked up the biscuits from the ground and began chewing voraciously right there. Even if they choked, they just pushed at their throats, forcing the food down.
The boy who received Kiana's snacks did the same, devouring everything in seconds. Seeing his food gone, the other scavengers lost interest and turned to leave.
Of course, some greedy ones wanted more, but after seeing Ren casually snap a tree branch as thick as a thigh, they didn't dare say anything and scurried away fearfully.
"Ren, was threatening them really okay? They're just a bunch of kids."
"It's fine," the boy spoke up before Ren could answer. "They and I are the lowest caste. No one cares if we get killed. Besides, we've already been abandoned by the main god; no one cares about our lives."
Perhaps sensing Kiana's kindness, the boy became much more talkative. "You're outsiders; you must be careful of those guys. If you run into trouble, just kill them."
"Why? Aren't they your own people?"
"I just don't want to be dragged down by them."
Ren couldn't help but look at the boy with newfound respect; his maturity far exceeded his age. Ren spoke up, "Take us to the settlement. I'll pay you."
"Mhm." The boy didn't ask further questions and simply led the way.
Along the journey, the boy answered many questions about the caste system, religious worship, and other local customs, giving Kiana a deeper understanding of the South Asia region.
Before long, a shantytown constructed from scraps of cloth and wood came into view. From afar, they could faintly see many residents moving about. Its scale was surprisingly comparable to the prosperous inner city.
"This is where I live."
Ren nodded and asked, "Money or food?"
He took out a small wad of bills – local currency Himeko had exchanged for him earlier. The thick wad wasn't due to generosity, but because South Asian currency wasn't worth much.
Unexpectedly, the boy didn't look at the money in his hand. Instead, he asked timidly, "Big sister's skin is very white. Could you give me some US dollars?"
"Do you know what you're asking?" The atmosphere instantly tensed. Ren's eyes turned icy cold.
Noticing skin color... it's hard not to suspect this kid has ulterior motives.
"My mother's divine punishment is severe. Only the people from the Relief Association can save her, but the local money can't buy the medicine. If I had US dollars, maybe I could trade for a dose." The boy's legs were trembling violently from fear, but he forced himself to stand tall and answer.
"Aren't you afraid I'll give you counterfeit money?"
"I'm scared, but I trust you. Besides, my father had white skin like big sister. He came to South Asia many years ago and... assaulted my mother. That's how I was born."
"He was a good person. He didn't leave without a word like others did. He even taught me a little common tongue, which is why I can talk to you. But when I was three, he still left us. He left a little money, though."
"If you can give me US dollars, I can recognize them from memory."
"Ren..." After hearing the boy's story, Kiana quietly tugged at Ren's sleeve.
But Ren ignored her, instead pressing his finger against the boy's forehead. The next second, a wisp of green smoke drifted from the point of contact.
Intense pain contorted the boy's face. He clenched his teeth, refusing to make a sound.
When Ren removed his finger, the boy was drenched in sweat. Branding was one of the most painful forms of torture, especially on the head.
Of course, the boy didn't know Ren was merely placing a Herrscher of Dominance mark; the pain was just an illusion Ren created.
"Remember your words. Don't reveal any information about us. Otherwise, the gods won't hesitate to deliver punishment."
Leaving behind a few hundred US dollars, Ren let the boy go. He didn't care what the boy thought about his identity.
"This child... he's far too mature and clever," Kiana murmured, having watched the entire exchange between Ren and the boy.
She subconsciously glanced at Ren's profile. Throughout their journey, Ren had handled all the interactions, not only efficiently but also avoiding considerable trouble.
At that moment, she suddenly understood why Himeko had told her to observe Ren's every move more closely.
Ren didn't notice the change in her gaze, his own eyes fixed sharply on the shantytown. "Let's go. We'll pay a visit to this so-called Relief Association."