Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 005
Chapter Title: Gathering Dust to Form a Mountain
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"Take a customer."
"Who... keh...!"
The wrinkled old Granny, grinding herbs in the corner, scowled fiercely.
"Get out! You damn...! Get out right now?!"
"The smell is so foul it's killing me!"
Granny waved her hands wildly,
throwing a fit like she was chasing away a shit fly.
Well, it was a natural reaction, sure.
But it pissed me off.
"I'm here for treatment, you rude old hag."
I dragged a chair over and plopped down.
Then I propped up my right leg, caked in a mix of filth and blood that ruined any appetite.
"Treatment...? Huh?"
"Got bit by a rat. A fucking huge one."
"......Tch, and it had to be a damn rat?"
Granny made a face like this was a huge hassle,
"Pay up first."
"...You greedy bitch, and you're supposed to be a healer?"
"Who'd be a healer for trash like this? Heh heh..."
"Sigh, fuck."
No choice, I tossed her a silver coin.
"...What, stolen?"
"Stolen my ass. Damn old crone."
It was honest pay for honest work.
Granny pocketed the coin at light speed,
then came over with a wet rag.
"...What the hell have you been doing to end up like this?"
"Shut up and disinfect it. The strongest stuff you've got."
Granny wordlessly scrubbed the wound with the wet rag.
The bite was deeper than I thought.
And since she'd squeezed it out completely, the wound was all mangled.
"Brace yourself. Don't bite your tongue."
Granny uncorked a brown bottle.
A sour stench stabbed my nose.
Glug glug glug.
"Grrrrr...!"
It burned like hell, stinging so bad I thought I'd die.
The fiery pain flashed my vision white.
A scream welled up in my throat, but I clenched my teeth and endured.
Why?
Because I'm in the 3-gold club now,
a great and mighty 'capitalist'.
Can't go screaming like a wuss.
"Huu... fucking hell..."
Cold sweat poured like rain.
Granny stitched the wound with practiced skill,
slathered on a thick paste of yellowish herbs,
and wrapped it tight with bandages to finish.
"Tch... done."
"Hoo... that was fucking brutal."
"...What?"
"Not some pretty sister doing the treating, just a beat-up old hag."
Granny chuckled in disbelief,
"You little shit."
She shuffled back to her corner and resumed grinding herbs.
I got up too.
Definitely easier to walk than before.
"Granny."
"What now?"
"Change?"
"None."
Crazy old bat, swallowing a whole silver coin?
"No conscience?"
"I treated you good."
"Good? Slap on some salve, wrap a bandage, that's it?"
"Tch tch, this is why uneducated brats are..."
It pissed me off to no end,
...but I decided to let it slide, like polishing a turd.
"Haa... fuck, fine. Ripped off again,"
"Tch, why not think it quietly?"
"So, this okay? No disease or anything?"
Granny paused her grinding and gazed at the yellowish sky for a moment,
"Hm..."
"......?"
"Who knows?"
"Fuck off."
Granny cackled unpleasantly,
"Eh, you'll be fine. You came right after it happened."
"...You quack, don't come back."
I flipped her the bird,
then turned to leave.
"Oh, right."
Before going,
"Can you treat an infection that's festered over five years?"
Just asking in passing.
.....
Time chunked away in big bites.
Whether the rat's teeth were poisoned,
or that quack hag's treatment was crap.
I lay feverish in bed for a full week.
This frail kid body was the problem.
Even delirious with fever,
I clutched the pants pocket with three gold coins tight, never letting go.
Rinea probably thought I was jerking off in my sleep.
Scrape, scrape.
The room filled only with the sound of fabric brushing.
Rinea sat by the bedhead,
stitching by the faint moonlight from the window.
Piecework sewing.
On days she couldn't spread her legs,
she spread her fingers to earn instead.
Poor cripple, but diligent.
Deserves a pat on the back.
"Your eyes'll go bad."
My voice was still hoarse.
Rinea whipped her head around in surprise.
"Leon! You're awake?"
"......Water."
Rinea scrambled on the floor (without her peg leg, she crawls)
to fetch a water bowl and held it out.
I chugged it down, finally feeling alive.
I wiped my mouth and nodded at her work.
"How much for that?"
"...This?"
"Yeah."
"Hm... 2 coppers a piece."
Getting rich, huh.
Rubbing her bloodless face, squinting for the needle hole over shit-brown coins.
"Quit it."
"What?"
"Won't make you rich."
"You... don't you know 'gathering dust makes a mountain'?"
Mountain my ass. Dust just makes a big pile of dust.
I snorted inwardly and rustled my pocket.
One, two, three.
Hm, safe and sound today too.
For reference, the silver pouch was stashed in a hidden nook.
I decided to keep the extortion fee and hassle pay from Rinea.
Hard to explain.
Too much to say I found it,
she'd freak thinking it was stolen,
and worst, word gets out, nothing good comes.
This is the slums.
A five-year-old brat and crippled whore mom
with that much cash? Prime goblin bait.
Fuck, even I'd kill and rob us.
Plus dodging that glasses prick's debt collection...
Knock knock—creak,
"...Rinea."
Looks like the guy's here.
"Oh... Master, what brings you..."
"...Can you take him?"
"...Now? Ah..."
Rinea glanced at me,
"Sure."
nodded.
Hm. Time to move.
Earn big, Rinea.
.....
"......Ptoo."
I spat over the stair railing.
Filthy floor anyway, spit won't show.
Creak, creak.
Down the rotting wooden stairs to the first floor.
The hall wasn't empty.
"Wahahaha! Eat and drink your fill! I got it all today!!"
One central table was rowdy as hell.
"Wooo! Boss is the man!"
"Let's drink till we drop today!!"
Four guys in leather armor reeking of iron.
Typical low-rank mercenaries.
Probably their crew banging Rinea now.
I climbed onto my usual high stool in the counter corner.
"Usual."
"...Fucking nut."
"No remarriage thoughts?"
"...Shut up and sit quiet."
Master, as always, scribbled in his ledger.
"Hey old man, water please.
Passed out so long, throat's parched."
"Haa......"
Sighing, he plunked down a wooden cup of water.
Then adjusted his glasses and dove back into writing trance.
Loves that worn-out book so much,
fucks it every night scribbling away.
"What!? A girl!? Wait your turn, punk! Shift soon!"
"Fuck, hate going after Burton."
"Why, scared her pussy'll be loose after?"
"You fuck, done talking?"
Fucking loud as hell.
"Who're those clowns? Rented the place?"
"Let 'em. Fresh off some coin."
"Coin?"
Like someone raiding sewers?
"Killed someone?"
"...Goblin nest."
"Goblins?"
"Yeah. Magic stones paid well. They're boosting today's sales."
Telling even trivia, glasses guy's in a good mood.
Jeez, so predictable.
"Lucky, old man."
"They're the lucky ones."
Goblins and magic stones.
Classic fantasy shit popped up.
Of course, I'd overheard stuff in five years,
knew the world's like that,
but never left the slums, so unreal still.
...Someday, maybe see it.
Gulp gulp. Cool water down the hatch.
Thirst gone, practical worries resurfaced.
3 gold and some forty-odd silvers.
Big money.
Pay glasses 1 gold, ignore origin questions somehow.
Rinea'd feel relief right away.
But then?
Still debts piling.
Pay those too.
What's left? Broke again.
Rinea sells body forever,
me leeching like a parasite.
New debt hits?
"Water."
"......"
Gulp, ahh refreshing.
Anyway, no end that way.
I need time.
This kid body can't do shit.
At least till I'm old enough to work,
support Rinea somehow.
[Haa...! Yes! Harder!]
[You slut, take it!!]
...Having fun, Beat.
Not knowing how long Rinea can take that.
Luck brought this cash,
can't bank on luck again.
So conclusion:
"Money's gotta make money, old man."
"...What bullshit?"
"Tch, live like that forever."
Capitalism 101. Roll the seed money.
Key is methods here...
No coins or stocks,
damn, hard to think with this thick skull...
Creeeak—!
Thud. Thud. Thud.
...What the fuck.
Earthquake?
Floor shaking...
"Hey, Burton! Good fuck?"
"Kahaha! Yeah, drained my balls dry."
The guy coming down looked less man, more shaved bear cub.
Traps bulging to burst, thighs double normal.
Mash three adult men, get that monster size.
Bluntly, biggest body I'd seen.
Past life or this one.
That pounded from above and came down.
"Grr... Beer! Beer!"
The giant sat, chair creaking dangerously.
"So, how was it? That legless crip."
Ah, Rinea.
Mercs cackled, offering mugs.
"Fine. Pretty face too."
"Yeah, she's a looker."
"Ugh... gross, fucking a legless bitch?"
Unpleasant to hear. Rinea's a proud whore of this shop.
Though... product has defects.
The giant downed half a keg,
wiped his mouth with his hand, grinning.
"No legs, can't resist."
"Right?"
"So just hold and thrust, she dangles...
Her hole was tight as fuck."
He circled the air with thick fingers.
"Kahahaha! Crazy bastard! Way you say it!"
"...Wanna go next?"
Wahahaha!
The hearty laughs filled the hall.
"Oh... right, and..."
Suddenly the giant stood,
strode to me and Master.
"Hey, boss."
"......Speak."
"Might wanna check upstairs?"
The giant picked meat from his teeth,
"I came, but..."
"......"
"Midway, blood gushing out?"
Smacking lips,
"Just pounded normal, then pussy exploded...
Anyway. Not my fault?"
Pointing bloodstains on his clothes,
"Look. Makes me uneasy.
Ruined my outfit..."
Thus complained,
reported the paid girl damaged.
To glasses prick.
Ah, got it.
That must suck.
Crash—!
Wooden cup in my hand hit the floor.
No, I threw it.
Shattered, gonna get chewed out later.
"Huh? Rat kid lost it?"
Ignoring glaring eyes,
I jumped off the stool and bolted upstairs.
Bam!
Kicked the door open.
Silent.
Like the noise below was a lie.
Room dead quiet,
whoosh—
Fishy stench hit my nose.
Makes sense, he said blood.
I stepped in slowly.
Bed visible in dark.
And on it, limp white arm.
Closer.
Sheets in moonlight, no longer white.
Drip, drip, drip—
Dark red.
Where Rinea's lower half touched, all a crimson pool.
Blood endlessly from spread legs,
"......"
Legs. Below knees gone, the stumps.
Rotting flesh mashed,
to bloody pus mush.
Took that giant's weight,
crushed on wounded legs.
"Uh...... uuh......"
Rinea's lips quivered.
Couldn't even groan, passed out spasming.
"Ri... on......"
Late footsteps of Master coming up.
I didn't look away from the crimson blood.
Eyes met Rinea's.
"Leon... Ri... on, ah, Leon......"
Ah, stop calling.
Really,
annoying.