“O, Father of Light, Luminous. Bless your pitiful lamb and deliver us from suffering.” Ser Deon chanted a prayer, a ritual before casting a signature healing spell of the Paladin of Luminous, [Divine Cure]. A bright light poured out of Ser Deon’s hand. He hovered the light all over Napier’s face, closing some of the gash in his face and stopping his bleeding nose.

  “Wow, so that’s how healing magic works.” All the kids that were watching the healing process were amused. They all heard about the people of the church being able to heal people with magic before, but they never actually witnessed one nor were they privy to receive one.

  “Huh… neat,” Napier felt his face with his only hand left… his right hand. At first he was skeptical when Ser Deon offered to heal him, but now, he was both amazed and somewhat grateful to Ser Deon. “I still feel a bit pain though… and itchy. My face feels itchy.” He started to scratch the place where his wound was healed.

  “The itchiness is normal. That’s just part of your body healing yourself. And so is the pain. Healing magic helps reduce pain, but it does not completely remove it until your body fully heals itself.” Napier and the kids were confused, and Ser Deon could tell why they were confused. Most people had the same misconception about healing magic. Ser Deon grabbed one of Napier’s loose teeth from the kids’ hand and put it back on to Napier’s gum as he cast [Divine Cure] at the tooth. “Healing magic does not… magically heal all your wounds. What it does is boost your body’s healing capabilities with mana. So basically it just makes you heal faster… if you guys get what I mean.”

  Some of the kids were still confused, and Ser Deon did not know how to explain it in a much simpler way. However, some of the smarter kids understood exactly what Ser Deon meant — including Napier. “So… you can’t regenerate my hand with your healing magic?” Napier showed Ser Deon the stump on his left arm, half-hoping there was still some hope to get his hand back. But Ser Deon could only show pity. “I’m sorry kid. As far as I know there’s no healing magic that can do that… Some of the best healers can reattach limbs… but…”

  Napier understood what Ser Deon was trying to say. It was far too late for him. He sighed a bit, but luckily, he did not expect much. So the disappointment did not hurt him at all. “That’s fine. It is what it is. At least you put my teeth back for me.” He joked a bit, trying to ease Ser Deon’s guilt. While Napier was a bit annoyed at Ser Deon’s pity, in the end, this was a guy who healed him, so he could not be too angry at him.

  However, Ser Deon just looked at him with more pity instead of laughing at his joke. Unable to bear it anymore, Napier changed the subject instead. “Say… that Eda girl. Is she always… that scary?”

  It worked. Ser Deon’s attention was turned to Eda who was currently talking to Grigori. His curiosity overwhelmed the sympathy he had for Napier. “I honestly don’t know. Today is the first time I really ever interacted with her. And she seemed like a normal, good girl to me… at least before this whole thing.”

  Napier was also curious about the girl who put the fear of God into him. Judging by how Grigori was interacting with her, it seemed that they were close before. He just did not get why Eda would leave the gang though. “It seemed she used to run with you guys. Was she always… so… reckless? I don’t know how to describe her.” Ser Deon asked Napier. “I don’t know. When I joined, she already quit.” Napier looked at the most veteran member in the group outside of Grigori right now, Daniel. “Was she always like this?”

  Daniel, who was bored out of his mind and could not wait to go back fishing, was woken up from his stupor by Napier’s sudden question. “Huh, Eda? … not really. She, Grigori and Az-” He stopped himself before saying the name, confusing Napier and Ser Deon who was listening intently. “Well, her and Grigori used to be your typical street urchins. Running away as fast as they can on the first sight of trouble. They changed after they met Regulus… well… all of us did.”

  Napier understood immediately what Daniel tried to say. Regulus also changed him. Ever since he met Regulus and followed him, Napier could feel himself changing. He who used to just accept everything the world threw at him, now tried to actually do something for himself.

  “Regulus?” Ser Deon, on the other hand, had no idea who Regulus was. Once they realized they might have leaked information to someone who might be a figure of authority, Napier and the kids put their hands on their pistols, ready to execute him for the sake of the leader. Ser Deon noticed the change in atmosphere, and realized he might have stumbled into something he should not have known…

  “He’s our boss,” but Daniel killed the tension in an instant. Saying what most of the new members thought was supposed to be a secret so casually. Napier nudged Daniel, “Is it fine to talk about Regulus in front of him?” he whispered into Daniel’s ear while giving a glance towards Ser Deon.

  But Daniel seemed to not notice Napier’s attempt at secrecy and spoke in a normal volume, “It’s fine, it’s not like he could do anything to Regulus anyway. We should be fi-” Daniel then remembered John. While he did not know the details of his betrayal, everyone assumed that he sold information to Carven. “... we… we should be fine… I think.” He said while avoiding Napier’s eyes, cold sweat pouring like crazy.

  “... seriously, you…” Napier was at a loss of words. He could not believe an old member such as Daniel could be so careless with information. But at the same time he felt bad seeing the now nervous Daniel, so he tried to comfort him. “Well… it should be fine. It’s just a name. Not much he could do with just a name.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know right. Hahahaha.” Daniel laughed nervously, trying to convince himself that everything would be alright. Napier could not help but smile. He was reminded that his current gang was just a gathering of kids who were free to act carelessly as kids should. He then shot a death glare towards Ser Deon, who remained silent, trying not to give the kids any reason to fight him.

  “What’s done is done. We’ll part ways today in amicable terms. Hopefully it’ll stay that way for the rest of our lives.” Napier said to Ser Deon. He could sense the veiled threat in Napier’s tone. All Ser Deon could do to not escalate the situation was nod. And that nod was more than enough to calm some of the kids' tension, but Ser Deon could still feel Napier’s threatening gaze at him.

  They stood in silence as they waited for Grigori and Eda to finish their conversation. Unable to stand the awkward silence and Napier’s glare, Ser Deon decided to start a conversation. “Say… what do you kids think about going to the monastery? We could ensure all of you have a good life. You don’t need to struggle on the street anymore, to live a life of crime like this.”

  It was a suggestion with good intention, but a misplaced one. Every single one of the kids looked at Ser Deon with eyes full of vitriol. Even Daniel, the kid who was generally cordial to him this whole time looked at him with disgust. “We know you’re a good guy, so we’re going to let that slide...” Ser Deon shuddered. He could not believe a kid could have so much killing intent in their voice. “... but just because you’re a good guy — You don’t get to tell us how to live our lives.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Ser Deon nodded. He realized he just crossed a line he should not have, probably even more dangerous than learning their boss’ name. They returned back to silent, but it was no longer awkward. Just a lot more death glares from the children. Ser Deon’s face remained stoic despite the glares, but inside his heart, Ser Deon was crying. He sincerely prayed to Luminous that Eda would finish her talk soon and they could get away from the alley as soon as possible.

  ******

  “Huh, neat.” Grigori was observing Ser Deon using healing magic from afar. Next to him was Eda, who was fidgeting, unsure what to say. The fidgeting bothered him so much that Grigori was tempted to be the one to start the conversation… but he remembered that he was still angry at her for leaving the gang, and he felt like he lost if he’s the one to talk to her first.

  “Gri… Uhm…” But Eda was unable to find the word to start a conversation. She knew Grigori was angry at her, and she felt guilty about it too. If the situation was reversed, she too would be angry at Grigori. That was why she could not fault Grigori, and why she was having a hard time trying to reconnect. “Gri… Reg…” But her indecision pissed off Grigori. To the point he decided to be the bigger man. “So… Eda. Can everybody in the monastery do healing magic like that blond guy?”

  A huge smile decorated Eda’s face, she was so happy that Grigori decided to talk first, to the point that Grigori felt a bit embarrassed on how transparent Eda’s happiness was. “Uhhhm… as far as I know… not really. I’ve never seen anybody use healing magic before. Sister Marie might know how though.”

  “I see.” Grigori responded. They went silent again and Eda began to fidget again. However, the awkward silence this time was not caused on purpose, but because he genuinely did not know how to continue the conversation. It had been almost a month since they last talked. He did not expect that he would be having trouble conversing with Eda like they used to before.

  “Grigori… Have you been well.” Eda finally managed to gather the courage to break the awkward silence. While his face remains uninterested, deep down he was grateful that he did not need to be the one to initiate the conversation. “I’ve been well… I guess. Oh, I’m in charge of a clique now. We’re specializing in pickpocketing.” Energy started to fill Grigori’s voice. Suddenly, it felt like they were back in the old times. The time where they could just talk about anything to each other. “Heh, I can see that. I’m one of your victims too. Not bad if I say so myself.”

  Grigori laughed remembering the fact that the reason they reunited was because she was a victim of his crime. “Hahahaha. Seriously, how the hell do you let someone steal from you?” Eda felt a bit embarrassed, her pride as a former street urchin was a bit hurt when she let her guard down and allowed someone to steal from sister Jane… wait… Sister Jane. “Oh Shit! Sister Jane!”

  Eda went into full panic mode. She realized that they had let the infamously clumsy, sister Jane to fend for herself. Worse, the only other person she could rely on to take care of her, Ser Deon, went to chase after her. Sister Jane was now all by herself, and Eda was worried that she would find sister Jane dead in a gutter somehow.

  “Sister Jane?” Grigori was confused by Eda’s sudden outburst. He could guess that Sister Jane was probably the person Eda went with into town, but he did not understand why her name caused so much panic in her. “Oh, uhm. She’s the person I went with. She’s actually the person your boys stole from, and I’m worried about her safety right now.”

  “She’s that bad huh,” Grigori realized that this sister Jane might be a true headcase, considering Eda never even panicked this hard when she left Azali alone for a moment. “Yeah, she’s… that bad. Ser Deon!” Eda called for Ser Deon, who she realized looked like a frightened child.

  “Yes! Are we returning?” Ser Deon immediately walked towards Eda, trying to escape the death glares of the children that were still haunting his back. “Can you return to Sister Jane first. I’m worried about her.”

  “Oh, Shit. Sister Jane.” That’s when Ser Deon remembered about Sister Jane. and now he was worried he would find Sister Jane burned in a stake somehow. “Alright, I will be leaving first. Will you be fine to follow after?”

  “Yeah, I will be. There’s still something I want to say to my friends.” Ser Deon nodded. And he left Eda without hesitation. He knew that Eda was safe among the urchins. He also could not wait to leave the alley after messing up, saying something he was not supposed to. And worst of all, he left Sister Jane on her own. He wondered if that would be the biggest mistake he made today.

  “Shouldn’t you follow him?” Grigori asked Eda as Ser Deon ran. A part of him wanted her to rejoin the gang, but at the same time, he knew Eda leaving this life was the best decision she could make. “Yeah, I’ll follow him after. Say, Grigori, how’s Regulus?”

  “He’s still acting like usual. Being Regulus.” Eda laughed in relief. Her other best friend, Regulus, was doing well too. “Oh, and he’s also the leader of our gang now. Granted, most of the decisions are still made by the older kids like usual.”

  “Hmmm, well, it was only a matter of time.” Eda was not surprised at all that Regulus became their leader. She never really thought about it, but at the same time, it felt like the natural conclusion for Regulus to lead their merry band of urchins and outcasts. “Well… I think I’m gonna leave now. And Grigori, come and visit me sometimes at the monastery. With Regulus, Kisara, D’aka, and the others too. You don’t need to leave the gang… just come and play with me for a bit.”

  Eda looked like she’s about to cry as she said that. The monastery life had been peaceful and great for her, but she would be lying if she said she did not miss the urchins. “... I’ll think about it... And I’ll make sure to tell the others to visit you too.” Grigori tried to act cool, but he failed miserably. A tinge of red shade was seen on his cheek. Eda giggled, she knew that Grigori was at the age where boys feel embarrassed to show their emotion.

  “Thanks Grigori. See you again.” Eda embraced Grigori as she said her goodbyes. Knowing the lives he led, there was no guarantee they could see each other again. After a few seconds, they released their embrace. “Don’t forget about this.” Grigori handed Eda Sister Jane’s purse, which she almost forgot. Grigori had a huge grin on his face, teasing Eda for almost forgetting. She laughed back and lightly kicked Grigori’s shin, just like old times.

  “See you Grigori.” Eda then turned her back on him. Hugging Daniel on the way out and bowing apologetically at Napier for beating him up. She then left the alley, leaving the kids to their own device.

  “There she goes. You sure you won’t miss her?” Daniel asked Grigori who was still looking longingly at the direction where Eda left. “Oh, I will. But even though I wanted her back in the gang — I don’t get to tell her how to live her life.”

  Daniel cringed a bit hearing that. “You heard us?” He wondered if Grigori just happened to say the same thing as Napier, or he actually managed to split his focus and talked to Eda while listening to the others' conversation with Ser Deon.

  “Hmmm. Yeah, I heard you. Don’t be too angry at the dude. He meant well.” Grigori said it like it was the most natural thing to be able to focus on different conversations just like that, not realizing what a feat it was.

  “I guess Regulus changes you afterall.” Daniel muttered to himself, wondering if Grigori heard that too or not.

  ******

  A red haired boy was strolling on the street. While his hair was that of unusual color, most people chose to ignore the boy. Some ignored the boy because they were busy with their life. Some tried to ignore the boy, but could not help but to gawk at his handsome face. While some… some realized who the boy was, and tried to avoid their gaze to not draw his attention.

  The boy on the other hand, did not really care what the mooks around him were doing. They could be entranced by his face, they could be scared for their lives. It matters not to the boy. He was just bored out of his mind. There was not much to do.

  His crime operation was pretty much non-existent right now, as their entire gang went into hiding. The only thing the gang got going right now was the potential gang war with the new kids on the block — a literal gang of children led by Regulus.

  While Gano had requested their help for the war and Rex had reluctantly agreed to help, the truth was, there was not much for them to do yet. As far as they know, Gano had tried using smaller gangs to start a skirmish with Regulus’ gang, but they had all been slaughtered. Trying to locate their hideout bore no results, and trying to take over their racketeering operation led back to the first problem, a skirmish that they eventually lost.

  Rex only agreed to help with big operations, and Gano had no lead that allowed them to do any big operation against Regulus, so now the boy was stuck in limbo with nothing to do. He could try helping Gano find leads — he had been trying to find his own leads, but Regulus and his gang were more slippery than he thought. He had a guess that they would be somewhere underground, but trying to pinpoint their location was near impossible.

  So now, the boy wandered aimlessly on the street. Bored out of his mind — until something caught his attention. A girl in sister garb was crying on the side of a stall, her ankle obviously twisted. Then, a young blond handsome man came, looking relieved to see the crying sister, which in turn she started to complain towards him.

  While it was quite a unique sight, it did not hold the boy’s interest — until a smaller girl came to meet the two. The boy noticed something, the girl was packing. She tried to hide it, and she hid it well… but not well enough to hide it from the boy. He wondered why a little girl from a monastery would be packing weapons.

  It was probably something insignificant, but since he had nothing better to do anyway, the boy decided to stalk the group. At worst, he just wasted his day following a bunch of nobodies. However, following them might also lead to something interesting. Either way, he was already curious. He wondered what kind of life the small girl led.