43. First Steps (2)
“Who is the mole?”
Everyone looked at Oliver without a word at the innocent question.
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
“·················ogue.”
After a long silence, someone burst out laughing.
“Puhahahaha! 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌 Do you not know who the mole is?”
“Oh, yes. Who is it? You look like a human, don’t you?”
“You seem to be human, but…? hahaha-! Of course he’s human. Famous these days in this neighborhood… Hey, do you really think this guy is a mole minion? Don’t you know who the mole is?”
“No, you could be lying, right?”
“Yeah, I could be lying. Maybe you really don’t know. look at this friend’s face Do you look smart enough to lie?”
The man named Cantra said as he grabbed Oliver’s face with both callus-studded hands to see if there was any sense of distance.
Contrary to his appearance, he was very strong.
Seeing Oliver’s blank face, the pursuers were a little stunned, perhaps persuaded.
“no···. Still, maybe you don’t know?”
“Yes, yes. maybe you don’t know still-“
“- Mr. Cant…. We owe a lot to Cant-san, but it’s a little bit like this… don’t you know It’s unsettling these days.”
Oliver couldn’t comprehend what they were talking about, but he could see that everyone was feeling anxious, anxious, and afraid.
A man named Cantra also agreed to some extent.
Is there something bad going on?
“Well···. I understand what you are saying. Because I understand… How about this?”
“Yes? how?”
“I will take this friend.”
“Yes? What is that…”
“I’m taking this friend, and if there’s anything suspicious, I’ll scold you instead. With this!”
Cant waved his wooden cane and said.
Then those who followed were visibly embarrassed.
“No, what nonsense…”
“Isn’t that absurd? It’s a compromise in my own way, can’t you trust me?”
“Oh no, why can’t we trust Mr. Cant?”
“Then what’s the matter? I’ll watch this dude. So, can you be at peace too? I ask again. can’t you believe me Damn, you’re trying to be sad.”
repeated pressure.
In the end, those who followed Oliver hesitated and backed off.
“······All right. There are things that I owe you to Mr. Cant. Then I will trust you. However, if something goes wrong because of him, then we can’t just move on.”
“Thank you! thank you···! After all, I thought you would trust me. Tears of emotion seem to flow. Come on, this is my personal thank you. receive. receive.”
Cant took out a few bills from his pocket and forcibly shoved them into their arms.
They said they did, but in the end, they accepted Cant’s repeated proposals, pretending they couldn’t win.
“ah···. You really don’t have to. Well then, we’ll go.”
“Yeah, go ahead. If you have any difficulties, come to me. It was nice.”
Cant see them off with an attitude that was not bright and even pleasant.
When they disappeared, only Cant and Oliver were left on the street.
Oliver felt it. The feeling of leaving one by one when a man called Cant is by your side.
He also didn’t seem like a normal person.
“·······Look, hey? Hey! Can’t you hear me?”
Oliver wakes up. Looking ahead, I saw a man named Cantra snapping his fingers.
“Are you bruised that often?”
“ah······. sorry. frightened.”
“Are you scared? Well···. Doesn’t it look like that?”
“I’m a little… Anyway, thanks for your help. Thanks to you, I lived.”
“Oh, I guess you know that. If it was really sent by a mole, he would have been beaten to death, and even if not, his panties would have been taken away. Of course, you should be grateful.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Oliver immediately bowed his head in greeting. It was the tactics he learned in mines and orphanages.
Luckily, a man named Cantra raised the corners of his mouth.
“In that sense, I ask, where did you come from?”
“…from Wineham.”
“Wine ham? Five···. People still live there. But, why did the friend who lived in Weinham come to Landa? Also in Zone X?”
“There are circumstances…”
“circumstances? It’s the circumstances…”
Cant murmured and looked at Oliver.
Long-wearing, shiny jackets and dusty shoes.
He nodded as if he had guessed something.
“Where are your parents?”
“There is not.”
“okay? I don’t have parents… So, why are you here? I’m very curious too? X… No, in fact, outsiders don’t come often even in Area V, so I’m very curious.”
Oliver didn’t answer right away, but looked into Cant’s eyes.
He was an ugly man who didn’t even shave his beard properly, but his eyes showed the same sharp insight as a pharmacist and James.
Oliver had a gut feeling that he couldn’t give a rough answer. Even so, I couldn’t talk straight away.
“·······The person who was taken care of in the past said that he lived here… I was wondering if we could meet again.”
“Who is indebted to?”
“He was the one who helped me in the past.”
“······is it? Have you met?”
“Well···. no.”
“Why did you come to meet me?”
“I wanted to discuss something.”
“What advice?”
“Well······. This is the first time I’ve been out in the world alone, so I wanted to ask you some questions. There are a lot of things I don’t know.”
“Is this the first time you are out in the world? Even though you look stupid, your expression is very noble, right?”
“thank you?”
“under···! Without parents, I came to Randa alone… Did something happen?”
“What···. This and that.”
“this and that···? hahaha, what a strange and suspicious kid.”
“is that so?”
“Okay···. I ask again. I’m asking a very, very serious question, so be serious. for you too.”
Oliver looked into Cant’s eyes and answered.
“···Yes.”
“You really don’t know who the mole is?”
Two brightly shining eyes. Insights like the pharmacist and James shone.
“Yeah, I don’t know…. Who is it?”
“I have. very bad guy… Where are you going?”
Oliver looked at the other side of Sector X. The park where I met Joseph.
Hot dog booths and ice cream booths, fountains and angel statues, and people full of joy and relaxation.
Obviously, I decided to go there, but when I saw an unknown man in front of me, my interest dropped sharply.
“Well······. No, not really.”
“I have nowhere to go…. Of course there’s nowhere to stay tonight, right?”
“uh···. Yes.”
“Is that so? under···.”
The man named Cant rubbed his chin with a rough beard as if he was in trouble. With him he felt a small conflict.
“Well······. Ha, I must be really crazy. They didn’t even look alike… kid If you have nowhere to go, follow me. It will be cold soon.”
“·················ogue.”
“Well, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to follow me.”
“…if it’s okay with you, could you please allow me to ask a question?”
“Allow questions? You are very polite. I don’t like polite children. ask why? I wonder if they are kidnapped and sold on a farm?”
“no···. I know it’s not malicious. I know you’re genuinely trying to help me. Thank you very much.”
“·················ogue.”
“But I have never met such a person. You’re just a genuine helper… May I ask why you want to help?”
“Well···. Why? I do not know. Let’s make big money today and make it feel good. What else could you do? Will you follow me or not? Just say that.”
Oliver looked the other way again. His feelings were meaningless.
“If you give me permission, I would like to follow.”
“You speak really nicely. Then, follow me.”
***
Oliver followed Cant.
Every time he walked, the staff hit the ground and there was a thump-click-sound.
Beggars and some thugs I met by chance on the street greeted me warmly or turned their heads as if I didn’t see them.
“Hello! Cant.”
“Oh, nice to meet you.”
“Are you coming to work?”
“What kind of money do you get?”
As he passed by so many people, Cant turned his head and asked.
“Aren’t you wondering where you are going?”
“Yes? oh···. I wonder.”
“I’m not curious… Aren’t you really that scared?”
Cant’s question was indeed reasonable.
Even if they came out of Zone X to the relatively better Zone W, the low-security slums remained the same, and there, Cant went to an increasingly sparse and eerie place.
A situation in which children as well as adults must be suspicious and fearful.
Obviously, Oliver didn’t show the slightest agitation.
From Kant’s point of view, it could be said that he was a really strange child.
“. . . I am very scared.”
“Oh, right? By the way, I hate lying.”
“It’s not a lie. I hate being sick, I am afraid to die, and there are many other things that are scary.”
“Usually everyone is afraid of getting sick or dying. There are some people who have unusual s*xual orientations, except for that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, my God…. Do you usually talk like that? I think I’m going crazy.”
“. . . someone looked at me and said something like that. It’s broken.”
“Is that so? I saw it right. Who is it?”
“Ah, that-”
“-Are you here?!”
As Oliver was about to answer, a loud voice interrupted from somewhere.
I turned my head in the direction of the sound to see a man and a little boy.
The man was a middle-aged man with wrinkled wrinkles, his nose was open, and the crown of his head was completely bare.
The boy had light blonde hair and was wearing a large, unfitting coat and shoes.
“cant! cant! cant! Our beggars head cant!”
The man approached Cant, throwing away the boy he had been holding by his side.
When I saw his innocent smile and his red nose, he could easily guess that he was an alcoholic.
He hummed and continued.
“You are finally here. You have finally arrived… I’m so glad you came back safely!”
“Yeah, nice to meet you. nice to meet you···. Is this your way to work?”
“Work? I? ha ha! I haven’t worked since 20 years ago! he did the job he! Isn’t it?!”
The red-nosed man pointed to the blond kid and said.
The blond little boy smiled innocently and bowed his head to Cant, and Cant accepted it.
“If you came back safely, would you say that our head has received the money? Come on, show this red nose how much you got. Come on.”
“Looking at you drinking, it looks like you’re running out of alcohol.”
“I’m always short on alcohol! So how much did you earn?”
“later. later. You have to check this when we’re all together so you don’t come out behind the scenes.”
“ah······! Okay, admit it! Don’t do that. Then can I ask another question instead?”
“I always feel like I talk a lot, but now I talk a lot more. what?”
“Who is this kid?!”
The red-nosed man exaggeratedly pointed to Oliver.
Cant looked at Oliver without a word and opened his mouth.
“This kid? uh···. On the way home, he happened to be a kid I picked up.”
“It’s not like I’m picking up any dog… kid What’s your name?”
The red-nosed man asked, putting his face close enough that it was burdensome.
Contrary to his innocent expression, his eyes were shining quite sharply, though not as much as Cant’s.
It’s like seeing through whether Oliver is lying or not.
Oliver looked straight into his face and said. very slowly.
“My name is Oliver. I just came from Wineham.”