On the first day after being reborn into another world, I walked barefoot down the streets, discovered I was a beggar controlled by the mafia, and found that bread tasted worse than an old lady's foot calluses.
On the second day, I stole a bag of money. At least my stomach was full, but I nearly lost a hand.
Now it was the third day. I had not bathed once, my entire body felt miserable, and lice were tormenting me. I already wanted to jump into the river.
Sitting by the street with my back against a wall and a broken bowl before me, I began to question the meaning of reincarnation. I was not asking for some blissful life, but I definitely had not come to another world to beg for food.
"Akai, is there anywhere I can take a bath? I can't stand it anymore." Mel Carlo was gradually starting to lose his mind.
"Mel, for safety's sake, you'd better not wash yourself too clean. Otherwise, those perverted adults might buy you." Akai's kindly gaze held a touch of simple honesty.
For beggars like them, their filthy appearance was also a form of protection. If someone took a liking to them because of their looks, that would truly be worse than death.
From Akai, he had learned that this was not unheard of. As long as someone paid, those gangsters would gladly sell them off.
"I'll probably get used to it if I endure it." Mel Carlo still did not wash himself.
He should go steal something. Begging was probably useless. People gave away some food, but coins were pitifully scarce. Since he had eaten especially well yesterday, he was not very hungry today.
"Mel, are you going to steal again?" Akai wanted to stop him, but Mel Carlo did not halt.
"What else can I do? How are we supposed to meet our quota with the dry bread these paupers give us? Lily and I probably won't even survive until next month." Mel Carlo continued forward. There were more people on the streets now, making it much less risky to strike.
Still, he had some concerns. He absolutely could not target anyone with guards. If he was discovered, he might be cut down on the spot.
In a world like this, nobles could kill lowly beggars like them on a whim.
He successfully made one move and obtained thirty Aurens. Even a few copper coins were still meat, and this was money openly gained.
Someone had clearly been watching while he acted. He did not know whether it was the noble who had lost the wallet or a gangster's lookout, but it did not matter.
The targets he chose now were not so dangerous. Even if he was caught, he would only get a vicious beating. As long as he was not killed, there was no problem. Surviving was what mattered most right now.
As the sun set, he found Akai and Lily again. They had only managed to get five copper coins each all day. Five Aurens was at least enough to buy black bread.
"You only got five Aurens? That's not enough to meet the quota. Here, I've made some money today. Take ten copper coins each. Added to what you had before, it'll at least be harder for them to beat you to death." Mel Carlo smiled darkly.
He was not mocking them. He had an idea. Simply sitting here dryly and waiting for kindhearted people to take pity on them had too low a chance of success.
Others did not know what they had been through. It all depended entirely on their kindness, so they needed to identify their target audience. If they wanted money, they had to target literate people. They could find a wooden board and write some tragic stories on it, preferably something that would stir sympathy. Their earnings should increase.
The three split the thirty copper coins evenly. It meant nothing to Mel Carlo. He had a considerable sum hidden away already, but that money was for preparing his escape and could not be brought into the open.
If the wallet he had stolen really belonged to a young lady from a noble family with influence, then this gang should soon come under tremendous pressure.
Thinking this, Mel Carlo returned to the gang's courtyard with the other two. The moment they entered the yard, they could sense that something was wrong.
The previously arrogant gang leader now had bandages wrapped around his head and quite a few bruises on his face. It seemed someone had beaten him up, and terror was written all over his face.
"What do we do, Anke? I don't want to die! Why would anyone be stupid enough to steal the Duke's daughter's wallet?" The fat middle-aged man sat in a chair, muttering incessantly to the scarred man beside him.
Since the incident had occurred in the area under his control, they had come for him. It did not matter whether he had stolen it himself or one of his subordinates had done it. The people above only wanted a result.
At the very least, they needed his head to quell the Duke family's fury. If he could recover the wallet, he still had a way to live. But if he could not find it, someone would come gouge out one of his eyes in a week.
When he saw Mel Carlo and the other two return, the gang leader's fury instantly shifted to the three children. He rose to his feet, the fat on his body trembling as he roared:
"Was it you? Did you steal the Duke family young lady's wallet?"
Akai and Lily were terrified. They repeatedly shook their heads and kept explaining, "It wasn't me. We didn't."
"We didn't steal it."
Mel Carlo also put on a frightened expression. Although he had expected this, he had clearly underestimated the influence that Doll possessed.
What came next was not hard to guess. If they could not find the wallet, this gang leader's head would roll. Someone had to be offered up to appease the Duke family's anger. The others were not important enough, but this leader was neither too high nor too low in rank—just right.
Would he feel guilty about getting someone killed like this? Of course not. He was not kindhearted enough to feel guilty for a scumbag.
After the three were beaten and berated, the scarred man beside them stopped the fat man. Even if he was venting his anger, he could not go too far.
"Anke, what do you think you're doing? I'm not dead yet, and you already dare defy me?"
Anke did not say much. He merely touched the scar on his face, glanced at Mel Carlo, and maintained his tough attitude as he told the gang leader, "How much longer do you think you can live? If you can't find the wallet, then wait for death!"
Once this man died, Anke could naturally take over the area.
Upon hearing that, the gang leader could no longer hold himself together. He had enjoyed himself for too many years and no longer had the drive he possessed in his youth. The fat hanging from his belly was proof enough. Fear filled his heart, but he still could not accept it. He could not give up. He had to find that wallet.
The fat-bellied man collapsed to the ground, then struggled back up again and screamed:
"Go find it! Everyone, go find it! These little piglets are not allowed to sleep! Search the entire city for me! Turn over the sewers if you have to, but find it!"
That scolding actually woke him up. Even if he took his anger out on these little brats now, it would be useless, because these little piglets would not die in his place.
While he still had one last chance, he had to gamble on it. No matter what, he had to find it.
"If you can't find it, then all of you can go die!"
Many beggars standing outside the door stopped in their tracks and hid outside. Faced with the enraged gang leader, none of them wanted to go in and get beaten.
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