The Surface World

When Heka came to this world and replaced this body, he retained some fragmented memories of Valin. These memories, combined with the acquired natural language environment, allowed him to now use Valin fluently for simple communication.

However, writing was the privilege of scholars and the middle class, and Heka had merely managed to guess the meanings of a few words based on shop signs and markers on the street.

Yet Valin was written in a phonetic script, and the people around Heka all spoke with their own accents for the very same word.

This made it difficult for Heka to determine the accurate pronunciation of each character; he could only be certain that the commonly used characters in Valin should number thirty-two.

Now that he had found a teacher, how could Heka let him go.

"I, I only know a little bit, too."

Tuft of Hair was somewhat overwhelmed by the boss's sudden enthusiasm. In his memory, the boss had always been an indifferent and decisive fellow, even somewhat sinister and cruel.

"A little bit is enough."

Heka made Tuft of Hair wait right where he was. Not wanting to wait even a moment longer, Heka directly tossed the wood shavings he had produced over the past few days into a small plate, then picked up a small wooden stick, placing the two items in front of Tuft of Hair.

As for himself, he obediently sat down on the opposite side, staring fixedly at the boy in front of him.

Tuft of Hair took a deep breath, and then began to write and draw in the plate before him using the wooden stick in his hand.

To actually be able to acquire precious literacy knowledge here, Heka felt that he was probably lucky in all probability. Sure enough, bringing the other person down was a correct decision.

"So, that little pickpocket named Heka brought his follower down into the sewers together, and now we can't find them."

The magistrate sat on a seat padded with a layer of fur, tapping his temple with a fountain pen edged in a ring of gold.

"They shouldn't have left Seapeak Port yet. Various gangs exercise very strict control over their own little pickpockets.

There are only those few lines for leaving by land. Leaving aside the gangsters' lookout posts at the city gates, even if they managed to escape the city gates by luck, they wouldn't get far without a carriage. The gangs have set up checkpoints at several transit nodes outside the city, and the little pickpocket's target is too obvious; he can't get away.

It's the same over at the port. Of course, the possibility of the other party boarding a ship amidst the chaos isn't ruled out, but leaving normally by ship is impossible."

"Seen this way, the gangs actually know this city better than we do."

The magistrate released his mustache, which bore a layer of grease, and simultaneously placed the fountain pen from his hand back onto the pen holder on the desktop.

"Earlier, they bought a large amount of food in other districts, which must have been specially prepared for hiding. Should we issue a wanted poster? The current investigation is all being conducted in secret, and some of the brothers underneath are already getting impatient."

The magistrate looked at the confidant before him, his fingers once again resting on his mustache.

He had originally only thought that the gang had swallowed the items.

For other people, copper coins that fell into the street indeed shouldn't be searched for anymore, but he was different.

His family had run the underground business of Seapeak Port for generations. The backers of these gangs were actually him. Thirty gold wasn't a small amount; although this money wasn't considered huge when placed in a pocket, wanting to spend it in a short period of time without arousing his attention was impossible.

As long as they were in the city, he could retrieve the buttons the duke's daughter had lost earlier, so there was no reason this thing couldn't be found.

Yet this time, the little mouse seemed crazier than the previous ones, actually breaking away from both the gangs and their surveillance at the same time, as if it had vanished into thin air.

"Not for now. Once it's done, you and Ait will each get two gold coins. You're already married, right? Choosing a bridal home in the affluent district will be much better, at least your father-in-law won't nag anymore.

Any other progress?"

The magistrate leaned back. These days were full of bad news, and he almost felt like going on a killing spree.

"We interrogated several members of the Graytooth Gang, and brought the culprits along to verify the stolen locations. It has been confirmed that the ones who made a move should be that fellow named Heka and his follower.

Also, Father Elwin's side has been constantly pestering us for those dozens of children we previously detained from the gang."

"Let them go. Right now, the old master at the top is trying to curry favor with the Church, so don't go against the current at this time.

By the way, haven't those three little pickpockets been tortured already?"

"Yes," the subordinate making the report replied blandly.

"They don't need to be handed over; dispose of them cleanly, so that if word gets out, it won't give people something to talk about.

Right, that fat pig is no longer useful. Go give their new boss a hint; when a person is gone, they should be dealt with. Increase the first month's money by another eight hundred silver coins, and if he doesn't have it, he can figure it out himself.

Damn it, isn't he a priest of the Wealth Church? How come he's as meddlesome as a holy servant of God Mulga? When did their god, who only cares about money, start taking charge of stray children as well.

His god doesn't even manage this fellow."

"God."

In the dim sewer, the only light source between the two was that secondhand light falling from the drainage opening above. It was stripped away layer by layer by the walls on both sides, and by the time it reached the two of them, only a tiny sliver of faint light remained.

Heka followed the boy in front of him and chanted this character. Earlier, he had already witnessed the miracle inside the church where severed limbs could be restored to their original state.

He had also heard the stories told by bards in the tavern about those brave heroes fighting dragons.

Knowing at this moment that there were still high and mighty gods in this world didn't elicit much surprise either.

After all, life still had to go on, and the presence or absence of gods in this world couldn't change the current reality that he was being hunted by both black and white forces.

Having finished today's studying, Heka selected a piece of material, then took out a carving knife and looked at the boy in front of him.

Although there was a high probability he could get it for free, he had after all made a promise, and this matter wasn't some difficult task to accomplish.

Heka still prepared to carve a toy for the other party.

"What do you want, a little wooden sword or something else."

"Rabbit.

Fine, whatever, it's your toy anyway, a rabbit it is."

Heka shrugged, sat down, and incidentally placed the plate filled with wood shavings within arm's reach.

Wood shavings had always been used when starting fires previously, and fortunately their fuel wasn't too scarce; even for starting a fire, it didn't take up many wood shavings, otherwise Heka wouldn't have known where to find things he could write on.

After all, the place they were currently in belonged to one of the main drainage lines of the sewer. If he wanted to find some dirt, he would have to go to the branches on the side, or find it inside some underground tombs.

That would be a bit too far, and Heka was afraid of running into the fellows looking for him.