04.AL DIES AND A NAMELESS PERSON IS BORN
“I told you before, didn´t I? Didn´t I say I had a plan? I don´t need my ID anymore.”
“Is there even anyone that would destroy their own ID!? If you are going to do something as reckless as that, you might as well go look for a solution for getting high status as a slave! If it is you, you surely would get appointed as a translator somewhere, you know!?”
“Hah, translators are just people that are used by those rich n.o.bles as nothing more than chess pieces for their companies. They would want to use me as a chess piece!”
“But then, what about your ID!?”
Al and Kail were having a bit of a discussion. Sparkles were scattering around between them. Havella maintained a posture of not involving herself in their quarrel.
“I told you before, didn´t I? It´s impossible to rise up as a slave.”
“But people that lost their doc.u.ments are worse than slaves, you know? They aren´t even treated as humans.”
“So do you mean slaves are treated as humans?”
Al was glaring at Kail. He was giving off something that was similar to killing intent.
Seeing how Kail started shrinking away after Al said that, Al was able to calm down a bit.
“Fuh, sorry. But it is no good to go on as a slave. It is impossible for me to do it as myself. From the instant you are born, you are destined to be a tool. That is what it means to be a slave.”
After Al had his haircut done by Havella, he became like a completely different person. Rather, he came back to his true form.
“It is impossible in this kingdom. Do you understand what I mean by this?”
“…!? Are you leaving the kingdom?”
Kail finally understood. It wasn´t allowed for slaves to get high in life. However, if he was to go to another country which had different laws, it would be possible to do so.
“Half correct. Well, I will really be leaving the kingdom. Secretly, so that n.o.body finds out.”
However, it was there where the problem begins. In a similar way to illegal immigrants, people that didn´t have an ID wouldn´t be permitted to go out of the country, much less secretly. To begin with, the existence of people without ID wasn´t tolerated.
To Al, who destroyed his own ID, just leaving the kingdom was already a problem.
“Hey, hey. Don´t say stupid things. How do you think Havella is here now? From where do you think Havella´s parents came through to get here?”
Kail scratched his head while saying “I see”. Havella didn´t have an ID, and both her parents secretly entered. In other words, by backtracking the way they went through…
“It is possible to get out of this country. However, the path is rough.”
Havella spread a map she had prepared beforehand. That was the map of the sewers. Seeing that, Kail let out a big sigh.
“Al, this is impossible. The sewers are filled with human waste. Besides, pushing your way through all that distance to outside the kingdom isn´t something sane to do.”
Hearing Kail´s words, Al made a wry smile.
“Kail. No matter how much unpleasant it is, no matter how much hardship there is, as long as it isn´t impossible, it still can be done. What´s the matter with human waste? If that is the case, should I take a sip at it so that I can prove you? If it is for the sake of advancing to the top, I can take a sip on anything.”
Al had already set his resolve since very long ago. No matter which methods he had to use, he was going to rise in life. If if the most he had to face was human s.h.i.t, he wouldn´t spare himself from eating it if necessary.
“There won´t be any problems going through the sewers. Later, you need to check if you don´t have any injuries just in case though.”
It was going to be a sea of excretes filled with germs. Al was going to go through such kind of sea. If he had even the smallest wound get in contact with all the bacteria, he would get ill, and so getting diseases such as teta.n.u.s.
“Alright. However, what are you going to do after you leave the kingdom? Even if you make a name for yourself in another country…”
“You are also wrong about that, Kail. I will make my name here. There won´t be any meaning to it if I am only recognized at other countries, right? I am leaving for the sake of being able to rise to the top right here. This will only be temporary, you see.”
Kail had a doubtful expression. Havella also wasn´t able to understand. Seeing them act like that, Al giggled. He put his hands on the shoulders of the two.
“Well, just watch. I won´t be waiting for a miracle to happen to me. I will s.n.a.t.c.h the opportunities myself.”
The two of them couldn´t see the expression Al was making.
“The next time I come back here, it will be the start of a new [me]!”
After all these five years of staying low key, today was going to be the beginning of everything. Now was the time for the grudge demon to make his move.
“Ah, that´s right. Havella, did you send the letter I gave to you?”
Remembering about it, Al clapped his hands together. He turned his eyes to Havella.
“Yes. But, why did you tell me to send it [to that place]?”
Kail looked blankly at them. He didn´t know what Al had asked Havella to do for him. If he knew, perhaps he would have stopped them from doing so.
“Because I need to die, right? I need to die in the doc.u.ments and also in the memories of people, you see.”
Al laughed.
“That´s why it can´t be helped.”
Kail would only understand the meaning behind that smile after all had already been done. Without having the time to stop him, and without such chance having been given to Kail, Al went his way.
At the same night Al entered the sewers in order to leave the kingdom, a book store had disappeared from the capital. It used to be a store that was loved by the intellectuals of the capital that were intimate with it, but in the end, it had been wrapped up in fire. All the paper burned. Books were something that easily caught fire.
It was bad luck on top of bad luck. Unfortunately, by the tragedy of the fire at the store, the shopkeeper, his wife, and also his [a.s.sistant] had died. That was how the incident was taken as. And then, that single bookstore would be forgot and would fade away from the memories of people.
The existence of those three people would be erased from the kingdom. They would be erased from the memories of people, and also from the doc.u.ments.
There truth about this incident was hidden in the darkness.
“Fuwah, really, it´s nice that I could act all brave back then, but this really wasn´t any good.”
Al went through the sea of human waste and escaped the capital. Al went to a forest that was located far away from the capital, and when he got there, he was able to find a spring. He was finally able to wash his body and clothes. Maybe the way his nose had stopped working was a defense function of the body.
“I won´t go through those sewers ever again.”
After going through the sea of human waste, Al was able to leave the capital. No matter how much he washed himself, there were no signs of the stench fading away. In fact, it had become to the point that it would be better to throw away the clothes.
“Now then, for now let´s buy some clothes from a peddler, and after that…”
Al was working out his mind. Until now, he had never been so concentrated to this point. There were many uncertain factors on the table, and this was also the first time he left the capital. Al reached the conclusion that thinking too hard about his situation right now wouldn´t mean anything.
“I have all the basic skills for surviving. I can do well even at improvising.”
Those five years of preparation. He prepared himself for everything he could. After that, all he needed to do was to put what he learned to use.
“Hey, nee-san. This is the start of our journey.”
Al took out the travelling clothes from the water and wore them. However…
“S-stinky.”
As to be expected, Al decided in his heart he wouldn´t go through anything like those sewers ever again.