Advent of the Three Calamities

What's it like to truly be hungry?

Growl-!

Like an aching emptiness?

"Food, In-need food."

...Or more like a knife to the gut?

"H-help, I beg you. My s-sister..."

No, it was more than that.

The pain wasn't confined to the stomach; it seeped into the mind, clouding thoughts and sapping clarity away from one's brain. Each passing moment felt heavier as if the mind couldn't take it any longer.

Fat would start to be used as an energy source.

But what if one didn't have any fat storage? What would become of them?

They'd become skin and bones.

"P-please, help me..."

Kealion was all too familiar with the pain, the hunger, and the helplessness that came from poverty.

For just one cookie, he managed to slaughter his way out of the cave.

He could still vividly remember the pain and desperation that he had once felt in the times when he was with his mother.

That was why even despite his best attempts at ignoring the situation, he couldn't help but feed the children.

"Line up quietly. There's plenty of food for everyone."

Holding onto a large bucket of bread, he quietly handed each child a piece.

"M-me, I want some."

"I want."

Despite Kaelion's best attempt at trying to get the children to line up, the hunger made it impossible for them to listen to his words. The moment they saw food, they all rushed his

Way.

It was only when another figure appeared that the children stopped.

"Line up properly."

Perhaps it was because of his demeanor, or perhaps it was because of his eyes that seemed to lack emotions, the children settled down quickly as Caius turned his head to look at Kaelion.

"What are you doing?"

"Feeding the children, can't you see?"

Kaelion handed a piece of bread to another child who hurriedly shoved it under his clothes and dashed away.

Quietly staring at the scene, Caius frowned.

Noticing the change in Caius's features, Kaelion smiled while handing another piece of bread out.

"It is expensive to be poor."

"...Hm?"

"When one can hardly worry about oneself, one does not have the capacity to be grateful." "Ah."

Caius nodded, pretending to understand. However, he didn't understand at all. As someone who was born rich, his experiences were far different from Kaelion's.

He hardly understood where Kaelion was coming from and in his eyes, all of this seemed stupid.

They had clearly been told they couldn't do this, and yet, Kaelion went ahead and ignored one of the few rules they had set up for them.

Even so, Caius didn't report Kaelion.

Staring at the children, he felt nothing. Their skinny frames, sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, and trembling bodies left him unmoved.

If anything, it almost felt like a waste to him.

Giving bread to such people.

They were going to die soon enough, why prolong their suffering? It made no sense to him.

And yet...

Staring at Kaelion who was usually indifferent on all matters, Caius felt his hand move on his own as he grabbed a piece of bread and handed it to the nearest child.

"You..."

His action took Kaelion by surprise, but soon enough, he smiled and mumbled, 'I guess his training with Julien hasn't been for nothing.'

"M-more."

"Please. My sister is sick..."

At first, Kaelion was able to keep up with the number of children. There were only a few dozen and he brought enough bread to feed a little over a hundred. He thought that'd be enough,

But...

"Please, more."

"I... am hungry."

Slowly but surely more and more children started to show up.

Staring at the scene, Kaelion picked up the pace and handed the bread faster to the children but by the time he got to a little girl with dishevelled hair, he found his hand stopping.

That...

He had run out of bread.

"Ah."

Kaelion raised his head to look at the girl who stared at the bucket with an empty look.

She showed no sign of sadness or anger. She just stared blankly at the empty bucket and

Turned around.

This had probably not been the first time she had been disappointed.

That little girl...

She was probably used to this.

||

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Kaelion bit his lip.

She reminded him of his past self. He too used to be like that, but unlike her, he did have someone to go back to. He could tell from the hollowness on her face that she didn't have

Anyone to go back to. nøvel.com

If she did, she'd have cry.

Cry because she couldn't give them a loaf of bread to help them.

Kaelion knew because he had been put in a similar situation in the past. His tears had come not from the fact that he couldn't eat, but because he couldn't help his mom.

"Wait."

Kaelion pressed his hand over the girl's shoulder and stopped her.

She stopped and looked back at him.

Silently clenching his teeth, Kaelion took out a few coins and tried to hand them to her. Their

Worth wasn't much, but enough to help her buy some bread.

Kaelion knew wealth was dangerous in this place and so he only gave her enough for two

Loaves of bread.

"Take this."

"...."

Blankly staring at the coins, the young girl reached for them when all of a sudden a voice

Echoed from above.

"Oy."

Kaelion's body froze for a second as he flicked his head to look up.

There, with his body leaning outside of the window was an old-looking figure Kaelion was all

Too familiar with.

"... You understand we're not supposed to do this, right?"

Julien's cold and indifferent voice echoed from above.

Kaelion stared at him and opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say stopped right as

He was about to say them. He merely shook his head and placed the coins in the girl's hands.

"Go, get yourself some food."

Taking the coins, the girl turned around and left.

Seeing her retreating back, Kaelion looked back to see Julien staring at him with the same

Expression as before.

Kaelion's heart sank when he saw him shake his head.

'... And here they say I'm the jinx.'

Waving his hand, a large box appeared out of thin air. Kaelion's eyes widened at the sight but

He quickly recovered and moved forward, grabbing the falling box.

"This..."

Upon opening the box, his eyes widened even further.

"...How could?"

Food.

He saw a lot of food in the box.

There was far more food than what he previously had, and it all looked good. Kaelion looked

At the box in shock. How did Julien have this on him? Where did he get it? Could it be that he

Stole them...?

"It's mine."

"....Eh?"

Raising his head, Kaelion looked at Julien.

"That is my food. I didn't steal it."

"No, I..."

"Just look at your expression. You were clearly thinking that I stole the food. I didn't."

"Err..."

Kaelion could only force out a smile. He had been read like a book.

"Anyways, you owe me a favour. Be more discreet when you hand stuff out. It's only a crime if

You get cau-" Julien's words caught in his throat as his expression suddenly changed.

Noticing the change, Kaelion turned around and saw that the children that used to surround

Him, begging him for food had disappeared.

"What the..."

Kaelion's pupils visibly constricted, while Caius frowned and took a defensive stance. A

Sudden silence descended on the area as the two scanned their surroundings, trying to detect

Any sign of movement. But the longer they looked, the less they found.

It was unnervingly quiet.

Too quiet.

"Let's go back."

"...Yes."

Kaelion nodded slightly, about to step back when he froze.

Tak-

His ears twitched, and both he and Caius turned toward the small houses ahead.

Their eyes narrowed in unison.

Without exchanging a word, they both nodded, and Caius took a step forward. But then his

Gaze flickered toward his own shadow, his expression changing. He stomped his foot, then

Dashed back.

Swoosh-!

A figure materialized where he had just stood.

Bang!

The ground beneath him caved in, and an invisible pressure descended over the surroundings.

Appearing before them was a man with short brown hair, piercing blue eyes, handsome

Features, and a red robe. He looked human enough, but...

Cra crack-!

Each of the man's movements was stiff, accompanied by unsettling cracking sounds.

He turned to look around, his eyes devoid of life.

Cra Crack-! Cra-

Kaelion felt a lump form in his throat, unsure of what he was seeing.

...The only thing he was sure about was the strenght of the man. It was at a level he couldn't

Ignore.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to see them.

At least, not yet.

Cra-

The figure leaned forward, raising both hands awkwardly, while his legs twisted unnaturally.

The sight was so grotesque, it felt as though he were staring at a puppet.

But the man was clearly alive.

Drip! Drip...!

Why else would he be crying?

Kaelion hesitated, unsure what to do. Just as he was about to make a move, Caius stopped

Him, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder.

"W-!!"

Before Kaelion could react, a hand covered his mouth from behind. His heart nearly leaped

Out of his chest, but he quickly calmed when he saw Julien's aged face.

Wait-when had he gotten there?

'Stay quiet. I've cast an illusion around us.'

Overhearing Julien's whisper Kaelion nodded, understanding. Julien removed his hand,

Keeping his eyes fixed on the puppet as he frowned. Pressing a hand against Caius's shoulder,

The gestured toward the window.

'We need to fall back.'

Caius gave a slight nod, taking a step back, but then-

Creak- Cra Crack!

The air was filled with the sickening sound of cracks, freezing them all in place. Julien's expression shifted, his gaze moving to the rooftops where several figures were now

Visible, moving in jerky, robotic motions.

They climbed onto the walls and moved around with their heads tilting from one side to the

Other.

In an instant, they were surrounded on all sides and Julien's expression changed as he stopped

Whatever he was doing.

As the surroundings grew silent, Julien looked at Kaelion and raised his hand.

'I'll beat you.'