The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Yes, I Like Children

Two hours passed, and Haina felt no fatigue. As they left the White Queen District, the heart of the capital “Glass Island,” the factories belching smoke and the speeding trains gradually became more frequent. Acrid fog mingled with the smell of fish and shrimp, and the sounds of train whistles blended with the hawkers’ cries. The aroma of baking bread wafted from street-side bakeries. People in thick trench coats and top hats walked by.

A dejected painter in a beret sat by the roadside, painting the dark high-rise buildings across the street and the metal pipes that coiled around their exteriors like snakes. Inspectors in silver-white armor flew overhead on majestic White Gryphons, each over two meters tall.

A red-haired newsboy, twelve or thirteen years old, stood by the street with two bundles of newspapers, shouting:

“Glass Steps Herald’s headline today! Bishop Mathers of the Red Queen Parish has been appointed Spiritual Council member by Her Majesty the Queen! The number of Spiritual Council members from the Church has now increased to six! The Minister of Finance plans to tax matches and kerosene lamps next year! The Star Antimony Kingdom has expelled three knights from Avalon on charges of murder, espionage, and interference in domestic affairs. Her Majesty the Queen expresses her strong condemnation!”

More than half of the Glass Steps Herald papers were sold, with only a few remaining. The rope had to be pulled tighter and tighter to keep them from slipping off his shoulder. The other bundle of newspapers behind the newsboy had sold less than a quarter. He shouted with his slightly chapped lips:

“Lloyd Weekly, only five red coins a copy—Execution day is approaching, and the list of November death row inmates has been finalized! Thirty-eight people will be sentenced to death this month, the second highest in three years, with a clear list of those to be executed! The port district’s Nicass Gypsum Factory is recruiting apprentices for the third round, with the age lowered to fourteen! A painter on Green Flute Street committed suicide in his home last week! Lloyd Port Bank was robbed yesterday, and all the robbers have been arrested! Come and see! Only five red coins a copy—”

“Senior sister.” Eivass suddenly spoke, “Buy me two newspapers.”

“Hm?” Haina blinked. “Your family should have the Glass Steps Herald delivered, shouldn’t they? Do you want to buy a copy of Lloyd Weekly?”

“No, buy one of each.” Eivass emphasized.

“…Oh, I see.” Haina finally understood. Eivass saw how hard the newsboy was working and wanted him to sell out quickly.

“It’s almost noon; no one will buy them. And this is the Lloyd District; it’s mostly sailors, fishermen, and laborers. They don’t have that much money to buy newspapers.” She whispered, “How about I buy them all?”

“No, just one of each is fine.” Eivass shook his head. “That child is working, not begging.”

“…I understand.” Haina was filled with admiration. She nodded seriously and instructed, “I’ll go buy the newspapers. You be careful.”

Just as Haina moved away from him, a girl crept closer. She was a bit dirty, her clothes thin, and her body gaunt. Seeing Eivass, who was wearing a hood, the girl hesitated, unsure how to address him.

“…Mister, buy some flowers.” She said softly. She had clearly noticed Eivass was in a wheelchair—although the patterns on the wheelchair indicated Eivass was likely wealthy and kind, as she had overheard their conversation just now. But because Eivass appeared to be disabled, her sales pitch was not as confident.

Eivass reached out and touched her head. As he extended his hand, the girl flinched as if shocked, recoiling slightly in fear, as if expecting to be hit. But Eivass’s hand moved slowly, and the hand emerging from his sleeve looked young. She quickly realized she might have addressed him incorrectly.

“—Brother.” Eivass said softly. His fingertips touched the girl’s hair, but only felt dust and grime. It was clear she hadn’t bathed in a while.

But the girl clearly knew this. Because Eivass had touched her hair, she took a half-step back in apprehension, apologizing to Eivass, “I’m sorry, my hair is so dirty… I’ll leave…”

“Still, sell me a bunch of flowers.” Eivass said with a light laugh. As he spoke, he turned his outstretched right hand over, palm open. His previously empty palm suddenly held a red coin worth one. This was not an Extraordinary Ability, but a simple magic trick, which made the girl widen her eyes. She looked at the bill, then at Eivass. She clearly thought Eivass was an adult Extraordinary and hesitated, not daring to accept his money.

Eivass’s lips twitched slightly beneath his hood. He skillfully closed his fingers, slowly retracting the bill. But just then, he let out a soft “Oh,” and reached out to feel the back of the girl’s neck, “Hey, what’s this?” He then deftly took a brand-new red coin from the girl’s neck.

Seeing the girl’s astonished and confused wide eyes, she clearly didn’t understand how it had flown there. Before the girl could refuse, Eivass skillfully folded the red coin in half with three fingers of his right hand and placed it into the large money pouch hanging at the front of her chest. Eivass slightly lifted a corner of his hood, revealing his youthful face to the girl, offering a heartfelt smile.

“Shh…” He put a finger to his lips, motioning for silence. Then, he put on his hood again and extended his fair, slender right hand, “Little lady, where are my flowers?”

“…Ah, here you go!” The girl finally reacted, her cheeks flushed as she handed Eivass a withered wild rose.

“Are you buying flowers, Eivass?” Haina returned at that moment, looking puzzled, holding the newspapers.

Seeing this, the girl startled, nearly falling to the ground. Looking at Haina, dressed as an inspector, her face turned pale, and she began to tremble uncontrollably. But even in her fear, she didn’t flee immediately. Bracing herself, she stammered, “W-wait a moment, sir! I-I still need to give you change…!” With her trembling hand, she stubbornly counted out nine creased copper coins from the paper bag hidden in her chest and respectfully handed them to Eivass. Then, she carefully folded the brand-new red coin Eivass had given her and put it inside. After tucking it into her inner pocket, she finally let out a sigh of relief. She did all this under Haina’s watchful eye. As she took her leave, her legs were weak with fear.

“Am I that scary?” Haina hadn’t cared when people used to fear her. But now, perhaps because she had discussed some matters with Eivass, or perhaps because the girl looked so young and innocent, being feared by her left Haina feeling a bit dejected. After watching the girl walk away, she quietly asked, “Should I throw the flowers away for you?” These dirty wildflowers really didn’t suit Eivass’s attire.

“No need.” Eivass replied, “It’s a child’s sentiment.”

“You seem to really like children?” Haina mused, realizing something. Compared to her attitude towards herself, Eivass’s demeanor towards the two children was clearly much friendlier.

“Yes, I like pure children.” Eivass nodded, not lying for a rare moment and speaking a heartfelt truth. “It’s like liking cats and dogs; interacting with them can relax my mood. I like many things, just not people.”

“…That sounds like an insult.” Haina playfully retorted, “You can’t treat children like cats and dogs.”

“It just sounds like it.” Eivass’s lips curled slightly, and he offered no further explanation. He was indeed insulting people—but only adults. In his view, those dirty, self-serving, two-faced adults were not as good as cats and dogs… including himself, of course.

Chatting along the way, guided by Eivass, they finally arrived at the Pelican Bar. It was less a bar and more like a residential house or a warehouse. Its main entrance was painted white, with an exaggerated, almost cartoonish depiction of an open-mouthed pelican. Various fish were crammed into its large mouth, floating amidst beer foam, as if the fish were being stewed in beer within its mouth. Next to it hung a wooden board with a long string of onomatopoeic words for drunks burping, written in capital letters. This was the sign above the bar. In other words, “Pelican Bar” should strictly be read as “(Burping Sound) Bar.”

It was nearly noon, but the establishment was not closed. There were even quite a few customers inside. It was evident that it also operated as a restaurant during the day.

As Haina slowly pushed Eivass’s wheelchair inside, her steps suddenly halted. Her eyes widened, and she was stunned. The bartender casually washing wooden beer mugs behind the counter was not human—but a rare Wild Elf! Elves, apart from their lifespans being four to five times longer than humans and generally being much taller, with females usually over 1.8 meters and sometimes reaching 2 meters, and males often growing to 2.4 to 2.5 meters. This meant that if elves had poor upbringing, they could easily develop hunches from frequent interactions with shorter humans during their youth. However, if well-raised—or rather, cared for by parents—elves generally did not hunch. Therefore, hunchbacked elves were called Wild Elves. The number of Wild Elves was far fewer than that of elves. Elves placed a high value on honor, family, and lineage, thus they strongly rejected Wild Elves and their parents, considering them a disgrace to their race. If an elf’s parents died for honor, they would usually entrust their children to relatives or friends for care. Only if they died of shame… for instance, by execution, would they not entrust their children; or if abandoned by their parents, or rebellious children who ran away from home, only under these circumstances would one grow up to be a Wild Elf. Wild Elves lacked the elegance and restraint of elves, yet possessed similar lifespans, wisdom, and Extraordinary Powers, and were thus generally regarded as unstable elements. They were usually active in rural areas, and their professions would typically be con artists, assassins, and mercenaries. In theory, all Wild Elves within the capital “Glass Island” were registered. If any of them caused trouble, they could be identified, so the freedom-loving Wild Elves generally disdained staying in the capital.

However, for some reason, the Wild Elf bartender showed no reaction upon seeing Haina. He even cast a dismissive glance at her. It was only upon seeing Eivass that the bartender clearly froze, his actions pausing for a moment. Even though Eivass was wearing a cloak, the bartender easily recognized his identity. It was as if he had never expected him to come here today. …Why would that be, Mr. Bartender? Do you think I… should be dead by now? Eivass narrowed his eyes, his sea-deep blue pupils as fathomless as an abyss.

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