Chapter 175: A Conversation with Felt!
"By the way, mister."
After leading Shiro for a while, Felt suddenly remembered something and turned slightly toward him.
"Don't you need to go pick up your companion?"
"Companion?"
"The guy who was standing with you earlier. The one with the scary-looking eyes."
As she spoke, Felt pulled up the corners of her eyes with her fingers, forming a pair of sharp triangles.
The familiar shape immediately reminded Shiro of Natsuki Subaru, whom he had completely forgotten and abandoned back there.
"Forget it. With that guy's personality, he probably won't just stand there like an idiot waiting for us."
"Hmm... That's probably true."
Remembering Subaru's exaggerated personality, Felt nodded in agreement.
Shiro added another sentence.
"Besides, if we're being precise, I've known him for less than two hours."
"Eh? But he acted like you two were really close."
"With his personality, he's probably like that with everyone."
"Wow. Sounds like you've got it rough too. Stay strong."
Under Felt's guidance, Shiro soon arrived somewhere completely different from the capital's main district.
Although only a single street separated the two areas, it felt as though they belonged to entirely different worlds.
The neatly paved stone roads had been replaced by muddy dirt.
An indescribably foul and murky odor hung in the air.
Dead trees stood everywhere, while the surrounding houses looked so dilapidated that they seemed to have been abandoned for decades.
This was the slum where Felt had lived for years.
The instant Shiro entered, he sensed discreet gazes coming from the ruined houses around them.
From those gazes, he could clearly feel emotions such as fear, envy, cowardice, and greed.
"Disgusting, isn't it?"
Felt suddenly spoke.
"They spend their whole lives buried in this filthy, stinking darkness."
"Then when someone dressed nicely like you appears, they don't even have the courage to step outside."
"I hate people who don't even have the guts to change their situation."
Having lived here for years, Felt naturally understood these people extremely well.
She made no attempt to hide the contempt in her voice.
Shiro merely smiled.
"Even if you moved into the center of the capital, most of the people there would still be the same."
As expected, Felt immediately objected.
"No way!"
"If even the people in the capital were this pathetic, then this country might as well just collapse!"
Imagining the people of the capital with the same expressions as those living in the slums sent a shiver down Felt's spine.
She rubbed her slender arms with both hands, her disdain for the slum residents obvious in every word.
Shiro asked in return.
"What makes you think the people in the capital have better personalities than the people here?"
Felt lowered her head and seriously considered the question.
After a moment, she answered.
"Hmm... Most people in the capital don't look like the people here."
"They just seem more... energetic?"
"And they look like they're actually doing something with their lives."
"Anyway, the place isn't filled with people who've completely given up on themselves."
"You mean their presence?"
"Something like that."
"What kind of fancy vocabulary do you expect from someone who grew up in the slums?"
"If their presence is why you think they all live positive and fulfilling lives, you're going to be disappointed."
"At least among the people I saw today, most of that appearance was something they deliberately put on."
"Remember the knight we saw patrolling on the way here?"
"He looked friendly toward everyone, but when those two civilians asked him to settle their argument, his emotions fluctuated quite a bit."
"For all we know, he was secretly cursing one of them the entire time."
"Eh? Seriously?"
"You can tell something like that?"
Felt looked at Shiro suspiciously.
"If you pay attention to people's little habits, it isn't difficult."
"That knight kept a friendly smile while those two civilians argued, but his hands were constantly moving."
"He kept touching his chin, fixing his hair, and doing little things like that."
"Many people develop those habits when they're irritated."
"You're a thief. Don't you normally observe things like this?"
Now it was Felt's turn to become awkward.
She scratched her cheek and looked off into the distance.
"I already spend all my energy thinking about how to make more money."
"Why would I have time to care about what my victims are thinking?"
"...Don't tell me that when you steal something, you just rely on your speed, grab it, and run."
"You don't even care how quickly they notice?"
"Ahaha... Of course not."
"This is how I survive. If I got caught that easily, I'd be terrible at my job."
"Stop lying."
"With your speed, even if they notice immediately, most people still can't catch you."
"And that knife at your waist is there in case someone actually does grab you, isn't it?"
Felt's expression became even more unsettled.
Then Shiro delivered the finishing blow.
"By the way, touching your ears, scratching your face, rubbing your nose, and refusing to make eye contact are all signs of guilt."
"Guh..."
She had lost.
The skills she relied on to survive had somehow lost to a complete outsider.
Felt dejectedly lowered her hand.
Fortunately, Shiro did not continue teasing her.
Instead, he looked into her crimson eyes and continued.
"Anyway, what I'm saying is that most people in the capital aren't fundamentally different from the people in the slums."
"They were simply luckier and were born into better families."
"They might look down their noses at people like you, but when necessary, they still have to put on flattering smiles and please their superiors."
"And rather than constantly thinking about improving themselves, most of them care more about what they're eating for their next meal."
"If you leave the slums believing everyone in the capital is somehow special, you'll probably only end up disappointed."
"Ugh. The way you describe it makes me think maybe this world really should be destroyed."
"It can't be helped."
"Most of them have entire families to support."
"Even if they've cursed you ten thousand times in their heads, the moment you enter their shop, they'll still smile and say, 'Welcome.'"
"That's what you call the cruelty of the adult world."
Shiro placed a hand on Felt's golden hair and rubbed it.
Her hair was slightly rough from not being cared for often, but it felt surprisingly pleasant.
"What are you doing?"
"Stop talking like I'm some little kid."
"Keep it up and I'll bite you."
…
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