"You'd better think about the consequences!"
"Sampo... heh heh? Fine, excellent—when the time comes, I'll watch you all beg me to come back in person!"
Seeing the people in the prisoner wagon chattering away, Sampo got annoyed and ran over to kick it once.
"Bang—!!"
The entire wagon shook.
The blue-haired pretty boy cursed loudly:
"What are you yelling about? What are you yelling about? Silvermane Guards, didn't I say to strip them all naked? Why are these soon-to-be-dead guys still dressed so fancy—these are all Lord Sampo's property!"
"You little thief, how dare you!"
"What's there to dare? You think I'm one of those three idiots?"
"Strip them!"
Under Sampo's tyranny, the Silvermane Guards had no choice but to open the wagon and drag the nobles out one by one.
Their gorgeous clothes were roughly torn off piece by piece and replaced with thin, ugly prisoner uniforms.
Now he'd thoroughly offended everyone.
"Tch... Our family has served Belobog with blood, sweat, and tears for generations. To think we'd end up like this in the end!"
"Truly disappointing—far too disappointing! Is this how the builders treat the old generation's meritorious contributors?!"
"Shut the fuck up?!"
Sampo raised his foot and kicked hard at the old man yelling the loudest, cursing as he went:
"Keep making noise and I'll execute you on the spot!"
"You...!"
Zeig squatted nearby, enjoying the sight of Sampo stirring up trouble while pulling out his phone to record the beautiful moment.
This blue-hair was probably having the time of his life like never before.
Meanwhile, on the Administrative District plaza.
Three people dressed in rags squatted below the steps of Qlipoth Fort.
Bronya wore cheap cotton clothes, hugging her knees and silently squatting in the corner, pondering life.
Pela was in the same getup.
As for Gepard—he had already been healed by Zeig earlier. Now he sat a bit farther forward than the other two, awkwardly holding an iron bowl.
—They had really been fired!
Even their uniforms had been taken back.
"Aww, what pitiful little beggars. Let Miss Serval show some mercy and give you a few coins."
Clink clink—!!
"..."
Gepard watched helplessly as Serval tossed a few Belobog Shields into his bowl and said speechlessly:
"Sis... what are you doing?"
"Hah? Didn't you put the bowl there yourself? No thanks, and you question me instead?"
"This wasn't me—it was Sampo ordering the Silvermane Guards to put it here."
"Then he's actually pretty nice!"
"..."
"Hehe."
Serval circled the three of them once, her lips curled up in a manic grin that never dropped.
She pulled out her phone and recorded this beautiful moment.
Sometimes passing Silvermane Guards would greet the three and loudly curse how arrogant Sampo was.
But even though the three had been squatting on the street for a while, Cocolia never came out to stop it.
In fact... after Serval posted a photo of the three begging on her Moments, Cocolia even liked it.
Pela leaned against the wall corner and complained:
"When is this day ever going to end? Just this little while and I can't take it anymore!"
Gepard hung his head low, despondent:
"How did they actually fire us... I thought it was just a temporary step aside."
Bronya sat leaning in the corner, silently gazing at the street from this angle—watching the passersby come and go.
"..."
"Hey hey hey, you three—don't you know first come first served?!"
"?"
Hearing the cursing voice, Gepard turned his head. It was a white-haired, ragged old man.
He looked filthy—seemed like a real beggar.
"Ah... Grandpa, you're still begging?"
Gepard recognized him and quickly made space.
There were very few beggars in Belobog's Overworld—this dirty old man often went to the Silvermane Guards for food.
"Hm? This voice... whoa, young man—is it really you?!"
The old man was surprised. He sat down next to Gepard and started pawing at Gepard's face with dirty hands, as if confirming whether this was the once-mighty Silvermane Guard Fortification Officer.
"It's me, Grandpa... stop touching, my injuries just healed today."
"Oh oh."
After confirming it was really Gepard, the dirty old man let go—but Gepard's face was now smudged black.
The old man then looked toward the two female beggars in the back corner. One lay lazily in a Ge You slouch pose, scrolling on her phone.
The other hugged her knees, sizing him up.
The two stared at each other for a long time. The old man felt this girl looked somewhat familiar.
"Little girl, you look a lot like that... what was it, the quasi-Supreme Guardian? The one who gave a speech a few days ago."
"...I-I am her."
"..."
"Haha, no worries... from now on I'll lead you all in begging. Though I'm old, I can still manage to beg for three extra portions of food." The old man patted his sunken chest, squeezing a few smiles onto his gaunt face.
Seeing even the old man starting to pity them, Gepard quickly interrupted:
"Grandpa... why are you still begging? Didn't I introduce you to a job last time?"
"Job?"
The dirty old man scratched his head, struggling to recall.
Finally, his shriveled hand slapped his forehead as he shouted:
"Oh~ you mean that... sweeping the streets!"
"Right." Gepard nodded:
"That job covers food and clothing, pays decently, and even comes with temporary housing—pretty good, right?"
"Ey ey ey... don't bring it up." The old man waved his hand to stop him:
"I'm this old, and you still want me to work like an ox and horse? Haven't I suffered enough in this life... struggling when young, and not letting me go even when old?"
"Uh..."
"Besides, you promised there'd be a pension—now I haven't seen a single coin!"
"Huh? Pension? I remember there is one."
Gepard was stunned for a moment and quickly looked back at Bronya and Pela, as if seeking confirmation.
Bronya nodded slightly and said softly:
"There is. Elderly who reach the age generally receive a subsidy—those without children get more."
"Right... that's the one, and I haven't seen a single coin."
The dirty old man snatched Gepard's bowl and said indignantly:
"I tried to collect it before, but they asked for an elderly ID? I don't have one."
"My hair and beard are all white— isn't it obvious I'm an old man? Why do I need an elderly ID?"
"After that I figured maybe it makes sense to have one, so I asked how to get it."
"Then they asked for money? I paid... then they told me to give gifts to certain people, and gifts to the receptionist too... after going through the whole process I still didn't get it, and my own savings got cleaned out."