How the Prince Makes Friends Chapter 60

The vegetable seller felt uneasy looking at the two little boys, but perhaps because they seemed so confident and relaxed, he didn’t immediately chase them away or yell at them.

Rianus scanned the stall, searching for potatoes. When he couldn’t find any, he seemed a little flustered and turned to Nihil hesitantly.

Noticing how nervous Rianus was, Nihil stepped closer, took his hand, and spoke gently.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find the potatoes.”

“Really? Then just ask.”

Nihil nodded toward the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper had been watching the children warily, but when he realized he was now the one being observed, he seemed a little taken aback and stepped back. Then, remembering that the boys were looking for potatoes, he brought out a box covered with black cloth from the corner.

“The potatoes are here.”

“I-I only have one copper coin…”

Rianus held up his single copper coin hesitantly. Only then did the shopkeeper realize that the scruffy-looking children were actual customers. He smiled and accepted the coin.

“Consider it a kindness. Pick two particularly large ones.”

The shopkeeper removed the cloth covering the box. Rianus beamed with joy at the thought that he had bought something himself.

However, his happiness didn’t last long. He froze in front of the potatoes, unsure what to do next.

Nihil crouched beside him and watched the round little head bobbing as Rianus thought hard. He chuckled before speaking.

“Potatoes should feel heavy and firm, without any blemishes. Avoid any that have turned green from sunlight or started sprouting, because they develop toxins. These potatoes look nicely dried and in good condition, so you can pick any of them.”

“So they shouldn’t be exposed to sunlight.”

Realizing why the potatoes had been covered with black cloth, Rianus nodded thoughtfully.

Since the shopkeeper had told him to choose large ones, Rianus picked out a big, round, pretty potato and proudly held it up for Nihil to see.

“I picked one!”

“…You picked one that looks just like you.”

For a moment, Rianus widened his eyes, wondering if he had chosen the wrong one. But when he saw the gentle curve of Nihil’s smile beneath his hood, he decided that probably wasn’t the case and beamed again.

Watching Rianus’s clumsy, first-errand-like behavior, the vegetable seller relaxed completely. He fondly recalled his own daughter when she was little and smiled.

“I’ll wrap it in a newspaper for you. Hand it over.”

When Rianus gave him the potato, the shopkeeper carefully wrapped it in newspaper. Then he glanced around his stall, told the boys to wait a moment, and hurried over to the neighboring fruit stand.

“Hey, what are you taking that for?”

“You can’t exactly give those little ones carrots or spinach, can you?”

“Oh, honestly…”

After a brief back-and-forth with the fruit seller, the vegetable seller returned with two large, red strawberries and held them out.

“Here, eat these.”

Having bought potatoes only to receive strawberries that were more expensive than what he had purchased, Rianus blinked in confusion before reaching out.

But then he paused, noticing that his hands were covered in dirt from handling the potatoes. He also remembered his promise to eat only food Nihil gave him.

“…Aren’t you going to eat them?”

“W-Well…”

Rianus’s eyes darted around before he looked at his friend.

Nihil immediately understood the reason for his hesitation. He accepted the strawberries on Rianus’s behalf and popped one into the boy’s mouth.

Rianus savored the sweet-and-sour taste spreading through his mouth and smiled brightly, exclaiming how delicious it was.

The shopkeeper watched Rianus chewing happily with an affectionate expression. Then he turned to Nihil and offered him a strawberry as well.

“You eat one, too.”

“……”

Nihil accepted the strawberry and stared at it quietly. Two pairs of eyes watched him expectantly, waiting for him to eat it. In fact, there were now four pairs of eyes, including those of the fruit seller and his wife, who had been sneaking glances at the scene.

Unable to withstand their combined stares, Nihil reluctantly lifted his hood a little and popped the strawberry into his mouth.

He merely chewed beneath his hood without showing any particular reaction. The shopkeeper seemed distinctly disappointed, apparently finding his response underwhelming. Meanwhile, the oblivious Rianus continued smiling brightly and asked him whether it tasted good.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yeah.”

Nihil savored the strawberry’s fragrant aroma and nodded lightly. Then he took the potato, which Rianus was still holding, and put it in his own bag.

Rianus’s bag was already occupied by the bag of bread, leaving little room. Besides, the potato was rather heavy.

Finally, Nihil pointed toward a nearby corner and left the shopkeeper with an ominous warning that someone was eyeing his potatoes and he should be careful. After making Rianus thank the man, he took the boy by the hand and led him back into the market street.

“Was someone really after the potatoes?”

Rianus asked with wide eyes, curious whether it was true. They seemed like kind people, and it would be terrible if someone stole from them.

“I don’t know if they were after the potatoes, but there was a kid who kept staring intently at that stall.”

“You really are amazing, Neil!”

“Once we enter Sharton Street, don’t let your guard down. Try to sense the presence of people around you. If that’s too difficult, just listen for sounds.”

“Okay! I’ll try!”

Rianus nodded enthusiastically. However, the farther they walked and the gloomier the surroundings became, the darker his expression grew.

As they continued toward Sharton Street, the buildings became increasingly colorful. Yet the cheap, garish shades seemed designed merely to catch the eye, and they looked even more shabby than the clean, achromatic buildings elsewhere.

The faded structures, with pieces torn off here and there, looked ominous and downright grotesque. The smell of cheap perfume mingled with rotting odors and a strange, fishy stench that Rianus couldn’t even identify. It was enough to make him feel sick.

As Rianus grew tense at the changing streetscape, he spotted a half-naked woman smoking in front of a flashy building. Startled, he tightened his grip on Nihil’s hand.

She had applied thick makeup to conceal her sallow complexion and painted her lips bright red, but the color had smeared around her mouth, as though she had rubbed it against something. Her emaciated body, starved of food, could not be concealed by makeup or her impossibly thin clothing.

Before their eyes could meet, Rianus quickly lowered his head.

Nihil said nothing. He simply pulled Rianus’s hood over his head, squeezed his hand once, and let go.

Strangely enough, that small gesture was enough to steady Rianus. He carefully resumed looking around the street.

The sensations he experienced now were completely different from those he’d felt while observing the street from inside the carriage.

It sent chills down his spine, as though he had broken through the fourth wall and stepped directly onto a stage. Nevertheless, Rianus tried to look at things objectively, thinking that the abandoned building over there might one day be cleared away and replaced with a beautiful plaza and fountain.

Despite the approaching lunchtime, Sharton Street showed no sign of life.

The most common sight was drunkards sprawled across the street, sleeping where they had collapsed or vomiting wherever they happened to be.

They had probably been drinking nonstop until sunrise, only finally passing out when morning arrived.

“Nerr, people might pick a fight with you if you make eye contact.”

“Okay.”

But almost as soon as Nihil said that, the sound of something breaking came from behind them, followed by a man’s furious curses.

“You useless brat! I feed you, clothe you, and give you a place to sleep so you won’t die, and this is all you can do?! Don’t bring me scraps of bread like this! I told you to steal money!”

“Ugh, damn it! Let go of me! You should be grateful I even brought back scraps of bread!”

A middle-aged man holding an empty liquor bottle grabbed a boy by the hair and shook him violently before throwing him to the ground. Then he kicked the boy in the stomach as he crawled across the ground, groaning in pain.

It was the same boy they had encountered in front of the bakery.

Even while being beaten, the boy continued cursing and swinging his arms. He certainly wasn’t the type to take things lying down. But when the beating continued, he eventually collapsed and stopped moving.

“Damn bad luck.”

The man spat on the ground and went inside the building, leaving the fallen boy behind.

Watching this, Rianus tugged at Nihil’s sleeve.

“N-Neil!”

“If we step in now, he might suffer even worse later.”

“What if he dies?”

“He’s pretending to be unconscious. I thought he was stupid for continuing to fight back, but apparently he knows a few tricks, too.”

Nihil was telling the truth. Before long, the boy cautiously lifted his head and looked around. Apparently deciding that no one was watching him, he staggered to his feet and headed toward an alley.

“Let’s follow him.”

Nihil immediately took Rianus’s hand and pulled him along after the boy.

Despite his unsteady gait, the boy kept stopping to look around warily, as though he were heading somewhere secret.

Rianus’s shoes were a little loose, and he stumbled while following the boy, nearly giving them away. Fortunately, Nihil reacted quickly, grabbing Rianus and pulling him into hiding before they could be spotted.

However, the boy grew even more vigilant.

Nihil glanced at Rianus, who was nervously darting his eyes around, then at his shoes. Just as he had done back at the palace, Nihil wrapped an arm around Rianus’s waist, lifted him up, and settled him against his hip.

Embarrassed to be carried like a little child, Rianus squirmed in Nihil’s arms, insisting that he could walk by himself. But after Nihil patted him several times as if telling him to stay still, Rianus eventually gave up and leaned comfortably against his shoulder.

How many times had they stopped and started again while following the boy?

By now, Rianus had grown so accustomed to being carried that he quietly murmured,

“I want to see what’s in front of us, too.”

Since Nihil was holding him face-to-face, Rianus had no choice but to look in the opposite direction from where Nihil was facing. He had timidly voiced his complaint, hoping to express his desire to walk on his own.

Instead, Nihil simply adjusted his hold, abruptly turned Rianus around, and hoisted him onto his back. Then he continued following the boy as though nothing had happened.

Rianus, now riding on Nihil’s back, went limp and muttered,

“…I think I can hear Sir Evan laughing at me.”

“How did you know?”

“……”

“You really do have good instincts.”

“…I hate you, Sir Evan.”

At those words, one of the hidden presences staggered.

Evan was a thoroughly trained knight. There was no way he would actually laugh out loud while concealing his presence, but Nihil didn’t bother correcting Rianus by telling him that Evan hadn’t made a sound.

“We’re almost there. I’ll get a little closer.”

Ignoring the piercing gaze he could feel on the back of his head, Nihil whispered to Rianus and quickened his pace to close the distance between them and the boy.

Rianus grew tense as the gap narrowed and wrapped his arms tightly around Nihil’s neck. Strangely, however, the boy failed to notice Nihil’s presence all the way until they reached their destination.

The place the boy eventually arrived at was a small, half-collapsed warehouse in a secluded area.

The ruined side of the warehouse had been concealed with discarded construction materials, but even that makeshift barrier looked so flimsy that a single careless touch might bring it down.

The boy looked around one last time before slipping inside the warehouse.