Cough!
The skinny boy coughed and blood poured onto the ground, the cold command earlier stopped all the violent assault, he wanted to lift his head and thanked the person who saved him yet he has no more strength to do it.
He can feel a strong presence coming towards him, his bruised face is swollen up, and couldn't open his eyes properly to see his savior.
Someone is trying to lay his cowering body down softly before lifting his half upper body with a small hand.
"Drink it up"
It was the warm voice of a little girl, he swallowed the liquid from a small bottle put into his bloody mouth.
"Is that a high potion?"
"How come?"
"Who is she?"
"Is she a noble?"
"What is a noble lady doing in this place?"
A lot of whispers caught his ears, he slowly opens his eyes because his body didn't hurt anymore, for some reason, the other people seemingly couldn't see the hooded girl appearance clearly as if covered by a vague illusion.
But when the boy opens his eyes, he can see an angelic figure with long white-silver hair and blue sapphire eyes beneath the black hoodie. And behind her is a teenage girl with raven hair and eyes wearing maid clothes underneath a long hood either.
The hooded girl, or, Grizel puts a little illusion around her and Lucy their figures, but she makes the skinny boy an exception.
The boy abruptly kneels in the presence of Grizel, he has mixed feelings of gratitude and fear towards her, it's because she used a little bit of her silver charisma to oppress the people here earlier.
"Boy, what is your name?"
Grizel asked while observing the malnourished boy in front of her, rough skin and filthy tattered clothes, like a common people in the empire, he has dark brown hair and jet black eyes sparkled like obsidian under the sunlight.
"I... don't have one"
He answered weakly, as far as he remembered, he has lived in this slum alone without any relatives nor friends and just trying to survive day by day, all people called him 'Brat'.
Grizel let out a sigh of pity.
"Just like you, I'm struggling to survive this world and refused to give up..."
Grizel recalled the moment she abruptly reincarnated into this messy world leaving her glorious life on Earth behind.
The skinny boy and the crowds were confused with Grizel's abrupt words, but while getting up Grizel added more words to ask him.
"I'm looking for trusted companions to fight the world..."
The boy listening in silence couldn't comprehend Grizel's meaning to talk about it to a stranger like him.
"You..."
The standing Grizel looking down at the kneeling boy in front of her.
"...if I were your front shield, would you like to become my back shield?"
Grizel asked, the boy flinched while he heard the word 'Shield', he just selfishly murdered people not too long ago to save his life yet the girl in front of him wanted this sinner to be a shield who protected her.
The skinny boy may be an uneducated child, but he understood the meaning of Grizel's words, she wanted a trusted shield to support her back while protecting each other.
Ironically, his filthy hand has no right to protect someone anymore. Who would want to entrust their back to a murderer like him?
The skinny boy looked down in sorrow.
if only he didn't kill those kidnappers and just flee instead,
if only this offer has come earlier,
if only he was stronger,
if...
A lot of ifs come to his mind, he regrets everything.
Sob!
Sob!
He is crying weakly facing the ground.
'What a pure boy'
Grizel said inwardly as if she could hear all of his regrets, but she has no plan to stop before throwing a finishing blow.
"Those people you killed were from a syndicate of slave traders"
The masses gasped in disbelief.
Rex, Dion, and Zero who were observing not too far from the crowd flinched, the massive kidnapping obstructed by the slave traders are still under investigation, this is a top-secret and newly found fact, yet the little girl speaks casually as if she knows more than that.
"Investigate this girl and her companions once they leave this place"
Rex whispered to Zero the leader of the Imperial shadow squad, his team is the most elite of the intelligence department.
"Understood"
Zero replied in a low voice to prevent the eavesdropping.
Grizel who is standing in the middle of the crowds dropped another secret information as if nothing.
"And the one who provokes these fools is the slave trader's comrade"
The masses are starting to get agitated but Grizel nonchalantly lifted the boy's face to see his teary eyes.
"Lift your head in pride..."
Grizel glanced at the crowds, her warm eyes replaced with the cold ones, the terrifying atmosphere creeps to their bodies once again, her heavy aura is more suffocating than before.
"The ones who should look down in shame are those who believe in erroneous prejudice inflicted by their baseless fear"
Grizel paused a moment to emphasize her sharp tone. The crowds couldn't see her eyes clearly, but they felt an intense gaze from her.
"What an unsightly behavior! befitting the filthy slums"
The crowds look down in full of embarrassment and anger, their pride was shattered by a little girl who insulted them openly.
On the corner of the crowds, Rex's lips curled upward watching all the scenes, his heart is still beating wildly towards the mysterious little girl.
"My Lord, please take me with you, give me a chance to be your loyal shield"
The boy's voice echoed and break through the quiet situation, he is kneeling with eyes were full of determination, the shivering boy is no longer exists.
Lucy who is looking at the young boy recalled the time when she pledged her loyalty towards Grizel, she believed that her lord has some kind of indescribable atmosphere around her that attract people to her side, her Lord was only 6 years old back then, but she looks big and majestic, Lucy has never even doubted the overwhelming happiness when her Lord accepted her vows.
"Very well"
Grizel patted his head warmly and smiled in satisfaction.
"I shall grant you the name of Leviathan, live your life as my shield in honor"
Grizel hold his hand and help him to get up from the kneeling position, Lucy moved to get closer towards Grizel and Leviathan.
"It's time to leave"
Grizel glance at the corner of the crowds, her eyes fixed towards the Imperial Crown Prince in disguise, Rex who can not see her face clearly certain of one thing.
'Does she just smirk?'
Feeling anxious about her playful smirk, Rex unconsciously runs towards Grizel.
"Please wai-"
But before he could reach Grizel and her companion, a large ancient magic circle appears beneath their feet, it glows brightly with a blinding light and...
"Damn!"
Rex shouted in frustration, the 3 of them vanished along with the lights.
"What was that? Ancient magic circle?"
Dion asked Rex in a shocking yet stay in low voice, they are still among the crowds who are confused with the sudden light.
"I don't know, investigate it thoroughly, there might be a powerful third party in this matter"
"Understood"
Dion and Zero answered in unison, along with Rex, they leave the pale crowds, the crowds just realized they had offended a powerful people.
To be continued...