7 Chapter 07: Alleyways
It was still early in the day, and Stella wheeled Kilian back to the main road, moving down the sidewalk while window shopping.
Stella seemed to want something from every store, and Kilian felt that one day when he was able to, he would make sure to repay this young girl's kindness, even if it wasn't in the way she probably wanted.
He was aware of her fond feelings for him, they were incredibly obvious, it was as if this girl did not know how to be insincere in any way, like the concept of hiding your true feelings was not something she knew off.
He could not give her the fond words she may be wanting to hear, it was just not in his nature, there was no other way to describe it, but he would make sure she would have an easier life in the future.
'I will repay good with even better and bad with even worse,' he thought, as he looked at the next store they wheeled past.
It was a bookstore. The front was huge with wide tall windows going up to the second floor, with wood that had detailed carvings that supported the glass on each side.
The display was that of many books, most of them about magic. Each of them specialized in different kinds of magic.
Kilian felt like a kid at a candy store, taking in the view of these beautifully made books, which were decorated with both flattering designs and some even had small embedded jewels in the imprinted lettering or leather binding.
"Beautiful…," he heard Stella exclaim and agreed with her silently.
'I wish I had magic…'.
His mood soured but his eyes still admired the many books he wanted to read but had no use for.
From the basic magic book that he had received among the many books from Mr.Kilga, he knew most nobles or magic-aligned people would form their magic core at the age of 5, but it was possible to detect the flow of mana even within a newborn to determine if it had magic or not.
"Hey! Get that thieving kid!".
A loud yell came from the road further ahead, and Kilian saw a man chasing down a small group of kids, three of them running as if their lives depended on it, all of them holding a food item in their arms.
They were dressed in rags, probably orphaned kids or from the slums of the town.
So far from what Kilian had seen, the city was impressive and bustling with life, but there was a big gap between the rich and the poor, and there had been some alleys with some questionable humans loitering about.
The kids were faster than the male chasing them, they knew the streets and used the crowd to split up and disappear.
Kilian looked away from the spectacle to the stall the man had come from, seeing another group of kids using the commotion to fill a basket with fruits. It made him smile, nothing wrong with being resourceful or clever to survive. So he just watched and decided not to call it out.
One of the kids saw him and paused in what he was doing, meeting Kilian's ice-blue stare.
The kid had black hair and a skinny face, much like Kilians own had been when deprived of proper nutrients.
When the kid noticed nothing was being called out he made a small whistle and they all scattered, as if they were never there, bringing with them the loot of their plan.
"Clever," Kilian said out loud and signaled for Stella to continue their stroll down the sidewalk.
"How much money do we have left?" He asked after a few minutes of them having left the commotion behind.
"I think about 5 silver" she replied.
"Is..is that a lot?" He asked slightly embarrassed to not know the currency system in this world. Not even the Kilian that had died and left him this body had been in contact with money before, but he assumed the head maid would not have given them much on their outing.
"It is a lot for a maid, but for a noble's son like a young master...The son of a Count… It should be mere pocket change".
She spoke quietly, but the message came across. The head maid had definitely only given them the bare minimum to find a somewhat presentable outfit, but nothing like something a noble would wear.
'But why…'.
They did not want him to dishonor the family, so a lot of money and a proper escort befitting a count's son should have been arranged.
"I think she is relying on people here not believing you even if you did tell them who you are… No commoner would believe a noble would live more shabbily than themselves and have fewer means".
Stella pointed it out, and Kilian had to agree, if something were to happen to him right now, stating who he was would not go over well, he could get in serious trouble if they thought he was impersonating a noble in this world, and he had no proof of his family lineage.
'Proof'.
Kilian bit his lower lip, annoyed at his own situation. He really was still powerless. He could not even have come here if it hadn't been for the approval of the head maid and Stella bringing him.
A memory flashed up in his mind from the young Kilian who had lived in this body before him.
It was a beautiful young woman, smiling down at him with clear blue eyes and blonde hair. Her flowing hair would not be kept by the braid that hung down the side of her shoulder, and young Kilian was reaching out to hold on to the soft hair that was becoming undone in the wind.
Around her neck was a long chain ending in a round metal circle, with the insignia of a Griffin, half lion half eagle with big majestic wings, were proudly standing, with its tiny eyes embedded with light blue jewels, reflecting a radiant light from the sun.
His mother's family!
Something clicked inside of Kilian. There weren't many memories of his mother, she had seemed to love him very much the first few years, but his upbringing had been taken over by the maids, and she stopped coming around to visit.
Just like his father he had not seen her for years.
'Is she even still alive?'.
Why hadn't she come? The few memories showed a woman with a fond smile for the child in her arms. A motherly warm smile.
Kilian thought back, the insignia on the medallion around her neck was not of the Heathgrave house, from the many plaques and insignias in the hallway he had been in, the insignia for Heathgrave seemed to be that of a simple sword and shield.
A very generic-looking insignia if he was honest. Especially compared to a mythical creature like a Griffin.
"Stella, when we get back to the mansion, find me a book regarding the different noble houses with the information and corresponding insignia".
He didn't ask politely but was not sounding demanding either, but Stella nodded with a smile like a proper maid serving her master.
"Yes, young master Kilian, I will get that for you".
The street was still busy, and Kilian had Stella wheel him to the entrance of an alleyway, sitting in his chair between the bright colors from the main street and the looming shadows from the dark alley in front of him.
They waited. Stella never asked why he had wanted to stop at this specific location, but simply stood behind the wheelchair with her hands folded in front of her, waiting together with Kilian.
She was slowly learning that everything Kilian did, had some sort of purpose, and she didn't need to ask, as she would find out sooner or later simply by being by his side.
She secretly admired that about him, besides his very attractive face, and she couldn't understand why there was so much hostility towards him from the other maids.
She was new to the mansion, and it seemed they had ways to treat him, that she was unable to partake in.
From what she knew. Kilian Heathgrave had never done anything to warrant the treatment he had gotten.
He had never been unkind to her, and she would not be unkind to him for no reason.
Instead every day she was slowly starting to like his tenacity and she had noticed the difference in his demeanor when he was alone with her and when the head maid and other maids were in his presence.
'He must be acting,' she thought, and it seemed to her as if he had something planned, making her curious to see what would happen, and had decided to stay by his side.
Barely audible footsteps were slowly approaching from the dark alley, and Kilian saw a small figure step out from the shadows.
"Hey kid…".
He smiled at the black-haired kid, locking his eyes with the young boys', making the kid stop in his tracks. The chilling aura from his eyes was slowly narrowing in on the kid, that felt like being swallowed up, making him wary.
"I have a job for you and your friends if you are interested."
Kilian nodded to Stella who took out the pouch with the remaining silver coins. From what he knew now this was still a lot for a street kid and could be enough to feed the small gang of kids for a while.
The kid widened his eyes at the silver that was reflecting the bright lights from the main street, giving off a sparkly look to the kid in front of them.
"Are you able to tell apart the servants from house Heathgrave, when they come to town?".
He stared down at the boy, who seemed to be considering many options, as his expression kept changing from wariness to awe, and then to an expression of deep thinking as he was considering the words from Kilian.
Kilian found it all amusing, it was kind of like seeing the obvious favorable expressions on Stella's face when he was near her. Making him able to tell what she was thinking.
"Why?" The boy finally asked.
Kilian paused, making the boy wait for his answer while staring him down with an expressionless look. Then after a bit.
"I'd like you and your friends to collect information about them, you do not need to interact with them, but when they come to town collect information about their behavior and spending. Also…".
Kilian paused again, this time for dramatic effect, as he could see the boy was intrigued by the offer already.
"Any other information you may think I would like to know is appreciated".
Kilian ended the sentence with a smile, not explaining what -any other information- was specifically.
"I will trust your eyes and ears to determine what might be relevant".
He smiled at the boy and had Stella hand the kid the pouch with the rest of their money.
The eyes on the kid became even wider, something Kilian didn't think would be possible.
"How do you know, I won't just run off with this?" The boy asked hesitantly.
"Because there's more where that came from if we keep in business with each other," Kilian replied calmly.
"Pay will be upfront so the trust is on my part, however, I think we can help each other".
"How will we bring you the information?".
The boy seemed to be agreeing to it, and the time on the streets had made him understand a deal like this could keep him and the others alive during the winter that was soon upon them.
"See this maid? She will stand in front of the bookstore down the street every 3rd Friday at noon for 30 min, you can relay the information to her as of now, later I will seek you out myself to get it".
Kilian was heavily gambling on changing his circumstances, but for now, he had paid the kid up front.
If he still had no money in three weeks from now he could simply say he had no use for the surveillance until he had gotten his hands on more money. For now, he was content with having found a possible way to retain information, when he was unable to move about himself.
They left the alleyway and Stella wheeled Kilian back down the street to the carriage that was waiting for them.
Behind them, in the crowd, a redheaded man stood on the sidewalk. He was eyeing the young master and his servant as they entered the carriage.
He had seen the young master from the house he served, give every last bit of money he had left to a street kid, the kind deed would make sure the kid would eat this winter, possibly saving his life.
He looked at master Kilian from afar, knowing how skinny and how little this noble man had, but still decided to give whatever he had to someone else instead. He admired it.
Kilian Heathgrave was a kind guy. How could people in the estate talk him down when he had this kind of giving heart?
The redheaded man felt annoyed, he himself was not being treated well in the estate as he had a commoner background, which was rare for a knight in training, but it seemed the house was in need of more knights and had opened up the gates for commoners to join the ranks.
Maybe at least Kilian Heathgrave wouldn't be so bad to serve.
