1 Chapter 1: Prologue

Title: The Beginning

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Frau had never been one to complain. Or, more precisely, he had gotten too used to the fact that nothing comes from just complaining and eventually stopped doing it.

Being born from an irresponsible yet unfortunate couple, Frau was abandoned in a run-down orphanage. The first memories that he could so ever faintly remember were the sound of his birth mother's feet trudging through the soft snow towards the orphanage. The silence yet heavily oppressive silence of the dead of the night permeated throughout the air as his mother panted while walking.

The baby, Frau, naturally cried. Whether it was from the cold or from the fact that he knew that he was going to be abandoned was unknown.

"I'm sorry, Frau...I'm so sorry..." His mother whispered those words into his ears repeatedly as she persevered her way through the thick snow.

This year's snowfall was particularly intense and powerful, blasting cold wind right into his mother's face.

"I'm sorry..."

Like this, the mother-son duo soon reached their designated destination - what seemed to be a run-down orphanage run and funded by the church.

Standing in front of the orphanage doors, the woman silently wept as the only other sound that could be heard was the winter wind blowing into their faces.

Whether it was because of the cold or the fact that it was most probably going to be the last time she would ever see her child again, the woman wrapped the baby boy even tighter within the blanket before hugging it even closer to her bosom.

The baby had long fallen asleep between the crying and the warm hold, and he felt no reaction from his mother's trembling body.

"I'm sorry..." Repeating this for the last time ever to her newly born child, she arranged his "bed" in the basket, ensuring that he was adequately warmed up and cozy before placing it on the doorsteps of the orphanage.

The floor was covered with snow, and as soon as the basket containing the baby was placed onto the snow, it almost buried the baby alive if not for his mother's timely actions of digging some snow away.

"Live well, Frau." She kissed the baby's forehead as she placed a poorly-made necklace in his arms. It was wooden and hand-crafted, the crude yet strangely homely handwriting of the words "Frau" engraved on the wooden pendant.

Knocking on the orphanage door, the woman quickly took one last peek at her baby before scuttling behind one of the trees, hiding herself from sight as she waited until another lady opened the door.

She watched as the lady looked around before eventually finding a baby, her baby, on the doorstep. Due to the distance between them and the snowfall that blocked her line of sight, the woman couldn't see most details.

She stood there until she distinctively saw the lady return back to the orphanage with extra baggage in her arms.

It was unknown what went through her mind as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. After witnessing her child being taken inside the comparably warmer building than her own house, she let out a sad smile before returning in the direction she left from.

Regrets filled her heart, but even after knowing that, she had already resolved herself. Not to abandon her child, but to provide him with a better life.

This was the excuse she used to convince herself to make the current decision. It may have worked for the time being, but in the end, an excuse was nothing more than just that - an excuse.

Sooner or later, the said "excuse" was going to bite her back from an unknown angle, and it would be the time where she would regret it all.

*****************

The early 18th century was called the "dark ages" by almost everyone who lived past it. It was an age when chaos and anarchy ruled, with no laws, no rules, no edicts, where the only "rule" was the noble's whims and fancies.

The common people suffered while the rich and influential thrived. In rare cases where the noble was kind and considerate, the common people did not suffer as much.

But that's what all historians would say in the future. For those who haven't truly experienced the 18th century for themselves, it was impossible to gauge precisely how dark it was.

There were economic decays. Hundreds of empires, states, and royals were declining day by day, slowly losing control over their respective territories and causing mayhem amongst people.

No technology was found anywhere; the only heat and light source available was fire, whose fuel, coal, was strictly controlled by the influential.

Bath? Pour a bucket of water over yourself, dry yourself, and you're done. If you're not a noble, the concept of "soap" was non-existent.

Food? It would be lucky for people to even have a complete meal on any typical day.

Hay, quilts, and carpets by the fireplace were common places to fall asleep during winter.

Glass windows were a sign of the rich; the poor had no right to use such luxury, causing them to have wooden planks to act as the window. It was either dark and warm or cold and bright - there was never a middle ground when using wooden planks as windows.

Fortunately, the darkest part of the dark ages didn't last very long. By the late 18th century, peace and stability were gradually restored with the help of the spread of British supremacy - colonization, a word used in the future to describe this exact scenario.

Britain was a powerful country now in the 18th century, and where its influence spread, a stable period of peace appeared.

There were many political riff-raff against the Mughal Empire, but in the end, the common people - the majority - judged that it was better for the British to rule over them instead of the Mughal Empire.

Living at the side of the Britain Empire, where Frau lived was under the management of a Count. During the 18th century, the ranks of nobilities included, from highest to lowest, the Royal Family (including the emperor/king, queen, princess, prince, and archduke), Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, and knights.

The Count was a position that was neither too high nor too low in the Britain nobility. Thus, nobody really paid much attention to them as long as there weren't any exaggerated incidents happening under their watch.

The higher-ranking nobilities didn't care about the Count since they judged that they were too busy managing their own territories and business to think of any plans to usurp their position, while the lower-ranking nobilities didn't believe that Count was an excellent position to aim for.

For those who are looking for a stable life and lineage, being a Count was good enough. As was the case for this particular Count family, a good balance of political, business, and family made them doting parents and a happy family.

There weren't like most of the other nobles who looked down on the masses. If their neither high nor low position taught them anything, it was that an empire needed both the top and the bottom to survive. And it was, for this reason, why most people liked to stay in Counts' territories more than other nobles.

Yet, despite their kindness, they couldn't manage everything perfectly; they were only humans in the end, after all.

At the corner of their territory was where Frau lived and where the orphanage was located at. It was considered part of the village they were in, but no one really visits the orphanage for no apparent reason. Even if they do, it was from another town to abandon their own child.

"Frau! Chloe! It's time to do your duties!" The matron yelled, causing the two children to immediately stand up and walk towards her.

Frau was a young boy with a rather pale skin tone and light blonde hair. His eyes were deep blue in color but appear indigo under certain light, causing much curiosity for his eyes at the first meeting. Even with fairly immature facial features, it could be seen that he would grow up to look somewhat handsome. Only if he was getting the nutrients that he needed and got cleaned, though.

As of now, both his body and shirt were covered in dirt. And with the pathetic serving of meals, he was hardly getting any nutrients, causing him to be both dirty and malnourished.

On the other hand, Chloe was a young girl that had features the complete opposite of Frau. She had a darker skin tone and dark black hair that seemed to complement her tan skin. Her eyes were green in color, resulting in the only bright color that could be found on her body.

Her current state was similar to Frau's, with a dirty face, dirty shirt, and malnourished.

The matron was the old woman who picked Frau up when he was still a baby from the doorstep. She used to be slimmer and more hardworking, but as years passed and she started aging, moving became less of a thing for her as it was "time for her to enjoy her retirement", or so she said.

In the 18th century, "human rights" weren't universally applied; it was merely a European thought. So, if a noble house allowed something to be done, it would be done, regardless of age or gender.

"Mother." Frau and Chloe went in front of the matron and greeted her. 'Mother' was the term used to call for the matron, and it sort of came about a few years back when the orphanage first started.

"You're not getting breakfast until you meet your quota for the morning. Now, go." The matron didn't say much before forcing them out to the village to do their "duties".

Frau and Chloe didn't say anything in return and silently left the orphanage. And they weren't alone.

The dining table was hardly used for its intended purposes; it was used primarily as a gathering place to make it easier for the matron to see who was present and who was absent. And so, about half of the people from the dining table followed them out.

The "duties" that the matron made the children do consist of stealing, robbing, scamming, begging, and other actions that could bring them food, clean and fresh water, or money.

They were taught that there were no rules except for one - don't get caught. If you were caught, then you would shoulder all the responsibilities alone.

Not only that, the matron gets to keep everything the child "earned" for the day and gives them the bare minimum amount of food to survive.

It was harsh, it was unfair, but it was life. This particular orphanage only accepts babies as they were the easiest to manipulate and control. Anyone older than three would have basic memories of their parents, and anyone older than five would have enough intelligence to know what they were doing was wrong. Of course, unless they have been brainwashed since young.

This year, Frau and most other kids turned eight, not too old, yet not too young. One could say it was the perfect age to do their "duties" as they were old enough to execute any plans, yet young enough to not be the prime suspect of any crime scene.

Thanks to the matron's strict rule that anyone who turns sixteen would be considered an adult and forced to live by themselves, there was no one above sixteen in the orphanage. In fact, if the food was scarce, she would even force a transfer to another orphanage on the other side of the territory.

"Frau..." Chloe muttered quietly as each kid got to their respective positions.

"What?"

"Let's do our best today again!"

Frau looked at Chloe, who was forcing a smile, before turning his gaze away. In this harsh and cruel world, there are three ways people can survive.

To work together as a team, be a superior person, or be an underling for a superior person. The first one requires members with equal status with sufficient skills to survive, while the second involves talent and status.

It was rare for the first way to be chosen as a vicious was in place to prevent any 'weak' person from becoming 'strong'. There are exceptions, of course, but there were rare. The second one was even harder, especially for orphans like them whom nobody wanted.

So, unfortunately, Frau and the others had fallen into the third way, serving a superior person, which, in this case, is the matron.

But even then, there was a chain of command, a hierarchy. The older orphans ruled over the younger ones, forcing several 'rules' onto them. The matron knew about them, but as long as her own pockets are filled, her body kept warm and cozy, and her living comfortably, she turned a blind eye.

"Sure," Frau replied without any change in emotion appearing on his face, "Don't lose your life."

∞

The "duties" were made to be flexible, adjusting to the capability of the said child.

The older and stronger child would take on riskier jobs that would have a higher gain. Robbing the rich and weak and robbing from other poor people were just some examples.

Meanwhile, the younger and weaker ones who had no skills could only beg and pray that someone would take pity and give them something. Even better, if someone wanted to adopt them, it would be the blessing of a lifetime.

But for Frau and most other kids at their age, it was easier and more worthwhile for them to steal. Stealing was a much safer option than robbing as robbing required strength, something a bunch of malnourished eight-year-olds did not have.

It only required a certain level of stealth, and even if the owners realized what had happened, they would be long gone out of sight.

Every once in a while, all the children in the orphanage would participate in something known as the "fundraiser". It was for the poor families living in the slums, which was ironic as they weren't very rich themselves.

Of course, it was just a front for the matron to pocket more money for herself, giving the poor the bare minimum to keep up the image of being "magnanimous".

At this time, education wasn't free nor easily accessible. So, it wasn't rare for kids to wander about the streets in the middle of the day.

"Fresh food here! Fresh vegetables here! Quickly come before they are all sold out!"

"Discount for a limited time only! Come get your vegetables!"

"Rare seasonings are here! Hurry and buy it before they are all sold out!"

Similar shouts from the various stalls placed along the streets could be heard all over the place. The roads were busy, and housewives were bustling everywhere to search for vegetables to buy for the day. Since they had no way of keeping anything fresh for longer than a day, the housewives had to come down here every day to replenish their food supply.

Having separated from one another, Frau looked at the bust streets and started his day.

∞

Moving along with the huge crowd, Frau took extra caution that he was 'involuntarily' moved to the side, which would make escaping to the various maze-like alleys for a safe and quick escape. It also helped that the stalls were located such that they surrounded both sides of the street, making it easier to blend in with the crowd in the middle if anything should go wrong.

Today, he was hungry. Well, he was hungry on most days, so he was already used to enduring it. But it was tough for him to endure the hunger today, probably because he was unlucky yesterday, and he couldn't run far before his victim beat him into a pulp. To add to his suffering, to punish him for his failure, the matron also didn't give him any food for dinner.

His stomach grumbled endlessly as Frau looked for a food stall to steal from.

The vegetable stalls were good choices; there were plenty of them available, and if he was lucky, a stall owner might even pay him to steal his competitors' vegetables so that he could increase his own business.

The fruits stalls were also good, but there were far fewer of them, and each fruit was protected like their lives depended on them.

The meat stalls were the hardest to steal from. It was not only hard to run away with, but it was also hard to cook. Not to mention that meat was the most expensive item sold in the streets, making them even more tightly guarded than the fruits.

However, none of these was his choice today. Today, he knew that the chickens would lay their eggs, and he wanted some of them. Going towards the opposite end of the street before making a left turn, Frau reached the middle of the town, where a water fountain presented a statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms.

Being placed in a Christian Orphanage since birth, he was, of course, like any other child, raised to be Christian as well. He looked at the Virgin Mary statue and prayed for a little before moving towards his destination.

Set aside from the rest of the town, the farming area was located East of the city. It was directly opposite the orphanage, which was located at the West.

The farming area was huge, but Frau didn't care about the ungrown vegetables. There were several scarecrows in the fields to scare off both animal and human intruders, but Frau was already used to it and wasn't afraid at all. The rashly built barbed fence scratched Frau's hands, feet, and legs as he climbed over it, but apart from some grunt of pain, he didn't release much noise.

After successfully entering the farm area, he scanned his surroundings and tried to locate the hen house, but to no avail. It was too big of an area, and every building looked similar from far.

Frau had no other choice but to sneak around the entire area, hoping that the first building he checked would be the hen house.

Unfortunately, like any time of his life, luck wasn't by his side.

He spent almost two whole hours just to locate the henhouse while dodging various farmers who were out under the sun growing their respective crops.

It wasn't easy as there were barely any hiding spots in case someone caught him. He was even chased out of the farm twice, and he had to wait for a while before returning.

Keeping silent the entire journey, Frau couldn't keep his smile in as he finally arrived just behind the henhouse. Waiting for a few seconds until a farmer walked off, he opened the door as quietly as possible, a feat quite impossible as the creaking of the wooden door made it quite obvious. Thankfully, the cluckings of the hen were even louder, drowning out the creaking.

Frau took a peek inside, and he was amazed. Countless hens were present, and even more eggs were there just within his reach.

He took one, and no hen reacted to his actions. He took another one, and there was still no reaction. He smiled - he could take as many as he wanted, but reality quickly pulled him back.

Big mouthfuls often choke, and he didn't want to be caught carrying a noticeable load of eggs that he obviously couldn't afford.

Taking off his shirt, or rather, rags that he had donned on, he placed about a dozen or so eggs and wrapped it up nicely. It would be the end of his journey for now, but tomorrow, he could, and would, come once more.

After all, it was basically an undiscovered treasure trove to him, so why wouldn't he take advantage of it?

After getting his share of eggs, he silently retreated from the farm using the same way he got in before sneaking back to the orphanage.

∞

"Well done, Frau. I thought that you would disappoint me once more, but it seems that you've learned your lesson." Rare praise came out of the matron's mouth as she stared at the bundle of eggs on the table.

"Yes, mother." Frau didn't smile at her compliment, keeping his head down. He was far too afraid of the matron's mood suddenly switching to be happy for momentary praise.

"Good, you can have an egg for dinner. Now, you can go have a rest. Or, you can go out there and collect more food if you want another egg for dinner."

"Yes, mother." Frau didn't plan to go out and steal any further. He had secretly kept two eggs for himself, stashed safely at someplace where the matron wouldn't find it.

Raw eggs might be unhealthy for a kid's stomach to handle, but plenty of fire sources were available that you could leech off from in town. And he planned to have two eggs before coming back for dinner for the third egg.

It wasn't much of a meal, but it would be one of the bigger meals he had ever gotten.

As he was leaving the orphanage, Chloe came back with her head down and her hands empty. Without even saying anything, Frau could already guess her circumstances.

At 6 pm, there would hardly be anyone left on the streets to steal from. And even if there were, it would be evident for all to see. Thus, they could only steal when there were plenty of people around.

And that also meant that if you did not and could not get anything before the crowd dispersed, a punishment from the matron would almost be inevitable.

Still, he didn't try to save her from the matron or anything. It would merely result in either her getting even more punishment or both of them getting punished together. And neither were the consequences that he desired.

Chloe was like a little sister to him, despite both of them being the same age. So, the only thing he could do to help her was in his own little ways.

"Meet me after you're done with your punishment," Frau whispered to Chloe as he walked past her, not giving her a chance to reply.

Chloe, who heard Frau whisper to her, lifted up her head slightly but immediately downed her head once more as she stood in front of the matron.

Frau didn't hear anything further as he walked out of the orphanage. Partly because he was afraid to listen to what punishment was in store for Chloe for failing her "duties", and partly because he was guilty that he couldn't help her in any way.

The matron's punishment varied from person to person. The older you were, the more severe the consequences, except for failing your "duties" consecutively for a few days without a valid reason.

For an eight-year-old girl like Chloe, there wouldn't be any labor work. It was at most -

"As expected from the way you were walking." Frau softly commented as he watched Chloe limp and walked funny towards him, "Can you still walk?"

"Yes." Chloe's voice was soft but contained a weird sense of strength. Frau wasn't too surprised by it anymore; Chloe was a strong girl from the start, a trait needed to survive in this harsh world.

Frau didn't say anything further and started walking, albeit slowly, so that Chloe could catch up with him. They were currently headed towards a hideout that only the two of them knew, a safe haven for true momentary peace that could be disturbed by no one.

Reaching the edge of the forest, they didn't hesitate to enter it despite their attire. It was just the beginning of autumn, so it wasn't that cold yet.

The hideout wasn't some fancy place that they had built up in a treetop like some fairy tale. No, it was merely a down-to-earth, naturally made cave covered behind a mass of dangling vines that helped keep the weather out.

Inside was cozy, with a burnt-out "firepit" in the middle and various bundles of leaves that helped act as a terrible quilt. Not that they had many chances to use them.

It looked no different from other times, only this time, it included two extra eggs safely kept between the bundle of leaves.

"Is that -"

"Yes. It's eggs that I stole."

"Mou...how many times have I told you already? Stealing is bad." Chloe pouted at him as she sat herself down.

"And how many times must I tell you that if you want to live, merely hoping for a miracle isn't enough." Frau retorted as he too made himself comfortable, "This world is garbage, after all."

"I think this world is unfair, not garbage. After all, I have you, don't I?"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment that I'm not garbage or an insult that being with me is unfair?"

"Hehe, not telling~." Chloe let out a soft laugh before wincing in pain, "Ow..."

"Come here." Frau signaled Chloe towards him as he reached out to a nearby water source to trap leeches. As Chloe pulled down her pants slowly, revealing a scarred, red butt and legs, Frau pulled out a leech near its head and eyed Chloe's injuries.

"Must I? Those things are disgusting..." Chloe asked warily, but beggars can't be choosers. Medicine was only for the rich; leeches were the best way to numb the pain for the poor like them.

"You know the answer to your own question. Come lie on your stomach on my legs."

Chloe reluctantly did so, and Frau immediately lowered the leech to her bum with hesitation.

"Yeep!" Chloe squealed in pain as the teeth sunk into her bum and legs, but it only lasted for a moment before the pain in her legs and butt started disappearing.

It didn't mean that she was recovering, however. It could only help her get through the day without much pain.

After three minutes of sucking, the leeches seemed to have enough as their grip loosened enough for Frau to pick them up and toss them back to the small water source.

"Unless you want to walk back home without pants, you can wear back them now," Frau spoke as he lifted Chloe to a stack of soft leaves and laid her down before starting a fire, "Do you want an egg?"

"Can I? Isn't it yours?"

"Sigh, we've been through this so many times already. But since you don't want it..."

"I want it!" Chloe hurriedly exclaimed before Frau could change his mind.

The two allowed a peaceful silence to sink in while Frau did his best to ensure that the egg was hardboiled so not a single drop would be wasted.

It was hard to do so without any proper equipment, but the experience helped.

After fifteen minutes, the hardboiled eggs were done.

Peeling off the shells, the duo enjoyed a quiet meal. It would be Chloe's last meal for the day, and so she savored every nibble of it.

"Delicious!" It was but an egg. But for the children in the orphanage, everything with protein in it was highly sought after. After all, they didn't have much meat, and eggs were pretty rare as well - only those who got them could have a chance to eat them. Not that any of them knew what protein, fiber, or carbohydrates were.

"Let's go now?"

"I really don't want to return there, though...why can't we just stay here for the rest of our lives?"

"We can't survive by ourselves here. Maybe once we grow up..." Frau replied. It's not as though he didn't want to leave the orphanage. But staying in an orphanage had its own benefit. The punishment was a lot lighter if they had a backing, but once they run away from the orphanage, they would be treated as adults, and the sentence for theft, robbery, scamming, and all the other crimes that they did would come weighing down on them.

"Promise me that we'll always be together?" Chloe asked.

Frau just stared at the brightly smiling girl with a blank gaze before turning away, "Let's go."

As Chloe sighed in disappointment from the lack of response, she suddenly heard a soft mutter from the boy.

"As long as you don't drag me down..."

Hearing that reply, Chloe's smile returned, and she did her best to skip over to his side and held his hand.

"Hehehe..."

"What?"

"Nothing. It just reminded me of the Church party! You know, the one with the boy and girl, and they go down the lane, and they kiss, and the bell rings?"

"No."

"Liar! You definitely know about that!"

And so, their one-sided conversation, with Chloe being the only one to initiate the conversation, continued as they made their way back to the hellhole.

∞

Dinner wasn't great, like usual. And so was breakfast.

Having nothing but bread crumbs to eat, they were again forced to scourage for more food to last for the upcoming winter. Eggs were very easy to hold for a long time without going back, and the matron liked everybody to aim for eggs today.

But while everybody tried their best to steal from the stalls, Frau immediately went back to the farm to collect his eggs. It was much easier than stealing from a tightly guarded stall.

Apart from the occasional farmer moving from one field to another, there were no guards on a farm. This makes it almost too easy to steal anything from a farm. As long as you could reach your destination, the hard part was already completed. In this case, the destination Frau had in mind was the henhouse.

Entering the familiar dark and musky smell of hen, hay, grains, and chicken shit, Frau's rare smile came once more.

"Why didn't I do this from the start?"

If he had, he wouldn't need to suffer all those years earlier.

He was filled with regrets, but he didn't let it bother him for too long. Since it was still early, he decided to stay here for some time. The various holes in the walls weren't big enough for the hens to escape, but it was certainly big enough to create air ventilation in the room.

"Phew..." The air might be murky and pungent, noisy with all the cluckings, the space cramped with the number of chickens present, but it wasn't bad.

"Should I take some of you home?" Frau muttered to some of the hens eyeing the curious human who didn't leave after taking some eggs.

"Cluck?"

"Is that a no?"

"Cluck."

Frau laughed a little at his own behavior as he picked up the plump hen and laid it down on his lap.

"Don't crap my pants," Frau half-heartedly spoke as he didn't really care what happens to his pants; it was already dirty and had plenty of holes and was currently used only to cover his privates.

If he wasn't living in the 18th century, but in the prehistoric ages, he would have already tossed his pants.

But he couldn't remain here forever. As time slowly ticked by and the sun rose to its peak, the temperature within the henhouse started increasing as well.

And he was hungry, like any other time.

Quickly taking a few eggs, he wrapped them up before leaving after ensuring no one was looking and returned not to his orphanage but to his secret cave. Why would he give his hard work to the person who ensured that all the children's life was as hard as possible?

Well, apart from guaranteeing his safety, that is. His cave might be nicely hidden, but there was no telling some random poisonous bug might enter, or some bear might accidentally discover his cave and use it as its home.

Besides, he was going back to the henhouse later, and he could take some eggs to please the matron. He would also give some to Chloe so that she wouldn't get punished any further.

He stayed in his cave and relaxed for a while as he waited for his eggs to be cooked. This time, he managed to steal 10 eggs all for himself, the proudest feat he had gotten over his four years long of effort.

And for the first time in his life, he tasted fullness in his stomach, and it was addictive. As for getting tired of eating eggs only, that was a problem only for the rich. The poor's tastebuds were adapted to not feel tired of eating any food.

'I want more.'

This thought kept surfacing up in his mind, and as much as he knew that being greedy was a horrible thing to have, his will couldn't resist for long.

One day later, he was still okay.

Two days, he was still okay, taking only the minimum he required to survive. After all, it was a henhouse, not an egg house; it didn't produce an unlimited number of eggs per day. If he took too much at any one point in time, the farmers would definitely notice something wrong.

But one week later, the constant grumbling of his stomach made him unable to endure any further. That one full meal was like the opium; once he had it, he was unable to live without feeling that sensation again.

The straw that broke the camel's back was that the matron noticed something weird with him. Being able to constantly bring eggs every day wasn't something even the older kids could do. So, now knowing that Frau could continuously get them eggs, the matron's original intent of "encouraging" Frau to do more by allowing him to eat more food than the other kids became redundant. And this let the matron reduce the amount of food that he could get to the same amount as other kids.

He had already stayed at the henhouse for quite a bit, and he was already familiar with the farmers' routine and which path was the optimal way of traveling without being caught.

There will be no mistake if everything goes to the usual plan.

Go to the henhouse in the morning right after the matron sent him out, stay in the henhouse for some time to kill time, take some eggs and bring them to the cave before eating them. Afterward, go back to the henhouse just slightly earlier when the sun was about to set, take five or six eggs to "gift" the matron so that she would be happy.

This was the usual routine. And this was what Frau had based all his emergency plans on as well.

Everything was going to plan just before lunch. But today, Frau would much rather have some company to kill some time, so he had decided to go to the henhouse right after lunch.

After all, hens might not be able to talk, but they make better company than having no one.

Sitting in his familiar spot while surrounded by hens, he was quickly bathed in their warmness once more. He had not gotten much sleep with the rain last night due to the cold, loud thunder, and bright lightning.

All this, coupled with the warm temperature and the just-slightly-less-than-comfortable hay he sat on, it made him fall asleep.

And it was also the problem that he currently faced as he heard two voices saying something while shaking him violently.

"So, what are you doing here?" A voice sounded, and this snapped his back to attention immediately.

All the drowsiness within him was gone in an instant as his entire body froze. He turned around to catch a glimpse of his catcher, revealing two faces belonging to young boys.

It was strangely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he saw their faces before.

"Can this guy understand us?"

"I'm not sure. His clothes are ragged and tattered, and this means that he couldn't attend school?" The second voice sounded, analyzing Frau's body from top to bottom as a strange glint in his eyes appeared. It disappeared before anyone apart from the first person noticed.

"I can understand you. Who are you?" In case they thought of him as a mute, Frau quickly replied. He couldn't read nor write, but he could at least speak.

"I think it's basic manners to answer our questions first, don't you?"

"Manners? The only manners I know are to say thank you, please, and yes, none of them fit your question." Frau titled his head in confusion.

"Seems like he truly is uneducated. Do you think..."

"Yep. He's a good candidate."

Frau just observed the two conversing with each other, not understanding most of what they are talking about.

"Well, you're going to have to explain what you're doing in the henhouse, but first, let us introduce ourselves." The first boy said, "My name is Fleetwood Pellew, from the Pellew family, bearing the title of Count Exmouth."

"And my name is George Pellew, younger brother of Fleetwood Pellew, from the same count family."

After both boys introduced themselves, Frau knew he was in huge trouble. In this small area of their territory, the Count family was like royalties to the commoners like Frau.

"Well, crap..."

If anyone else apart from the Count family had caught him, Frau wouldn't be panicking just yet. After all, the matron would definitely try her best so that her free labor wouldn't be discarded so soon.

But this was the Count family, someone even the authorities had to obey, much less a nameless matron.

The backing of the Church was merely in name only; it was just a religion. It might be growing to have some powerful influence, but it has yet to reach that state. While the Church can influence some nobles, a Count was not part of that "some". But that was not even the problem; even if they could, why would a Church even bother to protect one of the plentiful nameless kid?

Just as Frau was thinking about getting through this incident, he heard another voice outside the henhouse.

"Young master? Second young master?" An old voice echoed in the fields, and the two boys immediately turned to face the direction from where the sound came from.

"Well, whatever your name is, come along with us. Are you hungry?"

"Eh?" Frau was now even more confused, but a grumble from his stomach answered the brother's question.

"Well, at least I now know. Come along, I'll give you some food. But in return, return the eggs from where you found it, alright?" Fleetwood chuckled as he opened the door, revealing the sunset.

"Crap, it's this late already?!" Frau exclaimed as he saw the sunset, "I have to return to the orphanage now!"

Of course, Frau didn't really have to return to the orphanage. It was merely an excuse so that he could get away from the two noble boys, and hopefully, let them forget about why he was in the henhouse in the middle of the day.

"You're from the orphanage? Very well." While George held Frau down so that he wouldn't run away, while Fleetwood called out to his butler.

"Sebastian!"

"Young master! There you are! Where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you."

"We were looking at the chickens. But let's forget about that right now. Let's head to the orphanage for dinner."

"Huh? T-The orphanage?"

"I don't think I stuttered. Are mother and Father done with their business with the farm?"

"Well...they're done, but are you sure you want to go to the orphanage to have your dinner? I've heard that the orphanage is rather...worn-down."

"It's not as though it is our first time eating in an orphanage. If Mother and Father are done, then let's go."

Sebastian, seeing Fleetwood and George carrying another boy, hesitated for a while before eventually letting out a sigh. The two young masters were nothing like other noble children. They're much friendlier, humbler, and kinder than anyone Sebastian knew.

It wasn't their first time visiting an orphanage to eat since the two had done so plenty of time before, together with their parents, of course. But Sebastian was still worried.

It was not safe, after all. A serial killer was out there in their territory, and with limited guards, he had no way to ensure that the Count family would be safe anywhere except for their mansion.

"Sigh, very well, young master. By the way, who is the boy you are carrying, second young master?"

George looked at the boy he grabbed and grinned, "He's the guy from the orphanage we're going to. Look at his clothes, we need to give them better clothing to wear. Otherwise, a disease would likey to spread around, and we don't want that in our territory, do we?"

"How very kind of you, and what foresight you have. If that is your wish, your old servant will obey."

And so, without the consent of Frau, he was dragged back to the orphanage. Along with the rest of the Count family, they arrived back at the hell hole from which Frau came.

"Knock, knock."

"You can just go in, Count Pellew." Frau bowed to the nobles as he spoke. While he might not be revering them as a God, he did respect them greatly. He had heard tales of their kindness and sympathy as he robbed and stole from unsuspecting victims, but it was never genuinely proven till today.

Despite knowing that he had stolen some eggs, the two noble children didn't have him arrested. They even decided to help make their living condition better by gifting them some clothes and donating some money for their clauses.

Perhaps they just wanted to improve their image for the people, but nevertheless, Frau could appreciate that. Doing something nice with an ulterior motive would still be better compared to people who don't do kindness at all.

Dinner was refreshing. With the Count providing food, it was lavish and a feast for both the children's tastebuds and eyes.

The matron even dressed up for the Count's visit, though she still looked old, ugly, and mean in Frau's eyes.

"Is that so?" The Count didn't say anything further and entered the orphanage.

"Who's there?!" The matron's yell came from the kitchen. Of course, it wasn't to cook meals for the children; it was for herself.

"Frau, mother."

"Frau? Where have you been?!" She came out of the kitchen with her sleeves rolled up. She was about to continue screaming when she realized who was beside Frau.

"C-Count Exmouth!" She hurriedly bowed so deeply that it seemed as though the fats in her stomach compressed, allowing her head to reach her thighs.

"You can raise your head."

"M-May I know what brings you here today?" After getting back her composure, the matron asked, hoping it was not anything wrong.

"Just for a simple dinner. My sons wanted to spend some time playing with the children in the orphanage. And while at it, I would like to leave some donations for this orphanage. These foods," Count Exmouth snapped his fingers, and his servants entered with some baskets of vegetables, meat, and fruits, "Are but a small sincerity on my part."

"T-This...thank you so much, Count Exmouth." The matron couldn't help but instinctively bow once more, "It's not much, but I hope you will enjoy the meal here. Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Frau, guide them towards the dining table, and ensure that they are as comfortable as they possibly can." The matron pulled him to the side and whispered to him before turning back to the Count family with a smile, "Frau here will guide you to your seats. Please."

Having no other choice, Frau guided the family of four plus Sebastian to where they usually dined and gave them the best seats possible they could offer. It was near the fire, where it was the warmest, and closest to the wall, where they could lean back should they ever feel tired.

"Thank you, Frau."

"You don't have to thank me, Young master Fleetwood."

Frau didn't know how to refer to them without offending them, so he chose to use Sebastian's way of addressing them.

"You can just call me Fleetwood."

"Young master!"

"It's fine, Sebastian. We're all kids; what's the big deal?" Fleetwood waved off Sebastian's words lightly and turned back to Frau, "So?"

"If you wish for it, Fleetwood."

"I would like you to cut down on your polite speech as well since we're not in the mansion or out for any formal events, but if this makes you comfortable..."

Frau merely nodded, and no other conversation was engaged. Or at least, Frau hoped so.

Clearly, his luck didn't work for a more significant part of his life, and it certainly wasn't going to start working now. George and Fleetwood started conversing with not only him but also the curious children who were too afraid to go near the presence of the Counts.

But the Count family proved to be worthy of their reputation. Within minutes, the family of four attracted the kids to their sides, entertaining them and making them laugh. Chloe was having the blast of her time, being able to laugh freely in this place for once.

In fact, it was also partially thanks to her that the other kids gathered their courage to come forward and greet the nobles.

"Here comes the dinner." For the more tremendous shock of the children, the matron came out of the kitchen carrying two massive plates of meat and vegetables. It seemed that she hadn't lost her touch from when she was young, despite all her laziness, cruelty, and harshness towards the children.

"Alright, kids, don't just stand there and stare. Come and help carry the food out!"

It felt bizarre to see the usually unsmiling matron speak in a soft-spoken tone, but the kids quickly snapped out of their reverie and followed her instructions. She might seem kind now, but the kids knew better than to believe the mask she wore.

A leopard never changes its spots, much less a human changing its habits overnight.

"Please, start eating! Thanks to Count Exmouth, we have plenty of food to eat today!"

Hearing the matron's announcement, the kids stopped holding themselves back and devoured the food on the table. Of course, the reverence for the Count family stopped them from taking more than they can eat and leave more than enough food for the Count family to fill up their stomach.

"Thank you for the meal, matron. The dinner was absolutely delightful."

It was unknown whether the Count really meant what he said or was just polite, but the matron accepted his praise wholeheartedly.

"But unfortunately, as much as I would like to stay here, I have some work I need to get back to. My boys come and go as they please, so should they ever come and disturb your lives, please take good care of them."

"Of course, Count Exmouth. You have my word that they'll be properly taken care of." The matron hurriedly bowed and replied. Seeing a noble bow, no matter how slight, was terrifying for any commoners.

It might be a mere gesture amongst nobles, but when doing that to commoners...it represents an absolute honor which the matron knew none of them deserved.

"Well then, We'll be leaving now. Please take care of yourself, children. I'm sorry for the horrible situation and environment all of you are living in, but the empire is trying her best." The Count said as he got on the carriage that was waiting outside the orphanage.

"We are all trying our best."

No one knew whether he expected a reply, but there was silence as the rest of the Count family got on the carriage.

"Frau! Let's play again sometimes!" George waved happily at the Frau, who was now wondering when they had ever "played" together before.

"Okay...?"

And just like this, the Count family arrived and left as suddenly as the wind.

"Well, the show's over. Go back inside and clean up everything. Since all of you had your meals already, you guys will not be getting much tomorrow. Go!" As expected, the matron's facade dropped as soon as the Count was out of sight. No child was sad or angry that the matron wasn't kind anymore; it was simply their fate to be bullied by the matron.

'I hate fate...I refuse to follow my fate...' Frau thought as he looked at the evil matron. He knew the only way to live longer was to hug a thicker thigh, and his ticket had just fallen onto his lap.

It was weird, suspicious, and just plain heaven-defying that the Count's sons took an interest in him. But he wasn't just going to waste his ticket.

Unexpectedly, the noble's sons came the very next day to "play" with Frau again, and slowly, but surely, Frau had gotten used to their presence.

Over time, Frau, Chloe, and the two noble children became friends, constantly hanging out. The best part was that even the matron couldn't do anything to stop them since his friends were nobles. He was glad that the orphanage had a moment of peace. Even if it's all just a facade that would end when the noble boys leave, all the children in the orphanage enjoyed their presence.

They brought them warmth, food, drinks, and clothes to wear. It was a million times more comfortable than the old, barren floor they were forced to sleep on, much warmer than the fireplace to which everyone wanted to be close to in the cold night.

It was much livelier, and they didn't have to go out and do their "duties".

What more could they ask for?

But what Frau didn't know was that these two boys who befriended him were no ordinary people. They were nobles, yes, but there was something much greater hidden beneath their outside appearance.

Much greater, and much, much sinister.

∞

"Hey, have you heard the rumors about the serial killer around in this town?" Fleetwood asked as he ensured that the fire in the fireplace was not put out.

"I think I heard rumors about it before. They say the killer is unique in his way of killing, though I have no idea what the word 'unique' means." Frau replied.

"Haha...'unique' means 'special', which means that no one has done it before."

"So it means that the killer is creative?"

"I guess you could say it that way.

"He was currently in the orphanage once again, together with his brothers, to visit Frau.

While they were of different status on the furthest end of the spectrum, it didn't stop them from becoming "friends", though they couldn't publicize it.

It was almost autumn, and food was scarcer than usual. If it wasn't for the noble's visit once every month, the orphanage would probably be in a much worse condition by now.

A cool breeze blew into the rooms, causing a wave of shivering to occur and the flames to flicker slightly.

"Frau! Hurry!" Fleetwood commented as he noticed the fire burning out.

"Okay! Give me one sec!" Frau yelled back in reply from the kitchen. Taking a bundle of sticks and wood from the backyard, he entered the warmer orphanage and towards Fleetwood.

"Thanks."

While Fleetwood was tending the more technical side of the orphanage, George played around with the other children. Despite being of about the same age, George seemed much more mature than the children here, and Frau had the opportunity to see the younger children smile more often now.

"No, thank you." Frau shook his head while Fleetwood just faced him in perplexion.

"Before you found me in that henhouse, I've always hated life. I hated being born here, hated being raised here, hated pretty much everything about the world around me. The only reason why I didn't give up was because of them." Frau commented as he looked towards the children, "But you came along, together with more happiness and joy. And now I know..."

"Life is more than just suffering when the right people come along."

"Yes, when the right people come along," Fleetwood muttered wistfully.

"Frau! Let's all play together!" Chloe shouted excitedly and started dragging him towards the crowd.

"Fleetwood..."

"It's okay; I'll just stay here." Fleetwood smiled as he looked at Chloe, "Go and have fun."

And so, Chloe dragged Frau towards the crowd, and they all had fun.

The next day, Frau wished he had spoken more with Chloe, as while yesterday was the most fun he had with Chloe so far, it was also that last day he spent with Chloe.

Chloe had disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace behind her.

∞

The trio, Fleetwood, George, and Frau, were currently in the middle of the woods in the middle of winter. It probably wasn't an excellent idea, but Frau managed to successfully invite the two noble children to have fun in his secret hideout.

A few months have passed since Chloe's last appearance, and no one knew whether she was even alive or not. But life was just like a fleeting wind; it would just be a mere memory in the passage of time.

Everybody tried to find her but to no avail. The matron didn't even bother since she wasn't particularly useful in any way, while the authorities were too "busy" to search for a nobody.

Frau was the only one who actively tried to search for her, but it was as expected - nothing came up. It was like magic.

Now, he gained two new friends at the cost of losing one close friend.

Was it worth it? Frau had no answer to that. It was just human nature to instinctively put a bias on everything. Being children of nobles, Fleetwood and George have more "value" than Chloe, who had none. But Chloe was a close friend from even before the time where he could remember.

He still hasn't given up on searching for Chloe, but Frau was now very close to giving up.

"This is pretty warm, huh?" Fleetwood commented as they sat around the familiar campfire that evolved from a bunch of sticks jumbled together to what was currently seen before them - an actual campfire with stones circling around the bundle of dry wood.

"Yep, it's pretty contrary to what is currently happening outside." It's currently mid-winter, and there would usually be no intense weather apart from the occasional snow.

But today, a bull-blown snowstorm occurred in their area, causing the temperature to drop to an all-time new low point. It was barely visible even from the cave, and the trio couldn't see anything past three feet from the cave.

But if it was a typical blizzard, the trio would have just stayed at home and patiently waited for it to pass. Unfortunately, the trio was already close to the hideout, where the gentle snow suddenly evolved to what it is currently now.

"Sigh...at least you have some food here." George was a little speechless from the number of eggs Frau had hidden here, "You're still stealing eggs?"

"Mother doesn't require those eggs," Frau replied a little sarcastically, emphasizing the word 'mother', "I might as well give others my portion and come here to eat my meals."

"You're a caring person."

"I just want mother to not focus her emotions on me, and if everybody else starves to death, that will not happen."

Fleetwood just smiled as he turned to face George, communicating silently with their eyes. Frau had no idea, as he prepared to cook some hardboiled eggs using some handmade tools.

"Here, let me try to cook." George offered as he took the horribly-made "pan" from Frau, "I've always wanted to try outdoor cooking. Too bad Sebastian doesn't allow this sort of stuff."

"I can only hope he doesn't realize that I'm with you two."

"That's almost impossible," Fleetwood spoke with a smile, "After all, you're the one we hang out with the most."

Frau could only sigh in exasperation before thanking George for the egg. It didn't matter if it wasn't cooked. As long as it wasn't black or had completely clear egg white, it was edible.

"Here, have some vegetables as well." George had brought a few stalks of vegetables up as he had already suspected this sort of environment.

"Thanks." Frau took a stalk and chewed it. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, this is...go...od...wh...at...?" But Frau realized that he could no longer keep his eyes open and fell into a slumber.

∞

Frau could not understand anything.

Why? Why was he tied up like Jesus? Was he about to be crucified?

His eyes, which had just opened up from his sleep, wandered around the place. Frau realized he was still in the same place, with the same blizzard blowing even stronger than before.

And at a corner, he could see both Fleetwood and George with their backs faced towards him. And in their hands, he could also spot some...sparks flying?

"Hmm?" Frau groaned, and at the sound of his voice, the noble children turned their heads towards him. Due to the shadows of the cave, their facial expressions could not be clearly seen.

"F-Fleetwood? G-George?"

"You're awake."

"Just in time as well."

"Huh? I-I don't understand. What are you guys doing?" Frau asked. He was now wide awake and had a very bad feeling about what was going on.

"As expected of a commoner. Even until now, in your situation, you still don't understand anything."

"I told you, brother, what can you expect from him?"

"Hopefully, you will have a great reaction to what you're about to hear, at the very least. Otherwise, this would all just be a waste of time and effort."

"What am I going to hear?"

"You do remember Chloe, right?" Fleetwood asked with a small smile, and in his hands, Frau could finally see the glint of a sharpened knife.

"Chloe! Do you guys know what happened to Chloe?! Tell me!" Frau was about to continue screaming when he suddenly felt a massive surge of pain from his stomach area, "ARGHH!"

Frau spat out some saliva as he tried to breathe.

"I don't think you understand the situation you are currently in. But to tell you, we have already finished Chloe off."

"Finished Chloe...off?" Frau absentmindedly repeated before screaming from the pain once more. A "knife" was currently embedded in his stomach. A normal stab by a sharp knife would have already been painful, but when it came to a stone knife that was barely sharpened...well, it just made the pain amplify. Stones were not meant to for stabbing; breaking, yes, but not stabbing.

"Yes. We have already killed her on Pioneer Day after letting her starve and die from some disease. From the animals who ate her, screwed her, I wondered if she was like some bitch in heat!"

"We didn't even need to do anything to get rid of the evidence!" Fleetwood "explained" his method of torturing and killing, "And the best part?"

"No one knew it was us. There was no blood, no footprint, nothing related to us! In fact, she was so stubborn that she only died a few days after our planned date, which was such a pity."

As Fleetwood and George continued talking about Chloe's death and how she died, Frau had already stopped listening to their ramblings. It was almost as though they were...glorifying their killings, justifying it.

"But enough of my past achievements."

"Our achievements, brother. Not yours."

"Fine, fine. We have going to have a new achievement soon anyway, so why are you so hung up on the last one."

"I'm not. But let's get to it before our dear 'friend' dies." George caressed Frau's face, looking at him with gentle eyes, "I hope you don't mind. We took the liberty to clean you up. Originally, we had a different plan in mind. But as you can see..."

"The unexpected blizzard caught all of us off-guard, but no matters. I think our new plan would be much better than the previous one. After all, we do need food, and we can't eat ice, can we?"

"Eat?" That particular word caught Frau's attention and woke him from his dazed reaction from hearing about Chloe's awful death. Even though he refused to listen to the details, he couldn't help imagining it in his mind. And he hated it.

He loathed it.

"Why...did you guys do that?"

"Hm? Why? Is there a need for a reason?" Fleetwood questioned with a puzzled expression on his face, as though he genuinely didn't know the reason.

"Weren't we friends?!" Frau yelled at Fleetwood after hearing his cold-hearted response, "What kind of friends kill each other?! ARGHHHH!"

George twisted the stone knife in Frau's stomach and forced him to stop talking.

"Enough, we weren't friends, if that is your question. You're merely a prey, a hunt like those hunters aim for. A goal, an achievement for us to live. You know what the doctors at our place told us?"

"Doctors?"

George and Fleetwood were jumping from place to place, and Frau had no idea what to comprehend.

"They said that some organ in my body is not working, but I don't remember exactly which one."

"And that eating that organ would help solve our problem."

"We have been given plenty of stuff to eat, but it didn't show any effects."

"So we thought, it could only be because of two reasons. One, the organs we are eating is too little, and we need a lot more of it to live."

"Or two, animal organs don't work on a human body. So...that's where you come in." Fleetwood ended his sentence and proceeded to light a fire at the area where they used to cook food.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Frau repeated his words endlessly. He only helplessly and hopelessly watched himself get carried over the fireplace like how a hunter would roast an entire pig.

In the past, it was used to cook non-living food. But now...Frau had replaced their diet.

Fleetwood and George clasped their hands as they prayed while Frau was slowly being cooked alive.

"Bless us, O God. Bless our food and our drink. Since you redeemed us so dearly and delivered us from evil, as you gave us a share in this food, so may you give us a share in eternal life."

Finishing their prayer, they looked and waited for their food to be cooked properly.

"Happy Christmas, Frau. You were a good prey."

"Until the very end."

Frau could only scream and wail and yowl and howl with all his might as the flames licked his stomach before turning to his back and back to his stomach. His head and feet were kept safe for reasons unknown to him, but it wasn't Frau's business to know why now.

'Why must this happen to me?'

'Where did I do wrong?'

'I don't like this world. I reject it.'

'This world is garbage. I reject it.'

'I reject humans with every fiber of my being.'

Frau kept thinking, pondering, asking. The process was too long, too painful.

The various fourth-degree burns on his body had long numbed his senses, but being able to witness the two boys munching on his stomach so delightfully didn't make this process any better.

What's the point of working hard when it all comes down to luck? Luck to start from a higher place, luck to succeed, luck to be born superior.

'I reject the concept of hard work.'

'What's the point of living when everything will come to an end so fast?'

'I reject the concept of life.'

As his head was now the target of the two children, no, murderers, Frau decided to just end it all. He was long dead, both on the inside and outside.

There was no point in trying to persevere through anything anymore.

'I reject the concept of meaning, for there are none in this world.'