1 Black Bear City - Western District

The Greenhill Kingdom was a powerful force. Founded by an extraordinary [Grand Knight], an existence far superior than knights in the way they could use life force, the Greenhill Kingdom had prospered ever since its creation thanks to its abundance of fertile soil.

In a world where food was a rare ressource, the fact that the kingdom could export food to neighbouring territories enabled many good relations. Of course, the true reason underlying its prosperity was the legacy of knights in the Greenhill Kingdom.

Knights were existences which specialized in the use of weapons, their main characteristics being an overwhelmingly strong physique and the ability to use [Life Force], an internal energy refined in their body.

In the North of the Greenhill Kingdom, there was a small city called [Black Bear City]. Although it was part of the Yale Household fief, the old Baron John Yale was a knight nearing 80 years of age known for his unability to procreate. As a result, bandits were growing like wild grass in the fief.

Black Bear City used to be a peaceful city. With more than 15 active blacksmiths and local mines of iron, it was specialized in making tools and weapons for the rest of the territory. Although it was a small business, it still represented a lot of earnings for commoners, so its inhabitants were happy to work all day long. They were not starving, and after a few years of hard work, they would usually have enough funds to purchase a small house in the city.

Blacksmiths were beyond wealthy, and they would usually expend their workshops with the most advanced technologies available in the kingdom. Magical hammers that possessed high durability and furnaces capable of melting the toughest iron being some of the goods they were able to purchase.

However, Black Bear City had thoroughly changed in a few decades. With the old Baron John Yale's health declining, there was no more dissuasive force for bandits to spread in the region. Merchants were afraid to come into the Yale Barony without escorts, and as a result, the booming business of weaponry plummetted faster than anything. Black Bear City was now home to bandits and poverty. Unfortunately, poverty was one of the main factors behind banditry.

There was nothing more dangerous than hungry men desperate for food.

In one of the dark alleys of Black Bear City, a teenager was being beaten up. He wore rags for clothes, and it was obvious that he was malnourished from his lack of fat and muscles. With the coming winter, there was no telling whether a beggar like him would survive past the season. 'Black Rat' was his name.

"Only 38 Copper coins in a week?", one of the teenagers beating Black Rat up said ruthlessly, while stepping on his knee, dealing excruciating amount of pain

There were three teenagers ganging on Black Rat.

The first one was a tall, bulky man called [John Rock]. Due to his natural build, he immediately became one of the most powerful gangsters in the city, inspiring fear. Even adults had a tough time beating him up before he received formal training, not to mention after he met his leader. Like all Orphans in the rocky Yale Barony, he possessed the surname [Rock]

The second one was a woman called [Emma Rock]. Although she was only 19, she had gone through a lot. After escaping from the [House of Pleasure], the town's brothel, she was on the streets and nearly starved to death before being saved by her boss. Rumours said that she was a witch due to the burning scars on her face. Instead of subduing to the owner of the House of Pleasure, she had intentionally burnt her face to digust the clients. Rather than escaping the brothel, it would be more accurate that she was thrown out of it.

As for the third one, he was a young boy. Looking fourteen or fifteen at most, his blue eyes radiated wisdom and ruthlessness that was rare to see in a man, not to mention a child. In spite of his age, he possessed charisma that drew incredible loyalty from his two subordinates. [Arthur Thorn] was his name, although everyone knew him by the name of [Arthur Rock]. He was the most mysterious youth out of the [Black Serpent Siblings], infamous throughout the city, as well as its indisputable leader. Strong and reliable, his most dangerous trait was his ruthlessness.

Just as the giant-like John was stepping on the poor Black Rat, yet another orphan on the streets, Arthur moved forward and took out a sharp knife

"You know the rules, Black Rat", Arthur muttered, "You have to get us one silver coin per week if you stay in the Western District of Black Bear City. If you think about it, we are quite generous considering the fees of other districts...As for the price to pay, I will only take two fingers of yours instead of three since you still managed to get us a third of what you owe us"

*SPLASH*

In a quick and gruesome slash, the young Black Rat lost two fingers, and instantly fainted from the pain, without even screaming.

"Press his wounds for a couple of minutes so that he doesn't lose too much blood. We will check on the other rats as soon as he is okay", Arthur said

John and Emma both gulped. No matter how many times they witnessed brutal acts, it was only recently that they stopped feeling nausea. Although they respected Arthur more than anything in the world and felt immense gratitude to him as he basically chose them among dozens of orphans on the streets and created an organization that rivalled with other gangs, enabling them to survive, eat to their fill and even grow stronger, there was no denying that in the deepest part of their heart, they feared him terribly.