#013. Street Kids (3)
Day 5 in Sector 49.
“Your guts are really spilling out. Who gave you permission to wander around here?”
A group appeared at the entrance of the alley.
Whoosh! Thud! Bang!
“Ugh...!”
“Ah, it hurts... It hurts so much...”
It didn’t even take a minute for all of them to collapse in front of Ray.
Ray walked past them with an indifferent expression and exited the alley.
Even after the duel was scheduled, Ray didn’t stop exploring the streets.
He roamed not only the streets controlled by Cedric but also those held by other groups.
Cedric’s subordinates didn’t attack Ray on orders, but other groups were a different story.
It was only natural that they wouldn’t let an intruder roam freely in their territory.
Everywhere he went, groups armed with knuckles and pipes appeared.
Ray never avoided a fight that came his way.
In fact, he deliberately provoked fights by striding openly through the streets.
“I-I can’t win. I can’t win!”
“Ugh! Damn it. What the hell are you?”
His goal was to master combat using magic.
Creating gusts of wind.
Enhancing his strength or agility with reinforcement magic.
He could use any magic that wasn’t visibly obvious as much as he wanted.
‘Using magic definitely gets easier with practice, just like physical training.’
Ray’s thoughts were accurate.
The more he grew accustomed to handling mana, the faster he could cast spells and the less mental energy he consumed.
That was why it took less and less time to knock down the street kids.
Through repeated battles, Ray continued to grow stronger.
…And though it wasn’t intentional,
Ray’s presence was becoming increasingly well-known among the kids of Sector 49.
“That’s him. That bastard. Gray hair. Expressionless face. You’re the hunter, right?”
“What’s your goal? Where did you come from?”
He was known as the ‘hunter’ who crushed kids without hesitation.
Rumors about his upcoming duel with Cedric had also spread throughout the streets.
「There’s someone challenging Cedric? That lunatic?」
「But seeing how Cedric has a firm grip on things, he must have some skills.」
「What’s that kid’s name?」
At first, everyone doubted it.
But it didn’t take long for the rumors to grow and gain credibility.
Because Ray had been beating up street kids left and right, exuding an overwhelming presence.
The street kids, regardless of their affiliations, banded together to take down the hunter.
“Stop. Let us have a look at you for a second.”
“You arrogant brat!”
Their opponent was an outsider from Sector 50.
A kind of unity had formed against an external enemy.
Of course, it didn’t do much good.
Every alley Ray passed through was filled with boys clutching broken bones and rolling on the ground.
As Ray continued his exploration and hunting—
“Wait. Are you the hunter?”
A boy appeared at the entrance of an alley.
He was relatively small in stature.
Perhaps slightly below average for his age.
‘It’s unusual for him to be alone. He doesn’t seem like much of a fighter.’
Shirt with suspenders. Round glasses.
A baker boy cap perched atop curly hair.
His appearance was distinctly different from anyone Ray had encountered so far.
Well, it wasn’t something worth worrying about.
All enemies blocking his path just needed to be taken down.
“Take off your glasses. If they break during the fight, my hand might get hurt.”
Ray strode forward.
The boy in the baker boy cap panicked and quickly waved his hands.
“N-no! I didn’t come here to fight!”
“……?”
Ray stopped walking.
The baker boy cap kid’s chest heaved heavily, as if he were very startled.
“Whew, ugh. I don’t do fights or anything like that. I’m not good at it either. Look at this tiny body—how am I supposed to throw punches?”
The boy rapidly spilled words as if trying to dissolve Ray’s wariness.
“If you didn’t come here to fight, then why are you here?”
“Hoo. Well. First, calm down. You’re definitely the hunter, right? Gray hair, expressionless face. I came here because I have a proposal for you.”
The boy’s name was Phillip.
Ray and Phillip.
The two boys were walking through piles of scrap metal.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t know about you these days. Everywhere I go, people are talking about you.”
Phillip guided Ray with a cheerful expression.
“This way. My workplace is near the east garbage dump. You can decide whether to accept my proposal after seeing it. If you agree, we’ll make it official with a contract.”
His words flowed smoothly.
He used several difficult words that adults might use, but it didn’t feel awkward at all.
It was a bit far, though.
Was this just a waste of time?
“Ah! It is a bit far, isn’t it? Sorry. Just bear with it a little longer!”
…He was quick to notice too.
This was definitely a type he hadn’t encountered before.
Most kids, even if they were quick-witted and mature, still had their limits.
‘He’s definitely a bit unusual.’
Ray stared at the back of Phillip’s head.
A sense of curiosity and interest arose in his chest.
It was an emotion he rarely felt outside of matters related to magic and mana.
“We’re here. This is the place.”
They arrived in front of a deserted factory.
Its exterior was similar to Cedric’s hideout, but the difference was that loud chatter could be heard from inside.
────
The door opened without making any noise—a sign that it was well-oiled.
──── Thud!
The double doors swung open and hit both ends.
The scenery inside became clearly visible.
Wooden or metal bunk beds lined up neatly inside.
There were tables and sofas placed between them.
Laundry lines stretched between railings or bed frames, with shirts and underwear hanging on them.
In one corner, there were even washing facilities like sinks and urinals.
And—
“Hey! Toss me some shoe polish!”
“Yo! Those are my shoes!”
“Someone go out for delivery duty on Street 3 today instead of me!”
Boys of various ages bustled around the space, moving back and forth between areas.
Phillip spoke confidently:
“Welcome to Phillip Hotel.”
“…This is incredible.”
It was truly a sight that could only be described as something seen for the first time.
If his emotional range weren’t limited, he would have surely opened his mouth wide and let out an earnest exclamation.
Ray stepped inside first.
Phillip followed behind cheerfully.
“There must be over 100 people.”
“Exactly 186, if you include those already out working.”
Seeing the mana swirling in the chests of so many children made his stomach churn.
Ray continued to observe while walking through the crowd.
The children didn’t seem particularly wary of him—perhaps they thought he belonged to their group.
With so many people, they couldn’t possibly know everyone’s face.
“These kids have something in common.”
“Oh? Did you notice?”
“They seem too weak to join other groups. Either too young or too small.”
Like herbivores, perhaps.
Somehow, Ray felt like a wolf among sheep.
“Oh! Exactly right. You’ve got sharp eyes.”
“Did you create this environment?”
“Yep. I put in a lot of effort building this infrastructure.”
Just then, a boy ran up to Phillip, handing him a pouch of coins.
“Phillip! Here’s this month’s rent!”
“Ah, Jonathan. How’s the restaurant job going?”
“Yeah. Not being harassed during commutes is the biggest thing.”
Phillip took the pouch, checked the amount, then tucked it away.
“Good. Confirmed received.”
Then he took out a notebook and wrote Jonathan’s name and the amount.
Jonathan exchanged a few more words with Phillip, then left with light steps.
Ray stared intently at the notebook.
Phillip glanced up from the notebook, asking:
“Ah, want to see? Though you probably won’t understand much.”
Nod.
Ray flipped through the pages, examining its contents.
Details about running the abandoned factory—or rather, hotel—were densely written.
Flick.
Ray’s fingers kept moving. Then stopped on one page:
「Rumor has it that he came from Sector 50. Lives in a car at the south garbage dump. Almost no change in expression. Really good at fighting, but when he does, things get really scary! Approach with extreme caution!」
The word ‘scary’ had several red circles drawn around it.
“You’ve done a lot of research on me.”
“Huh? Huh?”
Phillip looked flustered.
He hadn’t expected Ray could read.
“…You can read?”
“A little.”
“Uh, um. Sorry. If you’re offended—not making excuses, but I just like observing people.”
Phillip rambled nervously.
Observing, analyzing, understanding people had been his survival strategy since childhood.
That’s why he paid close attention to people’s expressions, tones, and small gestures.
“Completely opposite from me. I don’t understand much even if I look.”
“So it’s like my habit… huh?”
“No need to apologize. It doesn’t bother me.”
Ray’s forgiveness.
Phillip looked relieved.
After continued guidance, they arrived at a container room deep inside the factory.
Two burly boys guarding the door asked upon seeing Ray:
“Phillip. Who’s this guy?”
“The famous hunter these days. Told you we’d have a guest today.”
At the mention of the hunter, their eyes widened—curiosity mixed equally with fear.
Creak—Thud!
Phillip and Ray entered.
Inside, after closing the door, only they remained.
Beds, tables, etc.—all looked much better maintained than outside.
Was this Phillip’s private space?
“This is my private space. Sorta like the CEO office, y’know?” Phillip said, as if reading Ray’s thoughts, while putting money pouches into a safe.
Ray turned his head.
Staring intently at the back of Phillip, who squirmed slightly:
“I thought you were a scammer when I first heard your words.”
“Eh, I don’t lie. Business relies most on trust, y’know?”
Click—Clack!
Phillip locked the safe.
Standing up while muttering:
“Money can always be earned again, but once trust is lost, it can never be regained. Right?”
“…….”
No matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem like someone of their age.
Was he an old man who took youth potions or wore a sophisticated mask?
The two boys sat facing each other on a sofa.
Phillip unfolded a sector map, saying:
“Sector 49 has three major groups controlling its streets.”
“One must be the Cedric group.”
“Right. The guy you’ll fight in a few days. Besides Cedric, there are Zephyr and Lawson.”
Zephyr controlled Streets 1-13.
Cedric controlled Streets 14-27.
Lawson controlled Streets 28-38.
These were the names of the boys dividing up Sector 49.
“Do you know what benefits come from controlling streets?”
“The biggest thing is that they can monopolize jobs.”
“Right. You really know how things work around here, huh?”
That’s why kids desperately tried joining groups.
After all, earning money directly was the easiest way to get food.
“But leaders don’t just accept anyone. Only those strong enough, smart enough, or useful enough get in.”
“All these kids here are rejects. By my standards, anyway.”
“Right. This place is essentially where dropouts gather.”
Phillip chuckled.
“But these kids work safely without joining any of these three major groups. Know why?”
“…….”
“Sector 49 has many mines. Though I’ve never left this place, apparently there are several times more than other sectors.”
Ray combined the given information, deducing one thing:
“Adults die often here, huh?”
“Oh…”
Phillip let out an impressed sigh.
“Very accurate. You’re not just good at fighting, huh?”
“Keep going.”
“Anyway. So now Sector 49 has tons of available jobs. Since there aren’t enough workers, they even hire kids. More than what each group can handle alone.”
Thus, each group gave up monopolizing jobs, instead taking certain percentages from incomes earned by workers sent out by them.
“My role is sending out kids and managing tribute payments. Sorta like a broker. Plus providing lodging. Not free, though.”
Everything leading up to the current situation was set up entirely by himself, Phillip said.
Judging from emotional cues, he did not lie.
An impressive feat.
Not mere bravado typical among street kids, but genuine business operations according to his own words.
“But not every leader has made business agreements with me yet.”
“Is that why you sought me out?”
Phillip smiled widely.
The more they talked, the more he felt the conversation flowed smoothly between them.
‘Still kinda scary, though.’
Sometimes boldness was necessary for gains.
Taking a deep breath, Phillip’s eyes shone brightly:
“Let me formally propose. Become my business partner.”
