"Lee, Brak is calling for you."

"Not Spindle, but me?"

When Lee turned fifteen, Lina came to find him.

Excited at first, Lee lost interest when he heard it was a summons from Brak. Since Lina hadn’t come for him, Lee walked sluggishly to Brak with a disinterested attitude.

"You called for me?"

"A guest is coming today."

"A guest?!"

Who in the world would visit Filthy Alley? This place was the Empire's shame and hidden secret. People might flee here to escape the law, but no one had ever come here by invitation or with official business.

"We're running out of food for the month, and I called them to make a trade. Show off your skills to the fullest."

"I’ll discuss it with Spindle and prepare a feast..."

"Spindle is taking a break this time. Prove your usefulness. After fifteen years of feeding and housing you, you don’t have any complaints, do you?"

It sounded like a threat that he would be killed if he proved useless.

Lina flinched but quickly composed herself.

Oddly, whenever Lina talked to or showed interest in Lee, Brak would look displeased and scold her. Although Brak hadn’t yet laid a hand on her or done anything improper, Lina instinctively felt that the time was approaching.

It was never openly mentioned, but this was Filthy Alley. Adult women sold their bodies, and men who crossed the wrong people were killed without a trace. Men who were too weak also died according to the rules of strength. All of this happened with Brak’s tacit approval. Arsil, Ravin, Lee, Lina, and the other children were somewhat protected from exploitation because of the group's protection.

However, the time was coming when they would all grow into their adult bodies. What would happen then? Lina planned to discuss it with Lee and the others soon.

In the forest.

Before preparing meals, Lee always tried to gather better ingredients from the forest. If he was lucky, he might find bird eggs, and if he was really lucky, he could hunt a large wild boar or something similar. Today was a particularly lucky day. He had gathered plenty of plants and eggs, enough to feed everyone at the evening feast.

However, the instruction to use up all the food today made him uneasy. Filthy Alley relied on gathering and sometimes raiding travelers passing near the forest for their food, so if they weren’t careful, a long period of hunger could follow.

Thud!

Hearing a heavy sound behind him, Lee turned to see Ravin dropping a dead wild boar.

"I’ve actually been waiting for a man like you for a long time."

For once, it was Ravin who initiated the line. Feeling playful, Lee decided to respond differently than usual.

"Honestly, so have I."

"Really?!"

Ravin’s face lit up immediately.

"Just kidding."

She froze in place.

"Haha! What’s gotten into you, Lee? Look at Ravin’s shocked face."

Arsil appeared from the bushes, carrying a wild boar on each shoulder. As she set them down, her well-developed chest bounced noticeably with the movement. In contrast, Ravin had a more slender figure with just a modest chest. The victory was clearly Arsil’s.

"Lee, that was really mean."

Today was not only a lucky day but also a strange one. First, there was the feast with outsiders, and now, Ravin was sulking.

"Arsil, could you help carry the boars back? I need to talk with Ravin."

"She’s just sulking on her own. Why bother?"

"Arsil."

"Fine."

Arsil didn’t seem particularly happy either. Having to prepare the feast alone, with more worries piling up, was becoming a burden for Lee.

"Ravin, is something wrong?"

"I don’t know. I just feel weird."

Unlike Lina, who kept her feelings to herself if something bothered her, Ravin usually tried to be honest with Lee. This didn’t seem like something that could be resolved with a snack.

"Before we went to catch the boars, I saw the adult women washing and dressing up Lina."

Lee stayed silent, just listening. He was grateful that she was opening up to him.

"She looked really pretty. Her skin was so white, her hips were well-shaped, and her chest... of course, it’s bigger than mine. They dressed her up in something like a noble’s gown and put makeup on her, so she looked like a noble’s daughter. Well, she is the daughter of a noble’s mistress, after all."

Even though the information was a bit excessive, Lee could guess why Ravin was feeling down.

"Girls like Lina can be called women, right? They live under protection, leisurely reading books, acting all prim, and charming men with a single smile. Even you."

Lee couldn’t deny it.

His silence only made Ravin more depressed.

"And just now, too. You could at least say something nice to me."

"Hey, you’re always calling me ugly."

Frustrated, Lee pointed out.

"No, you’re not ugly."

"..."

What was he supposed to say in moments like this? He wasn’t good with words and didn’t know what to do.

"You’re pretty too."

"Huh?"

Ravin’s head snapped up in surprise.

For some reason, Lee felt his face grow hot.

"You’re much prettier than the adult women."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You’re not lying?"

"No. You and Arsil, you’re both pretty."

A punch landed in his side.

The blow was so painful it made him fall to his knees, but he stood up again, watching Ravin walk ahead, carrying the wild boar. And just a bit further ahead, Arsil was walking too, even though she had left first.

Both of them were walking with a lighter step than before.

Something felt off.

They had caught three boars, and the cooking had gone better than usual. Brak was very pleased with the feast Lee had prepared on his own without any mistakes. The outsiders who had gathered around Brak also seemed quite impressed by the lavish table. Even Lina, usually conscious of those around her, was too focused on eating to notice anything else.

Lee kept bringing out dishes and stealing glances at Lina each time. As Ravin had mentioned, her lips had been painted a delicate pink, making her look more beautiful than ever.

Even the children in the group ate to their hearts’ content. This might have been the first time they had eaten so well. Everyone was in a good mood, laughing and drinking as they enjoyed the bountiful feast.

"Arsil, what’s that?"

"The guests brought it. They unloaded some pigs over there."

Several large carts were parked at the entrance of the hideout, not ordinary carts but cages designed to hold animals.

"Hey, what’s with the sudden generosity? They usually beat us if we don’t earn our keep."

Jack sneered as he gnawed on some wild boar meat, and the others joined in the gossip, with Ravin being the most enthusiastic while Arsil watched.

Lee noticed that they were running out of drinks and went over to where Brak was seated.

"No more drinks. Let’s call it a night."

Surprisingly, Brak declared an end to the festivities earlier than usual for the Filthy Alley.

"Then have a good night."

As soon as Lina tried to leave her seat, tired from the forced smiles and dressing up, Brak grabbed her wrist.

"Ah!"

She fell into his arms, her face stiff with humiliation, and Lee’s eyes wavered as he watched.

Brak lifted Lina in a princess carry, his face flushed from drinking, and spoke to Lee.

"Bring some snacks and drinks to my room. Something sweet."

Lee’s heart pounded loudly.

The heat of the feast drained away as his blood ran cold.

He noticed an empty bottle rolling nearby.

…Should I?

"What are you doing, idiot? Hurry up and get them."

It was Lina who stopped his impulse.

Despite having learned to curse from their daily morning fights, she sharply rebuked him. But her trembling lips were saying something else to him.

‘Don’t try to fight alone. Gather the others and help me.’

Lee understood immediately, bowed, and left.

The adults laughed as they watched him run off.

"That kid sure knows how to pick up on things quickly."

"Boss, are you finally going to break her in tonight?"

"Why didn’t you touch her until now?"

"You idiot! She wasn’t ripe yet. The boss isn’t a pervert."

"Well, fifteen years is a long time to wait."

Lina bit her lip at their insulting comments.

Brak, noticing this, scolded them to save face for his woman.

"If anyone else opens their mouth, I’ll kill them right here."

The feast fell silent in an instant.

Instead, one of the guests turned to Brak and said,

"I’d like to collect the merchandise now."

With that, all the outsiders stood up. But one of them kept staring at Lina.

"Did you hear that? Time to wrap up the deal."

Brak nodded toward his men.

"Go get all those useless pigs and bring them here to sell."

Right then, an unforgettable story began for the few survivors of the Filthy Alley.

"What’s happening?"

The adults had suddenly burst into the area where the children were.

"Arsil, Ravin! Something’s up. Come here."

"What’s going on in the middle of the night? Are we on watch duty?"

Ravin grumbled as she and Arsil headed toward them, but one of the adults threw a stone at the children.

The sharp rock flew straight at Jack’s head, smashing it open.

"Ugh!"

Jack stiffened in place as if struck by lightning and collapsed, with only one leg twitching.

"What are you doing!"

Arsil, shocked, tried to rush forward, but the adults blocked her way.

"Hey, you weren’t supposed to kill him!"

A stranger with a black hood protested,

but Groom casually scratched his temple with the hilt of his dagger.

"He's not dead yet."

"He might as well be!"

"Then just turn him into meat and sell him! You deal in human flesh, don’t be so picky."

"Damn it, capture them!"

And so, chaos ensued.

The children screamed and tried to flee, but they were already surrounded. Unable to move properly due to their full stomachs, they were easily stabbed by crude spears and pelted with stones, falling one by one.

Only then did Arsil and Ravin realize what was happening.

The adults had sold off all the children except for those who were useful to them.

"Stop it."

Lupino collapsed, tripping over his own feet.

Groom shouted that he was too weak and should be used for meat.

A spear came crashing down on Lupino’s back.

"Stop it."

Lapam was stabbed in the stomach.

Crying, he desperately tried to pull out the deeply embedded spear.

"Stop it!"

Arsil rushed forward without even putting on her gloves.

She fought through the adults blocking her way, reaching Jack first and healing him with her holy power.

"What...?"

As the white light flickered and Jack groaned, raising his body, the adults gasped.

"No one told me we had such high-quality goods! I’ll offer 1,000 gold coins, no, 5,000 coins!"

"Shut up! We didn’t know she had such powers either! Arsil, come over here right now. I’ll overlook what just happened."

Groom growled, but Arsil ignored him, healing the fallen children.

Her strength was fading.

She had always used her holy power sparingly, but now she was using it without restraint, unable to control it. As the children were nearly fully healed, Groom, growing anxious, gave the order.

"Damn it, capture her!"

"Damn, this is a shame."

Suddenly, a quick silver-haired girl stepped in front of them.

"Ravin, you too!"

"Why are you all so disappointed? This is our way of life, isn’t it? Survival of the fittest. It’s clear that our young sprouts will grow stronger from this, right?"

Ravin, with daggers in both hands, laughed loud enough to pierce their ears.

"Hey, where are Lee and Lina?"

"You f***ing brat!"

"Too bad I don’t have a d***!"

The trash talk was over.

Groom pulled out a dark red vial from his pocket and downed it in one gulp.

Ravin charged at her mentor.

As Ravin engaged Groom, Arsil healed all the children.

"Let’s go! If you get hurt, I’ll heal you. Don’t hold back!"

The battle had already begun.

Ravin, Arsil, and the children were fighting against the adults.

In the midst of the chaos, Arsil shouted at the top of her lungs.

"From today onward, Filthy Alley is ours!!"

The sounds of clashing blades and tearing flesh echoed in the distance.

Lee, who had gone to ask for help from Arsil and Ravin, stopped in his tracks when he saw the battle unfolding.

‘They decided to abandon us!’

Quickly assessing the situation, Lee fled the battlefield.

It might be called cowardice, but there was nothing he could do in the fight. He coldly calculated what he could do.

Quickly, he scooped up the jam he had prepared for the feast and poured in the juice of poisonous plants he had extracted in case of emergencies. He mixed it into the sweet wine and, carrying the tray, ran to Brak’s room.

"I really can’t do this…"

A desperate sobbing voice leaked through the door.

"Hey, I didn’t tell you to spread your legs and grind yourself on me, did I? Just suck it!"

"I really don’t know how… Sob..."

The once-proud Lina was crying and begging.

She was swallowing her pride and desperately pleading.

Suppressing the blood boiling within him, Lee knocked on the door.

"Boss, I’ve brought some snacks."

"Come in!"

As the door opened, Lee saw Brak, leering and half-naked, standing in front of Lina, who was crouched on the floor. Her cheek was marked red, her top was torn and disheveled, exposing her white chest.

Lee quickly turned his head away.

"Yeah, you’re quick on the uptake. I like that."

"Where should I put this?"

"Is that jam? Ah, I need something sweet. Bring it here."

In a place where sweets were rare, Brak didn’t hesitate to scoop the jam into his mouth with his hands.

Eating greedily, he extended his jam-covered fingers towards Lina.

"You can’t say you don’t know how to suck on this, can you?"

Lina looked at Lee, but Brak sneered.

"You didn’t do what I told you when I asked, so now you’ll do it in front of him."

"Boss, how about a drink?"

"Yeah, pour me one."

Subtly moving closer to Brak, Lee poured the poisoned wine into the glass.

As he did, he gave Lina a small nod.

Seeing this, Lina slowly extended her tongue towards Brak’s fingers.

Just as she was about to touch them, Brak started to pull his fingers back.

Forced to crawl on the ground with her tongue out, Lina had to move closer to the foul-smelling man.

"Uh?!"

Suddenly, Brak’s movements stopped.

The poison from the extract began to take effect.

Sweating and drooling, Brak glared at Lee.

"You… you bastard...!"

"Drink up, boss."

Crash!

"Aaaahhh!"

Lee didn’t miss the opportunity and splashed the wine in Brak’s face, then smashed the glass against his head.

"Lee!"

"Now!"

As Brak fell back, thrashing in pain, Lee quickly threw his coat over Lina, picked her up in a princess carry, and ran.

"I was so scared, so scared! Why didn’t you come to save me sooner?!"

"I’m sorry, it’s a full-blown war out there. I got here as fast as I could..."

"Why didn’t you come sooner?!"

Lina’s voice, now mixed with a metallic tinge of resentment, hurt Lee deeply.

"How did I end up relying on someone like you...?"

This might have been the first time Lee had ever felt such pain.

Even though he was holding her, a bitter sting of hurt lingered within him.

The situation on the battlefield was dire.

Although Ravin was holding off Groom, the children were being severely outmatched by the adults. With Arsil unable to fully participate in the fight due to focusing on healing, the battle was dragging on, and one by one, the children were being rendered unable to fight.

"Hah… Hah…"

Arsil, squeezing out every bit of her holy power, was drenched in sweat, her chest and back soaked.

Jack had already been injured and healed multiple times by now.

The only one still holding on was Ravin…

Stab

"Ugh…! Ugh…!"

"Ravin!!!"

A dagger pierced through her back.

Ravin collapsed backward, coughing up blood, and flailed her hand weakly in the air.

"Lee… Lee… where are you? It hurts…"

"Ravin!"

"Just once… stroke my hair… Lee…"

Crunch

Groom mercilessly stomped on her hand.

"You f***ing brats… Hah… I didn’t think you’d give me this much trouble."

Blood was dripping from Groom’s nose and mouth as he drank the potion. He had raised a tiger cub. Without the potion, he wouldn’t have been able to guarantee victory.

"The boss is probably f***ing around somewhere… Hah…!"

Wiping his sweat with a long sigh, Groom looked around.

With the addition of the outsiders, it was only a matter of time before they were overpowered. He figured he’d demand compensation for his troubles. Yeah, that Arsil girl would do. With her big chest and feisty attitude, she’d be worth breaking.

"Arsil!"

"...What now?"

"Lee! Don’t come this way!"

Lee’s voice echoed from afar.

Arsil desperately tried to stop him, but Lee arrived at the battlefield, holding Lina in his arms.

"What the…"

Half of the children lay bleeding, unable to keep up with Arsil’s healing pace.

And now even Ravin...

Ravin saw Lee and reached out to him.

"Lee…"

"Ravin!"

"Don’t… come…"

Despite her warning, Lee tried to run to her.

Just as he was about to put Lina down and rush over,

Crack

"Huh?"

A sword pierced through Lee’s chest from behind.

Breaking through his ribs, the blade was pulled out, and as Lee collapsed, Brak stood over him, his eyes bloodshot.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"Boss, I…!"

"Kill them all! Kill every last one of these worthless pigs!"

"Boss, wait, Arsil has healing powers…!"

"Can’t you hear me?! Do I need to kill you first?!"

Nothing else mattered.

The children, Ravin, Lina, and Arsil were all staring at Lee.

The person who had always taken care of them.

"Lee…"

Arsil had always believed herself to be a strong person.

A strong woman who grits her teeth and stands up in any situation.

But witnessing the imminent death of someone she cared about brought tears to her eyes.

She looked around.

None of the children were standing, except for her.

What’s the point if she’s left alone, losing everyone, including him?

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!!!!!!!"

A massive pillar of light shot down from the sky.

The pillar enveloped everyone, centering around Arsil.

And it healed all the children.

Even after the children were healed, the pillar didn’t disappear.

In the dazzling light, Ravin stood up.

Lee, holding Lina, ran towards them.

"You cursed brats!"

An adult, terrified, thrust a spear at one of the children, but the pain lasted only a moment before the wound healed instantly.

"Eek!"

"Oh, how warm. Is this what it feels like to be in a mother’s arms?"

Ravin mocked as she sharpened her daggers against each other.

Groom, whose body was deteriorating from the potion, began to retreat slowly.

"Boss, this isn’t working."

"What do you mean it’s not working! I am Brak! The leader of this alley! All of you are beneath me! Obey me, or face death!"

Arsil unclenched her fists and took a stance.

"The leader of this alley is now all of us!!! We will kill every one of you damn adults!"

"You insolent little...!!!"

The leaders of both sides charged at each other.

And behind them, their respective groups followed.

Ravin, Lee, Jack, Lapam, and Lupino all grabbed whatever could be used as a weapon and charged.

"You little bastards! I’ll make you taste every pain before you die!"

The battle raged throughout the night.

Even as they were cut, beaten, and stabbed, the undying army of children continued to fight back, and the adults were slaughtered one by one.

Spindle had a kitchen knife lodged in his throat, Groom was robbed of three vials of potion by Ravin and had a dagger embedded in his eye.

Brak was tackled by Arsil, who knocked him to the ground and punched him dozens of times.

With each punch, white holy light flashed like lightning.

"The pain ends here! We will rebuild this alley in our own way!"

Arsil lifted Brak’s bloody face and shouted.

"This is our victory! We are free!!!!"

As she declared this, the pillar of light began to fade.

If there had been a historian present, they would have recorded this moment with awe as the point when the history of this small world was forever changed.

But, unfortunately, the only ones present were a spy from the Empire, who had infiltrated and now fled, hiding their identity, and a shabby-looking priest who witnessed the pillar of light from the edge of the forest surrounding Filthy Alley.

"Lord Reinhold, it’s true. Lady Linasien was in Filthy Alley."

"We’ve finally found her. The saint of this turbulent era!"

Each with their own dark intentions, new schemes were being set in motion.

Schemes far greater than the ones orchestrated by Brak, who was nothing more than a lowly street thug in comparison.