Grimm: Ch. 8

---Grimm's POV---

In the small alley bathed in the sun, many vendors were already preparing to pack up, while I was getting ready to enter the alley to buy something to eat.

Even the rats here look hungrier than in my old world, I thought, watching a particularly bold one dart between stalls.

Food resources in this era were incredibly scarce. After a quick stroll past stalls with dubious meat cuts and mysterious stews, the only somewhat appealing option was a shop selling lamb and lamb soup.

I had grown tired of the dried beef; getting some lamb to try something new didn't seem like a bad idea. At least the lamb looked fresh enough not to kill me.

In this era, ordinary people generally only had two meals a day. Most people who wanted to eat out would do so at taverns. At this hour, most of the patrons were likely soldiers on duty or mercenaries gathering together to drink draft beer.

"Boss, two servings of lamb chops!" I called out.

The owner of the lamb shop looked up when he heard my voice but saw no one for a moment, thinking he might have misheard.

"Voices from thin air now?" he muttered, shaking his head. "The war's getting to my head..."

"Boss, I want two servings of roasted lamb chops." Left with no choice, I stepped up onto the stone steps and entered the shop.

The butcher glanced at me, an unfamiliar young kid who had come in. Initially wary, his face quickly turned impatient as he started shooing me away.

His bloodied apron had clearly seen better days.

"Scram, scram! I'm closing up. Don't stand here blocking my last bit of business!"

"I have money…" I was still driven out by the butcher.

"My master sent me... he's particular about his meat." I adjusted my stance slightly, making sure he noticed the sword at my waist.

The butcher's eyes narrowed. "Which company?"

I made a vague gesture toward the north. "The ones camped by the north gate."

Only then did the butcher give me a second look. My clothes were made of plain linen, typical of commoners. With a sword at my waist, I was likely seen as a servant brought into town by some newly arrived mercenary. However, I probably seemed a bit too young.

I was now about 130 cm tall, well-built for my age. I didn't look like a six-year-old at all—more like eight or nine.

"How much are you buying?" The butcher wiped the knife in his hand and stared at me with sharp eyes, ready to stop me if I tried to steal anything.

"Two portions of those lamb chops with the bone."

I pointed to the ribs hanging on the iron hook, large pieces of meat still attached.

"Two copper coins." The butcher took the meat down, his eyes fixed on me as he waited for payment.

"My master only gave me a silver coin." With a thought, I took out a shiny silver coin from my pocket, one that looked well-worn from passing through many hands.

"Are you messing with me? Wait outside!" The butcher's expression turned dark in an instant, but he still took the silver coin from me, carefully inspecting it. After wiping his greasy hands, he went to the drawer to fetch the change.

I shrugged and went outside to wait with Bernhardt by the stall.

After a moment, the butcher returned with a small cloth bag containing 158 copper coins and wrapped the lamb chops in a cloth bundle, placing them on the stall's table.

"All done. Here's your lamb." The butcher was now truly ready to close up.

"Thanks!" I grabbed both the money and the meat, tossing the latter to Bernhardt and counting the copper coins in the bag.

"Wow, it smells amazing, boss. Where'd you get that silver coin?" Bernhardt started chattering away as soon as he got his hands on the meat.

"From my foster father." I finished counting the copper coins—over 150 coins weighed about one and a half pounds, and the total of 158 was just right.

I happily tucked them into my pocket and prepared to open the bundle and start eating while it was still hot.

"You're so lucky, boss."

Hearing my explanation, Bernhardt seemed to recall his own family. His mood suddenly dropped, and the food in his hands didn't seem so appetizing anymore.

Right, his parents were killed in the last raid, I remembered.

Just as we turned a corner, I eagerly opened the bag, took out my share of the lamb chops, and was about to take a big bite when a series of hurried footsteps came from the corner of the alley.

BAM!

I watched in horror as my hard-earned lamb chops, almost at my mouth, went flying.

As I fell to the ground, the lamb chops fell with a thud. Of all the places to land... did it have to be the fresh cow dung?

The rational part of my mind knew it was just food.

What the hell? Why am I getting so worked up over— My thoughts were interrupted by an overwhelming surge of emotion that didn't feel entirely my own.

AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I felt as though a thousand galloping alpacas stormed through my mind. Internally, I was screaming like a groundhog in utter despair.

"My lamb chops!"

The first thing I did after falling wasn't cry out in pain but frantically scramble to see if my lamb chops could still be salvaged.

My trembling hands reached for the ribs lying on a pile of cow dung. But it was beyond tolerance—utterly unforgivable.

"Hiss… That hurts."

The child who had knocked me over quickly got up from on top of me, rubbing their forehead. They'd been running too fast, and when we collided, their head hit mine.

I noticed Bernhardt staring at them, mouth slightly agape.

"Don't you watch where you're going?" I angrily grabbed the kid by their collar. The kid looked about my age but wasn't as tall or sturdy—actually, they were rather skinny.

"Uh… I'm sorry… I…" The child looked panicked but also seemed to be in a hurry.

"You wha—…"

My words got stuck in my throat the moment I got a good look at the kid's face. Ah, a pretty girl. No wonder, Bernhardt's acting weird.

I quickly let go of her collar, feeling a bit awkward about manhandling a girl.

"You should really watch where you're going… You made me—" I started, then noticed Bernhardt's eyes fixed on the wooden doll in her hands. His ears were turning red.

Well, well. Looks like someone's smitten, I thought, fighting back a grin.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" The girl's gaze wandered nervously as she clutched the doll tighter. She looked genuinely apologetic, though also very anxious—probably because she clearly didn't have money to compensate me.

I glanced between Bernhardt and the girl, an idea forming. Time to be the best wingman in this medieval world.

"Hey, since you ruined our meat, how about this?" I nudged Bernhardt forward. "Give us that doll as collateral. When you can pay us back a copper coin, come find us to get it back."

Before anyone could react, Bernhardt, catching on to my plan, snatched the doll from her hands. His face was completely red now.

"???" The girl froze for a moment as the doll was snatched away.

"Stop right there! What's your name?!" she called after us as we turned to leave.

Bernhardt just clutched the doll, paralyzed by shyness. Useless, I thought with fond exasperation.

"This shy guy's name is Bernhardt!" I shouted back, grinning. "And I'm Grimm! Remember it!"

"I'll remember you, just you wait!"

---

Tonight was a beautiful evening with clear skies and a bright moon.

Luck was on my side. The rooftop of the tavern made for an excellent place to climb. The wide black cloak I carried was more than enough to wrap myself in for the night.

Although I couldn't feast on lamb chops until full, pairing them with bread wasn't a bad option either. The bread was stale, but it soaked up the meat's grease well enough.

I casually tossed the finished bones onto an empty spot on the ground, wiped my greasy hands with the cloak, and took a big gulp of water. The lukewarm liquid washed away the last bits of gristle stuck in my teeth.

Instantly, I felt completely at ease.

"Still sulking over there, Bernhardt?" I grinned, watching him fidget with the doll he'd snatched earlier. He'd been stealing glances at it all evening, turning it over in his hands like it was made of gold instead of cloth.

The little girl's sapphire-blue eyes and slightly annoyed gaze were truly captivating. Even I had to admit she'd probably grow up to be quite beautiful. No wonder Bernhardt hadn't stopped blushing since our encounter.

"That doll's got you redder than if you'd had wine, not that we're allowed to drink," I teased, watching his ears turn crimson again. "Better practice talking to girls before then."

"It's not like that..." Bernhardt mumbled, carefully arranging his straw bedding. He tucked the doll into his shirt pocket with surprising gentleness for a boy his age.

Below, a scene unfolded that shattered the peaceful night...

---Third POV---

"Burp~ Hey, hold still. I'll find you a nice place!" a drunken voice slurred from inside the house.

Shiva's rough hands grabbed the little girl's frail arm, which looked like it might snap with a little force. The girl whimpered in pain, stumbling forward with unsteady steps as if she could fall at any moment.

Perhaps out of sheer terror or a sense of her impending fate, the girl suddenly bit down on Shiva's hand with surprising ferocity.

"You little bitch! How dare you bite me?!" Shiva's face contorted with rage as he yanked her to the ground. His boot connected with her side in a vicious kick that made my stomach turn.

The girl curled up, trembling in pain, but was quickly grabbed again and forced to keep moving.

"Hahaha, feisty little thing, isn't she? Be careful, Shiva—if her face gets messed up, she won't fetch a good price," one of his companions joked.

The deserted streets were left to chaos, a far cry from the royal castle. Apart from guards stationed at the main gates and walls, there was no one to maintain order at night. Families shut their doors tightly after sunset, fearing for their lives. The guards wouldn't help.

They never did.

They were part of the problem.

--- Grimm's POV ---

Watching the commotion below, I felt disgust cross my eyes. I didn't need to think too hard to know where the little girl was being taken. Though I hadn't spent much time with her, this sort of bottomless behavior made me feel nauseated.

However, it seemed that tonight Shiva and one other were the only ones out.

I packed up my things and set up a simple decoy before quietly descending from the rooftop to investigate.

"Boss, why are you coming down?" Bernhardt was puzzled.

"Just going to follow them. If they ask, say I'm asleep on the roof." I pointed to the cloak and pillow I had left at one corner of the roof, arranged to look like a sleeping form.

"The guards won't help," Bernhardt warned.

"I'm not looking for help," I replied, already moving towards the edge of the roof.

"Boss…" he tried to dissuade me, but I had already disappeared into the shadows below.

From the moment I jumped down, I had been observing the movements of the group. Most of them were drunk and likely heading back to rest.

If I wanted to deal with Shiva, tonight was the perfect opportunity.

I silently tailed them to a brothel, located just across the street from a tavern. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

In these times, taverns were often frequented by mercenaries and war deserters. And where there were taverns, brothels were always nearby to cater to their desires.

For most, this hour was late, but for those in the flesh trade, the night was just beginning.

"Yo. What are you doing bringing a child to a brothel?" a prostitute teased.

"Hahaha, mwah! Come here," Shiva responded, stumbling toward her with sleazy enthusiasm.

"Oh, stop it, you. If you want me to keep you company, you'll have to pay," the woman replied coyly, pretending to push him away while drawing him closer.

"My, my, bringing fresh meat to the slaughter?" Another woman emerged from the shadows.

"Hahaha, this one's worth her weight in silver," Shiva bragged, his grip tightening on the girl's arm. "I'll take care of you soon—but first, I've got to sell this kid."

"Then let's inspect the goods…"

The voices of the two men gradually faded into the building. It seemed it was too late to rescue the little girl, but I wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by.

I decided to wait for the two to come out—there was still a chance they might.

Typical lechers—while the others weren't seeking women, these two were clearly regulars at this place.

I squatted there for nearly three hours. It was already deep into the night, around 1 or 2 a.m., and the red-light district was preparing to shut down.

Cursing my bad luck under my breath, I reluctantly decided to head back.

---

Lying back on the rooftop, I carefully weighed the pros and cons of staying in the area.

Tomorrow wouldn't bode well for us either. Once their contacts came to assign positions to the group, there would be no room left for me and Bernhardt.

Worse still, knowing some of their plans might make us targets for elimination.

The more I thought about it, the more dangerous it felt. I decided to pack up and leave. Tonight hadn't provided the opportunity to take action against Shiva, and with that scum paired with Kadi's caution, the two of them were leaving no way out.

Even if we weren't sold off immediately, once their informants were mobilized, there would be no place for us to hide. The outcome was obvious.

A terrifying thought struck me: maybe they never intended to leave anyone alive.

Resolving to escape, I stored my belongings in my space pocket and made up my mind. I immediately woke Bernhardt.

"Stop sleeping! Get up—we need to leave. They sold that girl tonight, and tomorrow it's going to be our turn to die!"

A groggy Bernhardt was confused at first. Despite growing up in a merchant family, his mind was still that of a 9-year-old, lacking the experience to grasp critical nuances.

"But we're not—" he started to protest, eyes still heavy with sleep.

"They're cleaning house, Bernhardt. Tomorrow we're either merchandise or corpses," I cut him off sharply.

At first, he muttered something about boys not being in danger, but when I explained the gravity of the situation, he broke out in a cold sweat, finally understanding.

We quickly packed our bags and darted deeper into the alleys, eager to put as much distance as possible between ourselves and this place of trouble.

"Where are you going?"

A cold voice rang out behind us, freezing us both in our tracks.

It was Kadi!

I immediately drew my sword and turned toward the source of the voice. The man had just stepped out of the alley behind us.

Why is he here?! Didn't he go drinking tonight? I racked my brain.

"!!!"

That's it!

Now that I thought about it, there hadn't been any sign of him all night. He was watching us the whole time.

Kadi's gaze lingered on me.

"Why are you running?" he asked as he unsheathed his dagger.

"Because I want to live!!" I shouted.