The moment I stepped out into the capital's market streets, the atmosphere around me felt completely different from the silence and formality inside the castle walls.
Right now, I was standing near a small food stall eating something I honestly had no idea the name of. Whatever it was though… it tasted surprisingly good. Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and heavily seasoned with something slightly spicy.
Not bad at all.
For the past few days, I had spent most of my time inside the castle listening to reports, discussions, financial explanations, and military matters nonstop. At some point, even the walls themselves had started feeling suffocating.
So today, I came out quietly on my own.
Well… technically speaking, Rowan probably still believed I was resting inside my chambers.
As I slowly walked through the market while eating, my eyes naturally moved across the surroundings.
The capital itself was still lively.
Merchants loudly advertised their goods, carts moved through crowded streets, and small shops remained packed with people trying to buy daily necessities. Some areas even looked surprisingly normal at first glance.
But the longer I observed things carefully…
The clearer it became that something underneath the surface was wrong.
There was uneasiness in the air.
Not fear exactly.
But uncertainty.
The kind people carried when they no longer felt confident about the future.
And after hearing Rowan and Mr. Kelvin's explanations during the council meeting, I could now understand why.
Valenford currently had an excessive surplus of grain and food supplies. Across multiple regions, so much stock had been stored over time that proper circulation itself had started breaking down. Because of that, many places had slowly begun shifting toward barter-based exchanges instead of relying entirely on currency.
At first, hearing that inside the council room didn't sound like a major issue.
But seeing it directly made the flaws obvious.
Just because food existed didn't mean everyone could access what they needed properly.
If someone possessed gold, then purchasing things remained relatively easy. But people without stable money had to exchange goods directly instead.
Grain for tools.
Clothing for medicine.
Livestock for supplies.
And the problem with barter systems was simple.
Not everyone owned something valuable enough to trade.
Which meant poorer people suffered the most.
Some merchants had piles of grain stored behind their stalls, yet only a few streets away, there were people struggling to properly buy basic necessities. The imbalance itself was visible once someone paid enough attention.
As I continued walking, I overheard a conversation between two men standing beside a cart loaded with grain sacks.
"What do you think?" one of them asked quietly. "Will King Arin actually be able to pull Valenford out of this situation?"
The man let out a tired sigh before continuing,
"I honestly hope he does something soon… I can't keep living like this forever."
The second man folded his arms before replying,
"I hope so too. But from what I heard, King Arin stopped Velkyria's invading forces almost immediately after taking the throne."
His tone carried cautious optimism.
"Honestly, Valenford got lucky this time. At least we finally have a king who can actually lead the kingdom."
The first man slowly nodded.
"Yeah… that part's true."
He glanced toward the nearby grain sacks before speaking again.
"But someone still needs to solve all this. There's grain everywhere, yet nothing feels normal anymore."
His expression carried visible frustration now.
"In my village, some people already stopped farming properly because stored grain isn't even moving anymore."
I quietly listened to their conversation without interrupting.
The concerns of the people were clear.
Valenford's citizens wanted stability back.
Normal trade.
Proper money circulation.
Confidence that tomorrow would not become worse than today.
But despite all the uncertainty surrounding them…
Their trust in their king still remained surprisingly strong.
And honestly—
That pressure felt heavier than fear itself.
Because if people were truly placing their hopes on me…
Then I had to become someone capable of carrying them.
After walking through the market for a while longer, I continued roaming around the capital while observing the city properly.
One thing was immediately clear.
Valenford had built its cities extremely well.
The roads were broad enough for movement even during crowded hours, guard towers stood at important intersections, and the walls separating different sections of the city looked heavily reinforced. Whether it was Hower, Farham, Mentix, or the royal capital itself… Valenford clearly prioritized security while designing its cities.
And honestly, considering the kind of enemies surrounding the kingdom…
That made complete sense.
***
As I kept walking, my attention suddenly shifted toward a small figure standing near the side of the street.
A little girl.
She was crying while trying to ask nearby people for help, but most only glanced at her briefly before continuing on their way. Some looked troubled, some avoided eye contact entirely, while others simply acted like they hadn't noticed her at all.
For a moment, I stopped and looked at her properly before walking closer.
"What happened?" I asked. "Why are you crying?"
The little girl looked up toward me, but instead of answering, she lowered her head again while trying to wipe her tears with her sleeve.
Her clothes looked old and worn out, enough to immediately tell that her family's condition probably wasn't good.
I waited for a few seconds, but seeing that she still wasn't speaking, I suddenly remembered the remaining food I had kept in my pocket earlier.
Right…
I took it out and handed it toward her.
"Here," I said. "Eat this first. You're probably hungry."
The moment she saw the food, her reaction changed instantly.
Her crying slowly stopped as she carefully grabbed the food before immediately starting to eat.
And honestly…
Watching her eat like that somehow made me feel unexpectedly lighter.
Back in my previous world, people used to say that no matter how exhausting a day was, seeing a child smile could make all that tiredness disappear.
At the time, I never really understood what they meant.
But now…
I think I finally did.
I moved beside the nearby wall and sat down while waiting for her to finish eating.
For the next few moments, neither of us spoke.
The noisy streets of the capital continued moving around us while the little girl focused entirely on finishing every last bite.
Once she was finally done, I looked toward her again and asked,
"So… what happened?"
"Why were you asking people for help?"
After hearing my question, the little girl lowered her head and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her clothes.
"My mother is sick…" she said between pauses. "We don't have money for medicine… so I was asking people for help."
For a few moments, I simply looked at her.
Somehow, hearing those words left an uncomfortable feeling inside me.
Maybe because she was too young to be standing alone on the streets asking strangers for help. Or maybe because despite being scared and crying, she still chose to do something instead of sitting helplessly.
Without thinking too much, I looked at her and said,
"I can help you."
The little girl immediately raised her head.
"You… will?"
The change in her expression happened almost instantly. Just moments ago her eyes were filled with tears, but now there was something else inside them.
Hope.
"Hm," I replied with a smile. "But before that, can you take me to your house? I need to see your mother's condition first."
She nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! I'll take you there."
Even though she was just a child, her manners were surprisingly good.
I followed behind her as she led me through the streets of the capital. At first, nothing looked different. The roads were still crowded and people continued moving around normally.
But slowly the surroundings started changing.
The broad streets disappeared, replaced by smaller paths. The buildings looked older, the roads became rougher, and the lively atmosphere from before gradually faded.
The deeper we walked, the heavier the surroundings felt.
People sat near walls wearing exhausted expressions. Some stared at us as we passed by, while others simply looked away.
And honestly...
The looks I received from some of them didn't feel pleasant.
Still, I continued following the little girl.
After walking for a few more minutes, she suddenly pointed toward a small house.
"We're here…"
Before I could respond, she immediately ran inside.
"Mom! Mom! Look who came!"
I looked at the house in front of me.
Calling it a house almost felt generous.
Parts of the roof looked damaged, cracks ran across sections of the walls, and the whole place looked as if a strong wind could bring it down.
For a moment, only one thought appeared in my mind.
...People actually live like this?
I stepped inside.
The moment I entered, a strange smell immediately hit me, forcing me to cover my nose for a second. But after looking around properly, I slowly began understanding why.
The room itself was small and poorly maintained. There was barely any furniture inside besides a few necessities.
The little girl had already run toward a woman lying on a bed near the corner.
"What happened?" the woman asked weakly. "Who came?"
"Mom, this person gave me food. He said he can help you get better."
The woman slowly turned toward me.
Even lifting her head looked difficult.
"Thank you..." she said softly while lowering her gaze. "I am truly grateful that you helped my daughter and gave her something to eat."
Her voice sounded weak, almost as if every word itself required effort.
I shook my head.
"No, it isn't something worth thanking me for."
I looked toward the little girl sitting beside her mother.
"I just don't like ignoring children when they're in trouble. And when I saw her asking people for help because of you... I couldn't walk away."
The woman looked at me for a few moments before giving a faint smile.
"You're a kind person if you truly think that way…"
A few coughs interrupted her words.
"Sorry... I can't speak much in my current condition."
"I'll bring a medic here," I said. "They'll examine you and provide treatment."
The woman slowly shook her head.
"No... we don't have enough money for medicine."
Her eyes moved toward the little girl.
"She doesn't understand these things yet. She probably brought you here and wasted your time."
"Wasted my time?"
I looked at her directly.
"Nothing was wasted."
"And about the expenses... leave that part to me."
"For now, you should focus on getting better."
For a few moments, silence filled the room.
Then I noticed tears slowly gathering in her eyes.
To ease the atmosphere a little, I suddenly realized something.
"Wait..."
I looked between the two of them.
"I completely forgot to ask your names."
The woman looked slightly surprised before replying,
"My daughter's name is Aanu..."
"And I am Malta."
"I see." I nodded.
"Alright then, Malta."
I looked toward the little girl, who was now sitting beside her mother while absentmindedly playing with a small piece of cloth in her hands.
"If you don't mind," I continued, "I'll borrow your daughter for a little while. Since we're going to bring medicine anyway, I think spending some more time with her wouldn't hurt."
Malta looked toward her daughter before shifting her eyes back toward me. For a moment, she stayed silent before giving a small nod.
"…Alright."
I turned toward the little girl.
"Aanu?"
The moment I called her name, she immediately looked up.
"Come here."
"We're going to get medicine for your mother."
"Really?!"
Her face brightened instantly before she jumped to her feet and ran toward me.
But just as we were about to leave, something suddenly started bothering me.
Very seriously bothering me.
I looked down at her.
"Aanu…"
"Hm?"
"You can call me brother instead."
She tilted her head and blinked a few times.
"Huh?"
"But why?"
I crossed my arms.
"Because I'm not old enough to be called uncle."
For a few seconds, she simply stared at me.
"But older people are called uncle, right?"
...
Critical hit.
I stared at her silently.
Then I let out a dry laugh.
"Ha... ha... right..."
I looked away for a moment.
Man... I'm still in my twenties.
When did I become old?
I looked back at her and sighed.
"Well, just trust me on this one."
"Call me brother."
Aanu looked at me suspiciously for a few moments before finally nodding.
"Okay, brother!"
The smile on her face appeared so naturally that somehow, my mood immediately felt lighter.
I turned toward Malta.
"We'll be back soon."
"You should get some rest."
"Bye mom! We'll come back quickly!"
Aanu waved enthusiastically before grabbing my sleeve and pulling me toward the exit.
As we stepped outside, Malta looked toward the doorway for a few moments.
Then a weak smile slowly appeared on her face.
"…There are very few people like him…"
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Almost as if she was speaking only to herself.