"Good things here."
Izochi and Marco entered the mysterious city of Balkan.
"You are here not for enjoying the city."
"Then why I am here?"
"Because you have to exorcise a spirit. Probably a class 1."
"Why did you stop?"
Izochi turned back.
"We have to find our own path now."
"What's the meaning?"
"You will go to the Northern part, and I will to the middle. It's about a week left for the full moon. And just before that, a messenger will take you to the destined place. You just have to come to Rikton Gate before the full moon night."
Marco started to explain everything to him. But its a question if he got to understand any of this. But he questioned,
"What will you do there? And how I am gonna stay a week here, and where?"
Marco got shocked a little. It's like he never thought of this.
"Huh! I guess you should find a house that will keep you temporarily in exchange of your strength."
That was a very clear direction for him. But still,
"You mean I have to work as a house worker for a week? That's literally being a slave."
Izochi got pissed off. His expression was a lot angried.
"Only if I could bury you under this city."
Reckless dream.
Izochi started to walk through the road of Northern Balkan. It was all crowded, as it was daytime. But Izochi was not sweating out of the hot atmosphere.
"Good thing I left the coat.
But the question here is I have no money, and I have to find a place to stay. Maybe a job would be better."
On the other hand, Marco was already in his place. It was like an underground facility, a really big one. There was only one man present in front of him. It was Mr. Horitoshi, the captain of the Evernight Club.
"Do you really think it was okay to leave him completely alone without any preparation or settlement?"
"It is important for him to understand the world at first. Because he needs emotional attachments and understandings to not turn against him."
Horitoshi's voice was cold for real, like he had caught fever or cold recently.
"But he already has two siblings. Is that not enough for him?"
"I guess yes. But only caring about siblings can also turn him against the world.
You have to free a bird in order to win its heart."
Izochi suddenly stopped by a stall. He was supposed to have no money. But he was really hungry. So, he politely requested the vendor if he can suggest him to find a place to stay and work, holding a fake smile.
The vendor had no reaction to offer. He just replied,
"You are an outsider?"
"Certainly."
Izochi was feeling a little upset to ask for work in an unknown place even though he didn't need to do so in capital.
"How many days you need?"
"I think about a week."
"In that case, you can stay in my house. But what to offer you?"
"Only having a place to sleep, and some foods."
The vendor's house was just behind the stall. Meaning it was more like a permanent space for his stall. He took Izochi to his house.
Despite being made of mud, bricks and stones, the house was neat and clean. And it was cold inside the house than the outside.
"Uhm! Mr., what do you want me to do in exchange?"
"Let's see, you should help my family with everything. But your main work is to stay on my stall for these days you will stay."
"I will."
He agreed with another fake smile. Looking at the face of the boy, nobody can guess his madness.
Izochi started to talk to himself. It was normal for Izochi to talk to him. Like he used to talk with another him.
"That captain. He is making me a full time slave for his purpose. One day I'm going to make you a slave so that you can know how it feels."
It was just a boyish thing.
"So, what is your name?"
"Izochi Ho, Horiini."
Izochi was about to tell his name, but stopped.
"If I use my clan name here, that could cause a big problem. As my clan is already popular in another way. And if they know I am a Horitoshi, I will be doomed."
He started to stay with the family. But unlike he expected they were nice in behavior. Instead of a slave, they started to treat him like a son, maybe that's because they had no one. But, Izochi was not totally happy at all.
"My life is fucked. I have to work as a slave?"
That was obviously something to depress him. Following the order he was given, Izochi got himself in his master's stall. He got almost asleep because it was midday, and midday is the time when Balkan dies.
"Good noon."
Suddenly, a greeting torn apart Izochi's nap. He opened his eyes. And there was only one boy standing in front of him. Izochi stood up.
"How can I help you?"
"See, you have really got the slave thing seriously."
"Do, you have any problem?"
Izochi rubbed his eyes. His daydream was still incomplete.
"No, just seeing a boy who doesn't know himself."
"Do you know myself?"
"How can I know you?"
"Then? What do you want? And your name?"
"My name is Bruno, Bruno D. Vanguard. You don't know?"
"Guess no need to."
"Uh, I see. But since you will be working with me here, I want a match with you.
Right now."