Chapter 5 : Growing Closer to the Boss
Chapter 5: Growing Closer to the Boss
Drawers and cabinets were flung open at random.
A dog woke up in the middle of the night and barked viciously.
Seeing that the documents on his desk had disappeared, Timmy fumed.
“Which bastard dared…!”
Timmy tied up the dog and carefully examined the director’s office, which had been left in disarray.
Among his countless collectibles, something that should have been there was nowhere to be seen.
His black sword, the object of his pride, had vanished.
With trembling hands, he brushed the spot where the dagger had once been.
“Right. So they went out to hunt a toothless tiger.”
In Stonegoss, a peaceful city on the frontier, there existed an organization ruling the underworld: the Red Dagger.
Timmy had been the boss of that Red Dagger.
While small groups watched each other warily, he had made them submit one by one with a single dagger.
His tales, passed down like legend in the back alleys, were so well-known that no thug was unaware of them.
And now the black sword symbolizing Timmy’s glory had disappeared.
“Thugs who don’t even know the meaning of giving a man his due.”
Those who lived doing illegal work in the shadows rarely met good ends.
They were betrayed, devoured by someone stronger, or discarded by their own organization.
The Red Dagger was no different.
Even though it was an organization Timmy had built from the ground up, it waited eagerly for his downfall.
Timmy still had influence within the group.
The current boss had never shown hostility toward Timmy, but who could know his true intentions?
Even at a glance, there were more than a few motives to consider.
‘So they want to get rid of me to silence me after all.’
Recently, the organization had come to Timmy saying they needed money for a major business deal.
They wanted him to launder their money.
Timmy’s orphanage handled transactions with the organization’s business fronts using funds donated by an anonymous donor.
It was obvious that the anonymous donor was the Red Dagger.
‘I’ve been far too well-behaved.’
The ingredients purchased from the Red Dagger’s suppliers were low-quality and scant in quantity.
Because of that, the orphanage children’s meals were always lacking.
‘I even asked Burt for credit to supply them with money. Ungrateful bastards.’
As he tidied the chaotic office, Timmy racked his brain over what to do next.
He wanted to tear apart the one who had stolen from him, but charging in blindly was the act of a fool.
Important documents had been stored separately to begin with.
The papers left on the desk contained the orphanage’s transaction records, but nothing problematic on the surface.
The rest were trash—personal information about the orphans.
Things like when they were abandoned, or who their biological parents were, but who would bother with that?
“They’d better be prepared, those brats.”
Not knowing that the ones who secretly raided the office were two little kids, Timmy gnashed his teeth.
---
“Someone must be talking about me. My ears are itchy.”
“Robin, you too? Mine are tickling a bit.”
Since they had stayed up all night, Robin began his morning cleaning earlier than usual.
Jeremy wanted to grab even a little sleep, but his eyes were wide open, so he helped Robin.
Just as they were finishing up, Burt came down from the second floor.
“What’s gotten into you two? Cleaning this early?”
“Good morning, Mr. Burt.”
“My eyes popped open early. Hehe.”
Seeing every corner of the general store polished to a shine lifted Burt’s mood.
When Robin had first arrived, he wore a dead expression, but he had adjusted completely before anyone realized it.
Burt’s remark about selling Robin off as a slave had been half-serious. He wasn’t a philanthropist, after all.
He had tossed them a sack of raw potatoes and given them no pay, yet Robin and Jeremy worked without complaint.
Rumor had spread through the market that two adorable little boys were diligently running errands for Burt.
Though Burt wasn’t the type to act affectionate just because they were children, his heart slowly softened as he watched the hardworking boys.
“Have you two eaten breakfast?”
“Yes! The potatoes you gave us were plump and delicious.”
“What’s delicious about raw potatoes.”
Burt went back upstairs and returned with a plate of jerky.
The savory and salty scent tickled Robin and Jeremy’s noses.
“Eat.”
“This is jerky, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
With trembling fingers, Robin picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
Dry and tough, the texture was hard to chew, but the aroma of the meat and the sweet-salty flavor struck Robin’s brain like lightning.
Jeremy was no different.
The two boys, still in their growing years, devoured the jerky in seconds.
“Is it good?”
“Yes! Yes! You’re the best, Mr. Burt!”
“You had something like this all along but ate it alone? That’s stingy.”
When Burt flicked Jeremy on the head, he shut his mouth with a tearful expression.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing. And at least steam the potatoes.”
“But how…?”
When Robin looked up with his big round eyes, Burt sighed.
“You can use whatever’s in the storage room. If you look carefully, there should be cooking tools.”
“What? Why are you only telling us now!”
Jeremy had held back from touching them even though they had been right under his nose all this time.
Burt’s sudden change in attitude made him grateful yet slightly annoyed.
Another flick to the head quieted Jeremy again.
“I’ll make sure you boys have proper meals from now on.”
Robin and Jeremy blinked.
“They say when someone changes suddenly it means they’re dying. Maybe Mr. Burt has some terminal illness.”
“Hmm, that might be possible.”
“I can hear everything, you brats.”
Leaving Robin and Jeremy whispering behind, Burt stepped out of the general store.
People bustled about early in the morning just like any other day.
It was certainly the same, yet everyone seemed to be talking about one thing.
“I heard Timmy’s orphanage was robbed.”
“Robbing an orphanage? That thief has no conscience.”
“I heard the director there was involved in corruption…”
Their murmurs filled the street.
Since Burt had visited Timmy’s orphanage the day before, he wondered if the rumors were true.
Timmy, former boss of the Red Dagger, was no easy opponent.
In the underworld, it was widely said that crossing him meant not even your bones would remain.
“Well, none of it’s my business anyway.”
Timmy recalled the sword he had taken as collateral in exchange for giving credit.
It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it had been quite well-crafted.
‘Even selling just the sword would fetch a decent amount.’
When he returned from buying bread at the market, there was a customer in the general store.
Hurrying inside, he saw Jeremy skillfully attending to them.
“It’ll take at least a week for the ceramics to come in… Ah, the boss is here.”
“I’m Burt, owner of Burt’s General Store.”
“I’m Bardem. I’m planning to open a restaurant soon, so…”
After finishing the contract with the customer, Burt glanced at Jeremy.
‘Come to think of it, it’s already been a year since that kid came here.’
As Burt set down the bag full of bread, Robin and Jeremy rushed over.
When he nodded, the two boys grinned and carried the bag into the room.
While Burt leaned on the counter with his chin propped up, staring off blankly, Robin approached him hesitantly.
“Mr. Burt. I have a favor to ask.”
He flicked his hand as if telling him to speak.
“Could I use some paper, a pen, and a wooden sword?”
Paper and a pen were likely for his recent interest in studying.
To write properly, he would need not just a quill pen but ink as well.
Buying all of that would not be cheap.
‘Should I reward Robin for being good at his work?’
There was a space in the corner of the general store where unsellable old stock was piled up.
Surely, there were old paper, pens, and ink there.
It wouldn’t matter if they took some of it.
But what caught Burt’s attention was his request for a wooden sword.
‘Innate talent. So it’s that direction.’
Just as Burt tapped the counter, about to agree, Robin unexpectedly spoke again.
“This is small, but please accept it.”
“What’s this?”
“I-I didn’t bring it! It was left at the door this morning!”
The paper Robin handed over as he babbled nervously was a promissory note Burt had written at Timmy’s orphanage. Old and faded.
[The second party repays the principal and interest and grants the first party one request.]
The vague clause contained no expiration date.
Burt had already settled his debt to Timmy with the recent credit purchase. He even had the sword as collateral, so he had no complaints.
He had received a confirmation slip, so this sheet of paper held little meaning now.
“Puhahahaha!”
‘So these rascals were the ones who robbed the orphanage.’
Even though they lived on the second floor of the store, Burt knew Robin and Jeremy had slipped out the previous night.
He also knew they sometimes slacked off during lunch or studied late into the night.
And that Robin had been eyeing the wooden swords.
“Bold little rascals. Do you even know what you two have done?”
“Boss, what do you mean? What did we do?”
Jeremy played dumb, but Burt wasn’t fooled.
Realizing they had robbed Timmy just to get paper, pens, and a wooden sword made Burt laugh nonstop.
The paper Robin brought had lost its value the previous day. Even if it had remained, he would have thrown it out.
“All right. Robin, I’ll give you what you want. There should be paper, pens, and ink among the old stock. Take whatever you like. Pick out a wooden sword too. It’s on me.”
“Woooow! Thank you, Mr. Burt!”
‘Just imagining that old Timmy’s face when he realizes it makes me feel refreshed.’
“Oh, and one piece of advice—don’t let Timmy catch you. He might actually kill you.”
“Of course—mmp!”
“What do you mean, Mr. Burt? It sounds like you’re saying we snuck something out of Timmy’s orphanage. We’ve never done anything like that.”
Robin clamped Jeremy’s mouth shut, sweating as he forced a smile.
Jeremy knew, and Robin knew, that their lie had been exposed.
But it was a lie they absolutely couldn’t admit, so they insisted to the very end.
‘They’re amusing kids.’
The general store filled with the awkward laughter of the two boys.
---
After closing the shop, Robin and Jeremy headed toward a low hill.
Each of them carried a wooden sword.
Robin also carried the black sword wrapped tightly in a bundle.
“Ahh, what a view. This is my favorite place, Robin.”
“Wow! I had no idea a place like this existed.”
The place Jeremy brought him to was a hill not far from the city, with a clear view of the green fields.
Since it stood higher than the surrounding plains, few people ever visited.
Robin watched the sun slowly sink, staining the sky, then raised his wooden sword.
‘Step forward with the left foot and strike straight down.’
He slowly swung the sword.
Unlike the man he had seen before, there was no sound of air being cut.
But from that one downward strike, he felt something settle comfortably in his hand.
“Is this right?”
Jeremy tried to imitate Robin beside him, but his posture was wrong.
“Put your foot a little farther forward, don’t grip the sword too tightly, and bring it down.”
“Oh, that was faster than before.”
With just a few words from Robin, Jeremy’s stance improved.
As Jeremy continued swinging, Robin moved his own arms.
Once, twice, three times. It was the same movement, yet with each repetition, Robin’s posture subtly changed.
‘Rather than fully extending the arms, it’s smoother with the elbows slightly bent.’
Even though it was just a wooden sword and not a real blade, Robin became enchanted with the act of wielding it.
He repeated the same movement over and over until he was sweating, but he didn’t tire of it.
“Robin.”
Jeremy tapped him on the shoulder, and Robin stopped.
Before they knew it, the sun was hanging on the edge of the horizon and darkness was falling.
“Let’s head back.”
“Yeah. I didn’t realize how much time had passed.”
“You’re super focused when you grab a wooden sword, huh?”
“When I’m just… swinging it, I feel at ease. Almost like I forget myself in this world.”
“Really? That’s an incredible talent.”
Jeremy rested both hands on the wooden sword slung over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling.
“Robin, how about becoming a knight?”
“What? A knight? Me?”
A knight.
A title granted only to masters of the sword who could release aura.
A sword clad in aura could slice through thick plate armor like tofu.
It referred to those who had reached a realm beyond the norm.
“There’s no harm in trying. Starting today, we practice swordsmanship.”
“Sh-should I?”
“That’s the spirit! Sir Robin!”
Even while waving his hands in embarrassment at Jeremy’s praise, Robin couldn’t stop his smile from stretching ear to ear.
As Jeremy teased him and they started down the hill, a rustling sound came from the bushes.
The two froze in shock, their eyes alone moving.
“…Did you hear that?”
“…Yeah.”
The sun had vanished completely, and no one else was around.
Swallowing, Robin drew the dagger.