Even if my only strength is water magic, having modern knowledge should be sufficient, right?

Episode 5: Escaping from Street Life

Even a small roof is better than nothing. That’s where we sleep.

In the alley, people in the same bottom-of-the-barrel situation as us sleep together.

If you pay even half a copper coin, you can sleep in this place, relatively safely.

If you don’t pay the rent, punishment is a given, and you might not wake up by morning.

Still, Pakis and I are in a better place.

Sleeping in an alley where only comrades gather reduces the risk of theft or attacks from other mafia members…

… but even within the group, being the lowest rank in the organization, I often get robbed with violence if I have money.

“Let’s go… huh? What are you looking at, wanna die!?”

“N-No, sir!?”

Pakis punched a hungry-looking orphan boy who was staring at us with eyes that made me shiver.

Even in the Dugga family, where Pakis is treated the worst, adults around here don’t dare to oppose him, but these incidents happen often.

Young or new people, or those who travel, may not yet know Pakis’ face or the fear of the Dugga family.

Pakis usually goes directly to punch, but sometimes he calls other brothers for help when dealing with a bigger opponent.

“Hah.”

“You say something?”

“N-Nothing.”

This life is unbelievably harsh.

If you’ve been a Japanese who has learned for over 10 years in Japan, you might think that you can escape from such a life to something a little better.

I thought that even if I suddenly thrown overseas and couldn’t communicate with words, I could communicate through body language, paper and pen, or even drawing world maps and flags on the ground with branches, and escape from this life.

A “minimum living standard” as I think of it: even if it means wearing tattered, holey clothes stained with blood, sweat, and dirt, feeling dizzy from hunger because you can’t eat, or sleeping in an alley without a roof.

“Um, can I help you count the money?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, sir?”

So, I decided to gamble.

“Huh?”

Boss is very cautious.

He always does the accounts on the floor above the gambling den where guards are present and is careful not to be poisoned in his food.

He is not hesitant in using violence, and he is strong and smart.

Most other people can’t do calculations because they haven’t received education.

“Can you do calculations?”

“Boss, there is no way she can do this! There’s no way this kid can do it..”

“Even a brat like you, who can’t even wipe her own ass, dares to say something? Go bring water and go home right away.”

The men who usually bet on something nearby intervened.

I was scared to death, but this is also a gamble.

“Shut up, you guys!! Frim, try it.”

Various coins scattered on the table.

I thought it would be easy because I can calculate to some extent, but…

“…What’s wrong? Can’t you do it?”

“Well, um, I’m only halfway through. Is it okay to try if it can be useful to you, sir?”

I left the coins I had already counted on the table and opened a new money bag next to it to sort them out.

Gemstones, large gold coins, gold coins, large silver coins, silver coins, copper coins, half-copper coins, and coins that were so decayed you couldn’t tell what they were.

Probably from different countries, and many of them are warped or broken…

I sorted them on the table and collected them.

I had seen boss classify them by hand a few times, and it looked quite difficult.

Calculating money is put on hold.

The goal was to be useful to the boss with my not-so-common skill of “money calculation,” but when I actually saw it, I broke out in a cold sweat.

But, in the end, it’s only important to be useful to the boss.

“Is this… how did you sort them?”

“I sorted them into clean, normal, and dirty coins of the same type, and made piles of 10 each. I can’t count them all right away, so I thought it would be useful to you, sir.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Boss,Can this kid be of use?”

“Ah, and as always, Kedin, don’t interrupt people when they’re talking, or I’ll smack you.”

“Okay.”

The escort brother, Kedin, loves going to other mafia offices and breaking things. He’s known as “Big Mallet Kedin”.

Although he carries a drawn sword and a battle axe for personal combat, he manages to carry a large mallet, which he can pass off as a tool for construction in the city. It’s quite conspicuous.

Despite the many stone structures in the city, he still finds a use for it. It’s a portable weapon.

I wonder if it’s okay that it’s visibly stained with blood.

“Where did you learn that?”

“While walking around town selling water, I met a child who was helping out at a stall.”

I’m still afraid of the boss, and my words choke up at the beginning.

“I see… Well, never mind. I’ll let you handle the accounting from now on, so start helping.”

“Yes. What should I say to Pakis?”

“Pakis? Oh, you mean the kid at the end? I’ll tell him myself, so don’t worry. Just wait a bit.”

The boss placed the wooden box in the corner of the room beside the desk.

Since the boss’ desk is large, and only the edges are usable even when standing, he must have meant for me to use it as a chair.

Honestly, I’m not very familiar with these characters, but… I feel like there might be something sinister written here.

But it’s not bad to be considered.

As I count the coins, I’m taught about the different types.

The quality of the coins is so poor, it’s unimaginable in modern Japan.

“This is also counterfeit. Remember that.”

“Yes.”

And there are fake coins mixed in as well.

I want to say that counterfeiting is a crime, but apparently it’s quite common.

But the boss seems pleased.

It should be much more efficient than counting each one individually.

I remove a few fake copper coins from a pile of 100 identical coins and put the same number back in separate bags.

I noticed something else too.

“Boss.”

“What?”

“I think it’s better to stop licking your fingers after touching the coins.”

“Why’s that?”

The boss is quite kind.

Unlike Pakis, he can speak rationally.

Pakis sometimes pushes for no reason, without logic or reason.

“I heard that some metals can be harmful to the body. It might not be harmful in small amounts, but if it accumulates in the body, it could become poisonous.”

“What!? Is that true!?”

The boss stood up, looking a bit scary, but this is a chance.

Knowledge can be a weapon.

“I, I heard that sweet-tasting lead is poisonous from the pharmacist’s grandmother, and if there are counterfeit coins, we don’t know what they’re made of.”

I heard various things from the pharmacist’s grandmother, and I had this knowledge.

There’s also the fact that she doesn’t move and just looks at me during work, so it was easy to talk to her.

“Is that so… Frim, huh? I like that. From today, you’ll be working with me.”

“Yes!”

I’m not sure if this choice is correct.

I’m still trembling at the thought of the boss’ violence turning towards me, but it’s probably better than being with Pakis.