NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 273: Flight
That idiot, even if she's strong, she shouldn't be working like that.
As expected, within minutes, Kiana had nearly unloaded the entire cart of flour. A task that should have taken at least an hour or two was finished prematurely, leaving the other workers standing around awkwardly, looking at the shop owner.
"Job's done. Time to pay up." Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kiana looked at the owner expectantly.
The owner's face darkened. He went back into the shop, retrieved his ledger and wallet, and said grudgingly, "You only worked for half an hour. Here's your pay."
Kiana took the money and counted it carefully, a puzzled look on her face. Although she wasn't familiar with German marks, she could still distinguish between the numbers 1 and 10. According to the agreed-upon rate of 1 mark per sack, and having unloaded half the cart, she should have received 134 marks, but she only had 50 in her hand.
She looked at the other workers. They too had received meager wages. One of them, his face etched with displeasure, immediately spoke up. "Boss, we usually get 20 marks a day. Why so little today?"
The stout owner glared at him. "Usually, you lot unload at least 20 sacks each. Look at how much you've unloaded today. Don't you understand the concept of being paid for the work you do?"
The workers, silenced, glared at Kiana, the cause of their reduced income.
Kiana, unfamiliar with such situations, clutched the money nervously. But the amount was clearly wrong. She spoke up hesitantly, "Even so, based on the agreed-upon rate, my wage shouldn't be this low."
Facing a young girl, the owner felt more confident. "Ask the other workers. The pay for an hour or two of work is 20 marks. You worked for less than half an hour, and I'm giving you more than double what the others received. What more do you want?"
Paying by the hour for more work and by the piece for less—this common tactic employed by exploitative businesses was already well-worn in Europe, the birthplace of capitalism.
Kiana's heart sank, and she instinctively clenched her fists. But her Valkyrie training prevented her from resorting to violence against ordinary people. Furthermore, Ren's identity couldn't be exposed. She could only suppress her anger, her face darkening.
Seeing Kiana's dejected expression, the owner smirked. He had correctly gauged her reluctance to use force, emboldening him to exploit her.
He waved his hand dismissively. "Now that everyone has been paid, you can all leave. I'll post a notice when there's more work."
Glancing at Kiana, who remained rooted to the spot, the owner turned to go back into the shop. But just as he turned, a cold sensation pressed against his neck.
He froze, realizing it was a sharp blade of some kind, and dared not move.
"Is there something you need?" Looking at the gray-haired boy before him, the owner feigned composure. "I'm warning you, robbery is a crime. If I shout, the guards will be here in an instant."
Ren ignored him, turning to Kiana. "How much did he agree to pay you?"
Kiana, still slightly startled by Ren's sudden appearance, replied instinctively, "134 marks."
After answering, she quickly added, "Wait, Ren, your injuries haven't healed yet. And it's okay, 50 marks is enough. It's enough to buy medicine…"
"..." Ren's breath hitched, his gaze towards the owner turning icy.
The Herrscher of a Thousand's dark aura, like a venomous snake, coiled around the stout owner's neck, making him turn pale.
"I was wrong! I'll give you the money, all of it!" He frantically pulled out all the banknotes from his wallet, a considerable amount, clearly demonstrating that the wages he paid his workers were a mere fraction of his profits.
Looking at the trembling hand offering him the money, Ren frowned, took the remaining 84 marks, and removed the makeshift blade from the owner's neck.
The owner, relieved, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly backed away. However, upon seeing the "weapon" in Ren's hand, he nearly choked. It wasn't a dagger but a shard of broken porcelain.
"Damn it! Threatening me with a piece of broken plate!" Anger surged through him, but the owner was shrewd. He didn't retaliate directly but instead stumbled back into the shop, yelling for his henchmen.
Ren ignored him, glancing towards the alley entrance, his expression suddenly changing. He saw several men in black robes approaching, guns drawn.
Gunshots rang out. Ren's eyes widened. He felt a sudden weight on top of him as Kiana tackled him to the ground.
The owner, mid-shout, let out a choked gasp as a spray of blood erupted from his back. He collapsed, his eyes wide with shock.
The attackers didn't hesitate, firing at the downed Ren.
Rolling away with Kiana, Ren slashed open a sack of flour with the porcelain shard, throwing the contents into the air.
"Let's go!" Under the cover of the flour cloud, Ren grabbed Kiana's hand and ran past the stacked sacks.
Bullets thudded into the flour sacks, creating an even denser cloud of white, obscuring most of the alley.
The gunshots startled the nearby shoppers, causing panic and chaos.
The attackers, however, didn't care about the civilians, firing relentlessly at Ren. The narrow alley offered little cover, and Ren could only use the corners for brief respites. But as more men appeared, his options dwindled.
Just as they were about to shake off their pursuers, they reached a dead end, a high wall blocking their path.
Ren stepped onto a pile of debris, intending to use the momentum to climb onto the rooftops on either side. However, he could only reach a height of three meters; the four-meter wall was too high.
Left with no other choice, he searched frantically through the debris for a weapon. "Kiana, when they catch up, use this."
He handed Kiana a rusty sickle, the only thing resembling a weapon, keeping a wooden barrel lid for himself. His combat abilities were inferior to Kiana's. It was better for him to act as a distraction while she tried to break through. It was their only chance.
"No, it's too dangerous!" Kiana shook her head.
"But we don't have a choice…" Ren started to explain, but suddenly felt himself lifted into the air. Kiana had scooped him up into a princess carry.
She sprinted towards the wall, her foot creating a deep indentation in the brick as she used it to propel herself upwards. In a fluid motion, they were on the roof.
"..." I forgot she's a monster who can carry 200 pounds of flour like it's nothing. Still, the pose was a bit… undignified.
Ren instinctively glanced at Kiana, but she seemed completely unfazed, as if nothing were amiss.
It's just a phantom of my own making, Ren thought, relaxing slightly.