Mana: Goddess Of Destiny

"If this is all you have, you can't even afford a single time! Penniless peasants need to get out of my shop!"

With an angry voice, he was driven out of the store.

He frantically tried to walk back in, but the door was firmly shut, without any sign of opening again.

"…. Shit!"

He started cursing in anger.

Although it was daytime, this small street was quite dark…. No, the avenue was brightly lit by sunlight. But the passerby's eyes were lifeless, expelling a depressing, glum atmosphere.

In the past, this area was commonplace for people who weren't wealthy but also weren't dirt-poor.

It was a pleasant convenience full of laughter- even though that was a bit of an exaggeration, at least the people weren't as spiritless as they were right now.

When did it become like this? It dropped like a rock from a cliff, tumbling down, down, down.

Since when did he start seeing such shadows and darkness?

This Country is slowly rotting.

With the decrease in wages, the tax rate hadn't changed a bit.

Even though economic relief and damage control for citizens have become common, they were no more than facades by the upper-class.

If they really wished to help the lower and middle classes with a good heart, they should give us jobs, and money. Although everyone needed food and sustenance if we kept relying on their short-term solutions, what will happen when they stopped providing relief? Furthermore, people need more than just food.

So foolish, the man laughed bitterly.

Even if one were not to work, there would be people that provide food, isn't this not a bad idea….

With such secure lives, this kingdom is so considerate of its people.

But I believe…. This is no different from being kept as livestock by the people above, and I can't just accept that.

Has nobody realized the unstable situation? Or is everyone just pretending they're blind?

It's rotting slowly.

No matter what, people will ultimately become fed-up with the higher-up's decisions and actions.

The people are always the ones that pay the price for upper-class' mistakes.

To put simply, I don't have any money. Without money, I can't buy medicine. With these circ.u.mstances, no matter how much food I receive, it wouldn't help at all.

"You, over there."

A voice sounded abruptly nearby.

I looked in the direction of its owner. A cloaked figure stood in my way.

Although I couldn't see her face clearly through the hood, I could determine that the person was a woman.

"Yes, you."

What does this finely-dressed woman want to do with him?

"Your name is…."

The name that she spoke was indeed mine. Why does she know my name?

"Is that right?"

"…. Yes, it is. What do you want with me?"

"... Do you feel remorseful?"

"…. Ha?"

"Everything you had was taken away, and you're even driven to this pitiful state…. No, not everything. What you should protect, remains by your side."

His mind quickly cooled, and he immediately made the distance between them. 'It should be fine if I'm not this cautious, right? It's just a woman, after all.'

"To not be fooled by appearances…. I understand that fact so clearly that it's become annoying. Unfortunately, I don't trust anyone anymore. Especially people like you, who pop out of nowhere."

"Indeed. If you haven't learned your lesson after being betrayed, then you're really an idiot."

His face soured from the woman's words.

"Although I don't know how or where you found that out, I'm not interested in what you want."

"But I need something from you."

I turned my back towards her. Although I'll be angrier passing that closed shop door one more time, it's better than speaking with this woman."

"Do you not want to reclaim everything you lost?"

"…. Not interested."

"I believe that if you do, your brother might be in a better situation than he is in right now."

With that sentence, he stopped in his tracks. "Do you want me to wag my tail and beg like a dog?"

"I don't need pets. What I want you to do is become my hand and foot, and work for me."

"Ha…. What specifically are you asking me to do?"

"I just want to help you take back what you lost. I have kept an eye out for you since your grade's in the academy where splendid."

"Huh?!" He paused "Are you that young lady of the East Trade Company?"

"…." she said nothing and then she slightly smiled.