Seeing that his mother had left, Mertesa heaved a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
Layork looked in the direction where Bess had disappeared. His expression was complicated.
"You and Granny Beth have been living here for the past few years?"
Mertessa snorted in disdain.
Layork frowned. "You know, Boss Morris can help …"
"This is what Mommy wants!"
Mertesa interrupted him rudely. "She said that the Brotherhood has changed. It's getting bigger and more chaotic. She doesn't want to stay any longer."
"We might not live well like this."
"But we can survive."
He straightened his body and stared at Layork with jealousy and hatred.
"Not like you."
Layork was silent for a while.
"I remember that you were by Luo Da's side back then."
Mertesa laughed. His laughter was filled with resentment.
"Of course! Roda! Iron Heart Luo Da! "
"But hey, look at me." Mertessa turned around laboriously and showed his broken arm. He was filled with indignation.
"He doesn't need trash."
"And after so many years, how many of us, the so-called 'Thirteen Generals', do you think, are still alive, other than you, Steel Awl, and Thunder Axe? How much? "
Layork didn't respond to his question. He only gazed deeply at Mertesa's broken arm.
"Count your days, Silent Killer." Mertessa snorted coldly and shook his head.
"In any case, it won't be long."
The two old friends of the Brotherhood looked at each other in silence for a long time.
"Mertessa, right?"
Thales stepped forward in a low voice.
"What happened to the Abandoned House in the past few years?"
Mertessa glanced at Thales.
"What kind of battle array is this?" The man looked at Layork in disdain.
"Who are these three? Your new lover? "
Layork's expression turned cold. His hand once again touched the hilt of his blade.
But Thales coughed.
"Look, Mertessa, people are watching us."
The prince smiled and gestured to the curious faces around him.
"So, the longer you stay with us, the more those who stole your pot — the Sixth House, right? — will be curious about what we talked to you about, or …"
Thales stopped smiling.
"How much money did we give you?"
Mertessa's expression changed.
"Bah!"
Mertessa said hatefully,
"You must be Morris's little bastard. You're as cunning as him."
But Thales did not care. He just stared at him quietly.
"Now, do you want to answer the question?"
"What's wrong with the Abandoned House?"
Mertesa snorted twice. He looked at Layork and the other two big men before he spoke in an unconvinced manner.
"If you still remember, Layork, six years ago, on the day of the One Night Battle —"
At this point, Mertessa glanced at her severed arm and spat fiercely.
"F * ck."
No one else said anything.
"In short, when we were killing people in Red Street Market that day, something happened to Abandoned House."
"Luo Da's son was in charge of looking after this place. In the end, that trash drank too much and killed a bunch of child beggars. The rest ran away …"
He drank too much and killed a bunch of child beggars …
Thales listened to the story quietly with an expressionless face.
It was as if it was someone else's story.
Layork narrowed his eyes.
"Quide."
"I remember that trash, and I also remember this."
Mertessa nodded gloomily.
"Someone said that it was a conspiracy of the Blood Bottle Gang. In the end, that trash was killed by a few child beggars …"
Thales subconsciously raised his hand and pressed on the scar on his chest.
"But the worst thing was that the guy's father was my former boss. Luo Da destroyed Sunset Pub because of the child beggars. I heard that he even skinned the assistant who was in charge of Abandoned House along with his son to go with his drink."
Thales furrowed his brows.
Mertessa shrugged.
"I know Luo Da. Believe me, this is something he would do."
Layork's expression did not change.
"I know. Boss Morris talked to 'Iron Heart', and they solved this matter."
Mertessa spat in disdain.
"Solved my foot."
He looked at Layork in displeasure.
"After this happened, who in the Brotherhood would dare to take care of the mess that is Abandoned House?"
Mertessa turned around and looked at the tramps around him.
"With this precedent, if something happens to the child beggars again, it will be a slap in Morris' face. He will definitely settle the score with you.
"Even if you manage the child beggars well, it will be worse. Luo Da is concerned about his son. If he knows that you are in charge of the child beggars, he will definitely find you an eyesore.
"Who knows, some of the child beggars will become restless. Just like what happened to Quide, they will slit your throat when you are drunk …"
Mertessa laughed mockingly. He sounded like he had given up on himself.
"With this, the only people who are willing to come to Abandoned House will be the old, weak, sick, and disabled!"
"Mertessa." Layork hesitated for a moment.
"You …"
Mertessa spat in disdain. His tone was filled with pain and disdain.
"Do you know what is even more interesting? Luo Da has always believed that his son's murderer has not been caught, so he asked me to guard here and wait for the child beggar to walk into the trap. Look, this is a good reason. It is a good excuse to throw away trash! "
The last sentence was almost shouted out by him.
'Walk into the trap.'
Thales subconsciously raised his head and looked at Mertessa again.
But Mertessa did not care how his words related to the person in front of him. He only laughed self-deprecatingly.
"You see, people like us … Heh, we are sloppy and do nothing. We open the door at dawn and lock the door at night. Over time, the child beggars gradually become naughty and lazy. Many of them run away. Even the street business is not profitable anymore."
Mertessa said gloomily,
"The new thugs are even more unwilling to come. We have just taken over Red Street Market. Who doesn't want to go there and enjoy life?"
Kohen, who had been listening attentively, could no longer stand it. He took a step forward.
"So what about the child beggars in Abandoned House? Have they become fewer? "
Mertessa looked at Kohen, who was standing in a standard military posture, warily.
"Which one are you?"
Kohen panicked. "I —"
"A newbie in the Brotherhood." Thales pushed Kohen back without changing his expression.
"A retired soldier from the army. And then?"
Mertessa looked at Kohen suspiciously.
"The Brotherhood has really improved and become more promising." He snorted softly.
"In the past, the soldiers who had served in the army were only willing to join Blood Bottle Gang."
"Mertessa," Layork reminded him in a low voice.
Mertessa waved his hand in annoyance.
"After that, for some reason, the City Hall set their eyes on this place."
When he said this, Layork, Thales, and Kohen were all stunned.
"City Hall?"
"Yes, I don't know what bad luck they had." Mertessa was listless.
"Every once in a while, the government would send a mighty team of Green Skins, Blue Skins, and even Steel Skins to attack the Abandoned House. The reason was to crack down on human trafficking, crack down on child labor gangs, and so on.
"The most exaggerated time was when the child beggars in the Abandoned House had to be evacuated once a week to avoid inspection. It was chaotic, and even businesses in other places were affected."
Kohen's gaze slowly changed. He scratched his head.
"Oh, I remember. There were a few big sweeps …"
But Thales pinched him and asked in a low voice,
"Why?"
"I don't know." Mertessa shook his head.
"I have a friend who is from the Green Skins' nest. He said that they did not want to come here. The leaders of the Green Skins also did not want to do this kind of unprofitable work."
"But the order was given by someone higher up. They could not do anything about it. Even if they put on an act, they could only obey."
Layork was still puzzled. Kohen was also puzzled. Glover looked on indifferently from the side.
Only Thales stood by the side in a daze. His mind was in a mess.
'The City Hall set their eyes on this place …
'The order was given by someone higher up …'
Thales subconsciously clenched his fists.
'If that's the case …'
He clenched his teeth and resisted the surge of gratitude that rose from his chest.
'Thank you, Gilbert.'
"So, the Abandoned House had been messed around, and the income was not enough to make ends meet. The losses outweighed the gains. Boss Morris decided to tear down the fence around the Abandoned House and let the child beggars out. Then, they would be scattered among the various small gangs. A pile here and a circle there. It's better than being caught in one fell swoop."
Mertessa's expression darkened. He then sneered.
"Once the child beggars are gone, we useless people … Haha, aren't we even more useless?"
Layork was silent.
Kohen did not care about Mertessa's feelings. He anxiously took a step forward.
"So, the child beggars of the Brotherhood are no longer kept in the Abandoned House?
Instead, they are placed in the various gangs on the streets? "
Mertessa raised his head and looked at Kohen. His gaze lingered on the hilt of Kohen's sword. He was slightly puzzled, but he still answered.
"More than that."
Mertessa tightened his empty right sleeve and snorted in disdain.
"The Brotherhood has long since stopped having child beggars."
Everyone was stunned when they heard this.
"What do you mean?" Kohen's reaction was the biggest. He widened his eyes.
"Gone? Why? "
Mertessa sneered.
"Because we can't afford to keep them."
Layork retracted his gaze from the poor people around him.
"Why can't we afford to keep them?"
Mertessa stared at him.
"Why? You have followed Morris for so long. Don't you know? Didn't he tell you when he f * * ked your ass? "
Layork exhaled. He could not take it anymore. He pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword again.
But Thales was faster than him.
"Mertessa, do you know what this is?"
Thales smiled and extended his fist.
Mertessa spat on the ground.
"Ha, son of a b * tch, I hope your fist is harder than the thing down there."
But Thales did not take offense. He still raised his fist firmly.
"What I am holding in my hand now is a silver coin.
It is engraved with the portrait of a king and a line of words. "
Mertessa furrowed his brows.
Thales pointed at the dilapidated house behind him and said gently,
"Ten seconds later, I will throw it into the yard where you and your mother live, and it will make a crisp metallic sound to let everyone here know."
Mertessa's expression changed.
"Believe me, I have seen it before. A small silver coin can change the fate of many people."
Thales pointed at the homeless people who were looking at them curiously from afar. His smile did not diminish.
"Now, let me ask you again. Why can't the gangs afford to support the child beggars?"
Mertessa stared at him resentfully.
"I have been living in the Abandoned House, so I do not know." When he saw Thales put away his fist and threw it, Mertessa changed his words indignantly.
"But I heard from the people on the streets that in recent years …
"There is a newcomer in the gang."
Thales was stunned.
"A newcomer?"
"Yes, the people call him …"
Mertessa said nonchalantly,
"Stupid police officer."
In that second, everyone was stunned.
Everyone looked at the same person.
Mertesa didn't care about their abnormal behavior. He continued to speak.
He continued, "The people on the streets say that the guy is not very smart, but he is very energetic.
"I heard that he often causes trouble on the streets, especially when he 'takes care' of the child beggars. He is often served in jail. Even when he sees children helping their parents set up a stall, he will rush up and interrogate them for an entire day. Even the child beggars are annoyed by him."
Thales' breathing quickened. He slowly turned his head.
Kohen stood where he was in a daze, listening to Mertessa's words.
"A few gangs want to get rid of him by hitting him with a stick or something, but that son of a b * tch … is too f * cking good at fighting. He has been beaten black and blue a few times. He can't even walk steadily, but he still patrols the streets as if nothing happened."
Mertessa sneered and shook his head.
"There are also people who want to take the path of the inner circle of the gang, slandering him and bribing him with dirty money. But no matter what, that son of a b * tch really has a screw loose in his head. He is a complete idiot and is impervious to everything.
"Over the past few years, he's been complained about, reprimanded, punished, suspended, locked up, and punished countless times, but he's still ignorant and hasn't learned anything. Once he's reinstated, he's still running around on the streets as fast as he can! He just keeps stirring up trouble!
"I heard that a few gangs lost their minds and decided to kill people, but there was no news. I guess they were stopped. Are you kidding me? You want to kill a gang in Eternal Star City? Do you really think the police station is a pushover?"
Mertessa laughed as he spoke, as if he was talking about a joke after a meal.
Glover looked at Kohen in surprise, and Layork also frowned.
But Kohen stared blankly at Mertessa. For a moment, he was absent-minded, and his breathing was irregular.
Thales had no choice but to bump his arm.
"A few years have passed. The subordinates of the Brotherhood, the small gangs responsible for looking after the child beggars, are almost in tears. Every one of them is miserable. It's difficult for them to even do business on the streets, let alone earn any income."
Kohen swallowed hard.
"Such a gang will either split up because they can't make a living, or fall into the hands of that stupid cop and end up in jail, or switch to other businesses. Wouldn't it be more profitable to be an escort at the West City Gate and deal with outsiders, or to keep an eye on the brothels at Red Street Market and deal with fat sheep? Isn't that better than raising kids to beg for money, sell their skills, and run errands?"
Thales did not speak. He just stood there and took a deep breath.
"So now …"
It was Kohen who spoke. His lips trembled, and his voice was tense.
"Now …"
"Yes." Mertessa's tone became gloomy.
"Now, there are so many streets around here. No one is keeping child beggars in captivity anymore. At least I know of none. It's all thanks to that stupid gang.
"The child beggars you meet now are either running around on the streets on their own, or working for their parents at home. You have to be on guard against them. What if one day that idiotic police officer comes to shop again? Bro, what's wrong? Why are you crying? "
Mertessa looked suspiciously at Kohen, whose chest was heaving up and down.
Kohen closed his eyes and waved his hand.
He turned his head to the side so that no one could see his face. Only his shoulders trembled slightly.
"It's nothing." Thales' expression did not change, but he felt complicated.
"He has a friend who was also tricked by that stupid gang, so he's a little agitated."
Kohen hid his face in his sleeves and nodded in resignation.
Glover handed him a handkerchief without any expression. Kohen took it and started blowing his nose without another word.
Mertessa put on an expression as if he was looking at an idiot. He frowned and looked at Kohen.
"Wait."
Layork said unwillingly, "The Brotherhood no longer keeps child beggars.
"If the Brotherhood doesn't raise beggars anymore, what about our street intelligence? What about new blood?"
Mertessa chuckled.
"Who knows? But it's only when we run into trouble that we secretly give the child beggars some money to work for us. Things like running errands, catching sheep, acting as lookouts, sending messages …"
As Mertessa spoke, he looked indignant.
"That's right. Over the years, you've gotten Red Street Market and a large number of territories from the Blood Bottle Gang. You don't even have enough manpower to collect protection fees in these new territories. Who would care about the child beggars …
"In the past, the Brotherhood was suppressed by the Blood Bottle Gang to the point where they could not raise their heads. But now, look at you, the awe-inspiring Layork. You beat up the Red Turban until they covered their heads and scurried away. Those who want to join the Brotherhood can't even wait in line!"
Mertessa laughed loudly. His laughter was desolate.
"Who the f * ck has the time to care about useless people like us? Who the f * ck cares!"
The air was filled with Mertessa's maniacal laughter. Layork was silent for a long time.
Mertessa was done laughing. He quietened down.
"Now, who else has a question?"
Kohen was still rubbing his face. Glover twitched the corners of his mouth indifferently.
Thales shifted his gaze away from Mertessa's sleeve and did not speak anymore.
Layork stared at him deeply and shook his head.
"Very well." Mertessa bowed strenuously and said sarcastically,
"Now, forgive me for leaving, gentlemen."
Once he finished speaking, he turned around and limped towards Beth's direction.
Layork quietly looked at his back and his empty sleeves.
"Aren't you going to the sixth house?"
The Silent Killer suddenly spoke.
"At least, go and get the pots and bowls back."
Mertessa sneered without turning his head.
"The people living there are another batch of the Brotherhood's former thugs. Even though they are either disabled or sick," Mertessa pressed on the spot where his arm was broken, and his voice was dejected.
"But there are many of them."
Layork trembled slightly.
Mertessa's footsteps rose and fell, and he gradually disappeared into the distance.
"Mertessa, wait!"
Layork sighed. He walked forward and handed over a bag of money.
"Listen to me, Boss Morris just happens to need —"
Mertessa subconsciously took the bag of money.
But a few seconds later, his expression changed from astonishment to anger, shame, and then ferociousness.
"Morris, Morris, Morris!
Can you not f * cking keep saying other people's names all day long?! You are a human! "
Mertessa's eyes were bloodshot. He threw the bag of money away and roared,
"And he is not your father!"
Mertessa's violent reaction startled everyone.
Layork stared at the bag of money on the ground in a daze and took a deep breath.
"Listen to me, Boss Morris, he is different from Roda —"
"He is not the same as you f * cking idiot!"
Mertessa roared angrily.
"I don't need your charity! Get lost! "
One of the former Thirteen Generals angrily dragged his crippled body and left while trembling.
"This is the so-called 'coming out to mingle'." Glover seemed to have thought of something. He looked at Mertessa's back and said faintly,
"All dignity is an illusion."
Kohen sniffed and still hid half of his face in his sleeve.
"No, I … I actually think … he is not bad … Boohoo …"
Only Layork did not say a word. He looked at his old acquaintance's back from afar and closed his eyes.
Thales walked past him and also looked at Mertessa's limping footsteps. He sighed with emotion.
"This is his end, even if he was once one of the Thirteen Generals.
"If one day, you become like him …"
"What will you do?"
Layork opened his eyes. His gaze was full of murderous intent. "I don't know.
But I will definitely not follow you, high class man. "
Thales chuckled softly.
But he immediately turned around and looked at the big fool who was crying his eyes out.
"So, Kohen."
Thales looked at the Abandoned House in a daze. He looked at this place that was once heavily guarded and cruel.
"The Brotherhood … no longer has any child beggars."
The police officer shuddered.
Thales raised his head. For the first time, he felt that the sky in Eternal Star City was no longer gray.
"It's all thanks to a certain persistent and stupid — idiot police officer."
Kohen let out a heavy whimper.
He put down his arms and threw the handkerchief back to Glover, who had a disgusted look on his face.
"I don't know, Your Highness. Wow, what I mean is …" Kohen's eyes were red. He sniffled and said sincerely,
"Wow!"
Thales smiled.
"Although it was very complicated and dramatic, but …"
"Those child beggars who escaped, the City Hall who came to clean up the Abandoned House, and the most important thing was you. Your hard work, Kohen …"
Kohen breathed desperately and felt the blockage in his chest. He looked at the prince gratefully.
"They did change something."
With endless emotions, Thales walked forward and was filled with emotions.
"They were useful.
Even if … there was only one sword. "
Kohen swallowed hard at his sore throat. His emotions were complicated.
"I don't know, Your Highness, I don't know …"
He buried his face in his hands again.
Glover sighed and took out another clean handkerchief.
"Do you still remember, Kohen?" Thales knew how the police officer was feeling at that moment, but he was gradually lost in thought.
"What we did in Heroic Spirit Palace six years ago."
Kohen looked up in confusion.
"You said that I saved the world."
Thales said faintly, as if he had returned to the winter six years ago.
"I didn't understand at that time, but …
"Just like what you said, our desperate efforts in Heroic Spirit Palace may seem insignificant …"
Thales took a deep breath, turned back to the way he came, and walked forward.
"But for those who might be affected by the war in the future …
"Our efforts …
"Indeed saved the world."
Thales walked past everyone and curled up the corners of his lips at an angle that no one could see.
"Thank you, Kohen."
Glover followed Thales and bumped into Kohen, who was still in a daze.
"No, no, I didn't do anything at all." Kohen came to his senses and quickly caught up to Thales. He threw the second handkerchief to the zombie.
"I'm stupid, I don't understand a lot of things …"
"No, Kohen." Thales took the lead and walked towards the exit of the Abandoned House, which was no longer blocked by iron locks. "Only slow idiots.
"Only slow idiots can become heroes."
Kohen paused for a moment.
At that moment …
"Shameless boasting."
Layork straightened his back and picked up the money bag that Mertessa threw away. He said coldly,
"Even if the Brotherhood doesn't care, do you think that these child beggars will learn by themselves on the streets?
"Their situation will only get worse."
Layork squeezed the money bag tightly. A hint of pain appeared on his face.
"In the end, they will still end up like us.
"You are still far from success."
Kohen frowned.
Glover snorted and gestured in Mertessa's direction with his chin.
"Why don't you worry more about yourself? How can you not become the next him?"
In that second, the veins on Layork's arms popped up.
"You are right." Thales suddenly took over the topic.
"We are still far from success. The lower city area is still chaotic, the kingdom is still in darkness, society is still unfair, and we are still fighting against those … enemies that cannot be killed."
Glover looked at the prince. He did not understand why he said that.
Thales' expression darkened.
"In fact, we will never succeed. Even if we do our best and spend our entire lives, even after a few thousand years, our descendants and our descendants' descendants will not succeed."
Layork smiled coldly.
But Kohen was the one who replied.
"But so what?"
Everyone turned their heads and looked strangely at the police officer who spoke.
"We will not succeed. That is the meaning of this matter, is it not?"
Glover froze. Layork frowned.
"It is precisely because we cannot do it." Kohen breathed absentmindedly and clenched his fists.
"It is more meaningful to persist in doing it."
He came to his senses and raised his head in embarrassment. He looked at the others carefully.
"Am I right?"
Layork's frown deepened.
But Thales laughed.
It was a very carefree laugh.
"Well said, Kohen."
Thales sighed.
"Do you know who is the greatest knight in the world?"
"Huh?" When he heard the cultural studies question, Kohen's expression instantly turned bitter. He scratched his head.
"When I was young, the old man and my teacher always taught me about the Ten Great Knights in the history of the Empire … But I … I seem to remember a knight named Needam …"
Thales shook his head.
"No."
"The greatest knight in the world," Thales said faintly.
"His name is …"
Glover and Kohen were completely focused. Even Layork was staring at him.
Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and extracted the great name from his distant memory.
"Don Quixote."
At that moment, everyone was stunned. Everyone had a confused look on their faces.
Only Thales was still smiling.
"Um … I was not good at school when I was young. May I ask who he is?" Kohen asked carefully.
Thales was silent for a moment.
"He is a knight. A knight who is determined to charge towards the most impossible goal."
Glover and Kohen were both stunned.
The prince raised his head. His eyes were filled with confusion.
"But he is still charging.
Even if he …
"Never succeeds."
In the next second, Layork suddenly took a deep breath!
He turned around abruptly and threw the money bag in his hand towards the place with the most vagrants!
Thales and the others were all stunned.
"I still have something to do." Layork parted ways with them without turning his head back while the coins fell to the ground and the sounds of people snatching the money.
"Walk around on your own. The Brotherhood has spoken to them. No one will dare to make things difficult for you."
Thales frowned.
"That is not the way out."
"I know," Layork answered coldly. They only saw his back as he walked away.
But Thales smiled.
He knew that it was the direction of the sixth house.
"Is he angry?" Kohen asked carefully as he wiped the last tear from the corner of his eye.
"No." Thales shook his head.
"He is lost."
'Huh?'
Kohen looked at Layork in the distance. He scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Should we follow him, Your Highness? It will be safer with him." Glover looked around cautiously.
"No." Thales suddenly felt extremely carefree. He looked at the road that he was once most familiar with.
"We are not going back."
Glover suddenly had a bad premonition.
"Then where are we going?" Kohen asked dumbly, "I recommend the Western City Police Station …"
Thales shook his head. His gaze was firm.
"Renaissance Palace."
Glover frowned.
"What … for?"
Thales stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at the horizon.
Glover felt a chill in his heart.
He knew that it was the direction of Renaissance Palace.
Thales took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Charge."
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