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Tower of Karma (Web Novel) - Chapter 3 Preparatory arrangements
Chapter 3 Preparatory arrangements
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
It has been five years since that day.
After a long winter, spring has finally come to Arcadia. The winter in this year in particular had been very harsh. There were many people that died by starvation and many that were frozen to death. Because of that, everyone was eagerly waiting for spring. There was nobody that didn’t become happy by its arrival.
That wasn’t an exception to a certain bookstore of imported books that was located at some nook in the royal capital. In the winter, while they would still be able to sell books, they would hardly ever get any new books shipped. Without new books, there were less reasons for the regular customers to buy books. Considering how little the literacy rate was, it was very rare to get new customers.
They would get new shipments at spring. It was a happy season for the book store.
“Hey, take that book from the thirteenth shelf. Uhh, that one that was an anatomy book from Mahshia. Ah, I forgot the name.”
Receiving the order from the customer, the owner of the bookstore called for his assistant that was at the back of the store.
“It should be the “advanced studies of anatomy”, the one written by Danvour, right? Is it the copy or the translated one?”
“That one, yes. But wasn’t it still untranslated? I do have the feeling that we received new books recently however.”
“Cough*, I translated it myself.”
Getting surprised, the owner’s eyes became wide open. The customer, who had heard that, also had his eyes bulging out.
In order to “translate a book”, it would at minimum be necessary to know two different languages. As for the translation itself, it was required of one’s senses for word choice, something extremely difficult. In addition to all that, the book that was translated was one that had arrived just a few days ago.
“Then, I will have the translated version.”
“Thank you for the patronage. Hey, give me the translated one.”
“Understood. Please, wait a moment.”
The owner was having a short talk with the customer while his assistant went to get the book. Entertaining the customers was also an important job.
“Alas, he is really talented, isn’t him? That boy.”
“The first time he came here, he couldn’t read even a single letter, but he would desperately study, read many books. Before I could realize, he became even more knowledgeable about books than even me.”
As if he was bragging about his own child, the owner showed a broad smile.
“Now, he can more or less handle the transactions of the shop and even have a normal conversation with the merchants from the other countries. He is even better at foreign languages than me. Not that I am bragging about it though.”
Seeing how owner clearly wanted to boast about his assistant, the customer could only show a wry smile.
“Well, but if you were to talk about his bad points…”
The owner turned his head to the back of the shop, wondering when his helper would come. The sound of footsteps were getting closer. Eventually, the assistant appeared from the back of the store.
“Here is the requested book. A translated version of the “advanced studies of anatomy”. Cough*, I sticked to the original as much as I could in my translation. If there are any parts that are difficult to understand, please, contact me, and I will immediately come to help you.”
It was a gray haired young man. His eyes were hidden by his unkempt long gray hair. His skin was pale. He was so full of dust to the point that it looked like he was covered in ashes. He had a bent back. He wasn’t short, but he looked like so because of his bad posture. His appearance was dull and unattractive, and didn´t stand out. He was a youth that gave off an extremely weak impression.
“If only he would look after his appearance. He used to be so cute when he was a kid, but he became like that after he got absorbed in reading books. Well, he is very exceptional, so I can’t be complaining.”
As if the youth had already become used to it, he didn’t show any signs of minding about people talking bad about his appearance.
“Well, isn’t it just fine he is? Thank you. I’ve been waiting the whole winter for this book. I do not know the language of Mahshia, so even if I had taken the original book, I still would have had to get a translator to translate it for me. You saved me from a few extra hardships. You are really a lifesaver.”
After saying that, the customer took out from his pocket money that was twice the price of the book .
“This is the payment for your translations. Please, accept it.”
“Cough*, is it fine?”
The youth asked the owner. The shop owner nodded. This was something he had received directly from the client, something the client gave him out of his own feelings.
“Thank you very much.”
The young man received exactly half of the price paid for the book. Seeing that, the client became content. Taking with him the translated book made with parchment paper, he left the bookstore.
“Is it really fine for me to take this?”
“This is something you earned with your own work. You should take it.”
The young man once again confirmed with the owner whether he could really take the money. It was only after the owner said he could that he readily accepted the money. But right as he was about to do so, he surged out with a violent coughing.
The owner worriedly looked at the young man’s face. His complexion clearly seemed to be worse than the usual.
“You’ve been a bit sick these last few days. It’s fine if you take a break today.”
“Cough*, sorry. I will gladly accept it.”
It was still early for the bookstore to be closed, but the owner was more worried about the young man’s condition than that. He started to prepare to close the shop. The young man was about to help him with that, but…
“I’m fine here. Instead of helping me, I would rather have you go rest. You are not allowed to read any books at that time. Once you arrive at your home, you should eat something and go to sleep right away. Come to the store early tomorrow. Is that understood?”
“Yes. Then, I will be leaving first.”
The young man quickly gave a bowed and left the bookshop from the backdoor.
“I hope it is only a cold.”
The owner worriedly looked at the curved back of the young man as he walked out of the book store.
☆
The young man didn’t catch the attention of any person. He didn’t stand out; his existence was like mist.
Even after he broke off from the flow of people walking in the street and went into the alleyway at the side, there was nobody that took notice of him. The customer from before probably had already almost completely forgot about the young man’s appearance by now.
Going to a back-alley, the flux of people that were walking by was becoming less. Without losing his way, the young man continued to walk. Even at the royal capital, there were places that could be called “dead spots”, places nobody would walk through. Those places would always be completely devoid of people. At the empty back-alley, there a small ditch under the street flowing with water.
“You came. You are early today.”
“It looks like I have talent for acting after all.”
The young man scratched his head. The gaze in his eyes became now filled with energy. The contrast was to the point of it being puzzling.
“Look, Kail, Havella. These are apples I’ve just bought with the extra money from a tip I received.”
The boy threw one apple each for the two. His bent back was now a normal one. The aura he gave off became completely different.
“Thank you there, Al.”
Yes, the young man was Al. The same boy from five years ago that had lost his sister and pledged he was going to have revenge has now turned into a grown man. His voice had finished changing and sounded more adult-like, and the ghastly aura he used to give off before became fainter. But even so, he was Al without doubt.
“Well, I wouldn’t think that the new star among the gladiators and an elite of the assassin’s guild would even want something as meager as an apple though.”
Kail and Havella had also changed in those five years.
Kail became even taller. Because of his appealing large build, he was sold to the coliseum. Ever since then, he had been cheered at in his battles at the arena. He was the up-coming newcomer.
Havella joined into a guild that could be said to be one rank up from the thief guild: The assassin’s guild. She obtained the secret techniques from the guild that could leave any opponent in shame. Having grown up, she also obtained the feminine charm, something which had also become a weapon for her. As for stealing things, she was still first class.
“Then, what is it today, our so busy friend that couldn’t even spare some time to meet with us these days?”
It has been long time since Al met Kail and Havella. The last time he met with them was half an year ago. Even before that, he would almost never meet with them.
“It can’t be helped. The amount of things I had to memorize was huge to the point I felt I would die if I tried, not to mention properly learning them.”
Kail and Havella were also busy themselves, but Al had taken it to another level. He indulged himself in reading books without rest for most of his time, accumulating knowledge. He would also exercise so that his body wouldn’t become weak. At the times he would meet with Kail, often he would practice with him in order to obtain the experience Kail earned in the coliseum.
“But now I’ve learned everything there is to learn.”
Everything were all preparations for today…
“I also grew up a bit. Well, I´ve been keeping myself thin for the sake of keeping up with my character, but I should go back to normal after eating and sleeping a little.”
Al has been awaiting that day. In these five years, he has continued to train in order to increase his strength. To Al, winter had been going on ever since that day. It felt to him as if that winter had just ended today, and that spring has come to his life.
“So, I get that you are going to make your move now, but what are you exactly planning to do?”
Kail asked Al. He understood Al was now going to make his move. The three of them understood that what Al had been doing during these five years was all for the sake of this. However, they have never asked Al what his plans were exactly.
“That’s right. First, I will have myself killed.”
“Wha-!?”
Al declared something crazy all of the sudden. There was nothing Kail and Havella could do but become surprised by that.
“This is the first prerequisite. In this country, a slave can’t climb up to the top in their entire lifetime. Even if they are released from slavery, they are still [released slaves] and not proper citizens. We aren’t allowed to participate in wars to increase our social status like the normal people can.”
Released slaves had privileges that were close to the ones of normal citizens. But in the end, they still wouldn’t be able to leave from the boundaries of their label as slaves. The next generation of the freed slave, or in other words, their children, would be able to get the same privileges as normal people, thus moving up to the position of citizens. On the other hand, however, the freed slave in question would forever be branded as a slave no matter what miracle he was to make happen.
“And that is no good. If I can’t prove them, then there is no meaning to it. Isn’t that right, nee-san?”
Al stroked his belly affectionately. Seeing that, Kail and Havella made a wry expression filled with mixed feelings.
“No matter how much money I pay, as long as I am a slave, I won’t become a normal citizen, much less something above that. The spots for public jobs are monopolized by the nobility, and besides that, they have more control in the politics than the common people to begin with. In the end, there are no other choice other than going to war. There are no other choices but to accomplish great achievements and raise my standing.”
But if he was to do that, he would only be walking in circles. In the end, it was impossible for slaves to crawl out of their social status.
“That’s why I need to die. It is necessary that I am killed. If done so, the freed slave called Al will be killed, and so will be the label of being a slave that had been attached to me gone along with that.”
They understood what Al was talking about. It was impossible for a slave to increase their social status. Even if one reaches the top as a gladiator, it wouldn’t be possible to participate in wars. Slaves weren’t accepted by the society. However, having oneself killed was like putting the cart before the horse.
“Now first of all, Kail, could you go tomorrow or so to the bookstore to tell that my condition went bad and that I want to have a few day offs? Say that I am very sorry and all of these other sort of excuses. Also, tell him that he shouldn’t come to take care of me because I don’t want him to get contaminated with my illness, and that I will be able to handle it by myself.”
After having asked Kail to tell the message to the store owner, Al headed to the ditch. Taking some water in his hands, he washed his face. The pale color of sickness and the dark circles in his eyes vanished. Behind all that was a clean and youthful skin.
“Havella, I’ve also been troubling you with favors. That was a very nice disguise makeup. Women normally use these often, don’t they? Kuku, I guess that make women very good swindlers.”
“But I don’t use makeup.”
“I guess. I have the feeling that the fact still holds true even in your case though…..”
After raising his face, it could be seen Al reincarnated into a beautiful youth beyond recognition to his previous self. But all this was because of the makeup. In these last three years, he had never missed putting the makeup for even a day. Just by using it, it would feel like his aura would change to one of another person.
“It will be done once I wash up my hair.”
His hair that was definitely supposed to be white felt as if it was dirtied by the gray color. However, once he finished washing it, it turned back to be white as chalk. This was also part of his disguise. Until now, he had been taking account of all those minor acts. All these were the preparatory steps for having the freed slave Al killed.
“Well, let’s leave the rest for later. I will be counting on you for now, Kail. Put on a face as much sad as you can.”
Al wiped his wet face with the hem of his clothes.
“I have many favors to ask Havella after that. Pass by my home later on when you can.”
“I don’t mind.”
“What are you going to ask her?”
“Ah, just a few little things.”
Kail looked at Al with a puzzled face, but Al acted as if that didn’t concern him at all. He completely deflected Kail’s question.
“Now then, let’s meet here again after a few days. I will tell my plans in more detail then.”
And so, the three left the place.
