POV: Jer-kal-thuli-mal

  That had gone smoother than I’d expected.

  Vernisha turned to Jim and asked, “Why didn’t you say no?”

  He turned slightly towards her. “Why do that?”

  I spoke with a touch of aggression. “Because fuck them.”

  Jim shot me a disapproving look.

  I sighed, meeting her gaze. “Excuse my language.”

  She asked, “Is it always like this for you all? That seems like hell.”

  “Not always,” I replied. “But if a mission doesn’t go smoothly... yeah. It becomes a lot of complaining and things like this.”

  She tilted her head, considering it. “Hm, is it any different in your country?”

  “In a way, yeah. It’s very different. How much do you know about Kmew-hul?”

  “Not that much. I’m guessing vlandos are treated better there?”

  Eh?

  I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a trick question?”

  “What? No, no.”

  “Really now?”

  “… Sorry.”

  I studied her for a few seconds, trying to understand what was going on in that child’s mind.

  But she seemed serious.

  “You’re serious?” I asked.

  “Yes…? I am guessing that vlandos aren’t treated better back at your home?”

  “Not really. Which is funny, since we’re the only major nation to have predominantly vlandos rulers.”

  Both the Sharlac and Keryui were vlandos. They were the equivalents of queens and kings, but each functioned as a representative of their respective families. Royal-like families.

  “How bad is it?” she asked.

  “Segregation and forced monster combatant service for life. That bad.”

  Vlandos were forced into Gyuinjio—the names of the monster zones inhabited by individuals in Kmew-hul.

  “Oh, so that’s why you’re here?”

  “That’s why I’m still here.”

  She seemed deep in thought. “I don’t get why your people would treat vlandos so badly. That would just build hatred and develop their desire for revolt.”

  “Because the vlandos there understand the reason. They know it’s to create a society that keeps functioning.They educate us on the great power we possess. That because we are of a proud race and country, we must learn to use this power to protect our people, our country, and help it prosper.

  And until we become monster combatants, we shouldn’t leave our homes—the monster zones—because we’d endanger everyone.”

  To be honest, I didn’t disagree with it. It’s not like regular people treated us badly. Hell, they respected us, like we were heroes.

  “But… isn’t the segregation thing annoying?”

  “Not being able to walk the streets of the regular cities is annoying. I mean, we can when we become monster combatants, but that’s stupid. Terrafall might be a shitfest, but the freedom here is nice.”

  “I’m surprised. The way people treat you never made you want to go to another country?”

  I gestured at Jim. “This boule de viande doesn’t want to.”

  I clicked my tongue. “Sorry for that.”

  Swearing was second nature to me, but it wasn’t like she knew what boule de viande meant.

  She looked at Jim and asked, “She always calls you that?”

  Oh, maybe I was wrong.

  He shrugged. “When she’s angry.”

  Vernisha made a slight “yikes” expression. It wasn’t like the word was really charged. It was just ‘flesh ball.’

  I decided to ask her, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with your mother or something?”

  “She’s tired. I just wanted to… do some networking. You never know when I might need one of your guys’ knowledge or whatever.”

  That… seemed fair.

  Jim seemed impressed. “You’re really smart for a kid. How old are you, by the way?”

  “Twelve,” she replied.

  “Thought you were a little older.”

  “How old do I look?”

  I joined in. “Your exact age. I have no idea what Jim is on about.”

  “Doesn’t she look thirteen? Or is it the hair?”

  “I think it’s because she’s the same height as James.”

  “You actually may be right.”

  She asked, “James is… his son?”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Our son,” I said. “But his biological son.”

  “Oh. You guys are lovers?”

  Oh, what a surprise. Many would respond in shock or disgust if they heard that one of their fellow humans was involved with a ‘gum skin’ (I hated that word more than death itself). But she seemed just genuinely surprised.

  “For a while now.”

  Actually, it had been about four years.

  “Damn, you two really don’t care about what people think. Wait—wait.” She turned to look at Jim suspiciously. “How old are you?”

  “Why are you asking? Especially with that look.”

  “You don’t look that old, and I just really understand that your son is a year older than me.”

  “Ah. I’m twenty-nine.”

  “And you got a thirteen-year-old?”

  “Yeah. It’s weird.”

  “But why’d you have a kid so young?”

  “Don’t worry about that.”

  She was too young to understand anyway. A Starlight liked him—a little too much. His parents were more than thrilled about the ‘relationship,’ seeing it as their ticket to live like high nobles because of her heritage.

  That Starlight had a child with him, but she had to get rid of it because the family only reproduced with other Starlights to keep their traits in the family. And other stupid reasons that boiled down to: We don't want your dirty blood mixing with our divine blood.

  She didn’t get rid of the baby, though. She dumped it on Jim.

  Vernisha seemed to understand he didn’t want to talk about it and accepted it. “I see. Um, so how did you two meet each other?”

  I asked, "Why are you so curious?"

  She shrugged. "Sounds interesting. Could have cool drama."

  "Drama, huh." Yeah, a lot of that. Jim’s family, his own son.

  I always knew I was prejudiced against humans, for petty reasons—accents, languages, handwritings, cuisines, and more. Of course, it wasn’t just me. We all hate those our country wars with, for the same reasons: they harm our friends, families, and society, and we hate them for doing the same. Which country’s the victim doesn’t mean jack shit when everything goes to hell and the other country’s responsible.

  Dealing with the bullshit in Jim’s life only turned my prejudice up a notch. I was starting to think like Falsker, a punchio emperor who once tried to conquer the whole continent just to rid the world of every single human.

  Jim’s mother... The way that dusty old whore used to look at me, like I was lower than a rat. Like I was something to pity as long as I kept my distance from Jim. Telling her son in front of me that he shouldn’t be around me so much, that people would think he was a gum fucker.

  We were merely friends at the time. I came to this country after escaping from trafficking when it got busted by the vanquishers. I found refuge in Retuia, a small piece of land that borders kmel-hul and has a 50 percent julioes population.

  Anyway, as time passed, my anger shifted. It was hard to keep wishing death on an entire group when I was dating someone from it, making friends in it, and sympathizing with some of them.

  Obviously, I still hated a lot of them just because they were humans, but it was mutual.

  Jim spoke, "You’re a bit too nosey, kid. How’s your family holding up? Anything looking better for your father and brother?"

  She made an annoyed expression. "Same thing for now... Until we get to the capital to see a doctor, things are just going to get worse. It’s not like we can walk to the capital, even if the monster wasn't out. It would take us so many days to get there."

  "As soon as we're done, you'll all get a ride to Sundawn. I promise you that."

  "Thanks, that’ll mean a lot. Can I ask some more questions?"

  "Depends," Jim answered.

  "Why did… you two become adventurers? And stay adventurers, when people treat you like shit?"

  That wasn’t a question I expected, and even Jim was a bit surprised. I chose to remain silent, letting Jim tell her whatever noble lies he wanted.

  “They may treat us badly, but we’re important. We come across treasures like you and the chief who appreciate our work. And we just have the calling for it. To help others, no matter what."

  "Even if they slur at you, wish death upon you, wish death on your child?"

  He maintained a fake smile. "Yeah, even then."

  "Be honest with me. You still have the heart of a human, of a regular. You must hate those who treat you terribly. Sure, maybe you had those feelings in the beginning, but eventually, all the hatred must eat away at your mental health. I’m always hearing how much people fear and hate you all. You, a vlandos, must feel similar to regulars, whether they’re humans or not."

  I was surprised. The kid was smart. She sounded like she had experience.

  That noble bullshit—it was nothing but a fairy tale. There wasn’t a single vlandos who became an adventurer because they wanted to do good. We did it because it was one of the few legal jobs we could get. Because we’d been socially engineered to believe that was our purpose. If you were a vlandos, you should be killing monsters. Why not get paid for it?

  What other jobs were there for us but ones that weaponized us? They looked at us—seven feet tall or taller—and immediately thought, "Fuck… one of them."

  Of course, there were exceptions. Adventurers who actually believed in the noble ideals (or a version of them), those who were new to adventuring, those who lived in sheltered communities, those who wanted to make a “difference.” They were the most annoying ones.

  The type that made you want to beat them to a pulp. They always agreed with regulars, always “understanding” their point of view.

  If a human told them to beat up a fellow vlandos to prove they cared about humans, they would probably do it.

  "Look! I’m one of the good ones! You want me to lick your boots too?" They’d probably suck off a homeless man’s dirty dick to prove it.

  They were more annoying than hateful humans. At least it was expected for them to hate us, to distance themselves from us. It was them or us, like cats versus dogs.

  But a sucker on the same side as us, desperately seeking validation from the other side—the same side that talks shit behind their back and would kill them in an instant? That shit made you want to do more than break their neck.

  It was a kind of rage that barely felt normal. It was disgusting.

  I stopped thinking too much and tuned in to what Jim was saying.

  "You know what, you’re smart. I’ll keep it real with you. It’s the same damn reason your father does farming. Does he like it?"

  “No. I don't think anyone does,” she answered.

  “Exactly. It’s just the only job available to us. The only job that isn’t too morally disgusting or humiliating. The money isn’t worth this. It’s never worth the stress. It’s never worth knowing when you’re going to screw up and mess someone up.” He continued to mumble, “But you know you will. One day you will. You just don’t know when, or why you're going to finally lose self-control.”

  “That’s scarier than dealing with monsters?”

  He answered, “Sometimes, yeah.”

  One’s anxiety was caused because you didn’t know when the day would come. The other was scary because you knew it would happen one day.

  She slowly nodded and asked, “Let’s say… my brother is a vlandos. Hypothetical, of course. If he was one, what advice would you give me to give to him?”

  “Uh… Lucky him, he lives in a faraway village, so he could live a free life. But… since he’s going to a doctor, his blood will be tested, and he’ll be added to the database.”

  I noticed her surprise. "They register vlandos?"

  “Yeah, how don’t you know that? You never heard of people going from village to village, checking kids for vlandos signs?”

  “No. Never happened in mine.”

  “True that, kinda why I said your brother is lucky. These Government workers are lazy shits.”

  “I see. Now what if he wanted to become an adventurer?”

  “Don’t. He’ll hate it.”

  “But how would he get a job?”

  “Maybe the circus? He might get lucky and meet people who don’t care.”

  “How about Knights and Vanquishe—”

  “I’d strongly advise against that,” I cut in. “Better someone kills themselves than become one of those.”

  Vanquishers were disgusting enough, but a fucking Knight? Absolutely disgusting.

  “Oh.”

  Jim kindly told her, in a way I couldn’t, “Let’s stick to the simple stuff. If your brother hypothetically becomes a vlandos and doesn’t get lucky and needs a job, let me know. I think adventuring is a shitty job, but it’s the best of these options. Knights and Vanquishers… They’re more painful. I’ll give him all the tips and tricks to make sure his adventurer career isn’t too hellish. Got it?”

  Vernisha nodded with a little smile. “I will. Thanks. You’re a really nice guy.”

  “So are you. It’s really cool that you feel comfortable around us.”

  I added, “It’s pretty okay. You’re better than most kids.”

  She told me, “I suspect you’re very nice too.”

  “No. And no, me healing people doesn’t count as niceness. Not when I’m on the job.”

  “Okay, okay, I get it. How’s the monster hunting going? Still no sight of it?”

  “No—”

  Then, in the distance, a bright fire illuminated the sky, and a cruel, disgusting voice followed: ‘Ma…mmy... run… me!’

  The monster was back.