"Big Brother Kalpas, you're going to restock supplies, right? I can show you around. I know this Meteor Street like the back of my hand!"
Charles excitedly carried a small bag as he followed behind Kalpas, who was hauling an unbelievably enormous load of luggage.
"Get lost!"
Faced with the little boy's innocent, radiant smile, Kalpas showed no restraint and barked at him harshly.
The luggage looked heavy enough to crush an ordinary person flat. For most people, it would have been a serious problem, but to Kalpas, it weighed practically nothing. He carried it with ease as he strode forward.
Instead, it was Charles' incessant chatter that gave Kalpas a headache.
I should've dragged Aponia over and made her tell this brat a story.
Generally, after hearing one of Aponia's stories, every child would quiet down.
Kalpas actually found himself missing the deathly silence that prevailed whenever Aponia was present.
Of course, Kalpas had not come to Barcelona to restock supplies. That was merely an excuse he had given Aponia, one he had learned from the little cat.
First, Kalpas had no money. Second, he could not read. Third, he could not even perform decimal addition or subtraction.
If he were sent to purchase supplies, there was probably only one payment method available...
Taking everything for free.
Kalpas had come here to bring Charles home and, while he was at it, see what Charles' "home" was really like.
"Aah—!" Another cyber-madman lunged at Kalpas from ahead, swinging a utility pole with loud smacks.
Kalpas casually kicked him into a pile of parts. "You get lost too!"
"Big Brother Kalpas, that was awesome!" Charles was not frightened in the slightest. Instead, his face lit up with excitement.
The sight of Kalpas effortlessly disposing of the enemy gave him an immense sense of security. It was as though, with Big Brother Kalpas around, they could go anywhere and mow down everyone in their path.
"Whoa?! Big Brother Kalpas, that white-haired guy looks really cool too!" Charles noticed someone ahead of them leaning coolly against a utility pole.
The reason Charles thought he was cool was that a group of cyber-madmen were surrounding and beating him, yet his face remained completely expressionless and he did not react at all.
That composure made Charles deeply admire how cool he looked.
Hearing Charles' shout, the cool white-haired man turned his gaze toward them.
He was Kevin, an outsider who had become lost on these unfamiliar streets.
He needed a few guides who could show him the way, so he had been patiently waiting there.
There were plenty of warmhearted people around, but none of them seemed particularly skilled at communicating. They only knew how to express themselves through body language while letting out strange roars.
Yet there were no traces of Honkai energy on them, so they were not zombies...
Perhaps this is simply Barcelona's unique way of communicating.
Thus, Kevin could only observe the "warmhearted people's" movements and consider how he ought to respond in the same physical language.
Kalpas had no intention of rescuing Kevin, but those cyber-madmen had completely blocked the path ahead of him and Charles.
And so, in the next instant...
Kalpas swung his fist and sent every cyber-madman flying into the sky.
Saying "get lost" was a courtesy. There was no need to show courtesy to lunatics who could not understand human language.
He then pulled Charles along and continued forward without acknowledging the cool white-haired man's gaze.
After all, anyone who mingled with a group of lunatics was probably a lunatic himself.
They walked another dozen or so steps.
Kalpas suddenly erupted in anger. "Hey! Why are you following us?!"
The person Kalpas was addressing was naturally Kevin, who had been trailing behind them.
"..."
Kevin remained silent for a moment.
Then he chose to continue remaining silent.
He could not reveal the classified mission Dr. Mei had assigned him.
Charles, however, saw no problem with the situation. "Big Brother Kalpas, let him come with us. He looks like a wandering knight asking to join our party."
Seeing that the man before him refused to speak, Kalpas stopped paying attention to the strange fellow.
The three of them "traveled together" to the residential complex where Charles lived.
The residents of the complex warmly welcomed Charles home.
After holding a grand feast, they tied all three of them up.
"Is this... a local custom?"
Kevin did not quite understand.
Kalpas, standing beside him, offered an explanation. "This is what happens when you come home. They tie you up, then drain your blood."
Back in the sacrificial village, every time Kalpas returned from hunting, the villagers treated him the same way. It was perfectly reasonable.
"I see." Although Kevin had also been born in Europe, European customs varied wildly, so naturally, he could not know all of them.
By this point, however, Charles had already begun to panic. He cried out incessantly, "Why? Dad, Mom, aren't I your son? I came back! It's really me!"
Standing outside the door, the people guarding them were Charles' parents. His father opened the iron viewing hatch and looked at Charles. "I know. But for our sake, please go to the 'company.' This is for your own good too. Your companions are at the 'company,' and they have excellent entertainment facilities. You'll definitely be happier there."
Hearing his father's heartless words, Charles choked back sobs. "No. If I do that, how is it any different from staying at Mother Aponia's sanatorium? I... I only wanted to come home!"
"Hmph!" Hearing this, his mother snorted coldly from the side. "Mother Aponia? It seems you never intended to acknowledge me as your mother. If you truly want to come back, then obediently go to the 'company' and earn money. Send that money home. Once they agree to let you leave, you can come back."
"Huh? Why?"
Charles could not understand. Why did he have to earn money just to return home? Mother Aponia had never once spoken to him about money.
"Hmph, do you think raising a child is cheap? Let me tell you, we don't even have enough for our own food and expenses, and you expect us to spend money on you? Dream on!" Charles' mother was even more heartless than his father.
"Then... that letter..."
"Of course it was a lie. Otherwise, why would you have agreed to come back? We really couldn't find any 'blood offering' for this tribute. If this continued, we would've had to offer ourselves..."
Kevin had watched coldly from the side for a long time. Through their conversation, he finally pieced together the whole story.
These parents were utter scum who had sold out their own child to save their lives!
"Hah—!" Kevin exerted his strength and tore apart the iron chains binding him with his arms.
"Wha...?"
The couple standing guard had never imagined that someone could possess such monstrous strength. Before they could call for the others, the iron door fell with a deafening clang and knocked them both unconscious beneath it.
"Let's go."
Kevin casually tore apart the shackles around Charles. When he turned his head, however, he discovered that Kalpas had already broken free of his own iron chains.
This made Kevin view Kalpas in a new light. He had only gained such immense strength after undergoing enhancement surgery, yet the man before him possessed power in no way inferior to his own. That was exceedingly rare.
Unexpectedly, before Kevin could say anything, Kalpas asked first, "Why?"
"Hm?" Kevin looked confused.
Kalpas clenched both hands into fists and roared at Kevin, "I asked why! Why did you stop him from going home?!"
"Those parents..."
"That doesn't matter!" Kalpas was clearly not someone who enjoyed communicating with words. His fury had already begun to blaze, and he preferred to vent his anger through slaughter.
Bang!
A heavy fist slammed into the left side of Kevin's face. Caught off guard, Kevin was sent flying into a concrete wall. A deep human-shaped crater appeared in it, and the solid cement surface cracked under the force of the blow.
Kevin climbed painfully back to his feet, while cracks spread across the concrete beneath him.
Only then did Kevin realize that the man before him was not merely his equal.
He was even stronger than Kevin.
Absurdly stronger.
"Come, obstructer! Show me what right you have to insult his home!"