Kai stood still, staring at the big man who came out of the building. His face looked cheerful.
"Hey, you’re still here?" Updates are released by novelFɪre.net
Kai quickly stood and bowed politely. Deep down, he was happy to see another person there.
The big man looked at him for a moment before speaking. "My name’s Bram. What’s your name? I’ve never seen you before. You said you just arrived today, right? Did you come from far away?" he asked, sounding surprised to see a student in the summer.
Kai glanced up, then lowered his head again. Sylas had told him not to mention his name here, worried they might have bad intentions toward him. Kai didn’t know what harm the prince’s name could bring, but he would obey.
"I’m Kai," he replied simply. He didn’t add anything else.
Bram waited for more, but the boy gave no sign of answering his other questions. Finally, Bram just laughed.
"What a unique name." Bram walked past him with long strides, then waved for Kai to follow.
Kai hurried after him, but his legs refused to cooperate again.
Bram noticed. He looked surprised and clearly had questions, but he stayed quiet and kept walking.
Kai knew that look. He knew what Bram was thinking. He was already prepared for mocking words or a teasing tone, but Bram didn’t seem to care. Instead, the man started chatting with him.
"Why do you want to be a servant? Being a palace servant is the dumbest decision you could make. For money? Okay, not bad. But think about it, you’ll be following rules all the time, and if you break them, you get punished. Bahhh!" he complained nonstop.
Even in that short walk, Kai learned a lot, though most of it was complaints.
Kai then asked, "Are you also a servant?"
Bram laughed. "No! I’d never be one. I work at the church. Serving God is the only way you’ll find peace. You don’t need to chase money, just calm your heart. That’s the most important thing."
Then he added, "Maria, the one you met at the dorm, she’s my sister."
Kai nodded in understanding. Sister... so like family in the same room, right? In Omino, they were all one family within a barracks.
He kept his eyes on the street, lit only by a few dim park lamps. He didn’t want to trip on a rock or something. Soon, they reached an area with many houses and brighter streets.
"That’s my house," Bram said, pointing to a small home with a flower-decorated nameplate that read Gremblin on the front. Kai couldn’t read the writing, but he admired the pretty little house.
The small houses were built close together, each with a small garden. Some gardens had fresh plants, others were dry, and a few houses looked neglected with dead plants in front.
"If you become a servant of God, you can live here," Bram said.
This neighborhood was part of the palace church. All the church workers lived in this special area, separate from the main palace, but still within its walls.
Kai looked up at the tall building he had seen that afternoon. A large bell hung at the top. So that was the church.
Bram pulled Kai toward a side entrance and led him straight into a room where many people were talking.
Kai felt overwhelmed by the crowd. His head began to spin. But when they noticed him, no one asked about his limp. They just smiled and invited him to talk.
He saw many people doing different things: painting boards, carrying statues, making colorful paper decorations. There was a lot going on.
After two hours, Kai found something he enjoyed.
He could sit quietly for hours, shaping small sculptures. When people gathered to watch him, they praised his work.
The carvings were detailed and neatly made. Considering he had only worked for a few hours, they were impressive.
"Wow! Where did you learn this? It’s amazing!" one young man said.
"Yeah, it’s like Trechen’s work," another added, naming a master carver in the capital.
"I mean, not as perfect as his, but still really cool!"
Kai stared without blinking, processing the praise slowly. When he realized they truly liked it, his cheeks flushed.
Sculpting had been one of the extra lessons at Omino. It was the only one he liked, because he didn’t have to walk, run, or rush. Sadly, there hadn’t been much work for him there since it all depended on orders.
He picked up another small block of wood for his next carving.
"Can you make something like that?" an old woman asked, pointing to a statue of a baby with wings.
Kai studied every detail of the large marble piece, then nodded. He had already memorized it.
He worked on it for two hours. By midnight, he was one of the last people there, along with a few men still painting a statue.
The old woman came over again. "You’re doing a great job. But you should go back before Maria comes looking for you."
Kai handed her the small statue he’d finished. She stared at it silently. The little winged figure looked almost identical to the big one. She wiped its eyes and shook her head in disbelief.
"Did you really make this? Incredible!" She then showed it to the men across the room.
They praised him again. "I’ll paint it!" one man offered.
Kai smiled without thinking. They had accepted his work!
That night, Kai slept alone, feeling happy. Thinking about it, he realized he was far from his master, but why did he feel so happy? Would Sylas also like his work if he were here?
Kai imagined meeting Sylas and making him a statue.
He looked at his wrist. The cloth on his hand was very beautiful. Shouldn’t he give Sylas a gift in return? If he went back to the church, maybe he could ask for a piece of wood and borrow a carving tool.