An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest.
The mother in front of Zane had only worry in her eyes and worry for only one person.
Her son.
Just after knowing that Zane had gone to Citadel today, she didn’t even let him finish and ca crashing to his feet.
In her lips only one na rested and when Zane asked it, the na fell off like a rolling stone on the edge.
"Herring. His na is Herring Redd."
Zane flinched.
He didn’t expect to hear the na again.
But he felt glad that he would be able to help the woman.
"He is fine, ma’am. He had awakened one Ember tier skill and instead of coming back here, he accepted the Priest’s offer to help them. He has a job now and he will send money for sure."
Hearing Zane’s words, the woman exhaled a breath she held for too long.
Zane saw her yellow grown with patches of different clothes all around it to keep it working and wearable.
His heart panged at the sight of seeing a mother like that.
This is what becos of won who don’t choose prostitution here.
"I don’t care whether he will send money or not. I just want him to be safe."
Zane smiled. "Yes. He is safe. You can go back and rest."
The woman returned the smile and stood up.
Zane did the sa and instead of going back ho, the woman stood among the crowd as well.
Zane didn’t mind that and finally paid attention to the overly dressed Janitor.
Both n stood face to face and taking one last drag of his cigar, Jammy broke the ice:
"You were saying sothing about your day today."
"I know."
"Then start blabbing."
Jammy let go of his cigar, stretched his neck as he looked around with a tired look. As if he did a favor to everyone with his each move.
Zane did not understand this man and he hadn’t seen him that much either. He had only heard about him. It was his first ti eting him and talking to him.
The people also stayed silent around him and Zane sowhat knew the reason for that.
Jammy was the slum stewart, the one responsible for collecting the rent from them every year and submitting it to the Aristocrats that handled the local economic power.
People believed he had ties with higher authorities so they didn’t really bother with him and never in their dreams did they even think about not paying the rent on ti.
The rent was only one bronze Lun too.
People here had sold their children for two silver luns so the rent didn’t really bother them. For rent and alcohol they always managed to make money one way or another.
One Silver Lun was equal to a hundred Bronze Luns so they could survive for months on 2 Silver Luns easily. And Gold and Paper Luns... they have only heard in their dreams.
Zane ignored the carefree tone of the man and the fact that he was asking him to speak, ant he also wanted to know what he could do.
But Zane won’t try to impress Jammy or anyone and deliberately speak sothing he doesn’t believe in. He would only say the truth and only what he did.
"Yes. Today I went to the Citadel for the awakening ceremony. And as a Gutterborn, my turn ca very late but as i said, I got the admission. Where do you think I got the admission in?"
Zane stared at Jammy and then at the crowd.
Jammy rested his hand around a man’s shoulder as if he was a friend and stroked his chin.
"Hmm..." He stared in the dark sky, thinking, but then his expressions changed.
"What makes you think I am here to answer your questions?"
Zane’s fingers twitched.
The man wasn’t playing any gas.
He wanted serious words from Zane.
Fine.
Zane controlled his beating heart and said clearly what he wanted to say.
"At most, gutterborns never awaken sothing higher than Ember. And the luckiest ones, awaken two Gleams and get admitted in the Commoner’s batch. But ,"
Zane looked at everyone.
"I awakened three Gleam tier skills and got the admission in the batch of the Halocrats."
Gasps escaped the mont Zane revealed that and Jammy also put out his hand from his pocket.
"By my admission, I will get many benefits. I even have the chance to rise up to a prominent position if I work hard. What was the last ti a Gutterborn did what I did? If anything, this is the reason you all should believe in ."
Murmurs spread around the area and by now the whole Cinder Row was present near the commotion.
All of them heard him and they had to admit that Zane really accomplished sothing no one from their kind ever did.
It was safe to believe in hi—
"If we believe in you, what are the chances you won’t turn out to be another tyrant?" Jammy’s voice cut through.
Zane wasted no ti.
"I will never do the sa thing to soone that I am trying to break free from."
"Empty words."
Zane smiled. "You are simply afraid of the thought of my words carrying weight."
Jammy stepped forward.
He looked down on Zane’s eyes and Zane kept his head high, locking eyes with Jammy as well.
"Forget everything," Jammy said, wafting the scent of smoke on Zane’s face. "Tell one good reason we should believe that you have what it takes to change our fate."
Zane didn’t reply.
He couldn’t answer in haste.
Zane took a step back and road his eyes.
The Gutterborns wanted change but they wanted certainty of it as well.
They did not want to die for a losing battle when they were fine with surviving all these years.
They needed sothing that could stamp Zane as soone whom they could trust and hope.
Zane raced his mind to think of sothing like that and soon, his eyes fell on an object he had placed on the ground before taking the stick and the tire in his hand.
He walked towards it and picked it up.
Everyone frowned including Jammy but they waited for Zane to explain.
And he did.
"You want to know why you should believe ? You want to know why I said what I said? You want to know if I have what it takes? Alright. See this in my hand..."
Zane raised the object high in the air.
"This is the idol of the First Fla. The idol whom everyone prays to and worships. The idol that could summon war if soone did sothing to it in front of its believers. If soone hard it, they won’t live to tell the tale. Such is the magnitude of the idol I am holding right now. However, I, a slum rat like all of you, is standing in front of you, alive, even after..."
Zane peered inside each eye.
"Dropping the idol right beside the church in front of ardent believers. And the best part..."
Zane turned to Jammy as his lips curled up.
"I dropped it deliberately."
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