SINASSIAS09

Chapter 9

“We’re here for a personal matter,”

Pelles replied with a polite smile, though it was clear the man hadn’t asked out of genuine curiosity.

“What kind of business?”

“We’re here to meet someone.”

“The high-borns are here to meet someone in the slums, huh?”

“Yes. So if you’ll kindly step aside.”

Pelles answered respectfully, but the gang of thugs only responded with sneering laughter.

“Hey, buddy. You might’ve grown up all proper and soft, but if you want to pass through here, you’ve gotta pay the escort fee.”

Seriously? That tired old line again?

‘We’re clearly wearing robes, yet they can tell we’re not ordinary people. Must be the fabric and my clean face giving it away.’

Of course, I wasn’t some noble’s kid—I was a priestess with money.

“If you don’t pay…”

Suddenly, my body was lifted off the ground.

“You’ll lose this little one’s life.”

One of the thugs had grabbed me.

“No! Please, not her!”

Pelles panicked, forgetting for a moment how important I was supposed to be.

“Well, well, dragging around her fancy robe—looks like this little girl’s from a fancy family, huh?”

“Th-that’s not it!”

Pelles stammered, trying to cover for me, but they didn’t buy it.

“Sigh…”

I let out a slow breath and pulled something out from under my robe.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“A hammer?”

“Why would a little brat be carrying something like that? Wait, that thing looks expensive…”

As I pulled out Lilith’s Hammer, the thugs’ eyes locked onto it—but they didn’t realize what it actually was.

“Hey kid, give us that hammer and we’ll let you walk. Deal?”

The one holding me whispered with a foul grin. Ugh, disgusting.

I frowned deeply and raised the hammer.

“It’s shiny and detailed, but if you can lift it, it’s probably just a toy. You gonna hit me with that?”

He laughed.

“Yep. I am.”

I grinned brightly and swung the hammer.

CRACK!

A sharp, ringing sound echoed as the thug screamed and collapsed backward.

The grip on my body loosened, and I nimbly hopped down to the ground.

“Pelles, you really need to improve your acting.”

“S-sorry…”

I scolded Pelles lightly and turned my glare to the remaining thugs.

They stared, wide-eyed, switching their gazes between me and the guy I had just flattened.

“There’s no need to look so shocked. This is what’s coming to you too.”

Their faces instantly drained of color.

I stepped forward, and with a blur of motion—

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The remaining three thugs were knocked unconscious, sprawled across the ground.

I strapped the hammer to my back—Pelles had tied a string between the head and handle so I could wear it like a backpack. Very convenient.

“Amazing as always, Lady Elias,” Pelles said in awe.

“Let’s go.”

We passed the unconscious thugs and were about to continue when—

A group of slum residents who had been watching from the shadows suddenly approached.

Then, without warning, they dropped to their knees before us.

“…Eh?”

Startled, I stopped in my tracks.

“Please… help us!”

“Help us, please!”

Their tearful cries were filled with desperation.

“W-what are you all doing? Please, get up!”

Pelles hurried forward, trying to lift them to their feet, but they stayed kneeling.

“You’re the saintess and judge of the Malliant Temple, aren’t you? Please… save us…”

Ah, right. During the scuffle, my hood had slipped off. Some of them must’ve recognized me.

It wasn’t unusual—some slum dwellers had come to the temple before, though most were chased away by the greedy priests.

I squatted down to meet their eyes.

“Yes, we’re from the temple—but not Malliant’s. That temple no longer exists. It now belongs to Lady Lilith.”

“O-oh…”

“But what is it you need help with?”

Only then did the residents hesitantly lift their heads and speak, still kneeling.

Pelles squatted beside me to listen as well.

“Lately, children in the slums have started disappearing one by one. In many cases, the last time they were seen… was with those thugs you defeated.”

“They’ve been kidnapping our children!”

“I saw it myself! Those bastards were taking them away!”

They pointed to the unconscious thugs behind us.

Hmm…

The people here were clearly malnourished—thin and frail. They’d stand no chance against those well-fed thugs.

“And the officials won’t listen to us. That’s why we’re begging you, Saintess. Please help.”

Tears streamed down their dirt-streaked faces, but the sorrow in their eyes was crystal clear.

I sighed softly and sat cross-legged on the ground.

“Tell me everything.”

Hope lit up in their eyes.

—

Here’s what we learned:

Children from the slums had been disappearing steadily, and the number had reached alarming levels.

Several witnesses claimed the missing children had last been seen with the gang we’d just fought.

Worse yet, these thugs seemed to be part of a larger, well-organized group.

“Human trafficking,” I muttered under my breath.

“How horrible…” Pelles said with a dark expression.

After gathering the details, Pelles and I headed to the gang’s hideout, located deeper in the slums.

Unlike the locals, the thugs wore decent-quality clothes. Their faces had a sheen of oil, and their hair was glossy.

That meant: they had money.

Which also meant: this wasn’t some ragtag gang—it was a business.

If they were involved in child trafficking, then there had to be powerful figures behind them.

My brows furrowed unconsciously.

Could the children who disappeared… still be alive?

With that thought, my pace quickened.

Eventually, we reached the hideout. The building looked run-down, but the guards standing outside were clearly not like the locals.

“Pelles, stay close and don’t get hurt.”

I warned him, then launched myself forward.

“What the—?!”

They spotted me too late.

Crack!

I swept one thug’s legs and struck the crown of his head.

Two down in seconds—but I didn’t stop there.

Bang!

I kicked open the creaky wooden door and rushed in.

Inside were five more gang members.

“What the hell? A kid?!”

“Wait—did this brat really take down the guards outside?!”

They looked at me in disbelief.

Well, to be fair, I would’ve been shocked too if a five-year-old charged in and knocked out grown men.

Thank Lilith… and my past life’s love for sports.

With my combat experience and divine strength, I was more like a little monster.

‘I don’t know my limits yet, but this is nothing.’

I lunged forward again.

It was laughably easy.

After subduing the five thugs, I spotted a staircase leading upstairs.

“What’s going on down there?!”

A gruff voice rang out. A man in his 40s, clearly the boss, came down with a nasty scowl.

“Wh-What the hell?!”

He froze at the sight of his fallen men.

“You their leader?”

“And who the hell are you, brat?!”

“Tch. Why is everyone so obsessed with my age…”

“Did YOU do this to my boys?!”

“And what if I did?”

“You little—!”

He drew a huge axe from his belt and stormed at me, stomping like a wild beast.

But I leapt into the air with ease.

And finally, I said a line I’d always wanted to say.

“Too slow.”

CRACK!

With a sharp, clean blow, the man let out a sound like a pig being butchered and collapsed.

Easiest fight of my life.

—

Afterward, I gathered up all the thugs.

Then, I opened a bottle of liquor they’d been drinking and dumped it on the boss’s face.

He coughed awake.

“Ugh… What the hell…”

“Hey. You awake?”

I leaned in with a menacing grin, slamming my hammer beside him.

His glare was full of rage and disbelief.

“What the hell is this?! Let me go right now!”

He thrashed, but his arms and legs were tightly bound.

With a wicked grin, I said—

“Still don’t get what’s happening?”