CHAPTER 17

In the slums of Bryce, there’s an old orphanage called “Digi.”
Phil was one of the orphans raised there.

The orphanage only supports kids until they turn 15. And now that Phil is 15, like many others before him, he was expected to live on the streets like a sewer rat.

But Phil was different.
He had talent.

He was strong enough to beat up adult men easily and had guts.
He also had a rare gift—he could sense mana paths (energy lines).

While guts were common for street kids, mana sensitivity was not.
The orphanage director noticed this and introduced Phil to many people.

“Please adopt this boy!
He’s not amazing, but he can use aura!”

A 15-year-old boy who could sense mana was valuable.
Many noble families wanted such kids to raise their status by sending them to the Academy.
One of these families took interest in Phil and adopted him, allowing him to take the entrance test.

He passed.

Maybe this was his one chance in life, and he grabbed it without hesitation.
Although, in truth, the family that adopted him wasn’t famous or rich.

Their name was Lucabre.
They weren’t part of the top 8 sword families or even in the top 10 branches.
They gave Phil no extra help—no teacher, no house, just a small amount of money each month after he got into the Academy.
They didn’t expect much from him.

But even that was a huge opportunity for Phil.

The best part? He didn’t have to leave the area.
Though he would move into the dorm once classes started, he could still be near his younger orphanage siblings.

“You passed the Academy test? You’re the best, Phil!”
“Phil Digi! Phil Digi!”
“Phil oppa, I want new shoes!”
“I want a headband!”
“I want snacks!”

All the kids depended on Phil.
He was the only 15-year-old at Digi orphanage.
The rest had died or disappeared before turning 15.

So Phil became their one and only big brother.
And as the eldest, he had a duty.
He swore to graduate no matter what, find a good job, and earn steady money.
He wanted to support his younger siblings—there were over 30 of them.

That’s why he had no time to care about others.

As usual, he spent his day wandering around the Academy, trying to find something useful to learn.
Maybe some upperclassmen were sparring already?

But still, he couldn’t take his eyes off one boy.

“Who’s that guy?”

There was a student standing like a statue in front of the Oak Tree Restaurant.
Phil had seen him there earlier too. That meant he’d been standing there for over an hour.

The boy looked poor.
His Academy uniform was old and faded.
Maybe it didn’t even fit him properly.
Was he that poor?

Even Phil had managed to get a brand-new uniform, despite having little support.

And that look on the kid’s face—it was like a lost puppy staring at the restaurant sign.
Phil recognized that expression. It reminded him of orphans who had been punished and starved for a day.

Then he sensed it—not a smell, but the feeling of emptiness.
It’s something all orphans can sense in others like them.
And Phil could feel it from this boy.

He was one of them.

Phil had looked after his siblings for years.
There was no way he could ignore this boy, standing frozen and hungry for an hour in front of a restaurant.
Especially when the streets around here weren’t safe.

Phil sighed and decided to speak.

“Hey, you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Are you in Class C?”
“No, Class B.”
“Oh, really?”

Up close, the boy wasn’t that small.
He looked neat but very cautious.
Phil knew his own rough face could be intimidating.

Still, if the boy was in Class B, it meant he had been adopted by a better family than Phil.

“Then why do you look like that?”
“Huh?”
“You were adopted, right?”
“Um, yeah, kind of.”
“But they didn’t even buy you a new uniform? That’s bad.”

Phil sighed.
He guessed the kid had just arrived in Bryce, wanted food, heard this place was famous, but didn’t have enough money.
Phil nailed the situation perfectly.

The boy was shocked. How did Phil know everything?

But Phil wasn’t some mind reader. He just knew the signs—he’d lived them.

The boy’s name was Ray.

“I’m Phil Digi.”
“Digi?”
“Yeah. I was adopted by Lucabre, but whatever. I still go by Digi.”

Phil invited Ray to follow him to get food.
Ray was unsure, but followed anyway.

They walked away from the restaurant into back alleys.
Ray started to feel suspicious.

Was this a trap?

Ray had a sharpened stick (actually a deadly weapon) hidden in his sleeve.
He could attack first and escape if needed.

“Follow me close!” Phil called out.

They reached a tiny restaurant hidden between rundown wooden buildings.
It had no sign, but it smelled delicious.

“Mom! Two meals please!”

A woman scolded Phil.

“You again? Why don’t you eat the free dorm food?”
“The food there sucks. Yours is better.”

She grumbled but let them sit.

Ray asked, “Is that your mom?”

“What? I’m an orphan. That’s just what we call people in our area. Everyone’s a brother or uncle or whatever.”

Turns out, this woman was also from the Digi orphanage.
She had left at age 7 and now ran this restaurant.

Ray was shocked to hear she was only 22. He thought she was in her 30s.

She brought the food quickly—big portions, delicious smell.

“You’re not from around here, right? You look like a noble girl, with skin like that! You got a girlfriend? I know someone—”

“Come on, stop flirting!” Phil said. “Go sharpen your knives or something!”

Phil pushed her away and whispered to Ray:

“Forget what she said. Everyone here is like that. But the food’s really good. Eat.”

Ray didn’t need to be told twice.
He was already eating, fast.

It’s so good.

The meat melted in his mouth.
The stew was rich.
The bread soaked in herbs and oil was just what his body needed.

Even the weird dishes were amazing.

“Isn’t it great?”
“Yes! And only 5 Seals?”
“It’s usually 7, but I got you a discount. Family special.”

Ray gave him 5 Seals.
Phil flicked the coins and pocketed them (without giving them to the cook—suspicious!).

But Ray didn’t care.

For once, life didn’t feel hopeless.

Ray thought back to meeting Eric, the dormmate who turned out to be a spy for the Poison King.

He had felt cursed. Doomed.

But if someone can abandon you, someone else can also pick you up.

Ray ate, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Phil looked worried.

“Hey… are you crying? Seriously?”

Ray didn’t answer.
He just kept eating and quietly cried.