Or perhaps hearing footsteps approaching, the man opened his eyes and looked at Liens with some vigilance.
But thinking that things were different now, his vigilance decreased a bit, and his tense muscles relaxed.
"Sir, is there something you need from me?"
Following his old habits, the man quickly stood up, bowed slightly, and asked Liens with a beaming smile.
He didn't know Liens, but in these times, anyone holding a weapon was not to be trifled with. It was always right to be polite, lest someone cut him down with a blade before he could even regret it.
"Sit... I want to talk to you."
Liens gestured for the man to sit down, while he himself sat cross-legged on the ground facing the man, then took out a few silver coins of the Hartwin Kingdom and handed them to the man.
Looking at the silver coins in his hand, the man was a little stunned, wondering if people were so generous now, it couldn't be blood money, could it?
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you, nor am I an enemy spy here to gather information. I'm just a lost existence who wants to talk to you."
Liens saw the man's nervousness and could roughly read his thoughts, so he interrupted him as the man began to overthink and explained.
"Ah haha... Sir, you're joking. I didn't doubt you; I was just too excited to suddenly receive such a large sum of money."
The man put the silver coins into his pocket and responded with an intentionally awkward laugh.
He had expected his laughter to attract the attention of the guards nearby, but he secretly peeked for a long time and found that no one was looking his way, not only the guards but also the passersby. Follow current novels on novel·fire.net
This was very illogical.
Let alone at night, even in broad daylight, his loud laughter would attract some curious or scrutinizing gazes.
But none of this happened, as if his laughter just now didn't exist.
This strange situation made the man's expression increasingly awkward, and his confidence, along with his laughter, grew weaker and more hollow.
He wasn't truly doubting Liens; he just wanted to give himself insurance so that if something unexpected happened to him, others would notice in time.
But the current situation was no longer a question of doubt; it was how he could satisfy this unfamiliar existence?
"Sir, please ask any questions you have. As long as I know the answer, I will absolutely not conceal it."
The man said, sitting up straight.
Liens asked the man's name.
The man answered quickly, afraid that speaking too slowly would displease Liens.
"Your knowledge is not low; at least it's better than that of an average ordinary person. How did someone like you become a vagrant?"
Liens continued to ask.
"My family used to have some status, so I knew a little about an existence like you, but now that the war has started, everyone has more or less begun to understand that aspect."
"So, my knowledge is nothing. As for how I became a vagrant, that was a long time ago."
"When I was young, my family had bad luck; the business failed, my father died, and my mother couldn't bear the blow and followed him."
"I was unable to support the entire family business, and being unlearned and unskilled, after my parents died, I couldn't even support myself and gradually became a vagrant."
"However, I was quite lucky. Although I was homeless, I managed to survive. Recalling those years, my memory is a bit blurry."
The man responded to Liens's question in a calm tone, his expression unchanged, but Liens could feel the sorrow welling up inside him.
"Do you know the reason for the small number of vagrants in the city?"
Liens didn't pause because of the man's sadness. After the man responded, he continued to ask calmly.
"After the Rebel Army occupied the city, they implemented many reforms, including work-relief programs, and they also specifically provided food and housing benefits for the homeless."
"Many people got jobs and housing, so naturally, they wouldn't continue to be vagrants who lived day to day."
"Sir, you must not be from this city, right? Almost every civilian in the city knows about this."
Because of the sorrow in his heart, the man's tone became a bit low, but perhaps it was this sadness that made him temporarily forget his fear of Liens, as he actually questioned Liens in return.
"Yes, I entered this city with the army today; it's my first time here."
Seeing that Liens was not angry about it, the man secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he was almost scared to death by his own 'boldness'.
And Liens's response also made him guess that the person in front of him might be a high-ranking general of the Rebel Army, returning here from the front lines with the army from outside.
Thinking of this, the man's hanging heart finally temporarily settled down.
This was a guess, but he could only guess this way. Although Liens seemed very peaceful, as if he had no temper, he dared not voice this guess.
"Why aren't you with the others?"
Upon hearing this, the man knew Liens was asking why he still chose to be a vagrant. He fell silent because he didn't know the answer to this question either.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the words always felt inappropriate when they reached his lips. After several attempts, his head gradually lowered.
Liens watched him quietly, without urging.
The atmosphere was silent for a while, then the man looked up at Liens and said:
"I did go to work, but I didn't accept the food and housing. I don't know why I do this; I just feel that being outside makes my heart calmer."
"You are confined by the death of your parents, feeling that you are homeless. You are unwilling to start a new family because you feel that it would overwrite your perception of home."
"Therefore, even if there's an opportunity to change your current situation, you are unwilling to take that step."
Liens calmly stated his interpretation of the man.
The man was somewhat stunned by Liens's words, feeling that his long-accumulated confusion had finally been answered.
But he didn't feel happy about it; instead, more memories of his parents surged in his heart, making him feel even more sorrowful.
"Confined by the past, create the future."
"After the war ends, you can consider becoming an Adventurer, to see local customs, to travel through mountains, rivers, and seas, to pursue wonderful adventures."
"Perhaps those experiences can help you break through the self confined by the past and create a new self."
"Finally, thank you for clarifying, Mr. Chaen."
After speaking, Liens stood up and turned to leave without waiting for Chaen's response. It was only after Liens had walked some distance that Chaen recovered from those words.
Watching Liens's receding back, he quickly got up but did not chase after him, merely expressing his gratitude silently in his heart:
"Thank you, I might understand what I should do... I wish you all the best."
The guard not far away looked at Chaen, who was lying on the ground, suddenly standing up and making a praying gesture, feeling a bit confused. He wondered if this guy was woken up by some nightmare and was now praying for God's blessing?
After his conversation with Chaen, Liens continued to wander through the city. Slowly, he walked to the Outer City defense line that had not yet been fully constructed.
Looking at the construction site in front of him, Liens murmured softly:
"This is the last one."