The Extra Wants To Live

'It's a story that wasn't even mentioned in the original work, so we don't even know if he lived or died!'

Carl was more worried about his own plans being thwarted than he was about sympathizing with them.

His own future is more important than the safety of people he don't even know. It's not that he's selfish; he's just trying to find a way to survive.

'First of all, I need to check if he is here.'

Carl thought for a moment, then looked back at Philaine and said,

"Can you provide them with food to fill their stomachs tonight?"

Philaine could not readily answer that he would. There were already unexpected expenses incurred in feeding them and deploying soldiers.

And if he suddenly offer them something other than what is prescribed, they will want more.

"That's difficult. Okay. Then let's do it this way."

Carl knew that, so he moved on straight to the next thing.

"We made great preparations to welcome the 4th Prince Carl, but the sickly 4th Prince could not even eat properly due to the long journey. His sumptuous meals were taken to nobles and soldiers, and he threw them to them as a way of throwing away what was left of him. Isn't this a good excuse to prevent them from becoming more greedy and to make them grateful for Lord Davron's mercy?"

"..."

"I don't have the money right now, so I can't pay right now. If you charge me the price, I'll send you the money later when I return to the palace."

"...Wasn't this to let them know that Prince Carl has arrived?" Philaine asked Carl in a cautious voice.

Carl nodded.

"It seems better to give them bread than to show them my face and say a few words. And wouldn't that be a way for them all to know that I've come? How about it, can you do it?"

Philaine twitched his resolute mouth, but then relaxed a little gently and nodded.

"Okay, I will do that."

"Thank you. Oh, and one more thing."

Carl added as if he remembered something.

"When distributing food, can you carefully check and record their names before distributing it?"

This was a random statement.

What's the benefit of doing that? There is no need to verify identity to prevent people from receiving food multiple times.

They can simply divide the areas into those who have received food and those who have not.

"Yes, it's not that difficult."

Philaine was puzzled by the inexplicable request but nodded. It really isn't difficult at all. Carl smiled with satisfaction. But he couldn't help feeling anxious inside.

'No, really. He's really not already dead, right?'

If he is dead, Then Carl really screwed...

***

"Survival is the priority. We are no longer nobles, so we can't all die for a meaningless family, right?"

Saying so, Howell persuaded his family to take refuge in Davron Castle.

Everyone, including Howell, his parents, his uncle and his wife, and his 7-year-old younger sister, Iriz.

He can't tell them how relieved he was when he later heard that the village had been attacked.

Thanks to Howell's quick judgment, which he made immediately after hearing the news of the Salgarez mercenary group's raid, the Makini family was able to preserve some of their wealth.

Of course, he wasn't very well off, having left behind his biggest asset, his house.

"It will be resolved soon. How much would a mercenary group have to do?"

Believing Howell's words completely, the family found lodging in the castle village of Dabron and began living there.

However, as time passed, the situation showed no signs of being resolved, and now everyone was terrified as rumors circulated that Tumaria had deployed troops to the border.

Howell realized that the situation was much more serious than he had thought.

After a long conflict, he decided it would be better to leave Davron and settle in a safer place.

Now that he abandoned his home, his finally leaving this horrible land.

There is no reason to be tied to a family that does not exist anymore. They don't have that much money, but it's not so little that they can't move.

But when Howell made his decision, eight days after he had fled to Dabron, the incident had already occurred.

His uncle and his wife took all the money, jewelry, and other valuable items and ran away.

All that was left was two coins, and despite his pleas, he had no choice but to be kicked out into the cold streets that night.

In the castle town of Dabron, which is on high alert for possible war, they do not tolerate those who wander around late at night or sleep on the streets.

It has been a long time since Makini was a lowly nobleman, and there is no way to prove it.

To Davron, they are just commoners who might commit a crime at any moment.

If he continue like this, he will be taken away and imprisoned in a dirty prison, and he may get sick and die.

The prison does not even provide proper meals.

Most of them starve to death.

Seeing his parents in a state of bewilderment and his little sister unable to comprehend the situation, Howell had to make a decision. "... Let's go to the refugee camp."

Carrying only a bag containing spare clothes, the family of four headed to the refugee camp.

But on that very day, after his parents were stabbed to death while trying to stop a thief who was after his bag, Howell was left in despair.

They couldn't even find the culprit.

The soldiers did not intervene, and the refugees concentrated on taking care of their belongings.

Howell would rather die.

But, he can't even do that while holding Iriz in his arms, who is sobbing and crying, saying she wants to go home quickly.

Anyway, all he could think about was protecting his little sister. Howell was never separated from Iriz for even a single moment

Before the soldiers removed the bodies, they removed the bloody clothes from his parents' corpses.

Wiping away his tears, he wrapped the clothes around himself and tied them tightly to Iriz, and carried his younger sister in his arms even when she did her business.