Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Extra: The Commoner's Diary

...—Capital of Excelia, Arestia— Empire...

...—8 January 1239—...

I will never forget what happened that night.

An approximately 8-year-old boy with black hair and a small, shabby stature turned his head to the sky, gazing at the bluish clear sky that once again overshadowed the activities of the inhabitants of the imperial capital.

The clothes he was wearing were filled with holes and tears, not sparing him blackish stains from having been used for several weeks without changing.

Everyone understood just from the eyes, Claude was an abandoned child, or came from the slum district—although Ares has revitalized the district so that it can be said that the settlement in it is worth living in.

Claude recalled very clearly the brutality of the fight involving two white-haired women against someone wearing a dark robe. Houses and shops were instantly smashed to pieces, and the lands were not spared from destruction, as were many fallen trees and other public facilities heavily damaged by the fighting.

Sure, the memory is deeply rooted because Claude was hit by a collapsed building wall as he slept in a corner of the capital's streets. Luckily, Claude was able to survive without sustaining any major injuries as his strong survival instincts to danger had awakened him.

Kry!

"Ugh." The stomach voice once again pierced both of his eardrums, instinctively Claude used both of his hands to hold his stomach while slightly bowing his back.

Although Claude really did not want to, the compulsion from starvation made both his legs move, towards the place where thousands of transactions were being made.

Passing through several buildings that were being rebuilt, Claude stepped quietly so that his face could not be clearly seen, so that he could not be seen clearly, be very wary of people around him so as not to recognize him because he has been found several times to commit food theft.

Before long, his journey to the market in the corner of the capital went smoothly. Of course, Claude wouldn't go to the corner of the market where he was last found to have stolen.

Deliberately turning his back on someone and walking amidst the dense sea of people, Claude cleverly slipped his hand, to reach a medium-sized wheat bread on the merchant stall located on the side of the road.

GREPS!

Claude's arms reached out, making his heart instantly panic and trying with all his might to let go.

"What do you want to do, Little Boy?" The middle-aged merchant man with well-built brownish hair shouted, pulling Claude's arm tightly from his grasp, causing everyone around to immediately focus.

With his other hand, Claude reached for whatever he could. Finding the iron rod, Claude instinctively threw it towards the middle-aged merchant, he quickly fled the scene after the middle-aged man unwittingly removed Claude's arm to protect the face from the iron thrown at him.

"Don't run away, you fucking thief!" The middle-aged merchant quickly left his stall, chasing Claude by splitting the sea of humans that were before him.

Not only the middle-aged merchant, some traders also pursued because of their sense of family, in addition to there are some traders who were also victims of Claude's previous theft.

"Don't run away, Rancid Boy!"

Sayings, insults, insults, insults, all harsh words spewed from the mouths of traders. However, Claude's efforts had to end in vain, not far in front of him were some traders who moved to surround him.

Chaos swept through his mind, Claude was no longer able to think clearly, his exhaustion as well as his overwhelming hunger made him stagger slightly as he ran.

BRUGH!

Despite not crashing directly from the front, Claude still nudged the shoulder of a cowboy-hated young man who came across him. No longer the power to hold back the fatigue, Claude accidentally fell down.

"Are you okay, son?" The cowboy hat youth extended his right hand, looking at Claude worriedly.

Claude peeked at the young man behind him. The white formal attire he was wearing was of high quality, everyone around immediately moved away, judging that the young man was an elite knight caused no one among them to want to have a problem with him.

Thus with the chasing traders, they decided to quietly wait, deciding to look at the situation first before acting.

"I. i..." Claude answered in fear, he looked scowled, very frightened if the punishment that even led to slavery befall him.

I guess, I will never disguise myself as a knight again.

Responded only by fear, Ares smiled wryly, feeling his disguise as an elite knight was a mistake. Without delay, Ares forced Claude to get up, slightly supporting his body because Claude seemed powerless to stand up.

Sure, long before Claude was about to nudge Ares, the knights and intelligence hiding in the invisible corners had been preparing arrows, the, which Ares stopped because he did not want any unnecessary commotion.

Strange scenery, even the assumption applies to Di—bibi Ares as well as Milly's mother who became the Head of the Guard Knights— and his subordinates. The common sense of society has become common when a high-ranking knight has the pride and honor of a lowly noble, making them not want to interact with the people in the lowest caste such as slaves and displaced people.

"Have you eaten yet?" Glancing at the bread that had fallen and was filled with dust, Ares' guilt appeared.

Claude remembered the food, immediately picked it up and moved to stay away from Ares to protect himself while eating bread full of dust greedily.

Even though I had ordered the knights to gather such abandoned children in order for them to attend primary school...

Ares let out a light sigh, clearing his mind that had been running around to something else, "What's your name, son?"

Claude grew increasingly frightened, mutely unable to answer the question.

Ares approached Claude kindly with a bright smile, although Claude was only getting more and more afraid to lay down his body.

"Come with me." Ares forcibly pulled Claude's shoulder, making him walk side by side tightly, though Claude could only tremble in fear.

"Tu—Master! Where are you going to take him?!" Seeing the departure of Ares, the trader who lost the most due to theft was forced to open his voice.

For a moment, Ares's move with Claude came to a halt, immediately turning to the merchants, "What has he done to you?"

"That boy stole our wares! We want—"

"Come to the knight's barracks, I'll recoup all your losses and the other traders there." Ares interrupted, not wanting to waste too much time immediately turning around to continue his steps.

The traders were very astonished at the extremely quick decision, even Ares did not check in advance their nominal losses. Thus with the knights, who could only close their mouths tightly and immediately follow Ares' departure.

"What's your name?" A few steps running, Ares tightened his embrace, as if not the slightest concern for Claude's shabby, dirty, and very smelly condition.

"C—C—Claude... Tu—Tuan.." replied Claude fearfully.

"Where are you currently living?" ask Ares back.

"so." For Ares, one answer has answered all his questions, both information about parents, work, origin, to what he has been through since youth.

The child who is in his arms has a name, he replied that he was a child who had been abandoned by both his parents both for death and for poverty if judging from the actions Claude had done before.

Ares did not need all the detailed information about Claude, just a guess that approached the truth would have been enough for him. After giving him the "fish" Ares is unlikely to release Claude back because of his responsibilities as head of state, at least he will give Claude "bait" in order to live independently properly.

He—who walked a step behind his nephew—looked at Ares sadly. Although She and her husband—Albert were born from Canaria, Ares—'s grandfather's concubine had given up her daughter's passing, but not with her nephew. It can be felt that Ares covered his grief with self-satisfying acts like he has been doing since the last few days.

Ares takes Claude to bar—, which has now become Mehera's restaurant—, where he met Eyes of the Gardom's Queen a few months ago. In the elite dress of a knight bearing the emblem of the Aubert Family, no one among the patrons dared to protest against a child who was with them, who seemed shabby, dirty, and very smelly.

"Welcome... Yang—Master..." Mehera comes to Ares's desk, a loud tone immediately weakening as she learns that Ares is a seated customer.

"Are you still serving customers? Aren't you the owner of this bar?" Ares asked in wonder as he flipped through a thin wooden board containing a menu with a picture of— which was also Ares' advice given the high illiteracy rate of society— Mehera had just handed it to him.

"That's..." Red-faced Mehera, having trouble answering, "One of our salespeople is sick..."

"Is that so? If you're being honest and saying, 'I just want to show off my body shape, ' I wouldn't care, either, you know?" timpal Ares indifferently.

Mehera smiled hard, Ares' answer is the absolute truth because the strategy is a mainstay strategy to attract customers.

"I order everything," Ares replied quickly.

"Good!" Mehera smiled happily, running back into the kitchen quickly because she did not want to face Ares given the scary face of the Empress.

"What's wrong? Why are you still standing?" Looking at Claude who was so afraid to sit face to face with him, Ares slightly frowned.

"Ta—but...this chair is very good... Mr.." - timpal Claude is very low self-esteem.

"Sit down" answered Ares.

Frightened by the commanding answer, Claude quickly complied, sitting tensely as he glanced at the corner of the restaurant's dining hall.

Dozens of dishes containing expensive and delicious food had been served right in front of Claude. Unknowingly, a few drops of saliva came out from one of Claude's corners, although fear of Ares was greater to the point of making him dare not to ask.

"What are you waiting for? Eat it." Ares smiled wryly.

"B—bo—can you, Sir?" timpal Claude seemed to distrust Ares deeply.

"Sure, why not?" tymphal Ares.

"Te—thank you very much, Sir!" Devouringly, Claude took whatever both of his hands could reach.

Not only Ares, Mehera, as well as a few other waitresses who looked at Claude, a few other knights and customers also put a smile on Claude's behavior, Claude said, one who devours food is like someone who for more than a week does not touch food.

For a while, Ares broke the silence while pointing at Mehera with one of his thumbs, "From now on, this maid will take care of your life and teach you some food recipes until you can be independent."

"Eh?" Mehera widened her eyes at Ares, not believing anything she had just heard, "Ta—tapi—"

"No need to worry, I'll add to your accommodation." Suddenly, as Ares made Mehera want to jump up the excitement— who immediately he held back because he got a sharp gaze from Him and the knights of other guards.

The amount of accommodation Ares gave Mehera in a month is not a number that can be underestimated. In addition to Ares who had said that he would help Mehera's restaurant, another slave who was beaten to death by many people in the corner of the bar, Mehera now took care of and was working with him.

Unknowingly, a few drops of tears flowed from the four corners of Claude's eyes, deeply distrusting that there was someone helping him selflessly.

For a moment, Claude put back his two dirty hands as a result of the food, "Why... You do this to me... Mister?"

Only a smile and a gentle caress could Claude accept in return. Immediately rising up, Ares looked back at Claude as he pointed at Mehera again, "Get up elementary school. If you don't understand, ask this woman."

"Ba—baik, Mister!" timpal Claude in a hurry.

"And also, in the coming week, the restoration festival will be held. I want to see you sell something there with my own two eyes" Ares said.

"Good, Master!" Claude retorted loudly while slightly bowing his head.

For a moment, Ares gently stroked Claude's head and immediately left the restaurant by ordering a knight to pay Claude's bills.

Looking at Ares who was about to exit the restaurant, Claude recalled something, making him shout loudly, "Tu—Master! May I know your name?!"

Ares momentarily stopped his legs, but he did not reply, only a smile and a wave of hands without turning that only Claude could receive before Ares left the dining hall.

"Are you curious about him?" Seeing Claude keep staring at the door until a while after the knights left the restaurant, Mehera gave a low-pitched warning to him, "Better, you don't take any more information about him for your safety."

"Sorry..." Claude was a little down, feeling guilty.

Mehera returned a smile, "Don't think too much. Enjoy your meal, I'll wait for you on the second floor."

"Good!" timpal Claude's.

Seeing Mehera's departure, Claude again turned his gaze toward the exit with a worried look, feeling that something was out of place when he saw the stature of the person who had saved him.

I don't know why.I feel like the master is going through a lot of trouble...

I hope... The Lord will repay you with more kindness than you have done to me, sir.

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Note :

Who is Claude really? Why did he pray to God when most of Arestia was far from religion because of the powerful influence of the nobles?

But Claude is just a side character. There have been several crimes committed by the darkness of the church.

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