Beggar's Chicken/Story

I. Start from scratch

II. Departure

III. Encounter

IV. Good will

V. Beggar's Chicken

### I. Start from scratch

A homesteader. Perhaps this is what Master Attendant was. As the eldest son of the family, Master Attendant had to take care of the seven or eight younger siblings left behind by his parents before he reached adulthood.

In addition to doing hard work outdoors to support the family, he had to cook and do the laundry for his siblings when he came home.

I was an accident. What by others was considered as a helpful Food Soul, was considered a burden by my Master Attendant. He didn't have any extra clothes for me to wear, and there were no extra blankets for me to use in the tattered thatched shed. It was a good thing that Food Souls don’t need to eat, or else there would have been an extra mouth to feed.

I wasn’t as smart as Master Attendant, and I couldn't find a job that paid much money. I spent most of my meagre part-time job’s salary on food that Master Attendant had never bothered to get for himself so that he could replenish his body. There were also some kind-hearted shopkeepers who would look at my tattered clothes and gift me their old ones. Thanks to that, the little ones would also have new warm clothes to wear.

It didn't take long for Master Attendant to realize that the income he earned from his hard work was still not enough to feed and clothe his still young siblings, so he gritted his teeth and bought a small cart and set up a stand.

Master Attendant was a really hardworking guy. He woke up earlier than the owner of the breakfast shop and slept later than the one who worked at the supper stand. The ingredients were good, the taste was good, the price was fair, and you could eat whenever you wanted.

Master Attendant’s business became more and more prosperous, and the family's life became better too. However, as business grew, naturally some people grew envious and jealous. The other shopkeepers and stand owners, who had been robbed of their business, hired men with clubs and hammers to go to the street where Master Attendant was staying. They planned to destroy Master Attendant’s cart. I looked at the dog-beating stick in my hand and couldn't help but smile widely. I couldn't help Master Attendant much before, but at that moment, I could finally make myself useful to him.

After beating those people to a pulp, I looked back at the long queue in front of the small stand and couldn't help but feel relieved. Luckily, he hadn't noticed anything about it. There was no need for him to know any of those trivial matters.

### II. Departure

Master Attendant’s business gradually grew, and the family's life became better and better. They no longer needed my meager salary as an allowance, so I settled down in a corner near the store. After all, the bigger the business, the more people will try to cause trouble for it.

On this chaotic street, in addition to problematic competitors, unscrupulous individuals would often come along and demand money in exchange for their protection. The location of the corner I had settled into was good enough to get a clear view of everyone coming. It was better for Master Attendant to not know about this. Because, in addition to those who came just to cause trouble, there were also "benefactors" who helped him.

The little ones' clothes kept changing, while I kept wearing the same raggedy clothes I had from the beginning. Human bodies are much more fragile than a Food Soul's, so I always made sure they all got them first. Not to mention that there were little girls among them, and they should always have nice clothes to wear.

The Attendant’s small store has been transformed into an imposing store, and the original thatched hut has been replaced by a warm and bright mansion. Since then, I no longer brought anything back to the family, and became a dispensable presence in the household.

“Brother! Why do you still keep him? All he does is go out in the morning and come back at night to sleep. He doesn’t help you with the business and doesn't kill fallen gods like other Food Souls! You're not his father! All he does is hang around!”

“Don’t say that.”

“Brother!”

“Don’t say that. He…”

“If you can’t bring yourself to say that to him, then I will! Brother, you work so hard every day, and you also give him food and drink. He’s always causing trouble, fighting those punks and breaking things on other people’s properties. We have lost a lot of money because of that! And you don’t owe him anything!”

“…I’ll talk to him.”

I leaned against the doorway, tilted my head up and looked at the bright moon. Looking down at my tattered clothes, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. So this was what my family, whose members thought they were harmonious and relied on each other, saw me as. I knew the others wouldn't understand me, but I still thought that at least he knew why I was doing what I was doing. The idea of kicking me out was unpleasant, both for him and for me. Taking advantage of the moonlight, I took my only luggage, my dog-beating stick, and left Master Attendant’s home.
Looking back at the mansion, which was then very different from what it used to look like, I couldn't help but feel a chill that I had never felt before.
I've never told them what I've been doing, but I've never deliberately tried to hide it either. A self-deprecating smile cracked at the corners of my mouth. I couldn't help but shake my head and leave the town in the night with my dog-beating stick.

After having bought a jug of good wine with the only coins I had left, I sat on the branches of a dead tree in the outskirts of the city to enjoy the moon. But then, I noticed an eerie green light shimmering in the distance.

*Ah, I forgot. Here, at this time of the year, there is always a surge of wild animals.*

The aftermath of last year's wave was still evident in everyone's fields. Fortunately, I was there then to protect the Attendant's fields and we only lost two watermelons. I looked at those eyes that twinkled with green light and couldn't help but sigh.

*Fine, I’ll protect it one last time.*

The dog-beating stick in my hands rotated, hitting those beasts hard with each strike. One of them rose up in the air, opening its mouth to reveal its sharp fangs, and howled as it jumped past me.

Looking in that direction, I found Master Attendant and his brother lying on the ground from the beast's attack. My feet floated and I flew through the air, landing on the beast's head, pounding it into the mud before its sharp fangs had a chance to bite into the Attendant's fragile throat. I stared into Master's eyes, which were full of fear as they glowed under the moonlight. I had originally intended to say something, but I swallowed my words. I had already made up my mind to leave, there was no need to explain much.

“Beggar’s Chicken! You…”

“I’m leaving. I won’t be dragging you guys down anymore.”

### III. Encounter

I met my good buddy Pancake not long after I had left the town where I had lived for many years. Following the main road to the north, I arrived at a town very similar to my hometown. I looked around to find a place to get a short job so I could buy some wine and some soybeans to eat.

You know. I've only ever eaten soybeans with wine when I was first summoned, but the taste is still unforgettable to me. I took the money earned that day and exchanged it for a bottle of wine and a bowl of tiny soybeans. I sat on a street corner and began sipping the wine and munching on the beans. I suddenly felt that that kind of life might have been the one I wanted.

When I awoke, I inexplicably found coins in my bowl. I held the bowl in my hand and couldn’t help but smile. The next moment, a rich smell of pancakes appeared in front of me. When I looked up, I saw a somewhat childlike, friendly face.

“You must be starving. Here, have this.”

I couldn't help but ask him a question, looking at his face, pretending not to like the pancake he was offering.

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“There's no need for a reason. Just take it and eat it. I have to help my boss clean up the stall now. See you soon then! Come find me at the south side of the stall when you're hungry.”

I took the pancake in my hand and looked up at his back. I couldn't help shaking my head.

*I’m a Food Soul. I can’t feel hunger. Dumbass.*

With the idea of giving it a try, I went to the pancake stand. That's when I realized that the guy who had stuffed me with his food was also an entertaining Food Soul. His name was Pancake. He was the Food Soul of the owner of the pancake stall. Every day, he helped his boss to take care of the business. I don't know what I was thinking, but I quietly sat down in the corner next to their store. Pancake and his Master Attendant were very busy every day. At noon and in the evening, a little girl with two lunch boxes in her hands would come running to bring them both food. When they were both eating, the girl would hold her face and watch them both with a smile until they finished eating. Maybe it's because I was sitting there for a long time that Pancake would bring me pancakes from their booth from time to time.

“Why do you want to help him so much? He won’t even thank you.”

“You’ve got the wrong idea. I don’t want him to be thankful. I just want to make him happy.”

Then one day, suddenly, a lunchbox full of fragrant food was handed to me. The little girl called Yao Yao, smiling and holding her chin, squatted in front of me.

“Big brother, I see you've been here for a long time. Come eat with us.”

I looked at the round smiling face, slightly stunned. It turned out that I could get goodwill from humans even without doing anything for them.

### IV. Good will

Since I ate Yao Yao's cooking, I looked at the two people who were busy at the stall. I could no longer bear to be just a bystander. The movements of my hands and feet weren't as precise as Pancake's, but at least I had some brute strength. Pancake also held his hand out to me and invited me to live with them in their small house. Although I refused their offer, I took the habit of going to their store and giving them a hand every day.

Until one day. A young lord, who was accustomed to rampage in the countryside, came to their small store with a bunch of his minions, strutting. The axes and long knives they held in their hands made the pedestrians move aside the moment they saw them. Just as they were about to lay hands on the small store, the dog-beating stick in my hand went for their necks. Up-picking, slashing, spinning, and slamming. I attacked them as I attacked those who wanted to cause trouble for Master Attendant’s store. A few punks were beaten quickly and fled. I looked at the front of the store next to me that was smashed to pieces and couldn't help but flinch. Looking around, I saw Pancake’s Attendant standing behind the shop, and Yao Yao, who just came to deliver the meals. A bitter smile appeared on my face. I was certain that he would then reveal his true nature to me. No matter how close a person might get to me, they will end up hating me eventually.

However, the next moment, Yao Yao's tiny body bumped hard into my arms. She hugged me tightly around the waist and her big, beautiful eyes were curved by a smile.

“You’re amazing, big brother!”

Even the villagers nearby suddenly reacted, all gathering around me.

“Wow, you’re awesome!”

“Yes, yes, yes! We'll be relying on you for protection from now on!”

“Thank you!”

“But…I… some things have been destroyed…”

“I’ll pay them for you!”

“I’ll do it!”

“Gee, boy, who cares that you broke something! We finally got rid of that tyrant thanks to you!”

Their reactions were very different from the ones I have gotten from the past, which I remember being full of cold eyes. I looked at the group of enthusiastic folks around me and couldn't help but laugh with them.

### V. Beggar's Chicken

Beggar’s Chicken learned from his brother Pancake that there’s a very special pawnshop on the other side of the bamboo forest. Also, outside of the shop, in the area around it, lives Pancake’s good brother. To meet this brother, Beggar’s Chicken took a jug of wine and went deep into the forest.

Friendship between men is always strange. Drinking wine and getting drunk. That was enough to make two of them like brothers. Bamboo Rice was much more laid-back than Pancake, who was often busy. When Pancake was too occupied with his work, Beggar's Chicken bought a jug of wine to take it with him to the bamboo forest, so he could enjoy it with Bamboo Rice. They even lived together in the forest for a short time afterwards.

Bamboo Rice learned from his conversations with Beggar’s Chicken that Beggar’s Chicken is a guy who doesn't really like to take credit for what he does. He gave a lot to his Master Attendant, but never told them it was his doing. In the past, he would just silently remove all the dangers that threatened his Master. And when things were broken during his fights with the bad guys, he didn't want to explain himself.

He was "kicked out" by his Master Attendant who did not know the truth, but here he was understood by everyone. He wanted to know what he had done wrong, what had caused him and his master to behave like strangers toward each other in the present day. He wondered why his Master didn't understand him like Yao Yao and the others do now. Bamboo Rice, with cheeks red from drinking wine, patted Beggar's Chicken on the back, scolding him.

“You! You totally deserved that!”

“…”

“Just like… I… deserved it…”

Bamboo Rice leaned on Beggar’s Chicken’s back and tilted his head to look at the sky hidden by the dense bamboo leaves. His usually cheerful face had a rather sad expression.

“If you have something to say, something you want to tell someone, don’t just wait for them to find it out on their own. Aah, you should always tell them those things directly! Otherwise…”

“Otherwise?”

“Otherwise… it’ll… be too late… to say it… aaahh…\*burp\*… Anna… where are you…”

Beggar’s Chicken learned about the woman called Anna from Pancake. He looked at Bamboo Rice, who was so drunk that he fell asleep in the bamboo forest. Suddenly, an impulse arose, but it was suppressed by a timid emotion.

*What if, they are not like that.*
*What if, even after they got to know the truth, they still won't understand me.*

However, the next moment, Pancake pulled out a letter from his pockets and handed it to him. It was a letter from Beggar’s Chicken’s Attendant. Originally, on the day Beggar’s Chicken had left, the Attendant wanted to come to him and ask him a couple of questions. He wanted to ask him what he was doing. He wanted to ask him why he was often covered in bruises and wounded. But before he could even ask, Beggar’s Chicken had already left. It wasn't until he saw Beggar’s Chicken standing in front of them with his dog-beating stick during the beast’s attack that he truly understood what Beggar’s Chicken had done for them.

But after he left, they were not able to find him anywhere. He had to ask a lot of people before he finally got to know where Beggar’s Chicken was. Because he was scared that Beggar’s Chicken might not want to meet him, the Attendant wrote him a letter and had it delivered.

“Come back. We’re waiting for you at home.”

Beggar's Chicken looked at the letter. An irrepressible, nostalgic smile appeared on his face. He seemed relieved when he read those words again.

“Come back…”