Chapter 459: Snaketooth (Part 1)
During the Months of Demons, Longsong Stronghold’s streets went quiet as a held breath. The Rats retreated into their territories the way animals retreat before a storm—not from fear exactly, but from the old certainty that nothing good moved through the cold. They split the fall’s stockpile into portions and waited for the thaw to bring fresh prey.
That was how it always was.
“Shit,” Snaketooth said, and spat into the snow. “Why do I have to slog through a blizzard to listen to some noble preach policy?”
Beside him, Joe trembled in his thin coat, lips gone the color of ash.
“Put your collar up,” Snaketooth told him. “You’ll die if you catch the cold-plague.”
“He shouldn’t have followed us.” Sunflower’s frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Did Kanas really need all four of us just to pick up a bit of news? He must have it in for us.”
“Save it.” Tigerclaw—broad-shouldered, hard-jawed, built like a boy who had survived on sheer stubbornness—moved to the front of the group without being asked. “He controls our food. What can we do?”
The wind still blew, but noticeably less than before. Tigerclaw had positioned himself between them and the worst of it.
“Th-thanks,” Joe whispered.
No one wanted to talk about Kanas any more than they had to. Rats had ranks the way any organization did: kings at the top, tails at the bottom. Kanas occupied the middle ground—ruler of the Endless Lane in the Western Zone’s outer city, neither king nor tail. He was, if Snaketooth had to name it, a belly or a waist. Close enough to the top that his orders landed hard; far enough that someone above him could crush him without ceremony.
Snaketooth and his small crew deferred to him like they deferred to cold weather—not from respect but from the knowledge that there was no reasonable alternative.
Six rulers like Kanas governed the Western Zone, each commanding their own clutch of Rat teams. Above them sat the Western Zone’s king, whose name Snaketooth had never learned. He didn’t need to know it. Names that high up were not for tails to carry.
Kanas managed several teams, and theirs was one of them. Winning favor meant outperforming the others. For a group of four street kids, that was a hard proposition—they were outmatched in both numbers and muscle. Except for Tigerclaw, who had somehow grown into that frame on half a piece of brown bread a day.
The reason Sunflower believed Kanas had it in for them was a specific incident: Paper. A witch had appeared in the lane, and instead of delivering her to Kanas immediately, Snaketooth had held back—wanting to find a way to profit from her ability first. They had barely started when they ran into a big shot from the Honeysuckle Family, and the witch was taken before they’d earned a copper.
Kanas had simmered ever since. He’d calculated what he could have made selling her to a noble or to the Church—twenty-five gold royals—and held that figure against them like a debt.
“Easy for him to say,” Snaketooth muttered. “Sell her to the Church for twenty-five gold royals? Where would he find those priests? The Church is rubble. And nobles don’t hand gold royals to Rats. They slit throats instead.”
“Snaketooth is, is right,” Joe agreed through chattering teeth. “If he really thought we cost him twenty-five gold royals, he’d have thrown us in the Redwater River long ago.”
“He doesn’t have any God’s Stones of Retaliation,” Snaketooth continued. “He couldn’t have controlled her power even if he’d gotten her. He could only have passed her up to the Western Zone king. He’s angry, not stupid. He knows what we’re worth to him.”
“Stop saying selling.” Sunflower pinched his arm hard enough to leave a mark. “Paper was one of us. Not cargo.” She paused. “You didn’t actually—”
“I didn’t.” The word came out harder than he intended. “I tried to get her out. But the man who took her was the lord of the city.”
Tigerclaw exhaled slowly. “Is she alright? In Border Town?”
“How would she be alright?” Sunflower’s voice went flat. “Being played by a prince is still being played.”
“You say that now,” Snaketooth said, “but the moment you actually see how a noble lives, you’d beg to be played.”
The square stopped them cold.
Several hundred people had gathered around a wooden stage. A bonfire burned against the white. On a day this bitter, in a city where the Months of Demons emptied every street, this was close to impossible.
“Someone actually showed up to preach.” Tigerclaw’s voice was rough with something between skepticism and curiosity. “What game is the noble running?”
“Nothing good.” Snaketooth shrugged. “A new tax. Conscription—they fought a battle recently.” He studied the man on the stage: thick cotton jacket, wool hood, deer-leather gloves. Warm from head to toe. Elk Family label stitched to the cloak. Snaketooth felt his own hands throb with cold just looking at him.
Stealing those clothes was a thought he didn’t bother finishing. You didn’t steal from the Four Families. You didn’t even think about it clearly.
“Go warm up with Joe,” he said to Sunflower and Tigerclaw. “I’ll cover this.”
“You sure?” Tigerclaw raised an eyebrow.
Snaketooth tapped his temple. “Good memory. Every word. Every face. Every grudge.”
“Pfft.” Sunflower was already moving. “Fine. But you owe us extra at dinner.”
“If there is dinner.”
After they left, he patted the cold from his cheeks and turned back to the stage. The information would mean nothing to a tail like him. But for Kanas—for the kings above Kanas—the right piece of news at the right moment was currency. Tails delivered. Tails got a little more to eat that night.
Not much. But a little more.
“My fellow citizens,” the attendant called out, voice carrying over the crowd, “this is a joint declaration by the lord of the Western Region, Prince Roland Wimbledon; Earl of the Elk Family, Shalafi Hull; and the lord of Longsong Stronghold, Petrov Hull.” He took a brief sip of hot ale—Snaketooth could see the steam from where he stood—and lifted his parchment. “The City Hall of Longsong Stronghold now opens the grain market to the public. Any citizen who holds surplus grain may sell it freely in the market. However—note carefully—beginning next month, any unauthorized sale of grain becomes a felony. Only the City Hall may purchase and sell grain. Violators will be severely punished. The City Hall also welcomes public reports of violations.”
Snaketooth listened, committing it to memory the way he’d learned to: not just the words, but the weight of them. What a noble announced mattered less than what a noble chose to control. And grain was something worth controlling.
He stayed very still and kept listening.
Chapter 459: Snaketooth (Part 1)
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
During the Months of Demons, the streets and lanes in Stronghold were always desolate and the Rats here huddled themselves up, hiding in their respective evil territories. They were sharing the food that had been stored in the fall and waiting until a new prey emerged when it would warm up again.
This is the way it should’ve been.
“Shit, why do I have to struggle through the snowstorm to listen to some damned policy-preaching?” Snaketooth bitterly spat on the ground, “I don’t give a damn what the lords will do.”
“Put your collar up,” he said to Joe, a small boy shivering next to him. “You’ll die if you catch the cold-plague.”
“He shouldn’t have followed us out,” Sunflower said, frowning. “Is it really necessary to send all the four of us just to get some information? Kanas must have it in for us.”
“Save it, please. Even if he does, what can we do?” Tigerclaw, a strapping boy, said with disapproval. “He’s our source for food.” Though he sounded unconcerned, he still quickened his pace to walk in front of the other three kids. From then on, Snaketooth felt that the cold wind was diminishing considerably.
“Th-thanks,” Joe whispered.
When it came to Kanas, every one of them was reluctant to say anything.
Rats had social ranks too. Kings were at the top and tails at the bottom. Different ranks had different places to stay. As for Kanas, he was neither a
king nor a tail. He was the ruler of the Endless Lane in the Western Zone of the outer city. If he must be called something, he should be a waist or a belly. No matter what he was, Snaketooth and his friends had to respectfully call him boss whenever they met him.
There were six rulers like him in the Western Zone, but their boss, namely the king of the Western Zone, still remained unknown to Snaketooth.
Kanas had several teams of Rats and they were one of them. The only way to win more favor from the ruler was to show stronger competency than the other teams. Unfortunately, as street kids in the lane, they were obviously at a disadvantage in both number and strength. But Tigerclaw was differentit was incredible for him, who ate only half a piece of brown bread every day, to be so well-built.
The reason the brown-haired girl, Sunflower, thought that Kanas was aiming at them was because of their prior mishap. They didn’t take the witch that appeared in the lane to Kanas because Snaketooth wanted to use her ability to make some money first. Not long after they went out, they unexpectedly met the big shot from the Honeysuckle Family and lost the witch before they made enough money.
Because of this incident, Kanas was extremely angry with them. He thought if they had given the witch to him earlier, he would have made a lot more by selling her to the noble or the church.
“It’s easy to say,” Snaketooth said with contempt. “Selling her to the church for 25 gold royals? Where can he find those priests? The church is in ruins. The nobles won’t honestly give gold royals to a Rat, either. He’ll get killed instead of getting paid.”
“Snaketooth is, is right.” Joe agreed, still shivering. “If he re-really thought we made him lose 25 gold royals, he would have thrown us into the Redwater River.”
“Kanas could only give the witch to the king of the Western Zone. He also needs to protect himself from her magic power and doesn’t have any God’s Stones of Retaliation.” Snaketooth continued, “He’s just disgusted with us.”
“Stop saying ‘selling’. She’s Paper and one of us!” Sunflower gave Snaketooth a painful pinch. “You talk about her like she’s cargo!” She suddenly paused a little here and asked, “Hey, did you sell her back then?”
“No, I didn’t!” He exclaimed. “I tried my best to save her, but that person is the lord of the city.”
“Is she alright in Border Town?” Tigerclaw sighed.
“How can she be alright?” Sunflower snorted. “What’s the difference between being played by the prince and being played by the other noblemen?”
“Really… you say that now, but when you actually see the noble’s lifestyle, you’ll desperately want to be played by them,” Snaketooth said and twitched his lips.
When they arrived at the square of Stronghold, they were taken by surprise. Several hundred people there surrounded a wooden stage and there was a bonfire. It was such a rare scene on a snowy day.
“Someone will actually come here to preach,” Tigerclaw rasped. “What kind of tricks does the noble want to play?”
“It can’t be good news.” Snaketooth shrugged. “I suppose it’s about tax collection or grabbing some able-bodied guys for military service. They’ve just fought a battle, right?”
“Whatever, it’s none of our business.” Sunflower said, “Let’s finish this quickly and get home early. Joe, go over to the bonfire and warm yourself.” “Ye-yeah.”
Snaketooth walked around the crowd to the edge of the stage. The man on it wore a thick, cotton-padded jacket, a wool hood, and a pair of deer-leather gloves. Snaketooth felt warm simply by looking at him. This was so much better than him and his dirty, old clothes. He thought of how great it would be
if he had a chance to steal them, but also knew that was just in his imagination. The Elk Family label on the man’s cloak indicated his identity.
A Rat could never afford to offend an attendant of the four families.
“Go with Joe to warm yourselves, I can take care of this here,” Snaketooth said to the other two kids.
“Really?” Tigerclaw asked and raised his eyebrow a little.
“Of course, I’ve got a good memory.” Snaketooth pointed at his head. “I remember everything—the words, the people, and the bitter hatred.”
“Pfft,” Sunflower scoffed. “Listen to you. Since you say so, I’ll go. And thanks… Let’s go, Tigerclaw.”
“But you’ll have to give me more at dinner tonight.”
“We’ll see. I don’t know if there’s any food tonight!” she said, throwing her hands up.
After they left, Snaketooth patted his cold face to draw his attention back to the wooden stage. The information was useless for a Rat tail like himself, but it might mean profitable opportunities for Rat bellies and kings. Unfortunately, even if they did make some profits, the tails at the bottom would still get almost nothing.
“My fellow citizens, here’s a joint declaration by the lord of the Western Region, Prince Roland Wimbledon; Earl of the Elk Family, Shalafi Hull; and the lord of Longsong Stronghold, Petrov Hull.” The man took a sip of his hot ale and continued to read a piece of parchment in his hand. “The City Hall of Longsong Stronghold now opens the grain market to the public. Any citizen who has extra grain at home can sell them in the market freely now. But pay attention please, starting next month, any unauthorized sale of grain will be considered a felony, and only the City Hall has the right to purchase and sell grain! Once someone is arrested for the unauthorized sale of grain, he’ll be severely punished! The City Hall also welcomes public tip-offs about this
kind of offense, and will reward anyone who offers correct information 25 silver royals!”
Snaketooth opened his mouth with surprise, for he never expected that he would hear such incredible news!
The noble wants to forbid the private trade of grain!
Besides, both the grain purchasing and selling prices offered by the City Hall are extremely low. Who’ll sell grain to them at this low price? The grain price in Stronghold has already increased threefold because of the early arrival of this year’s Months of Demons and it’s impossible to drop before the snow ends. If the City Hall sells grain now, no matter how much, the nobles and merchants will buy it all. Did the prince and the city lord never think of this issue?
Wait… if they really do forbid private trade in grain, what will happen to us?” Snaketooth suddenly shuddered at this thought. Most of the citizens bought most of their grain from Rats. Once the policy was carried out and all the grain in the market was bought by the noble and merchants, it would be a disaster for almost everyone!