The Strange Life I Live

Tina

Zen is now in a place, where he has decided to wait for some monsters to reappear. He could have gone to a region that had some monsters living there, but Zen decided to take a break here.

After making an ember, Zen then took out a pot that was filled with various meats inside. After putting various types of vegetables and pouring water to boil it and give it some spices, Zen then put the pot on the coals that he had made.

“Now just wait it out” muttered Zen who immediately looked at the little girl he saved earlier and sat not far from him.

The dog-eared girl still felt awkward being near Zen, because indeed the man was somehow very kind to her, unlike some adventurers who often hired her services as a porter.

“How long have you been a Tina porter?” zen asked who started to open up the conversation between them.

Naturally hearing Zen's question, Tina who had previously only daydreamed and thought about what she was going through was immediately shocked.

“A-I've been doing it for almost a year Tuan” replied Tina with a distinctive voice from a little girl.

“Hm. Then why can you be in the dungeon alone, isn't the adventurer who hired your services obligated to protect yourself?” then Zen said.

Indeed, a party that hires a porter must be obliged to protect him from anything, even if it is proven that the porter was injured and died, the tenant of their services would get a very heavy penalty from the Adventurer Guild.

But strangely, it is impossible for Tina to enter the dungeon alone because she does not have permission to enter it if not hired by someone. But when Zen found himself, he was alone.

“I-this is because of my stupidity Tuan” replied Tina who actually regretted her decision earlier.

In order to hire a porter in a legal manner, adventurers were obliged to hand over their down payment to the porter they had hired to the Adventurers Guild. These rules were made by adventurer Guilds to prevent unfair payments for the porters.

However, some parties were still making transactions without going through the Adventurers Guild as experienced by Tina. Tina was in desperate need of money, and in order to compete with the other porters, she had to do anything to get her services hired by someone.

Including working without guarantees that he had done and caused himself to be left alone in the Dungeon. Indeed if the porters did not do the legal way, then their status would not be known to the adventurer Guild and their whereabouts would definitely not be recorded.

“Cih... basic human savage” murmured Zen who after hearing the explanation from Tina.

Of course, the adventurer only took advantage of the immaturity of thinking from Tina, and admitted – iming himself with a good fee, so Tina did not think about the risks she received while undergoing the illegal path.

Although their actions were strongly opposed by the Adventurers Guild, but the Guilds could not do anything – what because it was very difficult to keep an eye on the thousands of adventurers and porters in their shade.

“Is this your first time doing porter work illegally?” ask Zen back.

Tina naturally shook her head as it was indeed not her first time doing this. Indeed, the treatment he received while being an illegal porter was enough to make him tortured.

What's more he's been through today, which is the worst thing he's ever received. Tina often receives abuse, torture and even less pay. But because he needed money, he was forced to just accept the situation.

“If you experience something like that over and over again, why are you still doing it?” zen asked who was confused by the thought path of the girl.

“Because if I use legal means, my competition is quite a lot. Moreover, true adventurers – true high rank will only hire people – people who they think are able to do their job well, unlike me who looks so weak this” replied Tina.

Indeed, a high-level adventurer party would spend their time in a dungeon for a long time. Of course if they do the hunting during that time, the goods they produce will be very much, so they will hire the correct porter – can properly work together with them.

“And also, the famous porter has a lot of gem stores that will help them in carrying goods from its customers. While I only use this shabby bag to lift all the luggage of my customers” continued Tina who is currently staring at her bag that has been shapeless damaged.

“Hahh... weight also turned out to be a Zen muttered porter” who was concerned about Tina's state.

After hearing Tina's story, Zen began to examine her cooking which he had been cooking for quite some time. After opening the lid of the pot that was on top of the coals of his homemade fire, Zen began to see that his cooking began to boil and Zen then tried to taste the cuisine he cooked.

“Hm... less than a few ingredients” Zen murmured who returned to look for some spices and put them in his cooking and closed the pot containing the dish to cook it even longer.

“ulurkan your hand” Zen told Tina.

Tina was quite confused by Zen's orders, but she just followed him. A gem store started Zen taking it out of his pants pocket and pouring some water into Tina's tiny hands.

Zen then helped Tina clean her hands by giving a soap to be used by the girl. Tina was quite surprised that Zen gave her a soap that she thought was very expensive but Zen forced her to use it, even though Tina had refused to use the expensive soap.

“This takes your own bowl and spoon” said Zen who handed a bowl and spoon to Tina who had finished drying her cleaned hands.

“A-Will master give myself a meal?” tina asked who was still confused by the treatment she received.

“Of course. Of course I will let myself eat alone in this place when you are also here” said Zen who had raised the pot containing his cooking from the embers of the fire he made.

“Sini bring your bowl to me” reply Zen who told tina to bring the bowl closer in her pegganggangnya and began to fill it with a few pieces of meat and broth broth of the boiled.

“Eat while warm” said Zen who has poured the last piece of food that has been scooped to a bowl from Tina that already contains a lot of pieces of meat and vegetables in it.

Tina was still stunned by what Zen was doing and just stared silently at the food he was given, because she did not feel worthy to eat the food that was quite luxurious.

But after Zen scooped his own food and put it on his bowl, Zen then looked at Tina who was still staring fixedly at her food and did not touch it.

“Eat, do not hesitate” said Zen who had fed a piece of meat into his mouth and ate it greedily because he was very hungry.

“T-But..” he said who was still hesitant to eat foods that look very good.

“Try, surely you will love it” said Zen who continues to encourage Tina to eat her food.

Tina was forced to start using her spoon and pick up a piece of meat that could be seen removing steam from the piece after she scooped it up. Slowly Tina started to put it in her mouth and was very surprised by the taste.

This is the warmest and most delicious food Tina has ever eaten since her parents died. Because all this time Tina only bought some dry food as her food.

“How, delicious isn't it?” zen said and got a nod of encouragement from Tina who started eating her food voraciously.

I don't know what food Tina was eating, because the meat she was eating was smeared in her mouth. Only the first time he ate food, especially meat that he rarely ate with a very soft texture like he felt it.

It was quite happy to see someone eating the food cooked by him being eaten so voraciously by someone. Of course, the sight also made Zen start to remember his sister who was very cute, because she always ate very greedily when Zen cooked something for her.

They began to eat in silence, because Tina ate her food very well and enjoyed the food given by Zen. Until finally did not feel the food was exhausted after he took a sip of the soup from the food he ate.

“Sini, bring your bowl close again” said Zen who saw that the contents of the bowl from Tina had run out and intended to add it.

“Nothing – what sir, I've satiated” replied Tina lying, because in fact she really wanted to add but felt very bad.

“Already near” said Zen who forced and used one hand had scooped a soup for Tina and was just waiting for her to bring her bowl closer to her.

Hearing that Zen was forcing her, Tina finally brought her bowl closer and Zen filled it again with the food she had cooked. Tina's bowl was full again and Zen finally told her to go back to eating it.

“T-Thank you Tuan” said Tina who is actually still very confused by the very different behavior she often receives.

Tina did not expect that there was someone very kind to her. Because all this time he was always treated like an animal that had to do his job well. Even when he followed the person who hired him, they never gave himself food at all as Zen did today.

“Then, what will you do next?” zen asked the girl who was still devouring her food greedily.

“Maybe be a porter again, because indeed I have to survive” said Tina.

It can be said that it is very difficult to find a job that can be done by a girl his age, except for a porter. But it is certain that Tina will return to being an illegal porter because only lowly adventurers will rent her services.

But there is one that makes Zen very confused, how they can enter freely if indeed their actions are illegal. Because indeed at every entrance of the dungeon had guards and people who wanted to enter it had to report themselves first.

“Then, how about I rent your services?”