C143
There was a secret space in the tavern Royal Palace. Even in the Freeman organization, only Falkoa can enter.
It was the Loop Manufacturing Plant.
"You insolent brats! Do you think it will end like this?"
Jis' heart pounded as he stood beside Falkoa. He had seen Falkoa's eccentricities for a long time, but the current situation was far from normal.
'What the hell he gonna do? Why did he bring me here all of a sudden?'
As usual, Jis, who was returning from his job as a tout at the port, was captured by Falkoa's subordinates and arrived here.
It's been a day since Shirone and the others left the tavern in a commotion, but Falkoa's anger didn't seem to subside.
"Kukuku, just watch. I won't let it go like this."
Falkoa laughed grotesquely, tearing the corners of his mouth open. In his mind, he could already see the faces of the detested Shirome and his group.
Of all of them, he particularly despised Amy.
Falkoa almost pulled out his sword right away when he poured the liquor mixed with the Loop that Falkoa had handed him and revealed his red eyes as if to look into it. (팔코아가 건넸던 루프가 섞여있는 술을 한 입에 털어 넣으며 보란 듯이 홍안을 드러낼 때는 팔코아도 돈이고 뭐고 바로 검을 뽑아들 뻔했다.)
Jis glanced sideways at Falkoa, terrified.
What Falkoa was fiddling with at the moment was the device that turned Loop into powder.
The root of Loop is pressed to extract the juice, and then grounded until all the moisture is removed, leaving only a fine powder.
But could this be called a drug?
Originally, Loop was chewed along with saliva to neutralize its effects. However, the current substance was nothing more than a highly toxic chemical with intensified efficacy.
"Jis, I need you to go back again."
"W- Where to?"
"To talk to that girl, Amy. Since we succeeded once, we can do it again this time. Don't say you can't. If you also have eyes, you will know what my condition is."
Jis gulped down his saliva. Of course, he thought Falkoa would take revenge, but it was unexpected that Falkoa would go this far.
Jis had noticed that Amy was the descendant of a powerful family. If he dared to harm her, it would only be a matter of time before the Galliant and or whatever to be be razed to the ground.
"Don't tell me... Do you intend to drug her?"
"Drug her? You stupid brat. That girl will never gets addicted. Don't you understand? If someone as prestigious as the bearer of Red Eyes, who have made their name known throughout continent, gets addicted to this weak Loop, what use is it?"
"Then there's no need for this, right? It will only stir up trouble."
Jis tried to convince Falkoa with a glimmer of hope.
However, it seemed that Falkoa had already stopped listening to anyone.
"What an idiot. Can't you think properly? I never thought this plan would succeed because she won't get addicted."
Falkoa placed the refined Loop powder onto blotting paper. Then he poured it all into a cup of water he had prepared.
Jis stopped breathing.
He knew how Loop was used even though he rarely used it.
Usually, one root was enough to chew on for about two hours, and there would still be some left. But the amount of Loop Falkoa had put into the water was three times that.
Moreover, since it was in liquid form, the effect of the drug, which would normally take 6 hours, should be received all at once.
"D- Don't tell me..."
“Yeah, that’s right. I'm going to make her ingest this. That girl would definitely accept and drink with confidence. But with this much Loop, she'll die without even being able to move. You know what I mean?”
"Wh- Why are you doing this? If she dies, you won't be able to sell her."
"Hahaha, it doesn't matter. Bring her body back, even if it’s the corpse."
Falkoa poured the Loop solution into a glass bottle. As the solution mixed with the drink already inside, it glowed with a beautiful jade color, resembling a cocktail.
"Here, take it. It's a simple task. Lure her in for a chat, give her this to drink, and then bring her back in the carriage. Can you do it?"
Jis stared at the glass bottle with bloodshot eyes. His body was trembling with fear.
Amy wouldn't refuse. And if she took even a sip, it would be the end.
"What's the matter? Won't you take it? Or do you want to drink it yourself?"
Falkoa's killing intent pressed Jis. The killing intent seemed to form a hand, squeezing and grasping his neck.
"Stop it, you scum."
"What?"
Falkoa doubted his ears.
Was there still a trace of Loop's effect left? It won't be. Thanks to not taking Loop out of his mouth even for a moment, even Loop's medicinal effect was now dull.
"What did you just say? Say it again."
There are times when a person is rather calm when they goes through something too absurd. Falkoa was like that now.
Getting angry could come later. First of all, it was important to check once again whether the words of this young boy who had not dried blood on his head were true.
Jis couldn't get the words out of his throat.
Perhaps this was his last chance. If he admitted his mistake now and begged Falkoa, he might survive, though barely.
‘But….'
Jis couldn't bear to bend his knee to Falkoa.
- I don't dislike guys like you.
That one sentence, delivered with a smile from Amy in the carriage, rendered Jis speechless.
Why was that? He could just admit his weakness.
But the moment he thought of asking for forgiveness from Falkoa, he felt like Amy would turn into a liar, so even if he wanted to withdraw his words, they wouldn't come out of his mouth.
"Stop it, you disgusting brat. Someone like you isn't even human. A child who's so doped up on drugs that they can't even think straight! Calling a guy like you a garbage is a compliment!”
Dizziness struck Jis. As pleasure and fear mixed, his consciousness drifted away without being able to control his mind.
But he blurted out.
Like Shirone. Like a person whose future does not exist.
Falkoa's fist swung like lightning into Jis' distraught face.
“Keugh!”
In the darkness that enveloped his vision, he finally realized the reality. What awaited Jis was a miserable future that could only be described as hell.
"You crazy bastard! What happened to your head!”
Falkoa finally showed his true colors and started beating Jis.
It wasn't just a beating to intimidate. He was kicking Jis in the body as if he were really going to kill him.
If Schema had been used, Jis' body would have been crushed like meat hung in a butcher's shop.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Jis couldn't even scream.
He felt like his whole body was being crushed for a while, but now he couldn't feel anything. Only the shock that surpassed any pain reached him.
"Haah, yeah. There's no fun in just killing someone like you."
Falkoa regained his composure. However, it was an indication that an even greater misfortune would come to Jis.
“Keuk! Keuk!”
Falkoa grabbed Jis by the hair and lifted him up. It felt like his neck would snap, but Jis' condition was so messed up that he couldn't even worry about that.
"All right, then I have an idea."
If Jis doesn't step forward, Amy will fall into the trap, but Falkoa grew tired to consider the small situation.
"I'm moved, Jis. A coward like you showing such courage. Looks like you've fallen for that girl, but don't worry, she won't be touched as you wish. How do you feel, happy?"
"P- Please... Just please listen to me."
Jis shed tears. He already knew what Falkoa was thinking.
"Yuna, was it? Your little sister's name, right? You will regret the decision you made today for the rest of your life.”
"No, please... At least spare Yuna... Ugh!"
Falkoa threw Jis' head to the floor. Bounced like a ball, his face hit the floor with a bang and plummeted downward. With that single blow, Jis lost consciousness.
"Kukuku, anyway, it turned out to be fun."
Of course, he had no intention of forgiving Amy just because his goal had been changed to Jis' sister. He planned to bring Yuna to the hideout and torment her, then use her life as a threat to manipulate Jis. When he threatens to risk her sister's life, he knew Jis would have no choice but to comply.
"Bring Yuna to the hideout right now!"
Issuing order in a fit of rage at his subordinates, Falkoa chewed up the entire root of Loop.
-----------------------
By the time Shirone and the others arrived at the villa, it was already close to midnight. The distance had been considerable, and they had stopped in the middle to handle things and return by evening.
Although they didn't get the desired results in the room of Achievement and Sacrifice, they gained a lot.
The conversation between the four never ceased, and as a result, they ended up sharing stories they had kept hidden in their hearts.
"Oh my, you want to become a soldier?"
Upon hearing Amy's hopes for the future, Tess opened her eyes wide in surprise. She hadn't expected that she would aim to become a soldier.
Of course, since she was mage of Fire System and had polished hersniper mode, she could be said to be perfect for a battle mage.
However, the Amy Tess knew was a soft-hearted person, contrary to her appearance. She couldn't imagine how Amy would go out on the battlefield and take down countless enemies.
"To be honest, I'm worried. I thought a more feminine profession would suit Amy better."
"Yes? A feminine profession for me? I've never even heard of such a thing in school."
Tess was able to guess how spirited Amy's school life was. However, as someone who could read people's true feelings well, Tess knew the real Amy.
"Huhu, I have experience of espionage operations. A girl like Amy is actually very delicate and feminine.”
Amy gave a subtle smile. She had never thought of herself as feminine, but she couldn't deny it completely.
Even if she had a strong personality, she wasn't sure if she could adapt well to the male-dominated world of the military.
"Actually, I'm not sure. Because the Target Type is long-range, I chose the Flame System. As a result, I had no choice but to choose the most advantageous job in my major. Of course, I have a positive view of becoming a soldier. After all, not all soldiers are just about fighting on the battlefield."
"That's right. There are supply officers, and if you enter the operations headquarters, your future looks bright Oh, right! How about something like this?"
Tess clapped her hands as if suddenly remembering, and Amy asked with curiosity in her eyes.
"Huh? Like what?"
Tess stretched out her index and middle fingers, pretending to target someone walking on the white sandy beach at night.
“I mean becaming a spy. Amy's thinking ability is excellent, and on top of that, long-distance strikes are her specialty? Moreover, you possess the most important weapon for espionage operations."
"The most important weapon? What's that?"
]Amy's eyes sparkled. From her perspective as someone considering her future, she couldn't help but get excited about the fact that she had another unknown advantage.
"A pretty face. For female spies, beauty is a must. Because no man in the world dislikes a beautiful woman.”
Tess said mischievously with a smile, and Amy turned her head with a pout.
"Ei, what is that. I got my hopes up for no reason."
"Huhu, sorry. But I wasn't just joking. Having an impressive appearance is a priority when recruiting national spies. In professions that involve dealing with people, Amy's presence would definitely leave a strong impression. So, think about it seriously. I'll give you a strong recommendation within our family."
"I’m, I'm good. I will only trust my magic skills.”
Amy's face turned red. Although she acted nonchalant, she didn't dislike the compliment that she was pretty.
'Aww, how cute. Look, how feminine is she?'
To Tess, Amy was a friend who was fun to tease. Tess, who was thinking about how to tease her more, suddenly remembered something she was really curious about.
“By the way, what will happen when you graduate?”
"Huh? Of course, I'll take the official exam and find a job."
"No, I mean Shirone."
“Shirone? Why Shirone?”
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Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
