C146
Tess was rather uneasy about Shirone's rapid change of position. From what they had gone through, she knew just how rationally he viewed the world.
Shirone was not a person who adjusted the situation according to his mood. But that's not to say he was cold-blooded either.
He just knew how to control his emotions, but there must have been numerous conflicts in his mind.
Tess saw that Shirone's current condition could adversely affect the battle.
“Shirone, there's no need to worry. We're not going to fight, we're going to rescue Jis' sister. It's enough to find out for ourselves what kind of person Marsha is.”
Shirone forced a smile. He knew what Tess was worried about, but that just made him more determined.
If the woman he confirmed with his own eyes was truly a villain, he planned to forget all the emotions he had so far and defeat him with all his might.
"Don't worry. I won't make a mistake."
Shirone kicked the horse and quickly cut through the night air.
Forced Breakthrough (1)
There is no road from the west to the northern hideout. This is because there is an indigenous autonomous zone in the center.
The ones who kidnapped Yuna circled around Toa Mountain and headed towards the hideout. By the time they arrived at their destination, it was already dawn.
In a shabby building like a warehouse, Falkoa was sitting on a chair. The shells of chewed Loops were strewn beneath his feet as he sat there blankly with half-closed pupils.
The men who opened the warehouse door bowed to Falkoa and threw the bag containing Yuna to the floor.
There was a thud, but no scream escaped. However, intense trembling could be felt from inside the sack.
From the range of the shaking, you could tell how terrified she was.
As Falkoa chinned, his subordinate drew a knife and tore through the sack. Yuna, soaked in tears and sweat, was revealed as if a cocoon had been opened.
Yuna's eyes were filled with despair as she looked around in fear. She didn't know where, but the fact that she had run all night long told her that time was passing.
In front of her, a man who didn't seem sane was looking down at her with dilated pupils, and near the entrance, scary-looking men had blocked even the places to escape.
"Pl- Please spare me."
"You guys can go out."
The subordinates, who knew from experience what would happen if they disobeyed their boss, opened the door and disappeared as soon as Falkoa instructed them.
Left alone with Yuna, Falkoa came closer, chewing on Loop.
"You're better than I expected. Do you know why you're here?"
"I, I don't know. Please send me home."
"I'm sorry, but I can't. My plan is to make you the most miserable human in the world. Why? Because your brother sold you."
Yuna froze as if in shock. But she still believed in Jis in heart. What kind of brother would sell his little sister to someone like this?
"That can't be true! My big bro cares about me the most!"
"Is that so? Then why are you here now? I gave a tremendous gift to Jis and got you."
Falkoa didn't think his words were false. After all, he had saved his life, so isn't it like giving him a huge sum of money?
On top of that, he even guaranteed him time to miss Amy, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he was Jis' benefactor.
"That can't be true! My big bro couldn't have sold me!"
Yuna shouted as she grabbed her chest to overcome her fear. The fact that she had been dragged somewhere unknown was shocking, but even more so was the thought that her brother had sold her.
"Send me to my big bro! I'll ask him myself!"
"Hey, little missy. You don't seem to understand the situation. You can't go home. You can't ever return. There are two options. Either die to me or kill yourself.”
"No! That can't be true! Kyaak!"
Falkoa abruptly approached and grabbed Yuna's wrist. Pulled by irresistible strength, Yuna was forced to her feet and was thrown into Falkoa’s arms.
"Go away, you bad man!"
For a moment, Falkoa, who savored the delicate girl's resistance, twisted Yuna's arm as she broke it. Then she threatened, clutching both of her cheeks in his hands.
"Don't exhaust yourself too much at the start. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to scream."
Just then, the door of the warehouse opened, and someone entered. A cold voice resonated around the warehouse.
“Falkoa. Human trafficking is against the rules.”
“Freeman.”
Falkoa frowned in displeasure. Agado Freeman, the only man in the Parrot Mercenary Band with a higher rank than himself, was watching the situation in the warehouse with sunken eyes.
Standing over 190 cm tall and wearing a long white coat, his impression was pallor itself. His eyebrows were completely shaved off and his lips were as thin as a sick person's.
As the person who served as the vice-captain of the Parrot Bandits, the predecessor of the Freeman Organization, he is Schema master and used techniques involving Magic Bullets. However, within the organization, it was believed that he surpassed even Lucas in pure physical ability.
"What's the matter all of a sudden? Haven't seen you in a while. Did you lose some money?"
Falkoa spoke with a note of displeasure. From the days of the Parrot Mercenary Band, Freeman was the undisputed second-in-command, but Falkoa was the only one in the organization who had been given a free role.
The conflict between the vice-captain and the leader intensified after entering the island. It was because of Freeman's desire to keep the rules of the old mercenaries even after they had fallen into banditry.
Feeding dozens of subordinates branded as rebels required massive funds. But Freeman couldn't come up with a solution for that.
The person who had led such an organization for 5 years was Falkoa. He drove out the island's gang bosses with force and maintained the organization with the money left over from distributing the drug called "Loop".
There was a reason Freeman had tolerated Falkoa's wrongdoings despite knowing them.
But this time it was too much. If you're going to bear the name Parrot, there's a line you shouldn't cross.
Although Freeman was only a pantsuit leader, he adhered to the policy of strictly punishing human trafficking and looting through violence.
“You must know the rules of the organization? Human trafficking demeans the stature of the Parrot Mercenaries."
"Parrot Mercenaries? Since when we lived only looking at the glories of the past? Look at us now. Do you think the organization could have survived without the money I brought in?"
"You've gone mad, Falkoa. I will praise you for your hard work for the organization, regardless of the method. But make this clear. I am the one leading the organization."
"I don't care about that. I don't recognize you. Wasn't that the plan from the start? You can't suddenly act like you're the boss."
A chill aura rose from Freeman, who had been observing Falkoa's defiant behavior. If it was a weak creature, it was such an intense energy that it would kill them by just being exposed.
However, Falkoa absorbed the turbid energy as if stabbing a knife into his body. It was painful, but he accepted it without a change in his expression.
"Kukuku, man, how scary."
Freeman was at a loss. To such a warlike man, pain and anger were merely accelerators that aggravated the situation.
'Has he become a wild dog to this extent?'
Even if it wasn't for Loop, Falkoa was a character driven only by desire from the beginning. It was just that his desire was focused on combat and killing, which suited the mercenaries.
However, now that he was working as a tavern owner on the island, he was in a state of frustration. Even while indulging in Loop, alcohol, and women, it was difficult to appease his innate madness.
"Please, please spare me."
As Yuna trembled and pleaded, Freeman, who had been looking at her, turned his gaze back to Falkoa and said,
"Do you really have to go this far? Have you lost even the pride of the Parrots?"
"Pride? Oi, let me tell you something. The Parrot Mercenary Band is already over. The leader has left and her subordinates are also at their limit. You too should give up and come to our side."
Falkoa buried his face in Yuna's throat as if to show off. Still, Freeman did not move. It was because now Falkoa was showing killing intent.
The moment he moves, the battle will begin. When that happens, one of the two pillars that had been holding the Parrot will collapse in one way or another.
If they really fight, it would be hard for anyone to guess the outcome. But Falkoa was confident because he knew Freeman couldn't control him.
"Why not try stepping down? I'll tell my subordinate, you can take some money. It would be good for you to admit it and learn how to enjoy it."
"Oh my, it's a real mess, it's a mess."
The door opened and a woman's voice was heard. Falkoa hurriedly turned his head at the voice that pierced his mind. But before he could see anything, he got hit in the jaw and his face turned away.
“Keugh!”
Then, a powerful kick hit Falkoa's abdomen. As Falkoa squatted on the floor, Yuna also lost strength in her legs and fell down.
"Shit. This is really unlucky."
Falkoa spat out saliva and slowly got up. The reason he, who had animal-like reflexes, could not avoid two attacks was because he unconsciously suppressed counterattacks.
Clay Marsha. Standing there was the leader of the Parrot Mercenary Bnad, which once reigned over hundreds of mercenaries.
“Is it really leader?"
"Is there a fake one? You mongrel, you've lost your senses because you've been free for a few years."
Falkoa wasn't angry. No, he didn't even show hostility.
To the member of the mercenary band, Marsha was such an existence.
As the first leader of the Parrot Mercenaries, it took more than force to raise the mercenary band to an A-rank within a few years.
And Marsha did it with her outstanding skills. Moreover, she was a powerful figure who was the only one in the organization to be classified as a A-Class criminal.
However, Falkoa did not follow Marsha for such trivial reasons.
He was defining a woman named Marsha in this way.
Fallen Mary.
Marsha is kind and affectionate, but it was no exaggeration to say that almost none of the people she embraced were normal.
Those abandoned by their families, those who were born to crave blood by nature, social dropouts who couldn't reveal their existence outside the battlefield.
Falkoa was one of them.
When no one would treat his mental illness and only pushed him out of society, Marsha was the only person who embraced him.
In the Parrot Bandits, Marsha was an older sister and a mother, and the best leader they could trust and rely on in any situation.
However, it was true that even such a leader would have an outburst of anger. What does it mean to show up now without contacting for several years?
"Damn. Where have you been hiding? You're not even the leader. All this while we have….”
"You, you've become a junkie, haven't you?"
Falkoa's face hardened. Even his pupils that had been dilated became clearer at least for this moment.
He must have heard it countless times over the past five years, but for some reason, it felt like he was hearing it for the first time.
Junkie. Is that really the case? Has he, who used to be called a demon on the battlefield, now become a drug addict?
Freeman approached and bowed his head to Marsha.
“It's been a while, Captain. When did you come back?”
“When I heard the news that Lucas had been killed, I left right away. He will definitely blow up his hideout. It seems we will have to clear this place soon."
After explaining this to Freeman, Marshia approached Falkoa. As she approached, Falkoa, as if shocked, subtly avoided her gaze.
“Falkoa, I'm sure I told you. Human trafficking is not allowed."
Falkoa's brow wrinkled. Come to think of it, there was nothing to be ashamed of. All the fault lies with Marsha, who abandoned the organization and left.
---
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
