Children of God (5)
"Why won't you let me do it!!"
Meanwhile, Madam was hurling a glass cup to the floor in a fit of rage. While handling this matter, she had tried to use her connections to deal with that no-name guild that was acting without knowing its place. But not only the Hades Guild—even Nox was telling her to just stay quiet?
Giving them the benefit of the doubt, the Hades Guild might do that. But Nox? That couldn't be right. Just the tribute that Tears of the Moonlight had paid to Nox over the years could buy several territories. Adding the bribes and gifts on top, the amount was beyond calculation.
"Pl-please calm down, Madam."
"The Matriarch gave the order herself, so what can we do?"
"What is that backroom old hag so afraid of!!"
The Matriarch was the woman leading Nox, the king of the night. Naturally, Madam also acknowledged the feat of the Matriarch in establishing Nox. However, now she was nothing but an old tiger with its teeth pulled out. Yet why was she still so scared and reading the room? From Madam's perspective, it was frustrating beyond words. It wasn't anything major—just cleaning up one insignificant guild. Was that so difficult?
"Hoo, no. Forget it. Yes, we must follow the Matriarch's command."
Madam clutched her throbbing head and barely managed to speak rationally. Even without the Matriarch's help, by mobilizing her own connections, she could easily handle a guild like that.
"How is the child we recaptured this time?"
"She's still resisting."
"Can't even speak, yet we took her in out of pity."
Madam clicked her tongue with a contemptuous expression. She had picked up something useless and made it useful, yet it was ungrateful and didn't recognize the favor. But she couldn't dispose of it either. Women without tongues were rare, but there was demand. When inserting deeply into the hole, the tongue got in the way—or so they claimed. It didn't matter what excited the customers. The most important thing was money. And the customers who preferred tongueless women were valuable rich clients even by Madam's strict standards.
Madam clicked her tongue again. If she had known this would happen, she should have taken the girl's friends hostage.
They were so filthy that I didn't even consider it.
To Madam, the Children of God were like vermin. Hamsters at least were cute enough to raise as pets. But the other sewer rats were disgusting and she didn't even want to associate with them.
"But I can't tell the kids to catch the rats either."
"Madam, one of those brats from earlier came looking."
"What? That child's friend came here?"
"Yes. We've detained him for now. Should we throw him out again?"
"No, no. This is actually perfect. My worries have lessened thanks to this."
Those pieces of trash were helpful at least once—or even twice—in their lives. Madam smiled brightly and rose from her seat.
A moment later, in the room Madam had left, a familiar face appeared. It was a boy with purple hair and a small scar on his cheek.
Madam approached Diego with a smile. Even while restrained, Diego didn't lose the venomous glare in his eyes.
"A rat that doesn't know its place has come crawling back?"
"Shut up and give Sasha back right now. If you don't...!!"
"I can't give her back. But I'll gladly let you meet her."
At Madam's gesture, the door opened and Sasha appeared with the staff. She was still wearing the clothes that had been burned before. The moment he saw her, Diego thrashed and shouted.
"Sasha!!"
"......!!"
"Stand him up. And hit him."
As ordered. One of the men holding Diego slipped his arms under the boy's armpits and locked him in place from behind. The other drove a fist into Diego's stomach.
"Cough!!"
"Hmm~ The only useful thing about him really is that scream."
"......! ......!!"
Watching Diego get beaten right in front of her, Sasha desperately tried to stop it, but there was no way a frail girl could overpower grown men.
Madam spoke with a laugh.
"Girl, do you still not want to work?"
"......"
"Don't listen to her... I'm fine, so... Kugh!!"
"Dear me, don't hit him too hard. He might die."
Despite the worried tone, her voice dripped with mockery. Sasha looked back and forth between Diego and Madam with a desperate expression. And then she realized what she had to do.
"How about it? Has your mind changed now?"
"......"
Nod.
There was no changing the situation. In the end, if she didn't step forward, Diego would die. Sasha couldn't bear that. So she had no choice but to nod.
Diego screamed.
"What the hell are you going to do!! Sa... Argh?!"
"You made a good decision, dear. Let's start preparing."
Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn it!!!
Strength flooded his fists. But there was nothing he could do. The only thing Diego could do was resent the world. In that abandoned place, she had been the only friend he could open his heart to. And now even that was being taken away.
We didn't ask for much. Can't we just live together? Why? If you were going to hate us that much, why give birth to us at all? Why us!!
Anger. Helplessness. And despair. Feeling powerless at his own inability to do anything, Diego—who had come to hate the world—was originally destined to become a monster. At least, if the door hadn't been destroyed, things wouldn't have turned out much differently.
"What the hell is this mess?"
The door had been smashed open. He could grasp the situation immediately. But Madam wasn't surprised. Rather, she felt dumbfounded. They were deliberately messing with them now? What kind of crazy bastard would do that?
"Sophia, Hans."
The silver-haired man who had shattered the door and stepped inside quietly spoke. The two people waiting behind him instantly took control of the situation.
Diego and Sasha simply blinked in stunned silence.
"Don't move. It'll be over soon."
"The girl is fine, but the boy is badly hurt."
"His bones are fractured. I'll start with emergency treatment."
Looking at Diego, now a mess of wounds, and Sasha, who was exposing herself like a common whore, Hans and Sophia felt a pang of guilt.
It was thanks to Isaac that they had realized the truth.
When I first saw the orphans on the battlefield, I felt truly sorry for the children. I even questioned what fault those young things could possibly have.
......
But now those feelings have completely vanished. Instead, I felt annoyed and disgusted. Even though the children had done nothing wrong......
......You can repent for your wrongs and correct them. It's not too late yet.
They had received an enormous shock the previous day. They had believed nothing had changed. They had thought what they were doing wasn't wrong. But at some point, they had adapted far too well to Gideon. The one who made them realize it was Isaac.
At first they had thought he was all talk. Even taking his hand had been a reluctant choice forced by the urgent situation at the time. But not anymore. He possessed the power to lead people directly—and down the right path.
That was why Sophia and Hans now trusted Isaac. They had decided to walk that path with him.
"In broad daylight, you dare...!!"
"Shut your mouth."
"......?!"
To act out so brazenly. There was a limit to how much they could be looked down upon. Naturally, Madam tried to unleash her fury. However, a single chilly phrase—like the bite of winter—sealed her lips. As if her vocal cords had been severed, Madam could not utter a single word. It was because of the overwhelming spirit radiating from the silver-haired man before her.
He soon spoke.
"I am extremely angry right now."
"Wh-what for...?!"
"Because you bastards arbitrarily touched the children that the Iron Shield sponsors and protects."
What the hell is this bullshit?!
What? Sponsor? Protect? Who? The Children of God? For Madam it was enough to drive her insane, but she couldn't say anything immediately. Her instincts were screaming. One wrong move and she would truly die.
"I'll give you one last chance."
"...Ugh...!"
"Apologize to the children yourself. Swear that you will never touch them again. If not..."
"I-I'll do it! I'll do it!!"
She still had her pride. If the owner of Tears of the Moonlight bowed her head to some unheard-of minor guild, her rivals would immediately look down on her and tear her apart. But she could no longer make such calculations. The fear of death pressing down on her like a mountain forced Madam to bow her head to the Children of God she had so despised.
"I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again!! Please forgive me!"
For now I'll get through this somehow. Later I'll report directly to Nox and the Hades Guild......!
"Good. Since you've apologized, I won't take your life."
"Th-thank y...?"
However, Madam could not finish her words. At some point, Isaac had taken a stance. Even without learning the sword, anyone could tell. It was obvious he was about to draw his blade and do something.
Slice.
A horrifying sound like something being cut rang out. She felt warm sunlight on her head. Wait—sunlight? Madam slowly raised her head. That anxiety soon became reality.
"M-my Tears of the Moonlight?!?!"
Exactly. Literally, Isaac had drawn his sword and split Tears of the Moonlight in two. There wasn't even the sound of cracking, nor did the building collapse completely. It simply remained split in half. As if it hadn't even noticed it had been cut.
Isaac sheathed his sword. Madam screamed at him.
"Why the hell are you doing this!! What did I do wrong?!"
"You still don't know your own fault?"
"Gideon has always been about survival of the fittest!!"
Ever since the Hades Guild took power, only the strong received respect. The weak were thoroughly weeded out. She had simply followed that rule. But, but what did I do wrong...!?
"That's not wrong."
"Y-yes! Because I'm stronger! I just did as I pleased!"
"I'll return those words right back to you."
"What...?"
What was this about now? Madam's head wasn't working properly. No—it couldn't. The achievements she had built over her lifetime had been shattered.
For such a Madam, Isaac spoke.
"The strongest—me—has decided to protect these children."
Therefore, it is your fault for touching them. Isn't it?
In the end, Madam could not endure it and fainted.