Kidnapping the Hero Party's Second Companion (5)
In the back alleys of The Trash Can, deep within the gangsters' hideout. The place reeked of a headache-inducing medicinal stench. There, Hare stood.
“...You said you had something to tell me.”
“Huu— Hare. Been a while. Why don't you sit down first?”
The boss of The Trash Can. Kyle, who ran a high-interest loan business. The burly man, decked out in gold from head to toe, rolled up a piece of paper and lit it like a cigarette. The strange herbs inside filled the air with a thick, acrid smoke.
Hare squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
“I'd appreciate it if you'd get to the point. I have to get back to work.”
“Kahaha—! Matches? You think you'll make any money selling those tiny things? Or are you talking about your other line of business?”
Kyle made a show of reaching into his coat, mocking Hare's thievery. Since it was true, Hare kept her mouth firmly shut.
Seeing her reaction, Kyle asked, “Hare. I heard your grandmother's sick. Is that right?”
“...Yes. It's true.”
“No savings, medicine costs whatever they want, and now you've even injured our 'talented' underling Ness. What a pitiful situation, Hare.”
Ness wasn't talented. But if Kyle decided to call him talented on the ledger, then he became talented. It was just a way to inflate the price.
“Our talented Ness is hurt so badly he can't even work. Tsk, looks like I've got a lot of idle money piling up.”
“...What do you want?”
“There we go. That's the spirit, Hare. That's what negotiation is all about.”
The one below asks questions. The one above answers. That was what Kyle understood as negotiation. Having firmly seized control, Kyle exhaled a plume of smoke and said,
“Huu— Two million peri for Ness's medical bills. Add in the interest on everything you've borrowed so far, and we're looking at eight million. That's the smallest courtesy I can offer.”
“We only borrowed one million...! How is the interest six hundred thousand?! That doesn't make any sense...!!”
“Your grandmother knew the interest rate was high when she borrowed it. I never deceived anyone.”
“That's a lie...!! You forced her thumbprint onto it...!!”
“That's just part of the process, dear. In The Trash Can, the one who gets fooled is the one at fault. Don't throw a tantrum, Hare.”
The moment Hare looked like she might lash out, the burly men around her blocked the door with their bodies. Including Ness. Hare had nowhere left to retreat.
“Hare. The deadline is today. If you can't pay it back, I'll give you a choice.”
“A choice...?”
“That's right! A choice. If you sign this 'contract,' I'll cover your grandmother's treatment and wipe the debt clean.”
With a slick motion, Kyle slid a piece of paper toward her. Hare quietly read the contract.
“...”
“Well? It's not a bad offer for you either.”
“...You're telling me to work in a brothel?”
“Exactly. You have talent, Hare. Even after clearing the full debt, working there would let you make up the losses in just a month. It's not a bad deal for us either.”
Kyle gave her a greedy, leering gaze. Hare lifted her head and met that disgusting stare head-on. His expression was one of pure, mind-consuming greed. It felt like a massive snake was slithering over her body. A violent shudder ran through her.
“If the world was always this cruel... I wish I had never been born...”
“That's not up to you, Hare. Choose. Will you work with us and save your grandmother? Or will you spend your life selling matches on the street?”
No matter how happy a face she tried to make, the pain in her heart didn't change. Feeling like she'd fallen into a pitch-black abyss, Hare finally made her choice. Still, she could never work with them.
I'm sorry, Grandma...
Riiip—
“No matter how hard things get... I will never stay with you scum. You bastards.”
“Huu— I tried to handle this with words. Guess that won't work. Everyone, teach this girl what reality looks like.”
The five gangsters surged forward. Hare spotted Ness among them.
“...Ness.”
She remembered—he had that on him. Hare quickly approached him. Startled by her sudden movement, he stumbled backward. Hare thrust her hand into his coat.
“Ness!! The girl's got a dagger! Everyone be careful!”
“U-ugh...!!”
With Ness's scream, Hare's dagger moved. In an instant, blood began to flow across Kyle's hideout. Ness collapsed to the floor, unconscious. It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
“M-move. If you don't want to die, get away from the door right now...!!”
“S-shit...!!”
“You go first! You're the junior!”
No matter how frail she looked, a person holding a blade was different. Using that fact, Hare kept the helpless gangsters at bay as she slowly backed toward the exit. The moment they parted and the escape route came into view—
“Hold on. Just a second. You stab Ness and think you can just walk out of here? That's insane. How little do you think of us?”
Kyle rose from his leather chair. With a leisurely stride, he approached Hare.
“If you stab one of our own, you have to pay the price. Don't you agree?”
“S-stay back...! If you come any closer, I'll stab you...!!”
“From the way you stabbed Ness, your skill seems decent... but you missed on purpose, didn't you? You've never killed anyone before, have you?”
Blood was flowing from Ness's body, but it was a wound that would heal quickly with treatment. Hare had deliberately avoided a vital point. Kyle saw through it at a glance.
“All that time rolling around with the knight orders... and you're pulling cheap tricks like this... Hey, Hare.”
“I told you not to come closer...!! I'll s-stab you...!”
“Go ahead. Stab me right in the heart.”
Thud.
Kyle grabbed Hare's hand and pressed the dagger against his own chest. His life was now in her hands. He smiled and whispered to her.
“Kill me, Hare.”
“...”
“Idiot. You don't even have the resolve to kill, yet you're waving a knife around.”
Slap—!
Kyle struck Hare's cheek hard. The pain made her vision blur for a moment. The crucial dagger slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. Hare was still too kind to kill someone.
“This isn't a toy for merchandise like you to play with, Hare.”
“...N-no.”
“Hey, bring the contract. Looks like we'll have to force her thumbprint.”
Kyle placed Hare's hand on the contract. He intended to prick her thumb with the dagger and stamp it by force. Hare struggled with all her might to stay conscious, but she couldn't overcome the strength of Kyle, a former knight order member.
“N-no...! D-don't...!!”
“Stay still. I'll finish this in a second.”
It was a desperate situation. Hare felt like she was standing trial just before falling into hell.
Please... please...
Hare didn't want to fall. She was clinging desperately to the edge of a cliff. Her strength was fading, and the urge to give up began to take over her mind. At that moment, one person came to mind.
Even if I fall in the end, at least that person...
I want to apologize to that uncle... Maybe he'll help me again like last time... I'm sorry for being so shameless...
Burdened with guilt, Hare cried out her final hope.
“S-save me...! Someone... please help... Uncle...!”
“You know calling for help is useless, right? This Trash Can is my territ—”
Boom—!
At that instant, the door shattered. Through the cloud of dust, a human silhouette appeared. The other gangsters couldn't recognize him, but Hare remembered. She'd recalled his voice every single night.
“There you are. Match-selling girl.”
The kidnapper had arrived at the perfect moment.
“Uncle... can you help me...?”
Hare, collapsed on the floor, greeted him with a bitter smile.
...What a mess.
She was sprawled on the floor, pinned down by one of the gangsters. From the looks of it, they had been trying to force her thumbprint onto something.
If I'd been even a little later, it would've been a disaster.
There were about two hours left. I'd have to clean this place up quickly and kidnap the thief.
Tsk. Seeing Hare's reddened cheek, I asked the gangster who seemed to be the boss.
“...From what I can see, you're not just some common thug. Who trained you?”
“The state trained me. That aside, are you the bastard who turned Ness into ground meat?”
“If that bandaged lump on the floor is Ness, then yes. I did it.”
Kyle glanced at me briefly. It was a probing look.
Those are trained movements.
He was probably from one of the state-run knight orders—either the Sylvester Knights or the Black Crow Knights. Since the 'core' training method was the same for knights in both orders, I could easily identify the thug's background.
“Turning Ness into a bloody pulp... Hmm... Shall we talk for a moment? I'm Kyle. And you are?”
“No need for names. Before that, I'd like you to release that girl. Actually, just let her go. Right now.”
“...As you wish.”
The gangster Kyle obediently stepped back. He must have judged me as stronger than himself. Which was true. I was stronger than him.
I hid Hare behind me and asked him, “What exactly were you trying to do to this girl?”
“Nothing much. I was simply trying to collect the money she rightfully owes me.”
“Is that true, Hare?”
I asked her gently. She glanced nervously at Kyle before spilling the truth.
“The loan is real, but they forced it on us. And just now, they tried to sell me to a brothel...”
“That rotten bitch. She just had to make this a big deal.”
So that's how it was. I stroked Hare's head and said,
“Go home. I'll take care of things here and follow.”
“Huh? Where...?”
“I know where your house is. Your grandmother is in critical condition, so go to her first.”
“...Yes! Yes! Th-thank...! Th-thank you...!”
Two different ways of saying thanks mixed together. Hare looked slightly puzzled, but upon hearing about her grandmother, she quickly ran home.
Now that only the men remained, I faced Kyle.
“...If I let you live, will there be trouble later? Or not?”
“I won't go near that girl Hare, I swear! I'll even forget the debt and interest!”
“Hmm...”
Weak to the strong, endlessly cruel to the weak. That was Kyle, the master of The Trash Can.
It's been a while since I cleaned up some trash.
Since he knew about Hare's existence, it was best to eliminate any future complications. I drew the sword I'd tucked at my waist. It was an ordinary iron blade.
“I've thought about it, and I've decided it's better if you die.”
“Y-you son of a bitch! I said I'd forget it!!”
Grudges aren't easily forgotten. I'd make sure to eliminate Kyle completely. I raised my sword toward him, and Kyle gripped his own longsword in response.
“Y-you bastard...!! Even if I die, I'll at least leave a wound on you—!!”
A blue 'sword aura' wrapped around Kyle's blade. It was a high-level technique that channeled mana from the core into the sword. A blade reinforced with sword aura was sharp enough to slice through a five-hundred-year-old tree.
Looking at his core, I could see traces of the Sylvester Knights' techniques mixed in. That gave me even more reason to kill him.
“Did you throw the knight order's honor to the dogs?”
“Shut up...! You worm who knows nothing about me...!!”
I knew. He'd hit the limit of his talent and been kicked out of the order. The knight orders' doors were open to everyone, but the exit doors were just as wide. He was probably one of those who had fallen through that exit.
As I analyzed the man named Kyle, a problem appeared before my eyes.
Kyle is charging at you! His sword looks scary too! Kyaa!
1. Respond to the sword and look for an opening.
2. Send him off without pain.
“No need to think about it.”
“What?”
I clicked the correct answer to the problem. Kyle approached me with his sword aura fully extended. The moment his blade was about to reach my arm—
My muscles swelled. Mana from my core reinforced my body. One second. My suddenly strengthened body unleashed explosive power. For this instant, I was no different from a being called a 'Sword Saint.'
Slice—
In that state, Kyle's head fell to the floor. Even as it rolled, his eyes showed he hadn't even realized he'd been cut. Option two. Sending him off without pain meant exactly this.
“Th-the boss is dead—!”
“W-we're all going to die—!”
The underlings who didn't dare fight back even after their boss was killed. I spoke to the terrified, screaming men with a clear threat in my voice.
“You lot.”
“Y-yes...! J-just spare our lives...!!”
“Clean up the corpse yourselves. I'm leaving.”
“Huh...?”
“Didn't you hear? Handle it yourselves. Do that and I'll let you live.”
I only needed to remove the dangerous element. The rest were the type who felt more fear than grudge. There was no need for anything more.
Besides, I need to hurry so I'm not late.
I wiped the blood from my face and headed toward Hare's house to kidnap her. There wasn't much time left.
Even though she had fallen and scraped her knees, Hare ran with all her strength.
Grandma is critically ill...
She might not make it through today. She couldn't let her grandmother pass away all alone. Hare hurried toward the house.
Just as he had said, Helen was on the verge of drawing her last breath.
“G-Grandma...!!”
“Granddaughter... is that you...?”
“Yes, yes... I'm here, Grandma...”
Helen's labored breathing scattered through the air. Hare clutched her hand as if she would never let go. At that, Grandma Helen smiled.
“It's time... to let this old woman go, Hare...”
“I'm sorry, Grandma... If only I had gotten the medicine...”
“There is no medicine that extends lifespan... Elixir is expensive, isn't it?”
Death could not be avoided. Helen, who understood this better than anyone, stroked Hare's cheek.
“Hare.”
“...Yes, Grandma.”
“A man came looking for me a little while ago.”
“...That uncle?”
So that's why he knew where the house was. The uncle had met Grandma first. Hare listened intently to Helen's words.
“Yes. That man. Do you want to know what he said to me...? He told me not to worry and to leave this world in peace. That he would take responsibility for you...”
“...That uncle?”
“It was quite bold for a stranger to say such things in front of a dying woman... Still, he didn't seem like the type to speak empty words... Hare. If I die and you can't find meaning in life...”
Wouldn't it be better to follow that man? At least he wouldn't let you starve. Helen gave one last smile. In response, Hare smiled too. Their final moment wasn't filled with tears, but with smiles.
And so, Hare's grandmother drew her last breath.
“Thank you for everything until now, Grandma. I'm grateful...”
Helen's limp hand, which Hare had been holding, fell toward the floor. Only then did Hare shed her tears, seeing her grandmother off for the last time.
Behind the grieving Hare, the sound of footsteps approached.
...You've come.
Hare wiped her tears and turned to face Lee Junwoo. He smelled of blood, but Hare didn't care. It didn't matter at all.
“Uncle.”
“...Yeah.”
“I've lost my reason to live. Grandma's gone, and I have no idea what I should do with my life anymore... So...”
I'll give you the rest of my life.
Hare held out her small hand. It was trembling. She was afraid of being rejected.
“...”
In response, Lee Junwoo took her hand. It was a warm hand.
“Until you find your reason to live, I'll take care of you for a while.”
If you ever find meaning in life again, I'll return you then.
And so, holding Lee Junwoo's hand, Hare followed him home.