Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: A Name Called Parrot (1)
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The Royal Palace tavern had a secret space. A place only Falcoa of the Freeman organization could enter.
It was the loop manufacturing site.
“You arrogant little brats! You think it's over just like this?”
Standing next to Falcoa, Jis's heart pounded. He had witnessed Falcoa's eccentric behavior for a long time, but the current situation was far from normal.
‘What in the world is he trying to do? Why did he suddenly bring me here?’
Jis had been finishing his usual work as a tout at the port when Falcoa's men caught him and brought him here.
A full day had passed since Shirone's group had caused a ruckus at the tavern and left, but Falcoa's anger hadn't subsided.
“Hehehe, just you wait. I won't let you get away with this.”
Falcoa smiled, his lips twisting grotesquely. The detestable faces of Shirone's group flickered in his mind.
As expected, the one he hated most was Amy.
When she had downed the loop-laced drink Falcoa offered in one gulp, defiantly revealing her Red Eyes, Falcoa had almost drawn his sword, forgetting all about money.
Terrified, Jis glanced sideways at Falcoa.
What Falcoa was fiddling with now was a device for grinding loop into powder.
You compressed the loop root to extract its juice, then ground it until all the moisture evaporated, leaving only a fine powder.
But could you even call that a drug?
The proper way to use loop was to chew the root, neutralizing it with saliva. But this current form was nothing more than a toxic chemical substance, maximized solely for its potency.
“Jis, you'll have to go back.”
“Wh-Where?”
“To that wench, Amy. You succeeded once, so you can do it again. Don't tell me you can't. If you have eyes, you can see the state I'm in.”
Jis swallowed hard. He had expected Falcoa to seek revenge, but he hadn't anticipated it would go this far off the rails.
Jis had a hunch that Amy came from a powerful family. If they laid a hand on her, it would only be a matter of time before the island was razed to the ground, regardless of the Galliante government.
“Don't tell me… you're planning to get her addicted?”
“Addicted? You fool. That woman will never get addicted. Of course not. It wouldn't do for a master of the Red Eyes, famous across the continent, to get hooked on something like loop.”
“Then there's no need for this, is there? You're just asking for trouble.”
Jis tried to persuade Falcoa, clinging to a sliver of hope.
But Falcoa seemed to be beyond listening to anyone.
“You imbecile. Can't you use your head? Haven't you considered that this operation will succeed precisely because she can't get addicted?”
Falcoa put the refined loop powder onto a piece of oil paper. Then he poured it all into a cup of water he had prepared.
Jis's breath caught in his throat.
He had never used loop himself, but he knew how it was used.
Normally, one root was more than enough to chew on for about two hours. But the amount Falcoa had just mixed into the water was triple that.
Moreover, since it was a solution, she would receive the full effect that would normally take six hours all at once.
“N-No way…”
“Yes, that's right. We're going to make her take this again. That girl will surely accept it confidently and drink it. But with this much loop, she's as good as dead. You get what I'm saying?”
“Wh-Why would you do that? You can't sell her if she's dead.”
“Hehe, it doesn't matter. Bring me her corpse if you have to.”
Falcoa poured the loop solution into a glass bottle. As the solution dissolved into the drink inside, it looked like a beautiful, jade-colored cocktail.
“Here, take it. It's simple. Lure her out by saying you have something to talk about, then make her drink this. After that, just load her onto a carriage and bring her here. You can do that, right?”
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 single sip, it would be over.
“What are you doing, not taking it? Or do you want to drink it yourself?”
Falcoa's killing intent pressed down on Jis. It felt as if the murderous aura took the form of a hand, gripping his throat tightly.
“Stop it, you piece of trash.”
“What?”
Falcoa couldn't believe his ears.
Was the effect of the loop still lingering? No, that couldn't be it. Thanks to never being without loop in his mouth, he had grown desensitized even to its effects.
“What did you just say? Say it again.”
Sometimes, when a person experiences something utterly absurd, they become strangely calm. That was Falcoa right now.
Anger could come later. First, it was important to confirm whether this wet-behind-the-ears punk had actually said what he thought he heard.
The words were stuck in his throat.
This might be his last chance. If he begged for forgiveness right now, he might get away with only being beaten half to death.
‘But…’
Jis couldn't bring himself to kneel before Falcoa.
—*I don't dislike kids like you.*
That one sentence she had said to him with a smile in the carriage left Jis completely paralyzed.
Why was that? All he had to do was admit he was weak.
The thought of begging Falcoa for forgiveness felt like it would turn Amy's words into a lie. He wanted to take back what he'd said, but the words refused to come out.
“I said stop it, you filthy bastard. You're not even human. You're so strung out on drugs you can't even think straight! Calling you trash is a compliment!”
Jis felt dizzy. A mix of exhilaration and terror overwhelmed him, and his consciousness began to fade.
But he had said it.
Just like Shirone. Like someone for whom the future didn't exist.
Falcoa's fist flew like lightning toward the face of the unhinged Jis.
“Keuk!”
As his vision went black, reality finally set in. What awaited Jis was a miserable future that could only be described as hell.
“You crazy bastard! Have you lost your mind?!”
Falcoa finally showed his true colors and beat Jis to a pulp.
This wasn't a beating meant merely to intimidate. He was kicking Jis's body as if he truly meant to kill him.
If he had even opened his Schema, Jis's body would have been mangled like meat hanging in a butcher shop.
“Die! Die! Die!”
Jis couldn't even scream.
The feeling of his entire body being shattered lasted only a moment; now, he felt nothing. Only a shock that transcended the realm of pain remained.
“Hoo, right. There's no fun in just killing a guy like you.”
Falcoa regained his composure. But that was a sign of even greater misfortune to come for Jis.
“Gasp! Gack!”
Falcoa grabbed Jis by the hair and lifted him up. It felt like his neck was about to snap, but Jis was in such a terrible state he couldn't even worry about that.
“Fine, then I have an idea.”
Without Jis's help, he couldn't trap Amy, but Falcoa couldn't be bothered with such trivial details anymore.
“I'm touched, Jis. A pathetic loser like you, mustering up this kind of courage. Looks like you've fallen for that girl. I'll do as you wish and leave her alone. How about that, happy?”
“P-Please… please spare me this once.”
Jis shed tears. He already knew what Falcoa was thinking.
“Yuna, was it? Your sister's name. From now on, you'll regret the decision you made today for the rest of your life.”
“No. Please, not Yuna… Gack!”
Falcoa slammed Jis's head into the floor. His face bounced off the ground with a thud like a ball before crashing down again. With that single blow, Jis lost consciousness.
“Hehehe, well, this turned out to be interesting anyway.”
Of course, just because his target had changed to Jis's sister didn't mean he intended to forgive Amy. His plan was to bring Yuna to their hideout, torment her, and then blackmail Jis. If he threatened her with his sister's life, Jis would have no choice but to obey.
“Bring that girl Yuna to the hideout right now!”
After roaring his furious command at his men, Falcoa bit down on a whole loop root.
* * *
By the time Shirone's group arrived at the villa, it was nearly midnight. The distance was considerable, so they had stopped for dinner along the way.
They hadn't achieved their intended results in the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice, but they had learned a lot.
The four of them talked nonstop, and eventually, they began to share the stories they had kept in their hearts.
“Oh my, you're going to be a soldier?”
Hearing about Amy's future ambition, Tess's eyes widened in surprise. She had never imagined Amy would aim to be a soldier.
Of course, being a fire-type mage who had honed her sniper mode made her a perfect fit for a combat mage.
But the Amy that Tess knew was, contrary to her appearance, a tender and affectionate person. She couldn't imagine Amy on a battlefield, striking down countless enemies.
“Honestly, I'm worried. I thought a more feminine profession would suit you well, Amy.”
“Huh? A feminine profession for me? I've never heard that, not even at school.”
Tess could guess just how boisterous Amy's school life must have been. But as someone skilled at reading people's inner thoughts, she knew Amy's true self.
“Hehe, I happen to have a knack for espionage. And my intel says that a girl named Amy is actually very delicate and feminine.”
Amy gave a faint smile. She had never thought of herself as feminine, but it was also true that she couldn't strongly deny it.
No matter how spunky her personality was, she wasn't sure if she could properly adapt to the army, which was a man's world.
“To be honest, I'm not sure. I chose the fire element because I'm good with targeting. So I ended up having to pick the most advantageous profession for my major. Of course, I have a positive view of being a soldier. Being a soldier doesn't necessarily mean fighting on the front lines.”
“That's true. There are supply officers, too. And if you get into the operations command, your future is bright. Oh! How about this?”
As Tess clapped her hands as if struck by a sudden idea, Amy asked with curious eyes.
“Hm? What is it?”
Tess extended her index and middle fingers, mimicking aiming at someone walking on a white sandy beach in the middle of the night.
“An intelligence agent. Someone like you has outstanding reasoning skills, and you said long-range attacks are your specialty, right? Most importantly, you have the most crucial weapon for espionage.”
“The most crucial weapon? What's that?”
Amy's eyes sparkled. As someone pondering her future, she couldn't help but get excited at the thought of having another strength she wasn't aware of.
“A pretty face. Beauty is a mandatory requirement for female agents. After all, there's no man in the world who dislikes a beautiful woman.”
As Tess spoke with a mischievous grin, Amy turned her head away with a sullen look.
“Hey, what was that for? I got my hopes up for nothing.”
“Hehe, I'm sorry. But I wasn't just kidding. When recruiting national intelligence agents, a person's impression is a top priority. In a job that deals with people, your impression is a total knockout, Amy. So think about it seriously. I'll strongly recommend you to my family.”
“N-Never mind. I'll rely on my magic skills alone.”
Amy's face flushed red. Though she spoke bluntly, it was clear she didn't dislike the compliment about being pretty.
‘Aww, she's so cute. See? How feminine is that?’
To Tess, Amy was a friend who was overflowing with the fun of being teased. As she was thinking about how to tease her more, Tess suddenly remembered something she was genuinely curious about.
“By the way, what happens after you graduate?”
“Huh? Obviously, I'll take the official exam and then get a job.”
“No, I mean Shirone.”
“Shirone? What about Shirone?”