Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: The Name Parrot (4)
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Tess was unnerved by Shirone's abrupt change in attitude. She knew well enough from their time together just how rationally he viewed the world.
Shirone wasn't the type to let his mood dictate his actions. But he was far from cold-blooded.
He just knew how to control his emotions; inside, a storm of conflict must have been raging.
Tess saw that Shirone's current state could put them at a disadvantage in the coming fight.
“Shirone, you don't need to worry. We're not going there to fight, we're going to rescue Jis's sister. We can see for ourselves what kind of person Marsha is.”
Shirone forced a smile. He knew what Tess was worried about, but that only strengthened his resolve.
If he saw with his own eyes that she was truly evil, he was prepared to forget his past feelings and take her down with all his might.
“Don't worry. I won't make any mistakes.”
Shirone kicked his horse's flanks and sped forward, cutting through the night air.
Forced Breakthrough (1)
No road leads from the west to the northern hideout. This is because an autonomous native territory lies in the center.
Yuna's kidnappers took a long detour around Mount Toa to reach the hideout. By the time they reached their destination, dawn was already breaking.
In a shabby, warehouse-like building, Falcoa sat in a chair. He sat there listlessly, his pupils half-dilated, and at his feet lay the scattered husks of chewed and spat-out Loof.
The subordinates who opened the warehouse door and entered bowed to Falcoa before throwing the sack containing Yuna onto the floor.
It landed with a dull thud, but no scream escaped. However, a violent trembling could be felt from inside the sack.
The convulsive shaking alone revealed how terrified she was.
At a jerk of Falcoa's chin, a subordinate drew a knife and ripped the sack open. Like a chrysalis being split open, Yuna was revealed, drenched in tears and sweat.
Despair filled Yuna's eyes as she looked around in terror. She didn't know where she was, but the breaking dawn told her they had been riding all through the night.
Before her, an unhinged-looking man with unfocused eyes stared down at her, while by the entrance, menacing-looking men blocked any chance of escape.
“P-Please, save me.”
“You guys can leave.”
The subordinates, knowing from experience what happened when they disobeyed their leader, opened the door and vanished as soon as Falcoa gave the order.
Left alone with Yuna, Falcoa approached, chewing noisily on a Loof.
“Better than I expected. You know why you're here?”
“I-I don't know. Please, send me home.”
“Sorry, but no can do. I plan on making you the most miserable person in the world. Because your brother sold you.”
Yuna froze as if in shock. But in her heart, she still believed in Jis. What kind of brother in the world would sell his own sister to a man like this?
“That's impossible! My brother cares about me more than anyone!”
“Is that so? Then why are you here? I gave Jis an incredible gift and got you in return.”
Falcoa didn't consider his words a lie. After all, hadn't he saved his life? That was as good as giving him a fortune.
Plus, he'd even given him the time to miss Amy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call himself Jis's benefactor.
“It can't be! My brother would never sell me!”
Yuna clutched her chest and screamed, trying to overcome her fear. The fact that her brother had sold her was a greater shock than being dragged to this unknown place.
“Send me to my brother! I'll ask him myself!”
“Hey, little lady. You don't seem to grasp the situation. You're not going home. Not ever. You have two choices: either I kill you, or you kill yourself.”
“No! It can't be! Aah!”
Falcoa lunged forward and grabbed Yuna's wrist. He pulled her with irresistible strength, forcing her up and into his arms.
“Get away from me, you bastard!”
After savoring the frail girl's resistance for a moment, Falcoa twisted her arm and spun her around. Then he grabbed her cheeks in his hand and threatened her.
“Don't waste all your energy so soon. You'll have plenty of reasons to scream later.”
At that moment, the warehouse door opened and someone walked in. A cold voice spread quietly through the warehouse.
“Falcoa. Human trafficking is against the rules.”
“Freeman.”
Falcoa scowled in displeasure. The only man in the Parrot Mercenary Corps who outranked him, Agardo Freeman, was watching the scene with somber eyes.
Standing over 190 centimeters tall in a long white coat, he was the very picture of pallor. His eyebrows were completely gone, as if shaved off, and his lips were ashen like a sick person's.
As the former vice-captain of the Parrot Bandit Gang, the predecessor to Freeman's organization, he was a master of Schema and used techniques involving magic bullets. However, it was common knowledge within the organization that his physical abilities alone overwhelmed Lucas.
“What's the occasion? Haven't seen hide nor hair of you. You run out of money?”
Falcoa said, annoyed. Since their days in the Parrot Mercenary Corps, Freeman had been the undisputed second-in-command, but Falcoa was the only one in the organization granted a free role.
The conflict between the vice-captain and the field commander had worsened since they came to the island. It was due to Freeman's insistence on adhering to the old mercenary corps' regulations, even after they'd been reduced to a gang of bandits.
A huge amount of funds was needed to feed the dozens of subordinates branded as traitors. But Freeman had offered no real solution for that.
Falcoa was the one who had led the organization for the past five years. He had maintained the organization with the funds he made by forcibly driving out the island's old-timers and distributing Loof.
This was why Freeman had turned a blind eye to Falcoa's misdeeds, despite knowing about them.
But this time, he had gone too far. There were lines one should not cross under the name of the Parrot.
Freeman may have been just a figurehead leader, but he strictly adhered to the policy of punishing human trafficking and violent plunder without mercy.
“You know the organization's rules. Human trafficking demeans the Parrot Mercenary Corps' name.”
“Parrot Mercenary Corps? Since when do we live looking back at past glories? Look at us now. You think this organization would have survived this long without the money I bring in?”
“You've lost your mind, Falcoa. I'll praise you for the efforts you've made for the organization, regardless of the methods. But make no mistake. I am the one who leads this organization.”
“I don't give a damn about that. I don't recognize you as the leader. Wasn't that our agreement from the start? You can't start acting like the big boss now.”
A chilling killing intent began to rise from Freeman as he watched Falcoa's brazen behavior. It was an aura so intense that a weaker creature would have died from mere exposure.
But Falcoa absorbed that foul energy as if driving a knife into his own body. It was a painful act, yet his expression didn't change as he took it all in.
“Hehehe, oh, how scary.”
Freeman was at a loss. To such a belligerent man, pain and anger were merely catalysts that would worsen the situation.
*Has he become this much of a stray dog?*
Even without the Loof, Falcoa had always been a man driven solely by desire. It was just that his desires had been geared toward combat and killing, which made him a good fit for the mercenary corps.
But now, running a bar on an island, he was in a state of frustrated desire. Chewing Loof and indulging in alcohol and women weren't enough to soothe his mad instincts.
“P-Please, save me, please.”
As Yuna pleaded, trembling, Freeman glanced at her before turning his gaze back to Falcoa.
“Do you really have to go this far? Have you now abandoned the Parrot's pride as well?”
“Pride? Hey, let me tell you something. The Parrot Mercenary Corps is finished. The captain left, and the men are at their limit. You should just give up and come over to my side.”
Falcoa pointedly buried his face in the nape of Yuna's neck. Yet, Freeman didn't move. Because now Falcoa was also revealing his killing intent.
The moment one of them moved, a battle would begin. If that happened, one of the two pillars that had supported the Parrot would inevitably fall, one way or another.
If they fought for real, no one could predict the outcome. But Falcoa was confident, knowing that Freeman couldn't do anything to him.
“Why don't you get going? I'll tell my men to give you some money. You should just accept it and learn to enjoy yourself.”
“Well, well, looks like someone's having the time of their life.”
A woman's voice was heard as the door opened. At the voice that pierced his heart, Falcoa whipped his head around. But before his eyes could even register anything, a fist caught his jaw, and his head snapped to the side.
“Kugh!”
A powerful kick followed, slamming into Falcoa's abdomen. As Falcoa fell, landing hard on his backside, Yuna's legs also gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
“Damn it. What rotten luck.”
Falcoa spat and slowly got to his feet. The reason he, with his animal-like reflexes, hadn't dodged the two attacks was that he had subconsciously suppressed his urge to counter.
Clay Marsha. The captain of the Parrot Mercenary Corps, who had once reigned over hundreds of mercenaries, stood there.
“Is that really the captain?”
“Is there a fake captain, too? Let a mutt off his leash for a few years, and he completely loses his mind.”
Falcoa didn't get angry. No, far from being angry, he didn't even show any hostility.
To the members of the mercenary corps, Marsha was that kind of presence.
As the first captain of the Parrot Mercenary Corps, it took more than just strength to raise the corps to A-rank in just a few years.
And Marsha had accomplished that with her outstanding skill. Furthermore, she was powerful enough to be the only one in the organization listed as an A-rank criminal.
But Falcoa didn't follow Marsha for such trivial reasons.
This was how he defined the woman named Marsha.
A fallen Madonna.
Marsha was kind and affectionate, but it was no exaggeration to say that among the cast of characters she embraced, there were almost no normal people.
Those abandoned by their families, those born with an innate thirst for blood, the outcasts of society who had no way to prove their existence outside the battlefield.
Falcoa was one of them.
When no one would treat his psychosis and only tried to push him out of society, Marsha was the only one who embraced him.
In the Parrot Bandit Gang, Marsha was an older sister and a mother, the greatest leader they could trust and rely on no matter the situation.
But no matter how great a captain she was, the fact was, he was furious. What kind of stunt was this, showing up now after years of no contact?
“Damn it. Where the hell have you been hiding? You're not the captain anymore. All this time, we…”
“I heard you became a junkie.”
Falcoa's face stiffened. Even his unfocused pupils sharpened, if only for a moment.
He must have heard those words countless times over the past five years, but for some reason, it felt like he was hearing them for the first time.
A junkie. Was it true? Had he, once called the demon of the battlefield, now become a junkie?
Freeman approached and bowed his head to Marsha.
“It's been a long time, Captain. When did you return?”
“I left as soon as I heard Lucas was captured. That bastard will definitely spill the beans about the hideout. Looks like we'll have to clear this place out soon.”
After explaining to Freeman, Marsha approached Falcoa. As she drew near, Falcoa, feeling a pang of guilt, subtly averted his gaze.
“Falcoa, I'm sure I told you. No human trafficking.”
Falcoa's brow furrowed. On second thought, he had nothing to be ashamed of.
All the blame lay with Marsha, who had abandoned the organization and left.