Chapter 147
Chapter 147
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Forced Breakthrough (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I know we're being tracked by the Magic Association. But how could you not send a single word? If I hadn't taught the men the taste of money, this organization would have already fallen apart.
“Don't give me that crap! You're in no position to tell me what to do, are you? We're not the Parrot Mercenaries or some band of thieves. We're just a gang of thugs stuck on an island!”
“So… you're going to keep acting like a brute to the very end?”
“Hmph! I earned it! I earned the money that kept this organization afloat! Instead of praising me, you're going to criticize me? Then where have you been all this time?”
“That's none of your concern. If you're not going to follow the rules I established, then drop the Parrot name right now.”
“Puhahaha! You call that a threat? Fine, I'll drop it! Parrot? We're the Freeman organization now! We haven't used the Parrot name once since you ran off!”
“Fine. From this moment on, you are no longer a Parrot. I don't know how much you've earned, but scrape it all together and leave this place.”
“Captainnnn!”
Falcoa roared in fury. Even Marsha couldn't just do this to him. They might be her Parrot Mercenaries, but his blood was mixed in it too. The honor of being the strongest mercenary corps wasn't something that could be traded for mere money.
“If you can't give up the Parrot name, then follow my orders. I'm not telling you to live a virtuous life. But if there's something you want, fight for it and take it. I won't tolerate extorting the weak.”
Falcoa seethed. He could have killed Marsha for being so detestable, using him like this when she knew he couldn't leave the Parrots.
“I always get what I want. You're no exception. Someday, you'll be mine too.”
Instead of getting angry, Marsha gave a gentle smile, as if soothing a pouting child.
“It's been a while, so that sounds fresh. Anyway, give it your best shot. I'm not the type to stop a man from coming or hold one back from leaving.”
Falcoa clenched his fists and glared at Marsha. It was as if his eyes were on fire.
In fact, he was using a powerful ocular technique. But Marsha's expression didn't even flicker. It was a testament to the strength of her mental fortitude.
“Tch! Still as infuriating as ever. I'm done. I'm going out for a drink.”
“Stay put in the hideout. I'm calling a meeting for all squad leaders and above. And as of this moment, drugs are forbidden. If I catch you, you'll die by my hand. I mean it.”
Falcoa left the warehouse without even answering. But Marsha knew. He would attend the meeting, and he wouldn't touch the drugs. Because the one who could lead him back to the blood-soaked battlefield had returned.
Once the men were gone, Freeman dropped his vice-captain demeanor and greeted Marsha as an old friend from his hometown.
“I'm glad you made it back safely. I was worried when I couldn't reach you.”
“I couldn't contact you because I was on the run. Don't you people think? Did you think I'd get caught so easily? Anyway, what's gotten into Falcoa? Is he even useful like that? He used to be crazy, but he flew whenever he held a sword.”
“You can't blame Falcoa alone. We're the ones who took the battlefield away from him.”
“Heh, no. That would be me.”
“Still, thanks to him, we've built up a war chest. We've prepared everything so we can leave for another country whenever you return.”
Marsha puffed out her cheeks, displeased. She knew exactly how Falcoa had raised those funds.
In the end, are humans just creatures who must conform to reality? The prestige of the Parrot Mercenaries, who once ran wild without a fear in the world, was now a thing of the past.
She'd run away from home at seventeen, and with Freeman, her childhood friend, she had built this mercenary corps.
They had been tricked by politicians and lost the foundation they'd built over a lifetime, but she had wanted to protect the values of the Parrots, at least.
But now, were they any different? They resorted to any means necessary to make money and had to walk on eggshells around the powerful before they could even fight for their beliefs.
“Haaah, since when did we become like this?”
“It's not just anything; we were betrayed by our country. We have to do what it takes to survive.”
“Yeah, I guess so. But Freeman... surely you haven't been broken too, have you?”
Freeman fell silent. He had nothing to feel guilty about. He was just hurt to be suspected by the friend he had admired since childhood.
“The organization, none of it matters to me. Even the Parrot name holds no value. All I want is for you to be safe.”
A shiver ran down Marsha's spine, and she trembled. Any mangy dog wearing a Parrot name tag would know about Freeman's feelings. It wasn't the least bit touching, and it drove her crazy how he always tried to appeal to her like this.
“You only want me to be safe? Why in the world?”
“You are…”
Knowing full well, Marsha pressed him just to put him on the spot. Freeman struggled to find the right words among the countless that flooded his mind.
“Because you're our captain.”
Marsha snorted. Hearing his answer, it seemed she didn't need to worry about Freeman. His infuriating personality was the same as ever.
*Right, now that I'm back, it's time to regroup.*
Marsha planned to lead the organization into exile in another country and start fresh. To do that, she first had to clean up the mountain of shit her men had piled up.
“*Hic! Sob!*”
Marsha turned her head at the sound of sobbing. Yuna was crying sorrowfully, not even thinking of escape.
She had escaped the worst, but Marsha could understand completely. Women were sensitive enough to be scarred by the mere fact of being handled roughly by a man they didn't even know.
“What happened? Where did you get this girl?”
“One of Falcoa's men is a street tout. They say she's his sister.”
“That bastard. Is he trying to lay his hands on his own subordinate's sister now?”
“Who knows. He seemed to have completely lost it.”
“Really? Is there something I don't know?”
Freeman relayed the story he'd heard from his subordinate—from the incident between Jis and Amy, to the event where Shirone stormed the royal palace, and finally to the circumstances that led to Yuna being dragged here.
Marsha, who had been listening with interest, had her eyes light up when Shirone's name was mentioned.
“Oh? Turns out I know this story too.”
“You know it? How do you know about this incident?”
Marsha smiled, touching her lips.
“I really am a genius. This is how life is, everything gets tangled up in the end.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“No, it's... just a small incident. Nothing to worry about.”
If Marsha wasn't going to tell him, Freeman had no intention of pressing her. It was nothing new for her to go around stirring up trouble here and there whenever she was bored. Besides, that was the only escape route she had to survive in this world.
Marsha received numerous reports from Freeman.
There were no particularly troublesome issues. The funds Falcoa had earned were more than enough to start fresh in another country, and Freeman's unit hadn't lost much of its combat strength.
“Not bad. Good work. But... should we just get rid of the assets?”
“Are you that bothered by the money Falcoa raised?”
“It's just... you know? We're about to relaunch the Parrots, and to start it off with money earned from selling drugs…”
“That's not like you. Money is money. I don't like how it was earned either. But burying money in the ground for a reason like that is something only a child would do.”
“I know. Anyway, let's bring this up at the meeting later. For now…”
Just then, the door burst open and a corps member ran in. Marsha and Freeman watched him with puzzled expressions.
This was a remote area, beyond the government's reach. Therefore, there should have been no reason for anyone to come running in, gasping for breath.
Marsha smiled and said.
“What's wrong? Stomachache? The bathroom's not in here.”
“Huh? Captain? You're back?”
The corps member couldn't hide his surprise at seeing Marsha. But the situation was urgent, so he reported immediately, with no time for pleasantries.
“Captain! We have a problem! We're under attack!”
“Attack? What kind of attack? Is it the government?”
“I don't think so. It's a group of four kids. According to the report, it's two mages and two swordsmen.”
Marsha knew who it was just from that description. It was certainly strange that they would come to rescue the sister of a street tout she'd fought at the port, but Marsha couldn't deny one possibility.
“Hehe, well, a kid that disgusting is certainly capable of it. Is there a kid named Shirone among the attackers?”
“Sorry, I don't know the names…”
Freeman's tone had already shifted back to a formal one as he spoke.
“Captain, wouldn't it be better to just hand over the girl? Causing a disturbance when we're trying to get the organization in order seems like a hassle.”
*A man this rigid is a rare sight,* Marsha thought as she analyzed the situation.
“Hmm, hand over the girl. Doesn't that make us look ridiculous? Kidnapping her and then giving her back the moment they come looking. Or what, are you saying they might actually break through to here?”
“That won't happen. While you were away, Captain, I thoroughly fortified this place. Our tactics using magic circles and magical artifacts are flawless. Anyone less than an expert will die before they even reach the first gate.”
“Then what's the problem? Go kill them. I'll look after this girl. I give you a few years off, and you all lose your touch? You're completely clueless.”
The moment Marsha finished speaking, Freeman ordered his subordinate to prepare for immediate deployment.
It was shameful to show such a lack of discipline in front of the captain. It was especially frustrating since he thought he had prepared quite well.
“All troops to battle stations. This is a real combat situation.”
“Yes, sir! Relaying the order now!”
Freeman's men moved with swift efficiency. It took them less than five minutes to grab their weapons, form units, and head to their respective positions.
Only then did Marsha sit down on a chair with a satisfied smile.
“You've been working pretty hard after all. I thought you were just lazing around all this time.”
“Everyone's been waiting for this day. They're working harder because you're back.”
“Hmph, how long do I have to spoon-feed you and burp you? It's time you learned to do things on your own. Anyway, what are you doing? Aren't you going to fight?”
“I'm staying here. My duty is to protect you.”
Marsha looked up at Freeman with a bewildered expression. Of course, as an original member of the mercenary corps, he had served as her bodyguard before. But every time he did, Marsha had to rub her arms to get rid of the goosebumps.
“You're so pathetic, I can't even watch. You think this makes me see you as some kind of hero?”
Freeman, having already made up his mind, showed no intention of leaving Marsha's side.
Marsha's face flushed with anger. She had hated this about him since they were kids. He didn't know how to express his feelings and acted like a stubborn mule, infuriating her more times than she could count.
“Hey! Don't just stand there like an idiot, get out! Who do you think you are, my husband?”
While still seated, Marsha lifted her leg and kicked Freeman in the ass.
As if propelled by inertia, Freeman took a step and then kept moving. He maintained his silence to the very end as he quietly left the warehouse.
Once everyone was gone, Marsha stretched with a relieved smile, as if none of it had happened.
It was true she was excited for the first battle in a long time, but she was more curious about Shirone.
Shirone was the type of person Marsha found most disgusting. People who could truly embrace the pain of others did not exist in this world.
Her own adoptive father had eventually shown his true nature. The mercy he had shown an orphan was, in fact, an expression of his ugly desires, and when Marsha realized this, she had an awakening.