Chapter 24: Mom Crossed the Line (3)
Chapter 24: Mom Crossed the Line (3)
“Hehehe. Well, that changes things. Up you go, up you go. You’ve got dirt on your pants, man.”
The chill in Patrick’s voice vanished, replaced by an abundance of warmth.
Watching Patrick personally help Billy up and even brush the dust off his knees as if he were an old friend, Billy could only think of one thing.
It was the same thought shared by everyone who dealt with the Radiant Dragon Hero, Jincheon—whether they were friend or foe.
What on earth is wrong with this guy?
Yes. That was the normal reaction.
“Whee-hee-hee…”
“Whee-hee-hee-hee…”
“Mwahahahaha!”
What is wrong with that guy?
What is wrong with that guy?
I’ll say it again.
This was the normal reaction.
The wealth Billy had amassed over the years was quite substantial.
Not only was there cash and jewelry, but there were also various treasures and artworks that looked expensive—even if Patrick didn’t know much about them. It was enough to make Patrick dance for joy.
And it was only natural for Red and his subordinates to watch Patrick with bewildered expressions as he burst into fits of manic laughter.
“Money~♪ Money~♪ It’s all money~♪”
Red cautiously approached Patrick, who looked like a madman—or rather, who was clearly insane, no matter how objectively one looked at it.
“Um, Young Master.”
“Hmm? What? Don’t tell me you’re going to ask for a share of this money? You aren’t, right? You’d better not be.”
As Patrick placed both hands on the sword at his waist, exerting pressure, Red spoke hurriedly.
“No, sir. You can have all of this, Young Master.”
“Mm. Right. Of course. You have to say that if you have a conscience.”
“……”
Conscience? Did this guy just use the word ‘conscience’ with his own mouth?
Red was now the master of the Thieves’ Guild, the undisputed ruler of Parmas’s underworld, but he felt a genuine sense of injustice the moment the word ‘conscience’ left Patrick’s lips.
“So? What is it?”
“Yes. It’s nothing else, but what do you plan to do with that bastard?”
Red pointed at Billy, who was shivering in a corner.
“What do you mean, what? I said I’d let him live.”
“Do you really intend to let him live?”
“That was the promise.”
“You’re being too soft!”
Red shouted, his face flushed with anger.
He pointed a finger at Billy and continued.
“Why do you need to keep a promise made to trash like him?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is why uneducated thieves are so…”
“……”
“That guy might be trash, but I’m not. If I break my promise, how am I any different from that piece of trash?”
Grind…
Red gnashed his teeth.
If it were up to him, he wanted to tear Billy apart and feed his corpse to the dogs.
But if Patrick took that stance, there was nothing he could do.
To the frustrated Red, Patrick said, “So, I won’t kill him.”
“……”
“I won’t, that is.”
“…Huh?”
“Wh-what?”
Red asked back in surprise, and Billy, who had just begun to feel a wave of relief, also stammered in shock.
And then Patrick said:
“I received the money, so I have to keep my word. I won’t kill you. I’m talking about myself.”
“Does that mean…”
“Well, it means what other people do is none of my business, right? For example, someone who’s shaking with rage because their father was poisoned.”
The moment Patrick finished speaking, a cruel smile spread across Red’s face.
Billy scrambled to his feet and screamed.
“Th-that’s not what we agreed! You said you’d let me live!”
“I said I wouldn’t kill you. And I won’t. But it’s not like I’m going to protect you forever, right? You’ll have to figure out the rest on your own.”
“You… you…! You’re worse than a thief!”
Billy wailed in despair, but Patrick didn’t care, simply picking his ear.
There was no need to entertain the screams of a man who would soon meet a gruesome end.
“Tie him up and throw him in the basement.”
“Yes, sir.”
At Red’s command, his subordinates lunged at Billy, gagging him and binding him tight.
“Let go! Let me go! Mmph! Mmmph!”
He likely wouldn’t be granted the mercy of a quick death.
* * *
A few days later.
The workers staying in Parmas with Patrick were whispering among themselves.
“What’s wrong with the Young Master?”
“I don’t know. He’s been like that for the past few days.”
“He looks like someone who just hit the jackpot.”
In their eyes, they saw Patrick sitting at a table, munching on expensive cookies and cakes, grinning ear to ear.
“Whee-hee-hee… Heh-heh-heh… Mwahahahaha.”
No matter how they looked at it, he didn’t seem sane.
But Patrick didn’t care how he appeared.
He was just that happy.
The business with the Thieves’ Guild had been settled cleanly.
In a single night, the power struggle that had divided Parmas’s underworld was resolved. It was the result of Patrick’s intervention.
As a result, Patrick had made a fortune.
The proceeds from selling the monster materials he had originally prepared were already enormous, but the wealth Billy had accumulated was even greater.
Even better…
“Heh heh. The money from the monster materials is public funds for the territory, but this is my pure, personal slush fund.”
The assets seized from Billy were money he had earned through his own hard work and sweat(?).
“Whee-hee-hee-hee-hee.”
So, how could a man obsessed with money not be overjoyed?
If it were actually possible for a person to die of happiness, Patrick would be dead right now.
He had only provided a little help to connect with an information broker; he hadn’t expected such a windfall.
After losing himself in laughter for a long while, Patrick clasped his hands together and looked toward the sky with a distant gaze.
“Master, so this is why a person must do good deeds. Your unworthy disciple finally understands your deep wisdom.”
That’s not it, you brat!
The Sect Leader of the Twin Dragon Sect, who would have shouted those words, was not here.
The only slight inconvenience was that a significant portion of the assets seized from Billy were bulky items that required maintenance.
Like marble sculptures?
Or expensive-looking paintings and such.
What kind of thief likes art this much? Was he speculating on it or something?
Regardless, those things were inconvenient to take back to the territory, and if they were damaged due to poor storage, their value would plummet.
He had intended to dispose of them before leaving…
And that was when Red stepped in, as if he had been waiting for the moment.
[Haha. Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle the liquidation for you.]
[…You?]
[Yes. We’re in the same boat now, Young Master. Can’t I at least offer this much help?]
[Youuuuu?]
Patrick looked at Red with a skeptical expression. Red looked hurt.
[Do you not trust me?]
[Nope. Not at all.]
[Are you saying I’d rip you off on the price?]
[Yeah. Sounds like something you’d do.]
[No, why don’t you trust me? Why?]
As Red ranted about the injustice, Patrick asked him:
[What’s your profession?]
[A thief.]
Ah, so that’s why.
Makes sense.
Even after that, Red passionately argued that he was the best person for the job.
He repeatedly persuaded Patrick, explaining how many artworks he had encountered as a thief and that no one else could liquidate this many pieces in such a short time.
[Tsk, well, I suppose it is a hassle to find another merchant now.]
[Exactly, Young Master.]
[Besides, in a way, these are stolen goods, and thieves are probably best at handling those.]
[I’m a total expert.]
[And if I leave it to you, there won’t be any brokerage fees, right?]
[That’s right… wait, what?]
[Hey, what are fees between friends? Right?]
Patrick’s hand slid toward his sword again.
Seeing that, Red thought with a pleasant smile:
You son of a bitch.
* * *
The petty scheme of a thief trying to skim a little off the top was crushed, and now Patrick only had to leisurely wait for his settlement.
Hehe. I’ll get a lot, right? I’m sure I will. He’d better give me a lot if he doesn’t want to die.
Just as Patrick was lost in his happy fantasies…
“Young Master, you have a visitor.”
“Hmm? Who is it?”
“I’m not sure, but they asked me to deliver this letter.”
As Patrick read the letter Chandler respectfully presented with both hands, his expression turned serious.
“Tsk, what kind of situation is this now?”
“What’s wrong, sir?”
“No, I need to go see for myself first. Wait a moment.”
“Yes. Understood, Young Master.”
Patrick stood up and headed toward the Thieves’ Guild headquarters where Red was.
* * *
“You’ve arrived, Young Master?”
Upon seeing Patrick, Red bowed respectfully.
“Yeah. Is what’s written in the letter true?”
“Yes. That bastard Billy was running an illegal slave trade right under our noses.”
“He really was a madman.”
Patrick clicked his tongue.
Illegal slaves.
In the Atronia Kingdom, the term ‘slave’ meant only one thing.
A criminal.
In other words, a slave was a temporary status for someone serving a sentence to pay for their crimes.
No other form of slavery was recognized.
In fact, even Brian, whom Patrick had branded with a subordination magic, had the magic inscribed only after formal paperwork and procedures were completed.
Doing such things arbitrarily was considered a grave crime, and everyone involved could be executed.
“The crazy bastard. If he’d been left alone, he would’ve eventually brought down the entire guild.”
To the fuming Red, Patrick asked, “So, where are the victims you mentioned?”
“They were locked in an underground hideout. We’ve moved them out and are currently protecting them, but…”
“Let’s have a look.”
Patrick decided he needed to see for himself. And upon checking…
“They’re all just kids.”
“There were adults too, but they’ve already been sold abroad. Most of the kids here are in poor health, so it seems he couldn’t sell them yet.”
“They were all made slaves illegally?”
“Yes. Some were kidnapped, and others were orphans wandering the streets after their parents died. He supposedly branded them by force.”
“Haaa… that son of a bitch.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Patrick scratched his head and thought.
It was only natural to release children who had been wrongfully enslaved. The problem was…
“What happens if we release them?”
“Won’t they manage on their own?”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
That was how it was.
Red’s words sounded cold, but this was the norm.
If you went to the city’s back alleys right now, it wasn’t hard to find young children living off begging or petty theft.
No one could help them all.
Even the state can’t save everyone from poverty. Who am I to take responsibility for these kids?
If he just gave them a hearty meal and a bit of money before letting them go, Patrick would already be a plenty good person.
So, that’s what he should do.
He should, but…
* * *
[Master, where did you sell your clothes this time?]
[No, how can you give away your own clothes to help some kids? Let’s try to use our heads a bit.]
[Do those high-and-mighty Orthodox Faction brats respect you for that? They just mock you for being a man who can’t even maintain his dignity.]
[What on earth do you gain from doing this, Master?]
The pushover Master who would help any hungry or struggling child he saw, without a second thought.
It wasn’t a one-time thing, but Jincheon had been fuming with frustration when he heard his Master had even given away his clothes.
And his Master had replied with a gentle smile.
[I have you, don’t I?]
[……]
The man always knew how to leave him speechless.
His Master was the one who had picked him up when he was dying of cold and hunger as a child and fed him a bowl of thin porridge.
It was so thin it was closer to rice water than porridge, but his Master had given up his own portion for Jincheon.
Jincheon never forgot that bowl of porridge for the rest of his life.
Because he never forgot the warmth and grace contained in that single bowl, the Radiant Dragon Hero Jincheon could exist. So…
[Cheon… don’t you feel sorry for the children?]
He could hear his Master’s voice like a hallucination.
* * *
“Ah, seriously, this damn brainwashing!”
The moment he heard his Master’s voice, Patrick shouted out in spite of himself.
“Pardon?”
“Dammit, I’m not this kind of person.”
“……”
Red had no idea what he was talking about. But…
Let’s not try to find logic in what a madman does.
He decided to leave it at that.
Then Patrick spoke.
“Feed the kids well, get them clothes and whatever else they need, and send them to me.”
“Are you going to take them in, Young Master?”
“Yeah. I’m taking them to our territory.”
“Is it okay for you to decide that on your own? Don’t you need to ask Baron Schneider?”
“My father?”
Patrick chuckled.
I’ve taken in some children who were pitifully captured as slaves.
If he said that, would Baron Schneider really refuse?
Would he shout, ‘Why did you bring these useless brats who will only eat up our food?’
“I can’t even imagine it.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Anyway, don’t worry about my father. Just feed and clothe them well and send them to me.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After giving Red his instructions, Patrick looked up at the ceiling, frowning.
“Is this enough? Is this what you wanted?”
He felt as if he could see someone nodding with a benevolent smile.
Someone he missed with all his heart…