Chapter 144: The ‘Parrot’ (2)
cN0vAt first, Amy blinked, not understanding, then, catching on to what Tess meant, she turned her head away with an embarrassed look.Dul4
Wxg“Suddenly talking nonsense. What does Shirone have to do with my graduation?”h5P9
aFlyHer“But it’s true. Shirone is still in Class Four, and you’re in the Advanced Class. Plus, with your skills, you’ll definitely be able to graduate next year. Then, won’t you leave for the capital?”b6G00
hoB4dCAt the mention of leaving for the capital, Amy’s heart suddenly started racing.0L9KJgT
L42BLVShe had never thought about it before. But realistically, it wasn’t something that would happen in the far-off future.RVRu
YijfSP4“It has nothing to do with me.”usI71
FMkaxRs“Oh, is that so?”TUL
rDxFtAmy spoke in a cold voice, but Tess couldn’t feel any sincerity in her tone.8Fg1GF
gQpAfter a moment of silence, Amy, as Tess had expected, spilled what was on her mind.dkFIJ
bwa“Still… we made a promise. That he would definitely catch up to me. That was the condition for speaking comfortably to each other.”NGYZ
2ARUkmTess pursed her lips in surprise and let out a ‘Hooh.’ If they had gone as far as making such a promise, their feelings for each other couldn’t be taken lightly.p33
HRmLd“Hmm. Of course, Shirone is amazing. But he moved up to Class Four in just half a year, right? No matter how much of a genius he is, it can’t be that easy to graduate, can it?”0in
RcetcluAmy knew too. The achievements Shirone had made so far were something ordinary people couldn’t even imitate.NmqkeMH
QaTYAn 18-year-old boy who had lived without knowing magic had reached Class Four in just half a year.ZWk7h
WpmUIt might be greedy to expect more from him.mWRP
TTy9Amy looked at Shirone’s back, who was ahead. Had he ever thought about this? If he really graduated, would Shirone miss her?Q4yyB
sVlIuYIt was difficult to take a step ahead among people who were doing their best. But Shirone had already taken several steps ahead. Maybe he was running, burning all his talent to its limit.tBNLrp
SbTt3Knowing this, Amy couldn’t help but feel upset. She glared at Shirone’s back with a piercing gaze and conveyed in her heart.22lh
6ABuA‘Hurry up and catch up. If you fall behind, I really won’t let it go.’f7PVm
dXDAfter finishing their secretive conversation, the two hurried their steps to catch up with Shirone and Rian.3J2
HWrcReunited, Shirone’s group shared various stories as they climbed the hill towards the villa. Suddenly, Tess stopped and warned in a low voice.crK5
PDg2FZ“Shh. Quiet.”Nti
FeVsfIi“Why all of a sudden…?”4qw2
uWkVAmy looked back at Tess, initially thinking it was another one of her pranks. But seeing her serious expression, she immediately kept quiet.zDhPI
Ij7QSvvTess, who trained in saber techniques, focused on the sensory build among the Schemas.1BTWWST
q8L8Though not as much as an archer, her sensitivity to stimuli far exceeded that of an ordinary person.eIj
C08TShirone and Rian, catching the atmosphere belatedly, approached her. Tess gestured for them to be quiet with a finger to her lips.IOnK
qzxM6“There’s someone in front of the villa. Judging by the lung capacity, it’s a man. If he’s of average build, then probably between 170 to 175 cm tall.”h29LD
RMXFRian grasped the hilt of the straight sword on his back. Having caused a commotion at the palace the night before, the possibility of an intruder was high.eBr1qdL
Fx7RL“I don’t feel any hostility, but better be prepared just in case.”tq7c
vFMyTess walked silently like a cat, and the others slowly followed her.ZNE40
H3ItgUpon reaching the villa, they saw someone standing in front of the door. The silhouette, seen only in outline, stood motionless, looking elsewhere.vcb
8R7tShirone’s group advanced without letting their guard down. But before they took a few steps, the silhouette collapsed to the ground, losing strength.0cvf4
gUHThe group exchanged glances and hurried to the door.HCKAf
CC1lvThe nighttime visitor was Zis. His face was so battered it was hard to find a spot that wasn’t injured.W8lWb
8z6Shirone supported Zis by the side. Just the touch made Zis cringe in pain.nZIYB
9BA“Ugh! Ah, it hurts!”gf3v
WpR1iOv“Are you okay? Who did this to you?”qEr
VEI4UQz“Get, get away!”dd0OVjM
bdjnloZis pushed Shirone away. He didn’t want to show weakness in front of Amy, at least. Knowing who had put him in this state, he couldn’t get angry.AWDf6
kAOItyHZis slumped down with his back against the door. As Shirone approached to support him again, Zis forced a painful smile and chuckled.eXB
cOTMdI“Out playing till this time? You’re really living the life.”f2sr8w
XM3hLXkDespite Zis’s critical condition, Tess remained on guard until the end.NstD
fnnzUKKHe was the one who had lured Amy into danger with a strange method the night before. Even if he was injured, she had no intention of trusting him.FuI0J
VtNJLDeOn the other hand, Amy approached without hesitation. More than trusting Zis, she had some idea of the situation as someone familiar with the rules of this world.exK4lB
tQ3vmo“What happened to you? Tell me. Did Falcoa do this?”y6gu0
OOXInstead of answering Amy, Zis raised his head and glared fiercely at Shirone.HQn6
5nNcHe felt good being able to stare down Shirone confidently.JWse
tCVhRIt was Amy’s life he had protected by hitting rock bottom in his life. Wouldn’t it be okay for him to be the protagonist for at least a minute to explain the whole story?CXvgkHO
RWG“Hey, you. Listen carefully. Take good care of your woman.”5mP
ztLk“What are you talking about?”OTf
OapShirone tilted his head in confusion, but Zis scowled fiercely. He had been suspecting since the conversation in the carriage. The fact that he couldn’t clearly define the relationship between the two.kvq
V7dThat made him even angrier. He didn’t understand why he had to suffer because of Shirone, who had everything he didn’t.5G0Q4
g2J“It’s about Amy, you bastard! If you’ve messed up like that, see it through to the end!”oTD
Eoeo“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Amy and I have been together all day today.”YpNlZCH
Q3JqZis recalled Falcoa’s orders. Even now, it seemed absurd, making him involuntarily chuckle.lsOIrD0
TQv“Bring her, even if you have to kill her. Mix the Lupe of Mortality into a drink and give it to Amy. She’ll have to drink it anyway.”5pphi
RRBOTY“This is insane…!”OIpLDz
vdEcRian clenched his fists like a tiger, his eyes wide with rage. The others felt the same anger.H6fLtzb
qDW2Of course, Amy wasn’t foolish enough not to know Falcoa’s trickery. But considering her pride and the abilities of the Red Eye, it could have led to a terrible situation.Pct0
qtsATess shuddered with a chill at the thought.6hDUgcl
mO9og8“Crazy. I knew he wasn’t normal, but he really went too far.”3amY48
PyevKShirone’s voice trembled like never before.QbW5OE
Ufief“So, that drink…”fMcWd2O
mORy“I threw it in the trash. I told him I couldn’t do it. Do you get it now? I was the one who protected Amy. Not you, but me! I risked my life to protect her! Do you understand, you idiot?”s01v
nkpszkShirone’s group was silent, unable to retort, not even wanting to.MVcP
ZQ1gShirone knelt to be eye-level with Zis.o5xT
JkvbWcN“Zis, we are…”gUX
xMe“That’s why!”OKB
KqnShirone’s words, screaming at the top of his lungs. Shouting with all his might, he felt a pain as if his ribs were breaking. But the reason for his tears pouring out like a waterfall wasn’t the pain.FtU
1IOrBiB“That’s why…”e7m5gRp
hbFCxZis collapsed flat on the ground. Then, pressing his forehead to the earth, he sobbed out his plea.4IWOk
IgOioIM“Please, help me.”TBftXk
T84Shirone’s group couldn’t say a word, merely looking down at Zis prostrate before them.EqyqV
oDsI“My sister… I think she’s been taken. When I came to my senses and went to the shop, they said she’d gone home, but she wasn’t there either. So I’ve been looking for her… but no one would help me. Please, find my sister. I beg you.”bZCj
smC5JcZis, having made his plea to Shirone’s group, burst into tears, repeating ‘please’ over and over.8vxPR
UxbbSA7Shirone watched, feeling both anger and sorrow seep into him.Mntk
XMQHow long had he wandered the streets in such a mess? Who would care about a back-alley girl? He could vividly imagine Zis calling out his sister’s name, ignored by everyone’s indifference.9oe
5Dll“My sister. My everything…”KFa1
Meoa6Hi“Do you have any idea where they might have taken your sister?”5v4nU
sLcZis lifted his head. He had come seeking help because there was no one else, but even wanting to help, they’d have to confront the Freeman organization, the rulers of the island.NDblqL
hIxoiPIt wasn’t easy to promise help in a situation where even magicians couldn’t guarantee their own lives, so he had pleaded with the readiness to give up even his life.8AFegdu
QBZe4But Shirone didn’t hesitate to ask where his sister had been taken.kvW
eas4wMi“Thank you! Thank you so much!”rDNQct
wEDbQyZis bowed his head repeatedly, expressing his gratitude in the only way he knew how.4XP
Q91Watching with disapproval, Amy grabbed Zis’s arm and helped him to his feet.K3SCo
zpTW6“Enough. Do it as you usually do. Acting like this suddenly makes us look even weirder. Let’s go inside. We’ll start by treating your wounds and talk.”QPpSCAx
5HM“But my sister…”X4A8Lm7
1k3lN“Idiot! If we rush in recklessly, we’ll be the ones in trouble! If she was taken on her way home, we still have plenty of time. If necessary, we’ll fly there, so let’s start with the treatment.”1hr
6Le4Amy led Zis into the villa, holding him up. While the girl, Yuna, was a concern, attending to the wounds came first.hiN
QQvRsMAAs Zis lay on the bed, Tess began to remove his clothes. With her extensive training in various combat support skills, she could tell Zis’s condition at a glance. Judging by the pattern of the bruises, his ribs were definitely damaged.ZCnFs1s
U0CbGTess pressed on various parts of Zis’s body.73C
Sq5“Ugh! Ah, it hurts.”iwxV
KLYvUpB“Of course, it hurts. You’ve been beaten up like this. They really didn’t hold back. Just bear with it a little. I need to check your organs too.”aCu
XRGTess pressed down hard on Zis’s abdomen. The organs, protected by skin and muscle, couldn’t be checked unless pressed down with such brute force.v4oHkw
pfES“Ughhhhh!”LqH6W
XLvbIt must have been excruciating, but Zis endured desperately. He knew the faster the treatment finished, the sooner he could go to save Yuna.G0V6M
i0tgJH“Lucky. There’s a crack in the ribs, but the rest are just simple bruises. The organs are safe too. You’re surprisingly tough.”MXKpWp
gWOVpgZis smiled bitterly. Although he wasn’t good at fighting, years of being attacked by various nobles had made him quite resilient to beatings.sScKxK
FoRAs Tess wrapped the bandages, Zis explained the situation.JqC
sOHConsidering Yuna’s work hours and the time she would have returned home, the abduction would have occurred around two hours ago.KspKpg
Pf7“They must have taken her to their hideout, so she wouldn’t have arrived yet. But I’m not even hoping for us to be on time. I just… if only Yuna is alive…”P5J
CP7pAmy interrupted Zis’s words.T8rFPyW
Gzd“No, it’s okay. They’ll be moving by carriage, so if we borrow horses and ride, we can easily catch up. Where exactly is their hideout? It seems quite far from here.”O7m99F
vSniXkG“I’ve never been there myself. I heard it’s on the north side of the island, but I’m not even sure about that.”xswe
Oz6“No, it must be there.”5h4
oyzDShirone was certain that place was the hideout. The north side of the island boasted a natural cliff. When they first arrived, they had to navigate around the island to dock at the southern port because of it.wWg5sZJ
NtZHvotMoreover, being close to the Kergos Autonomous District, it was a place beyond the government’s reach. There couldn’t be a better environment for a hideout.hki5H43
569LwJF“Alright, then let’s go. Can you stay here alone?”8JpbLC
UF9OZis nodded. Even if his condition worsened, he was determined to send Shirone off.dJkfqoT
2WV2UHis expression remained grim, however, burdened by the guilt of pushing unrelated people into danger.YLYWl
R1ZDlrY“Are you sure you’re okay? I know it’s ironic to say this after asking for help, but those guys are really strong.”Fctoqe
TCtAmy snorted. Even if Zis’s sister wasn’t involved, she had been planning to deal with Falcoa eventually.ntfd
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