Chapter 146: The ‘Parrot’ (4)
gkUvUTess was uneasy about Shirone’s quick change of stance. He knew well enough how rationally Shirone viewed the world from their past experiences.N1Hw
nYi8Shirone wasn’t someone who adjusted his actions based on his feelings but that didn’t mean he was cold-blooded either.OcssQL
F6YiHe simply knew how to control his emotions, though it was likely that numerous conflicts were raging within him.nw7
LwtvKTess saw Shirone’s current state as potentially detrimental to the battle ahead.CertM2
cOX“Shirone, don’t worry about it. We’re not going to fight; we’re going to rescue Zis’s sister. We’ll find out what kind of person Marsha is when we meet her.”K1Y1w
dH46B9zShirone forced a smile, understanding Tesss concerns, but his resolve only strengthened.sbse
umxqEIf he found her to be truly evil, he was prepared to forget all his past feelings and bring her down with all his might.qNaQc
hTaH“Don’t worry. I won’t make any mistakes.”MW3SkQi
gsMShirone spurred his horse and swiftly cut through the night air.Jag6
ph2bv***vV1jLF
KUoV4There was no direct path from the west to the northern hideout due to the indigenous autonomous region in the center.2uz
VQn5The kidnappers of Yuna had taken a long detour around Mount Toa to reach their destination, arriving at dawn.zRPu5Z
AiKInside a dilapidated building resembling a warehouse, Falcoa sat on a chair, his pupils half-dilated as he stared blankly ahead, surrounded by spit-out lupf husks.EVz6K
KLHmHis men entered, bowed to Falcoa, and threw a sack containing Yuna onto the floor with a thud. Though no screams escaped, the intense trembling from within the sack indicated her sheer terror.UiT8a9
aLmOBRLAt Falcoa’s nod, one of his men drew a knife and sliced the sack open, revealing Yuna, drenched in tears and sweat, trembling in fear.lhh7
3UsJFDYuna’s eyes filled with despair as she looked around, realizing she had been brought here overnight. A man with an unhinged look in his dilated pupils stared down at her, while intimidating men at the entrance blocked any escape.kvV
3WP“Pl-please, spare me.”ffIKgy
OEUBL“Leave us,” Falcoa ordered his men, who quickly exited, knowing well the consequences of disobeying him.gIIV
GPa9ENWLeft alone with Yuna, Falcoa approached, chewing on Lupe.th66
rCsX“You’re much better than I expected. Do you know why you’re here?”d7K0r5V
sRDQs“I-I don’t know. Please, just let me go home.”n8Fw
kWr3Y“Sorry, but that’s not possible. I plan to make you the most miserable person in the world because your brother sold you to me.”SMXqjU
2yteEBLYuna froze in shock, but deep down, she still believed in Zis. How could a brother sell his own sister to such a man?XD4RF7
5kVhP“That can’t be true! My brother cherishes me the most!”odozeCX
WnPo1g8“Is that so? Then why are you here? I gave Zis something incredible in exchange for you.”oaX
yupQFalcoa didn’t consider his words a lie. After all, sparing her life was worth a fortune, wasn’t it? Plus, he had given Zis the luxury of missing Amy.eCJ7ZB
8dAhCe7“That’s impossible! My brother wouldn’t sell me!”NYGNkFi
RFVfM8Yuna screamed, clutching her chest to overcome her fear. The shock of being sold by her brother was more devastating than being kidnapped.qvwUIr
ZkD“Let me see my brother! I’ll ask him myself!”AsHi4Ml
gBzaYcE“Hey, little lady, you don’t seem to grasp the situation. You can’t go home. You’ll never be able to. You have two choices: die by my hand or take your own life.”vgbk
Lgj“No, that can’t be! Aaah!”K3zKdv
duMOFalcoa suddenly grabbed Yuna’s wrist with an overpowering grip, pulling her into his embrace.9wG
awPpVVA“Get away from me, you bastard!”pORch
OFF3yFalcoa savored her frail resistance for a moment before twisting her arm and turning her around, gripping her cheeks threateningly.pZ6l0
YvHTFr“Don’t waste your strength too early. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to scream.”RC3Qw
YRnAJust then, the warehouse door opened, and a cold voice filled the room.ahYM
ZWis“Falcoa. Human trafficking is against the rules.”FUQ4Z
XlxgL“Freeman.”1gRkN
wpD9ZFalcoa scowled, displeased. The only man in the Parrot Mercenary Corps ranked above him, Agado Freeman, observed the scene with a subdued gaze.lJfI
z6HmHStanding over 190 centimeters tall in a white long coat, Freeman’s appearance was ghostly. His eyebrows were completely shaven, and his lips looked unhealthy.JjYsyT
brsOf4NA master of Schema and skilled in using magic bullets, Freeman was known within the organization to surpass even Lucas in sheer physical prowess.1xeq6q1
YI4ZvgQ“What brings you here all of a sudden? Haven’t seen hide nor hair of you until now. Run out of money?”zC8jX
znuFj5MFalcoa’s displeasure was evident. Although Freeman had always been the de facto second-in-command since their mercenary days, Falcoa had a unique role within the organization that allowed him freedom.gyQ
PWMg2The conflict between the vice-captain and the action team leader had intensified since their arrival on the island. The downfall into a band of thieves, yet Freeman’s insistence on adhering to the old mercenary codes, fueled the discord.0Dv
1KWLoSustaining the dozens of followers branded as traitors required substantial funds, but Freeman had offered no viable solutions.AajEpa
i6q8U71For five years, Falcoa had led the organization, driving out the island’s influential figures with force and sustaining the group with the profits from lupf trade.sG3FW
pFy0Freeman had turned a blind eye to Falcoa’s misdeeds for these reasons.xcoE3YA
KO31wi4However, this time, Falcoa had crossed a line. There were certain boundaries that should not be crossed, even in the name of the Parrot.tTCPL53
uk9Freeman, though merely a vice-captain, was adamant about condemning human trafficking and violent plundering.VOvs2
mqIi“You know the organization’s rules. Human trafficking tarnishes the Parrot Mercenary Corps’ reputation.”Twse5
QcWJd“Parrot Mercenary Corps? Since when did we start living in the past, clinging to former glories? Look at us now. Do you think the organization would have survived this long without the money I bring in?”fi5qS
uofGey6“You’re insane, Falcoa. I’ll acknowledge your efforts for the organization, regardless of the methods. But make no mistake. I am the one leading this organization.”CS67W
KyCvLJ“I don’t care about that. I don’t recognize you. Wasn’t that decided from the start? You can’t start acting like the boss now.”wYY
4M43dA chilling intent emanated from Freeman as he watched Falcoa’s brazen demeanor. To a weaker creature, such a presence could be lethal.TMFSSd4
65aF9QBut Falcoa absorbed that murky energy as if stabbing himself with a knife. It was painful, but he showed no change in expression.7Sjd3
hrf0“Ha, how terrifying.”GWscaSm
mcC1NcFreeman was at a loss. Pain and anger were merely catalysts that worsened the situation with such an aggressive person.ZQJFWcI
xAzCVg‘Has he become such a wild dog?’vycan
f6AxVWEven without Lupe, Falcoa was always driven by desire. His penchant for combat and killing had made him a good fit for the mercenary corps.gvk9
JOfy6But now, as a bar owner on the island, he was frustrated. Lupe, alcohol, and women weren’t enough to quell his innate madness.40RA
ElP“Please, spare me.”aM9
NuByN3YAs Yuna pleaded, trembling, Freeman turned back to Falcoa and said:0uJO1
vEAhGxu“Do we really need to go this far? Have we abandoned the Parrot’s pride as well?”IoYpO0e
r4Ha“Pride? Hey, let me tell you something. The Parrot Mercenary Corps is over. The captain’s gone, and the men are at their limits. You might as well give up and join us.”H3yy
p3S4zcAs he spoke, Falcoa boldly buried his face in Yuna’s neck, but Freeman remained motionless, now revealing his own readiness for combat.As0LT
QPOThe moment one of them moved, a fight would inevitably break out, potentially destroying one of the two pillars that had been supporting the Parrot.zSTe
eONdZA clash between them was unpredictable, but Falcoa was confident Freeman wouldn’t dare to act against him.9aY0Xc
6tD84zS“Why don’t you just leave? I’ll tell the men to give you some money. It’s time you learned to accept things and have some fun.”JsdxF6
YWA5j4D“Oh, what a joyous occasion this is.”E3EyK
wm3BwA woman’s voice rang out as the door opened. Falcoa quickly turned his head, but before he could focus, a fist struck his jaw, whipping his head around.lOBG5Cm
tgN“Ugh!”dPehNWS
oY3yd7fA powerful kick then landed in Falcoa’s abdomen, sending him crashing to the floor, while Yuna, her legs giving out from shock, collapsed.bt9e4v6
awFau“Damn. Talk about bad luck.”t8EHv0
F8lSpitting out, Falcoa slowly rose to his feet. His failure to dodge the two blows was due to his unconscious restraint from retaliating.rTGikaA
1BRClay Marsha, the former leader of the Parrot Mercenary Corps who once commanded hundreds of mercenaries, stood before him.y7Dq
n3t“The real boss?”snykX
WxLtwL4“Is there a fake one? You’ve really lost it, haven’t you, after being let loose for a few years?”ShaXGYb
vIPsFalcoa didn’t show anger. In fact, he didn’t even display hostility.mHVybB
ZZ39To the members of the mercenary corps, Marsha was such a figure.Gv9O
LKtAs the first leader of the Parrot Mercenary Corps, she had elevated the group to A-class status within a few years, requiring more than just brute force.rQB
bTxIbUAnd Marsha had achieved that with her exceptional skills. Moreover, her strength was so formidable that she was the only one in the organization to be listed as an A-class criminal.wXcXT
Et5JHBut Falcoa didn’t follow Marsha for such trivial reasons.K1V
basHe saw her as a “fallen Madonna.”hVBPs2x
igcUKind and gentle, Marsha embraced a crowd of humans, most of whom were far from normal.MmDy
U1ZThose abandoned by their families, born with an innate thirst for blood, or societal outcasts with no other means to express their existence outside the battlefield.ilHDx
2vOjR2oFalcoa was one of them.zcoCr
fO8MWhen everyone else tried to cure his mental illness or push him out of society, Marsha was the only one who embraced him.KYooR
P4D7In the Parrot Thieves’ Guild, Marsha was both a sister and a mother, a leader who could be trusted and relied upon in any situation.s2vMHl
g8PPBut even with such a leader, it was infuriating. After years of no contact, she had suddenly appeared, causing havoc.OMTi
VK8tsua“Damn it. Where have you been hiding? You’re not the leader anymore. In all this time, we…”t4pE2M
PUi“You’ve become a junkie, haven’t you?”bk0tKK
yGg6tddFalcoa’s face hardened. His pupils, usually dilated, sharpened for a moment.mR3t0v
RziHe had heard it countless times over five years, but for some reason, it felt like he was hearing it for the first time.Mzt
4rydxA junkie. Had the one known as the battlefield demon really become a junkie?TAYDToJ
JsZYFreeman approached and bowed to Marsha.Bl7i9
Xiw“It’s been a long time, Captain. When did you return?”9fYu3m
1szYW“I came as soon as I heard Lucas was taken down. He’s bound to have blown up his hideout by now. Looks like we’ll need to clean up here soon.”DYHd
cxOEAfter explaining to Freeman, Marsha approached Falcoa, who instinctively averted his gaze as she drew near.H9e
twh“Falcoa, I’m sure I told you. Human trafficking is not allowed.”GzhWg6
mYUvFHFalcoa’s brow furrowed. Upon reflection, he realized he had nothing to be ashamed of. All the blame lay with Marsha, who had abandoned the organization.2KqKG
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