Chapter 115 (2/2)
“… What?”
“Your siblings will get to live doing whatever they want for the rest of their lives, as long as you die.”
“Really?”
“You know how important an oath is, right? I swear on the sky, earth, and myself that I will take full responsibility for your siblings if you die.”
“What nonsense are you saying now!”
“Wow, that’s harsh. This is a fair trade.”
“How does this have any resemblance of a fair trade!”
Isaac s.h.i.+fted his glance away from Rivelia out of annoyance and looked into Philson’s pupils as he spoke
“You better decide quickly, because we are running out of time. What do you say?”
“You promise you’ll take care of my siblings right?”
“No! Don’t trust him! There’s no need! I will protect you and your siblings as a Pen-”
Isaac quickly intervened before the Pendleton name could escape Rivelia’s mouth.
“Oi, damsel, I can understand insubordination, but don’t make me doubt your capabilities. That’s a problem that won’t just end with me. There’s only one person who would like that outcome.”
“…”
Rivelia closed her mouth in face of Isaac’s cold remark. No matter how twisted and wrong this mission was, it was a covert mission under Central’s order. But if one of the partic.i.p.ants, the 2nd in command no less, revealed their true ident.i.ty?
It didn’t matter what the situation was. The fact she revealed her ident.i.ty meant she would be banished from Central. Only Duke Pendleton would like such an outcome.
Philson seemed to have made his decision when Rivelia fell silent. He gulped and spoke.
“Alright. I’ll die. You will keep your promise right?”
“Don’t worry about it. Even I can’t just run away scot-free when there are so many witnesses. You see, I have many enemies that are dying for a chance to slit my throat. Even this damsel next to you won’t stay put if I don’t keep my promise.”
With that, Philson nodded even as his feet quaked underneath him. He closed his eyes, ready to be killed.
“So, who wants to do it?”
Isaac stood up and asked the agents around him, but no one seemed to volunteer for the job.
“What the? Now you’re saying you don’t want to kill any civilians? Since I’m the one who killed the civilians, I may as well finish the job? Wow! What self-serving bunch you are. You think I’ll let that slide? This time, I won’t pick someone. Any one of you, come out and do it.”
“…”
n.o.body volunteered still, and Isaac sighed as he clicked his tongue.
“I swear, these r.e.t.a.r.ds are hopeless. Brat, I have to let you live.”
“What? No! Kill me! You said you’ll take care of my siblings!”
“Ah, what can I do when n.o.body wants to do it? Just continue living your poverty ridden-lives with your siblings.”
The agents were confused, watching the irony of the victim pleading for death.
“Are you done packing?”
“Yes sir! We did it as quickly as we could.”
Saints shouted out from the corner of the plaza, and Isaac moved away.
“Then let’s go. Brat, you stay here. Oi, damsel, what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
Rivelia got on her feet after Isaac’s badgering, yet she stayed on guard in case Isaac changed his decision on a whim. Philson, on the other hand, begged at the hooded agents silently to fulfill Isaac’s commands despite the fact that he couldn’t look at them in their eyes.
Isaac, who was distancing himself from the plaza, stopped and turned around. Rivelia reacted sensitively but Isaac ignored her and shouted out.
“Oi, brat, do you know who we are?”
“W, who are you?”
“What are you doing!?”
“He’s the sole survivor. We need someone to spread the rumours about who we are.”
Rivelia pulled at Isaac’s arm in an attempt to stop him, and Isaac simply replied with a frown and shouted at Philson.
“We are the Black Bandits. The marauders that robbed this supply base!”
Rivelia was relieved to hear this and let go of Isaac’s arm. Immediately, Isaac added.
“But our true ident.i.ty is Central’s Agents of Security.”
“No!”
Rivelia immediately ran toward Philson the moment Isaac revealed their ident.i.ty, but Kainen, who stood behind Philson, let out a depressed sigh as if he saw this coming and thrust his sword into Philson’s back.
Kuhuk!
The sword’s tip emerged from Philson’s chest, and when the sword was pulled back, Philson fell to the ground. Rivelia held Philson in her arms, not caring about his blood smearing over her.
“Philson? Philson! Listen to me!”
Philson opened his eyes feebly and weakly smiled at Rivelia.
“My brothers and sister will live a good life now, right?”
“… They will. I promise.”
“Hehe. It’s a promise…”
“Aaaaah!”
Rivelia wailed, watching Philson die an unfair death with a smile on his face. It was such a crus.h.i.+ng wail that one would worry about Rivelia’s sanity. In between Rivelia’s wail was Isaac’s burst of laughter.
“Kuahaha! See? Did you see that? These r.e.t.a.r.ds didn’t kill him when I asked them to, but the moment I revealed who we were, they didn’t even hesitate! Do you see how r.e.t.a.r.ded all of you are now?! At least keep your hypocrisy in check, r.e.t.a.r.ds! Now! Applause, applause for these fools!”
Within the dreadful silence, only Isaac’s twisted laughter and his dry claps echoed in the village. Rivelia who wept with Philson’s chilling body in her arms, raised her head, her eyes bloodshot. But when she tried to stand, Kainen stopped her.
“Move. Or I’ll kill you too.”
Rivelia glared at him murderously, and Kainen replied.
“It was me who killed him.”
“…”
“I’ll commit even greater atrocities if it’s to rebuild my family that was destroyed by that b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Do you only feel sorry for this boy’s death? Have you never thought that we all have our reasons to commit these atrocities? If you want to kill him, you’ll have to kill all of us first.”
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