Chapter 20 - The Don and The Priestess Rescue Quest 2 (2/2)
”Thanks, Lady Daliah.” Ylla smiled and felt embarrassed.
”Childish. Dogs are better than teddy bears.” Rafel muttered aside.
Richarde giggled and cajoled, ”Oh, Lady Ylla. Don't worry, I can give you more bears than my angel.”
Even his voice was very convincing, both girls stared at him with disgust.
Daliah asked, cracking her fingers with a sharp gaze. ”Like I said over and over again. Stop saying like that. I'm not your property, stupid. And besides, I won't let you touch my beloved Ylla. Never. If you even try to lay your hands on her, I'll personally kill you on the spot right now.”
Richarde gulped and spoke with an apologetic tone, ”Oh c'mon, I won't fight you. You're my beloved angel who'll carry my children and become the grandmother of our grandchildren.” The girls sighed. There's no point of talking nonsense to this man. Daliah fixed her face and asked, ”Anyways, please forgive us for making a scene. Chief, should we build a team to search the Priestess as our second option? If we don't want to cooperate and use those men, I fully suggest to form a group outside our territory.”
Everyone turned their gaze at their leader who was surprised. But Chief Zamor remained quiet and closed his eyes for a minute. He gulped some air and exhaled before he could give them his response, ”Unfortunately, we can't.”
Daliah flinched and asked, ”But why? There's nothing wrong to ask for help from the others.”
”We don't have enough time to prepare something like that.”
Daliah became completely saddened. ”Agreed. But we should save her before they could do something bad on her. But now, how?”
Elder Wamo ”Young lady, please hold your tone for a bit. Calm your mind and heart so you can clearly find the solution for this madness. I'm very entertained lately while watching all of you talking normally as if you guys are so close to each other as a family. I'm very fortunate to have these teenagers to place down under your care, Chief Zamor. However, don't give up. Don't ever lose hope. Every problem has a solution. I don't know have a slight idea about anything related to government management. But, I'm completely aware that as the elder, if the youth started to feel gloom, we're here to enlighten them from their doom.”
Chief Zamor nodded, ”Thank you, Elder Wamo.”
”You're welcome,” replied Elder Wamo as he rubbed his bear up and down.
Chief Zamor continued and turned his gaze at everyone, ”As you can see, our village is in really bad shape right now despite the outside appearance of every street and buildings. For the past five years, we're really trying our best to survive on this island. We all know the fact that everything has already done their job very well according to their specific position bestowed to each other. Prior to the incidents committed by the continuous assaults of the Archnemesis men, we're conducting illegal activities such as creating weapons without the permission of the former owner of this land. So, we can't judge everyone like Captain Mattia for being corrupted. All of us committed a sin and we have not right to say we're in the right position to judge the others. Right now, we have a small budget to boost our economy and because of that, we have slow progress to save money for future use. The Neue Fiona village has an acc.u.mulated budget from the taxes collected last year however if we allocate more funds to recruit some groups to rescue her is going to result in a large deficit. We don't have enough funds to spare. Our budget is preserved for — Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Aljen, I don't want to say this but please, don't let the others know about our situation. I hope you still plan to continue your investment here.”
”Don't worry, I'll keep it in mind. Please continue,” said Hermes. ”Please don't mind me. I promise to all of you. Everything you said will just nothing but a smoke air on my ears. Just proceed and continue your discussion.”
Elder Kilo inquired, ”Chief Zamor, how about we ask the guards to become part of the rescue team? We can use them, right? By the way, who's in charge of taking command of those men?”
Hearing it made Rafel answered, ”All of the representatives has all the authority to command them all. We're the commander of these folks in case of emergency. The chief had given us at least thirty men under our banner.”
”And, thanks to the good but slow production of secret factories, we're barely given them proper equipment and weapons to carry. But at least, they are competent like she said compare to other people who wish for a normal life.” Richarde added.
Elder Damaso sighed while rubbing his beard like his brothers, ”So we have a grand total of 120 village guards with average equipment and preparedness, huh. This makes me believe that we can further use these people to rescue the young maiden. Like my brother and the young lady suggested, we must use these men to save her. We can just say that it will become one of their ways to prove their innocence.”
Ylla spoke while folded one by one the pages of her doc.u.ments on the table, ”Despite that low number, these pathetic people are well-trained killers, oh sorry, I mean well-trained security personnel and can be comparable to the soldiers of any mafia family. However, there's no way they will agree to become part of the rescue team. I know them very well. They are just a bunch of losers who'll probably play like a hero within their own territory. But I admit they are competent than the others.”
”Right.” Rafel seconded.
Elder Wamo asked with confusion, ”So, why don't we use them to rescue the young Priestess if they are like that?”
”Too expensive,” Rafel answered. He placed down from his hands all the files connected to their spendings while looking at the elders. ”These people will eventually make a riot for the increase of their wages equivalent to their service. These competent employees are no doubt won't work with us without proper payments.”
Daliah agreed, ”I can't argue with that. I agree to your words, Rafel.”
Ylla followed, ”I second the motion. You still have a piece of intelligence in your brain, huh.”
”Shut it, bitch.,” Rafel muttered aside.
Only Richarde remained his silence while tapping his fingers on the table.
The place fell into silence for a few minutes.
”*cough* Please stop staring at each other and continue,” Chief Zamor felt his mind was going to explode if the situation remained like this. Therefore, he decided to speak first before the silence absorbed everyone.
”Chief Zamor, can you explain to us what does they mean?” asked Elder Kilo.
Chief Zamor sighed and replied, ”The village guards are not really a simple security team who can be mobilized easily. Despite their good reputation, they won't move without paying for a high price. We can compare them to the mercenaries but in low aspects.”
”Oh, that's explain everything. This quest is certainly entertaining. My heart and mind boil in excitement.,” Hermes muttered aside while keeping his eyes focus at all of them. He carefully listened to all information he heard from everyone. He felt really grateful to be part of this meeting today.
The chief sighed and decided to tell them to have a break. The representatives and the elders motioned to take a bow before they exited the room. Only the young Don and his butler had personally asked to stay for a minute.
The young Don clasped his hands together on the table, ”What do you want to talk?”
Folding one by one the pages of the doc.u.ments, the chief closed the folder and placed it next to his filed papers. He scratched his chin and heaved a sigh. 'As expected' He thought.
”Mr. Aljen, what do you think about the meeting?” asked Chief Zamor as he slid over a folder towards the young Don. Hermes caught the folder and took a lot at the contents.
He whistled as he read something to make him awe.
”That.? Well, its kinda sucks. Oh, — ”
”— That files contains the classified information related to our corrupted officials. You may find there that some of it are full of their personal assets, liabilities and equities for the past few years.”
”Oh, so why are you giving me this to me? I'm certainly not interested to meddle with politics and involve myself that can ruin my normal life.” He placed down the files on the table and tapped his fingers on his armrest.
”Mr. Aljen, do you still plan to invest here on this island?”
”Of course.”
”Do you know why you can't meet me for the last three days?”
”Because of that woman? Or should I say, it is because you asked her to do that for some reason. Am I right?” he concluded.
Chief Zamor giggled and replied, ”Certainly.”
”But why? I thought we're in good terms. You already praised me to everyone like you already know me too well. I don't understand why were you doing that to me for the past three days.” Hermes was curious about it.
”To be frank, I don't trust you too well.”
”Oh, you're really interesting, old man. What a surprise, I don't trust you either. So, we can say that we're even and in the same league no doubt. Oh, why did you gave us these emblems — no one but two of them were personally handed over to us, if you didn't trust ask back then what's the main reason?”
Chief Zamor said with confidence, ”There are several reasons. But it will take more time for you to earn it. Oh, one of them was when you saved me and my kids. I felt something that I could use you for something back there. Listen, Mr. Aljen. The day you've come I tried to investigate your origin.”
”However, you failed.”
”Indeed. So, I give up on that.”
Hermes sighed and felt annoyed at his face. ”W-wow, you easily tossed aside something important. Well, whatever. Let me take a guess. You want me to work with you. Right?” And the chief answered him with a, ”Yes.”
Hermes folded his arms and let the man spoke his request.
”Three days ago, I received a report from Ilona that some vendors are currently placed in protection racket under by the gang named Handdog gang. These group of thugs are said to be part of an organized crime under the protection of a mafia family. However, we're still no enough evidence that can link them to any of them. Like what Daliah's stories said earlier, my fellow villagers, who are working there, had failed to pay their taxes property. They were forced to accept their demands for the past few years. Half of their income that supposedly collected by our government was transferred to their illegal fundings.The members of the Handdog gang were no doubt the immigrants that hide from the containers.”
”Handdog gang, huh.” Hermes recalled the second quest he read from the newspaper. [Destroy the unorganized gang located at District 2.].
”We're still doesn't have evidence to link this gang to the kidnapping but I have a hunch that we can solve this problem by involving you. Bunch of my village guards are undeniably been bribed to keep their mouth shut. We're doing some investigation to make an excuse to kick them out of our territory. If it is not because of that group, we've already made it quick. Oh, I'm talking about the National Organized Human Right Council Mr. Aljen, please forgive me but I won't allow you to create a business in this place. I can't guarantee your safety if you're getting hurt. The reputation of our village will be placed in bad shape if something bad will happen to you. I know you can understand how desperate we are to completely annihilate these bastards strolling around the streets and keep pestering the lives of the many. But, I can give you something that you cannot ignore if you insist to stay here. This one chance will let you ―”
”So, you want someone to work from the shadow right?” the chief flinched and smiled after the young Don spoke out what he wanted to say. Hermes resumed, ”I'm quite surprised that you still manage to keep your fake facade in front of me. Like I told you before. I don't want to get involved in the problems of this village. However, I cannot ignore the fact that you have something that can be certainly beneficial for both parties. To be frank, I don't listen to any kind of request because it's kind of annoying. So, you want to say you were protecting me for the past three days because you don't want me to ruin the image of your place? How pathetic.”
”My apologies, there's no other way but to do it.”
”Oh, boy. A'right, what's your request anyway?”
”Your service will be secretly rewarded. A man like you will surely no doubt guaranteed a one hundred percent success. What I want you to do is to rescue our new Priestess. And last, salvage our village from the brink of corruption. I know it'll be abruptly annoying for this favor, but please, help us resolve these problems.” The chief lowered his head, ninety-degrees, at the young Don.
Hermes heaved a sigh and patted the shoulder of the old man. He raised his hand and waited for his response.
”I'll accept.,” said Hermes and shook his hands delightedly. His face viciously smiled as his plan to resolve his own problem had finally on his palm.