The Slave Carriages
The three slave carriages moved through the foggy jungle.
Eventually, they stopped at their destination.
However, they hadn't arrived directly at the Assassin Club. Instead, the carriages had stopped at a midpoint, only a short distance from the Club's entrance.
The guards working for Leyi and Yilance Company had deliberately chosen this location.
They wanted to torment the slaves before delivering them to their destination.
One of the carriage guards opened the door of the third carriage, holding a sturdy stick in his hand.
"Get out, bastards! We've arrived!"
The slaves hurriedly climbed out.
The guards from the other carriages did the same, waking the remaining slaves and forcing them outside.
Soon, the Little Robbers were standing among the other captives.
Nikolai Volkov looked around nervously.
Suddenly, he noticed a guard raising his stick toward Lucien de Montclair.
"Hey!"
Before the guard could strike Lucien, Nikolai rushed forward and shielded his friend with his own body.
The stick struck Nikolai instead.
"Ugh!"
The guard stared at him.
"What did you just do, kid?"
He raised his stick again and attacked Lucien.
But Nikolai refused to move.
He continued standing between Lucien and the guard, taking the blows to protect his friend.
"Brother Nikolai, stop!" Lucien shouted desperately. "Please, stop!"
Aurelius Laurisber stepped forward.
"Please! Stop hitting him! He's already hurt!"
However, the guard ignored his pleas.
"You bastard! Fine! If you want to suffer, then suffer!"
The other guards began laughing.
They treated the slaves as though they weren't human beings at all.
Nikolai could barely endure the repeated blows. His entire body ached, and his strength gradually faded.
Yet he continued protecting Lucien.
Finally, his body could take no more.
Nikolai collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
The guard looked down at him and laughed.
"So, you've finally collapsed?"
He turned toward Lucien.
"Well, then. Now I can have some fun with this kid!"
Alaric von Eberhardt stepped forward, his expression filled with anger.
"Why are you doing this to us?!"
He clenched his fists.
"It's illegal to beat slaves when you aren't their owner!"
One of the guards laughed.
"Who cares about the law?"
He looked around to ensure that no one was interfering.
"Nobody's watching us here!"
The guard pointed toward the distant Assassin Club.
"That's why we don't take the carriages directly to the entrance. We stop halfway and spend an hour doing whatever we want with the slaves!"
He burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
The other guards joined him.
Their expressions made it clear that they had no intention of stopping.
The Little Robbers watched in fear.
They had already lost their freedom, and now they were being tormented by people who were supposed to transport them safely.
Another guard approached Evander Sinclair.
He examined the boy with an unsettling expression.
"You know, I really enjoy hurting children like you."
He moved closer.
"You look like someone I'd enjoy tormenting. Don't worry. I'll make sure you remember this day."
Evander stepped backward, terrified.
But before the guard could do anything, a man suddenly appeared.
BAM!
The stranger delivered a powerful kick to the guard, knocking him unconscious.
Everyone turned toward the newcomer.
It was Verl Ouzen.
He looked at the remaining guards with clear irritation.
"Huh? What do you think you're doing?"
His gaze moved toward the frightened children.
"Tormenting children? Is this how you spend your time?"
One of the guards immediately shouted at him.
"Hey, you! How dare you attack one of us?!"
Verl sighed.
"What a pain."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Looks like I have to teach all of you a lesson."
Verl rushed toward the guards.
Punches and kicks echoed through the jungle.
Within moments, he had defeated four or five guards.
They struggled to keep up with his movements, and several fell to the ground.
However, there were more guards than Verl had anticipated.
Even the ones he had already defeated began recovering and getting back to their feet.
Verl stepped backward, observing the situation.
This could become troublesome.
These guards aren't completely weak. If I don't target their weak points, defeating them will take more effort than I expected.
He glanced at the first guard he had knocked unconscious.
I defeated him because I attacked suddenly and struck a vulnerable point. He didn't have enough time to react.
But the others are properly trained.
I can defeat three or four at once, but defeating all of them immediately will be difficult.
Before Verl could continue thinking, one of the guards charged at him with a sword.
However, something unexpected happened.
A woman's hand appeared between the sword and Verl.
She stopped the blade with just two fingers.
The guard froze.
The other guards turned toward the woman.
The moment they felt her aura, their expressions changed.
They immediately recognized that they were facing someone far beyond their abilities.
It was Miwi Zalmonv.
Miwi glanced at the sword held between her fingers.
Then she looked at the guards.
"What is this?"
Her voice was cold.
"You belong to Yilance Company, don't you? You're supposed to transport these slaves to the Assassin Club."
She narrowed her eyes.
"So why are you wasting your time here?"
With a slight movement of her fingers, Miwi broke the sword.
The guards immediately lowered their heads.
"Please forgive us, Madam Miwi!"
"We're sorry!"
Miwi looked at them with an expression of disgust.
"Forgive you?"
She scoffed.
"Forgiveness isn't even in my dictionary."
The guards began trembling.
Miwi continued.
"Perhaps I should report your behavior to Yilance Company."
Their faces turned pale.
"Please, Madam Miwi! Don't report us!"
"Please give us another chance!"
They knew that Leyi and the other founders wouldn't be pleased to hear about their misconduct.
Miwi crossed her arms.
"Then you should have thought about that before behaving like this."
At that moment, Verl approached her.
"Hey. What are you doing here?"
Miwi immediately turned toward him.
"Oh! Mr. Verl!"
Her expression changed.
"I'm terribly sorry for being late. I also forgot to include the location in my letter."
She bowed her head slightly.
"Please forgive my mistake."
The guards stared at her in disbelief.
Why is Madam Miwi apologizing to him?
They had never expected her to show such respect toward an ordinary-looking man.
Verl waved his hand.
"It's fine. Just make sure the children reach the Assassin Club safely."
Miwi nodded.
"Don't worry. The Club is nearby. I'll take them there myself."
She turned toward the guards.
"You bastards! Get the slaves back into the carriages immediately!"
The guards hurried to obey.
"Yes, Madam!"
Miwi looked at Verl again.
"By the way, Mr. Verl, I never asked your name."
She smiled faintly.
"Could you tell me?"
"Verl Ouzen."
Miwi's expression changed slightly when she heard his surname.
Ouzen?
She appeared surprised, but she didn't ask any further questions.
Instead, she said, "Please wait for me at the entrance of the Assassin Club. I'll come and meet you there."
After giving her instructions, Miwi accompanied the guards and the slaves toward the Club's Pet and Collar section.
Verl watched them leave.
Then he headed toward the entrance.
The Magic Slave Sign
Inside the carriage, the Little Robbers remained silent.
They had witnessed everything.
Although Verl had saved them from the guards' cruelty, they understood that their situation hadn't fundamentally changed.
They were still slaves.
Nikolai remained unconscious, his body suffering from the punishment he had endured.
His friends couldn't even consider escaping while the guards watched them closely and Nikolai remained injured.
But there was another reason they had lost hope.
A magical slave sign had been drawn on each of their chests.
They knew what it meant.
The sign existed to suppress a slave's freedom. If a slave attempted to escape or disobey the restrictions placed upon them, the magic would punish them with powerful electrical shocks and burning pain.
It was a relatively uncommon method of controlling slaves.
Most masters relied on a particular medicine to force obedience, although some chose other methods.
The medicine was notorious for its ability to destroy a person's mental faculties, leaving the victim incapable of resisting their master's control.
Not every master used it, but the possibility was enough to frighten the children.
Soon, the carriages reached the Assassin Club.
The slaves were taken inside and brought to the Pet and Collar section.
Lucien looked around uneasily.
"I don't like this magical slave sign."
Miwi, who was nearby, heard him.
She turned toward Lucien.
Evander immediately became nervous when he noticed her gaze.
Leander von Falkenrath stepped forward.
"Please forgive my friend's words, Madam. He didn't mean to offend you."
Miwi looked at him.
"Huh? Don't be so frightened. I'm not going to hit you."
She glanced at Lucien.
"I simply want to answer his question."
Then she addressed the boy directly.
"Your name is Lucien, isn't it?"
Lucien nodded nervously.
Miwi continued explaining.
"When a customer purchases you, your new master can arrange for the magical slave sign to be removed."
She paused.
"Many masters initially try to make their slaves obedient through their own methods rather than using medicine."
"However, if a slave refuses to obey, some masters resort to that medicine."
Miwi shrugged.
"Of course, not everyone does that. Some masters use it immediately, while others never use it at all."
The Little Robbers stared at her.
They hadn't expected Miwi to answer their question so casually.
Then her expression changed.
She smiled in a way that made Lucien uncomfortable.
"Now, Lucien, give me that gold coin."
She pointed toward his pocket.
"I saw it earlier."
Lucien hesitated.
"Why should I give it to you?"
Miwi tilted her head.
"Because you asked me a question, and I answered it."
She held out her hand.
"Now give it to me."
Lucien became increasingly frightened.
He eventually took the gold coin from his pocket and handed it to her.
He didn't know what else to do.
What he didn't realize was that the coin had a special meaning.
It had once belonged to his youngest brother, Yein Lonrinovt.
And its story began some time earlier.
---
Flashback — A Promise Made to Yein
Inside the tree house, Yein sat sadly in a corner.
His mother had been kidnapped by robbers, and he didn't know how to bring her back.
He lowered his head.
"Mother... why did this happen to us?"
His eyes filled with tears.
"I miss you, Mother."
At that moment, Lucien approached him.
"Hey, Yein."
He noticed that the younger boy was crying and sat beside him.
"Why are you crying? Come on, stop."
Lucien spoke gently.
"I know you're sad because the robbers kidnapped your mother. But we already told you that we'll help her."
Yein looked up at him.
"Big brother... I really hate myself."
Lucien's expression changed.
Yein continued in a trembling voice.
"I'm useless. I'm an unlucky kid."
He lowered his gaze again.
"You guys work so hard to survive and live a better life. But what about me?"
He clenched his fists.
"I'm just a burden that everyone has to carry."
Yein's tears continued falling.
"You're trying to find information about where my mother is, but I'm doing nothing except crying."
Lucien shook his head.
"Don't think that way."
He placed a hand on Yein's shoulder.
"You aren't useless."
Then Lucien took out two apples and handed them to him.
"Here. Take these."
Yein stared at the apples.
"They're delicious. I recently collected them from a garden owner."
Lucien smiled.
"I only have a few because lots of children were waiting for apples, too. The garden owner gave every child two apples."
He looked toward the window.
"That man is really kind. He always gives apples to the children."
Yein looked at the fruit in his hands.
"But... these are your apples. You were waiting to get some, too."
Lucien shook his head.
"I was waiting to get apples for you, Yein. Not for myself."
He smiled warmly.
"And listen carefully. We're your family."
Lucien gently patted Yein's head.
"Once you grow a little older, you can work alongside us. Until then, let us take care of you."
Yein's expression gradually brightened.
"Thank you, Big Brother Lucien!"
Lucien smiled.
"That's better."
However, Yein suddenly remembered something.
He searched his pocket and found a gold coin.
"Oh!"
He held it up excitedly.
"Look, Big Brother! A gold coin!"
Lucien examined it.
"Yes, that's a gold coin. It's valuable."
He smiled at Yein.
"See? You're lucky, too. So don't call yourself useless or unlucky anymore."
Yein nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! You're right!"
Then he held out the coin.
"Big Brother Lucien, please take this."
Lucien immediately shook his head.
"No. It's your coin. Why would I take it?"
Yein insisted.
"Please take it!"
He looked at Lucien earnestly.
"You gave me delicious apples and told me that I'm not useless or unlucky."
His voice became more serious.
"And all of you are trying to find my mother. I think this gold coin might help you, even if it's only a little."
He placed the coin in Lucien's hand.
"I'll be happy if my coin helps you, Big Brother."
Yein's eyes shone with hope.
"I want this gold coin to help you find my mother. Please accept it."
Lucien looked at the younger boy.
He understood that refusing the coin would only make Yein more upset.
So he finally accepted it.
"Alright. I'll take it."
Yein smiled.
Lucien held the coin carefully.
"I promise I'll use this gold coin to help save your mother."
Yein immediately became excited.
"Really?"
He leaned forward.
"So it's a promise? You'll use my gold coin to save my mother?"
Lucien nodded.
"Yes. I promise I'll use your gold coin to help save her."
Yein smiled brightly.
For the first time in a while, he felt that he could still contribute something to his family's future.
However, there was another reason the coin mattered.
After Yein's mother had been kidnapped, a man had witnessed the incident.
He hadn't intervened because he lacked the strength to stop the robbers.
After they left, he approached Yein.
"Huh... Do you know how much money you'll need to get your mother back?"
Yein looked at him.
The man continued.
"You'll need a thousand gold coins."
He explained that Yein's mother had been taken to Yilance Company's Barthol section, where women were exploited to serve wealthy customers.
He also told Yein that purchasing a woman through that system could cost a thousand gold coins.
Yein listened carefully.
He remembered every word and later shared the information with the Little Robbers.
That was why the gold coin had become so important to him.
It represented the beginning of his hope that his mother could be rescued.
And now, Lucien had given that same coin to Miwi.
---
The Coin Returned
Back in the present, Miwi held Yein's gold coin.
Lucien watched her nervously.
"Please give that gold coin back."
Miwi's eyes became cold.
"Shut up, kid."
Lucien immediately lowered his head.
"I'm sorry..."
Before Miwi could say anything else, Verl returned.
He looked at the receptionist.
"Miss Miwi, you shouldn't behave like this."
Miwi immediately turned toward him.
"Oh, Mr. Verl!"
Her expression softened.
"Yes, I know. I've taken too much of your time. I'm sorry."
Verl frowned.
"Please don't change the subject."
He pointed toward the coin in her hand.
"Give that gold coin back to the boy."
Miwi stared at him.
"Huh? Never."
Verl sighed.
"If you refuse, I'll simply leave."
Miwi's expression changed.
Verl continued calmly.
"I won't meet you, and I'll go my own way."
Miwi looked genuinely surprised.
She had a particular reason for wanting to speak with Verl, and she didn't want him to leave.
"Huh? You're being awfully cold toward a girl like me."
She crossed her arms.
"You really are cold-hearted and rude."
Verl looked at her without changing his expression.
"You aren't innocent, either. So don't pretend that you are."
He glanced toward Lucien.
"Now, will you return the coin, or should I leave?"
Miwi hesitated.
"Wait, wait!"
She sighed.
"Fine. I'll give it back."
She handed the gold coin to Lucien.
Lucien stared at it in surprise before looking up at Verl.
"Thank you, sir!"
Verl smiled.
"You're welcome."
Miwi crossed her arms.
"Alright, alright. Now, guards, take the slaves to the Pet and Collar section."
The guards immediately obeyed.
"Yes, Madam!"
The Little Robbers were led away.
After they had gone, Miwi turned toward Verl.
"Okay. Let's go."
She gestured for him to follow her.
Verl glanced at the reception desk.
"What about your receptionist duties?"
Miwi sighed.
"Idiot. I'm not the only receptionist here. There are five receptionists working at the Assassin Club."
She continued.
"My part-time shift has already ended. Another receptionist will take over my duties."
"Oh, I see."
Verl paused before asking another question.
"Now, don't tell me you're going to demand one gold coin from me because you gave me information."
Miwi shook her head.
"No! Don't joke about that."
She smiled.
"I gave you that information for free."
Then she corrected him.
"And I'm not working as a receptionist anymore. I'm just Miwi now."
She looked directly at him.
"So call me Miwi, not Miss Receptionist."
Verl nodded.
"Alright, alright."
Then he remembered something.
"Since you're no longer on duty, why did you demand a gold coin from that boy? He asked you a question while you were off duty."
Miwi fell silent.
After a moment, she sighed.
"Huh... Fine. I admit that I behaved badly toward him."
She looked away.
"I won't do that again. Happy now?"
Verl smiled.
"Yeah."
He gestured toward the exit.
"Let's go. You wanted to talk to me about something, didn't you? I'll listen."
Miwi immediately brightened.
"Thank you for giving me your time!"
Together, they left the reception area.
Meanwhile, the Little Robbers were taken deeper into the Assassin Club.
None of them knew what would happen next.