Chapter 431 – Ikelos Familia (Patreon)

The girl looked quite confused. She couldn't believe what I was telling her.

"I said I want you to work for me," I said again.

The girl's black eyes closed as she took a deep breath.

Then she asked,

"What happens if I refuse?"

Hearing her question, I smiled before answering.

"Nothing will happen. But do you really want to go back to the Familia you're a part of? Do you feel comfortable working with those people? Do you feel good doing this kind of thing?"

I realized it as soon as I saw this girl.

She clearly regretted everything she had done.

Not just because she had died, but because she didn't like what she was doing.

Besides, she was very young, unlike the others. She still had so much to live for, and I wanted to support her. Not just because she was beautiful, but because I believed it was the right thing to do.

The girl stared at me for a few seconds before saying,

"You're right. I don't want to live the life I was living."

I activated my [Eye of Truth] ability while talking to her.

"I never liked doing this, but it was necessary for me to survive."

"They forced you to do this kind of dirty work?"

"If I said I was being forced, I'd be lying. However, doing this kind of dirty work is what pays the most. Since I'm only a helper, I always get a very small percentage... This job would give me good money."

She looked away.

"I understand... I understand... How old are you?"

"Seventeen..."

"Seventeen!?"

I repeated the girl's age in my mind.

She certainly had a very youthful appearance, but I had thought she was around seventeen. I figured she would be at least eighteen or nineteen.

"How long have you been part of this Familia?"

"Hmmm... A little over a year. I haven't been in Orario for very long."

"What level are you?"

"Level 2. I reached Level 2 recently."

"I see."

If she tried to fight me, I could kill her with a snap of my fingers. She immediately realized that I was much stronger and surrendered. She was a smart girl.

"So, what do you think about working for me?"

"That would be impossible, even if I wanted to," she said.

I was confused by her words.

"What do you mean, impossible?"

"You already figured out which Familia I'm a part of, didn't you?"

"You're part of Ikelos Familia, just like Lina?"

"Yes. We all belong to the same Familia..."

The girl looked at me and asked,

"What happened to Lina and the others?"

She was visibly nervous.

"Don't worry. I didn't kill them."

I chuckled and then sat down.

"Get up from the floor and sit at the table."

"Oh, right."

She sat down, and I said,

"But about that... Is it really a problem?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You're part of Ikelos Familia, but you can leave whenever you want and come work for me."

"It's not that simple..."

"With me here, it's very simple. If you accept my offer, I can get you out of that Familia in one minute. No, thirty seconds is enough."

I smiled confidently at the girl. She knew I wasn't lying.

After sighing, she asked,

"Why are you making this offer to me? And what would I be working as?"

"That's a very good question."

####

POV: Third Person

Lina, who had just fled the area, ran toward Ikelos Familia's home as fast as she could.

It was a secluded area with nothing around it. She had left her companions behind and, with a serious expression, hurried through several corridors.

Then, she arrived in front of a room.

She knocked on the door several times, and a voice came from inside.

"Come in."

It wasn't an intimidating voice, but it still frightened Lina.

She entered the room and saw a man with dark blue hair and eyes of the same color. He wore black clothes that covered his entire body. He had an expression that was both tired and serious.

"What is it?" Ikelos asked, staring at Lina.

"Do you remember my plan? The one about trying to get money from that writer?"

"Yes, and I didn't agree with it."

Ikelos knew Luan very well and had never agreed with this madness. He had warned Lina that it wasn't a good idea, but she hadn't listened to him.

"What happened?"

"He's too strong. Far too strong. He can teleport wherever he wants, he has incredible speed, and he's so strong that I couldn't even move his arm using both of my hands!"

Lina was remembering everything that had happened and began trembling in front of Ikelos.

Still trembling, she said,

"If he had wanted to kill me, he could have done it in seconds. I'm only alive because he chose to let me live."

Hearing Lina's words, Ikelos smiled.

"But he didn't, did he?"

Lina heard Ikelos's words and froze. She stared at him for a few seconds before he said,

"Is that all?"

"I just told you I almost got killed, and that's all you have to say?"

"I told you not to do something this stupid. You're not a child, so..."

"......"

Lina thought about saying something, but she didn't.

After all, Ikelos was right.

"You should have continued with your usual work instead of trying to kidnap someone. You should be grateful that you're still alive," Ikelos said, as if he didn't care about Lina.

And, in truth, he didn't care about her or her group.

In the end, she wasn't an important member of his Familia. She wasn't strong, nor was she intelligent.

The only thing she had was good looks.

Lina stared at him for a few seconds before saying,

"I want to leave the Familia."

Ikelos smiled at her and said,

"Just get out of my sight already."