[129] Island. Galliant (6)
“I lost 5 gold. Taking back what you gave is the worst thing in the world. She will have to pay damages.”
Falcoa lifted Jess’ face. His jaw was lifted until his back was broken, and Jess couldn’t even breathe. Leaning it a little further could have severed the spine.
“Are you sick? it will hurt I am very strong.”
“Help me.”
“Will I not hurt you? Chew this. Then it won’t hurt at all.”
Jess turned his gaze even in the midst of hardship. There was a tree root in Falcoa’s hand.
Born and raised on the island, he knew. It was a loop, the stimulant of the natives. As it was a drug used to obtain access to drugs, its addictiveness was incomparable to other drugs. Isn’t there a theory that Kergoin also perished due to excessive use of loops?
“please. That’s all…”
Jess pleaded earnestly. Once I became addicted to loops, I had to assume that my life was over.
He would go through life in a gutter, and his only family, his younger sister, had no choice but to be driven to the street in the end.
Falcoa put the loop he had given Jess into his mouth as if he knew it.
What about addiction? If you can’t live without a loop, it’s enough to use it for the rest of your life.
“You are the coward of the world. This is God’s stimulant. Anyway, what are you going to do now? Will you bring me?”
“yes? will you bring me? Who?”
“That red-haired girl. Three three. You can probably sell it for a higher price. Of course, I have to sell it at a medium price.”
Jess was shocked. To think that they would trafficking nobles and not other people. However, if it was Falcoa’s mental state that was addicted to loops, it was enough.
‘it’s crazy. I’m not crazy.’
Falcoa was the acting chief of the Freeman organization. He was also the highest-ranking person that Jis, who was only Habari, could contact.
I never met the captain, Freeman, but one of his mandates was a ban on human trafficking.
“Ha, but if you do that, you will be kicked out of the organization. The Code of Conduct… Aww!”
The studded shoe turned Jess’ chin. My mind was spinning and I couldn’t think of anything.
Falcoa grabbed Jess by the head and lifted him up. The moment he heard the cold voice, Jiss’ focus returned.
“Or what? Would you like to bring your sister?”
“That’s…”
Jiss body trembled. Anger and fear mixed together, and emotions that could not be guessed at the taste rose up.
My sister was a precious existence that could not be exchanged for anything. I didn’t want to show her this dirty world.
“Didn’t you say something? Actually, I like your sister. Could you take this opportunity to introduce yourself?”
A rotten smell came from Falcoa’s mouth as he chewed on the loop.
* * *
Sirone and the woman managed to escape Garmoth’s bodyguards after running through the alleys for 30 minutes.
As expected of those who trained, the speed was fast, but the psychological warfare using blind spots to turn round and round was effective.
The two leaned against the wall for a while to catch their breath. I ran so much that I could taste blood in my mouth and my legs were shaking.
The woman looked at the panting Sirone and let out a laugh.
“Huhu, you have surprisingly good stamina, don’t you? I thought you would give up after running because you look pretty.”
“If you give up, you will be caught. I’m dying hard But hey… are you okay?”
“I am Marsha. I’m good at running away, so this much is nothing. Let’s go somewhere and rest. I’m thirsty, so I need a beer. I’ll buy you a drink in return.”
Sirone was puzzled. Despite being chased, Marsha showed no sign of nervousness.
Besides, drinking beer means having money, so why did he steal?
“Oh, I guess I should stop and go.”
“Anyway, I can’t go around now. Let’s wait at a store I know. Garmoth is savage, but he’s so stupid that he quickly forgets about it. If you can hold on for an hour, you won’t even pursue it because you’ll be distracted from playing. And most of all, it’s because I’m scared. Can you stay by my side for a moment?”
Marsha stuck out her tongue and squinted her eyes. Although not bewitched by her dainty appearance, Sirone eventually decided to follow her advice. Above all, if he is captured by Garmoth now, things will become irreversible.
“all right. But I don’t think I can stay long because my party is waiting.”
“okay. Let’s just wait until Garmoth’s men give up. come here.”
Marsha walked around the alley and led Sirone to a dark bar. I wondered if anyone would come to this place to have a drink, but it was surprisingly crowded.
“Hmm, this place hasn’t changed even after several years.”
“Isn’t that where you used to go often? It’s a bar I knew earlier…”
“Oh, I used to come often. It’s been 3 years since Galliant Island. A friend lives here.”
“I see. I thought I was a local because I knew the way so well.”
“I will never forget the road I saw once. Running away is part of my life.”
As Marsha took Sirone and sat down at the bar, the men with stern looks all turned around. It was because the harmony between a beautiful woman and a young boy was heterogeneous.
“People are staring.”
“don’t mind. This is a bar where only the troubled children of the island come. When an incident occurs, information is first received here, so we can know when Garmoth gives up.”
“Isn’t that rather dangerous? Your subordinates might come here.”
“Gamos is the one who rules the island, not the trouble maker. So this place is… kind of like a resistance. Maybe it’s a community of destiny?”
Sirone did not believe it straight away. In a place where so many people came and went, it was virtually impossible to completely control the information.
‘This is something that cannot be done with the system alone. Where possible, conventions or regulations. But why? They won’t get anything?’
As Sirone stared at her, Marsha smiled embarrassedly.
“Oh no, I really can’t. yes that’s right This pub is in collusion with the Municipality of Galliant. Even the officials are supposed to turn a blind eye to what happens here.”
“As expected. But why would the government do such a thing?”
“Money. Money laundering, slush fund raising, lobbying funds distribution, etc. This is what they call Island Gate. Is it a system created by the characteristics of a closed island? there was an agreement It guarantees the safety of criminals in return for circulating funds in the shadows. reciprocity. Isn’t it the world to live like that? Hi-Hi!”
Marsha flicked the stick in her mouth. Her eye smile, bent like a seagull, seemed somehow sad.
“It’s funny when you think about it, what is it? There is a lot of talk about punishing criminals, but in the end, it’s criminals who fill their stomachs. It breaks up large amounts of money that you can’t swallow, making them easier to digest. Are they like microbes in society? Without microbes, organisms die.”
Sirone couldn’t answer. The social system that went against human nature was too complex and colorful for an 18-year-old boy to judge.
“You said something too serious. Did you say Sirone? What did you come to the island for?”
“I came to play with my friends. I want to bathe in the sea and see historical sites.”
“Kergo Ruins? Have you been there before Ah, I was young then, but I’m already twenty-seven. I might die of old age as an old virgin. how old are you?”
“I’m 18.”
“Oh my, is it more than I thought? You are very young.”
“My sister also looks younger than her age. Oh can I call you sister?”
“then. It all starts with my sister. If you become a lover later, you can call me anything ho ho ho ho!”
Sirone raised the corner of his mouth as if it was absurd. To an 18-year-old boy, a 27-year-old woman was an adult that could not be overlooked.
But other than that, Marsha was a much more intelligent and rational woman than expected.
The conversation was pleasant, and Sirone, alert, opened up about what had happened at the port.
Marsha nodded and said, as if she had any guesses.
“Ah, you got caught by a street tout. not evil Still, 5 gold was a bit harsh.”
“yes. In the end, I’m in a bad mood because I had a disagreement with my friend. I’d still be waiting I will be scolded when I go back.”
Marsha checked the time and asked the bartender.
“What happened to the Garmoth gun?”
As the bartender wiped the cup like a deaf person, Marsha placed a silver coin.
Then the bartender’s mouth opened as if it had never happened.
“The news that came in 10 minutes ago said that it spread all over the main road. There are probably 40 people blocking all the streets.”
“Oh still? That person is so tenacious.”
“Originally, the Garmos alarm goes off right away. The lid must have been opened today.”
Marsha looked back at Sirone and smiled bashfully. Sirone also had nothing to say. Because he was the one who blew off Garmoth’s head cap.
Marsha went back to her original story.
“Anyway, it’s good to deal with street touts in moderation and avoid them. They are children who belong to an organization of their own. Once you start getting tangled up, it becomes difficult to handle.”
“okay. Actually, I hadn’t even thought about that.”
“Do you need to know whooping? Are you here to play anyway? But there is always a danger lurking in the pleasure of tourists. The island is narrow and closed. If you want to share limited goods, you have no choice but to compete more fiercely than inland.”
Sirone engraved it in his mind. Since he intended to stay on the island for ten days, he would meet numerous solicitors for the time being.
It was a shame because I had listened to Marsha’s advice.
Sirone suddenly realized and looked at Marsha.
According to what I observed during the conversation, he was a really nice person. He was affectionate and full of wit, and he also had the prudence to not hastily judge others’ words.
Why would such a person shoplift? Judging by the willingness to tip the bartender, it seemed that he had no shortage of money.
“Hey, I wonder if I can ask you something like this, but I’m really curious.”
Marsha leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling.
“Whoa, I was nervous when you asked. but sirone. A woman’s three sizes is something she imagines in her head, not hears it with her ears.”
“no! Not that! Why did you steal the pottery?”
“huh?”
“I don’t think you are the kind of person to shoplift. And saying that you don’t have money was a lie. It’s not particularly useful, so why did you steal the pottery…”
“Hmm.”
Marsha rested her chin and thought.
“I don’t know. Should I just say that I wanted to steal it?”
“yes? Can you?”
“It can be. It’s called stealing. Of course, it wasn’t like that from the beginning. i was an orphan My parents abandoned me when I was four years old. A man from the mercenary group picked it up and raised it, and he became my adoptive father.”
Sirone’s heart trembled at the unexpected words. Marsha, like herself, was abandoned by her biological parents.
“But it was far from a comfortable life. The Mercenary Corps is a place full of strange people. When I was 11 years old, one of the savage mercenaries tried to get his hands on me. Fortunately, my adoptive father found it first and beat it up.”
“of course. My daughter almost suffered something like that. Anybody would.”
“Huhu, is that so?
“yes?”
Marsha looked down at the bar with sad eyes. For some reason, it felt like her eyes were getting wet.
“Every day I was given a piece of bread and a glass of water. The adoptive father gave nothing but that. Clothes, sweets, and toys. In the end, you bred me. That’s when I started stealing from others. One day, I was caught stealing apples, but they obediently paid for it. But as soon as I got home, he changed his mind and started beating me. Don’t say anything until I pass out.”
“It is too much. If you can afford to pay for it, wouldn’t it be better if you bought it from the beginning? And why didn’t you ask for one?”
“Because that was what my adoptive father wanted. subservience to oneself. All I could resist was stealing every day. Of course, the day I got caught was beaten to death. It was a terrible day. Then, one day, they all gave up. So I told my adoptive father this.”
Marsha supported her chin as if recalling that time.
“You can kill me.”
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