Kuma, Blake and Levi sat inside a closed bakery. Closed cause they had just beaten and tied the owner of the cafe to a chair.
The name of the shop owner was similar to what the old woman wrote. With some thorough questioning and slapping, the man confessed to having a hand behind the kidnapping.
He infused bread with sleeping potion and then gave it to children, who came here right after their school ended. Alone, or with their friends, giving him even more opportunities for laying even more traps.
"So any ideas?"
Levi asked, pointing at the chain of wooden buildings, from three-storey tall buildings to small enough to fit just a man inside. Behind those shops were the ports which had been closed just like the shops because of the recent disappearances.
Lark, the sailor, the man who gave orders to the shoemaker woman, this baker and many others as well, was inside one of those shops. But they couldn't go in.
Blake thought for a while. Levi and Kuma already had plans but wanted to see what Blake came up with. Unintentionally both wanted to give Blake a chance, saying that he was much needed.
A moment of brilliant epiphany entered Blake's mind, but he doubted it would work.
"I have one, but I-."
"Say it and then we can decide if it works or not,"
Levi interjected and assured Blake. It seemed to be a kind gesture and someone of trust.
Blake then whispered the plan to Kuma and Levi, who nodded and found it amusing, a lot more than their own.
'No wonder, his sly and clever nature was loved by many players in the game.'
Blake always confined his thoughts and ideas. The family's art was their only strength and keeping the family's name was his goal. But later on, he realised that only these things weren't enough. He needed more skills and weapons, to be stronger and unpredictable. That is when his character changes, for the better.
That is why he wanted to hear Blake's plan. Blake's plan was a clever and fun one.
'This must be the start of his character development.'
"That can work."
Kuma also liked Blake's plan and Levi slightly nodded in agreement.
Blake hid his grin about to form and walked towards the baker. The more Blake got closer, the less the strength in the lower area of his body started to go away. So much so that he peed his pants, just seeing Blake up close.
Blake brought up his face near the man, grabbed his hair and pinged it at the wall, almost breaking him out of the chair he was tied to.
*Bam*
There wasn't enough force to make a bleed, but sufficient to make the man think again about the situation he was currently in.
'I thought he was going for a kiss.'
Levi kept those wild thoughts to himself.
"Do you want to live?"
Blake inquired. The darkness in his golden eyes kept dimming, so much that the man peed his pants again.
The baker took a big gulp.
"I will- please- I will do anything. Don't hurt me."
"His sadistic nature is coming out."
Levi whispered to Kuma. And he couldn't deny it as well, although he was Blake's knight.
"Young master is like that sometimes."
He could only make excuses.
********
"Hurry up and load these boxes."
"What? I cannot lift those boxes on my own. You help me too"
"Ha. I thought you lost all your hair, doing 100 pushups. Looks like it was just because of old age."
"Says the guy whose head shines brighter than the moon"
Said Lark's friend who looked just like him. The two as well as others were responsible for loading crates onto a ship. Most of them were sailors and fishermen.
Together, they were loading in some weapons, mana crystals, metals, food and things that only Lark knew about.
"The fuck? What is in this crate?"
His friend said, trying to lift one of the crates. It was so heavy that he couldn't properly lift even one of the sides.
"Fish? Meat? What is it? Did the knights even ask for this?"
Curious about the bald guy asked. Every shipping port in Barl was closed except this one. There was a small island, 5 minutes away from Barl. The knights, mages and blacksmiths of the imperial family resided in that area.
A bridge was connecting that small island, but just yesterday a sea monster destroyed the bridge. With no other way to deliver food and other resources to them, one ship was allowed to be used.
Lark being the most senior out of all had the task to sail the ship to the island.
Lark ignored his friend's curious gaze and lifted the crate from the other side and both of them dragged those ten crates to the ship.
The guy bent his back in pain and asked Lark, staring at those crates, shivering.
"You got tired just from carrying this much?"
His friend mocked him, but Lark wasn't in a state to acknowledge it. The knowledge of what those crates held ate him up. As Lark was about to walk onto the ship, a woman approached him.
"Lark, someone is waiting for you at the counter."
"Huh? Didn't I tell you not to answer anyone unless they are either the knights or the guards?"
Lark shouted at the petite woman.
She frowned and poked his chest.
"Don't shout, I am not your servant and I know the rules. That guy is the baker, right across the street. Do you want the newly baked croissant, is what he said to tell you?"
Lark's facial expression took a 180. He ran towards the exit and then led to the counter.
In a hurry, he opened the metal-locked door and came out on the streets. Outside was the baker, sitting on a box with two others beside him. Quickly checking his surroundings, Lark approached the baker and grabbed his collar.
"Are you out of your mind? In broad daylight and when every guard in the city is hunting for my ass?"
Lark had told every one of the kidnappers he had assigned to stop their work. He even paid all of them, just so these fuckers wouldn't open their mouth.
"Didn't I tell you I don't need anymore?"
He added in anger.
The baker shrugged Lark's hand off and whispered in the same angry tone.
"Listen, three kids found out. I had no choice. Take them, 'cause I have no idea what to do and you also have no option like me. If I get caught with these and even if I don't snitch, the guards will reach you anyhow. It will only be a matter of when."
Lark clenched his fist, about to punch the man in front of him, but controlled his raging anger, seeing people starting to walk down the street.
"Once this is over, I'm going to shove some bread up your ass."
With that weird and quirky threat, Lark called one of the staff, while the baker rushed back to the bakery.
In frustration, Lark called one of the staff and both carried the crates back to the ship. Once everything in the ship was loaded, they left the room taking their pay from Lark.
Now only he was there staring at the ship and hundreds of other crates hidden beside other boxes.
Soon, the clacking of heels on the wooden floor reached his ear. He turned back and watched a woman, his captain, walk in. She had blue hair adorned with a black pirate hat, with a white feather and everything she wore made her look like a pirate that she was.
She walked in juggling her sword, a cutlass, whistling, with a carefree attitude.
Lark straightened his back, and eyes glued onto the floor.
"So, my loyal sea dog, have you completed the job I gave you?"
She said and pulled a chair, sitting on it with her legs crossed. The cutlass kept juggling, enticing the air around her, murderous and mischievous.
"Yes, Captain Violet. All of the captured have been shipped inside. Now the only thing we need to do is to deliver it."
Lark replied in a submissive tone. The women in front of him kept eyeing him and smirking, definitely not in a friendly manner.
Violet stood up and walked towards Lark. Being taller than him and many others, she easily grabbed his bald head, like a ball and shook it sideways, letting out a small giggle.
Lark used to this, didn't say anything and let the women do what she always did.
"Never though, you would be able to do this Lark. Now, your future will be as bright as your head."
She again insulted him.
"I don't care about my future, Miss Violet. I want my daughter back….please Captain Violet"
Lark hated calling her captain, showing this despicable woman such respect. But he had to, for his eight-year-old daughter.
Three months ago, Lark found her daughter missing. Like every loving father, he searched for her everywhere. But any clue of her seemed to have been swept away by the ocean's breeze.
The same day, Violet came to his house. She held a bracelet, a white one, with a sea calm engraved onto it and with his daughter's name written as well.
She wore the same smile and confessed. Her daughter was kidnapped by this vile woman. Lark in range punched her or tried to. But a strong, B-rank like him was easily flung to the other side of the room. Fighting her seemed impossible.
The best option was to become her dog and obey her every order. No matter how sinful it was, he had to. Good or bad didn't exist for a doting father like him.
Fate and life would punish him and as a believer in karma, he would face the wrath for the sins he committed but as long as his daughter was fine. He didn't care if devils boiled him in a pot of oil, cut him apart and devoured the essence of his being.
Violet pulled her hand away and then into one of the pockets of her fancy brown leather jacket.
"This is the location where I kept your daughter."
She pulled away when Lark was about to snatch it.
"Don't be in a hurry, my dog. You shall get your reward, once you help with the delivery."
But it looks like you need it, so here you go."
She gently put the paper in his shirt's front pocket.
"But- don't go chasing after her now. Finish the job first. You know what happens if I get annoyed right?"
Lark clenched his fist and nodded. He had waited for three months. But the three hours he would be away were going to be even more painful. His daughter was close but yet so far.
"Now chop chop."
Violet smacked Lark's head. She seemed obsessed with it.
"Let's go on board my sea dog and be done with this. What should I buy from the money I earn from this? A leather bag, or a new hat? Hmm…..what do you think I should buy?"
Lark ignored her and followed Violet who kept dreaming about the luxury she wanted as he, walked to the ship. But Violet stopped in the middle, and Lark hit his head on her back.
"Is there anything wrong, Captain?"
Violet didn't say anything and enforced mana into her cutlass. With such force, she threw it at a collection of boxes, that the terrain it transverse, formed cracks.
The cutlass, like how she wanted, didn't pierce the boxes instead, it bounced back to her.
Lark was about to shout at her. They had to deliver those kidnapped alive and she tried to kill them in one shot, except the cutlass bounced back.
"You messed up, Lark. We have some thieves amongst us pirates."
Lark looked straight ahead. Out of all the styrofoam boxes, three were wooden boxes, delivered to him just now. One of those crates started to shake and it opened
"Fuck"
He muttered and watched a boy with a scarf around his face come out from the box. Those ruby eyes, glittering with silver, glimmered, scanning the room as he stretched his back and looked at Lark and Violet.
He had been betrayed. Taking out his sword, he went behind Violet.
"Oya, we seem to have quite a handsome guest among us. I can tell just from your eyes. Can I see more of your face or do I need to cut your head and take that scarf out myself?"
Violet threatened.
They turned back opened the scarf, for whatever reason and put it back on.
"Huff, fresh air…..no, there is still something here. Dirty, really odorous, something that will bleed my nose."
Levi's nose worked like a dog, and he pointed at Violet.
"Haven't you taken a bath for a month? You smell, like shit, no dead fish...no worse than both of those combined."
And within a blink, Violet was in front of Levi, her cutlass about to cut his throat.