All these years, I had been hunting for the person responsible for my parents' accusations. If they didn't get accused that day, the government wouldn't capture and execute them.
I had reported every single person who attacked my family, but I never caught the mastermind who started the first accusation and stirred the masses' opinion even in my previous life.
But when I was searching for the truth behind my parents' death. I caught a hint about a mafia family responsible for the first accusations that befell them.
Torentto.
They were the ones pulling the strings to make sure my parents couldn't escape their death sentence.
And you're telling me Haide was part of those murderers?
'If… If what Baretta said was true… Then Haide would be…'
I didn't even dare finish my thoughts.
"Rachel, back down."
"What? This is the perfect chance to eliminate the black faction members!"
Haide's eyes shifted to her, a cold glare in his eyes, "I told you to back down, which part of my order don't you understand?"
Meeting his gaze, Rachel trembled before turning her gaze away. Haide continued, "There's still a more urgent thing to do rather than having a shooting contest here, if this sewer exploded, we would be buried alive here."
Turning around, he said, "Let's go."
'That's my chance to run.'
Haide had let me go.
"Hurry!"
I tapped my earpiece and ordered my members to go to another side entrance I had prepared as backup. There would be no other chance for us to run away as easily as this in the future.
I glanced back at the two enemies behind me, Haide was arguing with Rachel about his decision of letting me go.
That made me grit my teeth.
'It's over.'
Our plan to trick the members started to crumble the moment Rachel stepped into this sewer. Seed of doubt would grow both in Haide's and my faction.
The doubt of why the two Kings didn't immediately try to kill each other on sight.
[Yolan, we have successfully escaped. Elliot is also here with us.]
The voice coming into my earpiece was that of Cassius. That meant Azazel and Cassius had already escaped.
'Wait.'
I glanced at Haide and Rachel again. They were standing near the entrance my members guarded before, and all the bombs were still intact with no time to defuse, so the plan hadn't entirely failed right?
"Ornil, as soon as we open the sewer cover, run as fast as you can from this place."
We were climbing the stairs connecting the sewer to the road with Ornil helping Baretta up and I guarded her from below.
"Huh? Wait- Is it already-"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion engulfed all sound in the sewer. Realizing the severity of the situation, Ornil and Baretta widened their eyes in horror as they scrambled up as fast as they could.
"Guys! Hurry!"
Cassius pulled us out one by one, and as soon as our feet touched the cement road, we ran.
DRRKKK!!!
The ground shook as the explosion destroyed the foundation of the building – slowly tilting as the weight shifted.
"This way!"
I led them through the alley, trying our best to avoid the rubble of the collapsed building.
"Shit! I knew it! You guys are crazy!" Ornil cursed as he ran.
"It's already too late to say that now, isn't it?" Baretta, being carried by Cassius on his back, replied with a smirk on her face.
The building had been successfully damaged. Though it didn't completely collapse like how a Lego piece would, the fact that it tilted and the ground floor was damaged meant Rachel had to spend her money on repairment first.
That would buy us time.
Once we're already at a safe distance, I glanced back – a bitter emotion came over me.
'No, I need to confirm it with Haide first. I… can't believe it… yet.'
"Yolan, we should leave."
Azazel came up to me, she glanced at Baretta and the wound on my side, indicating us to quickly go back to our base.
Right, this was no time to be engulfed in emotions. My members' safety was my priority now.
"Alright let's go."
.
.
"Have you injected anesthesia?"
"Yes, I'm removing the bullet now."
I watched from a distance as Cassius worked on Baretta's leg. We had now returned to our base after we made sure no one was tailing us.
Sitting down on one of the basement's chairs, I heaved a sigh as I watched my members' weary faces.
It's their first act of crime, so I didn't blame them for any of their mishaps. This result was even better than I thought for a group of complete newbies.
"Yolan, we need to treat your wound too."
Azazel came up to me with a box of first aid kit. I took it and rummaged through the box for a patch before standing up and leaving Cassius a message – the first aid kit still in my hand.
"I'll go out for a moment, take care of things for me Cassius."
Cassius halted his hands and met my eyes, "Alright."
"Huh? Wait, Yolan! Where are you going without getting your injury treated?!" Azazel grabbed my hand, but I just patted her shoulder and walked past her to climb up the stairs.
My wound was the least of my worries now, as I had a few younglings I needed to take care of.
Removing my black full body suit, I slapped my wound with a patch and put on my clothes before walking to the front door.
The surveillance bug I planted on my two young members had shown signs of them being chased.
Snowflakes had been falling nonstop since we got back here, making the air chilly. I was sure those two members of mine would be trembling both in cold and fear as they were on the run.
The idea of them being on the verge of death was something I wouldn't mind, but if they died, that would be a problem for me too.
I smiled as I chuckled.
"Experience is really the best teacher, isn't it?"
The crest on my hand glowed.
[Come forth.]
And soon, two silhouettes warped in its light manifested in front of me.
"Aghhhh!!!"
"Oh…"
But what greeted me was an axe being swung at my face. Samuel, bruised and in the middle of trying to attack, widened his eyes when he realized who he was swinging his axe at.
I swiftly dodged and swiped his feet, causing him to tumble to the floor – the axe in his hand got flung away a few meters from me.
"Yo.. lan…"
Jessie muttered in a small voice, making me glance at her. But as soon as I saw her, I frowned.
'Their wounds are worse than I thought.'
Her winter coat was nowhere to be found, with only a thin shirt, the huge gash on her arm immediately caught my attention.
Samuel wasn't in a great shape either, just from the bruises and cuts on his exposed skin I could tell how fierce the chase that happened was.
And it seemed like I summoned them when they were in the middle of counterattacking.
"Yolan…"
"We should treat your wound first."
I said with the flattest expression that I could muster, feigning ignorance. Then I walked deeper into the building, signaling them with my eyes to follow me.
I didn't lead them to the basement, I just led them to one of the rooms in the mansion and told them to sit down.
"Show me your wound."
They were hesitant at first, but once I opened the first-aid kit box, they obediently came closer.
"Jessie has a worse wound than me." Samuel said, asking me to look after her first.
I crouched as I inspected her arm. Just like Samuel said, the flesh got cut deep. Luckily, judging from the blood flowing out, it's still new. But signs of excessive blood loss were already there, as Jessie's gaze was already unfocused.
I immediately got to work – stopping the blood flow, disinfecting it and suturing her wound. The two only watched me working with my hand without commenting anything.
They were quiet, too quiet in fact.
"Do you… Do these things often?"
Samuel finally opened his mouth once I sealed the bandage. I answered without glancing at him.
"I've done it enough to know a thing or two."
"I see…"
The weak tone in his voice indicated his resignation. Jessie's troubled expression also told me she shared the same sentiment as Samuel.
'They still need more time.'
This was the start of their first doubt about their principle of life. Whether it came out as a silent agreement or it came out as a form of aggression, the conflict of 'good' and 'bad' must be twirling inside their mind now.
'And I just need to wait.'
They were still young and indecisive. That's why it's important for them to learn the second important lesson of war.
Decisiveness.