ALL NOVEL Chapter 13 ♪ We’re thieves! ♪
The Golden Boy: The Awakening of Talent
Chapter 13
♪ We’re thieves! ♪
“Come out.”
The female leader of the band of thieves, the ‘Crimson Cats,’ Vicky, soon appeared again.
“A personal welcome from the boss herself? We must be VIPs. Though for a suite, this place seems a bit shabby.”
“Keep running your mouth while you can, kid. It’s probably your last chance.”
Though I taunted her lightly, she didn’t use any magic this time.
…This is troublesome. If it were just the underling, we might have been able to knock him out and escape.
Phil, Benny, and I were led out of the cell. The underling locked the cell door behind us. The children left behind looked anxious through the iron bars. I nodded to them subtly, making sure the thieves didn’t notice.
With Vicky in front and the underling behind, we were marched down the corridor. Now, what to do…? Escaping with just Phil and me would be easy, but the situation changes when we have to take ten children with us. Several plans come to mind, but—
As we walked through the corridor, I noticed a piece of paper stuck to the wall.
…Just as expected.
There wasn’t much time, but we had heard about it from another child—one who had gotten out of the cell through some ‘process.’
It was a map.
Though it was old and the ink had faded somewhat, it was still legible. I glanced at it and memorized as much as possible.
I visualized the map I memorized and scrutinized it.
This is… a fort?
It seemed to be a fort abandoned long ago.
The structure was quite complex… almost like a maze.
They must have made many rough additions over the years. Evidence of this is in the dead spaces scattered throughout. Some spaces were completely inaccessible, while others resembled small courtyards.
Hmm…
We walked through the labyrinth ruins for about five minutes. We ascended stairs and moved from the basement to the first floor. We crossed several small courtyard-like dead spaces I had confirmed on the map and eventually arrived at what seemed to be our destination.
This place was probably another dead space created by the additions. However, it was spacious enough for a basketball game. Burly men were sitting in a large circle on the overgrown weeds. They all had drinks and were loudly and cheerfully making noise.
What is this? A party?
At that moment—
“Guys!! The main dish has arrived!!”
“Woooooohhhhhhhh!!!!”
The thieves spotted us and roared with excitement.
What is this insane energy?
We were brought to the center of the circle formed by the thieves. Finally, I noticed it.
In the middle of the thieves’ circle was something resembling a bed.
A wooden canopy bed—but no, it wasn’t a bed.
No bed has those—metal rings meant to restrain human limbs.
It was not a bed but an operating table—or rather, a torture rack.
“Alright! Before the main event, let’s have a rehearsal! Who’s the lucky guy tonight?!”
“It’s me!!”
One of the men stepped out from the crowd and approached the torture rack. A boar was already lying on it, its limbs restrained, snorting heavily like a fish on a cutting board.
“Hey, lucky guy! State your name!!”
“Abe!!”
“Okay, Abe! Grab that machete! Someone bring a blindfold!!”
A man grabbed a machete hanging from the side of the torture rack, and another man came with a towel to blindfold him, like he was about to play a game of watermelon splitting.
“Guys! You know the rules!!”
Vicky shouted to the thieves.
“Blindfolded, hit the specified part with a single strike, and you get whatever you want! Booze, women, even money—up to 10% of our earnings!!”
The thieves cheered.
“One practice run! Three chances! An easy game!! Be grateful for my generosity!!”
“You’re the best, boss!!”
“Wish you were as generous in bed!!”
“I am! I stomped on that masochist, didn’t I?!”
The thieves laughed crudely.
These guys… Are they serious?
Are they really going to play such a game with a person…?!
“Alright, first the practice. Sing, boys!!”
SFX: Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rhythmic stomping echoed from all directions.
♪ We’re thieves! We silence crying children! ♪
♪ We’re thieves! We steal from crying children! ♪
♪ Hands or feet! Eyes or ears! ♪
♪ Take your pick! What’s your target?! ♪
“Right hand!!”
“Go for the right hand!!”
“Get the right hand!!”
♪ You’re a thief too! Take the right hand! ♪
Driven by the song, the blindfolded man brought the machete down on the boar’s right front leg.
Thunk!! And at the same time—
Squeeeeeeeeeeal!!!
The boar’s scream pierced the air, making my shoulder twitch. Phil clung to my arm, her shoulder trembling. I held her tightly.
…Phil’s [Perfect Dictionary] was a spirit art that allowed her to hear animal voices. She could hear the boar’s agonizing death throes…
“Bingo!!!!”
“Hahahahahahaha!!”
“You nailed it!!”
The thieves laughed as blood spurted from the severed right front leg.
…This is insane. Completely insane…!
But I knew.
I knew such people existed.
People who destroyed someone dear to me right before my eyes—
—I knew that girl.
“Hey, kid. You’ve got a nice look in your eyes.”
Vicky grinned at me.
“There’s a noble in the capital who has a fetish for collecting kids with missing limbs or eyes.
Selling kidnapped kids to him fetches a higher price if they’re ‘processed’ for his tastes.
But doing it too mechanically makes it look fake, and he doesn’t like that.
So we turn it into a game, deliberately induce mistakes, and create a realistic look.”
The female leader smirked as she leaned closer.
“Think we’re just a bunch of crazy folks?
You’re not wrong, but there’s a method to your madness.
Ordinary people, neither maniacs nor junkies, can do seemingly insane things for purely logical reasons.
The world is fascinating, isn’t it? There are stories like this all over if you look behind the scenes. Educational, right?
Not that it’ll do you any good now! Hahahahaha…!!”
Do they want to say they aren’t incomprehensible monsters?
That they’re a natural, unremarkable part of society?
Don’t kid yourselves.
No matter what you do, you can’t justify this.
—Don’t think you’ll get away with this.
“Well, let’s get to the main event.”
The boar, now lifeless, was removed from the torture rack.
—To make way for a new sacrifice.
“Who should go first?”
Vicky looked us over, appraising us one by one.
Then she fixed her gaze on one of us.
“…Alright, I’ve decided. You.”
“Huh?”
Benny froze.
Vicky’s finger was pointed directly at him.
“I’ll save the cheeky brat for the main dish. Let’s start with the appetizer.”
The surrounding thieves cheered.
All of them wanted to see Benny suffer. Not one of them offered him a way out…
“…No… No…!”
Benny started to back away, dragging his feet.
“No… Nooooo…!!”
He didn’t turn to run, probably because even turning his back was terrifying.
He was scared to death of Vicky’s gaze, like a child afraid to turn away from a plate of hamburgers.
I had been like that too.
Too scared even to avert my eyes.
Terrified of what might happen the moment I looked away—
Vicky slowly and steadily cornered Benny.
Like a child herding ants for fun.
“(Ja-kun, aren’t you going to help him?)”
“(The situation is bad. There’s no way we can take on this many…)”
About thirty thieves surrounded us.
If it were just me, I might manage, but protecting Phil and Benny too…
“(I’ve memorized the layout of this fort. If we’re just escaping…)”
But even then, we needed an opening.
Our spirit arts were strong for our age, but not powerful enough to wipe out a group of seasoned fighters unprepared.
I scanned the surroundings for anything that could create a chance.
“Come… don’t come any closer…!”
Cornered, Benny started picking up rocks and throwing them.
Vicky paid him no mind and reached out toward him.
“Now, let’s raise your price.”
With a light push, Vicky sent Benny tumbling backward.
He disappeared into the bushes behind him.
And then—
Clang!
A noise came from a completely different direction, and I turned sharply.
“What…?”
The torture rack.
Somehow, Benny was lying on the torture rack.
As he groaned in pain, a nearby thief quickly bound his hands and feet.
What was that…!?
There was at least a six- to seven-meter distance between where Benny had been pushed and the torture rack.
He had moved there in an instant.
There was only one spirit art I knew that could achieve such a phenomenon.
“Spirit Batin… [Absolute Void]…!!”
[Absolute Void].
A power that allows instantaneous travel between two distant points, ignoring any obstacles in between.
In other words, a teleportation spirit art…!!
“There it is! The boss’s [Absolute Void]!!”
“Our leader! ‘Bloodstained She-Leopard’ Strongest spirit master in the world!”
Vicky’s men showered her in praise. Raquel did tell me this red haired bitch was first rate, but I would’ve never expected this. ―― [Absolute Void].
Even at the Capital’s Academy, where they gather every Art user that shows talent, you’d only find 1 or 2 people with a rare Spirit like Batin’s. And I have to fight that? A bandit chief spirit master…!?
“So… Someone…! Help, help meeeeeee!!” Benny yelled as he struggled in his bindings. The chains rattled, but didn’t budge… the boy’s efforts were in vain.
“(Ja-Kun!)”
“(I know!!)”
My training, my effort, my strength, it was all for this, all to prevent the suffering happening in front of me. No more. I won’t let myself taste that helplessness, that defeat. Not anymore――!!
Something. I needed to find something, some way to escape, but what…!!
“ ―――― Ah.” I know.
“It’s showtime, boys, sing, sing your lungs out!!”
SFX: Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rhythmic stomping echoed from all directions.
♪ We’re thieves! We silence crying children! ♪
♪ We’re thieves! We steal from crying children! ♪
♪ Hands or feet! Eyes or ears! ♪
“♪ What’s the Pick? We can’t Wait to Hear! ♪”
“An eye!!”
“Eyeeee!!”
“Stab it in good!!”
“♪ Bandits Ahoy, Bandit You be! ♪”
“♪ You’re Stabbing in an Eyeball, for All of us to See! ♪”
The blindfolded bandit flipped his knife so that it pointed downwards.
Just then ―― Whiiiiiin!!! cried the boar as it bashed into the man.
Even while missing one of its 4 legs. Even while trailing in its own blood. The boar―― the same boar that had been mutilated in their ‘rehearsal’ had done it.
When I noticed that the animal, which had been hastily hoisted to the side, was still conscious, I had quickly told Phil to make it move.
“What in the hell!?”
“It’s still alive!?”
The closest bandits immediately backed off, alarmed by the sudden occurrence. The one with the knife had already been mowed down.
“Phil! Have it tackle anyone nearby!” I said.
“Gotcha!” Phil replied, then turned her attention back to the boar under her control, “Sorry, please do a bit more for me…!”
The 3-legged boar followed its instructions and dispersed the men, while Phil and I made our way to the torture bed to rescue Benny.
“Y…you guys…!” Benny mumbled, surprised.
We tried our best to quickly remove the thick cuffs on his hands and feet, but no luck, they were too tough. So instead:
“Ok, fine. We’ll just take this whole thing (the bed)! Grab on, Phil!”
“Yah!!” Phil yelled in agreement.
“ ―――― Fucckkkking braaaaaaatttttssss!!!!” Vicky roared, palpable rage on her face.
Charging at us, the woman threw her fist. With the gap between us and her, it was physically impossible for this attack to reach us. ―― But something like distance mattered not for her.
I picked up Phil under one arm, and lifted Benny, bed and all, with the other, and then ―― jumped straight up.
Turning off my gravity with [The Wings of Departure], I instantly ascended very high.
Dark, starlit sky filled my surroundings. The criminals were all far below―― surely unable to reach me no matter what weapon they threw. Now, the question was, do I keep going up, or descend.
“Phik!” I signaled, and she understood perfectly, “Got it! Big bird!”
A large falcon swooped in through the night sky as soon as Phil called out. It latched on to my shoulders and began carrying us away. I still hadn’t mastered flying with my Art yet, but I could achieve the same effect like this.
“What’s the plan, Ja-Kun? We’ll go back for the others, right?”
“You can bet on it. But for now, head towards town. We’ll make it look like we’re running away. Try to land on a random roof and so we can get Benny out of this bed first. Then we’ll go back for them.”
“Gotcha!”
So we did just that, and not long after, the bandits were searching for us all over town in a rush. Once we confirmed that they were busy, we touched down on an inconspicuous rooftop, using the force of the drop to break the torture bed and free Benny.
“Um… thank you…” The boy said, still kind of out of it.
“Don’t thank me yet, we still have to save the others. Also, you should come with us since they might capture you again if you’re alone.”
“Oh, okay. Sure…” Benny agreed to the arrangement while rubbing his left wrist.
I glanced back at the destroyed canopy bed. …Actually, it sort of looked like a bunk bed now. Maybe I hadn’t gotten a good look at it before, but it really did look like the sort where one person could sleep on top with the other person on the bottom.
“… Doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” I mean, I broke it already, who cares.
I prompted Phil and Benny to climb down from the roof so we could be on our way.