MAGURD FACTORY
Haru had sneakily followed the carriage all the way to a one-story building that looked oddly out of place in this dense forest. The carriage was halted by a man, wearing worn-out clothes, just outside the building."You've arrived much earlier than I expected. Why, did you want to enjoy them yourself so much that you couldn't wait?"
The man scoffed,"Don't joke. On my way, I saw a man wearing the uniform with the emblem of Ironheart."
"What? How can this be even possible? We have been meticulous in covering up every trace of our presence!"
"If anyone finds out what is going on inside this building, execution will be a blessing."
"You are damn right. I think we need to be much more cautious than before. We need to lay low for a while."
Bastard No. 1, as Haru has dubbed the Kidnapper, said, with his right hand palming his face in exasperation. "I think this is all happening because of our boss kidnapping a noble boy in broad daylight. Even if he used a transportation spell card, we don't know the boy's origin. Just by his clothes, it was clear that he was no ordinary boy. I knew it! Kidnapping him was a big mistake."
"Please, Please, let us go! Please!"The children desperate plea caught the men's attention.
"Shut up! One more word and I am really going to tear you all in half," Bastard No.1 said, his whip hitting the cage producing a loud 'CLANK'. The high pitched and ringing voice of the cage cause the children to be petrified. The children laid on each other, for comfort and protection, though the act was in vain, as they shivered and trembled, already having an idea of what is stored for them.
These homeless children have spent their life trying to survive in a slum and are not ignorable to the inhumanity nature of humans.
"Let's bring them to the boss. If I heard even one more of their whining, I am going to kill them."
Without wasting much time, the man started wheeling the cart into the factory and the two started conversing again.
"It's been a while since you used crossbow. Are you still able to shoot with that deadly accuracy that made the boss personally come to recruit you," Bastard No. 1 said, his voice filled with curiosity and excitement.
"Ha ha," Bastard No. 2 laughed, "Though I don't get to use it as much as before, this skill was the one that let me become a mercenary. I try to practice every time I get the chance to. I have a feeling though, in the near future, I'll be using it like never before."
Haru became scared at how casual and nonchalant they looked and conversed while the children who were trying to muffle their cries sat in huddles, in the corner of the cage.
'What should I do? I am so scared that my body has frozen and won't move. Should I leave and wait for Mr. Ambroise but what if I was too late? No, No, I don't have the time to think right now. My priority is to save them and then whatever happens next, I will deal with it.'
Haru slapped himself on the face, his ears ringing and his cheek blooming a deep red.
"I will save those kids!"Haru quietly moved, and walked inside the factory, quickly hiding behind a large tank. He surveyed his surroundings and found that there were two pathways. The tires of the wheel and the Bastard No. 1 boots were still dirty, and the marks of the trailing towards the right were evident.
The building has just been constructed, there were construction materials just beside the tank. Luckily, they still haven't built the floor, so the ground was still that of forest floor.
Harau decided to taking some cement from the bag and put it in his pocket. He also spotted a leftover knife which he quickly pocketed. He looked for more materials that he could use, however, all the items like a shovel were too big or inconvenient for him to carry.
'The boss must also be on the right side, whereas the left side may be where Magurd is being built. Perhaps because of the construction still going on, that there are no guards or people here. Other than probably few mages, a few bastards, and a Boss, the factory is otherwise empty,' Haru thought, as he crept from the behind of the tank, his footsteps quiet as he walked to the right, still hearing the sound of wheels.
As he walked, looking determined and looking for some action, however the slight tremble of his legs and faltering steps gave away the false image he was trying to create. Suddenly, he heard a loud bang, making him almost shout in fright. He, with carefully placed steps, moved forward, even though his mind was screaming to run away to his home and hide behind Mr. Ambroise's leg, like how a child hide behind his father's leg when he is scared or just feeling clingy.
He quickly shook those thoughts, not wanting to succumb to the urge to cry or seek comfort. As he approached a room, on the right hand side, the sounds of banging, probably against some hard object, was still audible. Haru hesitated, unsure whether to open the door or not, when he heard a cry of plea, a voice of a boy, not much older than his own.
His worries and hesitation vanished and he opened the door, to find a boy, glaring hatefully at him, though that hateful gaze turned into confusion and suspicion.
However, Haru was too awe to the beauty and the sense of otherworldliness coming from the boy that he could not utter a word.
The boy had black hair, adorned with dust and leaves struck in his strands. His otherwise fair and bright skin were reddened, marred by a handprint across his face, his lips were busted and he had a black eyes, yet these marks did little to diminish his beauty. His long, dusty black hair framed his face, his chubby face and pink lips lended him a boyish charm, however his eyes akin to rubies carried a mysterious allure, making him utterly mesmerizing.
"Will you just stare at me like a fool, or will you say something, dammit!"