‘He, he’s insane…!’

No matter how generous you were, he was still just a boy in his late teens.

He acted brutally, but they thought at least he wouldn’t take a life.

But look at those cold eyes. Instead of letting the maid beside him do it, it seemed like he might draw his own sword and bring it down on Etbum’s neck.

Etbum hastily shouted out.

“Ki-killing me won’t end slave hunting!”

“That’s true. But at least I could help ease, even a little, the resentment of those who became slaves, suffered, and died because of you.”

“I, I… I can be more useful alive!”

As Etbum pleaded desperately, Luca sneered at him.

“How am I supposed to trust a rat like you who spills secrets the moment you feel even the slightest pain?”

“!”

“If I let you go here, wouldn’t you just run away immediately?”

If he was to be of use, it would probably mean sabotaging or acting as a spy, but judging from Etbum’s current state, Luca had no faith he could pull that off.

“You’d just spit on the ground, blame your bad luck, and move to another region to hunt fresh slaves. That’s obvious.”

Luca grabbed the hilt of the sword leaning against his chair.

“Catching just one rat in front of me won’t eradicate the nest hiding elsewhere, but at least I can prevent any more harm from this one.”

“T-the location! I’ll tell you where the slaves are kept!”

“I don’t need it. As long as I know the name of Viscount Hephville, I can always find out myself later.”

Srring!

Luca spoke as he drew the blade and pulled his arm back, ready to strike.

Just as he was about to swing—

“If you kill me, the Albino will come for you…!”

“?”

Freeze!

Luca’s sword stopped. Etbum, who had squeezed his eyes shut, cautiously lifted his head. Luca looked down at him with an odd expression.

“You could never be an Albino. So the Hephville family has a connection to them?”

“…….”

A look of realization crossed Etbum’s face.

‘Damn, I wasn’t supposed to say that…!’

Luca crouched down and faced Etbum directly. Etbum turned his head, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact.

Luca then grabbed Etbum’s cheek, turning his face to look at him.

“Answer.”

“…….”

Etbum’s eyes were trembling so hard Luca could practically see their afterimage. But even so, he kept his mouth shut. Luca smirked and let go.

“So, are you afraid of the Albino? Makes sense. If you cross them, death wouldn’t be pretty.”

If the Albino Etbum referred to was the same Albino Luca knew, they were the name of a certain ‘crime organization’.

They were infamous for their cruel punishments against traitors.

“…….”

Still, Etbum watched for signs from Luca but said nothing. That reaction confirmed the organization Luca had in mind.

Luca looked over at Bella.

“Bella. Show him your skills are in no way inferior to the Albino.”

“Yes, young master.”

“W-wait!”

Etbum hastily called out to Luca, but Luca didn’t even look at him as he turned away.

Watching Luca walk away and Bella approach, Etbum began trembling so hard his teeth chattered before he shrieked,

“I, I really don’t know much! I just… just saw Viscount Hephville a few times… One time, I saw him with people who had snowy white hair and red eyes, that’s all!”

At Etbum’s desperate words, Luca paused for a moment, then looked back over his shoulder at him.

“So did Viscount Hephville order you to stay silent about having met them?”

Seeing Luca’s interest, Etbum’s eyes grew wet as he barely managed a reply.

“Yes… You just can’t help noticing if you work in these circles… I just learned the name Albino…”

“If the sign is that clear, among the Albino, those must be officers. Viscount Hephville himself met with them, huh.”

Luca mused for a bit, then suddenly grinned.

“Bella. Go fetch Ottbo.”

“…… Yes.”

Bella briefly hesitated, not quite understanding, but then nodded slightly and stepped out. Etbum, unsure of who she was off to fetch, trembled and mumbled to Luca.

“P-please… just let me go, please… I’ll never… never do this again…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you never go back to this kind of work.”

“W-what does that… mean…?”

While Etbum’s anxiety mounted, Bella soon returned, rubbing the sleep from Ottbo’s eyes.

“Mmm… What is it, Luca…?”

“You’re just in time, Ottbo. I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor…?”

Still groggy, Ottbo looked at Luca, then noticed Etbum.

“Who’s that—huh?”

And then he noticed the blood running down Etbum’s thigh. In an instant, Ottbo’s sleepiness vanished.

‘Wha… what happened here?’

Finally, Ottbo took in the situation around him:

Etbum, bound and bleeding from the thigh. Two other men tied up and lying unconscious. Luca with a drawn sword, and Bella holding a bloody dagger.

It was clearly a serious situation.

‘But… why did he call me at a time like this…?’

Ottbo looked at Luca for an explanation. Luca waited until Ottbo seemed to have some idea of what was going on, then spoke.

“I want to place a binding spell on that guy.”

“A—a binding spell?”

Ottbo was flustered.

Binding spells were high-level, and the method to perform them wasn’t widely known.

There was no way Ottbo, just a first-year at the Academy, could do it.

‘Luca must know that, right…?’

Ottbo met Luca’s gaze. Luca slowly nodded.

‘… Ah.’

With that, Ottbo caught on. Luca wanted him to play along.

“… What kind of binding?”

“A geas: If you break the promise, you’ll suffer relentless agony until someone kills you.”

“Alright.”

Ottbo raised both hands, and a magic circle formed in front of them.

Of course, this wasn’t a true binding magic circle. It was a unique Gress family drive magic circle—crimson like blood, inscribed with a sigil representing the heart.

“Eek?!”

Etbum, a lowly slave hunter, couldn’t have heard of the legendary Gress-family secret drive magic.

At a glance, the circle exuded such a grim aura, all he could do was tremble in fear.

Ottbo, noticing his reaction, felt a strange satisfaction and turned up his act.

“Don’t worry. The spell won’t have any effect right away, but once I set the condition…”

“There is only one condition. If Etbum breaks Luca Traverse’s orders, he will suffer eternal torment without even being able to end his own life.”

“Understood.”

Vwooom!

With Ottbo’s reply, the magic circle shuddered ominously. At last, Etbum broke down in tears.

“S-sorry…sniff! I’m so sorry… Ughh! Please… Please, have mercy… uuwaaaah!”

“…….”

Ottbo glanced at Luca, his face twisted in discomfort by the pathetic spectacle.

Luca slowly approached Etbum, who was hunched over, sobbing uncontrollably.

Luca grabbed his shoulders and helped him sit upright. When their eyes met, Etbum’s face was soaked with tears and snot.

Seeing his face, Luca smirked.

“Did you ever show mercy to the slaves you hunted?”

“H-huh?”

It sounded like Luca was showing sympathy at first—but he wasn’t. Luca’s lips smiled, but his eyes were cold.

“Why are you crying like this? Did you ever show mercy to people who were sobbing and begging for their lives?”

“…….”

Etbum’s face went blank, and he stopped crying. Luca looked over at Ottbo.

“Ottbo. Don’t go easy on him.”

“… Okay.”

Not that Ottbo could actually do anything, but to keep up the act, he approached Etbum, magic circle in hand.

At that moment, the big man still tied up—Meck—suddenly lunged for Ottbo.

“Uwaaa!”

He had actually awakened a while ago, but without showing it, he had been loosening the ropes binding his wrists and preparing to escape. This was his chance.

Meck pulled a hidden dagger from his shoe and charged at Ottbo—only to suddenly feel his legs give out.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

“!”

Thud!

With the sound of a blade cutting leather, Meck’s body tumbled to the ground.

In an instant, his arms and legs had been severed from his torso. He screamed, writhing in agony at the pain where his limbs once were.

“Gaaaaah!”

“You actually thought that would work?”

Somehow, Luca now held his sword once again. He casually flicked the blood off the blade, muttering coldly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you never die easily.”

“Ugh… mmph.”

“The slaves you captured live a fate worse than death even now. So for balance, you’ll live that way too.”

So saying, Luca stepped on the back of the squirming Meck.

“Argh!”

“I won’t let you run away through death. You’ll live and pay for your sins.”

At those words, Etbum flinched.

‘Live… and pay for my sins…’

Many thoughts flashed through his mind. Then, Luca walked over to him.

“It’s your turn now.”

“…….”

Etbum no longer cried or trembled. He simply waited, resigned. Luca regarded him, a bit surprised, and said to Ottbo,

“Ottbo. Please.”

“Okay.”

Ottbo stood before Etbum. After some token torturing, he infused a little magic power into Etbum through drive magic.

Tztztzt—

Flinch!

As the magic power seeped in, Etbum flinched, but he didn’t resist much. Watching this, Luca spoke flatly,

“There are two commands I’ll give you. First, you will become a spy. Monitor the slave hunters and slave traders for me. I’ll give you a communication code—regularly report everything happening where you’re stationed.”

“… Yes, understood.”

Blankly, Etbum nodded. Luca glanced at him, then at Ottbo with a puzzled expression. He mouthed,

‘Did you actually cast a real spell?’

Ottbo, flustered, shook his head.

‘N-no, I didn’t do anything.’

Seeing that, Luca tightened his lips, then looked back at Etbum.

“The second command: Help slaves escape whenever you can—so long as it doesn’t compromise your first mission as a spy. Prioritize the first command, but help when possible.”

“Understood.”

Etbum nodded meekly. His expression was different from earlier.

“If you break either rule, you’ll suffer until someone comes to kill you.”

“Yes.”

“Now, for the rest of them…”

Luca looked over at the dismembered Meck and the last, still-unconscious man. At that moment, Etbum spoke up.

“Uh… may I ask one favor?”

“What is it?”

Luca glanced at Etbum. After some hesitation, Etbum spoke.

“Can you just kill those two?”

“Hmm. A final act of kindness for your comrades?”

Luca smirked, but Etbum shook his head.

“If I work alone, I can be a spy, but if I have to spy with those two, it’ll be impossible. If they mess up, I’ll die too, so it’s better to deal with them now while I can.”

“… Heh.”

Luca let out a half-laugh, and then gestured to Bella.

Thud! Thud!

Bella quickly threw her dagger, killing the two men. Once Luca verified they were dead, he looked at Etbum.

“I did as you asked. I expect you to do your part from now on.”

At Luca’s words, Etbum pressed his head to the ground and shouted,

“Thank you for granting my request! I will absolutely carry out your orders! By the way…”

Etbum raised his head slightly to look up at Luca.

“What should I call you?”

“Me?”

Luca hesitated for a moment at the question.

‘Should I just have him call me young master or master? Or use something different?’

“Young master” was too lightweight, and “master” felt wrong, so after some thought, Luca said,

“Call me Boss.”

“Yes, boss!”

And this seemingly trivial decision would later become the cornerstone for Luca’s creation of a certain ‘organization’.

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

What’s with these MCs unknowingly creating organizations that support them?

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep