Chapter 23: The Escape of Natasha

At noon, the weather in Muchen’s capital wasn’t too hot, but it was still enough to make people feel a bit sluggish. On the hill, the Iron Blood Clan had no idea that the men they sent to chase Natasha had run into trouble. Their camp consisted of rows of wooden houses lined up next to each other, indicating that this place had been used by them several times before. Inside the best-preserved house, an old man wearing a purple mage robe sat with his eyes half-closed on the room’s main chair, looking like a sage who had achieved enlightenment. A moment later, a swordsman entered, crossing his arms respectfully before speaking.

“Master Zeko, the people we sent out have returned.”

The old man nodded and waved his hand, signaling the swordsman to leave. Zeko relished the sense of superiority. Although he was only an Advanced Mage, he still held a certain level of respect within the Iron Blood Clan. It was well-known that mages on the Lion Continent were a rare breed. Furthermore, the imperial courts of the empire were always keen to recruit mages, making it difficult for other forces to acquire them. Zeko, now a washed-up mage, knew he would never be able to advance any further in his abilities. Even if he joined the Mage Corps, he wouldn’t be highly regarded. Thus, he had thrown in his lot with the Iron Blood Clan, and now his job was to protect human trafficking groups like this one.

Reflecting on his current occupation, Zeko sighed. He remembered that in his youth, he had been a passionate young man, but now that was all gone. Life was indeed unpredictable. He used to be someone who opposed human trafficking, but now, he was a trafficker himself. But what did it matter? It was all for the sake of survival. Zeko chuckled bitterly to himself. There had been times when he regretted his choices and wanted to leave this filthy world behind, but such thoughts were fleeting. He knew all too well that once he set foot on this path, there was no turning back.

The Iron Blood Clan was considered the mafia of the Ala Empire. Zeko didn’t know much about the internal structure of the organization, but he did know that a great power supported them from behind the scenes. No one who betrayed the Iron Blood Clan ever met a good end—not only would the traitor be killed, but their entire family would be wiped out. This was an organization devoid of humanity.

“Where are Fourth and Third?” A member of the Iron Blood Clan asked his comrade, who was escorting a young girl. If Forde were here, he would recognize the comrade as the youth he had tortured within an inch of his life, and the little girl was none other than Natasha. The man known as Fourth laughed slyly as he answered.

“Third hasn’t been to the city in a while, so he’s off looking for some women. I’d go with him, but I have to bring this girl back, so I guess I’m out of luck this time.”

The other man nodded in agreement, showing envy.

“Third is lucky to have been assigned this task. It’s been a long time since I’ve… touched anyone… heh heh!”

Fourth chuckled as well. “Alright, let me go lock up this little one first.”

The place where they held the children was a rundown shack guarded by four swordsmen. Fourth opened the door and shoved Natasha inside, threatening her.

“Stay put if you know what’s good for you. Try to run again, and I’ll feed you to the dogs.”

With that, he slammed the door shut. Natasha, who had just been shoved to the ground, grumbled to herself.

“What a jerk! Did he really have to shove me that hard?”

Suddenly, a boy rushed over and hugged Natasha.

“Why didn’t you run? How could you let them catch you again?”

“Pah, who gave you permission to hug me? Don’t come any closer, or I’ll castrate you!”

Natasha shoved the boy away, her face filled with anger. The boy was taken aback, staring at her in shock.

“Sister, you—”

“I’m not your sister. Your sister asked me to come save you all.”

With a loud pop, Natasha transformed into a handsome young man with black hair. It was none other than Franz. To infiltrate the enemy, he had used transformation and duplication techniques to take on the appearances of both Fourth and Natasha. In an instant, the room erupted into chaos. Franz raised his voice.

“Quiet down, all of you!”

He briefly assessed Natasha’s brother, recognizing him by the pair of white eyes that ran in the family. The boy was around 14 years old but had a mature and determined face. His white eyes, rather than seeming strange, exuded a peculiar charisma. Franz nodded to himself—this boy had potential worth nurturing. Glancing around, he noticed that the room was filled with nearly a hundred ragged boys and girls, their bodies bruised, their spirits broken. Some of the girls had lost all light in their eyes. Franz’s heart tightened, and a surge of anger rose within him.

“Is my sister okay?” the boy asked Franz anxiously. Franz nodded.

“When Natasha ran away, she encountered me. Ah, I should introduce myself. I’m from the Bonaparte family. You must have heard of us, since you’re close to the Tiger Roar Corps. I’ve come to rescue you all. There will be a fight soon, so stay here and keep quiet.”

“Is this for real?” The eyes of the other boys and girls lit up with hope. Of course, they had heard of the Bonaparte family. In the Ala Empire, the Bonapartes were revered as a family of war gods. If you didn’t know who they were, you weren’t a true citizen of Ala.

Franz nodded and took out dozens of bowls of ramen. He had plenty of these but rarely used them. Their effect was to restore physical strength, and for these kids, there was nothing better.