Even before joining the Parrot Mercenary Group, Falcoa had lived solely for the thrill of battle.
Keeping such a man cooped up on an island for five years was bound to drive him insane.
Freeman gave him one last chance.
Freeman: "Do you really have to go this far? If you've abandoned the Parrot's pride, say so now. I'll end it for you."
Falcoa: "Pride?"
Falcoa shrugged.
Falcoa: "Hey, let me tell you something. The Parrot Mercenary Group is already finished. The leader has no intention of returning. The subordinates have reached their limit. You should just give up and join me."
Freeman aimed his revolver without a word.
It wasn't just a gun loaded with magic bullets; it was a combat style enhanced by a gunner's unique Schema, something even Falcoa couldn't take lightly.
As the subordinates held their breath, the gazes of the two men clashed head-on.
A single twitch from either side would be the signal for chaos.
At that moment, the door suddenly opened.
Marsha: "Well, well, looks like things are heating up."
Falcoa's mental inertia to lunge forward was halted, and Freeman's finger, about to pull the trigger, froze as he furrowed his brow.
The owner of the voice, which had delivered an unpleasant shock, turned around irritably, but everyone in the warehouse was stunned.
Subordinate: "L-leader…?"
Her hair was short, and her clothes were different, but it was unmistakably Clay Marsha, the woman they knew.
Marsha: "Long time no see, everyone."
As she entered the warehouse, Marsha surveyed the surroundings and the situation as if reading the atmosphere. After briefly looking at Yuna, she finally turned her gaze to Falcoa.
Falcoa had no intention of avoiding her. He didn't think he had anything to be ashamed of.
But the moment their eyes met, he involuntarily looked down.
'Damn it.'
He could tell from the expression of the subordinate standing beside Marsha that she knew everything.
The subordinate bowed his head.
Subordinate: "I'm sorry, boss."
Falcoa: "..."
Falcoa didn't get angry. He would have done the same.
That woman was the head of the Parrot.
After assessing the situation, Marsha exhaled and spoke.
Marsha: "So, I've heard the gist of it. Selling drugs, playing boss, messing around with women, and getting high. Right?"
Falcoa: "Leader, I…"
Marsha's hand struck his cheek.
The sound of the slap echoed through the warehouse as Falcoa's head snapped back repeatedly.
The subordinates were terrified, wondering how long Falcoa would endure.
Finally, a fire ignited in Falcoa's eyes.
Falcoa: "Argh! Leader! Ugh!"
Regardless, Marsha kicked Falcoa in the lower abdomen, sending him sprawling.
As he fell, he glared at her with a ferocious look, but Marsha remained calm.
Marsha: "What's with those dog eyes? You think you can take me on?"
Falcoa gritted his teeth hard enough to break his jaw but eventually turned his head away.
The Fallen Saint.
Falcoa could fight anyone in the world, but he couldn't bring himself to strike her.
Marsha: "A stray dog from the back alleys, taken in out of pity, and now you bite the hand that feeds you? And you call yourself a Parrot?"
Even if a blade pierced his body, he wouldn't falter, but this time, he couldn't stay silent.
Falcoa: "What do you know, Leader? If it weren't for me, the name 'Parrot' would already be gone! Do you know how much I've built the organization over the past five years? The entire Galliant Island is ours!"
Marsha: "Bragging, you idiot."
Falcoa: "..."
"So, you've become a drug addict? Your eyes are completely gone. Do you even know how to hold a sword properly anymore? What can you even do now? What can you possibly offer me?"
Falcoa couldn't answer.
Marsha: "Listen up, everyone. If you want to act like thugs, go do it outside. I won't stop you, and I won't hold you back. But if you're under the name of Angmu, you follow my orders without question. Anyone who has a problem with that can leave. Take your money and live out the rest of your days in comfort."
The subordinates closed their mouths like obedient sheep.
None of them were without a story, and Marsha embraced all of them, standing at the end of their lives.
If they had anywhere else to go, they wouldn't have joined in the first place. For all the members of the mercenary group, the fallen saint Marsha was their only reason for living.
In the silence, Freeman bowed his head.
Freeman: "Captain, when did you return?"
Marsha: "I left as soon as I heard Lucas had been arrested again. That guy will definitely spill the location of our hideout. We'll have to clean this place up soon. Prepare to leave."
Marsha approached the fallen Falcoa. Then, looking at Yuna, who was trembling in fear, she asked:
Marsha: "Falcoa, I'm sure I told you this. Killing is only for war. We don't mix with civilians."
Falcoa: "Hmph, I had my reasons."
Marsha: "Reasons, huh…?"
Marsha raised her gaze, and Freeman, standing behind Falcoa, shrugged.
Freeman: "Alright, let's hear it. If your 'reasons' aren't something truly thrilling, you'll have to face the consequences."
Falcoa hesitated for a moment. But lying in front of her was pointless, so he finally spoke.
Falcoa: "They were just kids."
He explained everything from start to finish.
The incident where the managed pimp had thrown gold coins at him. How that led to calling Amy to the tavern. How Shirone's group had stormed in, leading to a tense standoff.
Falcoa: "I couldn't stand it. You know my temper, Captain. And they weren't civilians either. Those guys had two swordsmen and two mages, all with real combat experience. They even used some strange magic. Doesn't that make it fair game?"
Marsha: "Hmm…"
While Marsha was deep in thought, Yuna, who had been listening to the story, began to cry.
Yuna: "My brother…"
Marsha, who had been observing her, turned her head back.
Marsha: "So, you kidnapped this girl?"
Falcoa: "What else could I do? They're nobles. If I handled it outside, the mercenary group would be in danger. I used my head."
Marsha: "Stop using your head. You're pathetic. Getting beaten by kids while high on drugs."
Falcoa flared up.
Falcoa: "…I have nothing to say, but those guys are really strong. It's not just because I've gotten weaker."
Marsha: "I know."
Marsha stood up.
Marsha: "That blond-haired guy in the group that came looking for you. Is his name Shirone?"
She seemed to have heard it clearly.
Falcoa: "How…?"
A cold smile spread across Marsha's lips.
Marsha: "My instincts are always right. Well, if it's that guy, I can see why you had a hard time."
Freeman asked:
Freeman: "Do you know him?"
Marsha: "No, not really… Anyway, forget that. What are you all doing? The enemy is coming, and you're not even prepared?"
Freeman: "Do you really think they'll come here? Even if they have a hostage, she's just the sister of some pimp. And they're nobles. Nobles don't move for things like this."
Marsha was certain.
Marsha: "They'll come."
Because they're disgustingly hypocritical humans.
Marsha: "Alright, alright! Let's get started. Everyone, arm yourselves and gather in front of the hideout in 30 minutes. Oh, and Falcoa…"
Marsha turned to look at Falcoa.
Marsha: "What are you going to do? You've been doing well lately. Why not take this chance to change careers? Become a businessman or something."
Falcoa: "Don't mock me. Take whatever you want. I just want to slaughter those bastards."
Marsha: "…Go."
Though he avoided being kicked out of Angmu, Marsha's gaze remained cold.
Annoyed by this, Falcoa was about to leave the warehouse when her voice stopped him.
Marsha: "Quit the drugs. If you get caught again, you'll really die."
Falcoa didn't respond, but Marsha knew.
He wouldn't take drugs anymore. The person who would take him back to the battlefield filled with blood, pain, and fear had returned.
Once all the members had left, Freeman finally treated Marsha not as his captain but as a childhood friend.
Freeman: "I'm glad you're back safely. I was so worried when I couldn't reach you for so long."
Marsha's brow furrowed.
Marsha: "Idiot, I was too busy running away to contact you. Anyway, you guys are so thoughtless. What's wrong with Falcoa? Can we even use him like this? He's always been crazy, but at least he was good with a sword."
Freeman: "You can't just blame Falcoa. We're the ones who took the battlefield away from him."
Marsha: "No, that was me."
Freeman: "But thanks to that, we've been able to gather funds. I've made preparations so we can leave for another country whenever you return."
Marsha: "Running away again…"
She could have lived a different life.
But the mercenary group she had built with Freeman, her childhood friend, after leaving home at seventeen, was her only home. Even though they had lost their foundation due to political schemes, Angmu was her only family.
Marsha: "It's bitter. How did we end up like this?"
Freeman: "We were betrayed by the country. What else can we do to survive?"
Marsha: "Right. We have to try everything we can. You haven't fallen apart, have you?"
Freeman was firm.
Freeman: "I've always maintained my combat skills at their peak. Marsha, I don't want anything from Angmu. I only wish for your happiness."
Marsha felt a chill.
Marsha: "Ugh… Goosebumps. You have a talent for making me nauseous with your sweet talk. Do you have to say it like that?"
Freeman: "Because it's the truth."
Freeman had never hidden his feelings for Marsha since they were children. But for Marsha, it was a real ordeal, and she often lost her temper because of it.
Marsha: "Why? Who are you to wish for my happiness?"
Freeman: "You…"
Knowing full well what she was asking, Freeman thought for a moment and found the right words.
Freeman: "You're our captain."
Marsha snorted.
After a brief conversation, it seemed Freeman didn't need to worry. He was as infuriating as ever.
Freeman asked:
Freeman: "By the way, what are you going to do? Are you really going to fight those kids? It's the mercenary group's principle not to avoid a fight that comes to us, but this time the situation is different. Falcoa clearly overstepped, and there's no need for all of Angmu to get involved."
Marsha: "I know that."
Her lukewarm response made Freeman ask again.
Freeman: "Is there something you're not telling me?"
Marsha's gaze turned cold.
Whenever she looked like this, Freeman's heart raced.
Marsha: "Freeman, what do I hate the most?"
Freeman: "Hypocrisy."
There was no need to think about it because Freeman had been by her side during her hellish times.
As long as Marsha's abilities were effective, the trauma from that time would never disappear and would endlessly distort her mind.
Freeman: "Is that what this is about? Is that what's most important in your life?"
Unbearable anger.
Marsha: "Let's begin."
Marsha left her seat and headed to the window. The members had already gathered in front of the hideout, armed and ready.
Marsha: "Shirone, the blond one, is quite capable. He's my main target. You can handle the others as you see fit. According to Falcoa, they're quite skilled."
Freeman: "Hmph, that's just because he's lazy. While he was busy doing drugs, I fortified the hideout. I've trained everyone in tactical strategies using magic circles and magical weapons. Unless they're exceptionally skilled, they'll die before even reaching the first gate."
Marsha: "That's good enough."
Marsha recalled Shirone's face.
All she remembered was his kind smile.
Marsha: "I'll be able to kill him soon."
Shirone's face overlapped with her stepfather's, and then it became the face of the entire world. The smile was eerie.
Her blood raced.
Was this anger, excitement, or fear?
Perhaps it was none of those things, just the twisted emotions of a human.
Marsha, with a cold expression, smiled warmly and looked at Yuna.
Marsha: "Hehe, I hope he makes it this far, don't you? I'm curious what expression that kid will make when he sees my face."
Yuna: "Please let me go. Send me home."
Seeing Yuna trembling in fear, Marsha hugged her and patted her back.
Marsha: "Don't be afraid. You'll be fine."
Yuna: "Will you send me home?"
Marsha: "Of course. It's a bit chaotic outside right now, but once everything's settled, I'll take you back. So…"
As Marsha stroked her head, Yuna's eyes gradually closed, and her focus blurred.
Yuna: "Huh? Huh?"
Yuna, not even realizing she had closed her eyes, heard a drowsy voice in her ear.
Marsha: "Sleep for now."
Marsha gently laid Yuna, who had fallen into a deep sleep, on the ground.
She noticed the necklace around Yuna's neck. It was cheap but well-worn.
Marsha: "I'll borrow this."
She pulled the necklace off and broke it, then stood up and looked at Freeman.
Marsha: "Take her to a room. Control the kids and prepare for battle."
Freeman: "I'll stay here. Protecting you is my duty."
Marsha's brow furrowed at the second wave of chills.
Of course, as a founding member of the mercenary group, she knew his personality better than anyone, but she could never get used to it.
Marsha: "Don't overdo it. I'm not going to fall for you just because of that. Go out and lead the kids!"
When Freeman stubbornly stayed in place, Marsha pushed him out, grumbling.
Marsha: "Don't annoy me! Get out! Get out!"
After being pushed forward several times, Freeman finally picked up Yuna in his arms. He left the warehouse in silence, carrying her away.