#113. A Flower Blooming in the Mud (2)
—
**Occupied Territory of the Pro Faction.**
**15th Street. Jade Jewelry Store.**
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
—Are you… there… Something to say… Looking for… Are you inside…?
A faint voice accompanied by a pounding fist knocked against the tightly shut shutter.
**Inside the jewelry store’s office.**
One of the mercenaries, armed with a gun and wearing a bulletproof vest, spoke to the man sitting at the desk.
“…Mr. Jade. It seems someone is looking for you.”
“Ugh.”
A middle-aged man with a sleek mustache.
Jade pressed his forehead with his fingers as if he had a headache.
Who in their right mind would come out onto the streets and seek him out in the midst of this war?
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
“What will you do?”
“Just pretend we’re not here. I don’t know who it is, but I have no intention of lifting the shutter even for a second in this chaos.”
If this were just a war between typical organizations, Jade might have still opened his store and boldly conducted business.
But this war was essentially Nisoha’s war, which had practically occupied the entire sector.
**A civil war.**
Moreover, it seemed that even mercenaries with strange powers had become involved.
“You mentioned magicians, right?”
“Yes. They manipulate a substance called mana. The group currently in the sector appears to be Murcred.”
Jade had heard of them before.
A notorious crime organization, even among mercenaries.
“If the three of you attacked at once, couldn’t you at least take down one of them? No matter how strong these so-called magicians are?”
The leader of the mercenaries let out a groan.
“Hmm… We might last about three minutes.”
“Oh, so you can subdue one in that time?”
“No. That’s how long we can survive.”
“Oh, three minutes is way too long. I’d be rolling on the ground as a fireball in just one minute.”
“I could manage in thirty seconds.”
The mercenaries chuckled among themselves.
Jade sighed, pressing his throbbing temple.
Nisoha had been a grateful presence for maintaining security in the sector.
As a jeweler, he always had private security, but at least the threat of robbery and other crimes was significantly reduced.
But now, with a full-scale war raging across the sector…
*This is frustrating. Even if they were once helpful…*
Like any business, the inability to open meant losses.
For Jade Jewelry Store, which primarily catered to outsiders, the situation was even worse.
How could they sell anything if the store wasn’t open?
Would wealthy outsiders even venture out of their relatively safe hotels to come here?
*And to make things worse, the battle lines have shifted right near my store…*
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
—Buy… Money… Opportunity…
“Why won’t that bastard leave?!”
His boiling anger exploded.
**Bang!**
Slamming his desk, he strode toward the entrance.
Listening closely, the voice sounded like a child’s, meaning it probably wasn’t dangerous.
**Tap! Tap! Tap!**
The mercenaries hurried after their furious employer.
**Click! Rattle!**
“Who the hell—!”
Jade’s gaze lowered slightly as he scanned the person before him.
A boy stood there.
Round glasses. Curly brown hair.
“Ah, I knew you were in there. A jeweler wouldn’t abandon his store.”
The boy grinned mischievously and said,
“Would you like to sell some jewels?”
—
Ray stood outside the operations room with the others.
“Oh, you got here right on time.”
He remarked as a group entered through the door.
A middle-aged man, three mercenaries, and a cheerful-looking Philip.
“Hah…”
Jade groaned under the weight of everyone’s stares.
Initially, he had planned to scold the curly-haired boy for his nonsense.
**But then…**
“Nisoha wants to purchase some jewels. If possible, please bring all your yellow-colored gems.”
He had dismissed it as nonsense.
Whether the boy was truly an errand-runner for Nisoha was irrelevant.
Why would Nisoha buy jewels?
Weren’t they rumored to be struggling financially, barely able to hold out?
Jade had scoffed at the idea.
“Maintaining three guards must be expensive. You need to sell something, right? And I also think—”
And before he knew it, he had arrived here.
Carrying a case of topaz and yellow jasper, just as the boy requested.
He had been tricked by a mere silver tongue.
**Whoosh—!**
Turning sharply, he glared at the curly-haired boy, but all he got in return was a shameless smile.
*If things go south here… Should I try to escape now…?*
Just as Jade was about to make a decision—
A white-haired boy approached him.
“Excuse me.”
“?”
The white-haired boy seemed to stare at his chest.
“……!”
Suddenly, anger surged within him.
“You bastards! Because of you, I can’t run my business! When the hell will this war end?! You absolute scumbags!”
He exploded.
“I hope you all rot at the bottom of Elton River!”
A sudden outburst.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Jade was bewildered.
“I swear, you sons of b—!”
He couldn’t stop himself.
Something had overtaken him, pushing him to spew endless curses.
As the mercenaries paled, Jade panted in confusion.
One of the squad leaders hesitantly spoke.
“Jade… is that really how you feel about us…?”
“N-No, that’s not… I swear, I don’t…! I respect the Nisoha… you son of a—! …I mean… Damn it!”
The mercenaries edged away from him, pretending they didn’t know him.
Ray, observing Colin and the squad leaders’ shocked faces, calmly said,
“If you want, I can show you again.”
Colin quickly intervened.
“No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t think you’re lying, Ray. I’m just amazed… You can manipulate emotions?”
Ray smiled slightly.
“Not exactly. I can amplify the emotions a person already has. This time, I made them explode.”
“Is that magic?”
“Not quite, but it’s similar. If I stimulate Brook’s emotions, we can make him confess to betraying Niles.”
A straightforward, aggressive plan.
Lure both the enemy magician and the opposition members into the designated building.
Use the prepared magic circle to annihilate the enemy magician in one strike.
Provoke Brook’s emotions to force a confession that he betrayed Niles.
“If we use voice amplification magic, we can make sure the entire building hears the confession.”
Niles was the core and foundation of Nisoha.
If Brook’s betrayal was revealed, it would undoubtedly stir the emotions of the neutral faction.
Success wasn’t guaranteed, but it was worth attempting if they had the capability.
“…….”
The squad leaders exchanged glances, hesitant.
It was a raw plan.
Brash and reckless.
A plan full of youthful fervor, something only a young boy could conceive.
‘Realistically, this seems impossible.’
‘There’s no way things will go as planned.’
‘If we fail… we’ll be wiped out.’
Their instincts told them this plan was bound to fail.
But at the same time, another thought emerged.
Perhaps, it could work.
The unwavering voice and eyes of the boy carried an odd persuasiveness and weight.
And a whisper from their subconscious reminded them—
They, too, were once brimming with the same passion.
When they first organized Nisoha, no one expected it to grow into such a large force.
In fact, most had predicted failure.
But against all odds, they had succeeded.
“…….”
“…….”
…Perhaps, this time as well.
The squad leaders shifted their gaze to two individuals.
Colin, the leader of the supporters.
McCurley, the leader of the 1st Squad.
Both were original members of Nisoha and the most influential figures in the current pro-faction.
They left the decision to them.
Receiving their stares, the two briefly exchanged glances before Colin spoke.
“If we execute this plan, how do you intend to lure in the opposition members? Drawing in over two hundred people won’t be easy.”
He was asking about the specifics of the plan.
It was clear what decision Colin and McCurley had made.
“Rather than that, I think it would be better to lure only Brook, get his confession, and then distribute the recording—”
“No. Hearing the confession live will have a much greater impact than just listening to a recording.”
What Ray aimed to do was stab a red-hot needle into the hearts of the neutrals who had sided with the opposition.
To wake them up, to make them realize the mistake they had made.
For that, a live confession was far more effective than a potentially fabricated recording.
“And as for luring the opposition, it will naturally happen when we lure the enemy magician. The true leader of their command isn’t Brook—it’s Murcred.”
If they succeeded in deceiving them with the gemstone, Murcred would undoubtedly react differently.
‘He’ll come at us with full force.’
Almost certainly.
To seize the gemstone in their possession, believed to be a fragment of the Rainbow.
Under Murcred’s orders, the opposition forces would also be deployed to steal the gemstone.
“…I see. Understood.”
“Yes. But just in case, it would be good to set up another bait for Brook and the opposition as well.”
“A bait?”
“Something that, when we lure them in the streets, they won’t be able to resist chasing after. Do we have anything like that?”
After a moment of contemplation, Colin returned from the operations room carrying a small, old wooden box.
Creak—
Inside was a worn-out knife.
Philip commented.
“It’s incredibly old. The blade is so rusted it probably couldn’t cut a sheet of paper. Looks like something picked up from the trash—”
“This was once used by Niles himself.”
“—Which means, of course, it’s an exceptional blade that could slice through stone and iron with ease if only the rust were removed. My instincts tell me it’s a masterpiece.”
Ray quietly reached out and picked up the knife.
A small, foldable blade fitting in the palm of a hand.
Its rusted and worn blade bore traces of time.
A red flower symbol was engraved near the bottom of the black handle, appearing less tarnished than the rest.
“He used this knife since childhood. The flower symbol was added after he founded Nisoha.”
For street orphans, a knife was an essential tool.
It was useful for prying open hardened shoe polish lids, cutting box strings, and even as a last resort for self-defense.
‘Though in Sector 50, there was an unspoken rule against using blades in fights.’
Still, those who could afford it always carried knives.
A sharp knife was a source of envy.
It even became a status symbol, a way to gauge someone’s rank in the streets.
Sector 46, though far from Sector 50, likely had a similar culture.
Colin continued.
“As Nisoha grew and Niles got older, he no longer had any use for this knife, but he always joked about something.”
“…….”
“He said he would pass this knife to the next leader of Nisoha. Half-joking, half-serious. But rather than choosing a successor himself, he meant that the knife would go to whoever was selected by majority opinion.”
“…….”
“But stories change as they spread. The original intent gets diluted.”
Ray had an idea of what was coming next.
“In short, the current members interpret his words differently.”
The knife had become a symbol.
“So, does that mean you inherited the knife, Colin?”
“No. I was merely safeguarding it. I managed to retrieve it when we were ambushed by the opposition.”
Colin shook his head and continued.
“Right now, Brook lacks legitimacy within the organization. No one ever considered him as Nisoha’s next leader. He openly opposed Niles’ policies.”
That was the reality.
Brook had only seized control of Nisoha by force after Niles disappeared.
“Because of that, many of the neutrals who sided with the opposition don’t actually support Brook. They just don’t openly oppose him because their lives are at stake.”
“Does Brook know this?”
“Of course. He’s quick-witted and intelligent. If he sees this knife… he’ll definitely want it. And the biggest reason is—”
Click.
Colin twisted the end of the knife’s handle, revealing a hidden key inside.
“This is the key to Niles’ safe.”
“His personal safe?”
“Yes. It’s currently in the opposition-controlled base. I suspect it holds the wealth Niles accumulated over time.”
Ray nodded slightly.
It was certainly something Brook would covet.
Opening the safe would increase his wealth, and he could use the knife to claim legitimacy by saying Niles had given it to him.
“Alright. This will work as bait.”
From there, further discussions unfolded.
Following Ray’s instructions, Colin and the squad leaders dispersed to their respective tasks.
Meanwhile, Ray approached Jade, who was still dazed from the recent shock.
“Jade.”
Startled, Jade flinched upon hearing his name. He clutched the gemstone case tightly against his chest.
“Again…! Again…! You’re trying to mess with my emotions…!”
