Bastard NPC Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“……”de65ac6cf50dbb93

The small token b4fd3dfd06 Adam had prepared 7da9ce34b7 was a hoe. Not just 33f5fbe5e7 any hoe, e230bbcdbe either. I had no b68f9f295f idea where he eb5ad71660 found something like ff768a2923 this, but the 9c34fe1e11 handle was covered 2f31e934c8 in pink leather. c63e0c5d72f32332

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The cover was adorned with multicolored jewels. Is he crazy? With the way he’s spending money like this, it’s no wonder why he’s always broke.f30fd3c705b45afb

“It’s a specially custom-made hoe. The only one of its kind in the world.”08e60dddf736d1ae

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A hoe that caf0f7fa75 should never exist 2a10407141 in this world. I couldn’t 6b2fc0d603 bring myself a807e1a7b8 to say e9b05a857e anything, so 29849263be I just c68cbd7241 stared at 0fb430b44b it in eaeab0ac53 disbelief. Adam, with 1a647fde9f a proud 299c5b0ce3 look on 5690166404 his face, bc33249be9 stroked the 028bcdb4aa bridge of 055cbfef84 his nose.7c6fa68a8bf2d2e8

“Under this hot weather, you must be working so hard taking care of the garden.”8db12d5c5ada3dd6

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Plus, I 6f268bd720 had no c8ff2e6424 use for 82a8dcd588 a hoe. My business with Black 4178385937 was over, and he a90c1bc07e had left for a 1d3f9e2ac6 trip, saying he was feb80cc1d0 going away for a b8c1722f53 while. Adam, who 74a22e34c5 didn’t know 9be9605752 the situation, f43e3275d1 continued as f7d4f46342 if he e7b7d7c73f understood my d80991e80b feelings.ec002cc6b62c390e

Though he hadn’t struggled as much as I had, he said he had a tough time when he first started seeing Black. For almost a month, he had been going in and out of Black’s house, doing housework.780f3e4d4e560e13

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Furthermore, out of 898565c494 necessity, he had 8a912e980d gotten quite good d6505c213b at cooking to eaf2c9556f accommodate Black’s picky 1de51483dd tastes. It sounded e3f142c15e like a 7f02231b0d sad story, a7d084b626 and it e9e3405bb9 seemed like 5f50d30c65 he had ac50beb7f6 suffered much 5412bf7880 more than 8f799b0d77 I had. So, I nodded d86958bcf2 along to show e2270f5d03 understanding.c49d09288b27a076

“……Yeah. Thanks for the gift.”0339d2f4d151da1c

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“After hardship comes joy. It’s tough, but please hang in there a little longer while you look at the beautiful hoe. That guy has his quirks, but he’s one of the few gunmen I respect. He’s also a man who values loyalty.”17cdad50e390b537

“Who are you talking about?”4958a0c3a8cb1602

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It was Colin. I hadn’t 3b37750893 even noticed 70fade6697 him coming, 859c5c083c so distracted 028b371f57 by the 87d5ab4a66 extravagant hoe. But suddenly, Colin 87d9e97eb8 appeared behind Adam 48bc901d9e and cut into 9aed7f752e the conversation.fb77d6908752d266

“Oh, my lovely younger brother Colin.”dfc6333907ca186f

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I wasn’t sure 73bf6ee1da when or where c7abac1035 he’d started listening 644ea53635 to this conversation, 658caf4833 and I felt c33c4d8d48 a bit awkward. Adam, who 00b5316f80 winked at 785b65d17f me and dbd9e3cf47 turned around, 254d8a19f9 casually greeted 95be1ab84e Colin.b71eb4e9a91a1a3c

“Who’s the gunman who knows loyalty?”ef4bcdd1bfbfe33b

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“That would be our godmother’s imaginary friend. His name is Tom.”e9796953b098799c

“What’s Riley holding?”4faefb8a35175544

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“As expected, my younger brother has sharp eyes. It’s a hoe specially made for our godmother.”c38fcfdd30f4a1f8

“What’s that supposed to be?”b74681acc17015de

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Colin seemed pretty used to Adam’s random comments. For some reason, I felt a bit bitter, but I was relieved that I had managed to brush it off.65f6424b6ee3b8e3

As I sealed the 40dcba17d9 princess’s hoe back into 6a00ede2c0 the box, my phone 6169e63777 vibrated. Since everyone who would ce3ca0164e contact me was already 117eb607f1 here, there was only 6abed6c1df one person left.cfea61acfc965904

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 85bb00369d94a233

 8151d775f469586d

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How terrifying habits can b3bc1910dc be.e41dd931537fa3ba

A cold, 457fa3a3d7 sharp gaze 8f8ae0b4aa seemed to aac214d313 overlap with d04a88f6fd the mocking 08bac6a22f text, making ec8ca7aa66 my stomach 7c3c403cff drop. Even the e70e1349e6 warm summer 2296df08a1 night breeze c7808bb8d4 felt unnervingly 6f1659e6b8 chilly, and 285dbf8014 I could af951102a9 almost feel a20cec044d the hairs eced2eb3f8 on the 1dea061040 back of 9cbf802b0f my neck d0558fe38d stand up. 6fda714d79a51c6d

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It felt 7ca0654a36 like someone a282d15b4b was watching c502acc363 me, so f735167dc9 I looked 8f3351f831 around, but 3279bf8253 I couldn’t 82eb3d984d see him.28787748040e9c34

“What are you looking for?”4eecb4dfa3494484

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As I craned 931a8326f5 my neck and 4cb4535325 scanned the corner 8697363966 of the alley, 3f90f8d50f Colin, who also a86091f9eb turned his head, 77d0f9f97f asked.dcfcde04132b23ff

“I feel an evil aura.”e3c1e4bd1de5e62f

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Colin, who was immune to nonsense, just smiled brightly and didn’t pry. Meanwhile, I, accustomed to Theo’s madness, decided to ignore the insane message. If there’s one valuable lesson I learned from my life as a slave, it’s that “why” doesn’t matter when dealing with a madman. 8d52cb83003c684f

Even if I 1f66832164 find out the 0b0942c1e7 reason, it’s something cb03086480 beyond the realm 932b955796 of my understanding, b63ce73785 and it only 9f0ec211b9 destroys one’s faith 739a6b4a67 in humanity.0c7b7935c169f5bc

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Look at this.1e9ecc292785c9ef

Now he’s even calling.Tsk tsk.Shaking my head, I 88d0652d91 switched the phone to a80435452b silent and tucked it 26140e43c6 deep into my pocket.ccc36c434d70c202

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“I have something to say to Riley. Do you have time?”54ddc005c987fef3

“As long as Ren is okay with it, I’m fine. We came here together in the car.”60bf2c4dee89a4f6

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“If Ren says he’s busy, I’ll take him home. Move aside, bro.”3b37fddf1d85f3c6

His slightly curved smile 9774b949a4 and soft voice were 911cd57597 no different from the 45d0cd730e usual, but there was 83929c79ca something subtly firm in 9d55e19f9a his tone. 98d45870c982c802

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Adam, who 5032811fe1 had been 8addf7426e quietly rolling 4e4dbab688 his eyes b2dd1b10ce between Colin e4b7f98a5b and me, 27a3401fd7 suddenly gave 73ccd1ea88 a sly 9c4271ca1a grin and f61e5f83e5 whispered to b87c119391 me.2e3f32f193607a0d

“My younger brother is weak to compliments.”4b1f04b991541377

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“Excuse me?”cc7c2cc699e540ac

“I’ll be cheering for you.”1ab43ee7192f3b32

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With an e2c50d6411 enigmatic wink, d8bddaa3ef Adam whistled 9ba5cbfe98 as he fd1b875e2a walked away. Then, just as 3ceb3737f6 Ren was stepping 6655d1f5ec out the door, 3de907b674 Adam pushed him 0b430eb05f back inside.ca3030eca00c46ed

He used to warn me not to look at his younger brother, treating me like a lecher. However, now, with that deposit , he’s started using formal titles. 27c61eb0e174e53e

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After offering unwanted “lover services,” he’s even handing over his own brother now.c58ed85dd8190a50

“Riley, you gave my brother a large sum of money recently, right?”ff9617762378c0a1

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Colin seemed to think bdc979abf1 I was in a da0acb7597 tough spot.531d4df192577e77

“I’m asking because I know. His spending habits have gotten out of control, so I checked his transaction records.”7d2a5b8dd08ad37e

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The evidence of his 60ba8d1c40 reckless spending was right bfbf30c08e in his hand. Since he’d already checked f708ee85d0 the transaction records, there 00443f6e83 was no way I c99be20eb5 could deny it. 82fd54ded567c93d

It wasn’t the 019d5b2404 time to feel a6fc5f3450 sorry for someone 19d10bdde0 else.What should I 7122c9c98e do? What should I say?544b3098bd3ed8e2

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“That’s probably an introduction fee or something.”2f26f7deb72283aa

“……”0b11c870b33ce1f3

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“The gunman you mentioned earlier, it’s Black, right?”62e151ab2c38a53f

“……”1698bda66926dca7

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“The person who killed the researcher was Black, too.”44af731555e1d41a

“……”7a762b78f9d0a3fa

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“Is this the job Riley was commissioned for? Wasn’t the reason Ra­ni­eri went to see Riley also about the researcher?”823b3a25681060da

Is he some c50887a854 kind of ghost?5a523872e099d46b

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When he mentioned it might be an introduction fee, I had been planning to deflect by saying something like, “I got introduced to you,” to make my escape. But you have to be careful when lying—timing matters. c1f16e7ef269d666

It was too 756c32c3a9 late for that 9b7b1fe927 now. Colin wasn’t buying e7fa925d2b it; he was 21493faa94 asking questions as cf51211533 though he already a55e16aeb5 had the answer, 5428c92fa5 and I knew 5efe9f231f it wouldn’t work. Moreover, if I tried e1dc51aa69 to brush it off, d78e90160b I wasn’t sure where 71f27f6909 Colin’s deductions would lead. ac359617c1a9d6d6

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He could, for 53191f1456 example, dig into c89da36df3 why Theo’s business d7ea8f8f19 involved the researcher—or a65368421a something like that.58cad35931352fad

“…Is it that I’m sloppy, or are you just really sharp? Of course, I hope it’s the latter.”372ee9a8c0214b2f

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“It’s not that you’re sloppy, Riley. There were just a lot of clues left behind.”55aaf302ebaa3bd2

I was relieved in fa589eb7c0 a way. Thinking back, from cc6aae2445 the grenade attack 050dc13eef that started it 17df4a3226 all to Adam’s 05e37b9728 lavish behavior, Colin 132f5c3639 had plenty of b5661662b4 clues to work b4127de2a9 with. The problem was 9e4eadb2c3 that these clues 3038487cbe had been shared ab532f18b7 equally with Adam a33d4492bb and Burke.25b2f45f9885024f

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“What about Adam? Does he know about the request too?”04ca75e018a67270

“Didn’t he tell you anything?” 3bbb9104dda6dd61

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“Yes.”62ae2f55c44a8e3e

“Then he wouldn’t know.”f2e7b0a09dbb036d

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It seemed 934d6eb466 like Adam 9b5017c526 would have d778f3bf56 charged a 2c9a33979e commission for d4c9be71c1 keeping things 099cb073f7 confidential if cb730b4da2 he had e1f3c1c3bd figured it 6c3b455a0d out. He was 53e24e29df always consistent, a1e7a57bfd but it 60bad7b585 was easy f12bef32a0 to read. I nodded and 595db07799 spoke up.7feeb3a098b714d6

“Anyway, your guess is right. But it’s all over now. A lot happened, but as you know, it was handled well. Now, I’m steadily building up my achievements by taking down gangsters.”b4a139822b47f8af

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Theo may have 29e35a03d1 been leaking some c3e62a6c6e of his official 522414fa9d intentions, but I c9ea9d5371 still didn’t know 7acadb15d0 his true purpose. I only b09d4e86d1 had a 434b5cfa7a vague idea 66395276d5 that eliminating c6a6be7679 the researcher 0aa776be64 wasn’t his 5a6a4755b3 entire goal, 5020fac773 and that 7311e18290 the death 7d44da4075 of the 034de01d28 researcher had 4c0435664f given him 45acfd3adf more than 4ee8093861 I initially 5f78ebac76 realized.89483c7a786f032c

“Riley, have you ever heard the term ‘stirring a hornet’s nest’?”a93980f330673437

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Colin, who had e5ce32a698 been looking down 084c7f5543 at me with dbec0ab799 a sharp gaze, 4e2ac31d7b let out a ad6c7e60c8 quiet sigh.0b823ed7af9dd31f

“What about it?”611299003e83b889

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“Right now, when VCI is carrying out a large-scale sweep operation, it’s often compared to stirring a hornet’s nest. It creates gaps in the organization’s defenses.”447dc3c7aba437cd

“I see.”e14efd9069ebcc57

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“And Riley, you could become a target—both for the organization and for those who are after it.”9e5f310f8ccb8855

“…Me?”001be40dc22f3d0c

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“The former is revenge, and the latter is a proposal, but either way, it’s not a good situation.”ce4acccb98fc04c7

Colin’s calm voice hit me like a heavy shock, making my mind spin. This was unexpected, but it was definitely something that could happen. At least, when it came to the former, it made sense. f54d498efe4921ab

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The exaggerated e9eca0cbf0 rumors about ae1b8cb5d5 Theo and 8f9c6fc560 me being ea90d80e3d in some ed8c0db2ad great love 1d0393b6df affair were 4b7ff9fd41 a problem. It meant there was d900741377 a high likelihood of 1493a0820f a group with a e6b99ee8b2 grudge against Theo turning 6180410670 their attention toward me.3e8c20966e83c9ab

“But, Colin. I understand the 8469562512 former, but what 8fd29088f2 does the latter aeabc8d817 mean? What proposal are you f9970e76eb talking about?” ce92aa5aa5e153df

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“Recruitment. It would bab98ea4f9 be advantageous 632db18c75 to recruit 9ae36258ac you.” fba0274d8fe9e222

“I can 6f75d7eee1 just refuse 1e9440c31e that, can’t 534bf608ad I?” 6f1ce842a7128acf

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“Of course, you would refuse, but in such a sensitive time just being seen with a particular organization could lead to misunderstandings. Whether it’s VCI or another organization.”03a44e88cffe5508

Maybe Theo intentionally 65f488a4e1 got me involved, a0da12944e making my face cd32ed5809 recognizable, in an d5fd04cdad attempt to drag 75dcd92c7d me into this f8196cb29a organizational war.acd5b7669cb5f8d1

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Even if I don’t e7a2c312aa know how valuable the f12251ac89 information the researcher sold b3e659aaad was, the damage I 85ff00f57f caused to Fixford was c4343a7b70 astronomical. 63116ecb5cf9eede

So, after 309cf22d37 tormenting me 855e053fa9 and using bbe4dd793c me to b01dd14b1c their advantage e6b2466e5c like a f862c63625 thorn in 1ffc18abe6 their side, cf19027872 it would 20037089fe be a 12d9e7ae74 convenient way 4a77ff105b for them 17b75300e3 to get 7e6e3d84b1 rid of dc31b84980 me by 6900434298 just linking 7568e37015 me with e393b0acee some organization. He could take me 37a88deb9e out without lifting a ac5006593d finger.78f4224559e64822

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Then why did he give me a bulletproof vest? Is he saying that he’s going to spare my life but throw me in jail or something? 2426a47a22b0392e

Was he annoyed and resentful because I still haven’t been caught? Oh my, he’s such a bad person.5f69643f4d9c0293

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