by Majestroke
“Why me?” Braun tried to move his body but fell back onto the wall. “Why me you sick psycho? Is this just because I kicked you out in front of your squad? Huh, you are such a baby even if you put out a brave face like that—ugh-”
Adrian kept his foot on Braun’s face and tightened it to the wall.
“Let me enlighten you Kalides. This was nothing personal. I merely had a contract with the leader of the Adrian clan. He decided to give me permission to use a few of his soldiers if I killed you in return.”
“So you are an assassin, is that it?” Braun’s muffled voice came behind Adrian’s shoe. “Just some bastard who kills people for some other shit bag? If I had any last remaining respect for you that dissolved along with that Erlond.”
Adrian tightened his grip.
“You think I’ll ever bow my head to someone else? I am independent. I am not restricted to any regulations. Besides, I kill only people who kill other people.”
He released his grip and picked up Braun’s fallen pistol. In front of its previous owner, he slowly removed its parts one by one and picked up the barrel. Inserting one of his fingers to it, he picked out a human finger, which was cut from the middle. In its center were six numbers.
005784
“Do you know something Braun? I got the idea for this trick from a fellow mage who I kidnapped recently. She said a mage location signal remained active as long as it was written on human skin that was alive. From a recent research I figured out it takes at least a few hours for human cells to die if a body part of that human was actually removed. So all I had to do was to borrow a finger from someone a few minutes before our encounter and write the hex signal.”
“What the—” Braun coughed some blood. “—fuck are you talking about?”
“Simple Science,” Adrian reloaded the pistol after assembling it once again. “As for your former question Kalides, two years ago in a party with your fellow school mates you killed a certain someone remember?”
Braun didn’t reply, but his eyes lost its focus.
“According to what I heard,” Adrian continued. “That boy said something to you. You were drunk, so instead of solving it by words you stabbed him. Luckily that boy’s father was a peasant and an Outcast so your father did his dirty trick and covered the case. For everyone in that party, that dead boy was just some passing moment.”
“He FUCKING ignored me!” Braun screamed, blood splattering out from his mouth. “I was the higher up and he came to argue with me.”
“And that doesn’t give you the right to kill,” Adrian placed the barrel of the gun on Braun’s forehead. “Let me tell you something Braun. Underestimation is a really bad thing. You thought that boy’s father was just a peasant but in truth he was the leader of one of the biggest crime gangs in the Outercast. That’s right. He was the leader of the Adrian clan, and he was so pissed at the people who killed his son and didn’t even return his corpse.”
With a trembling hand that was about to nearly fall off, Braun gripped Adrian’s leg.
“Leave me alone Erlond. Let’s forget this ever happened. I’ll never speak even a word about this to anyone I promise! The soldiers will be here soon, and they’ll take me to my father. I-I’ll make sure to reward you. Just how much do you need? How much does that father need? I’m ready—”
Adrian swung his pistol with full force at the boy’s face. Braun’s hand went numb and his head lolled and a pool of blood spurted out from his mouth.
“Money doesn’t solve every case,” he kept his finger on the trigger. “I hope you die remembering that boy’s face.”
Braun let out a weak murmur and before he could talk anymore, Adrian pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing among the fading cheers of the soldiers a few miles away.
A huge thanks for everyone who read up until now. The second volume of this novel will be coming soon! Be ready!
For more support me on Patreon:
patreon.com/majestrokethewriter