The spot Subaru had mentioned to Broken wasn’t far from where he’d faced off against the demon. It only took a few minutes to get there, and maybe they hadn’t even realized Broken had just been in an intense fight with a monster.
When he arrived, he found them resting among the trees in a relatively open clearing. Their group had shrunk since he last saw them-about three people were missing, including Calista, the healer.
“Hey, Broken!” Subaru called out the moment he spotted him, jogging over with a grin. He fell in step beside Broken, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
“Hey, you didn’t run into any trouble getting here, did you?” Subaru asked.
Well, facing that demon was definitely a bit of trouble. But Broken had managed to kill it and walk away with some incredible rewards, so-
“No, there was a fire-element monster earlier, but it wasn’t a big deal. I beat it in less than five minutes.”
“Oh, a monster that could last five minutes against you? That’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” “Me?”
“No, the monster! Hahaha.” Subaru laughed awkwardly at his own joke.
As they passed by the others, a few waved at Broken in greeting. But there was something he needed to confirm-something he wanted to talk about with Marlene. With Subaru by his side, he made his way over to where the red-haired girl sat, a little apart from the group.
“Come,” Marlene said casually as Broken settled onto a large root protruding from the ground. Subaru lingered nearby, watching them with curiosity.
“Is there something you want to discuss?”
“Yes,” Broken replied straightforwardly.
Subaru, sensing he might be intruding, chuckled awkwardly. “Maybe I should go?”
“No, it’s okay, Subaru,” Broken reassured him.
It was about the human slaves he had encountered, and to his surprise, there were people from Slumdon among them. He knew exactly who to turn to for information about something like this. After a brief pause, he got straight to the point.
“I need to know if you have more information about human trafficking from Yunatea to Hell.”
Marlene nodded slowly at the question, while Subaru, visibly uncomfortable, remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
“You didn’t seem too fazed when you encountered the elf and the beast-kin. But now… I’m starting to think it’s not just because this involves humans, right?”
“That’s not really the answer was hoping for.”
“I understand,” Marlene replied, shifting her legs and crossing them in the opposite direction.
She paused briefly before continuing. “I think this isn’t a question I can answer directly. It depends more on which specific aspect of the topic you want to discuss.”
Marlene went on, “The answer could be both yes and no-it’s vague, I know. That’s why I said it depends on the details you’re after.”
“I assume you know what I’m getting at?”
“Yes,” Marlene replied without hesitation.
Then she added, “Let me know if you need help with this or anything else.”
Broken didn’t hold back. “You were involved in the massacre of players and NPCs in Dissidia Kingdom, weren’t you?”
Marlene paused, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I can’t deny that.”
The tension between them was unease. Though their conversation was minimal, the silence between their words held layers of unspoken questions and unresolved conflict. It was clear they needed to confront the real issue head-on.
“If you’re worried we did something to the people in Slumdon,” Marlene began, her face calm and expressionless, “I can assure you, we haven’t done anything to them-yet.”
“Yet?” Broken pressed, narrowing his eyes.
Marlene nodded slowly. “Yes, Broken… I’m not the guild master of the Shadow Wolves. But if I speak for my guild, I can say we haven’t touched the people of Slumdon. Why?”
She continued, “Because I made it clear to Paul that we don’t need to go down that path.” Broken’s voice was steady. “So, all of this is just a way to lure me to your side with these benefits? Taking me to Hell and hoping I’ll switch sides?”
Marlene met his gaze. “I thought I made it clear to you,” she replied calmly. “I did this to build a friendship with you.”
Subaru hesitantly spoke up. “Uh… I don’t think I’m needed here?”
Neither Marlene nor Broken acknowledged his words, their focus locked solely on each other. Marlene continued, “You could say I’m a bit of a pushover, sure.” She paused briefly. “But I know how important this is, especially after learning more about you during our time here.” “Everything still seems unclear from my perspective,” Broken replied.
“You’re quick to judge people, aren’t you?” she said, her tone calm but sharp. “Even after all my efforts, you still put me in this position.”
“You’re really good at talking,” Broken shot back firmly.
Subaru, sensing the tension in the air, began to slowly back away, waiting to see if either Marlene or Broken would stop him. Every step he took seemed to stretch the moment longer than it needed to be.
“You can stay, Subaru,” Marlene said, breaking the silence.
“Ah, yes!” Subaru replied quickly, freezing in place and falling silent.
“I’ll have to jump to a conclusion then,” Marlene continued. “Because it seems you’re not willing to say it outright.” freewebnσvel.cѳm
“I want to know what you’re thinking,” Broken said.
“Did you find human slaves from Slumdon town?”
“Huh!” Subaru gasped, startled by the question, drawing a brief glance from Marlene. Broken responded calmly. “I have to admit, you’re clever enough to guess that.” “Thanks for the compliment,” she replied, her eyes steady on him. When Broken remained silent, she pressed further. “If I told you we were responsible for that, what would you do?” “Marlene!” Subaru exclaimed. “Broken, no!” he added, more forcefully this time.
“I know,” Broken said, his focus snapping back to Marlene.
Marlene had an uncanny knack for steering conversations, fearlessly pushing the boundaries, even if it risked escalating tensions. Broken, on the other hand, was keenly aware that the anger boiling within him from seeing the people of Slumdon enslaved still fueled his every
thought.
“I won’t hesitate to go on a rampage,” Broken said coldly. “I’ll kill everyone here, find my own way back to Yunatea, and then slaughter every member of Shadow Slaves.”
Subaru’s face went pale with shock. “Eh, Broken… we didn’t-”
“It’s okay, Subaru,” Marlene cut him off..
She leaned back slightly. “Now, what if I told you that neither I nor Shadow Slaves were responsible for that, and I’m willing to help you resolve this issue with all the power I have?” Subaru quickly realized what Marlene was doing-expertly steering the conversation away from confrontation and into a more neutral, rational space. The realization sent a shiver down his spine; her ability to control the situation was as impressive as it was dangerous.
He laughed awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah, Broken, we’ll help you out. You’re my friend, after all… hehe.”
Marlene, unfazed, spoke again in her usual calm, even tone. “Yes, we’ll help you solve the
issues.”
Subaru chimed in again, forcing another laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah, Broken, we’ve got plenty of time here, hehe.”
But Broken couldn’t help but wonder-did he have any reason to trust them?
They both offered help, but their involvement, along with whatever they were keeping hidden, left him questioning whether he could trust them or not!