I went to the address that Mira gave and I arrived at a large mansion, the mansion was twice as large as the one I own back at Central city. The walls were 20 feet high and had spikes on top of it, there were only 2 guards and they were stationed at the 10 feet high iron gate

"Halt, please state your name and business here" the guard with a larger body build came forward and asked while the other pointed his spear at me

"Hello, I am Lyan from Timberwolf mercenary group" They all decided on that name for our group

"Mercenary? what is your business here" He looked at me with disdain, can't really blame him

Mercenaries here would do anything for gold hence the low reputation

"Ms. Margarett approached our group earlier" It was the name of our client

"The young mistress?... alright, wait here" He told the other guard to ask someone inside the mansion if what I was saying was true

A couple of minutes later, the skinny guard returned and told the other guard that what I was saying was true. They opened the gate and led me in, we stopped at a garden where I saw a young lady who was absent-mindedly staring at the flowers. She had a long green hair that reached up to her waist, it can't be denied that she's beautiful but compared to Mira and the others...

"Hello, am I disturbing you?" I approached the young lady and asked

She snapped back to reality and looked at me before she asked with embarrassment

"May I ask who you are?" She sat up straight and acted like a mature lady

"I am Lyan from Timberwolf group, I was notified that you were in need of our services" I introduced myself to the best of my abilities

"I see, they said that you were the best in the entire group but I have my doubts... is it alright if I test you?" She asked

"Alright" I nodded

She looked at a window and the mansion and beckoned someone, a maid soon came out and kneeled towards her

"I am here to serve" The maid kneeled

"Please tell Tran to come" She ordered the maid

"As you wish" She left and soon a full armored knight came out

The armor was so shiny that it reflected the suns rays which made my eyes hurt

"You called?" He kneeled and asked Margarett

"This here is Tran, he's the strongest knight that protects our family. Tran, this is Lyan, a mercenary I am hiring, please test his strength" She introduced the knight to me before she instructed him

"Mercenary?" Tran's eyes grew cold the moment he learned that I was a mercenary

"Yes, please go easy on me" I ignored his look and cooly replied

"You disgust me, I will make sure that the young miss doesn't hire you" Tran pointed his sword at me

"Tran! please don't be like this" Margarett spoke out

"Young miss, stand back, a mercenary must not be trusted!" Tran pulled Margarett behind him

"*sigh* don't tell me I'm wasting my time here" I don't really care so I just sighed and turned back

"Wait! please, sir.Lyan, hear me out" Margarett spoke out, there was desperation in her voice so I turned around and asked

"Alright"

"My friends, they've been kidnapped and are missing for a week now... their families have sent search parties but to no avail, they're too hard-headed and refuses to hire mercenaries" She spoke out

"What's this gotta do with mercenaries?" I asked

"Because mercenaries were the one who kidnapped my friends...I was hoping that a mercenary would know where other mercenaries would go"

"But we just recently set up shop"

"All the other mercenaries rejected my request no matter how much I offered"

"Then isn't it obvious that you're dealing with something big?"

"Of course I know that but for the sake of my friends, I would go this far" You've gotta appreciate people who would go so far for their friends

"I'll see what I can do" I nodded

"Milady, please reconsider, our city knights are doing their best to resolve this issue!" Tran tried to reason with Margarett

"And their best for one week was fruitless, I can't stand and do nothing anymore... either you test him or I will just give him the job" Margarett looked at Tran straight in the eye

"...Alright" Tran gnashed his teeth and looked at me with resentment

"Ready when you are" I took out Rea

He just spat on the ground before running towards me with his longsword, he's a bit slow... I'm guessing around level 120? or is the armor too heavy? either way, this guy is going to get owned

He swung down his sword and I moved to the side before I swung Rea to the side, I aimed for his wrist. I easily broke his armguard before he could even react, he looked angry. He raised his sword up high and swung it down, I jumped back and watch him as he raised his sword again to attack me. I got bored and just moved forward just as he swung his sword down with both hands, his hands hit my shoulder as I grabbed his right hand with both my arms before I turned around and pulled while I bent my body down. I slammed him hard on the ground, he struggled to get up but I pointed Rea at his neck... this is their strongest?

"I won" I blankly looked at Tran

"Please leave and get yourself healed up" Margerett ordered Tran before she spoke to me

"Please, let's discuss over there" Margarett pointed at the mansion

We both entered the mansion and discussed the mission while drinking Tea...gotta stay classy I guess. Her friends are Sila and Ryza, both of them were females the same age as Margarett. Last time they were seen was when they were pulled into a carriage after leaving a shop that sold top of the line clothes, I asked if the mercenaries asked for money in exchange but Margarett shook her head

"I will give you anything in my possession just so that they could return safely" Margarett pleaded

"Anything?" I pretended to look at Margarett with lust

"Anything" She nodded with resolve

"Deal" I grinned and left

Margarett told me everything she knew and according to investigations, a group called "Golden chariot" were the ones who kidnapped her friends. Golden chariot's group members always had an embroidered golden horse on their right arm's sleeves, it didn't take long before I saw one. Are the knights really doing their jobs?

I followed the goon to a local bar, he drank a few beers before leaving and heading to the slums located south of the city, he entered an abandoned hut. I peeked through the windows and found out that no one was inside, I entered the house and investigated. I found a secret entrance that led underground, it was inside a battered cabinet.

I walked downstairs with only the torches on the walls to guide me, there was one path so I kept walking forwards and I soon came to a large room that had 6-7 doors. I looked around to see if the man from earlier was around but I found no sign of him, I looked at the doors and started with the last door on the left side of the room.

I opened the door and saw lots of crates inside, I walked in pried one of the crates open. I peeked inside and saw a bunch of whips and cuffs, are they aiming for slavery? if so then the two young ladies might've already been sold as slaves. I shrugged off the idea and left the room, next is room number two.

I gripped Rea hard which made her moan before opening the door to room number two, just like room number 1, this room was filled with crates. I pried one open before pulling out one of its contents, it was just plain rags... clothes for the slaves?

I left the room and headed for room number three, I changed my blade from Rea to Lea... the reason? you should already know.

I gripped Lea and I heard her speak out in a weak voice,

'...Not so tight...'

At least she's not like her sister. I ignored those thoughts and concentrated on what's in front of me, I opened the door and saw some kind of an operation room? no, this is like a torture room. I noticed the operating table and saw fur and blood on the shackles, they also went for beastmen? I then looked at the table filled with various weapons, they still had blood on them. I left the room and headed for room number four

I opened the door, inside was the sleeping quarters for the Golden Chariot, there were only 4 beds inside. Does this mean there are other bases like these? I checked but no one was sleeping inside, where the other people? since there was no one here, I started rummaging through their things in search of evidence or clues but all I found were clothes and a few cloth that reeked of semen. Disgusted and disappointed, I left the room

Roo number five, I heard screaming inside so I quickly opened the door with Lea inside but I found the guy earlier inside, he was having a massive diarrhea attack... I quickly covered my nose before impaling his head with Lea so that he couldn't scream for help. I quickly left the smelly room and headed for room number six.

I opened the room and I was greeted by a horrid sight, inside was various females hanging on hooked chains. All of them were dead and on close inspection, the cause of death was through various tortures... one was missing a head while the others were cut open and had their insides out for display, I had to check each and every corpse just to make sure none of them was Margarett's friend. Margarett gave me sketches of her friends that was taken in the past, I brought out the paper and compared it to the faces of the tortured victims. It was really hard comparing the blooming smiles of her friends to the faces of the victims that were filled with fear and despair, I looked at the corpse on a chair, she had her legs spread open... her private area was ravaged, her uterus exposed out in the open. These people had some nasty fetishes, I'm kinda used to sights like these because in my past life I've been to the dark web and some sites where people usually post erotic-gore stuff.

I was done after a couple of minutes and thankfully, none of them were Sila or Ryza. The last door, the seventh. They've got to be here, I mean there's a torture room so there's got to be a place where they keep their victims. My hunch was right on the money, there were cages inside where I found the two friends wearing rags. They were both holding each other to keep themselves warm, they were both malnourished and had several bruises here and there... I quickly broke the cage and tried to call out to them but

"P-Please don't hurt us" Sila spoke out

"Don't worry, I'm here for you guys" I replied while I took out some extra clothes for them to cover themselves with

"R-Really? we're saved?" Sila had a spark in her eyes while Ryza struggled to get up

I broke off the shackles on their feet

"You guys are not yet safe, we still have to get out of this place in one piece" I spoke out before peeking outside

"We're ready to go..." Sila weakly said that as she and Ryza supported each other

"Excuse me." I had them both use my shoulders as support as we leave the cave but some things just don't go so easily

We were on the one-way path when we heard several footsteps, there were at least 2 people coming our way

"W-What do we do?!" Sila started panicking, it was clear that she doesn't want to go back while Ryza whimpered and shivered

"Stay here, I'll take care of them" I let them sit on the ground and lean on the wall while I ran forward

When I was sure they couldn't see me anymore I used [Vanish] as I approached the oncoming enemies

"Hehe, we've broken them right?" A bald guy asked the goatee mustached man in front of him

"Yeah, they're finally good to deliver." Goatee man grinned from ear to ear

"Come on, he won't notice, let's go take their first times" Baldy grinned from ear to ear

Goatee man also grinned before hitting him on the head

"You dickhead, we can't do that he'll notice!" Goatee man was mad

"No, he won't if we enter their asses!" Baldy suggested

"Oh!" Looks like they both agreed to it but before they could even start walking again I started my attack

I placed both my hands on baldy's head before I pulled it down while my knees went straight up his spine, his back made a 45-degree angle before the sounds of bones breaking echoed out. He died before he could even scream while goatee was still stunned by the sight he just witnessed, it was already too late when he started running because I got a hold of his shoulders

"Tell me all about this man"

He told me everything in exchange for his life but we all know what happens next.

I returned to the two ladies who were tense, they released a sigh of relief when they saw me return. We passed through the corpses of the two goons and they both spat at them, we walked out safe and sound before returning to Margarett under the cover of night

Margarett was ecstatic when we returned, she hugged them and repeatedly checked on their conditions

"Call Tran over and have him escort the ladies back to their homes" Margarett ordered one of the maids

Sila and Ryza already have a new batch of clothing on and were fed, it's time to return them to their prideful parents who were probably worried about them.

"Milady?" Tran entered Margarett's room and was shocked to see me return safely with Sila and Ryza in tow

"Escort them back to their homes" Margarett ordered but I stopped her

"Don't, I've tortured a certain goon to know who ordered the kidnapping of Sila and Ryza, it was surprising but it was Tran who did it" I blankly spoke out

"Haha!" Tran started laughing

"What do you mean it was me? I would never hurt any of milady's friends!" Fucking hypocrite

"It's wrong to falsely accuse people without evidence..." Margarett meekly spoke out

Of course they wouldn't believe me so I took a recording stone and played my torture session with the goon, It started simple, a little twist on the arms and legs before skinning him alive. Margarett wasn't used to these kinds of stuff so she puked on the spot but Sila and Ryza weren't so they supported their friend

"Is it true?" Margarett asked Tran, her voice was filled with anger

"...no it wasn't he probably paid the goon to say it" Tran pointed his finger at me

"The dead can't lie" I laughed as I walked closer with Lea on hand

He tried to run away but I grabbed his head before he could even reach the door

"Do you know why?" I asked

Tran only looked at me with resentment

"Because they're always screaming!" I pulled down hard and slammed his head on the ground causing him to fall unconscious

"What do we do with him?" Sila asked

"...let Lyan deal with him" Margarett looked at me as she wiped saliva off her chin

"Am I getting paid for this?" I asked

"Of course you will" Margarett smiled

"...What was your deal?" Ryza asked Margarett

"Don't worry, it's nothing much" Margarett only smiled and replied

"Of course we'll worry, you've done some crazy things for us... I'm not surprised if you'll do something outrageous this time..." Sila was worried

"...*Sigh* I sold my everything to him..." She pointed at me

"If you say it like that..." I scratched my head

"...Then we'll sell ourselves too!" Sila looked at me with determination

"...me too..." Ryza meekly spoke out

"Can we do this another time? there's still this asshole" I pointed at Tran as I placed my feet on top of his head

"...Torture him" Margarett requested

"Alright" I saw some bamboo on the garden... this could work

Tran finally woke up and found himself bound to the ground

"Wh-What;s happening!" Tran looked at us with horror

We were currently on the small tea house by the garden, we were sipping midnight tea as Tran kept struggling

"What's this thing pointing at my back?!" Tran roared out

This was something I learned back then, bamboo's were known to grow fast so they've developed a torture method where they bind people on the ground where a young bamboo shoot was sprouting. The bamboo will forcfully enter the body to grow and will pop up on the other side, I don't know how long it will take but this slow death is something that Tran deserves