“Is it possible for you to let me enter ? As in, let's have a nice peaceful chat on your carriage ! Beneficial for both of us… oh right, before I forget, this servant's name is Notitiam, the information broker you have been searching by turning upside down my place.”

Notitiam, the information broker. A man whose name was unknown until now, or not. It is probably one of his nickname. A certain cunning was glittering in his pupils, at first look, he seemed like your unoriginal gentle and foolish peasant. However, he was not. He was this pest, rotting links between men by revealing secrets he should not, spreading fake rumors, and yet stay hidden from the common eye.

Filled with tricks, from toe to head, he was everything but trustworthy. How was he supposed to be one of those staff they can ‘trust’ ? Umbrum could not help but stare at Drake who was smiling widely, snapping his fingers to cancel his barrier. Cold words willingly came out his mouth.

“Immobilize him.”

Oh. Notitiam sighed and rose his hands, putting them behind his head… what he did not expect was that Umbrum will take Drake to his word, to its literal meaning. Both of his hands touched respectively his two legs. Shortening his chant and using more mana.

Notitiam’s face suddenly met the ground, crushing his nose against it. The pain was sudden, he wished to slip away as fast as possible, of course he would not be able to flee from them, nevertheless, it is worth a try. What if they let him go ? Why would they do that ? Why not ? After all, some people are unreasonable and do everything according to their emotions… so if they are this kind of people. He might escape.

“Edax Umbra, Devour.”

But.

Something was off. No matter what he did, he could not get up. The issue was… from his toe to his knee, everything disappeared. There was nothing. Neither was there blood or any wound. Instead of a wound which would represent that his legs were cut, he noticed a sort of black smoke slipping away from what’s left of his legs.

His hands were quivering, his fingers scrubbed his legs from up to his knee then nothing. His breath became rougher and quicker, he inhaled and exhaled deeply, sweats began to flow along his cheeks, his whole body began to trembled, he covered his mouth with his hand and restrained himself to scream.

“Mmmmmmm…! Mmmmmmmmmmmm !” Mmmm !!”

His heartbeat never was this fast. Where did his legs go ? How ? He did not feel anything, however… it seems like he could still feel his legs. Nevertheless, he could not move his missing parts. Then he thought, what if it never gets solved ? What if… he lost his ability to walk ? What would he do ? How would he live ?

Living without legs is akin to dying. Even if he was an information broker, now, he would just attract too much attention. How can he go on his work ? On living ? Then, pain suddenly stroke him, he bit his lips, pain from his missing limbs, a phantom pain, coming from nowhere, it hurt. Why did it hurt ? It was not here yet it hurt so much. His insides began to violently shake in all directions and slowly reemerge, crossing his throat. It was as if someone was piercing him with a needle and stirred the inside. His meal erupted from his stomach, spreading on the ground.

“Umbrum… just get a rope and cancel it.”

Umbrum tilted his head and sighed. When he saw Notitiam getting so worked up just for missing legs, he found this… shocking. It could have been more than the legs. Phantom pain might be… unique and awfully terrible depending on the victim’s mindset. But… what if it was the head instead ?

Waving his hand, he slapped Notitiam’s cheek and his legs suddenly came back as the suffering he was feeling disappeared as if it never existed, just like his legs. Teary-eyed, he glared at the young mage and took a deep breath before feeling a certain relief. It could have been worse.

Since the inconvenience faded, his mind got back on track and began to think about everything that happened earlier, trying to understand every acts, words and gestures he sensed while he was lying on the ground.

“I am sorry… I am the type of person who can not bear pain… could you please not do that again ? This is quite bothersome.”

It seemed that he was the kind of person that gets himself together quickly, easily broken but easily repairable as well. He stood up and stretched his arms toward Umbrum so he could get handcuffed instead of... fading away, like smoke. The young mage stared at him for a few seconds before sighing. The previous state he was in was unsightly, perhaps he was trying to act proper, there was one thing that was off. Notitiam's eyes were focused on Umbrum, radiating a certain gentle aura... 'Doubtful', he thought. He had something in mind.

“Okay.”

A minute later, Notitiam’s spine was completely straight, his face did not have a smile or anything along those lines, he was simply expressionless. However he could not stop trembling. Despite everything, he tried to keep a dignified facade. He sat within the carriage in front of Umbrum while Drake was driving them back to his home, the soon-to-be Magic Association, perhaps it was a temporary name but that is the best one they currently have on hands

“Notitiam, do you know anything about a controversial project of the Esoteric Syndicate ? Lies aren’t allowed, okay ?”

Hearing this voice, Notitiam shivered, remembering his previous experience, it was unique and it was something he did not want to relive once again, his mind would slowly break again. Fortunately, it was not difficult to heal. Was he weak ? Of course. But resilient, like a cockroach, he might be unable to do much, he will always get up in the end.

“Well, of course I do know, they are finally trying out different, but may I ask why do you want to know about that ?”

The Information Broker asked, quite curious about why two strangers who came out of nowhere came to ask about such a sensitive subject. The oppressor shook his head and stayed quiet, silently glaring at his captive who cleared his throat and continued to talk on a perplexed tone.

“I apologize for asking as well as my rudeness… this project, as far as I know, isn’t widely liked, on the contrary, but as the goal is to attract new blood and to open to new horizons, for simply to spread and gain more power… they probably felt forced to accept. Sincerely, I do not know much about it. All I know is that… it might change the face itself of the Esoteric Syndicate as it is entirely against its policies, rules and laws.”

That was quite a low amount of information, on top of being very basic, but more than enough as the ES has a very secure network that isn’t supposed to let any details of their activities out.

“Perfect. The one driving is the one responsible of the project and wish to recruit you.”

The carriage abruptly stopped at this moment. While Notitiam fell on the floor of the carriage, definitively, twice in a row, it must be an unlucky day. With bulging eyes, Drake shouted at Umbrum who didn’t fall and succeed at staying stable in the carriage.

“You fool ! Can’t you be just a little more tactful ?! Did you hear what he said ? It is going to be impossible to get him into the staff if you act so carelessly ! I mean, look, you traumatized him with your spell, then you bluntly say what we want without first putting him at ease and… there is so much I would like to say but…”

Notitiam laughed when he saw Drake’s reaction. That was so… unexpected, to him at least, it seemed that the “responsible” of the ES’ project was an odd fellow. Not the one you would expect in this organization at the very least, what he thought was that he was unexpectedly emotional. But… are they really ?

“Haha… aside the fact that your reaction was unique for one of those… and that I doubt that you are really one of them… can I really refuse anyway ?”

It immediately silenced Drake who could not even continue to yell at Umbrum who did not seem to understand what was going on as all he felt was his chief holding on his collar, if he loosened his grip… he might fall.

“Can you please… er… or… don’t let me fall ?”

Drake stared at him a long time, a very long time, then he lowered his head and sighed. Thinking that this kid should learn a bit for his errors, Umbrum did not seem to find in any way that he has done something wrong.

He didn’t fall, no, he was even pushed out of the carriage. Something cracked when he rolled on the ground, he did not groan or moan in pain, nothing. Silence reigned within and outside the carriage, Drake did not say much while Notitiam only stared at him, quietly but severely.

The chairman only had a small smile as he stared outside the carriage, a few seconds afterwards, he exclaimed on a threatening tone.

“Go pick up the kid, and carry him as well.”

Did he have any choices ? Of course not.

The information broker left the carriage and went toward Umbrum who did not move, he simply stared at the coming person. Nothing much could be said about them, they seemed to wear a mask, he could not see through, perhaps was it because he was losing blood ? But more he looked at the person that entwined him. More he observed, more he thought that this individual was fake. His gait was unnatural, his eyes were dull, his body was cold, however, his voice sounded warm and friendly.

“Ahh~ what a fool, look at yourself, what mess are you in now ? Well, that’s a shame…”

His hand pressed on Umbrum’s cracked bones, more and more, the pain became heavier and heavier. The victim could hear his own bones fissuring, clearly, Notitiam’s goal was to hurt him. To see his face twisted by pain just for a little bit, to take revenge for the pain he received earlier.

‘You hurt me, then I will hurt you.’

It was this kind of thinking. Despite this, he was quickly disappointed them. The fallen did not show any reactions, his bones were on the verge of breaking, he was on the verge of ‘losing’ his legs. Of losing his ability to walk, to live.

“Mmm… I see.”

He tightened his grip around the knee and took a deep breath, he did not think he would have to go further than pressing on it. After all, it was a child, it should be able to cope with pain. On the contrary, younger you are, more you are sensitive to pain or so he thought when a twisted grin was slowly appearing on his face.

Then, he exhaled, pushing his hands toward the ground, the knee was driven against the ground, the leg was turned in the wrong sense.

Umbrum coughed blood at that same moment, lying down on the ground, he forced a smile and stared at his assailler.

“What a bother…”

Then he fainted.

Notitiam scratched his head, bit his thumb and sighed. He can not continue to hurt Umbrum, first, he knew that he could not go overboard due to Drake, second, it would utterly useless. As he said, pain is just a bother to him, nothing more, nothing less. It was not something fundamentally harmful.

In others words, hurting him would be a waste of time. Out of frustration, the information broker punched into Umbrum’s face while he was unconscious, crushing his nose as well.

“Ha.”

Drake snorted as he saw this from the carriage. He did not expect the information broker to be grudgeful over pain. His original opinion was that Notitiam could be completely trusted as long as you give him what he wants, but now, he began to question his own judgement.

Later, he should review why he deemed him as potentially trustworthy.

“Well, let’s have a talk later.”

All he had to remember at the very least was that this broker was an actor.