Chapter 23: Murder

Access to an energy tower, medicine, professional combat practice and equipment – those were all things that Fang could only dream about, but now, he could finally achieve those coveted conditions!

This approach to becoming strong would cost unimaginably huge, and if Valeria was serious, covering the expenses as a long term investment would surely take a noticeable dent out of her wealth.

Fang deeply breathed out; he couldn’t let a big temptation like that lock him in an irreversible deal. He thought about it, did Valeria know him? He was confident that they hadn’t met before, so why would she lavish all the money on me, and not her brothers or relatives?

Fang looked straight at Valeria. “Lady Valeria, I want to know. What “thing” would you like to have me do?”

“Wash the seas red with the blood of the Ragged Pirates!”

“What?” Fang heard her words and nearly fell off his chair, but rather, when he stared into Valeria’s eyes, the shock was even greater.

Sweat started to form on his forehead. “Lady Valeria, are you serious?”

The Blue Sea was a vast body of water that stretched outside the country’s borders, and on the desolate isles scattered in the sea lay in rest the inhuman pirates. Mercy didn’t exist; savagery and blood were rumored to rule the vicious world filled with monsters and barbarians. And standing as the apex predators were the Ragged Pirates. The sightings of discolored arms, gorged bodies, and blood, so much blood that had dyed the sandy shores crimson had deterred most merchants from crossing the treacherous waters, even though the costs were astronomically higher by doing so.

“I’m absolutely serious.” Valeria’s eyes became mercilessly cold. “A few years ago, during an urgent, important shipment, the Wind Company encountered them and were cruelly slain, their rotting remains carelessly washed up on the shore!”

An intense hatred attended those words and her body started to tremble in extreme animosity.

Although it sounded like a tragic disaster, all Fang could do was be sympathetic. “Lady Valeria, I’m sorry, but you seem to have gotten the wrong person. You should go ask a master for this favor, rather than a rookie like myself.”

Valeria took in some deep breaths to calm herself down, then spoke. “I certainly did so, but unlike what it may seem like, the chamber of commerce isn’t that wealthy. After that failed shipment, on which countless experts easily died, the department has lost too much money, as well, our reputation took a turn for the worse. Over the last two years, though I had asked countless of the strongest, they were all unwilling to risk their lives for the paltry amount of money. So, all I can do is to train a person to take revenge!”

Ashamed, Fang replied, “Even if I could train, Lady Valeria, you should find a better candidate. To tell you the truth, I had just reached the intermediate level – there must be other people better than me.”

She waved her hand, and asserted, “No, judging from energy alone is too trivial. In the entrance examination, you were a 9th grade novice in an environment without favorable conditions, and now, you had grasped the intermediate level. This speed of practice is beyond anything I’ve seen before. Also, with your low level of energy, you were able to comprehend and use instant parry, which only a few people in this country could proficiently use. In addition, your power and speed are excellent, with your energy efficiency potential scary! That is the reason why I chose you, although you’re weaker than most people at the same age, your talent is frightening! Therefore, I believe, as long as you can get the best conditions possible, your achievements would be immeasurable!”

Fang was appalled, as this Lady knew so much about himself; even the tests at the training grounds yesterday didn’t escape her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I had to research and observe you closely to make sure that you were the person I was looking for. After all, this matter was the last gamble I had, one last chance to bet.”

As the table was fully cleaned, she stood up. “We didn’t sign a contract, and you have no obligations or commitments to me. This was just a request, that if one day, you had reached the level of the strongest, you would destroy those malicious beings. I believe that you have a good heart, and want to help people. You had lost your parents, you understand the pain of losing your loved ones. But your parents died from monsters, they didn’t have to suffer. The people in the company were miserably tortured to death, tongues, ears, noses, and eyes, missing, long, thin splinters impaling through their skulls, some, even boiled alive and hacked into pieces. For the poor families of the victims, the only relief they could get is by the extermination of such evil.”

Fang fell silent, and stayed paralyzed in his chair.

“Fang, I know it must be a shock – you’re still only a 16 year old boy, and hadn’t even left the safety of the country, so you can go back and think it over. I’ll wait in front of the gates next holiday, and if you don’t show up, I’ll assume that you had rejected me. Of course, I hope we have the opportunity to work together.”

Having said those parting words, Rhodes returned Fang back to the quiet camp.

--- --- ---

Fang entered the residence in a trance. Anxiously, Blue waited all this time outside on the sofa, curious as to why Valeria had invited Fang. As the door swung open, Blue, pretending to be calm, casually asked, “Hey Fang, why did Valeria ask to meet you? Did she tell you anything?”

Fang shook his head. “She didn’t say anything, we only had dinner together.”

“That’s strange, you didn’t know Valeria right? Why would she call you to have dinner with no reason at all?” Blue didn’t believe Fang, and she knew Fang was hiding something, but no matter how much she probed, Fang remained tight-lipped.

Even though Fang didn’t sign the contract, this matter concerned the personal hatred of many, and it wasn’t something he could share.

He suddenly remembered that Blue seemed to know a bit about Valeria. “Blue, do you know anything else about Valeria other than her being the head of the chamber of commerce?”

“I know a thing or two. In Minuet City, the chamber of commerce used to be one of the major influential powers among the many departments, but then came a disaster and the situation was shattered.” Blue reluctantly said. “Valeria was attending Garden College, in her last year, and had at the time, recently became a 5th grade expert. To graduate at the expert level was a very rare case throughout the academia’s history, but not one, two girls had reached that level. Yume, daughter of Kingsley, and Valeria. At graduation, everyone thought that they would become the two strongest women in the entire country!”

Fang frowned. “Why is Valeria like that then, and her face ruined?”

“Did you see her face? Ah, right, during dinner she must have taken her mask off. Valeria is quite the poor woman,” Blue continued ruefully, “her father and brother were killed in that disaster, and filled with revenge, Valeria tried to accelerate her training only for her relinquished body to break out of control.”

No wonder that she wanted to kill off the pirates, even her father and brother experienced that misfortune.

Noticing an unfamiliar term though, Fang questioned, “A relinquished body?”

“A type of special dark physique rarely appearing when a mutation causes darkness to be mixed into a person. Found perhaps once every couple of centuries, this body would allow the user to practice and absorb dark energy exceedingly fast. However, this very strong body was dangerous, a slight mistake could cause the person to become a toxic, disfigured cruel monster beyond redemption, hence the name ‘relinquished’.”

Blue sighed. “Valeria, because of her missing father and brother had been filled with an unforgettable hatred that resulted in taking in too much darkness, that the relinquished body had greedily fed itself of. Those would be the black markings on her face; if she tried to force it and absorb more energy, the situation should’ve spiraled out of control, so she immediately requested to withdraw from the school. Upon withdrawal, she took over her father’s chamber of commerce. In the world of business, she is a rare woman that had miraculously managed to save the fallen chamber of commerce, and had a little bit of fame inside Minuet City for that reason. However, it would never be the same, glorious department as in the past.”

Saddened, Fang angrily whispered, “If the disaster never happened, Lady Valeria surely would’ve become one of the strongest!”

Blue nodded. “Of course, she’s my idol.”

“Idol? Did you meet Valeria before?”

Frantically, Blue explained, “Well, um, no, I just think that it’s admirable how she experienced so much suffering but still could stand unyielding to the sorrow.”

“Ah,” Fang thought it made sense, judging from his conceptions of Blue’s previous traumas. “It is really impressive, her beloved ones gone from the world and her ability to gain energy at an end, yet, she managed to bring back the chamber of commerce towards a road of recovery…”

After talking with Blue, Fang had a better understanding of Valeria.

Before, when Valeria was a stranger, he had thought it was just another wealthy person acting on a whim. Now, however, Fang began to have a bit of sympathy and respect.