Balud made his way to the mansion in North Blinders.
The place where Islow lives. The symbol of the mafia. The home of the Godfather.
The car drove through the large gardens and stopped in front of the mansion.
Balud got out along with Legor and his family.
The entrance to the mansion was guarded by a member of Islow's immediate family.
Balud checked the condition of his suit and approached the man guarding the entrance.
It was Hayslan, a former soldier and one of Islow's combatants.
“I'm here because the boss asked for me.”
Balud said in a polite tone to Hayslan.
Hayslan looked at Balud with a sharp stare and opened his mouth.“I can't let your men in. You're the only one who can go, Mr. Balud.”
“That's odd, because I thought I told you to bring my entire family.”
“I was only told to send Mr. Balud upstairs.”
“Wait.”
It was Legor who jumped to his feet.
“Are you kidding me? I saw it all on my way here. The nearby car belongs to the Kursha family, right? They’re not even showing their noses outside right now, so doesn’t that mean they’re inside the mansion?”
Hayslan's gaze turned to Legor.
It was a blade-like gaze that could only be seen by one who had killed many but Legor had seen it all before, and he didn't shy away from it.
“And you want to send our director up there alone? Is that really the order?”
Legor asked with a growl and his intimidation was enough to make even Hayslan back down.
“Up to five.”
Legor snorted and stepped back as Hayslan's permission was granted.
“I knew it.”
Balud, Legor, and three other members of the family who had accumulated a lot of seniority made their way to the room where Islow was.
“Director, do you see that?”
Walking down the hall, Legor looked out the window.
In the manor's backyard, he could see a group of people feverishly moving things around for some sort of festival.
“Looks like they're getting ready for a festival or something, I'm guessing it's to celebrate your business dealings but that's odd, why would that Hayslan guy want to send only the director inside?”
There were reports of rain on the horizon, but the large awning would easily keep the first day's rain at bay.
Balud stared at the sight over his glasses, then stepped toward the room where Islow was.
“Wait here.”
Leaving his men in the other room, Balud took a light, deep breath and knocked on the door.
A cracked voice rang out from inside, as if from a cave.
“Yes, Director Balud. Welcome.”
He opened the door and stepped inside to find Islow sitting in a chair.
He was so large that he looked more like he was buried than seated.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Balud sat down across from Islow.
For some reason, Islow's gaze seemed unusually cold to him today.
It was incomprehensible. He'd finally gotten his business license, and he'd finally taken his place as director.
It wasn't enough to praise him, and yet he didn't say much.
I wondered if I should speak first, but then he finally spoke.
“I hear you've been successful with your new business venture. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It's all thanks to you, boss.”
“Huh. All thanks to me, what do you think I did?”
“You were always telling me I could do it, and that alone meant a lot to me.”
It wasn't an empty statement. Balud admires Islow.
Even if that admiration was for the man in his glory days, it remains the same now that he's broken.
“Boss, I'd like to make a small request.”
Islow jerked his chin. He meant go ahead.
“The boss told me a while ago that he would allow me to date Miss Isela after I get my business card and the director’s license.”
“Yes, I did.”
Isla's voice felt heavy but Balud didn't seem to mind.
“I, for one, now wish to fulfill my promise of that day.”
“A promise. Mr. Balud, it's not that simple. You've only just started your business and you need to make sure it's running properly.”
“You don't have to worry about that. I've already put in the money, and I've checked out the distribution network. We just need to get started.”
“Did the city officials let you get away with it?”
“Their permission has been granted. It was a long, long process, but we begged and pleaded, and they finally said yes.”
Islow tried to argue, but every time he did, Balud would shut him down with a rationalization.
By this point, he couldn't help but notice.
“Boss, you think I'm not good enough?”
“Who says you're not good enough? I don't know anyone as good as you.”
“Your only daughter. I understand how much you care about Miss Isela, and I can promise you this. I will make her happy.”
“.......”
Islow stared at Balud wordlessly.
Balud did not avert his gaze. The old man was usually full of bravado, but right now, his gaze was more formidable than ever.
The winner of the snowball fight was Balud.
Islow smirked.
“Balud, I always feel it whenever I look at you. It's like I'm seeing my old self.”
“I'm not good enough.”
“No, you're not. You're even better than I am. You're much more intelligent, and you know how to think like the people in the know.”
“That's.......”
“You don't have to be modest. Is it because I don't know that? That you've worked behind the scenes whenever a northerner came to the organization. You took them in when no one else wanted to, trained them and built them up. You did it all.”
He said Balud did it behind their backs as much as possible, but Islow knew all about it.
Balud hung his head, unnecessarily ashamed. He felt as if he had been laid bare in front of others.
“You helped everyone else, but you did your own work, even when it was hard, and you did it in silence. You didn't let other people get in your way.”
One praise after another from Islow's mouth and Balud couldn't help but realize the moment he heard it.
“So you still don't approve of my association with......Lady Isela.”
“I see.”
Islow smirked.
He bit off a cigar and lit it. After exhaling a long drag, he asked.
“Why on earth would I give up my only daughter?”
“Because I.......”
Balud stammered, but managed to get the next word out.
“Is it because I’m not good enough?”
“Not good enough? Honestly, I don't think I've ever had a more deserving member of my organization. But, Balud, even so, it comes down to birth.”
“Birth.......”
“I can't give my daughter away to a northerner, even if I wanted to.”
“.......”
The words coming out of Islow's mouth were unbelievable.
With those words, Islow denied not only Balud, but his own birth.
“You know how terrible the Northerner label is. Rumors go around that we’re savage, stupid, violent, and even cannibalistic. It makes me wonder what if we’re any different from the orcs. But what’s even more annoying is that those stereotypes aren’t entirely wrong.”
“.......”
“I hated my birth, I hated it terribly. I didn't know it when I was young, but now that I'm old, I think I'm a civilized man, and I should be able to live in style.”
“I, too, am ashamed of the ugliness of the Northerners.”
“Yes, but what did you do? You fed and housed those worms and promised to make men out of them.”
Balud's eyebrows twitched at the mention of worms.
“They're my family.”
“Yeah.”
“And the boss said, take care of your own family.”
“Did I say that? I'm old, I don't remember. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this.”
Islow flicked the end of his cigar with his finger and the ash fell to the floor in a huff.
“I cannot allow you to associate with my daughter. She is about to marry into a media family soon.”
Before Balud could say anything else, the door to the inner secret chamber opened.
Bookshelves spun and people burst out of the hidden room.
“I wonder why our good Mr. Balud hasn't gotten the memo yet.”
“Kursha.”
The ones who came out were Islow's direct subordinates and the fighters of Kursha and the Kursha family.
“Don't you realize that you were nothing more than a pawn to be used from the start?”
It was only now that Balud realized what was happening.
At that moment, a gunshot rang out from the next room.
“Legor?”
“Oh, has it begun already? This is unfortunate, because the Balud family has been wiped out, all in one night.”
With that, Kursha gestured to his men.
The mafia members drew their pistols and pointed them at Balud.
Balud's fists shook with the shocking truth and the betrayal of his trusted boss.
Kursha smiled wickedly at the sight.
“You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment. Don't worry too much. I'll take care of your business.”
At that moment, Balud's besiegers were about to pull the trigger.
-Boom!
One of the walls collapses, and a huge figure bursts out from within, pouncing on the mafia members.
“Ack!”
“What the hell!”
“Protect the boss!”
Balud's eyes widened at the sight of the behemoth emerging from the smoke.
“Legor!”
“Brother Balud!”
Legor was covered in blood from the bullet wounds from the fight earlier but when he saw Balud, he let out a bear-like roar.
“Run! It's a trap!”
Legor was not the only one to survive.
The other three men he'd brought with him rushed in, stirring wildly but their numerical disadvantage was clear and their opponents all had guns
A shot rang out, and one of Balud's men lay dead in a spray of blood.
“Brother.”
His last trembling glance was directed at Balud.
Balud saw it, gritted his teeth, and reached for the hatchet at his belt.
That's when Legor grabbed him like he was going to tackle him and sent him flying out the window.
“Legor, what do you think you're doing!”
“This is enemy territory! Everyone has betrayed you! We're going to die if we keep going! We have to get out of here!”
“But the members…….”
As Balud hesitated, Legor coughed up blood.
As he escaped through the glass window, a sizable bullet had grazed his back.
“Kuluk. Kulk. You've got to live, otherwise, how can you face your younger brothers who have already passed away?”
Balud bit his lip as Legor shouted, his eyes burning red.
Outside, the place was in an uproar, as if they had been waiting for it, the guards outside opened fire on the Balud family.
The bloody purge had begun.
“Take brother!”
“We have to get out of here!”
Bullets rained down, and the enemy kept coming.
As they got into the vehicle, an anti-tank cannon shot from a distance, engulfing the vehicle in flames.
“Man, there's a mage!”
“You bastards, even using artifacts!”
The resistance from the Balud family was fierce, but not enough to reverse the one-sided tide.
One by one the family members died as they fled from the North Blinders.
They gave their life to keep Balud alive as they made their final push.
Their momentum slowed the enemy's pursuit, or else Balud would have been captured.
The family of more than 50 people was now less than 10.
They had been chased so fast that they no longer knew where to run.
'I thought, what have I been doing all this time.......'
As he fled, Balud had many thoughts.
He hated being a Northerner, so he tried to change, and he survived a world of harsh violence.
He had found the love of his life, and he was going to make her happy for the rest of his life.
He hated the Northerners, but he picked them up, humanized them, and made them his family.
And then, like a one-night stand, it all came crashing down.
“Wilt. Sergo. Gail.”
He called their names, but there was no answer.
He heard the pursuers in the alleyways, gunshots, and the screams of someone dying.
One by one, the people around him disappeared.
It felt like they were tearing his soul apart, piece by piece.
He could hear Legor shouting at him but he couldn't hear anything because he was drowning.
Then Legor was gone, too, and Balud was alone.
“Ha.”
Balud laughed.
Was this the result of his efforts?
‘This is what I get for working like a dog to live like a man?’
He knew he would be retaliated against for doing this. He saw many people who live in a world of violence die by the same means but not like this.
He worked hard, he did everything he was told, he complied without complaint.
He didn't remember much after that.
He didn't know if there were pursuers or if he was ambushed.
He didn't know how long he wandered like a soulless man through the crowded alleyways, not knowing where he was.
“Die!”
A blade plunged into his side. Despite the searing pain, Balud could only stare helplessly down at his attacker.
Wordlessly, Balud raised his axe and took the attacker's head off.
Soon, the bodies of the attackers were all around him.
Balud pushed past them, deeper into the alleyway.
His wounds burst open and quickly regenerated, scabs settling, his white suit stained with blood.
Soon the sun was setting and the night's guests began to roam the alleyways.
When the dirty tramps, skinny and full of dung saw Balud, they didn't touch him, but made way for him as if they wanted nothing to do with him.
Balud almost chuckled at their unwillingness, even by those rolling in the filth.
“I see.
Reaching a dead end, Balud slithered to a stop, his back against the wall.
‘I mean, there was nowhere to stand in the first place.’
For what, he wondered, had he struggled so hard?
For what had he endured all the insults and sneers?
‘Isela.’
He remembers her face. She was smiling at him.
‘I wonder if Isela knows this.’
Maybe she's actually laughing at him, thinking it's a good thing.
Balud closed his eyes in the darkness.
His mind drifted downward, as if sinking into a heavy abyss.
-Tudududud. Shoot!
Raindrops fell on his head, one after another, then a downpour.
Balud opened his closed eyes.
It must have been more than half a day since he'd fallen asleep, judging by the cloudy, slightly lighter sky.
The vagrants had disappeared into the rain, but Balud lay still in the rainy alleyway.
He woke up, but didn't feel like getting up.
The blood on his body was washed away by the rain, mixing with the filth at his feet.
-Jab. Jab.
He heard footsteps.
Balud's acute senses picked up the sound, but he didn't react.
Who could it be?
His own family, scattered as they were? Legor, gone for help? Either that, or an assassin trying to kill him? A vagrant on the streets?
Whatever it was, Balud let go of the hatchet in his hand weakly.
He had no desire or motivation to fight anymore.
If this was an assassin, he might as well die here.
'A fitting end for a wretch like me.’
Just as he thought that, the owner of the footsteps stopped in front of him.
“There you are.”
Balud lifted his bowed head at the familiar voice.
Osian was looking down at him with a large black umbrella in one hand.