"And here I thought I could hold up a partnership with you. I was even going to let in a little info about your original body."
I had a mysterious smile on my face as I saw her halting all her actions before looking at me with her eyes widened much more than ever before. Trying to find the traces of lies on my face, she was observing my entire face repeatedly.
And when she couldn't find any lies in my words, her facade of a strong cold girl broke down as a smile escaped out of the corner of her lips. Then that smile deepened as she looked at me as if I were the most precious treasure she had ever seen.
"You really know it!" She spoke as she giggled like a child while her eyes didn't blink even once.
"Follow my commands for a month. I will provide you with the location of her and also a couple of occasions where you can meet her," I stated my demand and not even a second later, a piece of paper flew right in front of me.
'A contract paper, huh? She sure is prepared,' I thought as I observed Iris standing there with her happiness and joy barely contained inside.
Looking at that flying paper, I slowly caught it before observing that blank canvas present on it.
"Huhuhuhuh," she was giggling as she was lost in her thoughts, her body shirking little by little. I looked at her for a few moments before focusing back on the contract.
Pondering for a few moments, I then wrote the demands and the favor in words that are favorable to both of us. And after checking it a couple of times and more, I then passed it back to her.
Though the contract vanished in midair before reaching her, while she looked at me with her smile of ecstasy finally creeping out. Not that she was even trying to hide it.
"Pfft-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" She started laughing like a madman as tears of happiness appeared in her eyes while she continued,
"HOW MANY YEARS? HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN? HAHAHAHA!!! I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND YOU? THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO? PFFFT- HAHAHAHA!!!
WHO IS LAUGHING NOW?!!!"
And then she stopped abruptly while her expression changed to an extremely serious one.
"I am going to make you pay. Like I promised… a 10,000 fold!!" She spoke out, as if talking to her original self while she made this vow.
Her eyes then focused back at me as she demanded,
"Tell me. What do I need to do? I will kill 100 or even a thousand. Just state your number. Or is there anything else you need?"
"You think I would be needing you if I were to kill someone?" I smiled before looking at Iris, who had her eyes glued to me. Taking a glance at Harik, who was observing us, I then continued,
"Call those girls whom you asked to do your dirty work. And call everyone else who is involved in this mess."
Hearing my command, she gave it a brief thought before murmuring something. I saw her vanishing from here for a few seconds before she appeared again, and this time with the two girls from before. There were 3 more girls and a dozen boys aged between 5 to 13.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"What happ-"
"Where are we?"
"…"
"?!!"
Different reactions and different gazes. Each filled with questions, fear, and slight curiosity. And after a few seconds passed, they were all fixed on Iris. Their previous gazes changed into pure admiration.
The only ones contemplating this situation were Jasmine and Lily, whose gazes were shifting to me, more than they were to Iris.
"Is this everyone?" I asked as I looked at each of them, before my gaze reached Lily and Jasmine. They shrieked as they saw me walking towards them, a bit fearful, a bit confused.
"Yes," Iris nodded before I observed them, while all the children looked at me.
Reaching Lily, I spoke," look up."
Slowly, she gathered courage and looked at me with her eyes shaking. Jasmine, who was observing, closed her eyes while peeking from the side. There were some tears in Jasmine's eyes as she observed me.
"Are you the leader?" I asked.
"I… watch over the kids that were abandoned by their parents," she spoke as she answered and gulped her saliva. There was little courage in her voice, making me smile a little.
"I will give you a chance. Tell me why you sacrificed me," I asked as I looked at her, panicking more than before.
"That… that…" her throat was drying as she now avoided my gaze and spoke slowly," one of the kids was beaten badly by one of the guards, enough to put him on his deathbed. He was someone who used to buy flowers for his sister everyday during the normal days. I… was going to ask for his health in exchange for your life."
She seemed to have lost the will to argue as she told me everything, with her eyes losing all the hope she had. She knew she messed up. Something that might cost her life.
"Where is that kid?" I asked with a stern voice, making her turn at me immediately.
"WAIT!!!" Hearing my words, she shouted as she looked at me with shock. Her eyes widened, more afraid than ever.
-Thud!
"Here," Iris on the other hand, brought that boy into this space immediately. His body fell to the ground, while his health was on the lower edge. He was in bad shape, to say the least.
"Please don't kill him!! You can kill me instead!! I WAS THE ONE WHO TRICKED YOU!!! PLEASE I BEG YOU! I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK FOR!!" She shouted as she looked at me with a desperate look.
"Anything?" I turned to her, making her pause immediately. She stood there for a few seconds before she looked at me, and then Iris, before looking back at me. Slowly nodding with a bitter expression, she spoke again," yes. Anything."
The other children looked like they were still trying to understand what was going on, but looking at her caretaker in that situation, they too couldn't help but get scared.
Meanwhile, I looked at that boy on the ground, barely holding on.
[Charm Magic: The Song of Healing!]
[Description: Allows the user to create a frequency of sound that heals everyone in the vicinity!
Effect:
-Heals everyone who hears the sound for +100 HP per second!
Limitation: The sound won't heal the user! The user needs to stay stationary for the duration of effect.
Cost: 20MP/Second!]
And then, I moved my fingers, creating blue strings in the air that produced a strange sound, while that boy began healing at a rapid speed. Healing him and everyone else entirely within seconds.
The kids who had minor bruises, and some hidden injuries, all healed within a few seconds as they got back on peak health. And Lily, who observed this phenomenon, now looked at me with a rather complex expression.
"Now. Let's discuss what I need from you all, shall we?"