After mulling it over for some time Ron finally responded.
Nesli paused, then her eyes lit up.
"In that case, I'd like to commission you right now."
With that, she tossed the Nen tool to Ron. He didn't catch it himself; instead, Sasuke stepped forward and took hold of it first. After checking that it posed no threat, Sasuke handed it to Ron.
The tool looked like a small pendant, similar to the defensive-type Nen tool Ron had once received from Dominica in the Fiora Kingdom.
"I accept your commission," Ron said. "But I won't act on it until I've finished Tuck's request. Still, you have my word—once I've accepted a job, I will see it through. That's part of my professional code."
"I believe you," Nesli replied.
From what she'd witnessed so far, Nesli had realized Ron was very principled—more so than she thought.
On the computer screen, Tuck was growing fiercer in battle. The two Nightfall infiltrators were in terrible shape, both badly injured, their clothes shredded and soaked in blood. Their wounds were so severe that even moving was a struggle.
Tuck regarded them coldly.
"For the sake of your own selfish goals, you tried to assassinate a noble of this kingdom and dragged so many innocents into it. Do you have no families, no friends? Have you lost all sense of humanity? This country already has enough problems—why add fuel to the fire?
What are you even thinking? You're worse than beasts. At least animals don't pretend to be righteous. Now, I will personally judge you for what you've done and bring justice to the people you killed."
He strode toward the two infiltrators. They exchanged a glance and let out a bitter laugh.
"What a shame. We never imagined this operation would fail so completely, especially against someone like Karu."
"It's just too difficult. Changing this kingdom is too difficult."
"There's no hope here."
"Nesli is probably dead by now. To truly change this place, we need much greater power. I hope the Revolutionary Army sees what happened to us and finds a way to strike back against these corrupt nobles and ministers. Only then might they stand a chance."
"That, at least, can be our final contribution."
One of the intruders turned sharply to face Tuck.
"Even if we're about to die, we can still make this hurt. You talk like some saint of the kingdom, but you're nothing but a lapdog.
It's disgusting. Absolutely revolting."
With those words, he unleashed the last of his strength. His armor vanished as all his aura concentrated into one arm, which now seemed like a spear aimed at Tuck's heart.
"Die, you state lackey!"
He poured everything into that single strike, but Tuck just snorted.
"You dare mock me? You're nothing but criminals, bandits, assassins. I know this kingdom has its flaws, but I'm fighting with everything I have to change that. I'm prepared to give my life if it'll help. What are you doing besides using the kingdom's problems as an excuse for your crimes? Stop dressing it up."
Tuck lunged, accelerating in a burst of speed as he slammed into the intruder.
A loud crash echoed out, shaking the ground and sending broken shards of stone flying in every direction. Karu's eyes widened; he tried to dodge, but his own abilities were limited, and he'd been weakened by all the pursuit before this. Even with all the guards who'd died trying to protect him, Karu was still in rough shape.
A stray piece of debris grazed Karu's face, leaving a fresh wound. Pain flared, making his expression contort with anger.
With a thud, the armored intruder was hurled backward once again. Tuck started forward, planning to deal the finishing blow, but…
"Tuck, wait," Karu said. "Let me do it. They were here to kill me. So many of my guards died at their hands. I want to avenge them myself. Let me have this."
Tuck hesitated, then nodded. Karu raised his blade and slowly approached the fallen intruder, who lay there coughing up blood, his chest caved in. The other infiltrator tried to intervene, but Tuck blocked his path in a flash.
Karu glared down at the armored intruder, his expression twisted with rage.
"You filth. You think you can boost your reputation by assassinating me? Do you even know who I am? It's absurd. Now you'll taste real agony. This is just the start."
Karu was well-versed in torture. He pressed the tip of his blade into the intruder's body—not into any vital organ, but a place that would cause excruciating pain. The intruder howled, while Karu's face lit with a sadistic pleasure.
"Yes… that's it. That's the sound I want to hear."
Meanwhile, Tuck sent the second intruder flying into a heap of rubble. He closed in, ready to finish him off.
Suddenly, a stone slab nearby shifted aside, revealing a hidden passage from which a woman crawled out, naked and covered in scars. She looked like she'd been tortured endlessly. Then another person emerged… and another… eventually, a whole line of prisoners came stumbling out, some with a glimmer of hope in their eyes, others so broken they seemed more like machines.
In their midst was a man holding a whip.
"Karu, sir," the man said. "What happened out here? At least most of your slaves are alive, especially the ones you favor most."
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