The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 61

Side Story – Coincidence

Time passed.

Day by day, a week formed, weeks accumulated, and eventually, a month had passed.

This was when a month had gone by, and the memory of the girl had begun to fade in Leo’s mind.

“Is it here?”

Holding the reins of his horse, Leo checked the map. He unfolded the wanted poster and the request form, confirming that this was indeed the place.

“…Tch… Selling children just because you have nothing better to do?”

This time, the mission was to catch human traffickers. A farmer whose son had been kidnapped had spent his entire fortune to commission the request.

Moreover, the traffickers turned out to be known as the ‘Hydra’ of an assassin organization, which carried a bounty on them. For Leo, whose income had dwindled this month due to injuries, this was an excellent job.

‘I’d like to beat those scum with my own hands.’

Thinking this, Leo spurred his horse towards the city.

***

“…Halt, a brief inspection is required.”

As he was riding, a guard stopped Leo. The guard’s demeanor was noticeably different from the ones he had beaten up a month ago.

With an expressionless face, Leo handed over his mercenary badge and underwent the inspection.

“You look young… Are you a mercenary?”

“…Let’s just say… there were circumstances.”

Given that it involved his mother, it was too complicated to explain, and more importantly, he didn’t want to talk about it with anyone.

“I see. You may pass.”

“What are kids eating these days to grow that big?”

Hearing a guard grumble nearby, Leo entered the city without a word.

“…Not bad.”

The city was quite lively. People haggled energetically with merchants in the market, and couples or families shared meals and watched street performances, smiling all the while.

It would be perfect if not for the human trafficking.

“Leon!”

“…Huh…?”

Leo instinctively turned around.

“Mommy!!”

The child named ‘Leon’ who had been beside him ran into his mother’s arms. Naturally, it wasn’t Leo who had been called, nor was there anyone who would call him.

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you!”

Leon’s mother stroked his head and examined his body, checking to see if he had any scratches.

For some reason, the scar on Leo’s chest throbbed. It seemed that cauterizing it had been too reckless.

“Well, I saw this really pretty lady on the street… I got distracted for a moment…”

“A pretty lady?”

“She had white hair and blue eyes. She looked just like a fairy from a storybook!”

At those words, Leo paused for a moment but soon let out a bitter laugh.

‘There’s more than just one or two people in the world with white hair and blue eyes… I’m just being paranoid.’

Thinking this, Leo distanced himself from the mother and son. For some reason, staying there made it hard to focus on the job.

“Lady Ariasphil!! No, where on earth did you go!?”

In the city, a large knight was shouting as he wandered around, seemingly searching for a lost child.

‘It seems that human trafficking does exist after all.’

The disappearance of the child was unlikely to be a mere coincidence. There was likely some connection.

‘…I should check the backstreets.’

With that thought, Leo moved to a different spot.

***

The back alleys of the city were more like an abyss than shadows cast by the light.

There were sick patients, beggars, orphans abandoned by their parents, and even elderly people abandoned by their children.

If Leo had to name a museum that displayed the various forms of human suffering, he would always point to the backstreets.

‘…Still, it’s relatively decent. At least there’s no one here who eats human flesh.’

As Leo surveyed the alleys, an old woman suddenly shouted.

“Buy some flour…!”

The old woman, holding a small sack, was pleading for someone to buy her flour in a deserted street where no one paid attention.

‘…She’s probably…’

Perhaps it was a needless thought, but Leo approached the old woman.

“How much flour do you have?”

“…This is… all…!”

With trembling hands, the old woman handed over a single sack of flour. It was as if she knew this exact amount was what Leo needed.

“…It’s just the right amount. The quality seems fine too. How much is it?”

“One leaf… of a fairy tale…”

Even for back-alley flour, it was an absurdly cheap price. Even if it were mixed with sand or laced with some cheap drug, it should still cost more.

“Isn’t that too cheap?”

Leo asked cautiously as he handed over the single leaf from a fairy tale.

“…That flour holds the key to your destiny… so it’s too valuable to charge more.”

“…Are you a fortune teller?”

Leo’s voice trembled slightly, perhaps caught off guard by how accurately she seemed to guess his thoughts.

“…A fortune teller, maybe… but… I dislike things like destiny… I don’t want to see it…”

“Then why give me the flour?”

“…I have no choice… Even without the key… you’ll still sail on, whether you unfurl the sails or row the oars…”

Just as Leo was about to dismiss her as an eccentric old woman and walk away, she spoke again.

“…The place you seek… will vanish the moment you give up… Destiny is like a sea made of air… You’ll keep being pushed by waves you cannot see…”

Out of curiosity, Leo turned back to look.

The old woman had disappeared without a trace. It felt almost as if she had been a mere illusion, as insubstantial as the air itself.

“I should just focus on the task.”

Holding the sack of flour he had bought, Leo thought to himself.

***

Whether it was a twist of fate or not, shortly after passing through the back alleys, Leo spotted men carrying a child with a sack over their head.

Judging by the child’s lack of struggle, it seemed they had been knocked out by some kind of poison.

‘They’re definitely not amateurs…’

Assassins who used such precise poisons were skilled enough that even seasoned mercenaries would have trouble dealing with them.

“…Then…”

He pursued them as discreetly as possible, ensuring he wouldn’t get caught. By doing so, he would eventually find out their base of operations. As expected, the men began to move after placing the child inside a barrel.

Since he was accustomed to tracking and tailing due to hunting, he successfully followed them to their hideout without being detected.

‘…Something feels off.’

For a human trafficking organization, something felt odd. Normally, they would prepare a proper route to sell the kidnapped individuals for money.

‘…These guys don’t seem to care about their clients.’

Even a black market dealer is still a merchant at heart, meaning they should consider the needs of their buyers. But trafficking in such a remote and deep forest was clearly less efficient than simply kidnapping people in the back alleys.

‘…There might be another explanation, but…’

Just as he was contemplating this, the kidnappers who had taken the child in the barrel entered their hideout. Fortunately, the lock on the door was a simple one.

‘…This infiltration might be easier than I thought.’

The group entered the hideout, and from what he could hear, it seemed they were heading into a secret underground space.

“…Then…”

Leo looked around while gripping a small stone. His target, a bird perched calmly on a tree branch, appeared to be the most suitable.

Whiz, chirp!

The bird, struck by the stone, let out a loud cry as its leg broke. He didn’t kill or knock it unconscious. A loudly crying bird like that was the best kind.

‘…There’s a fair distance, so I have a moment.’

“…What on earth was that sound?”

Soon, a man came out to scout the area. He couldn’t kill him. If the man didn’t return, they would surely realize something was wrong and sound a major alarm.

So…

Creak…

Leo slipped through the door as it opened and closed. His steps were as quiet and swift as possible.

‘…A good hiding spot… Here will do.’

He hid inside an empty barrel nearby, ready to draw a concealed weapon from his sleeve if needed. This was a strategy only possible due to his small frame.

“…Why is there a fallen bird? Is it a sign that I should eat?”

Surprisingly, the assassin was quite foolish, thinking about his evening meal as he picked up the bird with its broken leg.

However, they would either be dead or captured by tonight.

‘…Or else, I’ll be dead.’

With that thought, Leo cautiously emerged from the barrel. Now that he had successfully infiltrated, the key was not getting caught.

‘…Should I just burn this place down?’

In fact, that’s why he had brought flour with him. The plan was to set the entire hideout on fire and kill any survivors who tried to escape—a convenient strategy.

‘…But I need to assess the situation first.’

Given the child they had just brought in and the likely presence of many other captives here, it felt wrong to burn everything down out of convenience. It would be an ill-omened deed, even if he was aware of the risks.

‘…Shall I go in?’

He first looked toward the basement. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any guards, and the narrow passage suggested that if he moved quickly, he wouldn’t be detected.

‘…If things go south, I’ll just set it on fire.’

If his life were in danger, it was only natural to prioritize his own survival. Anyone who criticized that would be a hypocrite.

‘…Why is this place so big?’

This wasn’t just a hideout for kidnappers; it looked more like a place where livestock were kept before slaughtering them at a butcher shop.

‘…Is this really a kidnapping operation…?’

“Aaaah… aaah…”

Someone groaned out a pained scream. Then, the sound of a whip followed. Leo left a mark to ensure he wouldn’t lose his way and headed in the direction of the whip and the cries.

“…Aaaah… aaaah…”

“Shut up and eat…! Eat, I said!!”

One of them clearly had the ability to speak. The other, however, didn’t utter a single word, not even a coherent cry.

‘…It’s like they can’t even speak.’

Just in case, Leo soaked a cloth in water from his canteen. It was a precaution against the worst-case scenario.

“…!”

At that moment, Leo stopped at the end of the alley. From that angle, he saw two things.

‘…What is this…’

Children were being raised like livestock, trapped in iron cages and mindlessly eating the feed provided in troughs. They were crying out like animals.

“Awoo… ugh…”

“Whimper… whine…”

And then, by the corner, he saw a girl gripping a sword, trembling. She didn’t seem to be part of the group, yet her striking white hair and blue eyes made her unforgettable.

‘…Why are you here!?’

It was the same girl who had pierced a hole in his chest.

“This…!”

The girl, unable to bear it any longer, started to draw her sword and move forward.

Thud

“…!?”

Leo quickly covered her mouth and pressed down on her sword. He mouthed the words silently, conveying them without making a sound.

(Don’t go out there, or you’ll die.)

The girl seemed to recognize him, as she nodded, her expression filled with confusion.

“Let’s get going. Now they’re eating well.”

Satisfied, the captors left after watching the children force themselves to eat despite the whipping. The eerie sound of the guard’s keys clinking and the slurping noises from the captive children created a haunting harmony.

(Why are you here?)

As soon as Leo removed his hand from her mouth, the girl spoke. Thankfully, she was perceptive enough to mimic his silent communication.

Leo didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he pulled out his mercenary badge. At the same time, he retrieved a precious item he’d have to use.

[I’m a mercenary, and I came here to handle this.]

What he pulled out was a notebook tied with string and a piece of charcoal wrapped in cloth—perfect tools for silent communication.

[From now on, write what you want to say. Keep it simple. I don’t know many words.]

In truth, just being literate was impressive for a mercenary. It was a testament to Leo’s efforts to protect himself from contracts and traps.

[Why did you stop me?]

The girl wasted precious paper and charcoal by asking the most pointless question first.

[If you had gone out, you would’ve died, and so would I. Even if we survived, we’d end up like those kids.]

If the captors knew there was an intruder, an alarm would go off. Even if the intruder was a child, it wouldn’t make a difference.

In a place like this, even that monstrous girl would struggle to fight her way out.

‘…Especially since she can’t even kill someone…’

Meanwhile, the girl continued writing.

[Then what about those children?]

Now, finally, she was asking something meaningful.

[I’m going to save them. That’s why I’m here.]

[How do you plan to do that?]

[I know we don’t get along, but we have to work together. It’s the only way we’ll both survive.]

The girl paused for a moment, then, without speaking, wrote in the notebook.

[If you save those children.]

Even in this situation, she was worrying about others. As expected from someone from a hero’s family, she was playing the role of a righteous savior, even in such dire circumstances.

[Fine. First, we need to get those kids out of the cages.]

[How? The guards had the keys.]

[We don’t need the keys.]

Leo wrote as he grabbed Ariasphil’s sword and drew it.

[There’s someone here who can carve iron bars with a fruit knife.]

Of course, he wasn’t referring to himself.