ISMFF 100

CHAPTER  100:……………………………………………

 Disappearance (2)

Judging from the context, it seemed to refer to the person or group they followed. It probably wasn’t a good place, considering it was a place where people were abducted like this.

And Temia already knew which organization was most suitable for such purposes in the current era.

“Could it be the group of people I met in Calis Land…?”

The child, noticing Temia deep in thought, stopped fidgeting and closed their mouth. How much time had passed like that?

Clatter—

Finally, the carriage carrying them stopped, and the door opened. A sudden flood of light poured in from beyond the door, causing their eyelids to close instinctively. One of the masked figures, seeing this, smirked and lowered their voice.

“If you come quietly, we won’t have to drag you. Let’s settle this quietly on both sides.”

Though the words were murmured in a sinister tone, they were essentially a threat disguised as a suggestion. Startled by the brutal implication, Temia instinctively moved to shield the child with her body. Even then, the group only sneered.

“Ha ha! What a tear-jerking sight.”
“Well, we’re in the same situation anyway. Who goes first doesn’t really matter.”

They whispered among themselves, their glances highly suspicious. Given that they abducted people without care, there was no doubt they were dangerous, but Temia still needed to gauge their purpose.

“Since they didn’t kill us immediately, they must have plans for the hostages.”

Facing strangers, Temia’s mind raced. To commit such acts in the middle of the city in broad daylight, they had to be audacious.

This meant either they had powerful backing or they pursued extremely radical goals indifferent to any consequences. If it were the latter, they wouldn’t have kept the hostages alive, so the former seemed more likely.

“If that’s the case, there’s a chance.”

Physically, there was almost no way Temia could break through and take the child, but she belonged to a ducal family with considerable influence in the kingdom.

“If they find out who I am, treating me recklessly will be risky for them.”

Temia didn’t like flaunting her authority, but she wasn’t so inflexible as to refuse negotiation even in a life-threatening situation. If necessary, she could leverage her identity to bargain. And she had one inner assurance:

“And since they know I left, my family will surely check on me.”

Her family’s overprotectiveness was a saving grace. Though she had cried, saying they would see her to the train station, her family had surely kept tabs on her movements in the workshop.

“At least someone from my family would be near the station or the workshop. If something goes wrong, a search party will be dispatched immediately.”

She had said it to reassure the child, but as she spoke, she was certain. Even during her short absence, their enormous care would compel them to act to protect her.

They didn’t know how much time had passed since being captured, but it could hardly have been more than half a day. So she just needed to hold out a little longer. Temia, having calculated the situation, deliberately put on a confident demeanor and stared them down.

“Why are you kidnapping a child and me? Release us at once! Do you even know who you’ve kidnapped?!”

The group exchanged glances, surprised by her reaction, unlike the fearful people they had seen before.

One of them stepped forward and roughly grabbed the child Temia was holding, wrapping a hand around their neck. The ruthless handling caused Temia to emit a short, instinctive scream. Behind him, the others laughed.

“Looks like a naïve little lady got lucky—or unlucky, depending on how you see it. Think you can just leave now?”
“This is a crime! Aren’t you afraid of what punishment you might face?!”
“That’s if we’re caught. Even if you’re a witness… it’s just one girl, isn’t it?”

A chill ran down her spine at their eyes on her. Then, one of them tossed a small vial in his hand, catching it repeatedly.

“What if you accidentally break this little one’s neck while trying something foolish? Better to go along quietly. If you do, I promise not to hurt you or the child here. Well, with this, both of you will be asleep soon anyway.”
“…Haa.”

There was nothing more she could do. She decided to comply for now, preserving herself until an opportunity to escape arose.

She couldn’t leave without leaving some trace, in case anyone came after her, but her hands and feet were bound, making it hard to leave marks on clothes or drop accessories.

“In this situation, there’s only one option!”

Yet she had a secret weapon. The bracelet her mother had passed down, a jewel bracelet shared with Kylie, was still on her arm. It had once served as a means to recognize each other in unfamiliar places and could now help identify her.

“Better to prepare for the worst, just in case.”

Luckily, before the suspicious men covered her eyes again, she was able to quickly undo the bracelet and toss it into the grass by the roadside.

“Stay here quietly. You won’t get hurt if you do.”

They were dragged into a dark space. Even through the obscured view, she could sense the fading light. Fortunately, the cloth covering her eyes was removed, and when she looked around, she immediately understood why they had done so cautiously: the warehouse was so dim that she could barely make out shapes.

Temia, tense and crouched, swallowed hard. No matter how she looked, there was no way to escape or find a weak point. Silence filled the space; it was deathly quiet.

Scratch, scratch.

Her senses were heightened. Strange noises with eerie resonance reached her ears. Turning instinctively toward the sound, she froze in shock.

“P…please…”

In the dim corner, she saw people—dozens of them, collapsed and weakened. Temia instinctively stepped back, covering her mouth.

Something warm and slimy wrapped around her ankle like a snake. She could only hold in a sharp scream. Or rather, she was too shocked to make any sound.

Though she wanted to look away in fear, she had to check. What she saw replaced fear with horror.

“How… could this…!”

It was a human hand. So thin and frail, it could have belonged to a child. The weak grip clung to her as if begging for life. A metallic-tinged groan escaped between its cracked lips. The unimaginable scene drained color from Temia’s face.

Her body trembled with despair. The group, mistaking her reaction for fear, sneered cruelly and circled her. Despite their intimidating size, Temia stood her ground.

“Did you… do this to them? How could you!”
“So?”
“If you leave them like this, they could die! There’s no reason to leave someone to die!”

Not only those holding her, but most people in the warehouse were in terrible condition—lifeless eyes, pale lips—barely clinging to life. Without immediate care, they would be in grave danger. Yet her words seemed to have no effect.

“Heh heh. Foolish girl. What use is worrying now that we’ve kidnapped you?”
“Scared after seeing such a sight? So delicate.”

A smile traced the lips beneath his robe. To abuse people and laugh—it was unthinkable cruelty.

“Stay put if you don’t want to end up like this. I keep my promises. If you stay quiet, I won’t harm you or the child… yet.”
“What makes you think I’d trust you! If you were reasonable, you wouldn’t have kidnapped us! Why are you doing this?! What’s your purpose?!”

Her blue rage steadied her trembling body. Temia clenched her fists and shouted.

But the reply was far from a clear answer.

“Because the time to achieve a great feat is approaching. When that time comes, the world will change. These people are useless anyway—they are not ‘us.’”

The figure tilted their head, and through the robe’s slit, their dark eyes glimmered with ecstatic intensity. The strange heat radiating from them pressed Temia’s feet backward involuntarily.