The aristocratic meeting, which had been held for a long time, ended earlier than planned.
After the meeting, Ivan followed his brother Theo to the emperor’s office.
The emperor laid down a thick pile of papers in front of Ivan.
Ivan’s eyes changed sharply when he saw the paper with codes written on it.
“It’s information about the green branch.”
Information about the green branch is usually written in codes.
It was a criminal organization that the imperial family had been looking for more than a decade.
The green branch is sickening the empire in many ways.
The most problematic action of them was the kidnapping of children.
Usually, these kidnappings lead to human trafficking.
However, the children who disappeared because of them were never seen again.
Whether they are in an illegal auction house or the secret playground of the nobles, nobody knows.
As a result, it was more difficult to find them than trying to wipe out the criminal organizations.
But, if the kidnapped victim comes out from somewhere, the investigation can be continued.
After ten years of investigating the organization only very few clues and mysterious actions were found.
The emperor rubbed his forehead as if he were in pain.
Theo slowly turned his gaze to look at his expressionless brother.
But he knows, behind Ivan’s expressionless face is anger.
Theo sighed sadly, remembering his brother’s past, where he could not protect him.
Ivan recalled the past by looking through the traces of the green branch with his sunken eyes.
***
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Twelve years ago.
Theo Devon Huizeniac has not yet ascended to the throne, and Ivan was still using Huizeniac as his surname.
To the imperial family who were worried about not having a successor after Theo, Ivan was the last blessing that came to the imperial family after Theo.
So maybe it was fate for Ivan to be overly loved by his older brother and parents.
However, excessive love is sometimes oppressive for a child.
Ivan received greater love than any other royal family in history, so he felt more cramped than any other royal family.
It was such a small deviation.
Ivan ran away from home to escape from the shackles of affection in a pretentious mask?
Ivan was able to spend time alone for the first time in his life.
It was only then that he was able to escape from Huizeniac’s name and look at himself as Ivan.
It was a strange yet daunting experience.
However, his freedom did not last long.
Ivan’s childhood appearance was like an angel.
One day, he wore white clothes for the royal event. He was said to be like an angel who had descended on the Imperial City.
At a glance, the boy with a noble atmosphere was an appetizing prey for those walking on the dark road.
That time, Ivan awakened his talent for swordsmanship, but it was not yet refined.
Unfortunately, Ivan was targeted by talented people who are working at the back alley.
It didn’t take Ivan long to be overpowered by them.
“Well, Dean has been beaten, does this make sense?”
“Don’t worry. If we have a face like this, we can get twice the price of Dean’s life.”
“He seems to know how to use magic, but it’s still weak.”
“Ah. Then let’s retrain him using the magic suppression orb, so there’s no problem.”
One of the men chuckled and pulled out a cheap magic suppressor.
The man laid Ivan down and tried to put him in a magic suppressor handcuff.
Ivan resisted fiercely.
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Forgetting the teachings that he must always maintain his dignity as a royal family member.
However, Ivan could no longer resist the kick of a man who was like their captain.
puck!
“Gasp!”
“Hey, young master, if you want to live, stay calm. Don’t make me angry.”
Taking advantage of Ivan’s silence from pain, the group hastily restrains Ivan with a cheap magic suppressor.
‘Damn it!’
A spark flashed in Ivan’s eyes.
The captain let out an eerie laugh at Ivan’s actions, expressing his anger without hesitation.
“You should have stayed at home quietly. These things happen when you walk around without an escort knight.”
At the man’s words, Ivan bit his teeth tight enough to make a sound.
Should I have stayed still in the palace, as he said?
Ivan, who was reflecting on this bitterly, realized one thing.
This is all because I’m weak.
If he had been stronger than he is now, he wouldn’t have made his parents and brother worry.
Then he wouldn’t have felt uncomfortable.
He would not be in the hands of these trashy kidnappers in the first place.
Ivan frowned, biting his lip.
A fishy smell lingered in his mouth.
Ivan worked his brains out.
He must get away from these people quickly.
But how?
His weapons have already been taken from him.
His only weapon was gone.
Ivan was eventually led by the men into a somewhat bleak underground.
In the midst of this, Ivan desperately checked the surrounding terrain, looking for an escape route.
“Come down.”
“Ugh!”
The men grabbed Ivan by the back of his neck and threw him roughly like a livestock.
Then an old man, a male trader, raised his eyebrows and checked the ‘trade item’.
“Oh. It’s pretty decent.”
“Don’t try to cheat, old man, I know how much his face is worth.”
“Hahaha, I understand. How long have we been dealing with each other? How can I buy such a valuable thing? But why did you put that on his wrist?”
For a moment the old man’s eyes shone fiercely.
The men who saw it, picked their ears and spoke indifferently.
“This bastard can use magic.”
“He was difficult to subdue. I don’t think it would have been possible without most of my skills.”
The trader’s face brightened at the man’s explanation.
Then the old man showed his yellow teeth and said with three fingers open.
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“I’ll give you thirty golds.”
“Well, old man, give me more. I need inspiration every once in a while. These are the eyes that found the perfect treasure.”
His subordinates nodded as if in agreement at their captain’s words.
The old man, no, the officer of the slave trading, of the slave, clicked his tongue briefly and beckoned into the air.
The man’s eyes frowned at the strange behavior of the old man.
“You should have been greedy in moderation. You’ve been living in a back alley for so long but you still can’t realize that.”
“What? This old man is senile-”
The man could not finish his words.
Suddenly a black-clad escort appeared out of the air.
Ivan shook his head at the bloody sight.
“Ugh!”
Slave trader Izerba slowly approached Ivan.
“Ha. Kid, Sleep for a while.”
At the voice of the old man laughing, Ivan lost consciousness.
When Ivan came to his senses again, he was not alone.
“Ugh… “
“Let me go! Get me out of here!”
“Please, I’m sorry…!”
“My younger brother can’t eat without me.”
“You will all be cursed to death! These damn children!”
From those kids who shed tears incessantly, to those who begged to be released, to those who apologize for no reason, to those who curse with all their remaining strength with a strong voice.
It was a very diverse group.
The only thing they have in common is that they are all young.
At least 10 years old.
Ivan’s eyes glistened darkly.
This was clearly a scene of human trafficking.
His skinned fist trembled from the previous fight.
Instinctively, a thought popped into Ivan’s mind.
‘I must run away with them quickly.’
Ivan, who had made up his mind, spoke to the boy with blank eyes next to him.
“Hey,”
“…….”
The boy showed no response to Ivan’s call.
As if his soul had escaped, the boy was staring blankly into the air.
Ivan sensed something strange and looked around him.
There were quite a few droopy ones with soulless eyes among the children next to him.
They seemed to be children who had been locked up for quite a long time.
Ivan frowned and called the boy a little harder.
“Hey!”
“…huh…? Did you call me?”
Fortunately, the boy responded to Ivan’s second call. Although his dazed expression still hadn’t disappeared.
“Well, where in the world is this?”
The boy answered Ivan’s question in a sleepy voice.
“This is… hell.”
It felt foreign to him to say that this place was hell with a gentle voice.
“You’re the one who came today.”
“… What exactly are we doing here? Do you know why they kidnap so many children?”
The boy nodded his head.
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Ivan said in a tense voice, urging the boy to hurry.
“Can you tell me in detail?”
“Hehe. Of course. This is…”
Ivan expected the words to come out of the boy’s mouth.
‘Looking at the collection of young boys and girls, is it a den of perverts? Or maybe it has something to do with illegal adoption.’
But the words that came out of the boy’s mouth were not what Ivan expected.
“The people here… Take away our souls….”
“Soul… they’re taking your soul? What do you mean…?”
Ivan couldn’t understand what he was talking about.
Is it a place where pagan fanatics make terrible offers?
Ivan looked at the other children with eyes full of confusion.
Children with blank faces.
Do you mean they’re soulless?
“Don’t worry…. Once you get used to it… It might feel comfortable.”
Ivan couldn’t answer the boy’s words.
The boy spoke in a slow tone, perhaps because he was happy to have a friend to talk to after a long time.
“Oh, I’ll tell you my name…. I’m Handel, a shepherd at Oakland Ranch…. Even though I look like this, I am the eldest son…”
Handel’s words, which had been constantly introducing himself, were cut off at some point.
He then straightened his head toward the cage and fixed his gaze out of the dark prison.
“It’ll be here any minute. The demons.”
Handel’s voice was calm, but there was a fear that could not be hidden.
Ivan soon felt several movements approaching the prison where the children were locked.
clank~
“Oh really, you little brats, Cut it out! You’ll never see the sun again anyway, so give it up.”
The children who had been abducted relatively recently by the man in a long robe burst into tears.
“Ahhh!”
“Please send me home…!”
Ivan calmly watched the iron bars and looked at the men standing there.
They were all wearing long robes like wizards.
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A green branch was painted in the plain robes.
“Tsk, kids,”
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“Calm down. After all, it will naturally become quiet soon.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
The man smiled pleasantly.
It was as if he was looking at the devil with long, ripped lips.
“Children, know this, it is an honor to be sacrificed for this cause.”