Chapter 71
Chapter 71. Kidnapping Veteran (3)
Serena woke up and was immediately kidnapped—fresh delivery straight from her resort room.
A sack thrown over her head, stuffed into a cramped box, rattling and bumping around...
When she came to her senses, she found herself trapped in a basement reeking of mold, practically screaming "I'm a criminal hideout."
"Wow... This is a real kidnapping..."
Serena was beyond wronged—she was genuinely dumbfounded.
Soltera is dangerous? Who doesn't know that?
Even romance novels mention it as a warzone with dozens of cartels running wild.
But usually, the female leads who get kidnapped there are either airheads who venture outside the tourist area despite being told "Don't go that way~," or victims of jealous villainess rivals who hire kidnappers, or they're in grimdark stories where the author mindlessly tortures the heroine.
At the very least, she'd never read about a female lead getting kidnapped while sprawled out sleeping in a resort, before she could even wipe the drool from her mouth.
As she sat there in stunned disbelief, the kidnappers gathered around her in a huddle.
"Miss, you awake?"
"Look over here! Ooh, she really is a beauty, huh?"
In the sinister atmosphere, Serena understood why companies prefer experienced hires.
Serena was an experienced kidnapping victim—second time around.
Despite the unfamiliar environment and the threatening laughter and mocking whistles from the criminals around her, she didn't cry.
"Haah..."
"Hmm? This miss is oddly calm."
"Aren't we scary?"
'No. You're terrifying.'
But crying wouldn't solve anything anyway.
And really, she wasn't just some Viscount family's daughter anymore—she was the (soon-to-be) Viscount Renoir. Crying and whimpering at criminals' tricks simply wouldn't do for her dignity.
Better to think positively.
Positive thinking.
Yahoo! This is only my second kidnapping, but at least there's no dark mage with spider whiskers here!
Having steadied her mind with positive thinking, Serena calmly looked around and asked.
"Wh-who's in charge here?"
"In charge? That's me. Why?"
"W-working hard on a hot day like this, huh? Haah, I understand that feeling. Especially Soltera—it's really hot here."
"...Is that so?"
The boss was slightly taken aback by his unusually friendly captive's attitude.
Serena didn't miss the opening and continued.
"What are you planning to do with me?"
"Hm? Sell you, of course. To the slave market."
'Wow, I'm actually being sold.'
The fine hairs on her neck stood on end.
"Th-then how much would I go for?"
"It's an auction, so it varies, but someone like you should easily fetch 2,000 Crowns, wouldn't you say? You're pretty."
"Ehehe, I am pretty, aren't I? So... how much of that goes to you all?"
"We'd get about a quarter."
"What? That's all you get?"
Serena opened her eyes wide with exaggerated shock.
"You came all the way to the resort in this heat, secretly took me away, and have to hand me over to slave traders... Isn't that too little for all the trouble you went through?"
"..."
Silence.
'Was that too obvious a setup?'
Contrary to Serena's anxious concerns—
"Well, well, this miss actually makes some sense."
The boss let out a deep sigh and began complaining.
"The brokers' commissions these days are no joke, you know? What's the point of selling people when you have to pay hush money to the higher-ups, split it among everyone—there's nothing left. Absolutely maddening."
"Right, right. And the economy's bad these days too."
"We're the ones doing the dangerous work, after all."
The other kidnappers around them nodded with dark expressions.
"That's really unfair. You must feel frustrated and stifled."
"The tribute money is basically no different from taxes, right? How petty."
"What? The cops you bribed are suddenly cracking down? Those scumbags with no business ethics... Then they shouldn't be taking bribes in the first place!"
Serena fully exercised her empathy skills, building internal rapport with the criminals.
As she listened to the human traffickers' troubles, their gazes softened somewhat.
"Young people these days only think about their own hardships. But you, miss, are very mature."
"Want something to eat? We'll let you eat something good before you're sold off. Have you ever tried Tequila?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry. Are your wrists uncomfortable? I'll untie them."
Judging that she'd established sufficient rapport, Serena casually broached the subject.
"Everyone, may I make a proposal for all of you working so hard?"
"Hm?"
"I'll pay a ransom. I have kidnapping insurance. It pays up to 5,000 Crowns. Wouldn't this let you all make a big score without commissions or tribute money?"
Serena had upgraded to insurance with double the coverage after her last kidnapping.
She'd built rapport, and with this amount, negotiation should definitely be possible.
"Is that true?"
"5... 5,000 Crowns?"
"Hey, miss. You're not lying, are you? How can we believe that? Who gets 5,000 Crown kidnapping insurance?"
"B-but it's not a lie..."
"...You're serious?"
"Yes! The insurance certificate is inside my pendant!"
"There's even a certificate?"
The kidnappers crouching around Serena brightened and opened the pendant.
'Ah, thank goodness.'
'So glad we can communicate.'
'So glad I got expensive insurance.'
"Let's see, Agos Insurance Company... Priority Personal Delivery Guarantee."
When Serena handed over the small rolled-up paper, the boss examined it.
"Hmm, 'Agos guarantees payment of an agreed amount up to a maximum of five thousand (5,000) Crowns in gold to any individual or group securing the 'Guaranteed Subject,' upon meeting the 'Delivery Conditions' below...'? What is this saying? Is this even Kingdom language?"
'These illiterate fools.'
Serena smiled brightly and explained as kindly as possible.
"So basically, if you satisfy the conditions and release me, it's a guarantee that you'll be paid up to 5,000 Crowns."
"What are the conditions?"
"First, I must be delivered in perfect condition without any physical or mental harm."
"How do we get the money?"
"See this number here? Just make one phone call to this number and a staff member will kindly guide you through it."
"Oho... Never seen anything like this before."
The boss's hand, which had been curiously examining the certificate's details, suddenly froze.
"Guaranteed Subject... Serena Renoir... Viscount...?"
It wasn't just the boss who froze.
The other kidnappers, who'd been giggling over the windfall just moments ago, lost all expression.
"Miss, you're... a noble?"
"...Ah."
Serena had impeccable instincts.
'Oh no, these idiots don't have the guts to kidnap a Kingdom mainland noble!' she realized.
"Did, did we just... kidnap a noble?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Put the sack back on her head! Tie her wrists again!"
"Shiiiit!! We're screwed! We're screwed!"
Chaos erupted as if someone had smoked out a termite nest.
Some belatedly pulled on masks to cover their faces, others gagged Serena and threw the sack back over her head.
"T-talk! Let's talk about this! Mmph, mmmph!"
As the musty, saliva-smelling cloth was stuffed into her mouth, Serena screamed internally.
'Why?! Then why did you kidnap me in the first place?!!'
Serena cried out inwardly.
The candle of hope was extinguished.
Only one thing remained.
'Senior Jurgen... please help me!!!'
Hoping this cry would reach Jurgen's heart, Serena prayed desperately.
***
"Huff... huff..."
Steam rose from Jurgen's entire body as he arrived near the Montagra Cartel headquarters from his memories.
A downpour happened to be falling, and water droplets sprayed through his rough breathing.
From the Costa Bay resort to the Montagra Cartel headquarters was a three-hour one-way trip.
And that was only possible through the feat of cutting straight across the jungle.
"Huff, about an hour left?"
Coincidentally, the mastermind behind this kidnapping was the Montagra Cartel, with whom Jurgen had history.
During the early Cola business days, hadn't he annihilated that cartel and extorted a massive amount of Coca Tree leaves?
However, he hadn't contacted them since.
Cola recipe only required tiny amounts of Coca Tree leaves, and what he'd taken then was enough to produce three years' worth of Cola and then some.
He'd essentially left them alone, thinking 'When the time comes, I'll just rob a different cartel.'
"I thought they'd been quietly farming after that..."
Is this why they say people can't be reformed?
That karma had come full circle to kidnap Serena.
Hiding his body in the dense branches, he surveyed the dilapidated plantation.
Guard post locations, patrol routes, warehouse positions.
The only difference from when he'd come and caused havoc before was that the large mansion in the middle of the plantation had been replaced with a modest house.
It was questionable what possessed the cartel boss Lofo—who'd pleaded never to touch criminal activities again—to pull this stunt...
For now, let's be grateful for their complacency.
"Avoided the worst-case scenario."
If they'd been thorough enough to relocate their headquarters and go into hiding, he might not have made it in time.
Penelope had hurried off to fetch Vic, but by then Serena would definitely be at sea.
Even with Vic's sense of smell, tracking a target across the ocean was uncertain.
"..."
Jurgen's body melted into the fierce rain like dissolving mist.
All that remained on the muddy ground were puddles.
***
Lofo's expression was very gloomy.
"Hah... Fuck, is it because of the rain..."
Had his past sins returned as divine punishment?
He was afflicted with a disease causing hellish pain.
"This damn ingrown toenail. Hurts like hell."
With inflammation filling it completely, he could barely walk properly.
He'd thought it would heal on its own if left alone, but now he was seriously considering just ripping the toenail out entirely.
"But pulling it out is kind of scary."
Lofo eventually gave up his battle with the toenail and turned his gaze outside the window.
Rain so fierce it obscured the sound of the clock and filled the office with the sound of downpour.
"My goodness, pouring buckets since dawn. At this rate, won't the house get washed away?"
The nice stone mansion he used to live in never had such worries.
Since his entire house got blown away by that terrifying alchemist in the rabbit mask, he's been anxious during every heavy rain.
They said the ground was firmly packed, but he worried the crops might wash away too.
Rattle rattle.
Just then, he noticed one curtain swaying more than the others.
Wind seeping through a half-open window gap.
"Huh? Did I leave the window open?"
As Lofo limped toward the window to close it, a chilling, sharp sensation touched the back of his neck.
"Don't turn around. If I see you make a loud noise, gather magic power, or show any sign of resistance, you're dead."
"Fuck, you came."
"You remember me?"
"Of course I remember. But can't you come in normally? You're scaring the life out of me."
Lofo grumbled and raised both arms.
Naturally, the intruder's identity was Jurgen.
Though Lofo had only seen Jurgen wearing the rabbit mask, he remembered the voice properly.
"Even remembering, you still pulled this. Pretty bold. I definitely told you—if you pulled any tricks again, I'd bury you."
"W-well, yes. But I kept my promise! I washed my hands of crime and only did legitimate business..."
Whack!
"Kyak!"
The knife handle mercilessly struck the back of Lofo's head.
"Planning to play innocent? I came knowing everything."
Again, time wasn't particularly abundant.
Moreover, this was a cartel headquarters with hundreds of combatants stationed.
Even for Jurgen, fighting without the Cube capable of Material Creation would take too much time.
He needed to seize the initiative completely.
"No! Fuck! Boss! You're trying to hurt my feelings! Let me at least know why I'm getting hit! I saved the Coca leaves for you! You never asked me to send them and didn't tell me where to send them!"
Whack!
Jurgen struck Lofo's smooth head again.
"Kyak!"
"Does human trafficking look like legitimate business to you?"
Jurgen's eyes had sunk so low that Penelope would have felt chilled to the bone if she'd seen them.
At the time, the Montagra Cartel had been focused on clashes with other cartels for territorial expansion.
That's why he'd given Lofo one more chance.
Civilian casualties weren't particularly severe.
But Lofo had taken the given opportunity lightly.
There wouldn't be a second chance.
"Human trafficking! I've never touched such business in my life!"
"Speak nicely. I guarantee you won't last 30 seconds under torture."
"Nooo! Fuck, this is so frustrating I could die. I've only been farming since you left, I swear kyaaaak!"
Crack
Jurgen grabbed one of Lofo's fingers and bent it backward.
"The Montagra Cartel kidnapped my companion. Even now you're going to deny it..."
At that moment, despite his finger being bent, Lofo—who'd been holding both arms up without looking back—suddenly turned around.
Normally, Jurgen would have immediately struck his temple and dropped him to the ground.
However.
He couldn't.
"No... then you should have just said so from the start..."
Because Lofo had tears welling up in his eyes, completely unsuited to his rough appearance.
Jurgen sensed something off about Lofo's physiognomy.
Not that he was an expert in physiognomy or thought it was scientific, but...
"Boss, cartels originally take the regional name from whoever's strongest in that area..."
Unlike their first meeting, his sun-darkened skin, somehow innocent-looking eyes, lips twisted as if dying of injustice.
The venom he'd felt during their previous encounter wasn't felt even a little bit.
Therefore, what Jurgen sensed was a crisis instinct about 'my assumption might have been wrong.'
"I quit running a criminal organization. Right now I'm the owner of Montagra Happy Farm..."
This wasn't the place.