Chapter 267: Reward
Masashi Sakuraba’s gaze, like a fierce beast scrutinizing its prey, swept over the young girl. The bloody content of his words involuntarily tightened Kazumi’s breathing, her cold little face taking on a solemn expression.
“Haaa—”
She let out a long breath, suppressing the desires that had been stirred within her by his words. The conditions Masashi Sakuraba had previously offered were too generous. Just the final, almost mesmerizing offer of placing all the corpses in the entire city on the scales of trade was enough to make the girl’s cold heart go wild.
She had to admit that he was indeed an executive-level existence within the organization. Just from their brief interaction during that one mission, combined with the subtle clues from her request for supplies, he had quickly pinpointed that biological or rather, human corpses, were the most crucial part of her capabilities.
Then, as if seeing through her inner thoughts, he proposed a condition that Kazumi absolutely could not refuse.
In reality, Kazumi knew that the offer of a blood sacrifice in an entire district and all the corpses obtained, as proposed by Masashi Sakuraba, was merely the common tactic of capitalists using exaggerated promises.
This was because he had already made it clear before that their original role in this mission was to be decoys or a diversion, aimed at distracting the heroes to help achieve another primary objective.
Moreover, this was an open scheme. After all, in a place like Kyoto, it was practically impossible to cause such a degree of destruction without being discovered.
So, theoretically, this outcome could not be achieved, and naturally, the girl would not receive this so-called reward.
Kazumi knew this clearly in her heart, but the dream painted for her was simply too enticing. Like a gambler with red eyes in a casino, even though her rationality knew that continuing this way would be fruitless, her body would still involuntarily continue to gamble.
“Haaa— Lord Sakuraba, I can agree to participate in this mission, but I have a small request, please allow it.”
Taking another deep breath, the girl firmly suppressed the restless feelings within her driven by desire. A trace of clarity flashed in her jet-black eyes as she looked at Masashi Sakuraba and spoke.
“Mm, what is your request?”
Masashi Sakuraba took in all of the girl’s actions. Because he could roughly guess the source of her abilities, he knew that the reward he offered was something she couldn’t refuse, even if it was a reward that might never be realized.
“I hope that everything will be established on the premise of ensuring my own safety.”
The girl’s words were plain yet firm, as if she had emptied her heart of the intertwined desires it held. She had returned to her usual calm, quietly looking at the man before her.
“Oh? Is that all?”
Kazumi’s rapid composure surprised Masashi Sakuraba. His words were not entirely a test; rather, they were an exploitation of her weaknesses to achieve his own goals.
However, the girl’s way of responding and her speed in adjusting her mindset were something even many experienced adults might not be able to achieve to this extent.
“Yes, the price behind generous rewards is the danger of the mission. And only by surviving can I better serve you in the future.”
Kazumi nodded, a perfectly placed smile on her stern little face. Her plain and polite words were impeccable.
“Clap— Clap— Clap—”
Crisp applause echoed in the living room. The young boy’s heterochromatic eyes quietly stared at the girl before him, his gaze filled with undisguised admiration.
Perhaps in the past, Masashi Sakuraba would have been curious, or even disbelieving, as to why Kurokawa Iori inexplicably liked such a strange little girl. But after such a long period of interaction, especially after Kazumi’s current performance.
Even he had to admit that this short, thin girl truly possessed the thoughtfulness of an adult and her unique personal charm.
“Alright, I can fully agree to this. As for the detailed content of the mission…”
Masashi Sakuraba stood up, his strange smile returning to normal. He gently raised his right hand, and a purple magic array opened beneath his feet, revealing a giant snake with a huge, gaping mouth. A dense bloody scent instantly filled the entire room.
But Masashi Sakuraba appeared completely unfazed. He glanced at Kazumi standing beside him, then leaned back and fell directly into the bottomless, dark mouth, leaving only his ethereal last words hanging in the air.
“Let’s say it somewhere else.”
…
The bloody smell and the sensation of weightlessness constantly enveloped Kazumi, but soon they both vanished. The mid-air descent did not last long. Soon, Kazumi felt like she had broken through a soft membrane, and then a fresh fragrance replaced the damp air around her, and the previous darkness was replaced by light.
“Huh?!”
Recovering from the dizziness, Kazumi subconsciously summoned the Black Coffin, and Little Black within her body was ready to defend against any potential attack at her master’s will.
But the hazy feeling finally faded. In the view that was somewhat obscured by the bright light, what appeared before the young girl was… Masashi Sakuraba holding a kettle and cups??
“Don’t be too nervous. It’s normal to feel like this the first time you use space teleportation. Here, have something to drink. Would you like tea or coffee?”
“Coffee…”
The familiar voice and presence relieved Kazumi of her worries. The death aura that had been mobilized for defense slowed down. Only then did Kazumi manage to rearrange her thoughts.
She seemed to have just entered the mouth of the giant snake summoned by Masashi Sakuraba and arrived at this place. She took the coffee handed by Masashi Sakuraba with slight slowness, finally having the time to survey her current surroundings.
The room was filled with various high-tech equipment, comfortable and soft lighting, and a refreshment area stocked with all kinds of food and drinks. Most importantly, there was a large, silver-white conference table. No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t resemble the inside of a giant snake.
“Find a chair and sit down. Here, you can find your way here yourself if you have time later.”
He patted the girl’s somewhat bewildered shoulder, Masashi Sakuraba sat down beside Kazumi with a cup of tea and handed her a pure black metal card.
“This is?”
“The organization’s temporary base pass for Kyoto. It contains the location of the underground base and access permissions. I remember you have the ability to tunnel underground, right? Just find your way here using the coordinates on the card.”
He waved his hand with a hint of helplessness, leaning back in his chair and leisurely drinking his tea.
“Yes.”
Although there were countless questions in her eyes, Kazumi still silently put away the somewhat heavy metal piece in her hand. She followed his lead, finding a chair next to Masashi Sakuraba and sitting down, quietly waiting for his next instructions.
After all, with the strength he had displayed, if he had wanted to harm her, he wouldn’t have needed such trouble. Therefore, for now, she would just trust him honestly.
As if reading the questions in the girl’s eyes, Masashi Sakuraba continued to speak while rummaging through something in a nearby cabinet.
“The main reason for bringing you here is to familiarize you with the organization’s base and to deliver the reward I promised you earlier.”
“Reward?”
He found a blue folder from beneath a pile of documents, pulled out a file, and after carefully examining it, handed it to the girl’s desk.
“Yes, it’s about your parents’ research content within the organization.”
