12:03 PM—Manabu was deeply asleep and snoring. Mai and Mion were in the kitchen, wondering what to prepare. Taiju, unusually, woke up much earlier, his thoughts churning with restless urgency. He tiptoed into Maria's room. Carefully, he reached under her pillow and retrieved her phone. Mai, while passing by the hall, noticed him taking the phone but said nothing.
As Taiju sneaked outside and closed the door, Mai asked, "What are you planning to do with that?"
Taiju gestured for her to stay quiet as he dialed the number of his parents. Fortunately, the phone was accessible. Taiju quickly navigated to his contacts and dialed his mother's number. Mion saw them standing in the hallway, whispering in the corner. "What's going on?" she asked curiously.
Mai swiftly clamped a hand over Mion's mouth and hissed, "Taiju is calling our parents."
Holding the phone to his ear, Taiju stepped toward the window of the next room, hoping for better reception. But the phone wasn't ringing. He tried again and again, but the poor connection failed him.
Frustrated, he tried one last time. This time, the phone finally rang, and after a few moments, his mother answered the call—"Yes? Who is this?"
His mother's voice brought tears of joy to his eyes. Taiju slid open the balcony glass door and craned his neck outside, "Mother, it's me, Taiju. Listen carefully, we're in trouble. We've been kidnapped."
"Eh?" she gasped in disbelief.
She couldn't believe his words since they were so sudden, out of nowhere, and serious. She thought he was joking, but Taiju's frantic voice filled her with dread.
Mai edged closer, speaking into the phone and interrupted Taiju, "Aunty, Taiju is telling the truth. We're in Lafiaza."
Silence for a moment… 'WHAT!' Her voice erupted in a piercing shriek over the phone. Then, a rustle on the other end of the line.
His mother was thinking. She kept them on hold while she tried calling Taiju's father, but he was busy at work and didn't pick up. When she returned to the call, she was extremely anxious and worried. Taiju could tell by her tone.
"Where exactly are you? What's your condition? Are you alright?!" she demanded urgently.
Mai took the phone from him and answered, "Aunty, we're at—Martyr's Valley, 34th Street, Lafiaza."
Taiju's mother's panic surged to new heights. "Are you serious? How did you even reach Lafiaza? Without your passports? How is that even possible?"
Before she could say more, the doorbell at Maria's house rang. Mion moved to get it.
Taiju, panicking, swiftly ended the call, temporarily blocked his mother's number, raced to Maria's room, and slipped the phone under her pillow, acting as if nothing had happened. Mion opened the door. It was Leon standing outside, checking the time on his wristwatch.
As the cool air drifted in, he glanced up and asked, "Where's Manabu? It's urgent."
Mion stood rigid against the doorframe, her face taut with suppressed anger, and snapped, "Oh, he's still asleep. What do you need?"
Leon, perplexed by her icy demeanor, ignored it and informed her he had been dispatched under Kami's directive. He was there to take them to Kami's council chamber and then drop them off—that was all.
Inside, Manabu stirred awake at the doorbell. His head pounded—last night's drinks had hit harder than expected. Groggy, he glanced outside and saw Leon at the door.
Leon met his gaze and repeated his question, "Are you ready to go?"
Manabu yawned while scratching his hair and chin and went back inside to get dressed.
Taiju, however, grabbed his wrist. His voice, tinged with desperate curiosity and a pleading edge, asked, "Manabu, what's your decision? You're not planning to stay, are you? What are you thinking?"
Manabu placed his hands on Taiju's shoulders and nodded. He had already made up his mind. Whatever happened next—he would confront it. With that, he soothed their fears and prepared. Taiju relented, clinging to hope that he'd choose wisely.
Mion said she wouldn't be coming, since Leon was with Manabu. Manabu didn't force her either.
Taiju and Mai got dressed and went out together to Leon's car. Manabu was still disoriented and sleepy. They noticed Leon's silver-trimmed black car.
'The Doks Master Brand'—it's quite an expensive car.
Manabu couldn't help but admire its design and look—it was pure luxury. Leon kicked the tire of the car and said, "It's just one million two hundred thousand Beticon" (Beticon is Lafiaza's currency). On the front was a special logic design, which wasn't supposed to be on a Doks Master Brand.
He gestured to the insignia on the front—a Lafiazan coin with the White Wings of Liberty symbolizing Lafiaza's pride. "In Lafiaza, no one dared stop a car bearing this symbol, as only key figures could own it. But mine's falsely modified, though the brand is real."
"Enough chatter. Let's go." Leon told them to fasten their seatbelts.
As they drove to Kami's council chamber, where politicians discuss critical matters, Taiju decided to ask Leon, "Mr. Kami… I mean, Manabu's father… What exactly does he do?"
Leon answered, "He's a politician and the right-hand man of the current president, Madaq Kibwarip. Everyone in this country respects Kami—for his kindness, unshakable moral values, and sense of justice…"
Manabu rested his chin on his hand, staring out the window, lost in thought. A decision had to be made. Lafiaza was breathtaking. Taiju and Mai found themselves staring out the window, mesmerized by the beauty of the city. This place was undoubtedly beautiful and majestic, yet there was a sight that didn't quite suit it—poverty…
"Poor Ivanns," Mai murmured, her heart sinking.
Soon, they arrived at Kami's council chamber—a grand edifice teeming with politicians, officers, lawyers, and officials. Leon led them inside; they took the stairs to Kami's chamber. Inside, Kami sat silently in his chair, looking at the ceiling, drowning in his thoughts.
As they entered, he stood up, called for his staff, and ordered coffee for everyone. Mai politely declined, opting for black tea instead. Leon refused altogether—he wouldn't be staying long. But Kami insisted he stay for a short discussion. Leon had no issues with it.
The drinks arrived. Kami requested that Manabu sit on the sofa and asked directly, "So, Manabu… What have you decided?"
Manabu took a slow sip of coffee. Then, in a calm voice, he replied, "I'll stay."
Taiju and Mai jolted in shock. They spilled their coffee. Taiju shot up from his seat, yelling, "Are you insane?! What do you mean you'll stay?!"
But Manabu wasn't done speaking. "—But, on one condition. Taiju, Mai, and Mion must be sent back home to Feropia safely."
Taiju stared at him, his mouth wide open. "Unbelievable." Taiju had hoped for a different outcome, but after what he'd just heard, he sank back, crossing his arms and clenching his jaw in fury.
Mai didn't like it either; she grabbed her cup and poured her black tea into Manabu's coffee—ruining it. The liquid splashed onto his pants.
Manabu jumped up, "Ugh! What are you doing?!"
Mai wasn't done yet; she flung the rest of her tea onto his shirt. "Stay?! Have you lost your mind?! You want to stay behind while we leave?!" she snapped furiously.
Kami signaled his staff to bring tissues and to clean Manabu's clothes. Manabu looked at Taiju and Mai, who were frustrated, but he had no other choice. "If you stay with me, your families will get involved. Do you have any idea what they must be going through right now? We've been missing for days!"
In that moment of tension, Taiju accidentally blurted out, "I… I already told my parents where we are."
Kami had an idea; he readily proposed an alternative. "Then why not bring Taiju and Mai's families to Lafiaza? I can provide them with the best facilities here. They can settle in, and you three can enroll at The Nosco Loc College and University. I'll arrange everything for you, along with Manabu."
Taiju and Mai hesitated and looked at each other. They didn't want to stay, but they couldn't leave Manabu alone either. After a prolonged silence, Taiju pleaded for a pause; his mind wrestled with the choice. "I need to speak with my parents."
Manabu hadn't wanted to drag them into this mess. He tried to interject, but before he could say anything, Mai pinched his lips shut and said, "Enough of your nonsense. Just shut up already! Not another word."
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Leon opened the door wide. Outside, government officials and members of CPUS-Intelligence-Arms had arrived.
Kami requested that they come inside and get comfortable. The staff cleaned the sofa for them, and they all sat down. Kami gave a quick introduction of Manabu to them. Among them, the most senior member of CPUS-Intelligence-Arms stood up and shook hands with Manabu. "I am Fredrick Charles, a senior investigator of—Centralized Political Unconventional Security Intelligence. It's my pleasure to meet you."
Manabu introduced himself formally. Fredrick already liked Manabu's formality and behavior. "Unlike your dad, you're sociable. Maybe it's time to replace your old man. In the future, I would like to work with you in place of your father. I'm quite bored of his small-talking old man." Fredrick laughed heartily.
Now it was time for Manabu and his friends to leave; Fredrick shook hands with them. But they had to wait a little longer since Leon had discussions with the officials. Fredrick gave them his best wishes before leaving. Now the discussion began.
Manabu and his friends waited outside without causing any trouble. Outside, an older man was smoking without saying anything. They waited quietly. But the man looked at Manabu and began to laugh.
Manabu didn't understand, but the man turned to him and extended his hand, offering a handshake. "I'm a friend of your father. You don't know me, but I know you really well."
Manabu accepted his offer; he was glad that Kami had found both his son and daughter. "Peace! Now, he can retire like me. It's time for the son to care for his aging father!"
Manabu awkwardly smiled because he didn't know him, and the man was speaking so loudly everyone was staring at them.
The man introduced himself as—Colonel Da Graham. He had been a soldier and a colonel in a war 30 years ago, playing a crucial role. Now, he was retired and living a simple life. "I wanted to make my son a soldier, too, but he died in the war," he said.
Taiju, annoyed by the old man's chatter, said, "Who the fuck is he?"
Mai pinched him on the waist, telling him to shut up.
A few minutes later, the old man started smoking again inside the government office. Taiju thought to himself, "What a careless guy. Smoking in a place like this."
The discussion ended. Leon checked his wristwatch: it was 3:49 PM. He was tired, but he had to drop Manabu and his friends back home.
When he walked out of the room, the Colonel smiled at him. "Leon! How's everything going?"
Leon politely responded, "I'm doing great, finished my job, got my salary, a day off, and now I'm dropping Manabu and his friends back home."
Seeing the cigarette in the Colonel's hand, Leon took it, tossed it to the ground, and crushed it. "I told you, smoking isn't good," he said.
But the Colonel laughed loudly, calling it childish, "If smoke from grenades could've killed me, I'd have died 30 years ago."
Leon ignored him and glanced at the time again—3:51 PM. "I think I should go now."
The Colonel waved goodbye and continued smoking. Leon drove them all the way back home.
On the way, Manabu, still curious, asked, "What were you discussing inside?"
Leon responded, "Why do you want to know?" Manabu was just a bit curious since he still didn't understand his actual role in everything.
But Leon didn't answer directly and just said it was a personal matter, strictly not to be shared. Manabu didn't ask any more questions. Leon dropped them back home.
While driving, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. He felt empty and weak. He was exhausted.
Once inside his house, he took off his clothes and hung them on a hanger. Maria was playing with the kids, but when she saw Leon's condition, she hurried over and helped him lie down in bed.
Leon's body was burning up, possibly with a fever. Maria rushed to get a thermometer to check his temperature. Leon said he didn't need it and just needed a bit of rest. Maria didn't argue and left him to sleep.
Kenzo, who had been outside the room, saw Leon's condition and commented, "He's been working nonstop for the past four to five days without sleeping or any kind of rest… sometimes, it's hard to watch him struggle like this. He might not last long at this rate."
Maria replied, "Then you should try to stop him, help him understand. He's taking risky tasks and returning from near death."
But Kenzo knew that talking wouldn't work, "At least not after what he's been through, having seen the vilest human selfishness. He doesn't want these orphans to suffer his fate, so he even chose to betray his own community. People don't die easily. It's a painful process. But Leon is doing everything he can for his family, for these orphan kids."
Maria came back with the thermometer and found that Leon's temperature was 104°F. His body had become incredibly weak. She quickly gave him some medicine she'd brought from a nearby pharmacy. Leon sat up, struggling weakly, took the medicine, and fell back into a deep sleep.
Maria tucked him in with a blanket, feeling grateful to have Leon as part of her family. She saw how much pain he had endured, both physically and emotionally, for his family. But he never once complained.
Maria stood beside Kenzo and asked, "Mr. Kenzo, what's Leon after? And is there any guarantee that he will be free after his job is done, when he finally exposes the leader and gets him arrested?"
Kenzo looked at her with an uncertain expression. "And even if he is freed, what will he do? What does he want? Is he sure what he's after won't lead to his death?"
Kenzo replied, "Leon is indeed on the right side. Years ago, he swore to create a beautiful place for his sister and everyone else—away from all the hatred in this world. And I'm sure he meant everyone. He would never betray his people. But first he needs to be free; he's under government scrutiny."
Maria looked nervous and said, "I'm just afraid he might end up getting killed…"
Kenzo patted her head, "Don't worry. He won't die so easily. Let me tell you a fun fact: Leon has an extreme will to live. When he feels danger, his subconscious mind or instinct acts on its own. His endurance is inhuman. Even if you stabbed him twenty times, he might still rise—just because of his will to live."
Maria was astonished, but she didn't wish to stab him. She just wanted him to rest for a while.
Kenzo chuckled and told Maria to confess her feelings already and stay by Leon's side forever.
"What are you talking about!" she exclaimed, blushing. "I'm always ready to be there for Leon when he needs me, but not like that!"
"I guess we should let him rest now," Kenzo said.
"You're right." They closed the door, letting Leon rest in peace. After a long time, Leon could finally sleep peacefully.