The light and warmth that came out of the crack in the door were like the morning light, but it only cast a light and shadow on the side of the door that was not strong enough to stand.

Vincent subconsciously stood up and wanted to leave the room almost as Agnes spoke, but the next moment he stopped uncontrollably, with an unconcealable horror on his face.

"Hearing this comes at a price, Mr. Vincent," Agnes said softly, with a smile on her face, "do you think you can leave?" ”

"The control that arises from desire itself is the most powerful, far more powerful than any other external force, and you should know that, Monsieur Vincent," Agnes stood up and pressed Vincent back into her chair, "The 'bondage' of desire is what we are most familiar with, isn't it?" ”

Vincent's expression changed abruptly after Agnes finished speaking, and then he struggled little by little, looking distorted and painful.

Agnes couldn't help but be stunned for a moment when she looked at Vincent's struggling expression, and then a trace of arc appeared on her lips, and the next second quickly disappeared.

It's so good to act, Vincent.

The convergence of those people did increase the power of the plague-like infection, but their convergence alone was not enough to make this power reach the point of changing the will of others, and it needed something extra, such as her own power.

In any case, the power was under her control, and she knew very well whether a force of this strength could truly change a person's will.

The change of desire that arises under her control is more often a subtle thing, and it is difficult to have such a drastic situation as Vincent shows, which is different from most of the pollution from others.

Agnes kept her face serious, not allowing herself to show the slightest abnormality.

"All who have heard of our aims will never be our enemies," said Agnes, leaning down slowly, whispering almost softly in Vincent's ear, "I'm sure you will too, Mr. Vincent." ”

Vincent didn't respond for a moment, until the struggle on his face faded little by little, and finally all that was left was complete obedience.

"Yes, Chief."

Vincent spoke up.

The corners of Agnes' mouth twitched.

-----------------

Bielsa, a teenager in his teens, poked his head out cautiously and surveyed the alley.

The alley was empty, and a small amount of sewage with a suspicious scarlet hue had not yet completely seeped into the land.

Relieved, Bielsa stepped out of the corner where she was hiding, beckoning to her companions, who cautiously walked towards the house at the end of the alley called the abandoned warehouse, which was read as a garbage dump.

The situation in Lansana City has been very tense lately, and those who were able to escape have left cleanly, leaving only those like them who could not escape.

Children like them are abundant in Lansana, where many have lost their parents and become orphans due to years of war.

Most of the children die in a corner that no one knows about within a short time after losing their parents, and they become nourishment for crows and maggots.

Others were lucky enough to become a commodity to be sold, waiting for an unknown fate to become the possession of some Rune, Intis, Fursak, or Fenerport.

The few remaining children, like Bielsa, struggled to survive in the sludge, huddled together in dark, damp places filled with the smell of mold and earth, barely scavenging for a living, like a pack of stray wild dogs, who would not receive any pity or sympathy even if they were about to starve to death.

No amount of weed you eat will fill your stomach. The fixed scavenging point is the largest source of subsistence for them, and if they can find a small half of a raw sweet potato from the dumping garbage dump at night, it will at least give them an extra day to live.

But scavenging is also risky, for example, right now.

A crowbar covered with rust and dark red marks swung at him with the sound of the wind, and Bielsa subconsciously turned sideways, but could not dodge, only a dull sound was heard.

The howls of his companions reached his ears, and he almost subconsciously distracted himself from it.

He saw his companion lying on the ground, scarlet blood running down his skin and soaking his dirty clothes before dripping down the ground.

Then, too, he fell to the ground, and something flowed out of his body, and all the scene before him blurred and finally went dark.

"The dead aren't worth that much, idiot!"

Before everything before his eyes turned into darkness, he faintly heard someone say.

-----------------

The howl of the building crept down the breeze to Agnes's ears.

She waved her hand, and several people behind her quickly raised their guns.

The effects of unrest are always felt in all directions, such as the increasing rampant crime of some crimes that must not be forgiven.

People-related trade has never disappeared from the Southern Continent, and there are often more places of turmoil. Healthy adult males are undoubtedly the best commodity, but half-grown children also have their own value.

Because of the difference in height and physical fitness, they lack the strength to resist compared to adults, like lambs to the slaughter, whether they are alive or corpses, they have their own uses.

Agnes reached out and pressed against the door, the wooden door squeaked and flew out with a thud.

She looked through the cracked doorway and saw seven or eight children lying on the ground, unaware of their lives, and four or five adults armed with crowbars.

It's just a few members of the community who don't make it in.

Agnes walked into the abandoned warehouse under the watchful eyes of several people.

This group of children had caught her attention before.

Being able to survive in Lansana City, where primitive violence has formed new rules, and even making a name for themselves in the underground world here, is undoubtedly a testament to their excellence.

If they had better resources, they might be able to become better people, at least without having to struggle to stay alive like this.

It's a pity that there are no ifs.

This is the Southern Continent, a place where the jungle eats the strong. In much older memory, it would be more accurate to describe this place as "social Darwinism".

They did make a name for themselves, but they also attracted the attention of some clubs that specifically targeted such children.

There is no doubt that this is an enemy that they cannot solve now.

Agnes didn't speak, just waved her hand.

The man who walked into the warehouse from behind her easily killed the four or five men, and then examined the child who was lying on the ground.

"One is dead, the others are still alive."

The person who examined the children reported.

Agnes nodded, but did not speak.

"Shall we take them back?"

Vincent's voice rang in her ears.

"They won't go with us," Angnes whispered, "and there are ambitious people among them." ”

"Are we here to do charity?"

Vincent scoffed.

Agnes turned to look at Vincent and was silent for a moment, until Vincent's face was grim.

"It doesn't matter to us whether a good deed or a crime is a crime," she said, looking into Vincent's eyes, "and what matters is whether our actions are beneficial to our ends." ”

"They can be the best informants and play the most important role in the next war."

"That's the most important thing."

Agnes said slowly.