The carrot festival was in full swing in the Sinope territory.
There was a carrot-eating contest, a carrot cooking contest, a carrot game, a carrot girl contest, and even a carrot bachelor contest.
“It’s too much that only local residents can participate.”
Ivan grumbled at not being able to participate in the carrot bachelor contest.
“Where on earth does that confidence come from?”
Knox spoke to Ivan with a trembling expression.
“Why are you picking a fight again?”
“Even a handsome man like me can just sit still, so why are you making a fuss?”
“Huh? Do you think you’re more handsome than me?”
"Isn't that obvious? If I go out, I'll definitely be first."
“You have great delusions.”
While the two were bickering, Emily handed them apple and carrot smoothies.
“Try it.”
Now Emily knew how to break up their fight: just give them something to eat.
“Thank you, I was just thirsty.”
Ivan took it and drank it wholeheartedly.
“Wow, it’s really sweet and refreshing.”
“I don’t really like carrots...”
Knox muttered quietly and took a cautious sip. He couldn't ignore Emily's sincerity.
"Hmm?"
Knox, who had tasted the smoothie, lifted the cup again as if surprised.
“It’s tastier than you thought, isn’t it?”
Emily asked with sparkling eyes.
“Yes, did you put any sugar in it?”
“Not at all.”
Emily pointed to a poster in front of the sign. It advertised in bold letters: "A smoothie made with 100% apples and carrots."
“It’s amazing. It’s incredibly sweet, and it doesn’t have that earthy, carrot-like smell.”
“Sinope’s carrots are famous for being sweet.”
Emily looked pleased. Knox chuckled at her.
“When I see you like this, you are truly the lord.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Having once again succeeded in selling Sinope carrots, Emily headed lightly to the next festival venue. There, a prize was being awarded to the person who harvested the largest carrot of the year.
"Gasp!"
The carrots were so big that the farmer who won first place this time dug out the insides of the carrots and made a carrot cart.
“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen such a big carrot in my life.”
Knox, who was a picky eater of carrots, took a step back with a slightly disgusted expression.
“Maybe there was a magic stone mixed in with the fertilizer.”
If you were lucky, sometimes that would happen. Then, the crops that consumed the fertilizer would grow by leaps and bounds, becoming a landmark in the village.
“Ugh, the smell of carrots must be incredible.”
Before they knew it, people were lining up to ride the carrot cart one by one.
Knox frowned at those people.
“Wouldn’t you like to try it too, Mr. Knox?”
“Get out, you punk!”
Ivan had fun playing a prank on Knox, deliberately pushing him towards the carriage, even though he didn't want to.
Meanwhile, the farmer, who was paying attention to their commotion, noticed Emily among them and shouted happily.
"Miss!"
He pushed past people and ran towards them in one breath.
“It’s been a while!”
“Yes, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
As expected of Emily, who was friendly with the residents, she recognized him and greeted him warmly.
“You really grew some amazing carrots.”
The man scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by Emily's compliment.
“I worked hard to grow carrots, hoping to give you a ride in this carrot cart when you come to the festival.”
“Wow, so can that carriage move?”
"Ah..."
The man turned his head towards the carriage, following Emily.
“I put wheels on it, but I haven’t actually driven it, so I don’t know if it will work properly.”
He was very upset that Emily would be disappointed in the carrot cart that didn't move.
“It’s okay. I was just joking.”
Emily chuckled and walked toward the carrot cart. As she moved, Ivan and Knox quickly followed.
“Can I get on?”
Emily asked the host.
“Yes, don’t worry, it will never collapse.”
The host answered proudly and opened the carriage door.
Emily climbed in carefully, while Ivan and Knox stood guard at the door.
Because it was the festival season, many outsiders were visiting, so they had to be extra vigilant and guard her. Killian had especially warned them to be wary of those Giulianos.
Fortunately, they didn't see any suspicious people like that.
Because they were such archenemies, they knew the faces of most of the Giuliano organization members, and those whose faces they didn't know were likely low-ranking, so the two of them could easily deal with each other.
“How was it? How did you feel about riding the carrot cart?”
“It feels refreshing, like I’m in a carrot’s embrace.”
Emily tried the hard carrot chair and carrot wall. It seemed like a real trip on one of these might shatter her tailbone.
“Would you two like to try it too?”
The host also asked Knox and Ivan.
“No? Not really.”
“I’m fine too.”
The host's gaze turned cold at the two people's answers.
“Really? Well, if you could just get out of here, I’d appreciate it.”
“What? What is this kid talking about so shamelessly...?”
Before Ivan could even finish speaking, the man lowered the microphone he was holding onto his head.
“Whoa!”
The locals who witnessed the scene screamed and ran away, and in an instant, the festival turned into a scene of chaos.
“Ugh, who are you, kid!”
Ivan sat down on the floor, clutching his bleeding head.
Knox pulled a gun out of his pocket and aimed it at him.
“You dare to mess with us, knowing who we are. Do you want to die?”
At that, the host shamelessly chuckled and said.
“Don’t get excited. I know full well who you are.”
And then he lifted the mask he had been covering his face with, as if tearing it off. The grotesque sight sent people screaming and running in panic once again.
“What, what is it?”
Nox was speechless at the sight of that bewildering sight and could only watch the scene.
“How have you been, Knox?”
Finally, the facial features were clearly revealed, and the man greeted Knox with a relaxed expression.
“What the hell!”
As soon as he saw the man's face, Knox cursed loudly and quickly looked inside the carriage.
There wasn't any.
Emily, who should have been inside, disappeared without a trace.
He stared blankly at the door on the other side, which was open and swaying in the wind.
“Ma, Madam!”
Ivan, who had regained consciousness, was dumbfounded by the empty carriage. Seeing them standing there helplessly, the man laughed and opened his mouth.
“You underestimated us.”
“Shut up, Chiron!”
Knox aimed his gun at the man, shouting at him.
The man disguised as a social worker was none other than Chiron of the Giuliano organization.
“If you don’t tell me where Madam is right now, I’ll blow your head off.”
"Do you really think you can do that? If you kill me, you'll never find Madame Starr again."
At Chiron's words, Knox looked around with an indignant expression. It seemed they hadn't brought many people with them, as they had to sneak into the village quietly.
Those who came with him must have kidnapped Emily, leaving Chiron alone here.
“Why did you take away the innocent lady?”
“Because your boss cares about her.”
Chiron's answer was simple.
"Madam already decided to divorce Boss. She has nothing to do with the Starr family!"
"Aha, but your boss is personally assigning his own organization members as escorts? You've got to deceive them."
As Chiron had said, they had no choice but to admit they had been too careless. So that's why Alvin didn't trust them. Knox was overcome with a bitter sense of defeat.
“...So what are you planning to do with the madam?”
"Well? We should take your Madam and study what would most enrage Killian."
It wasn't worth listening to anymore. Knox fired a magic bullet straight at his shoulder.
“Ugh.”
Chiron, whose posture had collapsed for a moment due to the recoil, grabbed his shoulder and stood up again.
"I told you not to take me lightly. Didn't you think I might have come without armor?"
“No? I thought you were wearing it.”
While Chiron was distracted by the magic bullet, Ivan moved behind him and shot Chiron in the head with the muzzle of his gun.
Chiron fell to the floor with a 'ugh' sound.
“I told you I’d blow your head off if you messed with me.”
As Ivan grabbed Chiron's arm and forced his upper body up, Knox tied him up with a rope that was rolling around.
“There’s nothing you can gain by capturing me.”
Even while being caught, Chiron laughed out loud, wondering what was so funny.
“It would have been better if you had tracked down Madame Starr while you were holding me.”
“Please shut up. I want to kill you before I take you to the boss.”
The only saving grace was that they had attached a tracker to the hem of Emily's dress.
When she returned to the Sinope mansion, he planned to report to Killian via the communication port. In a fit of anger, he punched Chiron in the face and turned away.
A cold wind brushed the back of his neck, giving him a chilling feeling.
“Knox, Ivan.”
A voice that was so familiar, he couldn't believe he had already heard it.
“Killian!”
Ivan greeted him with half joy and half fear.
“What is going on here?”
Killian looked around with a cold, hard face.
“Emily.”
Although the tone was low and quiet, the voice contained within it seemed urgent, as if it might burst into flames at any moment.
He rode nonstop all the way to Sinope. He rode so fast that the smell of blood wafted from his throat.
But despite all the hurry, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Killian trudged over and grabbed Knox by the collar.
“Where’s Emily!”
And next to him, he saw Chiron, tied up and giggling. His anger surged.
"Killian, calm down. I've attached a tracker to Madam."
Killian, regaining his senses, released Knox. Knox gasped for breath.
“Yes, this.”
And then he handed him the tracking device he had in his pocket. Emily's movements were marked in red.
The Starr organization members who had rushed to Sinope territory with Killian also arrived here one after another.
It was obvious that they were running frantically to keep up with Killian's speed.
"I'm truly sorry I couldn't protect Madam. When this is all over, I'll gladly accept the punishment."
This was the first time he'd seen Knox like this. Chambers, who arrived late, also felt a heavy heart.
"You and Ivan stay with Pete and take care of Chiron. The rest of the crew will go find Emily."
"All right."
After hearing the situation, the Rezetta Family and the Gotio Family decided to attack the capital's base together.
This time, it was time to break the tenacious bond with the Giuliano organization.
There was a carrot-eating contest, a carrot cooking contest, a carrot game, a carrot girl contest, and even a carrot bachelor contest.
“It’s too much that only local residents can participate.”
Ivan grumbled at not being able to participate in the carrot bachelor contest.
“Where on earth does that confidence come from?”
Knox spoke to Ivan with a trembling expression.
“Why are you picking a fight again?”
“Even a handsome man like me can just sit still, so why are you making a fuss?”
“Huh? Do you think you’re more handsome than me?”
"Isn't that obvious? If I go out, I'll definitely be first."
“You have great delusions.”
While the two were bickering, Emily handed them apple and carrot smoothies.
“Try it.”
Now Emily knew how to break up their fight: just give them something to eat.
“Thank you, I was just thirsty.”
Ivan took it and drank it wholeheartedly.
“Wow, it’s really sweet and refreshing.”
“I don’t really like carrots...”
Knox muttered quietly and took a cautious sip. He couldn't ignore Emily's sincerity.
"Hmm?"
Knox, who had tasted the smoothie, lifted the cup again as if surprised.
“It’s tastier than you thought, isn’t it?”
Emily asked with sparkling eyes.
“Yes, did you put any sugar in it?”
“Not at all.”
Emily pointed to a poster in front of the sign. It advertised in bold letters: "A smoothie made with 100% apples and carrots."
“It’s amazing. It’s incredibly sweet, and it doesn’t have that earthy, carrot-like smell.”
“Sinope’s carrots are famous for being sweet.”
Emily looked pleased. Knox chuckled at her.
“When I see you like this, you are truly the lord.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Having once again succeeded in selling Sinope carrots, Emily headed lightly to the next festival venue. There, a prize was being awarded to the person who harvested the largest carrot of the year.
"Gasp!"
The carrots were so big that the farmer who won first place this time dug out the insides of the carrots and made a carrot cart.
“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen such a big carrot in my life.”
Knox, who was a picky eater of carrots, took a step back with a slightly disgusted expression.
“Maybe there was a magic stone mixed in with the fertilizer.”
If you were lucky, sometimes that would happen. Then, the crops that consumed the fertilizer would grow by leaps and bounds, becoming a landmark in the village.
“Ugh, the smell of carrots must be incredible.”
Before they knew it, people were lining up to ride the carrot cart one by one.
Knox frowned at those people.
“Wouldn’t you like to try it too, Mr. Knox?”
“Get out, you punk!”
Ivan had fun playing a prank on Knox, deliberately pushing him towards the carriage, even though he didn't want to.
Meanwhile, the farmer, who was paying attention to their commotion, noticed Emily among them and shouted happily.
"Miss!"
He pushed past people and ran towards them in one breath.
“It’s been a while!”
“Yes, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
As expected of Emily, who was friendly with the residents, she recognized him and greeted him warmly.
“You really grew some amazing carrots.”
The man scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by Emily's compliment.
“I worked hard to grow carrots, hoping to give you a ride in this carrot cart when you come to the festival.”
“Wow, so can that carriage move?”
"Ah..."
The man turned his head towards the carriage, following Emily.
“I put wheels on it, but I haven’t actually driven it, so I don’t know if it will work properly.”
He was very upset that Emily would be disappointed in the carrot cart that didn't move.
“It’s okay. I was just joking.”
Emily chuckled and walked toward the carrot cart. As she moved, Ivan and Knox quickly followed.
“Can I get on?”
Emily asked the host.
“Yes, don’t worry, it will never collapse.”
The host answered proudly and opened the carriage door.
Emily climbed in carefully, while Ivan and Knox stood guard at the door.
Because it was the festival season, many outsiders were visiting, so they had to be extra vigilant and guard her. Killian had especially warned them to be wary of those Giulianos.
Fortunately, they didn't see any suspicious people like that.
Because they were such archenemies, they knew the faces of most of the Giuliano organization members, and those whose faces they didn't know were likely low-ranking, so the two of them could easily deal with each other.
“How was it? How did you feel about riding the carrot cart?”
“It feels refreshing, like I’m in a carrot’s embrace.”
Emily tried the hard carrot chair and carrot wall. It seemed like a real trip on one of these might shatter her tailbone.
“Would you two like to try it too?”
The host also asked Knox and Ivan.
“No? Not really.”
“I’m fine too.”
The host's gaze turned cold at the two people's answers.
“Really? Well, if you could just get out of here, I’d appreciate it.”
“What? What is this kid talking about so shamelessly...?”
Before Ivan could even finish speaking, the man lowered the microphone he was holding onto his head.
“Whoa!”
The locals who witnessed the scene screamed and ran away, and in an instant, the festival turned into a scene of chaos.
“Ugh, who are you, kid!”
Ivan sat down on the floor, clutching his bleeding head.
Knox pulled a gun out of his pocket and aimed it at him.
“You dare to mess with us, knowing who we are. Do you want to die?”
At that, the host shamelessly chuckled and said.
“Don’t get excited. I know full well who you are.”
And then he lifted the mask he had been covering his face with, as if tearing it off. The grotesque sight sent people screaming and running in panic once again.
“What, what is it?”
Nox was speechless at the sight of that bewildering sight and could only watch the scene.
“How have you been, Knox?”
Finally, the facial features were clearly revealed, and the man greeted Knox with a relaxed expression.
“What the hell!”
As soon as he saw the man's face, Knox cursed loudly and quickly looked inside the carriage.
There wasn't any.
Emily, who should have been inside, disappeared without a trace.
He stared blankly at the door on the other side, which was open and swaying in the wind.
“Ma, Madam!”
Ivan, who had regained consciousness, was dumbfounded by the empty carriage. Seeing them standing there helplessly, the man laughed and opened his mouth.
“You underestimated us.”
“Shut up, Chiron!”
Knox aimed his gun at the man, shouting at him.
The man disguised as a social worker was none other than Chiron of the Giuliano organization.
“If you don’t tell me where Madam is right now, I’ll blow your head off.”
"Do you really think you can do that? If you kill me, you'll never find Madame Starr again."
At Chiron's words, Knox looked around with an indignant expression. It seemed they hadn't brought many people with them, as they had to sneak into the village quietly.
Those who came with him must have kidnapped Emily, leaving Chiron alone here.
“Why did you take away the innocent lady?”
“Because your boss cares about her.”
Chiron's answer was simple.
"Madam already decided to divorce Boss. She has nothing to do with the Starr family!"
"Aha, but your boss is personally assigning his own organization members as escorts? You've got to deceive them."
As Chiron had said, they had no choice but to admit they had been too careless. So that's why Alvin didn't trust them. Knox was overcome with a bitter sense of defeat.
“...So what are you planning to do with the madam?”
"Well? We should take your Madam and study what would most enrage Killian."
It wasn't worth listening to anymore. Knox fired a magic bullet straight at his shoulder.
“Ugh.”
Chiron, whose posture had collapsed for a moment due to the recoil, grabbed his shoulder and stood up again.
"I told you not to take me lightly. Didn't you think I might have come without armor?"
“No? I thought you were wearing it.”
While Chiron was distracted by the magic bullet, Ivan moved behind him and shot Chiron in the head with the muzzle of his gun.
Chiron fell to the floor with a 'ugh' sound.
“I told you I’d blow your head off if you messed with me.”
As Ivan grabbed Chiron's arm and forced his upper body up, Knox tied him up with a rope that was rolling around.
“There’s nothing you can gain by capturing me.”
Even while being caught, Chiron laughed out loud, wondering what was so funny.
“It would have been better if you had tracked down Madame Starr while you were holding me.”
“Please shut up. I want to kill you before I take you to the boss.”
The only saving grace was that they had attached a tracker to the hem of Emily's dress.
When she returned to the Sinope mansion, he planned to report to Killian via the communication port. In a fit of anger, he punched Chiron in the face and turned away.
A cold wind brushed the back of his neck, giving him a chilling feeling.
“Knox, Ivan.”
A voice that was so familiar, he couldn't believe he had already heard it.
“Killian!”
Ivan greeted him with half joy and half fear.
“What is going on here?”
Killian looked around with a cold, hard face.
“Emily.”
Although the tone was low and quiet, the voice contained within it seemed urgent, as if it might burst into flames at any moment.
He rode nonstop all the way to Sinope. He rode so fast that the smell of blood wafted from his throat.
But despite all the hurry, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Killian trudged over and grabbed Knox by the collar.
“Where’s Emily!”
And next to him, he saw Chiron, tied up and giggling. His anger surged.
"Killian, calm down. I've attached a tracker to Madam."
Killian, regaining his senses, released Knox. Knox gasped for breath.
“Yes, this.”
And then he handed him the tracking device he had in his pocket. Emily's movements were marked in red.
The Starr organization members who had rushed to Sinope territory with Killian also arrived here one after another.
It was obvious that they were running frantically to keep up with Killian's speed.
"I'm truly sorry I couldn't protect Madam. When this is all over, I'll gladly accept the punishment."
This was the first time he'd seen Knox like this. Chambers, who arrived late, also felt a heavy heart.
"You and Ivan stay with Pete and take care of Chiron. The rest of the crew will go find Emily."
"All right."
After hearing the situation, the Rezetta Family and the Gotio Family decided to attack the capital's base together.
This time, it was time to break the tenacious bond with the Giuliano organization.
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