Chapter 38: Chapter 38 The Children of Meiruki’s Slave_1
"Meiruki’s children?" Veronica’s expression showed some surprise.
"Yes, S-level fugitive Meiruki, known in the Heretics Inquisition Bureau’s files as ’Queen Ant’. Meiruki is her alias in the underworld, and this alias has been active for nearly twenty years. On the surface, she Acts as an intermediary for hiring killers. But in reality, all the killers under her are ones she personally trained from childhood. She considers herself as a mother to these killers, collectively referred to as ’Meiruki’s children’. ’The Filthblood Reaper’ Avansa, is one of them."
Aiden searched his mind for the inherited information related to Avansa from the Heretics Inquisition Bureau and relayed it.
"This Meiruki, does she adopt orphans and train them to be killers?" Veronica probed further.
"The source of the children is still unclear; perhaps she adopts them through certain channels, or maybe she abducts them. There are also rumors suggesting some of the children are her own. In any case, she brainwashes these kids from a young age, enhances them with human experimentation, and personally teaches them killing techniques, using them as pawns to establish her base in the underground world," Aiden answered.
"Are the other children, like prisoner 3201, the same?"
"No, Meiruki has trained many killers, but only Avansa is her masterpiece. The other ’Meiruki’s children’ who have been caught are quite skilled killers, but none are as outstanding as Avansa. According to alchemists and doctors, the human experimentation Avansa was subjected to had a survival rate of no more than five percent. It must require a considerable investment to achieve such results. And logically, if there were a second ’Filthblood Reaper,’ they would have made a name for themselves in the underground world after Avansa was captured."
"Someone like that is still at large?" Veronica said, struggling to keep her anger in check.
"Unfortunately, yes, she’s still alive and well. The Heretics Inquisition Bureau hasn’t been able to gather any detailed information about her. They can only collect indirect information through informants," Aiden sighed.
"How can there be no information at all? If she considers herself the mother of those children and personally trained them, those kids should know her very well," Veronica pondered, "Could it be that prisoner 3201 refuses to speak?"
Aiden shook his head: "It’s not that she doesn’t want to speak, but that she can’t speak."
"What do you mean?" Veronica didn’t understand.
"The Heretics Inquisition Bureau has a method of secrecy utilizing demon contracts. Those who hold secrets and sign such a contract will be harmed immediately if they attempt to reveal any secrets to unauthorized persons. If they try to speak, their tongue will split on the spot. If they try to write, their finger bones will break, and in the most severe cases, the person’s heart might rupture. Meiruki possesses a similar method, and her technique is even more sophisticated."
"What kind of method?"
"Her black magic can seal a killer’s memory. Once a killer attempts to divulge information related to her, any impression of her in the killer’s mind will be forgotten—not completely erased, just temporarily forgotten. Have you ever put something down and then a second later couldn’t for the life of you remember where?"
"Of course, I have," Veronica admitted without hesitation.
Most people have certainly had similar experiences. Something that happened just moments ago can become a vague impression, impossible to recall.
"It’s similar to that feeling. Her black magic can erase the caster’s impression in other people’s minds, activating whenever someone tries to speak of the caster. Once activated, the person under the spell will develop a specific memory disorder, retaining a vague impression but unable to recall anything specific. Even if the caster stood in front of them again, they wouldn’t be able to identify her, unless she chose to lift the spell herself," Aiden explained.
"If that’s the case, isn’t that child... purely a victim?" Veronica lowered her eyes.
The circumstances of Avansa’s birth were even more tragic than she had imagined.
"A victim... Yes, that’s one way to put it." Aiden agreed with this statement.
From birth, she was raised as a tool by an assassin organization, forced to endure human experimentation, her body riddled with scars, with even her emotions and personality erased, her hands stained with blood, becoming the underground world’s king of assassins before being locked away in prison. Although her life was spared, it had been utterly destroyed.
"What was the child’s sentence, exactly?" Veronica asked cautiously.
"The court’s judgment for her was an indeterminate sentence," Aiden said slowly.
"Indeterminate sentence?"
"It means that the court sets a sentencing range, then based on regular observations and reports from the prison, the duration of the criminal’s sentence is adjusted within that range as needed," Aiden explained, "The range given to her starts at eight years, but there is no upper limit."
"Does that mean after eight years, if her behavior is good, she could have a chance to be released?"
Aiden was silent for a long time before he began to speak again, "On the surface, that is indeed what it means, but that’s only applicable to ordinary criminals. In reality, it’s a word game by the court. Their true intention is to incarcerate her for life."
"What!?" Veronica’s eyes widened in shock.
"She was too young when sentenced, the court couldn’t directly give her a heavy penalty, so they chose this sentence instead. In fact, even after eight years, if she has behaved like a model inmate without a single flaw, and I submit a report recommending her release, it will certainly be rejected," Aiden looked into Veronica’s eyes and said, "Her release from this prison is virtually impossible."
"Why must it be this way? She is clearly a victim herself..."
"But her danger to others is a reality. She’s a skilled assassin with a heart accustomed to killing; killing for her is as natural as breathing. Give her a pencil sharpener blade, and she could kill at least half the inmates in the core area. And she’s not even fourteen years old yet, she can still develop, increasing her danger," Aiden spread his hands, "With someone like that, why would the court ever want to easily let her out? Her being kept in prison isn’t because she is guilty, but because she is too dangerous."
Veronica was at a loss for words.
"I’ve heard you mention before that you’re an orphan who has been treated differently since childhood due to your werewolf lineage," Aiden folded his arms, "Do you sympathize with her because you see your own experiences in her?"
Veronica didn’t respond, simply lowering her head. Aiden had hit the nail on the head, when she saw Avansa curled up alone in a corner at noon, it reminded her of her own isolated playtimes in the orphanage.
"That child is different from you, you might have had a tough start, but at least you had a chance," Aiden said slowly, "But that child, she never had that kind of opportunity from the beginning."
