Chapter 3 Pledge Of Loyalty

"Buddy, I think you came to the wrong place." As a proper underling, Monkey knew better than to let the boss respond to a random outsider first—it would make Blue Hair seem weak. So, without hesitation, he stepped forward, taking over the conversation with a dark, unreadable expression. "Huh? "Isn't this a robber hideout?" Hubert paused for a moment, then glanced around suspiciously. His eyes lingered on the weapons in their hands, and he muttered to himself, "Looks exactly like the memory from my dream..." "Watch your mouth!" We're upstanding citizens! Why the hell would we be robbing anything?" Monkey declared with conviction. Unfortunately, his menacing face and the weapons everyone was holding made his words sound extremely unconvincing. "Huh? You guys are this honest... just got to Black Street, huh? What's with all the caution? If you're robbing, just say it outright. On Black Street, that's not even considered shameful work!" Understanding dawned on Hubert's face, and his smile returned. Then, he shifted his gaze to Blue Hair. "You're the 'helmsman' here?" "What do you mean by 'helmsman'?" Blue Hair blinked, confused. He instinctively repeated the word. Hubert suddenly felt exhausted. "It means the boss! The big shot! The leader! The one calling the shots!" "Oh! Yeah, that's me! I'm the boss!" Blue Hair coughed, straightening up as if to exude authority. Then he studied Hubert carefully. "You're a Black Street local?" "Yes." Hubert nodded with a smile. "You want to join us?" Blue Hair asked again. Hubert nodded once more. "You Black Street folks really aren't very straightforward... So slow and roundabout! Alright, I'll ask you one question. If we were planning to rob Redted Bank, how do you think we should do it?" Now that he was certain of Hubert's intentions, Blue Hair wasn't in a hurry anymore. He waved his hand, signaling his men to back off a little. Then, he sprawled onto a chair, trying to appear imposing. To emphasize his strength, he even rolled up his sleeves, revealing his well-toned muscles. "Redted Bank, huh? Just rob it directly." Hubert barely took half a second to analyze before answering as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His response made Blue Hair's eyes light up instantly. "Exactly! I said we should just go in and take it, but Scarface insisted we needed some big, complicated plan. He went on and on about it—I almost thought everyone in Black Street had turned into a bunch of cowards!" For a moment, Blue Hair looked at Hubert with pure admiration. This guy got him. They were on the same wavelength! ...Except for that constant smiling—it was a little unsettling. "Alright! From today on, you're rolling with me. I—" Blue Hair was speaking boldly when Monkey suddenly leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Boss, we should be careful. What if this guy is a spy from the City Lord's Mansion?" "...Good point! What if you're a spy?" Blue Hair snapped out of his excitement, his expression turning suspicious. He spun his short knife between his fingers, looking menacing. "Tch... Outsiders are such a hassle. You want a blood offering?" Hubert sighed, glancing lazily at Blue Hair. Blue Hair nodded. "Of course. Just head outside, pick any random kid on the street—kids are easier—and then ..." "Kill!!!" "The hell are you doing?!" Before Blue Hair could even finish his sentence, his eyes widened in shock. In just two seconds, Hubert had somehow produced a dagger and driven it straight into the chest of the guy standing next to him. Before the blood could even spill, he smoothly retracted the blade and stepped to the side. The poor underling didn't even get a chance to make a sound. He collapsed instantly, lifeless. "You wanted a pledge of loyalty, right? Killing him was the fastest and most convenient option." Hubert looked at Blue Hair with an innocent expression. "A pledge of loyalty— You weren't supposed to kill him! Fuck!" Blue Hair's veins bulged as he pointed a trembling finger at Hubert, his face twisted in fury. But in the end, he couldn't even form a full sentence. Monkey and the rest of the crew were completely stunned. They had never seen anything like this before. He acted without hesitation, and after killing someone, he acted as if nothing had happened. People always said Black Street was the darkest place in Encten, a lawless land with no rules. Before now, they had never truly felt that reality. But now... A new kind of fear took root in their hearts. "You killed one of my men, right in front of me... You little bastard, today—" Blue Hair roared, grabbing the short knife from the table and stepping toward Hubert, his intent to kill crystal clear. "All of you, take him down! I don't care what it takes, this guy must—" "Boss!" Monkey shivered. This kind of lunatic... If they really fought, sure, they might take him down, but at what cost? What if he was the unlucky one to die? "Look, I admit what he did was over the line, but at least it proves he's not from the City Lord's Mansion! The City Lord's people would never handle things like this! Yeah, we lost a man... but we gained someone even stronger! "When you think about it, we won!" As the tension neared its breaking point, Monkey spoke rapidly, trying to calm Blue Hair down. The other underlings quickly nodded in agreement, backing up Monkey's words. Blue Hair stopped in his tracks. He took a deep breath, staring at the cold corpse on the ground, forcing himself to swallow his rage. "...Fine. I'll pretend today never happened. But from now on, no matter what, you do as I say!" "Deal." Hubert's smile returned as he nodded. Then, mimicking the other underlings, he took two steps back and stood beside Blue Hair. "Boss, let's hurry up and rob the bank!!!" Blue Hair froze. "How do you know I'm planning to rob the Redted Bank?" Seeing his men all staring at him with strange expressions, he waved his hand impatiently. "Forget it, doesn't matter. Let's go!" With that, he took the lead, pushing the door open and stepping onto the street. The others followed closely behind, their faces set in a menacing scowl. They looked like people who were about to 'do something big'! Within minutes, Blue Hair had led them to a spot right across the street from the Redted Bank—specifically, its Peace Street and Friendly Road branch. Only a single road separated them from their target. "Where's your weapon?" At that moment, Monkey glanced at Hubert's empty hands and asked in confusion. "Huh? Oh, I left it with that guy when I stabbed him earlier," Hubert recalled seriously. Monkey's face darkened. He glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice. "How the hell are you gonna do the job without a weapon?!" "Hmm... Give me a sec, I'll go rob one." Hubert nodded, casually scanning the street before heading toward a well-dressed man who looked scholarly and refined.