Mystery: The Ultimate Tarot

Chapter 14 Digesting the "Madman" Potion

(Thank you all for your favorites and recommendations. Although it's only been a few days since the book started, the number of favorites is growing rapidly. Thank you also for your votes. Here's an extra chapter to express my gratitude.)

When the grain merchant Holm saw Raphael take the hammer and noticed the man's slightly crazed expression, a bad feeling immediately arose in his heart: "Let me go! How much did Duke pay you? I can offer double the price..."

Raphael shook his head and said, "We're not here for the money."

Yes, for him, such actions were purely for entertainment.

As he spoke, Raphael squatted down and aimed the hammer at Raphael's shin: "Relax, I know the hardness of bones very well. I will slowly break your leg bone and let you experience the pain of bone breaking to the fullest extent."

Holm struggled even more fiercely: "Three times the price! I'll pay three times the price! Help!"

Audrey noticed that the madness in Raphael's eyes was growing stronger, and she couldn't help but frown, considering whether she should help Raphael calm his mad thoughts.

But she soon changed her mind. In this kidnapping incident, she was just a spectator, and her most important task was to carefully observe Raphael and then report her conclusions to Mr. Fool.

Meanwhile, Raphael's torture of the grain merchant continued, and one of the Mafia's henchmen pulled up Holm's trouser leg.

Raphael held a hammer in one hand and tapped his leg bone lightly with his index finger bent in the other: "This is where it's easiest to break, just a little tap will do..."

Then he changed his tone: "No, no, that's too easy on him. I think we should break his knee. Heh, breaking the knee requires taking out the bone fragments piece by piece, and it's very difficult to fully heal..."

Raphael's gaze not only turned crazed, but his face also gradually revealed the madness only a madman could possess: "I still suggest smashing the shinbone, letting it 'poof' through the muscle and skin, exposing even the bone marrow to the air..."

Like two doctors discussing a patient's condition, Raphael started discussing it with himself.

Meanwhile, the grain merchant Holm, already mentally tormented by Raphael, even broke down in tears, shouting, "Hahaha... ten times! I'll offer ten times the price of Duke!"

Raphael looked somewhat displeased: "Don't rush... Sigh~ Fine, since you're in such a hurry, let's just smash the shinbone, which is the easiest to break."

He identified the spot and then tapped it lightly.

"Ah~" Holm's eyes widened and he let out a scream.

Raphael tapped Holm's shinbone with his index finger again: "Sorry, I missed. It didn't break. Let's try again."

In fact, as a "criminal", he is skilled in various criminal methods, including various murder methods. Some inconspicuous tools in daily life can also be turned into murder weapons.

So Raphael certainly didn't make a mistake; he was deliberately torturing Holm.

Carter and the others were used to their boss's torturous methods. Audrey also realized that Raphael hadn't really made a mistake. Although she knew Holm wasn't a good person, she now felt great sympathy for the grain merchant.

Immediately afterwards, Holm's scream rang out: "Ah~ Storm above! Make this madman stop..."

Raphael, however, smiled maniacally: "Hey, it's still not broken. Let's do it again."

"Ah~ madman...you are a complete madman..." Holm cried out in pain, his face covered in sweat and filled with fear.

But he was met with another blow from the hammer. Holm's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse: "Ah~"

Raphael chuckled and said, "Thank you for the compliment."

As he spoke, he handed the hammer to his subordinate; this time, Holm's leg was truly broken.

Raphael took a deep breath, feeling that the "madman" potion in his body had been completely digested.

He then stood up: "Goodbye, Mr. Holm. I hope this blessing pleases you. Hahaha..."

Amidst laughter, Raphael removed Holm's armband, then turned and left, with Carter and his men following closely behind.

Audrey was also among the crowd. She was somewhat surprised, because the madness in Raphael's eyes had vanished almost instantly, and the mania on his face had been replaced by an arrogant smile in a second.

This made Audrey wonder: Was he really crazy or was he faking it?

On the return journey in the carriage, Raphael divided the money in Holm's wallet, giving each of his subordinates who had participated in the operation 10 pounds and Carter 20 pounds.

Smiles appeared on everyone's faces; for ordinary people, 10 pounds is already a considerable income.

Raphael also gave Audrey a five-pound note: "As a newcomer to this operation, I haven't been of any help, so this is all I can give you."

Audrey smiled and said, just like everyone else around her, "Thank you, boss."

At this moment, another Mafia member asked the same question that was on Audrey's mind: "Boss, why don't we just rob the money in their safe while we're at it?"

"We're not robbers," Raphael said, leaning back in his chair and smoking. "And you shouldn't think of yourselves as robbers, or hired thugs. That will only lead you astray!"

He took a drag of his cigarette and said with an arrogant smile, "To be a gangster with ideals, we need to earn respect, not just fear."

Apart from Carter and Audrey, the other members didn't quite understand what Raphael was saying; they just kept agreeing with him.

Carter had already grasped his boss's intentions, while Audrey appeared calm on the surface but had a strange feeling inside: "A gangster with ideals"? Good heavens, by the way, now even the Backlund gangsters are starting to talk about ideals?

Raphael then handed the armband that Holm had just worn to the Mafia member who had asked the question, instructing him to deliver it to Logan, Holm's friend and the one who had set the trap for Duke, as a warning.

The carriage returned to the Mafia headquarters, and Raphael led Audrey back to the "study" they had just been in.

Taking advantage of the fact that there were few visitors at the moment, Raphael said to Audrey, "Miss Hall, I think we should talk about the ransom issue."

Audrey was taken aback: "Ransom?"

"Of course." Raphael sat behind his desk, took out a cigarette and lit it. "I hope you can respect the work Carter and I did. We kidnapped you, and if you want to regain your freedom, of course you have to pay a ransom."

He had fully digested the potion, and his goal of kidnapping Miss Hall had been achieved. Keeping this beautiful lady around would only cause more trouble.

Audrey smiled and sat down opposite Raphael. "How much ransom do you want?"

"A 'werewolf' trait." Raphael took a drag of his cigarette. "If you have no objection to this ransom, then please write a letter to Earl Hall explaining the situation."

"I think even if Earl Hall isn't an extraordinary being, he should be able to get a Sequence 7 extraordinary trait relatively easily."

The price of such a special item would be around 1200 pounds, which is not a high ransom for a nobleman of Earl Hall's caliber.

Audrey pondered for a moment, then snapped her fingers in front of Raphael, feeling she had observed him sufficiently.

slap~

After she finished hypnotizing Raphael about some things, Raphael suddenly "recalled" the process of kidnapping Miss Hall, which was completely different from his original memory. She actually got on the carriage by herself!

And the lady he chatted with before the kidnapping was Miss Hall, yet Raphael never connected the two of them at all!

In an instant, Raphael, startled, dropped his cigarette: "You're an extraordinary being too?"

And it seems to be of a high level.