[Trantor - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
<strong>Chapter 59 - Brutal and Ruthless</strong>
"Sylvia. We have a problem."
"...What problem this time?"
"I need to get a 15-year-old hired at Vermont Security. By the way, the kid’s an orphan."
"That’s not possible."
"..."
A firm answer.
Sylvia pushed her sses up and red at me.
The grand office in the training ground.
Sitting there holding a pen, Sylvia looked every bit like a professional manager.
Who was that strange woman walking around with a fork in her hair?
"All employees must be adults. Wasn’t that what you yourself requested?"
"That’s true, but... the situation has changed. The kid’s young, sure, but he’s a college student. Smart and strong."
"That makes it even more impossible. Children with strong physical abilities are difficult to control and more likely to cause idents. I’m speaking from experience, so please don’t take this lightly."
Sylvia spoke seriously.
"Are you talking about yourself?"
"...In any case, it’s not happening. I’m already swamped with training the staff, and I can’t take on the responsibility of looking after a kid as part of my duties."
"Come on, let’s give it a shot. The kid figured out how to handle mana on his own."
"Is that true?"
Only then did Sylvia start showing interest.
Mana maniption.
Sylvia, Julia, and even Charlotte use mana maniption via the Super Strong Sword, so it might not seem like a big deal.
But in reality, it’s one of the most crucial skills that determines a mage’s talent.
Many mages are unable to manipte mana directly and have to rely on magic circles or magical objects.
The ability to use magic solely through one’s own body is a rare blessing.
And those who master mana maniption on their own are considered to have overwhelming talent.
Since mana maniption is something that usually requires countless trial and error without proper guidance, achieving it at a young age suggests that the person has an enormous amount of mana.
"Now I understand your intention, Lord...!"
"...?"
"You didn’t mean for me to simply be a nanny for some kid! This is a child who independently learned mana maniption, with an extraordinary amount of mana and mana affinity, and without any guardians...! You want me to cultivate a loyal human weapon who fights only for the Vermont family!"
"No, that’s not it..."
"I’m a halfpetent person who can’t generate mana. Charlotte may have swordmaster-level firepower when using the Super Strong Sword, but she’s still unstable. And Julia is nonbat personnel. So you want me to create the spear and shield that will risk their life on the front lines for the Vermont family...!"
"..."
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ ps like a seal in admiration!]
Sylvia, who looked as if she had just heard a fragment of a n for human annihtion, was utterly shocked.
This girl is doing this on purpose at this point.
A human weapon? Come on.
I saw the original An Vermont try to pull that nonsense and get taught a lesson firsthand. Would I do the same thing?
The heart of Yuri, who’s a protagonist by nature, won’t be broken.
He can’t be corrupted no matter what.
‘It’s absolute. It’s something you can’t change.’
From beginning to end, Yuri is the epitome of a righteous protagonist.
The more pain and despair he faces, the more he grows into a monster.
In the original story, after killing An Vermont, he even spared the employees and left the mansion in peace—a true noble character.
That’s who Yuri is.
"No, I actually meant for you to do nanny work."
"...?"
Sylvia tilted her head in confusion.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Then, suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ demands an exnation, wondering what this means.]
"She’s Charlotte and Julia’s friend."
"Ah. I understand now. Why didn’t you say that from the start?"
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ fully supports your decision.]
Right. I should’ve said it like that from the beginning.
I slightly regretted it.
Kali also quickly switched attitudes.
As expected, whenever Charlotte and Julia are involved, Kali bes infinitely more lenient.
"Oh, I remember. Isn’t that the ve Lady Irene was trying to transport who escaped?"
"That’s the one."
"Then we should inform Charlotte and Julia about this. It’s been several months since they parted ways, and I’m sure they miss her terribly."
"No. We’ll keep it a secret for now."
"Why is that...?"
"Yuri is under a serious misunderstanding, thinking I’m abusing Charlotte and Julia. If I let them meet, I don’t know what kind of reaction it will cause. I’ll be keeping Yuri isted at the training grounds in Arient for the time being."
There’s no other choice.
As a hot-blooded protagonist, once Yuri gets an idea in his head, it won’t go away easily.
Even if Charlotte and Julia tell him An Vermont isn’t that bad, Yuri will think they’ve been brainwashed.
I have to approach this carefully.
"May I ask why you believe Yuri has this misunderstanding?"
"You know the academy student I’m sponsoring? That’s him. I figured it out from the letters we exchanged."
"Ah. So you’ve been exchanging letters with someone who absolutely despises you, all while hiding your identity?"
"That’s right."
"My Lord... Forgive me for saying this, but that’s incredibly shady..."
"..."
If you thought it might be offensive, you shouldn’t have said it.
For a moment, I seriously considered docking Sylvia’s pay.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was stroking her chin, looking even more puzzled.
"If I understand correctly, Yuri Brussels entered Vermont Security with the intention of watching for an opportunity to take revenge on you."
"Exactly."
"Then why, my Lord, are you allowing this kid in? Why would you willingly hold a knife that could stab you at any moment...?"
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ nods vigorously, demanding an answer.]
It seemed both Sylvia and Kali were curious about this.
It’s a fairly simple reason.
"Sylvia. Why didn’t you remove your own seal and leave my side?"
"Because you said it yourself. If I’m suspicious, I should stay by your side and keep an eye on you. So I decided to stay close and monitor you. It gives me peace of mind to have you within my sight."
"It’s the same reason. I feel I’ll be at ease if Yuri is within my sight too."
"Ah...!"
If Yuri were in the military, I wouldn’t know what kind of nonsense he was up to or how he might go astray, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
But if I bring him into Vermont Security?
I’ll know exactly what techniques he’s honing and how to counter them.
And if he starts going off track, I can correct him through Sylvia.
It’s a perfect n in many ways.
But there’s a fatal w.
If Yuri wants toe after me, he’ll have a direct route to the mansion and could get there in no time.
"Wait!? How do you know I can remove the seal...!?"
"Anyway, I’m counting on you to take care of Yuri."
I hurried out of the office, leaving a bewildered Sylvia behind.
Now, I’d left Vermont Security entirely in her hands.
Things would work out somehow.
.
.
.
Vermont Highway
Inside the carriage racing down the road named after the Vermont family, Yuri was biting his lip with a serious expression.
‘To catch a tiger, you have to enter its den...’
Right when Yuri had made the decision to enlist, a proposal arrived from the benefactor.
It was an invitation to join Vermont Security instead.
The person running the securitypany, Sylvia, was apparently an acquaintance of the benefactor.
Ironically, the owner of the securitypany was none other than An Vermont.
In a twist of fate, Yuri would be training under the very enemy he was determined to defeat.
‘Will An Vermont recognize me?’
Yuri shook his head.
An had never seen Yuri’s face.
Yuri had escaped before reaching the Vermont estate.
Even when they had crossed paths at the academy, An hadn’t shown any sign of recognition, so it was certain.
An remembered this face as Yuria Brussels.
When Yuri had boldly dered admiration for An back then, had that left a positive impression?
Hopefully.
To stab the enemy in the heart, first, you must gain their favor.
"Take me to the Vermont estate. But don’t go too close, just somewhere I can see the mansion."
Yuri called out to the driver and changed the destination.
Although Vermont Security’s headquarters was in Arient, now that Yuri was here, the thought of scouting the Vermont estate came to mind.
If possible, Yuri wanted to make sure Charlotte and Julia were safe...
‘But maybe I won’t be able to see them?’
Was An Vermont hiding Charlotte and Julia in a lightless prison underground?
Was he degrading them, feeding them from dog bowls?
Was he torturing them, keeping them from sleeping properly...?
As all these wild thoughts spun through Yuri’s mind, anxiety grew.
"We’ve arrived. Should I get closer?"
"No. This is fine."
The carriage stopped at a spot where the mansion’s garden was clearly visible.
Yuri gazed at the empty garden for a moment, lost in thought.
I really can’t see them after all.
An must be keeping them tightly hidden away.
Sniffing, Yuri rubbed a hand over his nose.
Thud, thud!
Suddenly,
the sound of the ground shaking grew louder.
"What the...!?"
A massive shape emerged from behind the mansion.
A beast! An ugly, mud-colored beast!
Is this the creature guarding the Vermont Mansion?
The enormous presence of the beast, towering high above the mansion, made Yuri feel his body stiffen and shiver with fear.
"Ah! Ahh…!"
But what was even more shocking was.
The small figures riding atop the beast.
Recognizing the faces of Charlotte and Julia, Yuri''s face turned to despair.
''To think that he would put the hostages on top of the beast’s head so they can’t escape! An Vermont, you cruel viin…!''
He had thought such things only happened in fairy tales.
To think someone would actually do that!
With tears streaming down his face, Yuri sharpened his resolve for revenge in his heart.
[Trantor - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]