Chapter 276: The Sister and Younger Sister He Trusted Didn't Recognize Him[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 276: The Sister and Younger Sister He Trusted Didn't Recognize Him[R-18]
Lorein quickly subdued the blue-haired woman who had suddenly lunged at me.
But even after being knocked down, the woman didn't give up. She got back up and charged at me again.
It was obvious her body wasn't in a normal state; it seemed her rage had completely consumed her reason.
“Lee Hyun-woo, you son of a bitch! If it weren't for you... Gahk!”
But I didn't even need to step in to take her down again.
Ryuz, who had already grown into a remarkably skilled magician, simply flicked her finger.
Instantly, the woman was pinned by magical energy, unable to move a muscle.
No, it was more than that. Her head was pressed down so hard she couldn't even utter a sound.
“Ugh... Ughh... Hngh...”
“What, a bastard? Does this crazy bitch have a death wish, running her mouth like that?”
It seemed the women’s affection for me was deeper than I’d thought.
Ryuz, in particular, who worshiped and obsessed over me to a fanatical degree, was radiating a visible aura of fury.
The murderous atmosphere she gave off was so intense it felt like she might do something right then and there.
Even the relatively level-headed Lorein was looking down at the woman with an incredibly cold gaze.
“Ugh... Ughk...!”
The blue-haired woman finally managed to shift her eyes and take in the aura of the women who had subdued her.
At the same time, her face filled with confusion.
She looked as if she couldn't understand why they were doing this to her.
Simultaneously, she desperately tried to open her mouth.
“Ughk...!”
I pressed her head further into the ground, silencing her.
Then, I whispered quietly to ‘him.’
“I never thought you’d walk right into my hands.”
For a moment, the woman’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
Before she could do anything else, I quietly knocked her unconscious.
It didn't seem like she could do much in her current state, but there was always a chance.
Then, I turned to the sisters and calmly explained as if it were nothing.
“It seems she’s suffering from some kind of illness. Attacking someone who was just standing here. I put her to sleep for now, just in case.”
“Is she crazy? She charged at you like she wanted to kill you, and she was even cursing at you.”
Ryuz was already seething with killing intent.
If I hadn't been there, she looked ready to do something to the woman on the spot.
I decided to calm Ryuz down first.
I didn't want anything to happen to this guy here.
“She must have her reasons. You can’t blame people who are sick.”
“This isn’t something we can just let slide. What if she had a weapon? Or what if we hadn’t been strong enough to stop her? You could have been killed.”
“In any case, you two protected me, so I’m fine. That’s all that matters. Ah, but thank you, both of you.”
“Hmph... You’re too nice, Master.”
Ryuz looked like she wanted to argue more, but she softened immediately when I stroked her head and praised her.
It’s so convenient how she’ll let anything slide with a little praise.
As expected, a disciple thoroughly tamed by my lessons is useful in any situation.
Well, to be fair, aside from my issues with women, my reputation is actually quite good.
I’ve personally invested a great deal in the estate and even periodically help the servants with their chores.
To others, I am, objectively speaking, an outstanding person.
“Hmm.”
Lorein stared intently at the woman for a moment.
She looked like something was bothering her.
Could she have figured out his identity?
I doubted her thoughts could reach that far, but it might be a different story for a family member she’d known for a long time.
Fortunately, it seemed she wasn't thinking what I feared she was.
“Didn’t that woman say your name earlier? How would she know it?”
“Ah... well, I’m something of a celebrity. It’s a bit much to say it myself, but there are few on the continent who don’t know of me.”
“Hmph. I suppose that’s true. You are the greatest magician on the continent, after all. We’ve been together so long that I sometimes forget.”
Thankfully, she seemed to accept my explanation readily.
It wasn't as if I was entirely wrong.
While there were many who wouldn't recognize me on sight, anyone living in the kingdom would have at least heard my name.
That’s how significant my influence is in this kingdom, and indeed, across the continent.
“She probably saw a famous person and just charged at me while shouting my name. You run into people like that sometimes when you travel. They try to pick a fight with someone famous to make a scene.”
“I see. You have it rough.”
Lorein nodded with a sympathetic expression, then looked back down at the woman with cold eyes.
She didn't express it as openly as Ryuz, but Lorein was by no means a forgiving person.
If anything, she had an even sharper, more ruthless side.
“So, what are you going to do with her? We can’t just let this go.”
“For now, let’s put her in the lord’s castle dungeon so she can’t cause any more trouble. I’ll try talking to her once she wakes up.”
“Is there really a need for that? She didn’t just target you; we were targeted as well. This could go straight to trial.”
This world was still an aristocratic society.
While it rarely happened, attempting to assassinate a noble was an offense punishable by on-the-spot execution without any legal repercussions.
Moreover, this was the Armeina estate, and these were the lord’s daughters.
No one would care if she were killed.
Considering how respected Priscilla was as a lord, the estate’s residents would probably think she got what she deserved.
The fact that the two of them had subdued her without causing serious injury was, in itself, an act of great mercy.
“Still, she came at me calling my name. I should at least hear her out. She might have a reason or a story.”
“Sigh, you can be surprisingly soft. Well, if that’s what you want, I don’t mind.”
The sisters clearly weren't pleased with my lenient attitude.
But I had my reasons for securing this woman myself instead of having her punished.
In fact, considering this woman’s true identity and what was to come... the two of them might even feel sympathy for her.
‘Well, things just got interesting.’
I lifted the woman.
Completely unconscious, she was quite light.
Alright, let’s start by throwing her in her own family’s dungeon.
The Armeina dungeon was rarely used.
For one, the estate’s public security was exceptionally good.
Also, there was a separate prison, so only special criminals were confined here under the lord’s direct order.
As a result, the dungeon was kept quite clean, with almost no signs of use.
I tossed the woman into the deepest cell.
“Ugh...!”
She showed no signs of waking, even from the impact of hitting the floor.
Without hesitation, I slapped her across the cheek.
—Slap!
“Ghk!”
The pain finally brought the woman to her senses.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, then widened in shock as they focused on me.
“Lee Hyun-woo, you bastard...! Ugh!”
She tried to lunge at me, but her hands were magically fixed in mid-air.
She struggled desperately, but her hands wouldn't budge.
After struggling for a while, she seemed to realize it was useless and glared at me as if she wanted to kill me.
“Lee Hyun-woo... why are you here?”
“You’ll find that out soon enough. More importantly, why are you in this state?”
I asked, looking down at her with an incredulous expression.
“The Hero suddenly turned into a woman. This is news that would make the entire continent faint from shock.”
“Ugh...”
I had already figured it out by observing her reaction and her magical energy.
This person was undoubtedly the ‘Hero.’
Priscilla’s only son, the ‘former’ Hero who had banished me.
The woman before me was none other than my target of revenge, Leon.
An involuntary, dry laugh escaped my lips at the sight before me.
‘No wonder I couldn't find him.’
His condition had changed so drastically that I wouldn't have noticed if not for his attitude and magical energy.
His hair had grown long, and his face was quite youthful.
Even his chest and hips were rather well-developed, perhaps due to his mother’s influence.
He looked like a pretty girl who would be quite popular if she walked into town right now.
Who could have possibly imagined the Hero would end up like this?
‘I only told my informants to look for the Hero. Someone probably saw this changed version of him, but they would have never thought it was the Hero and just moved on.’
Honestly, who could have imagined the Hero would suddenly become a woman?
Even I could hardly believe it.
I had only deduced it from his hair color, the situation, and the information I had gathered on the Hero over time.
If he had played dumb and pretended not to know me, I might have never found out.
But thanks to him foolishly charging at me the moment he saw me, I was able to realize it immediately.
There weren't many people who held that kind of grudge against me.
‘This bastard’s stupidity is actually helping me.’
If he had just stayed hidden instead of coming back, I might have never found him.
I’d heard that many heroes had appeared throughout the kingdom’s long history.
But this guy was probably the first hero to lose his qualification for the Holy Sword by becoming a woman.
“Let’s start with a question. How in the world did you become a woman?”
“Shut up! Before that, you explain why you’re here—!”
His words were cut short.
—Thwack!
I had driven my fist straight into his stomach.
“......!”
The shock must have reached his lungs, as he just gaped, unable to even groan.
His body twitched and convulsed in agony.
He was never a tough one to begin with, but it seemed becoming a woman had made him even weaker.
The feel of my fist hitting her stomach was surprisingly soft and frail.
Had all the muscle he once had disappeared when he became a woman?
“Don’t piss me off. Unlike your sisters, you’re not cute at all when you act defiant.”
“You, you...”
—Slap!
I immediately struck him across the cheek as he ground his teeth.
I’d put some force into it, and his cheek swelled up, turning red.
Finally seeming to grasp his situation, he shut his mouth.
“There, there. From now on, you just answer my questions. If you do, I might even be a little kinder to you.”
“......”
He bit his lip hard, glaring at me with all his might.
Well, the conversation wouldn't go anywhere like this, so I suppose I’ll let it slide for now.
“Fine, whatever. Since it’ll come out eventually, I might as well tell you. You asked why I’m here, right?”
He looked up at me, his face tense.
I sneered at him and said:
“Because I fucked your childhood friend maid, your younger sister, your older sister, and even your mother.”