Chapter 539
Chapter 539
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 539
Chapter Title: Reincarnated as the Count Family's Plum Blossom Sword Guard
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"……."
Back again.
I'd clearly smashed a Thunder Fist into some bastard's face, yet here I was, back on the rickety old bed.
'Ha, things are getting messy. In the original story, Kyle never died or failed... I thought if I died or failed, I'd return to my original world... But if that's not the case, I can't act freely.'
Does not align with the objective.
The meaning was simple. Act in accordance with the objective.
'No. It's too early to be sure.'
I jumped out of bed.
For now, let's get out of this stuffy place.
I flung the door open. A rundown straight hallway stretched out before me. Through the window, the sun was slowly rising into the sky.
I strode down the hall and out of the building at the end. Kids around my age, looking similar to my current appearance, were lined up neatly in front of the entrance.
There wasn't a hint of smiles on their faces. They wore black suits like the butlers, with gloves on their hands and ties around their necks. The clothes were impeccably neat, without a single wrinkle.
"…No. 21. Why are you in pajamas?"
The kid at the very front asked me.
"Mind your own business."
"……."
I ignored the kids in butler uniforms and headed outside.
And soon enough, a message appeared before my eyes.
I returned to the rickety bed again.
I didn't give up. This time, I went out through the hallway window.
'If I can't escape...'
I killed someone I ran into. You never know. Maybe like in a game, killing someone advances to the next stage.
But my hopes vanished.
After several attempts, I had no choice but to admit it.
This damn thing would just keep looping me back to the start unless I acted exactly as it wanted.
'...Should I go back to reality and let it auto-progress? No. The avatar just tries to escape based on my actions too. I haven't tried suicide yet, but it probably won't work.'
Hoo.
I let out a sigh.
'Let's think step by step from the beginning. The objective. So Chapter 1 is...'
Right now, I was a servant of the Duke of Filtania family. An orphan still undergoing brainwashing and training as a trainee butler.
"So what I need to do is..."
"……Tch."
I clicked my tongue briefly after seeing the message. It pissed me off in several ways, but the advice would be helpful going forward.
I opened the wardrobe to find three identical butler uniforms prepared. I took one out, put it on, and headed outside. I went to the back of the line of young butlers standing at attention and mimicked their stance.
It was quiet.
The young butlers stared straight ahead without even whispering.
'Fifteen of them. Am I the last?'
Moments later, a sharp-featured butler with a club in hand appeared.
"Did you sleep well last night? You'll have a day similar to yesterday. But I believe you'll improve more today than you did yesterday. If not, you'll be disposed of. Don't forget that."
I gritted my teeth.
I hated his arrogant attitude and the look in his eyes that placed him above me.
'Just a lowly butler...'
But I had to endure. Hitting him here would just send me back to the start.
And so began my cursed butler life.
???
"A Filtania butler must be able to do everything. We don't expect master-level skill. But at least veteran-level competence is required. Even if it's cooking."
Following Kopan's orders, I cooked. From morning, he ranted about making soup and steak.
I had no talent for cooking and failed several times, returning to the rickety bed each time. After about ten resets to the start, I was fed up and on the verge of exploding.
I even felt anxious that I might have to do this forever.
'Fuck. If there's no way, I'll have to auto-progress... No matter how talentless I am, if the avatar repeats it hundreds or thousands of times, it'll pass.'
But there was no need to assume the worst. I'd figured out the trick.
'Taste doesn't matter. Just make it look convincing.'
For example, the steak. I grilled it halfway, slathered on some haphazard sauce. It looked like a delicious steak on the surface.
Kopan ate my steak and nodded.
"No. 21. Excellent. It could pass for a professional chef's work."
"Thank you."
I swallowed a hollow laugh as I replied.
I'd dumped an entire jar of salt into the sauce on Kopan's steak. Normally, he'd spit it out the moment it touched his tongue.
'In other words, appearances are all that matter. Even if it's empty inside.'
I dipped my pinky into the sauce I'd made and tasted it.
"Ugh! Ptui! Ptooey!"
The saltiness hit me hard. I stuck out my tongue and frantically searched for water, rinsing my mouth.
"No. 21! What the hell are you doing! You wretched fool! That's unbecoming of a Filtania butler! Get on your knees now!"
"You get on your knees, you bastard!"
I slammed a Thunder Fist into his jaw.
It was a perfect uppercut.
???
Cleaning came after cooking.
This was easy. Unlike cooking, it wasn't complicated, and since the place was already clean, pretending to clean was enough to pass.
In the afternoon, we had classes. History, math, language.
I got a few questions in history and math, and failed instantly, returning to the bed. The language class was in a common tongue familiar to me, translated in sight and sound, so I passed easily.
We also got brainwashing education about how great the Filtania family was and how they were the only ones who took in orphan scum like us.
After that, we trained our bodies and learned swordsmanship. Assassination techniques. Since I was already at a high level, I picked up basic swordplay quickly.
"Good work. Today's schedule is over. Enjoy your personal time and go to sleep."
After washing up and returning to my room, I clicked my tongue.
'How long do I have to keep this up?'
During a failure midway, I'd returned to reality and auto-progressed a few times. The avatar flawlessly followed my successful path. Even if reset to the start, I didn't have to repeat the boring parts forcibly.
'In the original, you could skip... Maybe not here?'
"Oh. Finally. Of course, skip."
The space around me warped.
"That damn Kopan. Hope his nose falls off."
I said that, but I didn't want to go back to the start, so I followed the advice.
In the morning, I tidied up. Shaved my head, trimmed my nails, changed into the new clean butler uniform provided. The separately given necktie had "21" written on it.
Then we boarded a carriage to Filtania Castle. Turns out the place I'd been was a mansion-like annex quite far from the castle.
In the carriage, Kopan repeatedly urged us.
"Recall all the education you've received so far. Maintain proper speech, conduct, and posture. Remember, one mistake means disposal."
Kopan repeated this to me and the other eight young butlers. It was natural for him to be anxious. If we messed up, the blame would fall on him as our instructor.
'Wasn't it fifteen? Hm. Seven were disposed of.'
Disposal meant death.
The carriage arrived at the castle, and the trainees moved according to Kopan's orders.
We entered a large room. There were chairs, but we couldn't sit. We stood at attention against the back wall.
"The family head and retainers will arrive soon. Don't ask questions, maintain posture, don't stammer if questioned, keep your eyes down."
I wished someone would shut that Kopan bastard up.
Clunk.
The door opened, and a group approached. Over thirty people. Ten knights and servants, twenty family head and retainers, including family members.
"I wanted to see the faces of the butlers who will become part of our family. Raise your heads."
At the dignified, soft voice, the trainee butlers and I raised our heads in unison.
It was a woman in a splendid white dress. She looked mid-to-late thirties. Beautiful face and figure. Her eyes were cold, but she exuded a ruler's charisma.
The head of the Filtania family, the Duchess.
The one whose mere entrance silenced Kopan.
Normally, I'd get excited thinking of pinning her down, but my gaze went to the girl behind the Duchess, around my age, with a familiar face.
Shining silver hair and blue eyes.
No way I'd fail to recognize her just because she was younger.
Yuria Grace.
She wore a white dress similar to the Duchess's.
I wasn't too surprised.
I'd expected it from hearing "Filtania lady" and "butler." If I was the butler, the lady could only be Yuria.
'What?'
I thought Yuria would at least glance at me. Even if the atmosphere prevented talking, her eyes would meet mine.
'Yuria's physical abilities surpass mine, and if I send telepathy... Wait, in the original, Kyle's abilities were weakened at the start of this episode. If my full power is the anomaly?'
And if this world's center wasn't Yuria, but me? What if she'd lost her memories because of that?
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
Even starting over from the beginning, I needed to check.
"Yuria!"
Yuria's gaze turned to me. So did the Duchess and retainers around her. They were shocked, as if they never imagined I'd call Yuria by name.
Yuria reacted first.
"What a disappointment. I heard the trainee butlers here were exceptional talents to be the family's pride..."
"Yuria! Don't you remember me? I'm your master! It's Yujin!"
"Beyond rude, you're insane. A mere trainee claiming to be my master? Does Mother think a lunatic is talent?"
The Duchess glared at me with a furrowed brow and hardened face.
"As if. This is a mutant, a failure. I was told No. 21 was the best, but that report was fake. Dispose of him with the person in charge."
The Duchess and Yuria turned and left the room.
The retainers clicked their tongues at me.
"Never seen a guy like this."
"Where did it go wrong?"
"He hasn't been disposed yet, so he must have talent... Did he snap? Or was he always crazy?"
The retainers looked at me curiously before leaving.
The high-ups were gone, but the knights remained.
Summary execution. Swift and decisive.
"No. 21!!! What the hell have you done!!! Because of you! Me! Here!!!"
Kopan grabbed and shook my shoulders as if to crush them, screaming. As the person in charge, he'd be disposed with me.
"……."
The knights approached, drew their swords, and swung mercilessly.
Kopan and I amiably lost our heads together.
