Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: 20. This World Won't Leave Me Alone. (4)
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“So, No. 1000 is already chasing me?”
“Y-Yes…….”
I nodded as I gazed at her anxiously trembling eyes.
“You’re not lying, are you?”
“No! Absolutely not, never!”
Her eyes, which had been shaking at a level 3.0 just moments ago, now began quaking at a full 9.0.
She wasn’t even restrained with those old magic-suppressing tools anymore, so I’d improvised by placing the iron bat between them to prevent any escape.
For reference, the reason No. 17 was reacting like this was because every time I expressed doubt, the iron bat’s hand crept up onto her shoulder.
“Hmm…… Really?”
“Y-Yes!”
And right beside her was a golden-haired beauty, but her true identity was the hero of the Church of Nature who had single-handedly slain an ancient dragon. She nodded with trembling eyes just like No. 17.
For reference, the iron bat’s hand was resting on her shoulder too.
“Alright…….”
Thanks to the hero, Blackie had gone missing.
Fortunately, we found Brownie, so we could still move the carriage, but there was no helping the drop in speed.
Our mobility was compromised at a time when every second counted!
This was all that wicked hero’s fault.
“Should I just tie you up and ship you off to Nayden Kingdom…….”
“Please, do that!”
Normally, she’d freak out and refuse, but was it because of the iron bat nearby?
The hero was the one begging to be sent to Nayden Kingdom.
“You’re saying you’ll run away alone? You traitor!”
“If you’d done your job properly, it would’ve ended with just you dying!”
“Argh! If you hadn’t called me, you’d be the only one dead!”
As the two started bickering again, I snapped my fingers once.
“My little sister’s playing outside, so…… Big Sis, Big Bro, could you shut up for a bit?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Y-Yes…….”
Or should I make you shut up?
Thanks to the iron bat, who whispered that while throwing an arm around both their shoulders, their mouths snapped shut on their own.
Last night, after the iron bat had satisfyingly vented her urges, leaving the two collapsed like corpses, I’d stuffed them into the carriage. And just before dawn today, after barely finding Brownie, we’d set off again.
We’d been driving the carriage hard, never knowing when someone might catch up from behind, and that continued until the screams of the man and woman inside the carriage rang out.
Well, waking up to the iron bat’s face first thing in the morning would provoke that kind of reaction.
However, waking our sleepy little lady in the process was a very bad move, so I’d given them a stern warning.
Through the iron bat, of course.
Thanks to that, I’d shoved the two tight-lipped ones to the farthest corner of the carriage and sent my precious daughter outside with the cat and Kkoko to build a snowman or something.
I wasn’t such a bad dad that I’d interrogate them in front of my daughter.
The interrogation had been simple.
Both were terrified of the bat, and they understood that this little girl was one of only two in existence, but still the top of the bat world: the iron bat. So they spilled everything they knew without a hitch.
Of course, there might be lies mixed in.
According to them, these two were ultimately under the imperial princess’s command.
The princess collecting my disciples one by one like some kind of collector gave me chills, and I felt a momentary pity for my disciples who’d ended up working under her out of all places.
But I tossed that pity far away when I realized they’d all come to catch me anyway.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected her to swallow Yuglasia Academy whole.
I bet they were thrilled when night self-study got canceled.
Then New Year’s hit, and night self-study started right back up—how much of a shock to the back of the head was that?
And according to No. 17 Nermia, who’d transferred there, Rain had even beaten her with a wooden bat.
If it were me, I’d have ditched nobility and family to become a runaway ninja wandering the world.
- You’re still doing that now.
- Obviously.
The imperial princess’s forces just kept getting stronger with each passing day.
Was she really building a force that could take on the empire alone?
According to No. 17, current Yuglasia was even stronger than when I was there.
What? Even back then, we had god-tier summoners and swordmasters.
Stronger than that? Then it really was a secret organization for world conquest?
This wasn’t academy level anymore!
- And who laid the foundation for that?
- Me.
Tsk.
If I were still teaching there, I’d be raking in insane incentives.
Parents clueless about—or just indifferent to—the academy’s true nature would’ve poured in every penny, begging to enroll their kids, stuffing my pockets with bribes!
Remembering how I’d fled without even breaking even made my heart ache even more.
- But thanks to that, you met your little sister.
- That’s my one consolation.
If I hadn’t met my daughter in those mountains, she might’ve died there.
A world without such a cute, pretty, lovable, perfect little girl? That’d be a loss on a cosmic scale—no, multiversal.
Every male lead candidate on the continent owes me a thank-you!
“What should we do…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Even as my mind raced with thoughts, they stayed silent.
They knew well that keeping quiet was best for their well-being.
“Should I just leave you here?”
A subtle spark of hope flickered in their eyes.
“Or take you along…….”
Their eyes darkened again.
“Nah. Too much hassle. Maybe just wipe you out…….”
Hope in their eyes again?
What? Isn’t it terror time now?
Does dying look hopeful? They hate the iron bat that much?
- This is your class specialty.
- Not in a good way, though.
Sighing deeply as I looked into their hopeful eyes, I shook my head.
These fools. I taught them to survive by any means necessary, yet my pathetic disciples had forgotten their master’s teachings!
Even after a bat-beating, this life is precious!
- It doesn’t work on you, owner.
- That’s why I can say it. Others wouldn’t think like that.
Of course, it doesn’t faze me, so I can spout this.
Me? The kind of guy who’d spill every secret the moment I pick up a torture tool.
If you’re gonna talk anyway, better do it while you’re still intact, right?
- And yet you raised your kids harshly, telling them never to spill secrets.
- That’s what the organization ordered.
I followed orders from above.
But accepting it? That’s their choice!
- You beat your first little bro to teach him that.
- Only by enduring that do you earn true freedom.
- Quick question: anyone actually endure it?
- Of course not.
Surviving that means you’re immune to normal torture anyway—no reason to break you.
Of course, in front of the iron bat, that’s another story.
“Alright, you two have two choices.”
I lowered my voice, channeling my old instructor tone for the first time in ages.
“One: run away with me.”
They perked up at “run away,” clearly itching to escape the princess.
From what I’d heard, they’d been dragged there half-forced—no, fully forced.
- Probably weighing big sis princess against you, owner. Princess wins by a landslide, of course.
- What nonsense! Better with a normal guy like me than that psycho!
- Owner… where’s your conscience?
My conscience is always safe in my heart.
And I’ll prove it right now!
“Two: go back if you want, but don’t reveal my location…….”
“We’ll never tell!”
“On our lives!”
“Pfft…….”
The iron bat burst out laughing—not in her mind, but for real.
“Puhahaha!”
““Eek!””
The two trembled in terror at her laugh, but something more pressing demanded my attention first.
- What?
- My mood.
Heh. I trained them so well they’re scared of me in their dreams.
I’m definitely no “good instructor.”
But still…!
- Compared to the princess, I’m the sane one!
Choosing her over me!
Such insolent disciples!
- It’s the money! That imperial salary even tempted me! They’re staying for the pay!
- Owner… they’re nobles. Big nobles! One’s the magic tower master’s granddaughter, the other’s from the grand ducal house with no one above but the imperial family! They just wanna live. You taught ’em that, right?
- Realistically, easier to survive by my side than the princess’s!
- Looking at what happens around you, owner, not really—but fine, I’ll say you’re right. Even so, if the princess chases us? Better to hide quietly in that disaster you call pursuit than face it head-on, no?
Her logical counter left me stumped.
Her silver tongue rivaled a dragon slayer awakening self-awareness by stabbing a dragon heart!
Ego weapons really do grow, huh?!
- What’s with that detailed backstory?
- It’s there. A tale of finding my father’s son.
Fair enough. Our iron bat has no flaws compared to dragon slayer.
Same speech, same human transformation.
But ours can use her built-in abilities as normal attacks post-transformation?
- Obviously! This goddess is invincible!
True that.
Thanks to the undefeated iron bat, I’ve survived on the run just fine.
So, time to make full use of her.
“I understand your wishes.”
Look at those hope-filled eyes.
Hope arises when possibility glimmers.
Even in daily life.
Say there’s a plushie right at the gacha entrance, easy pickings. Or you buy a lottery ticket, snag rising stocks, or jump on Bitcoin hype!
You can win. It can hit. Price can rise.
Belief fuels hope, drives the challenge.
No one’d pump coins into a gacha everyone knows is a money pit, buy worthless stock turned to trash, or grab useless crypto.
But show humans hope upfront, and they can’t resist.
Just endure this! Just get past that!
So, I have hope too!
Some god of hope for scum like them might smile down, but not kind-hearted me.
“Taking your opinions into account…… you’re coming with me!”
- Owner, your humanity?
Hahaha!
How humane!
Unlike those who dangle hope then torture with it, I drop you straight into despair—no false hopes!
Teaching life’s truth: just give up, it’s easier!
What true master does that?
- That’s my owner… no humanity in sight! So bad it’s kinda cool!
The two pairs of hope-filled eyes went blankly dead.
The moment I spoke, I’d already plotted exactly how to use them.
Alright, disciples! Let’s head to the demon realm together!