Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: 3. And the Story Begins. (8)
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# 25
“Hahaha, it's burning nicely.”
-Master, Master! You know how I knew you were such a scumbag that even calling you a son of a bitch would be a sin for the dogs, but isn't this going too far?
“The organization betrayed me first.”
-Yeah, I know that. But why did pressing a few buttons in your room make the surrounding buildings explode? Was that set up because the organization betrayed you too? Do you have the ability to turn a building into a bomb in an hour or something?
Argh, what a noisy bastard! In times like this, do this. Squeeze.
Boom!
-... Wow. Isn't that place where all the organization's big shots are gathered? Weren't your disciples, the ones you used to beat up, there too?
“You only know one side and not the other.”
-What's with the sudden serious tone? And what don't I know?
“My disciples wouldn't miss a chance to bolt when the organization is in the perfect spot to collapse!”
-Tsk, bragging!
“I raised my disciples to be strong!”
-What's that got to do with this!
“Escaping makes you strong!”
What makes the ultimate sleazy bastard from that corrupt village so powerful? He was an escape ninja!
Escaping makes you strong. Escaping means leaving the group, and groups always send people to drag escapees back.
So escaping means being chased, and to survive, you have to get strong on your own!
No, to even escape in the first place, you need to be strong enough to shake off the pursuers!
In other words, whether it's one way or the other, escapees are powerful. I raised my disciples strong, so they all must have escaped.
Anyone loyal to the organization doesn't deserve to be my disciple!
-Master, Master, enough bullshit. It's time for us to bolt too.
“Yeah, just one last vault to open anyway.”
-That vault I was stuck in? It was so damn cramped and miserable.
I ignored the iron bat chattering on about the bad smell and poor ventilation. Ventilation in a vault would be the real problem.
Ventilation means holes, right? A vault just needs to protect its contents.
“Lily. Lily. Hmm. That's a lily too. And that one's a lily.”
-And my tastes run to lilies too!
“Shut up.”
-Hng, respect my tastes!
I don't know where it picks up this crap, but I left the noisy iron bat alone and diligently searched for the lily-patterned seal. Problem was, there were eight lilies.
“Too damn many.”
-That's because you stole so damn many seals, Master! What the hell? Looks like at least fifty. Are there that many nobles in the empire?
“Way too many.”
Dukes and marquises are limited, but there are a fair number of counts.
Of course, true upper nobility counts aren't that numerous, but as the land expands, their numbers grow a bit.
And viscounts and barons? Way too many. Especially barons—most don't even have territory. Slightly successful merchants and knights get baronies handed to them.
Some countries give tax exemptions to new nobles, but in the Karan Empire, higher nobles pay more taxes, so anyone who looks a little well-off gets a barony shoved at them like extortion.
Refuse? Get accused of treason for ignoring the emperor's decree. All assets confiscated. So they have no choice but to accept.
As expected of the princess's father. That bloodline has some innate talent for squeezing people.
Must be the dragon blood. They have a natural gift for extortion.
Thanks to that, my income's solid. High nobles use rare metals or enchanted seals, but lower nobles—viscounts and below—splurge to show off.
I don't get why stamps need pricey gems, but it keeps my funds flowing, so thanks. Anyway, grab all the lilies, stuff the rest in another pouch.
Business here is done, so head to Evac Route 11. Once there, the next step is obvious!
“Alright, time to blow that place up too.”
-My master's a terrorist! Even blowing up his own house—what a terrorist!
Right, my name is Naruan! Former senior instructor of the organization, master of explosives! Secret technique, Ex... Squeeze.
Boom!
“Hello, my home, my workplace.”
-Unemployment benefits. My master's on unemployment! Middle-aged unemployment—now what do we eat, sob sob...
“What's a metalhead like you worrying about food?”
The explosions overhead were satisfying.
Normally, you'd burn sensitive documents or personal info, but who has time for that hassle when you're busy?
Art is an explosion, after all!
Now just use Rain as bait and escape—done!
#7 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Former Host.
It's over.
“Huh? Rain? Where's Master?”
That guy approaching with a bright smile from afar—is that my colleague, the craziest bitch in my short life, Sia? But why's she smiling like that?
She only smiles like that when she's pissed off beyond reason, bat-shit crazy, or seeing an instructor.
Well, end result's the same—she's lost it. Proof? Even her direct subordinates are keeping two, three steps back.
“Why are you here...”
“Oh? Why wouldn't I be wherever Master goes?”
Her even brighter smile made me, the juniors, and even the intel bureau agents all step back in unison.
The organization's collapsing—how'd she know the instructor would come here?!
“Instructor's not here.”
“He'll probably show up soon?”
“M-Maybe.”
“Oh, my lovely colleague. Why so jittery... Huh?”
As Sia approached me slowly, my feet naturally backed away.
C-Crazy bitch incoming! And she's eyeing the bat!
“Wow, long time no see.”
“Y-Yeah? Right?”
“Yeah, it hurt a ton from all those beatings, but it didn't really hurt. Just like Master's stuff. Always scolding on the outside, but secretly so caring no one knew.”
“R-Really?”
Seemed like she just got the highest difficulty drills out of all instructors—or everyone in the organization—but it probably doesn't look that way to her.
That's the look of a lovestruck crazy bitch I saw plenty at the club!
A host got kidnapped by a noble lady with eyes like that! Dangerous, insanely dangerous! As expected of my colleague and the instructor's disciple!
“Hmm~ Did Master give it to you? Is that it? It is, right?”
“No, Instructor left for a mission, so I filled in teaching the kids. Borrowed it temporarily. Yeah, just borrowed!”
Heavy. Talking to her feels so heavy! All my colleagues are weirdos, but none as heavy as this one!
“Ah, those empire spies?”
“Eek!”
Her gaze shifted to the others, making them flinch back, but sorry.
I'm too weak to interfere, kids. Honestly, glad her attention's off me.
“Hmm~ Nermia Family, Rainer Grand Duke Family. Hmm~”
“S-Sia? Even so, with the imperial army invading, messing with the kids won't help, right? Better use them as hostages or something. Yeah? Instructor asked me to handle it...”
Stepped forward to save the kids at least, but Sia dropped a bombshell.
Shock level? Like that legendary empire bestseller a duke's daughter recommended at the club!
Specifically, like finding out your sworn enemy's family member you love is actually your long-lost sibling from childhood!
“Huh? Nah, doesn't matter. I wasn't at first, but now I'm definitely imperial.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, you didn't know? But yeah, over half of Master's disciples are empire spies. Including our generation and the previous, that's six. Majority!”
“No way Instructor's an empire spy too?!”
“Nah, he's connected to the empire, but that was after a pure organization mission. Some were sent to Master because they trusted him. But Master's no spy.”
Instructor, what kind of kids did you raise?!
Even if I have no love for the organization, that's eleven from previous and my generation!
Six out of eleven? No, total fourteen, eight spies!
“So, really doesn't matter.”
I overheard her mutter as she nodded to herself. “As long as they don't touch Master...”
This girl doesn't care about empire or whatever—she's just after the instructor! Is that okay, empire?!
“So, we agreed to meet Master outside, right? Wait here.”
Oblivious to my worries, Sia flashed an even brighter smile—brighter than before—and hummed excitedly.
“I'll escort you there~”
Instructor, I pray we see you safe.
***
-Master, Master, the vibe's weird.
“Yeah, the vibe's super tense.”
-Feels like ghosts gonna pop out. Scary!
“Even ghosts would be scared of you.”
Not sure if it'd work on ghosts, but if it does, ghost problem solved! If not, stay away!
“This the place?”
...Sorry. Better call a ghost instead.
“Huh? Master. What's with the face—like you saw a ghost instead of your lovely disciple?”
No, if it were just a ghost, I'd be relieved compared to this.
“What's going on here.”
But as a poker face pro, I quickly schooled my expression and asked coldly. What is this? Finally stabbing me in the gut?
Or selling me to the princess for fame and fortune? Or!
“To elope in love with Master, obviously!”
You're serious?!
-Big bro, this girl's obsession is next level. Dangerous!
-I know!
Whoa, I knew she was weirdly fixated on me before, but this much?!
And the guys behind her—following a crazy bitch like that? You from some beauty goddess cult or what?!
“The organization's not done yet. Isn't it dangerous?”
“Huh? Oh, Master doesn't know. The organization's completely vaporized. By Master's disciples.”
-What the hell?
-No idea!
“Ah, Master didn't know. Actually, over half Master's disciples were empire plants! Emperor sent monitors, princess sent watchers on Master, some just to dismantle the org but lucked into Master's group. Bottom line: almost all Master's disciples are empire spies! Jerrel and Maren weren't spies, but princess secretly recruited them to betray the org. Other disciples bolted the second empire invaded! So no Master's disciples left in the organization!”
Heh, lunatics. If all upper positions fled or were spies—not just mine—and others too, the org's as good as gone.
-And you blew up the remaining big shots, Master! Totally done!
-Was doomed anyway.
-Still your fault?
-No. Not my fault! The organization! Handing me nothing but spies—what were they thinking?!
“Oh, and empire hit the org because princess wanted to take Instructor away and wipe it out?”
-Nailed it! Historic evil org Howling destroyed because of you, Master!
Heh, insane. Former boss destroys current company to poach ex-employee. No, previous job was basically dispatched from here too! This was my original turf!
-Master, too many crazies around you. Princess, this girl. Get a girlfriend later, you'll get stabbed by one and die, right?
Yeah, I admit it. Including the iron bat yapping now, why so many psychos around me?
Their “love” ain't normal people's love.
No thanks. Princess and Sia? Only see nice boat ending! I pass. That's for Rain, not me!
“And thanks to that, org thinks Master's an empire spy and's hunting him desperately. Crown prince leading imperial army's doing the same at princess's request. So Master's only choice is eloping with me~ Follow now and ooh la la, a beauty like me as bonus service! Opportunities like this don't come every day, Master!”
-Wow, pretty sis calling herself a beauty! She is, but still embarrassing!
“Good offer, but I've never seen you as anything but a disciple.”
“Fine. You don't love me? I'll love you twice as much. Stay with me, and you'll fall for me naturally!”
Filling the gap with her own love even if unrequited. What logic is that!
-What logic? The kind where if you meet another girl, she stabs her. Run while single, Master! No one'd take a guy targeted by crazies... Wait, what? Should be none, but there are! All like her! And not just one!
While even the iron bat reeled, Sia closed in on me.
“Our time alone's finally here. Time to go far, far away together! No one'll find us—not princess, no one! Even talked to the emperor! So just come with me!”
Even if you say it so confidently, I'm not going!