Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Proper Education
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The first thing that caught the two women's eyes was a golden-haired, blue-eyed girl.
The girl was in the middle of some argument with the shopkeeper.
"Money? Didn't I just pay you?"
"You little punk! How many times do I have to tell you? You owe me 2,000 kael, but you only paid 500!"
"That's all I have."
"What?"
The pot-bellied shopkeeper asked in disbelief, but the golden-haired girl just brazenly repeated herself.
"Didn't you hear me? That's everything I have, so make do with it. It's just pocket change anywayyou'll earn it back in no time."
"What did you say? You insolent little brat!"
"Ow!? Youyou hit me?!"
The girl, having been flicked on the forehead, huffed and jabbed her finger right in the shopkeeper's face.
"You're. Gonna get. Divine retribution."
The shopkeeper froze at the ominous declaration of divine retribution.
Was she about to cast some kind of spell?
"?"
But no matter how long he waited, nothing came from the girl's hand.
"Ah right. I'm human right now?"
"You little shit, don't point at me like that!"
"Ow! That hurts!"
Enraged, the shopkeeper grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck.
"Go get your parents right now! I wanna see what kind of idiots raised a kid like you Let's see your folks' faces!"
"Our parents? You think you're worthy of meeting 'Them'? Don't talk nonsense!"
"What the hell is this? I was gonna let it slide, but no more. You're coming with me to the guard station."
"Eeeek Sister's going to jail?"
A small girl standing next to the golden-haired one whined.
She looked like the younger sister, sharing the same features.
Amid the commotion, a woman stepped forward.
"Shopkeeper."
"Huh?"
Standing before the shopkeeper was the tall beauty, Blanche.
She pulled out a wallet from her bosom and asked,
"How much do these children owe?"
"Are you their guardian?"
"No. But I'll pay on their behalf, so could you let them go?"
Blanche made her request politely.
The shopkeeper hesitated at her courteous plea.
"Well if you pay up"
"I would be truly grateful for your generosity, shopkeeper."
"Ugh Fine, for your sake. Hey, you two. Thank this lady properly."
Freed from the shopkeeper's grip, the girl grumbled.
"Sheesh. What a mess"
"Ugh I thought Michaela sis was really going to jail"
"Hey! Lili, you're the one who wanted to come! If it weren't for you, this wouldn't have happened!"
"Michaela and Lili, was it?"
The two girls looked up at Blanche.
Blanche knelt down to meet the golden-haired girl's eyes at her level and gently scolded her.
"From now on, always pay the proper amount when you buy something. And you must use polite language with adults."
"Hmph. Why should an all-powerful being like meOw!"
The golden-haired girl suddenly clutched her head after another flick.
But it wasn't Blanche who had hit her.
"Now, now Our little friends should use pretty, polite words, shouldn't they?"
"You you!"
Helga, dressed in a military coat, stared down at the golden-haired girl.
"Now, use polite language with adults."
"That's ridiculous! A scrub like you!"
Flick!
"Argh?! Again, again, you hit me?!"
"Use polite language."
Helga said with a soft smile.
It was a warm smile, as if gazing at a helpless child, but the knuckles she clenched were anything but warm.
"Hey! Do you even know who I!"
"Use polite language."
Flick!
"Aaah! It hurts!! If we met in paradise, you'd be!"
"Use polite language."
Flick!
"Ow! Stop! I'm gonna die!"
"Use polite language."
Flick!
"Ah, it hurts! Stop!"
"Polite language."
Flick!
"Kyah! Enough, enough already! Please stop!"
Bombarded by flicks, the golden-haired girl cried out with tears in her eyes.
Only then did Helga look at her with satisfaction and say,
"Speak."
"Huh?"
Flick!
"Aaah!! Again! Again! Again! II used polite language! Why hit me!?"
"Speak."
"Yes? Speak? I spoke?"
Helga placed her hand on the girl's head.
The girl, thinking she'd be hit again, flinchedbut Helga gently stroked her hair and said,
"Now, say you're sorry."
Tears trickling from her eyes, the girl finally understood what Helga meant.
And it didn't take long for those words to come from her mouth.
"I'm sorry"
The girl bowed her head and apologized to the shopkeeper and to Blanche, who had shown her kindness.
Everyone nodded at the sight of the rude girl apologizing.
"Heh heh. Good girl. Oh?"
Helga stroked the girl's head, then looked down.
At some point, the lemon-haired little sister had hugged her leg.
"Ugh Sorry, ma'am. My big sis is really lacking"
"What? Who's lacking? You're the lacking one!"
Flick!
"Kyaaah! I lack! I'm the lacking one! Little sis!"
"Good girl. Heh heh. I really like good children."
"Ugh This is pain? The human body hurts too much"
"Oh? This wouldn't even register on the scale of real pain."
"Eek."
The golden-haired girl paled in horror.
Meanwhile, the sleepy-looking little sister offered the hotteok she held to Helga and Blanche.
"Here For the pretty ma'ams."
"Oh my? For me? There's only one pretty ma'am here anyway."
"What did you say?"
Ignoring Blanche's icy glare, Helga took the hotteok.
"Hee hee. Shall we share with this other bright-eared ma'am?"
"Yeah It's yummy. Hee hee"
The two couldn't help but soften at the beaming smile of the girl.
"We won't forget how the ma'ams helped us today. May divine blessings be upon you"
"Ah, whatever. Let's go already. We've been out too long."
"Yeah Sis. We're going now"
The two girls bowed to Blanche and Helga.
"Hmph Thanks for the help ma'am."
"Thank you Goodbye"
Blanche waved until the girls were out of sight.
What strange children.
They didn't quite seem like ordinary kids ignorant of the worldthere was some mystical aura about them.
An otherworldly sense, as if they came from somewhere beyond the mortal realm.
Maybe it was just Blanche's keen senses playing tricks.
Just then, a hotteok appeared before her eyes as she pondered.
"Here, half for you."
"Ah, thank you."
"You sure are nosy."
Helga said, munching on her hotteok.
"You gotta give a proper education to rude kids like that. That's why the little punk looks down on everyone."
"They're still young children. It's natural for them to be rude."
"Not natural at all. Oh, take this too."
"What's this?"
Helga handed Blanche a 2,000-kael bill.
"You didn't look like you had much money in that wallet earlier. I'll cover the hotteok."
Blanche frowned at that.
"Don't peek into my wallet."
"Then don't make it so easy to peek. Ah, take it before my arm gets tired."
Helga shook the bill.
Blanche clicked her tongue and pulled out one bill.
"Then just half. It was my initiative anyway."
"Fine, whatever. But the duke's house pays really stingily."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I had no idea you were working for such peanuts."
"No, it's not that stingy"
Blanche started to protest but stopped.
No need to mention the debt she owed Tristan.
"In comparison, our count gives out massive sums. Especially the Aslan Company members who risk their livesthey get high salaries and top treatment."
""
Blanche felt a bit offended.
Helga's words sounded like they were mocking the poor duke's house.
"What you just said"
"But I don't think high pay is always a good thing."
"Pardon?"
"Because you can't tell if they're loyal to the count's house for the money or not."
Helga's eyes were serious.
"Of course, their efforts and loyalty deserve proper compensation. What I'm saying is true loyalty isn't something you can buy with money.
"
""
"The count said it himself. A crisis is coming to this world soon. Who knows what'll happen. Our pay might even get cut. And whether they'll stay loyal to the count then? Who knows.
"
Blanche dropped her hostility at Helga's words.
She realized they were cut from the same clothutterly devoted to their masters.
"It's weird to say, but I kinda want to work for peanuts like you. Then my loyalty would shine even more."
"I agree"
"Well, once I become the count's woman, salary won't mean a thing anyway."
"True Wait, what? The count's woman?"
Ignoring Blanche's question, Helga stretched.
"Ahh I wanna get back to the count already. Still a long time till then?"
"Yes? Well, yes"
"Hmm So that's how it is?"
It was midday, just past lunchtime.
Plenty of time before picking up Tristan and Bella.
Helga, who had been thinking, asked Blanche,
"Do you drink at all?"
"Drink? I've never tried alcohol before"
"Eh? Really?"
Helga looked at her in surprise.
"Don't lie. You look like a total alcoholic."
"Alcoholic? No, really, I've never had any."
"Huh"
Helga stared at her in disbelief, then made up her mind.
"Alright. From now on, follow me."
"Where are we going?"
"Heh heh. Where else?"
Helga grinned and took the lead.
"Let's drink like dispossessed peasants today."