TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 155
Ruin was glaring at Hanna.
“What did you say?”
Ruin, enraged by the arrogant junior looking at him with arms crossed behind her back, felt his insides heating up.
-Such a comparison. Right?
The junior’s audacious remark comparing Ricardo and himself was not something Ruin could let slide lightly.
Even though he had lost the foundation of his talent, he believed he was not lacking compared to that guy.
In terms of personality.
In terms of kindness.
Ruin, who thought he was better than Ricardo in those aspects, clenched his teeth and retorted to the arrogant junior’s response.
“Compare things that are actually comparable. This is disgusting.”
Hanna was staring intently at Ruin.
After blankly looking at Ruin’s face, Hanna suddenly burst into laughter, making Ruin clench his fist.
“Puhaha! Ahahaha…! Hah… Senior, you really have a knack for jokes. You could be a comedian. Saying to compare things that are comparable—it was so funny I thought I’d die laughing.”
Ruin’s expression, with lips tightly bitten, was clearly visible to Hanna, who was a head shorter than him.
Holding back the surging anger.
Hanna couldn’t stop chuckling at the senior biting his lips, suppressing the rage that seemed ready to explode any moment.
Hanna tilted her head with a sly smile.
“Don’t you think so?”
“…”
“I find it hilarious.”
“Shut up.”
“Oh my, are you telling your junior to shut up? How scary…”
Hanna covered her mouth with her hand, feigning a shocked expression. Behind her palm, a sneering smile bloomed.
Ruin, knowing well the sneer hiding behind Hanna’s hand, gritted his teeth and glared at her.
Hanna, meeting Ruin’s murderous gaze squarely, spoke.
“What? Are you going to try something?”
At her short and sharp remark, accompanied by a light brown aura emanating from her fingertips, Ruin clamped his mouth shut like a mute who had swallowed honey.
“See? You can’t do anything.”
Hanna spoke firmly to Ruin, who was blocking the corridor.
“Move aside. You’re in the way.”
With a light bump to his shoulder as she passed, Hanna walked away, leaving Ruin to collapse against the corridor wall and sit down.
Ruin, brushing his face with a dry hand, remained still in that spot for a while.
*
The Young Lady’s Estate was peaceful as usual today.
“Hehe! Fetch!”
-Gooooom!
“Eeeek! Don’t bite me, fetch the ball instead!”
-Goom?
The Young Lady, playing in the yard with the towering Gomtangi, scolded her for trying to swallow her head instead of fetching the ball, enjoying life to the fullest.
“Eeeek! Ricardo, she’s going to eat me!”
-Gooooom!
“Ugh…! Stop slobbering on me!”
I couldn’t help but smile at the Young Lady’s eco-friendly way of experiencing the natural order firsthand.
Thanks to Gomtangi’s presence, I had ample free time and was leisurely watching the Young Lady from a rocking chair.
Is this the life of a successful person?
“Next time I go downtown, I should buy a toy for Gomtangi.”
The rubber ball, with its savage bite marks, had long ceased to function as a toy.
Looking at the barely intact rubber ball, I smiled and took a sip of tea from the table.
As I savored the warm aroma of tea leaves spreading through my body, I gazed at the swaying tree branches and spoke.
“Hans, why don’t you sit next to me? Isn’t it boring being alone?”
Startled at being caught while camouflaged, Hans flinched, dropped the pen he was holding, and looked at me.
“Is my invisibility magic really that poor?”
Hans, looking at me with a surprised expression, spoke in a flustered voice.
Invisibility magic, huh.
Although it was a magic highly dependent on proficiency, Hans’s magic wasn’t clumsy.
It was just that I was more sensitive than others and could detect well thanks to Tirbing’s effects. Hans’s invisibility magic was actually quite advanced.
It was good enough to fool even an Archbishop if done well.
Shaking my head, I answered Hans’s question.
“No, it’s just that I’m strange.”
“Even so…”
“Yes?”
“No, never mind.”
Hans glanced at the Young Lady, shook his head, and dismissed his thoughts. In a murmuring voice, he said, “It must be a coincidence.”
When I heard the creak of a chair as Hans sat down, I turned to him and asked.
“What were you doing?”
“Oh, I was jotting down the necessary items.”
“Didn’t I provide you with a separate annex? Even though it’s in the mountains, it should have everything you need.”
Descending from the tree and sitting beside me, Hans openly handed me his pocket notebook.
“It’s not for me…”
Smiling, I leisurely read through the notebook Hans handed me.
[Errand List]
1. Chocolate.
2. Detergent.
3. Cleaning Brush.
4. Replacing the Burned-Out Light in the 3rd Floor Hallway.
5. Gomtangi’s Toy.
Hans’s pocket notebook, filled with items not for himself but for the estate, was packed with notes on what was needed.
When no one was at the estate, Hans had thoroughly investigated and noted down everything, to the point that his notebook seemed like it belonged to an estate manager.
From which lights were burned out to what was needed, even random mutterings he had overheard were noted down as things to buy. Laughing at Hans’s meticulous flattery, I spoke.
“Why did you write all this down?”
“I felt restless doing nothing.”
“You don’t have to do this. It’s my job, so I should be the one to handle it.”
“No, if it really bothers you, I’ll stop, but I just wanted to be helpful in some way…”
Seeing Hans bow his head apologetically, I waved my hand to calm him down.
“No, I mean, if you do it, it’s much more convenient for me, but it also makes me feel bad…”
Hans, smiling brightly at my comment that it was helpful, tucked the notebook into his chest and said, “Then I’ll keep doing it,” with the enthusiasm of a rookie employee.
Somehow, I felt like a heartless employer not paying him a salary, which left me feeling uneasy.
Seeing Hans’s enthusiasm, unmatched by anyone, I forced an awkward smile and shifted the topic to something more productive.
“By the way, how’s the Academy doing?”
“Ah…”
Hans scratched his head awkwardly and gave a wry smile.
“It’s the worst.”
“What?”
“Public sentiment in the Academy is terrible, and trust in the Student Council is hitting rock bottom.”
“Is that so?”
I had asked Hans for a difficult favor.
Since I was guarding the estate, I had asked him to leave for a while and gather intel on the Academy’s situation.
With Ruin’s downfall, now was the time to pay attention to the story, and I needed someone to act as my eyes.
Nodding as I listened to Hans’s account, I asked.
“So, has the scheduled ‘Orc Subjugation’ task been canceled as well?”
“That’s not the case. Recently, the number of Orcs in Hamel has increased significantly, so they plan to raise security while conducting field training and subjugation at the same time.”
“Hmm…”
There doesn’t seem to be any major changes to the story.
I thought Ruin’s absence would impact the story, but seeing how things are progressing, it seemed like there wasn’t much to worry about. Though, we’ll have to see as time goes on, there haven’t been any major incidents yet, and it wasn’t an event where Ruin played a central role.
Besides, Hans is set to fill Ruin’s vacancy.
Nodding at Hans’s words, I gave a brief remark of appreciation for his efforts.
Hans, who had been reporting for quite some time, brought up a matter regarding the Academy’s security.
“Also, there’s a proposal from the Student Council related to this task.”
“A proposal…?”
“Yes.”
Having such a capable errand runner, I nodded in admiration.
Hans spoke in a calm voice.
“Princess Chartia made a suggestion….”
“A suggestion?”
“That is.”
Hans carefully opened his mouth, hesitant to speak. The words that came out were something I hadn’t anticipated.
“There’s a proposal to appoint Histania Malik as the guide.”
“What?”
“I was also puzzled when I heard it, but it seems that Hanna and Princess Chartia supported the idea.”
“Hmm… Is that really necessary?”
Hans shrugged, as if he didn’t know either.
“As you know, the atmosphere at the Academy isn’t great right now. They’re saying they need someone reliable and skilled.”
“But why Malik? He’s already a busy person.”
“Well, it seems that since Histania Malik is a Knight who has handled incidents before and is from the Histania Family, they trust him. Honestly, considering my own case, it makes sense.”
“Ah… That’s true.”
Hans laughed awkwardly and lowered his head.
“Well, it’s something to think about later, so there’s no need to worry about it now.”
If it’s Malik, he’s skilled enough, so there wouldn’t be any shortcomings as a guide.
Around the time I was finishing my teacup.
Hans, glancing at me cautiously, took out a burning orb from his pocket.
With an awkward expression, Hans carefully brought up the matter, saying it was difficult to handle.
“What should we do with this?”
Hans, holding out the magic he had plundered from Ruin, acted like a loyal subject of the organization.
“Wouldn’t it be better to deal with it quickly?”
Hans’s suggestion to decide whether to return it to Ruin or for me to absorb it made me shrug and give a reserved answer.
“Let’s leave it alone for now.”
“What?”
Hans responded with a reluctant expression.
“What if Ruin ends up learning Dark Magic like me?”
I chuckled and waved my hand.
“Do you think he would?”
“Honestly… Yes.”
“Hmm, I don’t think so.”
Thinking of the green-haired head sulking at the Academy, I smiled.
“Let’s leave him to struggle for a bit.”
“Even if That Guy learns Dark Magic, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.”
“What do you mean by that…”
I looked at Hans and asked.
In this field, Hans was considered an expert. He should be able to understand what I was thinking.
“As a Dark Magic expert, what do you think of Ruin’s talent?”
“…”
“See?”
I smiled faintly and let out a lazy yawn.
“Even if he darkens, Hans can stop him, right?”
“…Are you a devil?”
“Hmm. I’m a villain.”
I smiled at Hans.
“Doesn’t it sound fun?”
“…”
Hans didn’t hide his smile and answered.
“No, it doesn’t.”
*
And I…
“It’s been a while, Butler!”
…was sold off here in place of Malik.
“Damn.”