TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 20
Eldest Son of Histania.
Histania Malik is a perfectionist.
A child who resembles Father the most.
A son who bears the full weight of Father’s expectations.
And he was someone who wanted to be like Father.
Malik never lost the top rank at the Academy, and after graduating, he joined the Imperial Knights’ Order, following in Father’s footsteps.
Everyone acknowledged him, and he lived a life of contentment as a Devotee. But now, at the critical moment of reaching Aura, he has come to a halt.
This was the most crucial time for Malik. He had to master Aura quickly before losing his edge.
27 years old and mastering Aura.
The youngest Aura User in the Empire was 25 years old, so he wasn’t late. On the contrary, he was incredibly early.
The average age of Aura Users in the Empire is the early 30s. He thought he had entered the realm of the vanguard, but now it no longer held meaning.
Because the youngest Aura User in Histania had been born.
The younger brother he had so disregarded suddenly emerged as a supernova, which came as a great shock to Malik.
Moreover, the escort mission for the Adventurer Hunter ‘Pascal,’ conducted under the name of Divine Healer, ended in a colossal failure, putting all his accumulated achievements at risk.
“Damn. Damn…. Damn…!”
“Patron. Why are you so angry? Should I massage your shoulders?”
“…Shut up.”
Malik lifted his head.
The Red-Haired Man, who was smiling brightly at him. The Man, who looked at him with a reverent demeanor as if welcoming a god, was the mercenary he had no choice but to hire to manage this incident.
He was tempted by the guaranteed anonymity and solid credentials, but now that he had to face him again, it left him feeling quite irritated.
“If it’s the Patron’s order, I’ll even play dead.”
At Ricardo’s words, Malik pressed his lips together tightly.
***
The inside of the carriage was quiet.
A carriage that looked like it could easily carry 500,000 Gold.
A plush seat within the carriage.
A world apart from the 1-Shilling Carriage that would make your spine slip out after just an hour of riding.
I had come here for one reason only.
To meet the client.
●We request the pursuit of a criminal who escaped during transport.
└Thank you, dear customer. Please leave the meeting location and date. ^.^
└Tomorrow. 11:30 PM. In Front of the Fountain, Black Carriage.
└Thank you for your request. 🙂
When I boarded the carriage, Malik, with hair the same color as Hanna’s, was sitting there.
A guy who crossed his legs and didn’t even bother to look at me. I immediately bowed my head upon seeing him.
“Greetings!”
Malik frowned. His expression wasn’t good.
Because I was the one who embarrassed Father and the person with whom he had a heated argument.
Malik, who was making a complicated expression, didn’t like the situation of having to request something from such a person.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself.”
I pulled out a neat business card from my chest.
[Name: Ricardo]
[Entrust all your household chores, cooking, and odd jobs to me! The Butler of the World’s Prettiest Desmond Olivia will take care of it.]
A business card with tidy handwriting.
And an introduction section with a strange title.
A handcrafted business card made after giving the Young Lady chocolate and persuading her, who yelled that she hated writing such words.
A business card containing the artistic value of the Young Lady, who wouldn’t give up the phrase “World’s Prettiest.”
Malik, who received the business card, looked me up and down with a displeased gaze.
Probably jealous of the title “World’s Prettiest Villainess’s Butler.”
I understand, too.
Though her personality is a bit eccentric and she doesn’t listen to others, she’s a beauty whose appearance even surpasses that of the Heroine.
“A commoner?”
But Malik didn’t seem upset about that part.
“A commoner without even a family name… Desmond Olivia?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I am Ricardo, the personal Butler of Noble Lady Desmond Olivia.”
I cautiously extended my hand for a handshake.
But Malik didn’t accept it.
Left awkward, I scratched the back of my head with my remaining hand.
“Ahaha…”
‘How awkward.’
“Now I understand why you didn’t disclose your affiliation to Father.”
“It’s such a proud name that I was hesitant to reveal it.”
“No, it’s because your household is ruined, isn’t it?”
Why do both Ruin and Malik think our household is ruined?
It’s still doing well.
“It’s not ruined. To be precise, it’s Olivia who’s ruined, while our Desmond Family remains as strong as the Magic Tower.”
“If you think about it, you’re still ruined, aren’t you?”
“If you put it that way, then yes.”
I wanted to argue with him, but I didn’t dare talk back to the Patron who saved us from being kicked out onto the streets.
When someone offers to let you earn 700 million just like that, who in the world would dare defy them? It’s a relief they didn’t ask me to lick their feet.
The person with money is the elder brother.
And the elder sister in this case.
“Did you need urgent funds?”
Malik sneered at me.
“I asked if you needed money.”
“Yes, I needed some.”
“Hmm….”
Malik stroked his chin.
In a Black Uniform with a sharp jawline.
Just as described in the novel, he was good-looking.
And his personality was as dirty as described too.
Malik asked me again.
“Is it because of a fine?”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m asking if you’re working because of a fine.”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t want to get swept up in this guy’s provocation.
In the novel, Malik appears as a supporting character who has an unrequited love for Yuria.
He falls for Yuria, who consoles his wounded heart amidst Mikhail, who steals Father’s attention, and his own diminishing self-worth.
It was a love triangle.
Watching them fight over Yuria in a love rivalry was pretty entertaining.
Malik is a fairly significant supporting character.
Being a Sub Male Lead, perhaps, he was even kind.
Although he was arrogant and prideful, he showed an unexpected side by taking care of his own people to the end.
Though his personality was trash, he was someone who put his utmost effort into taking care of Divine Healer people.
Right now, he’s acting like this because he finds me unpleasant, but if I were one of his people, his treatment might have been different.
What’s certain is that he knows how to take care of his own people.
That’s why he entrusted me with this request.
The request is probably to capture Pascal alive. I don’t think there’s any other task.
If Malik is asking me for a favor, Pascal seems like an appropriate level of difficulty.
In the novel, Pascal was an Escape Mastermind. Whenever he was caught, he would stage a prison break and ‘Ta-da,’ he would appear before the Protagonist.
Seeing the wound on the face of the Knight standing guard at the carriage door, it seemed there had been some conflict during the transport.
Normally, he would have fired the Knights’ Order and held them accountable for the incident, but since he entrusted me with the task, it seemed he intended to resolve it quietly.
In such aspects, he was overflowing with loyalty, but his words were always so insufferable.
Enduring the provocation, I spoke to Malik with the intent of resolving the matter quickly.
“Since the question is a bit sensitive, haha, why don’t we discuss the request quickly?”
“You still have your Pride intact.”
“Haha… Please forgive my rudeness. I do have Pride to maintain.”
“Hmm.”
Malik pondered deeply.
Whether he judged me to be trustworthy for not giving in or whether he was offended, I couldn’t tell.
He snapped his fingers as he began to contemplate.
“How much is it?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking how much the fine is. The Empire strictly punishes Dark Sorcerers, so I can roughly guess it’s an amount you can’t handle.”
Why was he asking about that?
He wasn’t going to pay it for me anyway.
Thinking he might get angry if I ignored him, I answered him.
“1 Million Gold.”
“1 Million Gold….”
Malik pondered deeply.
I wish he would let me in on what he was thinking.
Keeping it to himself felt petty.
Was he trying to mess with me?
Was he planning to call off the request?
But one thing was certain: in this transaction, I was not the subordinate.
I was the only one capable of breaking Dark Magic.
And I was the only one who could capture Pascal discreetly.
If he requested help from other Aura Users, Histania’s prestige would take a hit. If he turned to the Information Guild, the cost would exceed what he had offered me, and the information about this incident might leak.
Even if it was a bit expensive, hiring me was beneficial for Malik’s position.
“One week.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve probably guessed what the request is about. Pascal. Can you capture him within one week?”
“Mantis. You mean the Adventurer Hunter?”
Malik nodded.
I couldn’t give a definitive answer to his question. Capturing him was easy, but I didn’t know where he was.
“I’ll give it my best, but his exact location is unclear…”
“What if you knew his exact location?”
“It wouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.”
After a brief moment of thought, Malik spoke.
“You know, I still don’t know how skilled you really are. I doubt you’re capable of catching Pascal.”
That was true.
When he arrived, everything had already been settled.
“It’s not like I can step in myself. I could catch him, but…”
“No, if you go, you’ll 100% die.”
Malik glared at me.
He must have been annoyed at my dismissal of him, but what could he do? My words were the truth.
If Malik, who hadn’t even awakened his Aura, fought Pascal, he wouldn’t just end up as performance art; they might not even find his corpse.
“Don’t overstep your bounds.”
“Then go alone. I’ll just withdraw from this task.”
“Do you have any other high-paying jobs like this one?”
“If you fail, I can capture him afterward. The bounty is quite lucrative, you know.”
“So it was you after all.”
Malik gave up his stubbornness.
“Fine, I admit it. It’s impossible for me right now.”
At least he had a discerning eye.
He had real-world combat experience in the Imperial Knights’ Order.
And he had exceptional Talent in Swordsmanship.
If we were to rank him, he’d probably be around Level 5.
In Swordsmanship, Malik surpassed Hanna. He just hadn’t awakened his Aura, but he was still an elite among elites, aware of the kind of opponent he could handle.
“Three Knights suffered fatal injuries during the operation to transport Pascal, and two Knights were severely injured. They were all exceptional Knights.”
Malik looked straight at me and spoke.
“The fact that they failed means it was impossible for me, and even more so for Hanna. That means you, who were there, subdued Pascal alone.”
“That’s correct. I did it.”
I revealed it without hesitation.
If I feigned modesty at this moment, it would only lead to bigger problems.
Now was the perfect time to showcase the weapon I possessed.
Malik seemed to have been waiting for this moment as he spoke.
“I’ll make the request, but let’s add one condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yes, a condition. When you go to capture Pascal, take me with you.”
“I refuse.”
“I’ll pay you the full 1 Million Gold.”
Malik said, gripping the handle of his sword tightly.
“Isn’t it the Master’s duty to avenge their pet?”
Looking at Malik’s confident smile, I had a hunch.
‘He’s going to get utterly destroyed by Pascal.’
That was my certainty.
Still, I didn’t want to trample on the courage of a punching bag willing to pay to learn the Wisdom of Life.
I wanted him to receive the punishment for speaking rudely.
“Alright. But you must keep everything about me a Secret.”
“Deal.”
After drafting a simple contract.
Malik and I arrived at an Abandoned Cathedral on the outskirts of the village.