Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 74
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74
“That thing…”
I felt like I had seen those ominous eyes of that flying beast somewhere before.
Just then, Belinda’s voice came from beyond the door behind me.
“Schubel.”
“Belinda…?”
However, Schubel couldn’t open the door, or even turn to look at it. Because he remembered where he had seen the raven at the window.
‘Shadow Crow…’
It was definitely the monster he had sent to Belinda.
As if reading Schubel’s thoughts, Belinda’s voice continued.
“I’ll generously forgive you even if you don’t open the door. I only came to give a warning today.”
There wasn’t just one monster.
Dozens of flying beasts sat on the tree branches, eyeing their prey in the room, so many that the shadows of the tall tree illuminated by the dim moonlight couldn’t be seen.
Schubel slowly reached for a blunt sword decorating the wall.
“If you ever lay a hand on what’s mine again, I’ll gouge out both your eyeballs so you’ll never see light again.”
Thud. Crack.
The glass window cracked where the raven’s black beak struck it.
“Even if what happened wasn’t your doing, it doesn’t matter. The moment something happens that displeases me, I’ll consider you the culprit.”
Tap, tap. Crack.
“So brother, engrave deep in your bones that your life is worth less than a single tear from my servant, and live out that pathetic existence of yours.”
Tap, tap.
“There won’t be a next time.”
Crash-!
Finally, with a loud noise, the window shattered and a flock of ravens poured into the room.
Schubel quickly threw himself forward, grabbed the decorative sword, and swung it with all his might. However, the blade without aura only served to multiply the number of monsters.
Schubel’s blood, pecked by sharp beaks, splattered everywhere along with his screams.
“Argh! These damn things!”
It was the moment he cried out in fury.
“M-Master! Are you alright?”
Having heard the commotion, the urgent voices of employees could be heard from beyond the door.
The Shadow Crows began to withdraw one by one, clicking their beaks as if disappointed.
What remained where the monsters had left was only the ruined study.
Schubel, breathing heavily with heaving shoulders, finally managed to speak.
“It’s nothing, go back.”
“But we heard screaming…”
“I said it’s nothing!”
He couldn’t show the pathetic sight of making excuses about being attacked by monsters while pointing at the ruined study.
Schubel ground his teeth and glared at the last remaining monster that stayed like a final warning.
His back was already soaked with cold sweat.
Schubel, who had ultimately not let the employees into the room, belatedly discovered a single document that seemed to have been slipped through the door crack.
A hollow laugh escaped from his mouth as he picked it up without thinking.
“Ha.”
It was none other than a copy of documents regarding the welfare organization he was currently creating under the Prince’s name.
It was clear mockery and warning.
That his plans were completely known.
Schubel viciously crumpled the document in his hand. His plans were falling apart from one to ten.
And if there was one thing among them that was most incomprehensible…
“How did they know it was a sealing stone?”
* * *
It wasn’t entirely false that he had talent in swordsmanship, as he seemed to be at the level of imbuing his sword with sword energy.
I watched through Cao’s eyes as Schubel’s entire body became covered in wounds, then quietly observed as his mouth opened.
【”How did… know?”</p】
What is he saying.
‘Should I learn lip reading?’
Since I could only share Cao’s vision, I couldn’t know exactly what Schubel was saying.
‘Just a little, just a little more watching…’
Then, suddenly, something cool gently covered my eyelids.
“Looking at the world through a monster’s eyes is not something I’d recommend.”
When I stopped synchronizing with Cao and returned to reality, it was dark before my eyes.
I could easily tell that Penandel was cooling my heated right eye area with his aura-wrapped hand, just like before.
Only then did I realize how much I had been overexerting myself.
“Let go now.”
“My apologies.”
At my single word, Penandel obediently withdrew.
When I realized it, my body felt incredibly heavy.
After the sealing stone broke, my magic circuits were functioning normally and I was gradually regaining my mana, even if just a little.
‘Chaser said that if I train my magic circuits to increase my mana capacity, I could tame other monsters besides Cao, but…’
Right now, my mana capacity was too small, so just handling Cao alone was overwhelming and my mana would quickly become depleted.
Though this was my first time experiencing mana depletion, it didn’t feel particularly unfamiliar. Before removing the sealing stone from my body, I used to feel this sickly every morning when I opened my eyes.
The difference from then was that my head felt drowsy like being drunk?
I leaned deep into the drawing room armchair and waited for the dizziness to subside.
Then, as soon as I heard the sound of the door opening, I spoke.
“Where’s Vivian?”
The answer came from Terry, who had just returned from checking on Vivian’s condition.
“She says she can’t calm down and is drinking lots of caffeine. Fortunately, she’s not injured anywhere. However, she’s holding onto Jui-bam-tol and won’t let go, so it seems the two will sleep together tonight.”
Unfortunately, the goddess of fortune was on Schubel’s side. To prepare an attack on the very day Terry was away.
Schubel would know that Terry was an employee of the atelier.
“This is my oversight.”
“…”
Terry, who was in charge of the annex’s security, bowed his head heavily.
It’s easy to blame others. But to be precise, neither Terry nor Vivian was at fault.
‘It’s Schubel.’
What should I do with him.
‘Should I kill him? Terry could surely easily…’
I blinked in surprise while staring blankly at Terry with his head bowed.
That thought just now was too… murderous in meaning to call it my own. Especially in this world.
Perhaps it was Belinda’s values.
She would have easily commissioned Terry to assassinate Schubel under the pretext of making up for his mistake.
But I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
No matter how hateful and detestable a person might be, I just couldn’t treat human life lightly.
The moment I put human life on a scale and determined its weight by gains and losses, I felt I would cross a line of no return.
And most importantly…
‘Could I really look Leo in the face after commissioning Schubel’s death?’
I couldn’t guarantee that I could.
So instead, I revealed the strongest card I held. To make him pay the price for touching Leo.
Whether Schubel guessed the fact of my ability awakening from this incident, or didn’t guess it at all, it didn’t matter.
What I wanted was pressure that would keep him immobilized for just a few months.
That’s why I left behind a document from Schubel’s welfare organization that I obtained through the Sewer Rat.
When I saw Schubel mingling with the Prince at today’s ball, it suddenly occurred to me that he was secretly running a welfare organization in the Prince’s name.
At first, I thought it was a scheme to help the Prince win public favor.
But I realized the situation might not be so simple when I recalled Uncle’s will.
[If Belinda Blanche loses her life in an unexpected accident before inheriting her dowry, all this wealth shall be returned to society.]
If I were to die in an ‘unexpected accident’ like in 【Hirome】 and the dowry returned to society flowed into a welfare organization ‘in the Prince’s name’…
The ambiguous will stating ‘returned to society’ left so much room for interpretation.
Of course, all of this was just my intuition without proper evidence, but if it could threaten Schubel, it wasn’t unusable.
I let out a tired sigh and asked again.
“Is the matter you said you’d look into finished?”
“Not yet.”
Terry was thoroughly investigating Schubel’s aide, who always stayed by his side, to find Schubel’s weaknesses.
But he couldn’t get much information about him, so he ended up going to the slum today.
Though it seems there wasn’t much to gain.
“I see. Focus on the manor’s security for the time being. You may go.”
“…Yes.”
Terry answered in the most deflated voice I’d ever heard from him and left the drawing room.
I should return to my bedroom too, but I didn’t have the strength to lift even a finger, as if I could die right now.
“Do you need a mage?”
Penandel, who had been staying by my side, asked quietly.
If needed, he seemed ready to kidnap Chaser from the Magic Tower immediately.
As he said, if Chaser were here, I could share his mana and feel somewhat better.
But I couldn’t rely on others. This was the result of what I had done, and it was entirely my problem.
“No. You should also go and rest…”
“I will stay by your side until your mana stabilizes.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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