I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 101
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 101
“You know, right? It’s tomorrow.”
He had almost won the bet that Mint had proposed. Tomorrow, he would definitely win.
“Ah. That’s right.”
“But why do you look like that?”
“I’ve been thinking about what answer to give.”
At Mint’s calm reply, Helios closed his mouth for a moment.
“Amazing. This master has really used her brain seriously for the first time in a long while.”
After becoming the boss of the prison, she had barely used her head. She hadn’t thought deeply for long either.
She had just lived going with the flow.
“Still, if my disciple accomplishes this difficult task, I should have something to tell him, right?”
Once Helios wins the bet, he’ll be ready to start the conversation immediately.
In fact, even if her gender was discovered, Mint’s purpose and what she had to do wouldn’t change.
The Warden had emphasized that she must achieve her goal.
In addition to this, he had stipulated not to use her Unique Kia and not to get caught.
The former was unavoidable since her Unique Kia color was so distinctive.
Not only fellow prisoners but also crazy bastards like Hades shouldn’t notice.
And not getting caught was also natural. She was living in a men’s prison, after all.
Conversely, as long as she achieved her goal, the rest would be tolerated.
In fact, the incident of using her Unique Kia to deceive Hades must have been reported to the Warden through Steven.
‘But they said nothing.’
They had tacitly allowed it.
They were flexible bastards.
So this time would be the same. Above all, if Helios didn’t tell anyone, it wouldn’t be a problem.
If you don’t make it a problem, it doesn’t become a problem.
Even knowing this, Mint bluntly threw out the worst-case scenario.
“Depending on the situation, I might disappear from in front of you…”
“Wait, because I said that?”
Helios hurriedly cut off Mint’s words.
It didn’t seem like he cut her off because he was afraid the fact that she was a ‘woman’ would come out.
Helios grabbed her shoulders.
Anxiety flashed across his face, which looked graceful as always but slightly tired today.
Mint clicked her tongue.
‘Now he doesn’t even get tired after visiting two floors.’
She was getting tired of praising his remarkable talent.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
A frightened face.
“…Is it really because of what I said?”
“….”
Ah, what should I do?
“I’ll take it back.”
“What?”
“…I, I’ll take back asking if you’re a woman.”
Just because Mint had mentioned the worst possible outcome she could think of. Her disciple was acting like a puppy with separation anxiety.
And it was an outcome with a probability approaching zero.
As long as getting out was her goal, she would never let this mission fail.
Helios had no way of knowing this.
Mint quietly deployed a Kia Barrier. Secretly, so no one would notice.
She wanted only herself to see this face.
A face anxious and restless as if burning with worry, distorted with emotion.
Kia trembling, drenched in anxiety though he wouldn’t cry.
Looking back and forth at this, Mint realized one truth that clicked into place like a precision clockwork mechanism.
“….”
I want to have this.
I want to possess it.
She was feeling a strange satisfaction.
And exhilaration.
While watching his hands that couldn’t let go but also couldn’t grip tightly.
While watching his anxiety ripple like waves.
“What I’ll do is just lock that person in my heart.”
I don’t want to see him break in this hellish place. I just need to cherish him.
She kept having these thoughts.
‘This is dangerous.’
The overwhelming brilliance of Helios’s talent and the blind devotion that only opened up to her were soaking into Mint.
“When did you first know?”
At the sudden piercing question, Helios’s gaze briefly lost its way and moved around restlessly.
It was only for a moment.
“…I started seeing something a while ago. At least before the 33rd Floor.”
Is that so. It’s been quite a while.
“What did you see?”
“…What I assume is Master’s true appearance.”
Here, Mint was a little surprised. He wasn’t just aware of her gender, but was seeing this kind of thing too?
…That’s impressive.
Helios looked around anxiously. Mint informed him about the barrier.
“No one can hear our conversation. So focus on me.”
The fact that no one would be able to hear their current conversation.
“So what were you planning to do with knowing my gender?”
“…Use it.”
“There are many ways. Blackmail. Intimidation. Threats. Coercion.”
“…”
“Was there something you wanted to demand?”
Helios reached out his hand but then clenched it into a fist. Anger surged through him.
“You were looking at me like some kind of vile bastard?”
Like that man who threatened you in the Dark Tower, on that empty floor where no one else was around?
“That’s not it. Though there were plenty of crazy bastards like that around me.”
As part of the truth was revealed, Mint freely spoke real clues about herself.
The real facets of her that Helios had so desperately wanted to know.
Helios absorbed Mint like someone feeling thirst.
“So, my admirably perceptive disciple who figured out what I didn’t even tell you.”
Whether it was mischief, mockery, or something else entirely, an unreadable voice called to him.
“Now that you’ve discovered this crucial secret. What do you want?”
Unfortunately, what Mint felt was possessiveness. The desire to forever lock away the jewel clutched in her hand.
This wasn’t good.
There were concerns of harm or loss.
Her goal was only release from prison.
It was a desire that would only bring trouble if it deepened.
“Miss, be honest.”
Hades always told her they were ‘the same kind.’
While Mint was annoyed by his sinister behavior, she knew herself well enough to know she would do the same if truly necessary.
She would have done so if Mama hadn’t been there.
But.
‘The anxiety.’
The way it ripples like waves is so pretty.
Mint had no desires. Everything had faded away after Mama’s death. Only the survival instinct remained?
Even that became something she didn’t need to worry much about after becoming the Boss. Because she had grown strong.
Release was her only goal.
Please, she just wanted to escape this hellish place and become a regular person, not a prisoner.
It was Mama’s dying wish and her own only escape route.
“Will you stay?”
Helios’s deeply soaked gaze turned toward her. Not soaked with tears, but with emotion.
He bit his lips tightly.
“…Can I just pretend I don’t know?”
She had never made any threats or silenced anyone.
“You’re asking if I just need to not tell anyone?”
However, for Helios, it was more terrifying than any threat in the world.
“I’ll even make a Kia Oath.”
“….”
Without ever being taught, Helios instantly made an oath staking all his Kia.
A Heart-Binding Oath. That he would never tell anyone the truth about her that he had learned.
So the oath that Mint had unintentionally created would now hold Helios’s heart in her grasp?
Nice?
Mint smiled.
“I should stay.”
What should I do.
Having to leave this adorable disciple behind.
Mint temporarily abandoned her long-standing resolution not to think complicated thoughts. And thought a little more.
If I had met you before Mama, you might have become my goal.
* * *
The next day.
Helios finally conquered(?) all the way to the 50th Floor.
I acknowledged once again.
That no matter how I looked at it, Helios’s current state wasn’t at the level of floors 41 through 50.
Actually, I’m not one to underestimate my own abilities either.
“How scary, my talent.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
To think I raised such a monster.
“I became scared of how capable I am.”
“…Master always expresses fear with such a face.”
I’m not bragging. Helios was an incredible gem that would never exist again in this world.
But what should have just remained sleeping, or fallen into lava on its own, crashed and shattered, taking a long time to become the finest jewel.
I brought it and refined it myself.
When I first saw him, I thought he had a long way to go.
But now I can gradually picture it. The sight of Helios reaching the Summit.
Making me think such things on the 50th Floor is quite an impressive skill too.
“At least show some sincerity by changing your expression.”
Even after passing the 50th Floor, Helios didn’t look particularly happy. The aftermath of yesterday’s conversation seemed to linger.
Well, I thought it would be easy to talk after the bet ended.
But I unintentionally went overboard.
“I won.”
Hmm, is that not it either?
“What will you do about losing? Master.”
The face grinning in front of me looked youthful like his age for the first time.
Refreshing and pure.
Enough to make me unconsciously reach out and grab him by the collar.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————