Homecoming from the Other Shore

Yusuo Zai slowly walked around from the back, his expression subtly somewhere between indifference and apathy, unlike the enthusiastic and spirited look he had when facing Ye earlier.

For the lady... this infuriated her.

Every man who ever saw her—except for gay men—would vie to fawn over her and try to seduce her, even in an organization teeming with eccentrics, lunatics, and madmen. Although she knew that every high-ranking member had a strong resistance to beauty, Yusuo Zai's attitude still greatly displeased her.

Even someone like Yu He Huang Huo, Gustav looks like a gay man at first glance (three people in the higher-ups: Achoo!), at least looks at her with the eyes of someone looking at a woman when they see her. But what about this Yusuo Zai? He looks at me no differently than he looks at radishes and cabbages!

"Please don't misunderstand," Yusuo Zai shrugged, seemingly sensing what the lady was thinking, and made a gesture of surrender. "I'm not looking down on you; I'm just showing you to my retina as part of this scenery."

"... So, to you I'm just part of the background? Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?!"

With a low growl, the surrounding air trembled, and Yusuo Zai lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"I have terrible motor skills, and I'm missing an eye, so don't bully disabled people... I guess I've been sexless for too long; I can't even remember the last time I held a warm, fragrant woman in my arms, which is probably why I don't react much to you."

"..."

This guy is definitely lying; that's just the lady's "woman's intuition."

But in fact, she couldn't tell from Yusuo Zai's voice whether he was lying. In the lady's mind, lies and truths painted completely different pictures, but every word this man uttered was a complete mess.

Among the higher-ups, only two people interacted with Madam more frequently: Yu He and Blood Fiend. Her relationship with Yu He was business-related; most of her mountain of luxury goods were either bought or given to her by Yu He. As for Blood Fiend, it was (one-sided) her who took the initiative to confront him.

Therefore, she knew nothing about Yusuo Zai. She only knew that he had joined earlier than her and never interfered in anything. As for his specific strength or special abilities, she knew nothing at all.

"... Yusuo Zai, what exactly is your purpose?"

"Hmm? What? What's your purpose?"

"Stop pretending! Why are you secretly contacting this pink-haired girl?"

"We met by chance."

"Nonsense--"

"And what about you? Didn't you also care about this person a lot, and even hide her existence from the organization?"

"--!?"

How did this guy know?

Could it be that he could see everything I'd done and even the plans I'd made? Mind Reading? Or some other supernatural ability?

"Don't misunderstand, my judgment is based on something else. Back when Ye was in the Northern Realm Rally, to prevent her from being exposed too early and dying prematurely, I specifically set up a scenario where 'all her actions must not expose her identity to the entire organization.' Otherwise, she would have been captured and dissected by Gustav and his men long ago. (Author's note: See Chapter 141. Does anyone remember this foreshadowing?)"

"..."

For a moment, the lady couldn't quite understand what Yusuo Zai meant.

What does it mean to "make a setting"?

Ignoring his wife's doubts, Yusuo Zai continued, "Note that I set it to 'not be exposed to the entire organization,' meaning that an individual will only be unaware of Ye's existence when they are 'part of the organization.' But now you've clearly noticed Ye, which means—your thoughts or intentions towards Ye represent only your personal feelings, stemming from your own selfish desires, and have nothing to do with the organization as a whole."

In other words--

"You want to protect her, to use her as a substitute for Blood Fiend in a duel before the organization takes her back, to satisfy your unnecessarily strong sense of pride and vanity."

"You..."

The lady had never suffered such humiliation; this was the first time she had been so enraged since Blood Fiend! So noble, so perfect, she had been humiliated by this malnourished, white-haired, one-eyed man—

"If I have offended you unintentionally, Madam Winsani, I apologize," Yusuo Zai shook his head helplessly, "But I advise you not to think about taking action now."

"I advise you... not to even think about taking action now?"

"I'm really thinking about you. You see... a boss-level character like you, if you were in a novel or movie, you'd definitely have a grand entrance and a lot of fanfare when you first made your official appearance. The director would also give you many opportunities to show your power and make the audience feel that 'you're very strong.' In other words, this is the first and most important step in establishing your image."

But--

"If you make your first official appearance on camera and get beaten to a pulp by a disabled person on welfare, what kind of image would you have? The audience would definitely think, 'This guy is just a pretty face with no substance.'"

Snap

The woman felt as if something in her brain had snapped.

"All right..."

His lips curled up in a smile, a laugh born of extreme anger.

"Very good..."

My whole body was trembling.

"Very good! Very good! Looks like you really want to die, you surnamed Yu!!!"

Boom!!!!!

Her body exploded.

Crimson lightning exploded from her body, instantly turning her flesh into dust.

In the lightning, a gigantic red creature with bull horns roared.

It was a monster nurtured by her furious emotions.

"Anger is like a raging bull, like lightning. It wouldn't feel good to be blown apart from the inside by this thing... So, don't be too impulsive."

"--ah!"

When the lady came to her senses again, she found that her body was completely unharmed.

Her hairstyle was perfect, her clothes were intact, and even her light makeup was flawless.

Is it a hallucination?

Or is it...?

Looking around, Yusuo Zai was nowhere to be seen; only his voice drifted on.

"I apologize for my offense, but don't be too impulsive. I'm not trying to harm Ye... at least not entirely. If I want her to become as strong as Blood Fiend in a short time, I'll have to use extreme measures. Whether she can survive is entirely up to her, and you can't interfere... so just be nervous and look forward to it."

"Whispering sound..."

It's really annoying.

The lady glanced at the Blood Sea and discovered that it had somehow transformed into a giant Blood Sea, with figures moving inside. She wondered what was happening within.

"... Fine, but don't disappoint me, Heir of Warrenstein..."

He muttered something, then stood still and began to wait.

In a small town in the central part of the Kasser Province--

An elegant villa-style building stands in the city, surrounded by gardens and walls. The gardens are filled with various ornamental plants and a rather large fountain. Next to the villa are stables for the horses of the upper class. At first glance, it looks like the residence of the lord of an ordinary small town.

No one could imagine that the headquarters of the Bredwich Family, the core management family of the Blood Blade Knights, the Revolutionary Army that was causing the Divine Law Cult so much trouble, was located here.

"Welcome back, Miss, Master, Mr. Brad. Bathwater, dinner, and your room are ready."

The old butler, accompanied by a group of maids, gave the three weary travelers a proper bow; his calm demeanor was reassuring.

"Hmm... it's been a long time. You must be tired, Helles."

"I'm happy to serve you."

Loxue handed the heavy luggage to the old butler. The old man, though seemingly frail, possessed unexpected strength; his hand took the luggage without trembling. He then handed the luggage to the maids behind him. The seemingly delicate maids easily carried the luggage. The Bradwich family's maids had undergone extremely rigorous selection and training; though called maids, they were practically like secret agents.

"Young Master...?"

The old butler turned his questioning gaze toward Nid and Brad.

"Oh, I don't need it."

"No need to worry, Mr. Helles."

Both of them waved their hands. Brad was more than three times the size of the old butler, and no one but him could easily lift Nid's sword.

The three walked along the avenue that passed the fountain. The old butler reported to Loxue on the details of the family's affairs over the past few years. Brad walked beside them like a bodyguard, while Nid looked around at his old home, which he hadn't visited in a long time.

This is where he was born and raised, and where he received elite education that was nothing short of hellish training.

Ten years ago, on this lawn, every day a young child would wield Greatsword that was far too big for his height, practicing over and over again until he collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Eight years ago, in that side room, every morning a gray-haired boy would be surrounded by a group of elite teachers, forcing himself to absorb knowledge like a sponge, desperately trying to digest things that were too profound for his age.

Seven years ago, in that small building, there was always a tired-looking boy who, under the orders of adults, tried to do various paperwork related to war preparedness, while envying his peers who could play freely outside.

Time flies, and I'm almost eighteen. Before long, I'll be called a young man.

Is this what growing up is like?

"That's why I said you're both laughable and pathetic. Looking at you... you're not even 18 yet. You must have received an elite education since you were little, right?"

"Being instilled with all sorts of knowledge, trained in various abilities, and honed in physical and martial arts skills—all of this ultimately transformed you into a charismatic and popular revolutionary leader... But, strip away this glamorous and powerful facade, what are you left with?"

The words of a certain Chief Templar Knight suddenly echoed in his mind.

If this family only shaped Nid Bradwich into a strong and leading figure, what about himself? Has he grown as a person over the years?

"Tsk!"

Nid shook his head, banishing these chaotic thoughts from his mind.

--Then suddenly I felt many eyes on me.

"... Huh?"

Following his instincts, he noticed that the group of maids were all secretly watching him.

But as soon as she noticed his gaze, she turned her head away, her face turning as red as a radish.

But after Nid looked away... that feeling of being secretly watched returned.

What's going on with these maids... Aren't they supposed to be the Bradwich family's elite guards? Why are they all acting like ordinary young girls secretly in love?

At that moment, he suddenly remembered what Loxue had once said.

"Nid, you'd be able to win over any girl in the Revolutionary Army with ease. Putting aside your status, you're tall, handsome, and strong, and you're always so polite to women. You're practically a textbook example of a Prince Charming."

"..." well.

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Nid -chan is attracted to older sisters, not younger sisters.