I Don't Like Your Attitude

"If I said it wasn't convenient, what would you do, sir?" Selvia narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the man before her, dressed in a butler's uniform with a fake smile on his face.

She knew who he was. Pino Dork, the baron's steward, and one of Bahamut Town's notorious white gloves.

Although bandit groups around the town had always been rampant, anyone who knew the inside story would realize that nearly all of those active bandits had traces of Steward Pino behind them.

Even the reason the Unity Society she had founded had not been raided by Baron Hardman all these years

was because, under the introduction of a highly respected old gentleman, she had once sent someone to deliver gifts to Steward Pino, though she had never met him in person from beginning to end.

But after his people accepted that chest of jewelry, she had effectively paid her respects.

Only then had she gained a chance to survive.

Yet as she watched Pino arrive at her door with a group of the baron's personal guards, Selvia instantly realized that he had come with ill intent today.

With that thought, she immediately raised her guard.

Every muscle in her body tensed as her icy, murderous gaze locked onto the fully armed soldiers who had surrounded her at some point.

If these personal guards from House Hartman showed even the slightest sign of attacking, she would not hesitate to activate the magic within her body, complete that terrifying Half-Dragon transformation in an instant, and slaughter every one of these weaklings with absolute force.

"Baron Hardman greatly admires your strength. As a commoner, I believe you should feel honored by this, rather than show us such hostility, should you not, Miss Selvia Reinhart of the Unity Society?"

Steward Pino spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes, then raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

The next second, a gap opened in the neatly arranged wall of men around them.

Then, before Selvia's constricting pupils, several tightly bound Unity Society members were shoved forward.

"Boss, don't worry about us! Run!"

"You damned lackeys of the nobility! Untie me if you've got the guts, and let's settle this with real blades and guns!"

The moment they saw their leader, the Unity Society's core members became agitated. Yet Pino did not even spare the wildly cursing members a glance.

Instead, he slightly raised his left hand. The personal guards beside him immediately understood, lifting their rifle butts and smashing them viciously into the faces of the cursing Unity Society members.

Crack!

Scarlet blood and teeth scattered together, and the angry curses instantly turned into wails.

Yet as he listened to the scalp-numbing screams, Steward Pino's expression did not change in the slightest. He merely took out a pocket watch with a smile and began timing them.

Only after a minute did he raise his hand again and order the guards to stop.

He then had the unconscious Unity Society members dragged from the room. Under Selvia's grim expression, he once again bowed elegantly, his tone composed.

"I deeply apologize for making you witness such a crude scene. However, time is pressing, and in order not to keep the baron waiting, I had no choice but to use a few small methods. I hope you will not mind."

"Steward Pino, what impressive methods. So, by your meaning, it seems I have no choice but to visit the baron's manor today?"

"Regrettably, I'm afraid so. After all, no one can refuse Baron Hardman's invitation, can they?"

Steward Pino smiled. Though his tone was calm, both the arrogance in his eyes and the contempt on his face

had already silently explained everything.

And indeed, he had every reason to act that way. As Baron Hardman's white glove,

a stray dog like Selvia, whom he could command at will through his authority, should consider it her greatest fortune that he had personally come to invite her.

"Heh."

Seemingly understanding what he was thinking, Selvia suddenly laughed. Before the frowning Pino could warn her again,

a dazzling red light flashed across the scene. Then, before Pino's constricting pupils, a sharp claw covered in countless scarlet dragon scales rapidly filled his vision.

Crack!

As bones shattered, scarlet blood sprayed into the air.

"!"

When everyone finally came back to their senses, they realized that Selvia, who had been standing ten meters away only moments ago, had appeared before Steward Pino as though she had teleported.

Her formerly wine-red round pupils had been replaced by dark crimson vertical pupils. Two terrifying dragon horns had grown from her forehead, curling overall in shape.

The sides of her face were covered in strange red scales, like a natural helmet.

Her once-fitted sleeves had been torn apart by vicious dragon claws, and in the palm of one claw was a human arm still spurting blood.

"Hah... hah!"

As though his body had finally reacted to the agony, Steward Pino's face changed drastically after his right arm was suddenly torn off. He clutched the empty stump and collapsed onto the floor.

But the pain seemed too intense. Even as he desperately strained his vocal cords,

he could not produce a complete scream. All he could do was emit rough, chilling gasps, like an animal whose throat had been bitten through.

So weak.

Selvia looked down at the pale human before her with some boredom, then glanced at the baron's personal guards, who stood frozen in terror.

She chuckled and casually tossed the severed arm at her feet.

Thud!

The arm struck the wooden floor with a dull sound.

It was as though it had struck the hearts of the personal guards as well, jolting them awake. They instinctively raised their guns, intending to kill this monster.

But before they could act, Selvia flicked her fingertips.

A cold gleam flashed. The next second, countless sounds of flesh tearing completely swallowed the gunfire that was about to erupt.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

As though struck by an invisible blade, the previously unharmed guards widened their eyes. Their hands instinctively clutched their necks, where blood was continuously gushing out, trying to stop their lives from slipping away.

But it was ultimately futile.

In an instant, this well-equipped squad of twelve personal guards became twelve cold corpses.

"..."

After doing all this, Selvia did not even look at them. She merely controlled her magic and slowly withdrew from her Half-Dragon form.

She then walked over to the horrified Pino. Under his terrified and venomous gaze, she raised her foot and stepped on his head. A chilling smile slowly appeared on her face, which still retained some of its ferocious draconic features.

"You were right. No one can indeed refuse Baron Hardman's invitation."

"But I really don't like your attitude, so I had no choice but to use a few small methods to make you understand what sort of posture is appropriate when asking someone for something."

"Though the methods were a little violent, I believe you, Steward Pino, should be able to understand."

"After all, I am a guest personally invited by Baron Hardman, am I not?"

Selvia looked down at the weakling beneath her foot, steadily applying more force.

Only when the venom in his eyes was replaced by fear did she withdraw her foot before his head could be crushed beneath her overwhelming strength.

Without giving Steward Pino any chance to catch his breath, Selvia immediately smiled and said,

"However, I am indeed somewhat interested in Baron Hardman's invitation now. So, Steward Pino, you may lead the way."

"Before you bleed to death, have your driver take the car a little faster. Perhaps, with a physician's treatment, you might still save that little life of yours~"

Ten minutes later, inside the reception hall of the baron's castle.

An elderly man with graying hair and a somewhat plump figure sat quietly in the seat of honor, gently sipping tea. But upon closer inspection, his eyes were somewhat unfocused, clearly indicating that his attention was not on the tea.

He was thinking about something else.

Only when hurried footsteps came from the entrance to the reception hall did he slowly return to his senses. Looking at his secretary's panicked expression, as though he had already foreseen a certain outcome, he could not help but sigh.

Then, before the secretary could speak, he interrupted him.

"All right, I already know what happened. Later, arrange for someone to deal with the bodies. Also, has the person I invited arrived?"

"Uh, Lord Myka..."

"There's no need to explain. I'm already here."

As a gentle voice rang out, Selvia, dressed in a fitted vest with her legs wrapped in straight-cut trousers, walked into the reception hall with a smile.

Her wine-red eyes looked toward Baron Myka at the conference table. With a faint smile at the corner of her lips, she bowed under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Selvia Reinhart greets Lord Baron."

"Mm."

Looking at the courteous Selvia, Myka Hartman nodded slightly. Ignoring the secretary's nervous gaze, he waved his hand.

"All right, Tom, you may leave first. This lady is a guest I specifically invited. I have matters to discuss with her next, so have everyone else withdraw."

"But... understood, Lord Myka."

Though deeply confused, the secretary could only suppress the doubts in his heart beneath the baron's unquestionable gaze.

After signaling the guards standing watch in the corner, he bowed and withdrew from the reception hall, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Creak.

The door closed, and the entire conference room returned to silence.

Sunlight streamed through the windows into the room, yet it brought no warmth. Instead, it made the atmosphere strangely cold.

Looking at the woman before him, whose gentle smile made her seem entirely harmless, Baron Myka spoke first after a moment of silence.

"It seems Pino's self-serving cleverness has taught him a bitter lesson he could not bear. Though this was not my intention, in my view, since the person involved has already paid with his life, I believe our friendship should not be affected by it."

"So, if you do not mind, please take a seat, madam Half-Dragon from the Empire."

"!"

(End of Chapter)