Your Attitude, I Don't Like It

Your Attitude, I Don't Like It

"If I said it was inconvenient, what would you do?" 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 butler, and also a notorious white glove in Bahamut Town.

Although bandit forces had always run rampant around the town, anyone familiar with the inside story would realize that this active bandit problem bore traces of Butler Pino's involvement behind the scenes.

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

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

But after he sent someone to accept that box of jewels, she had effectively paid her respects at the dock.

Only then did she gain a chance to settle down and survive.

But as she watched Pino lead a group of the baron's personal guards to visit her doorstep, Selvia instantly realized that he had come with ill intent today.

At that thought, she immediately heightened her guard.

The muscles throughout her body tensed, and her eyes locked tightly onto the fully armed soldiers who had surrounded her at some point, her gaze cold and filled with killing intent.

As long as these personal guards from House Hartman showed even the slightest sign of attack, she would not hesitate to activate the magic within her body, complete that terrifying half-dragon transformation in an instant, and slaughter these weaklings with absolute power.

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

Butler 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 people around them.

Then, before Selvia's constricted pupils, several tightly bound members of the Unity Society were shoved out.

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

"You damned lackeys of the nobility! Untie your grandpa if you've got the guts, and let's have a real fight!"

At the sight of their leader, the Unity Society's core members immediately became emotional. Yet Pino did not even spare the frantically cursing members a glance.

Instead, he raised his left hand slightly. The next second, the personal guards beside him understood at once and violently lifted their rifle butts, smashing them into the faces of the Unity Society members who would not stop cursing.

Crack!

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

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

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

He then had the unconscious Unity Society members dragged from the room. Facing Selvia's grim expression, he once again gave an elegant bow and spoke calmly.

"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 employ a few minor measures. I hope you will not take offense."

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

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

Butler Pino wore a smile, and though his tone was calm, both the arrogant look in his eyes and the disdain on his face—

Had already silently explained everything.

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

A stray dog like Selvia, someone he could casually command through his authority, should have considered herself incredibly fortunate that he had personally come to invite her.

"Heh."

Seemingly understanding what he was thinking as well, Selvia suddenly let out a soft laugh. Before the frowning Pino could speak another warning—

The next second, a dazzling red light appeared in the room. Then, in Pino's constricted pupils, a sharp claw covered in countless scarlet dragon scales rapidly filled his vision.

Crack!

With the sound of bones shattering, scarlet blood sprayed through the air.

"!"

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

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

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

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

"Hah... hah!"

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

But perhaps the pain was too intense. Even though he desperately strained his vocal cords—

He could not utter a single complete scream, only producing harsh, heavy gasps that made one's scalp crawl, as though a beast had bitten through his windpipe.

So weak!

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

She gave a light laugh and casually tossed the severed arm at her feet.

Thud!

The severed arm struck the wooden floor with a dull sound.

It seemed to strike the hearts of the personal guards as well, instantly jolting them awake. They all subconsciously raised their guns, trying to kill this monstrous being.

But before they could act, Selvia flicked her fingertips.

A flash of cold light swept past. The next second, dense sounds of flesh being torn apart completely swallowed the gunshots that were about to ring out.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

As if struck by an invisible blade, the previously uninjured personal guard unit widened their eyes. Their hands instinctively clutched their own necks, where blood continued to gush out, trying to stop their lives from slipping away.

But it was ultimately futile.

In an instant, this well-equipped unit of twelve personal guards had become twelve cold corpses.

"..."

After doing all that, Selvia did not even glance at them. She merely controlled her magic and slowly withdrew from her half-dragon transformation.

She then walked over to the horrified Pino. Under his terrified and resentful gaze, she raised her foot and stepped on his head. A chilling smile slowly appeared on her face, which had not yet fully reverted from its dragon form and still looked somewhat ferocious.

"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 minor measures to make you understand what kind of posture is appropriate when asking something of another person."

"Although the methods were a little violent, I believe Butler Pino can understand that."

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

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

Only when the resentment in his eyes was replaced by fear did she withdraw her foot, just before his head was crushed beneath her immense strength.

Without giving Butler Pino a chance to catch his breath, Selvia immediately smiled and said to him.

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

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

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

An elderly man with graying hair and a somewhat plump build sat quietly in the seat of honor, lightly sipping tea. But upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes were somewhat unfocused. Clearly, his attention was not on the tea.

He was thinking about something else.

Only when hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the reception room did he slowly return to his senses. Looking at the 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. Go arrange for someone to deal with the bodies later. Also, has the person I invited arrived?"

"Uh, Lord Myka..."

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

With that gentle voice, Selvia, dressed in a fitted vest and straight-cut trousers, walked into the reception room with a smile.

Her wine-red eyes looked toward Baron Myka at the conference table. A faint smile curled at her lips, and under his scrutinizing gaze, she bowed.

"Selvia Reinhart pays her respects to the baron."

"Mm."

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

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

"But... understood, Lord Myka."

Though he was deeply puzzled, feeling the baron's unquestionable gaze, the secretary still forcibly suppressed the doubts in his heart.

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

Creak.

The door shut, and the entire meeting room returned to silence.

Sunlight spilled through the windows into the room, yet it brought no warmth. Instead, it made the atmosphere inexplicably cold and eerie.

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

"It seems Pino's cleverness brought him a bitter consequence he could not bear. Although that was not my intention, since the person involved has already paid for it with his life, I believe our friendship should not be affected by this."

"So, if you do not mind, please take a seat, half-dragon lady from the Empire."

"!"

(End of Chapter)