Kafka's Advantage

That evening, Chu Mu stayed in the Library as usual.

He could no longer see, but he kept up the habit so the Old Director would not worry.

If the kindly old woman learned that he had gone blind so quickly, she would probably shed a great many tears.

Intense emotional swings were especially dangerous for the elderly.

So Chu Mu and Natasha had agreed that they had to keep this from her for now, no matter what.

Chu Mu was still pretending to read when he suddenly caught a familiar fragrance.

Kafka's voice rang out:

"Your book is upside down."

Chu Mu remained unfazed and said calmly:

"I marked it earlier. The folded corners are all at the bottom. There's no way it's upside down."

"Fine, I can't fool you." Kafka sat down across from Chu Mu and stretched out her beautiful legs without restraint.

But Chu Mu could see none of it. He merely asked:

"With so many people stationed here tonight, you still managed to stroll right in. I suppose you used that ability of yours to alter people's perceptions again?"

"It's not quite as powerful as altering perceptions. I just used a tiny suggestion to make them listen to me talk." Kafka shrugged. "You should know how it works."

"Don't use it on me again, or I won't listen to another word you say." Remembering what had happened before, Chu Mu still felt a lingering fear.

He had come within a hair of revealing all his secrets.

"All right." Kafka nodded. "I wasn't going to use it on you again anyway. After all, we've built up enough trust between us, haven't we, little Chu Mu?"

"Heh." Chu Mu gave a dry chuckle, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"I hear a big shot is coming here tomorrow." Kafka changed the subject. "Do you know who it is?"

"How would I know?" Chu Mu shook his head.

"But my intuition tells me you definitely know." Kafka looked at Chu Mu. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have said yesterday that you needed to wait two days. Unless you can see the future and knew something big would happen tomorrow?"

"Fine, I admit I kept something from you," Chu Mu said, feigning resignation. "A big shot really is coming tomorrow, and it's Belobog's Supreme Guardian. She's coming here to adopt a child as her successor-the next Supreme Guardian."

"How do you know all that in such detail?" Kafka looked at Chu Mu in puzzlement.

"Don't get any strange ideas. It's not precognition. I have my own sources, and I happened to hear about this in advance," Chu Mu said quietly.

After a pause, he continued:

"So now you understand, right? It would be wonderful if the Supreme Guardian chose me."

As he spoke, an expectant look appeared on Chu Mu's little face.

Kafka immediately realized that Chu Mu was deliberately trying to annoy her. The boy had to have an ulterior motive for acting so childish.

She might as well play along with the child's little performance.

She reached out and pinched Chu Mu's cheek, pretending to be irritated:

"Oh, so you've been treating me as your backup plan!"

Chu Mu stepped back to pull free, then covered his face with both hands and said in a muffled voice:

"What can I do? If I have two options, of course I'll choose the better one. Becoming the next Supreme Guardian would be so impressive. Think of the prestige."

"Heh, is that all you aspire to?" Kafka laughed in exasperation. "One planet ravaged by an ice disaster, one tiny city, barely any people, backward technology, and an ignorant population. You'd rather become the son of some backwater city ruler than come with me?"

Hearing this, Chu Mu said hesitantly:

"But the current Supreme Guardian is still a young woman. I hear she's very beautiful."

"And I'm not beautiful?" Kafka countered.

"Sorry, I didn't get a good look at your face back then." Chu Mu sighed. "You might be beautiful, or you might..."

"There's no 'might'!" Kafka's brows shot up. "There is absolutely no room for 'might' here!"

"All right." Chu Mu nodded dejectedly. "Then can you tell me what advantages you have? Is it just that you own a spaceship?"

Chu Mu sounded rather unconvinced as he said this.

"Just this: anything she can give you, I can give you. And what she can't give you, I can still give you." Kafka's expression was utterly solemn.

"Then can I bring my little sister aboard?" Chu Mu finally revealed what he was after.

"Huh?" Kafka stared at Chu Mu, stunned.

You went through all that just to ask for this?

How many times have you asked now? You still haven't given up?

You know perfectly well I can't do it. If you keep asking, you're going to put me in a very difficult position.

At that thought, Kafka shot Chu Mu a reproachful glare.

In that instant, she was captivating.

Unfortunately, Chu Mu could not see it.

More unfortunately still, even after all Chu Mu's groundwork, Kafka did not agree.

So Chu Mu asked another question:

"If the Supreme Guardian chooses me tomorrow and takes me away, what will you do?"

"Why would you ask such a silly question?" Kafka scoffed. "Obviously, I'll beat her to the ground and take you back."

Chu Mu was instantly speechless. All he could do was think, This woman is definitely a space pirate!

"It's late. I should go get my beauty sleep." Kafka stretched, putting her lovely curves on full display.

"See you tomorrow, little Chu Mu. You should get to bed early too. The next time we meet, it'll be time for you to come with me."

With those parting words, she left the Library.

Chu Mu breathed in the delicate fragrance that lingered in the room, deep in thought.

The next day.

Everyone at the Orphanage had been waiting for the big shot's arrival since early morning.

They had even arranged a rich selection of morning lessons to showcase the Orphanage's small but refined approach to teaching.

Natasha had lectured so much that her throat felt as though it were on fire.

Seele had listened so much that her eardrums felt ready to burst!

That demonic voice was drilling into her ears! Drilling into her ears!

She scratched at the desktop in agony, seized by an urge to bolt.

But just outside the window, Oleg was watching her with a quiet, pointed gaze.

Seele could only stay obediently seated on her stool.

She could not help regretting it. She never should have owed anyone favors.

She owed Oleg so many favors that she had lost her freedom!

Today, she was back in her cage!

Seele looked toward Chu Mu, who sat alone in row zero, her eyes filled with admiration!

That's the boss for you!

Enduring the fiercest demonic voice and breathing in the thickest chalk dust!

Compared with the boss, she still had a long way to go in tempering her will.

Seele was now sitting in Chu Mu's old seat, with Xiao Bu as her deskmate.

Xiao Bu looked curiously at this girl who was so different from her. She rarely saw Seele at the Orphanage.

This was the first time they had sat so close together.

"Hey, why do you keep staring at me?" Seele glanced at Xiao Bu and asked.

"S-sorry." Xiao Bu hurriedly apologized and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Seele was a little baffled. "Look all you want. It's not like it'll take a chunk out of my face."

Xiao Bu looked up at Seele in surprise, unsure what to say.

"Well, I hardly ever come back to the classroom. Getting to be your deskmate is a kind of, a kind of... uh..." Seele thought for a moment, but could not remember what word she was supposed to use.

She simply skipped over it and asked directly:

"Hey, want to be friends?"

"Sure." Xiao Bu nodded sweetly.

The two were about to say more when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

The big shot had arrived!