Chapter 50

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Found You, My Lady
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“Are you okay?”

At the dry, toneless voice, Helios, still coughing, slowly lifted his gaze.

Thankfully, his coughing began to subside.

“...What’s that gun?”

Guns existed in this world, but with Kia being so prevalent, they were only considered decent weapons for ordinary people.

For Kia users, it was an era where close-combat weapons were favored.

“My love?”

“What do you... *cough*...”

“The weapon I cherish most.”

“Were you hiding your strength all this time?”

“I never hid it. I just never had a reason to show it.”

Mint chose an answer that was only half-true.

“You were impressive too. You created a spear and struck with it even while dazed.”

It was true. Even as he was being choked, Helios had managed to attack the boss.

Considering the immense difference in their levels, it was an incredible feat.

He was truly growing at a frightening pace.

“...Still, I’m a long way off.”

Helios dropped his gaze. His shoulders slumped, and even the corners of his eyes drooped. He was cute.

To Mint, he looked like a puppy that had just come home after getting into a fight.

“Maybe he’s hoping for a compliment?”

Remembering Haira's words, she had tried complimenting him, but the result wasn't great.

Mint pondered.

“In a situation like that, try this. You’ll see something good.”

Without hesitation, Mint walked over to Helios and knelt on one knee.

“What are you...!”

Helios froze solid.

Because Mint had pulled him into an embrace. A dry hand patted his back.

It was clearly a half-hearted gesture.

*Thump, thump.* Helios's heart inevitably began to pound wildly.

“I told you, you did well. Why can’t you take your master’s praise as praise?”

“...”

“You’re just supposed to say, ‘Yes, Master,’ and feel proud.”

There was once a high-level prisoner twisted by an inferiority complex.

He had been born to an overly accomplished father and had known only frustration.

Eventually consumed by his complex, he had murdered his family and countless others, which was how he ended up here.

Just like that, some people lose their will when faced with a mountain too high to climb.

Mint didn't want Helios to become one of those people.

“...Let me ask you one thing.”

Helios bit his lip, still in Mint's embrace.

There was something else he truly wanted to ask, but his lips wouldn't move.

“Go to hell.”

A moment ago, Mint had used a green Kia he had never seen before.

Even as he was being choked, struggling for breath, Helios had seen it clearly.

The female silhouette that always lingered around his master.

To his astonishment, as soon as the green light appeared, the silhouette had slipped into Mint's body and merged with him.

At that moment, it wasn't the hand on his throat that took his breath away, but something else entirely.

He knew instinctively.

He knew why that silhouette had merged with his master's body.

It was because they were the same person.

Helios's mouth went dry.

*Master.*

*...Are you... a woman?*

In truth, it no longer mattered what gender she was. All that mattered was that she was Mint.

But seeing the silhouette with its long hair and seemingly different features...

The thought occurred to him. Was she hiding her appearance as well as her gender?

That's why he wanted to ask. *Are you a woman?*

*Can't you show me?*

But in the end, what came out of his mouth was something else entirely.

“...In your eyes, do you think I can reach the top?”

“Yes.”

Helios felt a sense of relief at the firm answer.

“Can I become as strong as you?”

“That depends on you.”

Even that half-hearted reply sounded sweet in this moment. Helios resolved to become stronger, no matter what it took.

Meanwhile, as Mint was consoling Helios, she lifted her arm and looked at it for a moment.

*Clink.*

The sound of chains echoed in her ears.

She hadn't misheard. For a brief moment, a red chain had appeared on Mint's left arm before vanishing even faster than it had appeared.

Her eyes darkened.

*Tsk.*

Mint clicked her tongue inwardly.

She had tried not to use it, but she'd ended up using her unique Kia.

And...

*'He'* had noticed.

* * *

At the same time.

A large hand holding a quill pen moved as if dancing. The cursive script flowing from its tip was impeccably elegant.

Even the imperial scribe would have shed tears of admiration at the graceful and perfect aristocratic handwriting.

But to the guard standing before the desk, none of it registered.

“...”

He could only wait anxiously, not knowing where the hand before him would move next.

Just then, the hand, which had been tracing an elegant path, came to a stop.

“Ah.”

“I-It’s ready, C-Captain!”

“...Be quiet.”

Over handsomely tanned skin and a jawline that was firm yet sleek, his long lips soon curved into a beautiful line.

“Aha.”

Beneath jet-black hair, reddish-brown eyes glinted darkly.

“Found you. My lady.”

It was truly amusing. He had turned the outside world upside down looking for her.

And it seems the darkest place was right under the torch.

“Who has infiltrated the prison cells right now?”

“What? What? Ah... Guy and Latham, D-David and...”

The guard trembled before the man with a serpentine smile. On the floor lay the bloodied bodies of his former colleagues.

He had to stay calm.

“‘Brett’ is currently monitoring the target.”

Otherwise, he would end up just like them.

The man remained silent for a long time after the guard spoke.

“Shall I postpone Brett's mission and order him to stand by?”

“No. For now.”

The man tapped the desk. *Tuk, tuk.*

The rhythmic sound was like the dripping of blood.

No, with dead bodies strewn across the floor, it was impossible not to think so.

The guard resisted the urge to squeeze his eyes shut.

As a seasoned guard who had seen it all, he wasn't afraid of corpses. In fact, he'd seen more than enough of them while working in Niflheim.

However, this man was terrifying because he could turn him into one of those corpses.

“Continue the mission as planned. We'll wait and see.”

The man's lips curled into an amused smile.

When he had been away for a short while, Mint had disappeared.

He had searched the outside world thoroughly but couldn't find her.

He couldn't find a single trace of her, let alone her presence. It was as if she had vanished from the world.

That is, until he felt the 'signal' just now.

*'But...'*

However, the man had no idea where in the prison Mint could be.

He hadn't heard any rumors of her reappearing in the prison either.

“...Interesting.”

Then where...

...could you possibly be?

My strong and useful lady.

I'm withering away from not being able to see you.

* * *

Just after they exited the 33rd floor, Ged's party groaned and collapsed.

“I thought it was a peaceful floor for once, but it turned out to be one that could even strike fear into a real man...”

“The 30s floors aren't called the 30s for nothing...”

They weren't seriously injured, but they looked mentally exhausted.

Of course, even if they had been injured, they would have been healed the moment they left the tower.

They seemed particularly weary this time.

*'They were exposed to an immense concentration of Kia, so it's no surprise they're tired.'*

I knew why they were exhausted.

Just before I used my unique Kia inside the tower, I had sent a disc toward Ged's party and flattened it to block their vision.

They must have felt like they were trapped in a bunker, feeling only the vibrations of immense power.

The power I'd set for myself to use as 'Garet' is quite formidable. But with a boss as strong as Garet appearing, the Kia waves had doubled.

And if I drew out my unique Kia on top of that? The Kia concentration in the air would become even denser.

Oxygen is essential for humans, but in high concentrations, it can be lethal.

Kia was similar.

*'Of course, I wouldn't have let them die.'*

Even though I only drew out my unique Kia for a moment, it must have been overwhelming for them.

*'Still, they didn't pass out. They've gotten quite a bit better.'*

Perhaps because they were the party chosen by the male lead, who was blessed with all the world's luck and talent, each of them possessed extraordinary gifts.

First, Ged had awakened a new ability under my training, and Seth was a dual Kia user and a precious, precious healer.

Speaking of precious, Haira's 'Charm' Kia was not to be overlooked.

Brett's potential was average, but his application skills were outstanding.

Ged, catching his breath, turned to me. He blinked his simple-looking eyes.

“Big Bro?”

“What.”

“Why are your lips so swollen?”