“Alright, I will go with you.”
Strangely, Mu’en said this.
“No—”
An was taken aback for a moment, then immediately responded sharply:
“The Young Master cannot go with me!”
“Why not?”
“This has nothing to do with the Young Master, right? There’s no need for the Young Master to take such a big risk for me!”
“Who says it has nothing to do with me? Who says I’m going for you?” Mu’en joked lightly.
“What?”
“In fact, I just remembered that I owe that gurl Eluka a meal.”
Mu’en turned to look at the enormous, deformed monster.
A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes.
Strictly speaking, Eluka was his first friend after coming to this world.
Well, they had shared meals at her house, so that counts as friends.
He just didn’t expect that after just catching a fish, she would become like this.
Fate really is lamentable.
And disgusting.
“As a friend, I have an obligation to send her off one last time.” Mu’en said, hands on his hips, in a grand manner.
“No one has the right to stop me, not even you, An.”
“But… still no!”
An stood up, persistently blocking Mu’en’s path, and said seriously:
“That’s too dangerous! I promised Lord and Madam to protect the Young Master and never let him come to harm!”
“Protect me?”
Mu’en tilted his head slightly and said softly:
“But An, haven’t you always wanted to hurt me?”
“Hurt? I haven’t.”
“Using drugs, ambushing, imprisoning, and even wanting to cut off my limbs—aren’t those things you’ve done or wanted to do? Aren’t they all harm?”
“I…”
An was stumped.
I did it out of love; I did it for love for the Young Master.
If it were the old me, I would have surely said that.
So self-evident.
However, looking at Mu’en’s calm eyes at this moment, at the monster raging not far away, hearing the hoarse cries of hundreds of people and Eluka’s frantic words echoing in her ears.
An couldn’t find the words to say.
It felt as if saying such things would make Eluka stand in a pool of countless corpses, grinning at her while saying:
“See, Master, you’re just like me.”
Not true.
Not true.
Not true.
“I’m begging you, Young Master.”
In the end, An could only turn to pleading.
“Don’t go.”
“If something happens to you…”
“I’ll never forgive myself if I die.”
An tightly grasped Mu’en’s clothing, crying as she pleaded.
“I’m begging you, Young Master…”
“An.”
Mu’en looked down at the crying An.
He paused for a moment.
Carefully examining her appearance.
Then, suddenly raising his voice, he shouted:
“An! What is the first rule of the Campbell household’s maids? Tell me loudly!”
“Yes!”
Reflexively.
Mu’en’s words triggered An’s long-engraved instinct.
Thus, it was like returning to every morning when the former head maid would lecture them.
An straightened her posture, standing tall like a pine tree.
She held her head high and said loudly:
“The first rule of the Campbell household’s maids is to always stand straight except when greeting the master and guests!”
“That’s right. Stand tall, An.”
Mu’en patted An’s shoulder and smiled as he straightened her disheveled bangs, tucking stray strands behind her ear, and tidied her maid uniform, smoothing out the wrinkles slowly.
Until An turned back into the version he remembered.
Dignified, elegant, capable, and composed.
“Doesn’t that look more like you?”
“Young Master…”
“Alright, stop crying. I know you’re worried about me, but haven’t you said I’m different from before?”
Mu’en slightly lowered his head, meeting An’s eyes, his expression gentle:
“I’m sorry I can’t become the ideal version you imagined, but haven’t you seen? I’m no longer that useless Young Master.
Well, although I still only have those three tricks up my sleeve, I can escape from you, An, and I can escape from that monster!
Running away, I’m a professional, so even if I can’t win, I can still run.
In some ways, I’m even better than you, An.
So, don’t worry, okay?”
“But…”
An stared blankly at Mu’en.
She still wanted to say something.
But Mu’en suddenly put his finger to her lips.
“No rebuttals. That’s the Young Master’s command.”
An felt dazed for a moment.
Although it was a command, the words were incredibly gentle.
She looked at Mu’en, somewhat entranced.
The sunlight lit up Mu’en’s golden hair, enveloping him in a hazy glow.
The gentle breeze ruffled his brow and eyes, making him appear so radiant.
Those lake-like clear eyes seemed to pull her soul right in.
Yes, the Young Master has indeed changed.
In just one night, he completely veered off the track she had set for him.
Becoming ambitious, gentle, cunning… and a little silly.
He actually took the initiative to confront the Evil God’s corruption, something he would have never dared to imagine before.
It was as if he became another person.
But why is it that this version of him, so completely off from her ideal, can attract her gaze like this?
So dazzling, Young Master.
As An shed tears, it was as if she was staring directly at the scorching sun.
…
“Alright, let’s go.”
Seeing that An was finally convinced, Mu’en smiled lightly.
He shrugged his arms to loosen his muscles.
Then, without looking back, he walked toward the menacing monster.
He said:
“Let’s go bring redemption to your disciple, my friend, our dear Miss Eluka!”
…
…
“Ah, ah, have I come here again, again, again, again, again!?”
High above, at a height of a hundred meters, Mu’en stood on a tall metal pillar, taking advantage of the absence of anyone around, as if experiencing a mental breakdown, holding his head and shaking it wildly.
“My damn episodic self-destructive syndrome!”
Celicia was like this then, and so is this time.
Clearly, there are better paths to take, yet I insist on running full speed down the path of self-destruction.
Clearly, I cherish my life so much, but why can’t I control myself at the critical moment?
“Heh, I can’t move when I see a pretty girl cry; I guess I’m some sort of different old pervert.”
Mu’en sighed lightly.
However, this time, compared to the last, there are still some differences.
At least this time, he wouldn’t be as powerless as before.
…
“Listen, An, I’m going to tell you what to do now.”
“Firstly, after being corrupted by the Evil God, Eluka cannot be killed in the usual way; I think you’ve already experienced that.”
“So, our goal is not to waste efforts trying to kill Eluka or wake her up, but to find the source of the Evil God’s corruption, which is the medium through which the Evil God casts his powers.”
“Rings, necklaces, sculptures—there must be such things. The Evil God cannot cast power from thin air; the rules of this world don’t allow it.”
“The source must be near Eluka, so I need you, An, to open the way for me.”
“You’ll open the path and help me block the monster’s attacks, and I will use my agility and mobility to approach Eluka, find the source of the corruption, and then destroy it!”
“That’s the plan!”
…
Recalling the plan discussed with An not long ago, Mu’en let out a breath.
At this moment, he was somewhat glad that he had read the original book, which allowed him to know how to deal with the Evil God.
But… it was still going to be tough.
Because the more he had read the original book, the more he understood how terrifying that thing was.
“…I guess I have to go for it.”
Mu’en spread his arms, gathered his energy, and shouted at the monster still playing in the water not far away:
“Hey—
All eyes on me, I have an announcement!”
“Ah?”
Hearing the voice, the monster turned around, and hundreds of faces simultaneously directed their attention toward him.
Then, it charged forward suddenly.
Eluka exclaimed with delight, “Mr. Mu’en, are you finally going to accept my love?”
“I won’t accept your love.”
Mu’en flipped her off and laughed:
“Because—
I am a parachutist!
Hahaha!”
Having said that, Mu’en leaped.
