Thud Thud Thud.
The sound of fingers tapping on the desk echoed steadily in the room.
In the direction of the sound sat a bulky man, lazily gazing at the woman standing before him.
“I have poor hearing, you see. Can you say that again?”
“… The killer possesses the strength to easily overpower an adult male. According to the story, he is said to be a tall man close to 2 meters.”
The bulky man thought the woman was truly audacious.
“Heh heh… Is that so? Have you pinpointed his location?”
“I’m sorry. I’m still searching for information regarding his whereabouts.”
The woman bowed her head, looking genuinely apologetic.
“Hmm…”
Thud Thud Thud.
After a moment’s contemplation, the man finally lifted the desk lightly, as if it were nothing more than a feather.
“It seems like everyone’s looking down on me.”
“… Boss?”
In the blink of an eye, with a smile on the man’s face, the desk flew towards the woman’s nose.
“….!”
Unable to dodge, the woman raised her arms to protect her head.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Unable to escape the shock, she fell to the ground.
“Isn’t that right, Dania?”
“Cough… Boss… What is this…?”
“A girl with monstrous strength.”
“….!”
“It seems the story I heard and your version are quite different, huh?”
“Did you know…?”
“Haha! Did you think I have only four subordinates?”
The bulky man, Bram, grabbed Dania’s hair, pulling her upward to meet his gaze.
“Ugh!”
“What would a smart girl like you do such a foolish thing for?”
“….”
“Is it because you were reminded of your sister when looking at that woman?”
As if to prove Bram’s words right, Dania’s eyes began to tremble violently.
Bram pulled on Dania’s hair even harder.
“Even knowing you want to kill me, do you know why I keep you around?”
“Ahhh!!..”
“Because you’re a capable subordinate who handles tasks well? Or is it because you’re one of the few mana users in this city?”
“Let go of me!”
Dania glared at Bram with wide eyes.
“Your sister, whom you cherish far more than your own life.”
“Destroying that sister is nothing to me.”
As Bram released her hair, Dania’s head dropped toward the ground, nearly colliding with it.
“You know that’s why you pretend to obey me.”
“Ugh… Huh…”
“Tch… Disgusting.”
Shaking off the pulled hair stuck to his hand, Bram stepped out the door.
“I’ll let this one go, but you’d better make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
If you want your sister to be safe, that is.
Only the woman’s sorrowful sobs remained in the place where he had left with a smile.
*
Thud thud.
With tired footsteps, Dania walked on.
Her eyes were filled with deep sadness and helplessness.
After walking for a while, she came upon a shabby, old house.
Although it was a rundown building, it was a precious nest for Dania.
‘I can’t let Lily see me like this.’
Slap!
Dania slapped her cheeks with both hands to snap out of her thoughts and put a smile on her face as she opened the door.
“Lily~ I’m back!”
As she opened the door, she was greeted by her younger sister, who wouldn’t feel pain even if you put her in your eye.
“Sister!!!”
Lily ran and jumped into her embrace.
“Why are you so late today?”
While stroking her head, Dania replied.
“I’m sorry… I had a lot to do today. But I’ll make potatoes for dinner, the kind you like.”
“Really? You’re the best, sister!!”
Lily smiled brightly at Dania.
Seeing her sister’s sunny, cheerful smile, Dania felt tears welling up unexpectedly.
After dinner, as Dania was tidying up the dishes, Lily approached her.
“Sister! I have something to brag about!”
Lily looked at Dania with a proud smile.
“Huh? What is it~?”
“Hehe… Watch this!”
Lily picked up a cooking knife and walked into a spacious area.
She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and yelled,
“Hah!”
“…!”
She swung the knife down vertically with great force.
At first glance, it just seemed like she swung the knife, but to Dania, who could use mana, it was clear.
“The magic you taught me. Now I can do it too!”
‘Lily can use mana?’
The technique just now was a simple enchantment that grants mana to a weapon.
Since there would be no one to protect Lily if something happened to Dania, she had been teaching her how to use mana and self-defense techniques whenever she could.
Fortunately, Lily had the talent to feel mana.
If she received a few more years of training, she would be able to use mana on her own.
But Lily already knew how to handle mana.
This was proof of her exceptional talent.
A flicker of hope began to fill Dania’s heart.
‘If this is the case.’
The goal she had been clenching her teeth and enduring under Bram’s tyranny.
To get Lily enrolled in the academy.
Regis Academy follows a meritocracy.
If you can feel mana, anyone qualifies for admission, regardless of their background.
Even if Lily lost her origin and had no status, if she possessed strength, she could enter the academy.
Once Lily gets into the academy, Bram would no longer be able to touch her.
Dania embraced Lily and praised her.
“Our Lily. You’re amazing. I’m so happy.”
Lily laughed gleefully in Dania’s arms.
“Now, if there are any bad guys bothering you, I’ll take care of them! Don’t worry!”
Perhaps due to the tough day, Dania felt like tears were about to spill again at Lily’s commendable words.
Swallowing the tears that threatened to overflow,
“Sob… I’m not worried at all! Thanks to you… Thank you, Lily.”
She smiled brightly following her precious sister.
That night, Dania was able to fall asleep with laughter.
*
“Sister… Are you asleep?”
Lily cautiously called for her sister.
She looked so deeply asleep, possibly exhausted.
‘She must have cried.’
Though her sister tried to hide it, she couldn’t conceal the marks near her eyes or the smell of blood emanating from her.
Lily bit her lip.
To gain strength, she had practiced the techniques her sister had taught her continuously while Dania was out working.
Until she could use mana.
“I will kill him… No matter what.”
No matter how strong that man is, as long as he’s human, he can’t escape death if a knife is plunged into his back.
As she nurtured hatred inside, Lily’s eyes were as cold as Dania could never imagine.
.
.
.
“You’re going to pay up?”
A boy was demanding repayment of a debt from me.
“Well, just repay it…”
It’s unfair.
I’ve never had any issues related to money in my life.
Why must I be scolded over a debt I never borrowed?
‘Actually, could he be lying?’
Using my amnesia to create nonexistent debts?
‘But he doesn’t seem like a bad guy… He gave me bread earlier…’
Forget it.
What’s the big deal about money? I can just repay it. A man shouldn’t be so petty.
As long as I can use my unique ability, money isn’t a problem.
What matters more to me right now is information.
“I’ll definitely repay you. Just help me find my memory.”
The boy looked at me for a while before sighing and speaking.
“What do you want to know?”
I listened intently to the boy’s words.
The name of this body I’ve possessed is Hera.
I’ve been active as a pickpocket in this place.
Oh, the boy who gave me bread is named Charlie.
Two years ago, we met while trying to steal each other’s belongings, and since then we’ve occasionally met up to talk.
I hear Charlie and I were both skilled thieves.
This place we’re in is the Lawless Zone, Drax.
This particular area is known as the western district.
In this area, a king named Bram reigns, and his word is the law of the West.
“So even as thieves, you should never touch anyone connected to Bram.”
Charlie made a large hand gesture indicating it’s a bad idea.
The Lawless Zone Drax. I remember.
The city that crumbled during Athena’s battle with the monster ‘Argentina.’
The monster was defeated, but the city lay in ruins.
The emperor decided that restoring the city wasn’t feasible and used the justification of compensation for vanquishing the monster to sacrifice Drax to Athena.
However, disinterested in the abandoned city and citizens, Athena naturally allowed it to turn into a Lawless Zone.
‘In the novel, Drax was just a side note in Athena’s backstory.’
It was merely a device used for character development.
Oh, and Lily was from here too.
One of the heroines, she was also from Drax.
A yandere assassin who always stuck close to the protagonist.
After losing her sister, she became obsessed with love, right?
I could affirm that Athena was the mastermind through that scene where Lily freaked out upon seeing her in the last novel.
Anyway.
Drax was just a region set up to depict the characters’ pasts, having nothing to do with the protagonist.
It was a perfect place for my goal since it wouldn’t interfere with the protagonist’s moves.
Even though it’s a city managed by Athena, she hardly cares about Drax.
‘Perfect.’
Plans for the future began to form in my head.
First and foremost, I need to be able to use my unique ability.
If I can achieve that, I can live quite comfortably here.
Drax is a place where the homeless and criminals of ambiguous skill gather.
Those kinds of people can’t defeat someone like me who can use my unique ability.
And in this Lawless Zone, the strong make the rules, so I should have quite a lot of rights.
‘I’ll be the boss here, enjoying my time until the protagonist reaches the ending.’
Alright.
This is a flawless plan.
I’m clearly a genius—
“Hey!”
“Huh?!”
Charlie’s voice suddenly pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Are you spacing out?”
“S-Sorry. What were you saying?”
“Ugh… I told you not to touch anyone related to Bram.”
“Ah…”
Sorry, Charlie, but that’s going to be hard for me.
There can’t be two suns in the sky.
As long as Bram is standing there, I can’t enjoy a comfortable life here.
If it’s for my happy plan, it seems that I inevitably have to step on Bram.
After all, he’s just another criminal; I have no guilt about that.
“Uh huh.”
Charlie cleared his throat a few times and then looked at me cautiously before speaking.
“… And there was something I didn’t get to say earlier.”
“….?”
Charlie, who suddenly looked serious, prompted me to sharpen my ears in focus.
“You might not remember, but…”
“Yeah? What is it?”
He’s probably going to tell me something I don’t know.
Is there more money I owe apart from what I borrowed from Charlie?
That would be awkward.
“Actually… you promised to marry me.”
“……What?”
“You promised to marry me—”
Crash!
“Wh-What?!”
My leg deeply impaled Charlie’s left side.
“Stop messing around.”
Where did that unexpected twist come from?
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