Chapter 44
o9oL9Sd“Light Chestnut! Acorn!”CeS
Qe0cm9ZSince I wasn’t responding even though he kept calling my name, he had started shouting anything related to chestnuts.SmmbA3
P3KBefore he ended up attracting every Creature in the mansion, I hurried outside.SYvSBfw
mtqD“Roasted Chestnut…! Ah!”wyg8M
LgtXHAKwak Hanmuk, who had his hands cupped around his mouth like a megaphone as he shouted, spotted me. He took a step toward me but suddenly stopped.ElNU
ybfsDn2He remained a short distance away, looking me up and down with a suspicious expression.IKgXfQ
8vCVZR0I raised the lantern toward my face and said,qacsl
FiJJxR“It really is me.”RWxwfVS
bsJBut Kwak Hanmuk’s suspicion didn’t disappear so easily.aVD
NF0“Question. What was the name of the Trial that Cheongroe and Acorn cleared together?”RHd4La
bCqEX8e“…Hey, where did that Acorn thing even come from?”L6Od
GFBWogK“Answer.”eji
5lHBqD“……”UUZ
hc3dRrpKwak Hanmuk was being suspicious for no reason.SB5
0MQYThere were Creatures in the mansion capable of imitating voices, but none that could copy appearances as well.rbr302
RYaPAnd besides, I had no idea when he’d started calling me Acorn.ZIjn2d
TXH7WzSwallowing a sigh, I answered.OEN9g
1mHkRL“Dead Zone Delivery. DZD.”qGiU
VNnhmKd“Hmm. You really are Roasted Chestnut.”gm4l
SnQOnly then did Kwak Hanmuk begin walking toward me.Scf6
h448AXaI looked up at him and asked,rFX9
lq1jI“Did something happen?”wmDeK
HTt“Yes.”HaMe30
n7nmI looked at him in surprise, but instead of explaining what had happened, he asked me another question.4d0OvGB
uaO“Did you kill a lot of cleaners?”kNKg7
cq5f“Only about six so far…”7aw8y8s
p4MAs I answered, something suddenly occurred to me.WZsxfn
5pkTkFp“Did Lieutenant Colonel Je come to see you?”MI3u7
ntpZLL“Yes.”eIqdA
gE6yf“…Did he also tell you that I still think it’s possible to achieve the True Ending?”Nky
FLJbdoz“Yes.”Bpx99wR
BH2Seeing Kwak Hanmuk answer so calmly made me feel frustrated.RibkYB
cwRAka“Then why did you last night…?”svUa9
LafClTD“You’re wondering why we didn’t kill the cleaners?”zD4
hthAIt struck me as an absurd question.n44AG
50vPnWBut there wasn’t the slightest trace of a joke on Kwak Hanmuk’s face.wPt
rBULooking straight into those cold gray eyes, I answered,yBOn3
f9Im“Of course I am. Is Captain Mo alright?”dBFB31
in4What worried me most was Mo Haein.K9Sc
6sRWxqI wondered if she was suffering alone in the basement, unable to even see the sunlight.KUE5
8MPQ8Today I had toured the entire East Wing with the Cat Butler, but we hadn’t even gone near the basement.okFsU
YdogE6“Instead of talking here, let’s go see her right now.”Se1O
t8p7ZyX“Goyo.”w0Xl0
moGW“Yes?”JY4
33mPy6z“I think it’d be better if you didn’t see Captain Mo.”TiIBa
txx“Is her condition really that bad?”twbH
v7LM“The truth is, Captain Mo…”92mQlB
5lqwCaptain Mo…?TaR1F3s
vW2fEI waited tensely for him to continue.8Psk6Sq
YDw7E8With an extremely serious expression, Kwak Hanmuk said,yFUQOf0
QYZm“She’s allergic to Butlers.”7WN3
gtP“…Captain Kwak.”OEW3
JYdqRI practically ground those words out through my teeth.6thv
MIFmTKBursting into laughter, Kwak Hanmuk gave me a hard slap on the shoulder.2Wg
GNcejihMy body staggered from the impact.zOQDE
bhYnyzt“No need to go looking for Captain Mo. Stay with me tonight, Goyo. I’ll take care of hunting those cleaners.”PNUNa
oqRvW“Rather, we need to make the Creatures eat them.”PCF8T
n7b“Yeah, yeah. Feeding the Creatures. I’m an expert at making ramen too.”5Djf1O
CPSaSgRamen had absolutely nothing to do with the topic, but I decided to stop trying to follow his train of thought.85OJJ
jANIn any case, I was glad I’d at least found Kwak Hanmuk.UmXGPQ
3L0jbI5Unlike Lieutenant Colonel Je, he seemed willing to cooperate, so I thought it would be best to start hunting cleaners together with him.ZeLZPcY
lRktw“By the way, what’s Lieutenant Colonel Je doing?”AYXyG
VDn04H“Well, you know how he is—he got one of his episodes again and started doing whatever he wanted. So I sent him to the basement. I told him to just focus on killing the Creatures down there.”SJgfr6M
emVgwKIt was a surprisingly believable explanation.f4h9Tur
gkApiI nodded, convinced.XytH
irvDThen Kwak Hanmuk suddenly said,q2SV63X
omQ0CN1“Now let me ask you something.”fhACaH
YFrl“Sure. Go ahead.”83x
T1sI2W“Did the Rabbit and the Cat threaten you? Or hit you or something?”kn7
05DfOThe Butlers didn’t like being called that.bzodKt
vIG0SNRI quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard him.bUEjhu4
tTPpumFortunately, there wasn’t a single Footman, Creature, or cleaner nearby.7yJ
aKndPL“Of course not. The Butlers have treated me extremely well.”TzIP
ISHENDEI took the opportunity to tell him about the destroyed spaceship as well.ptWAX4
k68cI didn’t forget to mention that the Butlers were going to obtain a transport ship specifically for me.0B3UD9
DHuDa5“Ha…”jdYjl4j
aC4Ym81Kwak Hanmuk let out a long sigh.L0peq
0ZlYLAw“I almost preferred it when your eyes used to glow…”dMhRY
NPtnAfter muttering that strange lament and holding his forehead for a few moments, he abruptly raised his head.viWkkI
7VJlK“Roasted Chestnut. Want me to punch you? Maybe if I hit you hard enough in the head, you’ll come to your senses.”U9tDX
dVtHHuP“……”6Qs
ogII stared at him and thought,hscW1
nZZMmOvWasn’t he the one who needed a punch to the head?2oGDcGI
K3DVUR9Then again, on second thought, there was no need.b6G8QFN
tn4kN‘He’s just Captain Kwak being Captain Kwak.’6MU
Qe2Apparently, Kwak Hanmuk read the disappointment in my expression, because he finally said something sensible.pfQ
NSLSr“Fine. I’ll take care of the cleaners.”yEzpJV
GpkEWe began patrolling the mansion together.KkU2mjc
RjIHAs we walked side by side, I gave him a brief summary of the plan.efRO1W
44h3j“Tonight we need to turn at least thirty cleaners into food for the Creatures. After that, I’ll gather information on the third floor of the main building.”OmAjsa
sveWI“Yeah.”s02CgD
AfOcKs“Oh, and one more thing. If you’re with me, the Creatures won’t attack you.”xhyk
beo3QzAt that moment, Kwak Hanmuk tried to hide behind me.3pyCxBv
aA4NbZHe crouched down as much as he could, but he still stuck out on both sides and above my head.cmXlh
LkiaVodResting his hands on my shoulders, he solemnly declared,twcHi
mqS“Come on, Hyung Goyo.”5D2k
s0lg9Xs“…Alright.”ZcSYx
TPN8xYzI decided to play along.oftb
7etAfter walking for a while with him glued to my back, I spotted a tall figure silently making its way down the hallway.2QjP
bMvIts metallic face turned toward me.WQWD
xWHVlIt was a Footman.iJqQz
WquD“Butler.”3fhZJ
C0ARb7The moment he saw me, he immediately approached.q8QAZ
MyvoThen he noticed Kwak Hanmuk hiding behind me and tilted his head slightly.dRTF
SL0He seemed to be wondering why there was a cleaner with me.J8aa1r
2LBPffOn top of that, the cleaner had his hands resting on my shoulders, so it was only natural that he found it strange.dN3JBqp
StJlMmrThe only part of the Footman’s face capable of expressing emotion was its mouth.Tg8Cqu1
S19s5Its lips curved downward as it looked at Kwak Hanmuk with obvious displeasure.Vf8dvX
Li8joN4It looked as though it wanted to drag him away from my side immediately.rF0
X6U0LklThe Footman bent down and brought his face close to mine.fIN
lI6rXrS“With all due respect, may I deal with that cleaner?”vQ2
coYt“There’s no need, Alpha.”pbtp6YP
8e3hThe moment I said his name, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.Wx3uDcP
cz2v6I pointed my chin toward Kwak Hanmuk.cC1
Mgp“He’s my lunch.”mXBkFP
7t4ZUV“…!”jku
Z62CThe Footman opened his mouth wide, instantly understanding.YasEbQ3
gNEcHThen he hurriedly apologized.YyWdU
ycvE“I beg your forgiveness for my discourtesy, born solely from my ignorance.”mQ2JTO
qxeI magnanimously forgave him and, to avoid unnecessary encounters, gave him instructions as well.4mw
TAl8“I’ll be inspecting the third floor of the main building. Inform the other Footmen too.”y9KNNI
6HAI patted him on the shoulder before sending him off.Nxy
HEzTODVThe Footman bowed repeatedly, deeply grateful.ls7
galI resumed walking.VCRGzC
TAnzDtKwak Hanmuk, who until then had remained stuck to my back like a backpack, commented,Yti4UXt
nxr“You’re already a proper Butler.”HDP05
XK5Op“I’m still only a Butler apprentice.”VRWGp5
GJVPI was simply acting according to my role.GqhI
S4Q2Just then, I spotted a cleaner in the distance.gLI9qhE
rjm3bpCJudging by the way he clumsily moved about, unable to adapt to the darkness, he looked like an easy target to lure.aPkT
Hc8I was about to wave my lantern to call him over when Kwak Hanmuk grabbed my wrist.kJgrOB
mpZav9“What now?”EKSQ
7stsiI asked with some annoyance.5ZlOVt
iRTRdHe replied in a low voice,SKKot
TxAR“But why do you want to go to the third floor of the main building? What information are you looking for?”vs7
z9dL“……”31LGYF6
xb66w1“Are you ignoring me, Lunch? Spit it out already.”8es
3aEt8“…It’s not that.”5NcjQuN
fO7TJ1SHonestly, I didn’t want to tell him.e7SpH0
TWeI was afraid he’d start talking nonsense again.WDo54A
FOKl2KqBut if I didn’t answer, he’d probably keep pestering me all night.32Rn
c0JHj9F“I want to gather information about the Master of the mansion.”A9EW
E2fr9“The Master…?”nVOxq17
OrKDB2Kwak Hanmuk reacted as though he’d never heard of him.Lb8z
aVRwAs he pondered my words, he muttered,KZPV
6F6Vc“Well, I guess if there are Butlers, there has to be a Master too.”O1on7hn
vPREt“Yes. The Butlers have been waiting for him for a long time. I think the Master is connected to the True Ending.”ZANKbI
PuL0“Then let’s head to the main building first.”wVPwE
kpIHe tried to convince me that there wouldn’t be any problems with the cleaners that night.GKg5d
Ls9UsqfThe Footmen would also be patrolling, and Lieutenant Colonel Je was busy in the basement, so the cleaners would continue being eliminated without issue.DBP5XHp
SDttgmHe had a point.KAu8
jvwdJGathering information about the Master was equally urgent.URY
sNZSo I decided to go to the third floor of the main building first.sKB
MHjPFxAlong the way, we passed several Creatures.GE9hjRp
7dCwEvery one of them politely greeted us with a slight nod before continuing on their way.Yd9
eTAlNWe also came across a few cleaners.Iv7Gt
DIEfqHkBut as long as I didn’t wave my lantern to call them over, none of them seemed to notice my presence.YwH
iV4qTRI assumed it was another ability I had gained after becoming a Butler apprentice.ZmcR81
Vneb80sI wondered what kind of abilities I’d acquire if I became a full-fledged Butler.1kJ4tb
gJUF0If I could fire beams.zO8
OGRxHThe very first thing I’d do would be to shoot Lieutenant Colonel Je with one.HvNde
7VQ3NAs I indulged in such a ridiculous fantasy, we arrived at the first floor of the main building.XVcx2s
EsfSThen.wPLuN
DokRumbleee.MqJTutG
ZiGHK2The mansion began to shake.6XydqBj
e27GIt felt like a small earthquake.lRVPi9s
RI5AokStartled, I stopped immediately.GDuOr
KLGkNBehind me, Kwak Hanmuk cursed.UmQXPe3
tBl“Damn it. Lieutenant Colonel Je couldn’t hold himself back for even a moment.”lFFob
4LRN8yIt was obvious that something was happening inside the mansion.obUx
K9quxMy heart sank.ypLQF
BUq2IMI threw myself forward.BRuW0k
jguDfBut I couldn’t move.1Q1d
uOfKwak Hanmuk’s hand pressed firmly against my shoulder.54h3Z
Z1OjV“Captain, what are you doing? Let go of me.”ynE
ebam9“I don’t want to.”6BqHD
aM1AUPWe struggled.DSR
9O7I drove my elbow backward, aiming for Kwak Hanmuk’s solar plexus.Lnjwau
x4vrmBut fighting him in close quarters was a huge disadvantage.Clmpgy0
zADbCHe easily caught my arm and exclaimed in surprise,CA6
tB5YvZO“Damn! Hyung Goyo, you know how to fight!”1jasLh
0C290YxThen I nearly smashed the back of my head into his chin.W8Y
K2duuBAs we continued struggling, the mansion shook again.zKwj2
8xZ3This time, the tremor was far stronger and lasted much longer.ZQ6txi
PUgwThe enormous crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling began to sway violently, describing wide arcs as their crystals crashed against one another.Kgd
orBThen.gt0Bi
DkpCrash!!!wHbqrQJ
tbPayCoEvery window in the mansion shattered simultaneously.WOI8
pVjLdC9Fragments of glass flew inward as moonlight flooded the hallways.uP1c0q
RTkGgfgThe darkness enveloping the mansion disappeared.7e6
MJPvdsfThe brilliant moonlight fell over me as well.MJtkZ
Wn40HcI looked up at the sky.o5L
y9THCountless stars filled it.CyZ
O70yFeA gigantic moon that looked utterly unreal.8Vz2
RD25And.T9C
I4RjLieutenant Colonel Je.rHnu
SI0nHe was flying with his wings fully spread.YJB8q
onYlHe had attacked the mansion.egme
CkAc0RaWhile my attention remained fixed on Lieutenant Colonel Je, Kwak Hanmuk took the opportunity to wrap me up with his pagoda wood bead rosary.h6X
PgR9nH2By the time I realized it, my entire body had been immobilized.S3RJG5s
3C8vP5vI stared at him in disbelief.7BTKHjn
GIgXS“What do you think you’re doing?! We’ll never achieve the True Ending like this…! Mmph!”S2odx9
T0XHHe covered my mouth.g9Sv
a63fT4I struggled with all my strength.94E
9cZh2YhOne of the rosary beads shot forward and struck me squarely in the forehead.XBj4b9
g4g4I was still glaring daggers at Kwak Hanmuk when something caught my eye.AHEWe
SYQdDdABooom!!!om0uI
CLyrA small figure kicked open the mansion’s front door.bqJNm
VGHY‘Captain Mo?’6RT
TVfUpIt was Mo Haein.kTDt
rbUhzShe was wielding the Black Moon Blade.tNd
ZrP3The shattered remains of the front door lay scattered at her feet.nj3
rZUWithout even disturbing her breathing, she quickly scanned the interior.X7oL1Yi
vWcWThen she found me.oGYvT
UbJTHer expression instantly twisted.2sfaBg
LQGy6xWithout letting go of me, Kwak Hanmuk ran toward her.M4Jf8m
NWhgSince I was still bound by the rosary, I ended up being dragged through the air.HmUySwJ
JO1Mo Haein hurriedly shouted,pewLbO
OmPuvT“How’s the Recruit?!”46Fh
1phPQKwak Hanmuk answered immediately,RnjCrv4
p4ZM“He isn’t showing any aggression. At least not toward us. There’s no need to eliminate him. With any luck, it won’t even be necessary to send him into special isolation.”oewL
PgEY3Hearing that felt deeply unfair.gkJ
g47‘Now they think I’m infected?’eNwk6Jf
pTxwUII might have become a Butler apprentice, but I was by no means infected.ioPlgkI
A2raq57I was still completely conscious.6GcXVRS
bCLHowever, bound by the rosary, I had no way to prove that I was still in my right mind.amV
je9JKwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein carried me outside the mansion.7yo
OzQwX0E“Lieutenant Colonel Je!”lIdJNM
XEMq93Mo Haein shouted.YwiJHj9
M2KllLieutenant Colonel Je responded immediately, swinging his metallic hand toward the mansion.984
J6Yvg0TClaaang!!!vcD0X
FViSparks flew.GNrHL
FC2hAn invisible barrier had stopped the attack.N0enfgt
tET5e“How dare you…!!!”lcaAq
8mr9A gigantic voice crashed down upon us as though it would tear our eardrums apart.DTctR3
ndWmQMo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk spat blood.JeBy7w
TtUXl8E“How dare you, you wretches!!!”LzVC04
c0ze7The previously empty sky erupted with sparks.8wB
TLJpYKAmid the flashes appeared the Butlers.JvbF
G67g7The Cat Butler wielded a long spear whose blade resembled the sun.eaUa3
NhUiThe Rabbit Butler carried another whose blade was shaped like a crescent moon.9jlXRT
9mPlp3Raising his sun spear, the Cat Butler roared in fury.jyV4z
2GgZ7“You will not have a merciful death!!!”ZG0b
jLjvjbHis voice echoed like the Day of Judgment.gNNwk
GWfmTI felt my head vibrating.RLL9
UlDiAoCThen.Dj6EE
Uuzadv“…Gunbam?”Qrcsh
K2seThe Rabbit Butler had just spotted me.dQk
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dihnblls 300
Golden Corethey don’t seem like monsters