Episode 9
It was suspicious from the start.
Antonio’s unit is known for being simple and violent—attack-specialized.
But every unit has members strong in special ops.
Chari, who escorted the girls today, was one.
Sharp instincts, talented in perimeter security and search.
‘If the girls resisted kidnapping, Chari wouldn’t miss a sound.’
So I hypothesized no resistance.
The girls looked at Nicola, panicked.
‘Nicola led them.’
Nicola’s lips twitched.
She turned away, staring stubbornly at the ground.
No talking.
‘Troublesome.’
I’m not taking the adopted daughter exam thinking I’ll live as the leader’s daughter.
The leader will abandon me naturally once he sees his real child.
The true purpose is different.
‘Not adopted daughter—top subordinate.’
Be so useful he can’t bear to discard me.
So when the protagonist’s guard tries to harvest my organs later, he’ll help.
For that, this exam must ‘help expel the ungrateful Sanmiguel.’
I stared at Nicola ignoring me.
“I understand~ Money is important~ Sell honor for cash, right~?”
“…!”
Crack in Nicola’s expression.
Her straight eyebrows twitched.
“…What?”
“Oh, misunderstanding~ Not blaming~”
I waved hands frantically, Nicola bit her lip.
“No way trade honor for pennies.”
“But you did~?”
“…Hey.”
Nicola fumed.
Other girls glared displeased.
‘Nothing stimulates proud nobles like this.’
Raised under a merchant guild-running mother.
Attended salons as Andres marquess’s eldest.
Post-expulsion, roamed tough markets like home.
I’m confident in tongue-lashing.
And…
‘This works on Nicola.’
From the game, I know.
Nicola Donati.
Baron Donati’s eldest.
Family impoverished by brother’s treatment, but received top education in Sanmiguel as a child.
Very proud.
Stimulate pride like this…
“I didn’t sell honor for money…!”
She’d snap—as expected.
I smiled.
“Then traded honor for brother’s life?”
“…!”
Bingo.
Nicola flinched.
She turned, fists clenched, regretting.
I knelt to eye level.
“Brother sick? Long time. Needed money.”
“…Don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Other girls sacrificed for something dearer than honor.”
“What do you know? No more digging—”
“I know.”
“…”
“Because I’m the same.”
Nicola and girls looked with trembling eyes.
I smiled.
“I’m Eustea Andres.”
Girls’ eyes widened.
Some gasped.
Andres is a great noble house.
Expelled from it, I’m like a tabloid celebrity.
Most imperials know me.
My ‘crime.’
How I live now.
“No job I haven’t done. I have someone to protect.”
“…”
Girls lowered heads or closed eyes.
Nicola’s lips moved.
After clutching hands long, she spoke slowly.
“…Lady Dia. Your mother.”
“You know my mother?”
“Mythical Dia who built a guild alone inspired us.”
Nicola stared blankly.
“Funny we in this state admired Dia?”
“No.”
“…”
“My mother knows things dearer than honor.”
Nicola swallowed.
“I—no, we…”
Then—
“Enough nonsense!”
Sharp voice—Marina and her team appeared.
Faster than expected.
Viscount or his lackeys fed info frantically.
Of course—panicked.
If girls reveal viscount as fake kidnapper, disaster.
Proof: Marina’s face flushed with rage.
“Come out. I’m here to get you.”
High-handed.
Girls looked to Nicola.
But Marina faster.
“I said I’m here.”
Emphasis on I—fulfill the promise.
Follow Marina.
The promise.
Threatening tone, girls’ shoulders flinched.
“Nicola-sama…”
Girls looked helplessly.
Nicola stood.
Would follow Marina.
‘Expected loss from start.’
Predicted viscount and Marina schemed with girls pre-exam.
Contract-bound or…
‘Alchemical prohibition.’
Pay for following Marina and viscount’s orders. Else, pay.
My team asked puzzled.
“What did they do to the ladies?”
“Little Teacher, any way?”
I sighed.
“Sorry to you all.”
As my team ground teeth angrily, I continued sadly.
“You’ll have to carry them.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Not just my team surprised.
Marina’s team, even girls wide-eyed.
I clapped cheerfully.
“Let’s kidnap.”
Only the viscount kidnaps?
We can too.
“…!”
“…!!”
Marina froze, her team panicked.
Meanwhile, my team slung girls over shoulders and ran.
“Little Teacher’s refreshing, I like it.”
“Let’s go.”
My team laughed heartily.
“Woooo!”
Antonio’s unit cheered at the mirror.
Marina and team gasped.
But Eustea’s team ran fine with girls.
Leaping rocks, some climbed slopes hands-free with girls on backs.
Slope too steep for 15 girls alone, Eustea hung on a member’s back.
But odd.
“What’s Little Teacher doing?”
Stretching hand, groping rocks.
Then…
Smack!
[Ow!]
Threw at Marina’s team reaching wildly.
They fell, clutching foreheads, groaning.
“Pfft…!”
Deputy leader’s aide burst laughing, covered mouth hastily.
His unit glared.
He coughed. “Not just me.”
“You alone.”
“Everyone’s lips twitching.”
“…”
Understandable.
Marina’s team: viscount’s planted private soldiers.
Thought infiltrated secretly, but exposed long ago.
Couldn’t hide backing—serious elite posers.
Skipping training.
Skimming funds.
Ignoring superiors.
Boiled members’ blood.
Watching posers in unimaginable suffering…
‘F-Fun.’
Eustea talented at enraging precisely.
Pushing with toe:
[Sorry if wig falls. But balding’s not shameful.]
Pitifully.
But not just her.
Her team similar talent.
Giggling:
[Balding? Black beans.]
Unnecessary, saddened balding member.
Deputy leader’s aides shoulders shook, heads down.
“Puhaha!”
Antonio and unit rolling laughing.
In mirror, Marina screamed rage.
Marina and team fully enraged.
[Stop! Come down now!]
Eustea glanced.
[You come up.]
[Kidnapping ladies? Sane?]
[You did it, why not me.]
[You…!]
No backdown.
Antonio chuckled at deputy leader.
“Laugh openly. Why pretend?”
“Quiet.”
“Fun? Thought disaster picking big guys, but this plan.”
“You doubted the picks.”
“Anyway amazing.”
“Not just.”
“Huh?”
Deputy leader eyed pale viscount.
Viscount trembled, fists clenched.
As Eustea predicted, girls prohibited.
Terms:
Follow Marina and viscount until exam ends. No testimony on incident.
But if carried away?
Independent of girls’ will—must comply with situation.
Prohibition useless.
Plus.
[Nicola-sama, no need to state facts. Just refute wrongs.]
Deputy leader chuckled.
Clever kid guessed prohibition from short talk with Nicola.
So if can’t testify, not testifying is testimony.
[This isn’t kidnapping, right?]
Nicola closed eyes.
Agreement.
[Chari escorting you unrelated.]
[….]
[You boarded carriage under threat.]
[….]
[The one threatening—]
Nicola stared teary at Eustea.
Her admiration for Dia wasn’t lie.
Especially Nicola.
Scrapbooked Dia’s articles, treasured.
Poor family, sick brother, parents’ worries.
When crushing her, flipped scrapbook for strength.
I’m not wrong.
My way resembles this strong woman.
Dia said pain eats body too.
But not yielding becomes opportunity.
I admire her. I’ll be like her.
Thought repeatedly.
But most resembling the admired…
‘Indeed your daughter.’
Your daughter gives me courage too.
So she could scream.
[Lord Sanmiguel! He prohibited us to obey!]
Nicola roared.
[Got brother’s medicine money! Refused, but he’d bar all Sanmiguel doctors from treating brother!]
Nicola glared at floating broadcast device.
[I didn’t sell honor for money…!]
Kyaa!
Nicola screamed.
Prohibition array glowed over body, attacking.
Powerful from skilled alchemist.
Fierce power to burn breacher utterly.
Boom!
Lightning struck, member carrying Nicola dropped her.
[Nicola-sama!]
[Nicola-nim!]
Girls cried.
But Nicola didn’t fall.
Eustea quickly detached from her member, caught falling Nicola.
Contact points shuddered.
Eustea’s face twisted in agony.
But never let go.
[Little Teacher!]
Team shouted horrified, but Eustea stubbornly hugged.
Antonio flinched up watching.
Not just him.
All Antonio’s and deputy leader’s units.
Deputy leader stood.
[Let go, Little Teacher! You’ll die too!]
Then.
Keeeee—
Strange cry.
Two giant hawks circled above Eustea hugging Nicola.
“Hawks…”
Antonio muttered entranced, someone shouted.
“Flash, Abyss…!”
“Leader’s hawks!”
Flash and Abyss.
Leader’s personally raised guardians.
Drew odd orbits, descended under Eustea.
Orbit formed array in air.
Prohibition array cracked with sparks.
Finally…
Crack.
“Woooo!”
Shattered, vanished.
Antonio sat stairs, laughing emptily.
“Timing always perfect.”
Eustea’s team rushed.
[Little Teacher, okay?]
[Look. How? Huh?]
Eustea nodded dazed.
Members sighed relief.
In mirror, only Marina corpse-pale.
And one in broadcast hall.
Viscount collapsed terrified.
Mouth agape.
“L-Leader… why…”
“Was watching.”
Deputy leader Lorenzo answered.
He strode to viscount.
Antonio followed, rubbing neck.
They looked down at trembling viscount.
“Everyone witnessed prohibition evidence—no escape.”
“Escape anyway.”
Kneeling Antonio grabbed collar, grinned.
“The torture for Chari. Taste it instead.”
Viscount pushed back with palms, looked to deputy leader.
“L-Listen. I… I mean…”
“Sorry.”
“D-Deputy…”
“We act before words.”
Blade before his eyes.
