The Butler of the Villainess Has Returned

Chapter 40

I answered bluntly.

"No."

"So it's true."

"I said no."

"...So it's true after all."

She didn't seem to have any intention of listening to me.

Ringo sighed.

"Even if you were a slave trader who captured these children, there's nothing I could do. I'm a professor at the academy, and you're a student."

"I said no."

"That's why, as of now, I'm resigning from my position as Sion's professor."

"What?"

Clatter.

Ringo took off the professor's ID hanging around her neck and threw it to the floor.

"For daring to provoke the Moon Wolf Clan, pay with your life, Yuri."

Hwaak!

Ringo instantly unleashed her full power. A Moonlight Wolf Spirit, which only the Moon Wolf Clan could summon, hovered by her side.

"Wait, just wait a second."

I hurriedly stopped Ringo and then turned my gaze toward the three brats.

"I'm not a slave trader, am I?"

They didn't answer.

They just smirked, glancing back and forth between the furious Ringo and me.

That was the trigger.

"I knew it!!"

Boom!

With the Spirit's Blessing, Ringo enhanced her body and threw a punch at me.

"Oh, come on!!"

Twisting my body, I dodged her punch and then pulled her extended fist toward me.

"I told you, I'm not a slave trader!!"

"Defeat me, and I'll believe you!!"

"How on earth am I supposed to defeat you?!"

Ringo was also a strong one.

If I unleashed all my power, I could suppress her without much difficulty, but the moment I did, she might realize I was the Full Moon.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to die?!"

"Slave traders deserve to die!!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not one!!"

"Then just die!!"

"This is driving me insane!!"

Eventually, while using only the bare minimum aura, I managed to dodge Ringo's attacks.

Whoosh...!

Thick ashen smoke began to seep in from beyond the broken door.

"What are you doing?"

"Let go of me, Kevin!!"

"Let go of what?"

It was Kevin.

He manipulated the smoke he exhaled to bind everyone inside.

He slowly looked around at us.

An unidentified maid.

Three brats.

"Let me goooo!!!"

...No, including Ringo, that made four.

And then there was me.

In the end, I realized I was the only one capable of having a proper conversation.

Kevin asked me.

"What's going on, Yuri?"

I explained everything.

From Sion, Hana, and Dul appearing to Ringo misunderstanding and attacking.

After hearing everything, Kevin quietly stared at my face and asked.

"...You're really not a slave trader, right?"

"What?"

"Well, I mean, your impression... is kind of suspicious, isn't it?"

This is driving me insane.

2.

Now, after several minutes have passed.

"I'm sorryyyy!!"

I finally managed to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Please forgive meee!!"

Ringo lay flat on the floor.

"As Sion's professor, I swear this will never happen again—"

"Didn't you say you were quitting as a professor?"

"Ugh. Th-that's...."

Ringo avoided my gaze.

Leaning in secretly toward her, I whispered softly into her ear.

"A professor trying to kill a student? If this gets out, it'll be a huge scandal, don't you think?"

It wouldn't just be a huge scandal.

She'd not only be expelled from the academy but also face legal punishment. Her peaceful life as a professor would be over.

"So I just need to keep my mouth shut, right?"

"Y-yes?"

Ringo nodded vigorously. She clung to my feet, begging and pleading.

"Please forgive me, Yuri...!!"

I smiled and brushed her off.

"For free?"

"What?"

Ringo's expression froze.

But that wasn't my concern. Smiling, I whispered into Ringo's ear.

"I'll just take half."

"H-half of what...?"

"Your salary."

"Eek...!"

Ringo's face turned pale.

"Th-that's too much!!"

"Six to four. I'll take six."

"W-wait a minute!"

"Seven to three. I'll take seven."

"Aaaaaah!!"

I whispered once more.

"If you complain one more time, I'll take nine to one without negotiation."

"Fineee...."

"Okay, thank you. Seven it is."

With that, the deal was sealed.

As I shook hands with Ringo, Kevin, who had been silent, interrupted.

"Shall we start listening now?"

His gaze landed on Hana.

Hana alternated between looking at his younger siblings and us, then gestured toward Dul.

"Take Sam and go outside."

"N-no! What if they fall again?"

"Ringo will protect them. Right?"

Hana's gaze was cold.

Ringo's wagging tail drooped, like a plant that had lost its light.

"...I obey the order of the main branch."

Grabbing his wrist, where a red pattern flickered, he took Dul and Sam and went outside.

I asked Hana.

"What did you just do?"

"What?"

"You gave a command by force."

"You saw that?"

"You blatantly used it, so why act surprised?"

He chuckled.

Hana's lips curled. Showing the back of his hand, he answered.

"I told you, it's the main branch. If you're a hybrid, of course, you'd follow the main branch's words, wouldn't you?"

The Moon Wolf Clan.

Descendants of the Moon Wolves, one of the sacred creatures created by the Goddess of Creation and Protection, Iliana, after she shaped the world to protect it.

They consist of a few main branch members and a majority of side branch members, and the side branch members are structured to follow the words of the main branch.

Luna was no exception.

- There's a tattoo on the back of your hand?

- ...It's an engraving.

- It's pretty.

- ...It's just a byproduct of the vile act of dividing kin by bloodline.

She had a tattoo on the back of her hand and was extremely reluctant to reveal it.

Luna spoke.

- ...If I had to choose between the Moon Wolf Clan and the Moonlight, I would choose the Moonlight.

- I'm touched.

- ...It's only natural.

She gave me a faint smile, then added, her hollow eyes glinting.

- ...They've already lost their light.

She offered no further explanation.

Just as she remained silent when carrying out orders, she moved her ash-colored tail onto the back of my hand.

Every time she did that, I thought.

I need to know what's going on to decide whether to help or not, so why won't she say anything?

And now, once again.

"If this were our tribe, a hybrid like that wouldn't even dare meet my eyes."

"A hybrid?"

"Yeah. Given the situation, I had no choice but to let them help, but acknowledging a hybrid who left because they didn't like it feels disgusting."

Hana kept muttering without stopping.

"What you did to us was seriously rude, but if you help us, I won't report it. Instead, apologize politely right now."

At that moment, I realized.

Luna must have become a heretic because of the main branch bastards.

Ignoring Hana, I looked at Kevin.

"Can we leave now?"

"Leave? Shouldn't we listen a bit more and see if there's anything we can help with—"

Cutting Kevin off, I asked.

"Why should we?"

"Hmm?"

"We're freshmen, aren't we? How are we supposed to know what these guys are involved in? And even if it's something simple, we don't have to help, do we?"

"You!!"

Kevin slammed the desk. Then, raising his other hand, he pointed at the door.

"You're absolutely right."

"...Why are you angry, then?"

"Because I'm jealous."

Sincerity was evident in Kevin's eyes.

It seemed like he hadn't had a day off due to all the incidents and accidents since his previous life.

"Do you have any thoughts of helping?"

"No."

"...Excellent. You may leave now."

Just as I was about to leave with Kali after receiving Kevin's permission.

"W-wait a second!"

Hana blocked the door.

"Why won't you help?"

"Because it's annoying."

"Damn it, stop joking around!"

"I'm not joking."

Squatting down, I met his gaze.

"I have no intention of apologizing to you or helping, so stop pestering me and move."

Grit.

Hana ground his teeth.

"Fine, don't apologize. I won't report your rudeness to the clan. Just help us."

He looked anxious.

His pupils trembled, and the limbs he stretched out to block me were shaking.

It was clear he knew something that his young siblings didn't, something he bore alone.

I sighed and whispered.

"When you make a difficult request, do it with the mindset of giving everything you have."

"W-what, to that extent!?"

"Wouldn't the great main branch find that unpleasant?"

"Of course!"

"Then step aside so I can leave."

With that, I smiled and stood up.

Tap.

Passing by Hana, I opened the door, and before leaving, I added.

"Oh, by the way, using honorifics would be even better."

3.

Crack!

A sharp bursting sound of iron breaking echoed from the end of the alley.

What broke was a lock.

As the lock shattered, the magic stone within broke as well, revealing a hidden iron cage.

"W-what's going on?"

"The barrier suddenly disappeared?"

"M-move! I need to get to the corner!"

"I'll go first!"

About a dozen frightened beastmen clutched their heads and fled in the opposite direction of the door.

For such a late night, the opening of the cage could only mean one thing—to ravage them.

How many minutes passed like that?

Crunch!

The door, which had been firmly welded to prevent the beastmen from tearing it apart, crumpled in an instant.

"...Come out."

What appeared was a beastman with ash-colored hair and golden eyes.

"A-a beastman?"

"Looks like a member of the Moon Wolf Clan?"

"Why are they... targeting us?"

As they whispered amongst themselves.

Sararak.

The beastman disappeared from sight.

The moment the beastman reappeared, the shackles that suppressed the beastman slaves shattered.

As the suppressed blood of the beastmen awakened, their weakened bodies gradually recovered.

The beastman spoke again.

"...Go back."

The slaves dashed out in an instant.

"Run quickly!"

"We're free, we're finally free!!"

"Before they come after us, hurry!"

The beastman watched the escaping slaves and muttered softly.

"...No one will chase you."

Her body, as she said those words, was drenched in sticky blood. Behind her, those wearing dark red robes with horns drawn on them lay shattered into pieces.

-Luna Fenrir.

-...Yes, Elder.

-After annihilating those who dared to raid the clan, rescue the abducted main branch members.

The back of her hand throbbed.

Once again, it was about the main branch.

"...I'm so sick of this."

Luna leaned her body against the wall.

She resolved herself.

Once this matter was over, she would leave the clan as a heretic.

"...So, it's okay to push myself a little."

Sssuuuup.

Her chest expanded greatly.

As if inhaling all the air around her, she closed her mouth and breathed in deeply through her nose.

Among the various scents lingering nearby, she caught a faint trace of a black fragrance.

"...Next."

Luna's figure vanished.

When she reappeared, it was in the middle of the Demon God Cult.

"Damn, what the hell!!"

"Report to the bishop!!"

"Damn it! All ordinary priest-level members, gather here!!"

She raided the areas where the black fragrance lingered, cutting down everything alive.

Just a little more.

Just a little further ahead.

Without realizing her body and heart were wearing down, Luna Fenrir pushed herself beyond her limits.

4.

A group was watching Luna.

Masks with crescent moons drawn on them.

Uniforms modified to fit each individual's style.

They were Moonlight.

They stood on a roof visible to Luna, their backs to the moonlight.

It was when the hidden cultists of the Demon God Cult were falling due to Luna Fenrir.

The only one sitting casually called out to a member with a dignified voice.

"Gentleman."

"Yes, Captain."

After a moment of contemplation, he asked.

"If you fought her, could you win?"

"You never know until you try."

The gentleman grinned leisurely.

The captain was unimpressed.

"You must have some sense of judgment."

"Of course, I would win."

"Then what about subduing her?"

"Subduing, as in...?"

"Subduing her without injuring her at all. I want to capture her so I can talk to her."

The gentleman stroked his chin.

"Hmm, well, for someone that strong, you'd have to inflict at least minor wounds to subdue her, wouldn't you?"

"So, you can't do it?"

"That's not what I mean. I'm saying that if we're not careful, both she and I could get hurt. Don't you know that subduing is much harder than killing?"

Grin.

The corner of the captain's mouth twisted.

"So, scared?"

At that moment.

"Comet."

Slash!

As the gentleman drew his sword, starlight-like aura burst toward Luna.

It narrowly missed her, creating a canyon-like fissure in the ground where she was about to step.

Swoosh.

Luna fell into the gap below.

The gentleman gave a thumbs-up.

"I accomplished that difficult task."

"You crazy old geezer!!"

The captain immediately leaped forward.