I Became the Servant of the Blind Wicked Woman

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"What do you mean?"

The president gently asked in return. Because her tone was gentle, Kine had to be even more wary.

She was in the presence of the head of the Divine Investigation Office. How could she not be cautious?

Carisia could easily see the fear of Orthes in Kine's eyes, even though she was trying her hardest to appear brave despite trembling.

'Look at this…'

Carisia sighed inwardly and gestured to Orthes.

"Yes, President?"

"Step outside for a moment."

"What?"

Despite Orthes' query, Carisia didn't respond. Orthes knew that Carisia's resolve was very firm in such moments.

"Then, Kine. Have a pleasant conversation with the president."

With an untrustworthy look on his face, Orthes left the hospital room. Now, it was just Kine and Carisia in the room. Carisia snapped her fingers.

A complex magic circle enveloped the entire room, from floor to ceiling, glowing golden in Kine's eyes.

'I don't normally need to show the magic circle…'

Showing it was meant to ease the poor child's anxiety.

"Now the head of the Divine Investigation Office can't hear our conversation."

"What?"

Carisia shrugged.

"Kine, the head of the Divine Investigation Office, Orthes, has high expectations for your talents."

"I know that…"

"No, you don't. Orthes seriously believes you might become a key player in the fight against the Ten Towers."

Kine wondered when Orthes had seen enough of her to be so certain. However, she felt more resignation and despair than curiosity.

'If you want your family's bodies returned, you must succeed in this mission.'

In her imagination, Orthes was sending her into war with the Ten Towers, uttering such words.

"So, that's why he gathered the bodies of the cult members? To release them one by one whenever I achieve results in battle? You don't need to put a leash on me like that…!"

Carisia was unsure whether to sigh or laugh.

'Sure, combining Orthes' persuasive skills and impression can sometimes lead to disastrous outcomes.'

"At least I don't intend to handle you in such a way."

The idea that Orthes' president would say such a thing was hard to believe. Kine looked at Carisia in bewilderment.

"Honestly, the Ten Towers are powerful. Fighting with the passive will of someone on a 'leash' would only be a hindrance."

Kine had felt resistance towards the future of being dragged into battles on a leash. But somehow, even now, when Carisia said she wasn't needed in the fight against the Ten Towers, she felt the same resistance.

That was natural. Orthes had made Kine confront an unknown sorrow within her.

Kine had no outlet or opportunity to resolve or erase her vengeance.

The desire for revenge against the Ten Towers, which had driven the Bacchus cult to wander the world, was still there, albeit hidden by her greater sorrow.

"So, I want to give you an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

"The chance to decide whether you will simply become a corporate scholar of Hydra Corporation or truly join us. If you choose to remain a regular scholar, it's enough to achieve results at Musaeion and serve as our advertisement."

In this case, she added that Kine's family's bodies would be properly preserved and handed over to her later. Kine waited anxiously for the next explanation.

"However, if you truly wish to join us in opposing the Ten Towers, you must risk your life. In return, we will provide rewards worthy of your efforts."

Life. Kine mouthed the word.

The conversation with Carisia was peculiar. Even though they were more directly discussing the danger to her life than with Orthes, it somehow felt more trustworthy.

Was it because Carisia was someone with whom she could have a proper conversation, unlike the suspicious narrow-eyed man whose intentions were unreadable?

That might be part of it. Kine calmly suppressed her agitation and thought it through.

Ah.

The reason she trusted Carisia more than Orthes was simple. The situation when Carisia sent Orthes out.

'I don't intend to handle you in such a way.' The underlying meaning of this statement was that Carisia emphasized her intentions differed from Orthes.

This hinted at a subtle conflict between the two. If Orthes had Carisia's full trust, the president wouldn't pursue a different approach.

Kine thought Carisia, even if not her ally, was more trustworthy than Orthes.

Carisia looked at Kine, thinking.

'Sometimes you come across these… um.'

'People with a pure heart.'

***

About 30 minutes had passed waiting outside. Carisia emerged from Kine's room.

"How did it go?"

"I gave her some time to think. I asked her to decide whether she will simply be a corporate scholar studying at Musaeion and then join us or truly oppose the Ten Towers."

"It's hard to grasp the strength of the Ten Towers just by thinking alone."

"That's why I plan to take her to the certification exam day. She needs to see with her own eyes what kind of beings those she vowed to avenge herself against truly are."

I found Carisia's attitude quite interesting.

These were generous conditions, not something I'd expect from someone often seen as a tyrant boss.

If she treated me the same way, she'd have started one-on-one magic lessons today, completed the basics in one day, and made me self-study until bedtime.

"Did something happen?"

"It's not the first time someone has sought revenge against the Ten Towers."

It seemed a sense of solidarity as a fellow avenger brought out this unusual reaction from Carisia.

"I had you, but she has no one."

Carisia's compliment. I laughed it off. Claiming I had been a help to Carisia was difficult. She had been a complete magician from the beginning.

"Now, I can truly take a break."

"Yes, me too."

"What?"

Carisia stared at me intently. Her golden eyes were particularly sharp today.

Spending a holiday with the boss? That's a bit harsh, president.

…I didn't have the courage to say that. Rubbing my temple, I headed back to my room.

I heard Carisia's footsteps following me.

I don't know. Maybe I should at least organize the list of Tower wanted criminals by distance today.

No, I should also match the wanted criminals to the directors' teams based on their compatibility.

***

While Orthes, who denied having a hobby of paperwork, was working at his desk, Carisia observed from his bed.

Without turning around, Orthes asked.

"President, do you find watching this entertaining?"

"Yes, very much."

Orthes sighed. Do high-ranking people get a dopamine rush from watching their subordinates work?

Orthes quickly changed his mind. Since Carisia was here, he should consult her on their future plans.

"If the conflict between Blasphemia's traitors and the Ten Towers intensifies after the certification exams, we can use the chaos to progress our divine investigation more smoothly."

"We're not the only ones thinking that."

The Divine Cult. Carisia was wary of the old cult's recent movements buried in history.

While it was unclear what exact plans they had, it was inevitable Hydra Corporation would clash with them someday, given their collection of divine relics.

"What should we do if we encounter them?"

"Do as you see fit."

Carisia answered without hesitation. From her perspective, it was obvious. Orthes always made the best choices.

Orthes felt like crying at that answer. He had hoped for some guidance. Once again, he was starting from scratch.

'When we finally get more staff in the Divine Investigation Office, I'm delegating everything and just handling paperwork.'

Having completed a tailored response plan based on the directors' organizational capabilities and the wanted criminal information, Orthes uploaded it to Hydra Corporation's Ether Network.

Orthes smiled with satisfaction as he reviewed the uploaded document once more.

He took pride in being a diligent employee who prepared specific work guidelines, unlike Carisia.

He hadn't considered how the directors would react to receiving work guidelines uploaded by the head of the Divine Investigation Office on a holiday.

***

The list filled with Ether Space criminals suited to Arabella's abilities was several times longer than the lists for other directors.

While other criminals needed physical reality tracking, those Arabella had to catch could be captured through hacking into Ether Space to trap their souls.

"Aaaagh! Not on a holiday!"

Arabella despaired at the workload assigned to her.

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To read over 200 fully translated episodes, patreon.com/Denji02