Volume 3

Chapter 7 : Indispensable (7K)

In the boundless flower field, Anselm, sitting cross-legged among the flowers, was stroking Laurence’s head.

“Truly world affairs are impermanent, Young Master.” The mouse lay on Anselm’s leg and sighed with emotion, “I had originally prepared myself to be done for.”

Anselm smiled, turning his head to gaze at that simple wooden hut: “Who says otherwise? Until now, I am occasionally surprised by the choice I made myself.”

“Uh, standing from my perspective, I certainly hope Young Master can save my mouse life.”

Laurence squeaked: “However, standing from Boss’s perspective, if Young Master had inherited the power, a lot, lot of trouble could have been saved.”

“Handling trouble is countless times better than regretting faults.”

Anselm, speaking thus, stood up. Laurence also scrambled up his shoulder in a flash, stood up like a human, and crossed his paws over his chest: “Indeed it is so. After all, the Young Master, Boss, and Eldest Sister’s family are so full of human touch… much better than that Emperor’s family of lunatics who kill each other back and forth!”

The mouse curled his lips and said: “If they encountered this kind of situation, they would be anxious to hurry up and kill the other party; how would they regret it?”

Anselm just chuckled lightly and did not answer. In the next moment, Saville’s figure appeared out of thin air beside Anselm.

“Young Master.” The old man bowed his head slightly, “Over at the manor, is there a need…”

“No.”

The young Hydra shook his head: “Your mission is only one, and that is to protect Father and Mother well, that is all. You do not need to worry about the rest of the other matters.”

“Oh my… speaking of which, it is quite shameful.”

Laurence scratched his head: “Although we became weaker, the bindings are also gone, but we can’t help Young Master… If you had us, the Young Master could flatten the Empire in two months, right?”

“Is it that you think too highly of yourself, or look down on that batch of hiding rats?”

Tornado’s figure turned from void to solid, appearing beside Anselm. He first bowed to Anselm, then looked at Laurence with cold eyes: “Young Master’s decision is the most correct one. Don’t forget that group of people who once laid murderous hands on Madam… We now only need to protect the Lord and Madam well, that is enough.”

“I didn’t say Young Master was wrong, also, you are not allowed to insult rats!”

Tornado compared the people who assassinated Elnilisa back then to rats, angering Laurence into squeaking randomly.

Anselm, who had long been accustomed to the daily bickering of this one person and one mouse, asked Tornado: “How is the situation of Father and Mother now?”

Tornado, who was still one of the top warlocks in the world even after losing the Head of Magic, fell silent for a moment and said in a low voice:

“The conditions of the Lord and Madam are both very stable. Madam should be able to wake up within six to seven years. If there is help from a top-level soul warlock, or perhaps precious creations related to the soul, this time can be shortened a lot. But the Lord…”

The young man’s face became gloomy, a kind of gloominess that could not forgive himself.

“I cannot determine the Lord’s waking time. The Lord lost most of Hydra’s power. To balance the power, the time needed for self-adjustment, I fear… will be extremely long.”

Laurence and Saville both fell into silence. Only Anselm smiled gently and lightly patted Tornado’s shoulder.

“Rest assured, it just needs time; we can afford to wait.”

“…Yes.”

Tornado lowered his head and responded softly, his expression somewhat complex.

Although he absolutely supported Anselm’s idea to protect Flamel and Elnilisa at all times, he was also like Laurence, feeling ashamed that he could not give Anselm help.

To exaggerate a bit, it was Anselm who saved Flamel, and also saved them—to the Contract Heads, this was a grace of saving their lives twice.

What was more, they had respected Anselm very much before.

And now, with neither Flamel’s help nor their help, plus the fact that Anselm’s own Contract Heads were really too few and still growing, even if Anselm’s situation looked very good on the surface, if he took a wrong step and had some vital point seized by others, then he would definitely be doomed eternally.

At that time, should he go to help Anselm, or continue to guard the Lord he followed? This made the Tornado very torn.

“If… Wang and Christo returned.” The tornado suddenly said, “We could spare manpower to help you, Young Master, and could even provide help to you according to the needs of the situation.”

Tornado was naturally referring to Flamel’s Head of Shadow and Head of Abyss who still remained on the other side of the continent.

But whether crossing the Tianlu Mountain Range or traversing the Lost Sea independently, even as Contract Heads, they might not necessarily be able to do such a thing, let alone now.

“But to tell the truth…”

Laurence’s tone was somewhat serious: “Even if there is a chance… will they really come back?”

Tornado froze for a moment, then sneered with a grim expression: “True enough, it is hard to say how exactly they will choose.”

To Flamel, loyalty was of course one of the hard conditions for selecting Contract Heads, but he was not like Anselm, who had a pursuit of this condition that could be called morbid because of the existence of fate.

The five Contract Heads staying on Notun now happened to be the Contract Heads with the highest loyalty, while the other two… how exactly those two who were originally from another continent would choose was indeed an unknown variable.

But Anselm behaved very calmly, appearing not to care whether he could obtain this powerful help.

“I said it before, you do not need to worry about my affairs.”

He withdrew his gaze looking at the wooden hut.

His voice, which had almost completely shed the boyish childishness, carried a calmness and certainty in its indifference that made people subconsciously convinced.

Tornado immediately held his shoulder in salute.

Laurence, who had always been lively and funny, also did not say any witty remarks.

Only Saville came back to his senses after being dazed for a long time, and bowed his head to Anselm.

He had taken care of Anselm for sixteen years.

In just a trance, his Young Master had gone from a boy to a leader.

Not only that, he did it incomparably perfectly, without any immaturity.

Just simple words carried a magic power that made people convinced and obedient.

Leader… Master said that Young Master was a natural-born leader, but he also said he did not really hope for Young Master to become a leader.

A leader had to shoulder too many things and it was hard to follow one’s heart, but how could a Hydra live with hands and feet bound?

Master hated that kind of life and did not hope for Young Master to live that kind of life either.

“The existence of Notun is already enough help to me. With it hovering over the Hydra territory, it can avoid quite a lot of trouble.”

Looking at his father’s Contract Heads, a gentle smile as always appeared on Anselm’s face.

Only compared to the smile that was once almost integrated with him, like a mask, the young man’s current smiling face had a few more points of sincerity and vividness that were more moving.

“Father and Mother’s safety is entrusted to you.”

Anselm gently patted Laurence on his shoulder: “Protect them well; this is my only request to you.”

“Rest assured, Young Master, I will eat! Uh… seem to be unable to eat now, doesn’t matter, anyway I will definitely protect Boss and Eldest Sister well!”

Laurence waved his claws vigorously: “Leave it to me!”

The young Hydra smiled, turned around, and walked towards the only exit of the flower field.

After greeting Tyr who was guarding the entrance, he disappeared into this space.

Laurence gazed at Anselm eagerly. After seeing him disappear, he immediately became dejected:

“I also seem to want to go on an adventure with the Young Master… Can I send a clone out?”

“Young Master will not allow you to have behavior that wastes a fraction of power during the process of protecting the Lord.” Tornado glanced at Laurence, “Stop dreaming.”

“I know! Am I not… am I not wanting to help Young Master!”

“Young Master does not need it. You may not necessarily be more capable than the team Young Master built himself.”

Tornado and Laurence started clamoring again.

Only Saville sighed somewhat worriedly.

“But Young Master indeed… needs helpers. I am not referring to people who help Young Master handle matters, but, but…”

He also could not explain clearly what kind of people.

Young Master saved Master and Madam, and saved himself, but his days from now on… seemed to become even more difficult.

Because he did not devour Master and did not cross that boundary where no taboos existed, would Young Master become no longer so… cold? Was this really a good thing?

Saville knew Anselm’s thoughts and personality when he was young, and also witnessed Anselm’s changes after that disaster—if Anselm’s heart slid towards his past self, then how should he face the endless sins of these years?

In the future… could he still act without hesitation to complete his own goals like in the past?

The old man did not care about Anselm doing good or evil. He only hoped that Anselm’s heart, which had already been tempered to be decisive enough, would not fall back into… the initial suffering.

I hope it is a good thing. Miss Hitana and Miss Mingfuluo are both rare good girls in the world; they will give Young Master help. No matter what, they will definitely stand on Young Master’s side.

Thinking of this, Saville felt much more relieved.

It was just… if there were more people who could help Young Master, it would be even better.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay and research Notun?”

In the study, Mingfuluo, who was sitting in Anselm’s arms reading a book, said so.

“You said it yourself, this is a monster that only Father can control.” Anselm, reading the same book with Mingfuluo, smiled, “Being able to produce this kind of simple deterrence is already enough, no need to force other things.”

“…Hmph, that is just rhetoric praising Your Excellency Flamel’s ability.”

Mingfuluo huffed lightly: “I may not necessarily be able to analyze the principle of controlling Notun, just give me time.”

“Saying the four words ‘I want to help you’ so arrogantly, it is really hard on you, Aluo.”

Anselm pinched Mingfuluo’s cheek with a smile.

The petite scholar lady was expressionless. She knocked Anselm’s calf with her small foot wrapped in semi-transparent white silk, only that when the fleshy heel touched Anselm’s leg, it was no different from a massage.

“Writing the four words ‘unrequited affection’ on your face, you are also quite an amazing, dead brat.”

She shifted her butt, wanting to jump off Anselm’s leg, but the evil Hydra firmly encircled that slender and soft waist.

“Then you tell me.” Anselm pressed his face against Mingfuluo’s palm-sized petite cheek and said with a cheerful smile, “Say you don’t want to help me.”

“Come, ‘I, do, not, want, to, help, you’, one word by one, say it slowly.”

Miss Mingfuluo did not speak, but just turned her head and bit Anselm’s lip five times.

“Childish.”

Then, she dropped this sentence, and her figure turned into iron-gray particles, disappearing without a trace along with the book.

“…Why take the book away too, and still call me childish.”

Anselm shook his head with a laugh, stood up, and pulled out a new book from the bookshelf preparing to read.

At the same time, a voice incomparably familiar to him came from outside the door.

“Anselm Anselm, can I come in!”

Anselm did not speak; the door that opened on its own had already replaced his answer.

One cute girl just left, and another one came.

It was just that this cute girl right now behaved somewhat… strangely.

She closed the door sneaking like a dog, her face full of hesitation for some reason.

Except Anselm was still reading and did not look up at her.

“What’s wrong? Hit, something the matter?” Anselm asked thus while turning a page.

“Al, also not really something… no, there is something. No no… can’t count as something—ah I don’t know!”

Hitana, whose head was messy, did not want to think more, and whispered: “Just want to stay with you for a while Anselm, can’t I?”

Anselm put down the book and couldn’t help looking at her with a smile: “When have I ever refused this kind of request?”

The young girl then ran to Anselm’s side with joy, sat directly and carelessly on the ground, close to Anselm’s legs, and rested both her arms and head on Anselm’s thigh.

She liked sticking to Anselm like this the most. Resting on Anselm’s thigh had a sense of peace where she didn’t have to worry about anything. To Hitana, this was already a kind of addiction she almost couldn’t quit.

After lying on Anselm’s thigh, Miss Wolf comfortably half-squinted her eyes, almost about to hum comfortably.

Only she hadn’t been comfortable for two seconds when her expression became slightly terrible along with her twitching nose.

“Shorty’s smell…” Hitana muttered so, raised her head to look at Anselm, vigilant to the extreme, “She was here just now?”

“Mm, sitting right where you are lying, Hit.”

“Pah! Shameless!”

—Miss Hitana, lying on Anselm’s thigh, was criticized angrily like this.

Anselm only found it funny and didn’t say much.

“Sneaking around sneaking around… annoying.”

Hitana muttered unhappily: “Not open and aboveboard at all.”

“Hm? Then what does the open and aboveboard Hit want to do?”

“…Ah? Ah! I, I just want to stay with you for a while, Anselm!”

Hitana, who wrote the six words “I have other ideas” on her face, waved her hands in a panic: “I didn’t want to do anything! Didn’t want, didn’t…”

Stared at by Anselm’s eyes where the smile was gradually thickening, the young girl’s cheeks gradually became scalding hot.

Unable to bear it anymore, she covered her face, buried her face in Anselm’s leg, and said in a muffled voice: “I, I do have other ideas, but… but there is a reason!”

Rubbing against Anselm’s leg for quite a while, Hitana then slightly turned her head, revealing half her face, and sized up Anselm carefully with one eye.

“That, Anselm…”

“What is it?”

“If I say, I want… I want to leave you for a period of time, will you be angry?”

Anselm did not reveal any surprised expression. Instead, he wound Hitana’s white hair and teased: “Why leave me, are you tired of me?”

“Of course not!”

Hitana was shocked almost to the point of jumping up on the spot: “How could I be tired of Anselm, I wish I could everyday—”

The young girl’s words paused, and her face turned crimson: “I, I indeed am with Anselm everyday, that… that thing.”

“I know, just joking.” Anselm stroked her head with the technique and strength Hitana liked most, “Want to seek an opportunity for breakthrough, yes?”

“Mm.” Hitana nodded heavily.

“I seem very powerful now… but actually it’s still like that, stuck in the middle, fundamentally impossible to truly help Anselm.”

Miss Wolf caught Anselm’s hand, covered it on her own cheek, closed her eyes, and said softly: “Shorty can turn into a super powerful big guy, but I can’t… In that kind of battle, I will only be Anselm’s burden.”

“I want to become stronger. Since I could casually beat Tier 4 at Tier 3, then maybe… After I reach Tier 4, can I casually beat Tier 5?”

Hitana, opening her eyes, had eyes full of hope and thirst: “By that time, I will no longer be a burden, and can help Anselm with anything!”

“It’s just…” Hitana became somewhat hesitant again, “It’s just Anselm now seems… somewhat short of helpers. If I leave, will it be very bad?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

Anselm gently stroked Hitana’s cheek: “Go do what you want to do, Hit, no need to be only for me.”

“…Even if I leave for a period of time, won’t Anselm encounter trouble?”

“Who can come to find trouble with me?” Anselm couldn’t help laughing, “They should pray I don’t go find trouble with them.”

“True too…”

Hitana nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Anselm incomparably hopefully with sparkling eyes:

“So, so can I go?”

Anselm scrutinized the young girl’s glowing appearance; the arc raised at the corner of his mouth was extremely gentle: “Of course, isn’t Hit very much looking forward to this? Why hesitate so much?”

“…Looking forward?” Hitana touched her own face and said somewhat blankly, “Am I looking forward to it very much? I… I didn’t look forward to leaving Anselm!”

The latter half turning into a flustered tone appeared extremely cute on Miss Wolf.

Anselm pinched her tender cheek and said with a brimming smile: “Leaving me is just a prerequisite, Hit. What you look forward to is that broader world.”

How could the future Beast King truly crawl peacefully at Anselm’s feet like a house dog?

“Hit, nothing can trap you, and I am even less in your cage.”

Anselm’s eyes, which were more magical than usual, and his even gentler words, made Hitana’s mind intoxicated.

She couldn’t help hugging Anselm’s waist forcefully, rubbing against Anselm’s stomach nostalgically, and murmured somewhat idiotically: “Anselm… changed a lot.”

“Did I? I don’t seem to feel anything.”

“Mm!” The young girl nodded forcefully, cheeks flushed, “I like Anselm even more! Everyday more than yesterday!”

She rubbed Anselm’s stomach like a dog for a good while, her movements slowly slowing down.

“That… Anselm.”

The young girl, whose head gradually moved down and whose voice gradually became decadent, said softly with a tone completely different from her appearance: “I don’t know how long I have to leave Anselm, so… so before leaving—”

“I want Anselm… to feed me full.”

Holding the belt in her mouth, she straightened up, leaned close to Anselm’s ear, and exhaled a hot breath.

“Want it a bit rougher, like training a dog, can you?”

In the messy study, Marina, who could not withstand the subjugation, was lying on the sofa panting. Exhausted, she could only watch with hazy eyes as her sister swayed her body and listened to her emit happy and joyous sounds.

Clearly she also wanted to be dragged by the collar from behind like Hitana, forced onto the floor, have her wrists bound by a belt and pushed against the wall, but now she only had her share of watching, and even if it continued, she might not even be able to watch.

Marina loved that bliss, but she was very clear, and also very glad, that she was not indulging in it, unable to extricate herself.

“Mr…. Anselm.”

The young girl murmuring the name of the person she was attached to softly, had thoughts that were drifting and hazy; she even forgot the purpose of this trip, her thoughts flying to the sky unable to land.

What exactly am I thirsting for?

Besides Mr. Anselm, what exactly am I still thirsting for?

What characteristics do I have exactly, that can make Mr. Anselm not discard me like discarding those other women who thirst for him?

Mr. Anselm… do you really recognize me? In your eyes, am I really as important as Hit?

The smart girl actually knew very, very much, but the smart girl also knew what to do to escape reality.

Mr. Anselm… Mr. Anselm.

I will keep up with you, don’t leave me behind, okay.

Marina, thinking this way, had unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep.

And when she woke up, she found she had already been changed into good clothes, and her whole body had been cleaned.

“Awake?”

A gentle voice sounded in the room. Marina immediately straightened her body and looked nervously at the young man sitting behind the desk.

“Sorry, played a bit crazy with Hit, and affected you… didn’t tire you out, right.”

“No… it, it is I who am too frail, unable to let you play to your heart’s content.”

Marina shyly put together her legs which were still somewhat soft: “Very sorry, Mr. Anselm.”

“Making a girl apologize on this kind of matter is not what a gentleman does.” Anselm smiled, “Then, is there something you were looking for me for?”

“Ah, it was Ms. Rhine who asked me to come, there are some matters needing you…”

After relaying the good news and handing some documents to Anselm, Marina barely stood up from the sofa and bowed slightly: “Then, I will take my leave first, Mr. Anselm.”

“Wait.”

Anselm called Marina to a stop and beckoned to her.

The young girl didn’t know what Anselm wanted to do, but the things that happened just now inevitably made her generate some fantasies, her heart somewhat jumping with secret delight.

But Anselm did not do anything to Marina, he just took out a ring from the drawer and handed it to her.

“Hit wants to go out to gain experience, did you know? Marina?”

“…Yes, I know, Miss Hitana spoke to me about this matter.” The young girl lowered her head slightly and answered incomparably respectfully.

Anselm did not express any attitude towards Marina’s address, but just said gently: “The ring stocks a lot of things necessary for her going out to gain experience. She leaves as soon as she says, the preparation work is likely not done well. Today she probably won’t see me again either, so I’ll trouble you to help me pass it to her.”

“You… prepared it very early, didn’t you?”

“That look of hers that can’t hide thoughts, who can it deceive?”

Anselm smiled. That incomparably pure gentleness and tenderness revealed in his eyes were easily captured by Marina.

“Although saying let her do the things she wants to do.”

The young man lowered his eyes slightly, and sighed softly with some emotion:

“But once I think of her not being by my side for a period of time, I will still be lonely.”

“—Ah, don’t say this paragraph to Hit, otherwise she won’t leave no matter what.”

“You worry too much.” Marina smiled, “How could I be so loose-lipped, Mr. Anselm.”

“…Loose-lipped?”

Anselm glanced at Marina, not knowing what he was thinking, but finally laughed freely: “Anyway, I’ll trouble Marina to make an extra trip.”

“Yes, then, I will take my leave first.”

“Do your best, Marina. Rhine’s report evaluates you very highly… she never gives ordinary people this kind of evaluation.”

Anselm, looking at the young girl’s slender and soft back, encouraged: “I said it before, you are a capable person, aren’t you?”

Marina turned her body slightly sideways and revealed a soft smile to Anselm, her profile graceful and beautiful:

“It is all your grace that I can have today, Mr. Anselm.”

“I will do as you wish, and continue to do my best.”

She finally curtsied to Anselm and walked out of the house.

Just capable.

But is my ability really important to Mr. Anselm?

Must become indispensable.

Want to be like Hit, become indispensable to Mr. Anselm.

But what exactly should I… do?

…No, before that, first find the method to achieve transcendence.

Merely just “capable” is not enough, I never wanted to use these words… as the endpoint.

Unknown from when, Marina had become no longer so ecstatic just for a word of praise from Anselm.

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