Chapter 38 - Family
After confirming the usefulness of the portable toxin capsule, I released my grip on Eliza’s chin. Her body, pulled down by gravity, collapsed forward with a wet thud.
Her well-shaped, ample chest flattened against the floor, and a sultry breath slipped from her lips.
“Stay there and sleep it off. In about three hours, you should be able to move again.”
I looked down at Eliza as I said this.
“Ghh... k-kill me...! I won’t... accept the mercy... of an enemy...!”
She spat the words out, glaring up at me with fierce defiance.
Ahh... perfect. This is thrilling. I want to see how long that stubborn pride can last— Wait, wait, stop right there!
I hastily pulled back the right hand I had been about to extend toward her chest, forcing myself to take a long, steady breath.
...Damn it, that was close. I almost lost myself completely just now...
The situation had been far too provocative, and I had nearly acted on impulse.
But come on... this isn’t my fault, right?
For someone like Eliza—a proud, pure-hearted knight—to actually utter a line like that... surely, that had to be against regulations.
Yes, this wasn’t my lapse.
Clearly, the fault lay on her side... or so I wanted to believe.
“Haaah...”
A sigh escaped me before I realized it.
Hollow von Heisenberg—hailed as a once-in-a-millennium genius.
Whether it was magic, swordsmanship, or academics, whatever I tried, I mastered at an astonishing pace and left behind extraordinary results.
And yet... when it came to “training to conquer my worldly desires,” I had shown absolutely no progress...!
It wasn’t as though I had done nothing.
Recently, I had designated this as a “priority focus area,” and I had tried all kinds of methods.
I sat in meditation, practiced zazen, subjected myself to waterfalls—all the usual approaches.
And yet, whenever I found myself cornered by one of Ronzolkia’s alluring heroines, or caught in a charged situation like this... I just couldn’t hold myself back.
...This really is a problem...
This body of mine—the Hollow body—was unmatched in raw strength and mana, but when it came to the female form, I was fatally weak.
Without a will of steel, I was terrified I might one day make a catastrophic mistake.
The heroines of Ronzolkia… practically all of them are “heavy”...
If I ever laid a hand on one of them, even once, she would probably chase me to the ends of the world.
Well, as the heir of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, and as a man, I had no intention of running away. I would take full responsibility.
But for now, I was still free—and I wanted to enjoy this beautiful world of Ronzolkia while I could.
Maybe I should ask Ms. Fiona to brew me a toxin that suppresses lust...?
...No. Best not to.
If she bungled the concoction and left my “dragon” permanently unusable, I would surely break down in tears.
My plan was simple: once I conquered the brutal Hollow Route and overcame my fated death scenario, I would marry one of the heroines.
Would it be Nia? Eliza? Entia? One of the Five Prisons maidens, with Dia at their head? Or perhaps a heroine who appeared in the later chapters...
For now, I didn’t know who it would be.
But when I did fall in love, when someone loved me in return—that “fated heroine”—I wanted to confess to, to date, to marry.
I wanted children, lots of them. I wanted to build a warm, happy household filled with laughter.
And in the end... I wanted to die peacefully in this beautiful world of Ronzolkia, surrounded by everyone I loved.
To reach that perfect happy ending, I had been working diligently, humbly, without fail.
No matter what—if I’m thinking about my future, I have to learn to control my own desires.
As I steeled my resolve, the corner of my vision caught the sight of a man crawling on all fours, inching stealthily across the floor.
The main target this time was Jay the Ripper.
Amid the chaos, it seemed he was trying to slip away.
“—Hey. Where do you think you’re going?”
“Hi-hii?!”
I clamped my hand around his head and casually tossed him into a swirling black vortex.
Slash Magic Factor, obtained!
With this, everyone’s hard-earned beans—no, that’s not it.
The development speed of Void Town would make another great leap forward.
Having thus achieved my objective, I suddenly noticed something.
“This is a bit of a problem.”
Even if this was a deserted back alley, leaving Eliza lying right in the middle of the street was bound to block traffic.
No choice. I would move her to the roadside.
Grunting a little, I scooped her up in my arms.
“...S-stop... let me... go...”
Eliza trembled with shame, yet she was far too weak to resist.
She could do nothing but allow herself to be carried, like a princess in my arms.
She’s heavier than she looks.
Though her frame appeared slender, she had a fair bit of flesh on her.
Probably the exact kind of body most men loved.
And her skin—warm, soft, the very definition of a woman’s tender flesh.
Easy now... calm down. Attacking a heroine while she’s unconscious from poison is absolutely off-limits...
Suppressing the storm of desire raging inside me, I carefully laid her down by the roadside so her head wouldn’t hit the ground.
There. That should do it.
I had just finished my minimal aftercare and was about to leave the scene when two burly men came lumbering up from the front.
“Oi, look! Ain’t that Eliza?”
“Hmm? ...Ohh! It is! The real Eliza!”
The two rushed over to her in a clumsy, stomping run.
“Geheheh. This woman’s got some damn fine tits, don’t she?”
“Check out those smooth white thighs! Now that’s premium stuff!”
...Disgusting talk.
Probably the lowest thing I’d heard since reincarnating in Ronzolkia.
“My precious underling got nabbed by this bitch, didn’t he...?”
“And the gang I built from scratch? She smashed it to pieces...”
“Whatever happened, seeing Eliza like this, wide open and helpless—”
“There’s no way we’re passing up this chance!”
With lewd grins plastered across their faces, the two big men loosened their belts and reached for Eliza’s body.
“D-don’t... you dare... touch me, you filthy pigs...!”
Eliza’s voice shook with fury as she resisted with what little she could. But it was entirely counterproductive.
That strong-willed defiance only fanned the flames of the men’s lust.
Wait... she’s still conscious? But this toxin should be strong enough to knock out a dragon...
It seemed her body was simply too resilient, allowing her to resist the drug’s effects.
Still... this is pushing it.
Eliza was one of Ronzolkia’s most beloved heroines, and I held more than a little affection for her character.
To see her reduced to this—prey for such vile scum—was unbearable, even as just a fan of the original story.
“Hey, you two, that’s enough—”
At that moment, a jolt of recognition ran through me.
That huge scar across the eye, and a dragon tattoo on the arm... and their faces, they’re practically identical. Wait—could it be...!
I hurriedly pulled out a wanted list and flipped through it at lightning speed.
And there they were.
[The Brutal Matt Brothers]
・Description: The elder bears a long scar across his eye. The younger has a dragon tattoo on his left arm. Both boast nearly two-meter-tall frames and terrifying brute strength. If encountered while on solo patrol, avoid combat at all costs and call for immediate reinforcements.
・Criminal Record: Robbery, assault, battery, others, and a long list of minor offenses.
・Notes: The Matt Brothers are identical twins. Each possesses the Elite-Class Unique Magic <Crush>.
...Perfect.
Jay the Ripper I had just captured would use his slash magic to cut stone, while the Brutal Matt Brothers process it with their <Crush>—a flawless workflow.
Their criminal record’s perfect, too... You guys pass with flying colors.
Having stumbled upon such outstanding talent, I wasted no time beginning my recruitment drive.
“You’re the Brutal Matt Brothers, right?”
“Ahh? The hell are you...?”
“We were just about to have ourselves a little ‘fun.’ If you don’t want to get killed, then beat it!”
“Don’t get so worked up. From now on, we’re going to be... family.”
Fwomp.
The Matt Brothers vanished into the void, sent straight to Void Town.
Chances were, they didn’t even understand what had just happened to them.
Good, good. My absorption speed for other people’s getting pretty decent.
There were actually three different types of <Void>, each with its own unique properties... but that explanation could wait for another time.
“Eliza, on the other hand... looks like she’s finally hit her limit.”
Her mental resistance to the toxin must have worn out; she had lost consciousness completely.
Still, today had been a phenomenal haul!
If only every day could be like this... but lately it’s been harder to move around.
Just as Ms. Fiona had mentioned during homeroom, patrols by the Paladins had been reinforced, and their eyes were everywhere throughout the capital.
Even today, Eliza had interfered.
She had been alone, thankfully, but if she’d brought a squad, I would have had no choice but to withdraw.
The Paladin Association might be rotten at the top, but the knights on the ground are just honest workers. Dragging them into the Void Realm... that would cross the line.
That would be nothing more than kidnapping.
I only pulled in carefully selected targets—true criminals.
Maintaining those personal standards was important.
If I blurred that line, my “core as a human” would waver, and someday I’d turn into nothing more than a monster.
Still... this is getting seriously annoying.
If I allowed the Paladin Association to keep running wild, it would interfere with my grand design—my Protagonist De-MC-ification Plan.
I needed to hurry and bring the paladins to heel.
For now, though... I need to do something about Eliza.
If I left her here, she’d just end up being attacked by thugs again.
Yeah... best to drop her off at a paladin garrison.
I activated <Void Step> and opened a connection to the Association’s capital branch. Just then, a slip of paper fell from Eliza’s chest pocket.
“Hm...?”
It was an old family photo.
A young Eliza, smiling softly, surrounded by a kindly elderly couple and a crowd of children.
“This must be... the orphanage she grew up in...”
And at that instant—
“Hehehe... this could be useful.”
My wickedly brilliant Hollow brain spun up yet another nefarious idea.
If I use Eliza, I can accelerate the ‘Win Over the Paladins Plan’ by a huge margin!
And not only that—
If I play this carefully... I could even bring every last one of those troublesome capital paladins under my control!
When Eliza had interfered, I’d honestly thought, “Damn, what bad luck today.”
But no—this was beyond lucky. This was *ultra jackpot lucky*.
Now all I need is for that “event” at the Heisenberg estate to unfold, just as scheduled...
Hehehe... Magnificent. Absolutely perfect!
The flow was with me now!
And with this momentum, I would blast straight through Chapter Two!
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