Chapter 38 (1/2)

Translator(s): s.h.i.+mizuA    Editor(s): Yuzuha    Proofreader(s): Merp-merp

Finally the last chapter for this arc! See you on the next arc!

One's Belonging

For Richelieu, s.h.i.+zuru was her first disciple, her only successful work, her absolute standard.

Now including the girl who had just been formally accepted, Black Maria's members had become 49 people in total. (ed: serious question is this taking into account Liz and Beth's split personality?) (Merp: Probably not, as technically they're both residing in ”one person”) However, if the former members of Black Maria were also counted, over 200 people remained in their records.

Among those members, a few people were selected.Promising youths whom  Richelieu personally trained.

But, the end result was ―― all of them were failures.

…… No. Even if they ended in failure, the truth was quite different. To express it more accurately, everyone who was taught by her were not able to reach the area of ability demanded by Richelieu.

But s.h.i.+zuru successfully went beyond that. More than that, he also did it beautifully.

Therefore, with s.h.i.+zuru as the standard, Richelieu requested for the following disciples to be equal to his level. She asked for it.

However Richelieu herself understood, that s.h.i.+zuru's completion, helped by some coincidence, was a result close to a semi-miracle. Again, the teaching of Richelieu, whose ability deviated from the norm, was indeed unforgivable, and those who were taught had collapsed along the way.

It was natural. She couldn't go easy on them, they always got compared to s.h.i.+zuru at something, and everyday was filled with harsh training. They couldn't keep their sanity. Inside them, they resented s.h.i.+zuru, even going as far as trying to kill him. But when they tried to kill s.h.i.+zuru, who didn't have any shred of hostility, they were instead moved by him, which brought upon Richelieu's anger, so they couldn't kill him.

And after single handedly crus.h.i.+ng some people who crossed the line, Richelieu gave up on raising disciples. She understood that she was devastatingly unsuited for teaching.

―― That's why, Richelieu. Her obsession over s.h.i.+zuru was frighteningly strong, even when compared to her famous sword breaking streak.

Her solely perfect successful work, whom she couldn't make a similar existence of ever again.

If there was someone other than s.h.i.+zuru who could handle the extremely ferocious Casca, rather than putting him in the 3rd squad, she would have made him her adjutant. He was the only one she allowed to call her by name, Richelieu, and not boss. Just one insignificant, trivial lie couldn't help but make her remember how frustrating it was.

To the extent of being able to call her paranoid, that was Richelieu's obsession towards s.h.i.+zuru.

”How many times have I told you, don't you ever lie to me.”

Richelieu's grey pupils peeked through her opened eyes that were usually closed. Her blind, unfocused gaze shook with intense irritation.

”I don't care who you trick. But you're my work. My property. Why, why you don't you do as I say?”

Richelieu couldn't completely understand any animosity directed towards herself. She understood that she was superior than most people, so she sincerely thought the others, at least her subordinates, would follow her orders without hesitation.

Therefore, she couldn't comprehend this deviant's logic. She also couldn't follow what the deserter was expecting.

This for Richelieu, who had high pride, to not understand something was a big shame. That's why if she couldn't understand it, she destroyed and killed it, no questions asked.

Today was also the same. Yet since the other party was s.h.i.+zuru, a ”question” was included.

”Why? Why are you answering with 'nothing'? Answer me, answer me right now.”

Richelieu inquired with flat and cold tone. If she could understand his answer, then she wouldn't kill him. If not, she would kill him.