Chapter 77: I Am Not a Kidnapper

The pink-haired girl's hair was still frizzy with static. She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes and spoke in a soft voice.

"Sir… my name is Susie Glitter."

The moment Felix heard that name, a distant memory stirred from his past life. Back when he worked at Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company, most of his time was spent on logistics and production tasks. He'd been quite familiar with Closure back then.

From the moment he saw Susie, he'd had a strange feeling of familiarity—as if he'd seen her somewhere before. Now, hearing her name, it all clicked into place. He remembered coming across her file in the personnel archives. She had a codename and worked in the logistics department, just like he did.

They hadn't interacted much. Felix recalled that she had certain health issues—specifically, a condition that caused electrical appliances around her to malfunction or even get fried. He'd learned that tidbit while chatting with Closure.

And now, these characters from his past life's world were showing up one by one, right on his doorstep. Felix couldn't help feeling delighted. He had to admit, ever since saving Senomi and bringing Mandragora into his life, his fortune had steadily improved. Now, Mandragora's first friend at school turned out to be an old colleague from Rhodes Island? Was this what they called "absorbing good luck"?

Well then, he should keep breathing in that good luck more often.

"No need to call me 'sir.' Just call me Pioneer. I'm not that old," Felix said with a smile. Mandragora giggled as he gently stroked her hair. She closed her eyes and hummed softly, clearly enjoying the affection.

Turning back to Susie, he asked kindly, "Susie, where are your parents?"

"Ah… they probably have work today, so I'm heading home on my own," she replied in a soft voice.

Her tone was light and sweet, like a gentle breeze. Listening to her speak was almost therapeutic.

"Is your home nearby? If it's far, it's dangerous for someone your age to be walking alone at night."

"Ah… it's pretty close," Susie answered, clearly not wanting to trouble him. She bowed politely to both Felix and Mandragora. "Thank you for your concern, Pioneer brother… Mandragora, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Susie!"

Mandragora gave a small wave as she watched the pink-haired girl trot off with her bag. Susie was quick on her feet—she seemed to be in good physical shape.

Just then, Degenbrecher arrived, carrying a shopping bag filled with prepared food. She glanced in the direction Susie had gone and asked, "Who was that?"

"That's the friend Mandragora made on her first day of school," Felix replied proudly.

Degenbrecher chuckled and patted Mandragora's head with his free hand. "Well done, well done."

"Hehe."

The group continued on their way home, stopping to pick up Senomi along the way. When Felix spotted her, he noticed a group of girls surrounding her, chatting and laughing together.

Felix waved, and Senomi trotted over with a bright smile. "Master—"

Felix coughed loudly, nearly choking. Damn it! If she called him "Master" in public, wasn't he going to get arrested?! Fortunately, her voice wasn't too loud, and only a few people nearby heard her.

Degenbrecher had a strange smile on her face but said nothing. Well, if she laughed, the boss would be too pitiful.

Though her behavior wasn't exactly wrong, Felix still crouched down to gently correct her.

"Senomi, from now on, just call me 'brother' when we're out in public, okay? You can still call me 'Master' when we're in private."

Senomi nodded with a sweet smile. "Understood."

"Alright, let's go home."

Felix took Senomi's hand in one and Mandragora's in the other as they started their walk back. Degenbrecher walked ahead, opening the door for them.

She hadn't bought the groceries herself—and besides, Degenbrecher's job wasn't to be a chef. Having a renowned Black Knight from Kazimierz cook for him was clearly a waste of talent. Felix himself wasn't any better; the best he could manage was a pack of instant noodles.

That's why Senomi had taken it upon herself to steadily improve her cooking. During their travels, she'd practiced day by day. After months of effort, her cooking had finally reached a level that could rival dishes served in proper restaurants. As someone responsible for her master's daily life, it was a maid's duty to handle the meals as well. Now that she was no longer responsible for his sleeping arrangements, she felt that the least she could do was ensure both her master and Sister Degenbrecher enjoyed every bite of their meals.

Besides, Felix didn't treat her like a slave or a servant—he treated her like family, like his own little sister. That thought alone made Senomi feel like she was living in a dream. Ever since her master rescued her from that awful market and gave her a home, she'd felt nothing but happiness. She couldn't imagine life without him anymore.

Wearing her apron, Senomi got to work in the kitchen. Though they were technically living in a hotel, it was more like a converted home—complete with its own stove and kitchen.

Mandragora didn't cling to her Pioneer brother for long. Instead, she quickly ran over to help Senomi, eager to learn and assist.

During dinner, the two girls shared stories about their first day at school. They were excited, filled with anticipation for what school life would bring. Having been denied an education in the past, simply being able to attend school and gain knowledge was already a great joy for them.

Felix and Degenbrecher listened to their chatter with warm smiles. Felix silently decided that once they headed to Leithanien, he would enroll them in a local academy for a while.

Leithanien in May, and Columbia in June—the plan was already in motion.

After dinner, both Senomi and Mandragora had homework to finish. Felix brought the empty dishes to the sink. The cleaner would come by tomorrow to take care of the rest. The two girls sat at the table, diligently working through their assignments.

Felix was a bit surprised. They were such good students—so serious, so focused. Not like him back in the day, when he would find any excuse to slack off and hide in the bathroom during homework time.

Once studying was done, it was time for Degenbrecher's evening training. The three of them gathered in the yard and began stretching exercises. With dinner settled and night falling, they loosened their bodies before bed. Senomi followed Degenbrecher's movements carefully, imitating them with stiff determination.

The next morning, after sending Senomi and Mandragora off to school, Felix headed to the factory as usual.

From what he'd observed the day before, most of the weapons produced here were destined for use by border soldiers. That made this a perfect opportunity for Felix—he could examine the blueprints up close. As an external renter, he still had his own workspace in the factory and resumed his banging and hammering while subtly absorbing the details of the weapons around him.

Felix had his sights set on acquiring the blueprint for a weapon known as the Battering Pike—a favored tool of the Victorian army and ideal for vanguards. It came equipped with a gun shield capable of firing up to ten rounds of ammunition in rapid succession. While forging the pike itself only required blacksmithing and craftsmanship skills, constructing the gun shield demanded advanced mechanical knowledge.

In his previous life, aside from completing a mission with the Rhodes Island operator Vermeil to obtain the Mechanic's Notebook, the only remaining viable option had been Victoria.

Victoria possessed the most advanced mechanical engineering technologies in all of Terra. Mechanical engineering was further divided into two branches: mechanics and engineers. Felix had cleared a multitude of questlines related to the field. However, he had failed to gain admission into the Royal Guard Academy, which was a key gateway to truly mastering those technologies. The requirements were simply too strict—players weren't even eligible for recruitment. Rumor had it this exclusivity was to ensure loyalty to the royal family.

Mechanical engineering was taught exclusively at the Royal Guard Academy, and truth be told, Felix felt a tinge of envy.

Compared to the military factories of the capital city Londinium, the facilities he currently worked in were far more modest. Most of the weapons produced here were fairly basic. Still, Felix wasn't too disappointed. He firmly believed that, with the right mechanical enhancements, even these common weapons could be transformed into devastating tools—like city-breaking spears.

With his upcoming journey to Leithanien in mind, Felix shifted his focus to crafting a staff.

As the name implied, an Originium staff needed to be forged from pure Originium—a material whose price tag was anything but cheap. This rarity made each staff used by a Caster far more expensive than ordinary cold weapons.

Pure Originium was an industrial-grade crystalized energy source, used extensively across various sectors. It was also the main refined product of the "Ark" and served as the foundation for nearly all Originium-based arts. Despite the rampant rumors surrounding its link to terminal infections, few could resist its allure.

It was important not to confuse pure Originium with Originium fragments. The latter were typically collected from highly contaminated zones and posed a serious risk of infection and mutation. Processing them into usable pure Originium required a complicated and lengthy procedure, which was also a primary reason behind the high market price of the refined material.

To minimize risk, Felix donned full protective gear and a mask while working with the raw material, shielding himself from any potential Originium dust exposure. His technique was precise and practiced. The result was a flawlessly polished crystal—far superior to the kind of inferior goods often found on the black market.

That said, Felix still preferred the ancient weapons found in the Singularity ruins of Kazdel over staffs. Those relics boasted formidable attributes. While they often came with negative side effects or debuffs, they were well worth the risk if one could manage to obtain them.

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The day of collecting materials for The Clever was quickly approaching. Felix had already started reaching out to Kazimierz's Chamber of Commerce, jotting down a list of required components. At the same time, he also tasked Muelsyse with purchasing various necessary materials from the Columbian market. With The Clever by his side, he would soon be able to explore and battle more safely.

After a few days, Felix had successfully developed several weapon blueprints and crafted hundreds of staffs. But to be honest, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the sheer number of players choosing the Caster path. He had no other choice—crafting staffs was significantly harder than crafting cold weapons. His current craftsman level wasn't high enough to streamline the process or save much time.

If he had access to the Originium Scientist subclass, his efficiency in staff crafting would increase drastically. Unfortunately, that subclass was notoriously difficult to obtain—one had to attend a college to qualify, which made it out of reach for now. A real pity.

Just then, Mandragora brought him some news: the Caster Academy would be hosting a parent-teacher meeting in the next two days, and she hoped Felix would attend as her guardian.

Felix didn't have any active missions at the moment, so he naturally agreed. Still, he had some doubts—he wasn't confident he'd understand all the Caster-specific jargon the teachers might use, which could get awkward.

The next day, after school, Felix changed into respectable clothes and headed to the Caster School. Today, Degenbrecher had gone to pick up Senomi, so the two of them would head home and start cooking early.

Mandragora stood at the entrance, holding Susie's little hand, and waved at Felix with a bright smile.

Felix smiled and approached them—only to notice a middle-aged man with a weary expression quietly appearing beside them. He walked directly to Susie and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Dad." Susie looked happy for a moment, but her expression quickly turned to concern when she saw her father's exhausted face.

"Hello, you must be the Mr. Pioneer Susie often talks about," the man said gently, smiling at both Mandragora and Felix. He then turned to Mandragora. "You must be her classmate Mandragora. Thank you for being friends with Susie."

"It's an honor to be friends with Susie."

Mandragora remained polite and composed in public, doing her best to maintain Felix's dignity.

The middle-aged man then extended a hand toward Felix. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Pioneer."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Glitter."

The two guardians exchanged polite smiles, but Felix couldn't help noticing the man's pallor. The deep dark circles beneath his eyes were telltale signs of exhaustion—a clear result of long-term overwork.

They walked with the children toward the classroom, where they were welcomed by Mandragora and Susie's homeroom teacher. To Felix's relief, there were no heavy Caster topics or jargon—just general advice for parents on how to help their children with private training.

Mr. Glitter seemed to drift in and out of sleep, while Susie diligently took notes. Felix paid close attention to the teacher's instructions, planning to apply them when managing Mandragora's training in the future.

Although only a few hours had passed since their meeting, Felix could clearly sense the burden Mr. Glitter carried as the head of the household.

The parent-teacher meeting turned out to be a minor event. But a few days later, when Felix and Degenbrecher came to pick up Mandragora, they noticed a hint of sadness on her face. Curiously, Susie was nowhere to be seen.

"What's wrong, Mandragora?" Felix asked.

Mandragora looked disappointed. "Susie didn't come today, so I asked the teacher. I found out she's already dropped out... But Susie loves Originium so much, and she's about to graduate—it just doesn't make sense."

Felix pursed his lips. He recalled Mr. Glitter's exhausted appearance from the other day and had a sinking feeling he understood what might have happened.

"Do you know where Susie lives?"

Mandragora nodded, her expression serious. "I asked her once before. She told me."

"Degenbrecher, go pick up Senomi. Mandragora and I will head over there."

Degenbrecher gave a knowing smile. "Boss, are you interested in Susie? I think she's a great girl. You should consider inviting her to join our team."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Since when did I become a kidnapper in your eyes?"

"Boss, you have a kind heart. You'll go to great lengths for others. Not many people like you are left on Terra," Degenbrecher said with a grin as he turned to leave. "I'll take Senomi home and start cooking. You two better hurry, or the food will get cold."

"Got it."