No Hero Volume 1: Vampire Butler

Original novel in Chinese by: 御 我 (Yu Wo)

Diary of a Butler Chapter 10: No Hero—translated by dahlys

Dear Father,

My master is a hero. However, I finally understand your admonishment. No matter what kind of person the young master is, my duty has not changed. In the coming days, I will take good care of the young master and be a dutiful butler. Please do not worry.

I helped the young master to his room. The moment he lay on his bed, he fell asleep. As I covered him with a blanket, I thought about what Mr. An Te Qi had said. He mentioned that the young master would be a little absent-minded in the next few days, and that I should cook a lot of high-calorie food for him and let him do nothing but eat and sleep. After a few days, he would slowly recover.

“Charles!” The young master suddenly woke up.

“Yes?”

The young master looked at me, saying, “Charles, Gēge might pay me a visit sometime soon… Please don’t hate him. He really loves me, but he just loathes it when I’m exposed to danger. He also doesn’t like it when I turn into Dark Sun and despises me being a hero even more…”

I quietly listened to the young master speak. He was trying to convince me not to hate the master, but he had not realized that he was looking grumpier and grumpier as he talked. In the end, he pretty much complained, “But I can’t not be a hero! I have such frightening strength that even if I don’t hurt anyone, to others, I would just be a demon. A demon that could go on a rampage at any time… But if I use this strength to help others, then I would be a hero!”

The young master struggled to get up and tried very hard to explain, “Also, I can’t just sit back and do nothing but enjoy life everyday like Gēge asked me to. I-I want to do something…”

“Young Master,” I said, calling out to him. He stopped talking and looked at me doubtfully.

I gently said, “Young Master, I am a vampire, and a very rich vampire at that. I could have chosen to stay in my castle and hire a butler to look after me, spending the rest of my days living in comfort. However, I choose to be a butler and serve you.”

The young master turned to face me and, as usual, looked at me with his big eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with curiosity.

I smiled plainly and explained, “Although I could live a life of luxury, I would rather be a butler. I like to look at things that I have arranged nicely and neatly, and I like to watch my master live without worry because of my service. From my job as a butler, I gain true happiness and satisfaction.

“Even so, the other vampires are always laughing at me and saying that I am a fool.”

My tone filled with pity, I said, “However, I believe that no matter how much they try to fill the emptiness of living for so long with luxury and pleasure, they can never accomplish it. The real fools are those who do not even know how to seek true satisfaction.

“Young Master, you are not as foolish as them. Even if your brother indulges you, you refuse to indulge yourself.” I smiled as I looked at him, and then asked, “Young Master, when you rescued Briar, even I could not help but praise you for being a hero! You should have felt very proud of yourself too, right? For that sense of fulfillment, even if it was dangerous, you would still want to continue being a hero, right?”

The young master stared at me blankly, as if still digesting my words. After quite some time, he sighed, but this was not because he was sad. Smiling, he said, “Charles, you really are a superb butler! I take back what I said earlier. I don’t want to fire you anymore. You should just sign a hundred-year, no, a two hundred-year contract with me… No, no! Sign an ‘Endelis’ contract with me, because An Te Qi-bàba said that a body like mine could break the record for the longest living human. Even he doesn’t know how long I can live!”

I smiled.

Endelis, Endless.

“You are also a superb master.” I said sincerely, “For as long as you live, I would be willing to serve you.”

When he heard this, the young master relaxed and lay down. Smiling, he said, “That’s great.”

“Indeed it is. Now, please sleep well. When you wake up, dinner will be ready.”

The young master made an “Mmm” sound and then closed his eyes.

I covered the young master with his blanket again and walked out of the room, all the while thinking about the dishes for tonight’s dinner.The appetizer should be foie gras with duck’s breast; the soup must be a thick broth; and the main course has to be made from the best source of protein—steak. Lastly, the dessert should be chocolate cake!

As I walked past the living room, I suddenly stopped. This was because only I and the young master were supposed to be in this apartment, but there were other people inside the living room.

I turned and saw a man sitting on the sofa in the living room. His back was facing me, and except for his head of dazzling blond hair, most of his body was blocked by the sofa.

There were three people standing beside the sofa, and all three of these people were looking at me. One of them was wearing a suit, his hair combed neatly and refreshingly. He even carried a laptop bag in his hand. The other two people wore tight-fitting clothes suitable for battle, so they ought to be bodyguards.

One of these bodyguards was expressionless. He carried both a light sword at his waist and a gun slung over his back. The other bodyguard had a warm and gentle smile on his face and two light swords hung at his waist.

At this point, the man in the suit said, “Charles Endelis, do you recognize my voice?”

I bowed slightly, replying, “I do, Mr. Kyle.”

Mr. Kyle nodded and held out an arm in the direction of the man on the sofa. He introduced, “This is the young master’s elder brother.”

I see. I said respectfully, “We meet for the first time, Master.”

After that, I stood there silently and motionlessly, waiting for the master to speak. During that time, the warmly smiling bodyguard even winked at me a few times, seemingly with the intention of soothing my nerves. I also smiled and nodded back at him.

Then, the blond master finally started speaking. He said, “I’m very sure you think that I’m not a good brother, right?”

“Charles does not dare think that.” I tried my best to maintain the etiquette that a butler should have. This was the master, the most powerful man in the family, and I should not do anything that would offend him. Also, the young master did not want me to anger the master. However, I had no choice but to admit that after what had happened last time, I really did not have a good impression of him.

The master remained silent for quite some time before saying, “I am ten years older than Ah Ye. Mother died a long time ago, and Father doesn’t like Ah Ye. Hence, ever since Ah Ye was an infant, I have been raising him, feeding him, and teaching him. I am not only his brother, I am also his father, his mother, and even now, he is my one and only relative!”

So that was it. I nodded. This explained many things, like why the young master misses the master so much, and why he never mentioned his parents… Mr. An Te Qi refused to be called Master An Te Qi and explained that he was just the young master’s doctor. The young master was the one who treated him like a father.

“Ah Ye is my younger brother, my son, and my only family!”

The more the master said, the more emotional he seemed to become. In the end, he growled in a low voice, “But he always goes off to do dangerous things. He always gets hurt, and he always… always thinks about running away from home, from me!”

I could not help wanting to explain in the young master’s stead, but I did not dare open my mouth without good reason. However, I looked at Kyle and saw an encouraging expression.

“Master.”

Finally, I still ended up opening my mouth to quietly defend the young master, “Young Master loves you very much. He does not just love you as a younger brother, he also loves you as a son. However, regardless of whether he is a little brother or a son, he will definitely grow up someday! He cannot remain under Master’s protection forever. Master… do you really want to see your only family member become a weak and powerless rich brat who does nothing but indulge himself in entertainment?”

Master did not reply.

I continued, “Young Master is a very determined child. Although he knows that you would protect him forever, he did not become weak because of it. He can even protect others. He is a true hero.”

“Things like heroes…” growled the master suddenly, furious.

“Master!”

Unyielding, I interrupted the master and asked rhetorically, “When Young Master, under everyone’s gaze and shouldering everyone’s hopes, stood up again, did you not feel proud of him? If not, then Young Master will definitely be very sad, because he has no other way to make you, who is so powerful that you can do anything, proud of him.”

I begged wholeheartedly, “Please believe me. Even if Young Master leaves your side, it is only because he wants to show you more love. It is because he wants to tell you that the child you have raised since he was young has already grown up and can leave your protection. He wants to show you that he can even reverse the situation, and make you proud of him instead.”

At this point, I had said everything that I could have said. I just did not know whether my words had any effect, because surely, a lot of people had already told the master something similar, right? At least, Mr. An Te Qi and Mr. Kyle should have… I raised my head and saw that Mr. Kyle, who was usually calm and composed, was wide-eyed with shock. Also, the grinning bodyguard raised his hands and gave me two thumbs up while looking at me with a thrilled and moved expression.

Suddenly, I was at my wits’ end. Could that speech just now really trigger such a huge response?

Without waiting for me to gather my thoughts, the master slowly stood up and turned around to face me. His face… My eyes widened slightly. Although I had known that the master had a very high social status, I never imagined that the young master’s brother was actually this renowned man. He was so well-known that the word “celebrity” was not enough to describe him.

No wonder Mr. Kyle and the smiling bodyguard had that kind of exaggerated response. If I had known the master’s true ident.i.ty, I am afraid that I would not have dared to say something so rude to him… As the whole world knows, this person was not famous for being kind. In fact, the words most often used to describe him were “cold-blooded” and “heartless.”

Master was just looking at me expressionlessly, but he had the aura of a king. It was just that, as a butler, I had been trained since I was young to stand beside great people without challenging their aura. Therefore, I simply gave him a well-practiced, trademarked butler smile.

Master withdrew his gaze and turned his head to glance at the young master’s bedroom door. His voice filled with concern, he asked, “Is he alright?”

“Young Master is feeling very well.” After answering his question, I could not help but add, “Just now, Young Master even told me that he hoped that I would not hate you, because you really love him.”

“He said that?” The master fell silent for a moment. Feeling a little wronged, he complained, “But last time he said that he didn’t want to see me ever again.”

When I saw the master’s grumpy appearance, I suddenly wanted to laugh. Young Master and Master are indeed brothers. They actually resemble each other a lot.

“That was just something he said when he was angry. You should know that he does not really mean what he said,” I explained gently. A gentle manner always makes the young master relax, so this might also work on the master.

As expected, the master visibly calmed down by quite a bit. He nodded and then said, “Charles Endelis, take good care of my Dìdi.1”

“Taking good care of the young master is Charles’ responsibility as a butler,” I replied respectfully yet firmly.

Master nodded, turned, and walked toward the workshop. Mr. Kyle and the two bodyguards followed him.

I quickly shouted, “Master, would you listen to Charles suggestion?”

The master stopped walking, but did not turn around.

“Say it,” said Mr. Kyle, looking back.

I hesitated for a moment, then politely yet determinedly pleaded, “Master, please remove all the security cameras in the house, dismiss the bodyguards on the rooftop, and abolish the rule that Young Master must contact you every day.”

On hearing this, both Mr. Kyle and the smiling bodyguard gasped, and their whole bodies tensed. Looks like I am standing at the edge of a most dangerous cliff.

The blond king turned his head around, blazing flames of rage emanating from both his eyes and the rest of his body.

I calmed my nerves and gently explained, “Master, there is no period of time when you are not looking at Young Master, and Young Master also sees you every day on the computer screen. If it is like this, how could Young Master ever miss you enough to go home and pay you a visit? Also, is not the existence of those bodyguards the reason why Young Master said that he did not want to see you ever again?”

When he heard this, the master fell silent for a long time. Finally, he said in a tone that was almost a complaint, “If I do that, will he really come home and visit me?”

I almost smiled. Luckily, it was just “almost.”

However, the corners of both Mr. Kyle’s and the smiling bodyguard’s lips turned up in a large grin. Since they were facing me, this made it even harder for me to control my facial expression.

I did my best to maintain a respectful tone as I replied, “He definitely will, Master. Please believe that Young Master also loves you a lot. Even I, who had never met you before, could tell from his every word and action just how much he respects and loves you.”

The master fell silent again for a while, then turned and said to his secretary-slash-butler in a happier tone, “Kyle, do as he says!”

“Yes,” replied Mr. Kyle respectfully before looking at me with approval.

The master walked into the workshop with Mr. Kyle and the grim, expressionless bodyguard following him. Apparently, there is a secret pa.s.sage in the workshop that I did not know about…

The last to leave was the smiling bodyguard. He secretly came and shoved a business card into my hand. I looked down at the business card. The name on it was Elian, and written on the back of the business card was “Feel free to contact me if you have any problems,” followed by a

I smiled and alerted him in a low voice, “It seems that Mr. Ezart does not plan on returning your money anymore.”

“…That b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

After that, Mr. Elian also walked into the workshop, fuming. I hope that he will be enough to make Mr. Ezart lose his interest in challenging me to a fight for a good long period of time.

Dinnertime was fast approaching, so I was just about to start making a salad when the young master entered the kitchen. Anxious, he shouted, “Charles, where have all the security cameras gone? Did you remove them?”

“No, it was Master who sent people to remove them.” Smiling, I explained, “Master paid us a visit in the afternoon. He removed the security cameras, dismissed the bodyguards on the rooftop, and even told me that you, Young Master, would not have to contact him every day anymore.”

In an even more panicked voice, the young master yelled, “Gēge? Why did he do that? I-Is he really that angry?”

“No, he is not.” I rea.s.sured him with a gentle smile and then answered him, “Master did that because he has understood that those actions of his were unpleasant. He hopes that you would not clash with him over this again.”

On hearing this, the young master’s anxiety vanished, leaving a confused expression on his face. He hesitated for a while before asking, “Since he came in the afternoon, why didn’t you wake me? Did he not want to see me?”

I smiled and reminded, “Master is waiting for you to go home and see him on your own accord.”

“Gēge is really too much. He’s already past thirty yet still likes to throw tantrums.”

The young master opened his eyes wide and shrugged helplessly, “I was already planning to go back! Gēge’s birthday is next week, and I’ve already chosen a present for him too.”

Smiling, I said, “Master and Young Master are indeed brothers. Your personalities are very similar.”

“Really? Actually, Kyle-gē and El-gē have also said that before…” answered the young master vacantly, before coming to a sudden realization. He shouted, “Ah! Charles, you’re teasing me, implying that I also like to throw tantrums!”

“Charles does not dare.”

After replying, I finally lost my self-control and chuckled.

“Charles, you’re not allowed to laugh!”

“Alright, hahaha…”

I continued laughing, but just when the young master was getting angry, the doorbell suddenly rang. We were both stunned for a moment, as we seldom heard this apartment’s doorbell ring.

“Young Master, I will open the door.”

The young master tilted his head and said, “I’ll go with you.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

I walked to the doorway and turned on the display next to the door. An image of the visitors appeared on the screen, and I was a little shocked to see these people.

I opened the door. The people standing outside were Bramble, Dell, and another bodyguard.

All three of them had stiff expressions on their faces. I turned my head around and saw that the young master’s expression had also darkened. Clearly, the relationship between these two parties was not good, and the atmosphere could even be said to be extremely tense.

Seeing this situation, I introduced with a warm smile, “Young Master, this is Bramble. You can call him Bramble-shū.2 This person is Dell; you can call him Dell-gē, and this last person is…”

I paused. Although I had seen him on the rooftop many times before, I did not know his name.

Beaming, Dell moved closer to me and introduced, “Oh, him! His name is Maiden.”

“Maiden? Isn’t that a girl’s name?” asked the young master curiously.

“That’s right!” When he saw the young master’s expression, Dell became even more daring. He said, “Young Master, just look at him. Red lips, white teeth, even whiter skin, and an oval-shaped face. Doesn’t he resemble a great beauty?”

“Don’t listen to his bulls.h.i.t! My name is May.” May glared at Dell viciously. However, because of his refined features, his glare was not the least bit intimidating.

“Oh! So, you’re May-gē, or Maiden-gē!” said the young master mischievously, grinning.

Dell roared with laughter, making the atmosphere much less tense than before.

At this point, Bramble finally opened his mouth and said, “Young Master, I, Bramble, owe you my life.”

The young master looked at him, but his previous hostility had vanished, replaced by intense curiosity.

“The higher-ups have already withdrawn Mission: Protect-to-the-death. The three of us are here voluntarily,” explained Bramble.

After that, as if he were talking to himself, he mumbled, “The mission may have been canceled, but someone has to guard the rooftop, just in case something decides to stay there. It wouldn’t be good if somebody gets seen by those things when he flies outside.”

When he heard this, the young master appeared to have blanked out.

“That’s all I have to say. Dell, May! We’re leaving.”

The two of them replied with a “Yes, sir” and then immediately turned to leave, following Bramble’s lead.

“Bramble-shū!” cried the young master. The three of them were stunned for a moment before turning around to look at him. The young master revealed an irresistibly bright smile, saying, “Why don’t you stay here and have dinner with us? Charles’s cooking is delicious!”

The three of them seemed to be in shock. Without even waiting for their reply, the young master suddenly furrowed his brows and said, “Oh no, something seems to have happened on the streets. I need to make a trip there.”

How does Young Master know that? I was a little curious, but I did not ask him any questions. The young master already had so many secrets that it was impossible to comprehend everything immediately.

A string of numbers flashed across the young master’s eyes. At the same time, he took off his shirt. Underneath the shirt, he was wearing Dark Sun’s red, form-fitting shirt.

At this moment, the workshop door suddenly opened and a motorcycle came out by “itself.” Its headlamps blinked constantly and the motorcycle even produced a delighted voice from some part of the bike, shouting, “Ah Ye, Ah Ye! Are we setting off now?”

“Yeah! Give me the visor.”

The bike’s seat opened up and ejected a silver visor. The young master easily caught it and put it on. Then, he glanced at us. Probably because he saw our jaws drop, he laughed and explained, “This is DSII. An Te Qi-bàba took his body back for repairs and only left the computer chip behind. However, he doesn’t like being installed on my handheld game console, so I had no choice but to install him on the bike.”

We continued staring at the excited bike. Even after hearing the young master’s explanation, we could only nod blankly.

“Then I’ll be going out now and will be back in a short while.” A little nervous, the young master said, “Don’t have dinner before I come back!”

“Yes, Young Master,” I replied, finally regaining some of my senses.

The young master hopped on the bike, but the bike seemed to be even more excited than he was. The moment the young master sat down, it made some accelerating noises and suddenly charged forward, smashing the full-length window and rushing out of the living room.

“DSII! Don’t break the windows!”

The young master’s angry roar could be heard from outside the window.

“Sorry! DSII won’t do it again!” The bike did not sound repentant at all.

I walked toward the window and looked down. Seeing the young master and his motorcycle speeding away along the walls of the skysc.r.a.pers, I could not help a smile from appearing across my face.

Someday, a hero will summon a talking vehicle, or raise a hand and soar into the sky with everyone watching.

1 “Dìdi”: Dìdi means younger brother.

2 “Bramble-shū”: Shūshu means uncle. You can think of Bramble-shū as “Uncle Bramble,” a way of addressing men much older than the speaker. Slightly younger, but still older men can be addressed with –gē, such as Dell-gē and May-gē.