The Tenth Step Toward the End: Messiah，Please Save Me…—translated by Taffygirl13 (proofread by Minthe & Trespa.s.serby; C/E edited by lucathia)

What an interesting key design . If I line up “that book” against the box’s decorative designs and press down, the box opens .

This one with a keyhole probably cannot be opened, unless I provoke a certain master-and-servant pair . In that case, I might as well use this for another bet . I guess I’m starting to get a bit addicted to gambling .

“Ezart, I’ll give this box to you . Just treat it as a reward . ”

But how to get this box pa.s.sed down from Ezart’s possession to that butler’s hands is not a point of consideration for me .

Right now, I can only focus on this test tube in my hands .

If I drink it, will I die?

Or, will it have some kind of interesting, unexpected effect?

I think I really have fallen in love with gambling .

“There’s indeed an agreement allowing that vampire to enter Daystar City, but the agreement also clearly states that he is forbidden from causing trouble while in Daystar City!”

The leader of the priests huffed in extreme indignation, “You broke the agreement, not us!”

The young master’s expression darkened upon hearing these words . He shot a fierce glare at Ezart, but the latter maintained his usual roguish appearance of complete indifference .

The young master’s fury grew even more at this . However, he did not seem to intend on clashing with Ezart before outsiders . He simply turned to angrily rebuke the priest, “Is the agreement all you are considering? You never dared to make a move against Charles before this, but not because of me, right? And now you want to act? Have you really thought it through?”

I quickly said, “Young Master, there is no need for you to do this for my sake—”

Before I could finish my words, the young master turned around with an expression of anger I had never seen before, shocking me to the point where I could not speak . He furiously roared at me, “Charles, you are not allowed to speak anymore!”

I froze . Immediately, Ezart came up to me and jokingly covered my mouth, even pulling me backward a few steps . He laughed . “Okay, okay, he won’t speak . Neither of us will speak . ”

The young master was so angry that his chest was heaving heavily up and down . He spun back around to glare at the leader of the priests, who likewise hesitated upon seeing the young master’s fury . The priest simply said, “I will ask for orders first . ”

“Do whatever you want!” The young master spat out these words in his rage before shouting back, “Charles, phone!”

“Yes, Young Master . ” I tossed Ezart’s hand away and swiftly pulled out the phone before asking, “Young Master, who shall I call for you?”

The young master walked over and swiped over the phone to dial a number . “Curtis, come pick Charles up . ”

“Young Master!” I was extremely alarmed .

The young master looked at me indignantly with an expression he had never used toward me before . However, he did not reply, and instead continued to talk on the phone . “What happened isn’t important! If you want Charles to be fine, bring a bunch of bodyguards to personally bring him back!”

The young master’s fury seemed to fade slightly, having likely received a reply of confirmation . He nodded and then pa.s.sed the phone back to me . He then turned back to face the leader of the priests .

“Charles will leave immediately,” the young master told the priest .

The priest nodded and said, “Our side can agree to this condition as long as he leaves immediately . ”

While speaking, he glanced in my direction . I did not know if it was personal bias or the effects of the painkillers, but I felt that his look harbored ill intent, as if he were scheming something…

The Church’s agreeable words finally allowed the young master’s anger to subside . He faced me and took a few deep breaths before saying, “Charles, I know this isn’t your fault . You were just injected with too many painkillers . ”

With this, he shot Ezart a glare and continued, “But you have to leave with Curtis first . After I finish filming this movie, I’ll go back to Sunset City and call you back, all right?”

Seeing the dark shadows of both mental and physical exhaustion on him, it was impossible for me to refuse his plea no matter how many painkillers were injected into me . “As you wish . ”

As the helicopter rose upwards, all I could see was the young master’s disheartened expression . Despite the fact that I had brought him a large amount of trouble, he still felt upset about the matter of my leaving instead of feeling relief .  Is there a limit to how exceptional the Young Master is?

I continued to look at the young master’s figure that gradually grew further and further away, until it finally became a mere dot on the ground, and then disappeared entirely . However, I could not shift my gaze away, as I murmured almost silently, “I do not wish to leave the young master . I should not be leaving at this time . Moreover, there is still the Sun Emperor’s threat, a week of time…”

“Family Head?” Curtis had an expression of confusion on his face .

We should be far enough now .  I turned to say, “Curtis, have the helicopter fly lower . I will jump down . ”

Upon hearing this, Curtis immediately flipped open the arm rest and pressed a b.u.t.ton . Dozens of bands immediately burst forth from around my seat, wrapping around my body so tightly that even the lower parts of my legs were completely covered .

“…” All I was able to do was turn my head to look at Curtis .

He asked in bewilderment, “Family Head, you truly seem somewhat off today . Your young master as well . What exactly occurred?”

“I… how should I describe it? ‘Took drugs’?”

“You touched narcotics?” Curtis asked in astonishment .

“Painkillers . It was not of my own volition . Someone else injected them into me . ”

“Young Master Ri did mention last time that painkillers allowed you act with fewer apprehensions . ” Curtis inquired in confusion, “However, even if you have been injected with painkillers, why must you jump down?”

“I simply do not want to return with you . ” As I answered, I secretly tested the strength of the bands . They could likely be destroyed using my blood ability, and just as I was planning to sever them— “The bands are specially designed and cannot be easily cut . In addition, I will immediately call your young master to notify him if you jump off . ”

“Do not threaten me!” I furiously declared, “I must return . The Sun Emperor has threatened me; if I refuse to betray the young master, then he will give information regarding E . X . to the Church!”

Curtis narrowed his eyes dangerously . “He threatened you?”

His expression forced me to recall the words that the Sun Emperor had spoken, and I could not restrain myself from uttering, “The Sun Emperor said that if he killed me, you would at most fight against him for several years, and that you would absolutely never drag the entire family to their graves to avenge me . Is that true?”

Curtis’s whole body stiffened upon hearing this . However, he still calmly answered, “Yes . If you died, I would not use the entire family to avenge you . ”

So that is the truth after all? Although this was the inevitable and expected result, I felt slight disappointment . Was it also the result of the painkillers? Had I become pettier because of the painkillers, turning irate and lashing out fiercely, or had I simply become more honest?

Curtis’s gaze remained locked on me, with a somewhat strange look .

“Is there something wrong?”

“This is the first time you have not agreed . ” Curtis said in astonishment, “Do you not typically respond with answers such as ‘That is only proper, there is no need for you to protect me,’ or the like?”

“…You still do not need to look after me . ”

Curtis’s expression turned even stranger as he looked at me and said, “This is also the first time I have ever heard you speak so unwillingly . ”

How else should I be saying this?

Curtis smiled . “Family Head, I think you misunderstood . I would not use the entire family to avenge you because I care more about the living . Therefore, I can promise you that, as long as you are still alive, I will protect you to the end, even if it requires the strength of the entire family!”

“Even if the opponent is the Sun Emperor?” After receiving such an answer, I instead felt angrier . “Do you not fear that the Sun Emperor will eradicate the Elysees family? For my sake alone, you plan on endangering the entire family?”

“We are the Elysees family, an influential family of butlers that has existed for many generations . We will forever retain the role of support, even in the business world . ”

Curtis calmly recounted, completely unrelated to my question, “Our subsidies have a.s.sisted many companies in establishing themselves . Family Head, you should know this the best, since this had first been developed and carried forward by you . ”

Of course, I knew this well . At the time, I had been reproached countless times by my honorable father for lending money and technology to help businesses that were just starting . If it had not been for the fact that quite a few of those businesses did finally establish themselves in the end, giving greater returns than losses, my father would have truly forbidden me from touching the family a.s.sets ever again .

“You have good foresight, Family Head . ” Curtis said in a praising tone, “Now, up to seventy percent of all companies have current or past relations with us in the business world . Even the Sun Emperor’s Sun Alliance is no exception . In reality, the Sun Alliance had originally received quite a bit of financial aid from you when it first started, am I correct? However, that was when the Sun Alliance had not yet fallen completely to the Ri family . ”

Hm? Now that it is mentioned, that does seem to be the case . No wonder the “Sun Alliance” sounded somewhat familiar .

“Ever since I was young, my grandmother had repeatedly told me of the business you had made . As a result of your actions in the beginning, the Elysees family transformed into an unusual existence in the business world, involved in the existence and deaths of many companies .

“If the Sun Emperor wants to attack the Elysees, it would likely place him in a position where he would injure ten thousand enemies and lose five thousand of his own . If his plan is to ‘completely eradicate’ the Elysees family, he will have to knock down thousands of companies, regardless of their size . ”

Curtis leaned forward and earnestly pleaded, “As a result, you should never feel threatened by the Sun Emperor . The Elysees do not fear him . Moreover, you are our family head, so you should not need to be afraid of ‘anything’!”

“I am your family head?” From the beginning, I had never understood why Curtis could regard Sadina’s will so seriously . Sadina and I had always shared a deep bond since I was young, but Curtis never had one .

“Yes, ‘for eternity,’ Family Head . ” Curtis smiled as he said, “The family a.s.sets are yours for eternity . The Elysees will never land in any property disputes, even if it suffers a severe split . ”

“…I see, that was the idea you had come up with . ”

“This idea was actually thought of by your father . ” Curtis leaned back on the chair while calmly saying, “I am simply continuing the tradition . But do not worry, you will never be a mere figurehead . ”

I lowered my head to look down at the bands around my body, then smiled at Curtis .

Curtis coughed and swiftly used another b.u.t.ton to loosen the bands . “Please forgive me for my lack of manners, Family Head . ”

I slightly moved my legs that had grown stiff from being bound by the bands for so long . I then ordered, “Curtis, have the helicopter fly slightly lower . I wish to jump down . ”

Curtis immediately stood up to look at me with wide eyes . “After I spent so much time telling you all those words, you still wish to jump off?”

“Indeed . However, the reason is now entirely different . ”

I bent over to walk to the helicopter door . However, it was locked, so I ordered without any room for reb.u.t.tal, “Open the door! I wish to return and a.s.sist the young master . ”