"Am I going to die?" The bar manager, on the brink of death from Muria's blows, lay sprawled on the ground. Looking up at Muria, a trace of despair flickered in his eyes, as if he were witnessing the rise of yet another ghoul executioner.
"Any last words?" Muria asked, pulling his gaze away from the middle-aged man lying at his feet, who seemed to be lost in some kind of emotion.
"My dream is for ghouls to coexist peacefully with humans…"
Thud! Crimson blood splattered as a head, frozen in shock, flew into the air and landed on the ground. He hadn't expected Muria to be so impatient, cutting him down after only one sentence.
"Self-indulgent fool!" Muria, completely uninterested in hearing any more, flicked his blade to rid it of blood.
He had no interest in wasting time on such fantasies. Coexist with humans? Impossible. Could wolves live peacefully alongside sheep? Only if wolves ate grass. And even if they could, would they want to? Wolves are born to eat meat.
So, for humanity, ghouls had to die. No human would willingly coexist with creatures who desired to devour them, even if those creatures looked like humans on the outside.
Ghouls were fated for extinction, not because of any specific hatred, but because their desire for human flesh made their end inevitable. Currently, they remained hidden in cities only because those in power wanted to use them to train the next generation.
If humanity's leaders found a replacement, ghouls would no longer have a purpose for existing.
"Hm? It seems there are more." Muria sensed faint life signs somewhere in the bar. He followed his senses to the source of the signal.
"Come out!" Muria kicked open a private room door, focusing on the sofa. Under his intimidating aura, two young figures—a boy and a girl with gentle, timid expressions—crawled out from the couch, trembling.
"No wonder the aura felt different. You two aren't ghouls!" Muria's gaze softened as he looked at the two frightened children huddling together. It was clear they weren't human, either; small wings sprouted from their backs, a feature humans didn't have.
"Mr. Pace, the butler!" Muria took out his phone and dialed the Douglas family butler. "I've cleared out all the ghouls in the Owl Bar."
"Master Gelos, you did excellently. We've been watching your performance closely."
"Then you should also know what I've just discovered. How should I handle it?" Muria asked.
Ghouls were only a branch of a larger category known as aberrants, beings who could mimic humans and live within human cities. Most aberrants were former humans who mutated, their genes having transformed so drastically they could no longer be considered human.
Ghouls, for example, originated from a mutated human, and the government responded by exterminating them without mercy. However, only a minority of aberrants craved human flesh. Most were harmless and had no such urges.
These two children were a clear example; their genes had mutated, giving them wings but posing no harm to humans. Therefore, the government didn't hunt them down. But by the same token, they were not protected by human laws, leaving their fate largely to luck.
"As you wish, Master Gelos. They're yours to handle; they are your spoils."
"Can the family take them in?" Muria knew he could choose to spare or kill these two children without consequence. Aberrants had no human rights.
"Apologies, sir. At the moment, there are no positions available for them in the family."
"I understand." Muria nodded. In other words, the Douglas family had no interest in supporting useless individuals.
Such a response didn't surprise him. Families of their status never wasted resources on anything that didn't benefit them. They weren't a charity.
"Alright, stop trembling. I'm not going to kill you. You can go," Muria said, waving dismissively at the two tearful children.
"Where should we go, brother?" The girl, who seemed relieved at being spared, asked her brother in a timid voice.
"I… don't know," the boy replied, sniffling in confusion.
"Where are your parents?" Muria asked, slightly taken aback.
"They abandoned us," the girl replied quietly. "They called us monsters and said they didn't want us."
"How did you find this place, then?"
"I heard they sheltered monsters here, so I brought my sister along," the boy answered bravely.
"Alright." Muria nodded and turned to leave, having finished his task and ready to go home. But as he reached the door, he paused, a wry smile playing on his lips. He turned back.
"Can you wash dishes, mop floors, clean, or trim grass?"
"No," the girl replied timidly.
"But we can learn!" the boy quickly intervened, silencing his sister. "We're smart. Whatever you teach us, we can learn it on the first try."
"Federal law prohibits child labor, but since you're aberrants, you're not legally protected. So from now on, you're my household servants. When you work, no slacking or complaining allowed."
"Thank you!"
…
The days that followed were peaceful. After completing his assessment mission, the Douglas family increased Muria's resources, granting him more access to their support. Under this influx, his internal energy grew stronger, rapidly closing the gap between his and his father's martial arts abilities, a task his father, hindered by his challenging family background, struggled with.
If not for the resources provided by the Golden Dragon Lady, Muria's father would still be worrying about making money. After all, he was more suited for combat than business.
During this quiet period, two young children wearing servant uniforms had become a part of Muria's household, diligently cleaning under his supervision—a barely noticeable addition. Susanna welcomed their presence; as a high-ranking Star Armor specialist, she didn't share the common disdain for human-like aberrants.
In fact, the children's mutation made them more attractive rather than fearsome. Susanna couldn't understand why their parents had abandoned them in the first place.
…
Time passed quietly, and before Muria realized it, a year had flown by. Now, as he entered the second year of middle school, he received an appointment letter.
"Dear Gelos Douglas,
In recognition of your excellent academic performance and extensive combat experience, you have been accepted into the Dovaril Security Division. Please report by September 30th to for assignment.
Sincerely,
Dovaril Security Division"
Looking at the straightforward notice, Muria fell silent. Then he looked up at the smiling principal in front of him. "I reject this assignment. I have no interest in being security."
"Um, Gelos, the Dovaril Security Division is a covert agency protecting this city from aberrants. It's not just a security job."
"Oh." Muria's expression remained unchanged. "If that's the case, I still reject it. I can eliminate aberrants and protect citizens without joining a security division."
"Well, Gelos, let me be honest with you. This assignment letter usually wouldn't come until next year. Fighting aberrants as part of the security division is a common practicum for all top students in the third year. Due to your outstanding performance, you're receiving it early."
"Alright."
"If you agree to join the division, you'll be recognized as our school's exemplary student this year."
"Not interested." Muria rejected the principal's offer bluntly, then glanced at the grinning old man before him. "Even if I don't join, you can't revoke my grades, right? I'm still an exemplary student."
Seeing that Muria was unmoved, the principal scratched his thinning hair in frustration. "Could you tell me why you refuse to join the division?"
"The name sounds too embarrassing."
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