Ch.10Chapter 10. Two-Piece Bastards (1)

# Chapter Translation

I shouldn’t be surprised, but Cuss doesn’t have citizenship or anything else.

Well, she might have had it originally, but at least not as Cuss.

That causes no end of problems.

Setting aside everything else, school enrollment required all sorts of documentation.

If I were some genius hacker skilled at document forgery, things would be different, but I’m just human trash with day laborer-level abilities.

At least for this matter, I had no choice but to seek someone else’s help.

So I casually brought it up with my supervisor at work.

“Wait, you took in an orphan?”

“Yeah. Her clothes were filthy, and she looked like she was sleeping on the streets. Seemed too dangerous…”

“You haven’t touched her yet, right?”

“Hey! What do you take me for?”

“A convicted rapist and murderer, you bastard.”

“Come on, I’ve been reformed for ages…”

This damn label is driving me crazy.

What’s the point of building a diligent image for three years?

From the first impression, I’m already branded as a rapist, murderer, pervert, and psycho.

Well, it’s not entirely wrong.

“So. What do you want?”

“What? Want? What are you talking about, Manager?”

“Listen, kid. When do you ever wag your tail at me except when you want something?”

Sharp as always.

That’s why he’s my role model.

“Actually, the thing is… since she’s not very educated… I want to send her to school.”

“School? How old is she?”

“Uh… hmm… About 14? Maybe 15?”

It’s really ambiguous.

Judging by her physical development, she’s practically an adult.

But the way she acts so childishly makes her seem nothing like an adult.

I guess mental age matters more than appearance.

“Then you’d want to send her to middle school?”

“No. I think she needs to start from elementary school. She’s extraordinarily stupid…”

“What? You’re sending a 14-year-old to elementary school?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Well, not really a problem… except for what people might think.”

“I’m used to that.”

“Not you, idiot. You’re used to it, sure. But what about the kid?”

“She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Aren’t you going to respect her wishes…?”

“Being stupid is her crime. Whether she likes it or not, she needs to start from elementary school.”

“Huh. Well, if that’s what the guardian wants, I won’t argue further… So, you want help with enrollment?”

“To put it bluntly, yes.”

“Hmm… Give me a moment to think.”

The manager seemed to ponder for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Ah, I’ve got it! I have a friend who’s a vice principal at a school. I can ask him for a favor.”

Wait, he has a friend who’s an elementary school vice principal?

I can’t figure out the extent of this guy’s connections.

Last time, he introduced me to a chef at a five-star hotel and treated me to dinner.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he later claimed to know a senator.

“Thank you so much, Manager.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m doing this because I’m impressed. In today’s harsh world, how many people would take in an orphan and even try to properly educate them?”

“…”

Not many, I guess.

What kind of madman would feed, clothe, and educate an alien monster disguised as a human?

Saying it like that makes it sound absurd.

Seriously, what sins did I commit in my past life to end up in this situation?

“If you’re grateful, just work hard, kid. There’s no other elite here who’s been to space except you.”

“Elite? Hardly…”

“You are elite, idiot. You’re much more useful than those four-year engineering graduates after just one year in space.”

“If word gets out about that, I’ll be lynched…”

I’m being modest, but since I arrived, this engine factory has changed a lot.

Countless design changes have been made based on my suggestions.

Every modified prototype has been breaking records in government tests, so I guess I really am something special.

The problem is that I’m running out of insights about engine defects and maintenance.

Someone like me who never set foot in engineering school will face an obvious fate once I’ve exhausted all my practical experience.

I’ll be discarded like a used tool.

That’s why I’m taking every training opportunity, borrowing engineering textbooks, and studying basic theory.

Before my experience runs dry, I need to become a competent engineer to secure my livelihood.

Actually, now I need to secure Cuss’s livelihood too.

“So the kid doesn’t have a mother?”

“You mean a potential wife?”

“Yeah. Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. Not yet…”

Juliane immediately came to mind.

A Justice Department employee.

With those credentials, she could quit her job right after marriage and be a powerful support.

Of course, that would never happen.

“Then it’ll be tough. Hang in there, buddy.”

“Ugh. It’s all so overwhelming. Feeling quite melancholy.”

“You mean melancholy, not whatever you just said…”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Close enough.

Whenever I talk in front of the manager, my lack of education shows.

But I don’t particularly feel bad when he corrects me.

Inferiority complexes only matter between people of similar levels.

Nothing would be more foolish than feeling inferior to a monster like the manager who has a master’s degree from MIT.

I spent the afternoon pretending to work while actually studying and collecting my salary for nothing.

Nobody complained since my involvement would only get in the way anyway.

I definitely fulfill my role when needed.

So it should be fine to slack off a bit.

“Hey! Kim! Going for drinks again today?”

“Sorry. You guys go without me today.”

“What’s up? Something happening at home…?”

Just because I said I wasn’t drinking.

The engineers gathered around, genuinely concerned.

Ridiculous.

They really see me as nothing but a drunk.

“Nothing’s wrong. Just not in the mood today.”

“This guy! You’ve got a woman! Didn’t you say you picked someone up at the pub last time? Things going well with her?”

“Well… something like that.”

That’s not entirely wrong.

After dodging the engineers’ questions like a tai chi master, I hurried home.

I was worried about leaving her alone for hours, since she’s the type to drink bleach and die if I take my eyes off her.

Please don’t be dead.

That would make disposing of the body difficult.

“What the hell is this?”

As I returned home and tried to turn the doorknob, my hand swung through empty air.

Confused, I looked down and saw that what should have been there was missing.

The doorknob.

The doorknob that should have been attached to the door was gone.

Now I realized that the piece of metal rolling on the ground was the doorknob.

“Sigh… I wasn’t planning to hit her today…”

Seriously.

No matter how much of a monster she is inside, she looks like a beautiful young girl, so it hurts my heart to hit her.

After seeing Juliane’s reaction last time, I also realized that hitting my “daughter” wouldn’t be viewed kindly.

I really was planning to stop the beatings.

But how did she manage to destroy the doorknob?

She’s asking for punishment.

Bang! Creeeeak…

I kicked the door open.

It swung open like some saloon door in the Wild West that only needed a push.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a burglar had already cleaned the place out.

“Hey! Cuss! Where are you? What happened to the doorknob…?”

As soon as I entered, an ominous feeling took my breath away.

It was dark.

The light was broken, with glass shards scattered on the floor.

If it had been Cuss’s doing, I would have been furious, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

There was a small mark on the ceiling.

Looking closely, I could see a brass bullet lodged there.

“Hey…! Cuss!”

A gun.

Someone with a gun had broken in, or might still be inside.

I had no way to deal with such a person.

As an ex-convict, I couldn’t legally possess a gun.

No matter how much I called, Cuss didn’t answer.

I couldn’t even sense any intruders.

This was getting creepy.

“Hmm.”

The pantry room seemed suspicious.

There was some kind of sinister energy coming from it.

But I was too scared to open it and check.

“Hey. I know you’re in there. I’ll count to three, then you better come out.”

Whoever you are, I know you’re there.

Come out now.

“One.”

I’m telling you, I know.

Don’t make me open the door.

“Two.”

Huh. This guy is persistent.

Still not coming out?

“Two and a half… Two and three-quarters… Ah, screw it.”

I was starting to feel stupid and was about to give up.

It was obvious no one was there.

Just then, the door slid open and a dark figure suddenly lunged out.

“Holy shit!”

The moment I faced the gleaming silver gun barrel, I jerked my head aside and grabbed the slide.

Bang!

A red flame singed my eyebrows as a deafening gunshot rang out.

Click! Click! Click!

“Eek!”

The black-masked figure kept pulling the trigger, but there were only clicking sounds with no more gunshots.

It must have been a semi-automatic pistol, and my grip on the slide had prevented the next round from chambering.

Taking advantage of his confusion—

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

I drove a knee into his stomach.

Then another hit.

Finally, I kicked him in the solar plexus, slamming him against the wall.

“Hgeeek!”

A girlish scream erupted.

“You son of a…”

“Kuhurk! Kuk… kek…”

I immediately removed the magazine from the gun, cleared the chamber, and dropped it to the ground.

This should count as self-defense, right?

Taking down an armed opponent with bare hands.

I yanked off his mask.

He looked young, which made it worse.

I almost got shot by some kid.

No sense of decency.

Once his breathing normalized, I’d tie him up and take him to the police station.

“Let’s go to the police station and have a nice long chat…”

Whack!

Suddenly, a numbing sensation hit the back of my head and my vision spun.

At first, I couldn’t even comprehend what had happened.

Falling forward, feeling dizzy with spinning vision, I barely managed to lift my head.

Only then could I face the bastard who had hit the back of my head with a baseball bat.

“Ah… shit…”

I felt warm liquid flowing down my head.

When it trickled down my forehead and stained my vision red, I finally realized what it was.

My head was cracked open and bleeding.

“You don’t have a gun?”

“…”

I sprang up, spat, and took a stance again.

I was familiar with dealing with baseball bats.

I’d been hit so many times before.

I was confident about this.

Confident I could make the opponent tire out first from beating me.

“Hee, heek!”

Hearing what sounded like a squealing pig, I turned around to see the guy who had been catching his breath earlier now crawling away on all fours.

“Hey. Your friend is running. What are you going to do?”

“Ah, shit…!”

Soon the guy with the baseball bat also turned and started running.

The situation was over for now.

I sighed heavily and slumped down.

My legs suddenly gave out, probably from poor blood circulation.

“Hah…”

A pool of blood was forming on the floor.

Damn it, why won’t the bleeding stop?

Don’t tell me I’m going to die like this.

I’m really dying.

“This sucks.”

Life ends in an instant.

What a waste.

If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have bought a house and instead would have spent my money living it up in downtown hotels.

Life plans are completely useless.

“Shit…”

My vision began to narrow.

All I could hear was a high-pitched ringing.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I saw it—

Shimmering silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.