Deadmeat Saga

While giving out her bloodline pressure and confidence, Hope used her appearance and charisma to move unimpeded into the mansion, followed by Gerhart's group.

"Who is that pretty miss?"

"Is that the young miss?"

"But she is tall and healthy..."

"And she looks powerful and accompanied by those people."

"Maybe she is a distant blood relative from the other continent?"

"But I didn't hear of such an arrangement."

The servants gossiped as Hope confidently entered the mansion under their watchful gazes.

Upon entering the mansion, Hope looked inside, a nostalgic light in her eyes as she saw the painting aligning the walls on the hall, depicting her ancestors. However, she soon noticed that three portraits were missing. She only found her stepmother's and half-brother's portraits while her and her parent's portraits were gone. It made her eyes turn frosty.

"You better pray those are safe..." Hope narrowed her eyes while clenching her furry hands.

Gerhart and the others, who noticed her state, chose to remain silent.

Soon, a middle-aged brown mousekin butler rushed over. But seeing they were armed adventurers radiating powerful vibes, he immediately turned cautious and respectful.

"Sirs and misses, welcome to the Farrington household. May I ask what business you have?" The butler asked while looking at Hope.

He couldn't recognize her at all. But noticing her beautiful looks, confidence, and power, he guessed she was a highborn. Her entourage was also strong, indicating she was either a high-ranking powerhouse or an overseas noble. He couldn't afford to offend either.

"Where is Fabrice?" Hope asked, not answering his question.

"I beg your pardon? Who?" The butler was confused.

"The previous butler. The one who served my father." Hope coldly asked.

"Your... father?" The butler's eyes slowly widened with panic as he finally recognized her. "Y-You are-"

"Yes, I am Hope, the young miss you sold to that merchant after getting kidnapped. Did my brother gamble it all away? Were you promoted since you showed your loyalty?" Hope gave a chilly smile.

"G-GUARDS!" The butler yelled, his eyes filled with terror as he backed away.

Hope continued looking at him as if looking at a clown as a dozen armed guards rushed over from all corners of the house. Some held swords, and others held crossbows aimed at the suspected intruders.

But when the guards saw Hope, some hesitated since they thought Hope looked familiar.

"Oh? Are you pointing your weapons at me? I was only gone for two months, and you don't even recognize me?" Hope coldly asked while releasing more pressure, making the guards shiver.

This question made some of the senior guards change their expressions. "Young Miss Hope? Is that you?"

"Young Miss? Wasn't she out at sea?"

"Why is she here?"

"Why is the butler so scared of her?"

Uncertainty filled the guards. In the hierarchy, a mere butler was a nobody compared to the young miss. She owned half of the family assets. With a word, she could get them fired. And that pressure she emitted, that noble air that demanded respect, her confidence, and her charisma- Even if she wasn't the young miss, she wasn't someone lowly guards like them could offend!

"W-What are you doing?! Apprehend them!" The butler screamed in fear.

However, the guards were no fools. Instead, they coldly looked at the butler while lowering their weapons. The leading guard, a B-rank heavily armored soldier named Amand, gave the butler a cold glare, "The Mistress is away, so call the Young Master."

Amand served the Farrington Family for over three decades, and while he wasn't specifically loyal to Hope's father, he was devoted to the Farrington household. He was no bumbling idiot and understood that the situation in the household was abnormal these past few years. Especially recently. Many questioned why Hope suddenly left, including Fabrice, but were summarily replaced. And they even removed the family portraits of Hope and her parents, as if they didn't want to see them anymore. The Mistress was also openly seeing another man from a competitor's family, and the Young Master became a useless playboy, leaving the family management to his mother. He began seeing the downfall of the family.

If Hope didn't come, or she lacked the strength, Amand wouldn't care. But now, although he was surprised at her drastic change, she was a grown powerhouse. And when Amand looked at her group, Amand had an inexplicable chill. And so, he made a prompt decision. He wouldn't intervene. He would let nature take its rightful course.

"Y-You dare rebel?! I will have you fired!" The butler threatened, but the guards were unmoved.

"We can always find new jobs, but our lives matter more." The guards thought.

Seeing them not moving, the butler understood the situation was getting out of hand. So he decided to do as they said and call the Young Master.

"You will remember this!" The butler cursed as he scampered up.

"Wow, what a generic scumbag," To-Meri commented without care.

"He is just a bootlicking dog and bully who abuses their Master's prestige. There are too many such bastards." Calvin shook his head.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Amand, how were you these past two months?" Hope asked the leading guard.

"It has been saddening. The Master was dead, and the Mistress and Young Master have performed- poorly these days you were gone." Amand shook his head.

"And what of Fabrice and the other servants? Have you seen them?" Hope asked.

"They should still be in the city, some looking for jobs. I had a drink with poor Fabrice a week ago. He was devastated." Amand sadly said.

"He raised my father while he was in his cradle and raised me as well, and I still remember how he carried me to bed whenever I collapsed. I hope he is well." Hope said.

"What happened to you, Young Miss? Where were you? How did you change so drastically? Did you awaken?" Amand guessed.

"It is as you suspect. I awakened as a late bloomer and scouted to a powerful adventurer group. As for where I was-" Hope began telling a modified story.

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Meanwhile-

The Young Master of the house, Samuel Farrington, a young and handsome White Mouse Kin, lay on his soft and big bed while sleeping well into noon, having drunk himself to rest after a night of gambling with friends at home, a top-tier and exotic Yellow Fox Kin sex slave shipped from the other continent he received for his 16th birthday resting in his hands, already awake and secretly staring at her Young Master with contempt. She was Tsusaki, a carefully selected piece that the Mistress selected for her stupid son to keep him in check.

Her Young Master was a stupid hedonist, willfully doing whatever he wanted. When the Master was alive, the Young Master received a 500 Silver Coin allowance every month, which at least limited his spending. But after his father died, he became a true hedonist, spending money as if it were water. Samuel was now becoming a stupid gambling addict, alcoholic, and lecher, letting the cash run to his head, gambling away over 10,000 Silver Coins these two months. He would have gambled the family fortune away without her prompt reminders and stopping him by using her charm and persuasion to distract him from gambling with outrageous sums and signaling the servants to escort the friends out.

She even overheard him in his drunk mumblings that he sold his relatively intelligent sister so he could get some more gambling money instead of outright killing her.

A few weeks later, an information agent approached the Mistress, telling her that Hope, the sickly daughter the Young Master sold, awakened as a late bloomer and was now prime and healthy, and even worse, was trained as a talent by the Youvamore Kingdom along with a generous master. It greatly infuriated the Mistress, and she rebuked Samuel for this. Of course, Samuel, as an incompetent, drowned himself in even more gambling, alcohol, and sex- which he was poor at, as a form of escapism. The only silver lining was that he didn't use drugs- yet. But with the friends Samuel had, it was just a matter of time before he dipped himself in that cesspit.

As for the Mistress? She was probably even worse. At least Samuel was just an idiotic playboy. The Mistress was a vicious woman who likely poisoned her husband in cold blood to seize his assets before cozying to a family rival. No, perhaps it was since a long time ago. The Mistress did love to go on suspiciously long outings while her husband was managing the company and caring for his daughter. She even suspected he was a bastard! He didn't resemble the late Master save for being a White Mouse Kin!

She also knew Hope. While sickly, she was likely the most competent in this shambling family. And she was also friendly and treated everyone like equals, unlike the Mistress and Young Master. Even to herself, a sex slave, she didn't treat her with contempt. Even while bound by contract, Tsusaki risked it and hinted to Hope that she would get targeted, but while Hope understood the hints, it was sadly not enough since Hope was unhealthy and weak and held little power. To hear she survived and became a late bloomer was something she was happy for.

"Seems like my future days are grim. If lucky, Young Miss Hope would arrive within a year and set me free in exchange for a testimony. If not, Young Master Samuel might sell me to a brothel once the family falls apart." Tsusaki grimly thought.

Just then-

BAM*

"YOUNG MASTER, WAKE UP!" The butler stormed in and shouted.

"W-Whuh?! Hah?!" Samuel woke up with a start. He then looked at his butler and shouted angrily, "Didier! You better explain yourself-"

"Young Master, Young Miss Hope arrived with a group of powerful experts! We must escape!" Didier hurriedly said. 

"WHAT?!" Samuel immediately got up with a start, fear in his eyes. The day of reckoning arrived too soon and abruptly! In the house, o

"Young Master, please get up at once! I shall help you get dressed." Didier said as he walked over to arrange clothes for his Young Master.

Samuel immediately pushed Tsusaki away as he hurriedly got dressed with the help of Didier, unaware that Tsusaki narrowed her eyes with a happy glint. But when he finished getting dressed, Samuel gave her a vicious look.

"Sorry, Tsusaki, but I can't let anyone know my escape route. Die." Samuel ordered.

Tsusaki felt the contract on her neck tightening, choking the life out of her.

"N-No..."

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In the hall, Hope patiently waited while chatting with the guards, who already believed Hope was their Young Miss. Even the new guards, after enough interaction, more or less acknowledged her.

About five minutes after Didier left, Hope stopped conversing.

"It seems like my half-brother chose to escape," Hope said without surprise.

"Escape?" Amand suddenly frowned.

To choose to escape in such a situation only meant there was something to feel guilty about.

"I will head upstairs before he kills Tsusaki to cover his tracks. Gerhart, please come with me." Hope said and started walking.

"I will also go with you," Amand said as he followed her.

Gerhart nodded and followed Hope. The others headed to the guest room without worries.

With broad strides, they soon arrived at Samuel's room. Amand approached the door and tried opening it but couldn't. Someone locked the door.

Bam* Bam* Bam*

"Young Master Samuel! Open the door!" Amand demanded with a frown.

However, there was no response.

"Move," Hope said before kicking the door.

BAM* CRUNCH*

The wooden door was smashed open by Hope's powerful kick, making Amand realize Hope was not the same helpless girl anymore.

Upon entering, they discovered that the room was empty, with only a beautiful Fox Kin girl writhing on the bed, foaming at the mouth.

"G-Gah..." Tsusaki uttered while clutching her neck, her eyes rolled back.

"Gerhart, please heal her. I will handle things from here." Hope said as she approached a bookshelf and moved a book.

Clack*

With one hand, Hope pushed the bookshelf aside, revealing a locked door.

Bam*

Hope kicked the door open again, revealing a hidden escape route through the wall that went underground. Without hesitation, Hope jumped inside.

"W-Wha..." Amand blinked his eyes, barely believing what he had just seen.

Forget about knowing the secret escape mechanism. The brute strength Hope showed was many times above his.

Ignoring him, Gerhart healed Tsusaki.

"Thank... You..." Tsusaki gratefully said.

"Don't mention it. You are not the last one to have a bad master." Gerhart sympathetically said.

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Samuel and Didier ran in a dark tunnel, close to reaching an exit. The tunnel led to a secluded area near the ducks district. This tunnel is the final lifeline of the family to escape via boat out of the city. For Samuel to use it to escape his half-sister's vengeance was as sad as ironic.

"Dammit! Dammit all! Why didn't I kill her?! Why didn't I listen to mother?! Why didn't she die?! Couldn't she die?! Why did she have such bullshit luck and awaken weeks after being sold?!" Samuel cursed in his mind.

"Young Master, I see the exit," Didier said.

"I know. Let's go already." Samuel hastened his steps.

But just then-

Woosh* Woosh* Splat* Splat*

"AHH!"

"MY LEG!"

The two men collapsed, two arrows piercing their ankles, severing their Calcaneal tendons.

"Where do you think you are going, my half-brother Samuel?" Hope emerged from the tunnel, putting away her bow.

"Y-You! How dare you shoot at me! AHH!!! FUCK!!!" Samuel screamed in anger, pain, and fear.

On the other hand, Didier shook.

"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me..." Didier repeated.

"Pathetic. It is hard to believe I suffered so much because of useless garbage like you- No. I suffered because of my stepmother. You are just garbage. And you don't even deserve to be called my brother." Hope said as her eyes gleaned information after looking at Samuel.

"I-I'm still your half-brother! You can't kill me! You will be a murderer! A kin-slayer! The kingdom would judge you!" Samuel threatened amidst his pain.

"What are you talking about, Samuel? I won't kill you. You are my brother, even if a bastard without blood relations." Hope narrowed her eyes.

"Y-You- How-?!" Samuel shook as his biggest secret got exposed, forgetting his pain.

"Oh, please. Why else would you remove the family portraits? You were afraid of being compared to my father. As for me and my mother, that was that woman's idea. She likely felt irritated every time she saw our portraits. The reason why that woman murdered him was because she feared your bloodline would get found eventually."  Hope sneered.

"Ghk..." Samuel gritted his teeth.

"Don't worry. Everything would soon end." Hope said as she approached.

"W-What are you going to do?!" Samuel shivered.

"You will see." Hope's eyes shone with a silver light in the dark tunnel.