I Kidnapped the Hero’s Women

Chapter 60 - The Sylvia Corps

\'What is my identity?\'

The Great Earth Spirit who governs the land.

The Guardian of the Earth who has lived for 1,000 years.

Earthy pondered.

Who am I really?

It wasn’t asking about the adjectives that decorate the existence of \'me.\'

It was asking what my own identity is.

A question asked for the first time in my life.

As for the answer, for now…

"I want to ride on Earthy! We’ll be able to see way up high!"

"It might be dangerous..."

"Mister, Mister! Can I ride on Earthy?"

"It’s dangerous. Stop it."

"Please! I’ll play safely! Okay? Okay?"

"…Sylvia. Make sure you keep an eye on them so they don’t fall."

"Yay!"

Children’s playground equipment.

Nothing more, nothing less.

[Earthy! Get cuter!]

[Kyah! What do I do with that command… Ugh!]

I’m not cute to begin with, so what is this nonsense about getting cuter?

But just as if to prove that not only reasonable and logical commands work.

Whoosh, Earthy’s body suddenly grew to a size comparable to the mansion.

"Whoa!"

Julia wiped the sweat off her brow with a proud smile.

When she first used the command, she had no idea how much mana to use.

But now she had become quite skilled, able to use efficient commands without waste.

A technique, also known as the flower of spirit magic!

The command was to make Earthy grow bigger!

\'Hmm? Ah? Why am I doing something like this with a command...?’

Something feels off?

It’s completely shabby!?

Faced with reality, Julia felt a wave of disillusionment as the fantasy shattered.

Is this really what a Spirit Mage’s job is?

Meanwhile.

"Wow...! It’s high! So high! Totally high!"

[Get down! Damn kids…!]

Charlotte, who had already climbed to the top of Earthy’s head, was marveling.

So this is how Earthy sees the world!

Everything looks tiny! Minuscule!

Everyone in the world is beneath my feet!

Is this why Earthy became arrogant?

Charlotte understood the origin of Earthy’s gruff manner.

"Julia, come up too! You can see all the way to the market!"

"How did you get up there…?"

"Just step up! Earthy is soft, so you can climb up like a staircase!"

[Don’t step on me! I warned you not to step on me!]

"Oops!"

[Kyah! These kids, they don’t even pretend to listen to me now!]

After some hesitation, Julia stepped on Earthy’s body and climbed up.

Indeed, her feet sank deeply, allowing her to climb like a ladder.

Finally reaching the top, Charlotte pulled Julia up.

The two girls sat side by side on Earthy’s head, looking out over the sprawling cityscape, their amazement spilling out.

"It’s so beautiful…!"

"It’s completely different from looking out from a building!"

The sun, peeking out over the mountain.

The view of the sunrise from such a height was truly spectacular.

Earthy, who seemed never to calm down, chose to stop grumbling rather than ruin the mood on his head.

"So this is how Earthy sees the world. It’s so amazing."

[If you understand, then get down now! It’s heavy!]

"But being alone up here must be lonely and scary."

[...What?]

Lonely and scary?

What is that supposed to mean?

Earthy was at a loss for words at Julia’s utterly absurd statement.

I have lived for 1,000 years, absorbing spirit energy without moving from the mountain.

I have become a Great Spirit with the foremost and most powerful strength among spirits.

How could I possibly be lonely? Idiotic creatures.

"What would you like to do when you return to the mountain?"

[Why do you all want to leave this place?]

"I have a close friend I left behind. Did Earthy leave a friend on the mountain too?"

[On the mountain... there’s no one but me...]

What would I like to do when I return to the mountain...

Earthy pondered for a long time.

A quiet place without these noisy kids.

I will dig into the mountain and absorb spirit energy again.

To become stronger.

To become greater.

To become a being that cannot be dismissed as cute by humans.

[I will grow into a being not bound by a Spirit Mage’s commands.]

"And then?"

[Then what...?]

"Is there a reason you want to become such a being? We are growing stronger to earn a lot of money and to bring our friends back. What about Earthy?"

[I...]

Once again, Earthy was at a loss for words.

Why do I want to become stronger?

Isn’t it instinct for all beings to want to become stronger?

The profound question that had never been considered before left Earthy feeling confused.

[...I don’t know.]

"Then shall we decide among ourselves what to do when we become stronger!"

"If Earthy gets even bigger, he could do tunnel construction too. Every time I see the mountain cut with that huge sword, it looks so ugly, I wish there were just a neat hole in the middle of the mountain."

"It’s not ugly at all! It’s just super cool!"

[...]

If I don’t know what to do when I become stronger, isn’t there no reason to become stronger?

Right. Sometimes it’s not bad to take it easy like this.

How many years will pass just by spending time with short-lived humans?

Let’s take a break and look for goals and identity for a while.

Earthy thought this way.

Smiling at the endless chattering of the children on his head.

Now it didn’t seem so noisy…

"Earthy! Let’s go to the front yard now! Giddy up!"

[Don’t treat me like a horse!!!]

This insolent little brat!!!

***

Vermont Security was officially launched.

The manager, instructor, and chief responsibility holder was Sylvia.

In practice, Sylvia runs the company by herself.

On the monumental opening day of Vermont Security, seeing all the employees lined up in the training ground made Sylvia’s heart start to race.

"You know that if one of your employees causes an accident, it will tarnish Vermont’s honor, right? Manage them well."

"...Yes. Understood."

Although it put more burden on Sylvia, it was fortunate she was showing enthusiasm.

If this business succeeds, I promised to cancel Sylvia’s pay cut and raise her salary.

\'This business also serves as a promotional role for Jacob.\'

It is not just a simple security company.

It is a security company using Jacob’s weapons.

As the employees perform, there will be questions about what kind of weapons they are using.

Then naturally, the name of the blacksmith who uses mana forge will become known.

"Hmm, hmm."

Soon Sylvia climbed onto the podium in front of the employees.

Instantly, all eyes were focused.

"Hello. I am Sylvia, the Chief of Vermont Security. From now on, all answers will be shout. Understand?"

"...Shout?"

"Is that the only volume you have? Again!"

"Shout!!!"

Oh?

This feels strange.

"Seeing your faces, I can tell. You seem full of ideas about getting a fancy business card, coming to work every morning just to pretend to work, and then squandering the company’s money. Getting hired is not the end of it! There is a procedure left to check if you all have the robust body and mind suitable for Vermont Security or if you’re just shiny on the outside and squirmy worms!"

What’s that?

I haven’t heard of it.

"The training from now on will be more difficult than any hardship or adversity you’ve ever experienced. You might even end up begging for death. But I won’t permit quitting except for those who are carried out on a stretcher. If you want to give up, do it now. If you think you can’t handle it, leave through that door now. Exit for those who want to quit! Start!"

"…"

We’re finished.

I smacked my forehead, sensing that Vermont Security was doomed.

Indeed, I did say it was fine for Sylvia to train and educate employees as she learned in the military.

But that was a judgment that didn’t properly consider Sylvia’s background.

Sylvia was once a candidate for a hero.

The unit she belonged to was also not an ordinary unit, but a special forces unit.

Applying special forces training to people who were ordinary just yesterday would understandably make them run away in fear.

Ah! It looks like I’ll have to hire all new staff!

"No one’s leaving? This is not a bluff. Everyone remaining here will be considered to participate in the hellish training. If you endure the training, you will be the first to jump into danger and the last to get out. You will be remodelled to throw your life away without hesitation to protect the lives of clients and colleagues. The price of sacrifice and dedication is just a little money, and honour and glory only! Still no one’s leaving?"

"Shout!!!!"

"Good! The answer is full of spirit! Then we will start the training exactly 10 minutes from now! Go to the dorms, change into work uniforms, and come out immediately!"

"Shout!!!!!!"

Rumble.

Watching the employees head noisily towards the dorms, I felt my mind spinning.

No. Really, is no one leaving?

They’re willing to work at such a company?

Even after being warned that it’s hard, dangerous, and to escape now…?

\'Am I the one who hired only crazy people?\'

Sylvia gave me a thumbs up with a nod.

No matter how I think about it, the company’s situation is serious.

The employees all began to look like hundreds of Sylvias.

Hundreds of passionate muscle-heads.

This is hell. A nightmare.

‘Let’s go back to the mansion.’

I quietly slipped out of the training ground.

I needed some healing.

It was the moment I started to miss the smell of Julia’s hair.

"…"

"…"

As I was leaving the training ground.

I came face to face with a familiar face.

Among the employees hastily rushing to the dorms, there was one standing still and glaring at me.

It was Yuri.