The Butcher of Sargon (Patreon)

Volume 2 Chapter 6: Of Course, It's the Adorable MuMu!

"Mr. Garde?"

At first, the person from Rhine Lab hesitated, unsure of his identity. But when Garde turned around, their face lit up with joy.

"Mr. Garde, it really is you! What are you doing here? Have you succeeded? Where’s the director and the others?"

The Rhine Lab employee approached, noticing Razer and Darina standing beside Garde.

"Who are they?"

Garde, unable to speak, waited until the staff member finished talking before writing on his notepad:

"They are my saviors."

He then continued writing:

"I’ve temporarily lost contact with Saria and the others, but they’re fine. If all goes as planned, they should be leaving the hotlands soon."

Garde had learned from Razer that it had been four or five days since his fight with the Black Dragon. If they couldn’t find him, Saria and the others would follow their prearranged plan and leave.

Before entering the ancient civilization’s city, Garde had foreseen this possibility. Consumed by Renekton’s wrath, he knew he couldn’t stay put. Even if he wanted to, his subconscious would drive him to distance himself from the group.

Garde didn’t want to calm down from his rage only to find the Black Dragon alive while his teammates were gone.

"Mr. Garde, your throat?"

"Don’t worry, it’s just a temporary injury," he wrote.

The Rhine Lab employee had been speaking in Columbian. Spotting Razer and Darina, they turned to them and said in fluent Sargonian:

"Thank you for saving Mr. Garde. He’s an important partner and a friend to us. This is our temporary office. We’re here for some business negotiations. If they go well, we’ll have a permanent representative stationed here. If you ever need anything, please come to us."

As they spoke, the employee took out a business card and handed it over. Both Razer and Darina were stunned.

"I knew it! I knew it! We’ve hit the jackpot this time. That’s Rhine Lab! My dad told me they’re one of the top foreign companies in the city, along with Blacksteel International, Beach Umbrella, and Raythean Industries," Darina exclaimed, pulling Razer aside excitedly.

Unlike the reserved Razer, Darina’s family background had given her extensive knowledge of the city’s factions.

Hearing that Garde was a partner of such a major company dispelled Razer’s last bit of doubt about him. However, knowing Garde’s extraordinary status left her feeling strangely melancholic.

Noticing Darina’s enthusiasm for local news, the Rhine Lab employee’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

Garde, sensing their interest, wrote:

"Miss Darina belongs to a local Vouivre family. I believe they’re quite familiar with the city’s dynamics."

Though Garde might become a security captain for Rhine Lab in the future, he was currently just a partner, so he only hinted at this potential connection.

The Rhine Lab employee, skilled in Sargonian, was likely the one designated to stay in the area. If they were smart, they’d know what to do next.

Sure enough, the employee asked directly:

"Miss Darina, I hear you’re from a local Vouivre family. We at Rhine Lab are new here and are looking for a trustworthy partner. Would your family be interested in collaborating with us?"

"Huh?"

This was like a pie falling from the sky. Darina’s family was an unremarkable one among Melun City’s many Vouivre families. Normally, a company like Rhine Lab would never consider them as a partner.

But because of Garde, her family had been singled out!

However, this was too big a decision for Darina to make on her own. Stammering, she said, "I—I can’t decide this on my own. I need to ask my dad."

"That’s fine," the employee replied with a smile.

"When you’ve made up your mind, just call us. Our contact details are on the card."

After that, the employee turned to Garde.

"Mr. Garde, is there anything you need right now? I can have it arranged immediately."

"Are you the person in charge here?" Garde wrote, growing a bit frustrated with the cumbersome process of writing notes.

"No, it’s Director Muelsyse."

Muelsyse!

The name sent a jolt through everyone present.

Hearing the name, an image of a blonde-haired figure flashed through Garde’s mind. He had assumed Muelsyse had already returned to Columbia.

The staff member explained, “After you and Director Saria entered the hotlands, Director Parvis and some of the company personnel returned to Columbia under Deputy Captain Orba’s escort. However, Director Muelsyse chose to stay behind.”

Despite claiming earlier that she wouldn’t bother rescuing anyone once Saria ventured into the hotlands, Muelsyse stayed behind while everyone else left.

Garde had always regarded Muelsyse as someone to poke fun at, but her actions unexpectedly earned his respect.

"May I see her?" he wrote.

"Of course."

<+>

At Rhine Lab’s temporary base in Melun City, a blonde-haired girl leaned on her desk, listlessly staring at the documents spread across it. Occasionally, she’d poke the papers with her fingers—once, twice.

"This is infuriating! So annoying!"

"Hmph, bullying a helpless girl like me!"

Melun City was already home to several established companies. Now that Rhine Lab was trying to carve out a share, it was no surprise that the other corporations were displeased.

There were solutions, but Muelsyse simply found the whole situation troublesome.

If Saria were here, there wouldn’t even need to be a conversation—those companies would willingly back off.

Didn’t they understand the weight of having the Trimounts Institute of Technology “Fist Queen,” who single-handedly crushed students from dozens of Columbian universities during the intercollegiate championship?

Rhine Lab owed much of its current prestige to Saria’s contributions.

But as Rhine Lab’s critical second-in-command, Saria had ventured alone into the hotlands, leaving Muelsyse to handle the fallout.

If Saria didn’t return soon, Muelsyse had no idea how she’d explain things back home.

As Muelsyse stewed in her thoughts, a knock suddenly came at the door.

"Who is it?" she snapped, annoyed. She stood up, intending to display the authority befitting Rhine Lab’s Director of Ecological Department.

But before she could act, the door swung open.

"Wait! I didn’t say you could come in—"

Her words caught in her throat as a tall figure appeared in the doorway, casually waving at her.

Seeing who it was, Muelsyse froze on the spot.

"Y-You damned Crocodile Man!?"