Chino: "The first question is, why do I have to stand up for you? For no other reason, Lugo and the others are floating, I want to give them a beating. Sorry about those three idiots, they have done a lot for me, I shouldn't use them

This kind of title is very rude."

"But I have to say that during the seven plagues incident, these three people were really stupid. Not only did they fail to fulfill their obligations, they also seriously inflated their self-positioning. They imprisoned my close relatives without my permission.

Guard."

"This is a very serious mistake, and it must be reversed by me. So, rather than standing up for you, it is better to say that you just provided me with such an opportunity, and we each get what we need."

Kino pointed to the Han Cicada Weeping Fire placed on both sides of Nico, and said indifferently: "As for why I gave you these two swords, the reason is even simpler. Although you have no credit for the seven plagues, I need to borrow them from you.

I have established the principle of clear rewards and punishments through my deeds, so I gave these two swords to you. It’s not that you are special, it’s that you happen to be in that position, and it would be the same for anyone else."

Nicole raised her head in confusion, her face was full of pear blossoms, she felt a dull pain in her heart, her voice was hoarse from crying, and she asked the next question almost desperately: "Am I meaningless to you?"

Kino showed a mysterious smile: "It's up to you to answer this question. If you answer it correctly, I will give you a reward. If you answer it wrong, we will settle the matter and you can find another job."

Nicole's shoulders twitched, looking confused and helpless. She opened her red lips several times, but she always burst into tears.

I don’t know how long she struggled in her heart, but her eyes collapsed, and she trembled and said the answer in her heart: "Yes"

Kino: "Congratulations, you got the answer right. That's right, you mean nothing to me."

In an instant, Nicole's mind went blank, and a huge sense of confusion surged into her heart, overwhelming her reason like a wave, almost swallowing her whole body.

The last time I had this feeling was when I learned about my father's death.

On the bloody night of that year, she was only 3 years old, and she didn't understand many things. When someone told her that her father was dead, she didn't have much emotion at first because she was too young to understand losing her father.

What does it mean.

But when she returned home, facing the empty dining table, seeing the pairs of dining chairs, pairs of tableware, and wooden swords for playing, the memories of the past together were still vivid in her mind, and her father's laughter seemed to be echoing in her ears.

, but was suddenly torn apart by the empty home.

At that time, she suddenly realized that her father was gone and she would be alone from now on.

The feeling now is exactly the same as that time

Kino's words without any emotion awakened Nicole from the gloomy memories and returned to an even gloomier reality: "My principle for treating my subordinates is very simple. How much I give you, you should give me in return, Lugo

, Baixa, Paladin, they are all like this, if I give them preferential treatment, they will give me feedback."

"I'm not a philanthropist. I don't support idle people in my house. To me, the meaning of a subordinate's existence is equal to contribution and what he has done for me. Just imagine, after you come to my place,

Has anything been accomplished?"

"To be fair, I haven't treated you badly, right? Have I done anything to hurt you? Not only that, I also asked you to join my clan, take my surname, and change your name to Nicole Hirsing, making the whole family

Everyone in Dusk City knows that you are mine, and even the eight-level officials must treat you with respect. If anyone touches you, even if it is a confidant I brought out with my own hands, I will still punish you severely."

"I gave you asylum, have you given anything back?"

"You have a chance to break through the seven plagues events in the past few months, and this time. God has shown such pity to you that even if I try my best to seize the opportunity, He will put it in front of you like a gift.

But because you were too weak, you didn't seize a single opportunity, not a single one."

Nicole wiped away tears, like a child who made a mistake, unable to stop sobbing: "I tried my best. They are too strong, but I really tried my best."

Kino: "You have fallen into a misunderstanding, Nicole. The word "try your best" is just an excuse for incompetence. Because you are too weak, you can't defeat the enemy even if you try your best, but you don't dare to face this fact, so you can only comfort yourself.

Tried my best.”

"Does it matter if you try your best? This is a world that depends on results. Everyone only agrees with the results, not the process. If whoever tries his best is great, then you, who works harder and more diligently than anyone else, would already be the chief imperial guard."

"I am very happy that you can do your best for me, but if the process is tortuous and the result is bad, then it is just trying your best. To put it nicely, it is called trying your best, but the deeper meaning behind it is that it has no effect and is meaningless.

"

Nicole knelt on the spot dully, her tears seemed to have dried up, and turned into streaks of tears on her face when blown by the wind.

Kino knelt down, took out a tissue from his arms, and wiped the tears on Nicole's face, just like the big brother next door, his voice was gentle but cruel: "So, Nicole, don't say that I am heartless, you

You can't always be like a parasite, taking advantage of my benefits, but have no use for it. After failure, you have to kneel like this now, forcing me to give some time and sympathy to comfort you, so that you can get comfort and accept it with peace of mind.

Failure. This is very unfair to me."

"Okay, let's get down to business, about the reward for answering the question correctly." Kino took out a small bag of gold moons from his arms, containing 10 gold moons. He put it in front of Nico, "I will give you the reward that many people dream of.

Wealth and freedom.”

"From today on, you are a free man. You are no longer called Neeko Hircine. You can restore your original surname. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. There are no longer any restrictions and you can completely follow yourself.

heart."

"These 10 gold moons will be used as your severance pay. This is wealth that many nobles cannot earn in their lifetime. You can rent a vast manor, buy hundreds of servants, live in luxury for the rest of your life, and even start to develop your family.

Industry, let your surname resound throughout the kingdom, and join the upper class. Maybe I will have to call you 'Sir' next time we meet."

"Okay, now you are free, go home."

"Home" The girl who lost her relatives due to the war sobbed helplessly and murmured heartbreaking words, "I have no home for a long time."

"This is not something I can care about. You can't let me be responsible for helping you settle down, can you?" Kino stood up, suddenly stretched out his fingers, and placed them squarely between Nico's eyebrows. His fingertips and voice seemed to be filled with emotion.

Some kind of power, "Goodbye, Nicole, I hope you will be strong-willed and have a bright future."
Chapter completed!