When it came to looking after four children simultaneously, Kikyo finally felt her strength waning. While she didn't expect Killua, as a boy, to achieve an S-line figure, at least he could be closer to the average.
The strange thing was, the more strictly Kikyo controlled Milluki's training and diet, the more he ballooned like an inflated balloon. Milluki was probably the type who would gain weight just by drinking water.
It's not like I've been sneaking him junk food in the unsupervised areas behind the mountain, is it?
Oh wow, the game inventory is so convenient, the absolute best choice for smuggling food!
Currently, Killua is Kikyo's top priority. Her obedient, sensible, and capable eldest son is second, her professional dress-up doll is third, and the unremarkable Milluki naturally ranks fourth. Considering her limited energy, and with the persuasion of Illumi and others, Kikyo reluctantly opted to let Milluki's physique develop naturally.
Seeing Milluki become a fatty just like in the original story, and following his family's advice to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, he decided against high-intensity assassin training and instead delved into technology. This steady progression along the original plotline filled me with immense satisfaction.
Milluki was able to escape the ordeal of dieting thanks to the indirect efforts of Kikyo's favorite, Illumi, who whispered in her ear. He was deeply grateful to his older brother, even more so than for the junk food I brought him.
Hmph, true feelings are hard to keep, only clever schemes win hearts.
When it comes to playing mind games, how can I compete with Illumi? He understands Kikyo better than I do. Or rather, he and Kikyo are of the same type, both manipulators, making it easier for them to resonate with each other. I don't have that innate advantage, so I can't force it.
I should focus on leveling up.
Yeah, leveling up.
Mmm...
I want to clear some dungeons to test the effectiveness of my leveling and the "Illumi Slayer" dagger, and to earn money, most importantly, money.
Stocking up my game inventory, buying toys for Killua, improving my relationship with Milluki, and placating Illumi with a bit of effort all require money.
It's not easy being a loving older sister to everyone.
Honestly, I'd love to ignore Illumi, but considering how easily Illumi in fanfiction can turn to "sticking needles in your head" or "locking you in a dark room," I prefer not to provoke trouble. As the saying goes, it's better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel. If I don't want to cause myself trouble, I shouldn't be willful. Maintaining a good outward appearance is the way a mature adult survives.
That said, as long as there are no unexpected circumstances, the missions assigned by the Zoldyck family are always within your capabilities, filling you with peace of mind and trust.
So, the question arises.
When will I be able to handle missions independently, having never completed a dungeon solo before?
Although I've acted alone on many missions, I've always had someone accompanying me. The mindset of having someone by your side is completely different from true independence. Every time I clear a dungeon, the thought of having a safety net makes it not exciting at all.
If there's no thrill of death, how can one improve faster?!
Having escorts will weaken my mind and make me prone to relying on others, which is unacceptable!
I should be hovering on the brink of death, challenging powerful enemies, to unleash my potential and break through my limits. That's how hot-blooded manga works! httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Mustering my courage, I confessed my desire to "complete missions without being followed" to Silva.
"Reason," Silva demanded an explanation.
I said I've grown up and should be able to act independently.
"...Is that so?" Silva remained noncommittal.
It seems my strength and professional competence are still not recognized by him.
In his eyes, I'm still a child who needs a guardian. Then Illumi, who is a year younger than me, can be my guardian. The thought is absurd. Am I that unreliable to the Zoldycks?
While waiting for Silva's reply, I didn't look at his expression and focused on my own toes.
"Mm, that's fine," Silva agreed so readily, exceeding my expectations. "Rather, I'm actually very pleased to see your initiative, Mill."
I looked back at him in surprise, and he continued, "However, I have an additional condition."
"..." As expected, there's a catch.
"I want you to use your 'voice'," Silva said. "When you need to communicate during missions, especially when you need to explain things, a phone call is always more convenient and faster than a text message, isn't it?"
"..." Typing is indeed slower than voice, I can't argue with that.
I can't neglect the inconvenience I cause others when communicating simply because I'm used to lip-reading.
Those who lip-read need to watch my mouth to understand me, which is a hassle.
Those who don't understand lip-reading have to wait for me to write, which is also a hassle.
I'm truly selfish, not considering the constant accommodation by those around me.
It doesn't matter, as there are only a few people I communicate with, and the content of our exchanges is minimal. I've already tried my best not to bother others.
Not being able to speak inherently affects missions. I'm not suited for missions requiring disguise and infiltration, because during such missions, I might need to speak to people. If someone speaks to me, and I can't reply, it would arouse suspicion and expose my identity.
To complete missions more effectively, I need to improve my inability to speak. As for more drastic measures like vocal cord transplant surgery, I'm not particularly keen on it. If it's just for missions, Illumi, the Zoldyck prodigy who can alter his appearance and physique at will and is adept at improvisation, is clearly more suitable than me. There's no need for me to step into his territory and get caught in his competitive cycle, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
Silva's additional condition is reasonable. It's limited to communication during missions, so the constraint is very minimal, and I can easily agree to it—there's no reason not to.
I nodded.
"Alright, then we'll need to prepare."
"?"
Seeing my face full of confusion, Silva explained, "We need to prepare a device to help you vocalize."
"..." Perhaps he's been away for too long, Silva forgot.
As Silva reached for his phone, I quickly told him that I already had such a device.
Such a device also exists in the "real world," called an "electronic larynx." I've seen older men use it in movies, holding a cylindrical object to their throat and, combined with lip movements, it can replace vocal cords and help people without them speak.
The drawbacks are that it needs charging and the voice is mechanically husky, which sounds terrible on a beautiful girl and ruins her image.
It sounded so bad that I didn't want to use it, so I put it aside.
Even if it sounded good, I wouldn't want to use it. Being mute is quite fine; it's liberating.
"Do you?" Silva thought for a moment, unable to recall any relevant memories. "When did that happen?"
I said it was around when I was three years old, as the lip-reading class taught the use of vocalization devices then.
"Wasn't that ten years ago?" Silva was dumbfounded. "Mill, do you still have it?"
"..." Why wouldn't I keep something I only used a few times and wasn't broken?
"Mill, sometimes you..." Silva started, then stopped himself, holding his forehead.
"..."?
"If you're going to use one, you should use the latest model; the performance will be much better," Silva finally gave up on his unfinished sentence. "Do you understand what a ten-year gap in technological advancement means, Millfy?"
Oh, what does a ten-year technological gap mean?
Perhaps not much, or perhaps it's a complete overhaul, depending on the era and whether there was a technological breakthrough.
However, products that serve people with disabilities are niche, aren't they?
Their development should be slower than other technologies.
Five days later.
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the black collar around my neck, and couldn't help but think of Accelerator from "A Certain Scientific Railgun."
Both are devices that require charging and have power switches. My device can be used continuously for twelve hours, while Accelerator's daily usage is forty-eight hours—in terms of global technological standards, the other side is indeed stronger.
Ah, now that I have the collar, can I manipulate vectors and become the number one esper like Accelerator in the future?
Compared to that, my game inventory's abilities seem rather pathetic.
Returning to the topic at hand, let's discuss my impressions of the new vocalization device.
To maintain optimal vocalization by staying close to the neck, the collar is a bit tight and not very comfortable. I'll probably get used to it after wearing it for a while. Will it leave marks? If I only wear it during missions, it should be fine, right? The sound quality is much better than ten years ago, closer to a normal human voice. The pitch has been adjusted to a female voice, but the mechanical tone is still noticeable. The effect is similar to "Mekakushi Future," a virtual idol from the "real world."
Oh wow, it feels quite unique. Can I be at the forefront of this era, start live streaming, and become a virtual idol? My fan name could be "Squid Noodles," or "Slacking Off" might be good too. The essence of a salaryman is slacking off at work (mistake).
Just kidding, the Zoldycks would definitely cut off my internet.
Isn't being an assassin more fun?
It's much more profitable than being an idol. I can amass wealth in secret.
I won't lack fame either. Just mentioning the Zoldyck name would send a shiver down ordinary people's spines, wouldn't it?
Both Silva and I were satisfied with the new vocalization device, but Kikyo was not.
"No!" Kikyo exclaimed angrily. "It's not cute at all!"
She dragged me to the vanity and fiddled with it for a while. Finally, she tied a black ribbon of the same color around my neck, tied a bow, and covered the protruding battery part of the device.
"Is this much better?" she asked, resting her hands on my shoulders, gesturing for me to look in the mirror again.
"..." It's much better, but I only wear it during missions, so no one will see it, right?
"Mill, you must always maintain elegance, no matter when," Kikyo earnestly advised.
"..." Then what do you call yourself when you scream, Kikyo?
"We need to prepare more lace ribbons that can be tied around the neck," Kikyo's chatter couldn't be stopped. "Oh, and ruffled ones. Adding some charms would be nice too! With different clothes, there will be many combinations..."
Like a渣男 (scumbag) who uses work as an excuse, I once again used my work to escape Kikyo's nagging and head towards the joyous world of dungeon clearing.
The dungeons were of manageable difficulty, and since I play an assassin, I specialize in sneak attacks and dirty tricks, waiting for openings to strike. The "Illumi Slayer" dagger has an attack power bonus of 580 (a normal cleaver has a bonus of 20), plus the "Nen" bonus. My one-hit kill combat power is top-notch. It's like a wolf entering a flock of sheep; those not high enough in level can't withstand it. Overall, clearing dungeons has been relatively smooth.
The only thing that stirred my emotions was using the Zoldyck internal phone for the first time. Previously, my guardians would report the mission results for me.
After all, you can't expect a mute person to make a phone call; it's as meaningless as expecting a blind person to appreciate oil paintings.
"...Dad." After not making a phone call for over a decade, my voice wasn't as composed as I'd imagined, trembling slightly with nerves.
Due to my unsteady breathing, the processed voice from the vocalization device sounded like it had extra noise and unnatural pauses, resembling a poor signal.
"Mm, I'm here," Silva's voice came clearly from the earpiece. The distortion from the signal transmission made his voice subtly different from usual, as if he were from a different world.
"..." I was a bit dazed.
Addressing a manga character as "Dad" always feels a bit... what is it? I can't say. I remembered my "real-world" dad. I rarely looked him in the eye. It's been too long; I can't recall his face. I couldn't remember it even when I was in the "real world." But I remember he gave me money many times. How ironic. Mom said Dad hoped I would be filial to him in the future. Is that it? I'm a heartless monster, will I? It would be easier to repay him, wouldn't it?
"I..."
"Mm."
The way of speaking with the vocalization device is different from normal people. You don't force air from your lungs through your vocal cords; instead, you breathe naturally as usual and then change your lip movements to speak.
I adjusted my breathing and continued, "The mission is complete."
"Good," Silva replied briefly, without further judgment.
[Story Mission]
[Mission Name: Salaryman's Gratitude]
[Mission Content: Complete a Zoldyck mission alone (1/999)]
Silence fell on both ends of the line simultaneously. According to seniority, I waited for Silva to hang up first.
"My mission is also finished. We're not far apart. Meet me at the nearest airport, and we'll head home together," Silva said.
Oh, it's more economical for two people to charter a zeppelin together than to charter separate ones.
Even though they are incredibly wealthy, the head of the Zoldyck family is still so thrifty.
What a simple and unpretentious tough guy! It's so moving!
As expected, "wealth doesn't last for three generations" is just comforting words for the poor. Not only Silva, but look at Silva's eldest son, Illumi, who is famous in fanfiction for being stingy; he'd pick up a dropped ring. A noble family with such upbringing, how could they possibly lose their fortune?!
Except for Killua in the original story who spent 200 million on snacks... It's fine, Killua most likely won't inherit the Zoldyck family, so he can be ignored.
This was my first solo mission completion. There were no twists, no dangers, no excitement. It was too bland, with nothing worth recording. Just returning home directly like this left me feeling unfulfilled.
I want to do something special, something I've never done before, as a memento.
"....Dad." Although I thought about it, my words got stuck, and I became nervous again. "Before we go home, I... I want to..."
"Mm."
"I want to treat you to... uh... dessert, is that okay?"
"Okay."
Why does Silva's response mode feel more like an AI chatbot than mine? I'm tempted to give him a Turing test to see if the person on the other end is a real human.
"It doesn't have to be dessert; I was just giving an example. We can eat something else too..." I said hesitantly.
"I like dessert," the AI on the other end interrupted my spell.
Uh, so it's not an automatic reply?
"Alright, then I'll head to the airport," I said.
"Mm."