"Ah, what the hell is this…?"

Jeremy Sylvester Schneider leaned back on the couch, staring at the screen in disbelief. Dream Industries' stocks continued their steady decline. As one of its executives, Jeremy couldn't help but wonder where everything had gone wrong.

Recently, Adolf Deutschmann had been employing investigators and had even asked Jeremy to use his connections to help locate his son, Leo Deutschmann.

But the more information that passed through Jeremy's hands, the more complicated the situation became.

Knock, knock——

A knock echoed through the room. Jeremy pushed off the sheets, stood up, and went to open the door. Outside was a gorilla-like man with his arms made of metal and his body covered with several cybernetic prosthetics. A blue funnel ran along his frame, feeding him mana.

"Let's take this outside," Jeremy said. "My wife is sleeping."

"Yes, Lord Schneider."

Moments later, after ordering the servants to bring drinks, Jeremy sat on one of the lounge chairs by the pool. Moonlight reflected across the water's surface, scattering silver streaks each time the breeze stirred the pool.

"So, what did you find?" Jeremy asked.

"According to my old contacts, Lord Schneider, there were posts regarding the Deutschmann heir on the deep web."

Jeremy frowned. The deep web again. Most likely extremists.

"Elaborate."

"There was a counter bounty that was taken down only minutes after it appeared. It said, 'Leo Deutschmann is being kidnapped. It's an opportunity. Take him from the commissioned kidnappers and be compensated €6,000,000.'"

"…."

Jeremy's frown deepened. The deep web was infamous, yet its pricing system was strict. Scams existed, but the likelihood was below two percent. The bounty was far too specific to ignore.

"Six million euros…"

That kind of money was not spent lightly. Even a Schneider would think twice before offering such an amount.

"Could it be a rival conglomerate?" Jeremy asked.

"We're investigating that possibility. But nothing is certain yet. However, if something like this could happen to a Deutschmann heir, then opposing forces must be on the move. It's dangerous to appear in public at the moment, Lord Schneider."

"Yeah, yeah. I understand. But…"

"Yes. Young Master Julius. His name has been appearing frequently in the media lately. I don't want to imply anything, but he might be in danger."

"I'm thinking the same. Damn that brat. If only he could stay put. Why is it that whenever his name comes up, it's always because of terrorists?!"

"His accolades are admirable, Lord Schneider. But even so, Lord Julius is no fighter. If he crosses the line…"

"Sigh. Where's my phone?"

Seconds later, a servant arrived with Jeremy's phone. Jeremy dialed immediately, but the call didn't even ring before it dropped.

"Huh?"

He tried again. Once more, the call ended before it had a chance to ring.

"…."

——This number is currently out of reach. Please try your call later.

"Did that bastard just block me?!"

Inside, Sabine tapped her lips thoughtfully, arms crossed as she processed what she had overheard. After eavesdropping on the entire conversation, she returned to the room and made a call of her own.

——This number is currently out of reach. Please try your call later.

"Wait, why am I already blocked again?!"

Even her work number was blocked.

* * *

A Glassheart whose skin couldn't be scratched even by modern blades. Because of that, the Directorate operatives could do nothing as they were slaughtered one by one by Lukas, whose body rivaled that of a behemoth.

Glasshearts were practically immune to magic. Photon sabers could never cut them. Even physical weapons left no marks. His crystalline skin expanded and hardened like a titan's armor.

Julius remembered that man, enraged beyond reason, towering more than two hundred feet over the battlefield. His massive frame moved with a speed that didn't quite match his size, crashing through Directorate forces who could barely react.

'Should I just kill him before he has any chance to react?'

The thought echoed in Julius's mind, but his hands trembled. The Lukas he remembered possessed inhuman reaction speed. Even if the crystals hadn't spread yet, Lukas's strength was still unmatched compared to normal humans.

In his previous life, nothing had brought Lukas down. He rose through the ranks of the Revolutionaries.

Yet, at the peak of their uprising, Lukas slaughtered them and tore the organization apart, betraying them in his final act as a Glassheart. A race oppressed by society to such a degree that the situation was almost laughable.

It took the combined force of several advanced weapons to finally kill him and put an end to the behemoth.

But this was not that Lukas.

At least, not yet.

Two weeks later.

"I've been thinking this for a while, but you two must be twins, yes?"

"Uhm…"

The two little girls grew cautious the moment Julius approached. They exchanged a nervous glance before giving a small nod. They were smart, the kind of children who'd been told never to speak to strangers.

Julius smiled and crouched down to meet them at eye level. He kept his tone light, trying to soften the atmosphere.

"It's alright. I just wanted to say hello. I'm actually a new teacher working there," he said, pointing toward the elementary school they had just walked out of. "I was assigned to Class 3-B."

The girls eyed him warily. One tucked herself halfway behind her sister, while the other stared at him with wide, curious eyes.

"…Really?" one of them asked.

"Really really," Julius replied, nodding with exaggerated sincerity.

The bolder twin narrowed her eyes at him, studying him from head to toe. Julius noticed her scrutiny and straightened his collar in an overly serious way.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask your classmates tomorrow. I'm the new language teacher," he said, then paused with a small smile. "Is that your class too?"

The girls exchanged a glance, surprised.

"…Yes," the quieter one whispered.

Julius widened his eyes playfully. "See? So we're practically school friends already."

The quieter sister tried to hold back a smile, her lips curling before she could stop herself. The other one let out a soft laugh first.

"I haven't met many students yet, so I got a little excited seeing you two. Do you like your class?"

The bolder twin nodded. "It's fun. Miss Clara reads to us."

"Miss Clara must be wonderful," Julius said, nodding as if he knew her well. He didn't, but he played along comfortably. "Do you two like stories?"

Both girls nodded at the same time.

Julius leaned in and spoke quietly. "If you want, I can tell you a story too. But only if you tell me your names. Deal?"

The girls hesitated. The quiet one stepped forward just a little, gripping her sister's sleeve.

"…We can't tell strangers our names," she said.

Julius placed a hand over his chest. "You're right. Very smart. So how about this. I'll tell you mine first, and if I seem like a good teacher, you can tell me yours later."

The bolder twin thought about it. "…Okay. What's your name?"

"Jeremy Stinken," he said. "Teacher Jeremy Stinken. Nice to meet you."

They blinked, then one of them chuckled, finding the name a little funny. They leaned close to whisper to each other. After a moment, the quieter one gathered her courage.

"I'm… Helga."

Her sister followed a moment later.

"And I'm Alina."

Julius smiled warmly.

"Helga and Alina. Beautiful names."

The twins stood a little straighter, no longer hiding as much. Helga tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, while Alina gripped the strap of her small backpack.

"So, Helga and Alina," Julius said gently. "Since I'll be your new teacher in Class 1-B, I hope you won't be too nervous. I'm still learning my way around the school. You two might have to help me a little."

Helga blinked. "…Teachers are supposed to know everything."

Julius let out a laugh. "I'll do my best, but I might need advice from clever students like you. For example, where does the chalk go?"

"In the tray," Alina answered, matter-of-fact.

Julius nodded seriously. "The tray. I'll remember that. You just saved me from getting scolded by the principal on my first day."

Helga tried not to smile, her lips twitching. "Teachers don't get scolded."

"You'd be surprised," Julius said, eyes widening playfully. "I think some of them enjoy it."

Helga let out a tiny laugh before she could stop herself, and Alina followed with a quieter one. The caution they had earlier faded a little.

A faint chime rang from deeper in the neighborhood. The girls paused, recognizing the sound that signaled it was time to head home. Alina tugged lightly at her sister's sleeve.

"…We have to go."

Julius rose to his feet and gave them a small, reassuring smile. "Of course. It was nice meeting you both. I'll see you tomorrow in class. Make sure to get home safely."

Helga gave a small wave first. Alina timidly lifted her hand a moment later.

"…Bye, Teacher Jeremy."

"See you in school tomorrow," Julius said.

The twins turned and headed down the street, backpacks bouncing with every step. Every few meters, one of them glanced back, checking to see if Julius was still watching. He waved his hand each time, waiting until they turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"...."

Only then did his smile fade.

A Glassheart's child was still a Glassheart. Julius's insides twisted at the thought of pretending to be playful with a Glassheart.

He adjusted his glasses, trying to dispel the uneasy feeling sitting heavy in his chest, then turned toward the elementary school entrance.

It was time to meet his new colleagues.

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