"It's better to be early than late… but I never thought I'd run into a Zoldyck housekeeper on this ride."
That was the thought flashing through Mani's mind as he pressed his switchblade against Roy's neck, eyes gleaming with greed.
The shimmering blade glinted coldly in the sunlight. The tension in the bus snapped like a wire.
"R-Roy-kun?!"
Ke Kelu gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. Panic rippled through the passengers. Screams erupted as everyone rushed to the front of the bus, scrambling away from the Mani brothers as if they were wild beasts.
None dared intervene.
Mani's voice was low and filled with threat. "You hear me, blindy? Either take us into Zoldyck Manor, or I open your throat right now."
He was no amateur. Mani was a seasoned bounty hunter—a criminal in all but name. The kind of man who killed for money and didn't hesitate. His brother was worse—silent and imposing, like a walking guillotine.
Roy calmly finished the last bite of his popsicle, unfazed by the blade at his throat. His expression didn't change. He slowly raised both hands.
"Well, alright then. I'll take you in."
His voice was light and casual, as if he weren't being threatened at all.
Turning slightly toward the front, he called out: "Driver-san, step on it, please. I'd rather you not have to mop up a murder scene in your vehicle."
The driver, pale and shaking, immediately slammed the accelerator. The bus roared forward, speeding up the winding slope of Kukulu Mountain like a rocket.
Mani blinked.
"Wait a sec—are you the hostage or the kidnapper? That's my line!"
He sheathed the blade but kept a wary eye on Roy.
"You're pretty calm for someone about to die."
Roy smiled and gave a slight bow. "Thank you. Would you like a ham sausage?"
From his shopping bag, he pulled out a snack pack, offered one to Mani, and began eating another himself, peeling the wrapper with casual ease.
"Crackchewchew…"
He ate like nothing had happened.
The people still huddled at the front of the bus stared in disbelief.
"W-What kind of hostage is this?!"
"Is he really blind?! Or is this an act?!"
Ke Kelu clenched her fists, heart pounding. She wanted to believe Roy was alright, but the whole situation was so bizarre she couldn't be sure.
Mani hesitated, then took a sausage with a strange look. "You're either stupid or crazy… I like it."
Behind him, his mountainous brother took the rest of the pack, swallowed one whole—plastic and all.
The sound of his throat shifting echoed in the silent bus.
Everyone felt a cold chill crawl down their backs.
"These two… might actually make it into Zoldyck Manor…"
Whispers of dread began to circulate. Despite the heat outside, the atmosphere had turned icy.
Meanwhile, Roy inhaled deeply. Beneath the scent of metal and fear, he could smell something… familiar.
Weakness.
He tilted his head, lips curling into the faintest of smirks.
Time passed. The bus rattled up the final slope.
When they finally arrived at the gate of Kukulu Mountain, the Mani brothers stepped off the bus first. Behind them, Roy followed at a calm pace, tapping his cane and holding his grocery bag.
He turned back slightly.
"See you next time, Ke Kelu-chan."
Ke Kelu stood frozen by the bus door. Her eyes lingered on Roy's thin back as he walked toward the massive iron gate that guarded the Zoldyck estate.
"I… I can't just let him go alone…"
She bit her lip, hesitated—and then followed. So did many of the tourists, curiosity outweighing fear.
"Kid's doomed," muttered an older tourist grimly. "If he resists, those thugs'll kill him."
"And if he actually brings them inside… the Zoldycks'll butcher all of them."
"Poor kid. That calm attitude… he's probably accepted death already."
Murmurs of pity and fear spread.
Everyone waited for the worst.
Then it happened.
Roy approached the massive seven-layered gate. Before he even raised his cane—
CLANK!
A man in a black uniform burst out of the gatehouse beside the entrance.
When he saw Roy, his face lit up with recognition and panic.
He immediately bowed low.
"Young Master Roy! Welcome home!"
Silence.
Dead. Still. Silence.
Every tourist, every passenger, every whisper was suddenly frozen in time.
"Y… Young master?"
Ke Kelu's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Mani brothers stood stunned, their confidence cracking.
Roy simply turned his head slightly.
"Oh? You're finally starting to use the title properly. Took you long enough."