Chapter 17

He was preoccupied with something, so he walked very fast. By the time Rokudo Mukuro stopped, he had already arrived outside the house where the brother and sister were.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door as he had the first time they met. This time, however, he was not greeted by a black beast-striped blade and a chilling killing intent, but by a cold face and a curt greeting: "You're here again."

Although lukewarm, it has already made great progress.

"Akutagawa-kun, don't be so cold. I've already said it, I'm not a bad person." Rokudo Mukuro didn't care about Akutagawa Ryunosuke's cold face. Even with his favorite author, Rokudo Mukuro, he couldn't help but treat him differently.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa didn't pay much attention to Rokudo Mukuro, but simply opened the door and let him in.

Rokudo Mukuro followed behind him and handed him what he was holding.

"This is the food I brought for you two."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa gave him another cold look, his gaze full of wariness. Ever since he first met this boy, he had visited the brother and sister every few days, bringing them food, medicine, books, and so on... without knowing what the other party's purpose was.

This is also why Ryunosuke Akutagawa always harbored suspicion towards Rokudo Mukuro.

"What exactly is the purpose of all this?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa asked directly.

Rokudo Mukuro was somewhat surprised, but also a little smug. He had previously used his strength to subdue Akutagawa Ryunosuke, which was why Akutagawa Ryunosuke was barely obedient and stopped him from threatening to kill him.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa had carefully observed the things he brought before silently accepting them. Now, he was finally asking about his doubts, which meant their relationship had progressed, didn't it?

"Kufufufu... What do you think my purpose is? Or what do you two kids have that I find profitable?" Rokudo Mukuro asked with a smile.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa lowered his eyes; he and his sister were both children, and there was nothing of value in them.

Aside from his special abilities, the other party was also a powerful figure who could completely overwhelm him. He genuinely didn't know why this person was being so kind to them.

"Mukuro-kun, are you just being nice to us?" Akutagawa Gin, Ryunosuke's sister, came over after hearing their conversation and asked softly.

This is a very insightful question. Was he simply being kind to them? Of course not. How could Rokudo Mukuro possibly be kind to just one person? That's absolutely impossible.

When faced with Akutagawa Gin's question, Rokudo Mukuro shook his head as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Seeing Rokudo Mukuro's reaction, Ryunosuke Akutagawa gritted his teeth and said, "I knew you had ulterior motives!"

Before Akutagawa Ryunosuke could make any other move, Rokudo Mukuro pulled out a few books from somewhere and handed them to the somewhat angry Akutagawa Ryunosuke.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa looked down at the books, paused for a moment after his gaze fell on them, and then slowly reached out and placed his hand on the books.

"This is..." Ryunosuke Akutagawa was extremely conflicted. Was this the sugar-coated bullet mentioned in the book? It was so hard to resist!

"These are the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. I saw that you really enjoy reading, so I gave them to you." Rokudo Mukuro said casually, as if he was just giving them away casually, completely unaware that this was a gift he had carefully selected for a long time.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa silently took the book, hugged it to his chest, and thought, "This sugar-coated bullet is so tempting, I'll take it!"

Ryunosuke Akutagawa had some prior exposure to books, but due to his young age, he could only barely read. As he grew older, he and his sister ended up in the outskirts of Yokohama. In such a place, survival was a struggle; where would he find books to read?

But he loved these books very much. So, Rokudo Mukuro's gift touched his heart.

"Akutagawa-kun, are you feeling better?" Rokudo Mukuro asked with concern. This great writer, who should have been renowned worldwide, was not only living in a slum in this world, but also in poor health. It was truly tragic.

Since the world consciousness has entrusted him with changing the fate of these people with great fortune, let's start with Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

Even though he didn't know who the people with great fortune were at first, after staying in this world for a while, he could tell that these people who shared the same name as the great writer were definitely not ordinary people.

"Thank you so much for the medicine you brought, Mukuro-kun. My brother is much better now. Thank you so much." Akutagawa Ryunosuke bowed his head without speaking, so Akutagawa Gin thanked Rokudo Mukuro on behalf of her brother. Although she didn't know what Rokudo Mukuro's purpose was, his help to them at this moment was genuine.

"That's good. You two should eat something first. I came to see you today because I have something to discuss with you," Rokudo Mukuro said, pointing to the food he had brought.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa gave Rokudo Mukuro a deep look. Based on their previous interactions, he knew that when Rokudo Mukuro said he had something to say, he really meant it; if he said he'd talk about it after eating, he meant it, and he wouldn't change his mind because of his objections. Besides, he wasn't strong enough to resist him now.

He was persistent, but he also had a clear understanding of the situation.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Gin Akutagawa ate quickly, yet their manners were impeccable, clearly indicating they had received a good upbringing. It was unclear how they had reached this point, but that was their business, and Rokudo Mukuro wouldn't delve into it. He wasn't going to stay in this world for long anyway; he just needed to do what he wanted to do.

"So, what do you want to talk to us about?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa sat opposite Rokudo Mukuro, his face serious. From a distance, the two children, who were about the same age, sat facing each other upright, looking exactly like children pretending to be adults.

"Akutagawa-kun, do you and your sister plan to stay in this place forever?" Rokudo Mukuro did not answer directly, but instead asked Akutagawa Ryunosuke about his future plans.

He also knew that Ryunosuke Akutagawa couldn't stay in this rotten place like Leibo Street. Ryunosuke Akutagawa just lacked an opportunity, and he wanted to give him that opportunity.

"What does this have to do with you?" Just as Rokudo Mukuro thought, Akutagawa Ryunosuke couldn't stay in Raiba Town forever. If he were alone, it wouldn't matter, but he had a sister, Gin, who should be living a happy life, not living in fear here.

“Of course it’s related.” Rokudo Mukuro smiled. “If you want to leave, I will help you. Whether it’s your identity, your place to live, or your money, I will solve it for you.”

Rokudo Mukuro looked the Akutagawa siblings up and down again: "You should be in school by now, right? School and student registration shouldn't be a problem."

Hearing this, Ryunosuke Akutagawa's expression completely changed. What Rokudo Mukuro said were problems he couldn't solve himself. If, as he claimed, he could truly solve these problems, then Gin…

"Can you really help us? What do you want?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa asked in a deep voice. He never believed in free lunches or that things would fall from the sky. Everything comes at a price.

He admitted that he was tempted by the help Rokudo Mukuro offered.

These problems would be too difficult for a real child to solve, but in Rokudo Mukuro's eyes, the things that Akutagawa Ryunosuke was worried about were nothing, and his tool would solve them perfectly for him.

Illusion, the perfect little helper in life! You deserve it!

"Kufufufu... Of course I can help you. As for what I want, would you believe me if I said I have no other motives?" I just want to cultivate a great writer who can be featured in textbooks...

"I do not believe it."

Rokudo Mukuro sighed. He knew that Akutagawa Ryunosuke was not as easily lured as the children he had raised before. He was vigilant, distrustful of the world, and had his own unique way of understanding things.

But it is precisely because of this that Ryunosuke Akutagawa is truly Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

"What do you think of the books I brought you before?" Rokudo Mukuro had brought Ryunosuke Akutagawa many books before, including the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, as well as poems and novels by authors from different countries, which greatly broadened Ryunosuke Akutagawa's knowledge.

“Those books are all fantastic!!” Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s reply was brief, but Rokudo Mukuro saw a gleam in his eyes.

I once saw a quote somewhere that said, "Ryunosuke Akutagawa's life was dedicated to literature," and it turns out that it's quite true!

"If you were to study and then try writing something, do you think you could write better than them?"

Rokudo Mukuro's question startled Ryunosuke Akutagawa. He had genuinely loved those books when he read them before, but he had never thought of writing them himself.

He looked down at his hands; his skin was fair, but covered with numerous tiny scars, each one seemingly etched into his heart. He lived a precarious existence on Leibo Street, his life hanging by a thread, and all he wanted was for Yin to have a better life.

He never imagined he could become a writer; he felt he would rot along with this decaying world.

But now a completely different path lies before me, though the outcome of embarking on this path is unknown.

Seeing that Ryunosuke Akutagawa had lowered his head, Rokudo Mukuro, who was good at manipulating people's hearts, could not help but see the confusion in his eyes: "How about it? Want to give it a try? Didn't you ask me what my purpose was in helping you? Just think of it as me taking a liking to your literary talent and wanting to cultivate an excellent writer."

This is a rare truth from Rokudo Mukuro.

This is such a difficult choice. A child has given us a broad road, but who knows if there are any traps or what the final result will be? But the outcome of staying on Leibo Street is obvious.

Want to take a gamble? Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Gin Akutagawa exchanged a glance.

The final answer was obvious: rather than struggling to survive like a stray dog ​​in Leibo Street, it was better to take a gamble!

"Are you asking me to become a writer?" Ryunosuke Akutagawa asked.

"Of course not. It's not my request; it depends on your own thoughts. If you love literature, becoming a writer is a natural progression. If you don't, with your special abilities, you will become a true powerhouse in the future. No matter how you look at it, helping you is a worthwhile investment."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa was a meticulous person. Was it a worthwhile investment? Was it really worthwhile? He was a superhuman, but his sister was an ordinary person; he had powerful abilities, but his body was weak; and who could predict the future?

Looking at Rokudo Mukuro's smiling face, Akutagawa Ryunosuke's eyes were firm. Since he had made a decision, he would do it well and let this kid who seemed like a sucker know that his choice was correct.

A note from the author:

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Haihai: I've kidnapped a great writer!!

Jiejie: ​​There's a really big sucker up there...