Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 111: Bound by the Past

Resting his chin on his hand, he looked over at Georgio, his gaze filled with genuine curiosity, tinged with surprise.

It was only natural for him to be intrigued.

Georgio had never shown loyalty, trust, or attachment to anyone besides Vaan, which is a bond that was forged through shared vengeance.

In truth, Georgio had never been interested in anything other than revenge.

For someone like him—once rotting away in the slums, plotting plans that flirted with death—it was unfathomable that he would bow his head to a mafia child.

Vaan’s surprise and curiosity were entirely justified. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"I’d love to tell you all about it, but I need to settle things here first," Georgio said with a wry smile. "I came back to make sure my master wouldn’t get caught up in this mess."

"Heh... you really are head over heels for that kid, aren’t you?"

Vaan who is seated on the floor, chewed on a piece of bread that had fallen to the ground.

The act, mundane in the slums, struck Georgio as somewhat unsavory, a stark contrast to the refined meals he had grown used to in the Di Malvento estate.

Strange, Georgio thought. Before my master took me in, I ate the same way.

Vaan, oblivious to the look of mild disgust on Georgio’s face, finished his bread and muttered with a rare seriousness, "Well, whatever the case, it all ends tonight. I get that you miss your master, but forget about them for now. Think about how many years we’ve risked our lives for this revenge."

"I know, Vaan," Georgio replied, his tone soft but firm. "I’ve never forgotten our promise. I remember my sins perfectly well."

How many years had it been?

The memories had grown hazy.

Georgio wasn’t sure if time was making him forget or if his mind was actively rejecting them.

Either way, he didn’t care to dig deeper.

However, one thing he couldn’t forget, no matter how much he wanted to, was that it was his fault Vaan had lost the person he loved most.

That truth was etched into him, as unshakable as a scar.

So don’t worry, Vaan.

Keep hating me.

"We’ll avenge Mary’s death, no matter what," Vaan said, his voice cold. "Don’t forget your place, Georgio. I haven’t forgiven you."

Every time Vaan’s gaze burned with hatred, Georgio felt an odd sense of satisfaction—a reaffirmation of his existence.

Yes, that’s how it should be.

Keep hating me, Vaan.

I’ll bear your grudge, fulfill it, accept it, and then...

Then, I’ll take that hatred and use it to fuel my return to where I truly belong—back to my beloved master.

"...Vaan," Georgio said quietly, his voice tinged with regret. "Let me apologize in advance. I’m sorry."

The softly murmured words seemed difficult to catch.

Vaan tilted his head, puzzled, while Georgio responded with a bright, almost carefree smile.

Even on the brink of a life-or-death final confrontation tonight, his mind was filled with the image of that boy’s goofy grin.

He felt a pang of guilt.

Sorry, Vaan.

I’ve found it—something I believe has more meaning than revenge.

Vaan might call it sacrilege to abandon the past for the sake of a new future, a betrayal of the dead and their grieving loved ones.

But Georgio knew their paths had diverged.

Vaan remained bound to the memory of a lost love, while Georgio had encountered a new, living one.

Tonight, he would fulfill the revenge they had sought for so long, even as he held onto his hope for the future.

He didn’t expect forgiveness.

No matter how much hope he found, it wouldn’t change the past.

And in the days to come, more people would undoubtedly rise to stand in his way, determined to destroy whatever happiness he might seize.

But I can’t afford to hesitate, Georgio thought.

In exchange, I’ll make a promise: when I die, I’ll fall straight to hell.

"Georgio the Hyena"—the name was synonymous with a monster, a thrill-seeking murderer.

Let the history books tell it that way.

The truth didn’t need to be known.

After all, the world always averted its gaze from the tragedies that happened in its shadows.

And when it was all over, the world would shed hollow tears and offer empty sympathies, claiming to care only after the fact.

"...It’s ridiculous," Georgio muttered to himself.

Everyone is ridiculous.

Vaan, me—all of us.

Vaan planned to reveal the truth of Georgio the Hyena to the world once their mission was complete.

He wanted the story of her unjust death and the tragedy of his lost love to echo into the future.

Foolish.

Completely meaningless.

"Hey, Vaan," Georgio asked, his voice soft but cutting. "What will you do after the revenge is over?"

He wondered what thoughts would fill Vaan’s mind once he had achieved everything that had defined his very existence.

Georgio stared absently at the peeled ceiling as he posed the question.

He soon sensed Vaan’s gaze shift toward him, followed by a few seconds of silence.

Then, in a voice devoid of emotion, Vaan finally spoke.

"...I haven’t thought about what comes after. My entire being is tied to Mary. Even when it’s all over, I’ll remain trapped in the days I spent with her."

I see.

So, you’ve resolved to stay bound to the past, Georgio thought.

But how long can that last?

He was certain Vaan would eventually find it unbearable.

He would wish to return to the past, to chase after a love long since gone.

And when that time came, Vaan would suffer.

Because if he disappeared, there would no longer be anyone left to tell her story.

Vaan would be unable to vanish from the world entirely.

Deep down, Vaan must already know.

Their tragedy—just one among countless others in the world’s shadows—was never going to be remembered.

No one would carry it forward.

Eventually, it would be faded into obscurity, as if it had never happened at all.

I’ve already accepted that inevitability, Georgio mused.