Young Master's Regression Manual-Chapter 121: Isolde [3]

"You should choose your next words very carefully. Or I’ll cut that proud tongue of yours."

"Like I said, that would be illegal, Mister Schneider," Frederick replied calmly as his gaze turned toward the police officers stationed around the room. "There are legal witnesses here. If you commit a crime, they’ll see it. And you know what happens then."

Julius scoffed.

Of course he knew.

If he caused trouble here, the public perception of the Schneiders would shatter. His father would lose favor with the public, and with it, his footing. That, in turn, could cost him his position as the next Prime Minister.

Frederick smiled, a confident smile.

"You’re not as free as you think," he said.

"Sigh. Just tell me."

"Very well." Frederick took a seat across from him, folding his hands together. "You’ve been quite active, Mister Schneider. Active, but not subtle."

Julius said nothing.

"Your movements have been detected across multiple underground channels," Frederick continued. "You do know that, don’t you? Dabbling with syndicates. Navigating the deep web."

He smiled.

"I wonder how Mister Johannes would react if he learned his son was associating with organized crime."

"Huh?"

Julius tilted his head. The claim sounded so absurd that, for a moment, he simply stared at him.

Then he burst into laughter.

"Pfft—hahaha. Is that it?"

Frederick frowned. "Do you think this is funny? You’d be liable for conspiracy charges, trafficking accusations, violations that would—"

Julius cut him off. "You really have no idea who you’re threatening, do you?"

Frederick’s fingers twitched. For the first time, his composure cracked.

"This isn’t funny, Mister Schneider," he said. "There are legal boundaries—"

"As I told you," Julius replied, "the law will never work on me. And if you think that’s simply because I’m a Schneider, then you’re dead wrong."

Frederick frowned. "What are you talking about...?"

"You really are retarded, aren’t you?" Julius said without restraint. "I can’t believe Isolde once married someone like you."

The police officers reached for their weapons.

Julius’s gaze snapped toward them at once.

"Touch even a speck of my clothes," he said, "and I’ll ensure your families are hanged before the public."

They froze.

Frederick raised his voice at once. "Don’t be afraid of him. He can’t do that. The Schneiders may be powerful, but they’re not immune to public scrutiny."

"So what?" Julius asked calmly. "If I kill everyone in this room and pull a few strings, the blame will fall on some random John Doe all the way in Heidelberg."

He took a step forward.

"That’s how the world you’re pretending to understand actually works."

"Who are you to tell me how the world works?" Frederick snapped. "You’re just some rich man’s son hiding behind his father, flaunting his family name like a shield—"

Julius stopped in front of him.

The room felt smaller.

"I stopped being my father’s shadow a long time ago," he said. "You think power comes from inheritance alone? That’s where you failed."

Frederick scoffed, meeting Julius’s gaze head-on. "Without the Schneider name, you’re nothing."

"Without the Schneider name," Julius replied, "I’d still be standing here, fully capable of beating you to a pulp."

The guards moved at once.

One of them drew a taser and fired. The threads snapped through the air, but before they could take hold, a swarm of nanites surged across Julius’s arm, forming a gauntlet in an instant.

He caught the wires mid-flight and yanked hard, ripping the weapon free and sending it clattering across the floor.

Another rushed him with a baton.

Julius moved aside at the last moment as the strike cut through empty air. He stepped in close and drove his elbow forward. The blow landed squarely in the man’s chest. Bone cracked. The guard collapsed, gasping as he slid across the floor.

A third came from behind with a firearm raised.

Julius turned and seized the wrist, wrenching it downward. The shot went wide, shattering a glass display instead. Julius followed through with a punch to the jaw. The man fell without a sound.

More weapons came up, and shouts filled the room.

Julius moved through them skillfully.

He disarmed one guard with a sharp kick to the knee, stepped past another, and slammed his fist into a throat. He caught a baton mid-swing and snapped it in half with his bare hands before driving the broken end into the man’s shoulder and sending him sprawling.

Within seconds, bodies littered the room.

Groans echoed. No one remained standing but Julius.

He rolled his shoulder once as the nanites receded, leaving his arm bare once more. He turned slowly toward Frederick.

He rolled his shoulder once as the nanites receded, leaving his arm bare again. Then he turned slowly toward Frederick, who was cowering under the table.

"This is who I am without my father’s name," Julius said.

Frederick’s hands trembled as he raised them halfway, palms open, as if the gesture alone might save him.

"W–wait," he stammered. "We can talk about this. There’s no need for things to go this far."

Julius took a step closer. The sound of his shoes against the floor made Frederick flinch.

"You had every chance to talk," Julius replied. "And you chose to threaten me."

Step——

"Eeek! I’ll call my lawyer. I’ll have you—"

"How many times do I have to tell you?"

Julius grabbed Frederick by the collar and hauled him up with one hand.

"The law will never work on me."

Frederick’s eyes darted wildly as something under Julius’s coat caught the light. Sewn into the vest and partially concealed was an unmistakable sight of an insignia.

"T-The Secret Police..." he murmured, disbelief draining the color from his face.

"Ah," Julius said. "You weren’t meant to see that."

He tightened his grip.

"Doesn’t matter. I’ll make sure you never set foot in Germany again."

"W-Wait. P-Please, don’t hit me, I—"

Riiing——

"One second."

Julius released him just long enough to take out his phone.

"Yes. Yes. Okay. Thank you."

He ended the call and looked back at Frederick.

"Thanks for your patronage, Mister Aschoff," Julius said. "The transactions went through smoothly."

"T-Transactions?" Frederick stammered. "W-What are you talking about?"

"All your businesses have been seized," Julius replied. "I bought out everything you own. Enjoy the money."

Frederick stared at him, unable to comprehend the situation.

"...Now hand it over."

"A-Ah?"

It was blatant robbery.

"T-This is ridiculou—"

Thwack——!

Julius’s fist crashed into Frederick’s face. Teeth and blood scattered across the floor as Frederick collapsed, choking on a broken cry.

"Transfer it," Julius said. "Quickly."

Shaking and sobbing, Frederick complied. His fingers trembled as he authorized the reversal. In moments, every asset, every account, every property flowed back into Julius Sebastian Schneider’s name as though none of it had ever belonged to Frederick at all.

It was a complete abuse of authority.

And there was nothing he could do.

He could appeal. He could beg a court for intervention. But would that save him? Julius had already made everything look legitimate.

Frederick had wanted to teach Isolde a lesson. Maybe frighten her. Maybe drag her through court.

He had never intended to wage war against the Schneider Group.

Against a man like Johannes Schneider, he would lose every legal battle before it even began.

Frederick curled in on himself, bloodied and shaking.

"W-We can still talk about this," he whispered desperately. "Please. There’s no need for this. I’ll do anything!"

Julius looked down at him.

"There was every need."

His boot came down hard against Frederick’s face.

"Where’s Anneliese?"

"O–over there," Frederick choked, blood spilling from his mouth as he pointed weakly toward a door down the hall. "She’s... sleeping..."

Julius kicked him again, sending him crashing across the floor.

"That’s for Anneliese."

Thwack!

"That’s for Isolde."

Thwack!

"And that’s for staining my coat with that filth you call blood."

"...."

Frederick could barely move. His body trembled as he curled in on himself, hands raised in a useless attempt to shield his face.

"Come to the hearing next week," Julius said. "And I’ll make sure this doesn’t end with you."

Frederick’s breathing turned frantic.

"Y–yes," he whispered. "I won’t. I swear I won’t! I’ll never show my face in front of you again!"

Julius turned away without another glance and walked toward the room Frederick had pointed to.

Behind him, Frederick stayed on the floor, shaking.

For the first time in his life, he understood something clearly.

This was not a fight he could win. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

In fact, he would have stood a better chance against someone like Johannes. Even Jeremy. After all, they were men who still played by rules, no matter how ruthless.

But Julius was different.

All he could do was lie there, bloodied and terrified, listening as Julius’s footsteps faded down the hallway.