《Ikemen ni Tenseishita kedo, Cheat ha Dekimasenseshita》 CH 1 TN : 1/15 Marathon Release!!! ==== ¡°Sorry. I- I¡¯m really happy to receive that letter, but I only think of you as a friend¡­ so, going out is a little bit¡­¡± That was how the girl rejected me. Even though I didn¡¯t confess to her or anything of the sort. Naturally, I also did not know of the letter she was speaking of. And honestly, I had a lot of dissatisfaction coursing through me at how the event went. I mean, it was only natural that I would be. After all, she had gotten my hopes up when she had just suddenly called me out to meet her behind the school building after school. So, what was wrong with me getting my hopes up?! By the way, I still had no idea what in the world was going on here, though. We were not even in the same class nor know each other. And though I did saw her face sometimes, that¡¯s all that happened between us. Besides, while her face was above average, she wasn¡¯t my type. Not really. So, what in the world was this farce? To call someone who you met for the first time then rejected him for no reason¡­ are you for real?! Yet, what in the hell was that bashful act for?! I DON¡¯T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME!!! ¡°THAT¡¯S WHY, I¡¯M SORRY, MITARAI!!!¡± After leaving those words behind, that girl ran away. Fufufufu¡­ so, that¡¯s the case¡­ I see now¡­ ¡°FU*CKING BI*TCH, MY NAME IS KOGANEIIIIIII!!!¡± The only letter she got correct was the ¡®I¡¯ in our names, dammit! HOW COULD A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAKE SUCH A STUPID MISTAKE LIKE THIS?! WAIT, DOES THAT DUMB GIRL EVEN KNOW THE FACE OF THE GUY WHO SENT HER THAT LOVE LETTER? NEVERMIND, I AM PRETTY SURE THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW MITARAI¡¯S FACE! As I looked at the empty space before me with incredulous light in my eyes, I lamented about how my first confession ended up in a tragic misunderstanding. Dammit, just you wait! I¡¯ll go out with a woman far better than that dumb girl! Alas, while making that oath in my mind, I was run over by a car on the way home from school. ¡ô ¨D¨D Where is this place? I thought as I opened my eyes. However, the scene before me was blurry, and I couldn¡¯t hear anything. What was more, I couldn¡¯t even move my limb as I wanted to. Was my body paralyzed due to that incident? Or¡­ have I already died? As anxiety and fear gripped my heart, growing ever deeper, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but tear up. Cra*p, can I cry now? Unable to bear the welling emotion in my chest, I cried as loud as I can. Anyway, who would blame me for crying in this kind of situation I find myself in? However, as I cried, I also heard the cries of someone¡¯s baby nearby. But I couldn¡¯t care less as I am still pitying myself. Sorry kid, did I wake you up just now? Please do forgive me that, but I¡¯m in an extremely sad state right now and can¡¯t appease you. I inwardly apologized as I continued crying. But, when I was crying like that, I felt my body was suddenly enveloped by something soft and warm. Someone was patting my back as if that person was trying to comfort my sad self. When I felt that, my cries soon faded into hiccups. Yup, that helps me out a lot. I had no idea who you are, but thanks a lot. I feel calmer now. I wanted to convey my gratitude, but somehow, I felt incredibly sleepy after I cried loudly like that. So, unable to fight against my drowsiness, my consciousness retreated as I felt myself being wrapped in something warm. And before long, I was deep asleep. It was only after I could see that I realized a very important fact¡­ it seemed I was reincarnated. CH 2 2 Status Does Not Exist TN : 2/15 === After that rocky beginning, I realized that I had reincarnated as a baby. And I only realized that fact when my eyes could finally see and my ears could hear the conversation around me. Fortunately for me, I was not born ugly. In all honesty, it was the exact opposite, surprising me when I finally saw my appearance in this life. The face that was reflected in the mirror was an extremely adorable baby boy with silky blonde hair and big round amber-colored eyes. Seeing this, I was one hundred percent sure that the adorable baby boy who waved to himself in the mirror would grow into an undisputed chad. YAHOO, thanks a lot, God above! I thanked God for giving me this handsome appearance even though I didn¡¯t meet him before I got reincarnated. After all, this handsome visage alone was enough to make me a winner in life when I was older. So, offering gratitude was a must! Moreover, even though I used to believe that reincarnation in another world from web novels was nothing more than fiction, I had never expected that I would have experienced it first hand. Hmm? Why do I know this is another world, you ask? Well, the answer was pretty simple, Akechi-kun. I just felt it was the case. Hmm? Why am I so sure about it, you ask? Fuh¡­ not even I could give you a correct answer for that. I mean¡­ it¡¯s A GUT FEELING, ya know. I meant, wouldn¡¯t you also think the same as me? After all, normally speaking, you would always treat reincarnation and stuff like that as a product of fantasy. However, the story about reincarnation or being transported to another world was still selling like a hot cake these days. Because even though they knew it was just a mere fantasy, people still couldn¡¯t help but have some sort of expectation to experience it themselves! No one was gonna blame someone for wishing to be reincarnated in another world! Naturally, with this trope, you must not forget about the most important thing. A STRONK CHEAT! And though there was no evidence that the world I was in right now was another world¡­ Still, look at me. LOOK AT HOW ADORABLE THIS BABY BOY WAS! Well, nevermind my current look. Considering the fact that I was starting over as a baby, despite only being able to sleep and eat at the moment, the chance of me being reincarnated into another world is high! However, I did not have a chance to confirm this fact yet, because¡­ I had been spending every single day of my new life as a baby sleeping and eating! I hadn¡¯t even left my room, yet! Incidentally, the one who visited me the most was the wet nurse and several other maids! My dad and mom also visited me once every few days for two hours, though. However, after that, they always left again in a hurry! But I didn¡¯t know the reason. And even if I want to try to find out, considering the fact that I had way too much free time in my hands, the wet nurse and the maids¡¯ defensive formation was perfect. As such, I was unable to since they wouldn¡¯t even let a fly enter my room! Aah, how I wish I could crawl at this moment so I could get out of this boring room. I tried to roll around to find out any cheat ability I might have. ¡­ AH! That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s try THAT! Ugh, I¡¯m such an idiot to forget about such an important matter. Anyway, ahem. TARARARA, it¡¯s time to confirm my STATUS. The most important skill which would allow me to see the most notable part of myself, the Status-san! It¡¯s indispensable to isekai-trope! Fufufu, no need to waste time, here we go¡­ ¡°UE~AO~UuN!(read : Status OPEN!)¡± ¡­ Eh, seriously? Nothing happened. But why? Was it no good without proper pronunciation? Seriously, it was like Status-san¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t allow a baby like me to order it! Alas, it still didn¡¯t work even when I silently prayed for it or changed my language. In the end, I could only give up in tears. Dammit!!! Let¡¯s challenge it again once I can speak properly. Wait for me, Status-san! I vowed to myself. After all, another world was simply incomplete without it. Anyway, if summoning status was useless, then my only other choice was THAT. The Magic-sama. Now, let¡¯s see if I could use magic. Hehehe, I mean, magic was like the staple of every story! Isekai or not! I¡¯ll put my trust in you, Magic-sama! Please don¡¯t fail me! However, the only problem here was this. I had no fu*cking idea about the kind of spell they use in this world, nor do I know about what kind of magic system this world has. And the only thing that came to my mind was THAT. Yes, I was talking about magical power-up. Or in other words, let¡¯s train from now on to increase the amount of magical power I had. That way, it would be far bigger than the magical power of the normal inhabitant of this world. Now, let¡¯s see¡­ according to the web novel I read before, the source of magical power would be placed below my navel¡­ wait a minute, where in the world was that ¡®below the navel¡¯ part was located? ¡­ Eh, nevermind, focus, focus, you mind! Let¡¯s fixed an image of magical power circulating in my body¡­ I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. Ok, let¡¯s do this! ¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡£ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ZZZZZZZZ¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°Oh my, is the young master sleeping already? That¡¯s faster than usual.¡± CH 3 3 Magic Cheat On Hold TN : 3/15 === I had turned three years old now. I repeat. I, Theodore Golberg, had turned three years old this year! Furthermore, I had an unexpected discovery for you guys. Don¡¯t be surprised, but I found out that I was actually the eldest son of a marquis house! This meant¡­ I was part of the nobility in this life! I was definitely a winner in life! And this time around, at the very least, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be mistaken for another person. After all, my identity should be pretty prominent in this life. So, the chance of my love confession being rejected like in the last life would be very low! (It¡¯s not like I have ever confessed to that bitch though) Anyhow, that did not matter. Because my current identity now was the eldest son of a marquis¡¯s house. I was a chad! And my life, around 90 percent of it at least, was literally a winner¡¯s life. YAAAAAAAY! That aside, I had finally confirmed that I was reincarnated to another world. Alas, the heart-throbbing Status-san I expected wouldn¡¯t show itself; not even after I called it with pronunciation. Dammit. Since that¡¯s the case, then fine by me. I¡¯ll live my life without Status-san. I mean, it was no different from my previous life, so I¡¯m used to it already. But¡­ bu~t¡­ I still couldn¡¯t use magic. And yeah, you didn¡¯t hear wrong. I did say magic. When I heard that it existed in this heart, I couldn¡¯t help but inwardly let out a squeal of delight. YES! HOW THRILLING! MAGIC EXIST IN THIS WORLD! I was sure of this fact since it came from my wet nurse, Martha, when she read the picture book for me. Because when I told her that ¡®I wanted to use magic like the one shown in this picture book¡¯, she replied with ¡®Yes, you can do that once you grew up¡¯. What? Did you just think that she was simply trying to pacify me when she told me that? I would think the same if not for her telling me the magic ceremony in detail. She told me that anyone could use magic as long as they offered their prayer toward God in the closest temple during the ceremony. And considering that I was the eldest son of a marquis house, I would participate in the ceremony held in the royal capital¡¯s grand temple. However, one would only be eligible to participate in the ceremony once they turned ten years old! From what I was told, it was some sort of safety measure against the misuse of magic by the children. Well, by this point, you should have gotten the gist of the situation, right? This was just like how the parents acted in my previous life. They would scold their young children when they saw them playing with power buttons, lighter, scissors, and other things without understanding its danger towards them. Based on this understanding, it was easy for me to imagine what would happen when a normal child my age was allowed to use magic. For example, making a fire at the size of a lighter, and losing control. It would surely turn into a disaster, especially if said child tossed around the fire when they threw a tantrum. However, even though I understood the reasoning, I still wished that I could have my ceremony right now. Because I¡¯m too thrilled to wait. Aah!!! Please give me the ceremony right now!!! Waiting for seven years was simply too much for me. No, wait a minute, no matter how I think about it¡­ shouldn¡¯t it be fine if I try to get magic cheat with your own efforts? There was nothing wrong with that, right? When I realized this, I got pumped up. Although I had stopped my training to raise my magical power as soon as I realized that it was a waste of time, now I had a clear goal in mind. So, let¡¯s continue that training. After all, my life as a mob had ended in the previous life. My life now was that of the main character! Fufufu. Yosh, let¡¯s start! ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ Anyhow, let¡¯s skip to the conclusion I got. Turned out it really was a waste of time. Eh? That¡¯s strange you asked? Peerless cheats were supposed to come with reincarnation to another world you said? Well, it didn¡¯t. And stop. I also wanted to ask God why nothing happened. I really wanted to ask. Why couldn¡¯t I feel something along the line of ¡®the power from inside my body¡¯ or ¡®strange sensation inside my body¡¯? However, even without asking, I could understand what that meant¡­ It simply meant that I couldn¡¯t use magic unless I underwent the ceremony in the temple. And this was further supported by Martha¡¯s enlightenment. According to her, the ceremony was the key to open the lock. When I heard that, I had to wonder to myself. Was that to prevent magic from being misused thoughtlessly by children? Still, I didn¡¯t wait for an answer, because I was sure that that must be it. That must be the reason why there was a need for a ceremony to unlock the magic inside me. Since magic was no good, the only thing left was THAT. Yes, THAT. Let me show you my unparalleled genius in swordsmanship! CH 4 4 Swordsmanship Cheat is Just a Pipedream! TN : 4/15 === Let me show you my unparalleled ability in swordsmanship! Or so my bold proclamation went. Alas, even after I made such a brash declaration, I couldn¡¯t even manage to score a single point against a weak-looking soldier before me. Eh? That¡¯s strange? Was my cheat not unparalleled swordsmanship? At this time, I was thoroughly disheartened. After all, despite my opponent complimenting me about how my muscle was fairly good for three years old, it still didn¡¯t match with my expectation and thought. Because my opponent could easily handle me like I was a little baby. What did you just say? This wasn¡¯t even on the training level? My heart was completely crushed. I mean, what I imagined would happen was something like¡­ The strongest person in the kingdom stood there, jaws hanging open as he looked at me with a stunned expression while stuttering, ¡°I-I-Impossible¡­ for a mere three years old child to be capable of swordsmanship of this level!¡± Alas¡­ why~? Well, I might know the reason behind it. The lack of momentum behind my sword might be because I usually trained using the rolling pin that I sto- cough- I mean, borrowed from the kitchen. But I couldn¡¯t help myself! When I did that, I felt as if there was a string of text appearing in my head. Yes, that feeling! Theodore equipped a wooden pole. Attack +5 Tererere. [Sound Effect] Yes, that kind of feeling¡­ Ooou¡­ ¡°Is something the matter, Young Master Theodore? You¡¯re making a weird pose¡­ Why are you holding onto the floor with your hands and knees? Anyway, on your feet Young Master Theodore. Don¡¯t look like that when we¡¯re only doing light training. The severe one will make you vomit, you know?¡± My bodyguard, Kevin, said as he lightly swung his sword (rolling pin) toward me. I hastily lifted my own sword (well, my rolling pin) to defend. Thus, our sword (it was honestly a rolling pin) clashed. At this time, I had to admit that my thought ¨C about how a frivolous character like him would be weak ¨C was wrong. Just because he always readily agreed with me whenever I asked him to accompany me to play hide and seek didn¡¯t mean he was weak. It just meant that he liked children (?). Anyhow, at this moment, I was fully convinced of his strength. As expected of someone who took part in soldiers¡¯ training. How powerful! Then again, perhaps it was I who was overwhelmingly weak. Well, I wouldn¡¯t know which one, because from my point of view, Kevin¡¯s power was definitely over 9000. Personally, I was leaning toward him being powerful since, from my standpoint, his basic swordsmanship seemed to be solid. ¡ó ===A Few Minutes Ago=== I had just told my bodyguard that I wanted serious training. And I thought that he would look at me with amazement. However, instead of what I expected, he had a wide smile on his face. And for some reason, it reminded me of Cheshire Cat¡¯s grin, causing me to become scared shitless when I saw it. ¡°Young Master, please raise your arms until your chest, palm up.¡± I obediently did as he told me. Yet, without even a hint of warning, he casually placed a sheathed sword on my hands. Such being the case, I initially wanted to hold it tightly in my grasp. Alas, the reality was different. Because as soon as the sword was in my hands, I was unable to bear its weight, unintentionally causing it to drop. Fortunately, Kevin managed to catch it before it truly fell onto the ground. ¡°Look, it¡¯s still too heavy for you, Young Master.¡± Despite his words, I disagreed. I think I could hold on to it for a while longer if I tried it again. So, as I was about to say something to that effect¡­ ¡°It can¡¯t be helped I guess,¡± Kevin murmured with an inaudible sigh. After that, he unfastened the short sword from his belt and gave it to me; complete with its sheath. Even so, I still staggered since this still felt quite heavy. ¡°Try to swing that as it is.¡± I immediately followed his direction, raising the short sword (that was still in its sheath) above my head to swing it down. However, the combination of the centrifugal force and the short sword¡¯s weight pulled me back instead. Ultimately, I ended up falling back on my rear. Owie. ¡°So, this one won¡¯t work either, huh.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re forcing yourself to do the impossible after all. Remember your age, Young Master.¡± Kevin said as he took back the fallen short sword. Strapping it back to its original location, he unsheathed a knife from another sheathe he had tethered on his belt. This particular blade was around 15-20 cm. From what I could see, it was the size of a combat knife. ¡°Okay, now pay attention to me, Young Master. Look at how I pull this knife from its sheath, then you¡¯ll do it. Of course, you¡¯ll need to be very careful. Remember. Be cautious and be careful.¡± Again, I followed Kevin¡¯s instructions and tried to pull it out slowly. However, I couldn¡¯t pull it out at all! But when I used greater strength to pull it out¡­ It simply slipped out without resistance. ¡°¡­ EH?!¡± Shocked, I watched as the knife¡¯s hilt slipped out of my hand and flew toward an empty space, falling on the ground after a couple of spins. Kevin calmly went to pick up the fallen knife and resheathed it back after wiping the dust that could be faintly seen from its blade. He then looked at me and started to lecture me. ¡°Now, do you understand, Young Master? It¡¯s dangerous, right? Alright, let¡¯s set aside the serious sword training until you can pull the sword out properly. Besides¡­¡± He trailed off as he took a folding knife out from his breast pocket. ¡°Cutlery, even a small one like this, can be really dangerous you see¡­¡± After he finished saying that, he pressed the sharp edge of the folding knife into his fingertip and showed me the bloody wound. Yup, cutlery was scary indeed. I know that much. I thought as I remembered the big sister from kindergarten in my previous life. She had warned us about the same thing while holding the toolbox in front of her, telling the kids to not point the scissors toward the people in front of them. And this was still the same even in this world. The way Kevin scolded and taught me was almost a parallel to that big sister from kindergarten. Faced with this and my past memory, I honestly reflected on my mistakes. I had become too engrossed with cheat fever to the point I forgot about common sense. ¡°Sorry, Kevin. I won¡¯t ask you to train me seriously until I¡¯m ready. I promise. Rather than that, though, how¡¯s your wound?¡± I asked as I took out the handkerchief in my pocket. Taking Kevin¡¯s hands into my chubby ones, I used the handkerchief to bind Kevin¡¯s wound. After all, though I knew that such a small wound would heal immediately, there was still no way I could just ignore it. Especially since Kevin had deliberately wounded himself to teach me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This kind of scratch will heal in no time just by spitting on it. Anyway, you sure are a kindhearted boy, Young Master.¡± What¡¯s the meaning of that look on your face, huh? I¡¯m seriously reflecting on my unreasonable request you know! I complained inwardly, pouting. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing that you understand what I¡¯m trying to say. Oh right, can you wait for a while, Young Master?¡± I nodded my head and waited as Kevin went back into the mansion from the back door. Fortunately, he did not take long. Returning with two rolling pins in his hands, he leisurely walked toward me. By the way, the rolling pins here weren¡¯t the type that had handles on them. In fact, it was more like rolling pins that were used to make soba or udon noodles. However, the lengths weren¡¯t as long as the one I knew of. Was the reason behind the length because it was for home cooking, I wondered? To make it easy to keep, perhaps? Since it was shorter¡­ ¡°Then, shall we have a match with this?¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s good or bad, you¡¯ll definitely receive proper lessons sooner or later. That¡¯s why we might as well start on your foundation right now. However, since I¡¯ve yet to prepare a wooden sword for you, let¡¯s use this for the time being.¡± YOSH! Since we couldn¡¯t fight with a real sword, then I¡¯ll astonish you with this wooden sword (It was a rolling pin!!!) of mine! Anyway, the fault is definitely on my young body! I still haven¡¯t confirmed it yet. You know, whether I have a swordsmanship cheat or not¡­ Yosh~! Let¡¯s go~! Thus¡­ we returned back to the beginning. E~h? ¡ó Alas, the conclusion was out. I didn¡¯t have a sword cheat either. Well, even though Kevin had told me that I was just starting out, I knew that it was only flattery because of my position as his employer¡¯s child. So, the reality was that the sword path wasn¡¯t for me. Still, I enjoyed our mock combat. As such, despite my disappointment for not having a cheat in swordsmanship, I would follow Kevin¡¯s advice and continue my sword training. Anyway, I was sure I could grind slowly to become strong in it. However, we got caught by Martha, and the head chef. She had been waiting for us to finish our mock battle in the name of training before scolding us. Unfortunately for me, the scolding went on for a long time, enabling me to learn a precious lesson. Never use cooking tools for a mock battle. Ever. CH 5 5 Domestic Affairs Cheat is Far Beyond My Expectation TN : 5/15 === If it wasn¡¯t swordsmanship cheat, then it must be THAT. You know, THAT! Yes, what I meant was £Î£Á£É£Ó£Å£É cheat! [TL: ÄÚÕþ read as Naisei, means household matters like bath, etc] Honestly, I had no idea of how many domestic affairs cheat I could bring into this world with my middle school memories, but let¡¯s try this! Aim for modernization! Now, from where should I start I wonder? ¡°Young Master, let us take a bath before you have your dinner. You are sweating so much from your training¡­ Please come, I¡¯ve already prepared one for you.¡± ¡°Ye~es.¡± Yosh! Let¡¯s start with the bath. The very basic, BATH REVOLUTION! With that in mind, I docilely followed Martha to the bath. When we arrived in the bathroom, I entered, already stark naked. Before we bathe, though, Martha touched the magic crystal that was embedded on the wall. She was checking the temperature of the shower. It was only when she was sure that the temperature was perfect that she turned to me. By the way, Martha was still fully clothed at the moment. ¡°Well then, Young Master, please close your eyes since I¡¯m going to pour the hot water now.¡± Hearing her warning, I promptly closed my head and waited for her to hoist the shower-head. Yup, the temperature was just right. After that, she washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner before washing my body with scented soap, a nice floral one. Then, she washed away the soap suds with the shower. Meanwhile, I was simply enjoying the hot water that trickled down my face and body. After that, I was brought over to the bathtub and indulged in the hot water. And though the water level was lower than my body, it still felt nice. ¡°Young Master, please soak yourself until the water reaches your shoulder. Then, let¡¯s count to one hundred with me, alright? Here we go~. O~ne, two~¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ninetynine~, one hundred~.¡± Hyaah¡­ Counting until one hundred took time for sure. Then again, I was never the type of person who could soak for too long in the bathtub, so Martha¡¯s move was without a doubt correct. Because as soon as I finished counting, I immediately jumped out of the piping hot bathtub. However, before I could move, I was soon lifted up by the maids, who were waiting for me with a bath towel. Those maids then wiped my body and hair until I was dry. ¡°Here you go, Young Master.¡± Another maid said as she spread out a pant for me. I was then passed over to that maid-san to let her put on the pants on me. Although I felt very ashamed to be coddled like this, it couldn¡¯t be helped since I can¡¯t put it on myself in my current position. Still, at the very least, it was a brief pant! A brief pant! I was so happy ¨C ehem ¨C I meant, I had finally graduated from wearing a diaper a while ago! So, pardon my brief lapse of manners. Kuuh, that was a black history for me. The time when I needed the maids to help me change my diaper was long mental torture for me. Something that should be buried deep into the center of the earth. Anyway, after that, I obediently sat in front of the mirror as the maids dressed me up (This way, I could wear my socks on my own, which they, fortunately, did not prevent me from doing). Once we were done with that part, another maid came with a hairdryer and towel to dry my hair. And when I told her that the wind was too hot, she immediately touched the installed enchanted magic crystal to adjust the temperature. Yup, the bath was perfect. ¡ó After my bath was over, it was finally time for dinner. I wonder what was the menu for dinner tonight? Thinking of food, I couldn¡¯t help but get excited since my meal in this world was always delicious. But if there was something I was dissatisfied with, it was the fact that I ate mostly on my own. Although Martha and the other maids were there with me, they simply stood there in line, waiting to serve me. They did not eat with me. Meanwhile, Kevin and the other guards ate their dinner in their station. So, they did not eat with me as well. When I said I wanted to eat together with them, they refused, citing the difference between our social position as the excuse. So, although I was displeased with it, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it since their reason was not unreasonable. Besides, even if I forced them to have dinner with me, the one who would be pissed off was Martha-san. After all, the maids were strangers. Who knew where their loyalty lied. So, precaution was a must. And even if I tried to force Martha-san to allow it, I would only end up being remonstrated by her. She would object by saying that it was her, the wet nurse¡¯s, job to teach me about that. I might be able to persuade her to let me do as I wished, though, if only I was recognized as a mature man. However, with me being as I was, the chance of me looking like a selfish child was higher. When I thought up to that point, I inwardly sighed. As expected, I couldn¡¯t check whether I had a cheat in this area or not. I shook the thought away and quickly focused back on the thought of eating alone. Honestly, having dinner alone felt empty. By the way, today¡¯s dinner was consomme soup with bacon and onion, potato salad, omelet rice with a runny egg and demi-glace sauce! Furthermore, it was finished off with ORANGE JUICE! My favorite! YAY!!! Everything was practically my favorite!!! ¡°Fufufu, it seems you enjoy today¡¯s menu, too Young Master. Please eat a lot and grow up into a healthy child, okay?¡± Seriously?! No, thank you. I¡¯ve had my fill. Despite my thought, I went to my battlefield, weapons held high. The kiddy spoon and fork I held glinted under the light. First of all¡­ the soup. Ya~h, the bacon was cooked just right. Perfectly suited to my tastes. It¡¯s simply delicious!!! It was not only the soup that was appetizing but also the other foods. For example, the balance between the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper used in the potato salad was also exquisite. It had just the right texture I liked! Furthermore, the served omelet rice was also excellent! The combination of the chicken rice with ketchup, demi-glace sauce, and the fluffy while still maintaining its runny texture egg was just perfect in my opinion! I didn¡¯t even need to mention the orange juice. It was freshly squeezed juice! Very fresh and delicious! Haa~ the food here made the inside of my mouth dance in joy. I released a happy smile as I ate everything until not a crumb was left. Then¡­ ¡°The dessert today is the chocolate cake that you love so much, Young Master.¡± ¡°REALLY?!¡± YAAAY~! HURRAAY FOR BEING A CHILD!!! NOW I CAN ENJOY SWEETS AS MUCH AS I WANTED~. Swe~et, swe~et~ Yup, my meals were the best! Since this was the case, then there was no need for something like domestic affairs cheat. It was delicious enough for me to eat with everyone. ¡ó After I was finished with my dinner, I proceeded to return to my room with Martha following. Midway there, I met Kevin in the lobby, and he seemed to be holding some sort of board. Seeing that, I had to wonder what he was planning to do. ¡°Kevin, what are you doing? Are you in charge of today¡¯s night watch?¡± ¡°Indeed I am, Young Master. That¡¯s why, please have a nice sleep.¡± ¡°Uhm, good night. By the way, what is that board for?¡± I asked as I looked at the board that was held by Kevin curiously, somewhat doubting my sight. Is it just my imagination¡­ or does it really have a black and white checkered pattern? ¡°Aah, this is a chessboard, Young Master. I¡¯m planning to play the game with the other guard until the shift changes¡­ Keep it a secret, okay?¡± No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. I mean, don¡¯t you see that Martha is right beside me? Though, I never expected this. So, this world also has chess, huh. ¡°I want to play that, too.¡± ¡°E~h, are you sure?¡± Just to make it clear, the one who asked that wasn¡¯t me. It was Martha. Seeing that she seemed to be unwilling to let me play, I had to use the most powerful asset I had at the moment. The cuteness that I was born with. Playing up my cuteness, I sent a pleading gaze to her, which was silently begging her. Plea~se~! Unable to resist, Martha finally folded in with a wry smile as she said, ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Alright, but you can¡¯t stay up too late, okay?¡± YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! With her agreement, we then went to the closest room to the lobby with me raring to go, fired up to play. ¡°Young Master, maybe it¡¯s better to start with this before you move on to chess.¡± Having said that, Kevin took out another board that I couldn¡¯t see from my position. However, I was sure that there were two of them on his hand now. When I opened the folded boards, I saw the disks whose both surfaces were painted with white and black color respectively. ¡°It¡¯s called reversi. It¡¯s a game in which you interpose the other color in between your color to make them yours. What do you think? Simple, right?¡± Oooh, they even had reversi here. How nostalgic¡­ I used to play this game with my past life¡¯s older sister many times. Fufufu, this being the case, bring it o~n! I¡¯ll show you how the master wins! ¡­ I lost. I was in disbelief. Still¡­ I did my best, so¡­ ¡°It¡¯s because Young Master is clearly aiming for the corner. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so easy for me to win. Since I read your tactic ahead of time.¡± Guh. I see. So, this was the reason behind my continuous defeat against big sis before. ¡°Well then, since you¡¯ve already had a good time, it¡¯s time to sleep. Come now, Young Master. Your bed awaits you.¡± Ah, so it was already that time, huh. I was slightly reluctant, but I did not rebel against Martha. I thanked Kevin who had accompanied me to play reversi and went back to my room. While I was at it, I also went to the toilet first since I was holding it in since we reached the middle of our match. Fortunately, the toilet was the familiar flushing type one, not those medieval ones I thought it would be. ¡­ Fuha~. However, despite my familiarity with the flushing toilet, I was still uncomfortable with this world version. And the reason was pretty simple. I didn¡¯t like touching the enchanted magic crystal that was used to flush the toilet. I meant, though it was only an extremely small demerit compared to the convenience it brought, my finger always felt like it was zapped by electric current whenever I did that. Furthermore, the same thing happened when I touched the enchanted magic crystal used for the faucet. So, yeah, I didn¡¯t really like touching the enchanted magic stone. Anyway, after finishing the ritual to prevent myself from doing a shameful act of wetting the bed in the middle of the night, I brushed my teeth on the washbasin. And to ensure I did it correctly, Martha would check my teeth later. Honestly, I wanted to say that I was capable of that much, but I still couldn¡¯t get used to the toothbrush in my hand. Its size was too big for my small hand, after all, so I conceded to letting Martha do a post-check. Once everything was done, we went to my room. There, in the deepest part of the room, laid a certain huge bed. It was mine. Still, despite that fact, I always felt that this bed was simply too big for me. After all, I slept by myself. However, I could do nothing about it. Anyhow, discarding my complaint from my mind, I slipped into the soft and warm quilt after letting Martha change my cloth to sleepwear. Absent-mindedly listening Martha saying good night to me, I closed my eyes as she touched the enchanted magic crystal on the wall. The one that would turn off the light in my room. But I did not pay attention to that as I was already half-asleep. Good night. . .. ¡­ ¡­ Come to think of it¡­ What had become of my domestic affairs cheat? CH 6 6 Stand Materialize TN : 6/15 === In the end, I concluded that it was impossible for me to exercise my cheat in domestic affairs in this world. After all, how could I do that when the quality of life in this world was not worse than that of my previous life? I meant, in this world, there existed magic tools that made full use of enchanted magic crystals. This world was practically overflowing with it. For example, the kitchen. It was properly equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, and oven. Heck, it was even outfitted with a ventilation fan. It was not limited to the kitchen too. There existed a washing machine that was able to do its job to purify the clothes from filth with little noise as well. On top of that, I also found out the maids¡¯ brassiere and pants that were drying in the shade, hidden from unwanted eyes in the shadow. Well, though I said it was hidden, it still wasn¡¯t concealed enough from my eyes who was in the middle of playing hide and seek. Anyway, I found that this world had brassiere and pants too, one that was similar to my past life¡¯s version. Then again, it shouldn¡¯t surprise me since my brief was also a commercial product and not an overly luxurious one at that. And the reason why I knew this¡­ well, because no matter how you looked at it, every piece of clothing was definitely the work of sewing machines. There was no sense of customization when I looked at the stitching. By the way, I was pretty sure that the sewing machine is a magic tool as well. As such, I had to admit this. The level of sewing skill and the manufactured magic tools in this world were in no way inferior to the power of science in modern day Japan. Furthermore, considering that chess and reversi existed in this place, I had a certain bold guess. Since the games existed, then it wouldn¡¯t be strange if other forms of entertainment existed as well. For example, a tramp house or casino-like gambling house. I meant, how could I not consider that? After all, even the food was using ingredients that were the same like the one I often saw in Japan. There were even plenty of seasonings like salt, pepper, sugar, herbs, ketchup, mayonnaise, and many other condiments! Not to mention that, just the other day, I saw Kevin eating soy sauce flavored rice-cracker! And I had even heard that miso ramen existed here! All of these proved that this world was in no way lacking compared to modern Japan. Despite the fact that this allowed me to feel closer to this world, the thought that this situation was very confusing also ruled my mind. What the hell was wrong with this world? How come the taste of those foods, flavorings, and ingredients was so similar to the one I was used to back in my past life? Did this fact mean that anything that was possible in the modern world, say Japan, was also possible in this world? Well, I wouldn¡¯t discount this fact at all. After all, with the mass production of various magic tools, I was sure that the existence of a modern transportation system and infrastructure was surely present as well. In fact, perhaps the only area they had yet to develop was something equivalent to the IT industry and communication industry or even the 4th industrial revolution. Then again, though it seemed that they had yet to create TV and radio, it might be because these things were related to national secrets. After all, wasn¡¯t that how it was like in isekai? Heck, if this was like an RPG game, then communication via magic must have existed. After all, magic did exist in this world. So, it should have been developed already. Only, it was exclusive to the upper-class and yet to be used by common people. In that vein of thought, I was sure that magic train and magic car existed too. ¡­ This¡­ was basically the same as when I was still living in Japan, huh. The civilization had already matured. Thus, I deemed that domestic affair cheat was pretty much unnecessary at this point. Well, aside from that, the thing that had been in my mind was on my swordsmanship training. Considering the evidence that this world¡¯s civilization was no less advanced than modern Japan, I wondered why swords were still prevalent in this world. Was it because there was no gun and that was why I had never heard about the danger and importance of guns? Or was it something else? For example, it did exist, but for one reason or another, the government decided to restrict it. I meant, it could potentially replace magic, couldn¡¯t it? Anyway, another thing that surprised me was the government. Because, even though the civilization level approached that of the modern days on earth, the government system was still that of monarchy for some reason. I meant, usually, there should already be a seed of democracy that sprouted with such developed civilization. If this was the case, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. However, we were still in monarchy! Was it because this kingdom is a constitutional monarchy I wonder? Eh, nevermind. I shook the wandering thought away from my mind. This matter did not concern me in the slightest after all. Well now, I wonder what should I do in this world, then? I suppose, for the time being, I should properly train to inherit the position as the next head of marquiss family from my father and then I would govern my future territory. Still, the level of this civilization had severely restricted my method to make easy money. After all, the level of basic education of this world should be fairly high to be able to advance to this stage. Moreover, since there was magic, a school that taught us the basics for magic should also exist! With that, at the very least, even if I was inept at magic, I wouldn¡¯t be regarded as a useless-jobless adult since I had basic knowledge of magic and magecraft from my past! Well, aiming for graduating with the highest grade in the educational institute in this world aside, I would have to learn how to act like a proper noble son as well. However, there was a problem with this plan. It was a simple problem really, but it was a deadly one because the fact was¡­ I was stupid. It was evident from how my scores in my previous life were like. I had only ever gained below the average scores since I hated studying in the first place. And yet, despite my lacking brain, I was born as the eldest son of a noble family? Didn¡¯t this mean that I¡¯m going to be forced to manage the territory when I assume the head of house position then?! Because I got this feeling that, even with the memory of my previous life with me, I still wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the lessons in this world. Yet I didn¡¯t want to be known as a stupid noble either. No. I refused. I didn¡¯t want to become those self-centered and stupid noble I always read about. YES, YOU HEARD ME, I REFUSED TO BECOME THAT KIND OF DANGEROUS CHARACTER!!! No matter how handsome I would become in the future, I was nothing more than a loser if I was reduced to become that kind of character. After all, even the stupid me might laugh if I saw that kind of person. I would even point my finger at them. So, I absolutely wouldn¡¯t become stupid and self-centered noble. No WAY. Haaa¡­ but if I didn¡¯t want to become such a character¡­ the first thing I should do was to study¡­ I guess I should start with learning how to manage the territory. Even though I might have ended up having no idea on what the teacher was talking about¡­ or even having no idea about what I should ask¡­ Don¡¯t underestimate this stupid former commoner! Anyway, even if I couldn¡¯t develop my territory, I could still maintain it as long as I had excellent subordinates with me. ¡­ Wait, no. It was too soon to give up. Don¡¯t give up, me! Fight! In the end, after all the thinking I had done, I learned that education was important no matter in which world you are. If I remembered it correctly, this corresponded to the saying ¡®knowledge is an extremely light asset¡¯ ¡­ right? Anyhow, let¡¯s study as much as possible from now on to decrease the burden for my future self. Yosh, since I had decided, let¡¯s set the aim. Hmm, alright, let¡¯s become as smart as father! What? There was nothing wrong with using my father as standard¡­ right? I WILL DEFINITELY DO I~T!!! I swore upon the brassiere and pants that were hanged in this place. At that time¡­ ¡°I found you, Young Master¡­ Why are you raising your fist?¡± DAMMIT, HE FOUND ME! And here I thought Kevin was the wimpy type, who didn¡¯t have the courage to step into this sanctuary. ¡°I never expect you are actually hiding in this kind of place, Young Master. Well, Young Master is a man too after all.¡± Kevin said as he looked at the hanging brassiere and pants with a playful smile on his face. However, I was not paying him any attention at all. Uhm, Kevin. Behind you, behind you. You end up bringing people along with you to this place, you dummy. I told him with my eyes. Alas, he didn¡¯t seem to realize my eye message. ¡°Oh my, I wonder what are these two gentlemen doing in this place?¡± A young maid said with a pleasant smile on her face. However, I somehow saw a hannya-like stand materializing behind her for some reason. [TL : Jojo¡¯s Bizarre Adventure reference] And it was precisely that non-existent stand that prevented Kevin and I from escaping. In the end, both of us got a mouthful of scolding from Martha and the other maids. Alas, while I was fine after some time, poor Kevin got completely ignored for a while after that. It¡¯s¡­ not my fault, right? . .. ¡­ Sorry, Kevin. I ended up genuflecting to ask for his forgiveness after I saw Kevin¡¯s eyes looking like a dead fish¡¯s eyes on the third day since he received such treatment from the maids CH 7 7 It Takes a Long Time Until The Meeting TN : 7/15 === I, Theodore Goldberg, was happily swinging my wooden sword(rolling pin) under the clear blue sky on this day as well. Hmm? You¡¯re asking why I was using this rolling pin from the kitchen? Well, it was because the wooden sword that Kevin had prepared for me turned out to be too heavy for me to lift properly. As such, I had no choice but to use this. Eh? You were asking why was I not afraid of being scolded by the maids anymore? Well, apparently the one we used last time couldn¡¯t be used for cooking anymore, so they ended up buying two new ones. Ergo, they allowed me to use the old one. Though, I did feel sorry towards the chef for ruining the rolling pins. Sorry, Chef! Anyway, that was why the carefully prepared wooden sword was still lying in wait in my room. I suppose I could only try to use it after I grew up a little bit more. Then again, I guess that way was more normal. After all, as far as I knew, the nobles only started training their children in swordsmanship when they reached the age of five. However, according to Kevin, since I insisted on starting the lesson now¡­ ¡°Well, it should be fine for you to start now as long as it is just running around with that pole in your hands. Especially since there¡¯s no need to worry about the correct form or style for you. However, when the time is right, I¡¯ll drill those into you even if you don¡¯t want to learn it, Young Master.¡± Considering this, it seemed that he was trying to raise my stamina and physical fitness first by making me play with him. Furthermore, when I was panting with exhaustion, he would go and taunt me. ¡°Oh my, giving up already?¡± Throwing out such lines, he would provoke me. Seeing this, I was sure that he was holding a grudge against me over the fact that I had ignored him before. But still¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but get angry and glared at him and his stupid grin. Especially when I realized that all the running he did while accompanying me wasn¡¯t even enough to make him break a sweat. Anyway, thanks to that exhausting exercise, I slept like a log that afternoon. However, marked my words, Kevin. Although I might lose this time, I was definitely going to make you scream ¡®Gyagu¡¯ in ten years. [TL: Gyafu¨C> Expression of someone choking due to their miserable defeat.] Swordsmanship training aside, the progress of my study was quite favorable too. Not only had I learned the letter used in this world, but the amount of vocabulary I learned also increased by days. Naturally, I had yet to learn it all. For example, I still had a hard time composing a sentence with correct grammar using this world¡¯s language. This world language was just like the Japanese language, there were several rules to use it properly, such as the corresponding letter or the greeting at the beginning of the letter. Additionally, there were even additional gibberish jargons that nobles needed to learn. When I remembered that I had to learn those gibberish jargons, I felt really depressed. Especially since I not only had to learn how to read it, I had to see through the meaning behind those gibberish sentences as well. Haa¡­ Well, language studies aside, my mathematical studies were going very well. My tutor even said that I was an arithmetic genius. Then again, it was only natural. After all, there was no way I would ever stumble on the kindergarten-level calculation. Otherwise, as a former high school student, I would be too ashamed to ever show my face again. But of course, please spare me from the topics like integral and differential. There were other subjects I had to learn as well, such as geography and history. There were also magecraft lessons that replaced science lessons in this life. Why was I learning magic right now, you ask? Well, although I couldn¡¯t use magic right now, this lesson was done to prepare for the time when I could use magic and its danger. Not only that, but it was also to introduce the mainstream magic and element. However, there was a special note that the tutor told me about. One shouldn¡¯t expect to cast flashy magic like the one depicted in the fairytales. Still, I wondered to myself¡­ Could I even understand how to use magic when the textbook was as thin as the children¡¯s picture books? Oh well, for now, let¡¯s cram as much magic knowledge as possible before I turned te~n! Fight me! ¡ó The days passed by in this way until a certain day. On that day, everyone was busy ever since morning arrived. When I asked them what occasion they were preparing for, they looked surprised. Faced with their flabbergasted expression, I pouted. I didn¡¯t hear anything about this matter, you know? So, why were you looking at me like that? ¡°Young Master, today is the day you¡¯re going to meet Marquis-sama. Do you remember that there¡¯s a messenger from the royal capital who came just the other day, right? They brought with them the news that Marquis-sama has called for you. So, today is the day you¡¯re going to go and visit your parents.¡± I see¡­ Wait, does that mean I can leave the mansion now?! I looked towards them with bright and questioning eyes. ¡°Yes, today marks the first time you will leave this mansion. That¡¯s why you¡¯re being made to dress up properly. Let¡¯s show them you¡¯re studying properly during their absence, shall we?¡± YAAAY~, finally, I could see the outside wo~rld!!! Soon, I had fully prepared myself. My attires were spick and span, I looked every inch the noble I was born as in this world. I then stood in front of the mansion front-door, waiting. Before long, a carriage stopped in front of me and opened its door. Carri¡­ age? Seriously, a carriage? It¡¯s not an automobile or a magic car? I looked at it, dumbfounded, not expecting it at all. Furthermore, it was using a horse to propel it forward. A genuine, living horse. It was not some sort of horse golem I had thought it would be when I saw the carriage. Faced with this unexpected sight, I really had to wonder to myself. What in the hell is wrong with this world¡¯s civilization? ¡°Ah, this must be the first time you¡¯ve ever seen a horse. Want to get a closer look, Young Master?¡± Kevin asked as he lifted me up, bringing me closer to the horse¡¯s face. IT¡¯S HUGE!!! I yelped slightly before curiosity overcame me as I asked, ¡°Can I¡­ touch it?¡± ¡°Yes, but move your hand slowly, so you don¡¯t agitate it. After that, brush the bridge of its nose.¡± Following Kevin¡¯s instruction carefully, I brushed the bridge of the horse¡¯s nose and marveled to myself. Yup, it¡¯s a genuine, living horse. At this, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp. Whoah, adding my previous life to this one, this is the first time I see a real horse from up close. I stared at it in wonder while it stared back at me. What is this creature? What? Its eyes are so gentle¡­ ¡°Thank goodness, it seems that this guy likes you too, Young Master.¡± Really? That¡¯s for the best then. I thought with a beam. Then, I waved my hand in greeting toward the horse. It was like telling him to ¡®please take care of me¡¯. After I was done with that, I boarded on the carriage along with Martha, and we set off. Along the way, I clung to the window, enjoying the passing scenery with relish. However, soon, the sight of the garden passed by and was replaced by the avenue. Idly, I thought that the speed of our movement was slower than when I rode the bicycle. Was it because I was riding in the carriage that it became slower? Meh, couldn¡¯t be. Anyway, unlike my expectation that came from reading various novels, my butt didn¡¯t hurt at all. The shaking was only around the level of how it was like when I rode a bus in my previous life. From this, I could see that the suspension system already existed in this world. Additionally, the seat was comfortable and fluffy as well. Still¡­ Geez, what the heck is up with this world¡¯s civilization? Everything is mismatched somehow. While I was riding the carriage, Kevin and the other soldiers surrounded the carriage, acting as my bodyguard. Two were placed in front, and two were placed in the back with Kevin moving freely in between. Thus, the total of escorts I had with me was five people. Including the coach and Martha, there were a total of seven people who followed me on this journey. And that was only me, a child. If I was replaced with my father or my mother, I wonder how many escorts would follow them? Hmm¡­ Nope, I couldn¡¯t imagine just how many escorts would be needed for one trip alone. Well, I suppose this was why they couldn¡¯t come back too often. Anyway, regardless of the possible reasons, it didn¡¯t matter to me. After all, I would meet my parents again soon. Ah~ I couldn¡¯t wait to meet the~m! Then again, maybe it was better if we reduce the number of the escort as much as possible after this. While musing on the thought, we finally left the avenue area and arrived at the main residence where my father was staying around ten minutes later. And yes, you didn¡¯t hear me wrong. As a matter of fact, my father¡¯s place wasn¡¯t that far. It was basically just the next house. That was just how vast the site for the mansion was. If I were to measure it, perhaps the site of the mansion could be compared to a certain super huge research building of a certain famous university back in my previous life. [TL: Particle accelerator] How come I compared it with that site? Well, I meant, my mother had her own mansion. So was my father. Furthermore, there was also the mansion that was prepared exclusively for the guests. Not only that, but several buildings were also built close to the mansion that was dedicated to the chamberlain, maids, the soldiers, and also the gardeners. Basically, it was the abode exclusively for those who took care of the mansions. Furthermore, we even had a leveled ground called parade ground and a ground for horses and stables. Not to forget, there was a parking lot specially reserved for the carriages we owned too¡­ Erm, well, I suppose I could only explore my house (the entire site really) after I grew up a bit older. Anyway, after going around in a circle-shaped garden, the carriage finally stopped in front of a door. The driver opened the carriage¡¯s door and I descended. At that time, the chamberlains and maids had already lined up on both sides and bowed down to welcome my arrival. Honestly, seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were doing the staffs¡¯ ceremony when they opened and closed the department store back in my past life. They made me feel like I was not in my home at all, and I couldn¡¯t help but want to ask them to spare me. Please tone it down, guys. ¡°Welcome, Theodore-sama. I¡¯m the grand chamberlain of this mansion, Sebas. I¡¯m the one who will entertain you today, feel free to ask me if you need anything.¡± The one who addressed me was a nice looking middle-aged man whose appearance practically screamed ¡®I¡¯m a butler!¡¯ to me. Well, he is a butler. A real one! He¡¯s definitely not a cosplayer. Woo~w. I thought, starry-eyed. ¡°Thank you, Sebas. Please take care of me. Can I meet my father right away?¡± However, when he heard my reply, Sebas¡¯ eyes slightly widened. He seemed to be surprised, but why? EH? What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something wrong just now? I thought, timidly looking at Kevin and Martha who stood behind me. However, I saw that they were grinning from ear to ear, causing me to worry. Are you two alright? I asked with my eyes, but then Sebas started to speak. ¡°My apologies for the discourtesy, Theodore-sama. Yes, Master has already been waiting for you. Please, follow me. This way.¡± Eeeh, he has been waiting, huh. Sorry, dad. Hearing that, I hurried after Sebas while saying, ¡°Thank you for waiting. I deeply apologize for making him wait for me.¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s alright. Master also can¡¯t wait to see Theodore-sama again. It¡¯s just Theodore-sama happens to arrive faster than the scheduled time, surprising us. No one is at fault for this matter.¡± ¡°Is that so? Thank you very much.¡± What¡¯s wrong with you, Sebas? Are you sure you¡¯re not sick today? I wondered silently, even as I eyed the way the chamberlains, maids, Martha, and Kevin looked like they¡¯re desperately enduring their laugh. Geez, increase the pace, please. Soon, we arrived in the parlor that was located deep in the mansion. As expected of the main residence, all the corridors were wiped clean, as if they would shine at any moment. Furthermore, it was devoid of any kind of decoration that nouveau riche liked. Instead, the decoration exuded dignity and elegance. Anyhow, I entered the parlor and saw a youth in his twenties turning around to see me. His face was very gentle. This marked my first meeting with my father. CH 8 8 My Parent are Confused TN : 8/15, Turning Point¡­ Or Not === Owen Goldberg, my father. He was a very handsome man with long blonde hair that was tied with string and draped to his shoulder. [TL :Picture] When I looked at him, my impression about my father was that he looked like someone with a soft demeanor and ephemeral-like smile. However, he looked tired. Did he get a lot of jobs lately? I wondered since the last time we met, which was half a year ago, he looked very healthy and lively. ¡°Master, Theodore-sama has arrived.¡± Sebas presented me before sending a fleeting gaze at me. Receiving that gaze, I was at first startled, but soon I was able to realize what he wanted. Eh? Aah, I see. It¡¯s my turn to give my greeting, huh. ¡°Long time no see, father. Thank you very much for this invitation. I am Theodore and I¡¯m looking forward to spending my time with you today.¡± I greeted with a bow before straightening myself. However, when I looked toward my father, I found that his eyes were wide opened from my introduction, causing me to inwardly panic. I didn¡¯t make any mistake with my greeting, right? I fret. Fortunately, my father¡¯s next sentence cleared up my worries. ¡°Dear me, it¡¯s only been half a year since the last time we met, and yet you¡¯ve already grown so much. I¡¯m really surprised. How do you do, Theodore?¡± Thank goodness I hadn¡¯t made any mistakes. I thought as I responded, ¡°I¡¯m healthy as usual, father. However, you look tired. What happened to you, father? Are you being overwhelmed by your job?¡± But he only showed a wry smile toward me when I asked him that question, waving that matter aside with a smile as he said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. This place just got a little bit busier lately. Anyhow, it¡¯s still too early for you to worry about this matter. That aside, can you come closer? Father wants to have a closer look at your face.¡± He said that with his arms spread. Seeing that, I naturally ran toward his embrace without hesitating. ¡°Aah, you¡¯ve become so heavy now. Have you been eating your meal properly?¡± ¡°Yes, I love the meals.¡± ¡°Young Master Theodore has always enjoyed his meal, Master. That¡¯s why the head chef becomes more fired up when he cooks for him.¡± Hearing the additional information Martha added, Father nodded with a satisfied expression. ¡°That¡¯s for the best, then. And I¡¯ve heard from Martha, but have you really started to take a lesson? That¡¯s a good thing, and I¡¯m not discouraging you from learning more knowledge, but you should play outside from time to time too. Enjoy your childhood more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I¡¯ve been doing that too! I play everyday with Kevin, and I¡¯m also starting to swing my wooden sword. Not only that, I also study from time to time.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s great. Then, if you¡¯re truly enjoying it to your heart content, I won¡¯t interfere. But, don¡¯t force yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Uooh, thankfully he isn¡¯t the spartan type, but a good Papa instead~. Really, I¡¯m glad that this person is my father instead of those strict noble fathers from the novels and mangas. Still, though he said that, it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll stop striving forward. It¡¯s for my own sake after all. I mean, I managed to pass middle school despite being fully aware that I was an idiot just by working hard. While feeling glad, I began to tell my father everything I usually did in my daily life. In the middle of recounting my daily activities to him, another person entered the parlor. It was my mother. My mother, Serena, was also guided by Sebas when she entered the parlor. And with just one look, you would admit that my mother was a very beautiful woman. Her slightly wavy light blonde hair that was flowing down to her hip, her elegant and graceful figure and movement¡­ Everything of hers gave people an ephemeral impression. When Father and Mother stood next to each other, the sight they made was quite a picturesque one. However, was she the reason behind Father¡¯s haggard appearance? I meant, she also looked really lively half a year ago, but now¡­ Did something happen between them during that time? ¡°You¡¯ve grown so big in half a year, Theodore. Are you healthy?¡± ¡°Yes, Mother. I¡¯m as healthy as ever. Have you lost some weight since we last met, Mother? Have you been eating properly?¡± Just like father, mother also widened her eyes when I asked her. However, for some reason, her surprised expression was instantly replaced with a sad one. Eeh?! Did I just go overboard this time? I thought as my inner-self flailed around in panic. ¡°Fufufu, even my child is worrying about me, I see. I¡¯m alright, Theo. Don¡¯t worry, Mother will always protect you.¡± Having said that, she suddenly put me into her embrace without warning, confusing me greatly. EH?! CUUUT, WAIT A MINUTE THERE, MAMAN! Like hell could I just ignore what she had said out of nowhere moments ago. What was happening here?! ¡°Are you still insisting on that matter? I¡¯ve told you that that person¡¯s words are complete nonsense, right? Believe me, nothing is going to happen to Theodore. Honestly, you should kick that suspicious person out of our home immediately.¡± ¡°But, dear, are you really fine with that? After knowing what is going to happen to Theo in the future!¡± EH?! SAY WHAT?! SINCE WHEN DID THIS TALK TURN INTO THE TALK ABOUT MY FUTURE?! Please stop glaring at each other and explain, Papa, Mama! ¡°I think what you¡¯re worrying about won¡¯t happen to Theodore in the future. And please, don¡¯t just blindly accept what that person¡¯s said. You¡¯re not that foolish, right?¡± ¡°I know! Of course I know that! But¡­ but! That female fortune teller is telling the truth. Everything she was saying was right, even the matter about our children! At this rate, Theo might just really get caught into that unfortunate future. Please, please just give THAT thing for our Theo¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°And like what I¡¯ve said before, we can¡¯t do that! THAT thing is our heirloom that I inherited from my father, which was something that was entrusted to him by the previous king. I can¡¯t just give that to someone of suspicious origin.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t a suspicious person. She¡¯s a famous fortune teller!¡± ¡°Famous in where?! Just listen to me, please kick that woman out of our home!¡± ¡°DEAR!¡± UOOO, WHAT SHOULD I DO? IS THIS THE INFAMOUS COUPLE QUARREL? SOMEONE, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD DO DURING THIS TIME! I inwardly shouted, looking at the two with distressed eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to quarrel! This is the matter of life or death for Theodore-sama! Please don¡¯t make light of the divine revelation, Marquiss Goldberg!¡± At this time, another voice cut in, having opened the door during the tail-end of my parents¡¯ quarrel. It was an auntie with heavy make-up while wearing this veil to cover her face, and she was saying something that was completely incomprehensible to me. ¡°The God hath spoken to me. Offering your heirloom will prevent the disaster from befalling on thee¡¯s soneth! Now, obey this divine revelation!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What the heck. It was just a third-rate fraud. CH 9 9 The Cause of Panic TN : 9/15 === Hmm, let¡¯s see what we have got currently. There was an auntie who had just trespassed into the parlor while saying something about divine revelation and blablabla ¨C Uh, sorry, it was so unimportant that my mind automatically filtered it as old coot¡¯s blathering -, looking proud and self-important in front of my father. She was saying something along the line of my father not having other children or his territory experiencing a crisis if he refused to give whatever item it was as an offering to God. Really? Was she saying that I had a bleak future waiting for me? Not only that, but she also went so far as saying that if my father refused to offer whatever item it was, God would curse him down to my father¡¯s descendants¡­ Did she really take us as idiots? And frankly speaking, what she said just now was beyond rude. Not only that, but putting her rudeness aside, did she really expect us to do as she said just because she claimed she was conveying God¡¯s words? Really? If we did that, then it would be the biggest mistake we could do. After all, from various history lessons, it had been acknowledged that following the words from divination in anything was a bad idea. The act of involving divination in politics didn¡¯t only happen in my past life¡¯s world, but also in this life¡¯s world. And if we traced back the history, we would find that this act happened even before the founding of this kingdom. Anyway, the woman finally said something that simply sounded too suspicious for me. She was saying God this and God that since before, but which one did she mean? After all, there were many faiths in this world, and so many religious people as well. Besides, the trend was currently dwindling. In fact, in this day and age, the religions in this world were treated the same way they were treated in Japan. People would still hold a memorial service for their ancestors, do a new year greetings, or bury the deceased. And though they still respect and fear the unseen, there were very few people who would hold onto their faith until it became a hindrance for their daily life. Therefore, as someone who used to live in that kind of society, having someone saying things like God was asking for an offering sounded more like a farce to me. However, my mother trusted that shady fortune teller. ¡­ No, she might not have wanted to trust that woman, but things developed in such a way that she had no other choice but to trust that woman. AAH, this might be something similar to THAT! It was something that happened in my past life. At that time, my sister had just graduated from high school. But then my mother received a prank call that claimed my sister was kidnapped. Hearing that, my mother and I both went into a panic, while saying, ¡°What should we do? Onee-chan got kidnapped!¡± All the while, my sister was in front of us, eating the rice cracker and looking at us with amusement. Finally noticing her there, we calmed down right away and wiped out our sweat. And when we made a report to the police, they only told us that ¡®such prank calls happened so many times around this time of the year¡¯. Furthermore, they even told us to ¡®make sure that you don¡¯t give them anything even if they demand ransom money.¡¯ Or, like that time my sister went back to our family¡¯s home after she divorced her husband. On that occasion, my nephew was crying while saying things like, ¡®the police will come to catch me for embezzling the company¡¯s mone~y¡¯. Though at that time, he added: ¡®I¡¯m still too young! But kaa-san, what¡¯s a company anyway~?!¡¯ which neatly diffused the situation. Recalling that memory, I could vouch once again that yup, no matter which world it was, every mother seemed to be weak against their children. Even my mother in this life went into panic when the shady fortune teller came up with an unrealistic story about my future. However, at this rate, she might ended up being forced to buy something expensive like some b*ullshi*t amulet or lucky-jar . Or perhaps the amount of money that my mother expended for that shady fortune teller had reached an amount that troubled my father, and that was why they were quarreling? Oh, I got sidetracked. Anyway, this case was surely similar to that case. You know, the one in which a priest, fortune teller, and accessory merchant were in cahoot. In other words, this was a case of swindling. However, if this was truly the case, then the merchants who came into our residence were also suspicious. But we couldn¡¯t bring this case to the court, what with our position as a noble, since we would definitely be put at a disadvantage if we did that. And if I couldn¡¯t solve this case now, I could already see the future where my family kept being swindled by these kinds of people. Therefore, I must checkmated this old hag right here, right now. Now, enjoy your last moment, you shi*tty old woman. First, I took a look at her big necklace, bangles, and rings. With just one glance, I could tell that all those items did not match with one another. Simply speaking, her style was a mess, as if she had just grabbed whatever accessories were available around her to trick my mother. Seriously, her fashion sense was just that horrible. Anyway, after checking that, I looked at the maid standing behind the shi*tty old woman. Although she was wearing a uniform that was similar to the one our maids wore, the look of her eyes caught my attention as it looked as if she was ridiculing my flustered mother deep in her heart. Noticing this oddity, I inwardly grinned. I see now. Q.E.D. ¡°Kevin, I need your help.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± After whispering several instructions to Kevin, I directed my attention towards that shady fortune teller and spoke. ¡°Hey, Aunty, you keep saying that some sort of disaster will fall on me. However, you¡¯ve never mentioned what it is. Can you tell me about said disaster?¡± ¡°Theodore! You don¡¯t need to worry about such things! Just let mama bear that burden for you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry, mom.¡± My mother had embraced me tightly in her arms, as if she was not willing to part with me. However, at this time, it was detrimental to my plan, so I desperately pushed her back with my arms. At that time Ò» ¡°Theodore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, dad. Please hold mom for a minute.¡± My father finally nodded in agreement after he looked at my face for a while. He then retreated some distance away while bringing mother with him. At this time, Martha and Kevin who were waiting behind me gave me a nod, so I readied myself. Meanwhile, although Sebas looked anxious since he didn¡¯t know what I was planning, he kept watching the event that was about to unfold. Ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. When I looked back at that old woman, I spotted her eyes twitching for a moment, but it was only for an instant as it was soon replaced with a wretched smile. ¡°Well, well, you must be Theodore-sama, right. I¡¯m Tara, the fortune teller. You may call me Tara.¡± ¡°Kay¡¯, aunty. Then, tell me about my destiny.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tara, Theodore-sama. This Tara can change your fate and improve your luck. And this Tara will show you how she can drive away the disaster that is about to befall upon you. However, to accomplish that, you need to offer me the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ in the earl¡¯s possession. That¡¯s why Theodore-sama, you need to persuade Earl-sama, so he will offer the tiara to me. This is for your own safety.¡± ¡°I said to tell me more about that disaster, right? Are you deaf, aunty?¡± Uwaah, that must be the most amazing and most cramped smile she made until now. Interesting. ¡°T-The disaster is a disaster. I can¡¯t tell you more about it. But- But I knew that Theodore-sama is going to be hit by a disaster a few years into the future. Right now, the disaster is being impeded by the good deeds Selina-sama did. However, it is only a matter of time before the disaster befall upon you. Thus, unless you offer the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ to God, you won¡¯t be able to avoid it. In fact, as long as you offer the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯, everything would disappear all at once. This Tara guarantees it. Teodore-sama¡¯s future should be safe as long as you offer the tiara.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand since you talked too much, but I do know one thing. I know that you actually know nothing about this so-called disaster, am I right, aunty? In short, you have no idea about my future, right? All this talk about disaster is just your way to swindle money from my mother, right?¡± ¡°Are you mocking me, this Tara?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I just want to know about the disaster in my future that you¡¯re talking about.¡± After glaring at me for a while, the aunty suddenly burst into a laugh. ¡°I see. You want a proof, right? Well, you shall see with your own eyes. The act of cursing me, the God¡¯s proxy itself, is the evidence that Theodore-sama is possessed by an evil spirit. I, this Tara, will expose your true nature right now!!¡± Whoah, look at her going. Even though I was just asking her to show the proof, she directly went on and placed the blame onto the non-existent evil spirit in me. You really have to admire her dedication to swindle people, really. ¡°O, SPIRIT IN HEAVEN AND EARTH, CLEANSE THE EVIL SPIRIT THAT IS POSSESSING THIS BOY¡¯S SOUL¡­¡± After the aunty said that, she started mumbling. Then, a gust of wind suddenly blew into the room out of nowhere. ¡°AAH, THEO! THEODORE! LET IT BE ME! PLEASE, PUNISH ME INSTEAD OF MY SON! PLEASE FORGIVE THEO!!¡± ¡°Theodore!¡± At this time, both father and mother were starting to lose their calm. However, I only smiled at them, silently telling them that: It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m safe and sound. Meanwhile, the gust of wind was blowing more and more violently by each passing moment. It even managed to blow away some of the furniture in the room. ¡°KEVIN!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± ¡°KYAAA!¡± Kevin immediately made his move as soon as I signaled him, and pinned down the maid that was standing behind the aunty. As soon as he pinned that maid down, the gale stopped. After that, Sebas picked up the board-like thing that rolled down from the maid¡¯s hand and looked over it before saying, ¡°¡­ Wind magic tool!¡± Ooh, as expected. It¡¯s a paltry trick, huh. While musing over that, I gave a thumb-up to Kevin to indicate ¡®job well done¡¯. However, at that time, I was suddenly embraced tightly from behind. ¡°AAH, THEO! THEODORE! THANK GOD YOU¡¯RE SAFE!¡± It was my mother. ¡°Theodore-kun is¡­ good grief¡­¡± Father also came up and embraced both Mother and I, looking as if he was about to break into a cry. But despite the fact that my parents were looking distressed, I was feeling happy instead. After all, from this embrace, I could tell that their problem would be solved soon. CH 10 10 The Investigation Result is a S-E-C-R-E-T ¡°W-w-w¡­¡± ¡°Aah, this thing seems to be the reason for the wind just now. Anyway, sorry for the interruption. Do please continue what you were doing. Something about cleansing the evil spirit in my body, right?¡± I urged the flustered aunty to continue with her nonsense. Well, she would be in great trouble if she kept on saying those nonsense, though. ¡°Is something the matter, aunty? Aren¡¯t you still in the middle of purifying the evil spirit in me? Why aren¡¯t you continuing?¡± As I continued insisting, cold sweats started to appear on that aunty¡¯s forehead. It seemed she also knew that it was a checkmate for her. Well, I suppose it¡¯s time to stop playing around. The rest would be taken care of by father and the others. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m hungry. How about we invite Mom for lunch?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already that time, huh? Sorry for forgetting the time, Son. Serena, since this is the first time Theo invited us directly for a meal, please accompany him for a while. I¡¯ll be there later¨D after I take care of my duty.¡± Nice, it seems my father caught my cue. ¡°I understand. Well then, we¡¯ll be waiti~ng Dad.¡± ¡°Ah, can you lend Kevin to me for a bit? I need him to do something for me for the moment.¡± Eeh¡­ so you want to make sure that anything that happened just now won¡¯t spread outside, huh? Roger that, Dad. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then, Kevin.¡± ¡°Understood. Well, it can¡¯t be helped since is the one who is asking personally.¡± Despite his words, somehow, Kevin seemed pleased. Oh, well. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going, Mom. You have to leave your maid here, though, since it looks like Dad is going to need her to run an errand for him. However, it¡¯ll be okay! Martha is coming with us to help whatever we may need. Well, it may be a bit difficult for you to adjust to someone you¡¯re not familiar with¡­¡± I said as I led my mother out of the room with Martha faithfully following me. ¡°Eh? Theodore? Owen?¡± ¡°Worry not, Serena. I¡¯ll make sure to come later. At that time, let¡¯s enjoy our meal together.¡± Although bewildered, my mother seemed to be beginning to come to her senses, so I quickly led her out of the room and mansion altogether. When we got out, a carriage had already been prepared for us. As expected of Sebas. He worked fast. Pushing Mother into the carriage, Martha and I followed before we departed from that mansion with the escorts. There were three escorts who would follow us this time. And one of them seemed to have gone ahead to inform the other sides of our imminent approach. ¡ó ¡°Uhm, Theodore? Mama doesn¡¯t understand what happened back then, but what are we going to do now?¡± At this moment, when we were inside the carriage, my mother had finally become fully aware and cognizant. Hence she began to ask me for an explanation over what had happened before. ¡°Let¡¯s see, right now we¡¯re going to have lunch in my mansion. By the way, mama¡­¡± I hesitated, but this was something I really wanted to know since a while ago, so I continued. ¡°You said you were pregnant but then miscarried the baby before, right? Have you ever tried to visit a doctor after that?¡± If she really was pregnant and then miscarried the baby, she should have gone to consult the doctor properly. However, if she didn¡¯t go, then it might be due to that aunty and maid¡¯s influence. ¡°Visit¡­ a doctor? But¡­ shouldn¡¯t having a midwife around be enough for pregnancy¡­?¡± ¡°Dear madam, please forgive me for interrupting this conversation, but don¡¯t you remember that you received the doctor¡¯s examination when you were pregnant with Theodore-sama? At that time, the doctor, midwives, and the maids, all of us were there and witnessed Theodore-sama¡¯s birth to prevent any accident. However, my apologies for being blunt Madam, this time we, the maids, heard nothing about you being pregnant or of you miscarrying the baby until I heard Theodore-sama¡¯s question a moment ago. This was something we should¡¯ve heard of, so we could prepare the doctors and midwives. However, for Madam to think a midwife is enough for pregnancy¡­ dear madam, from where did you hear that a midwife is enough for this matter?¡± Oohh, good job Martha! I¡¯ll give you my cake later! I crowed in delight inwardly. That was right. It was strange that such a happy occurrence didn¡¯t reach my ears at all. So, the possibility that no one aside from Mother, that aunty and that maid being the only one who knew about this matter was very high. And this suspicion was proven by Mother¡¯s following words. ¡°Tara and¡­ Mira.¡± ¡°Mira is it¡­ are you referring to the maid who used that wind magic tool before?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I was so stupid to believe in them. I¡¯m sorry, Theodore.¡± ¡°Mama¡­¡± I suppose there was no need for me to say anything more, so I simply embraced my crying mother in silence. After all, she must be blaming herself right now, but really¡­ it was not her fault at all! The one who tried to trick her was the bad one! That¡¯s why I really wanted her to stop blaming herself. Anyway, realizing that she got tricked was enough. Besides, she was a noble, someone with privilege. Thus, she had many people around her who would make their move to clean this problem up for her. And she had Father. As her husband, Father would surely take care of the aftermath of this incident, so she truly did not need to blame herself. ¡ó I had lunch with my mother, distracting her from the unpleasant revelation this morning. However, I didn¡¯t see Martha¡¯s figure among the maids serving me this time. Since she was not there, I figured she must have gone back to Father¡¯s mansion to give her report about the conversation in the carriage, of the duo¡¯s crime, to him. Well, that was fine by me. Anyway, no longer concerning myself about this matter, I dragged Mother to play Reversi with me in the afternoon. However, I won very easily since Mother¡¯s strength was weak. Still, despite being very happy about it since I had always lost against Kevin, in the end I rigged the match in order to allow my mother to win as she was sulking from her consecutive defeats against me. And when the time for afternoon nap arrived, I acted selfish for once and asked Mother to sleep with me. Well, it was not only for my selfish desire, but also because Mother was clearly exhausted from sleep deprivation. That¡¯s why, aside from using this chance to sleep with her and enjoying the small benefit that came with it, it was for Mother¡¯s sake as well. And yes, the small benefit I was talking about was THAT. My mother¡¯s brea*st. It really felt soft and springy. Enjoying the privilege as her son, I drifted to sleep with her. Martha had already returned by the time we woke up from our afternoon nap, so we enjoyed the afternoon tea with her presence there. Then, I showed the result of my studies so far to my mother. And without realizing it, it was already the time for dinner. At this time, Father had come along with Kevin, and we had dinner together. We were only enjoying a fun conversation, though, completely bereft of the topic about that aunty. Well, from this, I suppose at the very least I could have some peace of mind for now. And just like I did with Mother, I also dragged Father to play Reversi with me after we were done with dinner. Alas, the result was completely different than when I was playing with Mother. However, since my father was a good adult ¨C different from a certain adult named Kevin- he allowed me to win. And yes, he allowed me to win so much to the point that even I can see that he was rigging the match. Before long, it was time for us to retire for the night, and once again I used my (currently) undefeated skill ¨C throwing a tantrum- and asked to sleep together with Father and Mother. There was a reason behind my action. Father also looked as exhausted as Mother before. As such I decided to ask this of him and added Mother in to help her as well. After all, in my previous life, I had read that the sleeping face and smile of one¡¯s child was effective to soothe someone who was mentally exhausted. This was not a silly saying as I had proof from my experience, being healed so many times by my little nephew¡¯s smiling face in my previous life when I was mentally exhausted. Ahem, that was why I believe that my father¡¯s mental exhaustion would be soothed by (my) angelic sleeping face. And I was not wrong either as the next day, the two of them were much livelier than the day before. Thank goodness. Apparently, in the afternoon, my father had already made an arrangement for my mother to receive a check up. And the result was as expected. Everything those two said about my mother being pregnant was a big fat lie. They were just using my mother¡¯s irregular menstruation circle to fool her in thinking so. Upon hearing the confirmation from the doctor, my mother burst into tears, realizing that she had really gotten tricked by that aunty and fake maid. Not only that, Mother also kept apologizing to Father and I, all the while blaming herself. Both of us desperately comforted her and told her it was not her fault, though. I meant, this was a normal family problem, so we really didn¡¯t mind. Although, do spare me from explaining the details as I didn¡¯t really want to think about it anymore. Anyway, after this day, Mother had started living together with me in my mansion under Father¡¯s recommendation. Furthermore, my father had also carefully selected the maids to serve her as well. He also assigned a few of them to me as well. From this, I could hazard a guess of what my father was doing. Most probably, he was in the middle of sweeping my mother¡¯s mansion clean, including the employees as well. Still, that was not the only thing that he did. He also visited my mansion every day after he was done with his job and slept with us. So, recently, the three of us would have our breakfast together, before he would go to the main mansion to fulfil his duty as the lord. Then, once his duty for the day was done, he would come back to my mansion for dinner. It seemed the damage caused by that fake fortune teller was quite significant. Witnessing the damage brought by that aunty made me feel very glad that I managed to uncover her trick early. Fortunately, both Father and Mother had become livelier nowadays, so I didn¡¯t need to worry anymore. Moreover, one week later, their faces were very bright as if someone had applied glitters on their face, and they felt like they could float away with how happy they were. Well, looking at their face, it seemed I didn¡¯t have to wait for too long for my brother or sister to be born. Dammit, I¡¯m so jealous of them! I mean, I want to find a cute girl, too! Then, I can do this and that with her! CH 11 11 Monologue of A Certain Marquis TN 11/15 === ¡°The number of people who managed to slip into Madam¡¯s mansion is more than our initial expectation.¡± As Sebas summarized the report verbally to me, I was reading the detailed list I got from him. As I read through it, I couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh. They had actually used the time I was in the royal capital to let so many of their people infiltrate my wife¡¯s mansion. The more I thought about this matter, the more my body slumped into my chair. It¡¯s my fault. While I was blaming myself, Sebas suddenly said, ¡°This matter is my fault. It only happened due to my carelessness in managing the employee, Master. Dispose me as you wish.¡± I could hear the vexation in his voice and see the self-reproach in his face. He seems to be regretting his blunder deeply. Seeing this, I sighed once more and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just make sure the same incident won¡¯t happen again. If this list isn¡¯t wrong, then the one who got employed first is that woman called Mira. She got accepted since there was nothing suspicious about her as the reason she listed in her resume was a wish to learn etiquette, but¡­¡± ¡°Yes, indeed my lord, we were fooled. Before now, there was no indication of her duplicity at all. She was rather meticulous with her plan, working properly as a maid at first and waiting until after the master had gone to visit the royal capital before inviting the people in cahoot with her, including that fake fortune teller, into the mansion.¡± Sebas stopped for a brief moment to control his indignation before continuing. ¡°According to what Maria, the head maid, said. Mira managed to gain Madam¡¯s trust in a short time and had slowly worked toward distancing Madam from her old maid using her eloquence. Naturally, Maria had tried her best to prevent that from happening, but that Mira somehow made it look like Maria was abusing her instead. Thus, causing Madam to get angry at her and distrust her.¡± I was not surprised by Sebas¡¯ recounting. Selena was indeed very kind to everyone. However, this time, it seemed that her kindness had backfire on her. Instead of being returned in kind, someone had taken advantage of that very kindness and almost caused a huge tragedy in our family. Then, suddenly, Sebas bowed deeply towards me. When I wanted him to lift his head, he shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s my oversight. I had heard after that event Maria isn¡¯t even allowed to get close to Madam. At that time, I should have noticed that something was amiss, instead of simply telling Maria to preserve for the time being until the master returned from the royal capital. My deepest apologies, Master. I hadn¡¯t even expected that this blunder would almost cause a¡­ tragedy.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. No one but my son realized that Selena had got tricked by them. Besides, it¡¯s not only you at fault here. I¡¯m also in the wrong for not doubting or saying anything about that situation after I had returned from the royal capital.¡± I consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t let this matter weigh your mind too much. We should now be careful so we won¡¯t fall into the same trap twice in the future. Besides, looking at the bright side, I now realized that Selena¡¯s heart is more delicate than my expectations. Since we now know this, we should be very selective of the people we appoint to attend by her side after this.¡± ¡°Yes! I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone who has bad intentions to ever approach her again. Never.¡± ¡°What about Theodore¡¯s mansion? Should we do a thorough clean up over there as well? Maybe even more so since he¡¯s the heir?¡± ¡°I think we should keep Martha, sir. She¡¯s our head maid in the Young Master¡¯s mansion after all. Furthermore, Young Master is at an important age causing her to insist on keeping a constant companion, as changing Young Master¡¯s caretaker frequently at his current age isn¡¯t a good thing for his growth. She even especially gave me an instruction to stay by Young Master¡¯s side as much as possible.¡± The one who spoke was Kevin, who up until then was standing in the corner of the room. He was the one responsible for reporting the situation over Theodore¡¯s mansion. After all, he was the captain of the small platoon guarding Theodore¡¯s mansion. ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s for the best. Now that you mentioned it, I really should have been more suspicious when there was a sudden appointment for new personnels in Madam¡¯s mansion. At least, more than I was in the hindsight. I mean, increasing the number of personnels without prior notification¡­ that should have raised a red flag in my mind, especially since it was done without an official letter¡­ and yet, I¡­¡± Sebas slumped down even more after saying that. ¡°Come to think of it, did Baron Greyson know what kind of person that woman called Mira is when he introduced her to us?¡± Kevin suddenly asked, wanting to sweep away the atmosphere of self-reproach that hung amongst everyone in the room. ¡°The person himself insisted he had no idea that ¡®Mira¡¯ is such a terrifying woman. However, I think there¡¯s more to this than what is spoken.¡± ¡°Well, I could hazard a guess on what he might say if pressed. Something along the line, ¡®Oh, no. I only received a request from a village chief in my territory, claiming that he wanted her to learn etiquette. I had also checked her background, and nothing of such came up during my investigation. That¡¯s why I¡¯m confident enough to send her to the Marquis¡¯ mansion. I really had no idea that she¡¯s that kind of person!¡¯, right? Furthermore, I believe that that said village had long since been erased from the map, which would mean that we¡¯ll have to abandon further investigation into Mira¡¯s true background.¡± Just like a lizard¡¯s tail. ¡°- If your speculation proves true, which I have no doubt it is, let¡¯s just dispose of all of them immediately. And when someone asked for their whereabouts, we could simply say that they have suddenly vanished from the mansion without a warning. Moreover, that baron¡­ to think that he dares to act so irresponsibly! Sending such a dangerous woman to work in my wife¡¯s mansion!¡± I exclaimed, accidentally letting my ire slip from its rein, before continuing. ¡°We¡¯ll put pressure on Baron Geyson and force him to pay reparation money for this incident. I should be able to force him to do that, right?¡± ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± ¡°Additionally, there¡¯s an increase in the merchant¡¯s traffic as of late, but¡­¡± ¡°Let us investigate the merchants too, Master. Right now, they might have not noticed the situation, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before they realize that the person in contact with them is gone. When they do realize, they might make their move. At that time, it¡¯ll be too late for us to act. Furthermore, perhaps we should investigate the stores and anyone related to Baron Geyson¡¯s house as well.¡± My sentence was cut by none other than the captain of my private army, Rowell. Make no mistake, although he was old and should have already passed his prime, his large frame still didn¡¯t show any sign of decline at all. ¡°I see. You¡¯re right. Based on their action, it was either they really wanted my family¡¯s heirloom, the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯, or they might be aiming for my family¡¯s peerage. Or worse, they might be wanting both of it.¡± I mused out loud. It might really be the case of trying to use my family as their stepping stone. However, to do that, they had to know all about us for it to succeed. ¡°They might be thinking that I was too young to inherit my peerage. After all, peerage isn¡¯t something that someone in their twenties normally can receive. Still¡­ how vexing. To think that a baron is looking down on me just because of my age-. But! It¡¯s not like I want to inherit this position at such a young age, either. I only did so because my father passed away at such a young age¡­ haa~h. What a mess.¡± The other¡¯s lawn is always greener than one¡¯s own, huh. Still, how can that baron think that things are as simple as that? Especially if we consider the difference of scale between our peerage. ¡°Even if you say that, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to let them off just like that, right?¡± Someone said, cutting into my thoughts. ¡°Any idea for that?¡± I looked at Rowell and asked for the best way to handle those merchants. ¡°In my opinion, we should send them a decree. As for the content¡­ let¡¯s just say that they¡¯re under suspicion of having suspicious articles on their hands. Then, after we clear all the suspicious merchants away, we¡¯ll divide the wealth taken from the guilty merchants to their victims. However, to do so, we must do a thorough investigation for this case. Additionally, we also must delay our payment for the items we bought as long as possible.¡± Seeing my reluctant face, Rowell said, ¡°We have no choice in this case, Master. We can¡¯t tell them we¡¯re investigating them. Although I do feel bad for the innocent ones, we really can¡¯t let them go in case we startle the snake out of its nest.¡± Even as he spoke, he looked clearly reluctant. However, he knew that this was the best choice as it would put the culprit in the corner with no way out, so he soldiered on. I nodded my head in agreement and heaved another sigh. This time, in relief. ¡°We¡¯re really saved by Theodore¡¯s quick wit this time. Although I have to admit, some parts of his speech caused me great anxiety. Thankfully nothing happened. Still, when I saw him handling this matter with such a calm face, I¡­ I mean, aren¡¯t he way too wise for a three years old child? Not only that, the way he quickly dispersed Selena¡¯s worries after he unmasked the true nature of those swindlers, along with the way he simply got out of the mansion as if he knew that we¡¯re going to handle the aftermath was simply¡­ Did you teach him how to do all that?¡± I directed my question to my son¡¯s guard. However, Kevin only shrugged his shoulder and said, ¡°Nay. We knew nothing about it. It¡¯s all Young Master.¡± Then, knowing that we were curious, he explained. ¡°He told me about how ¡®that maid and the fortune teller is accomplice.¡¯ before making his move. Moreover, he also told me to apprehend the maid at once upon his signal if she tried to do something with the decoy tactic that we, the employees, had trained together beforehand. Frankly speaking, Master, I¡¯m also very surprised about this as neither me, Martha, or any other employees ever taught him about it. So, no matter how I think about it, the fact that Young Master knew of that tactic itself was strange. In short, I¡¯m equally as surprised as everyone else here.¡± ¡°I see, even you, huh. I guess having too much wisdom will make him look more like a terrifying monster rather than a three years old child.¡± ¡°Although the young master is not like normal children, he is an extremely gentle and caring person. For example, he apologize properly when I feels down due to a certain incident*, and he doesn¡¯t throw a tantrum after I scold him. He also won¡¯t repeat a mistake after we¡¯ve warned him, and always spoke to us with a bright smile on his face. Despite his position, Young Master is really a well-mannered child who doesn¡¯t flaunt his position everywhere and becomes arrogant. Really, having such a young master like him makes us really glad.¡± Kevin defended my son, making me feel glad that my son had people on his corner. As if he feared I would look at my son like he was a monster, Kevin hurried to say, ¡°I and the other employees in the mansion, including Martha, can vouch with our whole being that Young Master is by no mean an evil being. In fact, I think the reason he did what he did today is to protect Madam.¡± ¡°¨D¨D I see. You¡¯re right. Theodore did stay by Selena¡¯s side all this time. I suppose he is doing it to pay attention to Selena¡¯s mental health and because he is assured I¡¯ll deal with the rest. He must have known that he can leave the rest to me ¨D to clean up the mess in Selena¡¯s mansion and its aftermath.¡± Such a kind child was definitely not an evil incarnation as that swindler claimed he was. My son did inherit his kindness from his mother. He¡¯s my, no, he¡¯s our son after all. Fuuh, it seems this fraud incident does take quite a toll in my mind¡­ which was healed when I saw Theodore¡¯s sleeping face. ¡°Nevertheless¡­ for two of such wise children to be born in the same year¡­ I hope it isn¡¯t some sort of omen for the days to come. Still, if it really is, then¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s another wise child aside from Young Master?!¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a rumor about that child being widespread in the royal capital. It says that the three years old daughter from Duke Lilac¡¯s house is a prodigy. I¡¯ve yet to check the truth behind the rumor, though, since I have never met said daughter. However, seeing Theodore just now, I think I understand the base of that rumor.¡± ¡°That means our Young Master is also a prodigy!¡± Kevin remarked with a bright voice. Hahaha, he sounds like a father boasting about his son. I thought, feeling pleased by this as this proved that my son was truly loved by his surroundings. ¡°Ahem! Anyway, it seems the royal family is also keeping an eye at that prodigious duke daughter. It is just my guess, but perhaps it¡¯s only a matter of time before they announce her engagement with the royal family.¡± I continued sharing the rumours from the capital and my speculation of what will happen. However, I then got serious. ¡°That aside¨D¨D make sure you don¡¯t say anything about Theodore to a third party just yet. I want to keep his talent hidden as long as possible. I don¡¯t want the royal family to pay attention to him. It¡¯s still too early for that type of attention. Besides, I think you should¡¯ve already known from our long history.¡± I paused, tone heavy. ¡°An extremely excellent subordinate will only buy grudges from their surroundings. And if we play this poorly, the royal family is the least of our worries. Anyhow, let¡¯s hide him until he reaches adulthood. For his and for our safety. This being the case, please help me keep this matter a secret from everyone.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± My subordinates chorused together in one voice. After this matter was settled, the three of us began to discuss more maneuvers we could use till late at night. CH 12 12¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 2 TN: 12/15 === A few days later, I received a report from the chief of the magic tool research laboratory. It was about the result of the investigation done on the wind magic tool used by Mira. According to the report, it was a disposable magic tool that could only be used once. Not only that, it also had its safety device disabled. ¡°When you say safety device, it means mana absorption control unit, the life force conversion device, the life force conversion control unit, and the magic phenomenon control unit that is usually implemented in every magic tool. However, in this case, all these things are released¡­¡± ¡°My apologies, but I do not have the necessary knowledge behind the know-how of magic tools. Thus, please do explain it to me in a simple language I can understand.¡± ¡°Ah, my bad. It seems I¡¯m too hasty¡­¡± The person who was apologizing while brushing his bald head in sheepishness was a slightly plump man, who also looked mysteriously attractive at the same time, called Horace. He was already working for Goldberg House ever since my father¡¯s generation. He was in fact the said chief of Goldberg Territory¡¯s Magic Tool Research Institute who made this report on my hand. Heeding my request, he took a deep breath and reorganized his words in a simpler way, and began explaining. ¡°You see, magic tool have something called mana absorption control unit which served as¨D¨D¡± Upon the activation of any magic tool, it would absorb the mana of its holder. According to him, the method to start the activation of this tool was by touching the enchanted magic crystal that was fixed on it, which then would absorb the holder¡¯s mana to commence. Normally, he explained, this process shouldn¡¯t even consume more than 0.01% of its holder mana. And after the magic tool was activated, it could be used without providing more mana, as it would take the mana needed from the enchanted magic crystal that had a certain amount of stored mana in it. To ensure this happened, there was a device installed in the magic tool. Something that would prevent it from absorbing more mana than necessary known as¨D¨D mana absorption control unit. ¡°It is something that should be installed in every single magic tool in adherence to the regulation placed on magic tool safety, right? And disabling this safety device violates that very safety regulation, right?¡± ¡°Indeed. It is exactly as you say. And we can safely assume that the inventor of this magic tool is someone with nasty personality. Why do you ask? It¡¯s because this magic tool, once it uses up the mana reserve that is in the enchanted magic crystal, this magic tool will switch to absorbing its holder¡¯s life force and convert it into mana until they die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¨D¨D life force conversion device¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Normally, it¡¯s not something you will install in a magic tool. However, some parts of enchanted weapons do use that device. Those weapons, though, aren¡¯t without safety devices installed in them that will stop the conversion once its holder¡¯s life force falls to a certain level. It uses the absorption control unit to forcefully stop the weapon¡¯s operation to ensure the minimum amount of life force its holders needed to stay alive.¡± ¡°Why such a thing is¡­ no, I mean, is such a dangerous magic tool even safe for use?¡± Sebas asked, voice tinted with trepidation. Ah, right. Of course Sebas is worried. He couldn¡¯t help BUT to worry since he had touched that magic tool with his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a disposable magic tool to begin with and is already used, so it¡¯s fine. However, if not for sudden interruption, the user who used this magic tool you gave me might die once they activated it. I fear that, if that were to happen, it will be used as a blackmail material to threaten Madam. Of course, that is the worst case scenario.¡± ¡°¡­ Did she know that the tool she was using was that terrifying and might take her life?¡± I asked as a seed of an idea formed in my mind. Horace shook his head and denied it. ¡°She had no idea about it at all. It seems she was only told that it is a magic tool that will produce wind. Ah, I almost forget, aside from those I¡¯ve told you, that magic tool also disabled its ¡®Magic Phenomenon¡¯s limiter¡¯. If no one stopped its activation, then this entire mansion might just be razed by a storm right now.¡± It was common knowledge that the activation of magic tools would transform mana into phenomenon. And, normally, every magic tool had a limiter installed in it to limit the scale of phenomenon in order to prevent misuse. However, with what was revealed to me just now, I was alarmed. Whoever the culprit behind this incident was, they wanted me to die. I was very sure of this since there was no other reason for why that particular limiter was disabled. ¡°That was not all, Master. On our end, we discovered that every magic tool we confiscated from the store of the merchants we caught have all its safety devices disabled. We had retrieved it and stored it as evidence. Thankfully, the tools we found were of inferior quality compared to the one carried by Mira, as such there is no victim yet so far we can find. Nevertheless, I¡¯ll hand over those evidence to Horace-sama for investigation.¡± Rowell said, cutting into the conversation with his finding. Momentarily, I felt chills running down my spine upon hearing Rowell¡¯s report, before a rush of hot rage rushed to my head. They even dare to sell these accursed tools in my territory?! How dare they?! ¡°It seems like these are failed products. In my eyes that is. And I believe, the reason for that is because they use the scrapped enchanted magic crystals. Of course, this allows these tools to become disposable magic tools that will break even without a control unit.¡± ¡°How¡¯s the progress of retrieving all this tool?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve made sure to retrieve all of the stocks in the store. However, we might not be able to retrieve some of those that are already sold. Some people might still keep it since nothing has happened to them¡­ yet that is.¡± ¡°Please do your best to retrieve all of it, including those already in the populace¡¯s hands. And continue the investigation about those merchants¡¯ sales route to track the origin of those magic tools and its maker. We¡¯ll definitely find the source of those accursed tools by doing that. Another thing, speed up the preparation for the territory inspection. Let¡¯s crush him thoroughly.¡± I asked Roweel, bowing. ¡°If such tools are spread at a huge scale as this, there¡¯s a high possibility that Baron Geyson might not be the only one involved in this case.¡± ¡°Perhaps some high ranking nobles are involved in this case, too.¡± I muttered, acknowledging this speculation as a possibility. At this time, Horace replied to me and reinforced this speculation, ¡°The evidence we found are only prototypes. And, based on the amount manufactured, it is only possible when they have the backing of high ranking nobles. Still, this thing is dangerous, so let¡¯s pray they have not entered the production stage yet.¡± ¡°And can you tell me the basis for your assumption?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still unclear about the purpose of the creator of these magic tools since it is still an unfinished product and I haven¡¯t researched it beyond the basic scan. And currently, it might still be in the experimental stage. However, a few years¡­ no, maybe in a decade¡­¡± Hearing this, I resist the urge to scream. Such a troublesome lunatic actually goes around freely making this kind of magic tool and spreading it to the people¡­ it¡¯s nothing short of complete and utter disaster! ¡°So¡­ are you speculating that they¡¯re going to make a magic tool that seems to be safe on the surface, while in fact its safety device is disabled, and let it appear in the market as a finished product?¡± ¡°Yes, and that would mean a catastrophe. After all, controlling it after it¡¯s activated is pretty much impossible.¡± Listening to Horace¡¯s hazard, my eyes turned as cold as steel as I said, ¡°I guess I have no choice but to put on political pressure to prevent such a dangerous product from reappearing in the market¡­ well, let¡¯s gather as much evidence as possible in the shortest amount of time, and expose the nobles who are working behind the scene.¡± Having decided so, I then outline the steps that might be needed. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll report this matter to the King as well; to ask for his assistance in exposing this matter to the public as much as possible. At the same time, I should petition to make the regulations around magic tools much stricter than before with the parliament. As for the scenario to use¡­ let¡¯s just use the wind magic tool as evidence along with those merchants as the culprit with Baron Geyson as the mastermind. Mira and that fortune teller has nothing to do with this case.¡± I stopped at this and looked around at everyone¡¯s eyes, ¡°Is that enough to make sure that the one who is manipulating Baron Geyson has no idea that our investigation has already advanced this far? We want to prevent them from cutting their tail. After all, we need to wait for the right moment to expose their crime in one single swoop.¡± Rowell bowed to me, agreeing with the script I come up with. Fuuh, I never expected that things are more complicated than I expected. Are they truly willing to go that far for a mere ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯? I wondered before deciding to ask. ¡°Horace, I want to ask something that falls under your expertise. In your competence as a magic tool¡¯s researcher, what meaning or value does the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ have for the culprit to go as far as endangering so many innocent people¡¯s lives?¡± ¡°According to the lore about the ¡®Saint¡¯s Legend¡¯, it is said that when this world is under the darkness¡¯ reign, a saint would appear to save this world. In it, the items that will protect the saint are called ¡®Saint Series¡¯ and consist of tiara, necklace, ring, earring, and lastly cane. All of which were supposed to hold an unimaginable power. However, it has yet to be proven as the truth. And we have been investigating this matter for decades. Alas, the results indicate that those items were just normal accessories. I heard that was the very reason it was given to the previous lord, your father. Still, sure enough, there are several people who have doubt regarding the result of the research.¡± Horace explained in one breath. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°The previous lord also allowed me to take a look at the tiara before, but my opinion is the same with the researchers from the royal capital. It¡¯s just an accessory. Yet at the same time, its legends are still going strong even after a few hundreds years have elapsed. Well, many took it as a mere myth though¡­¡± Good grief, what a troublesome heirloom. Shouldn¡¯t we just throw it back to the treasure house as national treasure since it is literally an useless item? I thought, wishing that the troublesome thing could just disappear immediately. ¡°Then, let¡¯s return it to the royal family. It¡¯s a useless item for my family after all. In fact, rather than only useless, it also almost brought calamity to my family!¡± I groused before uttering, ¡°I suppose I should use this incident as a reason to return the tiara to the royal family.¡± Although Sebas, Rowell, and Horace couldn¡¯t hide their surprise at my last remark, they ended up acquiescing to my decision since they knew that my remark was spot on. CH 13 13 My Little Sister is Lively Today TN : 13/15 === I, Theodore Goldberg, proudly announced that I had finally turned five years old this year. Right now, I was in the middle of learning horse riding, and do excuse me for a bit. But I couldn¡¯t help myself! WOOO, it¡¯s horses! And not only one, but a lot of it!!! It¡¯s so ta~ll!!! And fluffy to boot~!!! Though it¡¯s slightly a shame that Kevin has to ride the horse behind me, I don¡¯t mind overly much since it¡¯s to protect me. Eh? What? Do I hate this activity you asked? Are you kidding me? No way, it¡¯s so~ ama~zi~ng to the point I¡¯m speechless. ¡°Then, shall we try to finish one lap around the yard, Young Master?¡± Kevin suddenly asked me, garnering my fervent and hard nod of agreement. Yes, yes, YES! Please do! OOH! It¡¯s walking! The horse is walking slowly. I practically vibrated in excitement as I looked over the area from my vantage. I could see the flowers blooming beautifully in the courtyard and feel the wind blowing gently past my face. This feels really nice~! WO~W! While I was deep in my excitement, I was snapped out of my thoughts by Kevin¡¯s following sentences. ¡°A~nd done~. Shall we end this here today, Young Master?¡± However, I blatantly directed bright and eager eyes at him, pleading to continue the activity. Kevin couldn¡¯t help but yield to me as he continued speaking. ¡°Or we could do another lap if you don¡¯t mind it¡­ I see, I suppose another lap won¡¯t hurt. I can¡¯t help it when your eyes are literally sparkling like that¡­¡± Welp, sorry about this, but this is really exciting! I can¡¯t help but want more. Even I had never expected that I would get so excited just by riding on a horseback. But it was just so much fun that I wanted to ride them forever. Still, I had already had so much fun when I was just riding with Kevin, so I wonder how exciting it would be when I have learned how to ride the horse by myself? The more I considered this, the more I think it would be more fun, thus I decided. Let¡¯s master horse riding as soon as possible! I declared in my mind with a pumped fist. At this time, we had been going around the courtyard for God knew how many times, as such Kevin finally ran out of his patience and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you starting to feel dizzy, Young Master? Tell me, since riding a horse around this small place is really a chore. Why don¡¯t we stop for today? Don¡¯t worry, if you want to ride a horse for a bit longer, I¡¯ll arrange for a long ride at a later time.¡± Tch, this guy lacks will power. At first, I harrumphed in my mind when he first spoke. However, the later part of his sentence caught my attention and I brightened up. SERIOUSLY?! YAAY~! I DID IT! While I cheered in my mind, my mother was looking at me from the terrace, not even hiding her smile upon seeing my obvious delight. So, when I descended from the horse, I could see her motherly smile after I ran toward her while waving my hand to her. ¡°Mother! Did you see that? There¡¯s a lot of horses! And Kevin promised that he¡¯ll arrange a long ride for me later!¡± ¡°Yes, Mother saw it just now. Although it is a good thing that you like it, it¡¯s not good for you to act selfishly like that, you know? Look, both Kevin and the horse look exhausted because of you.¡± You be~t. Well, Kevin aside, I do feel sorry for the poor, tired horse. So, I suppose I should apologize. I thought, bowing my head in contriteness. ¡°Fufufu, Wendy is so happy to be able to see nii-sama¡¯s gallant figure. Nii-sama, you¡¯re so~ cool!¡± Mama said, pretending to be Wendy, my one year old little sister. So, she certainly couldn¡¯t talk. Nevertheless, I acted as if I was fooled and took a peek into the cradle holding my precious little sister. There, I saw my adorable little sister smiling like an angel towards me. ¡°Really? Then nii-sama will do his best. Thank you for cheering me on, Wendy.¡± ¡°Abwu~¡± Wendy babbled as she clenched her fists. So cu~te~! Angel, she must be an angel!!! I thought as I blissfully played with her pale blonde hair, causing her to laugh adorably. A~h, why are you so adorable, my sister? While we were like that, my mother was sitting by the side, giggling at our interaction. Then, Mother decided to read a picture book for us. And since Wendy seemed to always be looking forward to such moments, Mother was always reading a picture book for her whenever she had the time. This time, the story she was reading seemed to be the one that was handed down for generations in this country. The ¡®Saint¡¯s Legend¡¯. It started like this: Once upon a time, when this world was enveloped in the darkness brought upon us due to the demon king¡¯s power, a girl was born. This girl grew up into a lovely and kind girl who wouldn¡¯t discriminate against others. Due to this nature, she received God¡¯s divine protection, and God chose her to go on a journey to save the villages from the rampaging monsters. During the course of her journey, she met with a few chads; and together with the help of those chads, she finally defeated the demon king, saving the world. At the end of her journey, she got married to the prince, who was amongst the chads who helped her save the world and they lived happily ever after. As I listened, I couldn¡¯t help but liken it to a Cinderella¡¯s story. Or, perhaps I should say that it was a heroic story? Hmm, to me, the saint in that story looked like Jeanne d¡¯Arc and that tale was not a happy one. Anyway, mother said the saint¡¯s descendant was supposed to be the royal family. However, to me, it sounded like a lie that the royal family propagated. Regardless of the truth, though, I had to say that I was a bit disappointed. I had hoped I would listen to a heroic story with a prince as the protagonist, yet such stories were in the minority, if there was even such a genre. On the other hand, the story with women as the protagonist was the mainstream in this world. I wondered why? Welp, it seems Wendy was already fast asleep in the middle of the story. Glancing at my baby sister, I found her fast asleep and my thought immediately switched track onto how adorable and cute she was. Yup, she has such an angelic face. As expected of my sister. After that, I spent my time with my mother, having fun as we did lacework together. Eh? How did I start doing the lacework you asked? Well, it started when Mother was knitting baby clothes for Wendy while I only did it as a hobby. ¡­ Fine. I just did it since I had way too much spare time on my hands. Before you said anything, I did start my training on basic swordsmanship, but I was told to not overdo it. Therefore, I only trained for a short time every day. And I chose to learn how to ride horses. At that time, my mother was pregnant and loved to stay around here, so I practiced my horse riding in the vicinity so I could stay close to her. Then, Mother suddenly began her lacework, knitting baby clothes for yet-to-be-born baby sister, Wendy. When I saw her doing that, I was surprisingly overcome with the urge to try it as well, and ended up continuing it since it was really fun. Once Martha found out about this, she had scolded me while saying it was an unsuitable hobby for a heir of a noble family. However, it really couldn¡¯t be helped as I simply had too much spare time. So I ended up knitting again whenever I got bored. Especially since my study has become increasingly difficult recently. I fully intend to stop this hobby once Kevin increased the amount of training I was allowed to do, so I wish she would at least allow me to indulge in this hobby for now. Anyway, I had made a few knitting for my father and mother, surprising them. Still, they happily wore it for me, making me glad that the finished product looked quite nice. I was very embarrassed when I gave such presents to them though. After all, I was a man! Then again, seeing my parents¡¯ smile when they received my present was worth it. ¡ó Time passed by just like that, and before long, my father had come back. He didn¡¯t come alone. With him, there was a boy around my age following him. And I wondered¡­ Who is this boy? ¡°You guys are as lively as ever. Is Wendy just sleeping?¡± ¡°Welcome back, dear. She fell asleep when Theodore read a story book for her. If you come back just a little bit earlier, you would be able to see her awake, though.¡± ¡°Aah, I guess I missed my chance, huh. Well, I guess I¡¯ll just stay till she wakes. Theodore, are you still doing lacework? Wow, you¡¯re already very skilled with your hand, huh. What did you make this time?¡± When he heard my father¡¯s words, the boy who was standing beside him showed an extremely surprised expression. Yup, even I had never expected that I was so talented in this kind of activity, but what could you do? It was a talent. ¡°I¡¯m going to make several lace ribbons for Wendy.¡± I replied, for now disregarding the boy¡¯s presence. ¡°Oh my, are you making some for mother, too?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m making some for Mother as well!¡± Please stop looking at our family¡¯s moment with such a weird expression on your face, young man. ¡°Anyway, I have to apologize for suddenly asking you like this, Theodore. However, will you come to the royal capital with me? We¡¯ll depart one month later, and you can refuse to come, but I prefer you don¡¯t refuse this. So, what do you think?¡± Eh, even if you ask for my opinion, hadn¡¯t you said it yourself that I shouldn¡¯t refuse? That means this trip is very important, right? Then, doesn¡¯t that mean that I¡¯ve no choice? Well, I guess, if it¡¯s that important¡­ ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go Father. I look forward to it. The sight of the royal capital must be splendid.¡± ¡°I see¡­ thank you. In addition, you¡¯ll need an attendant when you come to that place, and this is ¨D¨D His name is Richard. He is six years old this year. He¡¯s one year older than you and also Sebas¡¯ grandson. Please take care of him.¡± Hohou, an attendant, huh?! How noble-like¡­ whoops, almost forgot that I¡¯m a noble myself. Still, Sebas¡¯ grandson, huh¡­ definitely a bright kid. I judged as I said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Richard, my name is Theodore.¡± Yup, let¡¯s get along. I decided, offering a handshake to him. ¡°¨D¨D I¡¯m Richard¡­ nice to meet you, too.¡± His voice was almost inaudible when he replied to me. Moreover, the hand that accepted my handshake offer was also trembling. Noticing this, I couldn¡¯t help but think. Are you okay, young man? CH 14 14 The Sly One is Me TN : 14/16 === Is he, perhaps, unwilling to become my attendant? I couldn¡¯t help but think that when I looked at him in concern. However, for some unknown reason, Richard¡¯s face suddenly flushed red the moment he noticed my stare. ¡°S-Sorry, I-I mean, my apologies, Theodore-cha¨C Um, I mean¡­ -sama¡­ I, I¡­ I am¡­¡± At first, it was only a little bit of stutter. However, by the end, he almost couldn¡¯t get any words out of his mouth. It seems he was starting to get very flustered, voice dwindling rapidly when he was trying to talk to me. I-Is he too nervous because he met me? I mean, he looks like he is about to cry. What do I do? What do I do? I inwardly flailed, wondering what was happening with this guy. Then again, he might be bewildered when he heard that he would be working for me as my attendant. He was still but a young child after all, so it was possible that he was extremely surprised to know that he was to work as my attendant when he was still at the age of wanting to play around. ¡°Erm, I don¡¯t really mind even if you don¡¯t wish to become my attendant, you know? No one will get angry at you if you choose that. I mean, you¡¯re still way too young for work, and not even I want to work when I¡¯m still so young.¡± I said, trying to assure him that it was okay for him to choose. The moment he heard my words, Richard¡¯s face turned red. E-EEH?! DID I JUST HIT THE BULLS EYES?! I thought, expression falling slightly in dejection. However, the kid¡¯s following sentence overturned my assumption. ¡°A-Am I- not qualified in your eyes, Theodore¡­ sama? A-As I thought- there¡¯s no way¡­ a dunce like me will¡­ hiccup¡­¡± He broke into tears and started to blame himself, practically folding into himself. I panicked. ¡°Nonono, who said such a thing?! I didn¡¯t say that! I was just wondering whether you¡¯re actually forced to become my attendant and was actually unwill¨C wait, please stop crying! F-father, please say something¡­! W-What are you laughing for?! Father!¡± I cried out indignation and panic as when I turned around, looking for reinforcement from my father, I found that he was giggling at us. Wait just a minute, stop laughing and do something about this situation please! ¡°No, I apologize son, but this is actually the first time I saw you so flustered like this. I can¡¯t help myself since you¡¯re so adorable. Oh, don¡¯t look like that, let me enjoy this. You have only ever shown that composed expression around others, so this expression is a surprise to me. It seems that even you, my son, will get flustered as well.¡± P-PAPAAA! What are you talking about when there is a boy crying right here in front of you! This isn¡¯t the place to show your doting side, d*amn it! I thought as my hands frantically hover all over the kid, not quite touching him, but unsure of what it should do. AAAHm please stop crying already! I¡¯ve no problem with coaxing a baby, but this I can¡¯t do. I mean, honestly? Like hell I can coax a boy whose age is older than me by one year! ¡°GEEZ, stop crying already! You¡¯re my attendant, right?! If that¡¯s the case, then please stop crying!¡± ¡°UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡± At that moment, my scream accidentally awakened Wendy from her slumber and caused her to start to weep as well. ¡°Geez, look, because we are too loud, Wendy woke up and started to cry! Sorry for talking so loudly, Wendy! Your onii-sama is at fault. Lookielookie!¡± ¡°Uwu~h, sowyyy, milady Wendy~!¡± ¡°WAAAAAAAAAAAN!¡± It was honestly chaotic from that moment on. With me apologizing to Wendy profusely and trying to soothe her, Richard who was apologizing to her while simultaneously crying, and Wendy herself who was bawling non-stop after we disturbed her sleep. And yet, my father and mother were only giggling when they saw us like that. In the end, my mother¡¯s maid, Maria, interrupted and started to coax the crying Wendy along with my father and mother while Martha took Richard to another room to calm him down. As expected of an adult¡­ well, responsible one I meant. ¡ó ¡°My deepest apologies!¡± Sebas vigorously apologized by means of sliding dogeza, surprising me. [TL : Beelzebub¡¯s reference.] For some reason unknown to me, he insisted in taking the blame for Richard¡¯s misbehaviour. He even claimed that it was his responsibility. However, that was not what I wanted. ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking for that. I just want to know why Richard insists on blaming himself to that extent?¡± I asked, having requested my father to let me meet Sebas so I could ask him. Alas, before I even asked, Sebas had literally slid on his knees when he met me. He was groveling in front of me, but this time I didn¡¯t go soft-hearted and let the matter be. I steeled my heart and asked for the reason behind Richard¡¯s self-blaming. Sebas acquiesced and answered what I wanted to know. Turned out, I was the very reason why he became like that. The story went like this. Originally, Richard was raised as my attendant as his age was the closest to mine. Furthermore, he was also Sebas¡¯ great-grandson, making his qualification and loyalty without a doubt. And yet, despite having begun his lessons earlier than me, I managed to easily surpass him as soon as I received the same lesson. Not only in one subject, but even in the matter of etiquette, Richard was often compared to me. It was not only one or twice that the kid was told something along the lines of: ¡°Since Young Master can do this, as his attendant, you must also be able to do this. You need to give more effort, RIchard.¡± When I heard that story, I blanched. I meant, looked at that teaching. That kind of teaching only ever resulted in the students spiralling downwards into becoming demotivated students. It was simply a bad example of educating the young. So, it was only natural for him to be unwilling to study when they always compared the two of us like that. If it was me, I would scrap that education policy at once. Haah, even though I didn¡¯t get some sort of cheat, being known as a young prodigy seems to be a cheat in and of itself. Although it¡¯s a temporary one. Anyway, I really wished to tell Richard to not mind me at all as I would become a normal person once I grew up. However, that was something that the current Richard would not be able to understand. After all, comparing himself with a cheater like me would make him look more pitiful¡­ ¡°Father, let me talk with Richard.¡± ¡°Uhm, let¡¯s go meet him, then.¡± CH 15 15 The Schedule is Severe TN : 15/16 === ¡°Richard? I¡¯m comi~ng i~n.¡± After asking Martha where she had put Richard in, I opened the door to his room with a sing-song voice and entered it without asking for permission since it wasn¡¯t locked to begin with. There, I spotted Richard, who was attempting to hide himself in between the sheet, looking surprised at my entrance. ¡°Richard, will you become my attendant?¡± I asked without preamble after I sat on the chair I brought from the corner of the room and placed it beside the bed. However, perhaps I was too abrupt. I ruminated to myself when I saw Richard, who was covered with sheet, trembling from head to toes. Uuhm, what should I say to him now? Someone, he~lp!! Nevertheless, despite my inner self screaming in panic, I rephrase my sentence to one that sounded more assured. ¡°I want you to become my attendant.¡± I mean, he was just a normal kid, you know? A kid who was trying to do his best without a cheat called ¡®previous life¡¯s memories¡¯ unlike me. And his ability was said to be ¡®comparable¡¯ to mine who had my previous life¡¯s memories. Just think about it, when I was around his age in my previous life, I was just a brat who got too excited that he couldn¡¯t sleep the night before I entered elementary school. And looked at Richard who was more mature than me at that age, already wanting to work as an attendant. Was he not admirable? Sure, his education style seemed to be normal for this world, but whether it was normal or not, Richard who could reach this far without cheating like me was so brilliant in my eyes. And this brilliant boy wanted to be my attendant. I couldn¡¯t get any opportunity that was luckier than this one. Moreover¡­ ¡°Moreover, I want you to become my friend.¡± I said with a hint of timidity in my voice. I mean, this was natural, okay?! After all, I had no friends of my own age. Sure, I had done various stupid things with Kevin, but in the end, he was an adult. There was a line he would draw when he was playing with me. Furthermore, just because this kind-looking (?) young man was willing to accompany me playing, doesn¡¯t mean that the other party enjoyed it too. Still, maybe wishing for a friend around my age who could fool around with me was a luxury? Before I could degenerate further into a more worrisome line of thought, the sheet Richard was hiding under twitched and stopped trembling at once. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want to be?¡± I asked, stilling in place. Oh no, my voice was trembling. If Richard refused to be my attendant and friend¡­ maybe I really don¡¯t have any luck in this matter? ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll make sure to tell Sebas to stop comparing us after this. I mean, I¡¯m me and you¡¯re you. Both of us have different talents and can¡¯t be compared. If you¡¯re really unwilling, please forget my offer from before.¡± I said hurriedly, leaving my chair post haste and walked toward the door. However, at that time¨C ¡°Theodore-zamaa!¡± Richard¡¯s sniveling voice called out for me, and I turned around. When I do, my eyes widened in surprise. Richard was rushing toward me with a crying face. GUOOH! That was close¡­ we almost fell down together. ¡°W-what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ don¡¯t, means that I don¡¯t want to become- Theodore-sama¡¯s- attendant! But- But I also, I, also want to be- like my great grandfather- I want to become an attendant who serves my own master properly! I- I want to- to become- Theodore-shama¡¯s attendant, but, but, but I¡¯m a dunce! I-I-I can¡¯t do anything at a~ll!!!¡± Richard was already half-bawling by the end of his sentences, but I understood. He sure had a hard time, huh. Despite that, he still wanted to become my attendant¡­ ¡°There, there. You¡¯re a diligent kid, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do as long as you never give up. I mean, you want to become my attendant, right? So, just say it and work hard. That¡¯s all I need to know. I shall allow you to become my attendant.¡± Whether he could become one or not¡­ well, that depended entirely on his own effort. I couldn¡¯t afford to throw water and cooled down his ambition, could I? After all, I was somewhat at fault for his current state. Being able to do anything by the age of six was a problem (that came from my cheat). And it had harmed the pure young boy, who only wished to become an attendant like his idol, his own great-grandfather (Sebas). It was no wonder that this kid broke under pressure when he was cornered by the expectation of his surroundings combined with his own ambition, and always being compared with me who had a cheat that my previous life¡¯s memories were. I really felt sorry for him to be put under a situation like that, however accidentally it was on my part. Thus, I patted Richard¡¯s head until he calmed down, while comforting him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you keep clinging to that goal, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll surpass Sebas by the time you reach his age. Just don¡¯t ever give up, okay?¡± ¡°Theodore-zamaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡± ¡°Now, will you become my attendant?¡± ¡°Yesh!¡± Anyway, since he had agreed to become my attendant, the two of us should go back to tell my father. Fortunately, by this time, Richard¡¯s heart-rending cried had been reduced to mere sobbing, so his face looked different from before. Although, perhaps he was no longer crying because he already got accepted by me. Then again, perhaps the problem that caused him to cry was because he was introduced to me too early and was still very sensitive. Eh, nevermind. But when we arrived in front of Father and reported the conclusion of the conversation, he only smiled at us and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your future.¡± Still, at the end of the day, he didn¡¯t need to feel that pressure. After all, for me, his strong sense of responsibilities had already qualified him as an attendant, especially since he still kept that sense despite the relentless pressure that kept coming at him. Hmm, let¡¯s just tell him later once he had calmed down. That way, he could regard me as his friend instead of his master. Oh wait, he might need to follow Kevin¡¯s example a bit for the sake of his training. I shouldn¡¯t forget that. Yup. ¡ó In the morning of the next day. ¡°Good morning, Theodore-sama.¡± Richard greeted me in the morning with a tidy appearance, and I felt happy seeing this. It was a good thing that he had become cheerful once again. I was really glad for that, but¡­ ¡°Theodore-sama, your schedule for today start with study in the morning, followed by swordsmanship training in the afternoon.¡± Hearing the words that came out from his mouth made me feel stifled. I dearly wanted him to revise that schedule. It was too rigid for me, I mean, I¡¯ve never had a schedule until now. In fact, I had only ever done what I wanted to do everyday till now, just let me continue like that! But Richard didn¡¯t stop talking. He still continued speaking with an earnest expression, making me unable to reject the schedule he had prepared and the plan he was making. ¡°But since the schedule I prepared doesn¡¯t seem to match with the lesson Theodore-sama¡¯s tutor¡¯s prepared, I¡¯ll have to ask great-grandpa later to adjust a more precise one for you. Still, we¡¯ll only be able to use this precise schedule after your return from the royal capital, so let¡¯s try to get used to the schedule I made for now.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then, please include horse riding training in that schedule. A long one.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Since I didn¡¯t want to pour cold water over his enthusiasm, I suppose I should just accept his idea for now. ¡­ Still, this trend may just continue on for a while until he settles down. At that thought, I stiffened. It seemed¡­ I had unintentionally invited trouble into my life. CH 16 16 Papa is Awesome TN : The Last consecutive release, also the end of introduction phase. Starting from the next chapter will be the battle of wits. Stay tuned next week. === Royal capital, I¡¯m comi~ng! At the moment, we were traveling eastward from the Goldberg territory, in the direction of the royal capital of Serendious Kingdom; Selendia. And we were nearing that place now. Well, to be fair, we had been travelling for one week in the coach. So, of course we would be near. Unlike what I had half-expected, though, the coach did not make the travel uncomfortable. The road was maintained properly, and the little town along the way also had nice and comfortable inns, making the whole trip completely comfortable and satisfying. There was only a single thing that I was disappointed in. The fact that I couldn¡¯t ride anything like a magic car, magic train, or magic airship. When I found that out, I was completely bummed out. I tried to ask, but my father said that such transportations wasn¡¯t something that could be used by Marquis. He also mentioned that though the transportations itself existed, it hadn¡¯t reached a stage where it was able to be commercialized as it took a huge amount of enchanted magic just to use it. It seemed, at the moment, only the royal family owned those vehicles. Although I wanted to ride one of those vehicles ¨C just once was fine really ¨C but, I guessed it was impossible. There was no way the royal family would give their permission just because a noble wanted to ride the royal family¡¯s aeroplane. As such, I laid that wish to the grave. While I was lamenting that fact, our coach passed the main street of the royal capital, and we arrived in a plaza. Gazing at the place, I noticed that one corner of the plaza was elevated with a water fountain built on top. Furthermore, there were also a lot of street stalls set around the fountain. The city development department even kindly arranged the path for coaches and pedestrians to be separated by stairs, allowing people to travel freely and safely. ¡°This place seems to be a famous spot called the ¡®Lovers¡¯ Fountain¡¯. Legend said that confessing in this place will make your love come true.¡± Richard explained while reading the royal capital guidebook carefully. ¡°He~¡± I half-heartedly made a sound from the back of my throat in response, not even willing to look away from the coach¡¯s window. Right now, I really didn¡¯t want to interact with this guy at all. So, though I knew Richard was trying to attract my attention with various stories, I chose to ignore him. As for the reason? Well, it was because we were in the middle of a fight now. And I refused to forgive him no matter how much he tried to coax me. I. Refused. ¡°Theodore, though I don¡¯t know how you feel right now, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s about time for you to stop sulking?¡± Father, who was riding the same coach as us, tried to mediate. However, no matter what he said, no is no. ¡°Theodore-sama, uhm¡­¡± Richard attempted to speak, but he was unable to finish his words as I glared at him. ¡°Theodore?¡± Father asked, his whole demeanor telling me that he wouldn¡¯t be taking no or silence as an answer. Haa, I know that the reason for this fight is childish. But still, everyone has something that they will never forgive, right? I rhetorically grumbled in my heart. Still, I knew I had to explain now, so I cleared my throat and explained. ¡°Because of Richard, I can¡¯t meet Wendy before we depart. Not only that, before that, Richard¡¯s actions actually hinder me from visiting her some time before our departure. Even though all I want is to see her everyday¡­ I can¡¯t because of him!¡± One week. I had to be patient for one week, and in that duration of time, I was not able to see my beloved little sister. Furthermore, he went as far as preventing me from seeing my sister before our departure to the capital citing schedule. What did he say again? Oh, right. He was saying stuff about how I must prioritize the schedule, and action outside it was out of the question! What the h*ell?! Are you going to rob me of my freedom?! My eyes darkened in displeasure as I remembered what he said next when I protested. Selfish, he said? Seriously?! Selfish? Me? Okay, you said it now¡­ you know that you¡¯re practically saying the F word, right? Anyhow, I wholeheartedly opposed such a tyrannical schedule. I mean, the existence of schedules was supposed to help you manage your time, so you would be able to set some of it for whatever you wanted to do. That being the case, shouldn¡¯t the one you make prevent this incident? This was especially important since it was I, who was the one who became the victim of the schedule he made for me. Having a schedule was fine, but of course, it should be flexible as well. So, for him to try to manage my time down to the minute¡­ NO. Like hell I could accept such a detailed 24/7 schedule that controlled my activities down to the minute. My dinner time and bathing time, in particular, was greatly affected by what he did. Fine, I knew that having my meal time prolonged into one hour was a problem, but to reduce it to a frea*king ten minutes?! Seriously, did he think I could fully enjoy my meal with so little time?! Moreover, we had yet to decide to settle on this schedule ¨C which I definitely wouldn¡¯t, mind you ¨C but his action was¡­ what the hell was he trying to do by complaining to the maids and head chef for indulging me?! Was he for real?! I made sure to apologize to them for his action, but¡­ if this went on like this¡­ did I really have to do this every time?! Martha did warn him about this matter later on, but seriously, how the hell did he misinterpret her remark? Seeing his incomprehension, I even tried to tell him to be more lenient. However, if I was too harsh with him, he would shrunk back to his crybaby self. Due to this, I couldn¡¯t really scold him; at least not without turning him into a blubbering mess. As such, I was left with no other choice, but to go to his grandfather. BUT! Even though Sebas said to leave the matter to him when I spoke to him, my treatment became really terrible for some reason. THE HECK?! I could see that he seemed to have no idea on how to be an attendant. But when I encouraged him ¨C in hope that he would adjust that schedule properly ¨C it backfired on me and caused him to become too fired up. In the end, I went to my final line of defense ¨C as far as advice went, that is ¨C and tried to ask him what I should do. Kevin told me to shout at Richard. As I was at my wits end, I decided to follow his advice and shouted at Richard before we departed to the royal capital. And Kevin¡¯s advice showed its effect. Richard was trying his best to fix my mood while we traveled. Well, that was until my father forced me to confess the reason why I was angry. Considering that I didn¡¯t want to anger my father, I fessed up the truth. Besides, who knew what Richard was going to do if I kept him worrying for too long. ¡°Richard, Theodore understands that you¡¯re doing your best. However, creating such a tight schedule without giving a leeway and proper management will cause trouble for everyone.¡± My father started, explaining to Richard. ¡°I mean, take our trip right now. Do you remember the time we chanced upon a collapsed merchant carriage along the way? At that time, we took time to help them fix the carriage and pick up the fallen items, but we still arrived on time, didn¡¯t we? We can do that because we have given some leeway in our traveling plan. Now, supposed we let you plan our trip according to how you planned Theodore¡¯s schedule. At that time, we might just not make it in time should something unexpected happen, and everything can happen during travelling. Do take note that we can¡¯t overly exhaust our horses for no reason, since one of our horses might just get wounded along the way all of a sudden, what then? Do you get it now?¡± At last, after my father¡¯s patient explanation, Richard¡¯s face finally showed an understanding of what he was doing wrong. Yup, as expected, papa is invincible~. ¡°Your mind just needs to be a little flexible. Furthermore, you also have to speak to Theodore properly whenever you create the schedule. After all, it was created for Theodore, so he had to have a say in it. You must not decide such a thing by yourself since all responsibilities of your action will fall on Theodore as he was your master.¡± ¡°Father! What do you mean by that?!¡± Please stop with jokes like that! ¡°He¡¯s Theodore¡¯s attendant after all. If his action isn¡¯t your responsibility, then whose? Before, when Father heard you say you¡¯re responsible for him, Father saw you in a new light you know?¡± My father said, all the while smiling impishly to me. Feeling helpless ¨C especially since I had indeed said that ¨C I could only inwardly sigh. Geez, I guess I have no choice but to do that since he went as far as saying such a thing to me. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll be responsible for him. That being the case, Richard, make sure to consult me first before deciding anything. Is that understood?¡± ¡°U-understood. M-my deepest apologies for all trouble I have caused you until now, Theodore-sama!¡± Although he said that, I had no idea whether he really understood or not, but I guess this was enough for now. By the way, we had arrived at Goldberg Family¡¯s mansion that was located in the noble district of the royal capital. Although I, who had already reconciled with Richard, didn¡¯t really pay attention to this as I was busy looking at the royal capital¡¯s tourist attraction section in the guidebook. CH 17 17 Drill is Standard Equipment The royal palace was eye catching and dazzling. It not only had many wonderful ornaments, but was also decorated with stained glass with delicate patterns, famous paintings, and beautiful chandeliers. Furthermore, it was also adorned with colorful flowers arranged in beautiful vases that were placed all around the palace, giving the palace a vibrant atmosphere. Perhaps it was more accurate to call it as luxurious and gorgeous instead. Ha~h. I honestly feel out of place here. I thought as I apprehensively looked at myself twice over. Nope, I did not look out of place¡­ I mean, I dressed properly, right? Furthermore, when I looked at my current appearance in front of the mirror, all I saw was the reflection of a handsome son of a noble. So, surely, I didn¡¯t look incompatible with the scene. Still, perhaps because of my past life as a former ordinary citizen, I felt nervous inwardly. However, that should be natural, right? I mean, for someone who was formerly a humble citizen, to feel nervous when they came to such a grand place was an extremely realistic reaction¡­ right? Anyway, my current appearance should have conformed to my immediate environment. After all, I inherited it from my parents. It was not only me, in terms of appearance, my father¡¯s appearance was really splendid as well. He fit incredibly well amongst this palace setting. Not only that, he also remained unperturbed even when numerous gazes were directed at him. As expected of my father, a true blue noble! Although, to be honest, those gazes felt like pin pricks on my skin. I was not my father after all. He might have already gotten used to this kind of situation ¨C where he was the focus of many people¡¯s eyes ¨C but it was the first time I ever experienced this kind of situation. Looks like my father is still popular despite having gotten married already. I couldn¡¯t help my thought as I endured the uncomfortable feeling of numerous eyes on you. However, I couldn¡¯t help but to raise a shrill voice the moment I entered the venue. It was simply beyond my imagination! Eyes darting around, taking in the breathtaking sight, I noticed that my father was just smiling lightly; as if he was already used to such sight. Moreover, I also noticed that, from time to time, the noble ladies around were trying to strike a conversation with him. But my father skillfully avoided those attempts and politely excused both of us. You¡¯re so amazing, PAPA! I mentally sent a thumb-up to my father even as I realized something. It seemed that since my mother was house-sitting with Wendy back in our territory right now, my father was attending this party without a partner. Therefore, those aunties were aiming for this moment to woo him away from Mother. Fortunately, the silent pressure from PAPA¡¯s smile drove them away. Papa, your smile is seriously too OP. Please teach me how to smile like that too! Although my heart was moved, I remembered that we were still in public space, hence I stopped myself from acting childish. My father was a marquis after all, so people were swarming to greet him. With a courteous smile, Father greeted them back one by one. At the same time, he also introduced me to them. Being thrust into the conversation made me feel as if those people were trying to appraise my worth as the heir, so I had no choice but to reply to their questions properly and politely. At that moment, the dukes made their entrance, followed by the royalties. Without prompting, all of us bowed our heads the moment the royalties entered the venue; only raising it once the king told us to raise our heads. When we did, I took the chance to look at the king and was surprised. The king was quite young. In fact, he might be around the same age as my father, perhaps only one or two years older than him give or take. He definitely didn¡¯t look like your typical ¡®King¡¯ like the one I imagined ¨C His hair wasn¡¯t white! Indubitably, due to his young age, the king still looked handsome. However, compared to my father, who undoubtedly belonged to the kind and calm handsome type, the king gave a different impression¡­ His type was that of a sharp and clever handsome man. Moreover, I could also feel some sort of pressure exuding from his entire body, one I didn¡¯t find from my father. Was that the so-called King¡¯s dignity I wonder? Anyway, after the king expressed his appreciation for the nobles who came to celebrate the crown prince¡¯s fifth birthday, he also wished for the nobles to give their loyalty to him and the crown prince. In addition, he also announced the engagement between the crown prince and the duke¡¯s daughter. To be honest, his speech was long and¡­ boring. Geez, can¡¯t he ¨C at the very least ¨C make his speech shorter for the sake of the children over there? Can¡¯t you see that they were about to make a ruckus due to this boring speech? I complained inwardly. After all, even though this might just be the crown prince¡¯s debut ¨C the one who would shoulder the future of this kingdom with the children of the nobles ¨C It seemed the long and boring speech was indeed still too much for young children. Eh? Me, you ask? Well, though it is long and boring, I¡¯m still listening to the speech obediently you know. I mean, my father¡¯s honor is on the line. If I messed up in this situation¡­ Eh, in short, I can¡¯t possibly mess up for my father¡¯s sake, can I? Although I myself was still listening to this incredibly boring speech, as expected, I couldn¡¯t hold a candle to my father. Like the saying goes, older ginger was spicier. This saying couldn¡¯t be more true when I looked at my father, who didn¡¯t look perturbed even when he had to listen to such a long and boring speech, truly he left me at awe. C¡¯mon papa, if you have the skill to ignore this kind of boring situation, please teach me without reserve! I¡¯ll endeavor to learn it as soon as possible! I inwardly begged, amusing myself amongst the boredom. At last, it was finally the time for the crown prince to make his greeting. The crown prince inherited his father¡¯s ice blue eyes and silver hair. His cleverness, or should I say, his cold expression resembled his father too. From just a glance, I knew he seemed like a proud child, so I think the possibility of me getting along with him is going to be low. Well, frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t even want to get close to him. Unfortunately, due to my status, I was going to be forced to get along with the very person whose personality seemed to be in direct contrast to mine. Well, let¡¯s just get along with him at an appropriate distance! I decided while the introduction moved on. The next person to introduce themselves was his fiancee, the duke¡¯s daughter. She was also five years old like me and the crown prince. Despite being five years old, I was slightly surprised at her hair style. Why do you ask? Well, it was because her purplish-silver hair was curled into a splendid drill hairstyle. Furthermore, since the drill was draped down over her shoulders, it made it look like she had equipped a splendid and sharp twin-drill as her weapon in my eyes. Anyway, it definitely made me want to blurted out: ¡®??, such terrifying child¡­ !¡¯ with a cold look on my face. Eh, from where did I get such a scene? Hehe, it was the drama scene that was adapted from the best shoujo manga in my mother¡¯s collection back in Japan. Believe me, I rarely got interested in shoujo mangas, but that one was special. It was such a shame, though, that I couldn¡¯t read the ending of that story. After all, I died before I could read the ending. Still, I remembered the characters and honestly speaking, I believed the saucy attitude of the rival character from that manga might suit the duke¡¯s daughter the most. What with the drill and all. In the blink of an eye, her greeting was over while I was admiring the duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s splendid drills, immersed in my memories of that show. Jolted back to awareness, I grinned sheepishly. Welp, I really missed her introduction. But well¡­ nothing I could do about that. Anyway, now that the introduction had already finished, it was finally the time to line up to greet them. I obediently followed my father while my hand extended its grubby paw on the nearby food. If I find a delicious dish among them, then let¡¯s try to ask the chef to recreate the dish back at home. I thought carelessly. Unfortunately¡­ ¡ó ¡°Theodore, you have been staring at Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter since a while ago. Do you fancy someone like her? She¡¯s cute, right?¡± My father¡¯s question stopped my hands on its track, turning my attention fully to him. When I registered his question fully, I shook my head in answer. ¡°Cute? I didn¡¯t notice her face, Father. I actually got mesmerized by her splendid drill hairstyle. It¡¯s so splendid to the point I think she might be able to use it as her ultimate weapon.¡± I explained. ¡°A~h, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking at, huh.¡± My father said. He seemed to be really surprised by my answer. Then again, perhaps he had never expected that my answer would be like that, but I couldn¡¯t help my thought really. ¡°But that hairstyle won¡¯t look good on Mother and Wendy, so let¡¯s not recommend that hairstyle for them, okay Father?¡± I blurted out, causing my father to pause. It was likely that he was imagining such a look on Mother and Wendy because he soon shuddered. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s work together to make sure that Serena and Wendy will never try that hairstyle, EVER.¡± Well, since my father had gone as far as asking for my cooperation, the outcome was settled. Those two would have had no choice but to give up on that drill hairstyle if they ever wanted to change their natural style. Besides, whenever I thought of it carefully, I felt this sense of repulsion coursing through my whole body. And that happened when it was just me imagining my family with that particular style. I shuddered to think if it ever became a reality. No. No way. I¡¯ll fight so that imagination won¡¯t ever happen. ¡°Shall we go then?¡± ¡°Eh? To where? It¡¯s not the time for dinner yet, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to greet His Majesty now. And then, we¡¯re going to give our congratulation speech to the crown prince, to congratulate him for his birthday and engagement. Dinner time will come after that.¡± Geh. ¡°Moreover, this is also your chance to make a friend or two in your age group. That¡¯s why, please do your best, alright?¡± Although my father requested that of me, he was also giving me a wry smile. I wondered why? He was right, though, I did need to make friends among the nobility. And this was his way of teaching me to use this sort of occasion to make personal connections with others. Still, while I know he¡¯s trying to teach me an important lesson¡­ I¡¯m hungry, Papa. Despite my hunger, though, I reluctantly headed toward the battlefield of nobles, following my father as he patted my back in encouragement. CH 18 18 The Crown Prince is a Naughty Kid After ¨C bluntly speaking ¨C queueing for a while, it was finally our turn to give our greeting toward His Majesty the King. So, standing beside my father, I prepared myself to give my greeting to the king and the queen. ¡°Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness, I come today to congratulate His Highness Elliot for his fifth birthday. In addition, I also want to congratulate him for his engagement with Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, Katrina Lilac.¡± As proper, my father gave his greeting first. The king accepted the greeting with a nod and a gentle smile on his face and lightly cleared his throat. ¡°Uhm, it seems you¡¯re in good health too, good. It¡¯s too bad that your wife can¡¯t come with you.¡± At this point, the king revealed a teasing smile as he said, ¡°Thanks to that, those ladies got excited and started their plan to become your concubine.¡± Excuse me? What the hell is this oldman (King) talking about?! Concubine you say?! As if my father and I will allow that to happen! ¡°Hahaha, Your Majesty jest. Lord Goldberg is widely known as a devoted husband. That alone is enough to make Serena-sama happy. Though, Lord Goldberg, how about showing that smile to the other gentlemen who are lining up behind you? Surely your gentle smile alone can win their loyalty.¡± This aunty (Queen), don¡¯t ¡®Hahaha¡¯ me. Stop saying nonsense just because my mother isn¡¯t with us. ¡°Your Majesties must be jesting. My wife, Serena, actually feels disheartened with the fact she can¡¯t attend this special occasion. Alas, she can¡¯t bear to leave her young daughter behind either. Therefore, allow me to deliver her heartfelt message. She asked for Your Majesties forgiveness due to her impoliteness and inability to attend this banquet.¡± My father paused, revealing an earnest smile as he asked, ¡°I also wished for Your Majesties magnanimity and forgive her for this.¡± ¡°Fine. It really can¡¯t be helped since your daughter is still so young.¡± The king nodded his head and verbally agreed, ¡°Do tell your wife that I don¡¯t mind her absence for this occasion.¡± ¡°My deepest gratitude. I shall convey Your Majesty¡¯s kind words to my wife.¡± As expected of Papa. He skillfully dodged the landmine and directed the conversation to safe ground. Lesson learned! ¡°By the way, I wonder if you¡¯ll kindly introduce your son to us?¡± ¡°My apologies for neglecting that matter until now. This is my son, Theodore.¡± Following the cue, I stepped forward and bent my knee in front of the king and the queen. I had done it perfectly, like what I was taught about when one met the royal family. ¡°I¡¯m Owen Goldberg¡¯s son, Theodore Goldberg. It¡¯s my greatest honor to be in His Majesty the King and Her Royal Highness the Queen today. And, congratulations for your fifth birthday as well as your engagement with Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, Katrina Lilac, His Highness Crown Prince Elliot.¡± There we go. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem if I copied Papa¡¯s greeting. I thought, inwardly proud that I managed to say so much without bursting into laughter. ¡°Oh my, look at him¡­ how clever. You have a really talented kid there, Lord Goldberg.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. He¡¯s truly splendid despite his young age.¡± My father burst into a proud smile as he said, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my treasure.¡± Papa, how can you say that with such a brazen attitude?! You look completely like a doting father right now. Look! Even His Majesty and Her Majesty are at a loss for words, you know?! I thought, inwardly face-palming at my father¡¯s descent to silly father. Although I had to praise the King and the Queen for their admirable recovery, especially when the King next spoke. ¡°Ho, I see. It seems Lord Goldberg is blessed with a clever child. Well, I hope that you and your son will continue to support our kingdom.¡± ¡°HAH!¡± ¡°YES!¡± Both of us saluted in reverence. That seemed to suggest the end of the conversation with the King and Queen. A~h, that was mentally exhausting. And yet, we still need to greet the crown prince and the duke¡¯s daughter. O God, please end this soon. I¡¯m tired. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Your Highness Crown Prince Elliot. My name is Owen Goldberg, the current head of the Goldberg Marquis Household. Happy fifth birthday to you, Your Highness. And congratulations on your engagement with Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, Katrina Lilac. Allow me to introduce my son, Theodore, to you. Just like Your Highness, he has also turned five years old this year, and I bring him along during this occasion so that he can get along with you and expand his circle.¡± [TL : FUCK, what kind of sin I comitted that forced me to translate this long ass introduction which can be summed with ¡°Happy birthday to you¡±] Without Father¡¯s prompting, I stepped forward and continued with the introduction. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Your Highness Crown Prince Elliot. I¡¯m Owen Goldberg¡¯s son, Theodore. Happy fifth birthday to you, Your Highness. And congratulations on your engagement with Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, Katrina Lilac. Please take care of me in the future, too.¡± Once we were done with our greetings, the crown prince nodded his head, looking exactly like how his father had done before. And like the king before, he cleared his throat lightly before speaking. ¡°Uhm. It¡¯s nice to meet you too. I¡¯m Elliot Serendiaz. Thank you very much for coming to my fifth birthday celebration and engagement announcement. I thank you for your well wishes on my betrothal to Miss Katrina, Lord Goldberg, Heir Goldberg. Please take your seat and enjoy the feast that we have prepared for you. I hope that you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°My deepest gratitude for your warm welcome and consideration, Your Highness.¡± ¡°My deepest gratitude for your warm welcome and consideration, Your Highness.¡± Without feeling the slightest bit of burden, I echoed my father¡¯s words. However, for some unknown reason, the prince suddenly giggled when he heard our reply. Eh, what? ¡°You¡¯re only mimicking what your father was saying, huh.¡± Well, it can¡¯t be helped, you know. I have absolutely no idea what is the best greeting to use for this occasion after all. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still lacking in that regard after all. Please do forgive me. I¡¯ll try to improve myself so I¡¯ll do better in the future.¡± I was sure I replied conscientiously, yet, somehow my remark caused the prince to make a strange face. Eh, what happened to him? I thought, confused. However, when I looked around, I saw that the king was smiling a bit when he saw his son making such a face while the queen seemed to be pouting. So, I became even more confused, especially when I saw the prince¡¯s face flushing red. Did my remark somehow angered him? Not finding the answer, I looked at the duke¡¯s daughter standing beside the prince, trying to find the answer from her as my last resort. However, the only thing I found was her shoulder trembling while she covered her lips with her unfolded folding fan, apparently trying to hide her smile. At a loss, I wondered. What¡­ what happened? ¡°Lady Katrina Lilac, congratulations for your engagement with the crown prince today. My name is Owen Goldberg, and this is my son, Theodore.¡± Fortunately, Papa was quick-witted. He quickly moved on to greet Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter with a gentle smile. As expected of Papa, his skill in this situation was impeccable! However, the prince seems to still be pissed off. Are you sure we can leave it at that, Papa? Oh, well. ¡°I¡¯m Owen Goldberg¡¯s son, Theodore. Congratulations for your engagement with the crown prince today. Lady Katrina Lilac.¡± Anyhow, I followed suit after my father, greeting Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter after he was done with his own greeting. Looking at her in the eyes, I affirmed in my heart that yes, the duke¡¯s daughter was an adorable girl. However, I could also see in her eyes that she looked like a strong willed girl. Such a strong-willed girl definitely was not my type at all. ¡°My deepest gratitude for your blessing, Lord Goldberg, Theodore-sama. I hope that the two of you will enjoy this celebration.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Tha¨C¡± ¡°By the way, Theodore-sama.¡± Before I could finish with my greeting, she interrupted me with curious eyes. ¡°What is it, Miss Lilac?¡± ¡°May I know the reason why you kept looking at me a while ago?¡± This duke¡¯s daughter¡­ is she trying to add fuel into fire? I mean, the crown prince beside her is already seething with rage at me, yet this girl actually said that¡­ is her brain¡­ alright? ¡°Reason, is it? To tell you the truth, I think that you have an extremely splendid hairstyle. It¡¯s so splendid to the point I almost mistook it as your ultimate weapon.¡± Upon hearing my honest answer, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s eyes widened before her expression turned into a dejected one. Faintly, I could even hear her muttering: ¡®I can¡¯t believe this guy.¡¯ with a low voice. Strangely, while she looked dejected, the prince seemed to be extremely elated with my reply. Not understanding their reaction, my eyes flitted toward the king and the queen, but¡­ Why do they look so¡­ dumbfounded? Did I say something strange? Their expression looked as if they had just certified me as a stupid kid. However, at that point, my father took me away from their presence. After that, he asked, ¡°Theodore, do you know what you have just done to her back there?¡± Eh, what? ¡ó After my father enlightened me, I finally realized why the prince looked at me strangely after my reply. According to him, the prince seemed to have a thorny side to him. He always acted mean towards the kids who came to greet him. He seemed to enjoy looking at the children¡¯s troubled faces when he pointed out the fact that they were mimicking their parents¡¯ greeting. Well, I did hear such a thing happened when we were lining up to greet him, but¡­ frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t really care about it since I was too hungry at that time. Still¡­ I was rather confused with him. After all, when I replied to him with ¡®Yes, I¡¯m still lacking in that regard after all. blablabla¨D¨D(abbreviated)¡¯ as if it was nothing, he also seemed to be displeased. Hmm¡­ is this that? You know, a straight ball? Oh, well, nothing to be done about it. Anyway, it seemed I had further pissed the crown prince off when I looked as if I was more interested in Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter beside him. Well, she was his fiancee, after all. That was no wonder. Fortunately, it seemed that I had somehow diffused the bomb on my own when I gave such an idiotic reply to her question. Still¡­ I silently heaved a deep sigh. Uhm, I¡¯ve summarized what I learned on this occasion. In one sentence noble society is troublesome. Although I dearly wished to just do away with this whole event, I was still a noble son in the end, so I need to take more care about this matter. Hence, I turned to my father and asked, ¡°Father, did I just¨D¨D make a mistake?¡± If I did, I might be hated. I don¡¯t want that. I really don¡¯t want to be hated by my father. So, don¡¯t hate me papa, tell me if I have made a mistake. I¡¯ll try to fix it no matter how long it¡¯ll take. I suddenly got anxious after questioning him, wondering if I¡¯d be hated for my blunder. Fortunately, Father seemed to notice my anxiety as he soothed me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. On the contrary, instead of making a mistake, you have done a really good job son.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, you make me proud. As expected of my son.¡± My father brushed my head gently as he told me so, greatly relieving my jumping heart. After this moment, we went to greet Duke Lilac and his wife to congratulate them about their daughter¡¯s engagement. Then and only then was I able to finally enjoy my long awaited dinner. Finally¡­ that took a really long time and I¡¯m famished. Dinner, here I come~. === TN : It¡¯s finally time for dinner, what will happen to Theodore next? CH 19 19 Command Option is Voided The room adjoined to the venue was specifically set for children. That way, they wouldn¡¯t bother the adults while they were going on their activities. However, the huge door that separated it from the main venue was left open, so the concerned adults could easily take a look at their children¡¯s situation whenever they wanted. Furthermore, to make sure of their safety, there were many soldiers stationed at every important point. In addition, the waitresses who would serve the children¡¯s area were also a part of the security team. Still, in order to not intimidate the children, the soldiers did not look at them and simply stood at attention, ever ready to protect these golden-spooned children. Even the soldiers who acted as waitresses simply served attentively without revealing their fierceness. At the moment, the children in this adjacent venue were either enjoying their macaroni, karaage-like dish, or sandwiches in their hand, while the other hand was either holding juice or sweets that were placed on the low table specially crafted for children¡¯s use. Each table had three waitresses waiting to serve. Yup, it seemed that it¡¯s the child version of buffet party. Although the difference laid in that the children didn¡¯t stand and mingle with each other. Instead, they were sitting obediently on the sofa along the wall as they ate their meal. After my father left me in this room, I instantly went to the table in the corner of the room. The one with window viewing. Setting that area as my base, I enjoyed every single dish placed on that table and savored it carefully. Yup, they¡¯re delicious. I thought as I ate the meticulously prepared foods. Alas, for some reason, the surrounding people seemed to be put off with my presence. But there was nothing I could do about it. This hunger of mine was truly unbearable at this point. As such, let¡¯s just leave the job (of making friends) for later. Right now, quenching my hunger came first. ¡°Theodore-sama, since I¡¯m your attendant, do tell me if you need something.¡± Richard, who was standing by my side, whispered. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re allowed to come into this room, too?¡± ¡°Yes, after the greeting ended, everyone is allowed to be accompanied by their respective attendants.¡± I see. In short, Richard and the other attendants have been waiting in this room to serve their masters once we are done with our greetings. ¡°How about you try these dishes with me? It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Theodore-sama. I¡¯ve already eaten in a separate room prepared for us. Please don¡¯t mind me and enjoy your dinner.¡± Aah, I see. They¡¯re not allowed to eat with their master, huh. Poor boy. I looked at him sympathetically. I mean, surely it must be a torture for him? After all, he could only watch us eat delicious sweets. ¡°You have it hard, huh. But, are you sure that there¡¯s nothing amongst these sweets that you want to eat? You can tell me. I¡¯ll be sure to ask the waitresses to wrap it up for you to eat later.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your kind consideration, Theodore-sama. However, I don¡¯t have it as hard as Theodore-sama himself does.¡± Huh? What are you talking about? ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s close aides have been looking at Theodore-sama since a while ago.¡± Seeing my uncomprehending expression, Richard kindly informed me, causing me to become dumbfounded. ¡­ Seriously? ¡°They¡¯re over there.¡± Richard discreetly pointed the group out for me. I casually turned my head and looked at the place Richard was looking at. Turned out, he was looking at the table at one corner of the room, whose floor was a bit higher than the rest of the room. And that place was occupied by the Crown Prince, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, and their group. That table consisted of two groups, Crown Prince¡¯s group and Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s group. And the two groups were certainly very¡­ colorful. I meant, Crown Prince with his silver hair aside, the color of the other boys¡¯ were also very distinctive. They had not only black hair, but also green hair, blue hair, and even red hair. The Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s group was also the same. Aside from Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter with her purplish silver hair, the other girls in her group had blonde, black, green, blue, and red hair. Their group was made of a total of eleven kids and they¡¯re the future leaders of this kingdom. And, for some reason, their coloring resembled that of the ranger squad and magical girl squad from my previous life. Eh? Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter you asked? Well, although her theme color right now might make it seem like she was a bad magical girl, she was definitely going to awaken her sense of justice and became the comrade of the other magical girls later on. And yup, it was from that program. That particular scene left a deep impression in my heart when I accompanied my nephew to watch the Sunday¡¯s morning programme. Really, you honestly shouldn¡¯t underestimate the power of Sunday¡¯s morning programme for children. Alas, they were unfortunately lacking the color of yellow and pink to complete the ranger¡¯s color. That fact really made me a little bit disappointed, but meh, we can¡¯t have everything, can we? Anyway, the rangers were sending an unnatural glare toward me. Some of them were even mixed with scorn. Uwaa~. It seems I¡¯m gonna have a hard time finding a friend. Sorry, Father. Although you have praised me for having a friendly personality, the children¡¯s society is a harsh one, and being friendly isn¡¯t enough. ¡°What should we do?¡± Richard asked wonderingly. ¡°Just leave them be.¡± ¡°Theodore-sama?¡± Sorry, but please spare me from working under such a harsh boss. Besides, by this point, I¡¯ve already missed the timing to butter up to them. Umu? Well, I might be able to somehow salvage the situation when I became a little bit older. But, until then, it¡¯s better to get as far away as possible from those rangers. ¡°I might have hurt their feelings today. That¡¯s why, it¡¯s better for us to go unnoticed for the moment. Besides, trying to butter up to them right now might result in us making a joke of ourselves. Anyway, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go and apologize to them the next time we meet.¡± ¡°I see. But, for some reason, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter is also glaring at us since a while ago¡­¡± Ah, he¡¯s right. D*amn. Stop. Please don¡¯t look at me. Despite my silent plea, though, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter ¨C AKA Drill ¨C kept glaring at us. Jiiii~~~ Drill is looking intently at you. Drill is looking intently at you. She seemingly wanted to become your friend. Do you want to befriend her? Yes ??No Alas, even when I selected ¡®No¡¯ in the command option, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) kept looking at me. W-What is it?! Drill is looking intently at you. Drill is looking intently at you. She seemingly wanted to become your friend. Do you want to befriend her? Yes ??No Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) is still looking intently at you. Still feeling the intense stare coming from the others, I sweated. Please don¡¯t target me just because I¡¯m yellow. I mean, look, there¡¯s so many other yellows in this place! It doesn¡¯t have to be me, right?! I wailed inwardly, praying that she would target the others. Drill is looking intently at you. Drill is looking intently at you. She seemingly wanted to become your friend. Do you want to befriend her? Yes ??No Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) is still looking intently at you. Wait a minute, this command button must be broken! After all, how can this still happen repeatedly even after I¡¯ve repeatedly chosen ¡ºNo¡»?! I was in despair. I couldn¡¯t escape from Drill. However¡­ I don¡¯t want to join, alright?! Please spare me from joining your ranger and magical girl squad!!! I looked around, trying to find somewhere to escape. At that time, I happened to discover a kid staying by himself in an inconspicuous corner. And that kid was picking up the dishes on his own. Perhaps he has no attendant with him? Yosh, loner detected. Loner detected, preparing to approach the target. Anyway, if you asked me which one I should choose between the two sides¡­ it was only natural for me to choose the loner¡¯s side! ¡°Erm, excuse me, may I sit beside you?¡± Without even getting the other¡¯s permission, I immediately sat beside him. Right now, I had a plan. I was planning to show them how I get along with this fellow loner. Seeing me with a loner should make them forget about me, right? Yes, especially in Drill¡¯s case. Please don¡¯t look at me! Absolutely don¡¯t! ¡°Theodore-sama, that personage is¡­¡± Shut up, Richard. I¡¯m trying my best to escape from the threat that is Drill right now. Please save your remark for later. I silently conveyed my thought to my attendant, not catching the other¡¯s unease as I turned to the loner and started trying to break the ice with him. But when I used ¡®So tasty~~¡¯, the boy¨D¨D who looked young, even though he should be at least one year older than me from his height¨D¨D seemed to notice something. ¡°You¡¯re Lord Golberg¡¯s son, right? Thank you for trying to talk to me, but I think it¡¯s better for you to stop talking to me, you know? It¡¯ll bring all sorts of troubles to you after all.¡± ¡°He? Why do you think so?¡± ¡°Aah¡­ this must be your first time attending this kind of party. Alright, listen to me. My name is¨D¨D Frederick Serendiaz. You might not understand since you¡¯re still young, though. Anyway, you should know that Elliot is glaring at you when you come to my side. From this, you should understand, right? You talking to me might bring trouble for your father later. That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s better for you to leave after some time passed by pretending that you got bored.¡± Once the other finished speaking, I felt as if thunderbolt had just struck me. Far from a lightning rod, the loner was actually a freaking LAND MINE. === TN : Will Theodore survived after he stepped on the landmine? find out the answer next week!!! CH 20 20 My Friend is Well-Informed Kid Upon a closer observation, Frederick Serendiaz¡¯s ¨C AKA the loner ¨C features did resemble the Crown Prince, suggesting that he was indeed related to him. Still, although he had the same silver hair and ice blue eyes that were just a shade deeper compared with the Crown Prince, as well as bearing some other physical resemblances, the air around him was completely different from the Crown Prince. Because while the Crown Prince had a cold air around him, the air surrounding Loner-kun¡¯s profile was more like the air surrounding a calm and wise kid. ¡°Um, should I say ¡®Thank you for your advice¡¯? Well, I suppose since I¡¯m going to make an excuse to leave in a while, should we talk about something until that time? Just in case they ask after I leave. That way, I know what excuse I should use. Is that alright with you, Your Highness Frederick?¡± When I spoke those words, I was also stuffing some sandwiches into my mouth carelessly, causing some crumbs to be stuck on the corner of my mouth. ¡°Yup, as expected of Lord Goldberg¡¯s son. Elliot will have a hard time trying to handle you.¡± How can Loner say such scary words about me with a smile that make him look harmless to humans and animals combined?! My inner self unattractively gaped at him. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡± Loner-kun suddenly said while discreetly motioning towards the room, ¡°Take a look around. Do you see it? Some of those kids look like they want to talk to you, right?¡± His expression was very calm and assured, as if he knew that he was right. And indeed, when I took a look, I found that many kids were looking at us. Confused, I turned back toward Loner-kun, silently asking him for the reason. Sure enough, my assessment of him being a wise kid was not groundless. ¡°Those kids want to thank you.¡± ¡°Thank me?¡± ¡°Yeah. After all, you kinda save them from Ellio¨D¨D I mean, Crown Prince. You kinda save them from the Crown Prince¡¯s teasing.¡± Loner-kun said. I was about to refute, he stopped me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. You DID respond to his teasing with ¡®My apologies¨D¨D(The rest is omitted)¡¯. That action of yours allows the other kids who came after you to give the same answer. Moreover, you¡¯re also the son of a Marquis. Your position is high enough to literally remonstrate the Crown Prince to stop playing around, while at the same time allowing the other noble kids who were lining up behind you to have a way to dodge the bullet.¡± Hee, so that was the case. So that¡¯s why Father praised me. ¡°But since you¡¯re being glared at by Elliot and his cohorts, those kids don¡¯t dare to come here and greet you. Well, aside from not wanting to get the Crown Prince¡¯s ire on them just from greeting you, my presence here is also one of the reasons they don¡¯t try to come. So, after you leave, you should take a look and receive their gesture of gratitude then. After all, they do want to thank you.¡± I see. But to think that having a step-brother beside you is actually enough to make the situation become more complicated¡­ what a petty little boy. ¡°Thanks a lot for the explanation, but, uhm¡­ That¡¯s not something that I can use as an excuse, right? I mean, using that story as an excuse is literally admitting that I¡¯m guilty¡­¡± I instinctively retorted, and though he was desperately trying to hide his laughter, I could see that Frederick was laughing. ¡°You¡¯re so funny. Just call me Frederick. I might be a part of royalty, but I¡¯ll be happy if you just treat me as a friend.¡± On a second thought, I retract my previous statement. I thought, at a loss for words when the guy suddenly said those words. At the same time, I was also wondering. What the hell is wrong with this child? I can¡¯t read him at all. Still, despite that, I enjoyed our conversation and could hazard a guess why he was being like this. It seemed that he was unable to make a single friend due to his own position in life. If that was the case, I could somewhat understand where he was coming from. He must be really lonely inside. Moreover, it seems that he also knows a lot of detailed information and the situation of the royal palace¡­ I suppose, I can¡­ Eh, whatever, I guess. ¡°Seriously? One moment you were asking me to leave, yet the next moment, you are asking me to become your friend¨D¨D Ah, come to think of it, it¡¯s nice to meet you, I¡¯m Theodore Goldberg. Just call me Theodore, Frederick.¡± ¡°Theodore-sama!¡± Richard exclaimed, surprised, especially when I offered my hand to Frederick to handshake with him. The moment I offered a handshake, though, I did not only surprise Richard, but also Frederick himself. ¡°You¡¯re so amazing, Theodore. By doing this, don¡¯t you feel scared?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too late to feel scared at this point. Besides, I¡¯m already hated by them, right? Since that is the case, then it¡¯s fine. Moreover, this way is much better than me being hated alone.¡± What are you being surprised about? The one who wants to become my friend is you, right? I looked at him, a confused expression painted over my face while my hand was still being stretched out towards him. ¡°Thanks¨D¨D But, I still think that you should have kept TPO in your mind next time.¡± Frederick said as he took a glass of juice from the table, giving it to the right hand I had extended towards him. He then whispered into my ear. ¡°Let¡¯s honor your bravery for pulling off such a feat under the sun. But I reiterate again, you must not be this careless next time.¡± He was clearly giving me advice to prevent me from acting carelessly again in the future. It was not only him who advised against this. Even Richard had tried to warn me before about how dangerous my action of getting along with Frederick, the step-brother of the Crown Prince, was. However¨D¨D ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you feel lonely? Isn¡¯t that why you asked me to become your friend even while you warned me about the risk? This is clearly contradictory, yet you still do so¡­ isn¡¯t that precisely because you feel lonely? Since that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t act too reserved with me.¡± Frederick¡¯s perfect expression immediately changed, looking like he was at a loss for words. The perfect smile, which had always stayed on his face throughout our conversation, faded from sight. And now, he looked like he was almost ready to cry. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re¡­ stepping out of the line, you know.¡± Loner-kun covered his face with his hands, trying to hide his crumbling expression. It was as if he was not allowed to show anything less than a perfectly polite smile. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re friends, right? So, there¡¯s no need for you to act reserved with me. Hey, hey, stop crying. Crying will only increase the number of my crimes, ya know? You don¡¯t want your friend to enter the jail at such a young age, right?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends alright, but I still want to leave a little space for myself. I still want to live after all.¡± This time, Frederick showed a genuine smile even as he rubbed his eyes. It was completely different compared to the perfect smile he had shown me before. However, this also showed me how delicate his current situation was. It was so delicate to the point that it forced a kid his age to act like an adult. Well, I suppose it couldn¡¯t be helped. Anyway, it is best if I pretended to still be a stupid kid. It isn¡¯t a lie either. Even after I have reincarnated and experiences two life time, I am still that clueless and stupid kid. ¡°I see. Then, in that case, I guess you¡¯re now indebted to me?¡± ¡°I understand. But¡­ I think I can pay that debt back to you right now.¡± ??? What are you talking about? What are you going to do to pay that debt? Without further ado, ¡°Have you heard about the ¡®Saint¡¯s Legend¡¯ Theodore? To be exact, the part I¡¯m about to tell you is about the ¡®Saint¡¯s Series¡¯ within the legend.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve read that story in the picture book before. Is there something strange about that story?¡± ¡°One of the ornaments was supposed to be in your House¡¯s possession, right? At least, until just two years ago, that is. Yeah, I¡¯m talking about that ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯.¡± ¡°E-eh?! Does that mean that story isn¡¯t just a make-up legend, but a real legend?!¡± That¡¯s the first time I heard about that! I roared in my mind, dearly wishing I could whine out loud in distress. Alas, this was not home. ¡°Hahaha, so you don¡¯t know about that, huh. Yeah, the legend was true, and the ornaments that were used by that saint in the legend had been handed down in the royal family for generations. They are the real things. Or at least, they are supposed to be the real things. It¡¯s just¡­ we can¡¯t prove that those ornaments are the real thing. Especially since the result of the investigation the previous king, who had passed away before I was even born, did on those ornaments ended up with the revelation that they are not even magic tools.¡± Hee¡­ that sounds eerily familiar. Yeah, it sounds so similar to the three sacred treasures in the Japanese¡¯s myth, which are also designated as Japan¡¯s national treasure. I have no idea whether those treasures are authentic or not, but I never questioned it. After all, it is part of the legend and myth surrounding Japan. It is something to be protected. It isn¡¯t something to be proven whether it really has the power that is told in the legend or not. It is the case with Japan¡¯s national treasure, and it is also the case with this world¡¯s Saint¡¯s Ornaments. Without knowing my thought, Frederick continued to speak. ¡°After the investigation was done, the late king then granted each of those ornaments to the Five Houses that contributed to the kingdom since its conception. The only ornament that the royal family initially kept was the ring, with the rest spread out to the Five Houses. One of those Five Houses is your House, while the rest are the Houses of those kids surrounding Elliot right now.¡± So¡­ that means I really am a part of that sentai team. Knowing the truth, I was devastated. But, even though my psyche was in a miserable state, Loner-kun still continued on with his explanation. ¡°However, two years ago, Lord Goldberg suddenly returned that treasure to the royal family, causing unprecedented ruckus. After all, returning a gift from the king is something that is frankly unheard-of. It has never happened before your House did it, causing some to say that his act is unbefitting of a high rank noble. Still, even with all those criticisms aimed at him, Lord Goldberg managed to shut them down with a single sentence when he returned the item to the royal palace. You know what he said? He said that ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments should be kept by the Royal Family as the descendant of the Saint herself¡¯.¡± I have never known about that at all¡­ To think that Father went as far as returning the item to the palace¡­ I was completely stunned. ¡°It seems that this is the first time you¡¯ve heard about this? Well, that¡¯s normal. After all, you¡¯re only a three year old toddler at that time. Anyway, after Lord Goldberg returned it to the palace, the nobles, who had always disagreed with the fact that each of the Five Houses was keeping the national treasures with them, literally cheered when they heard the news. It isn¡¯t a surprise, though, as they have always said that national treasures shouldn¡¯t be kept in noble houses.¡± Ah, I see. Now I get the gist of the matter. In short, since the legend stated that the saint had married the prince and caused the kingdom to prosper from that point on, the treasure should be kept by the royal family alone. Or so those opposing nobles claimed. Hmm, that isn¡¯t necessarily wrong of them. Besides, in the first place, there might be some loose screw in the previous king¡¯s head. Otherwise, why else would he suddenly make the decision to give five Saint¡¯s Ornaments to the Five Founding Nobles? ¡°Despite that, though, another commotion occurred once again when they found out that the tiara that your father had returned to the royal family isn¡¯t a magic tool.¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t even a magic tool to begin with¡­ Furthermore, the reason that it¡¯s given to the five families is precisely because the late king had already known this information beforehand¡­ right? Since that was the case, why are they suddenly jumping on the gun? They should have already known that fact as well, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, they know that. As for the reason? Well, it¡¯s so simple that even a kid will realize the fact once they are given all the information. The people who accused Lord Goldberg simply want him to fall from grace.¡± Frederick explained, shaking his head ruefully. ¡°Honestly speaking, those times when Lord Goldberg is under the suspicion of returning a fake ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ instead of the real one to the royal family is truly a major incident. Fortunately, the turmoil has somewhat eased up after the result of the investigation from the magic tool research institute stated that the tiara is the real thing. However, that case has become a hindrance for Lord Goldberg¡­ even up until now¡­¡± I¡­ never know that such things happened to Father¡­ My face fell, distressed. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s one of the reasons why those kids around the Crown Prince are glaring at you. Since the incident with your father, a lot of the nobles were saying that the other four Houses should have returned the Saint¡¯s Ornament that are entrusted to their house, too. Returning it is one thing, but they¡¯re afraid that they will be held under suspicion of returning fake ornaments too should they really do so. Although everyone should have long known that the Saint¡¯s Ornaments aren¡¯t magic tools, their fears aren¡¯t unfounded, especially with your father as a living proof.¡± ¡°And yet, you told me to try to flatter them¨D¨D Well, not that I consider doing that, though¨D¨D It¡¯ll only pour more oil to the fire after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Honestly, I have no idea of Lord Goldberg¡¯s reason to return the tiara back then. However, when he was asked, he said that it¡¯s to protect something.¡± Frederick said, staring at me intently. ¡­ Ah, come to think of it. If my memories serve me right, the treasure that the fake fortune teller asked Father for was that Saint¡¯s Tiara. So¡­ for the sake of Mother and I¡­ Father has¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why you have to be careful. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks Frederick. It turned out¡­ you really paid back your debt of gratitude.¡± Listening to Frederick¡¯s explanation, I understood that Father didn¡¯t want to cause me to feel responsible about it. Furthermore, it was likely that Father had other reasons to not tell me about that matter. Perhaps, he wanted me to make friends with anyone without getting hindered by faction or adult¡¯s circumstances? ¡°¡­ The fact that you can easily say ¡®thank you¡¯ is amazing. Really, looking at you, I wonder¡­ are you really just a five years old child like Elliot?¡± Frederick asked, eyes filled with suspicion as he looked at me. My bad, I didn¡¯t act like a child. Still, I could ask that question to you, too. ¡°Yeah, I really am five years old this year like the Crown Prince. How about you, Frederick? How old are you this year? Are you in your teens?¡± I asked, curious. I mean, there was no way an ordinary kid would be so well versed about the movement and situation in the royal palace. ¡°I¡¯m not that old. I¡¯m seven years old this year. And it¡¯s not like I know everything about the inside situation in the royal palace. I simply don¡¯t have any allies, so I need to be more careful. That¡¯s why I have a high hope for Lord Goldberg, since he¡¯s the one of the few nobles who keep his neutral position despite the pressure from various factions. Right now, I have yet to gain an ally, but at least I got a friend in you.¡± I see¡­ so due to the difficult position he¡¯s in, it has accelerated his mental growth, huh. But still¡­ Does this fella want me to involve Father in his business? If this is the case¡­ then I definitely can¡¯t forgive him. I narrowed my eyes at him and opened my mouth, warning him since I did not really want to be enemies with him. Still, if worse comes to worst¡­ I wouldn¡¯t show him any mercy. ¡°I¡¯ll fight back if you become my father¡¯s enemy or cause problems for him, you know? My family is more important to me than Frederick after all.¡± Fortunately, Frederick seemed to understand where I¡¯m coming from as he raised his hand, pose looking like he was surrendering to me. ¡°Oops, my bad. Still, as expected of Lord Goldberg¡¯s son. My bad Theodore. It was just empty talk to prolong our conversation. However, now it seems that time is up. Thanks for accompanying me.¡± ¡°Then, I guess it¡¯s fine. But I¡¯ll tell you this now. I¡¯m me. Whatever I did is the result of my own decision and has nothing to do with my father. You got that?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ are you really five years old? It feels like I¡¯m talking with someone older than me¡­ Oh well, I understand, Theodore. Lord Goldberg is Lord Goldberg, and you are you. I¡¯m sorry. It is my fault for trying to drag your father. I promise I won¡¯t relate your father with whatever you do from now on.¡± ¡°Great.¡± While I was satisfied with his response, for some reason, Richard¡¯s face paled when I asked that last question. It was as if his person had frozen over. Are you okay, buddy? I looked at him worriedly before realizing the time. Oh, I suppose our mini banquet is about to begin? ¡°May I ask for a bit of your time?¡± At this time, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter spoke to us when I was in the middle of my happy conversation with Frederick, startling me. OH CRAP! I GOT TOO ENGROSSED IN OUR CONVERSATION AND FORGOT ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF A CERTAIN DRILL!!! What should I do now? Someone~ Please save me~ I don¡¯t want to anger royalties more than I already have~! === TN : Drill is coming to haunt you Fight >Run CH 21 21 The Chick is Glutton ¡°May I ask for a bit of your time?¡± Make no mistake, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t calling for me. She was calling for Frederick. ¡°Nice to meet you, Frederick-sama. I¡¯ve been looking for you since a while ago. Why are you staying in the corner? You¡¯re not supposed to be in this kind of place. Oh, I know! How about you come to our place? Everyone has been waiting. Oh my, you¡¯re with Theodore-sama I see. Then, since that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be easier if both Frederick-sama and Theodore-sama come together to join our group. How about it?¡± Woah¡­ speak of being forceful! She¡¯s blatantly trying to pressure us to join the ranger squad! Moreover, what the heck is up with her ¡®Oh my¡¯ when you speak of me?! You sounds like you¡¯re reading from a fu*cking script! Also! You¡¯re making it sound like I¡¯m an extra! Wait, that doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I just realized something. She has damned well cut off my retreat as well! No, wait a minute! There must be a path left! I refuse to believe that there¡¯s none. Nope. I absolutely refuse to become a yellow ranger. Besides, as a certain coach had said, the match is only set when you have given up. I certainly haven¡¯t given up yet, so I still have a chance to get out of this situation. I just need to think. Fast! ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, too, Miss Katrina. Congratulations for your engagement and I am grateful for your invitation. However, I believe even if I join you guys, Elliot won¡¯t be pleased with it. In my opinion, how about you bring this gentleman with you instead of me?¡± HOW DARE YOU SELL ME OFF LIKE THAT?! I see. I see now. Since you¡¯re looking for trouble, I won¡¯t let you off the hook either. Take my retaliation right now! ¡°Nonono, rather than that, Your Highness Frederick should be the one who joins their group. I mean, the special seat beside your (step) brother should have been prepared for you. Someone like me joining in will just be a third wheel in you and your brother¡¯s conversation. That¡¯s why, do allow me to stay behind in this place, so as to not become a bother for you.¡± Glare at me all you want~. You¡¯re the one who sold me out first, so it¡¯s only right that you face my retribution, right? ¡°Oh my, both of you seem to be quite close. Still, though it truly saddened me to tear you two apart from this auspicious seat, will you two gentlemen come to our place to congratulate Elliot-sama and me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ ma¡¯am.¡± Both of us chorushed unwillingly at her direct request. Dammit. Like hell we can refuse when the star of tonight¡¯s banquet directly invited us without beating around the bush. She¡¯s practically told us to ¡®Come and join our side¡¯. This little rascal even had a ¡®You know what I mean, right?¡¯ expression on her face! Unable to find sufficient reason to refuse, in the end Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter managed to haul both Frederick and I from our little haven toward the platform seat, the most conspicuous seat there was in this children¡¯s hall. ¡°¡­ Over here, dear brother. And my apologies, Theodore-dono. There¡¯s no more available seats here. Therefore, please take any available seat you like.¡± Uwaa, look at that face. He clearly holds a grudge against me. Well, just for your information, I don¡¯t want to meet you too. Anyway, if ya¡¯ want to complain, direct it to yer fiancee (Drill)! Not to me, an innocent party here!!! I grumbled inwardly before realizing something. Wait, rather than that¡­ inviting someone yet not providing that person a seat is clearly a breach of manner, and you still did that? You dumb prince. ¡°Thank you very much for your invitation, Your Highness. It is such a great joy for me to receive your invitation.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your invitation, Your Highness.¡± At that, the girls almost couldn¡¯t hold back their laughter, seeing that I was again mimicking someone. Only, the person I was mimicking changed from my father to Frederick. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince looked like he had just chewed on a bitter bug again. HAH, take that kid! I crow out triumphantly in my mind. Still, it seemed that the Crown Prince had gained quite an infamy due to his little mischief from before. ¡°What, may I ask, come to your mind when you invite someone with such a lacksaidal manner like him to this group, Miss Katrina?¡± The one who spoke such blatantly provocative words was the black haired kid sitting right beside the Crown Prince himself. I looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but thought that for someone as young as he was, he seemed to be a bit¡­ neurotic. ¡°Rex-sama, all Theodore-sama did was reminding His Highness that his mischief had already gone too far. Shouldn¡¯t we feel grateful for that? The fact that there¡¯s someone who will rebuke him in the future. And that means there will be someone who¡¯ll stop him from going down the wrong path!¡± Eh, please stop giving me such high praise. Your praise is unwanted and is preventing me from escaping this place, Drill. So, please stop. I beg you! Alas, Drill didn¡¯t heed my wish as she continued speaking. ¡°Thank you very much for reminding His Highness, Theodore-sama. Please take a seat. Naturally, the same goes to you, Frederick-sama.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then, I shall take your offer.¡± Ah! That bastard Frederick must have been laughing at me in his mind. After all, he already has a seat reserved for him, unlike me. Dammit!!! The only available seat is¡­ the one beside the girls¡¯ group. I sweated slightly, but firmed my mind. Oh well, it¡¯s too late to back off now. With a confident stride, I went to that available spot and spoke gently to the girl sitting by the empty location. ¡°Excuse me, may I take this seat?¡± ¡°E-EH?! Y-Yesh, here you go.¡± The girl ¨C whose hair happened to be blonde in color- accidentally bit her tongue as she spoke, unable to hide her surprise at all. Although that might be because she had never expected me to suddenly greet her. Well, that did not matter, as this empty seat next to her was a great seat. It neatly separated me quite a bit from that crown prince. Or in other words, it was the lowest seat available. As such, it was no wonder that the other kids around me couldn¡¯t help themselves and giggled when I sat in the chair. ¡°Pfft, a marquis¡¯ son is sitting in a seat that is lower than the viscount¡¯s daughter. How unsightly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before right? He¡¯s just a brat.¡± The blue haired boy and the green haired one in the Crown Prince¡¯s group spoke with a smirk painted on their faces. Slightly confused, I looked toward Frederick for an answer, and he pointed at the open spot between the blue haired kid and the red haired one with a perplexed expression on his face. The spot he was pointing out was precisely a blind spot, at least it was, from the position I was standing at previously. Say that sooner, you second silver sentai! Wait, in that case, Frederick¡¯s seat is really the seat next to the Crown Prince! I froze for a split second before a realization came over me. Ah, could it be that the open seat in my blind spot is one that is only recently created after I come to this group? Ah~ Oh well, can¡¯t be helped. This is my fault for being an idiot. ¡°M-My apologies, Theodore-sama. I¡¯m not careful enough in¡­¡± Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill), who had never looked shaken up until now, was visibly flustered by this situation. Well, that was only natural. I mean, she didn¡¯t know that I was this oblivious about the seat¡¯s arrangement and my natural position. Hmm, but well, I ¨C and maybe everyone else too, who knows- may be unfamiliar with each other¡¯s name. So, how am I supposed to know about everyone¡¯s peerage when I don¡¯t even know most of these kids¡¯ names? I made excuses for myself in my heart. Alas, I couldn¡¯t beat my own mind and heart. Uhn. Come to think of it, this may be one of those lessons that I boycotted due to my previous quarrel with Richard. Yup, this situation is entirely my fault after all. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I really don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve said it before, right? I still have much to learn. Furthermore, I think I will still make many more mistakes that may cause discomfort to everyone even after this¡­ but I hope that everyone will help me fix my mistakes. I shall take everyone¡¯s opinion to heart and use it to strive to improve myself in the future.¡± ¡°T-Then, that seat over the¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy with your offer, but please allow me to refuse. I shall sit in this seat as a punishment for the blunder I had made this time.¡± Like hell I¡¯m gonna join those brats¡¯ ranger squad. I thought to myself. This might sound selfish to others if they heard it. However, I truly think that I might end up blowing up my fuse if I try to sit with them. Thankfully, perhaps understanding that I wouldn¡¯t budge from my decision, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t try to convince me again this time. ¡°By the way, Your Highness Frederick, Theodore-sama, what were you two talking about a while ago? You two seem to be having fun with each other.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about something interesting¡­ we¡¯re just talking about the Saint¡¯s Ornaments is all.¡± I answered truthfully, not even thinking of hiding the topic of our conversation. However, when I did that, Frederick¡¯s eyes widened. His eyes as he looked at me seemed to be telling me off with something like: ¡®Why did you tell them about that, idiot?!¡¯. Don¡¯t look at me like that. We didn¡¯t talk about anything else aside from this, right? Furthermore, even if I have to bear the burden of being glared at by those ranger kids, we truly only have this topic in common. And no, I¡¯m not idiotic enough to speak the whole truth. There¡¯s an adlib for occasions like this after all, and it starts from this point. ¡°My House kept one before, but unfortunately, I have never had the chance to see it with my own eyes. I had heard that it¡¯s already returned to the rightful owner. Speaking of legendary treasure, doesn¡¯t that make you feel excited?¡± ¡°Returned¡­ is it? Does that mean that the treasure isn¡¯t in your family¡¯s possession anymore?¡± Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) asked. Since it was her who¡¯s asking, I decided to reply without dragging it out. I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, it was returned to the Royal Family when I¡¯m younger.¡± ¡°Royal¡­ Family?!¡± Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s (Drill) exclaimed, seeming to be really surprised with what I revealed for some reason. On the contrary, the ranger squad was still looking at me with an annoyed expression on their face. ¡°Yeah, I heard that ours was a tiara.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s the Saint¡¯s Tiara! It¡¯s a legendary ornament! I wonder how it looks~?¡± The green haired muttered with obvious excitement painting her face. ¡°Look, that story is full of romance, right? And it seems to be extremely popular among the girls, too. Even my little sister always enjoys it whenever I read that story for her.¡± As expected, when I brought up that topic, the girls immediately became completely absorbed with the story of the Saint¡¯s Legend. With that, I heroically managed to divert the topic~ Thank God for that~! I ignored the rangers, though, as they were still glaring daggers at me. I could only apologize to them in my mind while sending apologetic eyes. Sorry boys, I have no suitable story materials to use to coax you guys. ¡°T-Then, Theodore-sama, can you do a fortune telling?¡± The heck? Why did the topic suddenly jump to a completely unrelated matter?! I was confused, but was it just me, however Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) seemed to be flustered when she asked me that question. ¡°Fortune telling? Do you mean something similar to flower fortune telling? The girls seem to love it, but¡­ my apologies, I can¡¯t do fortune telling.¡± ¡°T-Then, what kind of fortune telling can you do, Theodore-sama? For example, can you do something like tarot¡­¡± ¡°Me? Err, sorry, but I really can¡¯t do any sort of fortune telling. I have never even learned about it. In the first place, I don¡¯t think I even have the talent to do fortune telling.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡­ how can it be¡­?¡± Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Drill) slumped down when she heard my clear answer, making me feel confused. Eh? What happened? Are you okay? I looked at her quizzically, confused. Still, I noticed that the air around this place had worsened somehow¡­ Dang, I need to do something to lift this depressing atmosphere. What to do? Oh, I should just say something about my ability to lift the mood in this place. That should do, right¡­? ¡°Uhm, while I can¡¯t do fortune telling, my lacework is quite good. You can say that it¡¯s my forte. See this handkerchief? It¡¯s personally knitted by me.¡± As I spoke I took out my handkerchief, proudly displaying it to everyone. And I garnered the reaction I wanted. The girls looked entranced with my lacework while the little rangers now looked dumbfounded. However, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s reaction was¡­ interesting. ¡°YOU¡­ WHAT?!¡± Ehm, are you okay? You do know that you¡¯re a duke¡¯s daughter, right? Literally screaming like that is unbefitting of your status, surely you know this fact, right? Look, even the Crown Prince is repulsed by your scream! ¡°Huhm, weak. How can you be so proud of such a girlish hobby.¡± ¡°There, there. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s boasting. Let¡¯s just let this matter pass.¡± At that point, one of the boys ¨C the red haired one ¨C couldn¡¯t hold himself back from voicing out his opinion. So, he spoke first, irritation frankly spilling out from his countenance. Meanwhile, his friend ¨C the green haired boy ¨C was trying to calm him down. ¡°Yes, this isn¡¯t a level where I can boast about.¡± I affirmed the green haired boy¡¯s claim with a frivolous expression on my face, causing them to fall silent and look at me with astonished as well as dumbfounded expression on their faces. ¡°How skillful.¡± While the boys kept their mouth shut in surprise, the black haired girl muttered this with a slightly vexed tone. ¡°Yes. This part should be really difficult, and yet Theodore-sama is able to¡­ such a neat and tidy result¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me. Mother has only ever gotten angry at me when it comes to my lacework¡­¡± The blue haired girl muttered, fascinated with my work. Unfortunately, there was a red haired girl who had literally raised a white flag regarding her lacework. What a shame¡­ even though lacework was a fun hobby¡­ Anyway, while I lamented, the girls were starting a discussion about laceworks using my handkerchief as the topic. They were talking about the difficulties in learning to create the intricate parts, what kind of technique I used to do it, and so on, completely neglecting the boys altogether by this point. Haa¡­ thank God it works. Throughout this stretch of time, Frederick stayed silent. It was only at this point that he looked at me with an expression that seemed to say ¡®Good job¡¯. As I couldn¡¯t exactly go to him at the moment, I decided to focus on participating in the girls¡¯ discussion. But while I was throwing in appropriate responses to the girls¡¯ discussion, my attention was caught by the figure of the blonde girl sitting beside me. Why? Simple. It was because her eyes were focused on the sweets that were placed in front of me. AKA MY sweets. As for her sweets? I noticed that it had long since gone to oblivion. Uhm. I tried to pull my plate full of sweets closer to me, but her eyes moved, as if it was tracking the goodies. Right, left. Hohohou¡­ Deciding to tease her, I took a cookie from the plate and threw it into my mouth, savouring it. Seeing that, the girl looked at me enviously, as if she was wishing that the cookie entered her mouth instead of mine. Faced with that expression, I tried to feed the blonde girl by hand. When I did that, the girl seemed to be incredibly surprised. However, soon she showed a blissful expression as she chewed the cookie, savoring it just like I did before. Then, she looked at me again with an expectant light in her eyes. Seeing that, as a gentleman, I guessed I had no choice but to answer her expectation. I pinched another cookie from the plate and tossed it into the girl¡¯s mouth. And once again, the blonde girl was chewing it with a supremely blissful expression on her face. Then, she opened her mouth again, throwing me a look full of expectation once more. So, I threw another cookie into her mouth. The girl was still chewing the cookie with the same expression, looking absolutely adorable! Here you go. Another one. The girl was still chewing the cookie with the same expression, looking absolutely adorable! Again. Chomp.[TL : Feeding Chick] Yup, she¡¯s so amusing. I nodded my head inwardly, feeling like I was feeding a chick. And thanks to her fluffy, blonde hair, the girl¡¯s impression looked even more like an adorable chick in my mind. She¡¯s soo adorable~ just like a chick! I gushed in my mind. ¡°You¡­ what are you doing?¡± The black haired boy asked as he looked at me. He seemed to be irked somehow. What a short tempered kid. Despite my thought, I still responded to him and spontaneously replied, ¡°Me? Feeding a chick?¡± Alas, my spontaneous reply shocked the blonde haired girl so much that she teared up, causing my heart to fall down to my stomach. I couldn¡¯t forget her expression that was caused by my thoughtless action. Because it was my fault. I had made a little girl cry. By the way, while I was facing a crisis like this, Frederick¡¯s shoulder had been trembling non-stop since a while ago. He was holding back his laughter. You merry drinker bas*tard! You just wait! I¡¯ll get back at you for this! === TN : The chick has escaped, what Theodore going to do? find out next week! CH 22 22 Small Animal is Cute ¡°U~h¡­ E-Excuse me!!!¡± The blonde haired girl (chick girl) suddenly exclaimed, looking up at me with upturned eyes filled with unshed tears before she left her seat in a hurry. Seeing such a sight left me dumbstruck. Uuh~, let¡¯s see¡­ maybe I should go after her? I should, shouldn¡¯t I? I thought as I uncertainly looked at Frederick, silently asking him what I should do. At this time, he pointed toward the direction the blonde girl was fleeing to with his chin, silently telling me to go after her. With pleasure, buddy! My eyes lit up in delight. At that moment, I was really happy. I finally had an excuse to leave this colorful ranger and senshi¡¯s squad gathering! Hence, I couldn¡¯t help but cheer inside. Thank you very much, blonde girl (chick)! You saved me! ¡°Theodore-sama.¡± Richard immediately came to my side as soon as he saw I was about to leave my seat, calling out in a respectful and soft voice. ¡°Richard, please take a lot of beverages, sweets, and dishes from the table. After that, make sure to bring those things with you and follow me to go after that girl. Then, you can leave the rest to me. If it¡¯s too heavy for you, go to ask Kevin for help. Quick. I¡¯ll go after that girl now. She seems to be heading toward the garden, so head there once you¡¯re done here. Still, to be prepared, I¡¯ll make sure to leave a message to the palace guard along the way, so do ask them if you don¡¯t find us there. Do you understand?¡± I instructed. ¡°She¡¯s not ¡®that girl¡¯, Theodore-sama. She¡¯s a viscount¡¯s daughter, Muriel Amber.¡± Richard revealed, before he lowered his head in dejection as he apologized. ¡°My apologies, it¡¯s my fault. I should have introduced everyone¡¯s name when you came in.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. You had no chance to inform me about that, after all. Anyway, for now, please prepare what I told you immediately. I need to go after her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With that, I parted ways with Richard, immediately heading toward the garden to go after the chick. Along the way, whenever I saw the palace guard who was patrolling the area, I would ask them about the location of that blonde girl (chick). Then, I would request them to guide my attendant who will come later on to direct him to me. From the palace guards I met on the way, I came to know that the blonde girl (chick) seemed to be heading toward a place called ¡®Rose¡¯s Maze¡¯. After getting the direction, I went there, planning to ask the palace guards patrolling over there the exact location of the blonde girl (chick). Of course, I only headed toward the maze after I had thanked the palace guard for showing the way. Fortunately, the route was fairly straightforward, so I didn¡¯t get lost and finally arrived at a place with a lot of rose walls. According to the soldier who was guarding the entrance gate of the maze, which was made entirely from rose¡¯s briars, the blonde girl (chick) indeed went into the maze. However, the palace guard assured me that the maze was fairly simple, so the chance of a child losing their way inside was miniscule. Furthermore, the soldier also stated that they had closed the exit of the maze today, and the only way out of there was from the entrance which he was guarding over. Therefore, there was no possibility of the blonde girl (chick) to get out of the maze without him knowing. He even told me that there was a plaza with a water fountain inside the maze, and it was highly possible that the chick was there, since the palace had set tables and chairs for tea parties prepared in that plaza as well. After thanking him for all the information he had given, I asked him to guide my attendant to the plaza when he came by later. Then, I went straight into the maze and headed towards the plaza following the kind guard¡¯s direction. I followed the path for a while and passed two corners before I arrived in front of the plaza. It was an extremely beautiful place with roses of various colors such as red, pink, or gold blooming together. A low water fountain was built in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by several tables that were set for tea parties. There, I found the blonde haired girl (chick) sitting at a table that was hidden from my direct line of sight due to the water fountain¡¯s existence, accompanied by her maid. Adjusting my breath, I walked toward her, acting just like a soldier preparing for a ¡®do or die¡¯ mission. ¡°¡­ Chick, chick¡­ I¡¯m¡­ not a chick¡­ hiccup!¡± As I neared their location, I could hear the sniffling murmur of the blonde haired girl (chick). ¡°Indeed, but I have to remind you, milady. Opening your mouth widely like that to accept that cookie is an improper act for a lady¡­ And as much as you can¡¯t forgive him for calling you a chick, you must remember that such a thing wouldn¡¯t happen if you would only remind Marquis-sama¡¯s son about his proper seat, milady.¡± ¡°B-But, it happened so fast that I couldn¡¯t react properly. Moreover, for some reason, everyone was being scary. W-Why do they look so scary?! I-I mean, normally, dear big brother and his friends are really kind! So, why?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± At this point of time, I opened my mouth and interrupted their conversation. ¡°That¡¯s because everyone is vexed by me, Miss Muriel Amber. They¡¯re not angry at you, they¡¯re angry at me.¡± Henceforth, I stood in front of Muriel (chick girl) and purposefully spoke to her using uncommon words that befitted nobility, trying to sound as polite as possible. Before the other party could react, I continued on and offered my apologies. ¡°My apologies for calling you a chick back then. I had thoughtlessly blurted out my honest impression upon seeing the extremely adorable face you make when you ate the cookie. I know that it¡¯s rude of me to call you that since it only brings you humiliation. For that, I offer you my deepest apologies. I¡¯m going to reflect on that blunder of mine and endeavor to not make the same mistake twice.¡± After delivering my heartfelt apology, I bowed to the chick. ¡°U, UEEEE?!¡± My intention was to apologize, but it seemed that I had caused more confusion instead. I wondered why? ¡°Milady! It¡¯s now up to you to decide whether you¡¯ll forgive him¡­ or not!¡± Her maid whispered, dragging her back to her senses. ¡°E, uhm, p-please raise your head first.¡± ¡°No. This is my punishment for embarrassing you. Therefore, I won¡¯t raise my head until you forgive me.¡± ¡°Au~~, I-I forgive you! S-So p-please raise your head now~!¡± Initially, I thought I had to repeat this conversation for at least three more times as well as bow my head before she would forgive me, but it turned out there was no need for that as she immediately forgave me at once. Although, it seemed she did it because she was troubled by my action. Nevertheless, as she had forgiven me and permitted me to do so, I raised my head. When I looked at her, I saw that Muriel was as flustered as her voice had suggested. And looking at her bright red face that was on the verge of crying as well as her tightly shut lips that were trembling lightly, I couldn¡¯t help the throb in my heart. A~h, what is this adorable creature? Her troubled face was truly adorable. She looks just like a small adorable animal that makes you want to pet her. ¡°Allow me to re-introduce myself. I¡¯m the son of Owen Goldberg, Theodore. And I offer my deepest apology for my previous unkind remark back there that had hurt your feelings. I will be extremely grateful for your forgiveness.¡± I first apologized to her properly in the noble style. Then, I waited for her response, as proper. Sure enough, seeing my action, Muriel took a deep breath and pinched the tip of her skirt as she bowed lightly with one of her legs pulled back a bit in standard pose. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of Evan Amber, Muriel, and I accept your heartfelt apology. However, Theodore-sama, please don¡¯t call me a chick again. Furthermore, I also offer my apologies to you for leaving my seat on my own convenience. Please tell everyone of my heartfelt apology as well.¡± So, you¡¯re indirectly telling me to go back to that hell, huh? I raised one of my eyebrows lightly in realization. In that case, I could only say my bad. After all, I absolutely had no intention to go back to that hot seat. Anyway, that was the reason I had made prior preparation to ensure my escape plan was perfect. So, sorry chick, your wish would not be granted. ¡°I also wanted to convey your apology to the rest, but more than that, I wanted to spend some more time with you. What do you think, milady? Shall we have a light chat while enjoying a light meal together?¡± I asked as I pointed toward the other side of the water fountain. Over there, the figures of Kevin and Richard could be seen approaching our direction. It was not only those two, there were also some waitresses coming with them. Furthermore, they were also pushing a small cart with some delectable looking dishes on it. Nice timing. Meanwhile, beside me, Muriel couldn¡¯t hide her shock. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I said, not letting her refuse my invitation as I took her hand, half-forcing her to go toward the meal prepared by Kevin and Richard. Phew, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter¡¯s (Drill) tactic is surely powerful. Her ¡®going at my own pace without letting any gap for the other party interrupt¡¯ really works like a charm! ¡°UEEE?!¡± Muriel exclaimed. However, she could only helplessly follow me as we arrived before the cart. The cart itself had two compartments, and both were filled to the brim with dishes. At this point, the waitresses came up to give us a hand. Then, after laying a cloth on the table, they even considerately prepared cushions for our chairs. Then, once I guided Muriel to her seat, I also sat down. Before us, there were plates containing various kinds of sweets and dishes lined up on the table. ¡°Uwaaa.¡± Like I had expected, her eyes shone brightly the moment she saw the foods on the table. There was no doubt about it, this girl is a big eater. In other words, a foodie. Although there was a concern in regard to her weight, it seemed that she didn¡¯t show a trend of becoming a fat girl at the moment. Therefore, finishing all these foods shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Okay, here you go.¡± She happily chomped on the sandwich I presented toward her, smiling that blissful smile. Yup, that blissful smile is adorable. I thought, looking at her eating. Truly, watching her eat so blissfully like this was a blessing to my heart. It healed my weary mind. I also couldn¡¯t help but try to take a bit of the sandwich when I saw her looking so joyful as she ate. Chomp¡­ Savoring the food, I nodded my head inwardly. Yup, it is indeed delicious. ¡°Richard, you should eat too. After all, no one will see us in this place, so it should be alright. Waitresses-san and Miss Muriel¡¯s maid, too, come eat.¡± I beckoned to them. However, everyone refused. In the end, I looked at Kevin. ¡°What about me, Young Master?¡± ¡°You just enjoy the sight of us eating.¡± ¡°(Hiccup) So crueel?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Here, it¡¯s delicious.¡± I giggled, presenting lots of sandwiches toward him, heart filled with gratitude for all the help he had given me so far. Receiving the sandwiches, Kevin ate happily. ¡°Yup, this is so delicious. To think that the people in the royal palace always enjoy this kind of meal¡­¡± ¡°Right? I wonder if our chefs can replicate its recipe?¡± ¡°Maybe not. Unless we got the recipe right from them¡­¡± Kevin said idly as he offered the plate loaded with sandwiches toward the waitresses so they could try it too. As expected of Kevin! Now, the waitresses could no longer reject, since it didn¡¯t come from me directly. Hence, they nodded slightly to me and ate the sandwiches. After all, the sandwiches were really delicious and should not be wasted. ¡°Here Richard, you too.¡± I forced a macaron into his mouth as my attendant insisted on keeping his mouth shut. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Uhgu¡­ Yesh.¡± Richard choked out, face red. Tsk. There¡¯s no need to feel ashamed really. Why don¡¯t you try to act a little bolder like Kevin? ¡°Then, that maid too. Here.¡± I said, offering the sandwich to Muriel¡¯s maid as well. However, she politely declined the offer, stubborn. So, I whispered to Muriel, causing her to look really delighted. She then immediately held a macaron in the direction of her maid¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°Sheila, a~n.¡± ¡°Muriel-sama, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°A~~~n.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A~~~n?¡± ¡°¡­ A-A~~~n.¡± Defeated, Muriel¡¯s maid hesitantly opened her mouth and allowed Muriel to feed the macaron to her. ¡°Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Yesh, it¡¯s really delicious.¡± Muriel¡¯s expression immediately lit up when she heard her maid¡¯s reply. And once again, I felt my heart was shot by an arrow. Dear me, such a nice smile. Her smile alone is the best feast for my eyes. I¡¯m heale~d! So, let this nii-chan give you a reward. No need to thank me for that. After all, your smile healed my heart. I decided, opening the bag that I entrusted on Kevin¡¯s hand, where I had kept a few of my laceworks in. Then, I spread them on the table, showing them to Muriel. ¡°Uwaa~ so pretty.¡± ¡°I personally knitted all of them. Allow me to give this as a symbol of our friendship today. Feel free to choose any one of them.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Muriel looked at each of them with a sparkle in her eyes. In the end, her eyes fell on a wide ribbon that was embroidered with several small flowers in the center. That was the one she chose. It was really hard to tie it up, though, so I made it into a horseshoe shaped hair band and set it on her head. The result was as I expected, it matched very well with her blonde hair. ¡°Yup, you look really cute.¡± ¡°Hyauu~. T-Thank you¡­ very much.¡± At this point, Muriel¡¯s face had turned bright red, looking almost like a ripe tomato. Seeing this sight, my hand suddenly moved on its own, patting her head gently. I couldn¡¯t help it! She looked as if she was an extremely adorable small animal just now! Still, for some inexplicable reason, her face that was already flushed red turned even redder. So, I grabbed Miss Muriel¡¯s hand, thinking that it was the right moment to bring her back to the venue (for children). However, the moment I did so, THAT came out from the thicket. ¡°THE HECK?! LET THEODORE¡¯S HAND GO, YOU DULL WOMAN! HE IS MINE!¡± A pink haired female monkey, who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly shouted at Muriel. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ You fu*cking bi*tch! How dare you call the adorable creature who heals my weary heart a dull woman! What ARE you?! === TN : Pink Monkey Appeared! Fight Run >Kill CH 23 23 The Mad Dog Has Escaped A pink haired girl (a fu*cking brat honestly) appeared out of nowhere. She then suddenly rushed at Muriel after bad mouthing her. Dumbstruck, we were unable to react as she reached us, roughly brushing Muriel¡¯s hand off mine as she continued talking nonsense. ¡°I SAID! LET GO OF HIS HAND! THE ONE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO TALK WITH SOMEONE IN THIS PLACE TODAY IS ME! Though I wish it¡¯s Elliot who will come, BUT! I GUESS IT CAN¡¯T BE HELPED THAT THE ONE HERE IS JUST THE SAFE TILE THEODORE. ANYWAY, THEODORE, FORECAST MY FUTURE NOW. THAT WAY, YOU¡¯LL KNOW WHO I AM!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What the he*ll is this fu*cking bi*tch talking about?! Are you an idiot? You must be an idiot, right? ¡°Are you okay Miss Muriel?!¡± I asked, frankly unconcerned with the crazy girl, as I took Muriel¡¯s hands back into my own immediately. Aah, look at her poor hands¡­ it has become so red now. My heart ached, especially when I looked at her face that was on the verge of crying, but enduring it as she nodded her head. What a good girl¡­ ¡°Well, shall we get back now? We¡¯ve been talking in this place for so long I reckon that by now, everyone must be tired of waiting for us.¡± I said, gently smiling at her. Then, as I was about to lead her away¡­ ¡°WAIT! STOP IGNORING ME! YOU SHOULD BE TALKING TO ME, YOU KNOW?! NOT HER! YOU ARE THEODORE, RIGHT? YOU MUST BE! HOW DARE THE SAFEST TILE, THE YELLOW OF THE SIX LIKE YOU IGNORE ME LIKE THIS! YOUR CHARACTER IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ONE WHOSE AFFINITY WILL GO DOWN UNLESS IT IS THE HARD MODE! SINCE YOU¡¯RE THE ONE WHO APPEARS IN THIS PLACE, THEN THIS MUST BE THE EASY MODE, NOT THE HARD ONE¡­ ANYWAY, TELL ME MY FORTUNE. NOW!¡± Affinity? What in the he*ll is this pink monkey talking about? I was very confused, but there was no doubt about the fact that my impression of her had already nose-dived into minus range. In fact, her negative impression had already surpassed that of the Crown Prince, the rangers, and those aunties who tried to woo my father. Hers had already reached a level that could be called as ABSOLUTE fu*cking ZERO temperature, unlike my impression for the Crown Prince and his rangers. Sure, my impression on them was bad, but in my opinion, the Crown Prince and his rangers might improve since they might, in fact, be good children. However, in her case, there was no way my impression would improve after ALL THOSE NONSENSE she had said to be. So, GET LOST BI*TCH, and don¡¯t show your face in front of me again. EVER! Anyway, she might not be a big deal. After all, looked at her dirty cloth and messy fu*cking pink hair with twigs and leaves all over the place. Seeing her appearance alone, I really had to wonder what the heck was in her brain. Like, what makes this bi*tch thinks that she¡¯s qualified to criticize an adorable girl, whose appearance was prim and proper. Simply basing it on appearance, Muriel¡¯s neat one has already outstripped her by a huge margin. Want to compete with Muriel? Well, I¡¯ll give a sentence to you, free of charge. Dream on BI*TCH. Although I was cursing her in my mind, I had to admit that the pink haired girl had a rather cute face. HOWEVER! That slightly cunning look in her eyes that looked like they were looking down on everyone in the world was enough to make her appeared like a super duper selfish fu*cking bi*tch with uselessly high pride rather than a cute girl. Honestly, looking at this little bi*tch, I really want to know her parents and asked something like: Just how in the hell did you educate this fu*cking* bitch?! All the while, I also wanted to slap the responsible ones with a thick parenting dictionary and ordered them to re-learn everything regarding child-rearing. Still, in the end, I decided to simply ignore the pink monkey since I didn¡¯t want to interact with her at all. So, I pulled Muriel¡¯s hand and walked towards the palace, escorting her back to the party venue. Alas. ¡°HEAR ME, WILL YA?! I¡¯M THE HEROINE HERE, YOU KNOW?!¡± ¡°Aah~ there you are. Why are you in such a hurry to go back, Theodore-kun? Oh, more importantly, how cruel of you! Leaving me behind on my own lonesome in that kind of place to have fun with a girl.¡± Frederick¡¯s figure suddenly appeared from the Rose Maze¡¯s passage. ¡°FREDERICK?! NO WAY, IS THIS THE SECOND RUN?! YAAAY!¡± The fu*cking bi*tch rushed toward Frederick while screaming like a bi*tch in heat. Meanwhile, I was stunned on my spot. Seriously?! This bi*tch must have a few screws loose in her head! Even though he¡¯s an illegitimate child, he is still a royalty, you know?! Are you looking to die?! I screamed in my mind. ¡°KEVIN!¡± I shouted after coming back to my senses. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Kevin said. ¡°KYAAA! THE HELL YOU¡¯RE DOING!¡± The pink monkey screamed when Kevin successfully carried out my order to restrain that da*mn pink bi*tch, carrying her under his arm and preventing her from assaulting Frederick. ¡°WAIT, STOP, STOP, STOP! YOU FOOL! LET GO OF ME, YOU PERVERT! LOLICON! HELP POLICEEE!¡± ¡°Eh, what? What in the world is wrong with this girl? No, aside from that, how can she enter this place?¡± That¡¯s my exact question too, dammit. I grumbled to myself. Still, to prevent Frederick from adding gasoline to fire, I pressed my finger on my lips, signalling him to stay silent. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Frederick, right?! Uhm, if I¡¯m not wrong¡­ ¡®You must feel lonely, will you become my friend?¡¯.¡± [TL : Worry not, Theodore didn¡¯t accidentally trigger BL flag, since if this is a BL there¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna TL this novel] Frederick¡¯s expression changed sharply, looking at the pink-haired monkey with a gaze that sent chills running down my spine. Then, he turned his eyes toward me, eyes meeting mine as if he was asking me ¡®What in the world is happening here?¡¯. However, as I was as blind as he, I shook my head indicating that ¡®I am as confused as you are, dammit.¡¯ ¡°Eh? Are you not him? Uuhm, say Frederick, your mother is¡­¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Kevin immediately gagged the pink-haired monkey¡¯s mouth and told her to shut up just as she was about to say something that sounded very scary! ¡°Ha~~~PH!¡± The pink-haired monkey bit Kevin¡¯s hand mercilessly, causing Kevin to gnash his teeth in pain. It seemed that the pink-haired monkey had bitten his hand with all her might, shocking us greatly. What a rude bi*tch! While we were shocked, Kevin accidentally dropped her, letting the pink monkey crawl away from him, free from her restraint. ¡°Kevin! Are you okay?!¡± I looked at Kevin, worried. Alas, the pink-haired monkey did not stop at this. ¡°WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?! WHY AREN¡¯T YOU GUYS FOLLOWING THE SCRIPT?! IS IT THAT HARD TO JUST FOLLOW IT?! WHAT WAS UP WITH THIS MESSED UP SCENARIO?! ¡­ wait, THAT¡¯S IT! YOU MUST BE THE REASON WHY THE SCRIPT BECOME THIS MESSED UP! GO AWAY YOU DULL GIRL!¡± The pink-haired monkey hollered, like a screaming banshee. ¡°Eh?!¡± Muriel exclaimed, shocked by the sudden accusation. Then, the fu*cking bi*tch suddenly rushed to Muriel, pushing her toward the water fountain before any of us could react. ¡°MILADY!¡± Muriel¡¯s maid screamed, reaching out toward her in an attempt to save Muriel, but she was too slow. ¡°WATCH OUT!¡± I rushed out at great speed, catching Muriel¡¯s body. Then, quickly turning around our position, I pushed her away from the water fountain. However, as a result, it was me who staggered back and hit something with my back. If I was not wrong, then I seemed to have hit the edge of the water fountain¡­ Dammit. That hurt. I groaned in pain, and couldn¡¯t help but to wonder. Just what in the he*ll is wrong with that bi*tch?! Pushing a girl with all her might like that¡­ not only girls, but any other normal boys would also have been injured by that act! Have some restraint you fu*cking pink monkey!!! ¡°Theodore!¡± ¡°Theodore-sama!¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± I could hear Frederick, Richard, and Kevin all calling out my name. However, from the bottom of my heart, I wished they would stop. After all, rather than dudes, I preferred a cute girl like Muriel to be the one screaming my name instead. ¡°Milady¡­ Theodore-sama¡­ !!! SOMEONE HELP! SOLDIERS, CATCH THAT GIRL!¡± ¡°STOP RIGHT THERE!¡± A voice is screaming¡­ that is¡­ Muriel¡¯s maid, isn¡¯t it? Then¡­ the other one must be¡­ the waitress who had helped Kevin and Richard¡­ right? My vision was hazy and I couldn¡¯t really register what was happening around me. ¡°You shi*tty brat! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! How dare you hurt my Young Master!¡± ¡°I¡­ IT¡¯S NOT MY FAULT! IT¡¯S YOURS! I WAS JUST FOLLOWING THE SCRI-¡­ ANYWAY, YOU GUYS ARE THE ONE IN THE WRONG, NOT ME! YOU IDIOTS!¡± Sounds of screaming rang in my head, and then, I seemed to hear the sound of someone running around followed by a rustling sound of something. ¡°OI, STOP!!! DON¡¯T YOU DARE THINK OF ESCAPING!!!¡± Ah, so it was Kevin. He was chasing after that pink monkey, I see. ¡°Theodore, are you safe?!¡± Frederick asked as he propped me up, snapping me out of my daze. ¡°U¡­ Ugh¡­ Ouch¡­¡± I groaned in pain. ¡°THEODORE-SAMA! THEODORE-SAMA, SOMEONE, PLEASE GO CALL THE DOCTOR, RIGHT NOW!¡± Perhaps due to my groan, Richard finally realized that I was still conscious, so he ran to call the doctor. I bet, no matter how slight it was, he had a relieved expression on his face when he realized this. However, I couldn¡¯t deride her as my flagging attention was drawn to Muriel¡¯s cry. ¡°Theodore-sama! Theodore-sama~, please don¡¯t die~! Boo~hoo~¡± Muriel sobbed. Hard. Whoops, I won¡¯t die from something like this, Muriel. That¡¯s why, please stop saying something that will cause misunderstanding. Anyway, that time when I got isekai-ed by that car was far more painful than this little pain. Although I was in pain, I still had the strength to joke, albeit it could only be done in my mind since my body didn¡¯t have the strength to talk for long. Honestly, I wanted to soothe her, yet I couldn¡¯t. Therefore I could only ask her this: ¡°Are you¡­ okay¡­ Miss¡­ Muriel?¡± ¡°Yes! I, Muriel, am okay! That¡¯s why, please hang in there, Theodore-sama! You¡¯ll be okay soon!¡± Muriel, who was supported by her maid, nodded her head firmly. I see¡­ Thank goodness. I thought, but for some reason, I felt sleepy after I knew Muriel was safe. Soon, I could no longer hear anything, completely blacking out. ¡°Theodore-sama, Theo¡ª¡± ¡ó When I woke up, the first person I saw was my father. Seeing him, I was about to greet him, but then something happened that shocked me to the core. Did he just- cried? ¡°Fa¡­ ther?¡± ¡°Oh, have you woken up? How¡¯s your body? Are there any parts that still hurt?¡± He asked, gently stroking my cheeks. Aah, so now we¡¯re back in our mansion in the royal capital, huh. I thought, recognizing the room I was in. Looking back at my father, I noticed that he seemed to be exhausted. He might have been tending to me non-stop ever since I fell unconscious. Sorry, Papa. ¡°The doctor said that your whole body is bruised. Moreover, he also said that your head might have bumped onto something, so we must take precaution. Just in case, you know, and that is why we¡¯re still here. The doctor had told us to not go back to our territory for now, and for us to take a rest for a while in the royal capital until he is sure that you¡¯re absolutely fine.¡± ¡°What about¡­ Muriel? Is she¡­ safe?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s safe and sound since you protected her. She¡¯s really grateful for that, but at the same time, she¡¯s also extremely worried about your condition. So, make sure to visit her once you¡¯re fully healed.¡± I see¡­ Thank God she is safe. ¡°And congrats, Theo, you also managed to make a friend. Although, I¡¯m really surprised about who your friend is. I have never expected that you¡¯ll befriend His Highness Frederick.¡± ¡°Sorry, Father. Because of me, Father¡¯s position in the royal palace is going to be¡­¡± My father looked at me with wide eyes before he gently smiled at me and said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, really. His Highness Frederick has a hard time making a friend, you know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m really glad when I know that you¡¯ve befriended him. It¡¯s really a good thing. For you and for His Highness. So, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He then patted my head, ever gentle and kind. Father¡¯s pat on my head somehow relieved me from the bottom of my heart. It was as if a weight was lifted from my chest when he did so. Hence why, I immediately asked something else that concerned me. ¡°What about Kevin? How is he?¡± ¡°My apologies, Young Master.¡± I heard Kevin¡¯s voice coming right beside me, causing me to almost jump out of my bed due to surprise. Although this caused my father to look at me with a concerned expression, he still didn¡¯t tell me more about the situation. Thus, when I raised my body with Father¡¯s help and saw Kevin¡¯s figure prostrating himself on the floor beside my bed, I was speechless. ¡°My deepest apologies, Young Master. That brat managed to flee after she injured you! It¡¯s my fault that I couldn¡¯t catch her and punish her.¡± I could literally feel Kevin brimming with anger even while prostrating, especially with his next sentence. ¡°I¡¯m definitely going to find that brat and teach her a painful lesson!¡± It¡¯s okay. Please don¡¯t mind her existence. There¡¯s something more important than that. I thought as I cleared my throat and asked, ¡°What about your injury? Your hand got bitten by that ¡®Mad Dog¡¯ right? Is it okay now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It is just a scratch. Rather than me¡­¡± ¡°No. Make sure you treat your wound properly.¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°You absolutely must treat that wound until there¡¯s no trace left. I absolutely detest the wound left behind by that ¡®Mad Dog¡¯ and it must be gone. AND, before you start, bear in mind that this incident isn¡¯t your fault at all. It¡¯s all that ¡®Mad Dog¡¯, understand?¡± ¡°HAH!¡± Kevin agreed. Despite that, though, I was still stewing inside. I was angry. No. Not only that, but I was completely mad. I absolutely won¡¯t forgive the monkey who hurt Kevin like that. ABSOLUTELY NOT YOU HEAR ME?! THERE¡¯S NO FORGIVENESS FOR THAT PINK-HAIRED MONKEY BI*TCH!!! ¡°Theodore.¡± My father embraced me in his arms as soon as he heard my remark, patting my back soothingly as he spoke. ¡°You really¡­ aish¡­ you should stop blaming yourself like that. Yesterday¡¯s matter is no one¡¯s fault except for the perpetrator. Therefore, the wound on Kevin¡¯s hand isn¡¯t your fault either. It¡¯s that kid¡¯s fault. Not yours. So, it¡¯s okay to feel at ease now. The culprit is gone and Kevin¡¯s wound will be treated by the healer who is going to come tomorrow. And they are going to address your injury as well, so sleep now, Theo. Be at ease, Papa is here.¡± My father comforted, lulling me to sleep again with his voice. ¡°Now, you must rest. Focus on recovering your strength and stop concerning yourself with troublesome matters. Just¡­ take a rest.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Father was right. I just realized now that my mind was in a mess due to this incident. I felt annoyed, miserable, furious¡­ and sad. All those feelings were jumbled together inside, tied tightly that I didn¡¯t know what to feel. Not only that, but my mind was also jumbled together. All kinds of possibilities were flashing in my mind that wouldn¡¯t cause us to end in this state. Possibilities such as: if only I had wrapped things up quickly¡­ if only I had returned sooner¡­ If only I didn¡¯t bring food with me to that place¡­ then, perhaps things would end up in a more peaceful way than what had happened. And yet, the outcome was this. I ended up troubling everyone due to my selfishness. Although Father was trying to lull me to sleep, my emotion and mind was so jumbled that I couldn¡¯t do that. And it seemed Father sensed that, so he spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay to cry, Theo. You rarely cry after all. And it¡¯s alright for you to cry in this kind of situation. So, just cry. Cry and let it out. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay by your side until you feel better.¡± When I heard Father¡¯s gentle voice and words, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and cried until I was tired. Even then, Father didn¡¯t mind and simply kept patting my back, every gentle and patient as if he was coaxing a child. Haah, I really miss Wendy¡¯s adorable smile now. Or Muriel¡¯s smile when she was eating delicious food. I couldn¡¯t help my thoughts as I fell into a deep slumber, tired out from all the crying I had done. ¡ó Ultimately, the investigation about that shi*tty brat was stopped since her identity was pretty much unknown. Still, the investigation had some gain as well. It seemed that the investigators found a hidden path inside the ¡®Rose¡¯s Maze¡¯. The one who found that hidden path was actually Richard, who participated in the investigation and seemed to have found it due to his sheer will power and stubbornness, though. Turned out, the entrance couldn¡¯t be seen unless they lowered their face as close as possible to the ground. It was an extremely small passage that couldn¡¯t be traveled unless they went down on all four, and the exit was actually connected to the desolate artificial forest park outside the royal capital. Honestly, even the guard who patrolled around that area was truly surprised by that finding. And from further investigation, it seemed to be a hidden passage that was made by the royalty of a few generations ago. Well, after receiving that information from Frederick and the guards, His Majesty had finally decided to close that hidden passage. After all, though it was a hidden passage for the royalties, it was essentially an useless passage since an ordinary brat could use it. Furthermore, it was also problematic for safety reasons. Anyway, that was as far as this incident goes. A conclusion that was without any resolution you could say. === TN : What will you do if that bi*tch appeared again? KILL KILLKILL >KILLKILLKILL!!! CH 24 24 A~hn is Justice ¡°Here, Theodore-sama. A~hn.¡± ¡°A~~~n.¡± ¡°Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s very delicious.¡± ¡°You two¡­ please show some restraint and refrain from making such¡­ obvious public displays of affection.¡± The hell you¡¯re talking about, Frederick?! Even though this is a rare chance to feed Muriel with delicious sweets¡­ I mean, we won¡¯t get this sort of chance again when we grow up since it¡¯s honestly waay too embarrassing, so what¡¯s so bad about allowing me to enjoy this precious moment?! I righteously thought, already having the plan to do the same to Wendy once she grew up a little bigger than she is currently. ¡°Mayhaps, do you want to try to do the same, Your Highness Frederick?¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I can¡¯t afford to do it as someone is already glaring daggers at me, looking like he wants to kill me if I agree.¡± Oh my, there¡¯s such a rude guy in this place? Where? I put on a bewildered expression and pretended to know nothing. However, Frederick¡¯s glare towards me caused me to grin sheepishly. Yup, it¡¯s me after all. ¡°¡­ Haa, I can only praise your lack of self-awareness. But well¡­ I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re alright. From your liveliness, it seems that you have recovered well, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you look really lively. You look much better now.¡± Muriel said with a dazzling smile on her face. The two of them came here for a visit to check my condition since they heard I had returned to the waking world. Anyway, it was all thanks to the healer that was called by my father. Not only was I healed, but even the wound on Kevin¡¯s hand showed no sign of being bitten when it was healed. Not even a trace of the wound could be seen! Truly, I could only applaud and raise my thumb up when I saw the real magic performed in front of me for the first time in my life. As expected of magic. I exclaimed inwardly, feeling incomparably excited. Although seeing the wound being healed in no time felt strange, I was still curious, wondering about how it felt to have the injury being healed by magic. Hence, I couldn¡¯t help the direction of my thought as my mind began coming up with ideas. Let¡¯s see, maybe it would feel like your whole body is itchy? As if it was covered with scabs? But¡­ that sort of sensation only lasts for a few seconds at most and will vanish when the wound is healed. Eh, nevertheless, it still feels strange to see how fast a wound got healed in this world. However, although healing magic was awesome, it was not the be all and end all. For example, my physical strength had yet to go back to normal even after I was healed. The healer did say that I would be fully recovered after I slept, though, so there¡¯s that. Oh, I almost forgot to mention this, but it seemed that the people who could use high level magic were part of the elite in this world. AND due to that, they¡¯re confined in the kingdom to ensure that outstanding talents would not flow out and benefit other nations. That seemed to be the reason why, up until now, I had never seen magic with my own eyes despite having so many magic tools in my life. As for why Kevin and I received treatment under healing magic from a specialist healer for this incident? Well, to tell the truth, it was supposedly a reward for our ¡®achievement¡¯ in finding the existence of that hidden passage. ¡­ Papa, you¡¯re not involved in this matter, right? You¡¯re not receiving any unreasonable demand from the royal family in exchange for this ¡®privilege¡¯ right? Although Father did tell me to not worry about this matter, I couldn¡¯t help it. Was this matter really that simple?! I meant¡­ This incident should be a big deal, right?! I pondered, worried. However, the words Frederick said to me next told me that there really was nothing to worry about. ¡°Viscount Amber, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, and I request His Majesty to let a healer come and treat you. We used the secret passage as a negotiation material for this matter, which was something they wanted since it¡¯d help them hide the royal family¡¯s mismanagement. Moreover, when it comes to healing magic, the scratch wounds you two receive are the basic of basic and dealing with it couldn¡¯t be any easier. In fact, to the royals, helping you heal with magic is a trivial matter since your wounds are superficial. Anyway, the royal family is making a big profit from this negotiation, so don¡¯t worry.¡± In short, since no one was hurt by that incident, they decided to make¨D¨D The discovery of the hidden passage that was used by an intruder to enter the royal palace and assault people¨D¨D off record. In other words, it had never happened, much less during the Crown Prince¡¯s party. ¡°Thank God that nothing serious happened.¡± The person who had just spoken was Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter, AKA D-R-I-L-L. She was another of my visitors, who had come this time, when she heard the news. Her purpose for coming was to express her apology for the incident that happened during the party. ¡°My deepest apologies, Theodore-sama. Furthermore, I also bear His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s message. He had asked me to tell you to take a proper rest.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your worries and well-wishes. Do please convey my message back to His Highness the Crown Prince and tell him that I¡¯m grateful for his care.¡± I politely returned. After that we fell silent. A moment passed. Two crows passed by. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Uhm. I coughed to myself, feeling that this situation we were in was rather¡­ awkward for lack of better word. However, I had to admit that Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter (Katrina) was truly level headed, especially for a girl her age. She was mature enough to know that she had to cover for the Crown Prince, her fiance, in order to maintain his image. Eh? Why did I think so? Well, though this might just be a speculation of mine, but¡­ I just couldn¡¯t imagine that the bratty Crown Prince would worry about me. As such, I guessed that Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter came here to preserve his image. After all, since his fiance had come to greet me and convey ¡®his¡¯ concern, then it would show the world that he, in fact, cared about me and my well-being. Truly, good job, Madam Drill. You had done a really good job in your role as a wife-to-be for a five year old girl. I sent her a thumb up in my mind, admiring her. Then again, thinking back, perhaps she had also tried her best to do the same during the party. After all, that event was done in order to show the Crown Prince¡¯s authority. Hence, it was normal that she did her best to prevent any kind of problem from happening. Really¡­ What a diligent girl. That must be the reason why she came to greet Frederick and I during that party in the children¡¯s venue. Now, I finally understood. The two of us each were the sons of important people. Literally, not only was I the son of marquis, Frederick himself ¨C despite being illegitimate ¨C was a part of royalty. Therefore, there was no way she would ignore our existence. Her diligent personality wouldn¡¯t allow that. She wouldn¡¯t let herself watch two children, who were going to shoulder the future of this kingdom, isolating themselves from the rest of the children in the corner of the venue; not without doing something at the very least. Perhaps in a normal situation, she could join us and we could have an enjoyable conversation together. However, as the fiancee of the Crown Prince, she felt responsible for bringing the two of us out of the area we were comfortable in, the corner of the venue. Hence, the subsequent situation. ¡­ Now I felt bad for calling her Drill¡­ But that couldn¡¯t be blamed on me! I mean, the blatant reaction from those rangers was not pleasant to me. Frankly speaking, it was a turn-off. They were reacting like a child! ¡­ Well, they were a child right now¡­ urgh, now I felt bad. Although she had done her best, worrying about him, the Crown Prince didn¡¯t seem to notice her effort at all. ¡°I apologize, Miss Katrina. I must have troubled everyone when I suddenly left my seat and took off like that. Yet, despite my rudeness, you still went out of your way to visit me¡­ I truly am sorry for causing all this ruckus due to my own selfishness. In the future, I¡¯ll make sure to be more careful with my action-!¡± I bowed to Miss Katrina in apology, vowing to be better from now on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That incident isn¡¯t your fault, Theodore-sama. I¡¯m the one in the wrong for running to ¡®Rose¡¯s Maze¡¯ on my own, leaving all of you behind. That¡¯s why, I should be the one apologizing to Katrina-sama, not you. Henceforth, I offer my sincerest apology to you, Katrina-sama, for all the trouble my thoughtless action caused you.¡± Muriel said, also bowing down to Miss Katrina. No, wait a minute, it¡¯s not her fault! ¡°No, Miss Muriel, you¡¯re not the one in the wrong. I mean, it starts from me. I made you upset by calling you a chick¡­¡± ¡°You only call me that due to my eating habit¡­ no, I¡¯m the one in the wrong first for not telling you about your correct seat.¡± As we tried to take the blame onto ourselves, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter giggled. ¡°Fufufu, if that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m the one at fault for not pointing out Theodore-sama¡¯s rightful seat immediately, right?¡± Miss Katrina said with a smile and I was slightly startled. So, it turned out her natural smile was this cute¡­ I had never expected this. ¡°Please accept my apology for my blunder, Theodore-sama.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for not properly learning about those etiquettes in the first place¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s about time you guys end this never-ending loop of apologies.¡± Frederick interjected, looking at us with a dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡°Anyway, since it¡¯s already something in the past, let¡¯s just settle it with ¡®no one is at fault for this matter¡¯. Alright? Besides, rather than talking about such useless topics, I am honestly more curious and surprised about Theodore¡¯s lacework.¡± Frederick stated. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m also very curious about that. I was truly surprised when you showed us such neat knitting, you know? The stitchings are truly complex and elaborate, well beyond my ability. It¡¯s an extremely advanced skill that children like us shouldn¡¯t be able to do. Are you really the one who makes those, Theodore-sama?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°I-I even received this ribbon from you. Its lacework is so amazing that it¡¯s definitely amongst the best in my collection.¡± Muriel said, happily showing off the lace ribbon she wore on her head. Seeing her look that happy with my work, I myself also felt glad. It¡¯s good that she likes it. Let¡¯s try to make another accessory for her later. ¡°Yeah, it is truly an amazing lacework there. How envious¡­ I still have a long way to go before I reach this level.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s just my hobby after all.¡± ¡°This level of craftsmanship can¡¯t be justified as a mere hobby.¡± Katrina said, tone showing her obvious astonishment when she heard my remark. ¡°Haah, I really can¡¯t understand this conversation. And neither do I know what is so amazing about this, but¡­ I do know that this lacework is really beautiful.¡± Frederick said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite normal of you to think that, Frederick-sama. After all, any normal man will give the same reaction.¡± ¡°Oh, may I ask something, Miss Katrina? If I may, what can you make at your current level?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m still stuck with the basics such as making ice patterns or flower ones. Oh, and I can make pineapple patterns too.¡± ¡°Hee, you¡¯re really doing your best, huh. Well, not that I understand what kind of patterns you¡¯re talking about though. It¡¯s simply beyond me.¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯re such a tease, Frederick-sama.¡± [ED: I¡¯m scratching my head in confusion. How is it a tease? And why do I feel a foreboding feeling? PLUS, the tone feels very¡­ coquettish. It¡¯s completely unlike 5 years old at ALL. This editor can¡¯t comprehend the author¡¯s mind. Or rather, this editor REFUSE to comprehend it, not even to try.] Hmm, Frederick and Katrina seem to be enjoying their conversation. It¡¯s like they¡¯re in a world of two that we can¡¯t disturb. Oh, well. I¡¯ll still do it my own way anyway. Soon, after some silly banter with us, Katrina returned back to her home. She had stayed for almost two hours, but out of my expectation, the time we spent together was surprisingly enjoyable. Yet, for some reason, there was this slightly melancholic expression on Frederick¡¯s face when he saw Katrina leaving. Frederick and Muriel then also left one after another. When they were gone, my father suddenly came for a short visit before leaving an incomprehensible line while going out of my room. ¡°¡­ It seems the royal family is moving faster than my prediction.¡± Eh, what do you mean, Papa? . . . Thus, time passed just like that during my stay in the royal capital, which I spent finishing more laceworks, visiting bookstores, buying a revised version of Saint¡¯s Legend (Children Edition). As our return to the territory was delayed by one week, the moment we arrived, Mother greeted me with a warm embrace. And she immediately questioned me about the situation of the party as well as my own injuries. Not only that, she even forced me to sleep with her that day. Facing her distraught expression and worries, I could only apologize deep in my heart. Yup, sorry for making you worry about me, Mother. CH 25 25 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 1 TN: I Know that I said there¡¯s no release for this one this week but, situation had changed and I¡¯ve to secure temporary editor. Thus canceled the break. Please help the original editor, HeXie with your pray too. === ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D YOU FU*CKING BIIIIIIIIII*TCH!¡± When I was about to dump the trash into the trash can, I happened to hear someone scream such rude words. As I looked around to search for the source of that scream, I saw an enraged male student, looking ready to hit people. Not wanting to get involved with them, I quickly left that place after I dumped the trash in its proper location. ¡° Ah, there¡¯s an email from Tsukunecchi.¡± I muttered, finding that there was a new message from my otaku friend in LINE, when I checked my phone once I finished my cleaning duty. ¨D¨D Yaho, Potekichi. I¡¯m gonna cosplay as Silver big bro for tomorrow¡¯s karaoke. ¨D¨DEh? Tsukunecchi, why? ¨D¨D Well, it¡¯s just¡­ you see, we¡¯re planning to comfort Karin who has just become the newest victim of ¡®Landmine Hime¡¯. ¨D¨D Landmine Hime? ¨D¨DThe semi-professional Cosplayer. The one who is always angry unless she¡¯s treated like a princess. She said that she wants to do a cosplay get-together and yet, she makes everyone do everything for her. From gathering people¡¯s numbers, contacting them, and getting hold of the studio, she throws it on everyone else. The only thing she does is to set the date of the meet, otherwise nothing. Furthermore, she will blame someone if everything isn¡¯t ready by the date she set. ¨D¨D The heck, that¡¯s cruel (£»©a©b¡¯¦Ø©b¡¯): ¨D¨DAnd Karin is just an amateur cosplayer after all. She has only been to dance parties and cosplay events. She doesn¡¯t even know what a studio is, but that girl is forcing Karin to meet up with her demand. AND she¡¯s getting angry because Karin can¡¯t do it, so she has been spreading all kinds of stuff about her on the internet, causing her to cry. So, let¡¯s go to comfort her.( T_T)£Ü(^-^ ) ¨D¨D Roge~r. (£à_¡ä)©g ¨D¨D Well, anyway, better get away from that ¡®Landmine Hime¡¯ next time. She¡¯s infamous in the cosplay circle. In a bad way. Poor Karin¡­ ¨D¨D OKOK. Let¡¯s heal the poor princess, our dear Karin, with the magnificent ¡®Seiroku (Six Saint)¡¯. Are you going to do the Black, Tsukunecchi? ¨D¨D Yup. I¡¯m thinking of popularizing a whole lot of whites books using this event, but in the end, it¡¯s White(Ani)xWhite(Oto) you know. [TL : (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß(¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß(¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß¡­. I¡¯ve had enough of these GAL¡¯s speech.] ¨D¨DIt¡¯s okay, it sounds good to me. So, is that why you¡¯re going for Black x White? ¨D¨DYeah. Let¡¯s discuss it with everyone tomorrow. Bet everyone¡¯s gonna feel excited about this. ¨D¨DRo~~ge~r(*©b¨Œ©b)¥Î Yosh, since tomorrow¡¯s plan has been decided, let¡¯s go visit the 100 yen shop on the way back. Let¡¯s see¡­ white cloth for the frilly shirt¨D¨D maybe I should just use the handkerchief for the funeral service? Oh, and then, safety pins. I have no choice but to buy some since I lost mine just recently¨D¨D uuu, my money¡­ I lamented, standing behind the line in the crossroad as I waited for the light to turn green. Suddenly, I heard a scream and turned around¨D¨D and saw a male student from the same school get run over by a car. ¨D¨D EH?! I did not get a chance to scream as the car did not stop and came to my directi¨D¨D ¡ó Before long, I noticed that I had reincarnated. How did I realize this fact, you ask? Well, when you were placed before the mirror and it reflected your movement, how could you not realize it? I absentmindedly waved my hand at my reflection ¨C an adorable baby with tufts of purplish-grey hair on her head ¨C feeling uneasy. As far as I knew, my current name was ¡®Katrina¡¯. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡®Katrina¡¯?! Wait, the color of my hair, my name¡­ don¡¯t tell me?! Is this world the world of the otome game called ¡®The Saint¡¯s Legend ¨C Descendant of the Six Gods~¡¯ otherwise known as ¡®Seiroku¡¯?! The only Katrina in this game was the Duke¡¯s Daughter, Katrina Lilac¡­ Nooo~ Are you telling me that I seriously reincarnated as that very same Katrina Lilac in that game?! I mean, seriously?! That¡¯s like a huge pitfall, right?! No, no, no. Wait a moment. This news is seriously bad! Like, rea~lly bad! Doesn¡¯t this mean that this world is going to be destroyed if there is no Heroine-chan?! In this otome game, if the heroine didn¡¯t choose the correct choices, she would get the bad end and get abducted by the demon king. In the end, she would fall into depravity. Sure, when you played the game, it didn¡¯t sound like it was a bad ending at all. In fact, it sounded downright wonderful. However, in exchange, the world would be destroyed as a result. Moreover, even if Heroine-chan was alive in that bad end, she was turned into the demon king¡¯s slave. Everything else¡­ was destroyed. And the duke¡¯s daughter, in other words, my current baby self would die first before the world even got destroyed! The heck is this?! Isn¡¯t it the same as telling me that this is mission impossible?! I shouted in my mind, eyes tearing up. If things went according to the game scenario, Heroine-chan who entered the Selendia Royal Academy would cultivate her character with the main capture targets and their respective female counterparts, the rival noble daughters. She would become stronger, get along with the main capture targets. And as she solved problems along with them, she would gather the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯. Finally, gaining a ¡®True Love¡¯ in the process. After that, it would show the ending in the form of a movie containing the scene of Heroine-chan and her partner defeating the demon king. And depending on Heroine-chan¡¯s effort in the academy, the content of the movie¨D¨D might change. Anyway, as long as Heroine-chan gained a ¡®True Love¡¯, the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ of the capture target, and got her parameters above the fixed value, she would be saved by the capture target. Then, that capture target would confess to her in the end, and they attained a happy end. However, if she failed to get even one ornament, or failed to get ¡®True Love¡¯¡­ then everything would lead straight to the bad end without exception. That aside, there was something more important. I had now become the duke¡¯s daughter. The only rival character who loved to torment Heroine-chan. In this route, it was only after getting over a barrier called the Duke¡¯s daughter ¨C AKA ME ¨C would Heroine-chan be able to foster love with this route¡¯s capture target. So, herein lies the main problem, what exactly should I do? It was not like I could avoid breaking off the engagement event, that was fine by me. However, I definitely must avoid execution at all costs. Additionally, even though I was the rival character, I also had to remember to help the heroine to become the saint. After all, Heroine-chan¡¯s existence as the natural-born saint ¨C damn normie ¨C was definitely needed to prevent the world¡¯s destruction¡­ Now then, what¡¯s the best way that does not abuse my authority while at the same time allow me to become a wall for Heroine-chan to surpass, yet still spared from the dead-end that was called execution after the engagement annulment event happened? AAAH, my head hurts just by thinking about it. N-no good. I just thought of something horrible. W-We¡¯re literally in deep shi*t if Heroine-chan turns out to be a horrible girl with shi*tty personality¡­ AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH, what do I do if that happens? ¡­ I-It should be okay, right? I mean, the heroine-chan in the game is a good girl, so she should be a good one here, too¡­ right? Oh God, please, please~, I¡¯m begging you here, please make the heroine-chan a good girl with good personalities like the one in the original story. Even if she happens to be a reincarnator too¡­ Please at least choose the one who knows the bad end of this world. I mean, the world is going to collapse and she will become a slave in that bad end¡­ So, if she knows, then she¡¯ll try her best to prevent it, right? I prayed hard. However, another possibility suddenly arose in my mind, causing me to panic again. Oh God, what should I do if she was aiming for reverse harem? I mean, it should be possible, but¡­ the difficulties would ramp up through the roof, wouldn¡¯t it? I mean, reverse harem implied that she would aim for the two hidden targets, namely Frederick, the 1st prince; and Duke, the Demon King. Frederick aside, Duke¡¯s capture method was especially troublesome, and one wrong choice would lead straight to the bad end. And that means that one failure would cause Heroine-chan to fall into depravity. Hence why, I wished that she would choose the regular route and not the reverse harem. After all, the regular route itself was already hard enough¡­ so, there was no need to further seek unnecessary trouble, right? So, Heroine-chan, please choose the regular route. Please. I will thank you very much for doing your best on the regular route. I will even prostrate myself in the dogeza in front of you, if you choose a regular route, so please, ok? However, if at all possible, I wished she would aim for the ¡®safe tile¡¯ Theodore. But, then again; Theodore wasn¡¯t that popular since most people regarded him as a ¡®Good Guy¡¯. I mean, the most popular capture target in an otome game was usually those whose setting was set with hard to understand personality, someone dainty, or had some sort of illness, basically those kinds of guys were the ones who were popular with the market. Because as the story advanced, the player would see the capture target in a new light, since the reason behind the capture target¡¯s eccentricity was revealed. Amongst those capture targets in ¡®Seiroku¡¯, Theodore ¨C with his fortune telling ability ¨C was the only one who knew that Heroine-chan was the saint from the very beginning. And that was why he was always ready to save the day whenever Heroine-chan needed him with his gentle smile and calming yet mysterious voice as well as kind personality. However, the reason behind his ability and personality was because his mother had once got tricked by a fake fortune teller during his childhood. Due to that fake fortune-teller, his parents¡¯ relationship became strained, but he thought that the root of the incident was because his father had never consulted with his mother about her troubles. As such, he brought upon himself the duty to listen to someone¡¯s troubles and helped them out by pointing out the possible future options to them. Furthermore, due to his hatred of fortune telling, he diligently studied the subject. Even though he hated it so much that he wished it would just disappear from existence. Still, despite his extreme loathing, he was extremely talented in that field. So talented that he became the best fortune teller in the kingdom. He kept it as a secret, though, since he didn¡¯t want to be associated with fortune-telling at all. It was only after a certain event with Heroine-chan that the curtain of his battle against the fake fortune-teller who had tricked his mother rose. With Heroine-chan¡¯s performance and Theodore¡¯s fortune-telling prowess, they managed to catch the fake fortune teller and regain Theodore¡¯s family¡¯s heirloom, the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯. Not only that, from that battle with that fake fortune teller, Heroine-chan and Theodore realized that Duke Lilac¡¯s house ¨C in other words, my family in this life ¨C was related to the demon race and the fake fortune teller. Anyway, that aside, the moment they won against the fake fortune teller with the fortune-telling power that he hated so much ¨C as well as with Heroine-chan¡¯s remark of ¡®Poor thing, this power should be used to save the world instead of to fool others.¡¯ ¨C relief swept Theodore. And then, he finally reconciled with his father, inadvertently causing his parents to reconcile as well. Thus, putting an end to the strained relationship within Theodore¡¯s family. After that, he gave his love and gratitude to Heroine-chan along with the tiara since she was the saint. In ¡®Seiroku¡¯, he was set as the relatively easy capture target that every otome game had. That being the case, his capture flag was also easy to trigger. It could be triggered from the very beginning! That was why¡­ Although he had a lot of fans in the beginning, his popularity soon dwindled with passing time, since the player¡¯s eyes were more attracted to the other capture targets. Thus, making Theodore an extremely pitiful character who was forgotten by everyone, with some even dubbing him as the tutorial capture target. Nevertheless, since his affection ¨C once gotten ¨C rarely went down, most people didn¡¯t try to meet him even once until right before graduation time. From this, it could be seen that he was an extremely poor character. Then again, the players had no other choice but to do that. They had to raise the affection of the other capture targets to trigger their event after all. ANYWAY! I hope that the heroine was not a foolish and egoistical girl. Still, Heroine-chan might just want to get along with her favourite capture target, which might not be Theodore¡­ That¡¯s fine and all, but if possible, I want her to stay away from Big White (Frederick). He¡¯s mine. But¡­ aaah, I may not be able to have a relationship with Frederick too, considering the setting¡­ Waaah~ how cruel¡­ sob¡­ But! I won¡¯t give up on him for as long as I¡¯m still alive¡­! Just kiddi~ng. Teehee~. I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect such impossible development. Anyhow, my main goal here was to survive. There was no way in hell I wanted to experience the second death in my teens again. Nope. I¡¯m gonna live until I become a grandma. That¡¯s my first goal here. That¡¯s why, for that goal, the first thing I have to do is to avoid my death flag. To do that, I must stop Katrina¡¯s (me) father from trying to make Katrina (me) a saint, and announce to the world that his daughter is the ¡®Reborn Saint¡¯. Seriously, that¡¯s like the most common death flag amongst villainess. Oh, and I also have to stop him from working together with the demon race in their evil plan. That last information was the main reason for my execution by the way. Anyway, this small modification in the scenario wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Especially since I could see that right now, my father was an extremely kind father. That¡¯s why, I would prefer not to make things difficult for him. My second goal¡­ eh, let¡¯s try to cooperate with Heroine-chan. Of course, if it¡¯s possible. I mean, if I stopped my father, that would actually expose the demon race as the mastermind behind all the incidents revolving around the six main capture targets. And if that was the case, then I wouldn¡¯t end up executed! Yosh, let¡¯s cooperate with the heroine as much as possible. I decided these two things as my main focus for the time being, finally feeling as if a stone has been lifted from my chest with goals in place. Yosh, I¡¯ve established my goal. So, let¡¯s start moving! Well, as soon as I¡¯m allowed to move as much as I want that is. Then again, it¡¯s still impossible for the time being since I¡¯m still a baby¡­ albeit a cute one. Anyway~ Fight O~~~! Little did I know that by that moment, the game scenario had already crumbled down. And worst of all, it was crumbling down towards the worst possible direction. CH 26 26 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 2 First, I did my best to learn to speak, the language, and read. Whenever someone spoke, I repeated their words. Thanks to that I could speak much faster than a normal child. I read books as much as possible the moment I could write and read. The main reason was to compare the history of this world and the history in the game¡¯s scenario. As a result, I found out that there was almost no difference, the content of the ¡ºSaint Legend¡» was the same. In the end, I concluded that this world was the world of that otome game. With that, my desperate hope for this world to be actually a different world from that otome game was smashed to pieces. I jotted down everything that I could still remember about ¡ºSeiroku¡» in Japanese as soon as I could hold a pen. I had to do this before my memories about the games become too ambiguous. The reason I wrote in Japanese was to prevent anyone from realizing the content of that note. I wrote everything about the capture route for each target and the capture route for the reverse harem¡­ The trigger for each capture target event, their hobby, the item or food that will increase their intimacy. And while I was at it, I also added their blood types, their zodiacs, and their birthdays. And yes. As expected of the otome game world, this world had a similar setting of 365 days a year, twelve months, the zodiacs and the blood types were also the same as back in Japan. I mean, it even included things such as birthstone, strap, reversi, or chess as items to increase intimacy with capture targets. I mean, since the favourite food of the capture target was something along the lines of ramen, omelette rice, parfait, pudding, and okonomiyaki, I had no problem with adapting to this world. In addition, even though we¡¯re a duke household, a noble family, I felt my reality crumble to pieces when the food that came out was something like hamburg steak. I mean seriously, at least make it French cuisine! No matter how you look at it, this was way too Japanese, the exotic feeling of a noble family went down the drain. But well, it¡¯s okay, they were delicious after all, good job chefs. At least much better than being forced to eat a full course of French cuisine every day. Though eating French cuisine might be just my prejudice towards nobles. And yet, there¡¯s even a refrigerator, rice cooker, oven, and gas stove in the kitchen. As expected of the world of otome game. Moreover, look, they even had a bathtub, shower, and flushed toilet. And a washing machine too. Well, it¡¯s the world of otome games, after all, everyone was standing behind sparkling glass, everything was shiny and clean. I mean, like hell my maiden heart would flutter if the infrastructure was still at the same level as middle age. I mean look, they had underwear and swimsuits too! All of them had a lovely design since the game company hired a famous illustrator just for the design of the underwear and swimsuit! How sneaky! But I like it! This meant¡­ the strategy to build my own company, creating products from Japan, and selling them off at extremely exorbitant prices after the ¡°I¡¯m breaking off the engagement with you¡± event had failed too. Sob. As a result of trying to cram common sense, history, and knowledge about this world as fast as possible, some people started to call me a prodigy. My dear father was truly delighted by that. He even started to regard me as the second coming of the saint. ¡­ WHYYYYYYYYY!? ¡ó When I turned three, I got a guest who for some reason was me asking various questions. That person was asking something like addition, subtraction, and many other questions to confirm whether I really was a bright child. The questions were only at the level where a child at my age could answer if they studied really hard though. Yeah, it was easy peasy. I mean, if they took my father¡¯s boasting for real, they might bring up a really difficult question which I couldn¡¯t answer. But, some foolish people apparently took that boasting for real and brought in a factorization question for me to solve. But at the sight of that baka papa¡¯s idiotic smile, I got really pissed off and ended up solving the problem instead. My father seemed even more overjoyed upon seeing that. I felt a little bit better since those foolish people seemed even more vexed but, solving that problem might be a mistake on my part. Or, should I call this a blessing in disguise? I mean, it seems the talk about my engagement with the crown prince came in due to this matter. Well since things went according to the script so far, I guess there¡¯s no problem with accepting it. A while later, my father introduced a middle-aged man called Baron Neith Geyson to me. He was a burly man with a square face. He was more suited as American football or rugby player than a noble. He was a muscular man who gave out a refreshing laugh while raining the other party with his spit. And yet, contrary to his muscular and sporty appearance, he turned out to be a magic tool researcher who came to my father to ask the latter to fund his research. My father seemed to want to fund him since even though that muscled man had already secured the fund from other people, he wanted to expand the range of his research. Today he only came for a greeting since he had to go back to his territory immediately. His territory seemed to be adjacent to Goldberg Territory. ¡¸The other reason for me to come today is to give the fruit of my research to you, Duke Lilac-sama, and to Young Lady Katrina. Please accept my gift.¡¹ Saying so, Baron Geyson offered a jewel box to us, the content of the box being a ring and amethyst necklace. The thing had always been the symbol of the duke¡¯s daughter in the game. She always wore the same necklace that let out ominous light in the game. For some reason, I knew that this necklace¨D¨D was bad news. I had no idea why I felt that way, but I absolutely mustn¡¯t wear this necklace. My user experience was ringing a loud, warning alarm. This thing must be the reason. ¡¸Hou, the amethyst is splendid but this is the first time I¡¯m seeing this kind of magic tool. What is the effect of this magic tool?¡¹ ¡¸Its effect is to calm the wearer¡¯s mind.¡¹ ¡¸Is that all? Are you sure that there¡¯s a demand for this kind of magic tool? I might have no choice but to not help you with the funding if there¡¯s no further breakthrough in your research.¡¹ ¡¸No, actually this is just a token to celebrate our meeting today. By all means, please wear it.¡¹ Nope, that¡¯s a big NO, NO! ¡¸Dear Father! I really like this gem. I want to show this to mother, she would be pleased to see it too!¡¹ I took the jewel box as I told such a lie to my father and left the room without even waiting for his permission. ¡¸Katrina-sama! It should be fine even if you wear it here, right?¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for your kind words but I have to refuse, Baron Geyson-sama. I want to appreciate this beautiful amethyst with my mother first. Now then, please excuse me for leaving first.¡¹ I ignored my father and the baron who tried to make me go back to that room and ran as fast as I could as soon as I left the room. I kept running till I left the mansion through the backdoor and hid behind the hut for the gardener. ¡¸Milady, where are you? You mustn¡¯t act rudely like that which is unbefitting of a lady. Please do come out, if you don¡¯t apologize to your dear father and Baron Geyson-sama immediately¡­¡¹ My maid Meriel was chasing after me, but she went back immediately after saying those words. I dumped the necklace and the ring inside the jewel box on the ground and used the big stone I found nearby to crush them up. ¡¸MILADY!!¡¹ I kept smashing the amethyst with stone over and over again till it cracked and its pedestal bent, in addition, I smashed the jewel box too. ¡¸MILADY, STOP! HELP, MILADY IS!¡¹ After that incident, they confined me in my room in order for me to calm my mind. But I was released immediately. According to my father, it seemed that Baron Geyson got arrested a few days later in Marquis Goldberg Territory. ¡¸Baron Geyson made an extremely dangerous magic tool. The amethyst that you destroyed is also one of those dangerous magic tools. Have you known about this already?¡¹ ¡¸No, dear father. I did not know of such a thing. I just felt that thing was dangerous.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Even so, he still cautioned me to consult with him in case such a thing happened again. No special event happened after that and life went on as usual. Until I got summoned to the royal castle a few days later. It was for a meeting between Crown Prince Elliot and me. After I arrived in the audience chamber and gave my greeting to His Majesty, he praised me for my achievement in the incident a few days ago. Following that was a meeting with Elliot. His sour look was the same as ever. He looked bored as if there was nothing in this world that could make him interested. Every day he was forced to study to become a suitable vassal to the king, thus rarely met his parents and Fredrick (his big bro). Even though he was a huge brocon, he was really vexed since he couldn¡¯t meet Fredrick, his father¡¯s illegitimate child. It kept happening till the poor child ended up resenting his own position. Sorry, I¡¯m not the one who was destined to heal you. Please heal his heart, Heroine-chan. After the end of our formal marriage interview, I saw another child visiting the garden on the way back. It was Fredrick. I knew it was Fredrick at a glance. He was a lonely child who spent his days being ignored by everyone. I really wanted to greet him, and say, ¡°Let¡¯s become friends¡±. But still, I had to hold back on my impulse. Because I knew that Heroine-chan would find him for sure and become his friend, that¡¯s why please forgive me, Fredrick. But¡­ but, I really want to greet him. AAAH, I really am in love with Fredrick after all. And yet, I was powerless and unable to stretch my hand to help him. Sorry, Fredrick, I really am not the one who can save your heart. === TL : Woe me¡­ CH 27 27 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 3 After our marriage interview, the talk about our engagement went without a hitch. Since neither Eliot nor I refused that marriage- Not that we¡¯d that choice, to begin with- that marriage was then decided. Such days continued as we met every now and then for tea while having a trivial conversation or such. And then half-year later, whether it was to establish a fact or it was already an established fact for me to attend a noon party as Eliot¡¯s partner while receiving warm smiles from the adults around us. [TL: Not the party where she met Theodore for the first time] That party too was the reason I could meet and form a relationship with the other captured targets and the rival girls. If there was something that made me worried, it was the fact that Theodore was the only one who I had yet to meet. For the time being, I¡¯d been introduced to Fredrick before and was glad that he was at least treated as royalty. Though our meeting was limited to meet and greet, I was still really glad to be able to meet him. Well, it happened by accident when I was strolling into ¡ºRose¡¯s Maze¡» though. In the game script, Heroine-chan happened to meet the capture target in this place during their childhood when she happened to find a secret passage to the maze. That was such a priceless spectacle. I mean, it was the picture of capture target(Chad) and me(Player) smiling at each other as the fountain reflecting the sunlight and the roses bloomed around us. Naturally, as a fan, I absolutely couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity to visit such a wonderful place. After I entered the maze, I followed the straight path and turned twice along the corner before I arrived in a plaza. While there, I saw a water fountain in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by several tables and benches. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the roses around the plaza were blooming. Uwaa, such a masterpiece. Nothing could beat the real thing after all. ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ Uwaa, Someone¡¯s already in this place first. Okay, calm down and take a look at the owner of the voice who spoke to no one. And then, the one who I saw sitting on the edge of the water fountain was Fredrick. I almost screamed like a fangirl the moment I met the shota version of my favourite capture target. I mean, the one who was destined to meet him in this place was supposed to be Heroine-chan(player). That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but feel really excited when I chanced upon him in this place. I couldn¡¯t help recalling those scenes during childhood with Heroine-chan. Well, that encounter during childhood was nothing more than a picture in which the male capture target¡¯s face was covered with shadow to prevent the player from knowing the other party¡¯s identity. But, this was a reality after all. I mean, distinguishing someone¡¯s features in such a bright place was so easy. But still. I¡¯m Katrina. I¡¯m not Heroine-chan, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t capture him. ¡¸My deepest apologies for the interruption. Please rest assured, I shall go back immediately.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s miss Katrina huh. It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t mind me. Are you also interested in seeing roses?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s an extremely beautiful flower after all. Do you love roses too, Fredrick-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­ I can be alone in this place after all.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ I almost cried upon hearing such a loner declaration. I knew that he felt this lonely but this onee-san had to fight back this instinct to hug him. What should I do now? I couldn¡¯t just carelessly get along with him which might result in the change of the script. ¡¸You make a face as if you want to cry again. Am I really that pitiful in your eyes?¡¹ ¡­ Eh? He could see through that? ¡¸M-My apologies. I-I just¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then, do you want to become this pitiful person¡¯s friend? ¡¹ Sorry but that is¡­ impossible. Doing so might potentially change the course of the script, to the worst direction. ¡¸My deepest apologies.¡¹ ¡¸Naturally, you¡¯re Eliot¡¯s fianc¨¦e after all. That¡¯s why please stop looking at me with such compassionate eyes.¡¹ ¡¸I-I¡¯ve no intention to do that! But¡­ my apologies.¡¹ I tried to deny Fredrick¡¯s self-deprecating remark but, do I have the qualification to say that to him? I, upon realizing that I couldn¡¯t do anything, apologized while bowing to him. ¡¸Katrina.¡¹ Suddenly, another voice called out my name. He came out from the passage where I came from and walked slowly in my direction. ¡¸Did she do something to you, Fredrick older brother?¡¹ ¡¸She didn¡¯t do anything. She just called out to me when she saw me sitting alone in this place. Well, I guess I shall excuse myself since I might only become the third wheel.¡¹ Saying so, Fredrick left the plaza from the exit passage in the other direction. Eliot saw his big brother¡¯s back till we couldn¡¯t see him anymore with a strangely delightful smile on his face. AAAH, Heroine-chan, can you, the future, ride the time machine to go back to the past and heal these two brothers¡¯ hearts please? ¡¸My older brother has no one by his side since he is a bastard born from a different mother¡­ That¡¯s why he should just rely on me.¡¹ ¡¸Your Highness Eliot¡­¡¹ ¡­. Gyaa, stop, stop making Fredrick¡¯s personality more and more twisted with your longing. You creepy Brocon. Hello, Heroine-chan, please come quickly and save this brocon! ¡ó When we turned five, it was finally the time to make a formal announcement of Katrina (AKA me) and Eliot¡¯s engagement, the royal family decided to announce it during a banquet. Yes, I could finally meet Theodore. Heroine-chan will also make her appearance during this party. GOGOGO, Katrina(me). The banquet proceeded and we were greeting from above the platform. Someone was staring intently towards me. He was definitely Theodore. He might¡¯ve already known about my previous life with his OP fortune telling skill. As expected of Theodore, you¡¯re so amazing! Okay, let¡¯s try to ask him when it¡¯s his turn to greet me. ¡¸Reason, is it? I think that you have an extremely splendid hairstyle. So splendid to the point that I almost mistook it as your ultimate weapon.¡¹ And here we are, his innocent answer betrayed all my expectations. W-wait a minute! My ears didn¡¯t trick me right!? Are you really that Theodore? You¡¯re definitely Theodore, right!? You¡¯re definitely that gentle, ever-smiling, kind, soft-spoken, and polite Theodore who is always ready to hear Heroine-chan¡¯s consultation, right!? And yet, how did such gentle Theodore become such a naughty-looking child!? Where¡¯s your usual listless smile!? That bright smile when you¡¯re enjoying a delicious-looking feast must be fake, right!? How did your listless smile turn into that bright smile of a child raised with family love!? Heck, if I had to say, why is your father, Lord Goldberg¡¯s smile more like the ideal Theodore-sama¡¯s smile from the game!? Seriously, someone tell me why!? Please tell me how things turned out like this!? Just like that, I who had yet to recover from the shock of seeing the ¡°Bright and energetic¡± Theodore was walking in silence toward the children¡¯s venue. My duty was to entertain everyone as the crown prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but I couldn¡¯t help worrying about whether I did it correctly. Alright, I need to be careful and pay more attention to Theodore. He was glared at by Eliot and the other boys after all. I mean, he literally crushed Eliot¡¯s prank a while ago, when I was preoccupied with his stare at my hair. Sorry, Eliot, I really couldn¡¯t back you up on that one. But still, why did he do something that could potentially worsen their relationship? Are you guys a kid!¡­ Whoops, I forgot that we¡¯re still five years old, in short, all of us were kids. What should I do now? I mean, the Theodore in the game was especially close to Eliot. Theodore with his out-of-the-world level of patience could get along with that selfish Eliot, heck, he even gave a piece of advice or two to Eliot. Or rather, why did Theodore who got along with every single capture target do something that would make everyone hate him just now!? Moreover, he was getting along with Fredrick instead. I was so jealous of him. Eliot¡¯s mood worsened with each second though. The girls were starting to get scared of him, but you¡¯re not even noticing that huh, Eliot. Well, I guess I¡¯ve no choice but to make a move to solve this situation. And yet, both of them flat out rejected my invitation. BUT, BUT, I WON¡¯T GIVE UP. Thus, I abuse¨Ccough¨C I mean, I used my second greatest power in this place, Duke Daughter Authority. Eliot¡¯s mood got a little bit better after I managed to drag those two naughty boys back to our group. Look, he was obviously happy upon seeing his oniisan back. Though Eliot might not show it on his face, I who finished his route, knew how he felt right now. And yet, he was obviously hostile towards Theodore who managed to get along with his oniisan. I wished that he was a little better at hiding his hostility. Fredrick and Theodore were clearly in a bad mood after I forc¨C cough¨C after I convinced them to come to our group. AAAAAH, what should I do to fix this situation, someone please help me!? Since Eliot didn¡¯t recommend seats for Fredrick, it then became my job to recommend an appropriate seat for him. When I did so, before I knew it, Theodore had already sat next to Muriel. Eh, what¡¯s just happening here!? Did a yellow couple just form when I guided Fredrick to his seat!? I tried to make a follow-up in hurry, but Theodore politely declined my offer. Aah, so he had no idea about the rank seat since this was the first time he was attending a party huh, sorry Theodore. And then, I asked him about what he and Fredrick were talking about a while ago before I force¨Ccough¨C invited them to our group. He told me that they¡¯re talking about ¡ºSaint¡¯s Ornament¡». What¡­ Wait a minute, are you sure it was safe to talk about your family heirloom that got stolen by a fake fortune-teller? ¡¸Our house kept one before but, unfortunately, I never had the chance to see it with my own eyes. I heard that it¡¯s already been returned. And speaking of a legendary treasure doesn¡¯t that make you feel excited?. ¡¹ Wait a minute, I felt that something was amiss here. What do you mean by ¡°Returned¡±? Let¡¯s try to ask him ¡¸Returned¡­ is it? Does that mean the treasure wasn¡¯t in your family¡¯s possession anymore?¡¹ He nodded innocently without a shred of guilt on his face. ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s been returned to the Royal Family two years ago.¡¹ ¡¸Royal¡­ Family!¡¹ W-What did you say!? This was the first time I heard about this! You mean, the tiara wasn¡¯t taken by that shady fortune-teller!? I felt bad for everyone in the girls¡¯ group who got excited about the saint¡¯s ornament, but I must ask this question. ¡¸T-Then, Theodore-sama. Can you do fortune-telling?¡¹ ¡¸Fortune-telling? You mean something like flower fortune-telling? The girls seem to love it but sorry, I can¡¯t do that kind of fortune-telling.¡¹ ¡¸Then what kind of fortune-telling can you do? Something like tarot¡­¡¹ ¡¸Me? Sorry but I really can¡¯t do any kind of fortune-telling. I never even learnt about it. In the first place, I don¡¯t even have the talent to do fortune-telling.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ That¡­ how can it be¡­¡¹ Not learning any kind of fortune-telling!? Wait a minute, then, how are we supposed to find Heroine-chan!? ¡¸Uuhm, I can¡¯t do fortune-telling but lacework is my forte. This handkerchief is personally knitted by me.¡¹ After saying so, he took out a handkerchief and showed it to us. Seeing that I must admit that he was as skilled as he said. ¡¸YOU¡­ WHAT!¡¹ And then snapped back as I unintentionally retorted to him. Lacework! Why did you invest all of your talents in this kind of hobby, Theodore-sama! Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be fortune-telling? we¡¯re in deep shit unless it was fortune-telling, you know! But, he just smiled innocently. You¡¯re not supposed to be a child who can smile brightly like that though! Please don¡¯t break your character! Though the topic about lacework made the girls more heated than before, l who had yet to snap out from my confusion was left behind. But then, a while later, our space was enveloped by an unusual silence. Everyone was looking at Theodore. I wonder what he did now to gain all this attention? When I tried to confirm it, I saw Theodore was in the middle of feeding Muriel a cookie. He seemed like he was really enjoying it. ¡¸You¡­ what are you doing?¡¹ Unable to hold back his irritation, Rex asked such a question, with a bulging vein on his temple. ¡¸Me, feeding chick?¡¹ Fredrick¡¯s shoulder shook the moment we heard Theodore¡¯s spontaneous reply. Someone please tell me who this Theodore-look-alike is! The moment she heard that Muriel left her seat. Theodore went after her a few seconds later. As for me, I was simply dumbfounded upon seeing Theodore who wasn¡¯t ¡°Theodore¡± that I was familiar with. Was he really, Theodore-sama? ¡¸Well, I shall take my leave too I guess.¡¹ Fredrick used that moment to leave the group. Eliot looked like he wanted to stop Fredrick, but the latter didn¡¯t seem to realize it. As a result, Eliot¡¯s mood took a nosedive, and I who couldn¡¯t cope with the current development couldn¡¯t think of a way to bring Fredrick back. By the time I noticed, everyone had already left their seats. Good grief, what should I do now! After I heard that an intruder made a fuss in the ¡ºRose¡¯s Maze¡» during my contemplation, the royalty decided to end the party earlier than scheduled to cope with the situation. The next morning, I hurriedly went for a visit the moment I heard the news about Theodore-sama being attacked by a ruffian. Though I was really surprised upon finding Muriel and Fredrick already in Theodore¡¯s room for a visit, I honestly enjoyed the conversation with the three of them. When I asked Muriel about what really happened during that incident, the shocking truth almost made me fall on the spot. Heroine-chan turned out to be the template¡­ Shi*tty girl with the worst personality. Oh god, would you be so kind as to tell me where the reset button is? === TN: There there Katrina, Ganbatte! CH 28 28 Monologue of A Certain Girl ¡¸Sorry. I-I¡¯m really happy to receive that letter, but I only think of you as a friend¡­ going out is a little bit¡­¡¹ I called out the guy who looked like the one who gave me the love letter, but he looked the same as any other boy, neither good nor bad. If I were forced to say, he belonged to below average. The letter was a mess, almost unreadable, I couldn¡¯t even read the name or the class of the sender. Well, I then went to the class that, according to what I deciphered in the letter, was the class the sender of the letter was in and asked someone to call ¡¸XXXI-something-kun.¡¹. His name happened to be written on the blackboard for today¡¯s class duty. Well, since it¡¯s kinda pitiful if I just straight-up rejecting him. Let¡¯s put on a bit of a cute gesture while rejecting him. ¡¸THAT¡¯S WHY, SORRY! MITARAI!¡¹ Thus, I turned around and left after I told him so. He seemed to be shouting something but that¡¯s none of my business. Maybe he thought that I wouldn¡¯t reject him. Hah, dream on, have you ever tried to see your own reflection in the mirror? Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped, it was my fault for being too adorable. ¡¸Let¡¯s tell Maki about this matter too.¡¹ Messaging with LINE was too slow for this. It¡¯s time to use phone call aaand, conne-¡­. Wait, why did she cut my call immediately? Are you trying to mess with me!? After calling her again and again, she finally accepted my call. ¡¸HEY MAKI, WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME!¡¹ ¡º¡­ Sorry, but we don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you again, EVER.¡» ¡¸Haah!? What are you talking about! You¡¯re just joking right?¡¹ ¡ºYou¡­ have you already forgot about what you did to Tsukunecchi? Not only did you insult her verbally, you even called her a slow-witted princess on the internet, you¡¯re also spreading all kinds of false rumors about her. Thanks to your action, we decided that we can¡¯t deal with you anymore. And since you¡¯re the kind of person that needs special attention whether when you¡¯re at a cosplay or dance party, we who come along with you end up being ostracized by the others. That¡¯s why we decided that it¡¯s much better if we just kick you out. That¡¯s why NEVER COME AGAIN!!!¡» ¡¸Wait, what do you me¨C¡¹ She cut me off. SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER!? Tsukune, that slow-witted girl!? The one who was cosplaying as heroine in ¡ºSeiroku¡», the girl who was waiting upon Duke, Fredrick, and all capture targets. As if to rub salt into injury, she even added Katrina and the other rival girls into yuri harem. I was thinking about including them as my friend since this was the first time I saw a cosplay group with a complete cast in it. And yet, despite telling that slow-witted girl about the date and place of gathering, no one but her came. When I told her to call the others, she insisted that the other members couldn¡¯t come since they¡¯re busy. Even though everyone had already decided to do this gathering, this selfish girl messed up our plan, so I wrote about her later in my blog, mixing a lot of lies within a small amount of truth. Aah, so annoying. I guess I¡¯ll vent this feeling in karao-¡­ eh, what¡¯s this scream? A car entered the walkway, running over some people walking in there. Moreover, a truck was heading towards me due to the chain of collisions and the¨D¨D ¡ó Where is this? This place is cold, and I¡¯m hungry. Aah, someone stop that baby¡¯s crying already. Their crying voices were annoying as hell. It was only sometime later that I realized I was reincarnated. The heck, where is the explanation in the white room before I got sent to reincarnate? Can the god of this world at least do their job properly!? ¡ó ¡¸Aah, Irene is skipping her sweeping job again. Let¡¯s report her to the director.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up. I¡¯ve got enough of that already. Listen, I¡¯m someone who will marry the crown prince, the future queen of this kingdom. I¡¯m different from lowly peasants like you.¡¹ Yes, I¡¯m different from you peasants. Why, you ask? Because I¡¯m Irene. I¡¯m the heroine of ¡ºSaint Legend~Descendant of Six Gods~¡». Strawberry blonde hair, pretty and adorable face. One glance is enough for anyone to like me. Dirty and lowly people like you aren¡¯t worth my time. Geez, why didn¡¯t that lazy god add a skip function when he reincarnated me? Seriously God, do your job properly, will ya? ¡¸Do your cleaning job properly. You¡¯re already five years old. Stop talking about your strange dream and start helping with cleaning.¡¹ The oldest girl was glaring at me as she spoke. She was an unpleasant girl who was always ordering me. And yet, for some reason, everyone loved her. ¡¸Just leave that crazy girl alone, Lia-neechan. Look, the director is almost going back. Today is the birthday party of the crown prince, right? He¡¯ll definitely go back with a lot of delicious treats for us, let¡¯s finish cleaning quickly.¡¹ SAY WHAT!? Didn¡¯t that mean that I could meet the prince¡­ Elliot if I go now? This wasn¡¯t the time to waste my time in this orphanage! ¡¸WAIT, IRENE! WHERE ARE YOU GOING! IRENEEEE!¡¹ ¡ó After I went through the secret passage whose entrance was located in the tree-planting forest park, I finally arrived at the ¡ºRose¡¯s Maze¡». Fufufu, I can¡¯t wait to see who I¡¯m going to meet now. When I was looking at the garden, I saw the figures of children eating the food on the table. That yellow hair, so it was Theodore huh. Well, I guess it really couldn¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s finish this tutorial as fast as possible. And yet, even though I was right here, Theodore was leading the girl with yellow hair by hand as if they¡¯re going on a date. What was that slow-witted woman doing to my Theodore? Even though you¡¯re just a clumsy girl who is always loitering around Theodore and got beaten so easily by the heroine(Irene AKA me). As if I¡¯m gonna let you have a date with Theodore leaving me behind! Wait in there, Theodore. Your heroine will save you from that slow-witted girl. ¡ó Eh, Wha-Wha-What¡¯s happening here! Why am I the one at fault?! I¡¯m just following the script! Why is Theodore glaring at me as if I¡¯m his enemy¡­ I mean, You¡¯re safe a tile Theodore who was always replying with a smile no matter what I say to you, right? Why are you going as far as protecting that slow-witted girl¡­ Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped, Theodore was a nice guy after all. It was only natural that he treated that slow-witted woman kindly too. It was the fault of that slow-witted woman for intentionally trying to fall into the water fountain when I pushed her. Yes, she was just doing that to attract Theodore¡¯s attention. Too bad, I¡¯m right here to stop your stupid act. I mean, that slow-witted girl was also trying to disturb me from talking to Fredrick too. But, I guess that was enough for today. I had to go back right now since there were so many people searching around the thickets. ¡¸Oi, you over there.¡¹ When I turned around towards the voice that was calling out to me¡­ There I saw the figure of my prince, Elliot-sama. ¡¸So you¡¯re that suspicious person, huh. How dare you mess around during my birthday party! Even though my big brother finally attended my party, how dare you spoil it¨D¨D But, I¡¯ll at least forgive you for making that insolent boy eat the dust with your punch.¡¹ I unintentionally embraced him. ¡¸I-Insole¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸¡ºI will make your wish come true. I¡¯m gonna help you to get along with your big brother.¡»¡¹ ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS!¡¹ Since I heard the voice of approaching soldiers, I jumped into the thickets right after I told him the catchphrase. Just like that, I retraced my way back by using the same secret passage, went back to the orphanage, and secluded myself in my room. YAAAY! I DID IT! Now that I¡¯d told him the line to catch Elliot¡¯s heart, I¡¯d captured him! Let¡¯s leave the rest to everyone¡¯s best friend, Theodore. ¡¸Have you returned, Irene?¡¹ Director entered after knocking on the door of my room. ¡¸Since you¡¯ve returned, tell me one thing. Where did you disappear to until just a while ago? Everyone was worried about you.¡¹ You liar! There was no way everyone was worrying about me. They just wanted to tell the director that I¡¯d been neglecting my cleaning duty. ¡¸Good grief, you won¡¯t be able to make friends if you keep acting like that you know.¡¹ Like I care about those mobs! ¡¸Anyhow, please come to my office. You have a guest.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? a visitor for me?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s Baron Plum¡¯s couple. Behave when you show yourself in front of them.¡¹ HERE IT COMES! Girl of Baron Household, Irene Plum. This was the Heroine¡¯s default name. In short, my name. Whether it was villainess, other rival girls, or mobs, none of them could match against me. Why, you ask? It¡¯s because I¡¯m the heroine! My fate(script) had already been decided. [TL: Did she deliberately dismiss the (Unfortunate)fate(bad end)?] Yes, everyone will bow before me, THE HEROINE!! === 1st Act FIN === CH 29 29 The Good-For-Nothing is Unaware of His Own Situation ===Act 2=== I received a foal from my father on my 7th birthday. WOHOOOOOOOO! ARE YOU SURE THAT I CAN HAVE THIS CHILD!? ¡¸But make sure that you¡¯re looking after this child properly, okay?¡¹ Of course! I mean, I was taller than two years ago. I should be in the second year of elementary school¡­ Somehow, I had grown older before I realized it. Richard had grown taller than me though. Dammit! To think that a one-year difference between our ages resulted in such a huge gap in our physical growth. Just you watch, I¡¯m gonna catch up with you soon! In addition, Richard was also receiving his own foal. As expected of Papa. With this, he could follow me wherever I went. With this, I could have a long ride along with Richard and Kevin. Yes! It was finally time for the long-awaited long ride. Since I was accustomed to the area around the mansion after a few days, I planned to go for a long ride to the small hill right in the outskirts of our territory¡¯s capital. I¡¯d also come to the city¡¯s residential area to play and see the streets of our territory¡¯s capital. While we¡¯re touring around our territory¡¯s capital, Kevin gave a rough explanation about the main facilities here. The huge plot of land at the north of the center of the capital was our family¡¯s residence, and the biggest mansion in that residence was in fact my father¡¯s office and the main residence. Surrounding that site was the house of our vassals. A single man like Kevin had his own room in my mansion, but he had to leave once he got married since he had to live with his own family after doing so. Right outside of the castle wall of our residence were the houses of merchants. It was a high-end residential area. There was a huge plaza in the center of the capital with a shopping district built around it. A small housing area was built around the shopping district. There was a rampart enclosing the capital and outside of that rampart was the agricultural field. Yeah, there was a paddy field too. Since there were paddy fields, we naturally had rice too, but somehow I had a conflicted feeling seeing paddy fields outside of a European-style city. And then, when I turned around, I saw that we¡¯d already gone around the rampart. I see, even after this far, we¡¯re still inside the capital territory. That¡¯s why we could still be at ease even after going this far from the residence. Thus, I was looking around again for a while after hearing Kevin¡¯s explanation. I recalled Kevin¡¯s explanation while we were passing by downtown. Upon seeing it closely, I realized that there was a small difference between Kevin¡¯s explanation and reality. The citizens who greeted us were greeting with a bright smile on their face. I returned their greeting as I thought that this was a nice city and our house was responsible lord. After we returned from the long ride, I placed my foal in the stable and wiped my sweat. I intended to take care of my foal seriously but it seemed I was still lacking the skill needed to take care of my foal. I guess I¡¯ll ask the stable boy to teach me later. Since I¡¯d yet to be able to unfasten the horse saddle and mouthpiece, I only went back to my mansion once I learned how to repair the tool, groom the foal, and unfasten the saddle and mouthpiece by looking at the experts doing their job. It was important to know the proper way to do that. Even if I, for example, still couldn¡¯t groom my horse and maintain the riding tools properly, later due to my limited time which meant that job would be left to the servant¡­ There was a big difference between someone who could groom their own horse and one who couldn¡¯t. When my father said that he would help me to take care of my foal, I think he meant that he would teach me the basics of grooming my own horse. He said that since I was bound to inherit his position, I would eventually have to leave the care for my horse to another person, that¡¯s why he wanted me to at least understand the hardship of my horse¡¯s caretaker and feel grateful to them. Moreover, when I received a letter from Fredrick, saying that he could groom a horse properly, my sense of rivalry got ticked off and I replied with ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll be able to groom my horse on my own soon.¡±. Well, since I knew that Fredrick never got an attendant, I guess it was only natural for him to be able to do anything by himself. Unfortunately, my request to my father to give Fredrick a proper attendant from our house was also shot down by my father since it would make things more complicated for Fredrick. Damn politics! I mean, all we needed to do was throw in some random fellow who had already received training to become his attendant, yet politics made it even more complicated. I was also starting to become penpals with Muriel. From her letters, I knew that Muriel loved embroidery. She sent embroideries such as bear, cookies on handkerchiefs along with her letters. Moreover, when I carried those handkerchiefs, Wendy, who saw it, confiscated them from me. After begging her to return it, she promised to return the handkerchief if I knitted two new ones for her. The thing Wendy liked the most was the one with a river-like motif. It was made with light green cloth, light blue, blue, navy blue, and white threads to depict the river, tiny beads and spangles to depict the reflection of sunlight on the water surface. It really calmed your mind. When I returned to the mansion, Wendy had already been waiting for me. She, who turned three this year, was already able to learn courtesy. My sister was truly amazing, right? She raised the sides of her skirt, pulling one foot slightly behind while bowing lightly as soon as she saw me. ¡¸Wellcyome byack, Onii-chama.¡¹ Look, my angel was so adorable, right! She was the most adorable angel in this world! The cutest little sister in the world. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Wendy. Thank you for coming out to greet me. Your greeting is perfect, good job.¡¹ ¡¸Ai yem a lady chuu. That¡¯s yust nachural.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. Wendy is a splendid lady indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Richard, Kevin, chank you very much for chaking care of my brocher.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much for your care, Miss Wendy.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, milady, those words alone are enough for me.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t actually need to greet them too you know.¡¹ ¡¸Gyeez, Onii-chama, you myust nyot say sometying rude like tyat again you cnoow.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha. Look, I¡¯ve made Wendy angry.¡¹ Geez, she was such an adorable little creature! Rather, both Kevin and Richard were making dumbfounded faces. ¡¸Deyar fyather, said that he¡¯s wayting for you, onii-chama.¡¹ ¡¸Really? I¡¯ll be right there. And thank you for telling me. Will you come with me too, Wendy?¡¹ ¡¸My apyologies nii-chama, I¡¯ve pwior appointment to knyitting togyether with deyar myother.¡¹ I see, too bad. I went to meet my father after asking Wendy to send my regards to our mother. ¡ó Upon meeting my father, he asked me whether I wanted to go along with him to Royal Capital. Naturally, my answer was YESYESYES. I mean, both Fredrick and Muriel were in Royal Capital, after all. It¡¯d been a while since the last time I met them. ¡¸By the way, Theodore, do you like miss Muriel?¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ the truth is, I¡¯m also going to visit and greet Viscount Amber this time.¡¹ ¡¸Muriel¡¯s father?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m thinking about arranging your engagement with miss Muriel.¡¹ ¡¸E-Engagement!?¡¹ Engagement¡­ Does that mean she is going to become my fianc¨¦e!? ¡¸Yeah. Are you against it? It really doesn¡¯t matter which one it is.¡¹ Rather than that, don¡¯t you think it was way too early for me, Papa? ¡¸We¡¯re going to be in deep trouble if you¡¯ve no fianc¨¦e as soon as possible, this is also to prevent strange women from approaching you. Though seeing the two of you often sending letters to each other, I think you¡¯re on good terms with her. Or else, do you by chance have another girl in your mind?¡¹ I shook my head in a hurry upon hearing his question. ¡¸Then shall I assume that you agree with this? Naturally, we¡¯ve to wait for her reply though.¡¹ I nodded this time. ¡¸We¡¯re going to hold an engagement ceremony after both parties agree to this engagement.¡¹ ¡¸U-Uhm, if, Muriel rejected¡­¡¹ What should I do now? I suddenly lost my confidence. ¡¸Uhm, the other side might refuse this engagement¡¯s proposal if they got scared by the difference in status between our house but¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to reject our engagement proposal.¡¹ No, I mean just in case Papa. We¡¯ve to be prepared for the worst situation. I mean, my experience of not having a girlfriend was equal to my current age plus my age in my previous life. There was no way she would agree so easily. Hahaha, I just somehow felt that way. I mean, I never did anything like showing my appeal to Muriel. I did feel grateful to be born as a hunk, but it didn¡¯t mean that I could become as cool as my father. ¡¸Uuhm, Theodore? You¡¯re getting along really well with Miss Muriel, right? Since that¡¯s the case, have some confidence in yourself. I mean, where does the usual confident Theodore go to at such an important moment?¡¹ Dammit, as expected of a transcendent hunk called Papa, his handsome face was just like a free-for-all forgiveness ticket. I mean, not even once I managed to cause the other girls to scream ¡°KYAAA¡± like him in all the parties I attended with him. Even though I always danced with Muriel, no other girls wanted to dance with me aside from Katrina. Moreover, the rangers were still glaring at me even after two years had passed. The glare became even more intense as if they¡¯re ready to pounce at me at any moment, whenever I talked with Fredrick. The heck, do you really hate your step-brother to the point of wanting to kill him? ¡¸A-anyhow, be confident in yourself. We can expect a positive reply from them, you see.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure about it, Father?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay. That¡¯s why stop showing such an anxious look on your face.¡¹ I left the room after my father reassured me. Later on, both Richard and Kevin reassured me with¡¸Why are you getting cold feet now after flirting in daylight like that?¡¹. There was no way I was not having cold feet. I mean, this was the first time for me, in both of my lives. A few days later, we departed towards the Royal Capital after finishing all the necessary preparation. CH 30 30 Interference From The Past Deed We had finally arrived at Muriel¡¯s mansion. However, seeing the building before us caused me to sweat profusely. Uuuh, I¡¯m really nervous right now. I need some good signs. I frantically thought, trying to ease my nervousness. Let¡¯s see¡­ today¡¯s weather is good, and¡­ what else? Uhm, what¡¯s the next good sign around here now?! ¡°Calm down, Theodore. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Even if you told me to calm down, I am honestly lacking confidence in this regard, Papa! It¡¯s hard for me to calm down!!! ¡°Fufufu, I know that you¡¯re really elated right now, but¡­ please do calm down for a little bit, Theodore.¡± Yes, Mama. I nodded my head in agreement, face flushing bright red. ¡°Dyu your best, onii-chama!¡± Thank you, Wendy. Your Onii-sama will do his best. Then, as we waited in the parlor, I kept wondering about what sort of greetings I should use to greet them. However, I had a hard time finding the correct greeting for some reason. Still, I tried my hardest to think up one. Let¡¯s see, how about ¡®Please give your daughter to me¡¯? That was my first thought, but I soon shook my head inwardly. ¡­ Not only does that sound cliche, it is a useless line as well since such a line was not supposed to be used when you¡¯re proposing, but when you¡¯re asking for her hand in marriage. Thus, my mind worked harder to find other more appropriate lines to use. Then how about, ¡®Please allow me to have your daughter¡¯s hand¡¯? That sounds too straightforward, isn¡¯t it? AAAAH, SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP!!! I¡¯M IN A PINCH!!! ¡°Just act like usual, Theo. I mean, everything will be alright. Really. Absolutely alright¡­ it should be fine, okay?¡± At this moment, my father tried to assure me, but his words didn¡¯t lend me a smidgen of assurance at all. Hence, my following thought. Eh, what happened to you, Papa? What is up with your last question? I mean, you kept saying ¡®everything will be alright¡¯ until now¡­ but it sounds like you¡¯re not sure either! ¡°Oh my, it seems you also ended up worrying about this matter, Dear. And it¡¯s okay, Theodore, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems I also got infected by Theodore¡¯s tension.¡± Hearing my father¡¯s words, I sweatdropped. Uu~h, sorry Papa. But that is only natural, okay? Unlike you, Papa, I am still lacking in confidence. At this time, the butler came and informed us that the viscount was coming. After he did so, Viscount Amber, his wife, and Muriel entered the room. Viscount Amber was a handsome man in his forties with a lanky yet muscular body. Looking at the bulging muscles under his clothes, it was obvious to those looking that he had never missed any of his daily training regiment at all. However, although this wasn¡¯t my first time meeting him, there was something distinctly different today. And I could sense it since I had met and greeted him a few times before. Previously, the air he exuded was that of a kind uncle. Yet, right then, his eyes when he looked at me were dead serious. It was the eyes of a father. But¡­ right now, why did I feel like his face had stiffened? Anyway, beside him stood his wife. Alas, looking at her, I couldn¡¯t help but to see her as the more mature version of Muriel. Still, although that was my view of her, I also felt that she was a gentle woman with a soft smile. In fact, today was no different as she was still smiling that soft smile of hers. Next to them, Muriel was dressed up prettily in a light blue dress while wearing the lace ribbon that I had given her before. And she was blushing. However, although in all frankness her blushing face was super cute, when my gaze met Muriel¡¯s own, I couldn¡¯t help but to unintentionally avert my eyes. But please don¡¯t misunderstand, for it was not because I didn¡¯t wish to see her! I was just afraid that I might get overwhelmed by her cuteness, and that was why I ended up committing this mistake! I mean, are you sure that showing such an adorable sight to me won¡¯t just make me drop down to the floor in a faint? I mean¡­ how could anyone face such cuteness without feeling faint? I shifted and looked at her again. Once again, our gaze intersected, causing me to feel my face heating up. I hurriedly averted my gaze from her. And I was confused. Eh? What¡¯s happening here? Why couldn¡¯t I bring myself to look at her? Why could I only look down at the floor instead of doing something¡­ something like looking at her adorable adorable face? ¡°My apologies for the wait, Lord Goldberg.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re the one who should be apologizing for our request, Viscount Amber.¡± My father and Viscount Amber shook hands with each other. After that, we exchanged greetings with each other¡¯s family members before all of us got back to our seats. Then, without a warning, Viscount Amber looked at us with an expression that was more serious than what he showed before as he opened his mouth. ¡°Lord Goldberg. Thank you very much for sending a proposal to engage your son with my daughter, and I think my daughter can¡¯t be any happier than when she heard about this matter. HOWEVER, my deepest apologies, I have to refuse your proposal.¡± His voice when he said this was stiff. But I didn¡¯t pay close attention to that, only feeling shocked and stunned within my heart as I subconsciously lifted my head and looked up towards the other party. There, I saw that both Muriel and her mother were both equally as surprised as our family when they heard the viscount¡¯s remark. However, Father ¨C being as awesome as he is ¨C was only flustered for a brief moment before he reined himself and appeared back as his composed and charming self. Then, Father opened his mouth. ¡°Please wait a minute. I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s no problem on your side when I received your reply a few days ago. Therefore, may I hear the reason behind this unexpected change?¡± ¡°I also wanted to apologize for that matter. While it¡¯s true that there¡¯s no problem when I was replying to your letter, right after sending that reply, a letter arrived from my eldest son informing me that he got a job offer in the Court Mage Department. Henceforth¡­¡± ¡°Court Mage Department¡­¡± My father¡¯s voice stiffened ¡°Yes. This matter isn¡¯t a big deal if it¡¯s only my second and third son. But it just so happens that this matter is related to the future of my eldest son. So, I could only offer my deepest apologies.¡± ¡°Dear¡­¡± Although the viscountess¡¯ word sounded like an entreaty, I could see that she didn¡¯t seem to have an objection to her husband¡¯s decision in this matter. So, I turned to look at my family and saw that my father who was sitting beside me was clenching his fists tightly. At the same time, my mother was looking at both of us with a worried expression on her face. ¡°I¡­ see. My deepest apologies for putting you in such a difficult position. It seems that this matter ends up as an impossible request for you. However, I want you to ¨C at the very least ¨C allow the friendship between our children.¡± ¡°I also have to offer my deepest apology in this regard. It¡¯ll be a bit difficult for them to continue their interaction like before. Although I have to say this¡­ I also want to thank you. Thank you very much for the affections that you have directed towards our daughter up until now.¡± ¡°Lord Amber, please, somehow, can you at least allow them to keep their friendship like before?¡± ¡°Lord Goldberg, I also have no intention to be ungrateful to you and your family after the way your son protected my daughter with his own body. But¡­ please understand. Count Greenwell has yet to forget about you and what you have done.¡± After saying all that, Viscount Amber bowed down his head in silence. But I didn¡¯t pay attention to that, mind processing what had been said just now. Eh¡­ in short, I couldn¡¯t get engaged to Muriel¡­ Moreover¡­ Did he just imply that I should not talk to her, dance with her during parties, or exchange letters like we used to do? In short¡­ Did he just imply that I should stop interacting with her? I looked towards my father, yet the only thing I saw was him biting his lips in silence. And it dawned on me. I see¡­ it seems my guess is right. I couldn¡¯t meet or interact with Muriel anymore. Everything seemed to freeze as I processed this thought. So¡­ I couldn¡¯t meet her anymore, huh? Drip. I see. Drip. I see¡­ ¡°¡­ Are yu hyurt syomewhere, onii-chama? Pwease don¡¯t cry.¡± Wendy, who was being carried by Mother, said as she patted my head. Eh? What¡¯s she talking abo- Oh. My tears¡­ it won¡¯t stop. Oh no, I couldn¡¯t show such a pathetic face here. I thought and took a deep breath, proceeding to wipe my tears away. When I did, I saw that Muriel had also cried in silence. ¡°¡­ My deepest apologies. I¡­ I- won¡¯t approach- Miss Muriel again.¡± I said, voice hitching at the later part. Not only that, as I spoke to Viscount Amber, my head was also bowed in silence. Father and Mother also bowed their heads silently before we left. And as soon as we left the room, I heard Muriel¡¯s piercing cries resound from there. However¡­ I couldn¡¯t comfort her. ¡ó Then, on our way back to our home, Father began to explain the situation. Apparently, there was a claim from the Court Mage Department that the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ was a magic tool. They said that though it had lost its power right now¡­ they believed that its power would return someday. And the Court Mage Department¡¯s main project was to find a way to return the power of the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ back to its proper place. Henceforth, that was why they seemed to be on bad terms with the Royal Magic Tool Researcher who claimed that it wasn¡¯t a magic tool. Furthermore, the leader of the current Court Mage Department was Count Greenwell, who received the ¡®Saint¡¯s Staff¡¯ from the previous King. But since my father returned the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ back to the royal family, the other nobles, who dislike the fact that they were bestowed with the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯, were pressuring the other nobles who received the bestowment to return the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ to the royal family. Thus, causing everyone in the Court Mage Department to hate my father. ¡°Sorry, Theodore. It¡¯s my fault.¡± My father apologized to me with a depressed voice. It was a sight that I had never seen before. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s just a rejection that was caused by a reason none of us had expected. Yes, it really couldn¡¯t be helped. It was simply bad luck. I mean, the reason he returned the ¡®Saint¡¯s Tiara¡¯ was for the sake of our family after all. Still, even if that was the case, being forbidden to meet Muriel again was a bit too much I think. CH 31 31 Never Let Go of A Chance The next day, I decided to take a stroll in the royal capital for a change of pace, something that both Father and Mother were also telling me to do since it seemed they had another business to do here. Since that was the case, I ended up deciding to follow their advice since I did not have any desire to stay inside. Moreover, I would have worried them even more if I did not abide by their advice. Honestly, I had no intention of giving up, but at the moment, there was nothing I could do to change the current situation. And, truthfully speaking, I was at a loss as to what I can do to change the situation. Thus, as I mentioned before, I decided to stroll around the royal capital with Kevin and Richard. With this, not only did I assuage my parent¡¯s worries, but I would also be able to clear my mind. Besides, I had been thinking about Muriel since yesterday, but still did not manage to find a solution. So, I might as well use this chance to think about another matter. ¡°Come to think of it, the magic tools I often see are those home appliances¡­ is there any other form of magic tool that I have never seen before? Where can we find such tools?¡± In the first place, what exactly made a tool counted as a magic tool? I meant¡­ home appliances and legendary items that had a game-like name such as the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ were included in the magic tools category. Truly, their definition of the things that fell under the purview of magic tools was wa~y too extensive. There must be a classification for what type of magic tools they were, right? I meant¡­ Using the term ¡®Magic tool¡¯ for every enchanted item ranging from home appliances to legendary artifacts without any classification was simply too much, wasn¡¯t it? It was not only that, but I was also still oblivious about the Court Mage Department and Magic Tool Research Institute in detail. I meant, I knew that Magic Tool Research Institute¡¯s duty was just as their name suggested. They¡¯re responsible for magic tools¡¯ research and at the same time creating new magic tools that would be useful for the masses. For example, home appliances. Meanwhile, as far as I knew, the Court Mage Department¡¯s duty was to regulate the human resources. In other words, their main duty was to regulate the people who could use magic. In fact, I think the healer who was dispatched to heal Kevin and I two years ago also belonged to this department. Yet¡­ why were they involved with something like researching the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯, which should be the responsibility of the Magic Tool Research Institute? Then again, the book I was learning from didn¡¯t have much details about magic tools aside from the general name¡­ Moreover, my tutor also did not know about it either, ergo I was completely in the dark about this matter. And I had to understand the precise definition of magic tools in order for me to know the reason behind the Court Mage Department¡¯s research on the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯. Still, this matter seemed to be very complicated considering one side was a famous research institute, while the other side was the department whose main responsibility was to regulate the mages and magic¡¯s use. Yes, this matter was definitely not something as simple as company secrets. There must be more to this. The problem was, what exactly was it? Alas, the chance of there being many things that I wouldn¡¯t understand unless I was working in those two places was very high. In fact, it could be said that there was no chance, but absolute certainty. That was, thinking about such things right now was useless. There was no chance for me to get in there right now to resolve the matter. There was simply too much-advanced knowledge I needed to understand to enter there. In this regard, I had to ¨C once again ¨C realize that Muriel¡¯s big brother was truly an amazing person. I meant, how could I not? He got an unofficial offer to work from the bureaucrat with his own skills and power. However, if his future workplace found out later on that his family was related to my father, who was basically their enemy¡­ his job offer might just be cancelled. And even if he entered the department, he would become his workplace¡¯s public enemy. It might not stop at just becoming his workplace¡¯s public enemy. In that sort of situation, he might become a good-for-nothing who only received payroll without doing anything noteworthy until he died. Thinking up to this point, I suddenly realized that this might be the reason why Muriel¡¯s father chose to reject the plan to engage Muriel and me. Will he at least allow me to play with Muriel if I sell a favour to the Court Mage Department? I thought before sighing to myself. ¡­ What a difficult problem. It¡¯s so complicated to the point I don¡¯t even know where to begin to solve it or even HOW I should solve it. ¡°Are you interested in magic tools? Then, let¡¯s go to the bulk seller¡¯s vendor. Or, if you want to find magic tools that are not home appliances, shall we go to the specialist shop?¡± Richard, who already had the map of the royal capital firmly etched in his head, asked as he led the way. How reliable. He must have put so much effort to reach this stage¡­ Yosha, I must not lose too! ¡°I see. Then, our destination will be the specialist shop. In the first place, I want to know just what kind of magic tools are available there.¡± ¡°That place is really amusing, you know. We can have fun just by looking around in that place. Additionally, even if we may be unable to understand the theory, we are still going to know what is going to happen just by looking at the base of the magic circuit. It¡¯s a fun place, really.¡± Kevin commented happily, expression eager as if he was ready to explore right then right there. I see¡­ isn¡¯t that the same as that junk shop that sold PC parts or base back then? I mused, understanding the gist of the shop by comparing it with my previous life¡¯s knowledge. And as expected, when we entered the specialist¡¯s shop area, the stores that lined up along the street did give the same feeling as those junk shops in Japan. Not only were various parts of magic tools displayed on the shelf for the customer¡¯s perusal, but the majority of their guests were also young teen boys who gave off an air that just told people that they were magic tools maniacs. This impression was further strengthened by the fact that, sometimes, they were speaking some sort of jargon that I had no idea about. Yup, this was definitely Akiba, only this one was in another world. In short, this was the rumored Akiba that I had heard of so many times in my previous life. Anyway, I had never expected that I¡¯m going to visit an Akiba-like place in another world when I had never gone to the original Akiba in my previous life. Still¡­ Kevin was right. This place is really interesting. I thought as I took in the atmosphere and sight. ¡°Uhm¡­ my apologies, Theodore-sama, but may I ask which specialized shop you want to go to right now¡­?¡± Ah. At this time, I realized that he was right, but I completely had no idea which one I should go to. Perhaps, I should ask someone about which shop is the best place to go to? I mean, I¡¯m a complete amateur in this regard after all, so seeking others with more experiences is a matter of course, right? Then, perhaps we could focus on our objectives after we have asked the bulk vendor¡­ While I was looking around, my eyes caught a familiar figure walking with his two attendants. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± There¡¯s no doubt about it. From the way they walk in this place, those guys are definitely familiar with this kind of place. I thought, an idea forming in my mind. Although in a normal situation I would try to stay as far away as possible from them, this time was an exception. I mean, look at the way those guys are walking! They are practically screaming that they are very familiar with this place, their experienced gait. As if this place is their second home! It¡¯s decided! I¡¯m gonna drag them to help me with any means possible. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Luke-dono. Are you, by any chance, in the middle of shopping in this place? If it¡¯s fine with you, may I have the honor to go with you?¡± I called out to him, then forcefully shook his hand, using the brute force method I had learned from Katrina to great effect. ¡°You¡­ let go of me.¡± The one who tried to shake off my hand right now was the green-haired boy, the son of Count Greenwell, Luke Greenwell. ¡°Oh my, quite unfriendly, aren¡¯t you? Even though our meeting in this place could be called some sort of fate tying us together. Anyway, since it¡¯s fate and all, let¡¯s go together. I¡¯m rather troubled since this is the first time I come to this place. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m going to be extremely grateful if you¡¯re willing to help me.¡± ¡°You¡­ I always have this feeling that you¡¯re that kind of person, but.¡± Luke started, looking at me with a helpless gaze, ¡°Can you ¨C at the very least ¨C please hide your real intention a little bit? Although, in all honesty, you¡¯re not supposed to hear this kind of advice from someone of lower status like me.¡± Luke¡¯s face as he said the last part showed how dumbfounded he was feeling. However, I myself was astonished and my eyes widened as I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in my heart. Uwoo, the green ranger turns out to be a nice guy! Well, though part of it might be because he is a count¡¯s son, so that¡¯s why he was showing some restraint in front of me. After all, I am a marquis¡¯ son. One whose social status is higher than him. Still¡­ I used to think that you hate me since you only ever directed sarcasm at me whenever we talked¡­ ¡°Thanks for the advice. But, please teach me, since I have no idea about what I should do.¡± I asked as I bowed to him. However when I did so, I heard him groaning in agony. I wondered why. ¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s change the place for now.¡± One of Luke¡¯s attendants said. So, following their suggestion, we went into the closest diner to us. ¡ó ¡°First, I want to talk like the commoners here, using casual language. But well, that might be a tad impossible for you, who know nothing about their speech style.¡± That was the first thing Luke told me as soon as we took our seats. However, he was destined to be disappointed. ¡°Ah, no problem.¡± As expected, Luke immediately made a displeased expression when I replied using casual language that commoners here used without hesitation or pause. ¡°Come to think of it, what are you doing here, Luke? Anyway, we¡¯re here looking for someone to teach us about magic tools, but since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll be extremely grateful if you can teach me about it.¡± ¡°¡­ Just how in the hell are you able to become overly-friendly like that? Wait, rather than that, why should I teach you about it?¡± ¡°Why? Coz we¡¯re friends, right? Teach me, plea~se.¡± ¡°? Eh? Since when did we become friends?!¡± ¡°Since just a while ago when you gave me advice. You turned out to be such a nice guy. Thanks buddy.¡± ¡°Dammit, this guy is a tough nut.¡± Luke whispered, looking like he was at his wits end. However, I overheard his words and had to hold in my pout. What a rude fella. I just don¡¯t want to miss this chance to wring more information from you, ya know. Oh well. CH 32 32 Who is The Kid Here? Luke was still in a perplexed state, but when the auntie of the dinner came to our table to take our order, he returned to his senses and directly ordered a beverage without even looking at the menu. Looking at how comfortable and fast he was in ordering the snacks, I unhesitantly chose the same beverage as him. Beside us, at the other table, Richard, Kevin, and Luke¡¯s attendants were also ordering the same thing as us. The place we chose to talk in was just a small place, but the atmosphere here was calming, making me ease up slightly. Though, for some reason, the gentle-looking aunty who ran the dinner reminded me of the kind aunty from okonomiyaki store in the neighborhood back in my previous life. Anyway, right now, we were sitting around the innermost table that was far from the entrance of the diner. Furthermore, in order to control the situation and prevent any mishap, our attendants were waiting by the sides of our table, ready to jump out. And for that reason, the air around our table was rather strained once the diner¡¯s auntie left. He~, interesting. When the aunty came to our table with our order along with the snacks and left, I decided that I had enough of this strained atmosphere. Henceforth, I opened my mouth and asked Luke the question I had in mind without reservation. ¡°Well, the thing is, I came to this place in order to learn more about magic tools. I need to learn more since, frankly speaking, my knowledge is rather lacking in that area. But if you also don¡¯t know much about it, then I¡¯m fine even if you just tell me where I can get more information about it. That¡¯s why, please help me.¡± Since he seemed to be rather knowledgeable about this matter, my aim was for him to at the very least teach me what he knew. Yet, for some reason, Luke heaved a really deep sigh at my request. Then, he sent an angry glare toward me. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you meant by ¡®Well¡¯ here, nor do I know the reason why you approach me of all people to teach you about this matter. That¡¯s too shameless. Besides, if you want to know more about magic tools, then there should be a magic tool research institute in your own territory you could go to. You can actually ask the researcher there rather than asking me. I mean, you¡¯ve always been holing up in your territory after all, so it should be easier for you to get your answer if you return to your territory. Well then, we shall take our leave now.¡± Nonono. Not so fast. Like hell I am going to let go of such a precious source of information. Moreover, the solution he gave me isn¡¯t one I needed right now. I mean, going back and forth from my territory to the royal capital would take fourteen days. Although we could shorten the travel¡¯s time, it¡¯s still too much. My current self does not have the leisure to go about such a long trip! With that thought in mind, I hurriedly caught Luke¡¯s arm as he passed by. ¡°Please, I want to know more about magic tools. I want to know whether the legendary magic tools are different from the common magic tools we use in our daily life, or the difference between Court Mage Department and Magic Tool Research Institute and the reason why the mage¡¯s department is also researching the Saint¡¯s Ornaments.¡± ¡°You really are a fool, huh.¡± He said as he glared at me while brushing off my hand. ¡°How can you ask about such a sensitive matter in this kind of place?! The mage¡¯s department will make their move to arrest you if they know about this matter.¡± Eh? Why are they going to capture me just because of that? I thought as I tilted my head in obvious confusion. ¡°Good grief¡­ How can you be so ignorant of this matter? I don¡¯t even need to wait for you to voice out your question to know what you¡¯re thinking about right now. Haa¡­ Alright, hear me out now. The reason is because the research about THAT is a state secret. Although there was a rumour out there flying about in the public, it was just a rumour to them that can be easily debunked. It¡¯s only the insider who knows that the Magic Tool Research Institute is conducting research about THAT. Really, speaking of this matter out loud in such open space¡­ Are you trying to turn yourself into a suspect because of that?¡± A~h, so outside of insiders, only nobles of higher status had the privilege to know about that, huh. Geez, such a troublesome situation¡­ ¡°Oh, right. I am quite surprised that you¡¯re suddenly interested in learning about magic tools. I wonder why¡­ normally, you would just play around with your girlish hobby, the laceworks¡­ Could it be that you have lost your playmate?¡± ¡°¡­ U~h¡­¡± His words prodded me right at where it hurts and my face fell when I was reminded of the painful fact. He was right. I did lose my playmate¡­ an adorable one on top of that. Seeing my expression, Luke¡¯s lips suddenly stretched into a grin and he nonchalantly said, ¡°I see. It seems that even Miss Muriel has finally abandoned you too, huh. Well, it¡¯s only natural since her father will be put in a difficult situation if she gets along with you. She¡¯s a clever girl.¡± I couldn¡¯t even refute his remark since he was absolutely right. ¡°With this, Miss Muriel will finally return to high society again. What a relief¡­ Now, Miss Oriana and the others will be able to feel at ease. They have always been worried about Miss Muriel because she has always been left out ever since she got along with you.¡± When I heard his last words, I jolted and unintentionally stared at Luke with confused eyes. I had never known about that fact up until now. ¡°¡­ It seems you truly have never thought about this matter, huh. Sure, that personage (Frederick¡¯s) circumstances is rather special. However, he¡¯s still a royalty nonetheless. We can¡¯t afford to split the kingdom apart. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t become his friend. After all, we are part of nobilities and we have to protect the citizens from useless civil strife.¡± At this point, Luke stopped speaking and looked at me straight to my eyes and continued, ¡°Do you really think that personnage (Elliot) kept his distance from his step brother because of childish reasons such as hating him? Things aren¡¯t that simple. We, the nobles, are born with responsibility. We are the future leader of this kingdom and we must be aware of our actions and its consequences.¡± !!!!! In that instance, I was really surprised. Luke was right. I had truly never thought about such matters before, simply accepting my father¡¯s words as it was when he said ¡®It¡¯ll be alright¡¯ without knowing what he did in the noble society. I had been treating this life as if it was the same as my prior life, as if I was still a commoner, without even realizing my current status was that of a noble. And now that I had realized this fact, I couldn¡¯t continue as I was now. I needed to change. After all, I couldn¡¯t use pretext such as ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m still a child¡¯. I mean, these rangers, who were around my age, were already ¨C in their own ways ¨C working to become a competent figure that could shoulder the future of this kingdom. They understood that, in exchange for their status and power it afforded them, they were not allowed to act like normal elementary school children of my past life. Moreover, they accepted such a price since they knew that it was what they were born into. Man, now I know why Luke was always looking at me with such a scornful expression on his face¡­ ¡°Thanks, Luke. You¡¯ve opened my eyes to reality. Please keep guiding me from now on too¨D¨D pretty please. Still¡­ does your father really hate my father? Is the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ really that important?¡± Upon hearing my question, Luke heaved a deep sigh; a really deep one before he glared at me again. ¡°That part of you that willingly acknowledges your own faults might be the best thing about you. However, please stop bowing your head every single time since it only looks like you¡¯re just teasing me when the third party sees that. This is precisely why no one ever approaches you. The children with lower peerage are at a complete loss when you, whose peerage is higher than them, suddenly bow your head to them. Please realize your station. That¡¯s the only guidance I can give to you.¡± After he told me that, Luke left his seat, but he stopped right before he walked away. ¡°Ah, which reminds me. Are you teasing me because my father hates your father? Well, since I know that you actually have no idea about this matter, let¡¯s just set that matter aside. If you ask me whether my father hates yours because he returned the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ to the royal family, then the answer is no. In fact, your father has already sent a notice to the other five noble families who have also received the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ ¨C which includes my family ¨C and all of us understood his reason and accepted it. The one who are fussing about it are the other nobles. Your current action literally confirmed that fact. I don¡¯t know what that personage (Frederick) had told you, but things have become really complicated since you¡¯re such a good person.¡± He then left the dinner after saying those words to me, leaving me rooted on my seat in surprise. CH 33 33 My Father is Strict I was too naive¡­ To hell with memories from my previous life AKA (what I thought to be my) cheat. What use was it when it couldn¡¯t even give me an advantage against those gifted noble children? At most, the advantage I could get from having my past life¡¯s memories was having a life experience until I was a high-school freshman. However, this so-called advantage didn¡¯t actually give me any edge against the noble children since much of my previous life¡¯s knowledge was useless in this life. Besides, in this lifetime, whether I wanted to acknowledge it or not, simply being born as I was already placed me close to the political center of this kingdom and the power it entailed. Yet, for all that closeness, I had never even once tried to get close to it or attempt to understand it and wield the power it gave me. Relly, I had to change this. From now onwards, I needed to learn more about how to use this weapon called ¡®political power¡¯ I was given since I was born. Of course, I also had to remember to wield it properly and not misused it in any way. But from whom? I mean, my previous life¡¯s knowledge was useless since I was a normal citizen before. I had zero experience with this matter. Still, owing to my duty, I had to ask someone to teach me how to use it properly¡­ On top of that, there was the matter of war information. Luke was right. I had never heard anyone else¡¯s opinion aside from that big silver ranger from a different mother¡¯s opinion; AKA Frederick¡¯s opinion. Properly speaking, I should try to look from the perspective of the entourages of the little silver ranger (Elliot) as well as the little silver ranger himself before forming a stance. Really, I was¡­ even though Luke was always trying to warn me every single time we met during the party ¨C well, albeit with a little bit of sarcasm ¨C I had never paid heed to it. I had forgotten that this place isn¡¯t the peaceful Japan of my past life. I had also forgotten that I wasn¡¯t the son of a commoner anymore. I was the eldest son of the marquis house, Theodore Goldberg. And as part of nobility, I was born with the duty to protect the citizens of our family¡¯s territory. Not to forget I was also born with the duty to serve the kingdom and protected it from threat. And yet. Despite all those complicated situations revolving around those royal silver siblings¡­ I couldn¡¯t just sever my relationship with Frederick. Or to be more precise, I should say that I didn¡¯t wish to do that. Geez. Sure enough, he was using me. I thought, finally realizing it in its whole scope. Or as whole as I could see right now. I withheld my urge to sigh as I thought about this. Because of my friendship with him, my father or rather the Goldberg House was thought to have taken the side of the big silver ranger, AKA Frederick¡¯s side. Even so¡­ he was also the one who gave me various advice all these while. He had even warned me about my careless act when I first struck conversation with him two years ago. This showed how kind Frederick was. Even though that fella was an idiot who hated to be left alone, he wasn¡¯t a heartless idiot who would manipulate another idiot who approached him carelessly. I resisted another urge to sigh, wondering what I should do with all this newfound knowledge and realization. ¡°Kevin. Have my father asked you about something really important about me?¡± ¡°Nope. He just asked me about what you want to do.¡± I see. So, that¡¯s what he meant when he told me that time, two years ago. My father did tell me before¡­ that he was glad that I could befriend Frederick. But, when Frederick and I got isolated and became the loner duo in every party, he kept looking at us with indecipherable expression in his eyes. ¡°¨D¨DIt seems I have no choice but to act as the mediator.¡± While it was true that cutting off my friendship with Frederick was a simple solution to resolve all this, it was just a stop-gap measure that wouldn¡¯t solve the problem in the long run. Anyhow, if I did that, then later on he might be seen as someone who hated his little brother. I meant, his little brother¡¯s status was literally above him, so it was normal for people to think that way. Therefore, the only method to prevent that was to show that the big silver ranger (Frederick) was willing to pledge his allegiance to the little silver ranger (Elliot), who also happened to be the crown prince himself. Then again, Frederick might have realized that solution long ago. However, there was a deep and huge trench between him and Elliot. I meant, Elliot always used every chance he got to turn Frederick into loner-kun after all. [TL : This is part of the otome game plot, so I won¡¯t give more explanation.] And since I got close to Frederick, Elliot had also raised his vigilance against me and didn¡¯t try to approach. Still, we needed to break this situation and completely freed Frederick from his loneliness. And to do so, a third party had to mediate between the two royal children. I supposed that was what my father had expected from me. I meant, I was Frederick¡¯s first friend after all. And I was also in the position to interact with the other side, so I was in the best position to mediate between them. And yet, I had betrayed my father¡¯s expectation since I got too careless when I befriended Frederick. As a result, the other nobles now saw our house as a part of Frederick¡¯s faction. After all, those nobles would never even stop to consider the option that we were actually just playing together as friends like normal children. That must be one of the reasons why Viscount Amber (Muriel¡¯s father) gave up on me. Now, realizing all these facts¡­ I had to agree with his decision¡­ my relationship with Muriel must have caused him so much pressure¡­ In short, all of this happened because of my carelessness. AAH, geez, ain¡¯t even growing at all! I¡¯m such a fool!!! ¡°My apologies, Theodore-sama.¡± Richard was apologizing to me even though it wasn¡¯t his fault to begin with, confusing me briefly. However, I then realized that since he was apologizing, it could only mean one thing. ¡°Did my father stop you from telling me about this matter?¡± ¡°Yes. He reminded me not to say anything since you have to notice this problem on your own. He said this is a necessary lesson for you to start being aware of your own status as the next head of the house.¡± I had thought that my father was a really kind and gentle person, but hearing Richard¡¯s confession, I realized another side of him. He was quite a strict teacher. Sorry, dad. It took me so long to notice this fact. ¡°I see. Sorry for always making you worry about me. He must be angry toward me since I¡¯m such an idiot.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not angry at all. You¡¯ve finally noticed after all. He always believes that you¡¯ll realize this fact for sure.¡± Really, you¡¯re overestimating me, Papa. But still¡­ This has opened my eyes. ¡°I have to thank Luke for this. But it¡¯ll have to wait until we meet again. It¡¯ll be better if I said this face-to-face after all.¡± I mused before slapping my cheeks lightly to pump up my spirit. ¡°Yosh, let¡¯s ask about magic tools first. I mean, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going back empty-handed with such a rare opportunity before us. I know that the Court Mage Department is doing something that I can¡¯t understand at my current situation, and it might be easier to find out what the Magic Tool Research Institute did, so I¡¯ll just do what I can now. Well, not that I care about the result of both of them though.¡± Kevin and Richard nodded their heads together when they heard my declaration. It seemed they agreed with me. That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t give up. Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s have a meal first¨D¨D Excuse me Aunty, three of your recommended set- meals for us, please!¡± ¡°Theodore-sama?!¡± For some reason, my two attendants reacted to my order and they couldn¡¯t be more different. Richard was actually shouting incredulously at me while Kevin was laughing heartily. He was even holding his stomach as he laughed. Looking at them, I shrugged. It couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, at this time, I was incredibly famished. ¡ó The recommended set meal of chicken nanvan was delicious. ¡°¨D¨DAunty, can you tell us some information about magic tools?¡± This diner looked old, yet it managed to be kept open for a long time. Since she had been in this business for a long time, she might have heard a thing or two about magic tools from her guests. With this in mind, I figured I could ask for some information from her. Alas, the plump aunty of this dinner was laughing heartily when she heard my question. ¡°Of course not, young lad. Look at my working place, there¡¯s no way I know the details of what you want to know. Still, can you tell me what kind of magic tools you¡¯re looking for? Perhaps, if you¡¯re looking for magic tools that¡¯s currently booming, I might be able to recommend some good stores for you.¡± ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s a tricky question¡­ I mean, the magic tool I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t one that¡¯s used for daily life. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know how to classify tha¨D¨D Ah, three refills for our beverage please.¡± ¡°¡®Kay, please wait a minute¨D¨D Ah, so you¡¯re looking for unconventional magic tools, huh. Well, this place happens to be the gathering of such things¡­ How about you try Bates¡¯ shop? He¡¯s an eccentric who is always tinkering with something whenever we see him. Me aside, even others of the same profession as him have no idea what he¡¯s doing. As for the others¡­ Well, they¡¯re pretty much the same as Bates. All are eccentrics. And since each of their shops is rather unique, I think you¡¯ll find what you¡¯re looking for pretty easily.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks, aunty. I¡¯m gonna take a look at their shop¨D¨D Oh, what¡¯s the pastry written over there? It¡¯s too far for me to see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s doughnut. Hole-less doughnut.¨D¨D Oh, right. That man called Bates accidentally let it slip that he used to work in the research of the old magic department¡­ this is off the record, okay?¡± ¡°Thank you. One bag of doughnuts, please. Wrap it in the bag, too.¡± After thanking the aunty for the information, as well as receiving the bag of doughnuts I ordered, we headed towards Bates¡¯ shop. And in case his shop wasn¡¯t the one I¡¯m looking for, I¡¯m gonna come back to this diner again for more information. Yup, this was the easiest and most popular way to get information after all, certified by all those anime and rpg games. Information gathering, as expected, had to be gathered from the owner of the bar or diner. ¡°Do you remember the way¡­?¡± Kevin asked with a dumbfounded expression on his face. However, his eyes told me that he was enjoying this. On the other hand, Richard was holding his head for some reason unknown to me. Anyhow, that matters not, let¡¯s get going~ I decided in mind. CH 34 34 The Eccentric is Childish Bates¡¯s shop was located in a maze-like alley. Since there was no signboard at all, I think it was literally impossible to find his shop unless someone told us about its location. ¡­ Since his shop was literally located in one corner of a multi-tenant building, maybe the only ones who knew its location were the regular customers of his shop. For some reason, the location of his shop kind of reminded me of the secret trading card shop from my previous life. I snapped out of my train of thought as we arrived in front of his shop, and then, I tried to knock on the front door. ¡¸Yees, who might it be? Sensei is busy with his research right now, he won¡¯t have the time to listen to you.¡¹ The one who replied with an annoyed voice was a youth around the age of junior high. Uoo, he was so small to the point that everyone else looked like an adult. From the figure that was peeping from behind the door, I found out that the youth was wearing a bandana around his head and an apron had a really cool appearance. Seeing that there was an oil stain on his fingers, he looked to be tinkering with some sort of tool just now. Well, that kind of job might be normal around this area. The youth who kept staring at us with a suspicious look on his face then snapped out as if recalling something. ¡¸Uhm? Quite a neat appearance you got there? Are you by chance, Young Master Luke¡¯s acquaintance?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, you know Luke?¡¹ That fella often comes to this place huh. ¡¸Yeah, he arrived just now. Uhm, are you going to come in? It¡¯s a messy place though.¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Well then, excuse me~.¡¹ We followed the bandana youth into the shop. After we passed the counter in the narrow lobby, we walked by a room with neatly lined up shelves. It seemed to be the storage room. The shelves were filled with wooden drawers with metal nameplates to make it easier to know its content. It was unexpectedly arranged neatly. I think the reason he said it was messy was that another person happened to complain about it. But then, after we passed the storage room, the room that was partitioned by low shelves and a working desk could only be described as chaotic. There were various things along with lumps of paper scraps scattered on top of rolled-up big paper. Since Luke¡¯s two attendants were nodding upon seeing us, I nodded back to them. And then, I saw an uncle with an unshaven face wearing a white robe in the middle of a heated discussion with Luke. The one who looked troubled was a bespectacled youth with a slender face. ¡¸Since it won¡¯t start without mana, we should just use a demonic crystal stone with high output right? If only I¡¯d demonic crystal stone with high output, I would defi¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Luke, you understand, right? The researcher at that time had already tried this method. No matter how high the quality of the enchanted magic crystal, the saint staff didn¡¯t give any kind of reaction at all. The problem isn¡¯t in the enchanted magic crystal. Even if we leave that aside, when we try to bait the remaining mana inside to come out¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸And there¡¯s no result of such research. Moreover, the amount of residual mana decreased, right? At this rate, the remaining mana will be eventually gone for good! That¡¯s why we should do something before the remaining mana depletes!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down, you two. There¡¯s still mana remaining in the saint staff. We should decipher the letters written on the staff first¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re way too lenient with this matter, Trevor-san!¡¹ Uwaa, for some reason, that space felt really suffocating. ¡¸He¡¯s such amazing person right, Young Master Luke always feels like that when he come¨D¨D Ah, Young Master, Your friend is here to visit you.¡¹ Luke finally turned his head when the bandana youth called his name, and the expression he made when he saw us was¡­ true displeasure. Anyhow, let¡¯s try to wave my hand on him first. ¡¸What are you doing here?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, I heard that I could try this store if I were looking for a different kind of magic tool. I never knew that you¡¯re in this place. I planned to try another day if Bates-san is busy, but I want him to at least answering my question.¡¹ ¡¸Get out.¡¹ ¡¸The hell are you talking to my guests like Luke. you¡¯re the one who should go home.¡¹ The uncle in the white robe chopped lightly at Luke¡¯s head with his hand. Eh, are you sure you can do that!? He was supposed to be a count¡¯s son. And yet, his escort actually turned their head away from that scene. Luke himself didn¡¯t say anything, just sulking in silence. He didn¡¯t seem to care about what the uncle in the white robe just did to him. The same went for the bespectacled youth and the bandana youth, they just smiled wryly upon seeing such a scene. Uhm, was this place by chance¡­ a place where you could put aside your social status? ¡¸Welcome to my store. Is there something you want, young man?¡¹ The uncle in the white robe offered me a handshake. Upon a closer look, he wasn¡¯t actually an uncle. He might be still in the latter half of his twenties, just looked older due to his unkempt and slightly dirty hair. Upon an even closer look, he was in fact quite handsome. ¡¸Uhm, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Theodore Goldberg. The reason for my visi¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸GOLDBERG! YOU MEAN, THAT GOLDBERG?! THE TIARA!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. That Goldberg.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, Your father is truly an amazing man! He returned the royal treasure without even batting his eyes, truly a man amongst men! Thanks to him, we can also investigate the tiara now. Thank you very much.¡¹ And suddenly, he gave me a bear hug. Uuh, it¡¯s dusty and smelly. How many days was it since the last time he entered the bath!? He released me immediately and I stepped back instantly. Sorry but please spare me from another hug, old man. ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name is Bates Sven. I¡¯m a former staff of a magic tool research facility, but I really admire your father¡¯s decisive resolution when he returned the tiara. I mean, the other house who received it from the last king treated the treasure like some sort of holy relic. I feel that his name should be recorded for his contribution to the future of magic tools. Even now, I still can¡¯t understand the reason behind the decisive decision of your father.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ Is that an insult to my father?¡¹ Luke asked with a voice teeming with anger. ¡¸What are you going to do if I say yes?¡¹ The white-robed uncle(Bates) said as if provoking Luke. Eh, did this person know what he was doing just now!? ¡¸I think that¡¯s enough for this joke, Bates. Look, even your guest is really surprised. Oh and by the way, my name is Trevor. I work in the Court Mage Departement. You might say that I¡¯m transferred to this store mainly to babysit this oddball. It¡¯s pleasure to be your acquaintance, son of Lord Goldberg.¡¹ The Glasses(Trevor) rebuked Bates kindly and pacified Luke with his kind gaze. His overall appearance screamed ¡°I¡¯m da honor student¡±. When I shook hands with him, I realized that he had a rugged hand, as expected of someone who was always tinkering with magic tools. The store was noisy but all of them were interesting fellas. ==== ¡ôCharacter Introduction¡ô Theodore Goldberg The protagonist. A Reincarnator. High-school student in his previous life. Yellow. Tiara. ¡ôGoldberg House Owen Goldberg. Father. Marquis. Serena Goldberg Mother. Marchioness. Wendy Goldberg Little Sister. Marquis Daughter. ??? Kevin Theo¡¯s escort. captain of the defense platoon. Richard Theo¡¯s attendant. One year older than Theo. Martha Theo¡¯s nanny Sebas Goldberg House¡¯s Grand Chamberlain. Rowell Commander of Goldberg House¡¯s soldiers. Maria Goldberg House¡¯s Head Maid. Horace Chief of Goldberg House¡¯s Magic Tool Research Institute. ¡ôFriend Character Muriel Amber Yellow. Fiance. Viscount Daughter. Glutton. Chick Girl. Frederick Serendiaz Big brother of the crown prince from a different mother. Two years older. Merry drinker. Big white. Loner. Katrina Lilac Katrina Lilac. Villainess. Drill. Purple. Prodigy. Reincarnator. Previous life was a JK. ¡ôCapture Target Elliot Serendiaz Crown Prince. White. Ring. Brocon. Luke Greenwell Green. Saint Staff. Count Son. Sarcasm Child. ¡ôOthers Serendiaz King The father of Loner-kun and Crown Prince. Serendiaz Queen Crown Prince¡¯s mother. Duke Lilac Drill¡¯s Father. Meriel Drill¡¯s attendant. Evan Amber Chick girl¡¯s father. Sheila Chick girl¡¯s wet nurse. ¡ôOthers 2 Tara Fortuneteller. Swindler. Mira Tara¡¯s attendant. The swindler¡¯s accomplice. Geyson Neith Baron. Magic Tool Researcher. Swindler. Macho character. ¡ôHeroine(Lol) Irene Plum Heroine(Lol). Pink. Previous life was a JK. CH 35 35 The This That Came Out is a Soul ¡¸My father has properly given his permission to conduct research on the saint staff. Please stop messing around.¡¹ Luke was pissed off. Bates shrugged his shoulders, his expression as if he already knew about it. Trevor was smiling wryly as he witnessed such an exchange. ¡¸Then, please call me when you need something by pressing the magic tool on the counter.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Ted. Why did you bring these people inside?¡¹ Luke asked the bandana youth who seemed to be the clerk of this store when the latter was about to go back. ¡¸Eh, they¡¯re your friend right, Young Master Luke? I mean, they even brought Aunty Luca¡¯s doughnut with them. I mean, you said that you forgot to buy them when you just come a while ago.¡¹ Ah, the doughnut from the diner, huh. It was actually for us, but well, I guess it was a cheap price for information about magic tools. ¡¸Do you still have it with you?¡¹ I received the bag of doughnuts and showed its contents to Luke. Seeing that, Luke moaned with an agonizing look on his face. ¡¸¡­ You¡¯re trying to bribe me with doughnuts, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, as if you can use doughnuts for a bribe. Well if you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯m gonna eat it in your place.¡¹ ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!!!¡¹ He caught my hand when I was about to return the bag of doughnuts to Richard. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ve no choice but to accept it since you went that far to bring it to me.¡¹ Bates and the other adults burst into laughter upon hearing Luke¡¯s words. Was it that delicious? I thought it was so-so. Nevertheless, Luke grabbed the bag so tightly as if he didn¡¯t want to let go of it even if he died. I see you like it so much, huh. ¡¸Then, please teach me about magic tools in return.¡¹ ¡¸Dammit, so it really is a bribe.¡¹ Luke seemed to be extremely frustrated. What¡¯s the matter, buddy? It isn¡¯t a big deal. ¡¸Haah, fine, I guess I¡¯ve no choice but to teach you. Now, give it to me.¡¹ I gave the bag of doughnuts to Luke. Luke embraced it with such care as if he was cradling a baby¨D¨D and snapped out immediately. His face flushed red as soon as he realized what he did in front of me. ¡¸I-It¡¯s not like I recognize you just for a mere treat, okay.¡¹ Is he¡­ a tsundere? A male one on top of that? ¡¸Yeah, no problem. Thanks for your previous hint by the way. And also to the fact that I met you and you¡¯re not beating around the bush, I know about what to do next.¡¹ I bowed my head and thanked Luke. Luke groaned upon seeing that. Are you okay, buddy? ¡¸Humph, since you hope for it, I guess I shall teach you properly then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, thank you. But if possible, I want to ask Bates-san to teach me.¡¹ I did feel bad for Luke but Bates-san seemed to be an expert in this regard. Bates patted Trevor on the back, laughing while holding on his sides upon hearing my remark. He didn¡¯t stop laughing for almost dozens of seconds, is he okay? Luke pouted. Good grief, you shouldn¡¯t pout like a girl you know. ¡ó ¡¸¨D¨DThen, Theodore-kun, is it? What is the thing that you want to ask me for?¡¹ Bandana guy(Ted) who had returned to the storefront to take a breath came back with tea and snacks for my attendants. Bates, who had finally calmed down, was also asking for tea. Uhm, at the end of the day, I want to ask about the one rumored to be my father¡¯s ¡°enemy¡±, and whether there was a way to restore their relationship. ¡¸Is the one called the Court Mage Department my father¡¯s enemy?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not going to ask about the magic tool?¡¹ Luke stuffed a doughnut into his mouth while pouting, and looked like he was in bliss the next moment. I felt like I had seen something really amusing. He really loves that doughnut huh. ¡¸I want to ask about that too, but our discussion from before is filled with jargon that is too difficult for my poor brain to handle. That¡¯s why I want to make things clear first. I¡¯m also curious about the remnant of mana that you¡¯re talking about a while ago.¡¹ ¡¸The remnant of mana is just as its name suggests, dregs of mana left behind in a magic tool. It¡¯s not a phenomenon that you can find in a normal household magic tool but a rare phenomenon that occurs in powerful magic tools. It¡¯s a phenomenon in which mana remained in the magic tool that already expired and can¡¯t be used any longer.¡¹ Trevor taught me with that simple explanation. ¡¸Is the existence of that dreg of mana the factor that differentiates between legendary magic tool and ordinary magic tool? Like Saint¡¯s Tiara for example?¡¹ That sounds even simpler than I expected. Perhaps they had a tool to measure that dreg of mana. For some reason, all of this jargon sounded more and more like a game setting. ¡¸Yeah. There¡¯s a tendency of mana remaining when the amount of mana loaded during production is enlarged. The mana dregs which remain in saint¡¯s ornaments for several hundred years are truly a rare case. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hailed as a legendary magic tool. ¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, mana dregs have their own traits, just like how a magic tool seems different when it has no mana dreg. Using those traits, we confirmed that the tiara that was returned by your father has that trait, thus we knew it¡¯s the real thing.¡¹ Bates gave an additional explanation. ¡¸We¡¯re trying to restore the saint¡¯s ornaments by using these traits. But then, the research institute judged that it isn¡¯t a magic tool since even with that much mana dregs left in a saint¡¯s ornament, it cannot be utilized at all. It still opened numerous possibilities though.¡¹ ¡¸But it¡¯s an antique item, right? Can you even restore that?¨D¨D But, wait a minute! Since the research institute has already declared that saint¡¯s ornaments aren¡¯t magic tools, does that mean they revised their judgement? If so, for what reason? I mean, you¡¯re the former member of research institute right, Bates-san?¡¹ ¡¸¨D¨DHas your father never told you about this matter?¡¹ Bates was looking at me, he seemed shocked for some reason. Eh? Why did he bring my father now? ¡¸¡­ I see. I guess I¡¯m being too hasty with my explanation. I forgot that not everyone is like Luke.¡¹ Bates muttered while apologizing to me. ¡¸Sorry, let¡¯s forget about my previous explanation for now. You¡¯ll hear about this matter sooner or later from your father¨D¨D Now, whether the Court Mage Department was your father¡¯s enemy or not, is it?¡¹ He didn¡¯t even hide his intention to change the topic of the conversation. It seemed the matter of Bates-san¡¯s research on the saint¡¯s holy cane was a state secret. And yet, he readily told me about that matter. In short, my social status was high enough to allow me to know about this secret. He didn¡¯t hesitate to teach me about this matter but held back and told me to ask my father directly. ¡­ Curious. Now I was even more curious about this matter. ¡¸I can¡¯t tell you the details about this matter. The Court Mage Department actually welcomed the tiara returned by Lord Goldberg with open arms and was really delighted with it. The reason being, they get more research subjects. In fact, the research is still conducted even now, but some people misunderstood the situation thanks to that person¡¯s bad habit.¡¹ Eh? Wait a minute, what¡¯s that mean? ¡¸Well, the truth is, Director Greenwell has severe sarcasm issues. I heard that he said ¡ºIt seems you¡¯ve no pride as one of the five families.¡» to Lord Goldberg, notifying the latter that they¡¯d received the tiara.¡¹ Trevor spoke with a wry smile on his face. ¡¸He¡¯s actually really happy with another research object but¡­ he ended up spouting such nonsense sarcasm since he¡¯s overly worried about the eyes around.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s a royal treasure after all. There¡¯s no way there won¡¯t be any rumor spreading around if such an important item suddenly returned. Father said that he was worried about Lord Goldberg!¡¹ To answer Luke¡¯s protest, Bates spoke with a disgruntled look on his face. ¡¸The problem is the way he spoke. It sounds like nothing more than a complaint to anyone who doesn¡¯t know him. My brother apologized later for the misunderstanding, and we gave our support to Lord Goldberg. And then, it finally turned into a misunderstanding¡­¡¹ ¡¸You say so but, Father said that he already took care of the situation.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. He did say ¡ºIt has nothing to do with Lord Goldberg¡» but so that¡¯s what he means, huh. Everyone seems to assume it¡¯s the opposite though.¡¹ Luke¡¯s attempt to protect his father was brilliantly crushed by Trevor. ¡­ So that means¡­ ¡¸Everything is just¡­ a misunderstanding!?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah, exactly.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­ then the reason I can¡¯t get engaged with Muriel is¡­¡¹ I hung my head down, covered my face with my hands. I felt like apologizing right now. I was embarrassed to the point that it felt like my soul was leaving my body. ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Since Bates asked about what happened I told him about it. ¡¸¡­ That person¡­¡¹ Bates heaved a sigh as he massaged his temples. He placed his hands on my shoulder and then, ¡¸Do your best, boy!¡¹ Said those words. ¡¸¨D¨DDAMMIT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!¡¹ I can at least rampage in this situation, right? CH 36 36 My Parent¡¯s Love My gait felt as heavy as lead when we left Bates¡¯s shop. Rumour was something that would spread on its own, trying to prevent it from spreading was a fool¡¯s errand¡­ But still. Let¡¯s try to be positive. Even if it turned out to be impossible, I had to at least have a positive mindset. Nothing good will come from trying to face away from the problem. Thanks to Luke I realized that my reputation was really bad among the circle of noble offspring, I knew that my father and Luke¡¯s father-also a reason for my bad reputation- were in fact getting along really well with each other. However, due to various reasons, it looked like they were political enemies, which in turn also put me in a bad situation due to my friendship with a certain loner. I might be able to salvage the situation if I talked to my fellow noble children properly. Moreover, Bates even said ¡¸Come again to this store anytime¡¹. The matter of being able to befriend Bates who used to be a researcher in a research institute, and Trevor who was a member of the Court Mage Departement was the biggest boon in this outing. They even taught me about the internal situation of the organization. In addition, I even managed to befriend Luke and got to know the personality of Luke¡¯s father. Yup, it was definitely a big haul no matter how you look at it. I was mentally tired right now, but it was worth the harvest of information that I gained today. ¨D¨DBut, I really wanted someone to heal my tired heart right now. Gosh, let¡¯s go back quickly to see Wendy¡¯s angelic smile. ¡¸Are you okay, Theodore-sama?¡¹ After we arrived at the main street and got on our carriage, Richard asked me with a worried look on his face. Perhaps he mistook that I was feeling dejected since I didn¡¯t speak at all since we left Bates¡¯s store. Sorry for making you worry about me, Richard. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s smile to show him that I was okay. This much was nothing. Yeah, nothing. ¡¸Ou, it seems one day isn¡¯t enough for me to recover but I¡¯ll be alright by tomorrow. And Richard, make sure you come when there¡¯s an invitation to a party. And give priority to the one that Your Highness Elliot and Fredrick participate in.¡¹ Let¡¯s put my plan in motion for now. Became a mediator for Fredrick and Elliot. It might take a few years for me to bridge their relationship but this was definitely the best shortcut available for me. But doing this would enable me to achieve more than just erasing those annoying rumors. On top of that, I could apply for Muriel¡¯s hand-in-marriage again. ¡¸Yes. Let¡¯s do this.¡¹ Richard replied with a relieved look on his face, Kevin was smiling upon seeing that. Yeah, let¡¯s do our best. ¡ó When we finally arrived at our family mansion in the royal capital in the evening, there stood another coach right in front of the entrance. Since that coach had our family¡¯s crest, could it be that my father was about to go out? ¡¸Ah, you¡¯ve finally returned huh. Welcome back, Theodore.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m home, Father. Do you have a business outside, Father?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s an evening party.¡¹ Evening party, huh. I¡¯ve noticed that this was the first time I saw my father off to a party. Though he might also go to parties when I¡¯m not around, I mean, we always went together when there was a party at noon. And in contrast to the clothes that he wore for the noon party, the clothes he wore for the evening party were gorgeous. Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to defer my question for now. ¡¸Father, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you, will you spare some of your time after you return from the party?¡¹ ¡¸It might be impossible tonight since I most likely will be out till late at night, how about tomorrow? Come to my office before breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no problem. There¡¯s something that I wanted to ask regarding today¡¯s matter and something that I want to hear from you.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll have my schedule open before breakfast.¡¹ He said while brushing my head. Somehow, that simple action alone healed my heart. ¡¸¨D¨DAah, incoming.¡¹ At the end of my father¡¯s line of sight was the dressed-up figure of my mother, standing above the entrance hall¡¯s stairs. ¡­ She was very beautiful, but this was the first time I saw her dolling up like that. What happened here? My mother descended the stairs slowly. ¡¸Ah, Welkum bach, Onii-chama. Look, dear mocher is really beauchiful, right?¡¹ Though my mother descended the stairs slowly along with Wendy, the latter ran towards me as soon as she saw me. Aah, sorry. Your onii-sama got charmed by our mother¡¯s beauty to the point that he failed to notice you. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Wendy. Yup, our mother dear is really beautiful tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, welcome back, Theodore. You¡¯re not too late but please make sure that you go back a little bit earlier next time.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, mother dear. My apologies for making you worry about me. And, I¡¯m home. You¡¯re about to go out with father dear, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Now, wait for us, Theodore. Mother will do something.¡¹ Eh? Do what? My mother then enveloped me into her embrace. ¡¸Sorry, please forgive me for never being able to come out for such a gathering until now. I¡¯ll appear frequently at parties from now on. Doing that might reduce our time together but, please be patient, okay? This is mine and Owen¡¯s battlefield. Mother will do her best for you.¡¹ Eeh, Mama, are you okay? Honestly, I have no idea what you are talking about. Can¡¯t you speak normally, please? ¡¸Serena, look, Theodore has no idea what you are talking about. Anyway, let¡¯s leave that for later, we¡¯ve to depart soon, otherwise, we¡¯re gonna be late. We can¡¯t waste time anymore.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, Owen. We¡¯ll go then, Theodore. Wendy, be a good girl and listen to Thalia.¡¹ ¡¸Yesh, Deyar mocher.¡¹ Wendy, who was being carried by her attendant Thalia, was waving her hand to our mother. ¡¸See you later, Father Dear, Mother Dear.¡¹ The two boarded the coach with smiles on their faces. Honestly, I still had no idea what my mother was talking about just now. I tried to ask Martha about that matter indirectly after dinner. ¡¸Madam is blaming herself, regretting the fact that she has been neglecting her duties in the noble society until now¡­ Well, it really can¡¯t be helped since she was busy raising Wendy until now.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s definitely not her fault.¡¹ Honestly, that wasn¡¯t something that could be blamed on her. My mother seemed to be under the impression that it was her fault. Even more so, both my parents felt the same way. So they thought it was up to them to raise my reputation. ¡¸But I¡¯m really happy. As expected of Mother Dear.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. A mother will become many times stronger to protect her children. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t worry Young Master, leave everything to your father and mother. You only need to think about what you can do.¡¹ Martha¡¯s gentle words warmed my heart. Thank you very much for worrying so much for me. I¡¯ve to do my best too. CH 37 37¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 3 We, who had received Duke Lilac¡¯s invitation, were now heading toward the evening party they held. On the route there, inside the carriage, Serena was grasping onto my hand tightly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. The fault lies in me who made a mistake on the way I look at the situation. I have always thought that I still have some leeway until one year later ¨C until the moment His Highness Frederick¡¯s magic liberation ceremony is held. Who knows that¡­ In any case, the fault is mine. That¡¯s why, please don¡¯t blame yourself for this.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s also my fault. I¡¯ve been neglecting my duty. Although I¡¯m saved from the swindler by Theodore and healed when I have Wendy, I have never done anything for that child. That¡¯s why, now it¡¯s my turn to save Theodore. Poor child¡­ I must not let him suffer more than this.¡± Serena gritted her teeth, looking as if she was being tormented due to the matter of Viscount Amber¡¯s rejection over our engagement offer. Still, it was not her fault. Sure, Serena had been away from noble society since that swindler incident four years ago. However, that was only natural since, for a while, she was feeling down after that event. She believed that she only brought trouble for us because she was being easily swindled by that fake fortune teller. It was only after she got pregnant again and gave birth to Wendy that the wound in her heart slowly began to heal. By giving undivided attention to raising Wendy and the years she spent with her and Theodore, she began to forgive herself. Although, personally, I didn¡¯t think this matter was her mistake. Alas, she began blaming herself again. ¡°He¡¯s an extremely obedient and kind-hearted child who has never said something selfish. And despite his own feeling of despair, he never blames anyone, only crying in silence. As his mother, seeing my child like that, can I let that slip? As if! Moreover, did you see his face a while ago? Despite what happened to him yesterday, he is still smiling brightly at us¡­ Asking for Miss Muriel¡¯s hand in marriage is the first selfishness he showed to us. So, as his mother, I want to grant his wish.¡± Serena said, eyes as firm as a diamond with light that practically dared people to stop her. Aah, I see now. She isn¡¯t just blaming herself. She has become stronger. She cast out her fragile and unreliable side, and replaced it with an iron will. All for her children¡¯s sake. A being called a mother is indeed amazing. I was in awe. ¡°You¡¯re right. The one who ended up showing such a sad face is me. Okay then, I¡¯ll also do everything I can. After all, I will be disqualified as a parent if I do not do something to protect that child.¡± ¡°Yes. We both will.¡± ¡ó Soon after, we arrived at Duke Lilac¡¯s mansion. Giving our greeting to the duke and his wife, we entered the party venue. This evening party was sponsored by Duke Lilac. And since that was the case, there was a high possibility that many figures that I¡¯m looking for would attend the evening party, too. Hence, I walked amongst the sea of people, greeting people and conversing as I looked for my targets. At that time, someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Marquis Goldberg. It¡¯s rare to see you come with your wife.¡± The person who called out to me was Count Sphene, who came to this party accompanied by his wife. He was the chief of the Magic Tool Research Institute located in the royal capital. He was in his early thirties with profound scholarly air around him. Yet, he was also gifted with a friendly disposition and smile. His wife was someone with gentle air around her, truly, they were a pair that embodied the saying of ¡®like husband like wife¡¯. ¡°It has been a while, indeed, Count Sphene. I rarely see you nowadays. Rumours are saying that you are busy with your research, but you don¡¯t look like it. You seem to be as healthy as ever.¡± ¡°Hahaha, the same can be said to you too, Lord Goldberg. In any case, my situation right now can only be described as paradise. Our research has borne fruit at long last! And you have my deepest gratitude for that!¡± ¡°Good grief. All you ever talk about is research and research. Look, you ended up forgetting your daughter since you often leave for extended periods of time for that. Please, at the very least, follow Lord Goldberg¡¯s example a little bit. He gets along really well with his children, am I right, Serena-sama?¡± Since the other¡¯s wife spoke with such a smile on her face, Serena decided to join her. ¡°You also get along really well with Sphene-sama, right, Grace-sama? In spite of your words, we can see that you¡¯re as lovey-dovey as ever.¡± ¡°But, well, sometimes I think he might forget about me one day. I mean, he often forgets about his surroundings once he delves into his research after all. Therefore, as his wife, I can¡¯t help but feel worried.¡± ¡°How can I possibly forget about you? You¡¯re the only one I love.¡± ¡°Nope. Don¡¯t think such an old trick will work on me.¡± ¡°Fufufu, I see. Then, let me have the opportunity to whisk your wife away from your side, milord. I simply have a lot of things to talk to and enquire about to your wife as I have been away from society for far too long. I have a lot of things to catch up with.¡± ¡°My goodness, are you going to leave us and have a private conversation amongst yourself? How terrifying.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why, let¡¯s let these ladies have a room for themselves, shall we?¡± Serena said with a smile as she gently pulled Count Sphene¡¯s hand to her. Then, she left us, their husband alone in this place. The Count and I could only look at their retreating figures with a wry smile on our face. ¡°Count Sphene, seeing as our wives are gone to have private conversation together, I suppose we can start our own private conversation between us as well. Seeing that you acknowledge our situation back then, I assume you did not forget about His Majesty¡¯s proposal back then, too.¡± The matter I was talking about was when I returned the Saint¡¯s Tiara years ago. At that time, it was thanks to the support from the Royal Capital Magic Tool Research Institute that I was able to return the tiara without having to face many difficult repercussions. Thus, I had nothing but gratitude to Count Sphene who was the first person to step up and support it. ¡°Nonono, it should be us who thank you. Truly, you have our utmost gratitude for giving us the opportunity to expand our research. The mage¡¯s department should feel the same way as me, but¡­¡± I understood what he wanted to say. At that time, due to my action, Count Greenwell ¨C who had just become the chief of the Court Mage Department ¨C was under the pressure to return the Saint¡¯s Cane under his family¡¯s care. So, knowing this, I could only smile wryly since I understood Count Greenwell¡¯s position. On one hand, as the head of the family, Count Greenwell certainly took pride in the fact that the Saint¡¯s Cane was entrusted to his family. However, on the other hand, as the chief of the Court Mage Department, he also wanted to promote the research for the very item entrusted to his family. Therefore, it came to no surprise that due to those two conflicting reasons, he ended up saying ¡®It seems you have no pride as one of the five families.¡¯ to me when we happened to meet after the event. Although it was just a spat with no other meaning behind it, especially since he realized his slip and apologized immediately, the other nobles who saw that scene still misunderstood. And that was how those baseless rumors got spread around. ¨D¨D I really had no way to stop those rumors from spreading around like wildfire. ¡°Well, that really can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s something that only our family and relatives can understand. We can only do our best with everything we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s as you say.¡± As we exchanged wry smiles to each other, a man came to us. ¡°¨D¨D I finally found you, Aniki. Good grief, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while now.¡± We looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a man in the second-half of his twenties tottering toward us. For some reason, his features reminded me of Count Sphene. ¡°Please mind your manner a bit, Bates, we¡¯re in front of Lord Goldberg. My apologies for his sudden interruption, Lord Goldberg. He¡¯s my little brother, Bates.¡± ¡°Lord Goldberg?!¡± The man called Bates spoke with a rather puzzled look on his face. However, soon, he stretched his hand for a handshake as he leisurely said, ¡°Ma~n, this is the first time I meet you in person, Lord Goldberg! I often hear rumors about you nowadays. Oh, do allow me to express my gratitude for returning the Saint¡¯s Tiara for research purposes. I¨D¨D wait, no. My name is Bates Sphene, Charlie Sphene¡¯s little brother.¡± Aah, if I don¡¯t recall it wrongly, the name of the supervisor of the research is Bates Sphene. I see, so this man is also a researcher. ¡°My name is Owen Goldberg. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I¡¯m also your son¡¯s, Theodore, friend. Pleased to meet you too.¡± ¡­ EH?! HE¡­ WHAT? ¡°Theodore¡¯s¡­ friend?¡± I asked faintly. ¡°Yes, yes. He visited my store this afternoon and we became friends then. Man, he¡¯s really a bright child. He even ate doughnuts with Luke¡­ whoops, I mean, Count Greenwell¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Count Greenwell¡¯s son?!¡± ¡°Yes, they get along really well.¡± ¡­ Theodore. Did you actually finish the job that I should have done in a single afternoon? And that too even before I had a chance to set a groundwork for you? (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], Ikemen Tensei -Wednesday :-Sword of Gluttony Princess -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 38.1 38.1¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 4 Looking at me, who was still frozen stiff in shock when I heard Bates-dono¡¯s remark about him being Theodore¡¯s friend, Count Sphene opened his mouth and asked his little brother a question. ¡°What do you mean, Bates? You have become Lord Goldberg¡¯s son¡¯s friend you said?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. The thing is he came to my store looking for Luke. Then, after talking for a while, I heard various things from him. And that¡¯s the main reason I came to this evening party actually; to file a complaint to that certain person.¡± So¡­ what in the world were they talking about when they met?! I thought, incredibly curious. However, it was not only me who¡¯s surprised. Count Sphene was surprised as well as evident from the slight widening of his eyes. He looked like he was slightly taken aback by Bates¡¯ remark just like me. ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly, Bates. Good grief, you really are¡­ even though you said that you respect Count Greenwall, you¡¯re still trying to file a complaint right to his face.¡± ¡°I still respect him. Or rather, I respect his ability. However, I can¡¯t say the same for anything other than that. Well, I¡¯m not saying that because he¡¯s a bad person. I mean, just because that good-for-nothing ¨C well, aside from his ability as a researcher, his other quality on the other hand¡­ ¨C is the head of Greenwell Family, it doesn¡¯t mean that he can treat his slip as something trivial. I admit that though he¡¯s an extremely poor lecturer during my student days, his ability as a researcher was truly astonishing as proven by a theory he established. That theory of his completely blindsided me. However, look at what he did as the head of his family. Frankly speaking, from the looks of it, his predecessor doesn¡¯t seem to care about the personality of the person who is going to succeed him, which is actually ill-suited for the current head of Greenwell Family. That decision then caused all this mess.¡± Bates-dono was complaining without stopping for a breath even after being cautioned by Count Sphene. From his words, I could sense that he really looked up to Count Greenwell¡¯s ability as a researcher, but not anything else. Still, I feel it was fortunate that Count Sphene immediately rebuked Bates-dono before he went too far. ¡°Bates!!! That¡¯s enough! My apologies, Lord Goldberg. My little brother is a research junkie. Please forgive him for his blunt remark.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, please don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m pretty much already used to talking to researchers. I don¡¯t know what Bates-dono heard from my son, but, please forget about it.¡± I meant¡­ it would only pour oil into the blazing flame. With the current situation, that was something I wanted to avoid at all cost. ¡°Are you sure? He¡¯s the type of person that has a hard time understanding this matter, you know? He won¡¯t understand the situation unless you properly explain the matter to him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I know about that, that I ask you to forget about it. After all, this is something that our family has to face together sooner or later. Unless¡­ my son is the one who asked you to file a complaint to Count Greenwell?¡± ¡°Nope. He never asked me to do that. When conversing with me about this matter, he only said that he has to do his best for the next few years to build his own network.¡± I see. He¡¯s indeed my son. Although he might be complaining about someone, he wouldn¡¯t rely on someone else to clear up his own mess. Right, if it was Theodore, he would not even think about asking help from someone he just got acquainted with today, much less say it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then thank you for being discreet toward him.¡± I said as I looked at Bates-dono. I meant¡­ if Count Greenwell heard from Bates-dono about the cancellation of Theodore¡¯s engagement, he would surely be worrying ceaselessly about the matter. I meant, though he was the cause of this, he didn¡¯t mean it. He was the kind of man who inadvertently created misunderstanding wherever he goes due to the way he speaks after all. That was why I wanted him to at the very least choose the right place when he wanted to talk. ¡°¡­ My apologies. It seems I ended up letting my wild imagination run rampant. You¡¯re right, a stranger like me shouldn¡¯t butt in too much in this regard.¡± Perhaps it was because he finally snapped out of his frenzy, but Bates-dono soon bowed his head to me and apologized. ¡°Thank you very much for your consideration for my son. ¨D¨D I¡¯ve been wondering why you¡¯re thinking so much for my son, but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Lord Goldberg. This little brother of mine has some sort of attachment to Count Greenwell. Thus, he can¡¯t stomach the mess caused by the count. He¡¯s just a child in that way. And though I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to talk about, I¡¯m pretty sure this fella is going to use your son as a pretext to talk to Count Greenwell. In short, he just wants to talk to Count Greenwell, but lacks a ¡®reason¡¯ to do that, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Count Sphene cut in before I could finish my words. ¡°Aniki¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth right?¡± Count Sphene asked with a rhetorical tone, very sure of his speculation. Faced with his elder brother¡¯s glare and tone of voice, Bates-dono averted his gaze, embarrassed. Bull¡¯s eye, huh. I see. I ended up smiling wryly upon realizing that. ¡°Since that was the case, it¡¯s more reason for me to ask you not to use my son as your guise, Bates-dono.¡± ¡°I understand. My deepest apology for that, Lord Goldberg.¡± As Bates-dono had apologized properly after I asked him to not use my son as his pretext to strike a conversation with Count Greenwell, I let it go. ¡ó The other nobles around us suddenly got noisy. Though their sudden increase of noise might be because Count Greenwell was currently walking in our direction. Thank God we could meet at this party. And thank God he was the one who came looking for me. Perhaps due to this action, the nobles around will think twice over believing those rumors. I thought. Anyway, the first impression one would have when they met Count Greenwell would be that his face seemed to be perpetually neurotic. Furthermore, he did look like a stern person since he had always shown a serious expression on his face, but¡­ he was also a person with a strong sense of responsibility. He was someone who would sincerely finish whatever was entrusted to him. And though many people misunderstood his nature, they knew that he was a frank person who we could rely on. Yet, Bates-dono frowned upon seeing him. However, I had no time to inquire as Count Greenwell had arrived in front of us. ¡°Long time no see, Count Greenwell. You look extremely lively tonight.¡± Both of us shook our hands together stiffly. ¡°¡­ Long time no see, Marquis Goldberg. You¡¯re also the same as usual.¡± He really is the same as usual. I thought as I smiled wryly at him when I heard Count Greenwell speak with his usual stern voice. I was sure that he might have wanted to apologize to me for all those rumors that spread around due to his blunder. However, he might be unable to because he still had a hard time to find the words he should say to prevent even more misunderstanding. He had always been worrying about the fact that his statement often got misunderstood by others due to the way he talked after all. So, he needed to be careful. However, anyone who knew of his true character ¨C including me ¨C would not misunderstand what he wanted to say though. Still, considering others often misunderstood his words¡­ In any case, after we were done shaking our hands stiffly ¨C mainly due to his nervousness ¨C , Count Greenwell proceeded to greet Count Sphene next. As this man was ill-suited for talking in public, the best thing for us to do right now was to show our surroundings that we got along just fine. That way, it would prevent more misunderstanding from being born. ¡°This person is as cocky as ever.¡± Bates-dono muttered with an expression that somehow resembled that of a pouting child to me. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re the same as ever too.¡± Count Greenwell said, finally looking at Bates-dono. Although his words were brief and others couldn¡¯t help but perceive that he was glaring at Bates-dono due to his stern face, I couldn¡¯t help but notice a hint of familiarity in his eyes when he saw Bates-dono. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re right in that regard. I¡¯m the same as always.¡± As promised, Bates-dono only offered a handshake without mentioning the matter of Theodore. It seemed he realized that it was better to not mention this matter to Count Greenwell. ¡ó ¡°Marquis Goldberg, may I ask for a bit of your time?¡± Suddenly, after he finished greeting Count Sphene and his little brother, a voice of a young man who had yet to enter his twenties called out to me. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you should be Viscount Amber¡¯s¡­¡± CH 38.2 38.2¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 4 ¡°Yes. My name is Zachariah Amber, Muriel¡¯s older brother. I want to offer my apologies regarding the matter that happened this time.¡± Zachariah-dono said with bowed head, apologizing to me. Ah, this child looks like a really honest child. I wish he was able to see Count Greenwell¡¯s words without misunderstanding him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize to me. We¡¯re the ones who send such an unreasonable request after all. In fact, today, Viscount-dono is¡­¡± ¡°My father is here, too. However, it seems he can¡¯t bring himself to meet you after what he did. That¡¯s why I think I have to come to you in his place. Lord Goldberg, I¡¯m really sorry that my circumstances ended up bringing trouble to your son.¡± He said, bowing his head once again. ¡°Please raise your face. No one is at fault for this incident. Our families are completely blindsided by this matter, that¡¯s why, there¡¯s no need for you to especially apologize.¡± ¡°My deepest gratitude for your kind words. However, I still feel that I ought to apologize. This incident won¡¯t happen if only I do more investigation. After all, everything that my father and I know about this matter came from the rumors flying around.¡± ¡°Well, people who love to spread gossip exist everywhere, so people are bound to be misled from time to time. Both my son and I understand your position at that time, that¡¯s why, you don¡¯t have to apologize for this matter.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Lord Goldberg. Still¨D¨D may I ask you to wait for three years? I am definitely going to do my best to make achievements in the mage department before Muriel¡¯s magic liberation ceremony is held. I just need to make enough achievements to shut the mouth of those people who love to spread such gossip and prove my worth so that no one is going to be able to say anything about my little sister¡¯s and your son¡¯s engagement. So, please. Don¡¯t give up on Muriel.¡± Zachariah spoke while looking at me with resolute expression. Seeing this, my heart swelled. I was really grateful that Muriel¡¯s family is filled with such kind people. ¡°Zachariah-dono, we absolutely have no intention of giving up on Miss Muriel.¡± ¡°Thank you very much¡­ To be honest, Muriel has been refusing to eat since yesterday. That should be how she tried to demonstrate her protest to my father and I. And since my father isn¡¯t in the right position to explain the situation either¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ Is Miss Muriel alright? Wait, from the way you speak, Viscount-dono seems to be¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. She has finally given up on her protest after relentless persuasion from our father.¡± ¡°I see now¨D¨D Zachariah-dono, may I ask for your help and relay my message to Miss Muriel?¡± ¡°Yes, naturally.¡± ¡°Please tell her that my son¨D¨D Theodore¨D¨D isn¡¯t giving up on her and he¡¯s going to do his best to gain your father¡¯s consent from now on. That¡¯s why, Miss Muriel has to eat properly and take care of herself so that he can always see the cheerful Miss Muriel. Please wait until he can gain Miss Muriel¡¯s father¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I will pass your message to her.¡± Zachariah-dono then left after offering another apology. ¡ó The party went into full swing as evening turned into night. After dancing the first round of dance with Serena in years, I stepped out and took a rest. When I did, I saw that more and more couples were entering the center of the venue to dance. Perhaps, they were inspired by Serena and I. Not bothering to muse over this matter anymore, I turned to look at Serena and found that she was surrounded by the ladies who were praising her over our previous dance. And though I detected a mix of jealousy or sarcasm amongst them, they belonged to the minority, thus I was at ease. It seemed her return to the noble society was received with warm welcome from the other noble ladies. Knowing this, I heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God, it seems Serena has achieved her goal too. With this, the first step of our job to recover the good name of our family ¨C one that had been smeared with mud by those baseless rumors ¨C began. We couldn¡¯t let ourselves lose to Theodore, who had shown his growth as a proper future marquis, after all. Anyway, at the moment, Serena was conversing happily with the ladies after she received their invitation. Satisfied with what I saw, I looked around and found Bates-dono was standing alone on the side of his lonesome. Seeing that, as well as having something I wanted to talk to him about, I came to him and greeted him. "" ¡°Bates-dono, are you not going to dance?¡± ¡°Nah, I (Ore)¨D¨D cough, sorry, I (watashi) meant, I¡¯m a poor dancer¡­ I apologize once again for my actions a while ago. I just¡­ I always get emotional whenever I stand in front of him.¡± He said, looking quite sheepish when he admitted that he almost got emotional back then when Count Greenwell greeted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. By the way, Bates-dono, may I ask the details about how you became my son¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not an impressive story, but if you insist on knowing¡­¡± He started retelling the story about how he met Theodore; about how Theodore came to Bates-dono¡¯s shop; about how he befriended Count Greenwell¡¯s son; and how he befriended Bates-dono himself. He told everything about their meetings. ¡°¨D¨D And that¡¯s what happened, Lord Goldberg. I assumed that you have never said anything about me as well as my shop to your son.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not something I can tell a child about after all.¡± That was just how important the burden Bates-dono carried on his back after all. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t just tell Theodore about Bates-dono and his research topic since it would need necessary preparation first. ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s it. Since that was the case¡­ then why did the installed defensive barrier didn¡¯t get activated back then¡­?¡± Bates-dono muttered lowly. ¡­ What was he talking about??? ¡°¨D¨D Eh?¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I asked, confused. Bates-dono pointed his finger in a certain direction and I looked at the direction he was pointing at and saw a little girl there, waiting. She was Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter. From the looks of it, she had come here in secret considering she was in her night-gown and not formal dress. ¡°Is something the matter, Miss Katrina? You¡¯re not supposed to stay awake at this time, you know?¡± I gently admonished. Our adult world was not something that a seven years old girl like her should participate in. It was still far too early for her. However, from the way the maid who stood behind her was bowing their head repeatedly as if to express their heartfelt apology, it seems that this matter was entirely due to her selfishness. I see. You can say it¡¯s a child¡¯s curiosity. Well, it seems that even though many people call her a prodigy, she is still a normal girl in the end. ¡°M-My apologies, Lord Goldberg. I¡¯m just a bit curious. Really! I¡¯m not trying to do something bad!¡± Miss Katrina said with a soft voice, shifting slightly on her feet. At that time, a deep male¡¯s voice came over. ¡°What are you doing here, Katrina? It¡¯s already time for you to go to bed, right?¡± Duke Lilac, who had spotted Miss Katrina, said as he came toward us and spoke to his daughter. Seeing her father, Miss Katrina bowed toward him and said, ¡°Yes, Dear Father.¡± ¡°My deepest apologies for my daughter¡¯s rudeness, Lord Goldberg, Bates-dono.¡± ¡°¨D¨D Bates?¡± Miss Katrina¡¯s face stiffened the moment she heard her father¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, Miss Katrina. It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name is Bates Sphene.¡± Bates-dono said, introducing himself to Miss Katrina. ¡°Bates Sphene¡­ uhm, please be wary of a certain person or accidental discharge of magic tools or edged tools. Especially in your store.¡± Miss Katrina said, causing our face to stiffen in shock upon hearing her words. "" ¡°Katrina¡­ that¡¯s, what does that mean?¡± The duke, her father, asked. ¡°Eh, ah, my deepest apologies. I just feel that I have to tell you that. I bear no ill will toward you. Sorry, I shall take my leave!¡± She said, turning around and ready to run back toward her room after she said those words. ¡°Uhm, Lord Goldberg, your dance with your wife is so wonderful.¡± ¡°A-Ah, thank you very much.¡± While we were at a loss, Miss Katrina left the venue along with her maid. ¡°Duke Lilac¡­ just now¡­ what was that? What is your daughter¡­ talking about?¡± I was completely perplexed right now. I meant, how? Even though this was the first time she met Bates-dono¡­ she knew that he was working with magic tools. Moreover, from the way she spoke, it was as if she was worrying about Bates-dono who had received a lifetime order from the king to research the Saint¡¯s Ornament in secret. Not only that, she even mentioned something like a store¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s not talk in this place. Please follow me. I¡¯ll prepare a private room for us to continue this conversation.¡± Duke Lilac said, face as pale as the wall of his mansion. Acquiescing with his words, we followed the duke and left the venue. ¡°No way¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­ it¡¯s¡­ the saint¡¯s return? Is that what yo¡ª¡± Bates-dono muttered with a trembling voice, somehow even though it was a low voice, it felt like the thunder sound clapping in your ears. I felt the same way. Yes, I would never have expected that the saint¡¯s legend turned out to be a real, historical fact instead of a fairy-tale like many of us believed. CH 39.1 39.1¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 5 We moved to a separate private room that Duke Lilac had specially prepared so we could keep the topic of our conversation a secret. Duke Lilac whispered to his chamberlain for a bit before he ordered him to leave the room, leaving only Bates-dono, me, and him by ourselves in the room. However, we did not immediately start our conversation. Instead we waited. Sure enough, a while later, his chamberlain came back, bringing with him, Count Sphene and Count Greenwell. As expected, these two were related to the matter we¡¯re going to talk about. ¡°Is something the matter, Duke Lilac? For you to suddenly summon us out of nowhere like this¡­¡± Count Greenwell asked, causing me to sweatdrop. And~ Count Greenwell was the same as ever, even when he was asking the duke normal questions, his manner of speech still looked as if he was complaining¡­ ¡°I heard we¡¯re about to talk about something important.¡± Count Sphene, on the other hand, had a worried expression etched on his face when he was asking his question. ¡°For now, take a seat.¡± Duke Lilac said, showing us the chairs. Then, after his chamberlain prepared our beverages, he ordered all his servants to leave the room once again. ¡ó ¡°I don¡¯t know where I should start talking about this, but perhaps¡­ Saint¡¯s Revelation may be the best description to summarize this conversation.¡± The duke stated, opening the meeting in that way without preamble. Hearing his words, Count Greenwell frowned while Count Sphene looked towards Bates-dono questioningly. ¡°He¡¯s serious. The moment Miss Katrina heard my name, she said ¡®Please be wary of a certain person or accidental discharge of magic tools or edged tools. Especially in your store.¡¯ to me.¡± The counts¡¯ expression immediately changed into that of shock at Bates-dono¡¯s revelation, and I couldn¡¯t blame them. After all, I was also shocked when I heard her words. ¡°I have yet to tell her about this matter, and I have no reason to tell her either. After all, this is our kingdom¡¯s topmost secret with only a small number of people knowing about this matter¡­ including that one in the congress.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, Miss Katrina does not seem to recognize Bates-dono¡¯s appearance and only reacted after she heard his name. She behaved quite normally until Your Grace called Bates-dono¡¯s name.¡± I added, supplementing them with my observation to support the duke¡¯s claim about Miss Katrina being completely oblivious about the research. ¡°My daughter has never known about Bates-dono being a researcher, much less knows about him researching the Saint¡¯s Ornament.¡± ¡°Maybe she came to know about this matter from Luke.¡± Count Greenwell muttered with a serious voice. ¡°She also gets along with your son, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, but Luke will never tell anyone about that. I can vouch for him. After all, that boy isn¡¯t an idiotic boy who will talk carefreely about the content of the research to a girl. Moreover, Luke has no idea about the real reason we are trying to restore the Saint¡¯s Ornament. He only knows that we¡¯re researching it because it just happened to be returned. Naturally, I also did not tell him about the ¡®basement¡¯ either. I just wanted to ask his opinion.¡± ¡°Children¡¯s opinions are trivial. Nothing but hindrance. I guess I¡¯ll tell him to stop coming to your store starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°You really¨D¨D why are you doing something like that? Personally speaking, I don¡¯t mind him coming to my store. That child really loves magic tool research, you know.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t supposed to show this important research to children.¡± ¡°How irresponsible¡­¡± ¡°Calm down you two. We are straying from the topic.¡± I spoke up, unintentionally entering their argument as their arbiter. Really, I hope that they can act more composed in this situation and not argue like children. I thought, inwardly shaking my head before focusing back on the situation. ¡°Bates-dono, Count Greenwell has no intention to prohibit his son from visiting your store forever. He is just preventing his son from visiting for a while to keep his son away from the danger that might befall your store. Please understand that point. After all, if the Saint¡¯s Revelation holds true, something might really happen to you or people around you. As a father, it¡¯s only natural that he will worry about his child for fear that something might happen to his son, hence the prohibition. ¡°¡­ Sorry. You¡¯re right, knowing that something is going to happen to me, it¡¯ll indeed be much better for Luke to not visit my store for a while. My apologies, Count Greenwell.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m also at fault for talking in a way that will cause misunderstanding, like usual.¡± Bates-dono heaved a sigh in silence before apologizing to Count Greenwell, who also returned the apology back. ¡°Anyway, I suppose, we can now be sure that Miss Katrina has never heard anything from Luke.¡± Count Sphene stated, confirming the fact out loud with no doubt in his tone. The duke nodded his head, agreeing with Count Sphene¡¯s final conclusion. ¡°So, now, supposing that the oracle we received is correct¨D¨D Bates, are there any abnormalities with the people around you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¨D¨D something that I have been wondering about.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression immediately straightened upon hearing Bates-dono¡¯s words, attentively listening to what he was about to say. ¡°Today, Luke¡¯s friend, Theodore¨D¨D or in other words¨D¨D Lord Goldberg¡¯s son visited my store. And even though they entered carrying swords with them, the alarm wasn¡¯t activated at all. That¡¯s why, at first, I thought that Lord Goldberg had already told his son about the research¡­ So, I had no qualms sharing with him about the Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯s research.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Naturally, I only talk about the general situation, so don¡¯t worry. I did not tell him about in-depth situation. Anyway, I think that the information I dispense to him is just right. After all, he, Luke, and the other three lads will know about it sooner or later.¡± Sure, I had to tell Theodore about this matter as well, but¡­ wasn¡¯t this a bit too early for him? ¡°Ah, I did tell Theodore to visit my store whenever he has a question about magic tools, but knowing what is about to happen in my store, I guess, like Luke, we have to stop him from coming to my store temporarily.¡± ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll tell my son to not visit your store for a while.¡± I said, nodding my head in gratitude to Bates-dono for his consideration for my son. ¡°So, have you examined the installed alarm?¡± Count Sphene asked his little brother, hoping there were some clues to be found, but Bates-dono shook his head seriously. ¡°Of course I did. However, even after checking it over carefully, I can¡¯t find any abnormalities in the alarm system.¡± ¡°How can that be?!¡± The duke exclaimed in a low voice, tilting his head with a puzzled expression on his face. Alas, since Bates-dono himself had no idea about it, how could others ¨C especially me ¨C have any? ¡°Maybe we should increase the number of your escorts¡­¡± Count Greenwell suggested. ¡°I guess we have no other choice but to do that for now. In addition, we should also strictly limit the number of visitors as well. Furthermore, we should not forget to tell the children to not approach his store for now.¡± Count Sphene added, eyebrows furrowed together in concern. CH 39.2 39.2¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 5 ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, I just realized that you guys might just be exaggerating this matter a little bit too much. I mean, it¡¯s still only a probable revelation, right? One without any proof or weight behind it, right?¡± Bates-dono suddenly added. However, from his expression, I could surmise that it wasn¡¯t that he doubted the authenticity of the revelation. It was probably just his distaste over the fact that things would become too strict for him. ¡°¨D¨D Four years ago, my daughter did something completely unbelievable. She snatched gems right in front of me and smashed them apart. At that time, I was worried whether there¡¯s something wrong with her, but ever since then she has never acted like that again, so I put the matter away from my thoughts. Still, I always wondered what caused it. It is only when Lord Goldberg arrested Baron Geyson ¨C the one who personally gifted those gems to me ¨C from his territory due to the violation of illegal magic tool control law that I understood what happened.¡± The duke recounted the incident that happened four years ago to him, looking straight at Bates-dono unswervingly. ¡°After that, I had others examine those gem fragments and found out that a terrifying magic formula that would eat its wearer¡¯s mind was hidden in it. Hearing that, I immediately questioned my daughter whether she knew of that matter or not. However, she had no idea about that magic formula and only destroyed it because she felt that the gem was dangerous. In short, her action at that time is purely¡­ based on her own intuition. And this time, it is likely that what she did tonight was the same thing as that time. Although you may think of me as an overly doting father by stating this, I really believe that we should not disregard my daughter¡¯s remark. I think we should raise our vigilance.¡± The duke stated his opinion honestly, still staring at Bates-dono to convey his sincerity, belief, and seriousness. I myself also agreed with the duke¡¯s opinion. After all, raising one¡¯s vigilance would not bring you any trouble and might prevent future trouble. Furthermore¡­ ¡°¨D¨D Four years ago, a swindler entered my house and tried to trick my wife into handing over the Saint¡¯s Tiara to them. That person even went as far as using a magic tool that converted one¡¯s life force into mana in order to trick us. That magic tool is really dangerous since it doesn¡¯t have a limiter installed in it. After that, I asked my subordinates to investigate that magic tool and its origin. Alas, the trace went cold. Anyway, in my opinion, there is no way that the event that happened to me and the duke are unrelated, especially considering the source and timeline. Someone must be pulling the string behind this.¡± ¡°That was why we told every house that received the Saint¡¯s Ornament to raise their vigilance. So a similar incident won¡¯t happen again. Anyway, after he finished dealing with that matter and warned all of us, Lord Goldberg then returned the tiara at the end.¡± Count Greenwell added, causing me to nod in agreement. ¡°Thanks to that swindler, my house was in complete chaos at that time, and I judged that this matter was too much for me to handle on my own. That¡¯s also the reason I had yet to find a breakthrough about the perpetrator behind this incident. In the end, I could only rely on various guesses and hypotheses according to the evidence I managed to gather so far.¡± After saying this, I proceeded to divulge the conclusion I came up with after investigating various scattered clues I unearthed, ¡°Additionally, I found that the people who invested in Geyson were all small-time figures. He had been selling those dangerous magic tools on that scale of operation, yet when I investigated at that time, I discovered there¡¯s not much money involved on the research side, which I find strange. So, I conclude that some big shot nobles must be the one who backed him in secret.¡± ¡°Perhaps, the real culprit wanted to set me up as that ¡®Big shot noble¡¯. That should be their intention from the type of magic formula etched on that gem they gave to me.¡± The duke muttered with an irked expression on his face and I looked at him sympathetically. ¡°Additionally, Geyson who was arrested vanished from his cell ¨C a cell that should have been tightly guarded. And now, though the investigation that¡¯s led by General Crimson is still ongoing, we have yet to find another lead to this case.¡± Yes, that Geyson indeed just vanished from his tightly guarded cell just like that. And up to now, I still had no idea just what kind of method he employed to escape from such a tightly guarded place. ¡°Maybe he used some sort of lost magic that has yet to be discovered to escape. For example, a magic tool to manipulate space? I had investigated the cell, and I don¡¯t think he simply vanished from his cell like that, so magic tools of some sort must be used. Furthermore, when I investigated, I detected a strong trace of demonic pulse that should not exist in a normal human. Its density alone is comparable with the demonic pulse of the demon race that was recorded in ancient legend.¡± Count Greenwell stated, his tone clearly irritated. ¡°Magic tool that manipulates the human¡¯s mind¡­ magic tool that robbed one¡¯s life force¡­ Vanished Geyson and then my daughter¡¯s actions. With all these factors, as well as the report from the grand temple, His Majesty judged that the demon king¡¯s resurrection is close by. So, he sent a decree to continue our preparation in secret, appointed my daughter as the saint and judged Geyson as part of the demon race.¡± The duke sighed as he continued, now lamenting, ¡°I personally do not want to blindly believe that my daughter is a saint, but I have no way to refute the fact and what she showed me either.¡± ¡°According to the legend, the saint will receive her oracle when she grows into adulthood. If, just an if, Miss Katrina is really the saint¨D¨D then we absolutely cannot let her show up with the Saint¡¯s Ornaments, which has yet to regain its function. Thus, His Majesty ordered us to research a way to revive the Saint¡¯s Ornaments, yet¡­ even after four years of research, we have yet to find the clue to revive it.¡± Count Sphene heaved a sigh as he lamented about the grim result of their research. ¡°¨D¨D If what Miss Katrina said really comes true, there¡¯s a high chance that Bates-dono will be the one who restores the Saint¡¯s Ornaments to its prime state. In that case, that¡¯s even more reason for us to protect him.¡± ¡°Please wait a minute! I haven¡¯t even had a vaguest idea how to do that yet. Aniki and Count Greenwell are equally brilliant researchers as I am. There¡¯s a chance that it¡¯s not just me who needs the protection.¡± Indeed, it was just as Bates-dono had said, Count Greenwell and Count Sphene were also people we couldn¡¯t afford to lose. After all, together, the three of them were the three most prominent researchers Serendiaz Kingdom currently had. Everyone had to be protected. ¡°Bates. Our research institute is right inside the castle, as is the Saint¡¯s Cane and Tiara, which is placed inside the treasure vault. Your place, on the other hand, is loosely guarded. Furthermore, though we did establish your store as an independent institution to bait the demon race that has never appeared on the surface until now, this kingdom also cannot afford to lose you.¡± ¡°In conclusion, we will have to prepare more powerful escorts for the three of you. I¡¯ll immediately propose this matter to General Crimson and His Majesty tomorrow. I think you should have no problem with this, right, Bates-dono.¡± In the end, everything was decided with a single sentence from the duke. So, although Bates-dono was clearly dissatisfied with that, he couldn¡¯t complain either since the other party was a duke and he¡­ was not. ¡°¨D¨D Well then, let¡¯s prepare a trap to protect our kingdom from the demon race.¡± ¡ó Kevin had already been waiting for me when I returned from the evening party. It was time to hear his report about what Theodore did today in my office. Although I could already guess the general situation from Bates-dono¡¯s story, I had yet to know about the matter of him being conned by Luke-dono in an argument¡­ It seemed that Theodore had finally snapped out from his relaxed state thanks to that event. Still¡­ Dear me, I wonder from whom did he inherit that easygoing and never get discouraged attitude from? Well, then again, I was really glad that he finally realized the importance of his status and the duty that came with it. Really, my son¡¯s growth was something that couldn¡¯t be underestimated. And I hoped he could get along with the other children after this. After all, the one who would carry the duty to protect Miss Katrina ¨C the Saint ¨C might be one of them, the child of the same age as her. Though, naturally, if possible we ¨C the adults ¨C should prevent such a situation that will endanger our children¡¯s life from happening. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], Ikemen Tensei -Wednesday :-Sword of Gluttony Princess -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 40.1 40.1 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 4 After realizing that Heroine-chan was a girl with a shi*tty personality, I decided to make some adjustments in my plan. Since I think that the world I was living in, the otome game, ¡®Saint Legend~ Descendant of Six Gods~¡¯, seemed to be set in hard mode. In this mode, even one slightly wrong choice would cause the affection meter to take a nose-dive ¨C which included Theodore¡¯s affection meter that never seemed to go down in the other modes ¨C yet the player had to break their back over just for the sake of slight increase of the target¡¯s affection meter. This mode also had a distinct feature that separated it from any other otome game. The fact that the rival daughter could also become a saint. Well, actually this was not exclusive to the hard mode and could happen in easy mode too, but¡­ that hardly happened since Theodore¡¯s affection meter never went down in the other modes. In hard mode, the ¡®color¡¯ couple would automatically get together once the heroine failed to raise the target¡¯s affection and her grade was lower than the rival daughter. And since system-wise the heroine could only go after one guy, the rival daughter would become the saint. Then, the story would follow the plotline of: the rival daughter with the best grade will become the saint, the capture target with the same hair color as the rival daughter will give his ¡®True Love¡¯ to that rival daughter, which allows her to equip the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ that belongs to the capture target¡¯s house and kill the demon king. When that happened, the heroine would end up as a normal baron¡¯s daughter who gave her blessing to the ¡®color¡¯ couple. However, if the rival daughter¡¯s grade was bad too, then it would go through the BAD END route. And since knowing Heroine-chan was such a shi*tty girl¡­ this might be the only route left. How did I arrive at such a conclusion you ask? That was simple, ah. It was because Theodore¡¯s affection meter toward Heroine-chan was simply the worst! Well, not that I could blame Theodore for that. I meant¡­ even Muriel described Heroine-chan as someone ¡®repulsive¡¯. That was the timid Muriel! If even she went as far as that, then you should understand how utterly reprehensible Heroine-chan had been acting. That being the case¡­ let¡¯s encourage the noble daughters to courageously chase after their partner, ne~. Eh, me? Well, I (Katrina) was a villainess after all. I was definitely not a rival daughter, so I couldn¡¯t be the saint. This status of mine was unshakeable. Besides, my color didn¡¯t match that of any capture targets. So¡­ Well¡­ In short, I (Katrina) would never receive ¡®True Love¡¯ from any capture target. ¡­ Thinking over that, even I couldn¡¯t help but fall into self-pity for a moment. But screw that! Once the end game was over, I would definitely go to find a wonderful man that won¡¯t lose out to the capture targets! Honestly speaking, Heroine-chan¡¯s ability should rise along with her interaction with the rival daughter, but according to Muriel, Heroine-chan was truly a hopeless case. Hence, I had to change my plan and ask everyone to form a study group to raise the rival daughters¡¯ ability. Anyway, at this point, everything would be fine as long as one of them became the saint instead of Heroine-chan. I meant, that would make things easier for me too. Although it didn¡¯t change the fact that it would affect my end. Well, that was not really a big problem. The main problem was the solution for the trouble that had been haunting the capture target¡­ as well as the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ itself. Because in hard mode, the heroine would still receive the ornament if she could resolve the capture target¡¯s trouble. Simply speaking, the setting was fixed. So, when the affection meter fell below 70, the ornament would be given to the rival daughter. However, no one would get the ornament if the affection meter was below 30. Yes, you did not hear me wrong. Unless the affection meter for Heroine-chan was not restored to 30, Theodore¡¯s tiara wouldn¡¯t go to Muriel. Well, it had already been sent back to the royal family though¡­ ¡­ Wait just a minute. C-Could I really let that happen?! N-Nononono, let¡¯s stop being pessimistic first. Let¡¯s see it from another angle. I cheered myself up. I meant, it had already happened and nothing could change it. This was a real world after all where I, my new father and new mother were living in. There was no such thing as reloading save files or so. And since that was the case, the only thing I could do was to prepare a countermeasure for anything that might threaten us. Anyway, I was pretty sure that His Majesty the King would bestow the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯ to the girl who would become the saint. So, Theodore returning the ornament to the royal family was not a big problem. ¡­ Wait, now that I think about it again, isn¡¯t the strange one the capture targets here? After all, they thoughtlessly gave their household¡¯s treasure to the heroine! Then again, the system of the game itself was a mess¡­ I meant, how could they give national treasure just like that without even consulting their parents and the king himself?! Oh, right, that huge mess was resolved due to the game¡¯s plot armor and voila ¡®You Got an Item¡¯ notification screen. Well, that was the game side. The official novel of the game did have the detailed background of each family, and if I remembered it right¡­ It turned out the king himself gave each family permission to give the royal treasure, thus the problem was solved. Thank you, novel version. Thank you for filling the plot hole! maybe. Uhm, anyway, since the problem with ornaments¡¯ gifting has been solved, let¡¯s go with the plan to UPGRADE all rival girls¡¯ abilities. Then, as long as I can solve each rival girls¡¯ problem, one of them will surely become a saint¡­ right? Well, that¡¯s my expectation and may not end up to be true, but I doubt it. I mean¡­ the ¡®color¡¯ couple are all getting along really well with each other. Especially that yellow couple. That particular idiot couple has surpassed the others in terms of intimacy. I mean, they¡¯re so into each other that I feel my tooth ache everytime I see them¡­ Really¡­ that idiot couple! Well, it¡¯s fine to see them right now since they¡¯re still adorable little children but, honestly, it may get really annoying if they keep on being that lovey-dovey even when they¡¯re already in their teens! If they really act like that in their teens, then I probably won¡¯t be able to stop myself from saying ¡®Please mind your surroundings when you flirt with each other, will ya?!¡¯ out loud and disregard the noble¡¯s propriety. Anyway! Potential dog-food aside, I have to do my best to upgrade the abilities of the rival girls and solve their problem! Fight me! Even as I thought that, I knew that the greatest barrier to solve the problems was sitting right beside me. Glancing at him, my inner-self couldn¡¯t help but face-palm. Elliot¡­ please stop being so moody whenever you hear how Frederick is getting along with Theodore! Honestly, whenever the children¡¯s party is held, this crown prince never stopped pouting; especially when he saw the scene of Frederick frolicking with Theodore. Still¡­ should I try to invite them again? I meant¡­it wasn¡¯t a big deal even if Frederick joined us in this group. I meant, it would be beneficial for me and the rest since if Frederick joined, Elliot¡¯s mood would definitely brighten up like a sun rising. However, Frederick always stuck himself to Theodore, and Theodore was reluctant to approach us. Well, I understand how he feels though. After all, who wants to go to the side of people who hate them? BUT! The world will be in a dangerous situation if all of you don¡¯t try to get along with each other, you know?! So, please, please, just please! Get along with each other already!!! Oh, I apologized. Frankly speaking, I had built up a lot of stress about these matters, especially since I couldn¡¯t carelessly spread my knowledge around. Really, at this moment, I wished that someone would come to heal my weary heart. But since the other capture target was still alright, I guess there was no need for me to rip my hair out of my head. I could simply intervene whenever I saw a problem was about to rise after all. Anyhow, right now my first priority is to do my best to allow everyone to get along with each other. ¡ó Hence, everyday after that, I had been trying my best to accomplish that goal. Alas, it was futile and I could only watch as days passed by and I turned seven years old. Today, there was an evening party in my house and I was rea~lly sleepy. I truthfully wanted to hit the bed right there and then since I had to wake up early tomorrow, but¡­ well¡­ there was nothing wrong for me to take a peek before I hit the bed¡­ right? I meant, I just heard that the Goldberg¡¯s couple were going to participate in this party. Why did I not know from long ago you asked? Well, their participation was just suddenly confirmed yesterday, so I got the news late. Anyway, I really wanted to see the legendary couple with my own eyes, thus my decision to take a peek. I meant¡­ Look, it was Theodore¡¯s parents, you know? They were people whose relationship remained strained even after you completed Theodore¡¯s route. But, according to the rumor, they were a really lovey-dovey couple. So, I had been wondering all this while just what kind of woman the wife was. Alas, I was unable to find out before now since she had never attended any social gathering in the last few years. So, with my curiosity high, I asked my wet nurse, Meriel, to let me sneak into the party venue. And I didn¡¯t regret it one bit since I saw a breathtaking sight. Truly, the scene of the couple dancing in the dance hall was something that could be called ¡®Truly Mind-blowing¡¯. Lord Goldberg was very gentle there as he led his wife, who was as graceful as a willow, on the dance floor. Geez, look at them. The sight of them dancing together was really stirring one¡¯s heart and healed their surroundings. Even the piled up stress in my heart is healed by seeing their gentle and graceful dance! Ah, mou, why can¡¯t I record this scene?! Someone, please lend me a camera! I want to record this and watch this scene everyday and be healed! Alas, perhaps such a magic tool has yet to be created because¡­ unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t amongst the list of items in the game. Sob sob sob. So sad. Then, a while after I kept staring dumbfoundedly at the venue, a voice directed at me shocked me out of my reprieve. ¡°Is something the matter, Miss Katrina? You¡¯re not supposed to stay awake at this time, you know?¡± Lord Goldberg called out to me with a gentle voice. KYAAA~! T-TOO CLOSE! TIME OUT, TIME OUT! A HANDSOME GENTLEMAN ON SI~GHT!!! ¡°M-My apologies, Lord Goldberg. I¡¯m just a bit curious. Really! I¡¯m not trying to do something bad!¡± I apologized to Lord Goldberg while suppressing the wild thumping of my che*st. Geez, this person¡¯s destructive power is really off the chart. ¡°What are you doing here, Katrina? It¡¯s already time for you to go to bed, right?¡± My father, who had just noticed my presence here, asked as he came closer. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], Ikemen Tensei -Wednesday :-Sword of Gluttony Princess -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 40.2 40.2 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 4 Aauu, even though I¡¯m about to return to my room¡­ I got caught¡­ QAQ. ¡°Yes, Dear Father.¡± I bowed obediently and turned around, about to go back to my room despite my wish to be able to stay longer. However, my step halted when I heard the words my father spoke next. ¡°My deepest apologies for my daughter¡¯s rudeness, Lord Goldberg, Bates-dono.¡± My dearest father was apologizing to Lord Goldberg and the dull looking man beside him, but that¡¯s now what caught my attention. Eh, he¡¯s WHAT? ¡°¨D¨D Bates?¡± I murmured out loud. Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard his name before, but¡­ where? ¡°Yes, Miss Katrina. It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name is Bates Sphene.¡± The dull looking man introduced himself. Bates¡­ Sphene¡­ Ah, the Green Girl(Oriana Sphene)¡¯s uncle! His name is written in the official fanbook, and if I¡¯m not wrong, the information there stated that he¡¯s a magic tool researcher¡­ as well as the person that Green (Luke Greenwell) respected the most. I thought, inwardly nodding to myself. According to the official fanbook, he was supposed to die when Luke was still young due to an accident during a magic tool experiment. Ever since then, Luke had always worn the memento left behind by Bates ¨C the white robe ¨C on top of his uniform to remember him. In the official fanbook, it was told that Luke witnessed Bates¡¯ death himself because he had gone to the other¡¯s shop. Therefore, when the result of the investigation claimed that Bates¡¯ death was an accident, Luke felt especially dissatisfied because he felt that all evidence pointed out that he was killed by something similar to edged tools. However, the one who announced the result of the investigation was none other than his father, Count Greenwell, and Oriana¡¯s father, Count Sphene. That was the impetus that caused his relationship with Oriana to distort slightly. The game plot then went on with Heroine-chan (player) taking initiative to investigate the real criminal along with Luke. They then discovered that the one who killed Bates turned out to be the demon. Realizing who the real culprit is, Luke finally let go of his resentment and repaired his relationship with the two counts and Oriana. However, now that I knew that I couldn¡¯t rely on Heroine-chan and considering the plot, I had to prevent their distorted relationship from happening. Moreover, the fanbook had stated that Bates was one of the rare magic tool researchers. So, saving him would also be a good thing for the kingdom. Anyway, though I knew that he was supposed to die ¨C in accordance to the game plot scenario -, I couldn¡¯t just let that happen, especially not when I saw the chance to save him. I meant¡­ letting that happen would only make Luke and Oriana sad. And I preferred that to not happen. Besides, preventing his death might allow them to get along with one another¡­ so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­ right? Ugh, my stomach hurts. I wailed inwardly, stressed out whenever the game plot came to mind. Anyhow, let¡¯s try to do something I could for Bates for now. And the only thing I could do was limited to giving him simple advice; advice to raise his vigilance. ¡°Bates Sphene¡­ uhm, please be wary of a certain person or accidental discharge of magic tools or edged tools. Especially in your store.¡± I advised earnestly. ¡­ Eh? What¡¯s with their expression? Did I do something strange? ¡°Katrina¡­ that¡¯s, what does that mean?¡± Dear Father, your face is really scary right now, you know? ¡­ Okay, let¡¯s escape from this place. I decided, taking a tiny step backwards in caution. ¡°Eh, ah, my deepest apologies. I just feel that I have to tell you that. I bear no ill will toward you. Sorry, I shall take my leave!¡± I said, bowing slightly and as gracefully as I could, then I turned around to leave. However, just when I was about to run back to my room, I remembered something and added, ¡°Uhm, Lord Goldberg, your dance with your wife is so wonderful.¡± ¡°A-Ah, thank you very much.¡± Even though Lord Goldberg ended up replying to me with a flabbergasted expression, I still felt very much happy with it as I left. Yup, I feel my heart is really healed by his gentle and graceful ¡®Thank you¡¯. ¡ó The next day, I thought that my father would say something about my remark last night, but¡­ in the end, aside from giving me a brief look, he didn¡¯t say anything at all. However, he did go to the royal palace earlier than usual. As my father did not do anything, I put the matter behind me and proceeded with my day. Since Muriel¡¯s mother had asked me to visit Muriel who was sick, I went to do just that. It seems something really bad just happened to her¡­ to the point that Muriel¡¯s mother asked my mother to send me to advise Muriel. Still¡­ Why me? Bearing such confusion with me, I went to her residence. However, when I met her, the sight that greeted me was Muriel¡¯s weeping form, shocking me greatly. W-What had happened?! Why is she crying like the world is ending?! I thought, frantically trying to soothe her, while at the same time finding out what exactly happened to her to cause her tears. But when I heard the details from Muriel and realized that her engagement with Theodore got called off, I turned into stone. ¡­ SERIOUSLY?! W-Wait just a minute. The yellow couple¡¯s engagement got cancelled?! Wait, how can you just straight out do that?! Furthermore, the reason is those nonsensical gossips amongst the nobles?! What the heeeeeeeeeck?! ¡°But, you see, my dear brother, Zachariah brought me a message from Lord Goldberg.¡± Muriel said, a bashful smile gracing her lips as her teary eyes brightened up. ¡°Lord Goldberg said that Theodore-dono has yet to give up and he is trying to do his best to get our father¡¯s consent. That¡¯s why, he told me that Muriel, you have to cheer up and eat your meal properly so you can welcome Theodore-dono with a healthy smile. And surely, Muriel does not want to be reunited with him with a sickly and emaciated figure, right? So, eat your meal and stay healthy for the next time you meet him. I¡¯ll also tell our father about this matter, okay?¡± Muriel imitated her brother¡¯s words, a tiny smile filled with hope for the future gracing her lips, brightening her whole face that was stained with tears. I see¡­ Thank goodness. I patted my chest in relief. In short, you¡¯re telling me that there¡¯s an obstacle that prevented the formation of the yellow couple, right? But they¡¯re still fighting to be together¡­ Wait. What the heck? Is it just me¡­ or did I actually just hear them flirting while being separated? Oh, well, whatever. If they can still do that, I guess the problem isn¡¯t as serious as she described. Still¡­ Let¡¯s try and ask my father about this matter when I return. I mean, my dear father surely has a better way to solve this situation,right? More importantly¡­ ¡°Muriel-sama, you also have to do your best to become a woman befitting Theodore-sama.¡± ¡°F-Fueee?¡± Muriel flailed, holding her bright red cheeks bashfully. Her flushed red face is so adorable~. I gushed internally. ¡°How about we form a study group? We can aim to become splendid noble ladies together with everyone.¡± ¡°Yes! I-I will do my best to become a woman befitting Theodore-sama!¡± Yup, let¡¯s overturn the rumour about her being stalking horse for Theodore. I decided, warmly gazing at her bashful reaction. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Translated Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 41 41 The Thing That¡¯s Carved is Love For some reason, Father warned me to not approach Bates¡¯ store for the time being. It was as if he was trying to warn me to keep away from dangerous places. But, sure enough, after some invest- erm, I mean, after some questioning, I learned a certain fact that might be the reason for Father¡¯s warning. Bates-san was researching Saint¡¯s Cane. And the reason for the research seemed to be for the sake of awakening the Saint¡¯s ornament since the second coming of the saint was just around the corner. Although they still had no idea who would become the saint in the end, in everyone¡¯s opinion there was nothing wrong with being prepared, hence the research. ¡­ Could it be¡­ Such a situation really will happen in the future?! I exclaimed in my mind, not really sure, but my father said that the kingdom was still investigating that matter. Really, the matter didn¡¯t seem to be that simple¡­ I meant, if it was about the research of the Saint¡¯s ornaments, the result of the previous king should be enough. There was no need to do additional investigation, was there? Alas, though I wondered if there was more to this matter than that, it felt like the upper echelon of this kingdom was hell-bent to keep the matter like that. It was as if there were still deeper secrets to this matter. However, I guess those secrets weren¡¯t something they could tell their children just yet. Hence why I had no choice but to obey my father¡¯s direction to avoid Bates¡¯ store for now. I meant¡­ he looked dead serious when he told me that. I had absolutely no desire to know what punishment awaits me if I chose to disobey¡­ ¨C shudder ¨C ¡ó A party is going to be held today. Yosh~ I¡¯m all fired up! I clenched my fist, encouraging myself for today¡¯s party. Unfortunately, Muriel couldn¡¯t participate in this party¡­ But still, both Frederick and Elliot would participate in it! That said, it¡¯s time for me to commence the ¡®Let¡¯s Get Along¡¯ plan! For the sake of my engagement with Muriel, fight me! ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°His Highness, Elliot¡¯s, place of course.¡± Uwaa, this bas*tard, Frederick, didn¡¯t even try to hide the reluctant expression on his face upon hearing my destination. ¡°I mean, you also know that you can¡¯t keep avoiding them, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but still¡­ being disliked so much will naturally make you want to give up, right?¡± ¡°Nevertheless, this will show the rest who¡¯s the boss, right? And I want to get along with Muriel again, too. That¡¯s why, please bear with it for my sake, my friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you¡¯re supposed to say to your friend, right? But, well, I also feel bad for Miss Muriel¡­ Can¡¯t be helped then, I¡¯ll go along with your plan. You owe me one, okay?¡± ¡°Ou, I owe you one. Feel free to use me as your scapegoat.¡± ¡°Hey, stop speaking in a way that makes it sound like I¡¯m going to use you as I see fit.¡± I smiled when I heard him speak. His tone was rather dumbfounded, sounding especially funny when you consider his usual poise. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say this to anyone else but you.¡± Good grief, that sounds like a pick-up line¡­ Aaaaah, how shameful, but¡­ Frederick looked really delighted when I told him that, so I suppose it¡¯s alright? ¡ó Katrina immediately spotted us when we got there, and she looked really delighted when she saw me bringing Frederick along with me. ¡°Oh my, welcome, Your Highness Frederick, Theodore-sama. Please sit over there. We¡¯re currently discussing forming our own study group.¡± Then, everyone here immediately became lively, enlivening the conversation with that short opening. Woow~ she¡¯s good. I thought as I participated in the discussion. Now that my eyes were opened, I could see that this girl was most likely worrying that the kingdom might break apart due to the strained relationship between Elliot and Frederick. And that was why, again and again, she had always called out to us without giving up. She was trying to make the two brothers get along. ¡­ As expected of someone chosen as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee. She was still so young, yet she was already thinking about the future of this kingdom. Now I felt bad for mistaking her as a gloomy girl before. Alright, it¡¯s decided! I¡¯ll cooperate with her to make the two brothers get along with each other. Of course, I should not be hasty and do it bit-by-bit, so it won¡¯t backfire on us. Additionally, I could see the dumbfounded expression Luke made when he saw me forcibly entering everyone¡¯s circle along with Frederick. ¡°¡­ You really did it, huh.¡± ¡°Well, this is for the best for everyone, after all.¡± I replied to Luke when he muttered to me, still having that dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡°Still, though an idiot like me can speak on behalf of His Highness Frederick, the effect will be much better if you guys also do the same rather than other people.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. Here I am, wondering from a long time ago whether Lord Goldberg had warned you or not about the dangers that you will face if you keep avoiding everyone, but it seems that it¡¯s not needed when you have finally started to learn to understand the situation. Sure enough, only someone who isn¡¯t two-faced, like you, will be the best choice to bridge the relationship between the two princes.¡± As expected, Luke seemed to be able to guess my intention. And he approved too. Thank you for your understanding. I silently thanked him in my mind. ¡ó It was another day and right now, I was in one of the rooms in Duke Lilac¡¯s mansion, participating in the male-only study group that was established at that party some days ago. Seeing that everyone was currently diligently studying and feeling slightly bored, I tried to peek at the paper that Luke had been staring at since a while ago. Wait¡­ is that¡­ Japanese? I was startled when I saw it. Although the orientation was reversed and it was written horizontally, I was pretty sure it was my native language in my former life. Still, to make sure, I decided to ask. ¡°Luke, what is this?¡± ¡°¡­ This is an ancient language and these lines come from the letters that were carved on the tiara and the cane. Right now, as I can¡¯t go to the store, I¡¯m trying to learn this language. Good grief, because of my father¡¯s warning, I can¡¯t go there to study about magic power residue¡­ Well, at the very least, though I can¡¯t go there, I can get Trevor¡¯s help to clarify the meaning of the ancient language I¡¯m unsure of. So, don¡¯t disturb me now, I¡¯m busy.¡± Hee¡­ So the letters that resemble Japanese in this world are regarded as ancient languages, huh. That¡¯s interesting¡­ ¡°Do you understand the meaning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of deciphering it. I mean, it looks the same yet not at the same time. See here, this part. Look at these letters. This one is written with three lines, yet it¡¯s facing a different orientation. Since these letters have some meaning, the different orientation might mean something else. This is worth researching.¡± ¡­ Uhm, I can¡¯t see it as anything but ¡®¤Ë(Ni)¡¯ though¡­ Well, the orientation was completely wrong, but I am pretty sure this one is showing the particle of the sentence. I decided as I looked at the letters shown to me. Then, I looked at the letters carved in the tiara and tried to read it. ¡®I, Goldias, offered my true love to my beloved, Selendia.¡¯ Dumbfounded, I moved on to the cane, only to find similar words etched there with only a name difference. ¡®I, Griffeel, offered my true love to my beloved, Selendia.¡¯ That was it. That was the only way to read them. It had no other meaning at all. Incidentally, the letters on the tiara that Luke was looking at were upside down, and he was reading it from the end. Meanwhile, the one on the cane was written horizontally in a vertical position. And that might be the reason why he thought those letters had different meanings. Because of the letters¡¯ orientation. Should I tell him about this fact? I meant, it was normal for people without any knowledge in Japanese language to misread the sentences and accidentally read it upside down, which caused it to be extremely confusing since it was read in a completely incorrect way. However, how could I point that fact out? Hmm, perhaps it¡¯ll be much better if I showed him the table corresponding to the ancient language? ¡­ Alright then, since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s copy the letter first. I decided, but¡­ Uuh, writing these letters in reverse was tough. The letters were also crooked when I wrote them in landscape¡­ Still, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal since it was written with crayon after all. I marked the first letter with a circle and the last letter with a triangle, then I added an underline. Furthemore, I also wrote it with different colors. The one from tiara with golden color, and the one from the cane with green one. After that, I cut each letter with scissors. ¡°Just what are you doing?¡± Luke asked when he saw what I was doing. ¡°Well, take a look.¡± I said, overlapping the golden colored letters and green letters together. With this, he would soon realize that although those letters had different orientations, they¡¯re literally the same when they were piled up together on top of each other. ¡°These letters are similar, right?¡± Everything matched except for the ¡®Goldiaz¡¯ and ¡®Griffeel¡¯ parts. The clarification would be much faster after I showed him this, right? What I didn¡¯t expect was Luke trembling all over when I showed that to him. ¡°Does that mean¡­ the orientation of the first and last letter is¡­ different?¡± Oh, he catches up pretty quickly, huh. And here I¡¯m about to worry about him. I thought, secretly wiping my inner sweat off. ¡°You, how did you know that?¡± ¡°The shape of the letters are pretty much similar, so I think they might be actually the same letter.¡± ¡°What have you been doing together since a while ago? It looks rather interesting?¡± Frederick looked over at us as he asked me that. ¡°Uhm, studying ancient letters?¡± ¡°Hee¡­ if I¡¯m not wrong, these letters should be ¡®Selendia¡¯. It seems to be the Saint¡¯s name.¡± He said as he lined up the letters. The left of the green-striped letters, and the above letter of the gold-striped letters. Yup, they now looked like proper Japanese letters. Thank you for your assistance, Frederick. ¡°These were the important letters for the royal family, right, Elliot?¡± Being suddenly addressed by Frederick, Elliot was unable to hide his surprise momentarily. However, he soon returned to his usual sulky expression. Nevertheless, he still came near us when he heard Frederick¡¯s call, which was quite rare. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, Big Brother. It¡¯s the letters I often see in the genealogy of the royal family.¡± When he spoke this time, I noticed that he suddenly became a little bit more zealous than usual. Was he actually a history otaku? Wait, no, forget it. Perhaps it was much better for me to not treat him like your normal everyday children; he¡¯s royalty, after all. Anyway, the fact that he willingly came near Frederick now was a good thing for my ¡®Let¡¯s Get Along¡¯ plan. ¡°I see¡­ so it¡¯s the Saint¡¯s¡ª¡± Then, let¡¯s drop another hint to Luke who was still pondering about something~. I cheerfully decided as I opened the Saint¡¯s Legend book which I brought with me. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be around¡­ this page! It was the page that depicted the scene where the six Gods were offering their love to the Saint. The letters written in this particular scene had almost the same meaning as the one written in the ancient language etched on the ornaments. ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s this one? Look, they were presenting the carved words of love to their marriage partner, right? It¡¯s the love confession of the six Gods, right?¡± When I said that, the three of them stiffened at once, and I wondered why. I meant, Luke aside, why did Elliot and Frederick have the same reaction? ¡°Theodore, is that the only thing that came into your head? I mean, these are ancient letters, you know? As if they¡¯re going to do something as simple as writing their love confession on it.¡± ¡°Your head is always filled with a flower garden, eh.¡± HORAAAAAAAAAAA, I¡¯m trying to help you here!!! I screamed inwardly, peeved. ¡°No way¡­ I¡¯ve to inform¡­!¡± Luke suddenly stood up from his chair and left the room in a hurry. Wait, could he be going to the store right now?! Even though he had said that he was told by his father to not come to the store just a while ago?! Wait, wait, wait, that¡¯s not the point. Didn¡¯t my father tell me to not come since it¡¯s dangerous?! Aaaah, anyway, let¡¯s just chase him to prevent any incident now. I have to stop him from going to the store even if I can¡¯t calm him down. Besides, if he did understand something from our discussion, it¡¯ll be much better for him to inform us and our fathers about it first, won¡¯t it? (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Translated Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 42 42 Girls are Mysterious When I left the room to go after Luke, Katrina and the other ladies happened to come out from their exclusive study room. ¡°What happened, Theodore-sama? Luke-sama seems to be running in a hurry just now, but¡­¡± ¡°It seems to be an urgent business. I¡¯ll also excuse myself.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop and properly respond to their query, so I excused myself and went after Luke in a hurry. And I happened to reach him right when he was about to climb into his carriage. Seeing this, I knew that I had to stop him, so I grabbed his hand. ¡°Wait, Luke. Calm down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you huh. Don¡¯t try to stop me. I have to report this finding as soon as possible.¡± Luke shouted as he impatiently brushed my hand off. ¡°JUST CALM DOWN AND LISTEN TO ME HERE!¡± I shouted, staring at him in the eyes. ¡°Your father must have told you to not come to the store too, right? Someone as smart as you must have realized what it meant to go to the store during this time, right?! Anyway, if there¡¯s something that you want to report, it¡¯ll be faster if you report it to your father or Miss Oriana¡­ who in turn will report it to her father, Count Sphene and from there his brother, Bates, will receive the information.¡± At this moment, when he heard my words, Luke finally calmed down and regained his usual composure. ¡°It¡¯s something that no one has ever understood until now after all. Being delayed by one or two days isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± As I finished speaking, Katrina appeared from the entrance and looked towards us with a light frown. ¡°Boys, would you mind telling me what¡¯s going on here? If you¡¯re going somewhere else, surely you know that you first have to send a message to your house about your destination, right?¡± Yup, she¡¯s absolutely right there. We only ever say that we¡¯re going to Duke Lilac¡¯s house after all. Well, we did bring along our attendants as our escort, but really¡­ they¡¯re just the bare minimum to ensure our safety! ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Miss Katrina. Thank you¡­ ah, right. It¡¯s been quite a while, but since we have something to speak of, can we meet Miss Oriana or your father, Luke?¡± I first apologized to Miss Katrina before I switched my attention and tried asking Luke. After all, from the way Bates spoke before, Luke¡¯s father was most likely involved in this matter too. And Oriana¡¯s father was Bates¡¯ big brother and seemed to be the Chief of the Magic Tool Research Institute too. So, whatever Luke found out would be delivered to Bates from Oriana. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I don¡¯t want to cause such trouble for her.¡± ¡°Why though? Just trying to ask her will be fine, right? Otherwise, how about telling your father about this?¡± ¡°¡­ That person won¡¯t hear my opinion¡­¡± The heck? I was stupefied by the display of emotion Luke let out when he spoke such remarks. The vexed look in his eyes and the depression in his voice certainly denoted more than he ever spoke. U~hm, he seems to respect his father, but I guess their relationship is rather complicated. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s ask Miss Oriana. And if that¡¯s still not good enough, let¡¯s try to talk to my father.¡± However, Luke kept hesitating, unable to make a decision. Seeing that, I ran out of patience. Hence, I immediately dragged him with me and called Oriana who was in the girl¡¯s exclusive study room with Katrina. ¡°Oh my, may I ask what is your business with me~?¡± She asked with her usual slow speech. Well, though I called her speech slow, it was not meant to demean her in any way. To put it simply, she was a gentle girl with long, dark green colored hair. However, even though her demeanour ¨C she was tilting her head while asking us that question with a bright smile on her face ¨C was very kind and gentle, Luke could not say or do anything. He was simply rooted on the spot right now. ¡°Is it about magic to~ol? Even though Luke-same told me before that someone like me won¡¯t be able to understand the beauty of magic to~ol.¡± Eh? Was it just my imagination? But her remark seems to be quite thorny? I tilted my head, confused. I looked towards Luke¡¯s direction only to find that Luke was averting his gaze when he heard her words¡­ And¡­ was he actually sweating like a waterfall there? ??? Why? Today¡¯s temperature isn¡¯t that hot! While I was confused, no one spoke of a single thing, causing the surrounding to fall into silence. And since I couldn¡¯t very well let this silence go on, I decided to step in and explain the situation about how we seemed to discover a clue to explain the ancient letters etched on the Saint¡¯s Ornament. ¡°Oh my~, that¡¯s so wonderfu~l. However, even though he has discovered such a wonderful clue, I wonder why he isn¡¯t explaining it to me himse~lf.¡± Although her words sounded normal, I got the feeling that it was filled with minefields that would go off at moments notice. I wondered why, but I was also not stupid enough to ask. Anyway, even if I could, I absolutely had no idea of what to say since she spoke all that with a smile on her face. At a loss, I looked towards Luke, silently urging him to answer. Yet, Luke kept his mouth shut with no intention to speak at all. Eh? What¡¯s happening? Did I speak too much that Luke doesn¡¯t have anything else to add? But, but, but!!! I had no choice given the situation!!! I silently sighed to myself. Perhaps I should try asking my father too later. Just in case. ¡°Eeh, may I ask your help to relay this matter to your father, Miss Oriana? I feel bad for doing this, but we really have no other way to give this information to a related party.¡± I said, finally deciding to speak since Luke could not be counted on. ¡°Oh my~, you don¡¯t actually have to go into such trouble, you kno~w? Luke-sama¡¯s father is the Chief of the Court Mage Department after all. Personally, I think it¡¯s much faster to tell this matter to his father than to my fathe~r.¡± Ugh, that¡¯s a sound argument. And yet, it feels like each one of her remarks are aimed at Luke and seems to stab him deep at his heart. Truly, Luke, what in the hell did you do to piss off this chick to this point? Her words are practically riddled with thorns! Wait, this¡­ A¡­ Deja vu? Aah, this feels like that situation when I got defeated by Luke in an argument! Oh, well, can¡¯t be helped then. I guess we have to give up on this method. ¡°My deepest apologies, Miss Oriana. It is just as you say. Hence, please forget what I said just now. We shall excuse ourselves now.¡± ¡°Oh my, no~. There¡¯s no reason for you to apologize, Theodore-sama~. I actually just preferred that boy over there to speak to me himself instead of using you, who has nothing to do with this matter, as his proxy~.¡± GAH! What the-?! This girl¡­ her words aimed true, yet it¡¯s littered with landmines. Is she, really, the very same girl who always speaks with that gentle tone? ¡°Moreover, he seems to want to meet my dear uncle, Bates¡­ But, well, as you know. He can¡¯t~. Then again, I also can¡¯t go to meet my dear uncle~. Although I know that there¡¯s extenuating circumstances behind that, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the situation is as it is. And since that¡¯s the case, he should do something first before he comes asking a favor from me~, don¡¯t you think so~? Something that he absolutely has to do~.¡± Something that he has to do? I was confused, but when I turned around to look at Luke and asked him about it, I saw that he was making a face that looked as if he was chewing on a bitter pill. It seemed he was already aware of what that ¡®something¡¯ he had to do here. ¡°The same goes for you too, Theodore-sama~.¡± ¡°Eh? Me?¡± ¡°Yes. You make my friend cry after all. Alas, the weak me could only grieve for my dear friend and feel helpless since I can¡¯t do anything even if I know the reason. And though it has nothing to do with me, don¡¯t you think that my friend will be really happy if you speak to her?¡± Dammit, that¡¯s vague. However, if I decipher it right, going by what she was saying¡­ Perhaps this girl is actually worrying about Muriel. Muriel¡­ It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m definitely going to meet her! ¡°Do forgive me for this, but since I have yet to receive the permission to meet her, may I ask your assistance to pass my message to Miss Muriel? Please tell her to wait for me. I am definitely going to get her father¡¯s permission.¡± Oriana¡¯s eyes widened when she heard my request, surprised, but she then smiled gently toward me. ¡°You really are an honest man~, Theodore-sama. Now I am really envious of Miss Muriel since you can express yourself to her without hesitation at all~. Completely different from the other gentleman over there who is still hesitati~ng.¡± ¡°¨D¨D I¡¯m sorry for saying that a girl shouldn¡¯t handle magic tools. Please forgive me.¡± Luke heaved a deep sigh as he bowed to Oriana, apologizing to the latter. Oriana¡¯s smile deepened a little bit as she replied, ¡°That¡¯s not the only remark that hu~rt me~.¡± Luke stiffened a little before he offered another apology. ¡°My deepest apologies for drowning in my research to the point of forgetting my appointment with you.¡± T-This as*shole actually dares to forget his appointment with a girl?! Shame on you, dude. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough for now I guess~. You come right when I¡¯m about to go home~.¡± Eh? What was she talking about now? I was completely befuddled, watching as Oriana went to hear her attendant¡¯s words before coming back to us. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go to the research institute to meet my dear father, shall we~?¡± ??? What¡¯s the meaning of this??? I thought as I got swept along by Oriana¡¯s pace with Luke in a state of confusion, being forced to follow her. Honestly, I had no idea what in the world this girl was thinking about. However, when I tried to look at Luke, he seemed to be in a good mood. Seeing this, I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°What actually happened between you and her?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ but, well, I¡¯m happy I can finally speak with her again¨D¨D Not like I¡¯m thanking you for it, though.¡± ¡°¡­ Not like I¡¯ll understand even if you thank me, though.¡± I mean, we¡¯ve achieved our goal, and that¡¯s good enough. I still don¡¯t really understand what transpired between them though. === TN: Your Friend Luke got insta-killed by his fiancee¡¯s remarks! (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Sunday : ¨CJujutsushi wa Yuusha Narenai, ¨CRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari -Monday : ¨CFormer General Is Undead Knight -Tuesday :-Behemoth Pet[web], -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei -Thursday :-Suicidal Undead -Friday :-Disciple of Immortal -Saturday : ¨CAnkoku Kishi Monogatari(Narou) Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 All Translated Chapters ofRe: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari Available in my patreon for $5 CH 43.1 43.1 Japanese is Complex Luke and I followed Oriana to the Royal Capital¡¯s Magic Tool Research Institute, which was located on the outer wall of the royal capital. Compared to the royal castle, the building was less ornamental, but the elegant craftsmanship it had was in harmony with the building around it. From just a look, it seemed that this building had its own history. Uwaa, I end up being overwhelmed since this is the first time I visited such facilities. While I was dazzled by the sight, Oriana called out to me, snapping me back to here and now. After waiting for a while in the receptionist desk of the facility, finally someone came to meet us. His face was very familiar. It was Trevor; the slender man with glasses that I met back then in Bates¡¯ store. ¡°What are you doing here, Trevor-san?¡± Luke asked. ¡°Hey, Luke¡­ Oh, whoops. I mean, greetings, Luke-sama. I have an errand in this place. To send a certain piece of data from the mage¡¯s department. Well, I¡¯ll go to the store now since I¡¯ve got some luggage from the research institute¨D¨D is what I want to say, but it seems my bad habit is coming out again.¡± ¡°He~, is that related to research too? Ah, good day to you.¡± ¡°My, if it isn¡¯t Theodore-sama. Good day to you too. And, yes, it¡¯s¨D¨D as you say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, you know. Just talk to us normally.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. Ah¡­ nevermind, I shall accept your offer. Bates has been busy with his research, so I guess I shall bring him some refreshment.¡± ¡°Please do so, and thanks for always helping him in that regard.¡± Luke said even as he offered a wry smile to Trevor for the trouble he went through for his idol. "" ¡°Really, you don¡¯t seem like a noble, Theodore-sama. This is the first time I see such care from a noble such as you.¡± Hearing his comments, I had no choice but to smile wryly. It seemed that my habit from my previous life kicked in. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m in a hurry, I shall excuse myself here. I¡¯ll be waiting for your visit in the store.¡± ¡°Ah, Trevor-san, I came upon a hint for the clarification of ancient language etched on that.¡± Trevor¡¯s gait immediately came to a stop and he turned around the moment Luke¡¯s remark fell. ¡°WHAT?! TE-¡± Trevor cut off his words, face crumpling in disappointment when he realized something. ¡°Ah, sorry, I really want to ask, but it¡¯s about time for my appointment. Please wait for me! I¡¯ll be back soon and ask you again at that time!¡± Trevor then left, dismay very apparent from his gait. In the meantime, after seeing him off, we were guided into the chief¡¯s office. ¡ó We were greeted by a gentle-looking middle aged man when we entered the room. And he might be the chief, Count Sphene. But¡­ the atmosphere he was exuding was unexpectedly different from Oriana. ¡°Welcome, Oriana, Luke, and Theodore-dono. Thank you very much for always getting along with Oriana. I¡¯m the chief, Charlie Sphene. Nice to meet you.¡± After exchanging greetings with him, we sat in the seat that Count Sphene had indicated for us. Once seated, Luke immediately started talking without beating around the bush. ¡°Count Sphene, please take a look at this. These are the pieces of characters that were etched on the tiara and the cane. These letters literally resemble each other and according to His Highness Frederick, these letters read as Selendia¡­¡± Luke¡¯s voice got smaller and smaller as he spoke. Ah, he finally noticed, huh. I meant, Count Sphene had been squinting his eyes while repeatedly nodding his head ever since Luke began to speak after all. How could he not notice? ¡°Uhm, Count Sphene, perchance, do you already know about this?¡± ¡°The rows of similar letters and the letter ¡®Selendia¡¯ are one of the most important parts for the royal family after all.¡± I see¡­ he actually wants to test the children of how far we are progressing¡­ I realized, sympathetically patting Luke¡¯s shoulder since it looked like he was feeling down right now. Don¡¯t mind it, buddy. They¡¯ve been in this area for far longer than any of us after all. ¡°These ancient letters, even the vertical ones, were etched in some other antique objects too after all. Well, though it¡¯s impossible for the research institute or mage department to research this topic since it¡¯s not our specialty. Researching ancient letters is an extremely troublesome task after all. However, as expected of Luke, for you to be able to arrive at this conclusion by yourself is a sign that you have a bright future ahead of you. It makes me want to recruit you to this place.¡± ¡°Please spare me the flattery. The one who finds out about the similarities between the letters is Theodore after all.¡± Count Sphene¡¯s eyes widened, unable to stop himself from showing his shock when he heard Luke say that I was the one who found out about the similarities. ¡°The problem now is the meaning of those letters, but Theodore also said that it should be a love confession of the six gods. I mean, love confession carved on something has always been a tradition of some sort since ancient times after all.¡± ¡°¡­ Amazing¡­ to be able to understand that far.¡± Count Sphene spoke with an admiring tone that made me embarrassed. I absolutely won¡¯t tell him that I ¡®understand¡¯ that it¡¯s a love confession because I could read it since I knew the language from the memories of my previous life. Nope. Absolutely not. ¡°So, it really is a confession of love?!¡± Luke asked, seemingly bracing himself for the most unexpected truth, one that he didn¡¯t quite want to believe in. However, Count Sphene nodded his head, as if to confirm Luke¡¯s worries. Then, Count Sphene fell silent for a while. He looked hesitant about something before he opened his mouth. ¡°I think we might be able to decipher the letters thanks to Trevor¡¯s effort. But¡­ No, let¡¯s forget about it for now. Anyhow, according to Trevor¡¯s conclusion, the saint¡¯s ornament might have started again when the ancient letters were spoken by the descendants of the six gods.¡± Then, Count Sphene began to talk. According to him, the five houses ¨C including mine ¨C and the royal family ¨C as the sixth house ¨C were granted the Saint¡¯s Ornament by the previous king. And that also marked us as the descendants of the six gods. It seemed, from the stories, the previous king said that the late king saw the letters and names carved on the Saint¡¯s ornament and decided that it should be awarded to the descendants of the six gods. Which then brought us to this present era, in which the descendants of those six gods wanted to find a way to recover its power. As for the reason, it turned out that the Saint¡¯s ornaments were an important part to seal the demon king. Alas, though the Saint¡¯s ornaments might have gone to the five houses, many nobles were apparently very dissatisfied with such a decision. Everything sounds really troublesome indeed. I concluded in my mind. ¡°So, Trevor-san came with a result, eh? Is it for the entire passage of the ancient letters? What¡¯s the accurate pronunciation for it I wonder?¡± Luke asked Count Sphene without pause, completely disregarding the difference between their status. Oriana, who had kept her mouth shut since she entered, looked visibly surprised upon seeing Luke¡¯s action. ¡°It definitely sounds like a confession of love. As for the pronunciation, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Count Sphene took a piece of a paper and started reading it carefully with a stutter as he tried to enunciate it correctly. ¡°This is the sentence carved on the tiara. I don¡¯t know what the sentence etched in the Saint¡¯s Cane is since it is kept by the mage¡¯s department after all. Anyway, this one read as ¡ºWaga kataki no Serendia ni, Gorudias Yori Shinjitsu no Zouo wo Sasageru(¥ï¥¬¥«¥¿¥­¥Î¤»¤ì¤ó¤Ç¤£¤¢¥Ë¡¢¤´¤ë¤Ç¤£¤¢¤¹¥è¥ê¥·¥ó¥¸¥Ä¥Î¥¾¥¦¥ª¥ò¥µ¥µ¥°)¡»¡± [TL: I, Goldias offering my true hatred to my nemesis, Selendia] ¡­ WHAT?! The words pronounced by Count Sphene just now are definitely Japanese. Well, though he stuttered when he spoke, there was no mistake. It¡¯s definitely Japanese! The problem now is the wording¡­ the content was completely different from what was carved onto the ornaments! I mean, what the hell is up with those curse-like words filled with resentment?! ¡°It¡­ It sounds sini~ster for some reason. Everyone said it should be a love confession, but¡­ it doesn¡¯t sound like that in my heart for some reaso~n.¡± Oriana muttered, voicing out her impression and I was awed. Her intuition was spot on. This girl really has a sharp intuition, eh? Wait, fu*ck, now isn¡¯t the time to admire her unexpected talent! CH 43.2 43.2 Japanese is Complex ¡°U-Uhm, is that really what was written? I mean, look at this letter. This is the same letter, right? And yet, the pronunciation doesn¡¯t seem to be correct.¡± I said, pointing at the letters ¡®Beloved¡¯ and ¡®True Love¡¯. Both had ¡®Love¡¯ in their letter. And whether you read it horizontally or vertically, it would never change into ¡®Nemesis¡¯ or ¡®Hate¡¯! ¡°What¡¯s strange about them? One of the features of these ancient letters is the fact that the same pronunciation could have different meanings. In addition, the pronunciation will become completely different when it¡¯s lined up with specific letters. You might get confused by it, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it either.¡± Indeed, there¡¯s nothing wrong with it! ¡®Love¡¯ and ¡®Beloved¡¯ do have different meanings! And there¡¯s also different ways to read kanji such as ¡®Onyomi¡¯, ¡®Kunyomi¡¯, or ¡®Jukugo¡¯, but it still won¡¯t stray too far apart from the original meaning of the kanji itself! I mean, be real, the meaning of the words you just said is completely different from the base! Geez, Japanese is a complex language, alright! And there¡¯s no way I could explain all these to them either! What should I do now? How should I tell them that those pronunciation is fu*cking wrong?! How should I lead them to find the correct pronunciation? But¡­ doing that might make them suspect me. What to do~? I screamed internally. I had planned to tell them that those pronunciations sounded strange, but my hands were limited. I could only tell them that those pronunciations sounded like cursing. That¡¯s it. And how come Trevor-san came up with such a sinister pronunciation? What was his source? ¡°In fact, the mage department is about to do an experiment you see. The same goes for us, which is going to be led by Lord Goldberg. Do you want to see?¡± ¡°Eh? We¡¯re allowed to see it?!¡± Luke sounded really delighted by that. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for me because I just got this feeling that something really bad was going to happen when my father recited that curse. ¡°¡­ Could it be that¡­ Trevor-san really has ill intention?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Theodore-dono?¡± Count Sphene asked with a severe look in his eyes. Well, I couldn¡¯t blame him. I mean, it¡¯s natural for me who could read Japanese to doubt Trevor unlike them. After all, they couldn¡¯t understand that the pronunciation Trevor came up with, while knowing that it was going to be used in the experiment, was enunciating a curse. At that moment, the ground beneath us shook. Is this¡­ an earthquake?! Was what I thought at first. However, when I saw darkish wind particles coiled upward outside the windows, forming a vortex to the sky, I realized that it wasn¡¯t one. ¡°That comes from the mage department¡­ no way, is something happening to my father?!¡± ¡°Luke!¡± While I was still frozen in place, Luke had already dashed out of the room. Not only him, but his escorts were also chasing him in a hurry. On the other hand, Count Sphene did not move as he looked at the darkish wind outside the windows. His expression was still the same severe one he showed before. ¡°So it¡¯s Trevor¡¯s trap, eh?¡± Say what?! Is he referring to the experiment?! My eyes widened and I hurriedly erased the mistake that was written in the paper Count Sphene read a while ago and wrote the correct pronunciation and meaning on the erased part. Then, I gave it to Oriana. ¡°Please help me pass this on to Luke. This is the correct pronunciation of the sentence. It¡¯s not ¡ºKataki no(Nemesis)¡» , it¡¯s ¡ºItoshi no(Beloved)¡». And the second one isn¡¯t ¡ºZouo(Hatred)¡», but ¡ºAi(Love)¡». That¡¯s the meaning of the phrase. COUNT SPHENE! DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY FATHER IS?! WE HAVE TO STOP THIS AT ONCE!¡± After I saw Miss Oriana leapt out of the room to chase after Luke, I immediately approached Count Sphene and asked. And though Count Sphene looked at me with suspicion, he still took me to the testing ground without asking any question. ¡ó The testing site was located in a separate building, and my father was right in the center of a spacious atrium there. By his side, there was a pedestal holding the tiara. The sides of the hall were lined with tools, which must be the experiment tools used, while several researchers were moving in a hurry around those machine-like tools. ¡°Theodore, what are you doing in this place?!¡± ¡°FATHER! THAT PRONUNCIATION IS WRONG. YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT SAY IT!¡± My father¡¯s expression shifted, becoming puzzled. However, he still waited for me and Count Sphene to explain. Count Sphene immediately began to speak, explaining to my father that the previous pronunciation was dangerous since it might be the trigger behind the earthquake that happened just now. ¡°Your son seems to know the correct pronunciation for it, though. So, if possible, let¡¯s continue the experiment by using your son¡¯s version.¡± No, the last part is totally unnecessary. Let¡¯s just stop this altogether. I begged inwardly, yet my father agreed with Count Sphene without hesitation. I meant, he even accepted it easily when I had insisted that it was just my intuition speaking here. ¡°Well then, Theodore, let¡¯s start the experiment.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, Father. Here you go¡­ ¡ºWaga aishi no Serendia ni, Gorudiaz yori shinjitsu no ai wo sasagu (I, Goldias offered my true love to my beloved Selendia)¡»¡± ¡°¡ºWaga aishi no Serendia ni, Gorudiaz yori shinjitsu no ai wo sasagu¡»¡± Thereupon, the tiara that was touched by my father unleashed a brilliant golden glow. Alas, just when I thought I had seen golden colored particles of light was rising, it vanished immediately. ¡°Father, are you okay?!¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem here.¡± "" ¡°A-Amazing! Even though it didn¡¯t show any reaction up until now¡­ the reaction from a moment ago is too amazing!¡± While Count Sphene and the researchers were making merry from this development, the only thing I was concerned over was my father¡¯s state of being. Hence, relief immediately flooded me when I saw my father¡¯s usual gentle smile. Anyway, after they were done celebrating, Count Sphene and the researchers straightaway bombarded me with questions about the pronunciation. Well, me being me, I insisted that it was just a coincidence since it sounds more like the love confession that I read in the ¡®Saint¡¯s Legend¡¯ than the pronunciation Trevor gave. Hence, despite my father being amongst those who asked questions, I shot them down with ¡®Coincidence¡¯ and ¡®Intuition¡¯. ¡­ From the look of it, I might have failed to fool them, though. Oh well. Anyway, it seemed that the particles that appeared in the mage¡¯s department also vanished as soon as Oriana handed over my memo to Luke. Thus, ending these series of incidents without harm. CH 44 44 Monologue of A Certain Former Staff of Magic Tool Research Institute Ah, the culprit really did come, eh? I mused as I discreetly observed the guy. From how he appeared, that fella seemed to be suspicious of something, but he failed to notice what that ¡®something¡¯ was. Still, that fella was indeed good. Even though he realized something was odd about this situation, when he opened his mouth to speak, his expression was still normal. He even showed the snack he carried in the bag with him as if he didn¡¯t notice anything was strange! ¡°Hey, Bates, how are you? I hear you haven¡¯t gone home in the last few days, always locking yourself inside this store¡­ I brought snacks with me, but¡­ Hey, are you there?!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m here. Sorry for the trouble. Place it right there, please.¡± Always teasing Luke¨D¨D Or, should I say that Trevor has always been deliberate in his actions that led everything to a discussion? I wondered idly as I urged him to sit in the chair that had already had been installed with magic tools to restrain his limbs and back. ¡°EH?!¡± Trevor exclaimed, unable to hide his shock when the chair suddenly restricted him the moment he sat. However, I didn¡¯t give him one whit of attention at all, choosing instead to give a signal to the people hiding. Immediately, the military police who had been hiding themselves showed up and surrounded Trevor. And without wasting a moment, two of them began to examine him, seizing every single thing they could find in his pocket or in the bag of food he brought. After confisticating everything, the military police got away from Trevor and activated a barrier around him. Something like a transparent, light green membrane then appeared from the hexagram magic circle that was installed on the floor. ¡°W-What¡¯s the meaning of this, Bates?! Why are you doing this to me?!¡± I ignored Trevor¡¯s questions and proceeded to examine the confiscated items. The things that were found in his pocket are a pen, notebook, notes containing the progress of the research, the data from the research institution and mage¡¯s department, wallet, key house, proof of being a member of mage department, and things that were normally found in your everyday ordinary bag. Edged tools aside, none of these seems to be magic tools. That¡¯s strange. Still, this proves that there¡¯s nothing wrong with the alarm. So, that¡¯s one problem shelved. What a relief¨C No, wait, I can¡¯t let my guard down. The alarm was ringing like crazy when the armed military police entered this place before Trevor. And yet, the alarm did nothing when Trevor entered! Something is definitely wrong here! I realized. To put it simply, the alarm¡¯s function would ring to warn me if someone entered this underground workshop or the workshop above. It would also ring if there was someone with strange mana in the building. Yet, the alarm didn¡¯t work even after Trevor entered. Although the barrier was riddled with holes due to military police¡¯s action, it was still stable. I had confirmed it after receiving the report that Trevor was on his way to this place. But¡­ What was this? And this guy also didn¡¯t bring anything of note with him. What¡¯s the meaning of this?! Does Trevor have the ability to neutralize detection magic? Hah! As if something that convenient would exist! I scoffed inwardly since such magic usually needed an invocation, and that action alone would suck a lot of his mana. Even the demon race, of which I had never seen before, wouldn¡¯t have that much mana in them. Ergo, it was much easier to believe that he had invoked a magic tool to neutralize the effect of the barrier. ¡°Are you satisfied now? If you are, I wish you¡¯ll release me this instant and get these people away from me is what I wanted to say¡­¡± Trevor, who had been resisting up until a moment ago, was now looking at me with a bored expression on his face. However, the sneer in his eyes that was hidden behind his glasses couldn¡¯t escape from my observation and a proverbial lightbulb lit up in my mind. ¨D¨D Glasses? I dispelled the barrier and reactivated it after taking off Trevor¡¯s glasses. Checking it over, I found a densely packed pattern carved on the part that goes over the ears. ¡°¡­ Detection obstruction formula that is always active¡­ is it?¡± This was too complex. I had never seen such a complicated formula aside from the one etched in ancient magic tools. How did he manage to create this? ¡°Corre~ct. Finally noticed, eh? A~h, it seems my cover is blown. As expected of a rare magic tool researcher like you. If it¡¯s you, you should be able to cancel the effect of the formula pretty easily, right?¡± Trevor was laughing. His laughters sounded like he was making a fool of me. There was no trace left of his honest look from a while ago, and the way he looked at us¡­ it was as if he was looking at a bug that would be crushed under his heel. ¡°So that¡¯s your real personality, huh.¡± ¡°Oh my~, are you disappointed? Well, that matters not. I¡¯m more curious about the reason why you managed to discover my identity. It¡¯s supposed to be perfect after all.¡± Disappointed? Well, he¡¯s got a point there. I am pretty disappointed. No one has ever held an argument with me like he did after all, and I really enjoyed the last two years of our debate. I even felt pangs of regret knowing that such a talented person was working for the mage department. But now¡­ Well, the most important thing to me isn¡¯t him. So, what I regretted the most now was the fact that I failed to realize that a low life like him managed to slip into that person¡¯s vicinity from as far as four years ago! ¡°Indeed. That day, had Theodore not visited this place, I might not realize this matter until the end. And I would never even think of the possibility that the warning alarm might not be working.¡± ¡°Tch, that Goldberg again, huh.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°A-n-y-w-a-y, the matter of the alarm isn¡¯t functioning may be a part of my failure, but that doesn¡¯t automatically mean I¡¯m the culprit. So, doesn¡¯t that mean Ted is also included in the list of suspects?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only natural, right? Everyone in the store back then is included in the list of suspects. We¡¯ve already examined Ted, though, and find that he really is innocent. Thus, the next in the list is you.¡± ¡°¨D¨D Ha, I see now. You examine the commoner first. Using your authority as a noble. Haa, well, that¡¯s noble-sama for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just obvious. The other¡¯s identities are someone from the Count and Marquis Family after all. Getting the permission to inspect them will take a lot of procedure. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m happy that we manage to hit the jackpot on the second try~¡± ¡°How insincere.¡± Well, I at the very least have an eye to judge a person. So, I know and I am sure that Trevor will reveal his real personality once I restrict him. Pretty sure that¡¯s why he tried to resist at first. ¡°¨D¨D So? While it¡¯s true that I disturbed your alarm, I have also contributed a lot to the research at the same time. And just today, I contributed to the clarification of ancient language too. Are you sure that you¡¯re going to do this? I mean, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m stealing others¡¯ research or something. Are you really going to judge me as someone dangerous just because I disturb your alarm?¡± ¡°Your identity is going to be revealed as long as I check your glasses in detail.¡± Although the engraved formula in the glasses I took from Trevor is really complicated, it isn¡¯t really a big deal as long as I patiently and carefully solve it one by o¨D¨D What is it now? My train of thought got interrupted when I saw Trevor sneered at me. ¡°Unfortunately, solving that will trigger the fire magic.¡± What was he talking about? From his expression and words, it seemed like the fire magic he mentioned was not like your usual normal flame. Furthermore, if a sealed flame was discharged at once¡­ it might cause spontaneous discharge. At that observation, I straightened up slightly. So, the Saint¡¯s oracle was real, eh. ¡°¨D¨D Demon race, huh.¡± ¡°Is there any proof for your claim?¡± He¡¯s still trying to play dumb until the end, huh. I thought, stuffing the glasses into a box and drawing a hexagram on its lid. Then, I placed an enchanted magic crystal in the center of that simple barrier formation. This should be enough for an emergency situation. I thought, but then Trevor was still sneering at me confidently. I wonder what makes him so confident? At that moment, the building shook and my eyes widened. What in the world was that?! Still unbalanced, I saw darkish black particles appearing from who knows where being absorbed by Trevor. "" ¡°HAHAHA! HERE IT COME! THE SAINT¡¯S SEAL HAS BROKE!¡± Trevor¡¯s appearance transformed in the blink of an eye and his body became one size bigger, forcibly snapping open the restriction tool used to confine him. His skin turned dark and his countenance became more sinister. Just what in the world are these blackish green particles?! I wondered absentmindedly as I observed the situation happening before me. Trevor, who had regained his freedom, brushed his hands together as the barrier broke with a crisp shattering sound. ¡°What the¡­ with just a single swing¡­¡± Even though Geyson was sealed, he left behind a dense concentration of demonic pulse in his cell. ¡°Now then, every single one of you will become my food.¡± Trevor said, right hand turning into a blade as he swept toward me. Or so I thought when he suddenly raised his right hand. With a loud ¡®Bang¡¯, a pale blue, transparent barrier appeared between Trevor and I. ¡°You¡¯ve finally shown your true face, Demon Race.¡± The figure who had shown himself inside the store was Archbishop Cobalt. It seemed this barrier was created by him. Then, before I noticed, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind Trevor, closing in on him. As if sensing my thought, Trevor dodged the tall figure¡¯s attack by a hair-breadth. ¡°Tch. Missed, huh.¡± I heard General Crimson said with a smack of his lips as I saw a long trace of blood appearing on Trevor¡¯s right arm. CH 45 45 Monologue of A Certain Former Staff of Magic Tool Research Institute 2 Trevor stuck out his tongue and licked the wound on his right arm. Then, he proceeded to flex his arms. From the looks of it, he was checking the condition of his body that had become one size bigger just moments before. It was as if he didn¡¯t care even if he was surrounded by all of us. Without us being able to do a thing, we watched as his skin color became darker as he absorbed the darkish green particles at breakneck speed. Then, a flame-like pattern appeared on his right-hand that turned into a sword a second later. ¡°Finally showing your true color, huh, Demon Race.¡± General Crimson said, smiling a ferocious smile as he pointed his board sword toward Trevor. We had been tracking their race since four years ago after all. So, it was only natural that General Crimson was really delighted when our efforts bore fruit. ¡°Please be careful. That creepy tattoo seems to be growing as time passes.¡± Bishop Cobalt warned General Crimson. A warning for the other to never let his guard down. And it was just as he said, the darkish green particles that were constantly being absorbed by Trevor¡¯s right arm seemed to be feeding the pattern. ¡°Just¡­ What kind of phenomenon is this?¡± I wondered out loud, a mix of curiosity and worry filling me. Worry about what he said about the Saint¡¯s seal being undone and curiosity about the phenomenon that appeared before me. Anyway, should I assume here that he was just a bait? Come to think of it¡­ the report did mention that Trevor was carrying a sealed letter with him¡­ I recalled, immediately looking for the letter from the pile of things we took from Trevor. When I found it, I hastily tore its seal and read its content. ¡°¡­ What in the world is that person thinking about?!¡± I screamed. The sealed letter came from Count Greenwell and it said he was going to conduct the experiment proposed by Trevor. Really, WHAT THE HELL?! Even though he knew it was a trap, he still went ahead with it?! Ah, nevermind, I think I know what he was thinking¡­ it¡¯s probably something along the lines of ¡®No pain no gain¡¯. Aaaah, that person is really more stupid than me in this regard. ¡°In short, that tattoo is probably Count Greenwell¡¯s life force, eh?¡± "" ¡°That¡¯s right. Honestly, even if he knows it¡¯s a trap, he cannot fight back his instinct as a researcher¡­¡± Trevor said with a smile that I wanted to rip off at this instant. As expected, but that person¡¯s value is much higher than me, him being the head of his family and all! Really, this shows the reason why the position of family¡¯s patriarch should be given to his other siblings instead of him. He¡¯s too much of a researcher! ¡°But thanks to that, we finally have proof that you are a part of the demon race. So, in this regard, I really have to thank Count Greenwell later.¡± ¡°Good grief, enough with this chit-chat.¡± Having had enough, Bishop Cobalt spoke, prompting General Crimson to close in toward Trevor without delay. Soon, the sound of metal clashing against metal resounded repeatedly in the room, ringing against my ear. However, they were too fast and I could only see Trevor receiving General Crimson¡¯s strikes with his right arm before they disappeared from my sight again. And since that was the case, I had no idea of what was happening, only being able to hear the sound of their weapons clashing without stopping while seeing the blown off desk, the broken shelves, and the slashed floor. Fortunately, the rubbles was repelled by the pale blue barrier that Bishop Cobalt was maintaining all this while, so I was unhurt during their clash. Anyway, even the guard soldiers were having a hard time entering the battle, as such they chose to focus on guarding the periphery to prevent Trevor from escaping. Still, I was slightly disappointed that I couldn¡¯t see the battle. Alas, the furious trades of blows in a single moment they were doing was too fast for someone like me to follow with my eyes. In short, their abilities were overwhelmingly higher than me, who was a weak chicken. ¡°It seems there¡¯s no end to this¡­ Please stop playing around already, will you?¡± ¡°I know.¡± General Crimson replied shortly while unleashing a rising slash toward Trevor, but the other dodged the slash as well as the rising flame General Crimson casted by a hair-breadth. ¡°Dammit, magic, huh.¡± However, that wasn¡¯t General Crimson¡¯s true aim. The flame served as a distraction, and the moment it blocked Trevor¡¯s line of sight, General Crimson immediately cast another spell and his body was enveloped by fiery flame. Since the beginning of the fight, Trevor kept defending himself passively. It was as if he was stalling for time. But then, when General Crimson¡¯s movement paused for a slight moment, Trevor closed in as if to not miss his chance. Then, their position turned around along with the unpleasant sound of metal clashing with another metal. Still¡­ Just what in the world was the reason for General Crimson¡¯s momentary pause back there? ¡°Tch, he got some nasty tricks, eh.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, his annoyance clear to those who saw his face. His annoyance and words confused me, so I took a closer look at what was happening and saw that the ground beneath General Crimson¡¯s feet had been turned into mud. ¡°In my current condition, I can only do this much, but you should know what I could do when I¡¯m completely revived. I can literally turn the entire street into a wetland.¡± However, Bishop Cobalt only harrumphed at Trevor¡¯s fearless laugh and words. ¡°You are still not in the perfect state yet, then. Still, I guess we¡¯ll be in big trouble if General Crimson is hindered by something like this mud. Well, you¡¯re not becoming weaker with your age, are you?!¡± The moment those words fell from his lips, the temperature in the room dropped at once, and the floor was covered thoroughly with ice. Alas, though Trevor managed to brace his footing on the ice floor ¨C albeit barely ¨C General Crimson was not so lucky as he straight out slipped. ¡°ARE YOU REALLY MY ALLY HERE?!¡± ¡°Tch, you should just roll and die already.¡± WHAT THE HELL?! WE ARE IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION, YET THESE TWO STILL HAS THE TIME TO QUARREL WITH EACH OTHERS?! ARE THEY SEEKING DEATH?! IF SO, DON¡¯T DRAG ME, A POOR INNOCENT SOUL WITH YOU GUYS!!! I did hear that they had always been quarreling with each other, but please! Please stop doing that in this kind of situation!!! ¡°Please finish this quickly. Your fame as the ¡®Magic Swordsman of Flame¡¯ is on the line you know!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who will gladly accept such an embarrassing title! Fine, I¡¯ll finish him in no time!¡± ¡°Both of you sure are relaxed, eh?¡± Trevor said, glaring at the two who were bantering with each other, a cold expression fixed on his face. ¡°But Greenwell¡¯s life is finished. Too bad for you, I got one of the seals.¡± It was just as Trevor said, the tattoo on his right arm had grown until it reached the upper arm. If that tattoo was representing Count Greenwell¡¯s life, then we really had no way to beat the current Trevor. Not without risking Count Greenwell¡¯s life that was. ¡°GENERAL! YOU HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING! THAT PERSON¡¯S LIFE IS IN DANGER!¡± I unintentionally shouted at General Crimson. However, he didn¡¯t say anything to respond, only slashing at Trevor silently. But from what I was seeing¡­ was he actually getting cornered bit-by-bit? Did Trevor become that powerful with that stolen life and power?! I wondered as I watched Bishop Cobalt joining in the fight by firing ice bullets toward Trevor. Alas, it was repelled. I watched all these with growing despair in my heart, but at that moment, the greenish-black particles were suddenly replaced with bright, golden particles. Still, the sight didn¡¯t leave me feeling comforted or at ease. What now?! Did they break another seal?! I wondered, feeling hopelessness crept in, ready to drown me. However, when the shining, golden particles were coiling around Trevor, they turned into tiny chains that disturbed his movement. ¡°DAMMIT!! THAT GOLDBERG AGAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!¡± At that instant, at that moment Trevor was shouting in fury, his right arm got sliced off by General Crimson¡¯s sword. ¡°KUAAAAAAAAAA!¡± Bishop Cobalt didn¡¯t waste this chance. He conjured ice right under Trevor¡¯s legs to hinder the latter¡¯s movement. And this was helped by the new fresh verdure colored particles of light that were attacking Trevor, whose movement was further slowed down by the golden locks and the ice under his feet. Then, the fresh verdure particles of light coiled itself around Trevor and transformed into numerous tiny locks of the same color. ¡°GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡­¡± With a last final scream, Trevor became really obedient, surprising me. Perhaps it was because he was at a loss for words that caused this? I speculated as I observed the way his enlarged frame returned to its original height and shape. Did we¡­ ended it? I wondered to myself before I nodded. Yeah, Trevor is definitely going to get caught. The darkish green particles of light from a while ago are completely gone now. It was replaced by the golden and fresh verdue colored particles of light. Furthermore, the heavy and choking air from before had also been cleared up. Although the inside of my workshop had become a total mess, this event ended safely, so there was that. ¡ó After that, we interrogated the captured Trevor, but from the way he spoke¡­ it was as if he became a completely different person. And for a while, we wondered what to do. Some said that we had to unlock the golden and fresh verdue lock to be able to interrogate them, but of course, in the end, we rejected that idea since we had no idea what was going to happen if we did that. Another reason why we rejected that idea was because we came to a conclusion that the darkish green particles of light were the key to unsealing whoever that was, while the golden and fresh verdue colored particles of light were the lock that was sealing them. As such, with no other information that could be gleaned, we ended up throwing Trevor into a cell accompanied with strengthened guard and specially made barrier locking him in. Well, at the very least, Count Sphene¡¯s report let us know where the golden particles of light came from. According to the report, it was Theodore¡¯s doing ¨C of translating the ancient text in accordance with the story of the Saint¡¯s Legend and going to Marquis Goldberg ¨C that resulted in this unexpected incident that saved all of our lives. The report from Count Greenwell also explained the origin of the darkish green particles of light and the fresh verdue particles of light. It seemed that, though Trevor¡¯s trap had activated the darkish green particles of light, they managed to reverse it into fresh verdue particles of light when Oriana arrived with the translated ancient text. Fortunately, the activation of the fresh verdue particles of light didn¡¯t take Count Sphene¡¯s life force like the darkish green one did. Oh, additionally, the text that Oriana brought with her also happened to be the one that Theodore translated. Therefore, with everything being the way they were, we had no choice but to ask Theodore about this matter. Alas, he insisted that it was a coincidence and he knew nothing about it. And after seeing the situation for a while ¨C with the kid insisting that it was just a coincidence and he knew nothing ¨C Lord Golberg had no choice but to ask us to release his son since there was no use in our persistence of asking his son. Honestly, I wanted to ask him to tell me if he knew something about this, but¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t overstep my boundaries. Besides, I noticed that in some way or another, Theodore was rather similar to Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter. Both of them said something that was already bordering on a divine revelation, yet both insisted that they knew nothing about it. For a moment, a headache assailed me and I wished I could shake the two brats, but in the end I guess we had no choice but to watch over them. Well, it was not all bad news at the very least because another pleasant surprise came to us during this time. What was it you ask? Well, with Theodore¡¯s help translating the carving on the ornaments, King Serendiaz, General Crimson, Bishop Cobalt, and Duke Blackcurrant were able to conduct experiment with their own Saint¡¯s Ornament that resulted in¨D¨D King Serendiaz¡¯s white, General Crimson¡¯s red, Bishop Cobalt¡¯s blue, and Duke Blackcurrant¡¯s black¨D¨D colored particles of light turning into tiny locks that embedded itself into Trevor¡¯s body in jail. After this event, the children from the six houses ¨C including Theodore ¨C were put under protection as the descendants of the Six Gods. It was even more so for Theodore who had shown a glimpse of Six God¡¯s power. In addition to this, the decision to continue the experiment had been made, so the other five houses had to return their respective Saint¡¯s ornaments to the royal family. Well, the news was kept a secret from the other houses, but rumours about it still found its way outside the wall. ¡­ Heh, with this, I guess Theodore won¡¯t have any problem with his engagement anymore. I smirked inside before I remembered one thing I was worried about back then. It was about Trevor¡¯s right arm that was cut off by General Crimson. When we searched over the scene after the fight, the arm was nowhere to be found, vanishing into thin air and leaving nothing behind. Although my big brother and that person said that it might simply disappear because it lost its source of magical power, I couldn¡¯t get it out of my mind for some reason. I meant, I was okay with it getting annihilated or destroyed, but there should be some remnant and pieces. With it simply disappearing completely with nothing left behind¡­ I had a bad premonition. CH 46 45 Monologue of A Certain Former Staff of Magic Tool Research Institute 2 Trevor stuck out his tongue and licked the wound on his right arm. Then, he proceeded to flex his arms. From the looks of it, he was checking the condition of his body that had become one size bigger just moments before. It was as if he didn¡¯t care even if he was surrounded by all of us. Without us being able to do a thing, we watched as his skin color became darker as he absorbed the darkish green particles at breakneck speed. Then, a flame-like pattern appeared on his right-hand that turned into a sword a second later. ¡°Finally showing your true color, huh, Demon Race.¡± General Crimson said, smiling a ferocious smile as he pointed his board sword toward Trevor. We had been tracking their race since four years ago after all. So, it was only natural that General Crimson was really delighted when our efforts bore fruit. ¡°Please be careful. That creepy tattoo seems to be growing as time passes.¡± Bishop Cobalt warned General Crimson. A warning for the other to never let his guard down. And it was just as he said, the darkish green particles that were constantly being absorbed by Trevor¡¯s right arm seemed to be feeding the pattern. ¡°Just¡­ What kind of phenomenon is this?¡± I wondered out loud, a mix of curiosity and worry filling me. Worry about what he said about the Saint¡¯s seal being undone and curiosity about the phenomenon that appeared before me. Anyway, should I assume here that he was just a bait? Come to think of it¡­ the report did mention that Trevor was carrying a sealed letter with him¡­ I recalled, immediately looking for the letter from the pile of things we took from Trevor. When I found it, I hastily tore its seal and read its content. ¡°¡­ What in the world is that person thinking about?!¡± I screamed. The sealed letter came from Count Greenwell and it said he was going to conduct the experiment proposed by Trevor. Really, WHAT THE HELL?! Even though he knew it was a trap, he still went ahead with it?! Ah, nevermind, I think I know what he was thinking¡­ it¡¯s probably something along the lines of ¡®No pain no gain¡¯. Aaaah, that person is really more stupid than me in this regard. ¡°In short, that tattoo is probably Count Greenwell¡¯s life force, eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Honestly, even if he knows it¡¯s a trap, he cannot fight back his instinct as a researcher¡­¡± Trevor said with a smile that I wanted to rip off at this instant. As expected, but that person¡¯s value is much higher than me, him being the head of his family and all! Really, this shows the reason why the position of family¡¯s patriarch should be given to his other siblings instead of him. He¡¯s too much of a researcher! ¡°But thanks to that, we finally have proof that you are a part of the demon race. So, in this regard, I really have to thank Count Greenwell later.¡± ¡°Good grief, enough with this chit-chat.¡± Having had enough, Bishop Cobalt spoke, prompting General Crimson to close in toward Trevor without delay. Soon, the sound of metal clashing against metal resounded repeatedly in the room, ringing against my ear. However, they were too fast and I could only see Trevor receiving General Crimson¡¯s strikes with his right arm before they disappeared from my sight again. And since that was the case, I had no idea of what was happening, only being able to hear the sound of their weapons clashing without stopping while seeing the blown off desk, the broken shelves, and the slashed floor. Fortunately, the rubbles was repelled by the pale blue barrier that Bishop Cobalt was maintaining all this while, so I was unhurt during their clash. Anyway, even the guard soldiers were having a hard time entering the battle, as such they chose to focus on guarding the periphery to prevent Trevor from escaping. Still, I was slightly disappointed that I couldn¡¯t see the battle. Alas, the furious trades of blows in a single moment they were doing was too fast for someone like me to follow with my eyes. In short, their abilities were overwhelmingly higher than me, who was a weak chicken. ¡°It seems there¡¯s no end to this¡­ Please stop playing around already, will you?¡± ¡°I know.¡± General Crimson replied shortly while unleashing a rising slash toward Trevor, but the other dodged the slash as well as the rising flame General Crimson casted by a hair-breadth. ¡°Dammit, magic, huh.¡± However, that wasn¡¯t General Crimson¡¯s true aim. The flame served as a distraction, and the moment it blocked Trevor¡¯s line of sight, General Crimson immediately cast another spell and his body was enveloped by fiery flame. Since the beginning of the fight, Trevor kept defending himself passively. It was as if he was stalling for time. But then, when General Crimson¡¯s movement paused for a slight moment, Trevor closed in as if to not miss his chance. Then, their position turned around along with the unpleasant sound of metal clashing with another metal. Still¡­ Just what in the world was the reason for General Crimson¡¯s momentary pause back there? ¡°Tch, he got some nasty tricks, eh.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, his annoyance clear to those who saw his face. His annoyance and words confused me, so I took a closer look at what was happening and saw that the ground beneath General Crimson¡¯s feet had been turned into mud. ¡°In my current condition, I can only do this much, but you should know what I could do when I¡¯m completely revived. I can literally turn the entire street into a wetland.¡± However, Bishop Cobalt only harrumphed at Trevor¡¯s fearless laugh and words. ¡°You are still not in the perfect state yet, then. Still, I guess we¡¯ll be in big trouble if General Crimson is hindered by something like this mud. Well, you¡¯re not becoming weaker with your age, are you?!¡± The moment those words fell from his lips, the temperature in the room dropped at once, and the floor was covered thoroughly with ice. Alas, though Trevor managed to brace his footing on the ice floor ¨C albeit barely ¨C General Crimson was not so lucky as he straight out slipped. ¡°ARE YOU REALLY MY ALLY HERE?!¡± ¡°Tch, you should just roll and die already.¡± WHAT THE HELL?! WE ARE IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION, YET THESE TWO STILL HAS THE TIME TO QUARREL WITH EACH OTHERS?! ARE THEY SEEKING DEATH?! IF SO, DON¡¯T DRAG ME, A POOR INNOCENT SOUL WITH YOU GUYS!!! I did hear that they had always been quarreling with each other, but please! Please stop doing that in this kind of situation!!! ¡°Please finish this quickly. Your fame as the ¡®Magic Swordsman of Flame¡¯ is on the line you know!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who will gladly accept such an embarrassing title! Fine, I¡¯ll finish him in no time!¡± ¡°Both of you sure are relaxed, eh?¡± Trevor said, glaring at the two who were bantering with each other, a cold expression fixed on his face. ¡°But Greenwell¡¯s life is finished. Too bad for you, I got one of the seals.¡± It was just as Trevor said, the tattoo on his right arm had grown until it reached the upper arm. If that tattoo was representing Count Greenwell¡¯s life, then we really had no way to beat the current Trevor. Not without risking Count Greenwell¡¯s life that was. ¡°GENERAL! YOU HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING! THAT PERSON¡¯S LIFE IS IN DANGER!¡± I unintentionally shouted at General Crimson. However, he didn¡¯t say anything to respond, only slashing at Trevor silently. But from what I was seeing¡­ was he actually getting cornered bit-by-bit? Did Trevor become that powerful with that stolen life and power?! I wondered as I watched Bishop Cobalt joining in the fight by firing ice bullets toward Trevor. Alas, it was repelled. I watched all these with growing despair in my heart, but at that moment, the greenish-black particles were suddenly replaced with bright, golden particles. Still, the sight didn¡¯t leave me feeling comforted or at ease. What now?! Did they break another seal?! I wondered, feeling hopelessness crept in, ready to drown me. However, when the shining, golden particles were coiling around Trevor, they turned into tiny chains that disturbed his movement. ¡°DAMMIT!! THAT GOLDBERG AGAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!¡± At that instant, at that moment Trevor was shouting in fury, his right arm got sliced off by General Crimson¡¯s sword. ¡°KUAAAAAAAAAA!¡± Bishop Cobalt didn¡¯t waste this chance. He conjured ice right under Trevor¡¯s legs to hinder the latter¡¯s movement. And this was helped by the new fresh verdure colored particles of light that were attacking Trevor, whose movement was further slowed down by the golden locks and the ice under his feet. Then, the fresh verdure particles of light coiled itself around Trevor and transformed into numerous tiny locks of the same color. ¡°GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡­¡± With a last final scream, Trevor became really obedient, surprising me. Perhaps it was because he was at a loss for words that caused this? I speculated as I observed the way his enlarged frame returned to its original height and shape. Did we¡­ ended it? I wondered to myself before I nodded. Yeah, Trevor is definitely going to get caught. The darkish green particles of light from a while ago are completely gone now. It was replaced by the golden and fresh verdue colored particles of light. Furthermore, the heavy and choking air from before had also been cleared up. Although the inside of my workshop had become a total mess, this event ended safely, so there was that. ¡ó After that, we interrogated the captured Trevor, but from the way he spoke¡­ it was as if he became a completely different person. And for a while, we wondered what to do. Some said that we had to unlock the golden and fresh verdue lock to be able to interrogate them, but of course, in the end, we rejected that idea since we had no idea what was going to happen if we did that. Another reason why we rejected that idea was because we came to a conclusion that the darkish green particles of light were the key to unsealing whoever that was, while the golden and fresh verdue colored particles of light were the lock that was sealing them. As such, with no other information that could be gleaned, we ended up throwing Trevor into a cell accompanied with strengthened guard and specially made barrier locking him in. Well, at the very least, Count Sphene¡¯s report let us know where the golden particles of light came from. According to the report, it was Theodore¡¯s doing ¨C of translating the ancient text in accordance with the story of the Saint¡¯s Legend and going to Marquis Goldberg ¨C that resulted in this unexpected incident that saved all of our lives. The report from Count Greenwell also explained the origin of the darkish green particles of light and the fresh verdue particles of light. It seemed that, though Trevor¡¯s trap had activated the darkish green particles of light, they managed to reverse it into fresh verdue particles of light when Oriana arrived with the translated ancient text. Fortunately, the activation of the fresh verdue particles of light didn¡¯t take Count Sphene¡¯s life force like the darkish green one did. Oh, additionally, the text that Oriana brought with her also happened to be the one that Theodore translated. Therefore, with everything being the way they were, we had no choice but to ask Theodore about this matter. Alas, he insisted that it was a coincidence and he knew nothing about it. And after seeing the situation for a while ¨C with the kid insisting that it was just a coincidence and he knew nothing ¨C Lord Golberg had no choice but to ask us to release his son since there was no use in our persistence of asking his son. Honestly, I wanted to ask him to tell me if he knew something about this, but¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t overstep my boundaries. Besides, I noticed that in some way or another, Theodore was rather similar to Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter. Both of them said something that was already bordering on a divine revelation, yet both insisted that they knew nothing about it. For a moment, a headache assailed me and I wished I could shake the two brats, but in the end I guess we had no choice but to watch over them. Well, it was not all bad news at the very least because another pleasant surprise came to us during this time. What was it you ask? Well, with Theodore¡¯s help translating the carving on the ornaments, King Serendiaz, General Crimson, Bishop Cobalt, and Duke Blackcurrant were able to conduct experiment with their own Saint¡¯s Ornament that resulted in¨D¨D King Serendiaz¡¯s white, General Crimson¡¯s red, Bishop Cobalt¡¯s blue, and Duke Blackcurrant¡¯s black¨D¨D colored particles of light turning into tiny locks that embedded itself into Trevor¡¯s body in jail. After this event, the children from the six houses ¨C including Theodore ¨C were put under protection as the descendants of the Six Gods. It was even more so for Theodore who had shown a glimpse of Six God¡¯s power. In addition to this, the decision to continue the experiment had been made, so the other five houses had to return their respective Saint¡¯s ornaments to the royal family. Well, the news was kept a secret from the other houses, but rumours about it still found its way outside the wall. ¡­ Heh, with this, I guess Theodore won¡¯t have any problem with his engagement anymore. I smirked inside before I remembered one thing I was worried about back then. It was about Trevor¡¯s right arm that was cut off by General Crimson. When we searched over the scene after the fight, the arm was nowhere to be found, vanishing into thin air and leaving nothing behind. Although my big brother and that person said that it might simply disappear because it lost its source of magical power, I couldn¡¯t get it out of my mind for some reason. I meant, I was okay with it getting annihilated or destroyed, but there should be some remnant and pieces. With it simply disappearing completely with nothing left behind¡­ I had a bad premonition. CH 47 47 Muttering of A Certain Crown Prince I am very annoyed. Anything and everything in this world seems to just want to piss me off. Why was I blamed for something that I didn¡¯t even understand? Why did Mother scold me and tell me to do better? Why? I¡¯m already doing my best, you know? I have never cut a corner, not even once, Mother. So, why? I have done what everyone told me to. I learnt culture, horse riding, and fencing. I have never once slacked off; not even for a bit since everyone told me again and again that it is the duty of the royal family to protect the citizens of this kingdom. I have done my best. My very best. Yet, why is it that today, Mother told me that I had to put more effort in as the descendant of the Six Gods and the Saint? But the method given to me and the result I was aiming for¡­ none of them make sense to me. And all this happened because of the son of Marquis Goldberg. That guy (Theodore) showed signs of being the descendant of the Six Gods and Mother got flustered upon receiving that news. As such, she urged me to do my best to awaken that sign too. However, upon realizing that I didn¡¯t show such a sign no matter how hard she searched, she ended up secluding herself inside the inner palace, looking completely dejected while doing so. Meanwhile, my father ¨D¨D His Majesty ¨D¨D himself didn¡¯t say a word about this matter, but it was clear to me that he was disappointed. Honestly, I had no idea about what they expected from me. But, what was clear to me was one fact. It seemed I had to increase my effort from now on. Just like that time. Back then, I was three years old. My mother told me that the saint was about to appear, and that girl would marry me. She said that I, as the descendant of the Six Gods and the Saint, was destined to unite with the reborn Saint. As such, she told me to do my best to become a king that would suit the Saint as her husband. The girl, who was suspected to be the reborn Saint, that I met was an extremely adorable girl. She had purplish silver hair that she touched with care every once in a while since it was coiled around. And really, it was very interesting to see her hair jolting up and down with her every movement. And yet. The moment I saw her eyes, I knew that she was reluctant. I knew that because she looked at me with sympathy, as if she was sympathizing with me. And seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel upset because it felt as if she was saying ¡®Poor child¡¯ to me. When I saw her off, she suddenly stopped on her track. I looked towards the direction she was looking at and saw the figure of my half-brother walking toward our direction. And different from the look she directed at me, she was looking at my half-brother with a sad expression on her face. She looked as if she was a mother who wanted to rush toward her son. This is bad. Big brother is mine. He¡¯s the only one who¡¯s kind to me. The only one who encourages me when I¡¯m feeling down. He¡¯s mine. ¡°Do your best. I know you can do it, Eliot.¡± I remembered his words, as if it happened just yesterday. That day when he encouraged me. My brother patted me, who was secretly crying after sneaking away from the chamberlain, maids, and the tutor and ended up losing my way in the rose¡¯s maze, encouraging me. My brother did something that no one had ever done for me before. And that¡¯s why I felt a bad premonition about this situation; and why I could never forgive anyone who tried to take away my brother from me, even if said person was the reborn Saint. Perhaps, because she understood that somehow, she ended up going back home without doing anything to my brother. That¡¯s good. I childishly felt giddy. Still, even after that, even though all she did was look at my brother with a sad and forlorn expression on her face, I still didn¡¯t like her. Not only was she looking at my brother like that, but at the same time, she was also looking at me with pity in her eyes. Always. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t do anything. There was no reason. But, on a certain day, after a maid told me that Katrina had come for a visit and I had gone to see her ¨C it was honestly only for form¡¯s sake since she was my fiance after all ¨C I saw something that alarmed me. I saw Katrina merrily chatting with my brother in the rose garden. Although, truthfully speaking, it was only a short conversation akin to that of a greeting¡­ both of them looked like they enjoyed it for some reason unknown to me and that¡­ that burns. No, I couldn¡¯t let this happen. My brother is mine and mine alone. He was supposed to be averse to the feeling of affection coming from others. He was not supposed to enjoy other¡¯s affection. Please look only at me. Unable to stand it, I tied her to me. I tied her so that she wouldn¡¯t get my brother¡¯s attention again. In order to isolate my brother, so that he would always be lonely, and¨D¨D ¡°¡­ You¡¯ll only rely on me.¡± Yet. "" YETYETYETYETYETYETYET! WHY DID HE (THEODORE) BECOME THE ONE WHO STOOD BESIDE MY BROTHER?! WHY DID HE SHOW YOU (THEODORE) THAT SMILE?! THAT SMILE IS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE! I AM THE ONLY ONE HE¡¯S SUPPOSED TO SHOW THAT SMILE TO!!! My brother¡­ My brother is MINE. And yet¡­ Why¡­ Why did he never look at me? Not only that, she was also smiling. A smile that I had never seen before. And it wasn¡¯t a smile filled with pity or forlorn feeling. It was¡­ a smile that¡¯s tinged with intimacy. Why¡­ Why did he only smile like that around you (Theodore)? Why did he never smile like that around me? Tell me why. Just¡­ WHY? ¡°I will make your wish come true. I¡¯m gonna help you get along with your big brother.¡± The prophecy of that dirty girl suddenly came to my mind. And it did come true. We had become a bit closer nowadays, yet it vexed me since the reason for that is because that fella(Theodore)¡¯s mediation. Furthermore, that fella (Theodore) had also been recognized as the descendant of the Six Gods. Why is there a sign of Six Gods in you? Why is there no sign of Six Gods in me? Even though I am also a descendant of the Six Gods, why are there no signs of that in me? Tell me, why? Aaaah, that fella (Theodore) should just disappear. That way, my brother would really be mine, and¡­ CH 48 48 Muttering of A Certain Baron Daughter I was adopted by Baron Plum and his wife. According to the couple, their daughter ¨C who was apparently my mother ¨C eloped with a man and left behind a daughter. They said that after their daughter¡¯s disappearance, the couple looked for her whereabouts and found that she died after giving birth to me, and that was why they came to the orphanage and adopted me. So far, everything went according to the setting. With me being adopted into the baron house, receiving the proper education and all that¡­ I meant, I doubted people would be able to pick faults in my etiquette, it was perfect! Although that achievement was only natural, after all, I had put such hard work into it for the sake of my future. I meant, I was the future queen of this kingdom after all. So, it was only natural for me to enjoy dancing and etiquette lessons. It was infinitely preferable to sweeping and cleaning the orphanage. I had even finished the study of this world¡¯s history from the walkthrough. As proven by my grandparents¡¯ praise when they found out about it. Furthermore, my sewing skill was perfect too. Although I couldn¡¯t make layered cosplay costumes since there was no sewing machine, my creations were still miles better than the one sold in this world. Honestly, the costume that the merchant sold simply couldn¡¯t be worn as it was. Their thread management was lousy, and the size adjustment was also questionable to the point it was literally impossible for someone to customize it. Moreover, the costumes were also completely different from the one shown in the CG. Completely unsightly! That was why I was really delighted when I finally got a hold of a sewing machine and managed to make small accessories. That way, I could customize the unsightly costumes and turn it into a wondrous creation. Fufufu, this is only natural. After all, I am the saint. I am born as the winner. And yet¡­ I wondered why¡­ just why had my attendant never done as I told them to? I only had one attendant, but she was a country hick, so it was hard for me to control her as she kept playing truant. I swear, was it that hard for her to carry clothes from one room to another?! Why did it take her half a day even though it was her only job?! Furthermore, the butler. He was only a mere butler, but he dared to prevent me from buying the clothes I had taken a fancy to. Really, we were baron house alright. We were part of nobility for God¡¯s sake! It should be fine to splurge a little bit, right? Right??? Oh, right, my attendant¡­ My grandparents introduced her to me and touted her as a good, hardworking girl. However, looking at her performance, I was sure that they got cheated by her. Still¡­ since both of them were okay with it, I guess I had no say in this regard. Oh well. And just like that, I spent my time in the baron¡¯s countryside territory for some time. Fortunately, after some time living there, I finally got the chance to visit the royal capital. From what I found out about the trip, it seemed that my grandparents had sent a request to the royal palace to get permission to appoint me as their successor. And after they received permission from the royal palace, they now had to go to receive the permit. But just when I thought we were going to see the king, my hope was crushed when I knew that the one who gave us the permit was a haughty looking official. Thus, my trip to the royal capital went to dust since I didn¡¯t even get a chance to see Elliot. I was so bored! However, I had to endure for now. After all, I would get my chance to see him when we attended the academy in the future. Hence, I changed my directive for this trip. After begging my grandfather, I received his permission to visit the clothing store in the royal capital. And just as expected, I could find many beautiful and shiny clothes here. However, considering my budget, I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy most of them. The pain, the horror! Hmm, I wonder if they provide delivery service, too. They should, shouldn¡¯t they? I idly mused to myself as I looked out from the carriage. At this moment, on my way back, I noticed that the street was crowded for some reason. ¡°Sorry, Milady. We have to take a detour since they have blocked the magic tool district.¡± The coach said as he turned the carriage around. However, at this precise moment, the ground suddenly shook. I immediately jumped out from the carriage and looked around, trying to find out what was wrong. But then I realized that everyone was looking at the royal palace. Confused, I turned to look there as well, only to feel my jaw dropping. What the hell is that? Why is something like dark green mist rising from that direction? Yet, it immediately vanished not even a moment later. What¡­ What exactly happened there??? Oh, well, whatever. Let¡¯s just go back to the carriage. Despite my curiosity, I chose to go back. However, at this time, I bumped into a tall man as soon as I turned around. And this man was extremely suspicious in my eyes since he wore a robe that covered his head, yet no one seemed to notice him. ¡°Geez, it hurts. Where are you looking at when you¡¯re walking?!¡± I scolded, raising my face to look at the man as I protested. However, my voice was soon lost to the wind because the other party turned out to be a handsome youth when I properly looked. His eyes color was blood red, as enchanting as the rubies, and he had tanned skin with ultramarine hair color¡­ At that moment, I was lost in the visage in front of me. Still, though I ended up staring at him for quite a while, I soon snapped out of my reverie and got back to my mind. To think that I would end up meeting him at such a place¡­ I thought, somewhat flabbergasted. I meant, it was such a random encounter! Still¡­ I really am lucky. ¡°Shut up, little girl. How dare you speak to me like that. Know your place.¡± ¡°Duke? You¡¯re Duke, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Who the hell are you, little girl?¡± Uhm, what should I say here, I wonder? ¡°¡ºHatred will bring nothing. I know that all you want is to be loved, right?¡»¡± I recited. That should be what the heroine said to him, giving love to Duke, the Demon King who was starving for love. Duke looked at me for a second before he burst into raucous laughter. E-Eh? That should be the magic words, right? ¡°As if those empty words that come from someone who embodies envy and jealousy are going to work on me. I might be moved a bit if those words come from someone who¡¯s truly sincere, but¡­ kuku, I see, the great me is starving for love, huh.¡± ¡°Y-Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna cure you.¡± At that moment, a golden mist rose up from the royal palace before immediately vanishing from sight. ¡°Tch, failed eh.¡± Duke¡¯s face warped, then a green mist appeared a while later before vanishing just like the golden mist. ¡°That damned Goldberg and Greenwell.¡± He cursed as he prepared to leave, but then an arm appeared right in front of him. Wait, an arm? Or is it a cat? At first, I wondered whether it really was a black arm or not, but then when I took a second clearer look, it turned out to be a cat. Really, that almost startled me to death. I looked at the black cat curiously, noticing that it had a ring that resembled a golden and green padlock affixed on its ears. Duke placed the cat on his shoulder, nodding his head as if he was talking to someone, then turned around. He looked like he was about to leave at that second. W-WAIT A MINUTE! HE CAN¡¯T JUST GO! ¡°D-DUKE! H-HEAR ME OUT!¡± I shouted, subconsciously trying to touch his robe to stop him. However, the moment I did, the black cat¡¯s fur suddenly stood to its ends. Then, the padlock affixed on the cat¡¯s ear abruptly made a clear breaking sound and vanished to nothingness. ¡°Who are you little girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Irene. The Saint.¡± ¡°You¡­ are the Saint?¡± Yeah. I nodded while puffing my che*st. Although sadly they were still flat since I was still a seven years old child right now, it was fine since they would grow along with my age. Anyway, for a while, Duke¡¯s face seemed like he was pondering something. And then he nodded as he passed the black cat to me. ¡°His name is Trevor. Always keep him by your side since he might be useful for you. Wait until I come again.¡± Eeh, what kind of event is this? Oh well, whatever. Since I have already met Duke, then maybe I should aim for the reverse harem end. Alright, it¡¯s decided then, let¡¯s do my best to finish all the events and get that harem. Fight! ¡°Take care of him since he¡¯s a bit weak right now.¡± ¡°Understood. Since that¡¯s the case, see you again.¡± ¡°Yeah, see you again later. In person.¡± Duke said before he up and vanished, gone before I could say anything. Still¡­ YA~Y, affection U~P. Fufufu, I¡¯m looking forward to the next event. ¡°NYAAA~!¡± Meanwhile, the black cat ¨C Trevor ¨C in my arms was purring happily. CH 49 49 Character List This is the list of character that appeared in act 2This is the list of character that appeared in act 2 Beware, it contain spoiler. The list include the name of capture targets and rival girls. ==== ¡ôProtagonist Theodore Goldberg £ºProtagonist. Reincarnator. High school student in his previous life. Eldest son of Marquis house. His color is gold. Blonde hair with amber colored eyes. Owning the Tiara. ¡ôGoldberg House Owen Goldberg: Protagonist¡¯s father. Blonde. Marquis. Serena Goldberg: Protagonist¡¯s mother. Blonde. Marchioness. Wendy Goldberg: Protagonist¡¯s little sister. Blonde. Marquis daughter. Kevin: Theo¡¯s escort. defense squad¡¯s captain. Richard: Theo¡¯s valet. One year older than Theo. Martha: Theo¡¯s wet nurse. Sebas: Grand chamberlain of Goldberg house. Rowell: The commander of Goldberg house¡¯s private army. Maria: Head attendant of Goldberg house. Horace: Head of Goldberg house¡¯s magic tool research institute. Thalia: Wendy¡¯s wet nurse. ¡ôFriend Chatacter Muriel Amber £ºBlonde(Theodore)¡¯s fiancee. Had fluffy blonde hair. Viscount daughter. Glutton character. Chick girl. Frederick Serendiaz £ºCrown prince¡¯s step brother. Two years older than the rest of the cast. Merry character. White big bro. Platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. Loner. Katrina Lilac £ºDuke daughter. Villainess. DRILL. Purplish silver hair. Prodigy. Future Saint(according to her father). She was also reincarnator and her previous life was a high school girl. Bates Sphene £ºFormer staff of magic tool research institute. Green hair. Oriana¡¯s uncle. ¡ôCapture Target Elliot Serendiaz £ºCrown prince. White. Platinum blonde hair with ice blue eyes. Ring. Brocon. Luke Greenwell £ºCapture target. Green character. Green hair. Saint staff. COunt house eldest son. sarcastic character. Male tsundere. Magic tool maniac. Vince Crimson £ºCapture target. Red character. Red hair. Bracelet. Marquis house eldest son. Simeon Cobalt £ºCapture target. Blue. Blue hair. Earring. Count house eldest son. Rex Blacurrant £ºCapture target. Black. Black hair. Necklace. Duke son. Short tempered. ¡ôRival girls Oriana Sphene £ºGreen(Luke)¡¯s fiancee. Dark green hair. count house daughter. Gentle. Had barbed tongue trait when pissed off. Ramona Garnet £ºRed(Vince)¡¯s fiancee. Red hair. Marquis daughter. Sonia Hauynite £ºBlue(Simeon)¡¯s fiancee. Light blue hair. Viscount daughter. Shelly Obsius £ºBlack(Rex)¡¯s fiancee. Black hair. Marquis daughter. ¡ôOthers King Serendiaz: The crown prince(Elliot) and loner(Fredrick)¡¯s father. King. Queen Serendiaz: The crown prince(Elliot)¡¯s mother. Queen. Duke Lilac: Drill(Katrina)¡¯s father. Duke. Meriel: Drill(Katrina)¡¯s attendant. Evan Amber: Viscount. Chick girl(Muriel)¡¯s father. Madam Amber: Chick girl(Muriel)¡¯s mother. Viscount wife. Zachariah Amber: Viscount house eldest son. Chick girl(Muriel)¡¯s eldest brother. Sheila: Chick girl(Muriel)¡¯s wet nurse. Anthony Greenwell: Green(Luke)¡¯s father. Head of court mage departement. Count. General Crimson: Red(Vince)¡¯s father. General. Marquis. Bishop Cobalt: Blue(Simeon)¡¯s father. Bishop. Count. Charlie Sphene £ºCount. Green girl(Oriana)¡¯s father. Head of royal capital magic tool research institute. Bates¡¯ brother. Grace Sphene: Count wife. Green girl(Oriana)¡¯s mother. Baron Plum couple: Heroine(Lol)¡¯s grandparents. ¡ôDemon Race Duke Zuider: Demon King. Hidden character. Capture target. Neith Geyson: Baron. Magic tool researcher. Swindler.Muscular character. Trevor: Staff of court mage departement. Demon race. Glasses character. Slender build. Black cat. Tara: Fortune teller. Swindler. Mira: Tara¡¯s assistant. Swindler accomplice. ¡ôHeroine(Lol) Irene Plum£ºHeroine(Lol). Pink, Pink Hair. Former JK(Female High School Student) CH 50 50 The Bishop(?) Has a Sketchy Character ===Act 3=== Finally, the three long years of waiting came to an end today! YA~Y!!! It¡¯s finally time. At last¡­ I can finally use magic! It was surely a long wait for one to just learn magic. What? It¡¯s normal alright. I can¡¯t help but keep being curious, okay? I mean, magic is a staple for isekai reincarnation after all! How can I not be curious? And how can I not be happy that I¡¯m finally able to use magic??? Today was the long awaited Magic Unsealing Ceremony. It was something that I had hoped for ever since I realized I had reincarnated. Besides, Frederick already had his own ceremony two years ago, while Richard had his last year. So, I would like to catch up with them soon. Still, they said that it wasn¡¯t a big deal¡­ Really guys? It¡¯s magic, you know? Magic! Isn¡¯t the mention of it alone supposed to make you curious or at the very least wondering what kind of magic is going to come out? Alas, no matter how many times I asked them, their opinion was the same. Unfortunately, when I told them I wanted to see their magic, they just smiled wryly without even giving me the chance to see it. The way they reacted to my request was just like how Kevin, Martha, and every other adult I asked in the past reacted. But this did not deter me. Instead, it was making me endlessly curious. Fortunately, my curiosity would be answered after the Magic Unsealing Ceremony. All I had to do now was to wait for the count-down to be over. So¡­ Let¡¯s look forward to it~! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Cra*p. I can¡¯t hold back my curiosity now. I¡¯m really, really, really curious about magic. I want to know no~w. I trembled, trying my best to hold in my inquisitiveness. Seeing my state, my father and mother only smiled at me without saying anything. Thus, with the endless curiosity in my mind, we set out toward the royal capital. By we, I meant my whole family including my little brother, Chester, who turned two years old this year. And yup, my family got another member to it, the third and youngest child who happened to be a boy too. He was incredibly adorable, yet at the same time he was also slightly cheeky. Meanwhile, his big sister, Wendy, who turned six years old this year had grown into an extremely adorable girl. Truly, I had no other word to describe my siblings; they were all so very adorable~! ¡°Listen, Chester. Don¡¯t make too much noise in the carriage, okay?¡± ¡°Yesh, nee-tama (Big Sis).¡± Chester, who was sitting on our mother¡¯s lap, was nodding obediently. Truly a charming boy. However, he was after all still a two years old boy. So, it was only natural that his interest in the world was high. One moment he was looking at the passing scenery outside the window, the next moment he climbed up to our father¡¯s lap, then at another moment, he would play building blocks. Truly, he was quite an active boy. Wendy would remind him to stay calm everytime that happened, and Chester would listen to her. However, a while later, he would forget it as all children do. ¡°Geez, Chester¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Wendy. Chester just wants to tease his big sister.¡± I soothed, placing Chester on my lap as I poked his squishy cheek. So soft¡­ poke more~ ¡°Mu~, nii-tama~, sto~p!¡± ¡°No~. Be a good child for a while. It¡¯s about time for your afternoon nap anyway, right? So, take a nap now. You must be tired from all those moving around you did¡­¡± I said as I patted his back and closed his eyes. Because most stimulation came from the eyes, blocking their field of view was the best way to calm the children and get them to rest, so that was what I did. And as expected, a while later, the sound of his even breathing resounded in the enclosed space. When I was sure that he was sleeping, I gave him to our attendant. ¡°You¡¯re really good at handling Chester, Theodore. Where did you learn that from?¡± My father asked curiously, but it would be troublesome if I replied with ¡®From my previous life¡¯, so I had to lie to him. Anyway, after a long and bustling journey, we finally arrived at the royal capital. When we did, I pulled Kevin and RIchard with me and went to the grand temple as fast as possible. Although they would only hold the Magic Unsealing Ceremony in a few days, I was unable to hold myself back anymore, hence my decision. The Grand Temple was located in the east district of the royal capital. It was a huge, old building that gave off an air of historical church from my previous life. However, unlike the church, this place didn¡¯t just worship one God. It worshiped the six Gods and the Saint. It was not the only temple in the royal capital, though, there was one other temple. However, this other temple worshiped Mother Earth Goddess and Creation God. And the reason why they did was because in their lore, the Creation God was the one who gave the revelation to the Saint, while the Mother Earth Goddess¡¯ main angels were referred to as six Gods. That was why they chose the two as their deities. However, in the Grand Temple, the Creation God and the Mother Earth Goddess were treated as side deities. Instead, the main deities they worshiped were the Saint and the six Gods. So, it was only natural that when I went to the main hall, I only found seven statues standing in the inner part with an altar placed in front of them. Slipping in silently, I paid my homage. It was only proper to do it after all. When one visited temples, one had to pay homage to the Gods enshrined there. Common sense really. Anyway, after paying my homage, I went to the receptionist and gave a donation before I went on to offer my prayer on the altar. I wish nothing will happen during the Magic Unsealing Ceremony. I hope my engagement with Muriel will be smooth sailing. Gods above, please grant my wish. I opened my eyes and smiled. Great. ¡°Why are you pressing your hand together, Theodore-sama?¡± Richard asked, looking puzzled. Eh? People here do not do that? Wait, come to think of it, none of the visitors I saw press their hands together the way I do. They just clasped their hands together and prayed in silence. Oh dang, no wonder Richard is puzzled. I was, after all, not doing it like the others. ¡°Just felt like it. I get this feeling that something is missing unless I do that.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like that to me, though.¡± I heard someone say so as I was about to turn around and leave. It was a blue haired priest with a gentle smile that seemed to be permanently fixed there. From his looks, he might be around the same age as my father. However, his rank might be above that of a priest since I spotted a priest attendant following after him. ¡°Bishop Cobalt-sama!¡± Richard said, flustered at the sight of that prie ¨D¨D Euh, I mean bishop ¨D¨D as he bowed in a hurry. Following his example, Kevin and I also hastily bowed. ¡°Aah, please spare me from the formality. Back to the topic, I think your prayer will reach the Gods no matter what form you did it with. There¡¯s no fixed prayer form after all. Still ¨D¨D Sure enough, it¡¯s Lord Goldberg¡¯s son after all. How¡¯s your father doing?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Theodore Goldberg, nice to meet you. My father is as healthy as usual, thank you for asking. Our family is currently staying in the royal capital for my Magic Unsealing Ceremony.¡± ¡°I see. Since the crown prince is going to participate in this ceremony too, I think the scene will be more bustling than usual.¡± Will it become something like a festival I wonder? I thought, unable to help myself. Although, I don¡¯t think there was that kind of celebration when it was Frederick¡¯s or Richard¡¯s turn, so it might not be? I tilted my head in puzzlement. ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m really looking forward to D-Day.¡± From the way he spoke¡­ Bishop Cobalt must have known something, right? ¡°By the way, Theodore-dono, what are you going to do if you become one of the Six Wise Gods?¡± ¡°EH?!¡± What is with this bizzare change of topic? It was way too strange, okay?! ¡°Ah, please forget my question just now. As one of the people who works in this temple, I just want to hear your opinion as the descendant of the Six Wise Gods. Opinion such as what do you think about the Six Wise Gods¡­ what should we do to feel closer to Them¡­ those sort of questions. Will you answer those questions for me?¡± Uhm, so even a bishop like him had such worries, eh? Speaking of descendants of the Six Gods, I first heard about that matter around three years ago. And honestly? I couldn¡¯t help but feel elated that I was born to a hero¡¯s lineage. My father also told me his wish for me at that time. He told me that he wished I could become someone who saved many people like what the Six Gods did. I looked at Bishop Cobalt and saw that he was smiling at me, but despite his smile, his eyes were dead serious. Does this question have something to do with the rumor about the demon race that was caught three years ago? ¡°Uhm. I can¡¯t say anything elaborate, but in my opinion¡­ to be able to feel closer to the Six Gods, it is important to want to protect the people you love. Be it family, retainer, friends, or lover. I think¡­ you¡¯ll feel closer to the Six Gods because you have people, who are important to you, that you want to protect at all cost.¡± ¡°People you love¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I believe that my ancestor, Goldias, also feels the same as me.¡± When I said so, I noticed that the air around Bishop Cobalt softened a lot. ¡°Do you have people that you love?¡± ¡°Yes. I love them. They¡¯re my important treasures.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Then, don¡¯t ever forget that feeling. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯ll save you someday.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Likewise. It¡¯s such a nice conversation.¡± Bishop Cobalt said before he turned around to leave. However, he stopped midway and said, ¡°Oh, right. Please get along with my son, Simeon, too.¡± Geh. So, he was ¡®that¡¯ Simeon¡¯s (Blue¡¯s) father! He should have told me that when he introduced himself a while ago! Furthermore, get along with Simeon? His son still hates me! ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Alas, that was the only reply I could come up with. Yes, that was a safe answer that promised nothing. I meant, that blue (Simeon) was the one who called me a child whose head is filled with a flower garden. So, I think it would be hard for us to get along. Thus, with a weary feeling due to Bishop Cobalt¡¯s request, I returned to my family mansion in the royal capital. CH 51 51 Magic Unsealing Ceremony is Solemn And ¡°Calm down, okay? Nothing that you¡¯re worrying about is going to happen.¡± Kevin said, trying to soothe me on the way back to our mansion. ¡°I expected a slightly unique answer from Young Master, but¡­ ¡®love from my heart¡¯ is truly¡­ Young Master-like answer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?! Do you mean that by answering that my head is filled with stuff like romance only?¡± I exclaimed, somewhat feeling incensed. I mean, even Frederick told me that I used the word ¡®love¡¯ a little bit too much, then Luke called me a man whose brain was filled with romance. Even Elliot made fun of me by saying that my head was filled with flower gardens. Therefore, it was natural that I was slightly incensed. I mean, from where did they get that impression of me?! Did they really think that the only thing I have ever thought about was romance related?! I just wanted to show a part of me that in my previous life I had never gotten the chance to show before alright?! You never knew what was gonna happen in your life after all, so showing your love to the people you love is important! Moreover, I was afraid that I might become a man that wouldn¡¯t have a girlfriend when I grow up if I let Muriel go. I mean, I might have inherited my father¡¯s handsome face and all, but relying on that alone to secure a girlfriend for myself might be fatal. I mean, look, the people around me were very handsome too. Especially the rangers, particularly Elliot and Frederick. Those two were on another whole level together. That was why I always felt like I was a normal boy around them. Anyhow, I definitely didn¡¯t want to break my past life¡¯s record of ¡®having no girlfriend for years¡¯. Since I didn¡¯t get the chance in my previous life, I was definitely going to enjoy my springtime of youth in this one. I won¡¯t even care even if you call me a lolicon, okay? I¡¯m definitely not going to die a vir*gin this time. Not a chance! Still, when I recalled the young girls in the second-half of their teens, I couldn¡¯t help but wish for a lover. And it might have been the influence of my age or what not, but I wished to have an adorable girlfriend who was of similar age as me. "" As for an older girlfriend¡­ Well, they were something that expired fast anyway, so a girlfriend of the same age was much better. And Muriel was the most adorable girl I knew around my age. Her smile¡­ so fluffy that it healed my tired mind every time I saw it¡­ her teary eyes when I played a prank on her¡­ her bright smile when she received my gift¡­ I love all of it. Wait a minute, is this what they meant by ¡®head filled with romance¡¯?! ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re misunderstanding the point here.¡± Kevin, who might have already guessed what I was thinking about just now, denied with a dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡°The matter about Young Master¡¯s care for the people around you is something that we have long since known about. Your parents and siblings aside, there¡¯s also Miss Muriel and His Highness Frederick. That¡¯s why Young Master¡¯s remark has weight behind it, and I think Bishop-sama also feels the same way as me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural to take care of those around you, right? It¡¯s not exactly something praiseworthy.¡± I said with a matter of fact tone. However, instead of agreeing, Kevin and Richard exchanged a meaningful smile and said incomprehensible sentences. ¡°Well¡­ Young Master is Young Master after all. That¡¯s enough for us.¡± ¡°Yes. Theodore-sama is Theodore-sama.¡± I am being myself? What are they talking about? I tilted my head in confusion, but then decided to let it go. After all, they were trying to cheer me up, so I guess I just had to stop worrying about this matter. Besides¡­ it wasn¡¯t like it was something to worry about in the end. ¡ó It was a clear and sunny day when the Magic Unsealing Ceremony was held this year. At this time, I had gone with my father and mother towards the Grand Temple. Meanwhile, Wendy and Chester were both house-sitting for now. They were not allowed to bring them along, and no matter how long they bawled and asked, the fact would not change. They were still too young. Furthermore we were not going for a picnic either. As such, they were left back at the mansion. Right. It was the same case with me too. At that time, when Richard was going through his own Magic Unsealing Ceremony, I was also left behind and not allowed to accompany them to see it. It was still not allowed even though Richard¡¯s ceremony was done in the temple in our ¨C Goldberg¡¯s ¨C own territory. Anyway, after our father persuaded them ¨C by telling them that their turn would come when they reached ten years old ¨C they finally agreed, albeit with reluctance. Seeing this, somehow I felt that it was a custom for every parent here to coax their children in that way. Well, that aside, we finally reached the temple. When we did and after we filled the entry list at the entrance, we were guided through the praying hall that I visited before into the inner part of the building. It seemed, the Magic Unsealing Ceremony was going to be performed in this place. And as I walked forward, I saw a solemn majestic gate standing at the end of the passage. Furthermore, it was guarded by priests armed with spears standing on both sides of the gate. ¡°Son of Marquis Goldberg, Theodore-dono.¡± The person who guided us announced to the priests on guard, then the guards opened the gate for us. Upon entering the place, we were greeted with a huge hall. On the front, there was the statue of the Six Gods and the Saint lining up next to one another. And in the center of the hall was a stage with a huge gem placed on it with some sort of magic circle engraved there. In addition, there were around thirty chairs prepared in the frontmost seats with only children sitting there. They were children who came from the Viscount Family and above. Aside from those seats, there were seats arranged around the stone stage, which I assumed were prepared for the visitors who would witness the Magic Unsealing Ceremony. Wait a minute. Is this¡­ a concert hall or something?! Well, though the audience¡¯s seats were arranged like mortar with three different levels of height, the scale wasn¡¯t that big, so it couldn¡¯t really be called a concert hall I guessed. ¡°Well then, you may go straight towards the stone stage, Theodore-sama. Marquis and Marchioness Goldberg, please follow this person.¡± The guide urged me to go straight to the stage while simultaneously directing my parents to follow another person to their seats. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Theodore. Just act like your usual self.¡± ¡°Do your best, Theodore. Mother is watching.¡± My father didn¡¯t doubt me like usual while my mother was trying to cheer me up. Seeing them acting like this, a wry smile unintentionally leaked out of me as I said, ¡°Yes, Father, Mother. I shall go now.¡± I waved my hands toward them as I followed my guide. The person guided me to the second seat from the left end of the front-most row. And right behind that seat was Muriel. When I saw her, I lightly waved my hand towards her, smiling brightly at the sight of her. Of course, Muriel also waved back to me with her gentle healing smile. A~ah, how adorable~. I mused to myself, smitten. However, I was quite amazed to find that the one who was sitting on her right-side were the green-haired girl (Oriana) and the green-haired boy (Luke). Still, as this was an important occasion, I suppressed my shock and simply smiled at them. After all, it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯m so damn jealous of them. Nope, nada, sire. Not jealous at all here~. I sat in my assigned seat for a while, then soon after, the red-haired girl (Ramona Garnet) was guided to sit on my left side while Katrina was guided to sit on my right. Elliot, the crown prince, was guided last and was seated on Katrina¡¯s right at the center of the formation. It seems we are sitting according to our house¡¯s peerage. At this time, no one was saying anything. Perhaps everyone was as nervous as me? Amidst the tense atmosphere, I could hear the sound of footsteps resounding in the hall. A man, donned in splendid robe, appeared followed by several priests. And they only stopped walking once they arrived in front of the Saint¡¯s statue that stood in the middle. It was someone that I had met before, Blue¡¯s (Simeon¡¯s) father, Bishop Cobalt. ¡°To everyone who is turning ten this year, I give you my congratulations. I, Bishop Morris Cobalt, will be the one who leads this ceremony. I¡¯ll be looking forward to working with you. After this, we¡¯re going to perform a ceremony to unleash the magical power sleeping within you, but there are a few points you have to know before that.¡± After that opening, Bishop Cobalt started his explanation. First, while it might be true that our magical power would be released, we must by no means try it immediately without any supervision. Second, we needed to report immediately in case we felt uncomfortable. ¡°Although we¡¯re not lacking some reckless fools, who tried to invoke a spell as soon as their magical power got unsealed, we implore you to not follow their example since those people immediately collapsed after casting a spell since they ran out of mana. I believe that you¡¯re not one of those fools, but just in case, don¡¯t embarrass yourself.¡± Bishop Cobalt was smiling as he said so, as if he was teasing us. And for some reason, I got this feeling that he couldn¡¯t wait to see who¡¯s the next idiot amongst us. Wait¡­ his eyes were¡­ serious? Ah, so the number of idiots who did that despite being given those warnings were quite big, eh? ¡°In addition, some people aren¡¯t used to magical power. Thus, for that reason, some of you might need some training first to allow your body to become more familiar with mana. That¡¯s why, do speak to the priest closest to you as soon as you feel uncomfortable. Don¡¯t worry, you can trust us, we¡¯re professionals.¡± I see. Is it because we will feel more sensation in our body after this ceremony? ¡°And lastly. This is the most important one.¡± He paused for a moment and looked at everyone. ¡°Never reveal your attribute to anyone else. Make sure that you protect that information. Understood? It¡¯s personal information that you should never tell anyone. After all, though your attribute can be seen the moment you use your spell, there¡¯s no need for you to speak about it. I think everyone understands this point well, right?¡± Disclosure of personal information, eh? He¡¯s right. If it¡¯s someone of our status, there¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll use it for trivial matters, but there¡¯s no need to disclose it. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin. Everyone, don¡¯t leave your seat.¡± Bishop Cobalt then stood on the tip of the hexagram and spread his arms, chanting some sort of prayer. The other priests, who were all standing on the hexagram, were also chanting along with the bishop. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet started to shine. And then, a shining magic circle rose up in the air before passing through our bodies. The moment it did, I felt something was ¡®clicking¡¯ in my body. Then, the shining magic circle rose up above our heads and spun around. Moments later, it dispersed into particles of light, gone. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What the¡­ is that all?! I had expected something special, but¡­ there was absolutely nothing. E~h?! I screamed in my mind. At that time¡­ ¡°Well then, now it¡¯s time to measure everyone¡¯s attributes.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, directing an impish smile to all of us. ¡­ Eh? Did I just¡­ get deceived? CH 52 52 Alias is Black History? After that, we began the appraisal part of the ceremony to find out our attributes. Of course, as the crown prince, Elliot was the first person who got appraised. It was at this time that I noticed that there were seven doors, each of which were located right below the statues of the Six Gods and the Saint, and Elliot was guided toward the door below the Saint¡¯s statue. After some time, Elliot left with a beaming smile on his face. It seems that his result is good. I thought as he sent a triumphant look to me before he returned to his seat. After him, Katrina entered. And just like Elliot, she too entered the door beneath the Saint¡¯s statue. However, a while later, she left with a pale face. Eh? What happened there? ¡°Is there something wrong, Katrina? Is it something you can¡¯t tell others?¡± Even Elliot, who had never concerned himself with Katrina, couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw the look on his fiancee¡¯s face. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Thank you very much for your concern, Your Highness. I just feel a bit uncomfortable since my body isn¡¯t used to the magical power. Besides, even if there¡¯s something I¡¯m worrying about, it¡¯s something trivial that should not concern Your Highness.¡± ¡°Take a rest then. Notify the priest immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Katrina replied as Black (Rex) and Blue (Simeon) called the nearby priest to look at Katrina¡¯s condition. However, as they still hadn¡¯t gone through appraisal themselves, they told the priest to take care of Katrina for the time being. And honestly, Katrina¡¯s complexion truly looked bad. As such, I couldn¡¯t help but to ask her too. ¡°Are you really alright?¡± "" ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about me. My apologies for the disturbance, everyone.¡± Katrina said, expression wan. Looking at her, even the magical girl¡¯s squad ¨C including Muriel ¨C looked increasingly worried as they shifted restlessly in their seats, asking about her condition. But then Katrina¡¯s attendant came to the stone stage and took her along with the priest toward the Lilac Couple¡¯s direction. Both of whom were looking at their daughter with a worried expression on their face as they left the venue together. She is really okay, right? There was a bit of trouble there, but it seemed there was no problem with her aptitude. Anyway, after Elliot and Katrina, the rest were being called one by one to enter one of the seven doors beneath the seven statues. And my name was called after Rex. ¡ó The one waiting for me behind the door was Bishop Cobalt and two other priests. Aside from them, my father and mother were also there. ¡°Father¡­ Mother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your parent¡¯s privilege to know.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, amusement danced in his eyes. From his words, I could guess that the parents seemed to be guided to the rooms from a separate path from the audience seat, away from our sight. Well, then again, I supposed it was only natural that this was done. After all, for parents to know about their children was only proper and right. Nodding inwardly, I went towards my parent¡¯s side and sat between them. We faced Bishop Cobalt with a desk separating the two parties, just like how a parent-teacher meeting in my past life was like. Yeah, this was how it was supposed to be like. It was a heart-throbbing event after all. ¡°Well then, let us start. Now, place your hand on this board.¡± I followed his instructions and placed my hand on top of the black disk. Upon which tiny lights began to spark inside the disk. ¡°Just like that. Now, close your eyes and feel the flow of your magical power. Slowly guide it to gather in your hand¡­¡± Bishop Cobalt said with a calm, serene voice. Feel your magical power? How do I do that? I was confused. Nevertheless, I followed his instructions and just tried to feel my blood flow. At that moment, I felt something was moving along with my blood circulation. This should be the thing they referred to as magical power, right? With that guess in mind, I tried to picture it moving towards the tip of my fingers. Slowly. Steadily. Bit by bit. Without noticing it, I became immersed in the feeling. Though, for some reason, the image that was transmitted to my mind was something akin to yellow aura. This must be the color of my magical power. It isn¡¯t the only color though. There are other colors such as red, blue, and green. The green aura is slightly weaker, though. Oh, wait, there¡¯s a tiny, white one too. Anyway, as instructed, I gathered my magical power to my fingertips. And the yellow aura that had gathered in my fingertips suddenly formed a figure. Incidentally, aside from the yellow, I also tried to gather the red, blue, and green aura too. As for the tiny white aura? Well, since it seemed to be too hard to move from its position, I told it to stay where they are. And though I could feel its dissatisfaction, I had no other choice since I couldn¡¯t move it. Despite that though, I felt bad, so I tried to soothe it by telling that little fella that I¡¯d do my best to let it out. Fortunately, that fella seemed to understand my intention, so it didn¡¯t make a fuss. However, it wasn¡¯t the case with the yellow aura. The yellow one wanted to give it all to go out en masse, but I suppressed it a little bit to give the other three colors a way out. I tried giving them the same sized road to get out, but it didn¡¯t happen. The red aura ended up with the biggest road, followed by the blue aura. Meanwhile, the green aura came last with a road that was only as big as half of the red aura¡¯s road. At first, I thought that there would be dissatisfaction between the auras, but it seemed that I was thinking too much as everyone seemed to be pleased to be able to go out¡­ Ah, wait, let¡¯s correct that. The yellow aura did grumble a little as the red aura managed to leave twice. Sensing this, I sighed. Please be patient, okay? You have to give a way for the green aura too. And thus it went on. But when I felt my magical power coming out from my fingertips¡­ ¡°Good, now open your eyes.¡± I heard Bishop Cobalt¡¯s calm and serene voice washing over me. When I opened my eyes, I saw that on top of the black disk, there was a golden, ruby, sapphire, and emerald colored gem. The golden gem was as big as a marble while the ruby gem¡¯s size was around half of it. Next was the sapphire gem and emerald gem. The sapphire one was a bit smaller than the ruby gems, and the emerald one was half of the ruby¡¯s size ¨C in other words, it was only around a quarter of the golden gem ¨C perhaps around the size of the tip of my nail. After seeing the gems, I turned to look at Bishop Cobalt, trying to ask him about the meaning of the gems. ¡°No way, four attributes, eh¡­¡± Bishop Cobalt muttered, shock and disappointment mingling together. However, if I had to say which one was more prominent, then I¡¯d say disappointment. ¡°Any problem with your physical condition, Theodore?¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯m all fired up.¡± My mother still had a worried expression on her face, but really, I am alright. ¡°That¡¯s great then. Normally, people will feel weak after the appraisal ceremony, but it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t feel anything wrong with your body. Anyhow, it¡¯s really great that you have four attributes!¡± Upon hearing Bishop Cobalt¡¯s words, my mother finally heaved a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, my father¡­ I looked in my father¡¯s direction and was shocked¡­ Why did he look at me¡­ with that scary look on his face? ¡°Bishop Cobalt, my apologies for the rude question, but about His Highness the Crown Prince¨C¡± ¡°I cannot tell you that¡­ not because I don¡¯t want to tell you, but¡­ Well, I suppose I can tell you the fact that he also has several attributes just like your son here. It seems that we¡¯re going to face a lot of problems in the future. However, that¡¯s as far as I could tell you. Please do understand that the matter of an individual¡¯s attribute is something that I can¡¯t possibly reveal to outsiders. It¡¯s an absolute secret as you know.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Seeing that my father did not pursue the matter anymore, Bishop Cobalt smiled then opened his mouth again. ¡°His Highness and Blackcurrant both have five attributes. Meanwhile, Duke Lilac¡¯s daughter has as many as six attributes, while your son has four attributes. So you really don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± My father said, finally heaving a sigh of relief when he heard that confirmation. ¡­ Yup, as expected. It seems Father was worrying about me standing out too much in case I have more attributes than the Crown Prince. Anyway, no wonder Elliot had that triumphant look on his face just now. Oh well, let¡¯s just do our best to not get glared at by him now. I had to pay attention in this regard since I often forgot myself. But still¡­ I wonder if Katrina will be alright¡­? Is the reason why she felt unwell because she was worrying about the fact that her attributes had surpassed Elliot¡¯s? Hmm, it¡¯s probably¡­ anyway, maybe I¡¯ll go to pay her a visit with Muriel. She did visit me when I was sick after all. ¡°Dear me, this might be good news instead of bad one considering that there are people with multiple attributes. Although, I have never expected that they appeared at once, still¡­ This is truly wonderful. Now, I am really looking forward to the future of this kingdom.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± My father and Bishop Cobalt both laughed together after they said that. It felt like they¡­ really meant what they said¡­ Anyhow, since it looked like my turn was about to come to an end, I opened my mouth and asked a question I had to ask Bishop Cobalt. ¡°Excuse me, Bishop Cobalt-sama, I understand the matter of four attributes. However, what about these gems? Are they the representatives of my attributes? In that case, which one is my real main attribute?¡± My father might understand without him explaining further, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about me. At the very least, please tell me about my main attribute before you go on to other topics. ¡°Oh, do forgive me for skipping the explanation. The matter of people having multiple attributes makes me forget about this. Now, let me explain.¡± Originally, attributes existed in sorcery. ¡¾Fire¡¿, ¡¾Water¡¿, ¡¾Wind¡¿, and ¡¾Earth¡¿were the four common attributes, and with¡¾Light¡¿as well as ¡¾Darkness¡¿ attributes, they made up the six basic attributes in sorcery. And according to Bishop Cobalt, the gem appeared due to my magical power¨D¨D erm, to make Bishop¡¯s explanation short, the biggest gem ¨C the golden one ¨C was the¡¾Earth¡¿ attribute, my main attribute. Following that were my secondary attributes, red for ¡¾Fire¡¿, blue for ¡¾Water¡¿, and green for ¡¾Wind¡¿. And the size of the gems seemed to be indicating the degree of affinity I had with the elements. In short, my main attribute was earth, followed by fire, water, and lastly wind ¨C of which I had the least affinity for. I see¡­ this looks like a game for some reason. However, this certainly makes things easier to understand, so I am not complaining here. ¡°Most members of Goldberg House¡¯s attributes are aligned to that of earth. I guess it has something to do with our bloodline. Owen in the old day is hailed as ¡ºSteel Smile¡» even.¡± ¡°The same goes for you, Morris. Do not forget that you, as an expert of water attribute, are hailed as ¡ºYoung Noble of Ice¡» back then.¡± "" The two were smiling when they spoke, as if they were revealing secret information about their past. Wait, this bloodline they were speaking of, did that mean that bloodline had something to do with the attribute of each house? Anyhow, while my mind was on a tangent, I noticed that the temperature around us dropped for some mysterious reason. Erm¡­ I guess the matter of their nickname in the past is black history? ¡­ Yeah, that must be it. They¡¯re probably embarrassed by it after arriving at their age. I nodded inwardly, vowing to not mention their nickname in front of them in the future. It wasn¡¯t like I was a coward either, but just look at those assistant priests. They all looked scared, you know? Hence, this wasn¡¯t me being a coward, this is just a human¡¯s self-preservation instinct at the finest. Yup. Definitely. ¡°Fufufu, Owen and Morris-sama¡¯s relationship is as good as ever. Back in their school era, the two of them, along with Count Crimson ¨C Dexter-sama who was hailed as ¡ºBlazing Magic Swordsman¡» ¨C were the object of longing of every girls.¡± My mother suddenly entered the conversation from the side, unintentionally adding fuel into the fire with her remark. M-Mama. Read the mood, please. Look at the scary faces those two are making. I sweated inwardly, worried while simultaneously wondering what happened to them in the past. Well, curiosity was well and all, but let¡¯s not delve further into it since it was most likely filled with landmines. ¡°Please stop telling the boy about our embarrassing youth.¡± ¡°Oh my. My deepest apologies, Morris-sama. I just suddenly missed those times.¡± My father finally stopped making that scary face as he stopped my mother from going too far, a tired look on his face. Meanwhile, my mother just showed Father an impish smile¡ª wait a minute, was that deliberate instead of spontaneous coincidence? ¡°Well, I guess I understand your sentiment. Anyhow, congratulations for awakening four attributes, Theodore-dono.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± After thanking Bishop Cobalt, we left the room; with me returning back to the stone stage while my parents went back to the audience¡¯s seat. And since Bishop Cobalt said I¡¯m allowed to bring back the gems created from my magical power, I brought it back with me. ¡ó Thus, the ceremony ended without a hitch. By the way, according to the hearsay I heard later on, the people with multiple attributes didn¡¯t end with me. They kept appearing until the number of people that had multiple attributes numbered to twelve people. In short, every member of the ranger and magical girl squad were all multi-attributes users. It seemed all of us were told that every member of our circle could use multiple attributes. However, as for what attributes we possessed, well, it was kept as everyone¡¯s personal secret. Which was very good. After all, it was better to avoid trouble~. Still, I heard that the temple seemed to be in an uproar because of this event ¨C seeing so many multi-attributes users appearing all at once. From what I heard, a person having one attribute was the norm here, and while multi-attributes users didn¡¯t seem to be rare either, the fact that so many appeared at the same time was a problem. Well, that was beside the point, I was more concerned with another thing. All of us had a huge magical power reserve, but why was Katrina, who was also a multi-attributes user like us, said that she was under the weather after the attribute ceremony? I meant, only the people outside our group said that they felt under the weather after the appraisal ¨C though this seemed to be caused by the majority pouring every bit of their magical power during the appraisal ceremony instead of controlling the output, so nothing to be surprised over ¨C ergo, her claim was confusing. Anyway, I also overheard that Bishop Cobalt said ¡ºSuccess¡» at the end. So, it seemed that the matter of him muttering ¡¸ It¡¯s boring when none of them feels under weather like this¡¹ wasn¡¯t just my imagination. Perhaps this was the reason why he warned us before the ceremony? In any case, he was indeed a black-bellied person. CH 53 53 Magic is Lite Version of Cheat When we returned from the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, we found Wendy and Chester already waiting for our arrival at the door. ¡°Congratulations for being able to use magic, dear brother. Please allow us to see your spell.¡± ¡°Cong, rachulacion, ig broche~r. Pwease show us.¡± Hearing my two younger siblings¡¯ pleas to me and seeing their gleaming eyes, Father stopped walking and smiled kindly at them. ¡°Children, your big brother is still exhausted from his ceremony. That¡¯s why let him rest for now.¡± ¡°Then, will he show us his magic tomorrow?¡± I actually wanted to fulfill their request and let them see it, especially Wendy since she seemed to want to see my magic at all cost. However, my father looked at me and signaled that I should let him handle this situation, so I kept my mouth shut. ¡°That will depend on Theodore¡¯s physical condition. However, Wendy and Chester may not be able to use magic if you see Theodore¡¯s magic.¡± ¡°Eeh, is that true, Father?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a saying that you may not be able to use magic if you see it before you go through your own Magic Unsealing Ceremony. I feel bad for causing the two of you to be unable to use magic in the future, but since you really want to see it now, I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± ¡°Is Father really speaking the truth, Mother?¡± Mother nodded her head gently, affirming Father¡¯s words, when Wendy turned to look at her with a troubled expression on her face. ¡°Yes, it is true. Mother will be really sad if Wendy can¡¯t use magic, that¡¯s why Mother wants you to stop, but if you insist¡­¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to see magic anymore! My apologies for asking such an unreasonable request to you, Big Brother. C¡¯mon Chester, you apologize too. You don¡¯t want to be unable to use magic in the future, right?!¡± Wendy persuaded Chester, who had yet to understand the situation. The little guy looked a little reluctant at first since he was really eager to see magic with his eyes, but he finally agreed after knowing that he might just be unable to use it if he continued insisting. ¡°Pwease let me, to see it, once I¡¯m growing up, big bwother.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll show you as much magic as you want once you have completed your Magic Unsealing Ceremony. It¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°Ai, it¡¯s a pwomise.¡± ¡°S-So sly. Me too, please show me your magic after I go through the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, Dear Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll show you when the time comes.¡± Thus, Wendy and Chester were finally convinced before they were guided back to their own room by their wet nurses. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°But¡­ this is the first time I heard about that story, about someone being unable to use magic if they see it before the Magic Unsealing Ceremony.¡± I tried asking Father, having never heard of this matter before. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lie after all.¡± My father said, readily admitting his lies. I looked at him, confused when he continued explaining, ¡°I¡¯ve never told you this since you¡¯re such a good child. However, this method is actually used in every household, including the commoner ones. Moreover¡­ it¡¯s not completely a lie either.¡± He then told me that there was a case in which children who saw magic before the Magic Unsealing Ceremony couldn¡¯t be appraised, nor could they release their magical power during the ceremony. He also told me that it was an ancient folk tale, so the credibility was low. Still, it didn¡¯t mean we could ignore it either. ¡°As for why the magical power can¡¯t be appraised¡­ Well, it might simply be because the person in the story doesn¡¯t have that much magical power¨D¨D But, it also said that they can at least use the magic tools for daily life. And I have no idea where the story comes from, but there¡¯s indeed cases where someone is unable to manifest their magical power. In normal situations, people with that kind of condition might be regarded by others as those who saw magic before the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, but that¡¯s only one of the possibilities.¡± My father looked at me with a troubled look on his face and said, ¡°Nevertheless, I still feel guilty for telling such lies to Wendy and Chester. Still¡­ I have to bear with it for their own sake.¡± In short, it¡¯s something akin to superstition. Oh, well, since that¡¯s the case¡­ I guess I have no choice but to follow it since it may not be a superstition at all. Still¡­ ¡°I wanted to show them my magic, though.¡± ¡°Sorry about that, but I¡¯ve no choice since you¡¯ll easily give in to your little sister and brother. Anyway, please keep this secret until their time comes.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ apologies?¡± I looked at my mother, who was laughing after apologizing, with a strange expression. It was bizarre. ¡°Well then, Theodore¡­ I know that you¡¯re exhausted, but can you accompany me for a while?¡± Father said as he took me along. The place we went to was the training ground. By the way, this place ¨C whose size was around the gymnasium¡¯s size ¨C was the place where Kevin and his subordinates did their daily training. However, currently, there was no one using this place. It seemed that this place had been cleared out of people in advance. Furthermore, when we arrived, my father even ordered both Kevin and Richard to leave the two of us alone for a while. Thus, in the end, there was only my father and I in this place. ¡°We¡¯re about to start. Rest assured, it is just a little test to gauge your ability in using magic.¡± After saying that, my father frew a circle with his feet. ¡°Well then, Theodore, you still remember the sensation of drawing your magical power out, right? Now, divide it by attribute and pour the earth attribute into this circle¨D¨D Like this.¡± At this moment, I could see the flow of magical power coming from my father and was stunned. Uwaa, so this is what someone else¡¯s magical power looks like. The yellow colored aura that came out from my father¡¯s finger was moving into the soil within the circle, manipulating it. And the most surprising fact of all, there was no aria or chanting, though everyone seemed to be able to do that too¡­ Anyway, my father caused the soil to rise slowly, and formed the figure of a little snowman¨D¨D only this one was made of earth. ¡°Now, you try. The shape is up to you, but be mindful of your mana reserve and make sure to not overdo it to the point you use up all your mana.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I saluted, looking at the ground that had already returned to its normal state. I had been waiting for this for practically forever, still¡­ What should I make now? Uhm, nothing came to mind¡­ no inspiration bursting forth, oh, but speaking of earth.. It could only mean THAT, right? Nice! Gleefully, I clapped my hand and placed it on the ground around the circle. Feeling my magical power flow, I let it drifted out of my fingers, and created a wall. It was one meter tall, seventeen centimeters wide, and around ten centimeters thick. Of course, I could make a bigger and thicker one, but I didn¡¯t do so to save my mana. ¡°¡­ So, what is this, Theodore?¡± ¡°Like how it looks, it¡¯s a wall¡­ right? It¡¯s a bit larger than the one in my imagination though.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then, why did you clap your hands before you made this?¡± ¡°Is it a taboo?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him that I was mimicking the movement of a certain alchemist, could I? Ergo, I could only ask him that way. Incidentally, when I was still a young child in my previous life, I discovered a manhole¡¯s lid for the first time and used it to act like that certain alchemist. But then, the uncle who was walking behind me stumbled and fell since I suddenly squatted in front of him, causing him to be apoplectic with rage. Even now, I still couldn¡¯t forget his angry face back then, especially since I ended up angering my mother in that life too. As such, I realized that I shouldn¡¯t do that again in the middle of the road. Anyway, that was neither here nor there. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Can you do that once again?¡± ¡°I can, but why?¡± ¡°You do realize that you need to clap your hands, right? Listen here, Theodore. Under normal situations, there¡¯s no need to do something that will allow someone else to realize that you¡¯re going to use your magic, alright? There¡¯s a reason why you¡¯re taught to feel the flow of your magical power after all.¡± By ¡®normal situations¡¯¡­ is he referring to the case when I will have to fight against enemies? So that¡¯s why aria and chant don¡¯t exist as well, huh¡­ ¡°Umm, can you use magic without having to chant aria too, Father?¡± ¡°Hahaha, things like arias or chants only exist in legends. I mean, look, you literally become a sitting duck by doing so. Besides, people who can use such a grandiose magic that need arias and chants aren¡¯t that stupid either¨D¨D With some exception. Anyhow, let¡¯s try again, and this time let your imagination do their job.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Uwaa, now that I know that magic doesn¡¯t require me to do some specific action or chanting, I feel nervous instead. Matching the timing with my magical power was a tough challenge. But then, I successfully conjured a wall. ¡°Hmm, could it be that the efficiency is much better when you clap your hands? Oh well, I guess you get the gist of it now. And it seems you also have a large amount of mana reserve too. Though you do have a bit of a problem with your manifestation method. Considering all these, I¡¯ll try to find you a teacher based on that. Anyway, sorry for making you accompany me despite your fatigue, but we still need to continue for a while longer.¡± Since I still had some mana, my father continued to test my fire, water, and wind attributes. My fire attribute went out from the tip of my finger, then vanished ten seconds later. As for my water attribute, it was able to produce around two or three water droplets before nothing could come out. And my wind attribute was strong enough to move my hair. However, as expected, none of them was as strong as my earth attribute. ¡°Brilliant, to think that you can already do that much¡­ Back when I was your age, all I could do was to create tiny pebbles¡­¡± Eh¡­ when you speak that way¡­ my magic suddenly feels kinda like the lite version of a cheat. ¡°Can I do better with more training?¡± "" ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Hearing that, I smiled as brightly as the sun, feeling utter happiness upon receiving my father¡¯s recognition. Yosh, let¡¯s do our best~. CH 54 54 The Manifestation is a Secret ¡°Well, you¡¯re already quite skilled with magic for your age, and you have manifested many gems too.¡± Attribute appraisal could actually produce such gems¡­ Wait, I may be able to produce more if I try my best! And if I do this, I may be able to offer more help to Father¡­ I immediately conveyed my thoughts to my father and saw him smiling happily when he heard this. ¡°You¡¯re right. Well then, shall we try to do that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I tried to recall the feeling during the attribute appraisal, after which, I released my magical power. I had wished for at the very least a gold nugget to appear. Yet, nothing of such appeared. In fact, the soil only moved lightly. Uh, did I lack focus? I pondered to myself, then decided. Alright, perhaps a different approach will work. Now, let¡¯s clap my hands and see the effect. However, when I did so, all I managed to do was to create¡­ a bowling ball sized lump of earth. ¡°Eh¡­ That¡¯s strange¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu, it¡¯s only natural that you can¡¯t do that. After all, the phenomenon that happened during the attribute appraisal is all due to that disk. Thus, even a child with a small amount of mana can create gems if they have earth attribute, ice if they have water attribute, flame if they have fire attribute, and a small tornado in case of wind attribute, a ball of light for light attribute, and coiling mist for darkness attribute.¡± So, based on what Father was saying¡­ That black disk was a truly rare thing and is not for sale. Tch, what a disappointment. I thought we wouldn¡¯t be troubled by money. Father seemed to sense my thoughts, for he chuckled and said, ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s no such convenient matter. But still, to be able to produce a gem itself is already amazing enough. In my case, it¡¯s brass.¡± Hee, so what appears depends on the person, huh. I suppose that also shows the difference in basic abilities. ¡°Eh, wait a minute, doesn¡¯t that mean that this phenomenon doesn¡¯t happen in any other attribute manifestation?¡± ¡°Correct. Perhaps it¡¯s decided by the size, but I¡¯m not sure since the temple doesn¡¯t announce the result of appraisal either. Hence, we can only rely on our guess.¡± ¡°Still¡­ I wish that the temple will give us a proper explanation in this regard.¡± Understanding my own power was important after all, and that¡¯s why I wish that I could learn the fundamentals. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a tough problem since you can say that this matter is related to the honor of the house. Look, it¡¯s not like people don¡¯t want to know the exact result of the appraisal, but¡­¡± Father stopped talking at that point and brushed my head gently as he continued, ¡°Anyhow, the fact that you have four attributes is already amazing enough. However, some people may end up envying you for this. As such, you have to be very careful. Do not boast about this matter carelessly, understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand, Father.¡± ¡°By the way, Theodore, what are you going to do with those gems? Are you going to leave it as it is? If you want to manufacture it into something more useful, I suggest you invite a veteran and tough craftsman to do it for you.¡± Father also mentioned that normally, in the case of earth attributes, the materialized gems or metals were turned into an amulet that would be given as a present to the person they love. ¡°What about yours, Father?¡± ¡°Well, since mine is brass, I made it into a pedestal for brooch. As I engraved our family crest on it, you¡¯ll inherit it from me when I die.¡± Father said before he showed the brooch fixed on his collar. ¡°See this? This is also something that was created from earth attributes of our elder generation. This is how we passed the baton to the next generation. Some look like ordinary stone on the roadside, but it¡¯s still useful after proper manufacturing. You can say that this is what makes earth attribute so enviable. It can be passed down to our descendants since it is in material form.¡± My father then smiled wryly at me. ¡°In your case, you can manufacture all the gems separately or combine it in one design. Well, I suppose you can also leave the gems as it is. Anyhow, just tell me what you want to do with those gems when you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll make the arrangement for you immediately.¡± Since that was the case, then I knew what I wanted to do with them. It¡¯s decided. It can only be for that, right? I smiled and said, ¡°I want to manufacture them and give them to Muriel as a present. Can I do that?¡± I mean¡­ Father himself has personally said that it can be manufactured into an amulet for your loved ones¡¯ present. So, I want to give it to Muriel as some sort of commemoration. ¡°Is that so? You really love Miss Muriel, eh¡­¡± For some reason, my father looked slightly dumbfounded when he said that, and I pouted. How could you say that when you¡¯re head over heels for Mama, Papa? ¡°Well, there¡¯s no problem with your idea, but¡­ it¡¯ll be problematic if you give an extremely precious gem as a gift without special occasion. But I guess you can use that as the present for your engagement ceremony.¡± I see¡­ Thank goodness. ¡°However, don¡¯t give all of your gems to her. You still have to prevent people from knowing all your attributes after all. The gold one is okay, and I suppose another one is alright too, but that should be the limit of it. Alright?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Well, then, which gems should I use now I wonder¡­ Muriel¡¯s image is blue¡­ or perhaps it is green? Alright, it¡¯s decided, let¡¯s go with the emerald one. So, since Father allowed gold to be known, let¡¯s split the gold one in half. I¡¯ll give Muriel the gold and emerald gems, while leaving the sapphire, ruby, and the other half of the gold for myself. I nodded my head before telling the plan to my father, who immediately agreed when he heard it. ¡°The craftsman may come tomorrow. That person should be able to come up with several nice designs after you consult him.¡± Oh, yeah, design¡­ Thanks a lot for the design. Anyhow, let¡¯s split the gold gem now¡­ I placed the golden sphere on the palm of my hand and imagined it splitting into two. Thereupon, a beautiful split formed right in the middle of the golden sphere. However, I also found a transparent gem in the cross section. ¡­ Eh? I tilted my head and took the gem out. It looked like a round crystal, and it was even smaller than the emerald gem. I immediately thought of something and hurriedly focused my consciousness to the flow of my magical power. It turned out that the yellow part of my magical power took it out along with it since the poor thing couldn¡¯t move as freely as the others. Good job, yellow one, the white one is out now thanks to you (XP). Hmm, the white one turned out to be the shy guy¡­ wait¡­ why do you guys have emotions? ¡°Dad, this¡­¡± I looked up and found my father had this certain distant look on his face that caused me to scratch my hair. Aah, okay, I understand. ¡°¡­ Maybe we have to hide the crystal.¡± See~. Still, seriously, just what in the world was this? The magical power of this world was too uninhibited. Perhaps I had to raise my mastery of sorcery first so I could build a proper communication channel with them¡­ ¡°¡­ Maybe your magical power is special¡­¡± Father muttered, not sounding sure. It seemed that it was common knowledge that magical power had no will on its own, but mine¡­ At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about my abnormally emotional magical power. "" After all, my father even told me to speak to him as soon as I felt something was wrong with my condition. Well, not like I had a choice but to agree since this phenomenon was different from the norm. Especially since I personally had no idea about the norm thanks to my lack of knowledge over magic. I guess I had to rely on my father in this regard. ¡ó The craftsman really did come the next day, and after a series of discussions, we decided to make a pendant. Of course, I only agreed after I heard that I could engrave words of love on the pendant that would be given as present. What was carved in the bottom of the top of the pendant I decided for Muriel imitated the words my ancestor wrote for the saint. It was ¡®I, Theodore, offer my true love to my beloved, Muriel¡¯ in a small and neat characters¡¯ string. Naturally, I wrote it in the language of this world, not in Japanese. As for the accessories meant for me, it was simpler. I only wrote ¡®Theodore & Muriel¡¯ on it. Although it was embarrassing, let¡¯s just endure it since it was the gift for our engagement ceremony. ¡­ And don¡¯t say that my feeling was heavy. I did realize it was a little bit too much, okay? Still¡­ that much should be okay, right? CH 55 55 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 5 Ever since the study group started, the rival daughters have been getting along very well with one another. As for the boys, well, they still looked awkward together. However, things were much better after Theodore greeted everyone; albeit he was still being ignored by most of them, the situation was much better than before. The most notable change was Elliot, who was clearly delighted when he found out that he could now speak with his big brother, though Elliot still looked like he was perpetually in a bad mood even then. However, I knew that he was delighted inside. After all, the least he should do, if he wants to hide his delight is to conceal his loosened smile first. Oh my God, this kid does look adorable like that, doesn¡¯t he? But, no matter how endearing he was, I still didn¡¯t feel like getting along with him more than necessary since he was still a pain in the *ss. However, there was still our engagement to consider. Since I couldn¡¯t rely on Heroine-chan, what should I do to break our engagement? I mean¡­ I was still his fiancee right now. Furthermore, he was also still acting cold toward Theodore. Despite concealing it in recent times, there was a time that it was very obvious; when a rumour about Elliot that had been going around since a member of the demon race was captured three years ago. And perhaps, that rumour was the reason why sometimes he looked at Theodore as if the latter was his parent¡¯s enemy. Then again, it might be due to him trying to achieve the goal that was imposed on him by Her Majesty the Queen, and His Majesty the King. He might be trying to answer their expectation, but his effort had yet to bear fruit, causing him to look almost like he wanted to hit Theodore with how irritated he looked when he saw him (Theodore). I could actually give him some advice in this regard, but¡­ our relationship honestly wasn¡¯t good enough for him to allow me to do that. Gosh, things may be better if I actually speak to him properly during our childhood, but¡­ at that time I thought I shouldn¡¯t do something that might put Heroine-chan in trouble¡­ Anyway, speaking of this, Elliot seemed like he didn¡¯t wish to involve me in this matter. I mean, he always avoided giving me an answer whenever I tried asking him about the reason why he kept trying to do his best. If it was in the game, he would say ¡®I¡¯m not being recognized even though I had done my best.¡¯. However, I knew that this place was slightly different from the game. Because the reason he was making efforts was different from the game. Still, it always felt like Katrina (me) had no qualification to listen to his worries. I honestly don¡¯t care about such things, and would even force him to spit his worries out to me, yet¡­ I couldn¡¯t take that final step when I saw the expression in Elliot¡¯s eyes that practically scream ¡®Don¡¯t talk to me¡¯. Then, as if telling me that the rumours; that spread along with the captured demon race; about the revival of the Saint and Six Gods were true, the eyes of the adults looking at us had clearly changed. It was as if they were expecting something from us. ¡­ Wait, was it possible that he was actually worried about that? Really? Elliot was a descendant of Serendiaz, one of the Six Gods, and Saint Selendia. Furthermore, in the game, there would be an awakening event as well. Although since the difficulties degree of capturing Elliot was quite high, causing me to always put off his awakening event for the end game, that just showed how powerful he was. So, truly, there was no need to worry about this matter. Anyway, currently, it was not a big deal for them to not have such power. After all, the capture targets already had high specs to begin with. But¡­ should I really let things go as it is? I mean, he could actually take it easy¡­ No one would actually blame him for that¡­ Perhaps I should prepare his favourite pancake. As a reward for his perseverance. Still, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to lighten up a little bit¡­ And no, I didn¡¯t prepare this to hear about his worries. It was just what caring friends should do. Additionally, this pancake was really popular, and I quite like it too. After all, who wouldn¡¯t like a fluffy pancake garnished with fruits, a lot of whip creams and an ample amount of maple syrup on top? It was a literal deluxe edition pancake for God¡¯s sake. Plus, eating that would help ease Elliot¡¯s mood a little bit, so there¡¯s that too. ¡°Should we eat this with His Highness Frederick?¡± ¡°¡­ Big Brother might be busy with school right now. There¡¯s no way I can disturb him during such a busy time.¡± Although he said that, I honestly didn¡¯t think there would be a problem even if he asked his brother to spare some time to join us for an afternoon tea party¡­ In case it wasn¡¯t clear, let me explain. Right about this time, Frederick had already enrolled to the Elementary Division of Selendia Academy. It was a place where noble children who had turned 11 could join. And they would be studying for two years there to master their magic that had just been unlocked a year prior. Naturally, a normal young noble would have already received some private tutoring on how to control their magic before enrolling there, so they would definitely become a joke if they¡¯re still unable to control their magic by the time they entered. And this didn¡¯t preclude me. I would definitely become one if I was unable to do it, so I had to do my best to master my power during the private lessons. Although you might want to ask why then must we enter the academy, well, the reason was probably for us to learn together in a group and compete against each other. After all, from the adults¡¯ perspective, it was around this age where we began to discern from right to wrong. After elementary, we would enter the Junior-high Division for three years and then we would go to the Senior-high Division for another three years. Incidentally, the game started at the beginning of the Senior-high Division. That was the case for the nobles. Commoners, on the other hand, had to attend the public school in the temple when they turned seven years old. And after performing their Magic Unsealing Ceremony at the age of ten, they would learn how to control their magic for two years at the age of eleven years old and twelve. The majority of these children would then start working when they turned thirteen years old. A small number of them would advance to Junior-high or Senior-high though, so it wasn¡¯t all nobles. Anyway, Frederick was 12 years old this year, so this would be his last year in the Elementary Division. And he would attend the Junior-high Division next year, hence our chances to meet him was not high. ¡°Indeed. His Highness Frederick has to go back and forth to attend the Elementary Division¡­ You must be quite lonely since you have less chance to meet him.¡± Hmm, should I arrange a small afternoon tea party for the two of them to meet? In case Elliot couldn¡¯t endure the urge to meet his elder brother anymore? Just when I was wondering about that, Elliot suddenly made a displeased expression on his face. "" ¡°Is that how much you want to meet Big Brother?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah! Do you want to meet him too, Your Highness Elliot?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to meet him. At least not when you¡¯re there.¡± Whoah, stop glaring at me like that. I¡¯m innocent. Whoops, did he think I would disturb his relaxing moment with his big brother if I¡¯m there? ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I shall arrange a private tea party for you to meet His Highness Frederick.¡± ¡°Stop¡­ It¡¯s going to bother Big Brother.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so¡­ then, I shall drop this topic.¡± WHY?!?!?! Did he get irritated by something? Why is he glaring at me?! CH 56 56 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 6 Thus, days passed by as I spent almost every day observing Elliot¡¯s mood. But soon, the day for our own Magic Unsealing Ceremony had come. Naturally, it was a day that I had been waiting for. After all, it was the time we could finally use magic, something that didn¡¯t exist in my previous life at all. Therefore, it was only natural that I looked forward to this day. Anyway, once Bishop Cobalt was done delivering his speech and warning, the ceremony finally began. The magic circle carved on the stone stage below us then released faint lights. These lights rose and passed through us. At that moment, I felt as if some sort of switch in my body was flipped on. It was similar to the sound created when you open a door with a key. Though, honestly, I had no idea what had changed in my body after the light vanished since I felt the same as before. Meanwhile, without saying anything else, Bishop Cobalt immediately declared the start of our Attribute Appraisal Ceremony; all the while observing us with obvious amusement lining his face. Anyhow, the first in line to do the Appraisal Ceremony was Prince Elliot. Then, after a while, Elliot came out with a triumphant look on his face. It seemed he was satisfied with the result. And though he followed Bishop Cobalt¡¯s advice, it matters little to me since I already knew his result. He had five attributes with light as his main attribute. After light, he also had the fire, water, earth, and lastly wind attributes. By the way, I also knew Katrina¡¯s (Aka Me) attributes. I had six attributes with the dark attribute as my main one. Of course, this was only natural since I was Heroine-chan¡¯s main rival, so such high specs were only a matter of course. Anyway, after Elliot, my name was called. So, I stood up from my seat and entered the room. There, I saw that aside from Bishop Cobalt, my parents were also waiting for me. Looking at them right now, it almost felt like the parent-teacher meeting back in my past life. Well, then again, it WAS something akin to the meeting to decide the students¡¯ program during high school¡­ so perhaps there was that. Aside from them, I also noticed that on top of the table there was a black disk that all people who play the game should have already been familiar with. In the game, it would appear after you have inputted your blood type, birth date, and the name of the Heroine-chan in the beginning of the game. This data not only affected the affinity parameter with the capture targets, but also decide your best and worst affinity. Furthermore, the blood type and birth date inputted would also affect your character¡¯s main attribute. It was after all that was done would this black disk be shown in the game opening, displaying gorgeous CG of your character¡¯s assigned attributes. And since it was the Heroine we¡¯re talking about, it was obvious that the attribute that suited her most was the light attribute. Of course, it was also possible for her to gain dark attribute since it depended on the data we inputted, but the probability was low. Anyway, as the main rival, Katrina (Me) in the game had dark attribute as her (my) main attribute. However, I had never seen the appraisal result for the dark attribute appeared on my screen before. Well, then again, I used my own blood type and birth date¡­ so that was only natural. Hence why I had been looking forward to this day since I reincarnated; the debut of Katrina¡¯s dark attribute. So, when Bishop Cobalt asked me to place my hands on the black disk, I didn¡¯t hesitate. Placing my hands on top of the disk, I silently prayed while feeling my magical power flowing out from the tip of my fingers. In an instant, or perhaps after forever, I felt like my sight turned pure white with no colours at all. But then, moments later, I saw a beautiful rainbow bridge under the azure sky. Well, to be exact, it wasn¡¯t an actual rainbow coloured but the description seemed apt to use as there were multiple colours forming the bridge. There were red, yellow, green, blue, and black colours, all of which were shining brightly and beautifully nonetheless. Well, though it did surprise me that the black colour was also exuding a brilliant glow, in the end, it didn¡¯t exactly matter because it was a beautiful sight. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Now, please open your eyes.¡± Following Bishop Cobalt¡¯s instruction, I opened my eyes and saw prismatic light appearing on top of the disk. ¡­ Eh? For some reason, I got this feeling that the sight before me was something familiar to me. Very familiar. However, the representative of the dark attribute was supposed to be¡­ swirling mist, right? So, why did mine shine? ¡°¨D¨D As expected. The light of the six attributes.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, admiration suffusing his voice. ¡°Humph. That¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°Congratulation, Katrina. Still, do remember that no matter what you become in the future, you¡¯re still our adorable daughter. Please never forget that. And though there may be a lot of unreasonable trials waiting for you in the future, do not forget that we¡¯re always watching over you. Always.¡± After my dear father spoke, with a tone that implied he had already known this result somehow, my dear mother hugged me as she exhorted. Eh? Wait a minute, what does this mean? What happened to the storyline? ¡°Your main attribute is light. Although it can be said that your other attributes are similarly strong¡­ this is something that I saw for the first time ever in my entire life, so¨D¨D Well, this is something that is worth celebrating as the priest of the temple. The temple will definitely arrange bodyguards to protect you all the time.¡± Bishop Cobalt said before he bowed to me. After him, the other priests also did the same. B-But, w-wait a minute. What¡¯s happening here?! Can somebody tell me?! ¡°Uhm, my apologies, but¡­ I have no idea what¡¯s happening here. Are you saying that my main attribute is light?¡± ¡°Ah, right, my deepest apologies. It seems I ended up jumping the gun. Anyhow, the answer to your question is YES. Katrina-sama indeed has six attributes with the light attribute as her main attribute.¡± The moment I heard Bishop Cobalt¡¯s declaration, I felt like I was plunged into a dark hole. What¡¯s the meaning of this? Am I not supposed to have the dark attribute? Why did this happen? Wha-what in the world was happening here?! ¡°Katrina? Katrina! Are you okay, dear? You¡¯re as pale as the paper sheet! Ah, perhaps you overused your magical power during the appraisal? Let¡¯s go back immediately. My apologies, Bishop Cobalt, but we shall excuse ourselves now.¡± ¡°No- I¡¯ll be okay, Mother, really. I was just a bit surprised that I have six attributes. Moreover, I also has light attribute as my main attribute as well. That¡¯s all, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, please inform us as soon as possible if you feel unwell.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ and, uhm, Bishop Cobalt. Is my main attribute really the light attribute?¡± I tried to confirm it for the last time since there¡¯s a chance that I might have just misheard it. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. What else should I call it when it shines this brightly? Truly, as what I expected from Saint-sama.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Wait a minute. What did he say just now? Saint? ¡­ Me? He¡¯s calling me the SAINT?! ¡°I-I¡¯m not the saint.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. I want you to rescind your remark just now, Bishop Cobalt. My daughter is still just ten years old. She hasn¡¯t even received the oracle.¡± My father said as he brushed my head with his big hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shall withdraw my careless remark. Sure enough, she¡¯s still a normal girl right now. Will you forgive me for my excessive remark, Miss Katrina?¡± What do you mean by ¡®still ten years old¡¯ and ¡®still a normal girl¡¯?! I¡¯m a villainess for God¡¯s sake!!! Was what I wanted to tell them, but there¡¯s no way I could voice these out after Bishop Cobalt bowed to me. ¡°Please raise your head, Bishop! It really isn¡¯t a big deal at all. I-I was just¡­ surprised. I should be the one to apologize for causing this misunderstanding. However, I¡¯m serious when I say that I really am not the saint.¡± I told them that truthfully, yet Bishop Cobalt and the other priests only smiled when they heard my words. What the hell is up with those ¡®We understand, we know what you mean¡¯-likes smile on their face?! You guys are seriously mistaken about this, alright?! I am telling the truth here!!! ¡­ This is bad. Seriously bad. Does this mean that I¡¯m digging my own grave? Do I have no choice but to proceed in accordance with the game scenario? Where the Villainess Katrina would act as the saint when the real saint AKA Heroine-chan would appear then disclose Katrina¡¯s evil deeds before judging her as the real saint just like the scenario in the game?! Is this what they refer to as ¡®Scenario Compelling Force¡¯?! No way¡­ even though I had done my very best to survive¡­ This is just too much¡­ With my mind submerged in dark thoughts, I somehow returned to my seat. However, my worsened complexion was obvious to everyone to the point it made even Elliot worry about me. Sorry, and thank you, Elliot. I shall accept your kind offer and leave this place earlier. However¡­ what should I do now to avoid the death penalty? What should I do to fight the Scenario Compelling Force? Someone, please tell me. Help¡­ CH 57 57 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 7 In the afternoon, the day after the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, Elliot came for a visit with Black (Rex) and the others like a bolt in the blue. As they had sent a message that told me they would come in the afternoon, everything had been prepared to welcome them. However, I still hardly believe this turn of events. I meant, Elliot had never ¨C not even once ¨C worried about me. So, his visit this time was unprecedented. Plus, the first thing he said upon entering the parlour room was, ¡°How¡¯s your condition? Getting any better?¡± with a worried tone. What was happening here?! Still, despite feeling something was amiss, I felt delighted to know that he was worried about me. So¡­ ¡°My deepest gratitude for visiting me while I was sick. Please let me apologise for making everyone worried about me as well.¡± I expressed my gratitude to Black (Rex), Blue (Simeon), and Red (Vince), the three who came with Elliot for this visit. At the same time, I also apologise since I did trouble them with my condition after the ceremony. ¡°I see.¡± After that, we fell silent. Yeah, this always happened every time we met. We simply had no topic in common that we could converse about. That¡¯s why, usually, I would have already prepared a topic to break the ice before we met. However, on this occasion, I didn¡¯t prepare anything. Thus, the silence that fell between us. In this silence, everyone went to sit in their seats while the maid prepared the tea and assortments before they left, leaving me with only my wet nurse, Meriel. To be honest, the reason I created the study group was so that we could have a proper and honest conversation with one another. One that hopefully would extend even outside the study group. ¡°Well, thank goodness that you are in good health now. I mean, just what happened in that appraisal room?¡± Rex, who realised that I had not prepare any topic for this sudden visit, took the burden to break the ice. Seeing this, I realised that though he always gave an impression of being an emotional person, he was a man who could do it if he was willing to just try. Still, I felt quite silly for just realising this now. After all, as the son of Prime Minister Blackcurrant, he was carrying the hope of those around him to become a proper right-handman to Elliot in the future. How could he not be eloquent with his speech? Even in the game, his image as an intellectual vice president was there, complementing Elliot. And despite only being ten years old right now, I saw that his talent had almost blossomed, though there were still many occasions where his composure slipped. It was especially so whenever he saw Theodore¡¯s idiotic conduct and speech. At those times, the number of times I saw blue vein popping out on his forehead was numerous. Then again, that might be the reason why he got that wise man-like aptitude about him. Yeah, there was no mistake about it. Even in the game, he was the capture target who would often scold Heroine-chan¡¯s speech and conduct. Although I was sure of this theory, I still had this little feeling that tell me something was off. Well, I had to put that matter aside for now, though, since there were guests. After all, right now, the honest to a fault Rex was conducting himself appropriately in front of me, the Duke¡¯s daughter. It would be remiss of me to not respond. However, before I could do so. ¡°Yeah, your face is as pale as the paper back then. Rather than that, why are you still alive now?¡± ¡°Simeon!¡± Rex rebuked Blue (Simeon) while I sweatdropped inwardly. Yup, his tongue is as barbed as ever. In the game, Simeon¡¯s setting was a gentle-looking young man. Alas, his appearance and his mouth were as different as heaven and heart. He never stopped spewing barbed remarks whenever he talked, in-game or otherwise. Truly, with that barbed tongue, I wouldn¡¯t have expected that he was the son of the gentle Bishop Cobalt. Still, considering his angel-like appearance, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a waste. Then again, I hated Simeon, just like the Katrina in the game that hated him. And talking with him face-to-face only made me realize that I really couldn¡¯t bring myself to like him. ¡°Look, you¡¯re making that expression again. The look of someone who dislikes me. Since that¡¯s the case, shall I gouge your eyes so you won¡¯t see me again, or shall I just crush it all together?¡± ¡°SIMEON! THAT¡¯S ENOUGH! YOU WENT TOO FAR!¡± Rex screamed, ending up covering Simeon¡¯s mouth. ¡°Rex-sama, please stop such improper conduct. That¡¯ll only hurt Simeon-sama. And my apologies, Simeon-sama. Can you at least tell me the reason why you¡¯re so displeased with me? Because not even I can guess the reason for that.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to know the reason?¡± ¡°Yes, by all means.¡± A smile then bloomed on Simeon¡¯s face. ¡°Everything.¡± This fu*cking brat¡­ Okay, I give up. This brat is just that kind of person! I huffed inwardly. But still, anyone would be hurt if you said it straight to their faces. Good grief, I really hate this brat after all. Then again, even in the game, this brat was an extremely troublesome character whose affection is hard to raise. He was also the most rebellious character amongst the capture target. ¡°Please don¡¯t mind him, Miss Katrina. He has this tendency to bark at anyone who displeases him, including girls. There¡¯s no need to fret over his remark.¡± Red (Vince), who up till now was listening in silence, glared at Simeon. Vince, who wanted to become a knight, naturally couldn¡¯t just overlook such transgression. As for who Vince was, well, his appearance resembled the typical refreshing sportsman you saw in middle school. Of course, complete with a sport-like attitude too. And perhaps, because he had already undergone the necessary training to become a knight, he was a step ahead of his peers in terms of maturity. Really, his honest and straightforward personality was the exact opposite of Simeon¡¯s personality. And yet, these two got along really well. How mysterious. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The fact that this guy is spitting such a barbed remark is the proof of the favorability he holds towards someone.¡± ¡°Hah? What kind of misunderstanding is this? I¡¯m not joking when I say I hate her.¡± ¡°You really should learn how to be honest to yourself a little bit.¡± Is that so? I wondered as I felt that his twisted way of speaking right now seemed to be a little different from the game. What I felt from the current Simeon seemed to be pure disgust. Sharp and barbed. I did wonder why though since I didn¡¯t think I did something that would make him hate me. ¡°Whatever. It seems the person herself doesn¡¯t realize it. Since that¡¯s the case, nothing can be done about it.¡± Eh, what? However, for some reason, Simeon simply shrugged his shoulder as if saying ¡®Good grief¡¯. What did he mean by ¡®Nothing can be done¡¯? Is there something I¡¯m supposed to get but don¡¯t? ¡°Anyhow, you seem to be as energetic as usual. So, this means that you can participate in the study group.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the initiator, after all. I can¡¯t just be absent for no reason.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. In fact, I¡¯m thinking of calling a teacher to teach us practical magic after our unsealing ceremony. And when I consulted Luke about this matter, he said that he knows an appropriate teacher for this matter. Furthermore, it seems he has already invited said person to teach us. At least, that¡¯s what we found out when we came to visit this time. Anyway, currently, Luke is visiting said tutor before coming over.¡± ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m looking forward to meeting the person then. I wonder what kind of person the teacher is.¡± ¡°According to Luke, an oddball,¡± Elliot muttered when he heard my words. Ah, so, our new teacher may be that person. The one Luke respected the most¡­ so, if I¡¯m not wrong, it should be Bates-san, Oriana¡¯s uncle. Whew, I¡¯m really glad he survived that assassination attempt. I thought, feeling glad that the event was straying away from the scenario I knew. Boundless relief surged within me at this knowledge since it was proof that I could change the future. That meant, I did not need to wait around for my death to come. ¡°An oddball, eh¡­ he should be a rare magic tool researcher, right? Sounds to me he¡¯s a great person though.¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re doing that again.¡± Simeon cut in. ¡°Although His Highness Elliot only said ¡®Oddball¡¯, you immediately know who he¡¯s referring to. How did you know that?¡± ¡­ AH! Dammit, my game knowledge backfired on me. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ve met him in person a while ago after all¡­¡± ¡°Enough. This is why I hate you. Especially that expression that looks like you know everything. I don¡¯t care about you being the saint or whatever, but I can¡¯t stand that attitude of yours.¡± ¡°I-I have no intention to do that, though. Still, I apologise if you feel unpleasant because of that.¡± ¡°SIMEON! YOU WENT TOO FAR!¡± ¡°Calm down, Rex. I know that all of us feel the same way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s the saint. Furthermore, even without that, you really went too far just now. Apologise at once.¡± WAIT A MINUTE!!! SINCE WHEN DID I BECOME THE SAINT?! HOW DID THE TOPIC GO IN THIS UNEXPECTED DIRECTION AGAIN?! While I was fretting, Vince just looked at Simeon and Rex who were glaring at each other silently. On the other hand, Elliot didn¡¯t seem to be interested in this matter. Instead, he simply drank his tea elegantly, all the while ignoring everything that was going on. ¡­ Uwa~, I really want to punch his face right now. ¡°A-Anyhow, everyone, please calm down first. How about a second helping of tea?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m going back.¡± "" ¡°Then go.¡± Wait a fricking minute~! Please don¡¯t go back with this kind of mood! I screamed in my heart. Alas, my heartfelt scream failed to reach the blue basta*rd as he went to the door. At that moment, another one-hell-of-normies-pair entered the scene. ¡°How do you do, Katrina-sama~? We¡¯re coming to visi~t.¡± Yes, the one who came in was Theodore, accompanied by a dolled-up Muriel. ¡­ No way¡­ another source of headache¡­ CH 58 58 Class Meeting Doesn¡¯t Reach A Conclusion ¡°How do you do, Katrina-sama~? We¡¯re coming to visi~t.¡± I greeted cheerfully after being guided by a maid toward the parlour room. However, when I took in the sight that greeted me, I instantly regretted my thoughtless action because everyone in the room was glaring toward me at once. No, wait a minute, what¡¯s with this horrible atmosphere? Is it my fault? Eh¡­ I suppose, yeah, it must be my fault. Concluding as such, I silently closed the door again and turned around. However¡­ ¡°Why are you leaving, Theodore-sama?¡± Muriel, who was standing by my side, asked with a tilted head. Cute, but¡­ like hell, I would bring such an innocent girl to meet those wild beasts, who had already bared their fangs toward each other at that. This adorable cutie pie will surely be preyed on by those beasts if I do. That absolutely couldn¡¯t happen. No way. It was my duty to protect Muriel, after all! ¡°Let¡¯s come another day, Muriel; they seem to be busy today.¡± Hearing my excuse, Muriel became confused and asked, ¡°Is something the matter? His Highness Elliot and the others are also visiting Katrina-sama, right? It¡¯s rude to leave without greeting everyone.¡± ¡°Ah, wait, Muriel!¡± Alas, when I tried to stop her, it was already too late. Muriel had opened the door to the beasts¡¯ den. Thus, when she saw the situation in the room¡­ she froze and her body turned rigid. A while later, she turned around, body trembling all over like a newborn calf. ¡°T-Theodore-samaa¡­¡± As expected, this spectacle was enough to bring her to tears. I raised my face, helpless, wondering what I should do to save her from this place. Yup, she really is scared. There, there. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re such a good child after all. You must not be discouraged by this, Muriel. I stroke her head gently. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Muriel. Let¡¯s take some time off today.¡± ¡°Y-Ye~sh. My apologies.¡± After patting her head, I took her hand and carefully walked toward the entrance of the beasts¡¯ den. ¡°What are you two doing? Just come in. The culprit is about to leave anyway.¡± Blue (Simeon), who was about to leave the room, looked at us with a dumbfounded expression on his face when he saw our caution. Furthermore, he also seemed to be pissed off for some reason. How rare. ¡°Culprit? Eh? Are you quarrelling with each other?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, see ya.¡± Simeon waved his hand belligerently, about to leave, but then I reflexively grabbed his hand. "" ¡°What the?¡± ¡°What happen? You¡¯re acting strange.¡± ¡°Nothing really. Not that I want to tell you about what happened between us. Besides, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m acting strange? What do you know about me to say that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you, but I can at least worry about your situation, right?¡± ¡°The heck. I don¡¯t need your compassion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sympathizing with you, and I had no idea about what happened before I arrived. But, for you to ditch first, leaving His Highness Elliot behind is definitely strange. It doesn¡¯t seem like something you¡¯d do.¡± Despite Simeon always maintaining a certain distance on Elliot¡¯s side, he had always accompanied the other. But unlike Black (Rex), who acted like Elliot¡¯s right-hand man and always stayed by the other¡¯s side, Simeon acted more like a cat who observed the situation around Elliot while maintaining a certain distance from him. Yet that very same person said that he would leave first. This was definitely not like his usual self. So, what happened to the always impudent him? ¡°Is that all? If so, then let go.¡± Truly, this atmosphere was the worst, yet Elliot was still sipping his tea as if this matter was none of his concern. At a glance, he looked like he usually do, but I was sure that his bad habit of ignoring his surrounding by isolating himself in that way had reared up. Although the reason why he had that bad habit might be due to his feeling of insecurity. Anyway, I didn¡¯t like it. The usual him who always showed his hostility to me was much better than the current him. Not only him, but Simeon was also not acting like his usual self, neglecting to monitor Elliot¡¯s mental state. ¡°¡­ This is why I hate you too.¡± Simeon said, glaring dagger at me. However, he then heaved a sigh of resignation, as if he had given up. He prepared to leave the room, but unfortunately for him, I leaned on the door and made it impossible for him to open it. ¡°Give it up. Everyone come here for a little discussion. That includes you, Simeon!¡± Rex declared, voice enraged. Perhaps he was pissed off due to the little farce we made in the door entrance. ¡ó ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason for this quarrel?¡± After offering some pleasantry to Katrina, I went straight to ask the main problem at hand. After all, Muriel was still trembling in fear, so I felt we had to know the source of trouble immediately. That way, we could hopefully resolve this and calm Muriel down. The last one was the most crucial point, of course. ¡°Why should I tell you about something that has nothing to do with you?¡± ¡°Good grief.¡± ¡°This was only natural.¡± These fu*ckers. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to tell me why, then fine, but you should stop scattering this dangerous air. Luke, Shelly, and the other girls are about to come you know? Can you at least be gentlemanly enough not to show this kind of atmosphere to them?¡± ¡°I understand¨D¨D Simeon. You have to apologize to Miss Katrina.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Although Rex was trying to disperse the dangerous atmosphere, Simeon flat out refused to follow along, causing the former¡¯s expression to flush red immediately in anger. ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re doing right now?!¡± ¡°I fully understand, but I won¡¯t yield right now. Besides, why should I apologize for something that she doesn¡¯t even know about?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t really care about it. That¡¯s why everyone should forget about this matter too.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t understand, huh. What a fo-¡± ¡°Simeon!¡± Katrina was trying to protect Simeon, who I felt was talking nonsense, but she ended up at a loss for words when Simeon made a fool out of her. Meanwhile, Rex was obviously at his limit in holding back his anger towards Simeon. Not good. ¡°No, I guess I get agist of what you want to say, Simeon. In short, she has no idea of what you¡¯re trying to say, right? In that case, if you¡¯re truly worried about His Highness Elliot and Miss Katrina, you have to say it loud and clear to her so she won¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Everyone¡¯s line of sight immediately focused on me when I interrupted the conversation. E-eh? W-What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something wrong? ¡°¡­ Why did things turn that way?¡± Simeon groaned with a vexed expression on his face. ¡°Eh? Do I misunderstand something here? Isn¡¯t he sulking because Miss Katrina has six attributes while he only has five attributes and you¡¯re concerned? Still, why make a fuss over something that we¡¯re born with? Shouldn¡¯t we ask Miss Katrina to comfort him instead?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s sulking?!¡± At that moment, Elliot, who had not shown any reaction so far, finally reacted by snarling at me. ¡°And what do you call that if not sulking? Then, Simeon, who is worried about your condition indirectly tried to give his advice to Miss Katrina.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t advice, it was a rash remark, tha-¡± I ignored Vince¡¯s muttering and continued speaking without waiting for him to finish his words, ¡°As a result, Rex and Vince, who are worried about Simeon had gone too far with his advice, tried to stop him. Right?¡± ¡°Wha¡ª Eh? Well, yeah. He¡¯s right.¡± Rex seemed to be trying to say something, but then stopped and simply agreed. Meanwhile, Simeon muttered ¡®I just got pissed off by reflex¡¯, as if he was admitting his defeat. ¡°And yet you did nothing at all. If this is not called sulking, then what is it? Please take a look at your retainers who¡¯s worried about you, will you?¡± ¡°What do you know about me anyway?!¡± ¡°I know nothing about you, nor do I want to. I mean, look, you never even said anything about your feelings. You always kept your dissatisfaction bottled inside without telling anyone. And even when you know it¡¯s not good, you did not even try to fix that problem. I know very well why you don¡¯t want to talk to me, but there are still many people around you whom you could share your worries with. Really, you should at least do that with your retainers, especially the ones in this place, right? They¡¯re your retainer, after all.¡± This might sound haughty coming from me, but Elliot really should learn how to rely on his retainers. I mean, all those bottled up feelings and problems of his would explode someday, especially if he never vent it out. Honestly, if he kept doing this, I could only imagine just how terrifying his outburst would be. And yet¡­ this seemed to be a far fetched dream, considering the current situation. Furthermore, what was the reason for their quarrel anyway? I ended up shifting the blame to Elliot, but should I really do that? While I was wondering, Simeon opened his mouth and sighed deeply. ¡°Haah¡­ you¡¯re way off the mark. The cause of this situation isn¡¯t His Highness Elliot, but me. I spewed rash remarks to Miss Katrina because I don¡¯t like her. I don¡¯t care whether she¡¯s the saint or whatever, but I really hate her ¡®I know it all¡¯ face that seems as if she isn¡¯t even seeing us. She also looks at you the same way too, so you should understand how I feel, right?¡± ¡°Nope. I do not understand at all.¡± In fact, I didn¡¯t even know she was looking at me in that way, though I did notice her sending a warm gaze when I was with Muriel. ¡°I do not care either. I mean, what¡¯s the use of caring about such things? It¡¯s not like we can read her thoughts either, so worrying about it is just a waste of time.¡± So Katrina might secretly look down on me in her heart, but what of it? The most important thing to me was the way she acted in front of me, and the fact that she had never tried to hurt me either. That¡¯s why I could say she was a trustworthy person. And that kind of Katrina, who could do that, was a good enough person in my opinion. Besides, in the first place, probing each others¡¯ minds was something akin to three days¡¯ meal for a noble, right? So, Katrina wasn¡¯t strange in the least in my opinion. Though doing such a thing was impossible for me considering my personality. Then again, I could counter them by training my fortitude and thick-headedness. So, there was no need for me to probe until I found out every single inch of someone else¡¯s mind. After all, my goal had never changed since young, which was to reach the level of my father¡¯s everlasting smile. On the other hand, Elliot was more concerning than Katrina in my opinion. His way of always keeping the dissatisfaction in his heart, without even trying to voice that out¡­ and worst of all, the way he didn¡¯t even try to do something about his surrounding. At this rate, I wondered whether Elliot truly understand for what reason we were placed around him¡­ His apathy was truly concerning. In fact, the only time I had ever seen his emotion was when I was chatting with Frederick. Really, even though Rex, Simeon, Vince, and Katrina was racking their brain to help him, always worrying about him, he still did not care at all. He didn¡¯t even try to understand just how much the other rangers were worrying about him! ¡°Anyway, the most important thing is what we want to do to the other party. Right, Muriel? What do you want?¡± ¡°H-HIYA! I-I wish that Theodore-sama will stay healthy so he can meet me. I-I also wish that everyone will get along with each other, a-and then¡­¡± Muriel got flustered when I suddenly shifted the conversation to her, but then she replied with a happy smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m also really happy to be able to meet a healthy and lively Muriel every day.¡± ¡°Theodore-sama¡­¡± I grabbed Muriel¡¯s hands as our gaze locked to each other. Geez, her sparkling gaze is just too adorable~. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m leaving. I won¡¯t participate in this farce anymore.¡± When Simeon stood up from his chair, Elliot also followed in silence. And as if they planned it beforehand, Rex and Vince did the same too. ¡°P-Please wait a minute. Shelly and the others have yet to come. Let¡¯s wait for a while longer¡­ Luke-sama will bring our new tutor with him too, right? That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°HIS HIGHNESS ELLIOT, MISS KATRINA, REJOICE! I BRING THE BEST TEACHER FOR US!¡± At this moment, Green (Luke) made his loud entrance at once without even trying to see the situation inside. Behind him stood an unmotivated Bates and Green Girl (Oriana), who looked thrilled for some reason. ¡°Oh my~, everyone seems to be in the middle of a LOVELY discussion. Are we allowed to participate~?¡± ¡°Spare me the trouble, please¡­¡± Bates, who seemed to understand the situation, was looking up at the ceiling. His whole being seemed to be emitting the atmosphere of just being done with the world. Yeah, I knew how you feel. This class meeting ain¡¯t successful at all. CH 59 59 Girls Are The Most Terrifying One Theodore ¡°Edward Elric¡± Goldberg === The atmosphere in the parlour room had descended into chaos. The air was frigid as if a snowstorm was passing by. ¡°Oh my~, so the reason for the quarrel is due to Simeon-sama and his a-bit-too radical opini~on.¡± The green girl (Oriana) spoke with a bone-chilling gaze as she looked toward Simeon. ¡°To think that Simeon-sama would say something like that¡­ how detestable. Absolutely unbefitting of someone who descent from one who serves Saint Selendia.¡± The blue girl (Sonia) heaved a sigh as she spoke. She was an ardent believer of the saint, thus always wearing white dresses similar to the one worn by the temple priest. Hence, she also didn¡¯t even hesitate to bring out Saint Selendia¡¯s name to praise someone worthy of her respect or otherwise. When she first came in after Luke and his group arrived, followed by the black girl (Shelly) who came along with the red girl (Ramona), they didn¡¯t know anything. Initially, they apologized for their tardiness, but then they noticed the atmosphere in the room was not right. So, the girls pursued the reason relentlessly. Thus, Simeon¡¯s fate of being chastised by the girls. That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t read it wrong. Those girls turned into literal relentless vipers who didn¡¯t take silence or denial as answers. Thus, the boys¡¯ who initially didn¡¯t say anything about it became unable to withstand the pressure, especially Vince and Rex, who ended up being the ones who told the girls about the quarrels. Strangely enough, throughout this relentless inquiry, Katrina didn¡¯t say anything from the start to the end. ¡°It seems you really lack the aptitude of a gentleman. No matter what you think, you should¡¯ve known that some remarks are better kept inside than voiced out. Your attitude will bring adverse effects to your father, Bishop Cobalt¡¯s, reputation. So, please act with that consideration in mind. The black girl (Shelly) declared, looking at Simeon with eyes that seemed to be saying she was looking at trash. Within an instant, the table was turned against them, and the culprits received harsh treatment from the girl. From this, it could be seen that even girls could stand toe-to-toe with boys when they deemed it appropriate. Honest. Upright. Relentless. Those were the only way to describe their words. ¡°Really, now. What kind of a man are you? Saying such a cruel remark right to the girl¡¯s face. Shall I make you as my next training dummy for the words you uttered?¡± The red girl¡¯s (Ramon) glare was very harsh, and her remark was also extremely hard, which shocked me. She was a cheerful girl. The most lively one in the group. However, it seemed that even she could not tolerate Simeon¡¯s attitude. Meanwhile, even with all those glares from the girls, Simeon was still sitting brazenly without fear on his face. Or at least that was how it looked towards everyone, but I knew that he in fact had no idea on how to cope with this situation. I mean, even I might end up crying if I was put in his shoes. ¡­ You knew, in elementary grade, girls were often overwhelming to the boys, especially at times like this, where they grouped together to denounce a rascal. It was akin to bullying, really. Thus, I knew that despite the brazen attitude he showed, he was in fact overwhelmed inside. As evident from the beads of sweat that appeared on his forehead, as well as the pleading eyes he directed towards us, asking us to help him get out of this situation. However, sorry dude, the rest of us could not help you. We had no choice but to only watch on from the corner of the room because we definitely did not want to be dragged in. ¡°Now, listen to me. This is your first lesson. See there? Retorting to the girls in this kind of situation is like pouring oil into fire. It¡¯s dangerous. So, don¡¯t. The only thing we can do in this kind of situation is to just wait on the side until the storm has passed. You¡¯ll only be shredded to pieces if you try to jump in recklessly. Worry not, we can still pick that boy¡¯s (Simeon¡¯s) bones later after the girls are done with him.¡± Bates advised us, voice as small as a mosquitoes. I wondered why, but was it because it came from his own personal experience that his advice felt like it struck my heart? Anyway, we had no choice but to nod at him. He was not wrong after all. ¡°E-Everyone, I think this is enough. Simeon-sama also admitted that he went a bit too far, and it¡¯s actually a piece of useful advice for me. So, let¡¯s not chastise him more than this.¡± Katrina said, braving that dangerous storm to send a lifeboat to Simeon. ¡°Y-Yes, t-that¡¯s right. Since Katrina-sama herself said so, it should be enough, right? S-Simeon-sama himself s-seems like he¡¯s reflecting on his wrongdoing, too. Right, Simeon-sama?¡± Muriel joined hand with Katrina, sending another lifeboat for Simeon. Albeit her voice trembled obviously doing this, still¡­ Kuh, you¡¯re so brave, Muriel! ¡°¡­ You. Really, you¡¯re spoiling Miss Muriel a bit too much.¡± Luke muttered, but I only looked at him without confusion. Naturally, there was nothing wrong with me praising my beloved Muriel, right? ¡°¡­ Yeah, I am reflecting on my action.¡± Simeon said through gritted teeth. However, despite his words, Simeon¡¯s expression clearly told everyone that he was definitely not reflecting at all. ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t understand, huh.¡± ¡°Even if you said you¡¯re reflecting on your action, don¡¯t you understand that we women have women¡¯s dignity? Even if she has forgiven you, that doesn¡¯t mean¡­¡± At this time, Katrina signalled to Shelly, stopping her from going too far. As such, she had no choice but to back down since Katrina herself did not want to blow up the matter. ¡°Ye~s. Causing a quarrel when visiting a sick person is improper inde~d. Simeon-sama has gone too far this time.¡± Oriana, who understood Katrina¡¯s intention, also backed down. However, she only did so after giving a bone-chilling ultimatum. And when I looked closer, I realized that Shelly was not satisfied with the conclusion. ¡°Katrina-sama and Muriel-sama are way too kind.¡± ¡°No. I mean, I am also at fault for this incident. Right, Simeon-sama?¡± Since things had come to this point, Simeon had no choice but to agree with Katrina and lowered his head to her. ¡°Well, we¡¯re all good then. I hope that something like this won¡¯t happen again in the future.¡± ¡°Ye~s. And I¡¯m sure that YOU, of all people, UNDERSTAND what is going to happen if you pull this kind of folly again, right, Simeon-sama? I do so hope that you¡¯ll be more careful with your choice of words next time, oka~y?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll watch over Simeon-sama properly this time.¡± I had no idea what exactly was implied in those girls¡¯ conversation, but Shelly did agree to end this amicably, though her expression still looked reluctant, and Oriana herself also went as far as threatening Simeon first before closing the matter. Anyway, after Sonia declared she would make sure Simeon wouldn¡¯t repeat the same folly, the incident end peacefully. So, I suppose there was no need to be concerned? Thank goodness. I was honestly scared shi*tless seeing those girls¡¯ wrath just now. Hence why it was good that this incident was resolved quickly, especially since I just got this feeling that the girls were about to do something terrifying to Simeon that might traumatize him for life. Anyway, Simeon who just returned to our group certainly looked like a certain legendary boxer in the manga that died after his final match. So, I couldn¡¯t help myself from blurting out, ¡°Rest in peace.¡± ¡°What the heck is that? I¡¯m offended you know.¡± I was offering you my compassion, though? WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU BEING OFFENDED FOR!! ¡ó Since the incident was finally resolved peacefully, we decided to go to the training ground to receive our first lecture from Bates. This guy had originally only planned to make a sick visit for Katrina, so he didn¡¯t actually prepare a lesson. Furthermore, he also didn¡¯t seem to be motivated to give us a lecture about magic. Still, he finally gave in after the relentless pressure from Luke and Oriana combined. But we had to do it on the training ground since he said he wasn¡¯t in the mood to give a lecture in the room. Thus, our decision to leave so as to refresh our mood as well. ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing wrong with showing off a bit of what your main attribute can do. Since this is just a lecture, I won¡¯t blame you even if you fail. Let¡¯s see¡­ Theodore. Let¡¯s start from you.¡± Bates pointed to me, looking as if giving out this lecture was troublesome. On the other hand, Luke, who seemed incredibly excited just now, ended up becoming disappointed when Bates called me first. When I came forward, Bates whispered to me, ¡°Listen to me, Theodore. I hear that every single one of you has a tremendous amount of mana. So, I¡¯m actually worried if all of you become too excited and gone all out until you¡¯re out of mana.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± So that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t appoint Luke to start first. ¡°Well, aside from that, you seem to have a really interesting technique. So, show it to me.¡± Geh. So Father had told him about my unique way of using magic, eh. Your job is way too fast, Papa. But, oh well, whatever. I took a deep breath and immersed myself in controlling my own mana. I guess everything had already been prepared for us beforehand, and this was a punishment game for cocky yellow (me). Anyway, Bates might be reliable, but I honestly didn¡¯t feel like going all out. So, I just clapped my hand and placed my palm on the ground, passing my mana into the ground and causing it to rise up to form a wall. At that moment, I heard someone stifling their laughter from the audience¡¯s direction, and when I turned around, I found that it was Katrina who was desperately trying to hide her lips. What¡¯s the matter? Is she okay? ¡°Katrina?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry about me. I was just a bit surprised¡­ I mean, it¡¯s such a big wall.¡± Katrina said, obviously flustered when Elliot asked her. But I had to wonder. Really, is that all? ¡°Indee~d. This is the first time I see such a huge wall conjured at once~.¡± ¡°Guh, indeed. But let me show you that there¡¯s always a sky above the sky.¡± Oriana muttered with a slightly vexed expression on her face. However, Luke immediately refuted as he came forward after me with a confident look. ¡°I see now. Well, the way you use magic is indeed unique, and I see no problem in execution too. Perhaps it is some sort of rite to enhance the manifestation of your magic. Strictly speaking though, it¡¯s amazing that the manifestation of your magic becomes so solid when all you did was clap your hands. The other way such as waving your cane, constructing a magic circle, or chanting aria to enhance the manifestation of magic are all regarded as the biggest weakness for magicians since the old days. It took too much time and it is unrealistic to use for live combat. But perhaps we could try to look at your rite as a way to solve those problems.¡± Bates¡¯ muttering was practically a monologue at this point. However, before I could react, I noticed that Muriel was propping up Katrina¡¯s shaking body. Furthermore, for some reason, Katrina was also muttering something about ¡®Please stop¡¯, ¡®That¡¯s¡­ too¡­ embarrassing.¡¯ and ¡®This is too funny.¡¯ when she heard Bates¡¯ monologue. One that made me wonder if she was really okay. CH 60 60 True Love to Whom? After I showcased my magic, everyone also queued up to show their magic in turn. The one who came after me was Luke. He (Green) glanced at me briefly before then shaving the wall I created with a small tornado. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the tattered wall then got encased in ice by Simeon (Blue), then turned into sand by Rex¡¯s (Black) darkness encroachment. It then was burned until it became molten rock by Lance¡¯s (Red) flame before it finally got blown to bits by Elliot¡¯s light bullets. Everyone¡¯s magic was truly amazing. Though, for some reason, they looked refreshed after they used my wall as their target. It almost looked like they forgot about the incident a while ago. That was good and all, but still. I wondered why they shot me a triumphant look every time they unleashed their spell? Could it be that they actually hate me? Uhm, not that I am actually sad about it. Yeah, definitely not. I muttered in my mind when suddenly, Muriel came to my side and smiled gently at me. ¡°Everyone is so amazing¡­ and it¡¯s thanks to Theodore-sama¡¯s earth wall that we know how amazing everyone¡¯s magic is.¡± ¡°Mu¡­ riel!¡± What a kind girl Muriel is. She even comes to my side to cheer me up¡­ I love you, Muriel! Let¡¯s get married right away! ¡°Stop imagining something stupid and let Miss Muriel go. It¡¯s already her turn to showcase her magic.¡± Alas, Luke¡¯s voice snapped me out of my daze. But, wait. How did he know what I was thinking about??? ¡°Because your face has always shown your thought. That¡¯s why I told you to learn how to hide your true feeling a little bit.¡± Without even a pause, he replied to the question that surfaced in my mind, all the while grinning. Is my expression that easy to read? I tilted my head, pondering deeply, when Muriel spoke to me again. ¡°It¡¯s my turn, Theodore-sama.¡± ¡°Do your best, Muriel.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± Sending off Muriel with encouragement, I watch as she took a deep breath and released her mana. Then, the ground swelled up and formed a figure of a palm-sized chick. How adorable~. ¡°S-Sorry¡­ I can only do this much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is already good enough. Normally, people can¡¯t just create a figure on the go. What I mean is, even though all of you had just undergone the ceremony yesterday, everyone has displayed an ability that rivals the average abilities of the royal court mage¡­ and what makes it even more irritating is the fact that you have yet to go all out.¡± Bates, who initially praised Muriel, somehow ended up rambling in the middle. The heck? ¡°Yeah, Muriel. You have made an adorable chick, after all, so be proud. Can I have this?¡± I asked Muriel, placing the chick on my palm as I did so. Of course, Muriel, being her adorable self, nodded with a delighted expression on her face. ¡°Next is my turn.¡± After Muriel was sufficiently comforted, Shelly (Black) spoke and then created a man-sized dark space. Not losing out, Oriana (Green) moved next and blew the dark space Shelly created with her squall. Then, Sonia (Blue) took her turn and created a huge puddle of water while Ramona (Red) created a firewall that surrounded the puddle and evaporate the whole thing. Lastly, on Katrina¡¯s turn, she made a palm sized light sphere that circled around her in moderate speed. Looking at the other girls¡¯ display of magic, Muriel once again became depressed, feeling inadequate. I guess I have to cheer her up again. ¡°Come now, Muriel, the chick you made is extremely good in its detail. Look, you even created the nostrils in its beak. You can only make something like this with extremely good concentration.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± I caress Muriel¡¯s head even as she flushed red from embarrassment and nodded my head. There was really no need for her to worry about someone else¡¯s magic. After all, everyone had their own specialization. ¡°Indeed, Theodore is right. See, Miss Ramona barely managed to maintain her firewall from going out of control, while Miss Sonia¡¯s invocation is way too slow. In Oriana¡¯s case, her squall has uneven power distribution. Though, as expected, Miss Katrina and Miss Shelly does a really good job with their spell. Then again, there is no need to be overly concerned nor worried about this test for now since everyone will still have to learn more on how to control your power after this.¡± Bates said, comforting Muriel, but then he suddenly scratched his head and grumbled. ¡°¨D¨D Rather. You guys are all equally abnormal! I mean, how did you manage to use such a high-rank magic one day after your magic has just been unsealed?! This is the first time I see a batch who have equal potential to become court mages. Someone, tell me why, da*mmit.¡± It seemed he judged that we were way too talented. ¡°Argh, now I know why Big Brother and that person pushed this job on me. That said, it¡¯s nice to meet you all. Now, let me say one thing, teaching you guys might be beyond the capabilities of other teachers, so will you give me the honor?!¡± "" ¡°Well, my father is the chief of the Court Mage Department after all.¡± ¡°While my dear father is the chief of Magic Tools Research Institute~. He has no time to teach me~.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a busy person too, you know! Ah, but, well, I think I understand their reason for choosing me (a single dog) to do it. Fine. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll take this job!¡± Bates kept whining under his breath, but finally, he agreed after Luke and Oriana interrupted. [TL: Basically, Bates has much more spare times than Luke¡¯s and Oriana¡¯s father, and he is as competent as those two, so he¡¯s chosen as the teacher.] ¡°Da*mmit. I would definitely refuse this job if this had nothing to do with the saint.¡± Still, despite acquiescing, it seemed Bates was still grumbling about the fact that he had to become our tutor. Furthermore, what would happen to his research? Oh wait, when I went to his store after the incident, his research seemed to have met a bottleneck. Perhaps the others saw this as a chance for a change of pace for him and made him our tutor. He seems to hate this role though. Then, why? Hah, what an enigmatic person. ¡°Well, in short, you actually don¡¯t want this job. Still, it can¡¯t be helped. I also worry about the progress of your research, but on the other hand, I also want Bates-san to become our tutor too.¡± Luke said, prioritizing his own desire over Bates¡¯ worry, causing the other to roll his eyes. ¡°Just to remind you, I won¡¯t hold back when it comes to magic tools and sorcery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only natural. I want to become stronger. I want to become stronger so I can assist the saint.¡± ¡°Humph. For me, Muriel is far more important than the saint.¡± Unable to hide my shock from hearing Luke¡¯s remark, I accidentally let my true feeling slip out. And then I said something even more shocking. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like we have to offer our ¡®True Love¡¯ to the saint just because we¡¯re the descendants of the Six Gods, right? My ¡®True Love¡¯ is for Muriel after all.¡± When I said this, it wasn¡¯t just Luke who looked at me, but literally everyone¡¯s attention shifted and focused on me. Eh? Did I just say something that I shouldn¡¯t have? ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s written in the Saint¡¯s Legend, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s written in there, but¡­¡± The scene in which the Six Gods offered their true love to the Saint was the climax scene. Whether it was in the form of picture books, novels, or stage plays, that scene had never changed. That fact had been further clarified when I translated the ancient text carved on the saint¡¯s ornament three years ago. However, what¡¯s with that shocked look on their face? ¡°Ahahaha, sure enough. I also can¡¯t offer my ¡®True Love¡¯ to the saint. I will only love one woman, and I¡¯m not foolish enough to offer my true love to someone who won¡¯t reciprocate my feeling. Much less say it to someone who doesn¡¯t even try to put some effort to love her fiance.¡± For some reason, Simeon said this while looking at Katrina. Moreover, the color was also drained from Katrina¡¯s face. ¡°I can¡¯t let that to slip aside. Saint-sama loves everyone. Simeon-sama is saying something reckless again, huh. I won¡¯t let you go this time you know.¡± Sonia said, inching closer to Simeon. ¡°My bad. I mean, I¡¯m sure that Saint-sama can¡¯t reciprocate everyone when she received true love from a few men, right?¡± Simeon pointed out then said, ¡°¨D¨D But, what about the current saint?¡± ¡°Simeon-sama, please stop before you go too far.¡± Albeit reluctant, Simeon still shut his mouth. However, he directed a triumphant look at Katrina even as he kept silent. Geez, that Simeon really hates Katrina, eh? He really should use gentler words to a woman. I mean, he hates her so much when Katrina isn¡¯t even a bad girl. ¡°¡­ Though it¡¯s written in the ancient language, it¡¯s way too vague as a guide¡­ Well, we can¡¯t deny that possibility with current historical evidence though. Da*mmit¡­ how can I miss such an important point!¡± Once again, Bates entered his soliloquy mode again. Eh? Well, simply saying, it meant Bates was in his own world right now. That being the case, I turned toward Luke to speak to him, only to find that he was also immersed in his own world too. Seriously?! Did that little skit have something to do with magic tools??? Oh, well, whatever. Anyhow, I guess it¡¯s time for us to go back. ¡°Shall we go back, Muriel?¡± When I turned to ask her, I found her focusing on the thicket outside of the training ground. What the? There was a black cat in there. ¡°How unusual. To think that a cat managed to sneak in into Duke-sama¡¯s mansion.¡± They were normally driven out by the guards before they could approach. So, I wondered how this one managed to slip past? ¡°Yes. The cat is so adorable.¡± ¡°Indeed. No matter what breed they are, cats are adorable creatures.¡± ¡°But this is strange. The cat always looks towards us without moving. Perhaps it can¡¯t move? There¡¯s an ivy twining around its right forefeet.¡± Ah, now that she mentioned it, I did see something like green lines twining around its right forefeet. Something that I barely noticed since the cat is a black cat. ¡°But it looks like its own real fur. It¡¯s rather hard to see since it¡¯s a black cat, but it doesn¡¯t look like a plant, but some sort of patterns.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡± At this moment, when we were having such a carefree conversation, Bates suddenly raised his face and looked towards the black cat that we were looking then frowned. ¡°That pattern¡­ No way¡­¡± ¡°Bates-san?¡± ¡°¨D¨D The first thing I¡¯m going to teach you about is a barrier. Everyone, make sure to learn this.¡± Bates suddenly declared. A rare, serious look on his face. CH 61 61 The Barrier is Perfect? Before I noticed it, the black cat had already vanished to god knows where. Muriel was saddened by that fact, yet it really couldn¡¯t be helped since cats are by nature a creatures of whims. However, I know now that Muriel loves cat, though she might not be allowed to raise them. As such, perhaps I could use this chance to visit the pet store with her? Or perhaps something like cat cafe? Wait, did pet store even exists in this world? Hmm¡­ let¡¯s find out after this. I decided. When I nodded my head, I suddenly noticed that Bates was glaring at the thicket where the black cat showed up. He then went and talked to the chamberlain of the duke family. When they were talking, I noticed that the chamberlain¡¯s expression rapidly changed the longer Bates spoke. What was more curious, the moment Bates finished talking, the chamberlain immediately sprinted out of training ground. It seems that something has just happened¡­ something we¡¯re unaware of. I wonder what happened? I knew something was wrong from the look on their faces, and so did everyone else. However, no one interrupted them since we might have realized that this matter must be something that was beyond our current capabilities. Thus, everyone opted to simply observed the conversation in silence. Everyone also seemed to be prepared for whatever Bates was going to say next. ¡°Well, then, let us begin the lesson.¡± Alas, without telling us anything, he just straight up explaining the barrier to us. Wait, shouldn¡¯t he at least explain the gist of the situation to us first? ¡°Bates-dono, are you willing to tell us what happened just a while ago?¡± "" A brave man, the black ranger (Rex), stepped forward and asked the question that we wanted to ask the most. Witnessing his bravery, I almost reflexively clapped my hand to cheer him on. Fortunately, I restrained myself and simply perked up my ears. ¡°Yes, but not now. All you need to know is that it¡¯s about something really important. Furthermore, rather than telling you something that you won¡¯t understand, it¡¯ll be more efficient to teach you to understand the situation.¡± Bates stopped talking and looked at each of us before he opened his mouth, ¡°Naturally, you won¡¯t hear about this matter from me. Your father will be the one telling you about this. They also will be the one to judge whether you¡¯re ready for this or not. So, do not ask me further.¡± Bates ended, scratching the back of his head as he glanced at our back, where Kevin, Richard stood with the others¡¯ attendants. Ah, I see now. This matter should be kept a secret from them as well, huh? At the very least, from Bates¡¯ gesture, he had no idea which of our attendants had already received explanation from the head of the family. Hence his discretion. In my case, though, Kevin might already be informed by my father. Still, Bates¡¯ caution was good since the same couldn¡¯t be said about Richard who was around my age. I suppose that¡¯s why he told us to ask our fathers directly. As I arrived to that conclusion, I noted that Rex perhaps also caught the cues in Bates¡¯ explanation for he didn¡¯t persist in his questioning. ¡ó ¡°Now then, let¡¯s start with making the magic circle used for barrier. All magic circles basically has hexagram inside. By this point, you should¡¯ve already realized that each side of the hexagram represents one of the six attributes.¡± Bates began explaining. According to him, the hexagram was made of three sides of light in the upper half, and three sides of darkness in the lower half. The three sides of light was ¡¾Light¡¿, ¡¾Wind¡¿, and ¡¾Fire¡¿ attributes, representing vitality and fluctuation, while the three side of darkness was ¡¾Darkness¡¿, ¡¾Earth¡¿, and ¡¾Water¡¿ attributes, representing stillness and tranquility. The combination of the two sides would then give birth to harmony and equilibrium. AD ¡°There are various opinion and theories about this matter, but this one is the most popular one. The space of ¡®Harmony and Equilibrium¡¯ which is born from the thinking that the formation of the hexagram is the basic of barrier. Magic tool is the application for that, to manifest the intended magic phenomenon inside the equilibrium space. Well, that¡¯s the gist of this magic.¡± Anyhow, according to Bates, the hexagram was the basic. ¡°This knowledge alone is enough to make a simple barrier, but I want to remind you that barrier is made to protect you from evil creatures. However, for it to be effective, your magical power has to reach a certain threshold first. That said, the amount of magical power of most normal people will usually not be enough to form a barrier alone, that¡¯s why barrier is usually formed by several people working together. In short, it should only be casted by at least six people with each person representing one attribute. That¡¯s the gist of it.¡± After that, Bates gathered the boys to the center of the training ground. He then arranged us in a certain composition. From clockwise direction, White (Elliot) stood at the head followed by Blue (Simeon), Green (Luke), Black (Rex), Red (Vince), and Yellow (Me), forming a circle. ¡°You¡¯ve to remember this position. The order in clockwise direction is light, water, wind, darkness, fire, and earth. The nature of the attributes that face each other has to contradict one another, while the attributes on both side of your attribute has to be one with good compatibility with yours. Lastly, the hexagram is made by combining a triangle of light and inverted triangle of darkness.¡± So, in my case, the one in front of me should be Luke who had wind attribute as his main that contradicted my own main attribute. Then beside me should be Elliot and Vince who had light (Elliot) and fire (Vince) attributes that had good affinities with my own. Then, as Simeon has water attribute, Rex has darkness attribute, and I have earth attribute, the three of us would form the inverted triangle of darkness in this hexagram. Hmm, so that¡¯s why I only managed to create tiny emerald in that test before¡­ Well, aside from that white crystal of course. I meant, yellow and that fella (white crystal) were too uninhibited, so let¡¯s not use them as an example. ¡°Now, close your eyes and grab the hands of the one by your sides.¡± Geh, I have to hold hand with Elliot?! When I turned around to look at Elliot, I found that he was also making a face at that thought. It was as if I was the last person he wanted to hold hand with, but then that expression immediately vanished as if it wasn¡¯t there in the first place. AD Haah, this fella is still the same. He¡¯s still not very nice. I withheld my sigh and the urge to roll my eyes. Stop making that poker face, will ya?! It may be a necessary skill for a king, but you¡¯re still ten years old boy, alright?! You can show a little bit of selfishness here, you know?! No one¡¯s gonna blame you for that! Honestly, the most scary thing about this kid was the fact that I had no idea what he¡¯s thinking about. Anyhow, despite being reluctant, I safely grabbed Vince¡¯s left hand and Elliot¡¯s right hand. After that, everyone shut their eyes once we confirmed that all of us had held each other¡¯s hands. ¡°Listen, His Highness Elliot, Luke, and Vince are the light of the morning sun while Simeon, Rex, and Theodore are the light of the fullmoon. Now, release your magical power slowly. Do it calmly and slowly. Adjust your magical power with the other around you.¡± Following Bates¡¯ direction, the light of the fullmoon¡¯s group released our magical power slowly. At the same time, the other group also released their magical power. We then tuned the magical powers to be in sync with each others. My magical power connected itself to water (Simeon) and darkness (Rex), forming the inverted triangle of darkness that Bates mentioned. And along with the two sides of triangle of light (Elliot) and fire (Vince) on my sides, the two triangles were enclosed in a circle. When I felt that our magical powers had already been tuned to be in sync with each other, Bates suddenly raised his voice and said, ¡°Great. You can stop releasing your magical powers now and try to open your eyes.¡± When I did as he said and opened my eyes, I saw that there was a hexagram magic circle beneath our feet casting a pale light as we enclosed it in circle. ¡°W¡­ WOOOW¡­!¡± ¡°This is a barrier. Take a look at the glowing magic circle. The light that represent the sun and the moon there are acting as your protector from the evil when this barrier is cast.¡± So this was what he meant by the light of the sun and the moon in the beginning¡­ Indeed, the air inside this barrier felt lighter. Just like the air in the temple. AD ¡°Seriously, they actually succeeded in one try¡­ It¡¯s too much even for a genius, alright?! So, the speculation is right, these kids might¡­¡± Bates murmured something I couldn¡¯t hear clearly on the side. He then cleared his throat and said, ¡°Anyhow, this method is often used when there¡¯s six users.¡± After saying this, Bates next took out an enchanted magic crystal and went to the center of the hexagram. ¡°The barrier will stay when we use enchanted magic crystal like this one. This can also be used to expand the range of the barrier and block physical attack.¡± Following that, the next lesson was a way to increase the magical power of the barrier by adding another person in the hexagram. ¡°It feels like the barrier that encloses the Royal Capital and the Kingdom. Of course, those barrier¡¯s structures are more complex than this, but the basic is the same. Anyway, the enchanted magic crystal that will become the cornerstone is called the barrier crystal, and it¡¯s protected by the temple in each region. Well, since it¡¯s literally some kind of magic tools, there¡¯s also a need for regular maintenance that¡¯s done through the cooperation between the Court Mage Department and Magic Tool Research Institute. However, essentially, it¡¯s still under the jurisdiction of the temple.¡± Hee, so the Royal Capital and the Kingdom were being protected by the barrier¡­ So that¡¯s the reason why the security in the important facilities was not that tight. The barrier¡¯s existence minimized the need for that. Moreover, the one with jurisdiction over the barrier was actually not the Court Mage Department or the Research Institute, but the temple. ¡°The temple has been protecting the kingdom since the saint¡¯s era after all. And though protecting the barrier crystal is important, maintaining the barrier takes priority, which the temple has been doing to their utmost by giving their mana and prayer to maintain the barrier everyday.¡± Simeon explained as if he had long since known about it. And perhaps he might just knew about this for a long time¡­ As expected of the son of the bishop. He knew more about the temple than us. ¡°The barrier has been strengthened after the rumor about the demon race¡¯s appearance three years ago spread. Hence, even the demon race is powerless inside the barrier.¡± Simeon continued explaining, expression full of confidence. Alas¡­ ¡°¡­ Or so how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Bates was muttering some worrisome remark. ¡°Okay, now is the girls¡¯ turn.¡± "" However, he suddenly turned around and urged the girls next with a bright voice that was free from concern. Eh? What¡¯s with your worry from a moment ago?! Is it fake?! CH 62 62 The Black Cat Appeared In The Most Unexpected Moment The girls tried to form a barrier like us. However, the result was below expectation because Muriel¡¯s magic power fell short from everyone. As a result, the circle shape that was supposed to form turned into an ellipse. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This elliptical form is still within a reasonable range of error. In fact, this is what normally happens when people try this for the first time. Good job Miss Muriel! I¡¯m really glad that you girls are NORMAL! HURRAY TO NORM¡ª¡ª GAH! What the?! Theodore! Don¡¯t just step on my feet so suddenly like that!¡± ¡°Be quiet, oddball.¡± I won¡¯t let you make Muriel cry. I thought fiercely as I stepped on this oddball¡¯s feet to stop his words. The only way I knew of that wouldn¡¯t harm anyone. ¡°Geez, it¡¯s because Dearest Uncle is lacking in delicacy, and that¡¯s why you can¡¯t marry even when you reach your age you kno~w.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s actually my fault?¡± Oriana sighed deeply with an extremely perplexed expression on her face upon seeing Bates uncomprehending state. He had yet to realize his fault! ¡°It¡¯s okay, Muriel. It doesn¡¯t really matter if your magic power is lesser than everyone else. This just mean that they need to match their magic power to yours. Right, Miss Katrina?¡± That¡¯s right. In order to reach the equilibrium needed to form that barrier, all everyone needed to do is to adjust their magic power so it wouldn¡¯t suppress Muriel¡¯s own and matched it instead. ¡°Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right. All we need to do is suppress the emission of our mana¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m actually not too skilled in regulating my magic power. The current me can only release my mana in full burst¡­¡± Alas, though Katrina readily agreed to the idea, the red girl (Ramona) sucks at controlling her magic power. So she shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Ramona-sama. This only happens because my magic power isn¡¯t high enough.¡± The ever gentle and kind Muriel, in spite of her depression, apologized to Ramona. At this time, one of the girls piped up. ¡°Oh, right. We brought that item along when we come to visit Katrina-sama, didn¡¯t we? How about we use this chance to test it?¡± As she said that, the blue girl (Sonia) gestured to her attendant and had them bring a patterned, multi-coloured braid forward. ¡°Its name is Misanga. It seems to be some sort of charm that is currently booming amongst the commoner. In fact, I think it is like a magic tool as well. It seems to be able to raise the wearer¡¯s magic power, albeit only by a little bit.¡± Hee, so misanga also exists in this world¡­ [TL: bracelet made from multi-coloured threads put into braid] It seemed that Sonia bought said item after hearing about it from her attendant. And it seemed she brought it along, even though this cheap item wasn¡¯t supposed to be taken to visit ill person due to its cheap price, though its value as a magic tool made it an intriguing item. Then again, perhaps she thought it was the right gift since we did just get our magic unsealed yesterday. Anyway, it seemed that initially, she wanted to take it out immediately when she arrived. However, it fell through due to the incident between Simeon and Katrina. Though, in the end, it was an extra gift in the end since she did bring with her the real gift for sick visit. ¡°And my apologies, the reason for my late arrival is because I choose one for everyone.¡± ¡°Waah, such a beautiful and strong colour. These braided multicolored threads are so adorable! Shall we wear this on our wrist?¡± Muriel said as she received the misanga from Sonia¡¯s attendant. I looked at her improving expression and sighed lightly. Thank goodness the misanga seems to have fixed her mood. ¡°Shall I make one for you too? It should be possible to make it with my embroidery skill. And though mine might not be a magic tool, I can create a lot of it that¡¯ll match your attires.¡± ¡°Really, Theodore-sama?!¡± ¡°Of course. No matter what kind of misanga you want, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± ¡°Thank you! And, if possible, can we make it together? I want to make one for you too, Theodore-sama.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s make it together then. After this, let¡¯s visit the handicraft store on the way back to buy more embroidery threads. Oh, and let¡¯s buy some beads too. That way, it¡¯s going to make it look much better.¡± ¡°YES!¡± Muriel¡¯s delightful smile carried no traces of her previous gloominess, causing me to smile back. Yup. A little detour on the way back is definitely on the table I suppose. ¡°Well, those two aside, are these braided threads truly a magic tool, Sonia-sama? Can I take a look at it?¡± His comment aside, Luke reacted predictably. As soon as he heard Sonia¡¯s explanation, the magic tool maniac immediately got hooked. Receiving the misanga from Sonia, he instantaneously started to observe them. ¡°I see. So, the magic circle is created with a braided pattern. Then, perhaps the attribute is represented by the colour of the thread¡­¡± ¡°This is just a crudely made magic tool. The idea is interesting, but that¡¯s it. The magic circle it used is a trivial one. However, this can be treated as an amulet indeed.¡± Bates, who recovered since who knows when immediately participated in the analysis before I knew it. As expected of these magic tool nerds. Everything immediately fell wayside when there are magic tools to be analyzed. ¡°What do you think, Muriel-sama? The effect might be trivial, but your magical power might be boosted a little bit.¡± ¡°Are you sure? If so, then, I want to try its effect.¡± Muriel said as she stretched her hands to receive the misanga from Sonia. She then wore it on her left wrist. ¡°Then, let¡¯s try activating the barrier again.¡± Under black girl¡¯s (Shelly¡¯s) instruction, the girls once again released their mana, and this time I felt that the mana Muriel released was much bigger than before. Sensing this, I nodded my head inwardly. So, it really is the effect of the magic tool. ¡­ Wait a minute. Doesn¡¯t the amount of the released mana feels a little bit too much? ¡°¡­ W-WAIT A MINUTE! STOP!¡± It was not only me who felt it. The moment I did, Bates immediately shouted to stop them. However, the emission coming from the girls didn¡¯t stop. ¡°STOP! THAT¡¯S ENOUGH! AT THIS RATE YOUR VITALITY IS GOING TO BE CONSUMED TOO!¡± WHAT?! It was as he said. Upon closer look, the girls looked like they were in pain. ¡°N-NO! WE CAN¡¯T STOP THE EMISSION!¡± Katrina replied, her tone shrill with panic. Hearing that, the attendants in the training ground also screamed, and panicked. They rushed toward to the girls immediately. At this time, Muriel had already passed out. The misanga on her wrist was releasing an ominous, bloody red light. Not only that, there were also bloody red particles of light emitting from Muriel¡¯s body. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± ¡°It was just like what happened to my father three years ago¡­¡± Luke muttered with unnerved expression. When he said that, realization washed over me. Ah, he¡¯s right, it is just like what happened back then. Yes, just like that dark green particle of lights. ¡°Luke, how do you stop the phenomenon back then?¡± ¡°How you ask? I just told my father the words you taught me back then. But, this situation is different from back then. I¡¯ve no idea how to stop this.¡± What should I do now?! At this rate, Muriel might die!!! I panicked. Okay, I guess I had to take that misanga off first. With that plan in mind, I tried to approach Muriel, but I got repelled by some sort of unseen power. It looked like an invisible wall was erected between us, and no matter how many times I struck it, that wall didn¡¯t disappear. Dammit. Even though our distance is just ten centimetres apart, that distance seems like hundreds of meters now. DAMMIT, ALL! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BARRIER?! ¨D¨D Wait a minute, barrier? Bates told us that barrier was something that repel wicked beings. If there was a barrier that surrounds the girls, it should be able to stop that misanga from draining the vitality of the girls. ¡°Are you okay, Young Master? Please stop acting recklessly like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything and everything to save Muriel¨D¨D Everyone, please, let¡¯s make a barrier,¡± I said, brushing Kevin¡¯s hand aside. And while the chamberlains and the maids of the girls showed some hope the moment they heard me speak, the other attendants frowned when they heard my suggestion. Perhaps because they were worried about their master. However, I had no choice. Muriel¡¯s and the other girl¡¯s life was at stake. ¡°I see. That¡¯s the only way left. Do it.¡± Bates immediately agreed when he heard my plea, handing over the enchanted magic crystals to me. Once they heard Bates¡¯ words, Elliot and co instantly moved, pushing their attendants aside and forming the barrier formation around the girls with serious expressions etched on their faces. ¡°We¡¯ll be the shame of our ancestor, the Six Gods, and a failure of a knight if we abandon our fiances.¡± ¡°That was only natural.¡± Rex responded to Vince¡¯s remark with Simeon and Luke nodding in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± At Elliot¡¯s signal, everyone started to release their mana. This time, the size of the barrier we made was double of our first one. But since we couldn¡¯t touch each other¡¯s hands, we instead choose to spread our arms as long as possible, trying to connect our hands using mana. Considering we were using mana to connect our circle, it took quite a while for the formation to be completed. However, as soon as everyone¡¯s mana was connected together, it was formed at last. At that moment. ¡°O¡¯ Light of Fullmoon and Sun, purify evil being. ¡®Jouka¡¯.¡± [TL: Jouka here means purification in english.] Our mana filled the magic circle as Bates¡¯ aria resounded in the air. In the depth of my mind, I was really surprised of the language he used just now. Because he was speaking Japanese, or in short, the ancient language in this world. However, from his aria just now, I realized that the ancient language seemed to be the ¡®Word of Power¡¯ in this world. Especially since the moment the aria fell, I felt more power coming in. I knew that more magic power meant a stronger magic circle, so I and everyone fed more of our magic power into the magic circle that was formed. Soon, the magic circle burst into a brilliant light show. And then, the girls fell down together, as if the thread that was holding them down had been cut. ¡°MURIEL!¡± Instantaneously, I rushed toward Muriel and hug her tightly. Her face was currently as pale as paper, and she didn¡¯t respond to my call. Fortunately, she was still breathing, albeit faintly, it was still a sign of her living. ¡°MURIEL, HANG IN THERE! MURIEL!¡± As I worried over Muriel, the misanga that was burned black fell from her wrist, and Bates picked it up. ¡°This is¡­ so it¡¯s hidden inside the thread, huh? ¨D¨D!¡± At that moment, a black cat jumped in and took the misanga from Bates¡¯ hand before running away. It had a pattern that resembled twined vines around its right foreleg. Seeing that, I realized that it was the black cat from before. On its tail were the misangas that had been prepared by Sonia for everyone. ¡°Dammit. So it really is that guy!¡± Bates cursed upon seeing the black cat. Then, without waiting for a second more, he ordered the soldiers to go after that escaping black cat. Receiving the order, they hurriedly chased after that black cat, alas it had already vanished somewhere. Meanwhile, the attendants had all rushed towards their respective masters and raised them up politely. However, all of them had already passed out. Seeing this, the other attendants promptly moved and called for doctors, asking the duke family to prepare a room for the unconscious girls and lay them on the bed. Muriel, Muriel. Please don¡¯t die on me. Please, please, please don¡¯t die. I¡¯ll be there by your side. That¡¯s why, please don¡¯t die. I beg you. Stay! CH 63 63 Flower in Hand The pale-faced Muriel was currently sleeping in the room prepared by the duke¡¯s family. Fortunately, she was still breathing. It was just that she had yet to regain her consciousness. Furthermore, from time to time, she was also groaning in pain. Looking at her condition, it was as if there were thousands of needles stuck in my heart. I was really frustrated. I couldn¡¯t do anything to help her¡­ I was only able to grasp her hand in mine while desperately praying. On the other hand, the condition of the other girls was not as bad, maybe due to them not wearing that misanga. In any case, their mana would have restored itself naturally with a good rest. However, it was not so for Muriel¡¯s condition. Muriel¡¯s mana did not recover. According to the doctor, she was still unconscious because that magic tool was still sucking her mana. Incidentally, at this time, the blue girl¡¯s (Sonia¡¯s) attendant was extremely agitated with the turn of events. She felt she was responsible for this incident. It was to the point that she was hysterical and almost committed suicide, believing that this happened because she talked about that magic tool to her mistress. She believed that if she didn¡¯t tell her mistress, then they wouldn¡¯t be buying that magic tools. Naturally, if they didn¡¯t buy it, there would be no such thing as this. Fortunately, the other attendants managed to stop her from taking her own life. However, considering her emotional state, everyone decided that she was not to be left alone in case her depression overwhelmed her into trying another suicide. Aside from the attendant, both Bates and Luke were also agitated with the situation since they believed they could actually prevent the incident if only they had examined the misanga more carefully. I could even hear Bates muttering something along the line of ¡®It¡¯s different from that fu*cker¡¯s magic equation style¡¯ or ¡®The style is similar to the one from seven years ago.¡¯ if I focused. I didn¡¯t pay attention. All I saw in my eyes was Muriel and Muriel alone. I noticed a dark red bruise resembling a chain coiled around Muriel¡¯s wrist where she wore that accursed misanga before. Not willing to let this incident leave a mark on her, I asked if that bruise could be healed. Alas, the doctor and the healer called by Duke Lilac shook their head. ¡°Theodore. Let¡¯s go back now. We have to leave this matter to Bates-dono and the healers. Let¡¯s come for a visit again tomorrow.¡± Before I realized it, my father had already stood by my side, laying his hand on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay, father. I¡¯ll stay by Muriel¡¯s side. I can¡¯t do anything at all, so at least let me stay by her side.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You have to rest as well. You¡¯ve used a lot of mana today, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not tired at all.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? On top of forming the purification barrier twice, that barrier is also used to repel a wicked being. You must have spent quite a lot of your mana already. You have to rest. No matter how much higher the amount of your magic power is compared to ordinary people, you must have exhausted quite a lot of your mana to create those two barriers. Not to mention the fact that your magic power was only released yesterday. Believe me, your body is more exhausted than you expected. That¡¯s why listen to me. Let¡¯s go back and give your body its needed rest. You need it to recover. Okay?¡± ¡°I can sleep in this place.¡± ¡°Your exhaustion won¡¯t disappear unless you properly sleep on the bed.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°¡­ This is an order from your father and your family¡¯s head. No matter how much you resisted the idea, I¡¯ll bring you back by force.¡± ¡°Fathe¨C¡± When I was about to protest against such a forceful method, Father touched my cheek with his hands and looked into my eyes. When I looked into my father¡¯s eyes, I knew that he was really angry. ¡°Now, choose. Are you going to have to be brought back forcibly like a baby? Or, are you going to go back with your own feet? Right now, Viscount Amber can¡¯t even come to Miss Muriel¡¯s side since you refused to move away from that spot. Are you going to disturb their parent-child moment?¡± The second Father brought that matter, I knew I was defeated. Muriel loves her family; I couldn¡¯t do that to her. Moreover, I also didn¡¯t want to show such an uncool side of mine in front of Muriel. Even if she was not awake to see that uncool side. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go back with my own feet.¡± I surrendered, leaving the room with my father pushing my back along. We passed by Viscount Amber and his wife, who was waiting right beside the room¡¯s entrance when we got out. Seeing us walking out, the couple immediately rushed into Muriel¡¯s room. I saw that Viscount Amber did glare at me for a brief moment, though he only nodded his head toward us since my father was right behind me. Ah, I see now. It was indeed my fault. Perhaps something like this wouldn¡¯t happen if I got along with Viscount Amber. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The viscount is simply worrying about Miss Muriel. He does not resent you for this. It is just that he has no outlet for his anger, and you happen to catch a glimpse of it due to you occupying the room and refusing to leave. I mean, he¡¯s Miss Muriel¡¯s father after all, and he naturally cares about his own daughter. You did prevent him from staying by her side just now, so please understand the momentary anger he showed.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Right before we left, we heard the couple¡¯s cries from inside Muriel¡¯s temporary room. ¡ó My memory was hazy after that. I remembered that Mother, Wendy, and Chester hugged me affectionately when I returned, but I couldn¡¯t remember what they said. By the time I noticed, I was already lying on my bed. Perhaps I fell asleep for a bit there. Anyway, by the time I became aware again, the room was dark. And when I opened the curtain, the sky was already dark. But I could see a beautiful moon hanging up in the night sky, lighting up my room through the gap in the curtain I opened. I looked around and saw that on the side table, the little chick figurine Muriel made sat. Perhaps Richard placed it beside me so I could see it immediately once I woke up. ¡°Muriel¡­¡± Her pale face flashed through my mind again. She looked as if she had already died. So much like my late father in my previous life. He also passed away when I was around ten years old. At that time, I remembered my big sister, who had just entered junior high at the time, had to direct the funeral direction in place of my mother, who couldn¡¯t leave my father¡¯s side. If I¡¯m not wrong, my big sister at that time had said, ¡°You must never leave Mother¡¯s side. Remember, you must be able to fill the hole left in Mother¡¯s heart due to the loss of our father. Make sure that you don¡¯t die on her like our father too. Our mother is still alive; otherwise, we might have already drifted on the streets right now, so stay by Mother¡¯s side. Leave the other troublesome things to your big sister. All you need to do is just stay as you are and stay by Mother¡¯s side. Understood?¡± ¡°Something that I can do¡­ Muriel is still alive¡­.¡± Yes, it¡¯s still alright. Muriel is still alive. Hope bloomed inside my heart with that thought in mind, and I left the table side and took out a box. Inside the box were the gems from the appraisal ceremony. I grabbed the gems and made a wish. ¡°Please make a hexagram-shaped hole that is big enough for the thread to pass through.¡± ¡ª¡ª Roger that. Leave it to me. Listening to the gem¡¯s bright reply, I unintentionally let out a smile. Thus, in front of my eyes, a hexagram-shaped hole formed in the center of the gem. I then took out silver and gold threads from my sewing box and affixed them to the needle. After that, I threaded the strands into the hexagram-shaped hole. With triangle-shaped gold thread and inverted triangle-shaped silver thread, I twisted the two threads that came out from the other end and knitted the one inside with the finest lace needle. When it was about ? done, I knitted a petal pattern with yellow, green, blue, red, black, and white thread. I also made a crystal flower bud wrapped in gold and silver thread and tucked it in the center of six colored petals. I then knitted a small ribbon in the center of this flower. At the very least, I wanted this to cover the dark red bruise on her wrist. Since the healer could do nothing, and Muriel might find a misanga-like bracelet to be unpleasant after this incident, I wanted to do something about that bruise. After all, it seemed that that dark red bruise was the culprit that kept draining her lifeforce even at this very moment. And though this was nothing more than a cover, it was better than nothing. At this point, I just wanted to do something for Muriel. That was why I would give her this, no matter how trivial it seemed to be. Knitting like an obsessed madman, I paid no heed to what happened around me, and by the time I noticed, it had already become an extremely long bracelet. One that was enough to coil around Muriel¡¯s wrist a few times over. Finally, I put a finishing touch on the end of the threads and tidied up my sewing box. After that, I left my room, the finished bracelet in my hand. However, right after stepping out of my room, I remembered that I couldn¡¯t just deliver this to Muriel. That was right; I had to bring the chick figurine along. I turned back and picked up the chick figurine and thought. You¡¯re worrying about your creator, too, right? Let¡¯s go meet her. ¡°Where are you going to at this time, Young Master?¡± The one who called out to me was Kevin. It seemed he was keeping a watch on me. ¡°It¡¯s still midnight. Please go back to your room.¡± ¡°I want to deliver this to Muriel. I¡¯ll be back right after I deliver this.¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been doing something in your room since a while ago, but can¡¯t you at least wait until tomorrow? I¡¯ll accompany you however you want if you deliver it by then. Right now, you have to rest. Master had told you to take a rest too, right? I mean, I¡¯m sure that Muriel-sama is also worrying about you.¡± I knew that. I knew all that. But I was really anxious right now. It felt like a black mist was eating me up from the inside. ¡°Sorry, but it has to be done right now. Tonight. I might regret it later if I do not deliver this gift right now. So, please, let me pass.¡± I bowed my head. I had to go no matter what. Kevin hesitated for a while, but in the end, he heaved a sigh, ¡°Okay. I understand. I guess I really can¡¯t win against you, Young Master. Moreover, Young Master has only shown his selfishness at a time like this, so¡­ A~h, geez, fine. Let¡¯s get scolded together later on.¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll go through the fire together.¡± === Upon arriving at the mansion¡¯s entrance, I saw that Richard had already been waiting for us. He even prepared the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Theodore-sama.¡± Eh? What¡¯s happening here? ¡°It is just as Kevin-sama had predicted. That¡¯s why I had arranged the carriage for you while you did something in your room.¡± I turned around to look at Kevin, but he averted his face and whistled innocently. Dammit. I got tricked again. Still, you¡¯ve my gratitude, Kevin. ¡°Thank you, everyone. We¡¯ll be going back right after I deliver my present. Please forgive my selfishness just this once.¡± I said as I entered the carriage, my mind already flying far away. Wait for me, Muriel. I¡¯m coming. CH 64.1 64.1¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 6 I immediately headed out the moment I received a notice from Duke Lilac¡¯s Mansion. When I arrived, the Duchess was there to welcome me. Her face, though, was obviously haggard with stress. However, I didn¡¯t pay attention to the courtesy that much due to the urgent situation. Thus, just like that, I was guided toward where the children were. The girls were placed in the rooms located beside the Duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s room. Meanwhile, considering they were still conscious, the boys had gathered in a room near the salon to rest. There, I saw His Highness Elliot and the other kids sitting on the sofa, all with exhausted looks on their faces. All the while, their attendants were doing their best to take care of them. Yet, I couldn¡¯t find Theodore¡¯s figure among them. ¡°Over here.¡± I passed by them without a word, following the Duchess toward one of the girl¡¯s rooms. The one where an aura of death was drifting out from. Entering that particular room, I finally found Theodore. He was sitting on the chair beside the bed, face as expressionless as a block of ice. And without even looking, I knew the girl who was sleeping on the bed. Muriel. He was guarding the girl. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Lord Goldberg. Please, you have to force Theodore to go home immediately.¡± Bates-dono¡¯s voice rang in my ear, startling me slightly. ¡°He¡¯s been in that state for a long time. I¡¯ve tried to talk to him, but he didn¡¯t even try to open his mouth to speak back to me. At this rate, I¡¯m afraid that Miss Muriel¡¯s condition will affect Theodore¡¯s state. Please, you¡¯re the only one who can separate them temporarily. I tried, but it¡¯s no use.¡± ¡°Well, that matter aside, what happened here? And what happened to Miss Muriel?¡± Hearing that question, Bates-dono opened his mouth, an extremely sorrowful expression etched on his face. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. This incident happened because of my inadequate crisis management. Even though that guy was right there when I taught the children about barrier magic¡­ I¡¯m not wise enough to consider why that guy appeared in that place and took it lightly.¡± I had absolutely no idea of what he was talking about and the person he referred to as ¡®That guy¡¯, but it seemed Bates felt that this incident was his responsibility. Then, noticing my confusion, he explained what happened in detail. After that, he also told me that no matter what method the doctors or healers used to improve Miss Muriel¡¯s condition, they couldn¡¯t see any improvement. Even with Bates¡¯ knowledge of magic, they still couldn¡¯t stop Miss Muriel¡¯s condition from slowly debilitating. ¡°Are you telling me that Miss Muriel is¡­¡± Bates-dono shut his eyes and shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s still breathing for now. But¡­ it is just a matter of time. Even as we spoke, her life force was still being continuously drained. Even though we have already removed the misanga¡­ I- The doctors, healers, and I have tried all possible methods to prevent this, but we still can¡¯t stop it. At this rate, Miss Muriel¡¯s life force will be completely drained in a while. That¡¯s why I think we should separate Theodore from Miss Muriel during that time. I mean, I¡¯m afraid that Theodore will lose his desire to live if he sees Muriel¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Is there¡­ really no other way to save Miss Muriel?¡± What would happen to Theodore¡¯s heart if Miss Muriel died¡­ ¡°We¡¯re doing our best to find a way to save her. But¡­ it¡¯s better to be prepared.¡± Bates-dono spoke, a grim expression on his face. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the door being opened up behind me. When I turned around, I saw the pale face of Viscountess Amber as she was supported by her husband, Viscount Amber. ¡°T-The story just now¡­ Is that¡­ true? Is there really no way to save Muriel?¡± Viscountess Amber clung to Bates-dono as she asked that question, desperation emanating from her whole body. Bates-dono tried his best to calm her down, but unsurprisingly, he failed spectacularly. ¡°P-Please calm yourself, Madam.¡± ¡°How can I do that in this kind of situation?! Muriel will be safe, right?! Right?! Please tell me that she¡¯ll be safe!!!¡± ¡°Madam.¡± Duchess Lilac softly said, coming to the Viscountess¡¯ side and hugging her. Somehow, the Duchess managed to calm the Viscountess down. Perhaps it was due to their relationship. After all, the Duchess had always gotten along well with the Viscountess when they were still students. And if I was not wrong, they even tried to get pregnant at the same time so that their daughters would be born in the same year. They were also even more delighted when they knew that Miss Katrina and Miss Muriel got along. On the other hand, Viscount Amber was glaring at Theodore angrily, as if he was a plague god in his eyes. Still, his reaction was not unwarranted, so I simply said, ¡°My apologies, Viscount Amber. I¡¯ll force Theodore to leave his seat immediately.¡± ¡°My apologies for the trouble, Lord Goldberg. However, at the very least, I want her last moment to be with her family.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± With that, I turned to persuade Theodore before finally managing to drag him back. However, it was clear to me that Theodore¡¯s situation was abnormal. Because, even though his body was right there, he had this blank look in his eyes that said he was not there. It was as if he was simply an empty body whose heart was gone. And it stayed like that even after we returned to the mansion. He didn¡¯t even react when Serena, Wendy, or Chester hugged him. However, there was nothing that I could do. I could only ask Martha to send Theodore to sleep as soon as possible. ¡°Richard, please stay by Theodore¡¯s side for now. Kevin, I need to hear your report.¡± After making sure that Richard understood my order, I left and headed toward my office accompanied by Kevin. ¡ó As soon as we reached my office, I received Kevin¡¯s oral report. Generally speaking, it was the same as the one I heard from Bates-dono. Bates-dono saw a black cat and then taught the kids how to form a barrier. Then, because Miss Muriel¡¯s magical power was lacking, Miss Sonia gave the magic tool she bought at the street vendor to her. Unfortunately for everyone ¨C including Bates ¨C there was a trick in the magic tool that escaped Bates¡¯ examination. It was simply hidden too deeply and ingeniously to be noticed. Thus, the dangerous magic tool was worn and went out of control when the girls tried to form a barrier, sapping the girls¡¯ life force. ¡°And the said black cat is¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. It escaped with all the magic tools. Duke-sama¡¯s soldiers have been trying to locate it in the entire mansion, but they failed to find the said cat.¡± That cat might be a part of the demon race. If that was the case, then did that mean the kingdom¡¯s barrier failed to function properly? Moreover, a magic tool that sapped one¡¯s lifeforce¡­ Was this¡­ the continuation of the magic tool research¡­ the case that almost cost my dearest family seven years ago? From where in the world did they gain the fund to continue this kind of thing? We should have already kept a watch on all nobles who could possibly prepare a research facility. Besides, none of them had any reason to commit treason either. But¡­ let¡¯s set that matter aside for now. ¡°¨D¨D How¡¯s Theodore¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master is really sensitive when it comes to sad events. Yet, he seems to endure it, at least on the surface. Even though it should be normal for him to cry at this kind of event, he seems to forcefully kill his emotion.¨D¨D This is just my personal opinion, but I think this may be because he doesn¡¯t want us to worry about him, or¡­ it might be because of something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s as if he had no idea how to express his sadness. I don¡¯t know the correct words to use for his situation, but if I have to say it, it¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t want to cry too loudly.¡± Kevin tried to explain Theodore¡¯s current condition as best as possible with his own interpretation. ¡°Since I¡¯m married and have children on top of that, I can understand children¡¯s emotions somewhat. As far as I know, children are a creature that moves with their emotion. They will change their faces frequently according to their mood. One time, you¡¯ll find them in a good mood. At another, you¡¯ll find them sulking or angry for no reason. Or so that¡¯s what we thought. However, I have been by Young Master¡¯s side since he was a toddler, and I realized something about him after having my own children. Compared to them, Young Master¡¯s behavior is clearly abnormal. Whereas my own children require more care and attention, Young Master doesn¡¯t need it that much. It is only from this that I truly understand what my wife meant when she said Young Master is special.¡± Kevin got married two years ago to one of the maids in the mansion, and his wife was currently pregnant with their second child. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m really surprised when I find just how lively Chester was.¡± ¡°Master, Young Master Chester is, in fact, still a docile child compared to other children. And he only grows up like that thanks to Young Master¡¯s care. In fact, both my wife and I even learn a rather strange way to handle children from watching him.¡± Seriously? ¡°Although it¡¯s a mystery from where he learned that, Young Master Theodore is clearly a special child. Truthfully, saying this only makes me realize again just how special Young Master Theodore is. He has grown up wise beyond his age, yet, he also seems to have trouble when it comes to expressing his sadness. It is as if¨D¨D his emotion is rather distorted in that particular area¡­ My apologies, milord, it seems I ended up saying something rude about Young Master Theodore.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. Rather than that, thank you for your honest opinion.¡± But¡­ distorted, huh? Sure, that child has never cried when he was sad¡­ and it was only after I said it was okay for him to cry that he finally did so. Even then, it was such a subdued crying rather than a loud one¡­ When I tried to compare him to my childhood, I realized that indeed, Theodore was rather distorted in that particular area. ¡°I wonder what would happen to him if¨D¨D Miss Muriel is dead?¡± ¡°I hope it will not happen, but¡­ if it does happen, it may just break his heart. And Young Master will definitely hate the culprit behind this incident.¡± ¡°Yeah. I really hope that Miss Muriel will survive this incident, but¡­¡± CH 64.2 64.2¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 6 Honestly speaking, I couldn¡¯t bear to continue speaking since I¡¯m afraid of speaking about the outcome of the worst situation in case it becomes the truth. I could only conjure up the worst outcome possible when I tried to imagine what would happen to Theodore once he lost Miss Muriel. ¡°I¡¯ll return to the duke¡¯s mansion. That way, I¡¯ll be able to know the latest progress of the case post haste. Meanwhile, you, keep a watch on Theodore. Make sure that he has a good rest. And report to me immediately if something happens.¡± ¡°Yes! ¡ª¡ª And if Young Master want to g¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to your judgment.¡± ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°In case Theodore keeps being absentminded like that, then you tie him up on the bed. However, if you think he¡¯s in his right mind, then you may bring him to me. You, who have been by his side for years, should know best what you have to do.¡± ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll act in accordance to my judgment.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing my confirmation, Kevin silently bowed toward me, accepting my direction. ¡ó After I arrived at the duke¡¯s mansion, I met several people aside from Viscount Amber and his wife in the room that housed Miss Muriel¡¯s prone form. They were Zachariah-dono and his siblings. Of the three children Viscount Amber had, two of them were girls, and all of them were now gathered in this place. "" No one was speaking a word, and their expression was gloomy. I understood and was about to leave, but suddenly, my line of sight overlapped with Viscount Amber¡¯s one. I nodded at him, offering a simple greeting. The Viscount then moved away from Miss Muriel¡¯s side and went to meet me. ¡°My deepest apologies for my previous action to that boy. Uhm, how¡¯s his condition right now?¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your concern. He¡¯s still depressed, so I have to force him to sleep for now.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. May I have a bit of your time?¡± Since he wanted to talk with me in private, the maid prepared another room for us to talk in. ¡°I heard the situation from Duke Lilac, who said that this incident happened because of the demon race¡¯s action. And Muriel happens to be one of the victims of their evil plan. As well as the matter about Miss Katrina being a saint.¡± Viscount Amber began in a low voice, tone vexed. ¡°¨D¨D Why? Why does it have to be that child?! Why was it not me who became their target?! I¡¯m willing to give my life for the kingdom and for His Majesty if he ever asks me for it. I¡¯ll fight the demon race if we have to fight them. That¡¯s my duty and obligation as the noble of this kingdom. And yet, why, of all people, why do they actually target her? She¡¯s just a child who has just turned ten years old! Fighting back aside, children can¡¯t even resist; not even Saint-sama and her companion, when they¡¯re just children, can. And yet¡­¡± He continued, covering his face with both hands as he vented all the grief he couldn¡¯t say in front of his family. ¡°My daughter was protecting Saint-sama with her life. Yet, that isn¡¯t something that I¡­ that we, her family, wish to see from her! We only want to see her smiling happily. We only want her to be safe and sound! And yet¡­! If only I prevent her from befrie¡ª-¡± ¡°AMBER-DONO!¡± I called out with a loud voice, stopping him from saying something that he shouldn¡¯t say. ¡°You must not say that. Please, please calm yourself first.¡± ¡°¡­ My apologies. I am just¡­.¡± I knew that he was emotionally unstable right now, but still. We were in the duke¡¯s mansion right now. It was possible that there were ears and eyes of the duke in the ceilings and walls. ¡°I sympathize with your situation, but please consider your position. You know that you can¡¯t overstep your boundary. I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re angry with this unreasonable situation. That is understandable, but please be careful with your remark in this place.¡± From the very beginning, Viscount Amber was a frank person, who can get along with just anyone. However, while that was a good thing, he also had a tendency to slip up on some occasions. When his mind was in an extremely disordered state, he tended to spit out his real feelings in conduct and speech. If it was joy, it would brighten his surrounding. However, if it was negative emotion, then he tended to make others feel uncomfortable. Though he had apologized to the people who got hurt by his rash remarks after becoming the head of the family, many people still couldn¡¯t forgive him. Anyway, the viscount was, in essence, an overly emotional person who acted based on his emotion. Therefore, he sometimes caused problems. Naturally, the person himself was aware of this matter, but he didn¡¯t change. Then again, perhaps it was cause he had yet to find a solution to this problem. ¡°That¡¯s a sound argument.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a marquis, after all. I have to have a clear grasp of the situation and set my personal emotion aside when required. Otherwise, you know what may happen to the kingdom if someone of my position cannot control their emotion, right?¡± ¡°¡­ I know what you mean. However, just for now, I wish I don¡¯t understand all of it.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you have to understand that and act that way the moment you become the head of the family,¡± I said, staring into his eyes. Viscount Amber then heaved a sigh as if he had given up from letting his emotion run wild for now. ¡°¨D¨D I know that my daughter has¡­ protected Saint-sama. She put her life on the line and wore a dangerous magic tool, and managed to save, Saint-sama. She¡¯s¡­ my, pride¡­ and joy.¡± Viscount Amber said that line haltingly while covering his face, clearly not wanting to say it in the slightest. Seeing this, my mood soured as well. Dammit. I felt bitter since I was the one who forced him to do this. However much I didn¡¯t want to force him to do this, I had to. I had to play the villain here for his family¡¯s safety. ¡°My apologies¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I should be the one apologizing for being unreasonable. Moreover, Miss Muriel is still alive. Don¡¯t give up till the bitter end.¡± I patted the viscount, who was still sobbing, on his back. And somehow, I managed to calm him down. ¡°¨D¨D I hope a miracle will happen.¡± ¡°There¡¯s already the demon race and the saint. It¡¯ll be strange if a miracle doesn¡¯t happen.¡± After I told him that, Viscount Amber finally truly calmed down. === Alas, Miss Muriel¡¯s condition didn¡¯t improve even after midnight passed. Rather than getting better, her condition even worsened. At this rate, she might not be able to hold on until morning¡­ Perhaps I should call Theodore to come over. Just as I thought about it, I received a notice that Theodore had come. CH 65 65 Magical Power is Dancing The carriage that was hastily moving towards the direction of Duke Lilac¡¯s mansion finally arrived at its destination. Without a moment of hesitation, I get out of the carriage and followed after the chamberlain, rushing toward Muriel¡¯s room. Just as I expected, her condition remained as unstable as before. Neither the doctors, healers, and Bates seemed to be able to do anything about her condition. They could only watch as her condition deteriorated right under their watch. As I approached closer, I saw my father standing in front of the door. ¡°Looking at your face now, it seems that you have gotten a grip on yourself.¡± ¡°Yes. I have made you worry about my condition.¡± Hearing my words, a bright, gentle smile bloomed on my father¡¯s face. One that could make numerous ladies fall head over heel for him. He then embraced me. ¡°¨D¨D May I ask your permission for my son to go to Miss Muriel¡¯s side, Viscount Amber?¡± Viscount Amber hesitated for a while when he heard my father¡¯s request, but in the end, he nodded his head and allow me to enter the room. Thus, gaining permission, I immediately slipped into the room. Passing by my future brother-in-law, I finally arrived at Muriel¡¯s side. I looked at her and my heart ached. Muriel¡¯s face was as pale as sheet, and I was scared because it seemed as if she would die at anytime and left me behind. ¡°Muriel, I come to present a bracelet to you. Please accept it.¡± I said as I took out the knitted bracelet I made. Then, taking Muriel¡¯s left hand, I gently put the bracelet around the wrist and saw that the dark red bruise around her left wrist seemed to be bigger than before. It was even more vivid than last he saw. Unable to bear the sight, I coiled the bracelet around the bruise and masked it from sight. I then adjusted the position of the crystal flower to be right on top of the vivid, dark red bruise. ¡°Yeah, this flower suits you more than that accursed bruise.¡± Muriel didn¡¯t reply. But that matters not. I clasped her hand, not willing to let it go, but slowly but surely, I felt her body temperature was becoming colder and colder. ¡°Look, I also bring the chick you made this morning. This little fella is worrying about you too.¡± I said as I placed the chick beside the crystal flower. ¡°That¡¯s why, please wake up. Wake up be that cheerful and healthy girl whose smile brings joy to others again. Please.¡± However, no matter how I wished for it, miracle didn¡¯t happen. Muriel¡¯s hand was instead becoming colder and colder. ¡°Muriel, I, I love your smiling face the most. Your smile always heal my heart whenever I sees it. Do you know that your smile cheers me up whenever I was down? You always look so happy whenever you received a gift from me. That¡¯s why, since you have always liked the lacework I presented to you, I made another one this time. However, it seems you don¡¯t like this one¡­ Please, Muriel. Please. Open your eyes. Please¡­¡± I clasped her left hand, desperately praying for a miracle as I brought it closer to my head. Please, please don¡¯t die on me. I¡¯ve had enough of losing important person of my life just like I lost my father in my last life. Muriel, do you know how sad your brother, sister, and parents are going to be if you die? You should know, right? So, please, survive. Please, Muriel, I¡¯ve had enough of looking at the ghastly face of my mother in my last life made when my father in that life passed away. Please don¡¯t make me face the same thing again. I won¡¯t be able to bear it. Suddenly, it felt like the crystal blinked. Then, a string of sentence suddenly appeared in my mind. ¡°¡ºI, Theodore¨D¨D¡»¡± I began reciting the Japanese words that appeared in my mind one-by-one carefully, ¡°¡º¨D¨D Offer My True Love to My Beloved Muriel.¡»¡± If there are Gods in this world, please, please save Muriel. I beg you. CH 66 66¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 7 The miracle that Theodore caused was immediately reported to His Majesty by Duke Lilac. Due to that report, even though it was in the middle of dead midnight when everyone was already asleep, Bates-dono who was still in the Duke¡¯s mansion got summoned to the Royal Palace post haste. Naturally, I was also summoned along with him. Aside from us, in the conference room of the royal palace, His Majesty the King and the Five Family¡¯s patriarchs including Duke Lilac and Count Sphene, who was attending as the chief of the magic tool research institute, were also there. There were no others. Then again, it might be due to the time being in the dead of the night, so many senates were absent from the meeting. ¡°Attending a meeting at this unholy hour is too much for this old body. Please spare this old man who can only work properly after the sun rises high in the sky.¡± Bates nonchalantly said as he offered the chair to us. Seeing his action, I had to stifle my smile. Truly, even in this kind of situation, he was still the same as ever. Anyhow, looking around at the gathered people, I just realized that all of us who were gathered in this place were officials that were related to the Saint. However, this decision made sense. After all, the other officials outside of those gathered here would just be a hindrance. ¡°I had heard the story, but still. Let me hear the details from the related party again.¡± After Prime Minister Blackcurrant said this, Bates-dono and I began to explain the situation from the beginning until the end, not missing any details we knew of. ¡ó After we finished explaining from the start until the end, the conference room was enveloped in a complex atmosphere. Nevertheless, soon the stilted air was broken by Prime Minister Blackcurrant had finished taking in the story in its entirety. ¡°¨D¨D So, firstly, about the magic tool called ¡®misanga¡¯ and the identity of the black cat who stole those misangas¡­¡± ¡°Regarding that, we¡¯re currently investigating the merchant who sold them. However, we have to wait until morning before we get the result of the investigation.¡± General Crimson said. I didn¡¯t find it strange. This was only natural. After all, even if he tried to investigate the matter right now, people rarely came out at midnight. ¡°It is just a low-grade magic tool, but it¡¯s a dangerous one since it can snatch the life force of the wearer¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve confirmed that it resembles the magic tool that was sold in my territory seven years ago. All of them should have already been disposed of back then, but¡­¡± I said, not hiding anything since Count Greenwell also investigated that case too. ¡°We¡¯re lacking vital evidence to make the judgment. Perhaps it will be much better if we wait for the result of the investigation of the peddler first before we continue. But of course, there is a need to investigate the location of the factory and trade routes too. Don¡¯t forget.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement to Count Sphene¡¯s suggestion since this misanga could become their evidence. At the same time, everyone also agreed that the investigation of the trade route and the location of the factory had to be done as fast as possible too. ¡°¨D¨D Another matter is about the black cat in the report¡­¡± ¡°The aforementioned black cat was the former member of the Magic Tool Research Institute who is also the culprit behind the incident three years ago, Trevor. There¡¯s no doubt about this. The pattern on its right foreleg is similar to the pattern that appeared on Trevor¡¯s right arm when he exposed his true figure after absorbing Count Greenwell¡¯s life force. At that time, the right arm that got cut off by General Crimson vanished for no reason. Hence, I figured that right arm turned into the black cat that I saw in this incident.¡± Bates-dono explained when he heard Prime Minister Blackcurrant¡¯s question. ¡°We got taken by surprise back then, eh.¡± Bishop Cobalt muttered something to himself while General Crimson groaned loudly. Perhaps they were recalling the incident three years ago. ¡°¡­ If there¡¯s something that you want to say, just say it.¡± ¡°Oh, how rare to see you¡¯re being self-conscious. It¡¯s good to see you finally become a little bit wiser.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, let¡¯s settle this outside.¡± ¡°Morris, Dexter, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯re in the presence of His Majesty.¡± I really hoped that both Bishop Cobalt and General Crimson would set aside their quarrel for now and continued later. Fortunately, this time, both of them kept their silence after being reprimanded. ¡°In short, the so-called demon race only parasitizes one part of the body, is it? Are there any possibilities of them moving around when they only occupy a part of the body? If that¡¯s the case, what about Trevor that was being imprisoned in the jail? Is he really Trevor?¡± The chief of the Court Mage Department, Count Greenwell, pondered as he asked such a question. ¡°We still have no idea whether ¡®he¡¯ is still alive or not from just a single part of the body. There¡¯s not enough evidence to conclude the matter. However, the one who was being kept in the jail right now might be nothing more than a shell for the demon¡¯s disguise. That must be the reason why he doesn¡¯t react at all when we capture him.¡± Everyone nodded together after Bates-dono stated his opinion. It made sense. ¡°Even so, it doesn¡¯t mean that we can release the ¡®Trevor¡¯ that acts as a shell. And we should focus on capturing the black cat. That way, we may be able to confirm with our own eyes the method used by the demon race. On that note, how¡¯s the investigation going for that black cat?¡± Alas, when Count Sphene asked about the progress of the search, Duke Lilac shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing a thorough search for the entire mansion. Alas, we failed to find that cat. I¡¯m going to order my subordinates to search the entire mansion again in the morning, but except for the mansion¨D¨D Well, searching for a particular cat in the entire city is impossible.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve made an arrangement for the army to find that black cat. However, don¡¯t hold out hope. Finding it will be difficult even if we use illumination magic. Furthermore, even if we try to find the cat after sunrise, it¡¯s almost impossible to find a specific cat in the entire city, much less capture it.¡± General Crimson stated his opinion as a part of the army. And their words made sense. Trying to find and capture a specific cat hiding in the entire city was close to impossible. ¡°What about the temple¡¯s barrier?¡± When Prime Minister Blackcurrant asked, Bishop Cobalt¡¯s expression shifted into one of extreme vexation. ¡°The barrier should be perfect. And though the temple tried to investigate this matter again at this moment, we still can¡¯t find any seam or opening. Both Court Mage Department and Magic Tool Research Institute are currently working together to analyze the problem, but we have yet to find the problem¡­ In conclusion, we still have no idea why that evil being can enter the barrier at present time, but we¡¯ll investigate this matter more thoroughly when morning comes.¡± After Bishop Cobalt stated his resolution, Count Greenwell opened his mouth and spoke. ¡°Maybe they have a way to suppress their overflowing high concentration of magical power when they disguise themselves as animal or human. Or perhaps they used a magic tool like the one used by Trevor back then¡­¡± ¡°Or maybe they have both methods. We, the Magic Tool Research Institute, will investigate that magic tool again.¡± ¡°Court Mage Department will also investigate the captured human ¡®Trevor¡¯. We ask for permission to conduct the investigation.¡± Count Greenwell and Count Sphene immediately submitted the verbal application for investigating the possibilities suggested by Count Greenwell. ¡°Permission granted.¡± His Majesty, who so far had kept his silence, gave his permission with a solemn voice. He then ordered, ¡°The black cat will be treated as the same demon race member that appeared three years ago. And it is to be captured immediately. In addition, conduct investigations on every peddler that is selling the magic tool called misanga. At the same time, get the number of misangas that have been sold in the kingdom. Finally, conduct a thorough investigation about the people in charge of each barrier, the demon race itself, and the magic tool.¡± Hearing His Majesty¡¯s order, everyone immediately bowed at once. CH 67 67¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 8 ¡°The next matter is about the miracle that Goldberg-dono¡¯s son, Theodore, caused.¡± ¨D¨D Here it comes. I thought as everyone¡¯s attention focused on me at once. ¡°Let us hear the details once again¡­ there are parts that is a little bit too difficult to understand from the story I heard before.¡± Well, I myself also didn¡¯t really understand what happened back there though, so asking me for details¡­ was truly a bit hard. Still, I suppose I had no choice but to report everything exactly like what I saw back then. ¡°Alright, to make it easier to understand, I¡¯ll talk about what I saw exactly as it is.¡± I recounted what I saw, from when Theodore coiled the bracelet he made with his own hands to cover the red bruise around Miss Muriel¡¯s wrist to the fact he placed the chick doll Miss Muriel made during the day when they were practicing their magic beside her. Then, I explained that Theodore began to recite a string of words in ancient language at that time. When he did that, the bracelet and the chick doll suddenly began to glow with a brilliant white light. At that time, the dark red bruise on Miss Muriel¡¯s wrist suddenly came out from beneath the bracelet, and fell on the bed, trying to escape. But then, the chick doll shrouded in brilliant golden light stood on its way and ate it. After that¨D¨D ¡°Sorry, please stop for a moment.¡± Prime Minister Blackcurrant stopped me when I was still in the middle of recounting the scene I saw. ¡°Just to make sure; that chick doll is moving and ate the ¡®bruise¡¯ that tried to escape¡­ right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I say. The chick doll ate the string-like ¡®bruise¡¯ that tried to escape.¡± Hearing my sure reply, Prime Minister Blackcurrant massaged his temple. He was confused for sure. In fact, even I who saw the event with my own eyes was just as confused as he, so his befuddlement was only a matter of course. ¡°And¡­ that is the VERY chick doll in that story.¡± Prime Minister Blackcurrant said as he gestured towards the chick doll made by Miss Muriel that was currently placed on top of the desk. I had silently borrowed this from Theodore for the sake of this hearing. That was why it was here. At the time, when Theodore fell asleep due to exhaustion, the chick also curled up and perhaps fell asleep too after nesting on his hair. So, after asking for permission to let Theodore sleep on the bed beside Miss Muriel¡¯s bed, I initially planned to placed the chick doll with him. However, the chick doll¡¯s golden light vanished when it got separated from Theodore. And now, no matter how you looked at it, it is just a normal chick doll. Still, it looked so divine when it shone back then. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± Starting from Prime Minister Blackcurrant, everyone took turn to observe the chick doll. However, soon, their expression turned dejected when they couldn¡¯t find anything in it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a magic tool.¡± Count Spene stated his opinion out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Brother. It doesn¡¯t really look like a magic tool at all. And yet, this very chick is the one that create that miracle back then. It was surrounded with golden particles of light and moved as if it has a life on its own.¡± Bates-dono said, supplementing my story that got interrupted. Then again, Bates-dono¡¯s action was correct. After all, though I told them that the chick doll moved back then, it had returned to a mere chick doll now. Therefore, having another witness proved my words¡¯ credibility. Look, even after Bates-dono had supported my claim, His Majesty who didn¡¯t see what we saw back then still looked at Bates-dono with dubious look on his face. ¡°Moreover, the ¡®bruise¡¯ came to life too, is it?¡± It might sound unbelievable, but believe me, it was the unvarnished truth. "" ¡°Yes, it moved too. There are other eyewitnesses too aside from Bates-dono and I. We can vouch for this.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. You¡¯re not the kind of person who are going to make such lies. It is just the event is too astonishing to the point that I can¡¯t even understand.¡± Bishop Cobalt apologized. ¡°And then, what happened to that doll after it ate the bruise?¡± His Majesty asked. ¡°The chick look satisfied. Maybe the bruise was a treat for it. Anyway, right after that, we heard a cat¡¯s shriek from outside the window as magical power started to gather on the bracelet as Miss Muriel¡¯s condition improves for the better.¡± ¡°I think the bracelet is absorbing the mana in the air. The bracelet¡¯s shine might be related to the mana gathered in it. I¡¯m really surprised to see it. It¡¯s as if the mana particles are¡­ dancing in there.¡± After I continued the story, Bates-dono supplemented it with explanation from his side. And indeed, the particles back then looked as if they were dancing in joy. ¡°Mana particles are¡­ dancing? Seriously? MANA? DANCING?¡± Count Greenwell muttered as if he couldn¡¯t believe Bates-dono¡¯s words just now. I supposed his disbelieving reaction was normal. I myself might react the same way if I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes. ¡°Anyhow, let¡¯s see the aforementioned bracelet first. You bring it with you, right?¡± ¡°Nope. The bracelet can¡¯t be removed from Miss Muriel¡¯s arm.¡± It seemed His Majesty wanted to see the bracelet too. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t bring them with me. Fortunately, Bates-dono came forward to explain the situation before His Majesty and the others started asking for the reason. ¡°Even after it lost its shine, it¡¯s still in the state of gathering mana in the air. It might be trying to restore Miss Muriel¡¯s life force. As such, there¡¯s a possibility that Miss Muriel might die if we take off the bracelet from her. We must not undo the miracle that Theodore has painstakingly created, so let¡¯s just keep the bracelet on Miss Muriel¡¯s arm.¡± Knowing that a child¡¯s life was at stake, His Majesty didn¡¯t press any further. Still, the bracelet might be confiscated from Miss Muriel once she becomes lively again. I wanted to avoid that situation if possible since that bracelet was the item that Theodore wholeheartedly made for Miss Muriel. So, I definitely didn¡¯t want to do something like confiscating the bracelet, because doing that was akin to rejecting the bond between the two. While I was pondering about such a thing, Bates-dono continued his explanation. ¡°And that¡¯s what happened. I¡¯ve examined the bracelet on Miss Muriel¡¯s arm, but I¡¯ve come to a conclusion that it isn¡¯t a magic tool.¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t a magic tool¡­ then what is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, I guess all of us are familiar with such items.¡± Bates-dono said with a convincing look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s something that isn¡¯t a magic tool, yet resembled one. It¡¯s invoked with ancient language and cleanses evil. Furthermore, it¡¯s an accessory offered by a man who offers his ¡ºTrue Love¡» to a woman.¡± ¨D¨D No way¡­ ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just as you have guessed. I think Theodore¡¯s handmade bracelet is a saint¡¯s ornament, or at the very least something very similar to it.¡± Everyone in the room was at a loss for words upon hearing Bates-dono¡¯s conclusion. Although he was not wrong in saying that, I still wanted to erase that triumphant look on his face. In short, I really wanted to punch his smug face. Immediately. I mean, my son, Theodore ended up getting himself involved in an extremely troublesome matter after all. CH 68.1 68.1¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 9 ¡°What a joke. As if something that is made by a child can stand on equal ground with the Saint¡¯s Ornaments.¡± His Majesty immediately denied Bates-dono¡¯s claim. His prompt denial relieved me greatly. Furthermore, his denial was not without ground as well. After all, the bracelet was made by a kid. How could it be a Saint Ornament? ¡°But, it DID cause a MIRACLE. That¡¯s one thing we can¡¯t deny.¡± Bates-dono insisted on his claim, causing His Majesty to groan. ¡°That much is something I know after listening to your reports. But for a kid¡¯s creation to be ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornament¡¯¡­ that¡¯s a bit too hard to believe.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty, ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ show its ¡®Power¡¯ through ancient language and ¡®True Love¡¯.¡± ¡°¡®True Love¡¯¡­ is it?¡± Bates-dono nodded, ¡°Yes. ¡®True Love¡¯. And according to my estimation, it¡¯s the most important factor. Even the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯ need it.¡± His Majesty and the rest of us looked at each other, silently asking whether the other understood Bates-dono¡¯s remark or not. However, no one seemed to understand the sentences he threw out just now. ¡°What does that mean, Bates? Would you elaborate in away that we can understand?¡± Count Sphene asked. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know how to explain it either. In short, the matter is exactly as I say. Presents that are gifted with love from the bottom of one¡¯s heart is the reason for this miracle. Even without the engraving in ancient language, I think the reason why Theodore¡¯s bracelet can cause such miracle is none other than because of Theodore¡¯s love toward Miss Muriel.¡± Bates-dono nodded by himself as he explained. I couldn¡¯t deny his speculation though, because Theodore definitely gave most of his love toward Miss Muriel. That was for sure. Still, even though I knew that there was basis to this theory, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that the condition for this miracle to happen was really unbelievable. "" First of all, we had no idea on how to measure something like love. After all, there was various form of loves. Moreover, it didn¡¯t mean that the love like the one Theodore showed for Muriel was absolutely needed to invoke the miracle. In the end, just like stated before, there were different form of loves. ¡°Moreover, Theodore also said it himself, though perhaps not consciously. It happened when Luke said, ¡®I want to become stronger for the saint¡¯. At that time, Theodore suddenly said that he preferred Muriel over the saint and stated that he would give his true love to Miss Muriel instead of the saint.¡± That was only natural. He had yet to know that Miss Katrina is the saint, so he chose to devote himself to the girl he loves rather than some unknown saint. It was completely normal. ¡°¨D¨D According to the legend, one is supposed to offer their ¡®True Love¡¯ to the saint. However, Theodore caused a miracle by offering his ¡®True Love¡¯ to the girl he loves. Moreover, he can arrange ancient language on his own.¡± Bates-dono spoke with an extremely passionate voice and continued, ¡°In the pronunciation that was deciphered by Theodore three years ago, ¡®Waga Itoshi no Serendia Ni, Goldias Yori Shinjitsu no Ai Wo Sasagu¡¯, remember? Now, he replaced ¡®Selendia¡¯ with ¡®Muriel¡¯ and ¡®Goldias¡¯ with ¡®Theodore¡¯. Based on these, it could be seen that Theodore knew which one is the name of the person in the ancient language. To be more clear, he understood the ancient language and can decipher them.¡± ¡°Please wait a minute. Theodore has said it himself. He doesn¡¯t understand the ancient language. Let¡¯s not jump into conclusion so fast.¡± I said to prevent Theodore from being suspected to cause a miracle because of everything he did so far. That was a dangerous path. ¡°Bates-dono said ¡®Unconsciously¡¯. So, the possibility that Theodore did that unconsciously is huge. Moreover, we¡¯re off-topic right now. Before everything else, we have to investigate whether the bracelet Theodore made is really equal to the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯.¡± I forcibly changed the topic back to the original topic. ¡°In addition, we also have to investigate if ¡®True Love¡¯ is truly necessary to activate the ¡®Saint¡¯s Ornaments¡¯. I mean, how are we supposed to know ¡®True Love¡¯ from third person¡¯s perspective?¡± I spoke vigorously in a single breath, not pausing at all. ¡°There¡¯s various form of loves. Even if every single one of the Six Gods in the Saint Legend love the saint, the form of their ¡®True Love¡¯ might not be the same with one another. Furthermore, even legend might have some modification, so I think our current focus should be to verify how to see that.¡± Bates-dono finally fell silent when he heard the word ¡®verify¡¯, pondering my opinion. Now then, it was time to push forward my opinion. ¡°Regarding the bracelet, I think we can do some observation while it¡¯s worn by Miss Muriel. Once we confirm that it isn¡¯t magic tool like the Saint¡¯s Ornaments, it means that we have to add another topic to our research. Anyway, in my humble opinion, the miracle that happen this time, which is caused by the bracelet on Miss Muriel¡¯s arm, and its effect on her is one thing that we have to investigate.¡± ¡°¨D I see. That might be a better option. After all, at present, there is no ornament that caused miracle. Still, though we can continue our observation, there¡¯s a low chance it¡¯ll be tied with the Saint¡¯s Ornaments.¡± Count Greenwell, the chief of the Court Mage Department, directly gave his seal of approval. I secretly breathe a sigh of relief. With this person¡¯s backing, the weight of my previously empty argument should be heavier. ¡°I also agree with this. We should observe first. After all, I¡¯ll be ashamed as an adult if I have to take a present that is given between children, and one that save the other¡¯s life on top of that. Therefore, I think we should choose this option until we understand what we really need to know.¡± Count Sphene also agreed to this, and for that, he had my heartfelt gratitude. However, His Majesty looked dissatisfied with this. Perhaps because he really wanted to confiscated that bracelet. Thank God I act quickly before he make such decision. ¡°For the same reason, I think we should return this chick doll to Theodore too. It might start moving again if it stay beside him.¡± Although His Majesty and Bates-dono looked like they were against my idea, in the end they agreed to it, albeit reluctantly. Then again, nothing would change even if we confiscated the bracelet, so perhaps they finally decided to go along with the idea. ¡°¨D¨D I guess nothing can be said about ¡®True Love¡¯.¡± Bishop Cobalt said. ¡°Something like love isn¡¯t visible to the eyes after all. Still, we¡¯ll be in deep shit if the qualification to become Six Gods are to love someone. Especially in my son¡¯s case. Due to my son¡¯s twisted personality, his expression of love may be quite crooked too.¡± Bishop Cobalt evaluate his own son, Simeon-dono, harshly with a sarcastic smile on his face. ¡°¨D¨D Before the magic unsealing ceremony, I tried to ask Theodore-dono about what make the Six Gods, but¡­ Theodore-dono¡¯s answer is to care about the important people around him. Goldias of the Six Gods are also said to be someone who cares about the people around him and fight to protect them too.¡± I had heard about this matter from Kevin as well. CH 68.2 68.2¡¡Monologue of A Certain Marquis 9 === Although the answer Theodore, whose head is filled with romance, was very embarrassing¡­ both Kevin and Richard were still moved to tears by his answer because they knew that Theodore truly meant what he said. He truly care about the people close to him. ¡°It is precisely because of his honest speech and conduct that Theodore-dono awakened the nature of Six Gods far earlier than the other kids. Meanwhile, that blockhead son of mine has yet to realize such a simple fact.¡± Bishop Cobalt said with a self-deprecating smile on his face. I wondered why, but I felt as if he was impatient for some reason. Still, perhaps it was just my imagination. ¡°I wonder what is the so-called qualification of Six Gods?¡± Count Greenwell muttered. ¡°Both us and our kids should have that qualification too. Yet, they¡¯re not showing a sign like Theodore-dono. What makes them different from him? Can we somehow help them in that regard?¡± ¡°Honestly, even I have not fully grasp that matter. Furthermore, though we may wonder why Theodore awakened first, there¡¯s nothing we can do at present. The only thing we can do right now is to gather more and more data to verify the situation so that it can assist our children when it truly matter.¡± When I said so, everyone heaved a sigh, as if expressing their helplessness in this situation. I honestly understood their feelings, but we¡¯re truly helpless in this situation. And truthfully speaking, the best option for now was for us to understand the phenomenon first before making a move. ¡°You¡¯re right. We have to verify the facts first. Requesting permission to observe the bracelet made by Theodore-dono for Miss Muriel as well as Miss Muriel¡¯s condition. As for the matter of ¡®True Love¡¯, we currently have no other choice but to keep that matter aside for now.¡± Prime Minister Blackcurrant stopped talking for a brief moment before he began to summarize the content of our meeting. ¡°According to our discussion, our agenda will be first to look for the black cat and the merchants. At the same time, we¡¯ll also investigate the safety of the magic item called ¡®misanga¡¯. As a side note, we are also going to investigate the manufacturer of said magic item, its factory, as well as its distribution channel. Second, re-investigate the demon race that was captured three years ago as well as re-opening the investigation to the magic tool that was confiscated from said demon race. Third, we have to strengthen the barrier that surrounds the kingdom and the royal capital. Is there any addition to the points I mentioned above?¡± Although it was more or less the content of our meeting, I felt it was still lacking. ¡°I wish to add the request for re-investigation of the magic tool that was confiscated in our territory seven years ago. The magic formulae engraved in that magic tool might have some similarities with the aforementioned misanga, especially since that magic tool also deprived its user of their life force.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, let¡¯s include those magic tools in the scope of the investigation as well. With that said, I would like to ask the cooperation from both Mage Department and Research Institute to investigate this matter.¡± Hearing this, Count Greenwell, Count Sphene, and Bates-dono immediately nodded in acceptance at the same time. ¡°Another matter to add, though this isn¡¯t the topic of our meeting today.¡± Duke Lilac suddenly raised his voice. ¡°It¡¯s the reason behind the demon race¡¯s action. What is their purpose for manufacturing the magic tools that caused this incident? Are they trying to kill the saint? According to our investigation, on the surface, Miss Sonia¡¯s maid, the one responsible for buying the misanga, seems to be forced to buy the magic tool due to the merchant¡¯s sales pitch. However, if we go in-depth, it seems like some sort of suggestion was used on her to buy it.¡± ¡°Uhm, I heard that the said maid is in extreme depression after the incident. I heard the story from her after she calmed down, but nothing indicated that some sort of suggestion was used on her.¡± General Crimson reported the result of his interview with Miss Sonia¡¯s maid, refuting the idea. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to be that way. Anyhow, I also agree with the Duke¡¯s questions. The black cat clearly entered the mansion to see the situation. Or perhaps it have to be close in order to steal someone¡¯s life force?¡± Bates-dono muttered before telling us his guess, ¡°Miss Muriel was clearly weakened after the misanga was taken off from her wrist. I know that her life force was flowing to somewhere, but the problem was the fact I can¡¯t tell where it was going to. Then again, maybe it was that red bruise that sucked her life force and sending it toward the black cat. I mean, that¡¯s the only explanation behind the black cat¡¯s cries when the bruise got attacked by that animated chick.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Previously, when my life force was suck out of me a few years ago, I also saw some sort of bruise appeared on my arms as my life force turned into particles of light.¡± When Count Greenwell said that, Bishop Cobalt and General Crimson¡¯s eyes lighted up and they opened their mouth. ¡°Come to think of it, the same things happen to the demon race back then too. Some sort of tattoo appeared on his right arm when he absorbed the light particles, which happened to be the exact time his strength increased.¡± ¡°Sure enough.¡± Both gave similar statement. ¡°Supposing that their target is the saint¡¯s life force, could it be that the demon race had known that Miss Katrina is the saint?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we must not let our guard down.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression immediately became tense. ¡°Well then, I shall ask everyone to do their best.¡± With His Majesty¡¯s closing statement, the meeting ended. I didn¡¯t tell them about Theodore¡¯s magical power having a will of its own. However, it really can¡¯t be helped, because if I said it in that kind of meeting, I was sure that everyone¡¯s attention would focus entirely on Theodore. Therefore, I had to keep this matter a secret for the time being. Anyhow, everyone was clearly getting impatient, especially His Majesty. Moreover, there was also this feeling that His Majesty had a sense of rivalry toward Theodore. So, I judged that it would be much safer to keep this matter a secret for now. Anyway, once they entered puberty, a change will occur amongst His Highness the Crown Prince and his peers. It wasn¡¯t too late to tell them by then. ¡ó A few days later, the merchant who sold misanga was found, already in the form of a corpse. There was a trace of his windpipe being bitten off by somesort of beast. And though the investigation team couldn¡¯t confiscate the misanga, they managed to confiscate the other items the merchant sold. The confiscated items also resembled the ones from seven years ago. Still, though they managed to crush the distribution route, the investigation team couldn¡¯t find the factory and the manufacturer. Thus, we decided to continue the investigation. In addition, we also found dried up corpses of the girls who were suspected to have bought the misanga all over the kingdom. Every single one of those corpses looked like they just got their life force sucked dry from their body. Furthermore, we also discovered the bruise around their wrist too, but we heard an even more bizarre story. According to the eyewitnesses, the dim bruise split up from the wrist and also took a portion of the flesh around it too. Anyhow, due to this incident, the congress created a new law that limit the selling of magic tool. Any unlicensed merchant who sell magic tools would receive an extremely heavy punishment. We also re-investigate the magic tool that was confiscated from the demon race and the demon race that was currently held in jail. Alas, we couldn¡¯t find anything new from this end. On the other hand, the chick doll was returned to its owner, Theodore while the bracelet was kept on Miss Muriel¡¯s wrist. However, the chick wouldn¡¯t move and the bracelet wouldn¡¯t shine. And we also failed to find the black cat as well. CH 69 69 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 8 My mood hit rock bottom as soon as I woke up that day. It felt like my head was struck with a hammer, and not only that, the joints in my body all felt sore. Due to that, even though I wanted to sleep through another night, I felt like I was going to vomit if I lay down. ¡°Uuh, water, please¡­.¡± ¡°Have you woken up, Milady? Here¡¯s your water. Drink it slowly.¡± My wet nurse, Meriel, offered a cup for me. Taking the offered cup from her, I immediately emptied the content in no time. Ha~h. The drink felt very nice, making me feel like a cool refreshing feeling is penetrating my body. Second, please. ¡°I¡¯ll call the doctor immediately,¡± Another maid said before she went out. She then came back with a healer and a doctor who started to examine my body post haste. Alas, though I didn¡¯t really want this, I was too powerless to resist the examination since my head and joints ached terribly. ¡°It might be the after effect of magical power backlash. You¡¯ll recover with a few days of rest.¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no external wound, and the flow of your magical power is normal too. And since your magical power has recovered a little bit, you¡¯ll feel better soon enough.¡± Both the doctor and the healer said, giving their stamp of approval for my wellbeing. I see¡­ so it was magical power backlash, huh¡ª EH! ¡°¡ªWhat about Muriel-sama and the other girls?! Are they safe?!¡± My head finally started to work normally, and I immediately asked about the other¡¯s condition. I remembered that everyone also fell down with me back then. So, what happened after that? ¡°Yes, Milady. Everyone is safe and sound. Even Muriel-sama, who was in critical condition, is now safe and sound. It is a miracle.¡± Meriel told me everyone was safe and sound, but wait¡­ A miracle? What exactly happened while I was asleep? ¡°Theodore-sama created a miracle,¡± Meriel said before she narrated the story with a rather excited expression on her face. ¡ó Once done listening to Meriel¡¯s story, I was left with only astonishment. The things I heard were beyond my understanding. The misanga had actually sapped her life force? Moreover, the mastermind behind the incident was actually the demon race? I had no idea that the demon race was making their movement this early! ¡°According to the maid who was taking care of Muriel back then, it really shone. Yes, like a flash. Then, the chick started moving on its own. I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s a chick in this story, but it is said that the chick then ate the earthworm!¡± ¡°Um, isn¡¯t it normal for a chick to eat an earthworm?¡± I mean, the chick that I raised in an animal pen during primary school in my previous life did eat worms. Well, that aside, I was really confused with the flow of the story Meriel is regaling me with. However, even more than that, I was worried about Muriel. If my memories served me right, the magic tool that sucks one¡¯s life force did come out in the form of a bracelet in Luke¡¯s route. In the game, the bracelet became popular due to its effect that raises the magical power of its wearer. At the same time, the same bracelet was also the reason behind many students falling down due to anemia. In the plot, Luke suspected that the bracelet was the reason for those incidents, so he began to investigate it along with the heroine. During the process of investigation, he also discovered that Bates¡¯ killer turned out to come from the demon race. Thus, he avenges Bates¡¯ death. Alas, the demon race managed to escape due to plot armor, but the demon race¡¯s secret plan got uncovered due to this incident. As a side note, the event for blue (Simeon) was to investigate the weakened temple¡¯s barrier, finish the maintenance, and strengthen it. While red¡¯s (Vince¡¯s) event was to encounter the demon race¡¯s scout during one of the extracurricular activities and repel them. In addition, blue and red events happened at the same time. During extracurricular lessons. The extracurricular lesson was a school event akin to outdoor school. And the demon race¡¯s force happened to be around the destination where the group was in to investigate the barrier, which resulted in a slightly heart-thumping moment. In that situation, the player had to choose whether to follow Simeon to strengthen the barrier or to follow Vince to repel the demon race. Well, the player can finish one event and do the next one almost immediately, but the degree of difficulties would jump across the board. The option of following Simeon had a relatively low hurdle, while Vince¡¯s event was simply too high, and it was reflected in the result. Such cases often happen in the game. The events wouldn¡¯t happen, though, if the player failed to raise both people¡¯s affection levels to a certain value before this extracurricular lesson. As a result, the barrier would be destroyed, and the demon race would rampage right in the middle of the royal capital. Well, I still had some leeway since all these would only happen during the second year of high school. Although it would be just barely enough considering that Theodore¡¯s and Luke¡¯s events occurred during the first year. In Theodore¡¯s event, the player would receive an explanation about the Saint and Saint¡¯s Ornaments. Meanwhile, in Luke¡¯s event, there was a hint about the demon race sucking out human¡¯s life force to undo the demon king¡¯s seal. Then, during the second year of high school, Simeon¡¯s and Vince¡¯s events happened. At that time, the demon race was just about to start their invasion. In the third year, Rex would gather the evidence of injustice that Duke Lilac committed and their involvement with the demon race. Last, Elliot would disclose those evidence to the court, break off the engagement, and then bring down the blade of judgment on Duke Lilac¡¯s household. In the meantime, outside of those events, the player¡¯s schedule would be jam-packed with raising intimacy and affection meter with each capture target while listening to EVERY SINGLE ONE of their problem, studying to raise her grade as the saint while enduring the bullying from Katrina (me). Well, the game events aside, I had no idea that misanga was the magic tool that was used to rob one¡¯s life force. Moreover, the event that was supposed to happen in the future was already happening when we were still just ten years old¡­ Seriously, just what in the world is happening here?! Ha~h, alright, let¡¯s confirm this matter with my note later. ¡°Young Lady, something impossible did happen. A chick-eating worm is definitely not a normal thing.¡± ¡°¡­ Um, I¡¯ve to ask you to tell me again in detail later.¡± After I heard Meriel¡¯s remark, I was brought back from what I was thinking about and told her that I was tired and need some rest to make her leave. Once all of my attendants left the room, I opened my drawer and pulled out several notes about the capture targets that I wrote in my childhood. Taking out the green event, I took a look at it again. As expected, it was bracelets, and definitely not misanga. Now, the question was, where in the world did that come from? Moreover, what was the meaning of this? When I was pondering over this matter, someone knocked on the door. I hurriedly returned the notes to my drawer and closed it. ¡°Katrina, I hear that you¡¯ve woken up. Sorry for coming out of nowhere like this, but there¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡± The one who knocked and opened the door was my dear father. ¡°Dear Father, please come in. There¡¯s no need to stay in ceremony like that.¡± ¡­ Cra*p. I forgot to return the note about green (Luke)! Realizing my error, I hastily hide it below my pillow and smiled. ¡°Are you okay? The matter I want to ask you about isn¡¯t such a big deal, but you seem to be exhausted right now. So, if you think that this matter is too difficult for you, just tell me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay. What is this matter that you want to ask me?¡± ¡°I want to hear your opinion.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think my opinion is that important, though. Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Yes. I still want to hear your opinion.¡± Thus, Father told me about the matter from the very beginning. Hearing what happened while I was unconscious in detail, my head honestly ached so bad I wanted to scream. I even massaged my temple due to how troublesome the matter was. SERIOUSLY? WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN I WAS UNCONSCIOUS, THEODORE?! THAT KIND OF MIRACULOUS EVENT NEVER EXISTS IN THE GAME! Still, Muriel¡¯s life was really in grave danger back then. So, while I was really glad that Theodore¡¯s action triggered a miracle that saved Muriel¡¯s life. However¡­ JUST HOW MUCH OF A STUPID COUPLE ARE YOU TWO?! But, wait a minute. Now that it had come to this, plus considering the fact that Heroine-chan was a disappointing girl, this might be the compelling force of the world. One that changed Theodore into an overly doting boy and forcefully advanced the event to turn Muriel into a saint. However, though that might be the case, that didn¡¯t mean my problem would end with the change. After all, if Muriel became the saint, she would be the one who would condemn me instead. Then again, the kindhearted Muriel might let me off. Who knows. ¡°What do you think about that?¡± My father¡¯s voice was full of expectation when he asked me that. However, I could only disappoint him. After all, I had nothing to say about this matter. ¡°What do I think? I just feel delighted that a miracle happened and Muriel-sama is saved.¡± Yup, no doubt about it. THAT Theodore would definitely offer his true love toward Muriel. That much love was more than enough to make him one of the six. ¡°Any other opinion?¡± ¡°Other¡­ opinion? Um¡­ we¡¯re ill-prepared¡­ I guess? I might be their real aim, but that misanga wouldn¡¯t be able to reach me unless it was passed from the merchant to Miss Sonia¡¯s maid. However, that alone won¡¯t give me a reason to wear it. Furthermore, they also overlooked the possibility that it¡¯ll be detected much earlier. So, if their goal is to snatch one¡¯s life force to undo the demon king¡¯s seal, then they¡¯ll be moving behind the scene. That way, Dear Father and his colleagues won¡¯t detect him.¡± Everything happened way earlier than expected. If I was not mistaken, it was written in the behind-the-scene setting in the guidebook that the prototype for the bracelet was made in Goldberg territory. It was likely that this misanga might be that prototype according to the setting¡­ Maybe. ¡°However, since Sonia-sama¡¯s maid ended up buying it¡­ and no one expects the black cat to be the culprit, that black cat managed to retrieve the misanga from Muriel-sama. After that¡­ the black cat may only be able to take the available life forces after the fact that the misanga can snatch life force is discovered by accident.¡± Yup. That was all I could think of with my otaku brain. Meanwhile, my dear father pondered for a while before brushing my head with his big hand. ¡°I see. Thank you. Sorry for asking such a difficult question. Now, take a rest and have a nice dream.¡± Somehow, his gentle caress on my head lulled me, and I began to feel sleepy. His rugged hand was warm. ¡°Good¡­ night¡­.¡± Thus, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I found out that the note about green(Luke) event that I tucked under my pillow had vanished. DADDY~! ¡ó I panicked for a while before I found the note by the table beside my bed. However, that didn¡¯t assure me because I was sure that he had copied this note. Furthermore, the fact that my father didn¡¯t say anything about this scared me. A few days later, Bates-san came to visit me. He then kept pestering me about my book of prophecy written in the ancient language. And I could only feel stupefied. Since when did my capture target notes become the book of prophecy? I mean, it was almost useless since the content was only about how I was getting closer and closer toward the fall from grace ends. ¡°Um, that note is actually a scribble that I made during my childhood. Even I have no idea what was written inside, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that. After all, the course of the event has already been diverted from how it was supposed to be. My existence is proof of that. According to the book of prophecy, I should have already died three years ago, but look. I¡¯m still alive and well. Your warning back then is actually a reminder about the danger I was about to face, right? I¡¯m truly grateful for your warning at that time, Katrina-sama.¡± With that, the misunderstanding about me being the saint was going strong without weakening in the slightest, and I could only lament to myself. Seriously, how did this happen to me? CH 70 70 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 9 ¡°Vince-sama is acting strange lately.¡± Ramona suddenly said, gathering everyone¡¯s attention to her. At this moment, the girls were gathering together while we were still in the duke¡¯s house aka MY house, having an afternoon tea party in Muriel¡¯s room. ¡°I¡¯m really happy that he comes to visit me every day, but still¡­ how should I say this¡­? In short, he doesn¡¯t act normal. Before he will talk my ears off about the training he does every day, yet¡­ a while ago, he suddenly started to pay attention to me and ask if I want to go out shopping somewhere once I get better. On top of that, he was giving me a stiff smile! ¨D Is my condition really that bad? The doctor said that I¡¯m okay, but with the way he was acting, it¡¯s as if I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°Eh? Vince-sama was acting like that too? I thought it was just Simeon-sama. He normally spoke with a mix of satire about the temple¡¯s daily affairs, definitely not someone who would say his gratitude towards the priests obediently! Yet¡­ he, who always sends sarcastic remarks and looks down on people who can only be idling around, was actually expressing his gratitude toward them. I mean, he used to hate saying those kinds of remarks, but now he did it! Something must have happened to him. Otherwise, this might be the effect of Evil Cleansing Barrier.¡± Even Sonia was speaking with a worried expression on her face. I couldn¡¯t blame them though. Their condition was indeed worrying. I wondered what happened to them? ¡°Maybe it really is the after-effect of Evil Cleansing Barrier? Rex-sama was also acting somewhat strange. He actually can control his rage! I mean, it is Rex-sama! He, who usually would rage against people for the slightest mistakes, didn¡¯t even scold his attendant that had made a mistake! All he did was remind that attendant to be careful next time, complete with a stiff smile on his face. Truly, even that attendant almost got a heart attack when that happened, to the point he ran in panic, screaming that Rex-sama might have knocked his head on the pillar somewhere. Incidentally, that attendant actually loves to be scolded by Rex-sama and has always looked for a chance to make a blunder in fro¨D Whoops, my bad, I overstep my boundary there.¡± It was not like we¡¯re forcing you to tell us about the latter half though. Alas, I best kept my mouth shut. Shelly already looked worried as she is, thinking that she had just spilled some secret detrimental to others. Still, Blackcurrant Ducal House seriously should stop employing those kinds of employees. ¡°Luke-sama was acting just like usual tho~ugh. I did get incredibly surprised when he asked me if I wanted to make magic tools with hi~m. Even though he had never shown any interest in my hobby before~.¡± Oriana said, also sharing the peculiar change in Luke¡¯s attitude toward her with her usual airy voice. Although I did note that she was obviously delighted with that change. ¡°How about His Highness Elliot?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve yet to meet His Highness after that¡­¡± That was right, I had yet to meet with Elliot after everything. However, that wasn¡¯t surprising either, because it was likely that Elliot was not permitted to leave the castle after that incident, hence why he hadn¡¯t visited my house. He might come to visit me once he got permission to leave the castle, though, so I will just wait. Everyone looked rather disappointed when they heard that we had yet to meet since then, though. Maybe they wanted to know if Elliot had also developed one or two new quirks after the incident? Who knows. ¡°Really, just what in the world is everyone trying to do?¡± Muriel, who wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the bed just yet, asked with head tilted in confusion. ¡°Has Theodore-sama developed some new quirks too?¡± ¡°Yes. He comes to visit me every day with sweets as usual. However, today, when the doctor allowed me to leave, he took me to visit a store called cat cafe. I had almost forgotten about today¡¯s afternoon tea party due to this since I really enjoyed playing with the cats.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a cat cafe?¡± I unintentionally retorted, disbelief silently coursing through my body. ¡°Yes. It opened after a thorough investigation of the entire store in the royal capital. According to Theodore-sama, the owner of a certain store is a huge cat lover, causing his store to be invested with a lot of stray cats. Seeing that, Theodore-sama made a suggestion to the store owner to renovate his business and made it into a cat cafe. It has quickly gained popularity in the royal capital now.¡± What are you doing, Theodore?! I exclaimed in my heart as I listened to Muriel¡¯s story. According to her, the stray cats there seemed to be washed thoroughly, so they were clean. From what she was saying, the store certainly paid attention to hygiene. Of course, Muriel then said that it was all thanks to Theodore¡¯s investment that the store was able to renovate his store and employ capable personnel to wash the cats. ¡°Well, I heard about it too~. He asked Luke-sama to make a choker-like magic tool that can repel fleas in order to prevent fleas from infesting the cats.¡± Oriana added, revealing that Luke was apparently also involved in the development of the cat cafe. Alas, all I could feel about these was¡­ Seriously, what are you doing, Theodore?! Are you such a huge cat lover? ¡°Apparently, he made that store happen so we can frolic as much as we want with cats after I told him that cats are adorable back then.¡± SO, IT WAS FOR MURIEL! THEODORE, YOUR ACTION WHEN IT COMES TO MURIEL IS SUPERB! I wish you two to restrain yourself from flirting in the public though, it¡¯s harmful to single people. ¡°It seems to be one of the methods to find that black cat too~. That shopkeeper seems to be well-acquainted with all cats in the royal capital, so he knows right away that the black cat we¡¯re searching for comes from outside of royal capita~l.¡± Oriana secretly whispered to me, preventing Muriel from hearing about that black cat matter. Hee, he could think properly after all. Good job, Theodore. ¡°Luke-sama kept complaining about it, but in spite of his complaints, he looked really happy when he made those chokers. He even invited me to visit the store~.¡± Oriana raised her voice back to a normal speaking voice as she revealed another piece of information. ¡°Is that true? Then, shall we go together? Surely, Theodore-sama would want to talk with Luke-sama as well.¡± ¡°I think that will make Theodore-sama cry tears of blood instead, so please don¡¯t,¡± I unintentionally retorted, words slipping past my mouth without my permission. However, instead of blushing, Muriel was looking at me with a dumbfounded look on her face instead. It seemed she had no idea of what I meant. The others did though, as evident from their giggling. ¡°¨D Anyhow, we can now confirm that everyone is acting strange. Now, what should we do? Should we just tell them to stop such clumsy actions? What do you think, everyone?¡± Shelly asked as she wiped her tears of mirth. ¡°I honestly want him to stop. The way he is acting now is just creepy. I prefer Vince-sama who is always talking about his sword with that cheerful expression before compared to the current him. I mean, I don¡¯t mind if we have afternoon tea or meal together from time to time, but I truly will be happier if he invites me to train with him.¡± According to Ramona, it seemed that Vince used to train with her. However, now, he rarely invited her to train with him. For Ramona, who loves swordcraft, this change that happened to Vince was not something she wished for. Because, for her, even if she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be a match for him in the future, they could still be a rival to each other right now. She wanted to train with him. So, the change was not something she want to see. ¡°Indeed. Simeon-sama without his cynicism isn¡¯t Simeon-sama at all. At this rate, his body will give out first. Although, I do feel it¡¯s better for him to talk about what he truly thinks a little bit¡­ Nevertheless, I can¡¯t bear to watch him acting nice while enduring his annoyance when he saw some priests playing truant.¡± ¡°I feel the same way. Rex-sama who isn¡¯t angry for no reason at all doesn¡¯t feel right. After all, forcibly suppressing one¡¯s emotion isn¡¯t a good thing for your mental and even physical health. Therefore, I want him to at least vent a bit of those emotions¡­ considering this fact, his attendant does a really good job in that regard.¡± Listening to them, it was obvious that both Sonia and Shelly were very worried about Simeon and Rex. However, it was only natural since their case was the worst among the five people. ¡°From my end, since I feel this way is much better and feels more natural, I prefer that Luke-sama stays like this. Since he¡¯ll make magic tools with me~.¡± On the other hand, Oriana seemed to wish for Luke to stay like now. What a shrewd girl. Scary. Oriana is a scary girl. ¡°Well, the problem now is how to convince them to stop acting like that.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll be fine if we just tell them, no?¡± Muriel replied nonchalantly to Shelly¡¯s soliloquy, not finding this to be a problem at all. ¡°I asked Theodore-sama a while ago to not push himself too hard. Theodore-sama then told me he understand my concern. So, I think everyone should do the same. It¡¯s better if we tell them directly by ourselves, no?¡± Muriel said with an extremely bright smile on her face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ exactly the problem you know.¡± Ramona¡¯s shoulder dropped in dejection. However, I supposed Muriel wasn¡¯t wrong in this regard. After all, the other party wouldn¡¯t know our intention unless we told them ourselves. Still¡­ I expected that this would become a problem. I mean, those guys were¡­ tough nuts. Even supposing that we did tell them what we felt, whether they understood our intention was a completely different matter altogether. ¡°Guess we¡¯ve no choice but to do that.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure that everyone will understand.¡± Muriel gave her approval when she heard Shelly¡¯s decision. However, I had to wonder from where did this girl¡¯s confidence come from? Was it because she know that Theodore truly loves her? ¡°But, to be honest, I¡¯m still confused. Why did their attitude suddenly change~d?¡± Oriana asked out loud, a puzzled expression on her face. Alas, no one here knew the true reason behind the change, leaving this a mystery. CH 71 71 Monologue of a Certain Duke Daughter 10 When we had just finished our small tea party, I was informed that His Highness Elliot had come to visit. And he send a message that said he wanted to talk with me in private. What the hell did that mean? Was it really as everyone said? Did his attitude change and become rather strange like the others as well? Feeling curious, I apologized to the other girls for leaving first before going to the parlor room where Elliot was waiting for me. When I arrived, I found that Elliot was waiting for me with a gloomy expression on his face. His mood seemed to be extremely bad to the point that I almost closed the door again in reflex. Seriously, what should I do now? I couldn¡¯t just ignore him and leave, could I? With that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and said, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness Elliot. You seem to be¨D in a really bad mood. Can you tell me what soured your mood?¡± ¡°¨D Tell the others to leave us alone.¡± He ordered without even trying to hide his displeasure and even forgot to keep his manner. However, I couldn¡¯t do anything to him. As such, after making tea, I did as he wanted. I signaled my attendant, Meriel, and Elliot¡¯s attendant to leave us alone in the room. Then I said, ¡°Please drink the tea first. I¡¯ve become quite skilled in making tea as of late.¡± I mean, how can I not be skilled when all I need to do is to pour hot water in? I amusedly thought to myself as I held the cup on the saucer and brought it to Elliot. However, he didn¡¯t show any reaction to my gesture. Seriously, just what in the world happened to him? He was acting like normal. If there was something different, it was that we managed to exchange a short conversation. ¡°Uhm¡­.¡± ¡°His Majesty¨D told me to love you properly.¡± Wha- I never saw that coming at all. ¡°But I wanted you to love me too. Not just Frederick.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ What are you¡­ trying to tell me?¡± I asked, confused. He caught my hands and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were sparkling. Girls who faced this sight would already swoon over him. However, to me, this sight only led me to think. Someone, help. Save me from this creep! ¡°Simeon had already told you, right? You should at least put some effort to love your fiance. You are my fiancee. Since that¡¯s the case, you should love me. That way, I can put more effort so I can love you too. That¡¯s why love me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± He was right on the money. If this was a normal situation. Unfortunately, because I was aware of the engagement dissolution event as well as the fact that he hated me¡­ I could never come to love him. Understanding that fact, being the normal person I am, of course, I would try to put some distance in our relationship to diminish the damage as much as possible. Waifu was limited to 2D after all, not a real one. [TL: Waifu, 2D wife or husband] ¡°You dislike me, right? Is it because I¡¯m not my big brother?!¡± ¡°I have never thought of you like that! Furthermore, let me tell you first, you¡¯re wrong about me liking Frederick-sama.¡± I immediately refuted to stop Elliot from becoming a loose cannon. I did love Frederick, as a waifu that is. Even if I had reincarnated in this world, that never changed because I had never had any hope I have a chance to tie the knot with him since I was supposed to die in any route in the game. In short, if I wanted to love someone, the first thing I had to do was to survive my supposed death penalty. ¡°Although I have no idea why you told me that, let me remind you that I¡¯m your fiancee, Your Highness Elliot. I¡¯m not someone who will commit adultery. Not only because of my education but also because of my own morale.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ve to love me, not just Big Brother. Give me your ¡®True Love¡¯. You¡¯re the saint, after all, so create a miracle for me, the descendant of the Six Gods.¡± He was being serious. However, that event he was asking for is supposed to happen six years in the future. It would become a reality after we enrolled into senior high school division in Selendia Academy. At this point, it was way too early. Furthermore, it was Heroine-chan¡¯s job to give you that miracle, not me. Then again, the chance for that to happen was low. Ah, wait a minute, could it be¡­ the reason why the other rangers took assertive attitude in approaching their fiancees were to¡­ create a miracle too? If that were their intention, then they were off the mark. I mean, in Theodore¡¯s case, it felt more like an exception among exceptions. It was likely that the reason he could create such a miracle was that his partner, Muriel, was on the very of dying. Hence, the world¡¯s correction force worked together to prevent that. In my opinion, the miracle happened for the sole purpose of letting all characters to gather at the beginning of the game. However, there was no way Elliot understood that. Besides, if Theodore¡¯s miracle was really caused by the correction force, it meant that the same force would force me to die too. I refused to succumb to such a fate though. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ can¡¯t love me, eh? Well, that¡¯s natural I guess. The one you love is my big brother after all. I¡¯m abandoned by the saint. I have now lost my qualification as the crown prince. The one who receives your true love is my big brother after all.¡± Wait a minute. Elliot was acting strange here. It was as if he had become desperate. Seriously? Since when did he sulk like this? ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say here, Your Highness. I¡¯ve never said anything about yearning for Frederick-sama, nor did I abandon you. Moreover, Elliot-sama, you are the only crown prince. So, how could you lose your qualification?¡± Despite what I said, Elliot was looking at me with eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°Then, give me the miracle of love. You should be able to do that, right? You¡¯re the saint after all!¡± ¡°I. AM. NOT. THE. SAINT!¡± I spelled out firmly, staring into his eyes. However, I noticed that he was looking at me as if he was looking at an exotic animal. ¡°What are you talking about? You managed to avert many dangerous situation with the power of your foresight, right? Just like this time. Even though His Majesty and the Dukes were wrecking their brain trying to find the goal of our enemy, you easily found out that their goal is to gather life force to revive the demon king. I think not even the demon race expected that you found out their goal that easily. Furthermore, I heard that you wrote the book of prophecy. If that¡¯s not the power of a saint, then what is it? A joke?¡± He shouted then grabbed my shoulders and pressed me on the backrest of the sofa. Ouch. However, more than the pain, I was more scared of the current Elliot. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I am not the saint.¡± ¡°CUT IT OUT ALREADY! ARE YOU LOOKING DOWN ON ME?! You have six attributes and saved people who should have died with the power of foresight and book of prophecy that is written in the ancient language. With all those factors in, you¡¯re now telling me that you¡¯re not the saint?! IF YOU¡¯RE NOT A SAINT, THEN WHAT ARE YOU?! Listen carefully. You¡¯re the saint. This is an undeniable truth. AND THAT¡¯S THE REASON WHY WE¡¯RE ENGAGED, RIGHT?! OTHERWISE, WHY DO YOU THINK I WANT TO BE E-!¡± Elliot suddenly stopped before he finished his sentence. It seemed he realized that he had just said something that he shouldn¡¯t say to me. ¡°Anyhow, seeing that we¡¯re bethrothed, I want you to love me. And give me the power befitting the descendant of Six Gods.¡± He said, bowing his head. I had no idea that he was so obsessed with such things. However, I really couldn¡¯t grant his wish. Because I wasn¡¯t a saint. I couldn¡¯t grant them even if I wanted to. Additionally, the one who love Frederick was him. In brotherly sense of course. Frederick himself also cared about him as his family and little brother. That aside, he shouldn¡¯t be able to love me, yet he wanted me to love him? As if I could do that. I mean, why should I love someone who would eventually broke my heart? No, to be more exact, why should I love someone who couldn¡¯t love me? Were I a masochist, huh? ¡°¨D Then, if I love Your Highness Elliot, would you love me too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Will you love me more than you love Frederick-sama?¡± ¡°¡­ W¡­ Why did Big Brother¡¯s name come out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Because the one who love Frederick-sama isn¡¯t me. It should be you, right, Your Highness Elliot? That¡¯s why I tried to become a mediator between you two so you can spend more time with him over a cup of tea. Or, am I wrong?¡± Elliot averted his gaze. Bull¡¯s eye, huh? ¡°I thought you¡­ love Big Brother.¡± ¡°The one who love Frederick-sama is you, right, Your Highness Elliot?¡± Elliot stared at me with a surprised expression on his face as he slowly let my shoulders go. He then sat beside me. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m always told to do my best when I was a child. Everyone¡­ His Majesty, Mother, my teacher, even my chamberlain. All of them told me that I should do my best since I will become a king. The pressure was too much, so I ran. Then, I met Big Brother. He praised me for doing my best to fulfil my obligation. I am really happy. That¡¯s why I did my best so that he will praise me again. Honestly, I don¡¯t really care even if he¡¯s my half-brother. For me, he¡¯s my big brother.¡± ¡°I think Frederick-sama will be really delighted if you tell him that.¡± ¡°So he doesn¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°Of course not. Frederick-sama knows how much effort you put to be a great king. The same goes for me.¡± I said, causing Elliot to smile happily. Seeing his happy smile, I inwardly heave a sigh of relief. Finally, that fixed his bad mood. ¡°¨D In fact, I myself don¡¯t understand about love at all. And expressing love like Theodore-sama and Muriel-sama is simply beyond my ability. It sounds embarrassing, but I might understand if it¡¯s an intimate relationship like my parents. So, though it¡¯ll take a long time, will you wait till I understand love that my parents have?¡± Though it might turn my feeling toward Elliot into that of familial love, what can I do? It was much better than leaving him on his own device. I mean, I had no idea that he would become this terrifying when all his pent-up feeling exploded at once. Thus, I would try my best till I could become someone who truly love Elliot as a man. This might be a stopgap measure, but I really had no choice but to do this. I needed to prevent darkness, that was created by thirst for love, from eroding Elliot¡¯s mind. "" ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I also¨D honestly have yet to understand love. But I¡¯ll also try to put some effort to love you.¡± Yup. We¡¯re truly peas in the same pod in this regard. Still, I have no choice but to understand this matter about love. Alri~ght, let¡¯s do my best to love you. I shall do my best till I could truly fall in love with him. ¡­ Not that I had any other choice. I couldn¡¯t leave this poor thing on his own device after all. Although this might be the case now, I had no intention to accept my death. Screw the correction force of the scenario. I wouldn¡¯t lose to something like that. No, sire. I would definitely LIVE! CH 72 72 Monologue of a Certain Baron Daughter 2 ¡°WHY IS MY ATTRIBUTE DARKNESS ATTRIBUTE?!¡± Magic Unsealing Ceremony for those who turned ten years old was performed in the temple during the first day of the month. I went with my grandfather toward the temple in our barony to undergo the ceremony. There, I received the result of my appraisal. As a matter of course, I naturally had six attributes. However, what baffled me was the fact that my main attribute was that of darkness attribute. THIS MUST BE A SCAM! I¡¯M THE FREAKING HEROINE HERE, YOU KNOW! YET, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT MY MAIN ATTRIBUTE IS DARKNESS?! THAT APPRAISAL CEREMONY MUST BE A SCAM!!! ¡°APPRAISE ME ONCE MORE! JUST ONCE MORE! MY MAIN ATTRIBUTE SHOULD BE LIGHT!¡± I approached the priest who performed the ceremony, but he simply shook his head, rejecting my request. ¡°The result is absolute. This mist vortex is the very proof of it.¡± Yes, six mist vortexes of different colors appeared on top of the black disc that had a hexagram pattern carved on it. How did I know? Well, this disc was something that I saw during the opening scene of the game. In the game, whenever I inputted my birthday in, the disc would always show the darkness attribute as my main element. Hence why back then I went to the walkthrough site and inputted the birthday for the light attribute. But now, why am I ¨C the Heroine herself ¨C had darkness as my main attribute?! ¡°Darkness isn¡¯t equal to evil. Darkness is the attribute that gives comfort and safety to all living beings. There¡¯s no need to hate or slander darkness attribute.¡± Of course I know that. But I am the HEROINE HERE. HEROINE with darkness attribute as her main one is NOT COOL. WHY DON¡¯T THIS DUMBFU*CK PRIEST UNDERSTAND THIS?! ¡°That is enough, Irene. You already have six attributes.¡± ¡°Yes, Irene. Six attributes are amazing. No one ever has six attributes except the saint.¡± Although my grandparents were really delighted with this, I didn¡¯t feel happy at all! After all, I wasn¡¯t the sole owner of six attributes. That villainess, Katrina, who would bully me in the future also had six attributes. Moreover, her main attribute should be darkness. Thus, making her the symbol of evil. Yet, why did I ¨C the Heroine ¨C have the darkness attribute instead?! THIS MUST BE A BUG IN THE SYSTEM, RIGHT?! DEVELOPER, YOU COME OUT NOW! Nevertheless, regardless of how much or long I stared at the black disc, the result stayed the same. The vortex mists didn¡¯t disappear or change. The light didn¡¯t come out. Can¡¯t be helped I guess. I have to clear this game with the darkness attribute. And if I¡¯m not wrong, the darkness attribute has the best compatibility with the demon king, Duke. ¡°You¡¯re right, dear grandfather, dear grandmother. My deepest apologies for causing such a scene, Priest-sama. I feel grateful for having six amazing attributes.¡± My grandparents smiled happily when they heard my words. However, the priest only looked relieved. Seeing his reaction, I glared at him. Just you wait, I¡¯ll remember your face, and once I become the queen¡­ I will use my authority to demote you to a place even more rural than this! ¡°Then, shall we start to prepare your enrollment to the elementary division of Selendia Academy in the royal capital next year? I think they will accept you considering you have six attributes.¡± Here it comes. The Priest recommendation to prestigious school. According to the priest, nobles with low peerage such as barons or knights were supposed to commute in local schools. However, there were also cases where nobles with good peerages, who due to being unable to utilize their magical power, had to go to local schools since they would not be able to compete with the other students in the royal academy even if they went there. Though there were other reasons why nobles went to local school. That was due to the distance¨D namely the traveling distance between the royal capital and frontier region. It was simply too time consuming that there was simply no reason for nobles over there to go to the royal capital for schooling. In short, this priest was telling me that I had a chance to enjoy better education by enrolling into the royal capital¡¯s Selendia Academy. However, there was no guarantee that I could catch up with the lesson over there. My grandfather was obviously overjoyed with the Priest¡¯s recommendation, but my grandmother looked anxious. Unlike them, I didn¡¯t feel anything and naturally rejected his offer. I mean, in the game, I only entered that school when it was senior high division time. I couldn¡¯t go against the game¡¯s scenario, could I? After all, I already had the darkness attribute that made it really difficult for me to raise the target¡¯s affinity. Going against the script at this moment would only put me in an even greater crisis. ¡ó ¡°¨D Well, so you refused the offer, eh?¡± The one who spoke was my attendant, Neith. Although he had a refreshing sportsman-like attitude and solid build, he was surprisingly skillful with his fingers. I mean, just looked at these baked sweets. It was splendidly done. Even now, he was taking out his handmade madeleine while preparing tea. Truly, even though he was quite muscular, he was truly skilled. ¡°Of course. I mean, isn¡¯t it in the scenario? The reason why I rejected the offer was because I wanted to stay by my grandparents¡¯ side for a while longer. That was what was written on the official website. If you ask me whether I want to enter the high school division since my grade is way too good, then my personal answer is yes.¡± ¡°Is this about that otome game thing again? Well, I don¡¯t quite understand, but I think it¡¯s a good thing for you to stay by your grandparents¡¯ side. I¡¯m sure that both of them are happy too.¡± Neith said, albeit with a slightly dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡°According to Nick-san¡¯s story, Master and his wife always look depressed ever since their daughter, your mother left the horse. They only seem to regain their vigor after you come to this house. That¡¯s why Nick-san is happy too.¡± ¡°Is that so? I mean, Nick always scolds me after all.¡± Nick was the butler who managed the baron family for years. I hated him since he was always complaining and nagging me. However, he never did that again after Neith came to serve under me. "" ¡°He is just too embarrassed to say it right to your face. He actually really cares and feels heartfelt gratitude to you. He¡¯s also an extremely kind person since he is even willing to adopt an unknown child like me.¡± ¡°Naturally. It¡¯s my request after all.¡± ¡°I, of course, feel grateful to you for that too, Milady.¡± I had saved Neith who collapsed right in front of our family house. The one who actually found him was Trevor, the black cat that was entrusted to me, though. At that time, just when I thought why he suddenly ran out for no reason, I found that he was rushing toward Neith. Furthermore, since Neith was in a dangerous condition, I had no choice but to save him. After putting him to bath to wash his body, Neith, who was revealed to be a refreshing and handsome youth, asked us to let him serve our family as a way to repay his gratitude. I heard, before he came to us, he was working as a magic tool craftsman. However, he got cheated and his factory was snatched. He was even arrested, so he escaped. And that was why he was in such a tattered state when I found him. Despite his past though, we still employed him, which was really a good move on our part since Neith did a really good job in our family after he joined. Even Nick praised and adopted him. ¡°Well, thank goodness. I¡¯m also saved by you.¡± I was also saved by Neith since, thanks to him, I could finally fire that useless maid. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡± The look on Neith¡¯s face when he grinned was very lovely. He was so charming to the point that I ended up spilling the beans about my reincarnation. I told him that here, in this otome game world, I was the reincarnation of the saint. In short, the heroine of this world. When he heard that, he looked really surprised at first. However, in the end, he believed my story. As I expected, gaining the cooperation from a subordinate I could trust was a template frame of reincarnated story. That¡¯s why, assist me till I achieved my dream, the reverse harem. ¡°Well then, what are we going to do today?¡± ¡°Yes. The misanga introduced by Milady became really popular. Please load the darkness attribute that governs peace and rest into the thread like usual. Although it might be difficult to do so for the first time since you just underwent the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, please load as much as possible. I¡¯m sure that many people will like it.¡± ¡°Soo? Let¡¯s do thi~s!¡± ¡°Please.¡± Thus, the thread was loaded by mana and turned black due to the influence of my attribute. The color was a world apart from the thread I wished just now, making me frown. ¡°Beautiful¡­.¡± However, Neith¡¯s murmur of awe pleased me. ¡°So much mana¡­ if it¡¯s this thread, it should be possible to make the magic tool.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Neith nodded vigorously. It seemed that the misanga Neith made became really popular amongst the masses. Thanks to that, the economic situation of my family improved, and I could afford to buy the clothes I liked. Neith even offered his service to make a cloth for me to express his gratitude. It was really well made. It was truly a cloth that befit that of a noble. CH 73 73 Monologue of a Certain Baron Daughter 3 A few months after the Magic Unsealing Ceremony in my territory, the royal capital finally conducted their Magic Unsealing Ceremony, and I heard a rumor that said the Saint¡¯s Miracle happened right after that. That must be the Villainess Katrina¡¯s doing, right? So she has started calling herself a saint since this day¡­ Good job. However, I was curious, what kind of miracle did she create? Fortunately, my dear grandmother told me before I needed to ask. ¡°I heard that the demon race is trying to kill the saint that appeared in the royal capital. However, a noble girl who served under Saint-sama used her body to protect Saint-sama, uncaring about her own safety. And when she was about to perish due to the demon race¡¯s curse, she¡¯s saved by the miracle caused by Six Gods. It¡¯s lovely, right?¡± It seemed that my grandmother heard about this matter during the tea party she attended sometime ago. Honestly, every so often, she acted like a little girl. Is she alright in the head? She looks very much like a nerd with wild delusion in my eyes. Still, speaking of Six Gods¡­ no one should have awakened around this time. Especially since I myself have yet to awaken¡­ Something is off. Well, though I thought there was a problem, it should be solved as long as I gathered the Saint¡¯s Ornaments and raised the affection parameter of the capture targets. Therefore, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. I should be able to clear the game even if not all capture targets were awakened by me in the end. After all, the capture targets would be awakened when they confessed their love during the final confession. That was a trivial matter though¡­ The problem now was the identity of the awakened one. Then again, it wasn¡¯t that big a problem either, since it was probably the easy Theodore that was awakened. However, for him to awaken when we only met once five years ago¡­ didn¡¯t that mean I am very amazing?! ¡°It¡¯s just an empty rumor.¡± My dear grandfather said, a flabbergasted expression etched on his face. ¡°Well dear, aren¡¯t you happy that Saint-sama has descended?¡± ¡°Naturally so. However, the same can¡¯t be said about the demon race. So in the end, rather than being delighted, I am more worried about the situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, dear grandfather. Even if the demon race comes, I shall protect you.¡± Geez, he is overly worried about this matter. Although the Demon King, Duke, has revived¡­ there¡¯s no need to worry for I, the real saint, shall protect him!!! ¡°Yes, Dear Master. Our Lady is a reliable girl.¡± Neith added as he poured a second helping of tea, making me beam. Yes, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m here~ ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m looking forward to that then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± The two looked at me with a warm look on their face, obviously not really believing my words, but I hope they would realize that I¡¯m serious. I couldn¡¯t wait to see their reaction when they saw the truth. I¡¯m looking forward to that moment~. ¡ó A few days later, Trevor returned in a tattered state. Furthermore, on top of being covered by dust and soils, he was also covered with scars. Wait a minute, where did you go off to return in such a tattered state?! ¡°Hey, are you okay? Neith, prepare hot water. We¡¯ve to wash him. Oh, don¡¯t forget to bring an antiseptic solution too¡­. Will it work on a cat, I wonder? Hey, you said you¡¯re a veterinarian, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Milady. He¡¯ll be fine as long as he licks his wound.¡± Neith said, laughing as he pinched Trevor on the nape of his neck. The heck you talking about, Neith? He¡¯s clearly in a critical condition, alright?! ¡°Will you at least take a look? This cat is entrusted to me by an important person. His wound might really be ba- Eh?¡± There was a golden ring on Trevor¡¯s left ear. He did have a vine-shaped bruise on his right foreleg, but one of the veins around his elbow was lost alongside the fur around that location. In short, that area was bald. Fuh, this looks really funny. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Nya~.¡± Trevor replied with an annoyed gesture while he scratched the back of his ears with his hind legs. It was as if he wanted to get rid of that golden ring, yet it stayed stuck without any intention of getting off. ¡°Let me see,¡± I said, trying to pull the ring off. Alas, I failed. Even though it looked like it was just about to fall off. ¡°You can¡¯t take it off, eh? Did someone fix this ring on you?¡± ¡°Nya~.¡± Trevor averted his face, causing Neith to grin happily. ¡°He should have committed a blunder. Well, he tends to get carried away after all. Let¡¯s just leave him alone for now. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about him, Milady.¡± ¡°Is that so? Still, prepare hot water to wash him. I don¡¯t want him to enter the room when he¡¯s still covered in dust.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I shall go and wash the dirt off him.¡± He said before he took Trevor away. When Neith returned, Trevor was already washed up, but¡­ what was the strange air between them? ¡°What happened? Why are you annoyed?¡± I asked Neith who was looking troubled. ¡°Milady, may I ask for your assistance in taking off this ring?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried a while ago and failed, right?¡± ¡°Try to do it again while pouring the power of darkness this time. It should come off with Milady¡¯s power.¡± For some reason, I felt it was an extremely important matter, so I suppose it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try, but I doubt it¡¯s going to work.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°NYA~!¡± Trevor called out, obediently sitting on the chair as I touched the golden ring around his ear and poured my mana in. However, the moment I did that, my hand snapped back reflexively as if it was repelled by the ring. Eh? What happened? ¡°As expected. It¡¯s impossible, huh¡­.¡± Neith. What do you mean by ¡®as expected¡¯, huh? You¡¯re the one that said it should be possible, aren¡¯t you?! Humph. I¡¯m not done yet. I¡¯ll show you nothing is impossible for me! ¡°It¡¯s a hundred year too early to go against me with just a mere golden ring!¡± I exclaimed, pouring in more darkness attributed mana into the golden ring. So much so that my hand went numb from pain, but damn, this golden ring was tough. ¡°¡­ Goldberg¡¯s magical power is bigger, huh?¡± Neith muttered. ¡°Goldberg? You mean Theodore? He¡¯s one of the capture targets after all, so it¡¯s only natural for his magical power to be big. But he has the lowest specs among the capture targets. It¡¯s not like I ¨C The Saint ¨C will lose to him!¡± What was he talking about? Me? Weaker than THAT Theodore? Are you kidding me?! How vexing. I thought as I poured even more mana in, causing cracks to appear on the ring. And at last, the golden ring popped off. See that! My magical power is stronger than him! ¡°NYA~!¡± Trevor purred delightedly as it clung to me. There, there, good boy. ¡°Amazing, Milady. You really are the Saint.¡± ¡°Natura¨D Wait, so you don¡¯t believe me at all?!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just there¡¯s a rumor about Saint Descend in the royal capital. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been wondering which one is the real one. My apologies for the misunderstanding.¡± Neith obediently apologized to me. For that and his honesty, I decided to raise his evaluation and forgive him. ¡°No problem. The Duke¡¯s daughter, Katrina, has always been claiming to be the saint since her childhood. And the people around her also believe her words. However, when I, the real saint, enrolled into the academy, her evil deed got revealed and everyone came to know that she¡¯s a fake saint.¡± ¡°Does that come from that otome game thingy, too?¡± ¡°Yes. And I along with the Six Gods will be the one who reveals her true personality, the fact that she is related to the demon race, and the bad deeds she has done through her time as the Saint.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. Does that mean that the aforementioned events will happen once Milady enters Selendia Royal Academy in six years?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯ll be revered as the Saint until then. Well, it¡¯s nothing more than empty flattery, though. I mean, Katrina¡¯s personality is the worst. She¡¯s the mastermind behind my bullying in the royal academy.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll¡­ bully you, Milady?¡± Even though I was telling the truth, Neith looked dumbfounded. Not only him, but Trevor as well. What the heck was with those looks?! ¡°Yes. It¡¯s linked events. And the capture targets will save me.¡± I snapped then saw Neith pondering about something while Trevor let out a heavy gurgled voice as he brushed his throat with his paw. ¡°¡­ Since that¡¯s the case, maybe we have to lay low for a while¡­¡± ¡°Eh? What are you talking about?¡± I tilted my head, confused. Sometimes, I really had no idea what Neith was talking about. ¡°Ah, no, I mean¡­ maybe we have to stop selling misanga for a while. I mean, we¡¯re selling it despite not having the permission to sell magic tools.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, what to do about the monetary situation of the house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve amassed quite a fortune from selling misanga. It should be enough for living in luxury for a while. Well, we just have to think about new ideas for the next one though¡­.¡± Humph? So it comes to that, eh. ¡°Then, I don¡¯t have to load it with my mana again, right?¡± ¡°Nope. You have to keep doing it since it also serves as training to raise the limit and strength of your magical power. Right, how about injecting your mana into this gem to store it?¡± He said as he took out a heart-shaped rose quartz gem. It was a present I received from my dear grandmother a while ago, the staple item that the heroine always wore on her dress. ¡°Yeah, good idea.¡± I mean, it had already become some sort of habit for me to do. I would feel something was amiss if I suddenly stopped, so continuing it isn¡¯t a bad idea at all. ¡°Another thing, please teach me in detail about that otome game thingy, Milady.¡± ¡°Sure thing. So Neith is also curious about who I¡¯m going to get along with, huh.¡± ¡°Naturally. I¡¯m looking forward to see who you¡¯re going to get tied to in the future.¡± Neith declared with a smile. ¡°Naturally it is WITH EVERYONE! Then, I¡¯ll become the queen!¡± Neith and Trevor stared at me with a dumbfounded look on their face when they heard me speak so confidently, but that was alright. They just didn¡¯t seem to understand it yet. Fufufu~. === By the way, depending on the level of their awakening, the action of the six gods changed in the last movie. £±£Ì£Ö£ºHolding Hand. £²£Ì£Ö£ºStepping forward to protect. £³£Ì£Ö£ºFighting. £´£Ì£Ö£ºHolding the saint¡¯s shoulder while attacking with light magic. £Í£Á£Ø£ºHolding hand like a lover, and fought as if they¡¯re dancing. CH 74 74 The Cat is Heavy It has been one month since the misanga incident. And finally¡­ finally we were finally going to perform the long-awaited engagement ceremony. Honestly, it was supposed to be held one week after the Magic Unsealing Ceremony, but in the end, it ended up being delayed to a month. Then again, as long as Muriel was healthy and lively, I supposed it was fine. However, Father always came back home late at night nowadays due to taking care of this incident¡¯s aftermath. Fortunately, Muriel and the other girls finally received permission to return to their respective families after a close to two weeks stay in Katrina¡¯s mansion. Still, perhaps due to the fact that Muriel was the only one who almost lost her life in that incident, the doctors and healers still came to check her condition even after she returned to her family. Not only them, but it seemed that Bates also came to ask some questions too during those visits. Looks like he was conducting an analysis on the bracelet I made. Alas, it turned out to be a normal bracelet. If there was something that made it different from other bracelets, it was the crystal that was used for its creation. The bracelet I made used the crystal that was created during the appraisal part of the Magic Unsealing Ceremony. Anyway, the White One would stay with Muriel for her treatment for a while. So, I clasped my hands together and thanked the White One. ¡°Thank you very much, White One. Thank you and do your best over there. Cheers~.¡± ¨D Ya~y. You see, it¡¯s not only me, everyone else is doing their best too. They¡¯re doing their best to gather mana from the surrounding, you kno~w. ¡°I see. Thank you very much, everyone.¡± ¨D We¡¯re da best. ¨D Da be~st. ¨D Be~st. ¨D? ¡°Come to think of it¡­ what about the Yellow One?¡± I asked, curious. It seemed that particular fella didn¡¯t participate in the conversation. Speaking of the Yellow One¡­ When I shaved a part of my pendant, created a hole inside Muriel¡¯s chick doll and buried the shaved part of my pendant inside it ¨C at the same time creating a bowtie-like small ribbon around the chick doll¡¯s head to cover the hole ¨C that fella was surprisingly delighted by that. Yet, just what in the world was wrong with that fella now? ¨D Kii-chan said they had a stomach ache. They¡¯re sleeping right now. ¨D Stomach ache, stomach ache. ¨D Ache~. ¨DChe~. ¨D # ¨D SHUT UP ALREADY! ¡°Having a stomach ache at this time¡­ it seems the incubation period was quite long. Are you okay? Should I get stomach medicine for you? ¨C Or rather, where will you find medicine for magical power again?¡± ¨D Worry not. Medicine aside, please feed me mana. Since the mana mixed inside is more troublesome than my expectation, it¡¯ll take quite some time to digest it. Troublesome mana they said¡­. ¡°Are you really okay? I¡¯ve no problem with feeding you with more mana, but you have to rest properly, you know?¡± When I told them that, my magical power¡¯s avatars calmed down. Perhaps they went to sleep? Or rather¡­ so magical power could get a stomach ache too, eh? Well, I supposed nothing was impossible for these fellas. Then again¡­ this was clearly abnormal, wasn¡¯t it? I tilted my head. Umm¡­ let¡¯s just ask Father about this matter. Even though I had decided so, I giggled to myself quietly as I couldn¡¯t help but expect him to look at me with a perplexed expression when I sent this question to him. ¡°Is something the matter, Theodore-sama?¡± Muriel, who sat in front of me, asked as she brushed the kitten sprawled on the table. Oops, my bad. I silently apologized. I knew I was wrong for having conversation with my magical power¡¯s avatars during my date with Muriel. Still, I couldn¡¯t help it since it has been a long time since they met me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to refuse them who were speaking to me with a delighted voice. Although that was the case, I shouldn¡¯t neglect Muriel either. It was our long awaited visit to the cat cafe after all. Fortunately, while I was conversing with my magical power¡¯s avatars, Muriel was having her fill with the cats, so I didn¡¯t make a big mistake. This was an arrangement we had made before our Magic Unsealing Ceremony was held after all. Its location was a bit further from the center of the royal capital. Despite that, it was a good location with an old town atmosphere, perfect for both nobles and commoners. The shopkeeper was a cat lover who always fed stray cats, making his place the gathering spot for stray cats. Not even his neighbours¡¯ complaints could stop him. As such, when I suggested he turned his store into a cat cafe instead, the shopkeeper immediately gave his approval. With his approval, I employed the cat-lovers living in that area to work as his waiters/waitresses. Furthermore, not only did I remodel a part of the shop exclusively for bathing the cat, I also worked together with Luke and developed a magic tool that could repel fleas for the cats in the store. Seeing my hard work, Father gave funds that I needed for initial investment. With that funds in place, I remodelled the interior and exterior of the store, making sure that the atmosphere of the store matched with the old town¡¯s air. At the same time, I also didn¡¯t forget to reinforce the store¡¯s structure. Aside from the cat bathtub, I also made a catwalk and door for the cats. Truly, management was tough dammit. Still, for the sake of Muriel¡¯s smile, I had no choice but to put up with it. All so I could bring Muriel to this place when she was healed. Fortunately, my effort wasn¡¯t in vain since Muriel was really delighted. ¡°Nothing is the matter. I¡¯m just observing the bracelet in case it malfunctions.¡± ¡°I see. I wonder though¡­ Bates-sama said that this bracelet is a magic tool, but¡­ is this bracelet truly one?¡± She was basically wondering whether the magic tool had defects or not. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I mean, I have no idea how to make magic tools. Besides, even Luke said that he has never seen a magic tool like this. It¡¯s probably just Bates being Bates. You know, no one can stop his curiosity for magic tools. In conclusion, the reason he¡¯s interested in the bracelet wrapped around your wrist is simply that he is a weirdo.¡± ¡°Mmm, still, you definitely must not call him a weirdo. After all, Bates-sama is our teacher,¡± Muriel said with a light chuckle. ¡°Moreover, this bracelet did create a miracle. That¡¯s why I feel really grateful for it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me. That miracle only happened because Muriel and everyone else did their best. Besides¨D¡± The avatar of my magical powers¡­ must be part of Gods. ¡°It must be because our prayers are answered by the spi¨D By the Saint and the Six Gods.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure they responded to Theodore-sama¡¯s prayer. Thank you for praying for me, Theodore-sama.¡± Muriel¡¯s face bloomed bright red as she thanked me again. ¡°This bracelet will be my treasure for the rest of my life. My most important treasure.¡± Muriel smiled sweetly, and I couldn¡¯t help the squeezing my heart felt. She was simply the most adorable creature in this world. Yup. She is super duper cute~. ¡°This chick doll is also the most important treasure in my life as well. I mean, this fella caused a miracle too, so it¡¯s also my treasure.¡± I said, taking out the chick doll from my pocket. ¡°Oh my, it has a ribbon now. Did you add that ribbon?¡± ¡°Yup. I think this fella looks cuter this way. And¨D this is the gold that came out from my appraisal ceremony. I wanted to give it a token of appreciation for saving Muriel.¡± I whispered the second half of my words to Muriel, causing her eyes to widen. She looked really surprised, but then her expression turned delighted and she whispered to the chick. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give it a present too, as a thank you for saving me.¡± Muriel then touched the centre of the ribbon before returning the chick doll. Now, in the middle of the ribbon, laid a black stone. ¡°It¡¯s an onyx. It works as a charm against evil. It matches this fella who has worked hard to exorcize evil, right? Though¡­ Please don¡¯t tell anyone about this, okay?¡± Muriel¡¯s soft and tender voice reached my ears, tickling it. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course. Theodore-sama did the same, right?¡± Muriel said, placing her forefinger in front of her lips playfully, as if telling me to keep it a secret while looking at the bracelet wrapped on her wrist. It seemed she noticed the crystal hidden in the center of the flower decoration there. What an adorable girl. While I was swooning inside, the cats in the store were all coming toward Muriel. Perhaps they were drawn in by Muriel¡¯s goddess-like charm? See, this was how adorable she was! Even the cats were unable to escape her charm. And, from the way Muriel looked as she was surrounded by the cats, she truly looked like a goddess! But ¨D the heck are you guys doing?! Aren¡¯t you guys way too clingy to Muriel?! Muriel is mine!!! I glared at the cats. What¡¯s with those growls?! Even though none of you come towards me. Some nerves you got there, snarling at me. I¡¯m the owner of this cat cafe, you know?! Your employer! I could confiscate your lunches, you know! ¡°Bunyaa~.¡± An idle fat cat, who perhaps felt my unrest, came to my direction. For a moment, he stared at me with a shameless look on his face, then he leapt on the chair and curled on my lap. Fuck. T-This fatass is so fu*cking heavy! It might be fine if I grew a bit more, but for now, he¡¯s way too heavy for my ten years old self! ¡°Bunya.¡± He meowed with a satisfied expression. ¡°Ain¡¯t the time to look satisfied, ye fatty cat! Get down, you¡¯re heavy!¡± Alas, the fat cat just yawned lazily while tapping my knee with his tail as if telling me to put up with him. In the end, I could only curse to myself because, now that he was curling on my lap, he felt even heavier than before! Not to mention the fact that even when I scratched his stomach or shook my knees, this fat cat didn¡¯t budge an inch. Ultimately, I could only let him sleep on my lap, which stretched to almost one hour long. ¡ó ¡°Sorry, Muriel. Even though today is our long-awaited date, we ended up being unable to go anywhere.¡± I apologized to Muriel while massaging my cramped legs. Dammit, I guess I¡¯m lacking in training. Tch, I will train to the point my leg won¡¯t be cramped no matter how many hours that fat cat wants to sleep on my laps, just you see! ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I also enjoy the fun conversation we had today, Theodore-sama. On top of that, the cats are also adorable.¡± Muriel said with a smile. ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t disturb the big cat until he wakes up on his own is so cool too. If it¡¯s me, I will definitely wake him up so he will get down from my knees. That¡¯s why Theodore-sama, who lets the cat sleep until he wakes up naturally, is very kind in my eyes.¡± ¡°Muriel¡­. Thank you very much. Well, don¡¯t worry about it. Look, I¡¯m also training to become stronger.¡± I said, though I got the feeling that Kevin and his companions were smiling wryly behind me, it must just be my imagination. ¡°Yes. The date is fun, Theodore-sama.¡± Muriel said, beaming. Faced with her beaming smile, I cried inwardly. Sorry Muriel. I¡¯ll definitely train to become stronger next time. I mean, what else could I do? My conscience hurt when she misunderstood the real situation. So, I could only train so the lie became the truth one day. This marked the end of today¡¯s date. Seeing Muriel waving her hands toward me from the window of her carriage, I waved back. ¡°Shall I increase the training proportion?¡± ¡°OF COURSE!¡± I replied immediately when Kevin asked after Muriel¡¯s carriage vanished from my field of view. ¡°¨D But, starting from tomorrow, please. Today is already impossible for me.¡± My leg had almost reached its limit as evident from the way I fell on my knees after I finished speaking. In the end, I even had to be carried back by Kevin, hurting my self-esteem. Dammit. I¡¯ll definitely win against that fat cat next time! CH 75 75 Increasing Witnesses After we returned to the mansion, I immediately sought Father out and told him about my magical power¡¯s avatars. However, due to my vague explanation, Father told me to speak slowly since we were not in a hurry. Thus, I began to slowly explain, getting him to understand what happened¡­ or so I thought. Anyway, I told him about my reunion with my magic power¡¯s avatars and my conversation with them. Naturally, I also told him about their state, from the white one that was living inside the crystal being very lively to the fact that they were gathering mana from the surroundings to heal Muriel. Lastly, I also told him the fact that the yellow one, who resided in the chick doll, was currently suffering from stomach ache due to having a hard time digesting the unpleasant mana. Then, after informing Father about my avatars¡¯ state, I mentioned that they were sleeping in peace after I fed them my mana. My father was of course dumbfounded when he heard my story, but that expression immediately softened and he patted my head while saying, ¡°That¡¯s a good story.¡± His reaction seems¡­ normal? Although a bit puzzled with his reaction, I also felt relieved. However, before I could sort out my thoughts, Father warned me to not tell a soul about this matter. Of course, this order also encompassed Kevin and Richard who stood behind me. They also couldn¡¯t say anything about this matter. Still¡­ even if I told others about this, none of them would believe me anyway. After all, even Kevin and Richard looked more dumbfounded than Father when they heard this from me before. So, why¡­ wait, what was the meaning behind the understanding look on their face when they told me, ¡®Because it¡¯s you.¡¯? THE HECK?! Leaving this topic aside, Father told me that he did not understand the cat cafe¡¯s management. Then, Kevin and Richard told Father about the matter of me shaming myself in front of Muriel when my leg gave in after being occupied by a fat cat for one hour. Although thanks to that he gave me permission to increase my training menu, and it might sound like a blessing in disguise¡­ I honestly wanted them to at least hide that fact!!! Anyway, aside from the increased training menu I got from Kevin, I spent my days in peace. At least until Bates crashed in and persistently asked my father about magic power¡¯s avatars. However, Father himself couldn¡¯t understand the matter beyond what I had explained to him, so he couldn¡¯t give Bates a satisfactory answer. Bates wanted me to show them to me, but¡­ the avatars were resting right now. Furthermore, I myself had no idea how to show them to him in physical form. I mean, if even Father who stood beside me had no idea what could make that happen, then I who was even more clueless than him was in the same situation. After such turmoil, my engagement ceremony with Murile was held. ¡ó The engagement ceremony was held in the great temple. Of course, though it was held in the temple, we didn¡¯t use the hall that was utilized for the Magic Unsealing Ceremony. No, we instead used the small temple that was located at the end of a passage that was different from the one headed toward that hall. Although this small temple didn¡¯t feel like a temple, but more like a compact wedding hall. Yeah, it was so compact that it¡¯s most likely only enough to accommodate twenty people. To compare the building to, it was like the place my big sister from my previous life celebrated her marriage in. It had a similar atmosphere to this small temple. From what was told to me, this place was built to worship the Saint and the Six Gods. So, it was slightly different from the one built for the Great God. Inside this temple, there was the relief of the Saint and the Six Gods, the Creation God, and the Mother Earth Goddess. In the relief, there was also the Great God placed as the background character. Meanwhile, the Creation God stood in the center of the relief with Mother Earth Goddess kneeling on the side as she presented a pedestal with something on itto the Creation God. Then, the Creation God took out something similar to a holy cane and gave it to the figure of the Saint who was kneeling in front of him. The Six Gods, on the other hand, were all kneeling around the Saint in relief. ¡°¨D This place is where the exchange of oaths is going to be held. It reproduces the scene where the Saint and the Six Gods receive an oracle from the Creation God when they exchanged oath in this place,¡± Bishop Cobalt, who stood beside me since god knew when, explained to me who was overwhelmed by the relief. ¡°For that reason, this place becomes a place where allegiance vow and marriage oath or engagement oath are conducted.¡± Then, before I could reply, Bishop Cobalt greeted me in a hurry as if he just remembered his slip of manner. Honestly, this person truly loves to appear in the most unexpected place. ¡°I shall do my best today as the presider of your engagement ceremony. It¡¯s a pleasure to work with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to work with you too.¡± ¡°My deepest gratitude for sparing some of your time amidst your busy schedule to attend my son¡¯s ceremony,¡± Father greeted. Right. Even though our request was for a priest to become the presider of my engagement ceremony, I never once imagined nor expected that this person would be the one doing it. Why? ¡°Please don¡¯t mind it. This is an important ceremony for my school friend after all. Not to mention that he¡¯s also the friend of that stupid son of mine. It¡¯s only natural for me to preside over his ceremony.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t thank you enough for that. Though I can¡¯t help but worry about your situation since, a while ago, when I greeted the priest that was supposed to preside over this ceremony, I overheard that you have postponed today¡¯s scheduled inspection of the barrier stone. Anyhow, this ceremony is supposed to be limited to our family after all.¡± ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t worry about that. Your worry is unnecessary. The original schedule for that is supposed to be tomorrow after all. Well, if we don¡¯t take other family¡¯s situations that is. Anyway, since I am already in this place to preside over the ceremony, you can cease your worries.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so. I can only express my deepest gratitude. Don¡¯t expect fancy food though. We had planned this to be a modest one from the very beginning after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll leave that matter in your hand. I¡¯ll do my best for the child who has overcome his trial and created a miracle.¡± WHY?!!! For some reason, I got a feeling that this conversation between Bishop Cobalt and my father was a quarrel between old friends. Furthermore, perhaps due to the scary air drifting between the two, Chester and Wendy, who was walking by my mother¡¯s side, were clutching her skirt. Well, not that I blamed them, I¡¯m honestly scared of them too. Fortunately, Father noticed the situation quickly and patted our head as he said, ¡°Sorry for scaring you kids.¡± ¡°Theodore! Congratulations on your engagement!¡± At this moment, the insensitive Bates came and greeted me with a beaming smile on his face. And for some reason, he came with Oriana¡¯s and Luke¡¯s father. All of them were wearing their usual formal attire. ¡°How? There should be no invitation, right?!¡± Today¡¯s event was supposed to be attended by our relatives only. It was just an engagement ceremony after all, nothing like a grand wedding or big ceremony. According to my father, it was supposed to be a simple ceremony in which we signed a written pledge before the gods. That¡¯s why we only planned for a modest ceremony between our families. To begin with, Muriel¡¯s father and I were not gaudy people. Furthermore, there was another reason why the Marquis House, in other words, my family didn¡¯t send a notice to other noble families. And, no, it was not to humiliate Muriel. On the other hand, we simply didn¡¯t want to place more burden on her after the previous incident. Hence why, we decided to hold a modest ceremony that was only attended by relatives of two families. And yet, why do we get ¡®unexpected guests¡¯??? ¡°Well, we¡¯re buddies, right? I come to celebrate my buddy¡¯s first step toward starting a new life. Hahaha.¡± Stop reading my mind. Did they mistake this for a marriage ceremony, huh? I mean, just look at Bates¡¯ gaudy attire. The clothes he is wearing right now are perfectly suitable for attending a marriage ceremony! ¡°Bates-dono seems to have some misunderstanding, but what about Count Greenwell and Count Sphene?¡± Judging from my father¡¯s stiff voice, even he never expected this situation to happen. I knew because even though he had his usual smile on, it was just a business smile. ¡°Well, I did tell him to act more reserved¡­.¡± ¡°My apologies, Goldberg-dono. We ended up bringing such unneeded flashy THING. We¡¯ll take him out immediately.¡± Count Greenwell spoke evasively while Count Sphene apologized in earnest. Then, before I could react, they turned toward me. ¡°¨D Congratulations for your engagement, Theodore-dono. I hope your days with your fiance are happy now and in the future too. And I¡¯ll be happy if you can get along with Oriana too.¡± ¡°Thank you Count Sphene.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, brother? You said that you wanted to see the miracle yourself, right? Didn¡¯t you tell me that you may get a chance to witness the miracle if you come to Theodore¡¯s engagement ceremony?¡± ¡°While it¡¯s true I said that, a certain idiot actually charged straight to the venue! ¨D I¡¯ve nothing but apologies for this.¡± Count Sphene apologized once more as he pressed Bates¡¯ head down. What a disaster. ¡°It seems that everyone has a misunderstanding. We are only doing an engagement ceremony today. You won¡¯t see something like a miracle today, so please take your leave if that¡¯s what you want to see.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s a good thing to witness too. I mean, the more people witnessing the ceremony, the higher the blessing, no? That¡¯s why I think it¡¯ll be much better with Count Sphene and Count Greenwell¡¯s addition as witnesses. Not to mention that both of them have already come to this place too.¡± Bishop Cobalt spoke for the two, clearly missing Bates¡¯ name on purpose. ¡°¡­ Please do tell this to Miss Muriel, Theodore, and Viscount Amber yourself. I can¡¯t help you in this matter.¡± Uwo~, Father didn¡¯t hesitate to kick their asses before he held Chester in his arms, and patted Wendy¡¯s head while speaking to my mother. Mother linked her arms with my father, which I guessed was her attempt to console him. I rarely saw Father this angry before. ¡°¡­ We went too far this time, huh. Well, Owen is a short-tempered man after all.¡± If you know that, then you should have stopped doing so before you truly angered Papa. Wait, rather than that, my father is actually a short-tempered person, eh? ¡°Theodore-sama~!¡± Muriel¡¯s voice came to my ear and I turned. She had finally arrived. She was wearing a bright green dress and was smiling her bright smile. Coming alongside her was Viscount Amber, his wife, and my future big brother-in-law, Zachariah-san. Soon, Muriel came to my side and greeted me, ¡°Good morning, Theodore-sama. Please take care of me today.¡± ¡°Likewise, Muriel.¡± Now that she was near, I could see that she was wearing the bracelet I made on her right wrist, while wearing a pea-green lace bracelet on her left. The accessories combined with her vivid green dress made her look even more adorable than usual. Moreover, there was also a lace ribbon weaved on her fluffy blonde hair. ¡°Is that¡­ the ribbon I gave you during our first meeting?¡± ¡°Yes! Even though you gave me more ribbons after that, this ribbon remain special for me,¡± Muriel said as she touched the ribbon with a slightly flushed face. Then, she smiled oh so very sweetly. ¡°Thank you. There might be a lot of audience today, but please just ignore them for the time being. If you¡¯re very anxious though, I¡¯m sure we can go back early.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Bates-sensei?¡± Seeing Muriel¡¯s bewilderment, I began to explain, ¡°This person is Luke-dono¡¯s father, Count Greenwell. The other person is Miss Oriana¡¯s father, Count Sphene. Coincidentally, Count Sphene is Bates-sensei¡¯s big brother. Furthermore, there¡¯s also the presider of our engagement ceremony, Simeon-dono¡¯s father, Bishop Cobalt. Though I think you already know him since he¡¯s the one who give the speech during our Magic Unsealing Ceremony.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ve always been indebted to Luke-sama, Oriana-sama, and Simeon-sama. My big brother is also indebted to Count Greenwell,¡± Muriel murmured before she curtsied. ¡°Thank you very much for coming to our engagement ceremony.¡± ¡°Thank you for the warm welcome as well, and our deepest apologies for intruding into your ceremony. That¡¯s why, will you allow us to give you our blessing?¡± ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t really mind, but¡­.¡± Muriel looked toward me when she heard Count Greenwell¡¯s remark, silently asking my opinion. ¡°I don¡¯t mind as well. Not that they will go back even if we told them to go back,¡± I replied to her while looking at Bates. That fu*cker was looking at me with a smug look on his face. Don¡¯t give me your fu*cking thumbs up! ¡°What about you, Viscount Amber, Lady Amber?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really mind, but¡­ I still don¡¯t understand why everyone insists on attending this small ceremony,¡± Viscount Amber asked while the rest of Muriel¡¯s family also sported a bewildered expression on their face. ¡°What is the Chief and Director doing here¡­?¡± My big brother-in-law, Zachariah-san, also asked. As puzzled as me. Yup. I¡¯m as puzzled as you, Big Brother. Thus, the engagement ceremony began with increasing number of witnesses for some reason. CH 76 76 Yup, We Really Shouldn¡¯t Overdo It After All The engagement ceremony began as the priest played the music with pipe-organ. Everyone stood from their chair as if to match the tune, and sung the hymn-like religious song. Of course, I also followed along, having trained myself to sing this song for this particular occasion. Once the song was over, Muriel and I stepped forward. Then, as the presider of this ceremony, Bishop Cobalt opened the scripture and teach us about engagement with complicated words. Although, to be honest, I had no idea what he was talking about. Still, I assume he was teaching us about engagement. Anyway, after that, we followed the instruction from Bishop Cobalt and performed a prayer toward the Gods. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to exchange your oath.¡± ¡°I, Theodore Goldberg, is bethrothe to Muriel Amber.¡± ¡°I, Muriel Amber, is bethrothe to Theodore Goldberg.¡± My right hand and Muriel¡¯s left hand were placed on top of the scripture as we spoke our oath. Initially, the procedure wasn¡¯t like this, but since this wasn¡¯t a marriage ceremony, we decided to keep it as simple as possible. ¡°Now, sign the written oath.¡± As instructed, Muriel and I signed the written oath that was already prepared beforehand. Following that, Count Greenwell stepped forward and signed the written oath as the representative of the witness party. Properly speaking, it was supposed to be our fathers who represented the witness. However, in the end, we changed it to Count Greenwell since he was the person with the highest authority amongst the witnesses. ¡°With this, I declare that Theodore Goldberg and Muriel Amber are engaged to each other.¡± After Count Greenwell¡¯s declaration, we were finally officially engaged. ¡°Now, exchange the engagement token.¡± Bishop Cobalt said, prompting the priest to bring the engagement token we had entrusted to the temple¡¯s officials beforehand. I then took the engagement token, a pendant made from emerald and gold, I had prepared and placed it on Muriel¡¯s neck. Fortunately, the dress she was wearing today matched very well with this pendant. Muriel also fixed a brooch on my collar. The small aquamarine in the brooch matched very well with the amber metal that acted as its base. Perhaps this gem was also made from the gems that materialized during the appraisal of Muriel¡¯s Magic Unsealing Ceremony. After all, though she gave her onyx to the chick doll, she might have materialized other gems too. After we were done fixing our engagement to each other, our eyes met and I smiled sweetly as I showed her the backside of the pendant I gave to her. ¡®I, Theodore, offer my True Love to my Beloved Muriel.¡¯ was carved there. And I used this world¡¯s common language to carve it instead of Japanese. ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± She muttered in a small voice, beaming. Faced with this, I subconsciously took Muriel¡¯s hand into mine and whispered, ¡°I, Theodore, offer my True Love to my Beloved Muriel.¡± I said this in common language so Muriel would understand what I said. ¨D Ya~y, congrats you two~! ¨D Congrats to you two! ¨D Congra~ts! ¨D Ra~ts! ¨D?£¡ Then, particles of light descended from the stained glass. ¡°Uwa¡­!¡± Muriel raised her voice in admiration, looking at the descending lights in fascination. ¨D My comeback is celebrated by everyone~! ¨D O~H! The chick doll then jumped out from my pocket and descended right on the scripture. Then, the white, yellow, red, blue, green, and black particles of light danced around us, as if wrapping us in its light. ¨D Everyone come to give their blessi~ng! ¨D Blessing, blessing! ¨D Sing, si~ng! ¨D I~ng! ¨D?! The light that poured down from the stained glass danced around, spreading as if frolicking with the magical power¡¯s avatars. ¡°They¡¯re really dancing, eh. And moving around as if to show us that they¡¯re alive,¡± Bishop Cobalt muttered, looking at the dancing lights in interest. Oh, cra*p. I forgot that there were many eyewitnesses today! I looked around and saw that of those present, the ones who didn¡¯t think much and only looked impressed were Muriel, Wendy, Chester, and Mother. Meanwhile, Viscount Amber and the others along with the priests looked bewildered. But! Count Greenwell and Bishop Cobalt were looking at the phenomenon with an interesting look on their faces! Not only that, if it wasn¡¯t for Count Sphene doing his best to stop the overly excited Bates from destroying this phenomenon, that guy would definitely jump on us right then and there. Lastly, I looked toward my father and found he was looking at the horizon with a distant look in his eyes. It felt like I could see his soul coming out from his mouth. ¡°- C¡¯mon guys, you went too far and made a mess of the situation now!¡± ¨D Tehepero. ¡°White~y! Tehepero my ar*se! I know you couldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¨D You¡¯re wro~ng. We¡¯re simply celebrating our homecoming. ¨D Homecoming, homecoming! ¨D Celebratio~n! ¨D Tio~n! ¨D?! After that, white returned to the crystal while red and blue went into my brooch. Green went into Muriel¡¯s pendant, and the small black light went into the chick doll ribbon. Subsequently, the light that overflowed in the small temple vanished. ¡°Eh? E~h, Black? Are you there? ¨D Kuu-chan went back to their place. ¨D This is why guys who don¡¯t know delicacies are no good. You hurt Blackie¡¯s feelings, you know. ¡°Oi, Yellow. What did you say just now? No good? I don¡¯t understand at all. Or rather, you even hurt Black on top of that.¡± This time, no reply came, but I could feel dissatisfaction coming from the black gem. ¡°Aah, please forgive me for failing to notice that.¡± After I apologized, I could feel Black forgiving me, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Uhm, these guys were a bit too unruly. While I was thinking, Muriel opened her mouth and said, ¡°Wonderful. The overflowing light is¡­ really beautiful.¡± Her face held a mesmerized expression and I was sure that the fantastical spectacle from before was engraved in her memory. Perhaps. ¡°Thank you very much, Theodore-sama. This gift is truly wonderful. I¡¯ll treasure this memory.¡± She was smiling sweetly, thinking that the spectacle just now was due to me. Well, she was not wrong per se. ¡°Me too. I¡¯ll treasure this brooch too. By the way, is this by chance¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m really happy when it appeared during my appraisal. This amber has the same color as your eyes, Theodore-sama. That¡¯s why I decided to give it to you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Muriel. I¡¯ll treasure this brooch.¡± A~h, what an adorable creature you are~. Thus, the engagement ceremony finished without a hitch, and we returned to our mansion after dinner. Unfortunately, Bishop Cobalt couldn¡¯t participate in it while Count Greenwell and Count Sphene had to drag the excited Bates to go back with them, to prevent the guy from making a mess of the situation. Even then, I could still hear him shouting that he wanted to take a look at the accessories and the chick doll. As for my father¡­ Well, he was talking normally to Viscount Amber and his family. However, from time to time, he would heave a sigh while looking at the horizon. "" Sorry for the incident, Papa. I silently apologized. Anyway, after this day, I found out that the barrier of the royal capital seemed to be strengthened. And I also heard that the barrier stone was revitalized on the day when the light rained down from heaven to the inner sanctum of the great temple. Incidentally, the day Father heard that report, he ended up staying in the bed for the whole day because of a headache. I¡¯m really, really sorry for this, Papa. Forgive me! ¨D Do your best! ¡°You overdid it, idiots.¡± CH 77 77 Monologue of a Certain Baron Daughter 4 Today was really the worst day ever. I felt sick right after I woke up. Without knowing why my body felt languid. Maybe I had low blood pressure? ¡°Is there something wrong, Milady? You look awfully tired today.¡± The overly caring Neith asked, but his concern wasn¡¯t enough to fix my mood at the moment. So, I sunk into the sofa and said, ¡°I feel under the weather right now. Don¡¯t talk to me for the time being.¡± ¡°Understood. However, your new maid will arrive today. You have to, at least, meet her.¡± ¡°Hah?! What are you talking about?! I¡¯ve told you to not talk to me! And I know nothing about this new maid! Why employ her when you¡¯re more than capable?!¡± I shouted at him, yet Neith only revealed his usual smile to me. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m honoured to hear that, but you¡¯re going to enrol in the elementary school division next year. Although it might not be a boarding school like the one in the royal capital, having a man like me accompanying a noble lady like you there will still affect your reputation. Therefore, it is better for you to be accompanied by a maid. Do not worry, Milady. The other party is the daughter of my acquaintance. I guarantee her personality.¡± As he had said so, I couldn¡¯t refuse to meet the newly hired maid, making me grumpy. This fella really knows how to force me. How annoying. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to meet her. But, don¡¯t expect anything else since my mood is really bad right now. I will be extra strict today.¡± After muttering something that I couldn¡¯t hear, Neith asked me what kind of clothes I wanted to wear today with an extremely carefree look on his face. One that really made me want to punch his face for some reason. ¡°Nya~.¡± Trevor called out as he walked sluggishly into my room. This black cat seems to be under the weather as well, I thought as I watched him hopped on the sofa and curled up on my lap. He probably didn¡¯t hop on to my lap because I was still in a bad mood. How clever. As expected of Demon King¡¯s pet. ¡°You¡¯re feeling under the weather too, huh.¡± ¡°NYA~!¡± He replied with a languid voice with only his tail swinging slowly, brushing the rose quartz on my che*st. ¡°You seem to love this so much.¡± ¡°Nyai~¡± ¡°Naturally. Milady¡¯s darkness¡¯ magical power makes him feel comfortable after all. In fact, I think darkness¡¯ magical power itself is enough to comfort him.¡± It does look like that. Well, I¡¯m the saint after all. Perhaps the magical power I unconsciously release is comforting. With that, I left the matter alone. Then, after spending some time brushing Trevor¡¯s head, the new maid finally arrived at ten o¡¯clock. Neith told me about her arrival. ¡°Nice to meet you, Baron Plum, Madam Plum, Milady. My name is Viola.¡± The one who greeted us when we gathered in the living room was a woman with a slightly dangerous sex appeal. And though she said that she was sixteen years old this year, she must be lying. After all, despite her smooth and silky skin, her boobs were huge. Her appearance did pass her as someone in her teens, but her sex appeal said the opposite. Furthermore¡­ Why on earth are you leering at my grandfather? Are you trying to make an enemy of my grandmother?! She was surely a black-bellied woman, and she wasn¡¯t a teen for sure. Her age should be in the second half of her twenties. ¡°Oh my, such a beautiful lady. She seems like a level-headed person too.¡± ¡°Uhm, sure enough, you¡¯re someone who¡¯s introduced by Neith. You¡¯ll certainly be able to stay for a long time. Best regards.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to work with you, Master, Madam.¡± And yet, despite that factor, my grandfather and my grandmother both took an instant liking toward her. They even hired her without bothering to ask for my opinion! ¡°Thank you very much, Master, Madam. Viola is born in a house whose main occupation is divination. However, since her mother, who was an outstanding diviner, where was unknown, the situation in her family became a mess. Though her relative took over her family after that, they treated her way too poorly. As such, you offering the job to her right now is truly a blessing to her. Without a doubt, she feels nothing but heartfelt gratitude toward you since she was on the verge of breaking mentally before.¡± Neith talked about Viola¡¯s circumstances, but to be honest, it sounded way too coincidental to be true. I meant¡­ I just couldn¡¯t see this woman as a damsel in distress at all. ¡°Ah, poor girl, that must be hard on you. But don¡¯t worry. No one is going to bully you in this place. We¡¯re also very grateful that you come too. Honestly speaking, I feel bad for Neith who¡¯s doing his best to manage this house by himself.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Viola said as she placed her hand on her chest. Nevertheless, looking at her gesture, I couldn¡¯t help but think. Although it¡¯ll be bad if Neith always works on his own, can this woman who looks more like a succubus than a maid do her job properly? ¡°Best regard, Miss Irene.¡± Although she was polite when she spoke to me, her eyes when she bowed¡­ it was as if she was angry. But why? ¡°Now listen here, I¡¯m your master. You have to do what I told you.¡± Still, even when I told her that, Viola only bowed in silence while smiling. I sneered inwardly. This bi*tch was truly asking for it, huh. ¡°Master, Madam, we have a guest,¡± Neith reported. It seemed that a guest had come while we¡¯re doing the ¡®interview¡¯. Grandfather and Grandmother both tilted their heads in confusion, but they still followed Neith to welcome this guest. I wondered who this guest was. Our house almost never has one¡­. While I was wondering, they guided in a young man with ultramarine hair, red eyes, and tanned skin¡­. Wait a fu*cking minute. Duke?! What in the world is the Demon King himself doing here?! ¡°O~h, it¡¯s Duke, huh. Long time no see. How are you doing?¡± The one speaking here was Grandpa. ¡°Oh my, what happened today? Another runaway?¡± This one was Grandma. Hearing their words, I was stunned. Both my grandfather and grandmother welcomed Duke? How in the world? Just what happened here?! ¡°Hahaha, you two seem to be as lively as usual. Long time no see, Irene. How do you do?¡± The way Duke spoke to me was also very intimate, confusing me greatly. ¡°Nya~!¡± ¡°How do you do, Trevor?¡± Trevor clung to Duke, who patted his head gently. ¡°Eh? Duke? What in the world?¡± ¡°Irene, how can you forget Duke? He¡¯s your cousin, you know?¡± Cousin? The heck? Since when do I have a cousin? ¡°I last met Irene when she¡¯s still young after all. It can¡¯t be helped if she forgets about me. Anyway, since I¡¯m going to work around this area, I¡¯m going to trouble you for a while.¡± ¡°I see. Feel free to stay for as long as you want since we have a bit too many empty rooms.¡± ¡°Oh my, it seems we¡¯re going to get really busy now. I can¡¯t wait.¡± With that, things were decided, very fast. Then, at my grandfather¡¯s command, a room was prepared for Duke. He also ordered people to carry his luggage there. We then had a quick lunch together when THAT happened. ¡®Crack¡¯ I felt the sound of glass shattering in my head. At the same time, Duke dropped the glass in his hand and gripped his chest with a painful expression. Looking at Neith, he was also crouching down while touching his chest. Not only them, but Viola, who was acting as the waitress, did the same. It was only my grandfather and grandmother who acted the same as usual. Just¡­ What in the world is happening?! ¡°Nya~!¡± The hair on Trevor¡¯s tail stood on its end as he growled toward the window. When I followed his line of sight, I saw a pillar of light. That direction¡­ it is the royal capital, right? And then, Trevor leapt into my embrace. He tore the rose quartz on my brooch with his mouth and pressed it toward Duke¡¯s chest. Within a short period of time, something like a black mist came out from the rose quartz and wrapped itself around Duke¡¯s body. Then, after wrapping Duke completely, it wrapped Viola, Trevor, and Neith in its hold too. However, it didn¡¯t do anything else and just vanished. Was it just my imagination? Did those black mist wrap into their body? Or not? While I was confused, a while later, Duke and the others recovered from whatever was ailing them and stood up. ¡°Hey, are you okay? What happened just now?¡± When I timidly asked that question, Duke suddenly hugged me. ¡°Eh?! W-wait a minute?!¡± ¡°Be quiet. Your magical power is so comfortable.¡± He kept hugging me after telling me that, causing my heart to throb non-stop. T-that¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m the saint after all. Guess I should release my magical power a bit more. When I released my magical power, Trevor went to my feet while Neith kneeled down and took my hand. Viola was the only one who looked vexed, but she could only pinch on Neith¡¯s attire. Fufufu, I know that everyone loves me so much. ¡°This magical power¡­ Goldiaz¡­ No, it should be Goldberg right now. And he¡¯s much stronger than three years ago,¡± Duke muttered after a while. ¡°NYA~!¡± Trevor replied. ¡°Theodore? Who¡¯s that? He¡¯s not the head of the family, right? If so, how did he has such power?¡± Duke asked in a low voice, understanding what Trevor had just spoken. ¡°That¡¯s only natural. Theodore is the descendant of the Six Gods after all. He¡¯s one of the capture targets. And since he¡¯s destined to become my knight, it¡¯s only natural for him to have at least this much power.¡± I answered Duke¡¯s question, since whether it¡¯s Duke or Theodore¡­ everyone will be mine in the end. When I told him that, Duke stared at me and smiled delightfully. ¡°I see. I heard a really good thing.¡± He then brushed my hair, as if telling me I¡¯d done a ¡®good job¡¯. Fufufu, it seems I managed to raise his affection. Afterwards, a few days later, Duke asked me to pour my mana into a huge enchanted magic crystal. According to Neith, that crystal was going to be placed around the mansion. Hmm, it seems it¡¯ll make it easier for everyone to live more comfortably. Well, darkness magical power is a magical power that comforts the minds after all, so it¡¯s normal. Plus, the effect of Saint¡¯s magical power is too strong. Look, everyone has become lively again. With this, the capture of Duke was already guaranteed. Now, only the Six Gods and Frederick were left. I had already met Elliot, Frederick, and Theodore. The rest must wait until I went to the academy in the royal capital. Ha~h, I¡¯m really looking forward to going to the academy. CH 78.1 78.1 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target -Green- ¡°It really is a cat have~n,¡± Oriana said, delighted as she brushed one of the cat¡¯s heads. The place was just as she said. When taking a closer look at the interior of the store from the atrium, the place was indeed filled with cats, which made the guest relax upon sight. Even the atmosphere in the store was really relaxing. Now I understand why it became a hit amongst the citizens. Good grief, just what in the world was inside Theodore¡¯s head to be able to come up with the idea of creating this kind of store? Well, I knew he made this cafe for Miss Muriel, but¡­ honestly, I couldn¡¯t fathom myself ever coming up with this kind of idea at all. So, seriously, just what in the world was his head filled with? Could it be that he still had many ideas like this one? ¡°Yeah, I honestly feel defeated.¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you come to such an outcome, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re underestimating your own tale~nt? ¡°Ri~ght,¡± Oriana cooed to the cat before her. ¡°You¡¯re the one who made the necklace for them, right, Luke-sama~? It¡¯s thanks to this necklace that I can fluff them like thi~s without wo~rry. So, I¡¯m really happy.¡± ¡°Sure, the magic tool is made by Bates-san and I, but the idea came from Theodore. Geez, sometimes I wonder, just how in the world was he able to get this idea? It is simple yet very useful.¡± ¡°Fufufu, it seems that is the result of him not thinking about anything difficult, thus coming up with a simple yet wonderful idea. I heard that he asked the doctor to castrate the cat in order to prevent their number from increasing exponentially.¡± ¡°And that too. Where did that idea come from? It¡¯s simply too wicked.¡± ¡°Is i~t? But he seems to know various things too~,¡± Oriana said as she looked at me. ¡°I mean, he never holds back at all when he expresses his love to Muriel-sama~. Really, I envy her so~ much.¡± H-here it comes. A sudden ambush. Her eyes are looking at me as if she expects something¡­ Dammit. This must be Theodore¡¯s fault! Damn you Theodore~! ¡°Moreover, he seems to have caused another miracle~.¡± Indeed, what she said was correct. That guy created another miracle during his engagement ceremony with Miss Muriel. A miracle that Bates-san, Miss Oriana¡¯s father, and my father witnessed with their very own eyes. Dammit. Had I known that, I should have just risked being scolded by Mother and gone there at that time. And Father and the others too, since they seemed to have taken a detour from their usual route toward their office to slip into the ceremony, they should have at the very least invited me as well. Dammit those dirty playing adults. Though, Father did get scolded by Mother when the latter heard about this matter, so there¡¯s that I suppose. ¡°Uncle Bates and my dear Father, who went there and saw the miracle, both got severely scolded by my dear Mother that night. She said they¡¯re being too rude for intruding the ceremony despite not receiving an invitation at all. Furthermore, when my dearest overly excited Father regale the story to her ¨C one of which she took with a grain of salt ¨C her wrath shot through the roof. Thus, right now, my dear Father is banned from doing any research and being detained in our home.¡± Ah, I see. Normally, Oriana¡¯s mother was a bright and cheerful woman, but when she became angry ¡­ She was extremely terrifying. ¡°But then, my father secretly broke out and ran to the magic tool distri~ct. He¡¯s always brought back forcibly every time he does so thou~gh.¡± ¡­ Maybe it was a good thing that I didn¡¯t come with them. I mean, my own mother would surely forbid me from leaving our home as well. ¡°But still, seeing the miracle personally is worth the ri~sk.¡± That was only natural! I also wanted to see it too. After all, Father looked really excited when he came back. In fact, even though he usually had a frown on his face, after that miracle he only had smiles on his face. He didn¡¯t tell me the details, but Father asked me about the situation of my magical power. My answer to that question was nothing. I mean, it took me an entire month to be able to see magical power, and honestly speaking, they all looked the same in my eyes! However, when I tried to ask my father for more explanation, all I got was: ¡°That¡¯s normal. But it seems you have a huge reserve of magical power. Perhaps even bigger than mine¡­. With more training, being the best magician in the kingdom isn¡¯t a pipe dream I suppose.¡± Before he then eloquently said, ¡°But maybe you won¡¯t be able to reach that magical power¡¯s state. To be exact, it¡¯s impossible for both you and me to reach that state¨D Now listen, don¡¯t force yourself to do the same thing as him. You have your own way, while he has his own. He just happens to find it faster than you, that¡¯s all. THAT is an exception amongst exceptions. Thus, just ignore those noisy opinions and find your own way.¡± I honestly did not understand half of the things he said to me, but I guess the ¡®THAT¡¯ he referred to was aimed at Theodore. That one I somehow understood. That guy was different from us. Although I don¡¯t exactly know what made him different, I could somehow feel it. He was different. He could read ancient letters ¡ª something that caused me to wonder where he gained such knowledge from. And that came from me who read a lot of books. He was able to easily wield knowledge that didn¡¯t exist in the National Library or my father¡¯s library, yet he had zero knowledge about magic tools jargon. Still, despite his lack of magic tools jargon, he knew how to explain their function when he came to ask my help to create a magic tool. So, from what Father revealed, it seems that THAT GUY was special even from his perspective, huh. It was vexing, but I had no choice but to admit it. I lacked that kind of knowledge and ingenuity he had. That¡¯s why I tried desperately to learn from him. Fortunately, that guy was kind of an idiot. He wasn¡¯t petty in regard to sharing his knowledge with others, so I could learn. Still, if it was me, I wouldn¡¯t recklessly tell others about that kind of knowledge like that. As if it was common knowledge people ought to know! Then again, if he wanted to act like that, then fine. I would pretend to know it. I would do anything to learn everything he knew after all. ¡°Oh my~, what a wonderful smile you got there~. You must be thinking of something really bad, ri~ght?¡± ¡°You bet. By the way, what do you think about the saint? Do you want to become her attendant?¡± ¡°E~h? Me~? What should I do~? When I look at Katrina-sama¡­ well, she¡¯s wa~y too forma~l. Plus, becoming an attendant seems like a cho~re. I rather remains as bystande~r.¡± ¡°Thank God. I really can¡¯t express my love like Theodore did after all.¡± The moment that remark slipped out of my mouth, Oriana¡¯s expression changed and she puffed her cheeks. Eh? ¡°I see~. Sure enough, I¡¯m inappropriate as Luke-sama¡¯s fiancee~.¡± How come it comes to tha~t?! ¡°EH? NO! How come¡ª? What I want to say is¡ª I can¡¯t create a miracle in the same way as him! Look, you have to express your love to the saint in your own way, right? I respect Miss Katrina, but I really can¡¯t see myself expressing my love to her. I mean, look, it¡¯s kinda rude of me to express love to the saint when I have you as my fiancee, right? That¡¯s why, I would rather stop being the descendant of the Six Gods than having to confess to Miss Katri¡ª Eh? Wait a minute, is that why the miracle happened? And it happened even though the one that Theodore loves is¡­ Miss Muriel?¡± Honestly, I had yet to fully understand. Those words of true love were an absolute necessity to activate the Saint¡¯s Ornaments. If that was the case, then could it be that the saint wasn¡¯t Miss Katrina, but Miss Muriel all along? But wait, if that was really the case, then what about Miss Katrina¡¯s prediction? She was regarded as the saint precisely because of her prediction, right? ¡°Fufu.¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡± What was happening here? How did Oriana¡¯s bad mood resolve itself? ¡°Even if I don¡¯t wish to become Saint-sama¡¯s attendant, I have no intention to give up on you, Luke-sama. I mean, I know just how much effort you pu~t. I think, if we compare the trouble of staying by that person¡¯s side, it means nothing if you can stay as you are, Luke-sama~. Moreover, Luke-sama is the best when it comes to magic to~ol. Even if Luke-sama mimicked Theodore-sama¡¯s way, in my opinion, the result will be much bette~r. I can guarantee tha~t.¡± When she said that, with a bright smile on her face to boot, I felt extremely embarrassed. But, yeah, she got a point there. I was confident of my ability when it comes to magic tools. ¡°And it turned out, I¡¯m ri~ght, am I not? Isn¡¯t that why he comes to you when he needs your help to create this choker? It¡¯s proof of his trust in your ability, Luke-sama~,¡± Oriana added while patting the head of the cat on her lap. She was right. "" ¡°Bumi~.¡± Before I knew it, a fat cat was purring right by my side. The cat raised his right foreleg and patted my lap, as if he was saying, ¡°Do your best, Young Man!¡± ¡°Thanks, Oriana. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± CH 78.2 78.2 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target -Green- TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be cheering you o~n.¡± Hearing her words, my heart skipped a beat before it thumped really hard, especially when I saw her smile. For some reason, I felt that her appearance when she cheered me on was ¡­ incredibly divine. Stunned, I touched my heart. This was the first time I ever felt my heart accelerating like this aside from the time I made magic tools. Before I could contemplate further, I was drawn to a conversation with Oriana, enjoying it while doing the regular maintenance for the cats¡¯ choker. Something I would never have expected in the beginning. When we were about to go back, I remembered it. Something I wanted to give to Oriana today. ¡°Oriana, this is for you,¡± I said as I gave her a small box. ¡°This is?¡± ¡°Uhm, when I heard about Theodore¡¯s engagement ceremony, I remembered that we have yet to exchange a token. I mean, we¡¯re still too young back then. Aside from that, there¡¯s also the fact that I have yet to understand what being engaged means since it is something that is decided by our parents. Still, honestly speaking, I¡¯m really glad that you¡¯re the one chosen as my fiancee.¡± I mean, I couldn¡¯t see any other girls who would be willing to listen to my long winded talk about magic tools aside from Oriana. Miss Katrina didn¡¯t seem to be interested in magic tools either ¡­. ¡°Luke ¡­ sama!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have too much expectation. I don¡¯t understand your preference since it¡¯s not too much of an importance to me. For now, I suppose we can begin with the magic tool in your hand. I mean, I can only feel at ease to see you wearing the magic tool I made personally since its safety has been confirmed. I¡¯d rather not see those shady magic tools that almost killed Muriel on you. Well, more like I don¡¯t want to see you wearing one of those shady magic tools when I¡¯m right by your side. Moreover, I happen to have some ideas too. You told me some time ago that you wanted an accessory type of magic tool, right?¡± I actually had consulted this matter with Bates-san, but we had reached a conclusion that we should have just made the magic tool on our own rather than repeating the same mistake. Those shady magic tools were very dangerous after all. ¡°If I had to say, I actually wanted to create it myse~lf. Anyhow, can I open thi~s?¡± ¡°Of course, feel free to do so.¡± After gaining my approval, Oriana opened the box carefully. ¡°Is it¡­ a brooch~? This ¡­ is like the peridot on a metal cane, right~?¡± ¡°Correct. I used Saint¡¯s Cane as a reference. There are also letters engraved on the back side. In ancient language of course. You may not be able to see it since it¡¯s too small though.¡± When I said that, Oriana looked at the back side in a hurry. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®Waga Itoshi no¡­¡¯ ¡ª It¡¯s not Selendia. These are different words, ri~ght?¡± ¡°You noticed, eh.¡± ¡°At that time, I examined it properly after all. Furthermore, thanks to the note from Theodore-sama, I know how to read the sentence too~.¡± I see. My fiancee is truly a hard-working girl. Yes, she is my fiancee. She¡¯s not just some other girls. ¡°Yup, I made a bit of modification on the sentence. I replaced Selendia¡¯s name with yours. I also replaced Griffeel¡¯s name with mine. Theodore taught me the letters when I asked in a roundabout way. But, really, I can¡¯t help but worry since that fella can¡¯t lie at all.¡± I had, pretty much, discovered that Theodore was really knowledgeable about ancient letters. That was why I asked him by pretending I was curious about how our name would be written in the ancient language. And the guy taught me our name in ancient letters innocently, albeit he seemed to try to make it look like a coincidence. However, he really couldn¡¯t lie for his life since it was obvious he could read ancient letters. ¡°Isn¡¯t it more because my dear Uncle can¡¯t stop bothering hi~m?¡± Oriana pointed that fact out when she spoke. And while I admit that that was one of the factors, it wasn¡¯t all. Still, Bates-san was indeed very persistent. ¡°But, your way is much better than him, who kept haunting Theodore-sama~. Fufufu, though this might be because Theodore-sama has a bit too much opening to be taken advantage of.¡± ¡°Agreed. That¡¯s what makes me worried about him.¡± ¡°Ye~s. But, I can rest assured since Luke-sama will help him in that rega~rd. Muriel-sama will be saddened if something happens to Theodore-sama after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s worrying about him, but ¡­ I understand how you feel.¡± Especially that person. Now I understood why His Highness Frederick said that Theodore¡¯s kindness would one day backfire on himself. Good grief did the person himself understand our worries?! Though, I think I started to understand why I could easily trust him ¡­. He was simply too kind. Still, that was also part of his merit. Just ¡­. ¡°That personage is very stubborn after a~ll. Well, his circumstances is also one of the factors that turn him into someone like that, but that¡¯s the very reason that Luke-sama can¡¯t abandon him, ri~ght?¡± ¡°I wonder about that?¡± I wanted to be spared that trouble you see. ¡°Fufufu, truly someone who can¡¯t be honest about his own feeli~ng. ¡ª By the way, will you teach me the pronunciation of these wo~rds? I want to know the pronunciation of Luke-sama¡¯s name in ancient letters too~.¡± "" ¡°Sure. Look, here is mine. Luke is ¡®Ru~ku¡¯. While yours, Oriana, are ¡®Oria~na¡¯. That¡¯s why when you read everything, it¡¯ll become ¡®Waga Itoshi No Oria~na Ni, Ru~ku Yori Shinjitsu No Ai Wo Sasagu (I, Luke, Offer My True Love to My Beloved Oriana)¡¯ ¡­ Wha-?¡± For a moment, I saw the brooch shone. However, when I blinked, the light from the brooch had already vanished. ¡°Is there somethi~ng?¡± Oriana asked with a curious look on her face. It seemed that she didn¡¯t notice that phenomenon. Or ¡­ did she actually notice it? No, the brooch only showed a reaction when I said the words activation for Saint¡¯s Ornament. Did that mean ¡­ I, have, the qualification? Let¡¯s find out. ¡°¡®Waga Itoshi No Oria~na Ni, Ru~ku Yori Shinjitsu No Ai Wo Sasagu (I, Luke, Offer My True Love to My Beloved Oriana)¡¯¡± ¡­¡­¡­ There was no reaction at all. So, was that reaction from before just my imagination? ¡°Is there something wrong, Luke-sama~?¡± ¡°Ah, my bad. It¡¯s nothing,¡± I replied hurriedly when I saw Oriana¡¯s worried expression directed toward me. ¡°Is that so~? Then, will you put it on me~?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, of course.¡± After putting it on her, Oriana asked me whether the brooch matched her or not, which I could honestly say, it was a match made in heaven. ¡°Thank you~. I¡¯ll treasure this for my entire life~.¡± Hearing her response, I was really glad that she was really pleased with my present. A few days later, I also received an engagement token from Oriana. A pocket watch. On its lid, a legendary creature ¡ª a dragon ¡ª was carved. In the dragon¡¯s hand was a green gem that seemed to be called ¡®Dragon Eye¡¯. According to Oriana, she wished I wouldn¡¯t just do research till I forget the time. ¡­ I wouldn¡¯t go as far as burying myself in research until I forgot the time, though. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. CH 79.1 79.1 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target£­Blue£­ TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === ¡°Oh my, how adorable,¡± Sonia gushed as she brushed the back of a white kitten that was sleeping on the desk. ¡°They¡¯re such an adorable and obedient child, don¡¯t you think so, Simeon-sama?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Aren¡¯t they cute?¡± I replied offhandedly, having no choice but to brush the body of the fatty cat sleeping in front of me for some reason. Yet, the fat cat moved his body around as if he was dissatisfied with my touch and told me the part where it was nice to brush him. This really got on my nerves since it felt like he was saying I was so bad at this. Currently, we were in the cat cafe that Theodore managed. I had invited Sonia here to rejoice over the fact that Sonia, after one month of confinement after that incident, was finally permitted to go out. Alas, when I thought I could finally feel at ease after entering the store that was literally filled with cats loitering around, I found that I couldn¡¯t feel like that at all. Especially not when I saw other guests petting the cats with a smile on their faces. Fortunately, soon, both of us were guided to the terrace seat on the second floor. It was an area dedicated to noble guests, where we could overlook the 1st floor due to the atrium style of the store, but at the same time, we wouldn¡¯t be able to see other guests on the same floor thanks to the partitioning screen. Anyway, the moment I sat on the chair, a fat white cat immediately jumped on the table and purred. When asked, the waitress said that it was the way the fat cat welcomed the guests, which¡­ seriously? A cat could do that?! Still, that wasn¡¯t my business. A cat was a cat anyhow. I doubt he came here to welcome a guest. That was impossible. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ have you heard about that matter? The miracle that happened during Theodore-sama¡¯s engagement ceremony?¡± Sonia asked to break the ice after she had enjoyed the tea we had ordered. Hearing her words, I frowned for an instant. Sure, it was the current hot topic, but I really didn¡¯t want to talk about it. So, please stop talking about that matter in front of me. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so dreamy and romantic,¡± Sonia muttered with an enraptured expression on her face. Truly, she was the type of girl who especially loved such dramatic scenes. It was no wonder that she felt envious. Heck, this girl literally jumped in joy when she was chosen as Katrina¡¯s friend. And she did that because she was chosen to accompany Saint-sama herself. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Muriel-sama. I mean, she¡¯s accompanying Saint-sama, loved by Six Gods-sama¡­ and even witnessed a miracle on top of that!¡± ¡°And she almost lost her life before the so-called miracle happened,¡± I droned. Surely, from Miss Muriel¡¯s perspective, what happened was more like a disaster than a blessing. After all, if that miracle didn¡¯t happen, then she might have already died by now. So, I truly didn¡¯t get what this girl was on about. ¡°Well, at least don¡¯t say that in front of her. Though, I¡¯m sure that Muriel-sama must be proud of being able to protect Katrina-sama. After all, if it means I could protect Saint-sama, then I¡¯m more than willing to wear that misanga myself.¡± ¡°Stop it, you fool. I will never forgive that kind of foolish self-sacrifice, even if it¡¯s done for Saint-sama. You¡¯re only going to die in vain if you proceed on that path.¡± How on earth did that incident turn into a story of Miss Muriel willingly protecting the saint from disaster in Sonia¡¯s head again?! She should have known that at that time, Miss Muriel only wore that misanga to compensate for her lack of magical power. Nothing more! Moreover, the saint herself had said that it was purely by chance that such an incident happened, though thanks to that, the demon race had exposed themselves early. ¡°That¡¯s not true. And even if it¡¯s true, I¡¯m willing to trade my life to protect Saint-sama. I¡¯m sure that is what Muriel-sama feels too.¡± ¡°Stop interpreting what other people feel at your own convenience! It will become big trouble later on if you keep doing that!¡± Geez, instead of feeling at ease, I¡¯m getting increasingly irritated now. ¡°Let me tell you this. Self-sacrifice is just your own self-satisfaction. It is the most worthless thing. That self-sacrifice will only make the people around you feel sad. So, stop thinking about such a stupid thing and think of doing more fruitful deeds instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking properly. I¡¯m thinking about how to be useful for Saint-sama.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what I mean by the most worthless thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worthless. I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s a life that I saved with my life!¡± So stubborn, not yielding at all. Sonia, Sonia¡­ doesn¡¯t she understand the simple fact that such legend-like dramatic development like that won¡¯t happen in reality? ¡°Don¡¯t get so full of yourself. Your life is of the same value as everyone else, including the commoners and slaves. It isn¡¯t even that much different from the cats in this place. That¡¯s the reality of life!¡± Everyone will be the same once they die, be they humans or animals or even demons, they will become a corpse. Why couldn¡¯t she understand something as simple as that?! Though Sonia seemed to be really surprised upon seeing my outburst, perhaps there¡¯s a chance to stop her from doing something so reckless. Either way, if THAT WOMAN was truly the saint, Sonia would eventually get involved with her in the future. Therefore, we should at the very least do something about this girl¡¯s reckless tendency that took her life lightly. ¡°In the first place, why are you assuming you¡¯re going to die? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re saying you¡¯re so weak to the point that you can only die as a martyr. Such an act of braving against danger without a chance of being victorious is foolish in my opinion. In fact, if you do not even have the ¡®Power¡¯ to survive, you better forget about becoming a protector.¡± Hearing my remark, Sonia got enraged and exclaimed, ¡°I won¡¯t forgive anyone who says thoughtless remarks, even if that person is Simeon-sama himself!¡± Still, even if she was incensed with me, I really wanted her to stop and think of the matter from another angle. After all, right now, we were still too young to have enough power to be the protector. ¡°I should be the one saying those words. Just, why do you want to die so much? Why do you never think about doing your best to survive? Right now, you¡¯re so weak. Too weak to the point that choosing you as a protector is akin to a joke. Besides, if you want to do something for the saint and stand by her side as her protector, then the least you need to have is the appropriate power to fulfill your job and survive the ordeal. After all, only those who survive can be called the winner.¡± That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no meaning to victory if you die. Only those who survive have more value than those who don¡¯t. ¡°Many people died during the saint war in ancient times. Even now, a girl has almost died, yet now you say you want to be in Miss Muriel¡¯s position in that incident? Do you really want to die so much?¡± This was not a rumor but something that came from a record left in the church. In the record, it was stated that in the confrontation between the saint and the demon race, there were many casualties. The scale of the war wasn¡¯t considered that big in the present, but still, the church stated that those people died due to the demon race¡¯s scheme. The case was just like now. Truly, I had no idea when those so-called victims died, just like how I didn¡¯t know about what happened after the confrontation. I could only make several assumptions based on the available recorded history, but still, even those recorded histories seemed incomplete. Thus, with all that considered, there was a possibility that the church was hiding some of the truth that happened back then. It still didn¡¯t help me with the current situation. Even now, there are reports about innocent girls found dead with dried-up corpses coming from all over the kingdom. There was a fair number of them, and that was only in this kingdom. These deaths with unknown causes, which ¨C according to Miss Katrina ¨C might have been done for the purpose of resurrecting the Demon King himself, were now put under the banner of protecting the saint in the record as their cause of death. However, I couldn¡¯t say that it was a bad move just because the truth was buried. After all, due to their unnatural death, some of them were neglected by their family and not given a proper burial. By doing this, at least it helped those girls who died unjustly regain their honor. Aside from that, it also helped to explain the reason behind those girls¡¯ deaths to their families. Of course, the kingdom also held a memorial and funeral service toward great gods to help those girls enter heaven without losing their ways in the moral world. Sonia should have participated in that ceremony as an apprentice priest as well, yet she said she was jealous of those girls? ¡°Naturally. It is my long-cherished ambition to die protecting Saint-sama.¡± Don¡¯t mess with me. ¡°Let me be the one to break your fantasy then. You¡¯re mistaken in your point of view; they didn¡¯t die to protect ¡®Saint-sama¡¯. Those incidents happened by coincidence and weren¡¯t aimed to kill the Saint but to revive the Demon King. The demon race is just trying to avoid our detection and do it discreetly because they need a lot of magical power to revive the Demon King. So, if you died back then, you can forget your death would save the Saint¡¯s life because you would literally help the resurrection of the Demon King with your magical power instead.¡± The girls had no idea about this. They didn¡¯t understand. That¡¯s why this silly girl took the matter this time as dying to protect the saint, which she was sure wouldn¡¯t be a meaningless death. And that really grated my nerves. For the kingdom of course. Unfortunately for Sonia, I was aware of the truth. This matter was related to me, after all. ¡°Do you really want to die so much?! Then do as you wish since there won¡¯t be any miracle from me! I mean ¡­ I ¡­ I have yet to show any awakening sign as the Six Gods ¡­. If you really die one of these days ¡­ what are you expecting me to do ¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t create miracle. And there was no sign of me awakening something like that either. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. If it¡¯s you, Simeon-sama, you¡¯ll definitely create a miracle for me.¡± ¡°You make it sounds like it¡¯s so easy to create a miracle, eh. I know my own capabilities. I can¡¯t do something that I can¡¯t do. Cease that useless expectation of yours right away. I¡¯m different from THAT guy. I can¡¯t show my love like THAT guy.¡± Sonia seemed to be really surprised when she heard my words. However, I was being honest when I told her the truth about me not wanting to show my love like THAT guy. It was impossible for me. Literally. ¡°It¡¯s not like I hate you or something along that line. Honestly, I¡¯ll be really happy if you believe me that way. However, I really hate that flower-field-filled head of yours. Take a closer look at reality, why don¡¯t you? I understand you envy Miss Muriel, but just envying her means nothing since you¡¯ve no abilities to support your claim. You¡¯ve nothing special about you. The most you can do is to persevere.¡± After saying those words to her, I left my seat. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her heart more than this. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 CH 79.2 79.2 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target£­Blue£­ === ¡ó Inside the shaking carriage, I couldn¡¯t help but to keep wondering. Why was there no sign in me awakening as the Six Gods? I recalled what happened that day; the day the two stupid couple got engaged. On that day, the barrier across the kingdom was enhanced. According to my father, who wanted to attend the ceremony to the point of plundering the presider job from the other priest who was supposed to do that for them that day, all magical power blessed the two which was really surprising. Honestly, I had no idea what in the world was he talking about. Especially when he then said it was impossible for me. ¡°That is still too difficult for the current you because that was the blessing of the magical power for them. Given by the spirit because they¡¯re more innocent and true to their own feeling¡ª Really, you should be honest about your feeling a little bit. After all, you might not be able to see what you¡¯re supposed to see if you keep doing your usual word game.¡± That¡¯s none of your business, thank you. Besides, you also love to do that so-called ¡®word game¡¯, Father. ¡°However, the spirit might eventually understand your intention if you keep speaking your contradictory remarks. Now, I won¡¯t tell you to do your best, but I think you should start with trying to face your own magical power ¡­ though that might sound too difficult for you too right now.¡± In the end, what I could conclude was that not even my father understand that phenomenon. Be more honest, he say? Hah! Look at yourself first, will you? Telling me to be more honest when I speak to others even though he himself often speak harsh remarks to others¡­. A~h, this matter really pissed me off. ¡°Bunya~.¡± ¡°Eh? Cat?! The fatty cat from before?!¡± The fat cat, who was supposed to be in the cat cafe, was currently snuggled by my side in my carriage at this time. ¡°WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! ARE YOU SECRETLY FOLLOWING ME?!¡± ¡°Bunya~¡± When I raised my voice, the fatty cat swung its tail around, as if whipping my a*ss. At the same time, he also stared straight into my eyes, as if telling me to go back to the cafe immediately. ¡°THEODORE! TRAIN YOUR CATS PROPERLY DAMMIT!!!¡± Once again, I reiterated. This matter really pissed me off. ¡ó When I returned to the cafe, the fatty cat quickly climbed on the stairways and arrived at the second floor in the blink of an eye. Really, what in the world does this guy want me to do? I thought to myself as I followed the fatty cat up. There, I saw Sonia¡¯s figure sitting still in her seat like a statue. It seemed she was depressed. However, even if I went to her, I would only end up displeasing her. So, I shouldn¡¯t¡­. While I was thinking that, my line of sight suddenly met the fatty cat¡¯s own. ¡°Are you not going to her?¡± It was as if the cat spoke to me. ¡°Like hell I can go to her in this kind of situation.¡± Beside, why should I go to her? I mean, I knew I might be the reason for her current state, but still¡­. Argh, this matter really pissed me off. ¡°Just how long are you going to feel down like that? C¡¯mon, it¡¯s time to go back.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone back already¡­ Simeon-sama?¡± Sonia asked with a timid voice. Heck, isn¡¯t that supposed to be my question?! Dammit, spare me from this trouble please. ¡°Yes, but I suddenly remember that I left something behind.¡± ¡°Eh? What is this thing that you left behind? I don¡¯t think I saw you leaving something behind though ¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right there. Well, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°S¡­ Simeon-sama?!¡± She exclaimed in shock as I grabbed her hand and took her with me. And just like that, I lead her into the carriage. ==== None of us spoke for a while after that. Only the sound of carriage wheels moving forward accompanied us. ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t ask for apology since I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in the wrong,¡± I said while looking at the flowing scenery outside the window. ¡°¡­ Yes, I¡¯m the one in the wrong. My deepest apology for my thoughtless remark.¡± Perhaps, her head had cooled down after I left her for a while, but Sonia apologized obediently. Even though I had insulted her dangerous idea that she deemed as noble aspiration. Still, I didn¡¯t think I was wrong. ¡°Since you understand, there¡¯s no need to apologize to me. However, make sure you apologize to Miss Muriel, your attendant, and the other girls who lose their lifes¡ª They¡¯re the one who experienced such cruel things after all. And, speaking of Miss Muriel, how¡¯s her condition now? Has she recovered already?¡± It was Sonia¡¯s attendant who bought the misanga, therefore, she felt responsible for the incident and almost comitted suicide to repent for her mistake. She was taken in by the military for questioning after that, but I wondered how¡¯s her situation right now? ¡°Y-yes, she has already recovered. Since I come to visit her everyday, I know that she look better day by day. It seems she also received a consultation after questioning from the military.¡± ¡°The military feel sorry for her, eh?¡± Though, it looked more like protection from the military side no matter how you look at it. It was just a play of words. ¡°Yes. Everyone feel the same way¡ª they also apologize to her.¡± ¡°Well, all is well then.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± ¡°I know, but still. I just feel I have to say this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That concluded our conversation because we then arrived at Sonia¡¯s house. ¡°Well then, see ya.¡± I bid her farewell as she descended from the carriage. Her attendant came to welcome her, but they couldn¡¯t do anything since she had already stepped on the ground. ¡°Thank you very much for today, Simeon-sama. I¡¯ll do my best to be able to stand by Saint-sama¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Do your best,¡± I replied while waving my hand from the window. Anyhow, she should be able to accomplish that pretty easily. ¡°So, you¡¯ve to do your best too, Simeon-sama. Because I know that your ability as the Six Gods¡ª doesn¡¯t lose to Theodore-sama.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overestimating me.¡± And yet, Sonia still said those encouragement since she knew that it would make me happy. Geez, this matter really pissed me off. And I got even more irritated when the optimistic face of that fool (Theodore) and Katrina who seemingly was able to see through everything flashed before my eyes. ¡°To hell with miracle or saint.¡± I won¡¯t admit people who keep clinging to those vague thing. Nor do I recognize the saint who couldn¡¯t even protect the heart of the crown prince. ¡°I will protect everyone in my own way.¡± === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 CH 80 80 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target -Red- TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === ¡°O~h, what a nice muscle you¡¯ve got there! It¡¯s perfect!¡± Ramona exclaimed, shaking the green catnip in her hand in excitement to play with the cat before her. The green striped cat was fully focused on the catnip before their eyes, body half-raised as they played with the tip of the catnip with their foreleg. And every time the cat did that, Ramona exclaimed joyfully. It was as if she was the one who trained the cat. ¡°Hu~m. You must not avert your eyes, you know? Ahahaha, good child.¡± Different from the tabby cat who was playing with the catnip with Ramona, the cat that appeared before me was a fat round cat who couldn¡¯t be bothered to even move. They didn¡¯t even react in the slightest when I bait them with catnip. In fact, they simply raised their head with a sleepy look on their face while yawning, as if telling me that this was a pain in the a*ss. ¡­ And that was all. ¡ó ¡°A~h, the cats in this place are really interesting. They have a promising future.¡± Ramona played (or perhaps trained?) with the cat until the latter got tired before she stopped and took a sip of her tea. ¡°I see.¡± Anyhow, she seems to enjoy it very much. Damn. ¡°Do you want to play (code word: train) the cat too, Vince? It¡¯s too bad that the only child who¡¯s interested in swordcraft is the cat over there.¡± Ramona spoke triumphantly, but when I looked at the 1st floor, I saw that the other guests were frolicking happily with the cats using the catnips in their hand. So, her claim ought not to be the truth. Still, it seemed that the only cat who reacted to Ramona was that tabby cat. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯m jealous of her or anything. I just¡­ wanted the cat before me to react somehow. ¡°It seems to be unwilling to play with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not playing, it¡¯s training.¡± ¡°In my eyes, it looks like playing though.¡± Despite her claim, no matter how you looked at it, this was definitely playing. ¡°Geez, what makes you so sure about it? I¡¯m definitely training that cat. Not playing.¡± ¡°Only you think that it is training. I¡¯m sure that the cats only regarded this ¡®training¡¯ you do as playing.¡± ¡°Ha~h. Of course I know that. Why don¡¯t you just play along and enjoy it with me? Really, why don¡¯t you think of a way to enjoy this? Like, you can pretend to see that cat as a cat who¡¯s interested in swordcraft and is training or something like that?¡± ¡°¡­ So this much should be enough, right? The cat doesn¡¯t seem to share my enthusiasm,¡± I said, causing Ramona to pout. ¡°I think it¡¯s enough as long as Vince-sama enjoys it even just a little bit. Really, you¡¯re bound to lose people who¡¯re willing to follow you if you keep doing that, Vince-sama. In the end, you¡¯ll become a general without a single subordinate then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Everyone says that they¡¯re going to follow me.¡± Whether it was the military who trained with me in the past or my teacher, they all said I have a promising future and are looking forward to the moment I become a general. So, they would definitely follow me, no doubt. ¡°Be careful there. Don¡¯t get too full of yourself. That¡¯s clearly a mere flattery. We have yet to be able to do that.¡± Although I know there was some truth in her remark, there was no need to point it out so obviously, was there?! Geez. What was she going to do if my heart break from depression? ¡°Moreover, you¡¯ve said it yourself. There¡¯s no way for us to know what others are really thinking about us. I mean, even though no one understand me, I have to understand the¡ª¡± That¡¯s a reality, though. I thought, heaving a sigh since our conversation was spiraling down toward a dangerous direction. But then, Ramona suddenly looked dumbfounded. ¡°Anyway, Ramona, I know you. I know that you truly love swordcraft. But, in my opinion, you should give up on that. You shouldn¡¯t force yourself to train with me anymore. I mean, you¡¯ve been falling behind la¡ª¡± ¡°Ha~h, it seems you really don¡¯t understand. I¡­ want to become the Saint¡¯s Sword. That¡¯s why, I want you to at least listen carefully until the end now. I mean, it¡¯s pretty much an open secret between all of us that Katrina-sama is the Saint. As such, I want to be able to protect Katrina-sama with my sword,¡± Ramona said as she glared at me. The ¡®Saint¡¯s Sword¡¯ Ramona was talking about was one of the derivative tales of ¡®Saint¡¯s Legend¡¯. The setting of this tale talked about the saint being a sword master and standing in the frontline, killing the demon race and defeating the demon king all on her lonesome. (TL: Otherwise known as doujinshi.) This particular tale about Saint¡¯s Sword was Ramona¡¯s favorite. ¡°Since Vince-sama is a man, you can¡¯t stay by Saint-sama¡¯s side around the clock, right? Moreover, you¡¯ll also stand at the frontline to fight the demon king. That¡¯s why I shall become her protector. Since you¡¯ll be fighting in the frontline and all, you should leave the protection of Saint-sama to me. That¡¯ll be the best solution, right?¡± Ramona explained with a puffed up chest. So that was why she wanted to take a lesson in swordsmanship. Sure, I could give my all knowing that Ramona was in the back, protecting the saint. However, recently, she was slowly beginning to be unable to catch up with the pace of the training. Although it was due to the degree of difficulties being raised bit-by-bit, she was unable to keep up. No one had really noticed this fact, but I was very clear about this matter. Even though she was confident she was able to keep up, she quickly became exhausted in the end. ¡°I have the same opinion, but you still can¡¯t train together with me. I have to aim for a higher goal and have no leeway to look after you.¡± Ramona¡¯s eyebrows rose up the moment I told her so, and the tip of her cat-like eyes rose up even further. ¡°What does that mean? Are you trying to say that I¡¯m nothing but a hindrance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not. What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses. Fine then, I¡¯ll do as you say. I won¡¯t request another training session with you again. Just you wait, I¡¯ll become even stronger than you.¡± Ramona turned her face to the side after she interrupted my explanation. You misunderstand, dammit. I didn¡¯t mean that! What I wanted to say was that Ramona and I had different training methods, so preparing a different training menu would work better for both of us. We didn¡¯t have to train in separate places for this! However, Ramona, in her sullen state, refused to hear what others said. Well, she has the motivation, and is most likely going to become as strong as me. Still, mentioning this matter again will most likely worsen her mood. ¡°Bumya~.¡± The fat cat, who up until now didn¡¯t even flinch, suddenly held the catnip in his mouth and pointed its tip at me. Did he want to comfort me? ¡°Fufufu, thank god. After receiving your training, the cat ended up training you. I¡¯m so jealous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me.¡± Really now? Well, at least, Ramona is ¡ó ¡°By the way, did you hear about Theodore-sama?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard he caused another miracle.¡± Theodore had caused another miracle during his engagement ceremony with Miss Muriel a while ago. According to the story I heard afterward, the ceremonial hall in which he confessed his love was bathed in brilliant light and the dancing magical power it caused strengthened the power of the barrier stone in each temple. ¡­ It was truly a mystery. However, it seemed the power of the Six Gods was more powerful than I expected. I mean, it strengthened the barrier in the entire kingdom after all. Hmm, it seemed I had to do my best in order to not be led around the nose after I gained the power of the Six Gods. ¡°Do you have the symptoms of awakening, Vince-sama?¡± ¡°Not yet. But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to manifest soon enough. I¡¯m a descendant of the Six Gods after all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get from where you got such confidence from, but that might be better. I want you to at least have some doubt like Simeon-sama though.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m confident with myself. The sign of the Six Gods has manifested in Theodore after all. So, it¡¯s only natural for it to manifest in me too, sooner or later. Simeon is the strange one here.¡± Although I was really surprised to hear that the weak Theodore, whose forte was entertaining the girls and doing lacework, was the first one to awaken as the Six Gods, it was only reasonable that it was like that. After all, there¡¯s the ¡®True Love¡¯ condition attached to awakening. I meant, his feeling toward Miss Muriel was simply through the roof. Perhaps the power of the Six Gods in him awakened the moment he realized that Miss Muriel¡¯s life was in jeopardy, thus creating such a miracle. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t consider that as something dangerous. Anyhow, although I thought I took a liking to Ramona, I could confidently say no if someone asked me whether my feeling toward her was as strong as Theodore¡¯s feeling toward Miss Muriel. However, the main reason I swung my sword every day was that I wanted to protect Ramona. I was sure that this is the path for me to awaken my power as the Six Gods. And just like my father, I would become the Kingdom¡¯s Sword. Anyway, I was ill suited for meticulous thinking like Simeon, and I knew that facing what was in front of me suited me best. So, I knew that my path would open up on its own as long as I kept swinging my sword. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t hate that self-confidence of yours. Let¡¯s do our best together. ¡°Really, the fact that you can be so honest like this is so adorable,¡± Ramona muttered lowly under her breath. ¡°The heck are you talking about?! I¡¯m not adorable. If I had to say, I might grow bigger and rugged when I¡¯m older.¡± I should grow bigger than my peers in the future. I meant I¡¯m already one head taller than them, so growing bigger than my peers was a given. I wanted to become an indomitable man like my father, though. Someone who everyone could rely on. A big brother-like figure. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t understand what I mean. Anyhow, I will do my best to become the sword that protects Saint-sama.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do our best.¡± ¡°Bumya~.¡± For some reason, I got this feeling that this fat cat was smiling at us. When I raised my face, my line of sight intersected with Ramona¡¯s own, and we chuckled together. It seemed that we may have the same thought. Let¡¯s revisit this cat cafe in the future. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 CH 81.1 81.1 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target£­White£­ TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === ¡°KYA~! CAT, KAT, KATZ, MEO~W!¡± As soon as we arrived in the store, Katrina raised a delighted scream that honestly felt like it was going to pierce the crown of my head. ¡°MEO~W!!!¡± As a result, the cats all scattered around, as if they were escaping from her. Scratch that, they WERE escaping from her. ¡°Ah, wait, cat lord, wait. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not scary you kno~w? Let me hug you~. Please, meo~w.¡± Katrina approached the cats slowly while ending her sentences with that mysterious word at the end. Then, she captured a brown kitten, and brushed their head rather roughly. Of course, as a result, the kitten naturally struggled in her hand, trying their best to escape. ¡°So~wwy. Be a good child, oka~y. Ya~y, so flu~ffy! The pad is squi~shy!¡± After a while of resisting, the kitten finally gave up and simply let Katrina fluff them as she wanted. ¡°Ya~y, now purr for me. Is it here? Or here? There, there. You¡¯re such an adorable chi~ld. Let me pat you again. Fua~h, I¡¯m in heave~n.¡± I couldn¡¯t even make sense of what she was talking about. However, perhaps because our dumbfounded stare was too obvious, Katrina finally noticed our presence. Though, for some reason, after noticing us, her body immediately stiffened. Are you okay? You¡¯re sweating profusely like a waterfall, you know? ¡°H-how much have you seen¡­ Your Highness Elliot?¡± ¡°Well, we come together, so¡­ pretty much everything.¡± ¡°Please forget about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, right?¡± ¡°Ri~ght.¡± Although her tone of voice was akin to a dead person¡¯s, aka too monotone, her hand that was brushing the kitten¡¯s throat didn¡¯t stop even for one second. Seriously, just how much of a cat lover are you?! ¡°Pfft, kukuku¡­.¡± My big brother (Frederick), who also came along with me for this excursion, was desperately trying to hold back his laughter. Alas, it was proven slightly impossible from the sound he let out. Katrina¡¯s face flushed red from embarrassment, yet despite that, her hand kept petting the kitten. You¡¯re truly a cat lover, aren¡¯t you? ¡ó Even when we¡¯re guided to the terrace on the 2nd floor, Katrina refused to let the kitten go. And the kitten obviously had given up on any form of resistance from the way they acted. Evidently, they considered it a futile effort before Katrina¡¯s enthusiasm. They squinted their eyes, allowing Katrina to pat them as much as she likes. ¡°Ha~h, I¡¯m in heave~n. The cats are fluffy and chubby.¡± What in the world was she talking about? This was the first time I heard this kind of sentence. ¡°Bumya~.¡± A fat cat suddenly came down from the handrail to the table and began licking my hand. I was really shocked with this and subconsciously almost pulled back my hand before stopping myself. ¡°You can pat their head, Your Highness Elliot. Now, try to say ¡®There, there¡¯ to that fat cat.¡± Since when were you able to talk to cats? And why in the world was this fat cat waiting while puffing their chest? Ah, fine, since it couldn¡¯t be helped, I would just pat their head. I decided as I patted the fat cat¡¯s head. ¡°Bumya~¡± The fat cat let out a satisfied cry and showed its stomach to me, confusing me. ¡°They want you to caress their abdomen. They¡¯re pleased.¡± Katrina spoke enviously, but I had no idea what was so good about this. Still, since Katrina recommended me to do so, I did as she said. Sure enough, the fat cat squinted their eyes with a satisfied expression once I did as Katrina suggested. ¡­ WHY?!!! I was really confused but, somehow my heart was warm, was it perhaps due to the warmth the cat¡¯s body gave? ¡°It feels good, right? You¡¯re quite talented in brushing the cats.¡± My half-brother, who was sitting in front of me, praised me with a smile on his face. ¡°T-that might just be a coincidence. Besides, even if it¡¯s true, I can say the same to you, Big Brother. That cat looks like they¡¯re enjoying your touch,¡± I softly denied my big brother¡¯s claim while simultaneously praising him. After all, the black cat that my big brother was brushing looked like they were having the time of their life under his touch. A~h, I¡¯m so jealous of that cat. Change places with me, now. ¡°This child is really obedient after all. Moreover, it¡¯s likely that the cats in this store are used to being brushed by people. Anyway, brushing them like this will make us feel good too.¡± ¡°Brushing cats will make people feel good. Animal thera¡ª Nay, I mean, I hear that contact with animals can heal your heart.¡± ¡°Hee, is that true? Miss Katrina is truly knowledgeable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just something I happen to hear about.¡± Katrina smiled happily when she heard my big brother¡¯s praise toward her. As expected, she likes my big brother more than me. The moment I thought so, Katrina stared at me. She then signaled me using her hand that was carefully hidden by the kitten¡¯s body. ¡®Now, it¡¯s your turn. Do your best,¡¯ She signaled with her hand gesture. Ah, so that¡¯s the case. The reason she reserved this cat cafe today was to make a chance for me to reconcile with Big Brother¡­. When Katrina invited me to this cat cafe, she also proposed to invite my big brother along. That was why, after making an arrangement with my big brother, the two of us went to the elementary division¡¯s dormitory to pick him up. Furthermore, the moment she saw my brother¡¯s shocked expression when he saw us coming together to pick him up, she didn¡¯t waste a single second to pull him into the carriage too. Thus, preventing him from bailing out on us and letting us ride the same carriage toward the cat cafe. Albeit, at the end, Katrina¡¯s facade went south the moment she saw the cats in the store. Still, apparently, she never forgot about her goal. ¡°¨D B-big brother¡­.¡± ¡°Theodore also said that animal therapy thing¨D is this what he means? Well, this place is managed by him after all.¡± Why are you talking about that guy right now?! ¡°Ah, y-yes. Indeed. H-how it comes to be? Well, I only heard that he does this for Muriel-sama,¡± Katrina replied with a troubled expression. Stop, I really don¡¯t want to talk about that guy right now. ¡°Humph. He really loves Miss Muriel, huh. Come to think of it, I heard that he created a miracle. Is that true?¡± Why did I feel that though Big brother spoke to us, in a way, it was as if he was focused on Katrina instead of both of us. Katrina also become flustered and even looked bewildered. ¡°The rumour about that matter has been spreading in the academy right now. I have no idea what really happened though, and wanted to ask Theodore about this matter¡­ however, I haven¡¯t received permission to leave the academy. The security around the royal capital seems to become even stricter than before though. There¡¯s also the rumour of a demon race going around lately, right? I can¡¯t confirm the fact from the rumours since the academy¡¯s side doesn¡¯t really pay attention to that regard. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m really grateful when you send that invitation¡ª So, can you tell me what really happened?¡± ¡°Uuhm¡­.¡± Katrina turned to look at me with a troubled expression. Seemed like she knew that I was displeased with this development. ¡°Big Brother, we don¡¯t really see Theodore¡¯s miracle with our own eyes. That¡¯s why, I can¡¯t tell you what really happened back then.¡± Katrina nodded in agreement with my words. ¡°Is it something that you can¡¯t tell me about?¡± ¡°No, both Elliot-sama and I, we, really have no idea about this matter,¡± Katrina added in a hurry. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re in that place, right?¡± Seeing Big Brother cocking his head to the side in confusion, Katrina started to explain our situation back then; of the incident in which Katrina and the other girls passed out from exhaustion after Miss Muriel wore the magic tool that snatched her life force. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 CH 81.2 81.2 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target£­White£­ TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === Then, about Theodore rallying us to create a barrier to save them. Katrina didn¡¯t know what happened later after she passed out, and neither did I since we were brought to a separate room due to being dead tired. Anyway, the next thing we knew was Miss Muriel was losing her life force and had ended up in a critical condition. The one who saved Miss Muriel from that predicament was Theodore who awakened the power of the Six Gods. Around one month later, a pillar of light rose up from the temple where Theodore and Miss Muriel held their engagement ceremony, and for some reason, the barrier inside the kingdom was revitalized. This was something we all heard from the messenger. Though, I did have to wonder about the ease all of us were able to get the information about what happened during Theodore and Muriel¡¯s engagement ceremony. ¡°Hu~m, so that¡¯s the true nature of that pillar of light, eh? What did His Majesty say about this matter?¡± ¡°I-it should be unrelated to you, right, Big Brother?¡± I averted my gaze from him. Though Big Brother was correct about His Majesty having something to say about this matter. I did get called by His Majesty that day when the pillar of light appeared. He scolded me at that time, perhaps because I had yet to love Katrina. He told me that I also had that power, the one that was able to revitalize the barrier of the kingdom. Still¡­ Why do I have to be like that guy (Theodore)?! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s the direct descendant of the Saint and the Six Gods! ¡°Y-yes. I don¡¯t think Frederick-sama is related to this matter. Besides, it¡¯s only a matter of time before His Highness Elliot show his power as the Six Gods. His Majesty is simply too impatient in this regard.¡± I was really surprised to see Katrina refusing to tell the story to my big brother like that. It was something that had almost never happened before. She actually made it clear that she also didn¡¯t wish to share this matter with my big brother¡­. My big brother also couldn¡¯t hide his shock when he heard a flat-out rejection from Katrina. Though his surprised expression turned into a grin the next moment as if he found this to be really interesting. ¡°I see. Well, Miss Katrina is a really kind girl after all,¡± Big Brother complimented, yet Katrina still sulked. How envious. I want to be praised too! ¡°That is incorrect. Anyway, I can guarantee that His Highness Elliot is going to awaken soon. At that time, he¡¯ll exhibit an even more powerful strength than Theodore-sama,¡± Katrina declared without even averting her gaze from Big Brother. The light dwelling in her amethyst eyes was so strong to the point that it felt like it was going to suck my soul. ¡°Are you saying that¡­ as the Saint?¡± ¡°¡­ Feel free to interpret it that way,¡± Katrina stated, leaving the matter like that. However, in my opinion, she didn¡¯t say it as the Saint. I didn¡¯t know why, but that was what I felt. ¡°Well, since that¡¯s the case, I have no choice but to believe you.¡± After that, Big brother returned since he said he still have some matters to attend to. Unfortunately, when I told him that I wanted to send him back, he decline politely. Perhaps he was heading toward Theodore¡¯s mansion now. ¡ó ¡°My apologies, His Highness Elliot,¡± Katrina said as soon as my big brother was no longer in sight. She had also tried to keep my brother in this place, but he insisted on leaving. ¡°Even though this occasion is supposed to be for your reconciliation with Frederick-sama¡­ it has all gone down the drain since my remark has angered him,¡± Katrina muttered with an extremely terrified expression. ¡°You? Anger my big brother?¡± In my opinion, the one who was angry was Katrina though. My big brother had always been a gentle person after all. ¡°Eh? Uhm¡­ Y-yes, and it¡¯s definitely my fault.¡± Katrina let out a listless smile when she said that. Then, she suddenly fell flat on the table while muttering something, ¡°Geez, of course, that was only natural. I should have realized that ¡®healing the Big White¡¯ is a joke. I forgot that this pair of sibling is a pain in the ass. I actually forgot that ¡®Big White¡¯ is someone even more troublesome than ¡®Blue¡¯. A black belly amongst the black belly. That¡¯s why I become even more ¡®fired up¡¯ when there¡¯s a pairing with him as the ¡®uke¡¯. Dammit, how can I forgot about all that?!¡± [TL: the last half turned into fujoshi¡¯s delusion.] I had no idea what she was talking about, but seeing Katrina speaking in such a rude way was honestly an even bigger shock to me. I meant, she had always maintained this prim and proper way all this time, so her rudeness took me aback. Because it was as if she was replaced by another person when she entered this store. Should I try calling out to her? However, before I could do so, the fat cat for some reason patted Katrina¡¯s head with his paw as if he was giving his condolence to Katrina. I was about to call out to her, but then, Katrina suddenly stood up with a ¡®BAM¡¯. ¡°As expected, I¡¯m the one at fault in this regard. If only I tried my best to read the mood a bit more¡­ we might be able to have a more enjoyable conversation right now. And yet, my blunder has crushed this precious chance.¡± ¡°¡­ It can¡¯t be helped I think. I also went a bit too far in showing my distaste. You¡¯re not the only one at fault here.¡± Yes, I ended up showing my distaste whenever my big brother mentioned Theodore. I really shouldn¡¯t do that in this occasion when I wanted to have a proper conversation with him. When I spoke my contemplation on my own action out loud, I realized that Katrina was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Er, I wonder if¡­ if His Highness Elliot has finally come to understand himself a bit more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only natural, right? Still¡­ implementing solution isn¡¯t as easy as it seems just because I understand the crux of the problem.¡± ¡°Agreed. That¡¯s tough indeed. Especially because we can¡¯t be honest due to our complicated feeling.¡± Both of us ended up heaving a sigh of resignation at the same time. Then, we smiled at each other ruefully when we realized that fact. ¡°Fufufu, I guess it¡¯s still too early for us to give up. I¡¯ll make sure to create another chance for you to get along with Frederick-sama.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best on my side too.¡± This was a strict order from His Majesty after all. I had to fall in love with Katrina, and that didn¡¯t mean that Katrina had to love me back. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do our best¡ª but, shall we use this chance to get along a bit more?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I guess I could enjoy our conversation better than before. I meant, all the previous tea parties all felt boring to me. ¡ª Moreover, I had never expected that Katrina could actually make that kind of smile. Although, that was just how much she loves cats I suppose. From time to time, she would say something I couldn¡¯t understand either. In fact, she even used rude speech that she had never used in front of me before. When I realized this, I become aware that I¡­ had never tried to know Katrina as a person all this time. I literally knew nothing about her. ¡°E-e~h, is there something on my face?¡± She asked face overcame with a bright red when I kept staring at her face. Interesting. ¡°Ah, I am just mesmerized.¡± ¡°Eh, what¡­?¡± I brushed Katrina¡¯s flustered face and said, ¡°Your eyes, your nose, your lips. Everything.¡± ¡°Gezz, stop teasing me like that, His Highness Elliot!¡± Despite her scolding tone though, Katrina was smiling bashfully at me. ¡ó After that excursion, Katrina declared to everyone and made it known that I would definitely awaken as the Six Gods. It was only a matter of time. Furthermore, she also added that they should just wait for the moment since any outside interference might delay my awakening. His Majesty, perhaps hearing that from his subordinates, barely mentioned the matter of the Six Gods again after that. Same case with my mother, which allows me to go back to my peaceful daily life. Still, the matter with my big brother was still as shaky as before despite the various plans I made with Katrina to meet him. Alas, the topic of Theodore always came out whenever I wanted to talk about reconciliation, and that always resulted in me showing my usual distaste for that guy which led to our plans being accidentally wrecked. The number of times our plans failed made me wonder whether my big brother actually didn¡¯t wish to reconcile with me. However, Katrina disapprove of that notion immediately when I pointed it out to her. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about this. What if my guess was true? During these times, Theodore¡¯s optimistic face always flashed in my mind. He could make such a carefree smile even though he had no awareness of being one of the Six Gods. And that made me wonder¡­ why was it that only that carefree guy showed the sign of being awakened? What made me so different from him? I meant I don¡¯t think it was something as simple as love. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1 CH 82 82 Monologue of A Certain Capture Target £­Black£­ TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. === ¡°I¡¯ve never expected that cats are such a selfish creature,¡± Shelly muttered while she observed the atrium from the second floor of the store. On the other hand, it would indeed be better if they also attached rope to the collar to prevent the cat from escaping so easily. ¡°This place¡¯s purpose is to fluff with cat as much as you want without disturbing their freedom after all.¡± ¡°But they have too much freedom. That might lead to them spoiling the beverage and snacks we ordered.¡± ¡°The shop assistant had told us that the cats has received the necessary training to prevent that incident from happening. In fact, this fat cat and the tortoise-shelled cat are the only adult ones in the store, hence they¡¯re fully obedient and would not do such a thing.¡± I brushed the fat cat who was sprawled in front of me, causing his tail to move around non-stop in a show of pleasure. ¡°Perhaps so, but still¡­,¡± Shelly trailed off, brushing the tortoise-shelled cat¡¯s head with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Anyhow, if something happen, Theodore will deal with it. We don¡¯t have to worry about such thing.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right¡­.¡± Nevertheless, despite her acknowledgement of my statement, I noticed that she couldn¡¯t help her anxiety judging from the restless way she was looking around at the other guests. Well, Shelly WAS the kind of girl who would be worrying non-stop once she saw or notice something to fret about. I suppose that was why she kept blathering non-stop due to the unpredictable nature of the cats. ¡°Aah, aren¡¯t that child scared of walking on the beam like that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a cat, right? That kind of height is a childs play for them.¡± ¡°Geez, Rex-sama! It¡¯s still a kitten! That child might be injured after falling from such height.¡± ¡°I agree with Young Lady, Young Master. I¡¯m going to be worried too if Young Master is standing at such beam. In my opinion, we should prepare a net for catching bug below for safety reasons if you do such things,¡± My attendant, Sadias, cut in while puffing his chest proudly. Why in the world wasn¡¯t he sitting in the table beside the stairs obediently just like the other attendant? I did not know. Really, even though he was older than me by three years, he tended to do a lot of silly things. He lacked the self-awareness of an adult too! ¡°Be quiet, Sadias. And don¡¯t call me Young Master. Call my name properly.¡± ¡°As you wish, Young Master.¡± Yet, he still blatantly called me ¡®Young Master¡¯ again. Did this guy ever listen to what others said properly I wonder? ¡°¨D In the first place, I have no reason to walk on a beam, do I? So, whether I need safety net or not is a moot point. Anyhow, why a safety net? It¡¯s not like you can catch a human with those¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Sadias. Bug-catching net might be big enough to catch the kitten, but it¡¯s definitely way too small for Rex-sama. Oh, it might be too small for the bigger cat as well. We should lay a net instead,¡± Shelly pointed out an improvement for the store. And while it sounded like a good idea, please don¡¯t forget that this is Theodore¡¯s store, will you? Furthermore, why use me as an example?! ¡°Ooh, what a blunder¡­ even though it was my long held dream to catch Young Master with net-catching bug since the aloof infant Young Master is just too adorable.¡± Sadias sighed sorrowfully, complete with a regretful expression on his face. Wait, did he just say something incredibly rude to me?! ¡°Stop coming and going as you please! Go back to your seat!¡± ¡°How cruel¡­ eventhough I¡¯m always thinking about Young Master¡¯s well being everyday!¡± While the guy was being dramatic, a big hand suddenly grabbed Sadias¡¯ head from behind. It was a tall man, the peacemaker of the attendants, Abel. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sadias. My apologies, Rex-sama. I¡¯ll tell this guy to wait outside this store.¡± ¡°Eh? No, Abel-san, don¡¯t! For me, Young Master is¡­.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°A~H! PLEASE, AT LEAST LET YOUNG MASTER SCOLD ME BEFORE YOU FORCE ME OUT! CHANGE, CHANGE ABEL-SAN WITH YO- A~H!¡± Despite Sadias¡¯ entreaty, Abel who was dragging him by his head exemplary ignored the guy and dragged him out of the store without mercy. ¡°A-Abel-san! ARGH! STOP, STOP! MY HEAD FEEL LIKE IT¡¯S ABOUT TO POPOUT! CHANGE, PLEASE! CHANGE ABEL-SAN WITH YOUNG MA- A~RGH!¡± There was a sound akin to that of something was tumbling down the stairs, but I suppose it was just in my head. Surely it was nothing, right? Yeah, it was nothing. I sighed, knowing that the storm had at last passed for now. And the cats, who had been standing still due to Sadias¡¯ eccentricities, started to move again, secure in the knowledge that the danger had passed. I mean, even this cheeky fat cat looked at Sadias as if he was a rare creature, plus the other cats also looked scared of Sadias¡­ which made me feel as if I had to apologize to them for my attendant¡¯s antics. ¡°Sadias really like Rex-sama, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Although Shelly looked just as dumbfounded as the cats, the conclusion she came to was a complete misunderstanding. ¡°That one is just an idiot.¡± ¡°Is that so? He does try his best to cheer you up, though, Rex-sama.¡± ¡°I wish he does it in an easier way to understand than this.¡± Hearing my complain, Shelly chuckled lightly as if she agreed with my point in this matter. ¡ó ¡°¨D So, what do you think?¡± Shelly asked out of nowhere after we enjoyed our lunch. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Theodore-sama¡¯s miracle. Especially the second one¨D I heard from hearsay that the spirits appeared too. As such, I want to know what Blackcurrant House¡­ to be more specific, Rex-sama¡¯s opinion in this regard.¡± ¡°The spirits, huh¡­ there are rumors about that, but what you actually really wanted to hear is the story of our distant ancestor, right? About how they communicate with the spirit.¡± Shelly nodded, then spoke with voice so soft it was almost inaudible. ¡°Yes, as well as the fact that one of the house is related to the Demon King.¡± ¡°My ancestor, one of the Six Gods, Vlad, betrayed the demon king for the saint.¡± This matter was something that was never revealed to the public, but not for me, since this was something that was told to me in my childhood. Although, this was a secret only known to our own family. According to the legend passed down in my family, Vlad was originally part of the same race as the Demon King himself, but there was a different in opinion between Demon King and his ancestor long before Vlad¡¯s era that led to their separation. So, properly speaking, it wasn¡¯t actually a betrayal since it was actually his ancestor¡¯s deed. In any case, in the legend, Saint Selendia invited Vlad, who was spending his life quietly in the village his clan build to avoid the Demon King¡¯s attention, to become her comrade. ¡°It¡¯s really shocking to know that the Demon King¡­ is actually older than Vlad himself.¡± True, well, but that was not the point. Initially, the Demon King¡¯s race could also communicate with the spirits, but then their race almost got annihilated after they tried to use the spirit¡¯s power for their purposes. And there was only one clan who survived the calamity in the end. However, they split into two because one side wished to spend their life quietly, while the other side wished to get their revenge. The people who wished for revenge soon lost their ability to communicate with the spirit, though in exchange, they gained longevity with their secret art. So, they waited patiently for their chance while strengthening their body and amassing more power to exact their vengeance. It was these people who was later known as the demon race. Only Blackcurrant House, Obsius House, and a small part of the temple¡¯s upper brass that knew about this secret. Shelly¡¯s house, the Obsius House, knew about this matter since one of their family¡¯s member was married to Vlad¡¯s daughter. Meanwhile, the upper brass of the temple had to learn about the truth behind the ¡®Saint¡¯s Great War¡¯. As for the royal family¡­ well, neither of our houses had any idea whether this secret was told to them or not. ¡°Our ancestor¡¯s blood is supposed to flow in Theodore-sama¡¯s and our vein, right?¡± ¡°If you say it that way, then you can actually say that almost all nobles in Serendia Kingdom are their descendant as well. Political marriage already happened a lot during the Saint¡¯s era, so the Six God¡¯s bloodline was also spread all over. Furthermore, there¡¯s already a lot of cases where fellow descendant of Six Gods tied the knot with each other (got married). So, I don¡¯t think that the bloodline is related to this case.¡± ¡°Why did the spirits appear then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, spirit and such are supposed to be things from legend.¡± There was an anecdote that said that when the spirit destroyed the Demon King¡¯s race, all they did was change the clan¡¯s magical power and made them lose their power to communicate with the spirit. ¡°Yes, even in the Saint¡¯s Legend, there¡¯s nothing that explain about the spirit. Not a single thing.¡± ¡°It may be intentionally excluded from the story. I mean, look, Vlad in that story is only mentioned as a sage from hidden village.¡± Oi, if it was revealed that he actually came from the same race as the Demon King, Vlad wouldn¡¯t be granted with Duke title even if he married Serendiaz¡¯s little sister, you know? In fact, he might be banished from the kingdom, or worse, assassinated. ¡°But, the story mentioned that the Saint can communicate with the spirit. The Six Gods seems to have the ability to feel the spirit¡¯s will too. Then again, it does sound too good to be true.¡± ¡°¡­ Nevertheless, that¡¯s also one of the clues, right?¡± ¡°What do you think? This mean, we have no choice but to ask Theodore about this¡­ and I¡¯d rather not do that, thank you.¡± I had gone and talked to my father about this matter, but he didn¡¯t tell me to do something like that, so I¡¯d rather not do it. Although, it seemed that nowadays my father was investigating this matter till late at night. Perhaps, his focus was on the Six Gods¨D especially Vlad. After all, as the most mysterious figure among the Six Gods, Vlad had left many mysteries behind. Or, that might be only from our house, Blackcurrant House¡¯s perspective. My father seemed to be more mysterious than usual though. Really, if we could communicate with the spirits, that ability should have appeared in one of the members of our house. Just like how it appeared in Theodore¨D though I almost couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I heard that he, the one with the most carefree soul and didn¡¯t seem to understand our noblesse oblige, was the first one to communicate with the spirit. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Shelly wrapped my hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. I know that Rex-sama will definitely awaken your power as the Six Gods. I mean, Saint-sama in the legend is also a normal girl until the God of Creation bless her when she was sixteen years old. That¡¯s why, it¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°¨D Yeah, you¡¯re right. Thanks.¡± ¡°Bumya~.¡± For some reason, the fat cat also placed his paw on top of our connected hands. ¡°Fufufu, thank you very much. You¡¯re saying that you want to help Rex-sama too, right?¡± ¡°Bumya~.¡± The heck? Rather than helping, it felt more like this cat was pouring cold water into this situation¡­. === TN: Check out my new project too! The Replacement for Suicidal Undead catches up with the raw. (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Become My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~) My Regular Release Schedule : -Wednesday :-Ikemen Tensei Bonus : All Translated Chapters of Ikemen Tensei available in my Patreon for $1