Pain surged through every inch of his body, leaving him unable to even conceive of twitching a single finger. Truly, it was a pain so horrifying that one would shudder just imagining it. Damon pressed his face right up against the Baron’s, who had yet to regain his senses.
"How did it taste?"
"Urrrgh. Y-you…?"
"You hate me, don’t you?"
Unable to bring himself to answer, Baron Romain could only nod. Damon didn’t let the opportunity slip, casting a curse once more. He had already gathered enough mana to deploy it several times over.
Fwoosh.
This time, a blinding torrent of light coiled around Baron Romain’s body. Just as before, once the light vanished, a completely different person had collapsed in that spot. It was a figure identical to Damon in every detail. Naturally, this was because Baron Romain had harbored extreme loathing for Damon. A face exactly like his own, as if reflected in a mirror. Gazing down at his spitting image, Damon curled his lips into a faint smile.
"He is handsome, isn’t he? Now, is it time to part with this face?"
Damon intended to discard his young, handsome features. After arriving in this world, he had been somewhat reluctant to part with them, but after becoming the target of the Baron’s homosexual lust, the face had become utterly repulsive.
Not that he had any intention of returning to his old, hideous appearance either. An ordinary face—one that wouldn’t draw people’s attention—was the ideal.
Recalling this, Damon turned his head to look at Jengart. The man was still staring into a mirror in astonishment.
"Hey. Jengart."
"Y-yes. Please speak."
"May I take your former appearance? I gave my face to this one, so I need a new face."
"O-of course. How could I possibly refuse?"
Jengart, who had been watching Baron Romain with a thoroughly amused gaze, answered promptly as if there was nothing left to think about.
"Good. And Jengart."
"Yes. Please speak."
Seeing Jengart bow his head deeply, Damon furrowed his brow.
"Goodness… making a mistake already? From now on, Jengart isn’t your name. You need to pay attention to even the trivial details. From now on, your name is Baron Romain. Understand?"
Only then realizing his blunder, Jengart nodded as if he understood.
"I-I shall keep that in mind."
"One more thing. Bear with me even if my casual speech seems disrespectful. The truth is, I’ve lived many times longer than you."
"Not at all. How could I possibly mind?"
Jengart nodded as if there was nothing to think about. In fact, from the moment the magic was deployed, he hadn’t believed Damon to be young. Seeing someone cast such high-level magic in the blink of an eye, it was clear he was a mage who had lived a very long time. Much longer than himself….
"Good."
Damon turned his head again. When he raised his hand slightly, Danglas, who had been writhing, collapsed limply.
Thud.
Now it was time to deal with the chief steward, Danglas. Of course, killing him would be the cleanest option, but regrettably, that was impossible. Precisely because of the Sevenfold Prohibition Technique.
"This time, I’ll have to use Polymorph. I doubt there is a mage in Arcadia who surpasses me, so you’ll have to live in your new appearance forever."
Recalling an appearance slightly altered from his own, Damon cast the spell without hesitation.
"Polymorph."
The moment the incantation ended, a desperate scream burst from Danglas’s mouth.
"Kuaaaack!"
No living being could fail to feel pain as the flesh and muscles across his entire body contorted at will. Writhing as if receiving the punishment of twisted bones and ruptured muscles, Danglas soon transformed into a completely different figure. Matching Damon’s appearance in every way save for the eye and hair color, everything else was identical. Having finished his work, Damon rose to his feet.
"Then is it my turn to change now?"
With cracking sounds, his appearance began to change. This time, it was the Reverse Body Transformation Technique. His pale blond hair gradually lost its color, turning white in an instant, and a lush beard began to grow from beneath his nose and on his chin. At the same time, wrinkles formed on his once-taut skin, and its luster vanished.
Shortly after, Damon stood firm in a completely changed appearance. Watching that figure, Jengart’s mouth fell open. Because the opponent’s changed appearance was the face he had been wearing until just moments ago.
"G-good heavens…."
"What? Is it surprising?"
Jengart barely managed to spit out the words, his trembling heart only just settling.
"Honestly, yes. I had thought that such advanced magic would leave an ordinary mage bedridden for several days after casting even a single spell…."
"You’re wrong, old man. An ordinary mage can’t even cast Polymorph. Because it’s a spell of the 9th Circle…."
Having met a 9th Circle mage, the likes of whom he had only heard of in stories, Jengart couldn’t help but gape once more. Watching him, Damon hardened his expression and growled.
"You must bury this secret deep within your heart alone. It must never spread! Understand?"
"Of course. How could there be any objection?"
Jengart nodded as if he understood. In fact, he too was in a position where he had to keep the secret even at the cost of his life. To preserve his newly obtained status and wealth, he had to do so by any means necessary.
"Well then, try living a new life…. Release the women in the dungeon as well. Surely you haven’t already had a change of heart in the meantime?"
"O-of course not. I shall provide them with ample travel funds and send them back to their hometowns. I can swear this upon my name."
"No need to go as far as an oath. And if you happen to encounter anyone from Truvenia, help them as much as you are able. You can do that much, right?"
Jengart nodded frantically.
"Of course. It is only natural that I do so."
"A man who indulges in sodomy won’t have a wife. So take every imaginable precaution in passing yourself off as Romain."
Damon spat out curtly and turned away. There, Romain and Danglas, both transformed into completely different appearances, were trembling. Among them, the one presumed to be Romain opened his mouth.
"Y-you wretch. What do you intend to do with my estate? Can’t you return me to my original state at once?"
Damon furrowed his brow.
"He’s a noisy one. I suppose I should seal his mouth forever while I’m at it. Eternal Deafness."
As the incantation ended, Baron Romain and Danglas were pitiably rendered mute. Forever. With a flick of his hands, Damon turned to Jengart with a refreshed expression.
"That aside, I shall entrust you with the task of dealing with those two."
A triumphant light rose in Jengart’s eyes.
"Do not worry. After shoving them into an underground dungeon where no light shall ever reach for the rest of their lives…."
"It can’t be that simple a punishment. Have you forgotten his goods?"
"Th-then…."
As Jengart’s eyes widened as if realizing something, Damon nodded.
"The goods(?) are in fine condition, so we should fetch a good price. So I want you to discreetly seek out among the nobles those who indulge in sodomy…. The more sadistic their tastes, the better."
"Rest assured. No matter what happens, I shall see the matter through."
Jengart, brimming with excitement, answered promptly. This was truly a satisfying revenge. The most fitting revenge for all the crimes Baron Romain had committed until now. It was a pity that Danglas had been caught up in it, but it couldn’t be helped.
Listening to the two’s conversation, Baron Romain and Danglas could only cling to each other and tremble. A dark future was all that awaited them now. The very future they had inflicted upon others until now.
Having taken satisfying revenge on Baron Romain, who had tried to humiliate(?) him, Damon remained at the manor for a time. He couldn’t leave right away due to Jengart—who had newly become Baron Romain—desperately trying to dissuade him.
"You’re leaving just like this? I am truly saddened. Even if only for a few days, please rest before you go…."
"That wouldn’t be so bad either."
Damon rested comfortably for three days, receiving extremely cordial hospitality. In the meantime, Jengart released the women imprisoned in the dungeon.
"Y-you want us to simply release them?"
The soldiers who received the orders thought it rather odd, but because his appearance and voice were identical to Baron Romain’s in every way, they had no choice but to carry out the orders. Moreover, he didn’t simply send them away empty-handed.
He gave each woman five gold in travel funds, so Jengart had essentially secured a great deal of goodwill with Romain’s money. The women, having gained their freedom and an enormous sum of five gold, wept tears of gratitude. That amount was a fortune large enough for their families back home to live without worry for several years.
"Thank you so very much."
"I shall never forget this grace for the rest of my life."
Overcome with emotion, the women continued to bow and began returning to their hometowns one by one. Even those who offered to remain as maidservants were gently persuaded by Jengart and sent back to their hometowns. After all the women had left, Jengart looked at Damon with a refreshed expression. It was still somewhat strange to see his former face—which Damon was currently wearing—but he forcibly suppressed such sentiments.
"My heart feels so full. I doubt the original scoundrel ever felt this way?"
Damon smirked.
"Who knows? If you serve the nobleman who’ll be sold off well, you might even hear a word of thanks."
"Given his personality, that’s probably impossible."
"Isn’t it?"
During his stay at the manor, Damon learned various details about Arcadia from Jengart. Jengart’s experiences wandering as a merchant were invaluable information to Damon. In repayment for having his fate changed, Jengart spilled every bit of common knowledge he possessed without leaving anything out. Because of that, Damon had to spend three days there. But because he had things he needed to do, Damon had to pack his bags once more.
"I must be on my way now."
"Already?"
Jengart made an expression of deep regret. He couldn’t help but feel saddened by the man who had allowed him to live a new life. He was in a state of deep submission to Damon.
"I have much to do."
Realizing that Damon’s resolve was firm, Jengart no longer tried to dissuade him.
"Then it cannot be helped. Instead, please be sure to stop by when you pass through the area."
Although Jengart laid out many gold coins as travel funds, Damon took only exactly three hundred gold. Precisely speaking, it was the price of the ruby he had sold. Then Damon set off on the road, leaving behind Jengart, who was deeply saddened. Behind him, Jengart’s earnest parting words followed.
"You must come. I shall wait forever."