Episode 194
It had been a week since the break began.
"Purr..."
"......"
I was currently stroking Lulu's chin with a blank expression as she lay prone in front of my bed.
"Hah..."
After absentmindedly stroking her chin for a while, I cautiously handed her a piece of apple, and she snatched it up just like a puppy receiving a treat.
"Hmm..."
I leaned back in the armchair, petting Lulu's head, and murmured in a low voice.
"This is happiness..."
The past week had truly been a succession of peaceful days.
I never imagined I'd be able to spend days like this before the final battle.
Just a few months ago, time and manpower were sorely lacking, so I had to run around personally.
But now, everything runs smoothly even if I just sit quietly in the mansion. What a dreamlike story this is. I still can't fully grasp the reality of it.
"Let's see..."
Ignoring Lulu, who had finished her apple and started rubbing her cheek against my leg as per her recent habit, I leaned back in the armchair and cautiously reached for the letter holder by the window.
"As expected, it came here."
Serena's owl, Ferloche's pigeon, and Klana's canary had easily installed a bird rest station and letter holder by the window recently.
However, not only those three use it; occasionally wild birds and carrier pigeons rest their wings there as well.
Moreover, there are some carrier pigeons—whether clever or lazy, I can't tell—that don't deliver to designated places but simply drop letters into the window letter holder and leave.
*Swish...*
Anyway, when I reached into the letter holder, there were two letters.
What kind of letters could they be? Day Serena's embarrassing love letter? Night Serena's lewd and high-level love letter?
It could be a letter from Kania whining about wanting to see me after finishing work quickly these days, or a letter from Klana persistently asking about things she wants to possess.
Or perhaps it could be a terrible threat letter from Ferloche, who has become cute and stupid again, warning that she'll scold me if I do bad things...
No, that doesn't seem right. Both letters were properly inside their envelopes.
"Hm?"
Setting aside random thoughts and checking the letters, the senders were none other than Aish, the princess of Cloud Kingdom, and Isollet.
I had been paying attention to both of them, so receiving letters from both parties simultaneously felt a bit strange.
- To Lord Frey.
[Hello? I'm not sure if you'll remember me.]
Thinking such thoughts, I opened Aish's letter first, and the neatly written words in her elegant handwriting came into view.
[No, you would have to remember me. By now, you've probably noticed the strange phenomenon that has occurred to you.]
Reading the letter quietly, I frowned and tilted my head at that passage.
'Come to think of it, why aren't the effects of the "Frozen Heart Curse" appearing?'
During the 'Slave Market Liberation Operation,' I had transferred the Frozen Heart Curse that Aish possessed onto myself.
The only way to completely neutralize that curse, which inevitably leads to death, was for me to die while bearing the curse.
The light of annihilation that occurs when the Hero's armament runs wild during the final battle cannot be withstood even by the top-tier Frozen Heart Curse.
Since I can resurrect anyway, it was an obvious choice.
But why haven't the curse's effects appeared until now? The curse's incubation period should have long passed.
'Perhaps I failed to transfer the curse?'
I briefly thought that, but soon shook my head.
Surely, back then I felt a chilling sensation from behind, and the shadow of death was no longer visible on Aish, so the curse must have been successfully transferred.
If so, what's the reason the symptoms aren't appearing?
"Hmm..."
No matter how much I thought about it, no clear answer came to mind, so shaking my head, I continued reading the letter I was holding.
[I'll get straight to the point. Let's meet next week. The date and location are.....]
"That works out well."
I was planning to meet her anyway, and she personally contacted me, so I don't know what to do with myself.
First, when I meet her, I'll need to probe about the curse while also observing her for 'certain changes.'
"Hoo."
With that thought finished, I sighed and set the letter down on the desk.
"...Then, let's see what content Sister sent me."
And I was about to check the letter Isollet sent me.
*Creeeak...*
At that moment, the door opened and two girls entered the room.
""........""
The two were Arianne and Aris. The very ones who caused the demonstration incident a few days ago and were nearly taken by the security forces to suffer humiliation.
Of course, that wasn't what I wanted, so I spoke with the security forces and agreed to have them serve as my maids as a settlement condition.
Therefore, the two girls were now wearing maid outfits and glaring at me coldly.
'...Plain.'
Having grown accustomed to Irina's destructive maid outfit over the past few days, I stared blankly at the two girls, and they, who were looking at me coldly, slowly opened their mouths.
"We have brought... breakfast."
"Please... enjoy your meal... Master."
Hearing those words, I yawned with my mouth wide open, and as I accepted the breakfast Arianne offered.
"...Trash."
Arianne, who had been muttering that while looking at Lulu still rubbing her cheek against my leg on the floor, received my command in a low voice.
"Get down."
"Hiek!"
At that, she instantly prostrated herself on the floor.
"Rub your cheek against my leg. Like Lulu."
When I gave her that command in a cold voice, Arianne, who had been making an expression like she wanted to vomit, crawled over to me and slowly started rubbing her cheek against my leg.
"Grrr..."
"Calm down, Lulu."
"...Ah, yes."
I calmed Lulu, who had been shocked for a moment and started growling while glaring at Arianne.
"Still don't understand?"
While stroking Arianne's head as she diligently rubbed her cheek against my leg with a still shameful expression, I whispered in a low voice.
"You're no longer Irina's friend, no longer a promising mage, not even 'Arianne' anymore."
"......."
"...Just my Slave Number 1."
Saying that, I grabbed her chin and lifted it.
"Ptui."
Arianne, who had been looking at me with disgust, spat on my face.
"Irina did this to me at first too."
I looked at her coldly.
"But, having received the 'Slave's Brand' judgment, you are... legally just my slave. So why not just accept it?"
I said in a cold voice.
"Alright, let's see. Whether you can last longer than Irina or not."
"Ughk..."
"...You probably won't even last half as long."
After saying that and sending Arianne back to her place, I turned my gaze to Aris, who had been watching me with burning eyes.
"I, I will... never break. So..."
"What are you talking about?"
Then, interrupting Aris who had been muttering while clenching her fist, I said.
"There's no need to break you."
".....!"
I said that while raising the corner of my mouth.
"The activation authority for the Curse of Subordination has already passed to me. You must have felt it."
"K-kill me. Just kill me instead..."
"As if I would do that for anyone's benefit. Servants have left and I'm already lonely enough."
When I provoked her with a smooth expression, Aris, who had closed her eyes tightly and was trembling, said.
"...So, when will you hold me?"
Finally, she asked me with a trembling expression.
"Do as you please. Go ahead and ravish me all you want. Do you think I'll be shaken even a little by that?"
"Who knows."
"I won't make even a single sound of moaning. I won't feel even a bit of pleasure. If it's torture through enduring pain, I've experienced plenty of that, so it's as easy as eating cold porridge."
Aris, who said that in response to my indifferent answer, continued.
"Still, if you're going to hold me..."
She finished speaking with a terrible expression.
"...Be prepared to have a knife stabbed in your back at any time."
And then, silence flowed in the room for a moment.
"Both of you, get out. There's plenty of time anyway, so I'll train you gradually."
The two, who were wearing expressions mixing shame and burning anger, left the room immediately upon my command.
"...Hoo."
And after staring blankly at the spot where they had been for a while and sighing deeply, I turned my back and fell into silence.
*Knock knock knock*
"Come in."
When a knock was heard and I said to come in.
*Creeeak...*
The door slowly opened, and someone started approaching me stealthily.
"Gu, guess who."
Finally, the visitor asked in a shy voice.
"Irina, what are you..."
Of course, since it was obviously Irina to anyone's eyes, I tilted my head and removed her hand.
"......."
I soon started wearing a blank expression.
"S-sorry. You looked like you were in a bad mood so I wanted to cheer you up..."
"Irina, what is that on your head?"
"Hm?"
On Irina's head, puppy ears had grown.
*Twitch, twitch*
Red puppy ears that looked like I'd seen them somewhere before.
"Hiek...! W-why now of all times...!"
Irina, who touched her own head unconsciously at my words and was startled, said.
"Ah, w-well this is... transformation practice... no, as a spirit substitute... um, well..."
She started stuttering seriously.
"I-I specially developed this magic to show you. You should be grateful."
After stuttering for a while and barely organizing her position, I whispered in a low voice while watching her.
"I didn't know you were this cute."
Even at that moment, Irina's puppy ears were twitching.
"...Ugh."
She flinched for a moment at my words, but when she saw an owl that had flown to the window and was glaring at us, Irina calmed down.
"B-by the way, Frey... what were you looking at...?"
Finally, leaning her upper body on my shoulder as if pressing against me and pressing her cheek to my face, she asked.
"Ah, um... it's a letter Sister Isollet sent..."
Feeling the soft sensation on my shoulder that I was now accustomed to, I read through the letter.
"...Hmm?"
I soon frowned and started focusing on the letter's content.
[I can't stand it anymore. Isollet unnie said absolutely not to tell anyone, but I can't take it anymore.]
"This is?"
Because inside the envelope with Isollet's name on it was a letter written in my sister Aria's handwriting.
[What exactly did you do to Isollet unnie?]
Thanks to that, after reading the letter with concentration for a while, I set the letter down on the desk and murmured.
"It seems I need to go out for the first time in a while."
"Hm, outing? Where?"
At that, Irina, who had been hanging on my shoulder, asked with her ears twitching.
"To my sister's house."
I answered her simply, stood up, and was putting on my coat when...
*Ding!*
I looked at the system window floating in the air.
Isollet Arham Biwark [Conquest: 85%]
Details...
Just now, another 1 percent had increased.
.
Meanwhile at that time, at the Sun God Church.
"Professor Isollet has finally permitted an audience."
"...Is that so."
The bishop, who had persistently persuaded Isollet and finally obtained her permission just before, was reporting while kneeling before the Pope.
"As expected, loneliness is unavoidable. No matter how much she may be..."
"Then, let's go."
"...Yes?"
The Pope, who suddenly rose from his seat, interrupting the bishop's ongoing words.
"...To the church's underground."
He answered with a grotesque smile.
"To meet our church's proud youngest paladin."