Episode 23
"...Have you awakened, Young Master."
After spending a considerably long night, when I opened my eyes the next day, Kania was already waiting before me dressed in formal attire.
"Yes."
"Then, shall I prepare breakfast?"
"No, it's fine. I don't have much of an appetite today."
I refused, thinking it might be difficult for her to prepare breakfast, but she frowned and spoke.
"...You must not skip meals, Young Master."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, breakfast in particular is essential for a balanced diet."
"...Then, something very simple, please."
"...Understood."
Thus, unable to resist her stern gaze, I requested the simplest possible meal, and watched Kania leave the room while lost in thought.
'...For some reason, Kania's attitude toward me seems to have softened.'
I'm not entirely sure, but perhaps Kania doesn't detest me as much as I thought.
Of course, given that she retains all memories from the previous cycle, I wonder if that's even possible... but her heart is so kind that I can understand it to some extent.
Originally, dark mages become increasingly corrupted by evil due to the dark power they possess.
However, Kania possesses both the talent to grow into a dark mage capable of overturning the world, and a heart kind enough not to be corrupted by such darkness.
Of course, there are other reasons beyond just having a kind heart.
That reason is...
"...Ugh."
Suddenly, my head starts throbbing painfully. It seems I overexerted myself quite a bit yesterday.
I held my head for a moment, but when I couldn't recall what I had been thinking about or why, I stood up quietly from my seat upon hearing the door open.
"Kania, you're back already?"
"...Yes, I'll leave the meal here and take my leave."
Kania, who had entered through the door, set down rye bread mixed with butter and coffee, then spoke as she headed back outside the dormitory.
"...Then, please enjoy your meal."
Having said those words, Kania disappeared, and I bit into the rye bread in silence while muttering.
"...Suspicious indeed."
Something is definitely strange.
Rye bread mixed with butter was one of my favorite foods when I was very young. Long before Kania even joined as a butler.
But I haven't really sought it out since growing up... How did Kania know about this and make it for me?
'...Is it a coincidence?'
I considered whether it might be a coincidence, but there are still too many questionable aspects. Her attitude toward me last night, her frequent outings lately, and today's rye bread mixed with butter...
It seems I'll need to investigate where Kania goes and what she does later.
"...Excuse me, Young Master Frey?"
As I was leaving the dormitory with such thoughts, the dormitory manager approached me from afar, bowing his head.
"...What is it?"
"I am truly sorry, but... well... dozens of complaints came in last night..."
"Complaints?"
"Yes, that is... um... could you please refrain from romantic activities with the servants at night...?"
"............"
It seems I'll need to cast soundproofing magic on the dormitory soon.
.
"...Hup!"
"I, Irina! Don't push yourself too hard!"
Right now, I'm secretly hiding in the training grounds, watching Irina's training.
The reason I'm engaging in such voyeurism is that I need to calculate how to lose to her in the upcoming practical evaluation battle.
If she's still in a state where she can barely cast basic magic, I'll have to do something foolish like tripping while charging forward, or accidentally getting stabbed while swinging my sword.
However, if she can manage basic magic to some extent, I could mix in some acting and lose appropriately.
People call me a fool who cannot utilize the mana of the stars, a third-rate who makes street food with first-grade ingredients.
In other words, even if I lose to basic magic, I might become a momentary laughingstock, but it wouldn't become a major issue.
"...Hah!"
"I, Irina...!"
While I was thinking that, five fireballs floated above Irina's head.
Watching that, I momentarily set aside my concerns about how to lose to her, and looked at the fireballs burning above her head with quite an impressed expression.
'...Even with mana exhaustion, is this what it means to be a future archmage?'
Fireball is among the highest-tier basic attack magics, and simultaneously the most commonly used combat magic.
In actual combat and war, fireballs are used more frequently and cause more casualties than top-tier spells like Meteor or Earthquake, due to their practicality and fast incantation speed.
Moreover, being able to summon five fireballs in a mana-exhausted state, when one can apply various attributes or enhancements to what can be called the foundation of combat magic... some foolish nobles would probably lose to Irina in that state.
'...But the key factors are accuracy and power.'
Of course, summoning five fireballs, the foundation of attack magic, in a mana-exhausted state is quite commendable, but reality isn't that generous.
Because a fireball isn't finished just by summoning it.
It requires considerable concentration and mana to fly toward the target, and delicate control is crucial for making it explode upon impact.
The fact that she couldn't defend herself when being harassed by nobles was highly likely due to problems in the magic control process.
In other words, it's a very difficult task for Irina in her mana-exhausted state.
"I, Irina! Isn't this still too much? Maybe three is..."
"To... hit that... fucking bastard... I need to do at least this much..."
Thinking such thoughts, I watched with trembling eyes as Irina began cursing and glaring at the target... and the next moment, the fireballs floating above her head started flying toward the target.
"...Eek!"
The fireballs began flying accurately toward the center of the target, and just as I was quietly smiling at the thought that if this continued, I could naturally lose to Irina and have my mana drained...
"Hah, haaah..."
- Shuuu...
Suddenly Irina wavered and lowered her outstretched arm, causing the fiercely burning fireballs to instantly vanish into thin air.
"Irina... See? I told you five is too much."
"...Damn it."
Looking at that scene dejectedly, Irina leaned on her friend Arianne and muttered with a hollow expression.
"If this continues... this won't do..."
Then, Arianne, who had been watching her regretfully, quietly made a suggestion.
"Irina, shall I secretly help you?"
"...What?"
"Frey is an idiot, so he'll definitely come charging straight with his sword drawn from the start."
"...And then?"
"So, I'll secretly set up a barrier on the legs of Frey, who's only looking forward while running, to make him trip. Then you just need to knock him out by firing a fireball or two or a thunderbolt at the fallen Frey."
".........."
While Irina fell into silence upon hearing those words, I inwardly applauded Arianne and muttered.
'...I really need to make a friend like that someday too.'
With Arianne's transparent barrier, a prodigy of defensive magic, she might fool not only the incompetent supervisors but perhaps even Isollet.
Of course, if I fall unnaturally, the probability of Isollet catching on would be very high... but having heard that plan, if I trip as naturally as possible when something catches my foot, even Isollet would have no choice but to be fooled.
If all else fails, there's always the method of falling on my own before touching the barrier.
Of course, I had considered the method of falling while running... but Irina has a habit of not using magic on someone who has already fallen.
According to the prophecy book, this is due to trauma from the past... that's why I had discarded the 'tripping while running strategy,' but if Arianne proposes it like that...
"...Forget it, don't get involved. Arianne."
"I, Irina. But..."
"...Sorry. But still, that won't work."
But sure enough, Irina rejected Arianne's proposal with her face slightly pale. Watching her with regret, I soon muttered sullenly.
"...Well, trauma from parents can't be helped."
Trauma from parents seems to apply quite seriously to children. Even just looking at me...
"...Ugh!"
While I was deep in thought, my head suddenly started hurting again as if it were splitting.
'...Stress-induced migraines disappeared after regression, though?'
I felt puzzled by the unknown headache that had occurred this morning as well, and quickly tried to leave the training grounds, but...
"...Who's there!?"
Whether she heard my groan or not, Arianne shouted sharply and set up a protective barrier around where I was hiding.
"...What's going on?"
"Frey... you..."
With my escape route blocked, I had no choice but to raise both arms and emerge from my hiding spot to reveal myself to them, and Arianne ground her teeth and began muttering lowly.
"Because of you... Irina is... making such a ridiculous bet..."
"It was clearly a mutually agreed-upon bet, wasn't it? What's the problem?"
"The Oath of Death is forbidden black magic in the Empire...! If the Church finds out about that fact, even you won't be safe...!"
"........."
I suddenly became quite curious what kind of reaction Arianne would have if she learned that the person who uses the Oath of Death most frequently is the Pope of the Sun God Church.
But now isn't the time for that. So I should just act villainously and earn some points.
"...You know that if the fact that you made an Oath of Death is revealed, both parties will be punished, right?"
"B, but... you unilaterally...!"
"When has the Church ever shown leniency for such things?"
"Ugh, uuu...!"
Hearing those words, Arianne clenched her jaw, and I showed her a mocking expression as I spoke.
"Ah, and you're not really in a position to treat me carelessly, are you?"
"...What?"
"With just one gesture from me, your sister working far away at our ducal house could lose her head or be reassigned to the basement."
"......!"
Tears began to well up in Arianne's eyes upon hearing those words.
Of course, her sister is working satisfactorily while receiving additional compensation thanks to my father's fair servant policy, but she, being at the academy, naturally wouldn't know that.
While thinking such pointless thoughts, I drove the wedge deeper with a vile smile at Arianne, whose eyes were now bloodshot.
"So don't act up, you lowly wench."
"...Grr!"
But upon hearing those words, Arianne's eyes blazed with fire, and she tightly clenched her outstretched hand.
"What... what are you doing right now... puhuck!"
"You... you bastard... this fucking bastard...!"
The protective barrier surrounding me instantly contracted, and I became like dried fish in an instant, gagging.
"Arianne... stop it."
"Irina, I'll take responsibility. No one is here right now. So if you just crush some of his bones slightly, you can win..."
"Arianne!!!"
Just as I was debating whether to draw the sword at my waist before dying of suffocation, Irina, who had been keeping her head down beside me, screamed.
"...Alright."
"Puhah...! Hah... hah..."
Then Arianne slowly lowered her arm, and as I finally escaped the pressure and breathed heavily, Irina looked at me and declared coldly.
"...I'll kill that bastard myself."
Leaving those words behind, Irina exited the training grounds, and Arianne looked at me with contempt for a moment before following after her.
[Villainy Points 100pt acquired! (How cheap provocation works well)]
"Cough... cough... sigh..."
After coughing for a while from the aftereffects of being crushed, I looked at the system window floating before my eyes, then leaned against the wall and stood up while muttering inwardly.
'...No one saw, right?'
What those two just did is at least grounds for expulsion.
Of course, if it had been between regular academy students, it would have ended with a light warning... but the problem is they touched me, a noble and the academy's corrupt element.
If I were to report to the headmaster right now that I was attacked by those two, he would immediately expel them. The difference in treatment between nobles and commoners at this academy is that severe.
So no sane person would ever do such a thing to me... but those two are Irina and Arianne, who were called the Empire's mad dogs in the previous cycle, and once they lose their minds, they'll do anything.
In the first place, they had been pushed to the brink of expulsion in the previous cycle for touching nobles. Back then, I really broke a sweat trying to stop them secretly from behind.
'...I just hope they only target me in this cycle.'
I left the training grounds, praying earnestly that they would only do such things to me in this cycle.
.
"...It's packed full again today too."
When I arrived at the classroom, various gifts were placed in my drawer and on my desk. Seeing that sight, I let out a sigh involuntarily.
One might think receiving gifts is a good thing, but those aren't just gifts—they're bribes accompanied by lengthy letters.
And their contents are nothing but transparent attempts to form good connections with the Starlight family or become lovers with me.
"...Since today is a free study day, shall I open the piled-up bribes?"
However, bribes must always be collected properly.
Because the letters will be useful as evidence when straightening out the Empire later, and the bribes will become funds for my villainous deeds.
Recently, thanks to the money in the anonymous account my respectable father left me, my funds have become somewhat sufficient... but money is always needed.
Of course, I won't use it for personal expenses, and after everything ends, I'll use it for poverty relief and charity work.
There's no better use for dirty money than that.
"...Hmm?"
Anyway, while I was tearing open all the piled-up bribes on this free study day when one can freely attend classes or rest once a week, I discovered quite a strange piece of paper in my drawer.
'...What is this?'
Tilting my head and examining the paper scrap closely, I found a paper with barely legible characters written on it, wrapped around something.
"...An envelope?"
Thinking perhaps diamonds or chocolate were inside, I opened it, and a paper envelope fluttered weakly to the floor.
After tilting my head for a moment, I discovered the word written at the very top of the paper wrapping the envelope, and froze.
- Threat Letter
Though written quite illegibly, the word was written as thickly and sharply as possible, conveying the writer's intentions, and I began reading the paper's contents with a serious expression.
- I know your true identity, Lord Frey Raon Starlight.
After reading the first paragraph, I closed my eyes tightly and muttered quietly to myself.
'...Don't tell me, the Saintess found out?'
In this Sunrise Academy where even the lowest C-class possesses abilities that would eclipse most academies, the only person who would use such unorthodox grammar is the Saintess.
But how could the Saintess have noticed my true identity?
The Saintess, despite having regressed once, has an intelligence score of only '2' when viewed with 'Information Search.'
And honestly, that too would have been '1' if not for the knowledge from the previous cycle.
It's not without reason that the Saintess, revered as the Saintess of Pure White appearing after a thousand years and enjoying the highest prestige in the Church, ultimately lost real power.
How absurd is it that rumors circulate among people that the Sun God accidentally touched her head while granting power to the Saintess, making her an imbecile, or that the Saintess is actually a genius and mastermind surpassing my fiancée Serena, and everything is merely part of her plan.
That the Saintess discovered my identity is nonsense.
But if so, what is this letter that absolutely no one else could imitate? Don't tell me, did the Sun God take pity and give her a hint?
'...It's fine. The penalty window hasn't appeared yet. So for now, let's continue reading... no, decoding.'
Having momentarily fallen into panic, I recalled that the penalty window hadn't appeared, and continued reading the letter with hope that the Saintess still merely suspects me of being the villain.
- If you do not follow my instructions, I will [prisoner/expose] (<- which one is correct?) your secret to the academy students.
"...Sigh."
After staring at the paper for a while and barely interpreting the contents, I read the final part, quietly put the paper in my pocket, and walked out of the classroom muttering.
- Therefore, if you don't want your secret revealed, please come to the Sun God Church's cathedral as soon as the academy ends today.
[Peru̶l Astellade]
"...I'm going crazy, really."
.
Hurriedly catching a passing carriage and visiting the Sun God Church's cathedral, Perluce was there to welcome me with a smile.
"...Welcome, Mr. Frey."
".........."
The soft light emanating from the high seat where the Saintess sat illuminated her, creating a sacred atmosphere.
"What on earth is that letter..."
"...Be quiet."
I tried to ask her about the letter, but she cut off my words with a cold voice.
"...I already know your true identity. Mr. Frey."
As she spoke in a frigid voice, I had no choice but to revise my assessment of her in my mind.
'...The Saintess mastermind theory wasn't just a joke?'
That cold, confident expression cannot come from someone who is merely suspicious. Perluce Astelloid definitely knows something about me.
And probably that's...
'...Wait, but why isn't the penalty window appearing?'
For some reason, the penalty window isn't appearing.
Honestly, I thought the Saintess had called me here to test me, suspecting I was the villain, and I had prepared various response scenarios while coming here.
But the Saintess is wearing a confident expression right now.
Then... why exactly isn't the penalty window appearing?
"I will now pronounce sentence upon you in the name of the Sun God..."
In a situation where I couldn't see what lay ahead, I wished I could have borrowed even fifty percent of Serena's intelligence as I quietly began listening to her words...
"...Lady Frey."
".....?"
The next moment, I doubted my ears.
"What did you just say..."
"...Shh."
The Saintess, who cut off my words again as I tried to ask with a dumbfounded expression, wore a triumphant smile as she took something from her bosom and threw it before me.
"No, what on earth is this..."
"From now on, you will..."
And hearing her subsequent words, I momentarily stopped thinking.
"...become my exclusive maid and serve me until death."
".....!?"
And there, at my feet, lay a maid outfit with cute frill decorations.