Chapter 47
Immediately after Leon's knighthood examination ended, in the duke's research lab.
A woman paced irritably through the laboratory that no one could enter without the duke's permission.
Long, ragged white hair that reached all the way to the floor.
Nearly colorless green eyes.
Deep wrinkles creasing her face.
Though she looked like an ordinary old woman, her sharply cut features uncannily resembled Renoa's.
The woman gnawed at her thumbnail until it nearly bled.
"Why did something like that pop out...! There was no variable like that in my plan!"
It was an ambition she had painstakingly pursued for decades.
It had already been seventeen years since she'd molded Renoa into that excellent vessel and confined her to the villa.
Since she had never intended to play mother herself, neglecting her upbringing was, in fact, true.
There was also the fact that she had neglected administration while buried in magical research.
But she'd entrusted her capable eldest son, Cassius, with the major affairs, so she had blindly believed no major mistakes would arise.
Then some slave had suddenly popped out. And not just any slave, but one stronger than the Knight Commander.
"I specifically told you to report Renoa's every move in full detail, Cassius!"
The woman snapped her head around. Beyond her murderous green eyes, an ominous black-green haze roiled violently.
Cassius met that murderous gaze head-on, speaking calmly without changing his expression.
"My apologies. I had already submitted a report about the slave."
"You already reported it?"
"You said you didn't care what happened to a mere slave. You said he might just get bored, since he'd spend his whole life in the mansion."
The woman's expression stiffened.
Her blinking eyes, silent and vacant, seemed to ask, Did I say that?
She couldn't remember clearly, but she thought she might have said something like that.
After all, she truly didn't care what happened to a mere slave.
But the Leon she was facing was no mere slave.
Where in the world was there a slave who could beat the Knight Commander?
"What, is he some kind of guy who makes being a slave his hobby?"
At this point, he might be some kind of pervert who had volunteered to be a slave.
The woman imagined that if Leon heard her, he'd probably draw a sword and charge at her, duke or no duke.
That was how far removed from common sense it all was.
"What should I do...? Should I eliminate him right now? But I'm still unfinished. Poison? Assassination? Or should I use the knights to execute him? Is that the answer? But would it work?"
If she could, she wanted to handle it herself, but with this body broken beyond repair, it was nearly impossible.
The woman anxiously gnawed her thumb. Before she knew it, blood had welled and drops were falling, but she didn't care at all.
At a glance, she looked like a madwoman.
"Does it really have to be resolved?"
"And you're seriously saying that now? If I don't want to botch the job, I have to eliminate even the smallest variable."
"If the ritual is performed later, he'll end up as yours anyway. There's no need to throw away a useful chess piece."
Cassius's advice opened the woman's eyes wide in sudden realization.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"I, I see. Come to think of it, that really is true, isn't it? He'll end up as mine anyway, right? Phew, I almost did something pointless. As expected of our eldest son."
Only then did the woman breathe a sigh of relief. A faint smile spread across her lips as her worries vanished.
But the look Cassius gave her remained the same.
"The time for the ritual is near, so I'll go hole up in my workshop and prepare."
"What about the promise you made earlier...?"
"The promise? Ah, the one about handing the empire over to Edelheid? Of course I'll keep it. Don't worry."
"Thank you."
Cassius bowed his head.
"How should I handle Renoa?"
"Renoa? Hmm, let's see. Why don't I let her do whatever she wants, as long as it's not a problem? She doesn't have much time left anyway, so she should enjoy herself too."
"Understood."
Cassius left the laboratory.
Left alone, Cersia turned her gaze to the pedestal in the center of the lab.
There, a murky crystal orb wrapped in blood-red energy sat on the pedestal.
A lifeless, shriveled finger stroked the orb's surface.
Her hazy green eyes stared beyond the orb.
Through the wavering mist, Renoa's sleeping figure on the bed came into view.
"Heh heh, my beautiful vessel. Who did you take after to become so pretty?"
Along with her sweet, lover-like voice, black-green mana seeped from Cersia's fingertips into the crystal orb.
At the same time, in a private room in the east wing of the main estate.
Renoa, who had been in a deep sleep, frowned in pain.
Her eyelids were heavy as lead, and her limbs didn't move at all, as if bound by iron chains.
It felt as if she had fallen into pitch-black mud.
Within that sticky darkness, a huge mirror suddenly rose up.
What it reflected was Renoa's own face.
But the Renoa in the mirror was smiling with her mouth grotesquely split wide.
"My beautiful vessel. Our lovely daughter."
A hand reaching out from the mirror caressed Renoa's face.
A corpse-cold, rigid touch.
A chilling sensation crawled down her spine, making every hair on her body stand on end.
She tried to twist her head and shake it off, but she couldn't even twitch a finger.
That wasn't the end of it.
Dozens of bloodless hands reached out from the mirror.
They wound around Renoa's neck and roughly seized her shoulders, wrapping her entire body tightly all the way down to her waist and thighs.
"Ugh, hnn..."
Back in the real world, on the bed.
Groans kept spilling from between Renoa's tightly pressed lips.
Her white hands clutched the blanket so hard it looked as if they might tear it apart.
Her clothes were already soaked through with the cold sweat pouring down her entire body.
The endless hell of being unable to escape or wake up continued.
***
"Rise and shine."
The moment I woke up, I got out of bed.
I was no longer an apprentice knight, so there was no morning training anymore, but I had become Renoa's personal knight instead.
That didn't change the fact that I still had to start moving early in the morning.
Especially when there weren't any other knights besides me.
At least Sir Zain had been assigned to serve as Renoa's escort knight, but once we returned to the main house, he was reassigned to other work.
"In the original story, Gerard would have become Renoa's escort knight at this point."
Now that role was mine.
After washing up quickly, I put on the formal knight's uniform I had just received.
I fastened my sword at my waist.
After finishing my preparations, I headed for the annex where Renoa was staying.
As I walked, I checked my status window.
======
Identity: Renoa's personal knight
======
I had been upgraded from apprentice knight to personal knight. Not just any personal knight, but Renoa's personal knight.
And there was one more thing.
[Order Refusal Right]
You may refuse any command once. The same command cannot be forced again within 24 hours.
The item will disappear once used.
It was a random A-rank reward I received for defeating Knight Commander Kalben in our duel.
Literally, it lets me refuse my master's orders.
Where am I supposed to use this?
If Renoa ordered me to "Hurt yourself, Leon," it would be useful.
Even then, it would only work for up to twenty-four hours. If the same order came after a day had passed, I'd have no choice but to obey.
"Can I use this to harm my master?"
But that would be blocked by the contract, not by the order itself.
For an A-rank reward, it felt a little underwhelming. I couldn't think of any proper way to use it.
Still, if I kept it, I'd probably find some use for it somewhere.
Before long, I reached the annex.
Just then, Renoa was coming out with Vivi.
"Good morning, young lady."
"Mm..."
Renoa's voice was weak. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked tired overall.
"Did you not sleep well?"
"I heard you'd had a nightmare. Perhaps it's because your sleeping arrangements changed."
"That could be. After all, I've spent my whole life in the villa."
I get it. I can't really sleep without my favorite pillow either.
Of course, after coming to this other world, sleeping on the ground and then on straw a few times cured me completely.
"If Renoa had to sleep rough just once, she'd probably be cured too."
Tsk, tsk.
This is why you can't let someone grow up too spoiled.
"What's today's schedule?"
"Well, I was thinking of going out."
"Would that be all right?"
During the three years she had spent at the villa, Renoa had never once gone outside.
They said the visit to the arena had been her first and last outing. Even then, it had been Renoa who forced it through.
"As long as I don't leave the territory, it's fine. Since I'm in the ducal estate, I guess they can keep watch wherever I go."
"I see."
No wonder I'd sensed hidden presences lurking nearby. They'd all been there to keep an eye on Renoa.
"Understood. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I'll escort you."
"Hmm. I don't know what's there."
"Leave the guiding to me."
Vivi stepped forward.
"What do you know about the ducal territory to be acting as a guide? You've always been at my side, haven't you?"
"I'm a capable maid, after all. Hehe."
Renoa shot her a suspicious look, as if she didn't trust her.
That might be a harsh judgment for the personal maid who had served Renoa her entire life, but given Vivi's usual behavior, it was perfectly reasonable.
"If you don't trust Vivi, should I bring someone else to guide you?"
"Forget it. Having someone around would only be inconvenient. So, do you have anywhere you want to go?"
"I happen to know a place the young lady will like."
"Where is it?"
Vivi only lifted the corners of her mouth, her eyes unchanged.
"The arena, of course."
"Vivi, you don't know anything. The young lady hates that barbaric, vulgar stuff. Right?"
…….
"Miss?"
Renoa looked at her, but she casually averted her gaze and muttered.
"...Maybe I'll stop by for a bit."
I don't really want to go.
This somehow looks like one of those situations where I'm the only one who'll suffer if I go.
"Today's daily gladiator! Country-bumpkin Leon from Olderin's underground arena in the borderlands!"
Oh, come on.