“My Lord… I want to wash, but…”
“Go ahead.”
“…”
“My Lord… I want to train in swordsmanship, but…”
“Go do it.”
“…”
“My Lord… I want to roll around in bed, but…”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“…”
Sylvia’s sword addiction is severe.
If she spends more than a minute away from me, she quickly comes trailing back.
Even if we stay together all the time, she frequently causes a fuss, insisting on drawing her sword periodically.
It seems she used to suppress her anxiety by fiddling with the sword hilt whenever she felt bored.
This won’t do.
I concluded that something needed to change.
“It’s an order. Get out of the office.”
“It’s an order. Stay out of the office.”
“Excuse me? Then, what about the guard duty…?”
“What’s the difference when we’re both inside the mansion? There’s no solution if it continues like this. I’ve determined that treating your addiction is a top priority.”
“T-that can’t be…!”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ fully supports your decision.]
Looking shocked, Sylvia wore a dazed expression.
This was a necessary measure.
Who would have imagined Sylvia’s sword dependency had gotten this serious?
If she had just quietly stayed in my shadow, I wouldn’t have taken such measures.
But if she needs to grip a sword periodically, then she must be treated.
Pushing Sylvia, who was clearly reluctant, I finally managed to get her out of the office.
Just as I was about to close the door, Sylvia looked back at me with a pitiful gaze, like a dog abandoned in the middle of the highway.
Her large eyes were welling with tears, as if they might spill over at any moment.
“My Lord… If it continues like this, I might die from anxiety… What if we just think of ourselves as a fated community and share everything, even when washing or sleeping…?”
“No.”
[The evil spirit, ‘Kali’ applauds your bold decision.]
Bang.
I closed the door and turned away.
If I listened closely, I could hear her muttering softly, ‘Ah, the tearful tactic doesn’t work.’
Would it work?
Perhaps with Charlotte or Julia, but Sylvia’s tears wouldn’t sway my heart.
With the distraction gone, I was about to focus on my work.
‘Something feels off?’
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ tenses up at your keen senses.]
A sudden sense of unease washed over me.
The moment I turned in surprise, I felt Kali’s unusual reaction.
There was something in this room. I was immediately certain.
However, nothing was visible or audible in the room.
Then what could be the source of the unease I felt?
If it wasn’t sight or sound…?
Closing my eyes and ears, I focused on my remaining senses.
I detected a faintly sweet aroma wafting in and opened my eyes wide.
Ah. I see now.
“Charlotte, what are you doing over there?”
“Ah, how did I get caught…!”
Swoosh.
Charlotte emerged from behind a large shadow at the back of the chair.
At first, I wanted to scold her for entering the office without permission and hiding.
But the moment I saw her mischievous smile, my anger quickly dissipated.
“Could that be…?”
“Yes! I learned this from Knight Sister! Isn’t it cool? It’s not a technique that uses mana, so as long as I concentrate, I could do this all day long!”
“…”
Swish, Swoosh.
Charlotte repeatedly dove in and out of the shadow. It was indeed fascinating.
“What does the scenery inside the shadow look like?”
“Hehe. Want to see?”
“Can I see it too?”
“Come here! I’ll teach you!”
Holding my hand, Charlotte pulled me toward the shadow behind the chair.
She half-immersed herself in the shadow and held both of my hands.
“This technique requires a lot of concentration, so you have to follow carefully! Let’s breathe together! Hoo, ha! Hoo, ha!”
“Hoo. Ha. Hoo. Ha.”
“No, it’s Hoo, ha. Hoo, ha! That’s it!”
“…What’s the difference?”
“Ugh! There’s definitely something different! Just come inside for now!”
With a frustrated groan, she pulled my arm hard and completely disappeared into the shadow.
The moment I was pulled into the shadow by that arm.
“Hehe. This is what it really looks like.”
“…”
I found Charlotte crouched down, beaming with a bright smile that fit perfectly within the shadow.
When I stepped into the shadow, I could see Charlotte, but as soon as I stepped outside, she vanished completely.
Ah, so that’s how it works.
It’s not actually entering the shadow; it’s just simple concealment.
So, all this time, when Sylvia had to hide in a small shadow, she was striking such ridiculous poses?
It’s lamentable that I didn’t realize it sooner.
If I had known, I would have tried reaching into the shadow.
“This is a secret! I lied to Julia, saying there’s a spacious room with a bed and a sofa inside the shadow. You absolutely cannot tell her…!”
“Of course. I’ll take it to the grave.”
“Hehe.”
We pinky-swore, sealing the promise with a thumbprint. I should join in teasing Julia too.
“Anyway, that’s impressive. I heard this technique was developed by Sylvia after a long period of training, now you’ve mastered it so quickly.”
“Hehe! Isn’t it cool? I can use it anywhere there’s a shadow!”
Jumping up, Charlotte placed her hands on her hips, wearing a triumphant expression.
Then she started to tilt her head toward me slowly.
Peeking with slightly opened eyes, she looked for my reaction before leaning in again.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ scolds you for not praising our Dark Knight more fervently!]
Is she silently protesting for me to pat her head?
I had been playfully resisting petting her head.
“Ugh.”
Charlotte grabbed my hand and forcefully placed it on her head. How could I resist when someone like her, who swings a hefty sword around, took hold of my hand?
After rubbing her head against my palm for a while, she finally pulled away, looking satisfied with a giggle.
‘But can a technique like this really be used at the level of a Sword Expert?’
Thinking about it, it seems strange.
Since she doesn’t use mana, this concealment technique isn’t magic.
However, a Sword Expert’s techniques are usually skills like running fast or slashing quickly, which don’t stray far from modern common sense.
Only a Sword Master should be able to emit light from their sword, levitate, or use telekinesis to push objects without touching them.
Is there really a technique that completely hides one’s presence just by entering a shadow?
This is clearly a skill that defies common sense.
‘Is she already sufficiently qualified to become a Sword Master?’
No matter how I think about it, my judgment was not wrong.
Sylvia has more than enough capability to become a Sword Master.
She only needs to take one more step forward, but something must be blocking her path.
If I could just clear that obstacle, she could become a Sword Master right away…
This is bothersome.
I’ll have to seek advice from a Sword Master when I meet one later.
“Mister, Mister! I’ve learned a spell too!”
“A spell? Did you learn it from Sylvia?”
“No! For some reason, I couldn’t master any of the spells Knight Sister taught me!”
That’s understandable.
It’s monstrous that Yuri could immediately acquire the spell after listening to Sylvia’s nonsense explanations.
It’s normal not to understand anything.
“I snatched Julia’s book and found something interesting, so I learned it!”
“Oh? What kind of spell is it? Can you show me?”
“Of course! I haven’t shown anyone yet, so you’re the first one I’ll show, Mister!”
Charlotte stood confidently in the middle of the office.
I wondered what she was planning to show me.
She drew out the Super Super Strong Sword she had slung over her back.
“…Charlotte.” “I won’t cause any trouble! Trust me!”
“Alright. Go ahead.”
She pointed the sword tip toward the ceiling and groaned, “Uuuugh!”
Then she looked at me, beaming brightly.
“How’s this?”
“…?”
“Isn’t it awesome? Super awesome!”
“…What?”
“It’s an invisibility spell! With this, I can become transparent even outside of the shadow!”
Transparent…?
But she’s still very visible, isn’t she?
It seems her self-taught magic has failed.
However.
“Wow. Wow… I was so surprised I couldn’t speak properly. I can hear your voice, but I really can’t see anything.”
“Right! Right!?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is furious at you for being fooled by our dark knight!]
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Falling for her words, Charlotte grew even more exuberant.
No matter how much she jumped around or waved her hands in front of me, when I didn’t react at all, she was overjoyed.
I mean, she literally bounced around in glee.
“Hehe! Shall we take it a step further from here?”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Yes! I’ll show you! Uuuugh!”
Once again, she lifted her powerful sword and let out a strange groan.
Then she looked at me with an expectant gaze.
I had to exert a great deal of effort to ignore that gaze and focus on the air in front of me.
“This time, I’ve blocked sound too! Can you hear me, Mister? Can you hear me?”
“Charlotte, are you here? Please answer me.”
“I’m right here! I’m here!”
“…”
“Wow! I succeeded again! Could it be that I’m a genius magician?”
Upon discovering her success, Charlotte started running around me, asking if I could hear her.
Even as she shouted loudly beside me, I was fully committed to my act, and she couldn’t hide her excitement at my apparent surprise, which was so cute that I had to stifle my laughter.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ cries out, saying it’s time to stop teasing our dark knight!]
Do I really have to stop?
What would happen if I continued pretending not to see her?
Suddenly, I found myself wondering, and I decided to just ignore Charlotte for now.
“Hmm. I should practice some other magic too. I’ll come show you first when I do! You’ll watch, right?”
“…”
“Oh, right. Invisibility magic. Mister, can you still not see or hear me?”
“Hm. Has Charlotte left the room already? Maybe I should just focus on my work.”
“Uh, huh? Why hasn’t it worn off yet? The book said it lasts about three minutes! Am I such a genius magician that it lasts longer?”
Her moment of joy was short-lived.
As I sat down and began my work, Charlotte started to get agitated.
Soon, she began to tremble, tears welling in her eyes.
“Why, why hasn’t it ended yet? Is it going to last forever? It can’t be like this…!”
“…”
“Mister! Please look at me!”
“Gah! I felt someone just touch my arm! Is it a ghost?”
“It’s me! It’s me! I’m not a ghost; I’m Charlotte!”
As Charlotte tugged on my arm, I pretended to be flustered, glancing around in confusion.
She must have truly gotten scared because she started to whimper.
Reaching her breaking point, Charlotte suddenly hugged my arm tightly and burst into tears.
“I don’t want to! I don’t want to be a transparent person forever! Please, look at me, Mister…!”
“Uh, uh! What’s wrong with my arm?”
“Waaah! It’s me, Mister…!”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ looks at you with a disdainful glare, as if regarding you as garbage.]
I had teased her enough, and just as I was about to stop, the door swung open.
Oh no, not now.
“Waaah! I don’t want to disappear like this…!”
“Aslan. I found something while reviewing the research materials… Why is Charlotte acting like that?”
“Uh? Huh? Julia, can you see me?”
“Of course I can see you. What’s with the sudden weirdness?”
“Oh. Uh…?”
Julia tilted her head, looking directly at Charlotte.
At that moment, Charlotte’s gaze shifted toward me, and her tiny face turned first to betrayal, then flushed red like a ripe tomato.
