‘Feels like I’ve aged about 10 years.’
I’ve expended too much mental energy.
Today’s activities were just a negotiation with the headmaster and a brief meeting with Irene, but I’m already exhausted.
Being pressured into impossible tasks is overwhelming.
I can’t sympathize with Aslan, but this is just too much.
‘I don’t want to worry about someone coming to kill me or face any threats. I just want a peaceful life…’
Riches? A life surrounded by beauties?
I don’t desire any of that.
I just wish to live out my life without being murdered.
Is this too modest a dream?
Why should this be difficult?
As I sigh deeply in lament, as soon as the carriage enters the estate, the door swings open.
“…Isn’t it too soon for the servant to open it?”
“Mister, Mister!”
“What is it?”
“You’ve come at just the right time! Come see this! Quickly!”
“…”
Charlotte leaps into the carriage and grabs my hand, leading me along in her excitement.
She can’t seem to sit still for a moment.
Come to think of it, I already seem to be living a life surrounded by beauties.
Those ‘beauties’ are speaking of the future, and who knows, they might one day be the ones to kill me.
“What’s the rush?”
“It’s urgent! Quickly, quickly…”
I follow Charlotte anxiously, and try using my skills again.
[Charlotte]
[Age: 13]
[Affection: -1]
[Wants to believe you’re a good person.]
Her affection has risen quite a bit compared to the -5 on the first day, but it’s still negative?
It’s absurd.
How can I turn her affection positive?
‘It seems she wants to believe I’m trustworthy, but not quite there yet.’
At first glance, Charlotte appears carefree and innocent, without a worry in the world.
But wanting to believe I’m a good person indicates she doesn’t fully trust me yet.
The walls around Charlotte’s heart are still strong.
Perhaps even stronger than Julia’s, or maybe more robust.
I need to approach this cautiously.
“Here! Watch closely!”
“…”
We arrive at the sports field where Sylvia is waiting, and Charlotte draws her sword.
Both are drenched in sweat, showing they’ve been practicing.
Then Charlotte breathes in deeply, adjusting her stance.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changes.
It’s a serious look in Charlotte’s eyes that I’ve never seen before.
Sylvia also looks uneasy.
Is something about to happen?
I swallow nervously.
“Masterstroke! Downward Slash!”
Swish.
It truly was a scene befitting the onomatopoeia ‘swish’.
It felt like the practiced stroke of someone who knew what they were doing, but was it really that impressive?
Hmm… As someone who’s seen Yuri’s spectacular skills in the game, it didn’t impress me much.
‘Is it really that impressive? Maybe I just don’t understand because I’m not skilled in swordsmanship?’
Thinking that, I glance at Sylvia, but she sighs deeply, rubbing her forehead.
Charlotte turns to look at Sylvia, seeming to confirm her reaction, and Sylvia hastily calls her over to look in my direction.
“Charlotte.”
“What is it!? I practiced my downward slash all day today!”
“Excuse me for a moment. I have something urgent to discuss with Sylvia…”
“Where are you going, Mister…!”
I gesture for Sylvia to follow, and we leave.
The middle of the sports field is too hot in the sun, especially for Aslan’s skin.
We move to the shade under the building and wait.
Sylvia wipes sweat from her brow and catches up to me.
“May I speak freely, young master?”
“You speak as if you’ve seen through my intentions. Feel free to speak.”
“Charlotte lacks talent in swordsmanship. I believe it would be best to cease further training.”
“…”
As expected, the report I anticipated came.
Lacks talent…
Watching Charlotte swing her sword relentlessly under the scorching sun made my heart ache.
“As you know, I was once called a genius in my prime. I’ve seen countless geniuses around me. From Charlotte, I can’t even find a fragment of the talent they displayed.”
“Really? Not at all?”
“I’ll grant her perseverance. Nowadays, there aren’t many with such perseverance, are there? Even when I was in my prime…”
“Enough. Get to the point.”
“Ahem. Recently, Charlotte has been unusually diligent. She wakes before dawn to wake me, skips breakfast and lunch, and swings her sword all morning. Thanks to this, her swordsmanship and basics are already at a high level, but as a swordswoman, she lacks the most crucial skill: mana manipulation. Upon examining her heart, the responsiveness of her mana core is even lower than my own injured heart. Could it be congenital inability to use mana…”
Wow, you’re really good at weaving the story but then get a bit tangled at the end.
Saying she has no talent for mana manipulation…
If someone can’t use mana in this world, they’ll struggle to show exceptional abilities in any area.
Whether it’s using magic, wielding a sword, or using healing arts, they all rely on mana.
And she’s supposed to be the protagonist’s comrade?
‘Perpetual Mana Deficiency.’
Is it tiresome to have an overflowing talent from the beginning? Could this be it?
Perhaps he is a growth-type character who initially shows no remarkable talents but awakens later in the latter half.
To Sylvia, who knows nothing of that, it must seem as incomprehensible as a log without an answer…
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes?”
“Do you like sword training?”
“Well, um. Clearly, Charlotte is the one who’s rolling, but she seems to enjoy it more than I do.”
“Alright then. Continue the training. If talent doesn’t show, unearth it. Find it no matter what. If there’s any sign of negligence, it’s a 100% cut, so handle it yourself.”
“…”
Sylvia stares at me with a dumbfounded expression.
Sigh. Sylvia started to doubt that she was once a genius in the past.
If it’s not Sylvia, should I hire a swordmaster as an instructor?
Even though the family’s backbone will bend every time they train, it’s okay.
A well-raised Charlotte will beat ten swordmasters, there’s nothing to envy.
It’s profitable to concentrate the family’s power on Charlotte and Julia without question.
The problem is that there are some people who don’t leave it like that…
“What kind of sword is that for a girl? Your friend was just quietly reading in the living room, so go and play with her.”
“Ah! That’s the wooden sword Knight Sylvia made for me…!”
“What, a knight? What knight is a useless person who can’t even use mana?”
Just like that b*stard.
A wooden sword that suddenly broke when held by a wandering hand.
Charlotte’s face shows confusion and despair.
What is that guy doing?
[Skill, ‘Affection’ is activated.]
[Leon Verkus]
[Age: 34]
[Affection: 12]
[A seasoned knight who has served the Vermont family for generations. He is disliked by many for his un-knightly behavior.]
Ah, that bastard.
He’s the one I noted.
Among the few employees with positive affection, his high affinity with Aslan is no different from being a villain.
Ah, it’s annoying to come out of the shadows…
Eventually, unable to endure it, I put on a hat and went out into the sunlight.
“Is there a problem?”
“…”
Charlotte remains silent with her head bowed deeply in submission.
No. It’s not submission, but deliberately closing her mouth.
It’s the figure of a child who has paid the price for his stubborn silence many times.
I don’t like that.
After all, a child should act like a child.
“Young master aster, have you come? No, I mean, why is this child occupying this large playground and insisting on sword training from midday?”
“I ordered it. Is there a complaint?”
“Oh dear. Is that true? I didn’t know. But, young master, anyway, she’s just a girl with no talent, so why not stop these actions and just raise her as a suitable maid or servant?”
“She has no talent! Leon, what do you know about Charlotte…!”
“Shut up, you halfwit. What do you know about her to babble like that? You’re just a b*stard who can’t even use mana.”
“Wha…!”
Sylvia, whose face turned red and green, looked at him blankly.
Just a moment ago, she said Charlotte had no talent…
It seems she didn’t like hearing it from someone else.
‘By the way, this b*stard. He’s picking a fight with me rather than Charlotte or Sylvia.’
At first glance, his attitude seems polite, but it isn’t.
While pretending to insult Charlotte and Sylvia, he’s insulting me behind them.
It’s quite blatant.
My frown deepens.
“If you have a complaint, Leon, speak like a man instead of whimpering around.”
“Ha! How could I possibly do that, young master? But I do have one piece of advice for you… I’m worried you might make mistakes while doing unfamiliar things. Why are you suddenly doing something you didn’t do before?”
“What did you just say? Was that about the paperwork I handled last night?”
“Yes, that’s right. Frankly, the work was progressing well even without your intervention, young master. Please refrain from meddling in the future. I will handle it.”
Ah, I see.
I finally understand the context.
The reason why this brat, who has lived off his father’s knighthood and achieved nothing in life, is so firmly angry with me.
“Well, I haven’t done anything particularly special. I just seized all suspicious accounts because it seemed like part of the employees’ salaries were flowing into some unknown accounts. It felt like someone might have been embezzling. Do you happen to know anything about it?”
“Young master!!!”
Clutching his fists tightly, Leon shouts suddenly.
Kid. He worked hard and got caught, so why the tantrum?
