“Super Super Strong Sword is super cool…!”
“Make sure you don’t swing it around by mistake until you go back. You never know what might happen.”
“I’ll keep that in mind! Thank you so much, Mister, and Julia!!!”
“Okay…”
With a burst of laughter, Charlotte hugged the scabbard and ran ahead excitedly.
In contrast, Julia had a displeased expression, feeling very uncomfortable.
This was because she was being carried on Aslan’s back, unable to move.
“It’s annoying. Having to be carried by you…”
“It can’t be helped. Sylvia is carrying luggage in both arms, and Charlotte is holding a large longsword. If you don’t like it, I’ll put you down. Will you walk by yourself?”
“I think I’m fine like this… yeah.”
Julia shut her mouth tightly, feeling humiliated.
No one ever mentioned that mana exhaustion would hurt this much.
She thought it would just make her feel a bit weak and tired.
However, even trying to move her muscles caused extreme pain, making it so she had no choice but to be carried, unable to even lift a finger.
‘Why do I keep relying on this man?’
It’s frustrating.
I have always managed well on my own.
I was always the one others relied on, not the one who relied on others.
Why do I keep finding myself in situations where I have to depend on this man?
It annoyed her.
The fact that she needed to go to him to sleep, that she unconsciously sought him out whenever she was scared, and that she couldn’t resist being carried like this all irritated her.
But above all, what annoyed her most was the strange comfort she felt on his broad back.
“Stop fidgeting. You’ll hurt more if you keep moving while in mana exhaustion.”
“How do you know that? You can’t even use mana.”
“…”
“Ah! I-I didn’t mean to mock you! I just… I was genuinely curious. Yeah.”
Julia was startled by her own sharp words and stammered an apology.
Aslan quietly swallowed his laughter, gritting his teeth.
“I mean, it’s really amazing… Honestly, at first, I underestimated you. I thought you couldn’t handle mana and didn’t know much. But you seemed to know a lot… yeah.”
“Someone has to know well. If you all are inexperienced and there’s no adult to guide you, you’ll fumble and mess things up. That’s the only reason. Don’t overthink it and focus on growing up quickly to earn your keep.”
“…”
Really, was this man just hoping for their growth?
Without any ulterior motives?
Julia felt a bit foolish for her previous thoughts.
‘Ah. It’s a doll shop. They’re closing…’
As Aslan and the group passed by, Julia’s gaze was fixed on a doll shop.
The lights were going out as the shop closed.
When she saw the dolls lying in the display case, a memory from the past played in her mind.
A clear spring day.
Feeling jealous of the good weather, she was attaching eyes to dolls as instructed by the director.
That day, a child was called out.
Outside the window, a couple was waiting with a large teddy bear.
They said they had come to find the child they had lost in an accident long ago.
It was the first time Julia had seen biological parents come for a child, not for adoption.
She still vividly remembered the face of the child, crying in their parents’ arms.
And the happy expression of that child as they left the orphanage with the teddy bear.
It was one of the happiest faces Julia had ever seen.
“Now I understand why you were so sulky. You wanted praise, didn’t you? Talk about it.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“You did something noteworthy, so you wanted praise, right? Express your feelings. Keeping them bottled up will make it hard for anyone to like you.”
“Huh? No way! That’s nonsense…! You annoy me too! Put me down! Put me down! I said put me down! Argh!”
“See? You’re in pain again because you’re acting up. Stay still. If you’re that desperate for praise, I’ll give you a reward. How about a doll from that shop?”
“…Do you think I’m a child?”
“Your reaction says you like the idea.”
“…”
How does he know?
It’s annoying.
Julia’s lips pouted.
“Shopkeeper.”
“We’re closed… Oh, Lord Aslan!?”
“Delay your closing for a bit. It won’t take long.”
“Of course. Take your time.”
“Choose one. Which one do you like?”
“…A teddy bear.”
Julia muttered in a voice as quiet as a crawling ant.
She wasn’t happy about it, but she had to choose.
She liked teddy bears.
A complete teddy bear, not one missing its eyes…
“I’m sorry. All the teddy bears are sold out right now.”
“Not even one? How can that be?”
“They’re very popular…”
“…”
The shopkeeper froze under the subtle killing intent emanating from Aslan.
“Shouldn’t you keep at least one teddy bear for emergencies?”
“What kind of emergency is this?”
“A situation where a master needs to give a teddy bear to a sl*ve as a reward. You could have anticipated this.”
“Um…?”
“Tsk. When is the next shipment?”
“Not until next month at the earliest…”
“Then I’ll pick one. How about that shark doll over there?”
“…I prefer a teddy bear.”
“It can’t be helped. Take it. I’ll drop it.”
“…”
Come on.
Julia hugged the large shark doll between herself and Aslan’s back.
It was a blue, somewhat silly-looking shark doll.
She didn’t like it.
Its appearance and color were completely different from a teddy bear.
“A doll!? Can I get one too?”
“Why should you get one? The sword you have is thanks to Julia. Earn some merit like Julia. Only then will you get a reward. The Vermont family operates strictly on a merit system.”
“So if I earn merit, I get a doll too! Right!?”
Charlotte ran up to Sylvia, her eyes shining, and clung to her, saying, “Please teach me some awesome sword skills!”
Meanwhile, Julia quietly closed her eyes.
So soft. So, this is what a doll feels like.
She was afraid of getting scolded at the orphanage, so she never hugged one. If she closes her eyes, she thought a teddy bear would feel similar to this.
“I’ll buy you a teddy bear when the new stock arrives.”
“…It’s fine. This is enough. Now that the annoying voice is gone, I’ll just hug this instead of you and sleep.”
Looking at it again, the shark doll looked pretty cute too.
***
What a tumultuous situation…’
A Necromancer who sees ghosts.
And a Dark Knight who wields a Demon Sword.
How did it come to this?
Just thinking about it makes my temples throb.
‘It feels like I’m some kind of Demon King.’
It’s strange.
I definitely brought along companions of the hero, but when I unpacked them, they seemed like dark and ominous individuals who could be the Demon King’s subordinates.
Not that they’re completely sinister.
One is a necromancer who fears ghosts.
And the other is…
“Hi-yah! Hi-yah! Slash down with strength! Bam! Bam!”
“…She looks like she’ll keep this up all night.”
A hard worker who, despite naming her Demon Sword, or rather Holy Sword, something strange, is more dedicated to training than anyone else.
Her nature isn’t that of a villain, but her talents seem optimized for it.
Of course, the one who led her to this was none other than me, Aslan Vermont.
‘I wonder what Yuri would say if he saw them.’
A chill ran down my spine, and my entire body shivered.
I intended to raise and train them well to eventually return them to Yuri, but in their current state, I can’t.
They look like companions who have been villainized and corrupted by the Vermont family.
Although their true nature is good, there are many who judge by appearances alone.
If left as they are, they’ll be seen as a fearsome Necromancer and Dark Knight serving the evil Vermont family.
‘I need to change our image.’
The answer is to change our image.
If the Vermont family’s image is the problem, then I need to change that first.
Although there have already been significant changes, like stopping oppressive politics and drastically lowering taxes in the territory, it’s not enough.
While it takes a moment for a reputation to plummet, restoring it takes hundreds of times more effort.
Transforming the Vermont family’s public image will be a very tough and arduous path.
The first method that comes to mind is…
“Sylvia.”
“…”
“I know you’re all in the shadows. I feel like I can see it now. Come out before the pay cut.”
“You called, young master? What are you doing at this late hour? I was just about to go to bed.”
“Immediately head to the document storage and bring me all the papers related to the imperial family… no, any document that includes the word ‘imperial.'”
“…”
Getting closer to the imperial family.
In this empire, where the term ‘absolute monarchy’ fits perfectly, there’s no better way to rise.
Although the Vermont family has been practically at odds with the imperial family, today’s enemy can be tomorrow’s ally.
You never know.
To prosper, the Vermont territory needs to gain favor with the Emperor.
“I have a lot of work.”
“I know.”
“I have a whole lot of work.”
“I know that too.”
“And yet, you’re giving me more?”
“You were hiding in the shadows, so I thought you weren’t busy. Fine. If you’re really that busy, I’ll cancel this task. But if I catch you taking even a moment’s rest, your pay will be cut immediately…”
“I’ll get right on it.”
That’s better. I don’t understand why she always complains about being busy when she spends most of her time lounging around.
I work until late at night, after all.
I added a reminder to have Charlotte put to bed as well and sent Sylvia off.
“Maybe I should rest my eyes for a bit.”
Although I don’t sleep, keeping my eyes open for long makes them dry and painful.
I leaned back in my chair and was about to close my eyes when the door creaked open cautiously.
“What is it?”
“Lend me a hand…”
“…?”
It was Julia, hugging the shark doll tightly to her chest.
Why now?
Didn’t she say that the voices that kept her from sleeping were gone?
Or more precisely, that she had learned to control them unconsciously.
“Didn’t you say the voices were gone? Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s just that I can’t sleep… It seems I can’t sleep without your hand anymore…”
This is driving me crazy.
