The sun has risen.
The state of the mansion, which Irene visited once before leaving, was devastating.
The iron gate at the front was completely crushed.
The outer wall of the office was shattered into pieces.
And Sylvia was also covered in blood…
“The study won’t be usable for a while. I’ve moved all the stuff to the adjacent room and set it up as a temporary office.”
“…Why are you okay?”
What?
Wasn’t she on the brink of death yesterday?
I called a doctor, watched as she was bandaged up, and went to sleep.
But when I woke up, Sylvia was standing by my side, completely fine.
“Such wounds heal overnight.”
“…”
Calmly, Sylvia removed the remaining bandages and tossed them aside.
Her smooth skin was flawless, without a single scar.
Does Sylvia possess some kind of super healing ability?
“The wounds of the heart are greater.”
“Wounds of the heart?”
“Charlotte unleashed Aura as soon as she held the sword, but despite rolling around the battlefield for over two years, I couldn’t even glimpse it…”
Sylvia bit her lip slightly, looking a bit downcast.
A hint of inferiority, perhaps.
Well, that’s fine.
Inferiority can be a precursor to darkening for villains.
But for someone like Sylvia, it’s good material for growth.
From her expression, it was clear that Sylvia wasn’t jealous of Charlotte.
She seemed more determined, driven by a sense of self-reproach.
“If you listen well from now on, I’ll recharge your mana little by little.”
“Really!?”
Sylvia’s expression brightened with joy.
Without mana, there’s no way to practice Aura, or even attempt it.
Up until now, Sylvia had to give up on training to become a Sword Master.
But if I can kill spirits and give her some mana, it would be enough for her to train.
‘And I realized for sure yesterday. I must always keep Sylvia in top condition.’
Strictly speaking, the most powerful is Charlotte, who can split mountains.
But Charlotte’s control is still incomplete.
Therefore, Sylvia is clearly the best frontline defense and the greatest asset for the mansion.
If Sylvia is left without mana and powerless, the mansion will be easily breached again, as it was yesterday.
I must ensure Sylvia can always exert her full strength.
If she becomes a Sword Master through training, that would be even better.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is proud.]
Yes. You did well.
This time, thanks to Kali, we could overcome the crisis.
Of course, it wasn’t because Kali was strong, but simply because Kali’s presence helped us get through…
“So what do we do now? Lady Irene has practically declared war…”
“The declaration is the end. Irene can’t do much. I am the young master and the heir to the count’s title, so how can she interfere?”
“Ah…!”
There’s no need to fear Irene coming back and acting violently like yesterday.
Because all Irene can do is threaten me.
If Irene had the authority to intervene in the family affairs, she would have hindered me every step of the way already.
‘It doesn’t seem like her goal is to ruin the family.’
The only card Irene can play is brute force.
If that were the case, she could have chosen to destroy the mansion entirely and kill me instead of just knocking down the walls and threatening me.
The fact that she didn’t do so proves that Irene doesn’t want the Vermont family to be ruined.
Irene Vermont can’t come after me.
She can’t interfere with my work.
She can’t destroy the family completely.
So, is there any reason for me to be afraid of Irene Vermont?
None. Absolutely none.
I can confidently say that…
‘Damn.’
When I remember the sound of her heels and her nails scratching my cheek, my body instinctively recoils.
Perhaps, for a younger brother, a sister is inherently a terrifying presence.
It’s a biological limit.
There’s no helping it.
“Ah! You’re hurt too, Mister!”
“Me? Where.”
“Your cheek!”
“It’ll heal if I leave it alone.”
“With skin as delicate as porcelain, you shouldn’t speak like a knight! Your skin is much more sensitive…”
Charlotte gestured for me to lower my head.
When I bent down, Charlotte grabbed my cheek.
Following the red line, she licked it.
“…What are you doing? It’s dirty.”
“They say it heals faster if you put saliva on it!”
“Pfft. Applying saliva is just a way to console oneself in the absence of proper medicine. You still believe in such superstitions like a child?”
“…”
Julia’s sneer instantly made Charlotte clench her fist, as if something inside her was cracking.
Her face showed genuine anger.
“Julia, you’re such a spoiled child who can’t sleep without Mister!”
“W-What!? That’s not true! Wh-Who told you that?”
“I saw it myself. You were lying on the office desk like a piece of furniture, rubbing your cheek against uncle’s hand. Huhuhu. Julia still can’t sleep without someone’s warmth, like a little child?”
“I-I can’t help it because of my condition!”
“I heard you were cured of that. How strange.”
“Charlotte!!!”
Charlotte, please stop.
Julia’s face turned beet red, looking like she might explode at any moment.
Fuming, Julia grabbed my ear and pulled it down.
She then slapped a rough bandage onto my cheek.
“If you get a scar on your already ugly face, you’ll be even uglier! Just stay put and keep this on! …Okay!”
“Are you worried or venting your anger? Make up your mind.”
“Who said I was worried! It’s not venting either! …Okay!”
Julia stormed off, unable to hide her flustered state.
Despite her act during the day, she’d eventually come back at night, begging for my hand to help her sleep.
It’s truly exasperating.
“Young master, there’s a cavalry procession approaching.”
“Report what you see.”
“The crest… It’s the crest of the Ariente family. The group consists of about ten people, with two armed members.”
Ariente? That family is quite far from Vermont, and we rarely interact.
Just as I was puzzled, I realized the procession was coming from the direction of the split mountain.
The thick mountain range had split, making Ariente our new neighbors.
Like greeting new neighbors with rice cakes when you move in, they must be coming to say hello.
They seem to understand etiquette.
I stepped forward, donning the friendliest smile I could muster.
“Ugh…!?”
Suddenly, the lead horse reared up in surprise, and the expressions of the group twisted in discomfort.
Okay. Got it.
I’ll never use this smile again.
“Damn. My back is killing me from that rough road…”
“It was the fastest route available.”
As they dismounted and walked towards us, the young man at the front with a red beard caught my eye.
From their conversation, it seemed they had set off as soon as they saw the mountain split and crossed the range through the new passage.
Thanks to them, we now know that the gap is wide enough for horses to pass through.
Expanding it to a two-lane road for carriages shouldn’t be difficult.
“Welcome. I am Aslan Vermont, head of the Vermont family.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome. I am Heisig Ariente, the eldest son of Count Ariente.”
“Ah, so you’re not the Count but his son. Let me guide you to the reception room.”
“…!?”
These guys.
They sent the eldest son, thinking they were matching ranks since I haven’t inherited the count’s title yet.
Heisig’s red beard twitched as he realized the subtle insult.
“Hahaha. This is quite unexpected. I thought you were younger than me…”
“State your business. Judging by the unpaved roads you traveled, it seems urgent. Isn’t it better to get straight to the point?”
“…I have come to make a beneficial proposal to the Vermont family, so please excuse the abrupt visit.”
Heisig forced a smile, his lips twitching nervously.
This doesn’t feel right.
His smile is purely for business.
“Please take a look at this. Bridges, roads, buildings, and more. Our Ariente family has extensive experience in constructing various infrastructures. With the recent mysterious incident causing the mountain range to split, we can build a road through that gap. This will make the Vermont territory no longer a backwater! Here, take the contract.”
“…”
“Now! Just sign it, and we’ll start the construction with a small investment. Once the construction is complete, we’ll return the investment in full, plus 2% interest. How about it? Isn’t it a great deal?”
“Hah…”
Skimming the contract, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
These b*stards just wanted to snatch the road construction rights for free.
Do they still see me as the idiotic Aslan?
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
The atmosphere grew heavy as Heisig gulped nervously.
“Alright. I’ll sign it, provided we add a few more conditions.”
“An excellent choice! What additional conditions would you like?”
A brilliant idea crossed my mind.
A perfect way to exploit these b*stards.
