[9]
Until now, I had fought while keeping my distance, but now I needed to close in as quickly as possible.
I gathered mana into my hand.
I only had Mana Grasp as an offensive spell, but there were others I could use similarly.
The mana I had gathered exploded in an instant, bursting out in a blinding white flash in every direction.
It was the large-scale version of Light’s Guidance that I had unintentionally used in the basement before, nicknamed Light Burst.
The assassins instinctively covered their eyes.
A reflex action—unavoidable for any living being.
In that moment, I closed the distance without interference.
Seeing me suddenly in front of them, the assassins, still blinded, began to swing their swords.
They were trained, so even half-blind, their strikes were sharp.
But to my opened eye, their movements looked like slow motion.
‘Left.’
I deflected a descending sword with my staff and threw the one approaching from behind using Mana Grasp.
“What the hell is with this staff…?”
I scoffed at the bewildered voice.
‘Obviously. I charged it with plenty of mana.’
It wasn’t inscribed with any spells, but simply releasing mana was possible.
That alone was enough for it to serve as both a defensive weapon and a ridiculously sturdy blunt object.
[8]
The enemy changed tactics.
They scattered to surround me from all sides.
But a wider net always left weak points.
The one I had thrown with Mana Grasp was just a hair slower to react.
I charged that opening.
“You son of a—”
Before he could finish, I swung the staff into his side.
He rolled several times across the ground and didn’t get back up.
Now three left.
[6]
They attacked from both sides at once.
Blocking wasn’t hard—but I didn’t have time to waste on defense.
I let my shoulder take the stab and charged right.
I slammed down on the stabbing arm, making the enemy drop their sword.
As they lost balance, I cracked their jaw with my staff.
Now two.
[4]
The one attacking from the left stepped forward too hastily in pursuit.
A chance.
I blocked the diagonally descending blade and drove my body into their chest.
Before they could regain their stance, I landed a hit on their knee.
As they faltered in pain, I stepped in and slammed my staff into their chin.
Now only the leader remained.
[3]
Now it was my turn to attack from both sides.
The leader’s twisted face was riddled with fear.
Didn’t matter. I kept attacking relentlessly.
He parried a few, but soon began to falter under blows coming from all directions.
[1]
As he struggled to block Mana Grasp, I drove my staff into his solar plexus.
“Guh!”
The upright posture of the leader collapsed as he fell to his knees.
His ruined face showed only despair.
I raised my staff high and aimed for his exposed crown—then hesitated.
‘If I hit that, he’ll die.’
I shifted the angle slightly and aimed for his shoulder instead.
Just before the bloodied staff made contact, my body froze.
[0]
The number zero flashed before my eyes.
My frozen body crumbled to the ground.
The flurry of attacks came to an end, and the panic on the leader’s face began to fade.
“Haah… haah… I heard everyone dies after seeing the Count open his eyes, but it looks like luck is on my side today.”
“You look like you could drop dead any second. You sure that’s lucky?”
“I’m not dead, am I?”
He got kicked and collapsed flat on his back.
‘This is my limit, huh…’
My eyes drifted shut.
[Weapon Demon state has ended.] [Revealed Eye state has ended.]
If I were just a bit more accustomed to it—
If I had just a bit more time—
Trying to take down four people in nine seconds might have been too ambitious.
“Looks like you used some enhancement spell, but if you spend mana like that, your body will break down, Count.”
“Go to hell.”
My body was frozen, but I could still use mana.
As Mana Grasp touched the blade, the leader stumbled backward in a panic.
“You freak! You still have mana?!”
The leader got into proper stance again.
Could I beat him while lying down?
I still had to last fifty more seconds until the penalty ended.
“But you know what? Today’s just not your day.”
“Don’t start spouting nonsense.”
With a step forward, the leader closed the distance in an instant.
Clang!
For a brief moment, the sword stopped and bounced off something.
The stone it deflected clattered beside me.
Til approached with an irritated face.
I wasn’t surprised. I’d sensed her approach while my eye was open.
“Don’t know whose lapdog you are, but scram.”
“…Weapon Demon of Chartra. When did you come back?”
“Not your business.”
I tilted my head to get a better look at her.
The sword I gave her was nowhere in sight—she came empty-handed.
“I always wanted to fight you. Too many exaggerated rumors floating around about the Weapon Demon.”
“Better than having no rumors because you’re that weak.”
“Bold words from a disowned half-wit. Pick up a blade, Chartra.”
“Ha! You’re just flailing now because you know you can’t run.”
Til scoffed, amused.
She bent down and picked up a shard of glass the size of a finger.
“This is more than enough for you.”
“You mocking me?! I’m still a knight of the Empire, even if I’m injured!”
“You talk too much. Come on.”
The leader assumed a low, aggressive stance, emanating killing intent.
Til, in contrast, just stood lazily on one leg, glaring him down.
“Sorry to interrupt the fight, but could you take this seriously, Til.”
“Yeah, yeah. The guy lying down, completely spent, should pipe down.”
Annoyed by our banter, the leader lunged and thrust his sword.
Slice!
Blood splattered all over my face.
The smell made me gag without meaning to.
The charging leader was now on his knees, clutching his neck.
“Gurgh… gurgh…”
“These Duke lapdogs think they’re invincible just because they can use a bit of magic.”
Seemingly already bored with the leader coughing up blood, Til turned toward me.
“Want me to help you up?”
“No, I’m fine.”
A minute had passed.
As if it never happened, I was fine again.
“Blaiher—is he alright…?”
“Oh, yeah. Two rats snuck in, so I took care of them.”
Knew there’d be another squad.
I pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the blood.
“Thanks for showing up on time. I almost died.”
“Liar. Saying that with a straight face.”
No, seriously, I was about to die.
Why else would I have collapsed flat on my back?
“I gave it everything I had and passed out, that’s all.”
“Sure~ if you say so.”
“Anyway… that leader can’t talk anymore, so we’ll get our info from the other three.”
As Til looked over at the three writhing assassins, she spoke.
“Valheit.”
“Yes?”
“You hesitated at the end. About killing him.”
I answered with silence.
I still wasn’t ready to kill someone with my own hands.
“Why? You didn’t have a reason to stop. It’s not like you value other people’s lives.”
“Who knows. Want me to tell you if you’re that curious?”
“No. On second thought, hearing it would probably ruin my mood all day.”
Til stretched and turned her attention to the squirming assassins.
“I’ll handle the cleanup and interrogation.”
“Then I’ll go check on Mr. Strauss and Blaiher.”
Not wanting to see the messy aftermath, I nodded quickly and returned to the appraisal shop.
“Sir, are you alright?”
“Yes. Those half-witted hounds are no big deal.”
There wasn’t much left unscathed in the shop that had become the battlefield.
Especially the areas Mana Grasp had swept through—those were total wrecks.
“Mr. Strauss, looks like you’ll need a full rebuild.”
“Will you pay for it?”
“If you answer my questions properly.”
As I smiled brightly, old man Strauss clenched his hands tightly, clearly uneasy.
“Mr. Strauss, you must’ve known those types were keeping an eye on you.”
“I suspected as much. I didn’t expect them to come so quickly, though…”
“That’s what I’m curious about too. How did they show up the moment I mentioned it?”
Old man Strauss simply looked at me with that blank expression typical of the elderly.
But the trembling of his hands didn’t lie.
I continued speaking.
“I’m a well-known figure, so it’s not strange that surveillance was placed on me the moment I entered the Imperial Capital. But that alone doesn’t explain how assassins showed up the instant I said I would take His Highness with me.”
“Say what you need to say.”
Old man Strauss replied in a resigned voice.
I had hoped otherwise, but of course.
“Mr. Strauss. Did you call those assassins?”
“I did.”
“…Let’s hear your reasons.”
“Wait, sir, the old man wouldn’t do something like—”
I raised my hand to stop Blaiher.
I knew this old man fairly well too.
He was someone who remained loyal to the Emperor’s illegitimate son he was suddenly tasked with protecting.
He wouldn’t become a traitor without reason.
“When you came that day, Count, you said this to me. That he was the Emperor’s illegitimate son and to protect him well.”
“I did.”
“So I did just that. I also had to protect His Highness from you.”
So in the old man’s eyes, I was a threat too.
Not a surprising reaction, considering I was Valheit.
“Betrayal comes with consequences, Mr. Strauss.”
“Please wait, sir!”
Blaiher stepped between me and the old man.
He neither trembled with fear nor showed any panic.
Composed was the perfect word to describe him.
“Please forgive the old man.”
“You want me to forgive a traitor? That’s not something sentiment alone can resolve.”
“No. It’s not mere sentiment. The old man still has value to you, sir.”
A bold one. I could roughly guess what he was about to say.
“You mean to use him as a spy.”
“More like a double agent. When the time comes and we clash with the Dukes, it’s better to have an informant already connected to them, right?”
Frankly, I didn’t need him.
The Eight Council’s intelligence network was still intact despite everything else falling apart.
If necessary, I could always rely on the Ravens of the Grand Duchy of Leitche.
In other words, whether Strauss was with us or not didn’t make much of a difference.
“Your Highness, betrayal always has a price.”
“But…”
“Victor Strauss. You now have no authority whatsoever over His Highness. Once he is transferred to Headquarters, visitation will no longer be permitted.”
I paused for a moment.
Old man Strauss seemed to be processing what I’d just said.
“You’ll be allowed to send letters occasionally. With this, the summary judgment for Victor Strauss’s betrayal is concluded.”
“Sir!”
Blaiher’s face lit up with relief.
Old man Strauss blinked in disbelief.
“Do you have complaints, Mr. Strauss?”
“No, sir. It’s just… you’re so different from the Count I used to know.”
“I’ve always been this way.”
I gave a short reply and turned my back.
The real Valheit would’ve left nothing of him behind—but I wasn’t him.
“There’s no time. Let’s move quickly. Gather your things, Your Highness.”
“Yes!”
With Blaiher brightly answering beside me, we stepped outside and saw Til, her face covered in blood.
“You should wipe your face.”
“I’ll do it myself. It’s done.”
“Did you kill the three?”
“Not yet.”
That sounded like she intended to do so soon.
It wasn’t a bad outcome, since I wouldn’t have to dirty my hands—but I had a better idea.
“No, let’s keep them alive.”
“Why?”
“We need someone to deliver a message to the Dukes.”
“What kind of message?”
I lightly touched my side.
The blood had dried.
“Tell them this: ‘You made Valheit bleed. The contract is over.’”
“You got hurt? Ugh, see? That’s what happens when you mess around too much.”
“I’ll be careful, now can you focus on your job?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take care of it. Gotta fetch Cryde too while I’m at it.”
So she really had gone to get the name engraved.
Strictly speaking, that was a failure of protection, wasn’t it?
Maybe my face showed what I was thinking, because Til frowned.
“You think you’re in a position to be guarded by someone?”
Fair point.
At the very least, I should be able to defend myself.
And beyond that, I should be able to protect others too.
‘Still a long way to go.’
I sighed quietly and opened the Status Window.
There was no change in Til’s relationship chart, but another had updated.
[Relationships]
▶ Blaiher Kruber (-22 / Improving!)
(+) Became someone he can trust!
(+) Forgave old man Strauss!
(-) What kind of things will he be made to do now?
Not a bad start.
Last time I checked, it was -40. So while not as big a jump as Til’s, I had no complaints.
And more importantly, there was another, more significant change than my relationship with Blaiher.
[Timer]
Valheit’s Death Probability: 87.8%
(+) Gained and used the skill ‘Weapon Demon’!
(+) Earned Blaiher’s trust!
(+) Entered the 80% range!
▷ Skill Point +1
As expected, Blaiher also affected the Death Probability.
Not as much as Til, but I was on the right track.
I needed to place the Blaiher I’d brought to my side on the Imperial throne—or at least set him firmly on the path toward it.
Preferably before Episode 1 began.
***
Third Duke Timershi Stetten was aghast.
The three subordinates who delivered the bad news anxiously watched their lord’s face.
“Valheit bled?”
“Yes.”
“You three? You made Valheit bleed?”
“In hindsight, it seems he… might’ve let us…”
“Don’t make excuses!!!”
He roared.
Useless fools.
He told them to keep an eye on that bastard illegitimate son—not to get into a sword fight with Valheit.
“Why did you attack the Count?! Why?!”
“You said anyone who tried to smuggle the illegitimate son was a traitor and to deal with them, so we thought—”
“So now it’s my fault?! You dare question me?!”
Their desperate voices only made his fury boil over.
‘Idiots. You couldn’t even handle something that simple?’
“Things sounded loud, so I came to check… Seems something interesting happened.”
While he was grinding his teeth, a grave voice came from behind.
Timershi Stetten, who had been storming around moments ago, immediately straightened up.
It was First Duke Johann Geller.
The numbers in front of the Dukes' titles weren’t rankings—they merely indicated the order in which their families had been granted ducal status in the past.
But there was one exception: Duke Geller.
The chair of the Council of Dukes had always been held by a member of the Geller family.
In all the centuries of Imperial history, that one thing had never changed.
“I’ll take responsibility and handle this myself, Lord Johann.”
Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the First Duke, Timershi’s voice turned into a mosquito’s buzz.
“Haha, Timmy, are you even old enough to know what responsibility means?”
At the warm laugh, sweat poured from Timershi’s face like rain.
Before Johann Geller, he was no more than a mouse.
“You’re far too young to talk about responsibility, Timmy. I’ll handle this matter.”
“Isn’t this too trivial for you to get involved in, First Duke? I can manage—”
“Timmy.”
Johann interrupted him gently, almost like scolding a child.
Timershi closed his mouth without protest.
The matter was no longer his.
“Do you know when I first met Count Valheit?”
“I don’t, sir.”
“I was six. I had entered the palace with my father, and the Count happened to be standing beside His Majesty.”
“What? That’s over 50 years ago! Then how old is the Count…?”
To the stunned question, Johann simply responded with a benevolent smile.
“So I’ll handle it personally, Timmy.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
Timershi tucked his tail and fled the reception room.
After a brief silence, Johann spoke.
“So, Valheit bled. By customary law, that means the contract is nullified.”
“We’re sorry, First Duke.”
“Troublesome as it is, we’ll have to renegotiate. Deliver my letter to Valheit.”
“Understood!”
The three assassins stood up with sighs of relief.
Three swords clattered to the ground before them.
“But we don’t need three messengers, do we?”
“…!”
“One should be enough. Decide among yourselves who will go.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, all three leapt for the swords like madmen.
The clash of steel filled the reception room.
Despite the chaos he had incited, the First Duke’s mind was elsewhere.
‘Valheit… Why now, of all times?’