Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Treacherous Subject Has His Uses
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"My name is Heidi Zelkerd, Young Master Beonald. By my father's command, I will now be in your service."
"...Your daughter? More like a knight..."
"That's correct. Hahaha! Unusual, isn't she? She's... seventeen this year. She has the makings of a knight, but hasn't yet received a formal knighthood."
'Seventeen and that build. That's not... no, wait. Well, her looks aren't bad.'
Beonald himself had trained to have a build beyond the ordinary, but he was at a loss for how to react as he looked at her, who was even more impressive—standing at about 190 centimeters tall. He was taken aback by the powerful first impression, but Beonald decided not to show it and to treat her comfortably for now.
"I see. Make yourself at home, Heidi. And, well, I was just surprised that you're a rare 'female knight'... If your other abilities are good, that's all that matters. Though, normally, one wouldn't pass down mana breathing techniques or swordsmanship to a daughter..."
"Yes. That is the tradition of most noble or knightly families, but this child was born with such a natural talent for martial arts. I simply couldn't leave such a raw gem uncut. After all..."
"Sending her off to marry into another family would be difficult... right? She wouldn't fit the typical image of a woman desired by noble families. Starting with the fact that her height would have her looking down on her husband... She wouldn't suit dresses well and would receive unpleasant looks, correct?"
"Yes... Well, that's true. A pity. I can only apologize for not having borne her as a son."
Turning his gaze from Baron Zelkerd, who was bowing his head as if ashamed, Beonald subtly observed Heidi's condition.
She herself seemed aware that she didn't conform to conventional feminine charm and was used to being treated accordingly, showing no change in expression at all.
However, Beonald stood up with a smile and approached her. As she naturally ended up looking down at him and tried to bow and step back in embarrassment, Beonald suddenly lifted her up, holding her in a princess carry.
"Y-young Master?"
"Well, that's irrelevant to me. Isn't this also a kind of charm? To be this beautiful, cute, and also possess knightly skills—it's good on top of good."
"I-I am unworthy, Young Master! P-please put me down. With the weight of the armor, I must be quite heavy...! That... that..."
"Hmm~ If we subtract the armor weight... it feels like lifting a feather?"
"Ah... Aaahhh..."
Perhaps receiving such treatment for the first time, Heidi quickly covered her bright red face with both hands.
Beonald smiled contentedly at her girlish reaction.
In his previous life, his spectrum of taste in women had been quite broad, and someone like Heidi, whom a typical noble family would dislike, was perfectly acceptable to him.
"Anyway, I'll be counting on you from now on, Heidi."
"Yes. U-understood, Young Master. I will do my utmost, as both a messenger and a guard! B-but, could you please put me down soon? Th-this is my first time, so I'm not used to it..."
"Ah~ Very well."
Thus, having acquired a new guard and messenger, Beonald left Baron Zelkerd's territory the next day with Heidi and arrived at the Callermain territory.
Upon reaching the hideout prepared by Sir Maldrov, they saw the mage Selina tending to someone.
"Oh my, Young Master, you're here? By the way, who are these people? I've been looking after them for now."
'Who else? They're victims of the drug I created. And I told her not to come, but she came again.'
"Ughhh..."
"Ughhhh... Give me the medicine..."
Beside the 4th-tier mage Selina, who was greeting him, were two emaciated elderly men and a man—originally slaves handled by the Agrasander group, now addicted to the hallucinogenic flower Beonald had created.
Since this was a calamity of his own making, one that didn't originally exist in this era, Beonald had asked Darktis to gather them so he could personally treat them.
"This is why I wanted to come quickly... Anyway, Heidi! Sorry to trouble you right after arriving, but please move those two inside the mansion and keep watch over them. Restraining them is fine."
"Yes! Young Master!"
After giving instructions to Sir Heidi, Beonald tried to slip past Selina and go inside, but she blocked his path with an innocent smile.
"Is there nothing I can help with~? I've been taking care of them so they don't starve, you know."
"I'll express my gratitude later. I'd like you to go back now. From here on, it's my business. Or perhaps... have you seen the 'inside'?"
"Ahahaha, just a little bit..."
Thwack!
The moment that answer came, Beonald mercilessly swung his sword, but it was instantly blocked by a semi-transparent barrier that appeared right in front of Selina's nose.
Realizing what it was, Beonald considered gathering his aura to cut through it in one go, annoyed. Seeing this, Selina turned pale and urgently shouted.
"W-wait a moment, Young Master! That's 'Aura,' right? Oh dear! That won't do! Give me just 10 seconds! It's not like I looked because I wanted to see! First, I can keep it a secret that you practice 'Alchemy'!"
"There are three types of people in this world you should never trust, even if they say the sun rises in the east: family, friends, and mages."
"That's prejudice. On what basis do you think that?"
'What else? Experience.'
He wanted to recount all the things he'd experienced with mages from the Magic Tower in his past life, but he held back and began pondering how to resolve this situation.
The situation had already become messily complicated to quietly kill her.
Seeing that she had prepared a means to protect her life, the opponent wasn't a completely incompetent mage. It would require more effort, but the risk was far too great.
'First, this woman is one of the important figures in this territory. She holds the position of an advisor dispatched from the Magic Tower and is a core figure who can even participate in meetings convened by the family head... If she goes missing right after I arrive, it'll be a headache.'
"S-still, the fact that you're being quiet means you're willing to listen, right?"
'Of course, I could kill her, dump her body in a monster habitat, and pretend she went missing while researching, but that's too much trouble. Besides, Sir Heidi is also here, so maybe I should listen first and think.'
Beonald quietly nodded, then had Heidi wait outside the mansion while he took Selina inside.
Since he planned to kill her if things went south anyway, he took her to the basement where he had set up his alchemy refining facilities to prevent any mischief, sat facing her, and prepared to hear her out.
"Well then, make it short and concise. Right now... I already have a lot to do, and my time is delayed."
"Teach me Alchemy."
"Fine. I've heard your last words. Now I'll kill you."
Without needing to hear more, Beonald drew his sword. There was no need to keep alive someone who had learned what they shouldn't have. He approached Selina, radiating killing intent, but she began waving her arms and making excuses.
"W-wait a minute. Why do you jump to killing as soon as I speak?"
"Isn't that the order upheld even in the Magic Tower? If someone enters another's research or laboratory without permission and digs for information, they can be killed without issue."
"No, that's a story from when... It's not like that now. More importantly, how do you, a Young Master from the countryside, know that? That's a very old story from the era when it was a real 'Tower,' before it became an academy-style institution? Anyway, then won't you accept me, thinking of it as getting an assistant? I won't learn directly; I'll steal it from behind you."
"You're openly saying you'll steal."
"Moreover, with me here, even if you set up alchemy experiment facilities inside the mansion, it can be disguised, and you can use the Earldom's funds. Of course, everything will be for you, Young Master. Besides, I can handle tedious tasks or data collection for you."
Beonald felt somewhat tempted by the conditions Selina offered.
From being able to legally use the Earldom's funds to having someone take over the basic tasks he'd have to do himself—it was a huge time-saver. That was the merit.
The problems were, of course, that she knew he used Alchemy and that the political situation within the mansion would become complicated.
But thinking again, when Heidi, daughter of Baron Zelkerd, attached herself to him, that problem had already become complicated.
'Once a wave starts crashing, whether it crashes twice or thrice makes little difference. The merits are a bit greater.'
The abacus in Beonald's mind concluded that keeping her alive as an assistant brought more benefit than killing her and barely gaining anything.
"Hoo~ Fine. But, let's be clear on one thing. If you don't properly uphold the secrets I've mentioned, or if you engage in suspicious behavior, be prepared to possibly die. Be prepared that you could die unjustly. Understood?"
"Yes, I gladly accept."
"And one more thing. You must absolutely obey my instructions. If you violate them or give me sufficient reason to doubt you, I will kill you. If you can't handle it, you may refuse."
"Ah... It's scary, but I'll do it. It's a mage's mission to pursue the light of truth amidst chaos."
'Whether 500 years ago or now, mages as a breed seem truly insane.'
Looking at Selina accepting, Beonald began informing her of various precautions since she had agreed anyway.
There were many things—that he used 'Alchemy,' that he had learned mana breathing techniques and swordsmanship to a 'knight' level, etc.—but the most important point he emphasized was not to question him.
"Understood? Don't think deeply about me, and don't try to find out. For example, about where my techniques and knowledge come from."
"Yes. I will remember, Young Master."
"Good. Now I can finally start the cleanup in earnest. First, Selina, take those slaves and continue looking after them until the addiction symptoms break. Use the pretext of research for a new type of drug; they'll roughly accept it. Appropriate achievements and results will be prepared later."
"Understood, Young Master."
After first sending Selina back to the mansion, Beonald returned separately to Count Callermain's mansion with Heidi.
The first to greet him was Sain, who served as his personal maid. She seemed to have been quite worried in his absence, greeting him with a relieved look.
"Young Master! You're back! I was worried. There's much to discuss, but first, please go to Alterio. I've been giving him meals, but I couldn't let him out carelessly, so he's been confined and is quite sensitive."
"Hmm, understood. You've worked hard taking care of him, Sain."
"Thank you, Young Master. By the way, who is the person beside you?"
"She is Miss Heidi, daughter of Baron Zelkerd. And now she's my... retainer, I suppose. Anyway, I have a report for the Count first, so check if I can meet him. I'll change my clothes in the meantime."
"Yes, Young Master. I'll speak to the head butler immediately. Ah, and Lady Erasol will be here soon too."
After giving instructions to Sain, Beonald returned to his room, briefly comforted Alterio, and then had Erasol, Heidi, and Sain introduce themselves to each other.
Then, hearing from the head butler that the Count had granted permission, he headed straight to the Count's reception room with him.
"Count, Young Master Beonald has arrived."
"Let him in."
As Beonald opened the door and entered the reception room, not only the Count but also Lady Meira were waiting for him together.
For a moment, their gazes met. The look she sent Beonald was filled with far more hatred than usual.
From that gaze, Beonald could roughly guess how the incident in the Teal slums had become known within this Earldom during his absence.