Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Sunday.
The only day off of the week.
Thanks to that, I was finally enjoying a lazy afternoon.
I immediately stretched out beside the pond and stared blankly into space with absolutely nothing to do.
“Haaah~”
Was this heaven?
How long had it been since I last enjoyed real rest?
How long since I'd felt this peaceful?
Even doing nothing felt wonderful.
Simply breathing the air felt rewarding.
“...This is nice.”
After suffering under Bungbungi's regime every day, a day off felt like a gift.
The only thing I had planned for today was visiting Master while he recovered.
That alone made me feel unbelievably relaxed.
At this rate, I'd probably spend the entire day like this until evening.
And when even this peaceful idleness started becoming boring?
Ding!
I could always open my status window.
Someone might ask why I kept looking at it when nothing changed.
But seeing my stats and recognizing that I'd grown even a little stronger was satisfying.
It was fun.
It made me happy.
Besides, I'd just turned another year older yesterday.
Checking my status again wasn't a bad idea.
...To be fair, I'd already checked it this morning.
But it was fun, okay?
I could look at it a hundred times and never get tired of it.
As a former fighter, there weren't many things more enjoyable than admiring my own growth.
Anyway.
I lifted my gaze.
Gender — Female
Height: 151 cm
Pride: -14 cm
Strength: 28
Stamina: 23
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 7
Charm: 18
Technique: 10
My lovely stats greeted me.
“My height keeps increasing, and my stats keep climbing...”
I finally understood why some people played games purely to watch numbers go up.
Seeing visible proof of growth felt good.
Maybe I was taking it too far.
But think about it seriously.
People got excited watching a game character grow stronger, didn't they?
Now imagine those numbers represented your actual self.
How could you possibly get bored of that?
Honestly, the weird people were the ones who stayed indifferent.
And if even that started feeling dull?
If it somehow wasn't enough?
Flick!
Then all I had to do was scroll down a little farther.
Traits
• Double Basic Attacks
• Wind Blade Every 20 Consecutive Hits
• Recover 2% Health and Stamina on Hit
• All Weapon Proficiency +20%
• All Elemental Resistance +15%
• Spear Throwing Power ×3
• Equipment Durability ×3
• Affinity +30%
• Elf's Insight (Persuasion and Charm +30%)
• Once Per Day, Triple One Stat for 1 Minute
• Recovery Speed of Touched Target +50%
• Attacks Reach 20% Farther Than They Appear
• +1 Stat Point Every Time You Age
The long list of traits felt like an entire army standing behind me.
Gather grains of sand, and eventually you build a mountain.
There had never been a situation more fitting for that saying.
Individually, some of these traits might not seem extraordinary.
But if one person possessed all of them?
That changed everything.
Especially since I'd deliberately chosen traits that could synergize with each other.
The destructive potential in actual combat was probably beyond imagination.
There were a few odd ones that didn't really fit, like the healing trait.
“Hehe...”
Still, that particular trait had already saved Eden and Master.
I'd gotten more than enough value from it.
And honestly, it was stronger than I'd expected.
I'd probably keep finding uses for it in the future.
When that warlord brought an army here before, I'd gotten scared enough to become unusually cautious.
But...
“Honestly, at this point...”
Unless I was facing a real knight, a Cyclops, or a mage...
Beating me wouldn't be easy.
Maybe I didn't need to be so nervous anymore.
“...”
And whenever confidence started filling my head...
As always, my imagination took off on its own.
A force beyond my control.
Just like Ezekiel entering his early chuunibyou phase.
Just like Bungbungi catching commander syndrome.
I couldn't resist it.
Truthfully, I'd been doing this for years.
Imagining myself using all these abilities to dominate battlefields.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before long, a banner bearing the Black Lion emblem entered my vision.
“WOOOOOOO!”
The roar of a massive army followed.
“Descendants of Bellark! I am Sera Bellark-Lucester, vassal of Eden von Bellark and disciple of Rekun Lucester! Obey my command!”
“WOOOOOOO!”
“Enemies ahead! Five guarding the front line! Good, I'll personally take the vanguard!”
I charged forward atop a warhorse worth an entire mansion.
Double basic attack.
Immediate opening strike.
Bzzzt!
Two lightning-fast thrusts.
Then a ten-hit combo.
“Die!”
Boom!
One wind blade.
An entire pack of monsters went flying.
Hundreds of enemies surrounded me.
But—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every successful hit restored health and stamina.
I fought nonstop without breaking a sweat.
Every weapon proficiency increased by twenty percent.
Sword.
Axe.
Mace.
Bow.
Didn't matter.
I mastered whatever I touched.
“My lady! The Dragon Legion is overwhelming our forces!”
My lady?
Who was that?
Did I finally have subordinates?
I'd really made it!
“My lady, leave your rear to me!”
Oh.
It was Bungbungi.
Right.
You can carry my luggage or something.
“Your spear, my lady!”
“Damn you, Bungbungi!”
“My lady, why are you insulting me all of a sudden?”
No reason.
Just felt like it.
You annoyed me often enough.
Anyway.
Since I had the spear now—
Whoosh!
Triple spear throwing power.
Crunch!
A dragon plummeted from the sky after suffering a critical hit.
Everyone around me erupted into chaos.
I didn't even turn around.
“Hmph.”
I coolly pretended nothing had happened.
The dragon dropped a treasure chest upon death.
“Hup!”
Elf's Insight activated.
Thirty percent Persuasion.
Thirty percent Affinity.
“Commander! The spoils—!”
The soldiers immediately backed away.
“Please loot me!”
The treasure chest opened itself and knelt.
Wait.
Was that chest actually a mimic?
“Gaaah! My lady!”
If useless Bungbungi and some expendable troops got injured?
Simple.
One touch.
Recovery speed increased by fifty percent.
Problem solved.
But the enemy numbers were overwhelming.
Which meant it was time for my ultimate technique.
Triple Stat Booster!
Intelligence 5 → 15!
Strategies flooded my brain.
The battlefield transformed into a giant chessboard.
“Go!”
No longer a knight.
Now a commander.
Under my leadership, enemies collapsed in waves.
Monsters fell by the hundreds.
...
And then reality returned.
“...This is why I can't stop checking my status window.”
The corners of my mouth kept twitching upward.
The sunlight was warm.
My fantasies were entertaining.
Peace filled the pondside once again.
This was life.
The joys and sorrows of medieval living.
Honestly, Eden probably didn't need to worry too much about the future.
I couldn't promise to restore Bellark to greatness.
But supporting one lord comfortably?
That much I could definitely manage.
“...Phew.”
Once my excitement settled, seven stone statues standing beside the pond came into view.
One old knight.
Six children.
Rekun and his disciples.
A plaque beneath them proudly read:
"Sir Rekun and His Disciples."
Just who had carved such artwork in a poor territory like this?
The answer was obvious.
The lord of this land himself.
Eden von Bellark.
“Was Eden a sculptor in his previous life or something?”
The detail was incredible.
From head to toe, every feature had been perfectly captured.
The statues looked alive.
Even professional craftsmen would struggle to create something this impressive.
“And I don't think he ever learned how to do this.”
His talent really was ridiculous.
And that wasn't all.
The weapon dolls I regularly received.
The teddy bear Anna played with.
Eden made all of them himself.
Apparently he'd started by paying craftsmen.
Then developed a desire to create things personally for the people under his care.
The absurd dedication of our lord didn't stop there.
This pond itself had been dug by Eden's own hands.
Every day after work, he spent a little time expanding it.
Year after year.
Until it was finally completed last year.
Though handmade, it looked completely natural.
Not particularly large.
But beautifully maintained.
Quite charming, actually.
Eden was so kind that people overlooked it.
But he was genuinely capable.
And his execution was remarkable.
Then again...
Why had he built this pond in the first place?
“This isn't a waste of time.”
I vaguely remembered trying to stop him.
“My family plays here. They train here.”
But he'd shaken his head so firmly that I'd eventually given up arguing.
“I just want this place to help them, even a little.”
Even now, I still didn't understand.
Why had he looked so happy?
Why had the lord of a territory willingly covered himself in dirt and mud?
“Most of all, Sera is one of my precious treasures.”
“...”
Damn it.
Do I have some kind of mood disorder?
“...”
Seriously.
Did I ever ask for any of that?
Being too kind was a problem.
I didn't even particularly like ponds.
He'd just become obsessed with the idea on his own.
He already had enough work managing the territory.
Wouldn't resting during his free time make more sense?
Overwork wasn't good for the eyes either.
And with only one functioning eye, fatigue must hit him even harder.
He really needed to take better care of himself.
Honestly, that lord of ours...
“...Urgh.”
We really were completely incompatible.