The Most Desirable Q&A
In the dark room, I found myself staring at a middle-aged man who had just introduced himself as the Sword Saint Ileya. It was almost impossible to believe I’d met him this early, yet his face matched the illustrations perfectly. There was no doubt—this was the man I remembered.
He spoke first. “I know it must be confusing, being suddenly summoned here like this. I didn’t want to meet you in such a kidnapping-like manner either.”
Ileya took a step closer as he continued. “But my position is what it is. I simply didn’t have time otherwise. In the end, I had no choice but to have my adjutant bring you here through a spatial teleportation spell.”
Spatial teleportation spell.
The moment that technique left his lips, the bewilderment on my face began shifting into understanding. If it was the spatial teleportation spell used by Ileya’s adjutant Gram, then snatching someone away in an instant was entirely possible.
“Hmm. You seem to know something about it. Are you familiar with the spatial teleportation spell?”
The Sword Saint before me was one of those enlightened masters who could read a person’s emotions from the slightest change in expression. Showing my feelings too openly would let him see right through me. Keeping that in mind, I nodded with a tense look.
“…Yes. I already know about it.”
“Hmm. A commoner who knows even my adjutant’s technique. How exactly did you learn it?”
“…I heard about it from Senior Professor Elena.”
“…That young Archmage? Well, with your level of talent, she would have needed to prepare quite thoroughly. It seems she’s taught you information on all the key figures.”
Of course, Elena had never told me any of this. I’d simply thrown my master’s name out there to give my knowledge of the spell some plausibility. And it worked perfectly on Ileya. The sharp glint in his eyes softened almost immediately.
He sat down in a nearby leather chair and said, “For now, take a seat. This might be a rather long conversation.”
I followed his gesture with my eyes. Across the table stood a luxurious chair that definitely hadn’t been there a moment ago. It had appeared in an instant, along with the table itself.
“Yes, sir.”
Then again, this was the Sword Saint Ileya. Nothing that happened around him could be considered strange. He possessed genius talent not only in swordsmanship but in magic formulas as well.
Once I sat down, the corners of Ileya’s mouth lifted. “Good. Enough with the formalities—let’s get straight to the main topic. Do you have feelings for my daughter?”
A rather direct opening question. Still, I calmly met Ileya’s eyes. Hesitating or looking away might make him think I was lying, so I stared straight at him and answered with clear, precise pronunciation.
“I have never dared to desire such a thing.”
Never dared to desire. Simply saying “no” might have sounded arrogant to him, so I lowered myself while phrasing the refusal indirectly.
“…Is that so? I see. Then let me ask this—what would you do if I gave you permission to court my daughter? From what I can tell, she seems to have taken quite a liking to you.”
The second question. If the Sword Saint approved, would I be willing to date Enya? I laughed inwardly. I had already seen through the fact that this, too, was a test.
“Even so, it would be a relationship beyond my station. Above all, I don’t wish to cause any harm to Lady Enya.”
Once again, I gave the perfect answer. Ileya looked at me with intrigued eyes and spoke.
“I’d like a more detailed response. You say you don’t want to harm my daughter?”
“…I have never once been ashamed of my surname. However, for a Fix to stand beside a Cruel would only lower the Cruel family’s dignity. A small number of nobles who know me and acknowledge my ability might overlook it, but in the end, most nobles will judge everything by the surname attached to my name. I cannot tolerate Lady Enya being called ‘Fix’s woman.’”
“…….”
Ileya stared at me with a dazed expression as he listened. He was genuinely surprised. How could a commoner understand the ecosystem of nobility so thoroughly?
At this point, there was no need for clumsy tests or roundabout words. This commoner seemed like someone he could actually talk to.
“Then let me ask you one more thing. Why do you think I came to see you?”
He wanted to test me one last time. Could this extraordinary boy even see through the reason for his visit?
I opened my mouth. “You came to assess my worth.”
“…….”
“Duke Cruel personally came to evaluate me. If I hadn’t seemed valuable, he wouldn’t have spared me a glance. Since I’ve become Lady Enya’s friend, I believe you came to determine exactly how much I might be worth.”
“…….”
Ileya quietly stroked his chin. He had thought the boy was unusual after reading the reports, but he never imagined his judgment and worldly wisdom would be this outstanding. To think a mere eighteen-year-old boy displayed the seasoned political acumen of a ninth-stage veteran. In many ways, he was a truly tempting talent.
“Correct. I came because I wanted to see and judge you for myself. Now that I have, I find you even more impressive.”
“…….”
“Then try guessing this as well—how highly do you think I value you?”
Ileya was curious. He wanted to know how this boy evaluated his own worth.
I answered, “I’m sorry, but I would prefer it if Your Grace told me that yourself.”
My response was unexpected. It was a deliberate pass of the baton—what people might crudely call a “preemptive strike.” I began explaining my reasoning.
“I was suddenly brought here and subjected to Your Grace’s test. And just now, all of Your Grace’s questions meant to judge my value have concluded. Therefore, I believe it is now my turn to hear the answer. Please evaluate my worth.”
“…….”
Ileya stroked his chin again. It was a logical argument that left him with nothing to say. In other words: I answered every question you threw at me even after being kidnapped, so isn’t it your turn to answer now?
In the end, Ileya stated the value he saw in me.
“…A person loved by the future head of the Cruel family, and someone who will serve as both strategist and advisor to lead the Cruel household. That is how far I am looking.”
In other words, he saw me as someone who received Enya’s love and was willing to entrust me with a central role in guiding the Cruel family alongside her. For a commoner, this was the highest honor and greatest treatment Ileya could possibly offer.
But my thoughts were different.
“A loved one who also serves as strategist and advisor. In other words, you mean I would become Lady Enya’s male concubine.”
Male concubine. The word for a male mistress. Ileya nodded.
“That’s right. But don’t worry. Enya will hold absolute power. Even if she favors you, no one will dare complain. Not even the ‘Consort King.’”
Consort King. Originally a title used to honor the husband of a queen. However, before the imperial family conquered the continent, the Cruel ducal house had been a kingdom of its own. By custom, the husband of a female archduke was called the Consort King.
“The one placed in the position of Consort King would only be there for an alliance between families. In the end, everything will proceed according to Enya’s will. So once she officially succeeds the title and completes the marriage, no one will object to your relationship with her. I will make sure of it. Ultimately, the ones who will truly run the family will be you and Enya.”
Even if I was a male concubine, I would be the one who monopolized the archduchess’s love and become the de facto operator of the household. This was the value Ileya had assigned me. To him, it was no different from giving me the highest possible score.
“I am honored that you think so highly of me.”
Knowing this full well, I first expressed my gratitude. It was an offer with no merit for me, but from the perspective of a high-ranking noble like Ileya, it was the greatest treatment he could give.
“However, it is not a position that suits me.”
From my perspective, it was no different from selling myself at a bargain price. Becoming nothing more than Enya’s male concubine? I was aiming for a far more distant horizon.
“…And the reason is?”
Even when refusing, one must not disregard the other party’s goodwill. The key was to clearly express my refusal without damaging the Archduke’s dignity.
I continued, watching the bewildered Ileya. “I am a Fix. I make things. That’s why I believe every object must always be used according to its proper purpose—regardless of what value has been assigned to it.”
“…….”
“Because if an object fails to fulfill its function, it ultimately loses its essence. And an object that has lost its essence can only be discarded once its usefulness is exhausted.”
Using an object as a metaphor, I gently declined Ileya’s proposal. He let out a small chuckle.
“Then what is that object’s purpose? I offered my highest price, yet I’m curious where this object is meant to be used.”
“…You will have to wait and see. It is still in the middle of being hammered. It hasn’t even been tempered yet.”
It hasn’t even been tempered yet. At those words, the Archduke of Cruel’s shoulders began to shake. Then he burst into hearty laughter.
“Kwa ha ha ha ha! Yes! The object isn’t even finished yet! It seems I came to see it far too early. How ridiculous it is to haggle over an unfinished product!”
Ileya rose from his seat as he spoke. A deep smile had spread across his face.
“I showed an unsightly side. I ended up disturbing a blacksmith who is still in the middle of hammering. But remember this—one of the empire’s four ducal houses, the Cruel family, was the first to recognize your worth.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“…Yes. It was nice meeting you. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a conversation this much.”
“It was an honor for me as well.”
After hearing my reply, Ileya nodded and turned away. Just before leaving this virtual space, he glanced back at me one last time.
“The relationship between you and Enya—I will leave it entirely to your judgment. My daughter is more lovable than anyone and possesses the greatest talent… but she lacks the worldly wisdom you have. It would be good if you could help her from the side.”
“Yes. Lady Enya and I are friends, after all.”
“…Friends. I hope those words are sincere. Because even when facing you directly, I still can’t read what’s inside.”
With those final words, Ileya sent me back, telling me to enjoy my lunch. His figure vanished in an instant, and the entire room began to collapse. The virtual space he had created was disappearing.
-Flash!
Suddenly, the scenery around me changed completely. Released from the spatial teleportation spell and illusion magic, I had returned to the academy.
“…This is.”
The fountain. It wasn’t far from where I had been with the others. Thanks to that, my companions nearby quickly spotted me.
“Ed! You suddenly disappeared and scared us!”
Enya came running the moment she saw me. But I felt a sense of incongruity at her reaction. The conversation with Ileya had felt like at least forty minutes, yet Enya’s response seemed far too mild. If I had truly been gone without a word for forty minutes, she should have been angry.
“Hey, Enya. How long was I gone?”
She splashed water from the fountain onto her neck and arms as she answered.
“…Well, about five minutes?”
“…Five minutes.”
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“…No reason.”
I answered that way while thinking about Ileya. To compress forty minutes of perceived time into just five—the man truly deserved to be called the empire’s strongest magic swordsman. What a mysterious ability.
“More importantly, where are we eating?”
At that moment, Isabella appeared with a dreamy expression and asked the question. She had just finished ‘emotion predation’ and still looked somewhat dazed.
I replied, “How about the academy cafeteria? The menu actually comes out pretty good.”
Since the Imperial Academy was the empire’s finest training facility, even the cafeteria food was excellent. Moreover, since our group had received S-class, we could eat the most delicious options, so the side dishes were truly outstanding. It just couldn’t compare to the quality of a ducal house’s private chefs.
“Well, the cafeteria isn’t bad.”
“Commoner… if that’s what you want… then I… well…”
“Let’s go. There won’t be any seats left.”
Having reached a reasonable compromise, our group headed to the student cafeteria. After receiving our trays, we sat down in the order of Isabella, me, Enya, and Claire, and began eating.
-Whooooosh—.
Even while eating with a blank face, Isabella was sending a breeze of cold air toward me to cool me down. It was her own way of appealing to me—since she believed anything she liked must be claimed.
Wait, this is actually pretty nice…?
As I cooled off under Isabella’s makeshift fan, another thought crossed my mind. It was about the ‘Equipment Evaluation Meeting’ that would take place in a week. To maintain my status as an academy cadet, I had to pass it without fail. What if I created a device that could generate this kind of refreshing breeze?
In other words, I would teach these ignorant medieval people the greatness of Willis Haviland Carrier, the inventor of the air conditioner.
“Commoner, it feels cool, right? Come visit our territory sometime. Unlike here, the Graham family’s north wind is really refreshing.”
Listening to Isabella’s words, I thought to myself that there was no need for that. I would create the Graham family’s north wind with my own power.