Unbelievable Truth
"B-but, Master. Does that mean my false accusation has been cleared now?"
I shot Linea a glance.
"...Sir."
"Not yet."
The day the Rosianne family was wiped out, the empire was in an uproar.
They immediately dispatched inspectors and launched an investigation. I cooperated fully on the spot, laying bare the Rosianne family's crimes.
Even so, I figured there'd be some annoying fallout. But unexpectedly, the investigation wrapped up quickly.
When I asked why, they said the Rosianne family had long been under suspicion for black magic.
'What a load of bullshit. Suspicion, my ass.'
The empire couldn't have been clueless. They just kept them alive because it benefited them. And now that I'd shown up and cleaned house, they tossed them out like yesterday's trash.
"Why not? You said so back then."
Of course, Linea's story came up during the investigation. I explained everything and handed over the evidence.
But getting a definitive result would take time. Black magic was that sensitive an issue.
I barely managed to stop them from dragging her off.
"Stop acting like a kid and wait patiently."
"Eek! Shut... I mean, please don't say that... sir."
"Can't even speak properly."
'Shut the hell up, please'? What kind of nonsense is that?'
"I-It's just... I'm not used to it."
Linea mumbled in a tiny voice. How hard could honorifics be?
I got the "Master" part, but struggling with polite speech was something else.
'She's still young.'
Linea was a first-year at Rozril Academy, where I'd be heading soon. Barely twenty in Korean age.
She wasn't fully socialized yet, and at that hot-blooded age, her pride was sky-high.
"People get used to anything with enough practice. Titles are no different."
"That'll never happen. There's no way I'll ever get used to calling you... Master."
"We'll see about that."
You never know with people. Hell, I never thought they'd skip over the trolls spamming 5,700-character hate comments and possess a good guy like me instead.
Compared to that, getting comfy with a title was a sure bet.
"Anyway, what do you want me to do with magic? You haven't told me."
"Hmm."
I looked around. The place was a disaster.
"First, clean this entire mansion."
"This entire... place...?"
Linea scanned the mansion with trembling eyes.
"A place this huge?"
"Yeah."
This mansion used to be Erde's place. But after she moved, it'd been abandoned for years.
She handed it over to me whole, saying I needed somewhere to stay if I went out on my own. It wasn't a place loaded with our memories, but it was Erde's gift all the same.
Of course I had to maintain it.
"Why are you just standing there?"
"I don't know... how to clean... sir."
"You think a mage whining about not knowing how to clean will fly?"
"But I really don't! Clean spells have limits, sir. And my mana is low too..."
Linea grumbled, shoulders slumping.
"Your mana runs out from Clean spells?"
Then it hit me. At this point in her first year, Linea was mid-tier among the cadets.
I remembered her awakening to magic in her second year and skyrocketing from there. She'd wrecked the world with that rapid progress, sure.
'Guess I need to get Linea some lessons too.'
The official curriculum was out since she was a slave now, unfortunately. But could they really stop illegal tutoring?
Bribe one naive professor to take her on. Easy.
"If you can't do it with magic, use your body."
There were plenty of cleaning tools.
"Don't talk nonsense like that!"
Linea let out a shrill squeak. Was discipline slipping?
"Linea. Seems you've forgotten you're a slave."
I spoke coldly and strode toward her. Grabbing both her cheeks firmly with one hand, I locked eyes with her.
"I put up with your antics a few times, but don't forget your place."
"...I'm sorry, sir."
Linea ground her teeth, swallowing tears. I let go, and she trudged off to find the cleaning tools.
'Should I help?'
This was luxury treatment for a slave. But since I'd be using her forever...
Better to show a little care.
"Not there."
How did she manage to head the exact opposite way?
"Thank you, sir."
Linea, looking glum, spun on her heel. I leaned back in my chair, watching.
She couldn't run thanks to the orders I'd given, so I had time to relax.
'School starts tomorrow, right?'
The second semester began, and I'd take a special exam. To get into the academy—a nobles' playground—as a commoner, no choice.
I had a letter of recommendation, but it only met the qualifications. To enroll, I'd have to prove my skills.
Not worried, though. My abilities made failure unlikely.
'How's she doing?'
As I pondered, Linea crossed my mind. Hope she hadn't caused trouble.
I shot up from the chair and inspected the mansion.
'Oh.'
I ran a hand over the wallpaper. No dust.
Nice. The rooms were spotless too.
She does good work when told. Thought the Rosianne family's pampered princess would be hopeless, but color me surprised.
Finally, I checked the kitchen.
Crash!
"Ah."
Yeah. First time around, no way it'd go perfectly. Should've ditched expectations.
"S-sorry!?"
Linea noticed me, rushed over, and tripped over her own feet.
'Jesus.'
One thing after another.
In every sense.
The day of Rozril Academy's opening ceremony dawned.
"...Master. Please, I beg you. Please..."
Linea had been on her knees since morning. She didn't want to go to the academy.
With the slave seal, she couldn't run anyway. She argued she could just slave away alone in the mansion.
Of course, rejected. I didn't enslave Linea just because I lacked confidence in reforming her.
I did it to use her like a magic artifact. Plus, she might find a way around the seal and off herself.
That'd make me the idiot for not bringing her.
"Linea. I cherish my possessions. Nothing unsavory will happen, like you fear."
First-years crushing on Linea were a dime a dozen. Now she was a slave—a commoner's slave.
Furious guys, hopeful ones thinking 'Maybe me next?', all sorts. And those jealous of her before would be tearing her down.
She must've sensed it, fueling her resistance.
But.
"You're mine. Ignore everyone else."
I yanked her slave collar and growled.
"Serve only me."
"Y-yes... sir..."
Linea's eyes glazed over, her words trailing off.
"You're my personal magic blanket."
Suddenly, Linea's gaze turned icy. What the hell?
Puzzled by the shift, I quickly realized why. The nickname.
She had pride as a mage, after all.
'Gotta rein it in.'
Erde called me her sword blanket or spear blanket nonstop, so it stuck.
Fine if Linea got offended, but saying it at the academy would cause headaches.
"Ugh!"
Linea sighed deeply. She huffed along in short steps, then froze.
"Huh?"
She let out a confused yelp, tried slapping her own cheek, but the seal stopped her.
"...No way. I'd have to be crazy."
Shaking her head, Linea stepped up beside me.
"What are you doing by yourself?"
"Just a weird delusion."
"No, you are a mage. Don't misunderstand me."
"...Not that. Never mind, sir."
"Got it."
I didn't press.
"Follow me, Linea."
"Yes, sir."
She stopped resisting and trailed obediently behind.
'Heads are turning.'
Students heading to school all stared our way.
"Is that really Linea?"
"She actually became a slave...?"
"N-no way...!"
The murmurs grew louder. Just as they started grating—
"You!"
A sharp voice cut through the crowd.
"I don't know what tricks you pulled, but... release Linea right now!"
Long light-green hair. Golden eyes glaring venomously yet somehow warm.
Isana Sibtant, daughter of the Sibtant Duke house. Hands on hips, she looked up at me.
Adorably feisty, but looks deceived. Isana was one of the villainesses who doomed the world in the novel.
One I had to stop at all costs.
"Say something! How a creep like you could... how could you...!"
Isana gathered mana, charging at me.
"What'd I do? I wiped out her family myself and enslaved her myself."
"Unacceptable. A lowly commoner dropping honorifics with me, turning Linea into that...!"
The crowd swelled, but Isana showed no sign of backing down. Time to use force?
As my hand went to my sword hilt—
"Stop it!"
Linea from behind me threw herself at Isana.
Thud crash!
They tumbled, rolling on the ground entangled.
"Please stop, Isana. I'm fine."
"Wh-why are you using honorifics with me...?"
Isana's eyes lost their spark.
