The First Stepping Stone
Terminally ill. As anyone knows, it means having very little time left to live. I had told Franche an utterly ridiculous lie. A lie that, despite being terminally ill, I could delay the inevitable using magic, drawing upon a Sword Master's life force. Kazar would know. She would know this was complete and utter bullshit.
"A terminally ill Sword Master? Does that even make sense?" That was exactly why she was reacting like this.
"He said it was a wound inflicted by a mage during the war," Franche explained. "He said if a mage doesn't constantly look after him, his condition will worsen."
Kazar's face contorted as she looked back and forth between Franche and me. She was probably wondering what kind of absolute nonsense we were spouting.
Generally speaking, someone who has awakened the power of Aura and reached the level of a Sword Master does not easily fall ill. It didn't matter if it was a curse or magic. As long as they could endure the lingering pain, their body could resist it. On top of that, Jin Barenberg was the strongest among all Sword Masters. Unless a Transcendental Mage from the game's lore or a mythical dragon showed up to blast him with Dragon Tongue, such a condition was absolutely impossible.
"...There's actually a disease like that?" Even after Franche's explanation, Kazar still looked utterly baffled.
I glared at Kazar, trying to send her a silent signal. Kazar merely responded with a bizarre, unreadable expression. She clearly hadn't understood my look.
If she says the wrong thing, this is going to get incredibly complicated. The mere thought of having to spin a web of excuses made my head spin. At this point, I had no choice but to pray she would catch on...
Kazar kept casting sidelong glances at me, her eyes practically screaming, What on earth is going on here? She had clearly realized something was off. I desperately tried to convey my true thoughts through my eyes, subtly shaking my head.
When Kazar remained silent, Franche tilted her head. "Is it a disease you've never heard of, even after all your years of research?"
"Ah, n-no? I think I might have heard of it...?" It was terrible acting—honestly, she would have been better off not trying at all. But at least she had understood my signal. She must have realized I wouldn't make up a joke like this.
"Do you happen to know of a cure?"
"Uh... cases like that are extremely rare, so..."
"So you don't know how to cure it completely?"
"I suppose so?" Franche pouted, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. Seeing her like that made me feel strangely guilty. It felt like I was running my own personal Truman Show.
"But why did the topic of him being terminally ill come up in the first place?" Kazar asked Franche, casting another glance in my direction.
"Jin told me that I would have to run the business by myself in the future. When I asked him why, he said he might not be in this world much longer..."
Kazar was now the very definition of bewildered. She was probably wondering what kind of bizarre drama she had just walked into. Out of nowhere, she was told a Sword Master was terminally ill, Franche actually believed it, and she was forced to play along.
"I-I see. I'll... look into a cure on my own then...?"
"I would be so grateful. I really owe you so much, in so many ways."
"No, not at all! It's only natural that I should help! It's thanks to you, Lady Franche, that I've been able to focus on my research!" Fortunately, the tense atmosphere melted into a warm, friendly one. For a second, I had wondered how this would end, but Kazar turned out to be surprisingly quick-witted. Seizing the moment, I stepped in.
"My Lady. It is about time we head back."
"Oh? Is it that late already?"
"We also need to discuss our future plans."
"Very well, let us return." Franche rose from her seat, but just as we were about to leave, Kazar called out, "Wait!"
"What is it?"
"Uh, I need to speak with your bodyguard for a moment."
"Is it about his treatment?"
"Yes. Since he mentioned it can be delayed with magic, I need to look into it."
"Alright, I leave it to you." Franche opened the door, then paused to look back. "I'll see you later, Jin. Make sure to listen to her."
"Yes, My Lady. I apologize for not being able to escort you back today."
"There is no need to apologize. Your treatment comes first." Sigh. Every time she said things like that, guilt pierced my chest.
"Please take care on your way back." Franche gave a bright smile and departed. With that, Kazar and I were left alone in the quiet house...
"Terminally ill? What kind of absolute bullshit is that?"
"That's just how things turned out..." Kazar's face crumpled like a piece of scrap paper.
"'That's just how things turned out'? Are you serious? I've never in my life heard of a terminally ill Sword Master. And because of a magic spell, no less? It makes absolutely no sense. Unless you were attacked by a mythical dragon or something." Oh. My prediction was spot on. So it was possible if a dragon was involved.
"There are complicated circumstances behind this. It's a long story..."
"Is it something you can't even tell me?"
"Yes. In fact, it's something I can't tell anyone." How could I possibly explain it? That my soul from another world had transmigrated into the body of Jin, who shared some mysterious, inexplicable connection with Franche, and that every time I felt something for her, my ego was slowly being swallowed by his.
"Well, everyone has secrets they want to keep, so I won't pry. But what are you going to do? If the Lady's magic level rises any higher than this, she's bound to find out." Ah, she had a point. No matter how ignorant Franche might be about the world, once she gained the ability to perceive mana, she would inevitably notice something was off.
"I'll handle that when the time comes. Until then, you just need to play along."
"By pretending that I'm treating you with magic?"
"Yes. Tell her the affliction I have is a wound inflicted by a Transcendental Mage, and that there is no known cure."
"Ugh. I really hate lying."
"It can't be helped. I have my reasons. Oh, and the part about me dying is actually true." Though, to be precise, it was my ego that would die.
"...So you really are terminally ill?"
"It's a bit complicated. There's a condition."
"A condition? You mean there's a specific trigger for the symptoms?"
"Yes. That's why I'll have to leave this place eventually." Kazar furrowed her brow and tapped her lips. She seemed to be trying to deduce the nature of my "illness."
"Hmm. I've never heard of an illness with a specific trigger condition. And here I thought I had researched every kind of magic and alchemy in existence." Trust me, I was shocked too. Out of nowhere, an indescribable headache would hit me, and I'd start hearing Jin's voice. It was utterly bizarre. Sometimes, a personality I didn't even recognize would surface. In fact, I felt like my own personality had subtly changed.
"Anyway, that's how it is, so just keep up the act."
"Mmm. I feel like the Lady is going to see right through me eventually."
"I'll deal with it when the time comes, so don't worry."
"Alright, I get it. I don't know what's really going on, but I'll play along." She wasn't going to pry any further. She certainly knew how to draw the line between personal and professional matters.
"Good. Tell her that there are remnants of magic left behind by an Archmage inside me."
"Understood. Though I don't know how long we can keep this up." Now, onto the next order of business. This was the real reason I had come here.
"Kazar. Actually, I have one more favor to ask."
"What is it this time?"
"Help me with some construction work tomorrow."
"...Construction work?" Kazar's face twisted in sheer disgust. "You want me to do construction labor? That's work for low-level mages. I find this highly offensive." Are mages who use telekinesis considered low-level mages here? Is it like comparing a regular knight to a Sword Master?
"It's absolutely necessary for the business. I'll speak with Lady Franche and make sure she grants you one wish, so please, just this once." Kazar shook her head, her face still scrunched up in disapproval. She clearly had a lot of pride as a mage.
"Whew, fine. But in return, you must absolutely grant me a favor of my own."
"Depending on what it is. I can't agree if it's something impossible."
"I have enough common sense to know that much."
"What is this favor? Let me hear it first." Since it was Kazar asking, it was bound to be related to magic.
"To be honest, my current research requires a massive amount of mana. I've been trying to get my hands on some Magic Stones, but absolutely nowhere sells them." Ah, I see. There was no demand for Magic Stones. Mages were rare in this world, and without the ability to manipulate mana, Magic Stones were practically useless, making them worthless to the general public.
"So you want me to get them for you?"
"Exactly."
"That's easy enough."
"Really? Do you even know where to find Magic Stones?"
"I do."
"...You know where they are?" In the game, Magic Stones were essential. They were used to supplement Somire's lack of mana in the early stages. Because they were so difficult to obtain, players had to mine them directly. Besides, I was already planning to build a business around them. Since it was something I had to do eventually, I might as well move up the schedule.
"Leave that to me. However, it might take some time."
"Oh, I don't mind that. It would have taken me forever just to locate them anyway."
"Then we have a deal. Put that research on hold for now and focus on other projects."
"Will do. But you have to bring back a lot of Magic Stones, okay?"
"That won't be an issue, so don't worry. Just make sure you do a proper job helping me tomorrow." Kazar nodded, looking satisfied.
"Great. It's a deal then." Calling it a contract was a bit of a stretch. It was just a minor promise.
"Then come to District 13 of the Duchy tomorrow. Do you need a carriage?"
"No. I'll go on my own. It'll be a good chance to test the flight magic I recently developed." Oh, she had already mastered flight magic? She was in a far higher league than I thought. Comparing her to low-level mages who could only use basic telekinesis was practically an insult.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. I'll take my leave."
"Take care." If Kazar had already reached such a level... fortunately, it seemed like things would go smoothly from here on out.
The next day. I left the ducal mansion early to prepare for the day's work. Perhaps because Franche had received the Duke's permission for her business, the others didn't pay much attention. I had expected Line, if not Eden, to find fault with it. They were probably anticipating the business's failure and waiting for the right moment to strike.
Well, that's never going to happen, so it doesn't matter. I brushed the thought aside.
"My Lady. You have no scheduled events today."
"What? What about my magic studies?"
"You are to rest until the imperial banquet."
"Rest? I can do more. I need to achieve as much as I can, even if it's just a little more." You shouldn't rush so much. You have to look at the big picture. This isn't going to end in a day or two.
"As I mentioned before, rest is essential. And please, do not be so impatient. When you rush, you are bound to stumble." Back when I first started YouTube, I was consumed by anxiety and constantly rushed things. Back then, nothing went right, and I only ended up piling on stress. I was speaking from experience.
"Fine, if you say so."
"A wise decision." I chuckled softly and continued, "Would you like to come and see the construction site today?"
"A visit? That doesn't sound bad. I should know how our store is coming along." An excellent attitude for a business owner.
"Then let us depart immediately." We left the mansion and took a carriage straight to the site.
"They're certainly diligent, starting so early in the morning."
"Indeed they are." The workers from the Dogeza Labor Agency were already hard at work. They had started even before we arrived. For people like them, diligence is second nature. Turning my head, I saw Franche staring blankly at the site, looking fascinated.
"My Lady, I will set up a spot for you, so please watch from there." I brought over a parasol and a chair from the area designated as a breakroom. There were plenty of other break areas, so this was fine.
"I will join the work now."
"Alright, I'll watch from here." I approached the construction expert.
"How much progress have we made?"
"Hmm. We're about halfway done. But the remaining work is quite difficult, so it's going to take more time."
"Do not worry about that. I've called a mage, so they should be here shortly." After focusing on the work for a while, a familiar figure came flying in from the distance. It was already lunchtime.
"What took you so long?"
"I overslept."
"I see." Since she was doing me a favor, I couldn't really scold her. Beside, mages were highly valuable.
"So, what am I supposed to do?"
"Exactly what I said: help with the construction."
"With telekinesis?"
"Yes." Kazar hummed, scanning the site.
"Is there a construction manager here?"
"Yes, over there." Kazar strolled over and struck up a conversation with the construction expert, seemingly asking about her tasks.
"Simple enough. Let's get started." Vroooom! A massive surge of mana swirled, distorting the surrounding space as if it were about to shatter. While the low-level mage from the Dogeza Labor Agency could barely lift two pieces of lumber at once, Kazar levitated all the construction materials simultaneously.
"...She really is an incredible mage."
"Of course I am. Who do you think I am?" The construction expert watched in awe.
"...I've never seen anything like this before." Kazar wore a smug, triumphant smile. I turned to the expert.
"With this, how long do you think it will take?"
"We could finish it by the end of the day." What? That fast?
"And that includes the interior work."
"That is excellent news..." At this rate, we would only have the wallpapering left. Perhaps because Kazar was a far greater mage than I had anticipated, the progress was overwhelmingly fast.
"Alright, let's give it our all today!"
"Safety! First! Safety! First!"
As time flew by, even the painting was finished by the time evening rolled around. Franche's Clothing Store was finally complete. Now, the real work begins. I had finally secured my first foothold. All that was left was to run a massive advertisement campaign at the imperial banquet. But nothing crazy is going to happen at the imperial party, right? A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me. If the imperial family was involved, even I wouldn't be able to move freely. I'll just have to pray that nothing weird happens.