The Promise
A few days had passed since our return to the Duke's Castle.
Rebecca had temporarily stepped away to bring Leona over, while Cacciola was spending dense, grueling days under the merciless instruction of Muriel—a fellow practitioner of the shadow arts—struggling to adapt to life in the fortress.
In the meantime, I had been diligently carrying out an essential, non-negotiable daily routine: an indispensable ritual to soothe a fatigue-soaked body, steady the soul, and fortify the spirit.
The steps of said ritual were as follows:
First, lie down and roll around all day with everything I had.
Second, pour hard liquor down my gullet at every given opportunity.
Third, puff out clouds of cigarette smoke while sneering at the workings of the world and my own absurd, wretched plight.
"Pheeew..."
There truly was no place like home.
A dungeon raid expedition? Looking back now, I had no clue why I had even bothered. If I had just slapped the Holy Guardian Fortress around Rebecca's neck and told her to clear the thing herself, wouldn't she have done just fine on her own?
Damn it. To think I was only realizing this now... I clearly had a long way to go before becoming a genuine scoundrel.
...Wait, if I had done that, would Demon King Rubias have marched straight on Terabaon instead?
Yeah, that would have been bad.
Still undergoing post-war reconstruction, Terabaon never would have survived that.
Besides, I wouldn't have grown close to Vivian either... In hindsight, maybe that expedition was the best move after all. A blessing in disguise, as they say.
"...Master Alzen. Wouldn't you care for a walk outside?"
"Huh? Hnng... mmm... heheheh."
Gulp!
Brushing off Muriel's nagging with vague mumblings, I tilted the liquor bottle back, waved my hand with a goofy grin, and leaned back.
"Haaah..."
Gazing down at me with pity in her eyes, she let out a low sigh, finished straightening the bedding, and promptly planted her hips right beside me.
As her supple thighs pressed snugly against mine, their soft, squishy contour was unmistakable even through our clothes.
"Master Alzen. Even so, you have been drinking far too much these past few days. I am worried."
"Ayy~ I'm fine. Don't let the looks fool you, I'm a mana user, remember? A little booze is nothing."
"......"
Giving me a reproachful glare, she reached over to the table and picked up a slice of fruit.
"Then please, do not drink on an empty stomach. Have some of this as well."
"I'll eat when I feel like it."
"Master Alzen. Please."
Pressing herself even closer, she pushed her ample chest against me and gazed up with imploring eyes. The sheer destructive power was staggering.
Even when I had no intention of doing anything, my body reacted on its own, which felt thoroughly unfair... Worse yet, she knew precisely how gorgeous she was, which only compounded the problem.
"You know, you weaponize that face and body of yours every chance you get. Looking at how you act, you seem less like a Shadow Knight and more like some enchantress."
"Is that so? I had no idea."
"......"
"Will you not eat it?"
If I kept digging my heels in, she would probably force the fruit down my throat with brute strength.
Being weak was truly a crime.
"Sigh..."
When I took the fruit into my mouth and began chewing, a small smile graced her lips, and she snuggled even closer.
"Back off a little. It's hot."
"I refuse."
"...Well, if you refuse, nothing I can do."
Lacking the strength or authority to shove her away, I simply decided to stop thinking.
Honestly speaking, when a breathtaking beauty threw herself at you with sheer affection, not even a liar with their lips torn could say they hated it.
If only this body belonged to Kang Han-gil instead of Stanasila Alzen, it would have been even better.
"Whew..."
"Brotherrrr!"
"Holyfuckwhatthe—!"
Vivian popped out of thin air right in front of me, throwing both arms high into the air like a red panda. The sheer shock sent me into near-convulsions.
My startled yelp was so compressed that Holy fuck, what the hell, I thought my heart was going to tear open! came out as a mangled screech. Clutched over my chest, I gasped for breath.
"Wh-what the hell? Where did you spring out from?"
"Ehehe! Were you surprised? You didn't notice, did you?"
"Not in my wildest dreams. Don't do that, it's terrible for the heart. Unless you want to see your brother die an early death in his prime."
I offered the earnest warning, but it bounced right off Vivian.
Instead, she looked at me with a face full of mischief, flashing a wicked grin as if already plotting her next prank.
"No, seriously... how did you pull that off? Did you use magic?"
"Yep! I cast a spell to muffle sound and another to erase my presence, then snuck right up on you."
"Oho... You can cast spells like that already?"
"Of course! Don't underestimate me! Believe it or not, I'm a 7th-Circle Mage!"
"A 7th-Circle..."
Considering her age, it was a terrifying achievement.
Indeed, she truly was the once-in-a-century genius certified by Origin World.
"Still, the more I think about it, the more amazing it is. To mask your approach even from Muriel's senses... Vivian, aren't you cut out to be an assassin more than Cacciola is?"
"Master Alzen. I was aware of Lady Vivian from the very beginning."
"...?"
When I turned to look at her in utter bewilderment, Muriel offered a sly smile and shot Vivian a flirtatious wink.
"I merely stayed quiet because Lady Vivian gave me a signal."
"...Seriously? Nobody's on my side here. A guy can't even catch a break in his own room."
"Hehe. Don't worry, Brother! I'll always be on your side, forever and ever!"
"Have you already forgotten that your frail brother's heart nearly ruptured because of you just two seconds ago?"
Patting her head, I downed another swig of liquor and popped a slice of fruit into her tiny mouth.
"Nom, nom..."
"So, Vivian. What brings you here?"
"Ah! That's right!"
Her eyes went wide in sudden realization. Reaching under the table, she pulled out a sword.
It was the relic retrieved from grave-robbing the unbreakable Royal Tomb in the dungeon.
After an appraisal back at the Duke's Castle, it had been identified as a weapon practically indistinguishable from an artifact, plastered with all sorts of enchantments: enhanced durability, increased sharpness, heightened mana fluidity... and so on.
...Why on earth had that been under the table, though?
Had she stashed it there before pulling her little jumpscare?
"Hup!"
Drawing the blade in a single motion, she thrust it vigorously toward the ceiling.
"Brother! I... whoa, whoaaaa?!"
Whatever solemn declaration Vivian was about to make was completely derailed as the blade—far too long and heavy for her small frame—threw her off balance.
And that very edge was hurtling straight down toward my neck.
Lounging half-reclined against the sofa, the sheer absurdity of the scene paralyzed me; I could only stare blankly as the steel plunged down.
Claaang!
In the nick of time, Muriel's dagger darted in, deflecting the sword away.
"That is dangerous, Lady Vivian."
"Ehehe... I'm sorry. It was a lot heavier than I expected."
"......"
While the atmosphere between Muriel and Vivian remained bright and cheerful, my jaw hung open in pure disbelief.
"Did you come here to assassinate me or something?"
"Huh?"
Lacking even the slightest awareness that she had nearly decapitated me, Vivian tilted her head with innocent, wide eyes.
"Never mind... forget it. So what does that sword have to do with why you came looking for me?"
"Well, ahem... Brother, you promised, didn't you? That, um..."
Blushing shyly, she lowered her head, though her eyes shone brightly with eager anticipation.
"A promise? What kind of... Ah."
It hit me.
Right. I had promised to arrange swordsmanship lessons for her.
"You came because you want to learn swordsmanship."
"Yes! Hehehe..."
"Swordsmanship? Are you saying you intend to teach her, Master Alzen?"
Muriel, who had been listening by my side, tilted her head in confusion.
I took another sip of liquor and looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"There's no way in hell I could teach swordsmanship. You were there, you heard everything, so why ask that?"
"I never witnessed any promise between you and Lady Vivian, Master Alzen."
"Wait, really?"
"Brother, back then, Muriel was holding Sister Weller down in her room because she was so mad."
"...Aha. That's right."
Recalling the memory at last, I casually pushed myself up.
"Then let's go see Father. I'll ask him to teach you."
"Yay!"
Seeing her come all the way here just to ask made it clear she was dead serious about learning the blade.
Patting the head of the little girl bouncing with joy, I stepped out of the room—doing my best to ignore Muriel's piercing gaze boring into the side of my head.
BAM!
"O Father, Master of the great Ducal House of Stanasila and the mightiest swordsman on the continent! Your proud, illustrious son has arrived! Show your face!"
I kicked the office doors wide open, but the only thing greeting us was an empty desk.
"What gives? Where'd the old man go?"
Frowning, I stared at the mountain of paperwork piled high on the mahogany surface.
He wasn't the type to slack off... Did some kind of emergency break out?
"Hey, you over there. Do you know where Father went?"
Catching a butler who happened to be passing by the office, I called out. The man began trembling so violently that my brow furrowed, barely managing to squeeze words past his teeth.
Wondering why he was so terrified, I sifted through Stanasila Alzen's memories, only to discover this butler had suffered a brutal beating at his hands in the past.
"H-His Grace... I believe he headed down to the Underground Training Ground for practice."
"Is that so? Hmm..."
After staring at him for a moment, I gave a nod and waved my hand dismissively.
"Got it. You can go."
"Y-Yes, my lord."
Bowing so low it bordered on groveling, he scrambled away as if fleeing for his life.
No particular emotion stirred within me.
From the moment I possessed the body of Stanasila Alzen, dealing with this kind of fallout was simply part of the bargain.
"...Master Alzen. Could it be that you refuse to leave your room because situations like that make you uncomfortable?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
Letting out a light snort, I tapped the head of Vivian, who was looking up at me tentatively, and moved along.
Finding the Underground Training Ground wasn't difficult at all.
There were no security wards or guards posted; one simply had to follow the stairs down until reaching a massive, unlocked set of double doors.
It was just that the Duke's Castle was so vast and sprawling that the walk took some time.
"Duke, sir. Your son has come to see your face."
In the middle of the vast, desolate expanse of stone, Stanasila Urtega stood quietly examining the flat of his blade, held upright before him. At my call, he turned his head slowly.
"For you to seek out this place... a rare sight indeed."
"I'm not the one with business here."
When I gave Vivian's small back a gentle shove forward, she gasped, pulling her sword tight against her chest as her shoulders hunched.
"G-Greetings, Duke Urtega...!"
Seeing her pay such rigid, formal respects made me scowl.
In truth, I knew full well that I was the abnormal one and she was the normal one here.
Still, did family really have to act like this? I could never get used to this damn aristocratic culture.
Not that I ever intended to adapt to it in the first place.
"What is the matter?"
"Well, um..."
"Teach Vivian some swordsmanship, would you?"
"Swordsmanship? Hmm..."
After gazing down at Vivian for a brief moment, Urtega shook his head.
"If that is what you seek, go ask Berga."
"Ah... yes, sir..."
As his attention returned to his sword, Vivian's head drooped in dejection.
Patting the youngest's shoulder as if telling her not to fret, I swallowed another mouthful of alcohol and spoke in a deliberate, provocative drawl.
"Father. Seeing you train with such dedication is truly a magnificent sight. Did losing to the Demon King sting that badly?"
"......"
"Seems to me it's about time you let go of your obsession with strength, but my, oh my... Ah, but that aside, Father. Let me ask you something else."
A sly smirk stretched across my lips.
"If I told you that Vivian has the potential to surpass you—and within ten years at that—would you believe me?"
"......"
Only then did Urtega tear his eyes away from his blade and turn to look at me.