The Witch's Vessel
The Witch's Vessel
The Duke's laboratory, immediately after Irion's investiture screening.
A woman paces with agitated steps through the laboratory, a place no one can enter without the Duke's permission.
Dry white hair that reaches the floor.
Green eyes that are almost achromatic.
A face covered in deep wrinkles.
Though she has the appearance of an ordinary elderly woman, her sharp features bear a freakish resemblance to Renoa.
The woman gnawed on her thumb nail until blood began to bead.
"Why did something like that pop up...! There was no such variable in my plan!"
It was a grand cause she had labored over for decades.
It had already been 17 years since she had molded the magnificent vessel named Renoa and isolated her in the villa.
It was true that she had neglected the child's upbringing, as she never had any intention of playing the role of a mother in the first place.
She had also been lax in management due to being engrossed in magic research.
However, she blindly believed that no major errors would occur since she had delegated all affairs to her capable eldest son, Cassius.
But then, some slave suddenly appeared. And a slave stronger than the Knight Commander at that.
"I'm certain I told you to report Renoa's every single move in detail, Cassius!"
The woman whipped her head around. Hwiik. Beyond her murderous green eyes, an ominous dark-green haze wavered violently.
Cassius met that razor-sharp gaze head-on, his expression unchanging as he spoke calmly.
"Regrettably, I have already submitted a report regarding the slave."
"You already reported it?"
"You said it didn't matter what happened to a mere slave. You said she might do such things out of boredom since she's been in the mansion her whole life."
The woman's expression froze.
Her eyes blinked silently with a vacant look, as if asking, 'Did I really say that?'
She couldn't remember well, but she felt that if it were her, she might have indeed said that.
Because it really didn't matter what happened to a mere slave.
However, the Irion she faced was not just some slave.
Where in the world is there a slave who beats a Knight Commander?
"Is he a human who does slavery as a hobby, or what?"
At that level, he might be a pervert who volunteered to be a slave.
The woman was thinking thoughts that would have made Irion draw his sword and charge at her, Duke or not.
That was how large the gap in common sense was.
"What should I do...? Should I eliminate him now? But I'm still incomplete. Should I use poison? Assassination? Or use the knights to execute him? Is that the answer after all? But would it even work?"
She wanted to handle it herself, but with this body that was as broken as it could be, it was close to impossible.
In her anxiety, the woman gnawed at her thumb. Before she knew it, a wound opened and drops of blood fell, but she didn't care at all.
That appearance, at a glance, made her look like a madwoman who had lost her mind.
"Is it absolutely necessary to resolve this?"
"Are you really asking that now? To avoid ruining the work, even the smallest variable must be eliminated."
"Once the ritual proceeds in the future, he will eventually become your possession. There seems to be no need to throw away a capable pawn."
The woman's eyes widened as she gained a great realization from Cassius's advice.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"I-I see. Now that I think about it, that's true. Eventually, it'll all be mine, won't it? Whew, I almost did something useless. As expected of my eldest son."
Only then did the woman breathe a sigh of relief. A faint smile bloomed on her lips now that her worries had vanished.
Though the look in Cassius's eyes as he watched her remained the same.
"Since the time for the ritual is not far off, I'll go back to being holed up in the workshop to prepare."
"What about the promise you made previously...?"
"Promise? Ah, the promise to put the Empire into the hands of the Edelheid family? Of course I'll keep it. Don't worry."
"Thank you."
Cassius bowed his head.
"How should I handle Renoa's treatment?"
"Renoa? Hmm, well? As long as there are no problems, shouldn't we just let her do as she pleases? There's not much time left anyway, so she should enjoy her life."
"Understood."
Cassius left the laboratory.
Left alone, the woman, Sercia's gaze turned toward the altar in the center of the lab.
There sat a murky crystal ball swirling with blood-colored energy.
Fingers that had lost their vitality and were shriveled like dry twigs caressed the surface of the crystal ball.
Her hazy green eyes stared through the orb.
Beyond the wavering mist, the image of Renoa sleeping in bed appeared.
"Fufu, my beautiful vessel. I wonder who you take after to be this pretty."
With a sweet voice as if calling out to a loved one, dark-green mana from Sercia's fingertips seeped into the crystal ball.
At the same time, in a private room in the East Wing of the main castle.
Renoa, who was in a deep sleep, had her brow furrowed in pain.
Her eyelids were heavy as if lead weights were hanging from them, and her limbs did not move an inch, as if bound by iron chains.
An illusion of falling into a pitch-black mud pit.
From within that thick darkness, a massive mirror suddenly rose up.
What was reflected in the mirror was Renoa's own face.
However, the Renoa in the mirror was smiling with her lips torn open freakishly.
"My beautiful vessel. Our lovely daughter."
A hand reaching out from the mirror caressed Renoa's face.
A touch as cold and hard as a corpse.
A sensation so eerie it made the hair on her entire body stand on end traveled down her spine.
She tried to turn her head to shake it off, but she couldn't even twitch a finger.
That wasn't the end.
Dozens of bloodless hands emerged from the mirror.
They coiled around Renoa's neck and roughly grabbed her shoulders. They wrapped around her entire body, from her waist to her thighs, without leaving a single gap.
"Ugh, heu-eu......"
On the bed in reality.
Moans leaked incessantly from between Renoa's crushed lips.
Her two hands, turned white, gripped the blanket as if they would tear it.
Her clothes had long been soaked through with the cold sweat pouring from her entire body.
The eternal hell, from which she could neither escape nor wake up, continued.
"Early bird wake up."
I got up as soon as I woke from sleep.
I'm no longer a trainee knight, so there's no morning training, but instead, I've become Renoa's exclusive knight.
The fact that I have to be active from early morning remains unchanged.
Especially in the case where there are no other knights besides me.
At least Sir Zain had taken over the role of Renoa's escort knight, but upon returning to the main house, he was reassigned to other duties.
'In the original work, Gerard would have become Renoa's escort knight at this point.'
Now it's my role, though.
I washed up lightly and put on the official knight's uniform I recently received.
I wore my sword at my waist.
After finishing my preparations, I headed to the annex where Renoa was.
I checked my status window on the way.
======
Status: Renoa's Exclusive Knight
======
I've been upgraded from trainee knight to exclusive knight. Not just any exclusive knight, but Renoa's exclusive knight.
And one more thing.
[Command Refusal Right]
You can refuse any command exactly once. The same command cannot be forced within 24 hours.
The item will be consumed upon use.
This is the random A-grade reward I received for winning the duel against Knight Commander Calben.
It literally means I can refuse the master's command.
'Where should I use this?'
It would be useful if Renoa gave a command like 'Harm yourself, Irion.'
Even so, it's only meaningful for up to 24 hours. Once a day has passed and she gives the command again, I'll have no choice but to obey.
'Can I harm my master if I use this?'
But that's something I can't do because of the contract, not a command.
It feels a bit ambiguous for an A-grade reward. No proper way to utilize it comes to mind.
'Well, if I just keep it, I'm sure there'll be a use for it somewhere.'
Before I knew it, I arrived at the annex.
Just then, Renoa was coming out with Bibi.
"Good morning, Agassi."
"Yeah..."
There's no strength in Renoa's voice. With dark circles under her eyes, she looks tired overall.
"Did you not sleep well?"
"I heard she had a nightmare. I suspect it's because her sleeping environment changed."
"That could be it. She lived in the villa her whole life, after all."
I understand. I also can't sleep well without my original attachment pillow.
Of course, after coming to this other world and sleeping on the ground and on straw, I was completely cured.
'Renoa would be cured too if she just slept outdoors once.'
Tteut-tteut.
This is why growing up too sheltered is no good.
"What is your schedule for today?"
"Well, I'm thinking of going out."
"Is it okay to do that?"
During the three years she lived in the villa, Renoa had never gone out even once.
The visit to the Arena was said to be the first and last time. Even then, it was because Renoa pushed for it.
"They said it's fine as long as I don't go outside the fief. Since I'm at the Duke's estate, it means they can monitor me wherever I go."
"I see."
No wonder I felt hidden presences nearby. They were all for the purpose of monitoring Renoa.
"Understood. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I will escort you."
"Well. I don't know what's even here."
"Please leave the guiding to me."
Bibi stepped forward.
"What do you know about the Duke's fief to be a guide? You were always by my side."
"Because I am a capable maid. Fufu."
Renoa sent her a suspicious look, clearly not trusting her.
It might be a harsh treatment for an exclusive maid who had served Renoa her whole life, but considering Bibi's usual behavior, it's quite rational.
"If Bibi-ssi is unreliable, shall I bring another guide?"
"Forget it. It'll just be uncomfortable having them around. So, is there anywhere to go?"
"I happen to know a place that Agassi might like."
"Where is it?"
Bibi kept her eyes the same while only curling up the corners of her mouth.
"The Arena."
"Bibi-ssi, you don't know anything. Agassi hates such barbaric and vulgar things. Right?"
"......"
"Agassi?"
I looked at Renoa, but she subtly avoided my gaze and muttered.
"...Maybe I'll stop by for a bit."
I really don't want to go.
I have a clear feeling that if we go, I'll be the only one suffering.
"Today's daily gladiator! The country bumpkin from the underground arena of the remote Alderin, Iriooon!"
Ah, seriously.