Unique Ability
"...Over there."
"What is it?"
"Could you prepare breakfast for me, please?"
A few months had passed since Frey's trial had concluded.
"You think you're still nobility, huh? Suddenly asking for breakfast after never bothering before."
"...Please."
Confined to his mansion as per the court's verdict, Frey sat at the dining table with a haggard expression, ordering breakfast from the person before him.
"Haa..."
Not Kania, who had dutifully made him delicious sandwiches and warm coffee for him over the years. Nor any of the longtime servants who had devoted their loyalty to the Starlight Mansion.
"...What a pain."
It was the female knight assigned by the imperial family to monitor Frey, who always looked at him with utter disgust.
"Well, I won't have to see you much longer... so I'll make it special this time."
As always, she glared at Frey with eyes full of loathing, then sighed and turned to leave.
"The imperial family and the Demon King's army are about to have their final showdown soon. That's why even I, a proud knight of the empire, have to lend my strength."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. Even the Hero, who's been holding back until now, is joining the battle... This time, we'll finally defeat the Demon King."
With those words, she lifted the corner of her mouth in a cold sneer and posed a question.
"Oh, but that's bad news for you, isn't it?"
"Pardon?"
"You're the Demon King's dog, aren't you?"
Now dropping even the formal speech, the knightess snapped at Frey, then whispered to him as he sat there staring blankly.
"You tried to kill the Hero, the empire's—nay, the world's only hope... and now you're holed up in this luxurious mansion, leeching off food like a parasite."
"...Hmm."
"Do you know how many times I've felt the urge to murder you while staying by your side?"
Gazing at Frey's emotionless face, the knightess continued.
"Not just me—every person in the empire wants you dead. Well, plenty have tried breaking in to kill you, so you know that already."
With that, she turned away with a icy expression.
"Whatever. Talking to trash like you is pointless anyway. But I'll make your last breakfast, so relax."
"...Thank you."
The knightess, on her way out, caught Frey's quiet murmur and paused.
"Thank you, my ass..."
Checking the order he'd scribbled on a piece of paper, she replied in a frosty tone.
"...I'm setting a funeral spread for you."
".........."
Frey quietly stared at the closed door, then slowly picked up the newspaper on the table.
The recent major battle between the Demon King's forces and the imperial army ended in yet another defeat for the imperials. Excluding minor skirmishes, the imperial army has failed to secure a single victory in any significant engagement, proving their incompetence once more.
"Hoo."
Frey sighed softly as he read the bad news in the paper.
Meanwhile, for some reason, the Hero has been in seclusion since the Demon King's invasion began months ago. This has led some to question his qualifications...
The imperial and church sides explain it as preparation for full strength. Indeed, word is that the Hero, who has conserved his power until now, will participate in the upcoming 'Final Battle'...
"The final battle at last."
"That rat's been hiding like a coward, but now he's finally ready to fight?"
Right after Frey's trial, Ruby had gone into hiding under various excuses. She'd exploited the fact that she couldn't retrieve the Hero's Armament from the mansion's basement until it awakened, starting her seclusion just before heading there.
As a result, under constant surveillance from countless people and magics—and restricted by system penalties—Frey could do nothing but wait in the mansion for the Demon King to initiate the main quest, the 'Final Battle.'
"...Ha."
Thus, enduring the most boring period of his life—intense, horrific, without a moment's rest—Frey tried to alleviate his tedium by reading the paper.
"Publishing this crap."
But spotting the ad section filled with assassination requests on him, he clutched his head and muttered.
"No one's managing it?"
Briefly blaming the ad managers, he soon let out a hollow chuckle.
"No, that can't be. It's a message for me here in the mansion."
After laughing emptily for a while, Frey's expression hardened in an instant.
"Here you go."
The knightess, having prepared breakfast in the meantime, slammed the plates onto the table irritably.
"...I'll be stepping out for a bit."
As Frey stared at the still-wobbling plates before him, the knightess—unable to stomach even watching him eat—hurried out of the dining room.
"......."
Left alone once more, Frey.
Quietly reached for the food on the plates.
"Sandwich, and... coffee."
He muttered in a flat tone, picking up the food.
"Even buttered rye bread..."
His butler's most frequent and best dish, and his childhood favorite.
Gazing at the two dishes, Frey cautiously took a bite of the sandwich.
"...Ugh."
But it wasn't the taste he'd hoped for.
Instead of the crisp cabbage, salty bacon, warm egg, fresh dressing, and ripe tomato he loved.
"Ptooey."
It was made with rotting cabbage, slimy bacon, cold crumbly egg, watery dressing, and wrinkled tomatoes.
It was utterly disgusting.
"...Bitter."
Taking a sip of the coffee with faint hope, Frey sighed at the bitterness instead of the sweetness he craved and set the cup down.
With a slightly depressed look, Frey stuffed the last bite of heavily buttered rye bread into his mouth.
"Ow..."
His teeth aching from the brick-hard bread, he cupped his cheek and bowed his head quietly.
"Even at the end, I wanted a little simple happiness."
After pushing the food aside and hanging his head for a while, Frey began muttering softly.
"...Too much to ask, after all."
"What're you doing?"
As he finished speaking and rose, someone approached.
"Aria."
"Ha."
Frey called out to his sister, who now looked more mature, shedding her childish air and resembling him strikingly.
"Filthy worm."
But Aria only responded with contempt.
"Why crawl out to the dining room? I told you to stay locked in your room, worm."
"...Sorry."
"Shut up and get back to your room. You make me sick."
"......."
Aria glared at Frey with utter revulsion, but for some reason, as he stared back silently.
"...Fuck, seriously."
She spat curses laced with disgust and stormed out.
"...Ugh."
Staring blankly after her, Frey's eyes widened as the mansion suddenly shook.
The Final Battle has begun!
Defeat the Demon King within 24 hours!
"Finally."
The message he'd awaited so desperately these past months had appeared before his eyes.
"The end... is here."
Springing to his feet the moment he saw it, Frey.
"The time to end it all... has finally come."
Rushed off desperately somewhere.
"Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally."
After months of gloom, a faint smile crossed his face for the first time.
But contrary to his expression, his trembling voice repeated the word.
As Frey pressed forward, ever onward.
"...Magic circle."
The place he reached after such fervent movement in so long was the door to the Starlight Mansion's basement.
"No need for it now."
Gazing at the powerful barrier reinforced by generations of Starlight Dukes against intruders.
Frey thrust the sword at his waist into the barrier.
"...Hoo."
Dispersing the large dust cloud with a few waves of his hand, Frey took a deep breath and entered the basement.
"Hup...!"
From that moment, he focused all his power, emanating Star Mana from his body.
The basement, rumored to be full of sex slaves—shunned even by servants and his sister Aria with looks of disgust—but actually just stocked with wine barrels and old cheese, now filled with dense silver barriers.
One who seeks to awaken the slumbering armament.
Watching impassively, Frey tilted his head at the voice echoing from the basement.
What do you intend to use this armament for?
When the voice questioned him, Frey answered without hesitation.
"...For peace."
Silence fell over the basement for a moment.
The truth. You may take the armament.
After a long pause, the voice replied, and sparkling armaments emerged from the central magic circle: gleaming Star Sword, armor, helmet, bracers, and sundries, neatly arrayed in the basement's heart.
Frey spotted them.
"Heave-ho."
And slowly began donning them.
As they wrapped around him comfortably on contact, Frey continued equipping them.
"Let's go."
Muttering that, he left the basement.
"Lord Frey! I trust you've been well!"
But the moment he emerged, someone entered his view.
"...Drimirkan."
"Yes, it's me. Your loyal subordinate, Drimirkan."
He was the former second-in-command of the Demon King's army, claiming to be Frey's henchman.
"As you've likely noticed, we're on the verge of total assault. Or perhaps it's already begun."
"...Is that right?"
"Yes. At this historic moment of conquering the imperial palace... shouldn't Lord Frey lead our army? So, if you'll follow me now..."
Even at Drimirkan's sudden visit, Frey's soulless expression remained.
"But what's that in your hands?"
He eyed the limp forms of Irina and the knightess dangling from Drimirkan's grip.
"Oh, these two?"
Drimirkan replied nonchalantly.
"They attacked when I arrived at the mansion, so I subdued them."
"Frey...! You fucking bastard...! So, so!! You really were with the Demon King's army...!!"
"...Should've just killed them."
Drimirkan coldly regarded the fiercely reacting Aria and the muttering knightess.
"Miss Aria is Lord Frey's sister, so I'll spare her life. But this frail knight... no need to keep her."
With icy words, he reached for the knightess.
"To the imperial family... glory."
Sensing her end, the knightess murmured with eyes squeezed shut.
"Oh, right, where'd that armor come fro—"
Drimirkan's question cut off as he reached for her.
And after a long moment, no end came.
"Uh?"
The knightess, puzzled, cracked her eyes open and gaped at Drimirkan's head rolling on the floor.
"B-bro?"
"...Ugh!"
Only then did she notice Frey before her, radiating intense killing intent.
"Uh, ugh... uuuugh..."
Not the listless Frey she'd despised, but one exuding a ferocious aura like a demon from hell.
"S-spare... please... spare me?"
She begged for her life unbidden.
"A, ah. Aaaah?"
But glaring at her, Frey drew his sword.
"P-please... please, I beg you..."
To her, now frantically begging with clasped hands in panic, Frey aimed his blade.
"...Eek."
He raised it high and swung down forcefully.
"B-bro?"
Not the edge, but the flat.
".....Aria."
Frey calmly regarded the fainted knightess.
"B-bro? Did you... just save us? But why..."
"Stay here and rest a bit."
He spoke to the dazed Aria, who began firing urgent questions.
"Wait! What the hell..."
"...Ah."
Thus, even Aria—one of those he had to protect—knocked out.
"Calm down, stay calm..."
Gripping his trembling hands, which shook whenever he saw the knightess.
"You held back well. Good job, Frey. Do the same with the other heroines in the final battle."
He muttered through a pained expression.
"...Can't afford a trivial mistake leading to retry now."
With that, Frey left the mansion with a composed face, heading to the final battle to settle his long, twisted fate with the Demon King.
For some reason, the sunlight that day was unusually dim.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
"What... does that mean?"
"Pardon?"
"Re, retry? What the hell?"
Irina, watching the invisible Frey and main heroines head to the final battle with him, asked Perloché, who wore a cold expression.
"Why would that Frey say 'retry'?"
"Retry? What's that?"
"......Retry? Never heard of it."
"......?"
The question left Frey and the main heroines puzzled.
"Of course he'd say it."
Perloché, who had been guiding everyone, glanced at them.
"My 'Retry' ability..."
She looked at the now-tilting-his-head invisible Frey and said.
"...was originally Frey's unique ability."