The Youngest Holy Knight

A week had passed since the academy's vacation began.

"Grrr..."

"......"

I was absently stroking the chin of Lulu, who was sprawled out in front of my bed in my room.

"Hah..."

After petting her chin blankly for a while, I cautiously offered her a slice of apple, and she snapped it up like a puppy taking a treat.

"Mm..."

Stroking Lulu's head as she did so, I leaned back in my armchair and murmured in a low voice.

"This is bliss..."

The past week had been a string of truly peaceful days.

I never imagined I could spend days like this before the final battle.

Just a few months ago, time and manpower had been so short that I'd been running around myself.

But now, everything ran smoothly even if I just sat in the mansion.

How dreamlike was that?

I still couldn't quite believe it.

"Let's see..."

Leaving Lulu—who had finished her apple and, as was her new habit, started rubbing her cheek against my leg—I leaned back in the armchair and reached carefully for the letterbox by the window.

"There it is."

Recently, I'd installed a bird rest area and letterbox by the window so Serena's owl, Perloché's pigeon, and Clana's canary wouldn't have to strain themselves.

But it wasn't just them; wild birds and messenger pigeons occasionally stopped to rest their wings there too.

And some clever—or lazy—messenger pigeons even delivered letters straight to the box without going to a fixed spot.

- Swish...

Anyway, when I reached into the letterbox, there were two letters inside.

What could they be?

Daytime Serena's embarrassingly lovey-dovey love letter?

Nighttime Serena's dense, high-heat love letter?

Maybe Kania's letter, whining about finishing work early because she misses me?

Or Clana's persistent letter asking for something she wants?

Or maybe Perloché, cute and dumb again, threatening to punish me if I do anything bad...

No, probably not that. Both letters were properly sealed in their envelopes.

"Hm?"

Shaking off idle thoughts, I checked the letters. The senders were none other than Aisi, the princess of the Cloud Kingdom, and Isolet.

I'd been thinking about both of them, so getting letters from them at the same time felt oddly fateful.

Thinking that, I opened Aisi's letter first, and her neat handwriting came into view.

Quietly reading down, I frowned and tilted my head at that part.

'Come to think of it, why hasn't the Frozen Heart Curse effect appeared?'

During the "Slave Market Liberation Operation," I'd transferred Aisi's Frozen Heart Curse to myself.

The only way to completely neutralize that curse, which inevitably led to death, was for me—the bearer—to die with it.

The light of annihilation from overcharging the Hero's Armament in the final battle couldn't be withstood, even by a top-grade curse like the Frozen Heart Curse.

And since I could resurrect anyway, it was the obvious choice.

But why hadn't the curse's effects shown up yet?

The incubation period should have passed long ago.

'Did the transfer fail, by any chance?'

I thought that briefly, but shook my head.

I'd definitely felt a chill on my back then, and the shadow of death was gone from Aisi, so the curse had transferred successfully.

Then why no symptoms?

"Mm..."

No matter how I thought about it, no clear answer came, so I shook my head and continued reading the letter.

"Perfect."

I'd been planning to meet her anyway, and here she was reaching out. I didn't know where to put myself.

Once I met her, I'd probe about the curse and observe this "certain change" at the same time.

"Phew."

Finishing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that thought, I sighed and set ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the letter on the desk.

"...Now, let's see what Sis sent me."

I was about to check Isolet's letter next, but—

- Creak...

At that moment, the door opened, and two girls entered the room.

""......""

They were Ariane and Aris.

The culprits behind the protest a few days ago, who had nearly been hauled off by the security team.

Of course, that wasn't what I wanted, so I'd talked to the security team and made them agree to serve as my maids as a condition.

That's why the two girls, dressed in maid outfits, were glaring coldly at me now.

'They're so flat...'

Having grown used to Irina's destructively revealing maid outfit over the past few days, I stared blankly at them, and the girls, who had been glaring coldly, slowly opened their mouths.

"B-breakfast... has been... brought."

"P-please... enjoy it... Master."

Hearing that, I gaped in a yawn and took the breakfast from Ariane.

"...Trash."

Ariane muttered that, staring at Lulu, who was still rubbing her cheek against my leg on the floor, and I gave a low command.

"Get down."

"Eek!"

She dropped to the floor in an instant.

"Rub your cheek on my leg. Like Lulu."

At my cold command, Ariane, who looked like she might puke, crawled over and slowly started rubbing her cheek on my leg.

"Grrr..."

"Calm down, Lulu."

"...Ah, yes."

After calming Lulu, who had frozen in shock before growling at Ariane, I asked.

"You still don't get it?"

Stroking the head of Ariane, who was still rubbing her cheek diligently on my leg with a humiliated expression, I whispered lowly.

"You're not Irina's friend anymore. Not a promising mage. Not even 'Ariane'."

"......."

"...You're just my Slave Number One."

Saying that, I grabbed her chin and lifted it.

"Ptooey."

Ariane spat in my face, looking at me with disgust.

"Irina did the same to me at first."

I glared coldly at her.

"But you, who received the Slave Seal verdict... are legally just my slave. So why not accept it?"

I spoke in a cold voice.

"Fine, let's see. If you can last longer than Irina or not."

"Urk..."

"...Probably not even half as long."

Sending Ariane back to her spot, I turned to Aris, who had been glaring at me with burning eyes.

"I-I... will never break. So..."

"What are you talking about?"

Interrupting Aris, who was muttering that with clenched fists, I said.

"I don't even need to break you?"

".....!"

I smirked.

"The activation rights for the Subjugation Curse are already mine. You must have felt it."

"K-kill me. Just kill me..."

"Why would I? The servants already left, and I'm lonely enough."

Provoking her with a sly grin, Aris squeezed her eyes shut and trembled.

"...So, when are you going to take me?"

She asked with a quivering expression.

"Whenever. Ravish me all you want. You think that'll shake me even a little?"

"Who knows."

"I won't make a single moan. I won't feel a bit of pleasure. I've endured torture of pain plenty, so this is a piece of cake."

Against my nonchalant reply, Aris said.

"If you're still going to take me..."

She finished with a fearsome expression.

"...Be prepared for a knife in your back anytime."

And silence fell over the room.

"...Both of you, out. I have plenty of time anyway, so I'll train you slowly."

The two, wearing expressions mixed with humiliation and burning rage, left the room the moment I commanded, as if they'd been waiting.

"...Phew."

I stared blankly at where they had been for a moment, sighed deeply, then turned away and fell silent.

- Knock knock knock

"Come in."

- ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Creak...

The door opened slowly, and someone crept toward me.

"W-who is it."

The visitor asked in a shy voice.

"Irina, what are you..."

It was obviously Irina, so tilting my head, I brushed her hand away and—

"......."

went blank.

"S-sorry. You looked upset, so I was trying to cheer you up..."

"Irina, what's that on your head?"

"Huh?"

Dog ears had sprouted on Irina's head.

- Perk, perk

Red dog ears that looked familiar.

"Eek...! W-why now...!"

Irina touched her head at my words, freaked out, and—

"Ah, w-well, this is... transformation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠magic practice... no, spirit substitute... uh, anyway..."

began stammering badly.

"It's a spell I specially developed to show you. Be grateful."

After much stammering to compose herself, I whispered lowly as I looked at her.

"I didn't know you were this cute."

Even then, Irina's dog ears were perking.

"...Eek."

She flinched at my words but quieted when she saw the owl glaring at us from the windowsill.

"A-anyway, Frey... what were you looking at...?"

She leaned her upper body against my shoulder, pressing her cheek to my face, and asked.

"Ah, um. Well... it's a letter from Isolet Sis..."

Feeling the now-familiar soft sensation on my shoulder, I read the letter and—

"...Hm?"

frowned, focusing on the content.

"This?"

For some reason, inside the envelope with Isolet's name was a letter in my sister Aria's handwriting.

After reading intently for a while, I set the letter on the desk and muttered.

"Looks like I need to go out after a long time."

"Huh, go out? Where to?"

Irina, hanging on my shoulder, perked her ears and asked.

"Sis's house."

Answering simply, I stood, grabbed my overcoat, and—

glanced at the floating system window.

It had just gone up by 1%.

. . . . . .

Meanwhile, at the Church of the Sun God.

"Professor Isolet has finally granted an audience."

"...I see."

The bishop, who had persistently persuaded Isolet and finally gotten her permission, knelt before the Pope and reported.

"Loneliness is inevitable, after all. Even for her..."

"Then, let's go."

"...Pardon?"

Interrupting the bishop mid-sentence, the Pope suddenly stood.

"...To the church underground."

And gave a sinister smile.

"We must meet our church's pride, the youngest holy knight."