The Spring of Life and a Beautiful Misunderstanding
On my way to the Spring of Life, my personality continued to fracture. I found myself screwing up my face into ridiculous expressions, shouting, "Haha! Fairy, look at this! Haha!" then suddenly turning dead serious and declaring, "I am the savior of the villainesses... Me!" before cackling greedily and shouting, "Hahaha! The villainesses are all mine! I'll mold them to my taste and take them all!" Finally, I even made a grand vow like some cliché isekai hero: "I'll become the strongest in this world and build a harem!"
This was absolutely not my true feelings. Seriously.
The fairy's gaze as she looked at me turned incredibly pitiful.
- You've really been through a lot... I'm sorry.
"..."
Now I was being pitied by a fairy who looked like a glorified gnat. It was a bizarre feeling.
Taking advantage of a brief moment of sanity, I asked the fairy, "The boundary was collapsed only at the spot where I entered. Is there a reason for that?"
The fairy hesitated for a moment before speaking.
- That's the place where the child of destiny is supposed to enter. But some weird guy came in instead.
Did she just call me a "weird guy"? Why, you little... No, wait, calm down. That's just the curse talking. I fought to maintain my composure and asked, "The child of destiny?"
- I don't think I need to tell you that... Look, we're almost at the Spring of Life.
Following the tight-lipped fairy, the dense forest cleared to reveal a shimmering spring. The water was so pristine that I could see straight to the bottom, and I could feel the overflowing vitality radiating from its surface.
"So this is the Spring of Life..."
The fairy patted my shoulder and began to urge me.
- Hurry up, drink from the Spring of Life and get out of my forest!
"Ah, yes, yes."
I cupped my hands and scooped up the spring water, gulping it down.
"Ah, that hits the spot."
It felt as if all the fatigue I had accumulated over the days washed away instantly. Was this truly the ultimate panacea? I began to feel a sudden surge of greed for this water.
"Excuse me, but would it be alright if I took a little bit in a bottle?"
- Absolutely not! You're planning to sell this water to humans, aren't you?
"No, of course not! Do I look like someone blinded by money?"
- Hmm...
The fairy narrowed her eyes and stared at me.
"Actually, there is a woman I love, and I really want to give it to her as a gift. Would the merciful and great fairy be so kind as to bestow a sliver of mercy upon a foolish human?"
I rubbed my hands together like a fly, bowing and scraping before the fairy.
- Well, I suppose a little bit wouldn't hurt. Since we've crossed paths, I shall grant you permission!
Looking at her triumphant expression, it seemed my flattery had worked perfectly.
"Ah, thank you for your mercy, great fairy!"
With her permission, I began to fill my bottles with the spring water.
'With this, I can probably carry away about three 1.5-liter bottles.'
As the water glugged into every container I had, the fairy panicked.
- Y-You! Just how much are you planning to take?!
"Oh, it's not that much. It's not like the spring is going to run dry, right? Surely a merciful fairy like you wouldn't mind this tiny amount?"
- Ahem... Well, since I already gave my permission, I shall overlook it!
Easy. Too easy. If a real con artist had entered this forest, they probably would have stripped her clean.
I stuffed the bottles, now brimming with spring water, into my bag.
"Thanks to you, I even got to drink from the Spring of Life. I am truly grateful."
- Hmph! This is nothing!
Her nose was held so high it was practically piercing the heavens.
I slung the bag onto my back, and a massive weight settled on my shoulders.
'Ugh, this is heavy as hell.'
- Now, if you're done with your business, get out! This is where the child of destiny is supposed to come!
"Yes, yes. I'm leaving, so don't worry!"
Urged on by the fairy, I hurriedly made my way out of the Fairy Forest.
'Anyway, I managed to snag quite a lot of spring water.'
The reason I gathered so much was to prepare for the upcoming assassination attempt on Linet Estupina. As a bonus, I planned to give some to Mikaris and Ronia as gifts.
Of course, I couldn't just stand by and watch Linet drink poisoned tea, so I intended to drink it in her place. The problem was how to get myself into the tea time between the Crown Prince and Linet...
"..."
Right then, a brilliant idea struck me.
'What if I disguise myself as a servant and attend the tea time?'
The Crown Prince might know my name, but he doesn't know my face. If I ask Linet to let me participate, there shouldn't be any issues.
Since it was a pretty plausible plan, my steps felt light on the way back.
When I returned to the academy and arrived at the dormitory, the housemaster spoke to me.
"It's been a while. Where have you been?"
"Yes, I had some family matters to attend to."
"I see. It's late, so head on inside."
I'd been thinking about this lately, but I didn't really feel the usual contempt for being a commoner anymore. Was it because I had beaten up two heirs of the four great ducal families? Or was it because they finally recognized my skills? Well, whatever the reason, it didn't matter.
I entered Room 302 and collapsed onto my luxurious bed.
"Haa..."
A deep sigh escaped me. Honestly, it had been exhausting. I had thought the Mountains of Howling wouldn't be a big deal, but the hallucinations I saw there were still vivid in my mind.
The future where they became villainesses...
As long as I was here, that future would never come.
When I approached Linet's room, the knight knocked on the door as if he had been waiting.
"My Lady, the man has arrived."
"Let him in."
As I stepped through the door, I noticed Linet's lips twitching with anticipation, in stark contrast to her still-suspicious eyes.
"I kept my promise."
I placed the bottle containing the Mandragora on her desk.
Linet snatched the bottle immediately and checked its contents.
"It really is... The rumors about you weren't false after all. But what about the curse?"
I knew she would bring that up. It would be troublesome if I mentioned the Spring of Life. I put on a puzzled expression and played dumb.
"A curse? There wasn't anything like that."
"No curse? Could the records be wrong?"
"The hallucinations and auditory illusions in the Mountains of Howling were incredibly hard to bear, but there wasn't any specific curse."
"How strange..."
Judging by the frown on her face, she was deep in thought.
I looked at her with a serious expression and brought up our agreement.
"My Lady, so will you provide the backing you promised?"
"Yes, I will certainly guarantee what we agreed upon. However..."
Linet leaned forward and whispered, "Obtaining a noble title is no simple matter. In the past, one could simply buy the status of a fallen noble family, but the imperial laws have changed, making it much more difficult."
'Even with the power of a ducal house, it's not easy?'
"How did the law change that makes it so difficult, even for your family?"
"'He who impersonates a noble shall have his three generations exterminated.' That is the newly added imperial constitutional law. Buying and selling titles has become nearly impossible. It was a bill passed as soon as the Crown Prince was appointed."
"He who impersonates a noble shall have his three generations exterminated."
That damn Crown Prince. Seriously, the male leads in this world have never been of any help to me.
"Is there any other way?"
"If you achieve an extraordinary feat or perform exceptionally well, we can make a request to the Imperial Court."
An extraordinary feat or achievement...
Well, I would definitely win the absolute favor of the Estupina Ducal House. After all, I was going to be the servant who drank the poisoned tea in Linet's place. The problem was finding an achievement grand enough to earn a peerage. What lay ahead? I fell into deep thought, recalling the plot of the original novel.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Ah, it's nothing. But, by any chance, could I ask for one more favor?"
"What kind of favor?"
"Please call me as a servant whenever you have tea time with His Highness the Crown Prince."
"...Why? For what purpose?"
"Actually, I've always wanted to observe His Highness the Crown Prince from up close. He is someone I have long admired..."
Linet choked on her tea.
"Ahem... I had no idea you had that kind of taste. Very well, I shall grant your request."
'That kind of taste? What taste? Don't go making weird misunderstandings.'
"Yes... Then, I shall take my leave."
With those final words, my meeting with Linet came to an end.
"Hound!"
Mikaris ran toward me the moment she saw me.
"My Lady, has it been a while...? Well, anyway, it's good to see you."
"The three days you were gone felt so long..."
'What? Since when was this lady so honest?'
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. You haven't eaten yet, right? Ronia is waiting."
Ah, she actually kept the promise I asked of her. And in just three days, too.
"It seems you've gotten quite close with Lady Ronia. I'm glad."
"...She turned out to be a better person than I thought. So, we just..."
For some reason, I felt like I was turning the genre of this novel into a heartwarming slice-of-life. Well, that was a good thing. The protagonist wouldn't suffer, and the villainesses wouldn't turn evil. A win-win, right?
Holding Mikaris's hand, we headed to the dining hall, where Ronia was waiting for us.
"Lady Ronya, it's been a while."
"Sir Hound! I missed you!"
"..."
Ah, I forgot Mikaris was standing right next to me.
Mikaris narrowed her eyes and interrogated me. "Ronya? Are you calling her by a nickname now?"
"No, it's not like that..."
The atmosphere turned freezing in an instant. Was Mikaris's magic attribute actually ice instead of lightning?
Just then, Ronia stepped in to mediate.
"Mikaris! It's not like that at all. That's just what my family calls me. It's more of a friendly gesture...?"
'Wait, isn't that just pouring fuel on the fire?'
Mikaris's eyes, which had been bright just moments ago, turned icy cold. I felt like I might actually get stabbed if I wasn't careful.
Seeing this, Ronia quickly grabbed Mikaris's hand.
"Would you like to call me Ronya too, Mikaris? It's always been my dream to find a true friend."
The chilling expression on Mikaris's face instantly softened.
"A true friend...?"
"Yes! A friend to share secrets with, eat delicious food with, and always have tea time with. That kind of friend!"
"...Sure, I guess."
It was a calm, nonchalant reply, but I could tell by the tips of Mikaris's ears. She was absolutely thrilled.
'What a beautiful sight... That proud lady.'
I was so touched I felt like crying.
Then, Mikaris tugged on my hand and urged me.
"Hurry up and order. We already ordered."
"Ah, yes!"
I felt a bit like a puppy being fed by its master... but it wasn't a bad feeling. Being the puppy of my favorite character—surely anyone would be envious of that.
What I ordered was...
A veal steak, of course, and this time I added fried chicken to the order.
"You really love veal steak."
"Because it was the first meal you ever bought me, Lady Mikaris."
"..."
'At this rate, am I the protagonist of a dating sim?' Honestly, that line was pretty smooth.
Seeing my order, Ronia linked her arm with mine and joined the conversation.
"By the way, Sir Hound, you eat quite a lot. Is it because you're a man?"
"Ahem... This is a bit troubling."
"Is it? I don't mind..."
I felt a soft sensation against my arm. I'll leave what that sensation was to your imagination.
Right then, Mikaris pulled Ronia and me apart and yelled, "Didn't I tell you not to flirt in front of me?"
'Does that mean we can flirt when you're not looking?'
Ahem, that wasn't important right now. To change the subject, I gently nudged them toward our seats.
"Now, now, let's go eat."
As I cut into my veal steak, I brought up the spring water.
"Actually, I've prepared a gift for Lady Ronya and Lady Mikaris."
"Call me Mika too."
"Pardon?"
"It's a nickname I just made up. Call me Mika from now on."
"...Yes, Lady Mika."
My heart did a sudden flip. She really needed to use her turn signals before merging into my lane like that.
"Ahem. Anyway, the gift I prepared is..."
I placed the beautifully wrapped water bottles on the table.
"It's high-grade holy water. They say it's great for your skin if you apply it, and wonderful for your health if you drink it."
"There's actually something like that?"
"Thank you, Sir Hound!"
Ronia hugged the bottle tightly to her chest, looking absolutely delighted with the gift.
"Haha, let me know if you ever need more. I can bring it to you anytime."
The water I had right now was limited... but couldn't I just sneak back into the Fairy Forest and steal some more?
As I was enjoying my meal with them while harboring such silly thoughts, Linet's personal knight approached and whispered in my ear.
"My Lady is calling for you."