Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Nursing (3)
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Was it thanks to receiving proper healing magic and a massage?
As the tension throughout my body melted away, a wave of languid drowsiness washed over me.
'No, the tournament is right around the corner.'
I forced my body upright just as it was about to collapse onto the sofa.
I crossed my legs with effort, preparing for meditation.
'Three days left until the tournament. I need to harmonize the power from the spirit medicine as much as possible in that time.'
I had felt it during the fight with Franca.
The techniques and sensations from my previous playthrough were reviving even faster than before.
It felt almost like a rejuvenation.
Of course, with my current 21-year-old body, it was closer to recovering lost memories.
Either way, growing stronger this quickly was a joy.
'At this rate, I could run with mana loaded in my legs nonstop for two days straight without issue.'
Upper Sword Expert was about the level of a vice captain in the Imperial Knights.
It was a fairly high position, but compared to the prisoners here, it fell far short.
Myoran, the Sword Sage, wasn't just any Swordmaster—she was a mature one.
She was one of the world's strongest, capable of challenging even Grand Masters.
Anje was the same.
Unless she possessed Swordmaster-level mental fortitude or higher, she could brainwash her into a slave at any time.
Of course, she seemed to find me beneath her notice, so she hadn't gone that far yet.
Who knew when that might change, though? I needed to hurry and display the dignity befitting a warden.
"……."
In the midst of my solemn meditation,
the door to the warden's office cracked open slightly.
A pair of pink eyes stared at me with a sullen glare.
"It's all that kid's fault."
That blue-haired brat dared turn this True Ancestor into a zoo bat?
Her wings, wounded by the humiliations she'd endured, trembled faintly.
With the delicate appearance of a 13- or 14-year-old girl, she intently watched the man three heads taller than her.
'Perfect, he's meditating. This is my chance.'
The True Ancestor smirked slyly at the sight of me with my eyes closed.
She could clearly sense the fresh life force emanating from my meditating body.
The high-grade blood supplied by black mages had been completely cut off 200 years ago due to a certain kingdom's measures.
Because of that, up until now, she'd only had the dull blood of previous wardens.
'With blood like that, even a little sip would let me recover my prime strength in no time.'
Just thinking about the sweet taste made the girl beam with ecstasy.
She cautiously glanced down the hallway...
then slipped into the warden's office barefoot, wearing only stockings.
"Are you asleep?"
I gave no response to her question.
I was in the middle of absorbing nearly all of the imperial essence, after all.
I had no spare attention to humor a powerless True Ancestor.
"Heh, aren't you a bit too defenseless? With something like me in the same building."
The True Ancestor poked at me mockingly, finger to her lips.
"What if I just sink my teeth into that tender neck of yours?"
"……."
She knew I couldn't resist while meditating.
And so, she began repaying the humiliations I'd inflicted on her.
"You cost me the blood of a hundred people, so you'd better be prepared for that much, right?"
Franca circled the sofa behind her back,
whispering vicious words like an insolent little sister.
"Looks like you're clenching your jaw to keep from answering because you want to absorb that golden power flowing through your body, huh?"
She chattered incessantly by my side.
True to a vampire, she buzzed around like a mosquito.
"Hmm, it's definitely strong power. I fought someone who wielded the same kind once."
Before I knew it, she'd sat right next to me on the sofa.
Franca had naturally snatched some tea cakes from the desk as well.
"That was fun. If I'd drunk that kid's blood back then, I'd be ruling this land by now. What a shame~."
Ugh, so annoying.
Was this the feeling of having a pesky little sister nagging at you?
"You're that kid's descendant? Nah, I heard she became royalty."
Franca mumbled with crumbs stuck to her lips.
Vampires didn't just drink blood, apparently.
"You don't even have that royal air about you. More like those black mages who worshipped me."
Before I knew it, my eye was twitching.
Crumbs were falling into the sofa cushions nonstop.
'Is she doing this on purpose?'
It hurt more than the wound that pierced my side.
It was so irritating, I wondered if she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Your looks are on our side anyway, so you'd fit right in as one of my kin."
Franca scooted right up next to me.
Though her body was young now, it would mature again someday, and her plump thighs caught my eye.
As she leaned in close, her loose dress shifted downward, accentuating her smooth curves.
However, having regressed physically and mentally, Franca seemed utterly oblivious.
"That power you're struggling to control would be even easier to handle then... Gah!"
Just as her cherry-red, glossy lips drew near,
her slight body was suddenly hoisted up effortlessly.
"Don't disturb the warden."
It was like a mouse caught by the scruff by a fox.
'Nice one, Vice Warden.'
Clea lifted the True Ancestor with a venomous expression, like a mother come to retrieve her mischievous daughter.
Franca, dangling like a claw machine prize, crossed her arms with a pout.
"Are you alright?"
I quietly nodded just a bit.
Clea, having noticed my meditation, responded in kind with silence.
"How exactly did you escape the bars? You didn't seem to have the strength to break the iron door."
"Hmph."
The True Ancestor instantly transformed into a bat and slipped from Clea's grasp.
She flapped her tiny wings mischievously and flew off.
Then, reverting to human form, she landed at the warden's office door.
She glanced back at me, made a sullen face, and fled.
"It's fine. She'll head back to her cell soon enough."
I agreed.
Even if she tried to escape the prison in that state, the intense sunlight or Anje's monsters would catch her.
"Phew……."
Finally finishing my meditation, I stretched.
"You saved me, Clea. She wouldn't shut up chattering right next to me."
"She didn't try to suck your blood right away, at least."
"She's got some sense. She knew I could subdue her the moment I ended my meditation."
"She doesn't seem as reckless as her appearance suggests."
Clea said this while neatly organizing a stack of files.
"Types like her can't have power-hungry people nearby. She's a monster who grew strong by draining them."
"In that sense, our prison might be the perfect spot. No one here is particularly obsessed with power."
If I had to nitpick, I was there, but I was confident I could grow strong without her power, so it didn't matter.
Excluding me, everyone was already overwhelmingly powerful.
Clea preferred a comfortable life over power anyway.
"Got any work for me today? I stepped out this morning, so things must be backed up."
It was a hassle, but I figured I'd tackle the backlog now.
Yet no matter how long I waited, no tedious paperwork landed in my outstretched hand.
"You had a hole in your body. What work? Rest."
The vice warden, in her short skirt and tight blouse, replied coldly.
But contrary to her tone, her hands delicately prepared something.
A sweet scent of honey and lemon wafted up.
Perched on the edge of the desk, she elegantly crossed her legs.
With faint dark circles under her tired eyes, she brewed honey tea for me.
"I already handled all the work from this morning."
"Sorry to make you go through so much trouble."
As I sheepishly scratched the back of my head,
Clea hopped off the desk and approached me.
"If you know, then take better care of yourself. Stop having incidents pop up out of nowhere."
The soothing honey tea aroma grew closer, instantly calming me.
She carefully held out a spoonful of the tea.
"Here."
"Oh, thanks."
I naturally reached for the mug.
But at that moment, it felt like she subtly pulled it back just a touch.
"Open your mouth."
Huh?
That far?
"The cup is hot. It's more efficient with the spoon."
So that's what it was.
Sometimes I wondered if she was a machine.
Looking down at me like a child, devoid of emotion.
It was the epitome of an imperial secretary—strict boundaries between work and personal, utterly meticulous.
Thanks to that, I could accept the tea she offered without a second thought.
"Hm, it's got this sweet-bitter tang to it."
"Cinnamon and honey boost immunity. I calculated the most health-promoting combination."
As she spoke, she naturally kept spooning it out.
I appreciated it, but to outsiders, this might look pretty embarrassing.
'I'm supposed to be a year older, after all.'
"I think that's enough."
"No. You need to drink more."
Clea said impassively, like a wife scolding her husband for skipping breakfast.
Well, it was all for my own good, so I obediently took every spoonful.
"Good job."
"Feels kinda weird."
Clea cleared the mug and adjusted her monocle.
Back to her secretary mode, she began her report.
"Now, about the next schedule."
"Go ahead."
"Soon, the biggest sparring tournament in the north will be held."
"I know."
"And someone who knows still ends up with a hole in their body?"
"The tournament matters, but warden duties come first. Unavoidable accidents happen."
I shrugged as if it were obvious, and she narrowed her eyes.
With a displeased, fox-like gaze.
"You used to nod along to everything I said before. You've gotten sly."
"I've adapted."
"Anyway. There'll be a grand pre-tournament eve before the matches. Tomorrow night."
"The eve, huh. Been a while."
Back in my past life, I'd attended often on the knight commander route.
I had to enter various tournaments and build fame to become commander.
"Have you been? Doesn't seem your style."
"Once, around academy graduation."
I brushed it off vaguely.
The vice warden, as if aware of my dark school days, gave a fleeting look of pity.
"It's probably very different from a simple academy graduation. The pre-tournament eve isn't just a party."
Yeah, it wouldn't be.
That night, all the competitors attending the tournament gathered.
In other words, a chance to gauge opponents' strength.
Expect lots of implicit power plays and probing skirmishes.
Top contenders would even collude to ambush others in secret.
Of course, back then I had no fame, so I wasn't targeted.
Promising heirs from prestigious noble houses often got badly hurt that night and missed the tournament.
"Be careful. As the Princess's sole confidant, you'll draw a lot of attention."
"Plan to just observe quietly and slip out."
"Especially, don't let anyone see your wound."
"Got it."
A wounded competitor was like a limping lion.
Obvious target for the pack.
"Well, you've always handled things well, so I'm not too worried. But this tournament is huge."
Clea casually stuck the spoon I'd used into the mug.
Then, with curt steps, she grabbed the warden's office door handle.
"Please come back safe. And don't get hurt again to push off work."
"How could I come back injured when my vice warden worries like this?"
I waved off her concern.
Clea left coldly without looking back.
'Our vice warden really is all business.'
Her purely professional relationship put my mind at ease.
Thanks to that, I looked forward to tomorrow night's pre-tournament eve.
"……."
Water sounds came from the break room.
The blue-haired woman who brought the mug quietly washed dishes.
"Always coming back injured."
Clea first soaked the mug in water.
As she went to clean the spoon next,
"Should I chase him next time and give him an earful?"
She paused, staring blankly at her reflection in the spoon.
At the surface the warden had licked repeatedly.
Clea cautiously glanced around.
From the hallway came the sounds of Nix and Anje bickering.
Annoyed by the noise, she quietly locked the break room door.
And then.
She tentatively stuck out her red tongue and licked the warden's saliva residue from the spoon.
Thoroughly, so no one would know.
Utterly cold-blooded, as befitting an imperial secretary.