The Sword Bears Will (4)

The moment I heard the words of the green-haired female soldier, my mind momentarily went blank.

Because I had absolutely no idea how to respond to her bold yet shameless statement.

Of course, I could reasonably deduce why she was saying this to me.

Objectively speaking, it was an unbelievable achievement.

A mere maid without proper professional training, not even a noble capable of using magic, defeating the Hookfang-

Of course, since it was sealed in a monster containment scroll, it wasn’t at full strength, and strictly speaking, it wasn’t a clean victory either.

Even considering all those factors, this female soldier’s argument was perfectly reasonable and correct.

If someone like me heard that Isabelle had single-handedly defeated a level 5 goblin one day, I’d undoubtedly be shocked too.

So it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand her point…

‘But…what can I do? It’s the truth.’

The experience from my past life and the fact that I happened to have a usable iron skewer nearby.

The monster being in a sealed state, making it relatively weaker.

It was the combination of such coincidences that led to the Hookfang subjugation that day.

Thanks to that single incident alone, Lilith jumped from level 2 to level 5-a whopping three-level increase.

And it was accomplished by Lilith alone, without help from anyone else.

The fact that I received the full 150 experience points without any distribution was proof of that.

So in essence, this green-haired woman was practically demanding that I commit perjury.

Since my defeat of the Hookfang was an objective fact, correcting the record as she suggested would be…

‘…Wait a minute.’

Hold on, now that I think about it, does the Hookfang subjugation record really have to be mine?

Of course, at the time, I had made such a flashy scene that hiding it was impossible, and by the time I recovered at the church, everything had already been settled.

But objectively speaking, there was no real benefit to me insisting this achievement was mine.

In fact, from the perspective of wanting to stay as inconspicuous as possible, it was more of a disadvantage.

While it’s true that Harold had already been informed of my role in the Hookfang subjugation, and people around me like Isabelle and Katarina were vaguely aware of it…

If there was any way to reduce the scale of the rumors even slightly, there was no reason to refuse.

It wasn’t like I was going to work at Blackwood Manor until the day I died-eventually, I’d regain my freedom and look for another job. Having such an annoying and unusual achievement would only unnecessarily draw attention.

“I understand what you’re saying, Emilia-nim.”

Well, in the end, if I just relinquished the achievement, everything would be resolved.

Being a debt maid was already tough enough-there was no benefit in making enemies in unexpected places.

“I, too, have felt some burden about having the achievement of defeating the Hookfang with such a frail body. And of course, it would be more fitting for a splendid knight like Sir Ser to receive the credit rather than an ordinary maid like me.”

“…Lilith-yang?”

“So I agree. On the fifteenth day of the fifth month last year-the achievement of defeating the Hookfang shall be transferred to Sir Ser…”

Just as things were about to be resolved smoothly without anyone needing to blush…

…Suddenly, a figure stepped forward and blocked my path.

“…Maid, wait.”

“Young Master Ethan?”

Whether it was due to the swordsmanship training he had been diligently practicing lately, Ethan-who, despite still being chubby, had improved his gait-approached Emilia.

Meeting her gaze, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Emilia… was it?”

“…Yes.”

“Can you take full responsibility for what you just said?”

“…Pardon?”

“From what you just said, it sounds like you’re accusing my maid of lying.”

…What is this unsettling atmosphere?

For some reason, the security office suddenly became enveloped in a tense mood centered around Ethan.

In that ambiguous situation, Ethan continued speaking while maintaining eye contact with Emilia.

“Lilith Rosewood is my personal maid. The personal maid of me, Ethan Richard Blackwood, heir to the Blackwood Ducal Family.”

“……”

“And she is also the servant I trust the most. And yet, you’re saying right now that you think such a maid of mine is lying?”

“…Young Master?”

“Seeing how boldly you stand there after insulting my personal maid, I assume you must be some noble lady from somewhere?”

…Why is he suddenly acting like this?

This was a situation where everything could have been resolved amicably if I just relinquished the achievement, but Ethan suddenly stepped forward and began making the atmosphere dangerously tense.

Emilia, who had been glaring at me with a composed expression just moments ago, was now visibly flustered, cornered.

“…No, Young Master. What I meant was simply…”

“Are you claiming this based on what you saw with your own eyes? That Sir Ser defeated the Hookfang and the maid stole the credit?”

“…No, that’s not it.”

“Then I can’t understand why you’re making such claims. What you’re doing right now looks like nothing more than using your position as a senior soldier to intimidate my maid and steal her achievements.”

“……”

“If that’s the case, then by the same logic, I could fire you from the security force just because I’m the heir of the Blackwood Family, and there would be no issue with that, right?”

“…!”

“…!”

Emilia, and even I, were startled by Ethan’s sudden threatening words.

…Isn’t this too much just for a slip of the tongue?

Moreover, a senior soldier isn’t just some low-ranking grunt-it’s a fairly high rank among soldiers.

And someone capable of assisting Ser, a knight appointed by Blackwood, must be quite skilled.

And he’s threatening to fire someone of that status just because his maid got insulted a little?

‘…This is too harsh.’

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind, but upon reflection, maybe it wasn’t such a strange situation.

In fact, compared to the in-game “disgusting route” Ethan, who would have acted without warning, giving her a chance to explain herself was unbelievably merciful.

Despite his recent etiquette training making him unusually well-behaved, Ethan’s fundamental nature as the “disgusting route” character from [Luminor Academy] was undeniable.

It wouldn’t be surprising if glimpses of that side of him surfaced anywhere, anytime.

…Though, to be honest, this current behavior was a bit too mild to be called the “disgusting route.”

At the very least, the current Ethan was wielding his authority with at least some justification.

Unlike the in-game “disgusting route” Ethan, who tormented Lilith for no reason.

‘Is he preparing for when he takes over power?’

In any territory, not just Blackwood, it’s inevitable for disturbances to arise when a ruler changes.

Especially in Ethan’s case, it was an objective fact that he was lacking in many areas compared to Harold.

No matter how much this brat improved by the time he inherited Blackwood Territory, he would undoubtedly fall short of the current Sword Master’s stature.

If he was thinking ahead, this behavior made some sense.

By touring the Blackwood Territory’s key facilities like this and establishing his authority, he could minimize future dissent when he eventually took over.

Whether this was something a brat who had only received etiquette training for a little over a year could come up with is debatable.

But high-ranking noble etiquette training isn’t just about manners-it includes advanced knowledge like rhetoric and diplomacy, so it’s not entirely impossible.

…And honestly, I couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Threatening a senior soldier who had worked their way up just because his maid got insulted a little didn’t seem worth the risk.

Besides, it wasn’t like Ethan and I had such a deep relationship that he’d go out of his way to protect me.

“……”

“……”

The tense atmosphere in the security office.

Under the uneasy mood that could explode at any moment, Emilia, who had been gauging Ethan’s reaction, bowed her head and responded quietly.

“I apologize, Young Master Ethan. I was blinded and ended up making insulting remarks about your personal maid.”

“…The one you should be apologizing to isn’t me.”

“…I sincerely apologize to Lilith-yang as well. My narrow-mindedness has caused you irreparable offense.”

“Ah, no… It was an understandable misunderstanding…”

Originally, I had planned to just bow my head and resolve things amicably, but now the other side was apologizing to me instead, leaving me bewildered.

It wasn’t the outcome I had expected… but at least the testimony matter seemed to have been resolved somehow.

“Emilia.”

“…Yes, Young Master.”

“There won’t be a second time. Don’t let such careless words slip out again.”

“…My deepest apologies.”

Well, it all worked out… right?