Ch.353EP.75 – The Cogwheel Declares (1)

…a day had disappeared.

This was what Ihan heard after regaining some of his senses, and he blinked his eyes.

“A day?”

“Yes.”

“…Was I asleep that long?”

“No. You were dead though?”

“What?”

“What?”

“??”

“???”

…Let me correct that. He says I wasn’t asleep, but dead.

One might call this nonsense, but.

“My heart stopped for a day?”

“Exactly 14 hours!”

“…What.”

“The butler said you were technically in a state of suspended animation.”

“……”

Now I understood why she said I was dead.

But even so, if my heart hadn’t been beating for over 10 hours, shouldn’t I normally be dead?

No, it’s not that I’m unhappy to be alive, but it’s a question anyone would naturally have.

And fortunately.

Woong-.

“…What’s this?”

“The butler said it’s a gift.”

“…Giving me medicine after making me sick, no, giving me life after killing me…”

[Aura], the exclusive property of superhumans and the culmination of pure life force, was spreading throughout Ihan’s body.

And he knew who this energy belonged to.

‘Just like its owner, this thing is quite vicious.’

It was the aura of the butler, John Ray Albert.

The sensation was eerie, like some unknown monstrous life form coiled inside his body.

But contrary to the eerie feeling, the aura was helping Ihan’s body recover.

Not only his damaged organs, bones, and muscles from the beating, but especially his heart was in amazing condition.

Thump, thump! THUMP!

It couldn’t be in better shape.

It was as refreshing as a sprout receiving rain during a drought.

How should he describe this?

‘Bone marrow cleansing?’

It’s a technique sometimes described in martial arts novels where a supreme master infuses qi into someone’s body to push out impurities, sometimes expressed as strengthening blood vessels or bones.

That was Ihan’s current state.

“…So the aura’s energy protected my stopped heart and maintained blood circulation instead?”

“That’s one way to look at it. How enviable. The blessing of aura. He never does that for me when I want it…”

“Why don’t you try dying once? He might do it for you too, sister.”

“…Insolent boy.”

“The more insolent one is the person who envies someone who nearly died.”

“…You have a point there.”

“…That’s unusual, you’re sincerely admitting it?”

Ihan wasn’t particularly surprised by the visit of Isis, the beautiful woman with striking silver hair.

He had already caught her scent, and besides, she was the owner of the house providing the room, so what was there to be surprised about?

However.

“A message from the butler. He says, ‘Let’s have more fun next time we meet.’ What an impudent fellow.”

“For the time being… no, for about ten years, tell him I’ll pass.”

“…You’re the most impudent one.”

Smack!

Isis’s fan struck Ihan’s head as if spitting fire, but naturally, she was the one who felt pain, and Ihan was thanking her for the scalp massage before feeling a sense of emptiness.

‘Play, huh? So I’m still at that level.’

Though his body was perfectly fine, realizing that even his intact body was due to the other’s consideration gave him a strange sense of emptiness.

Furthermore.

‘He could have finished me off anytime.’

He was even angry at himself for having his heart stop so pathetically.

He had worked hard, trained every day without skipping, and thought he had grown by fighting against strong opponents…

‘I thought I was almost at the summit of the mountain, but it turns out I’m just at the starting point.’

Ihan freshly realized how enormous the peak he was trying to reach actually was.

It was different from when he was defeated by Baltar.

If Baltar seemed to match himself to Ihan’s “level” in a way, Albert overwhelmingly crushed him as if to show how insignificant he was.

“It’s so far away and treacherous…”

“Hmph, of course. They have been at the pinnacle for decades. How could someone who’s barely lived 30 years surpass them?”

“…Didn’t I tell you to stop reading my mind?”

“It’s not mind reading, it’s just obvious.”

“Really now.”

“How long are you going to lie pathetically on a woman’s lap complaining? Get up already!”

“…I can’t tell if this is encouragement or scolding…”

As Ihan smiled bitterly at her rebuke and slowly tried to get up.

“?”

…He felt an inexplicable awkwardness.

‘What is this?’

While briefly pondering where this awkwardness was coming from, he immediately noticed something.

“…My clothes, w-why are they like this?”

Ihan could see that he was wearing a uniform unlike his usual attire.

Not just any uniform, but the one he hated most…

“Why am I wearing the white cats’ uniform!?”

A white uniform.

None other than the ceremonial dress uniform of the Order of the Silver Lion.

It was a childish uniform with a white base, flowing decorations, unnecessarily many buttons, and even a cape attached.

It was also the type of uniform Ihan absolutely refused to wear.

Not only were there too many attachments, but the cape was what he detested most.

Expressing his disgust, Ihan immediately looked at the “culprit” who had put these clothes on him.

“Why did you put this thing on me!”

“Your suspicion is excessive. It’s not right to accuse someone without evidence.”

“Who else could it be but you!”

“…It’s a rather precious ceremonial uniform, and even as ceremonial attire, it has some durability.”

“I’m not questioning its functionality right now!”

Ihan spoke without knowing whether he was being informal or formal, but Isis remained composed.

Instead.

“It suits you well, why are you so embarrassed? Don’t you think so, Leira?”

“Yes! You look splendid, Sir Knight!”

“…This is driving me crazy.”

Ihan couldn’t bring himself to get angry at the smiling maid and calmed his excitement, and when he became a bit more composed.

“…Then, who put these clothes on me?”

“……”

Though he had asked what he considered an important question, no answer came back.

Instead, only an ominous silence hung in the air.

“……”

“…It suits you well.”

“Hey.”

“Um… it’s quite becoming.”

“!?!!”

…Ihan realized he was completely done for.

* * *

The royal court’s final banquet.

It was the event marking the end of the debutante season, and also a time when numerous couples were formed.

Well, even if they were formed…

“I don’t want to hear the word ‘debutante’ for a while.”

“They’re not even animals, this is just…”

“Sigh…”

The problem was that there were plenty of couples formed after seeing all sorts of unspeakable things.

The girls who had dreamed of wonderful encounters at their debutante balls realized, contrary to their expectations, that this banquet was a festival for beasts.

No, not even real beasts…

“How could anyone perform such disgraceful acts in the middle of the garden…”

“They’re beasts. I guess they wanted to mate or something.”

“Ka-Karin!”

“What? We all know what happened.”

They say children grow up quickly and suddenly become adults after tasting the bitterness of life?

Just like that, they had properly tasted the bitterness of life through this debutante season.

If the debutante ball the girls dreamed of was like something from a fairy tale, the reality was just a mating ground for beasts.

And while there were males rushing to give them a taste of this bitter reality, fortunately…

“I’m glad we learned self-defense from our instructor.”

“But aren’t the men too weak? I really knocked one down, and he fell like a piece of paper. I was the one who was surprised.”

“That’s probably the average for noble youths. Our environment is special.”

The fledglings from the swordsmanship department had tasted bitterness, but none had fallen victim to unwanted advances.

There were plenty of drunken nobles whose eyes had gone wild with the desire to take down the girls, but each time, the girls had managed to fend them off through force or strategy.

Through this process, they came to understand why the kingdom’s noble birth rate surged after debutante season, and why illegitimate children and broken engagements were so common.

As the girls, who had lost all affection for the debutante season, continued to grumble.

Quietly…

“That place is still the same.”

“Perhaps it’s because of the increased attention recently?”

“…Our bear lady seems quite angry.”

The girls looked anxiously toward where their friend was.

At the bustling scene.

“Lady Jeanne d’Arc. Would you perhaps be interested in meeting my child?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“P-perhaps you could think about it a bit before deciding…”

“He’s not my type.”

“B-but you haven’t even seen my child yet.”

“I’ve already heard all the rumors. He’s the one who’s gotten at least three maids pregnant, isn’t he?”

“…T-that level of flaw is hardly a flaw at all…”

“It’s a flaw to me. So please stop with the nonsense, madam.”

“…How dare you be so impudent…”

“Is that comment directed at me personally? Or are you calling Tristan impudent, madam?”

“!!”

“Watch your words. I am neither your subordinate nor your friend.”

“…I-I’ll take my leave.”

“No. You should apologize before you go. Where do you think you’re going?”

“!!?”

“Madam, do you think the world is that easy?”

“W-well…”

…The experienced noble lady was on the verge of tears.

Though she was a noble lady of considerable reputation in social circles, she was no match for the direct and forceful girl.

This was the inevitable end for a noble lady who had underestimated a girl who would swing her sword even in front of formidable magical beasts.

“…Why is she so dark?”

“I wonder?”

As the girls observed, Levi was indeed in a very low mood.

Normally she would have handled even such a rude opponent gently, but she couldn’t muster such kindness.

…Part of it might be due to developing stage 1 noble-phobia the previous day.

But the reason Levi was so depressed was more than anything else.

‘It’s unpleasant.’

The unbearably unpleasant air of the palace.

Somehow…

‘It’s similar to [that time].’

The magical beast terror incident from last year.

…The girl’s eyes darkened as she sensed the same ominous energy as that day.