Ch.5151. The Story

I was eventually caught by Ainel and dragged to her office.

Despite giving Sione such a pitiful look asking for help, Sione couldn’t say anything to Ainel and just let me go.

The atmosphere around Ainel was unusual, and Sione appeared completely intimidated in front of her.

There was nothing I could do.

Creeak. Click.

As we entered the office, Ainel closed the door.

“Now, let’s cut to the chase.”

She spoke while sitting in her leather chair with her legs crossed, already positioned behind her desk.

“Servant, Ray. What kind of trick did you use to defeat the Arachne?”

“…It’s exactly as you know. I offered my left arm to the Arachne, and while it was biting my arm, I thrust my sword into its head to defeat it.”

Swish, swish.

Ainel’s hair swayed as she shook her head.

She closed her eyes tightly, shook her head, and slowly lifted her eyelids.

Her eyes were filled with negative emotions—a mixture of annoyance and irritation.

“That’s not the answer I wanted. I’m sure I told you. I personally cut open the spot where you thrust your sword and examined the Arachne’s head, confirming the burned, melted, and seared wound.”

“…Surely not. That would suggest I used some kind of magic, wouldn’t it?”

Since Ainel is practically a Sword Master, she could probably hear even my heartbeat if she wanted to and detect any lies.

Still, I denied her words, hoping she might let it slide if I tried to brush it off.

Indeed, Ainel listened to my words silently.

“Moreover, you personally split the Arachne’s head to examine the wound made by someone as lowly as me. I don’t understand your intentions, Lady Ainel.”

I expressed my true feelings.

To be honest, I really don’t understand why Ainel went so far as to dig into the dead Arachne’s head to examine the wound I inflicted.

Even if she was investigating Magia, why specifically focus on the wound I made when killing that spider?

“Before I purchased you from the merchant, your swordsmanship was cleaner and more refined than other slaves, but that’s only compared to other slaves. Your skills at that time were merely sword-waving that would only work against common thugs or goblins.”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ainel habitually began tapping her index finger on her desk.

“Then I heard that on your way to the Marquisate, you alone protected Sione and killed the cult followers. I was told there were even some skilled Sword Users among them.”

“…I simply threw myself into danger to protect Lady Sione, and God took my side.”

“Keep your nonsense to a minimum. To say you killed a Sword User merely because of luck from God’s favor? I’m speechless at how absurd that is.”

Ainel snorted at me.

Suddenly, her tapping index finger stopped.

“How could a man with such meager sword skills kill women who had reached the level of Sword Users? While I was wondering about this, now you’ve brought back an Arachne.”

“That is…”

“Well, I could somehow overlook the archery. Before buying you, I even heard from the merchant that your archery skills were certainly excellent.”

Ainel rested her chin on her hand.

The cold pressure of a knight standing at the boundary between Sword Expert and Master began to weigh on my shoulders.

“But now that the story of the Arachne has come up, how could I not check for myself?”

Ainel’s words flew sharply and pierced my ears.

“Even male mercenaries who have spent their entire lives as fighters would die eight out of ten times if they fought an Arachne alone. They cannot contain mana.”

“Yet you, who have never been on a battlefield and were born of low status with nothing but decent sword-wielding skills, managed to defeat an Arachne while protecting Sione.”

“If you weren’t hiding anything from me, how could you achieve such a miraculous result?”

Ainel uncrossed her legs and stood up.

“Seventh slave of the iron cage, Ray. Speak the truth.”

She slowly walked to the side of the office and picked up a sword hanging on the wall.

“Even if Sione is my unsatisfactory daughter, I cannot allow her to keep someone like you, who hides so much, by her side.”

A chilling sensation began to spread around my neck.

Siabel’s pressure warned that my body was in extreme danger.

It’s unfair.

I felt frustrated that a swordswoman who hadn’t even fully entered the realm of Sword Master but was just on the edge could hold my life in her hands, and I could do nothing but watch.

I really don’t understand why everyone in the Sianella family is so picky and seems desperate to get involved with me.

It seemed that if I continued hiding my magic abilities, I would only see that sword being drawn from its sheath.

So I finally began to tell the truth.

“…If I speak without hiding anything, would you put down your sword?”

“That depends entirely on you, doesn’t it?”

I took a deep breath and began to answer calmly.

“I can use magic. I simply borrowed the power of magic to protect Lady Sione.”

As expected.

Ainel must have already roughly guessed that I could use magic.

She showed no particular reaction to my words except for a small nod.

“Since when have you been able to use magic?”

Ainel tilted her head and met my eyes.

“Don’t think about lying. I see through everything.”

I nodded.

A knight of Ainel’s caliber would be able to detect lies by observing my smallest reactions, even listening to my heartbeat.

Although I tried to deny it a few times earlier, it seems she has no intention of letting it go.

It’s best to speak honestly now.

“I couldn’t use it when I was caged behind iron bars, but the longer I spent time with Lady Sione, the more mana and magic I could handle.”

This answer seemed unexpected, as Ainel’s eyes widened slightly.

“That means…”

“It means exactly what I said. I’ve only been able to use magic since coming to this county.”

“Hmm.”

Ainel stroked her chin, lost in thought.

After watching her silently for a while, I could see her attention shift from her private thoughts back to me.

“Show me your magic.”

“Understood.”

I used magic in the same way I had shown Siabel before.

Since we were inside her office, I kept the scale small but made sure to clearly demonstrate that I could use magic.

The fire created a curtain as it rode the wind, but the elemental fire wouldn’t burn objects against my will.

So there was no need to worry about starting a fire.

When the brief magic display ended, disbelief settled on Ainel’s face.

Why is she reacting like this now? She didn’t seem bothered when I said I could use magic.

“A male human wielding the magic of fairies and elves.”

“…You know about this magic?”

“The Sianella family shares deep ties with the guardians of the great forest. Your magic… is the same as the power wielded by the children of the great forest.”

Silence fell as she spoke.

It seems Ainel knows that my magic is not ordinary magic but elemental magic.

In this world, it appears that only fairies and elves can use elemental magic.

She seems to be even more shocked about my identity because of this coincidence.

At this rate, her private contemplation time would go on endlessly.

To draw her attention, I spoke.

“I’ve revealed all the abilities I was hiding. What do you intend to do with me now?”

“Well.”

Ainel, who had been quietly observing, suddenly moved quickly.

Shing!

The sharp blade, drawn from its sheath, was now pointed at my throat.

“What should I do?”

With the cold blade against my neck, Ainel approached me step by step.

“No leash, no restraints on your wrists and ankles, not even a subjugation spell.”

“Should I kill you, using the excuse that you’re too dangerous to keep around, being full of exceptions upon exceptions?”

“Or should I let you continue to guard Sianella as you have been? It’s quite a dilemma.”

That’s when it happened.

[A quest has been formed.]

“Proving Loyalty”

“Ainel Sianella wishes to confirm your loyalty in a somewhat aggressive and unusual way. Prove your loyalty to Sianella with eloquent speech and an equally unusual method to gain her recognition.”

“Reward: Enhancement of physical abilities”

“Failure: None”

Though I was startled by the sudden sword at my throat,

After seeing the quest, I realized there was no killing intent in her blade.

There was also no penalty specified for failing the quest.

The description explaining that this was a somewhat aggressive and unusual way to confirm loyalty proved it.

In fact, Ainel probably already knows.

Despite my ability to use magic, she must know the extent of my loyalty to Sione, having wrapped myself around her even at the cost of my arm.

She probably just wants to hear and confirm it herself.

I just need to tell her what she wants to hear.

In an equally unusual way.

“Let me ask you. Are you loyal to Sianella?”

“…That’s half right and half wrong.”

Ainel’s eyebrow twitched.

“My loyalty is primarily to Lady Sione, and Sianella is only a secondary object of my loyalty.”

“Are you sure it’s wise to say that in front of me?”

“Didn’t you say you could detect all lies anyway?”

“Interesting.”

Ainel laughed coldly.

“Then how will you prove this loyalty to Sione?”

“Isn’t my loyalty evident in my actions?”

I thought for a moment.

Even if it’s for a quest, I’ve gone through so much trouble for Sione.

“When demon worshippers attacked Lady Sione, I fought until my mana was depleted to protect her.”

“In the Beltrin Mountains, I embraced Lady Sione and rolled down a hillside to avoid charging orcs.”

“To protect Lady Sione, I even offered my life to fight the Arachne.”

Ainel’s mouth slowly curved upward.

That look.

It was the same look Siabel had when she saw my magic.

“Most importantly…”

I can’t leave out this last part.

“If my loyalty to Lady Sione wasn’t so great, I would have just done my job as a servant.”

“Instead, I personally helped Lady Sione, who had closed her heart due to others’ comparisons and disparagement, to rise again and change.”

How much effort did I put into turning Sione from just a human being into a person?

I take pride in this achievement, which would have been impossible without extraordinary dedication.

That’s how desperate Sione’s situation was back then.

Now she looks at the world with bright eyes, but back then, Sione just lay in her bed, staring at the same ceiling every day.

Ainel must know well that I created a small miracle.

As I thought about Sione,

I realized that despite all the difficulties and complaints, I had spent quite a lot of time with her.

And…

Thinking about Sione, there was something else I wanted to say.

Looking straight at Ainel, I spoke.

“So I must ask.”

“What is it?”

“Why didn’t you even greet Lady Sione when she was right beside me?”

At my words, Ainel’s expression, which had been somewhat amused, turned cold.

“Are you trying to lecture me now?”

“No. Not a lecture. Sincere advice.”

Even now I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have said anything.

But well, what’s done is done.

I can’t take it back, so I might as well finish what I started.

“Do you think it’s right to ignore the young lady of Sianella and only speak with a mere servant like me?”

“……”

Ainel clearly ignored Sione even though she was right beside me, focusing only on me.

No matter what, she’s still her daughter.

How can she not even acknowledge her and only speak to her servant?

Sione has deep pride in the Sianella family.

The leader of that family is her mother.

Even if their relationship is strained and past affection forgotten, her parents should still be worthy of respect.

I can still clearly see Sione’s face as she watched Ainel and me awkwardly, without saying a word, while being completely ignored.

“If I may be so bold as to request, I hope Lady Ainel will not turn away from or ignore Lady Sione. At the very least—”

Meeting her cold gaze, I said:

“Shouldn’t family members at least greet each other?”

When I finished speaking, Ainel, who had been staring at me blankly, let out a deflating sound.

Then, contrary to her usual cold demeanor, she smiled brightly.

I waited until Ainel’s laughter subsided, wondering why she was suddenly laughing like a madwoman.

“Sione has acquired an unusually loyal person of her own.”

Ainel withdrew her sword and hung it back on the wall.

She returned to her chair and sat with her legs crossed.

“You asked me to see the changed Sione fully.”

Ainel showed me an elegant letter paper that was on her desk.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“…Pardon?”

“As you said, I’ve already arranged something for the changed Sione.”

I wondered what kind of arrangement she had made.

“This autumn, I plan to take Sione to the First Princess’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

Ainel, with her chin resting on her hand, smiled slightly as she spoke.

“After years of not showing my face at social gatherings, with only abundant rumors remaining, isn’t it time to clear away those rumors?”

“Ah…”

We’ve barely finished climbing mountains and hunting monsters.

At Ainel’s words, I felt dizzy thinking about the carriage journey to the capital and all the work I would have to handle afterward.