Ch.9999. Isn’t He Actually the Most Dangerous Human?

“Federics.”

“How may I assist you?”

“Our brother Leonard is finally getting married?”

“Since when did you start putting the word ‘our’ before Master Leonard Alphonse’s name?”

“He’s a brother I respect. He grabbed me by the hair when I was about to fall into danger, only to fall in himself.”

“Pardon? What exactly do you mean by that?”

I waved my hand in the air while looking at Federics.

“His sacrifice is beyond what I can even explain. Anyway, I should go congratulate him on his marriage.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve returned to the family, hasn’t it?”

No, it’s actually the first time.

When I possessed ‘Selden Alphonse,’ I was in exile from the beginning.

Come to think of it.

I studied about the first and second sons of the Alphonse family from the materials Riden gave me, but will I be able to safely attend the wedding and return?

I’m definitely nervous.

“Haha, I suppose so?”

“But I should remain here, correct?”

“Of course, when I’m gone, you’re the only one who can oversee the construction of our defenses.”

“Who will you be taking with you this time?”

“I’m not sure. It feels like I’d be pulling away someone who’s working hard, so maybe it’s better if I go alone. Well, I’ll be going with Lightner anyway.”

“Wouldn’t it be more convenient to take at least one person with you? Especially at the family estate…”

I tilted my head at Federics as his voice trailed off.

“Especially at the family estate?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“Sigh… Do you know how annoying it is when someone starts saying something and doesn’t finish?”

“…I apologize. The truth is, I’m concerned that none of the knights or servants at the family estate will properly look after you.”

“Me?”

“They’re all busy watching the first and second young masters. It’s an unavoidable choice for their survival, but…”

Federics’ expression was filled with worry.

I crossed my arms heavily and leaned back against the chair.

“In your opinion, which brother should I be most careful of, the first or the second?”

“…Pardon?”

“Let’s speak frankly between us.”

“The first young master is rather blunt, but the second young master always smiles and is gentle with everyone, isn’t he?”

“That’s what the materials showed.”

“Materials?”

“Never mind, continue.”

Federics gave me a strange look before continuing.

“Still, I believe you should be most careful of the second young master.”

“But you said he’s gentle? Why?”

“Since childhood, whenever the second young master smiled, I felt an inexplicable sense of disconnect, though I couldn’t explain why.”

If you’ve read enough novels, you’d have a sense of what kind of character he is.

Someone who smiles to your face but manipulates others behind the scenes, planning some grand scheme.

Most likely someone without real skill but with an exceptionally sharp mind.

“Is that so? I’ll be careful of the second brother as you suggested.”

“…I’m uneasy about sending you to the family estate alone.”

“It’s fine, I’m not a child.”

“I’m somewhat reassured that Miria Alphonse is there, but…”

Isn’t she actually the most dangerous one?

I might be able to subdue the first and second brothers by force if necessary, but that won’t work with Miria Alphonse.

I hope she’ll behave when we meet at the family estate, but is that even possible?

I felt like I had forgotten about the most formidable opponent while focusing on the first and second brothers.

Just imagining the trouble made me sigh.

“Sigh… This is going to be a difficult journey.”

“I’ll try to select someone to accompany you.”

“Leave Luna out of it.”

“Luna Brillhart? You often go hunting with her. Is there a problem?”

“She’s a woman. My reputation at the family is already that of a scoundrel. What would people think?”

As I uttered the word “scoundrel” about myself, Federics wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Your reputation at the family must have improved significantly by now. There was the Pale Fruit incident, and you’ve been invited to the Imperial Palace twice.”

“Everyone will just think it was luck. They’ll believe people can’t change.”

“When they see how you’ve changed, everyone will be surprised. It’s time to reveal your hidden claws.”

“Come on, I’ve never hidden anything.”

Federics adjusted his glasses and smiled broadly.

Then he bowed and straightened up before continuing.

“I wish you a safe journey.”

*

“Who are you?”

“Pardon? I am Leo Sergang…”

“I mean, why did you volunteer for escort duty?”

“I wanted to be in charge of your protection.”

“But why!?”

My frustration erupted inside the carriage heading to the family estate.

Of all people, I had to travel with this stoic fellow. At least teasing Jawill Wilson would have been entertaining.

I let out a short sigh, and Leo Sergang’s distinctively deep voice resonated in my ears.

“You dislike me, don’t you?”

“W-what!?”

“Well, you only take Luna and Jawill Wilson with you when hunting monsters.”

That’s because…!

I couldn’t exactly say, ‘Luna needs affection points management, and Jawill Wilson is easy to boss around.’

I suppose from Leo’s perspective, it would feel unfair.

He’s undoubtedly the most skilled among the knights, yet he might feel like he’s constantly being excluded.

Leo Sergang was the companion I kept at the greatest distance from the protagonist.

Even more so than Riden Solis or Princess Sairine.

The reason was quite simple.

Leo was the protagonist’s most powerful and necessary ally.

And despite his stoic exterior, he’s a man with a lot of heart.

If we became close, what if he started agonizing over his loyalty to me versus the protagonist?

The mere thought gave me a headache, which is why I kept him at a distance from the beginning.

I adjusted my sitting position in the carriage.

“Leo, among the knights of Lake Territory, I trust your skills the most.”

“Then why am I the only one you don’t call for hunts?”

“What if monsters attack the mansion while I’m away? Who would take care of the cows then?”

“…Why are cows suddenly part of this conversation?”

“Whatever it is, I need someone to fill my place when I’m gone.”

“So you’re saying you trust me that much.”

His face seemed to relax a bit, as if his hurt feelings had been soothed.

Leo was actually one of the characters I was most attached to, so I did regret not being able to get close to him.

But what could I do?

He was someone with different values about life than mine…

“As long as you understand.”

“Then why did you allow me to come on this journey?”

“You’ll have a lot of hard work ahead, and I didn’t want you to waste your energy on building defenses too.”

“…I appreciate your consideration.”

That’s right.

He’s a valuable resource for stopping the monster wave, so there’s no need to waste his energy on building defenses.

Besides, I need a bit of a smokescreen at the family estate.

According to the materials, the first and second brothers will never believe in my achievements.

They’ll think I was either lucky or someone helped me.

Yes.

That someone they might suspect is none other than Leo Sergang.

With his excellent swordsmanship and admirable character, they might assume he quietly helped me from behind.

He could actually be a key factor in lowering their guard.

“By the way, are you still training diligently?”

“Yes, consistently.”

“I don’t worry about you because I know you handle things well on your own.”

“But I’d like to train or hunt with you sometime. I can’t gauge how much my skills have improved lately.”

“Have you tried against Luna?”

“She’s improving steadily, but she’s still no match for me.”

In the original story, they were evenly matched, so I wonder if Luna will be on par with Leo once “Blood Massacre” is activated?

I nodded as I tried to recall the details.

“Alright, let’s go hunting together after we return from the family estate.”

“Thank you.”

Then Lightner, who had been silently listening to our conversation, cautiously spoke up.

“Young master…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Could I also join you for training or hunting sometime? I’d like you to evaluate how much my skills have improved since then.”

“Hmm, there might be too many watchful eyes at the family estate for that.”

“I-is that so?”

Just then, the carriage came to a stop.

A man’s voice called from outside.

“We have arrived.”

I rose from my seat and continued speaking.

“Let’s think about skill evaluations later. Another opportunity might come up.”

“Understood.”

As soon as I stepped out of the carriage, I sensed something strange.

Instead of the hard ground I expected at the Alphonse family estate, my feet sank into soft weeds.

With my hand on my sword hilt, I quickly turned my head.

As expected, numerous people surrounded our carriage.

Among them, I could see the knights who had escorted me from Lake Territory, including Lightner.

Lightner exited the carriage with a shocked expression and raised his voice.

“Y-you all… What are you doing!?”

I raised my arm to stop Lightner from moving forward.

Then, slowly drawing my sword from its scabbard, I curled up the corners of my mouth.

“Lightner… It seems that opportunity has come sooner than expected.”