Chapter 7 | The Assassin Rejects a Proposal
Eager to test out what I had received from Epona’s My Loyal Knights, I immediately borrowed the castle training grounds. After performing some drills, I found that my physical ability was leagues above where it had been.
The most striking improvement was my mana discharge. I had a little over one thousand times the capacity of the average mage, but my immediate release being only ten times higher than the median was a weakness. Now, however, I could output twice as much as I had just yesterday, dramatically increasing what I could do in battle.
“I can’t keep up with you at all, my lord…,” Tarte remarked, falling to her knees as she panted.
She was acting as my sparring partner. I fought her at her full strength while intentionally not empowering myself with mana. Previously, that would have ensured my loss, but not anymore.
“I can’t believe how strong I’ve become. I’m looking forward to using My Loyal Knights on you, Tarte.”
“Me too. I love the idea of something of yours flowing inside of me and connecting us forever.”
Is it just my imagination, or did that sound a little lewd?
Although I wanted to use My Loyal Knights on Tarte right away, I needed to conduct more tests. The goal was to gain some control over the skills I gave her. There were a few clear picks I wanted to ensure she received—namely, Limitless Growth and Rapid Recovery. The combination was downright unfair.
The battle with General Orc had forced me to accept that demons were not the sort of things you could fight while remaining in the confines of human capability. That’s why I wanted Tarte to gain powers that surpassed what most had.
In addition to two of my skills, I hoped to provide Tarte with Possibility Egg. Once I’d figured out whether I could control My Loyal Knights, I’d use it on her.
“I feel very guilty about taking one of your three slots…but I still really want you to pick me,” Tarte admitted bashfully.
“There’s no reason not to. You’re family, Tarte, and an important assistant.”
Initially, I had taken her in only as a tool. That wasn’t how I saw her anymore, though. Perhaps it was shameless to think as much after conditioning the girl to ensure her undying loyalty, but I believed our bond was genuine.
“Thank you! You are everything to me, my lord. Do you know who the other two will be?”
“One will be Dia.”
As my lover, Dia would be with me forever. Even excluding that, she was the most skilled mage I knew. I had no reason not to pick her.
“And the other?”
“That’s a little difficult. The safe choice would be Maha. But she doesn’t need combat strength. It could also be Dad if I wanted instant firepower… I’ll put that decision on hold until it becomes necessary.”
I only had three uses of My Loyal Knights. There was no need to decide them all right away. I actually preferred having one slot open.
“Personally, I think Maha would be a good choice. She likes you as much as I do,” Tarte stated.
“That does merit consideration. Let’s head back. Dinner will be soon.”
“I suddenly feel very nervous. I’ll do my best not to embarrass you, my lord.”
Tarte’s skills as a maid were excellent, so I was sure she’d be fine.
The dinner was not arranged by the royal family but by another noble household staying within the royal castle. All aristocrats visiting the palace and their respective kin were in attendance, and each of the fifty guests had the power to eradicate House Tuatha Dé at the mere lift of a finger.
As the man of the hour, I drew all eyes when I entered. Their gazes then moved to Mom, Tarte, and Dia. Those present were no strangers to beautiful women, but even then, these three stood out.
It was a source of pride but also unease. Tarte looked wholly flustered, but Mom and Dia were used to the attention.
Out of those assembled, I recognized Naoise Gephis. He was a classmate of mine and the heir to one of the four major dukedoms of the Alvanian Kingdom. When I glanced his way, he winked.
“I humbly thank you for inviting us to this banquet tonight,” my dad said. Then he bowed, and we followed his example.
We were ordered to sit, and Tarte stationed herself behind me. Considering our rank, we should have been at the foot of the table. However, we were granted seats of honor.
“Baron Tuatha Dé, I apologize for pulling you away from your preparations for the award ceremony. I wanted to ask your son some questions,” Duke Gephis explained with a shallow, pleasant smile.
The man possessed a medium build, and his hair was streaked with gray. His chiseled face gave the impression of intelligence. Although his attire was fancy, there was no hint of pretentiousness about him.
A quick look around revealed that most of the nobles here appeared to be upstanding people. That was likely because Duke Gephis, the sponsor of the dinner, had selected them.
I suppose birds of a feather do flock together. Do honorable aristocrats attract one another, or are they all subordinates that Duke Gephis educated himself?
We didn’t have to wait long to be served our meal.
“Now I get it,” I muttered.
Three appetizers were brought to the table: a dish consisting of walnuts sprinkled onto an edible plant called a sobier, berry sauce–coated meat from a large bird called a Harta pheasant, and raw Grasake salmon, all things which could only be found in the north.
The entrée was cuisine from the same region—bear meat stewed in a local style of miso. Even the bread was made of rye, known for growing well in colder temperatures. Every ingredient had been imported from the Gephis domain, as had the cook. This was despite the fact that you could have anything made for you at the royal castle at a simple request.
The act was meant as a statement against the central government. Gephis and his followers refused to accept the decision to keep the hero here.
“How do you like this food? Does it suit your tastes better than the cuisine of the capital?” Gephis asked me.
“It’s delicious, but the capital’s local fare isn’t bad, either.”
The duke was really asking whether I would align myself with the north, or more specifically, House Gephis. My reply told him that I couldn’t accept the proposal at the moment.
The atmosphere of the room became a little tense, and my dad spoke up.
“Let’s quit this roundabout way of speaking typical of the central government. There is no one eavesdropping on us, and I can guarantee that none of my family will betray this conversation to others. Unless there happens to be an informant mixed in among your honorable guests, Duke Gephis, we should be fine.”
Some did not take my dad’s words so well, standing up in outrage.
“There’s no chance any of us would betray the duke!”
“You’re pushing your luck, Baron Tuatha Dé!”
Duke Gephis scowled at the nobles who lost their composure, and they quietly sat back down. He had them well disciplined.
“I apologize for my subordinates. They tend to be the worrying sort.”
The indirect message was to prevent anything said here from being used as evidence against us. If Duke Gephis asked for my allegiance directly, it could be seen as treason.
None of that mattered, though, so long as our exchange was never leaked.
“Then I’ll ask directly. We don’t consent to the central government’s decisions. Are you actually capable of killing demons?” Duke Gephis peered into my eyes.
“I don’t know. I was able to slay the last one, but I couldn’t keep it dead. No matter how many times I struck it down, it revived. Had Epona not been there, I would’ve had to run.”
“Oh? You claim you were able to kill it, albeit not permanently. I find that hard to believe. How were you able to pull off such a thing?”
“I possess an S-Rank skill.”
“And what kind of power does it give you?”
“I’m sorry, describing it would be the equivalent of announcing my weaknesses to the world. So I’m abstaining from answering that.”
Only one out of every one hundred million people possessed an S-Rank skill. Just having one made you one of the strongest people in the world.
“I understand. However, does your skill matter at all if you are unable to end demons permanently?”
“Since the battle, I have devised a method of slaying demons for good. The only problem is I have no way to verify that it works. I can’t claim this method will be effective until the next time a demon appears. For now, all I can state is that there is a chance I can kill demons.”
Hiding it now was pointless, so I was honest on that front.
“I see… If it does work, then that would be a truly monumental accomplishment. Not counting the hero, you would be the first person in history to slay a demon.”
Duke Gephis understood how much this could mean. Others besides me might become able to kill demons, too.
“That’s why I’d prefer you didn’t have me die from some mysterious illness or accident and argue with the central government to release the hero. Instead, I ask that you bet on my success. You should know that I don’t want to die and will resist any attempts on my life to the best of my ability. I have an S-Rank skill, so taking me out will prove difficult.”
“Ha-ha-ha, looks like you saw right through me.”
The duke planned to neutralize me so that the central government would have to revisit their decision to keep the hero for themselves. That’s why there’d been people tailing our carriage during the trip to the royal capital.
“You are a fascinating boy. Baron Tuatha Dé, you were blessed with a remarkable child.”
“Yes, Lugh is my pride and joy. However, that surely isn’t the end of the discussion, is it?”
“That is correct. We have run out of patience with the central government in regard to this case. While the royal family still has good intentions, the central government has them completely under their thumb,” Duke Gephis declared.
While Gephis’s lands to the north and those regions to the south where Tuatha Dé was situated were made up of decent people, the same could not be said of the dukedoms to the east and west. Corrupt aristocrats populated them, and it was these people that Duke Gephis was referring to when he said “their thumb.”
“If you really can kill demons, Lugh, your fame is only going to grow. To the extent that the east and west won’t be able to ignore you. With you and the hero on our side, we could wipe out their influence. Will you lend us your strength? We will reward you and back you up with our full force.”
Having the support of a prominent noble house would be extremely helpful in my efforts to eradicate demons. The backing of House Gephis would also give me the most power I could ever gain in noble society. Unfortunately, joining them would limit my freedom of choice, making this a difficult situation.
“You entreat me to stand by your side, but what exactly does that entail?” I pressed, hoping to stall for more time to think.
“We will tie House Gephis and House Tuatha Dé together in matrimony. There is no stronger bond than one of blood. My son Naoise will marry your lovely sister, Claudia,” Duke Gephis explained.
“I decline your offer,” I answered instantly.
Massive wealth and authority would fall House Tuatha Dé’s way if we were to become connected to a duke’s house. Conversely, if we refused this offer, we risked making a powerful enemy.
Even still, this idea was out of the question. Dia was mine. I’d decided that I would live my second life the way I wished. If accepting this deal meant losing the woman I loved, then it was no choice at all.
“Do you have the authority to give that answer? Should it not be the head of your house?” demanded Duke Gephis.
“No. Because what you need isn’t the power of House Tuatha Dé, it’s the strength of a second hero. I expect Dad will leave this to me,” I replied.
“That’s right. The decision is his.”
Duke Gephis knit his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected a rejection. From a practical standpoint, I had every reason to accept. He was treating us with the utmost kindness, going so far as to offer Naoise, his son and heir, to Dia rather than to any of the nobles in his service.
“…I see. That is disappointing, but I have high hopes for your endeavors. Let us meet after you slay a demon, and I may have a different offer for you,” the duke said after a moment.
“I look forward to it.”
“All right, that is the difficult talk out of the way. Now, please relax and enjoy your dinner. Our chef’s dessert is exquisite.”
“Thank you very much.”
The man had dropped his offer right away. He saw from my response there was no hope of convincing me.
After that, everyone simply enjoyed the meal. Dia ended up really loving the northern cuisine. Seeing that, I discerned all the recipes used to make this type of cuisine for her in the future, and even better dishes.
I love Dia. I won’t let anyone steal her from me, and I want to make her happy.
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