Survival 37

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After safely seeing off Master, a few days passed.

I returned to the daily life as a servant.

Though the work at the Duke’s house is abundant and hard, it seems humans are indeed creatures of adaptation.

After a few months, the routine became second nature to me.

“Good work today.”

“Yes, Lady Luciana, you’ve worked hard as well.”

Etiquette, dance, rhetoric, politics, swordsmanship…

Though my work is just behind-the-scenes, she had to take all sorts of lessons to maintain the demeanor of a noble lady.

“Miss, that’s not right. Lift the hem of the dress just enough to be grasped at the fingertips, about 3 inches, just showing the tip of the shoe.”

Experts with high pride in their field, famous for their reputation, were strict.

She’s even the future Crown Princess and Empress.

Naturally, the atmosphere in the lessons was extremely tense.

For me, I absolutely can’t do it. The rote learning I experienced in Korea was enough.

Then,

As Luciana, who finished today’s schedule, was heading to the library, she gestured to me.

“Go and rest then. It’s going to get busy soon.”

“Busy?”

“Oh, you came here just this year. You might not know.”

Luciana’s playful lips curled up slightly.

“…Hey? Are you listening?”

…Oops. I unwittingly stared blankly.

Whatever was so amusing, her faint smile directed at me was a bit harmful to my heart.

“My birthday is the last day of this month.”

And then, her following statement, was not a joke, but rather made my heart shrink.

“…Excuse me?”

“Not knowing your master’s birthday, what an unfaithful servant.”

I couldn’t have known.

In the game, there were events related to the birthdays of the protagonist and other characters, but nothing was mentioned about the villainess.

“I’m sorry!”

I bowed so deeply I almost hit my head on the floor.

But as she said, not knowing the birthday of a superior, especially as a dedicated servant, was close to a disgrace. Apart from the game, it was proper for me to know it by myself.

Not only that, but to actually say it out loud yourself.

“Hehe, it’s just a joke.”

Whether it’s unfortunate or fortunate, it seems she was just teasing from the start.

“Your flustered expression is always so refreshing.”

Pleased with her own prank, she rested her chin on her hand.

But a fleeting sadness flashed in her eyes.

“Anyway, my birthday is coming up, so both you and I will be busier. We won’t have much time for sparring for a while.”

“Miss, you too, cheer up. After your birthday, when things quiet down, why don’t you spend more time in the training hall under the excuse that you’ve been neglecting martial training?”

I tried not to show it, but my voice carried a hint of disappointment.

I slightly raised my head and added to the conversation.

Both exercise and martial arts share the trait of quickly losing proficiency if not practiced regularly.

She will probably be surrounded by nobles celebrating her birthday and focusing on socializing, so if she uses that excuse, others probably won’t be able to say anything.

Luciana’s eyes slightly curved in amusement.

“Always coming up with clever tricks, aren’t you? That’s a good idea.”

“Cunning? What harsh words. Let’s call it a justifiable reason.”

Then, I felt something tugging at the hem of my clothes.

“Friede seems hungry too. It’s time for you to go do your own work.”

“Overtime work is so tough…”

“Come on, just a little more effort.”

Friede, who had been following me around, managed to sneak into my room and wagged his tail.

He would’ve been fed in his own space, but he couldn’t resist and started to loiter around my room whenever it was mealtime.

They say animals grow quickly to adapt to the wild.

This guy was no exception.

The look of a newborn puppy?

Nowhere to be seen.

He had eaten like a pig and was already the size of a medium-sized dog.

-Grrr…

Well, he still looked cute when eagerly waiting for food,

‘But after getting his meal from me, he’ll just turn around and go back to his master’s room. Such an ungrateful creature.’

This clever guy clearly distinguished between the one who feeds him and his actual master.

“Eat this.”

After casually putting the monster raw meat I got from the kitchen into a bowl for Friede, I took out what I was going to eat from my pocket. It was a white herb root, reminiscent of ginseng. It was my biggest find from this expedition, the Frostroot.

In appearance, it wasn’t much different from what I had eaten before in the expedition. 

[Thousand-Year Frostroot]

[Item Type: Elixir]

[An herb that took root absorbing the essence of snowfields. This particular specimen of Frostroot, over a thousand years old, would have never been found if not collected by human hands.]

[Consumption grants the skill ‘Essence of the Extreme’.]

However, its effects were on a different level. 

As expected of an elixir obtained at the cost of my Master’s right arm and my left arm, the Thousand-Year Frostroot granted a whole skill just by consuming it!

“There’s no reason to hesitate eating it.”

I immediately put it in my mouth and chewed. The hard shell cracked, releasing a rich juice.

“What? It’s tastier than I thought.”

Instead of the expected bitterness, a refreshing minty flavor lingered on my tongue.

-…

Perhaps intrigued by the smell, Friede, who was also interested in the leafy part of the root I ate, sniffed around it. Then, uncharacteristically for a carnivore, he just gulped down the leaf.

“…Are you really a direwolf? Picking up and eating leaves off the ground?”

Despite my sarcastic remark, he ignored me, busily picking up the last fallen leaf and chewing it.

Creak-

Having finished his dessert, as if he had no more business there, Friede jumped and opened the door, effortlessly slipping out.

“I’m just a meal uncle and a servant, aren’t I?”

Sigh, 

What’s the use of grumbling to a beast.

To check my gains, I quickly opened my status window to see the updated skill.

[Skill]

[A rank: Essence of the Extreme]

[The power imbued in the Thousand-Year Frostroot has settled within your body through consumption. Controlling and utilizing this power is the user’s responsibility.]

[When used, temporarily doubles the base agility stat, followed by a 3-day cooldown and a slight temporary decrease in agility stat.]

For reference, that effect was identical to the temporary boost I got from consuming the elixir.

It was like gaining a buff skill.

“Boosting base stats is always right.”

Moreover, unlike the Toad incident, this was related to my highest stat, agility, not one of my weaker stats.

Since my key skills like evasion and counterattack are influenced by the agility stat, this was truly icing on the cake.

“This expedition turned out to be quite fruitful.”

Although I paid the price with an injury to my left arm, and Perno lost his right arm.

But considering I gained the Thousand-Year Frostroot’s buff and a dagger specialized for counterattacks, it was a good result relative to the risk.

“Still, I need to lay low for a while.”

Even before the black market incident, the notoriety of ‘Frost Mane’ was spreading quietly in the underworld. After that, it spread throughout the northern nobility.

Fame, especially notoriety, has its advantages when high, but the disadvantages were greater.

I even had to import expensive healing potions to hide my injury.

Just by showing up, my activities and timing could reveal my identity, so for the time being, I’ll have to live as Hans Byron.

“Anyway, I’ll be busy due to Luciana’s birthday, so I’ll wait for the right moment to resume my activities.”

Fortunately, unless branded as a traitor or sworn enemy, notoriety decreases over time.

“By the time everyone starts to forget a little, it’ll be the right time to act.”

I casually lifted my leg and stomped down hard.

-Silent.

Despite the floor being carpeted, there was no sound, a curious feature.

This secret lay in the evolved stepping technique I mastered during the final showdown with Luciana.

[Skill]

[Ex rank: Stealth Incarnate]

[Exclusive skill for the Thief class]

[A thief must be so secretive as to never be caught, able to escape from any crisis, and know when to reveal a sharp hidden dagger in the final moment. – Moon Crow]

[Greatly reduces the chance of being detected during stealth actions, assassination bonus applied the moment identity is revealed]

[Significantly increases evasion probability during enemy attacks, additional adjustments upon successful pattern analysis]

[Damage adjustment for counterattacks based on agility stat, able to identify opponent’s fatigue gauge]

Skill Rank Ex.

Even in the game, this was a rank only a few chosen ones, including the protagonist, possessed. I couldn’t help but smile.

“This will make things much easier, being so useful.”

True to its Ex rank, my existing abilities seemed to have been significantly enhanced.

It was a very satisfying growth.

At this rate, the system might as well beg me to raid the nobles’ hidden vaults.

“But now, Luciana’s birthday… I need to think about what gift to give her.”

Flowers or jewels? Luciana’s tastes aren’t like those of a typical girl. She wouldn’t like that.

A sword? Unless it’s exceptional, she would prefer the ancestral sword she currently has.

Ah, I should have raided those vaults earlier.

It was a night filled with deep contemplation.

***

While the servant was deep in thought, his master, Luciana, was also secretly communicating in her room.

“It’s been a while.”

“What brings you to contact me? You don’t usually call to check in.”

The voice from the magic communication orb was surprisingly informal for addressing a duchess.

Typically, except for special friends like Elizabeth or outright enemies like Dmitri, Luciana was accustomed to being spoken to with honorifics.

However, she didn’t make any particular note of it.

The person on the other end had the standing to do so.

“Roberk, I propose a deal.”

Roberk, a name belonging to one of the four noble ducal families in the vast Manhet Empire in the west.

“?”

“My birthday is coming soon. I heard you’re planning to visit the north to celebrate.”

“Well, yes, that’s true.”

The lady beyond the crystal orb responded nonchalantly. Despite being a duchess from the same rank, she seemed uninterested in Luciana’s birthday.

It didn’t matter.

She didn’t contact her to receive birthday wishes like some petulant child.

“So, what does Lady Speda want?”

“I want information about the Sand Mole.”

“…The Sand Mole?”

The atmosphere through the crystal changed instantly at the mention of the notorious thief’s name.

Her voice, which until now seemed perfunctory, now mixed deep interest with seriousness.

‘Much better than just letting it go in one ear and out the other earlier.’

Was it because the petty thief had made a name for himself? 

Or was it because, as the newspapers reported, he had brought shame to the Roberk Ducal family?

“He appeared in the north. For the security of the north, it’s necessary to gather information.”

It was a lie.

Security of the north? Of course, it’s important.

But, it was more about personal feelings.

‘If I delve into the information about his collaborator, maybe I can uncover his identity.’

A cold, vengeful blade sharpened in her heart.

“In exchange, if I manage to capture the Sand Mole, I’ll hand him over to your people.”

The Roberk Ducal family had already suffered greatly at the hands of the Sand Mole.

They would surely want to catch him.

However, capturing him without the cooperation of foreign nobility, especially after he had escaped the west, would have been difficult.

Even more so in the insular north.

“Fair proposal. See you on your birthday.”

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen your face. Agreed. I look forward to our meeting then.”

It was essentially an agreement to collaborate.

Of course, neither the yearly birthday nor the other person was of any real concern.

“Frost Mane…”

As she disconnected the communication with the crystal orb, Luciana mulled over the name.

Her lower lip curled inward, bitten by her teeth in the humiliation of her defeat.

The thought of capturing him and making him pay fueled a sinister light in Luciana’s eyes.

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