Master 68

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“Haha, so what now….”  

The morning after returning to the mansion.  

Having enjoyed a good night’s sleep in a long while, I headed to the office, lost in deep thought.  

‘I didn’t expect to be summoned by both sides……’  

Although it was sudden, I could understand why Lumen Ordo had called for me.  

After all, they also summoned players who became heroes in the original work.  

Of course, all of their leaders and executives are so overwhelmingly unique that it’s almost burdensome, but still within expected bounds.  

‘But honestly, the Shadow Union is out of the equation.’  

The problem is the Shadow Union, an alliance of black mages that wasn’t even properly explained in the game.  

They only appeared in cutscenes during gameplay, and their exact location or numbers were unknown—how am I even supposed to respond to an invitation from such a secretive group?  

No, even putting that aside, I’m a hero now.  

Is it really okay for me to go there openly?  

Wouldn’t it be a miracle if I returned unharmed instead of getting backstabbed?  

‘…Still, if I don’t go, that could be a problem too.’  

Honestly, I’d rather no-show.  

But the issue is, I’ve already made a contract with the leader of the black mages, staking my soul.  

If there’s one thing I learned from being backstabbed multiple times in the game, it’s that you never break a contract involving your soul.  

And the contract I made with the leader of the black mages wasn’t forced like a curse—it was a mutual agreement.  

That means not even the Saintess’s holy power or my white magic can nullify it.  

‘Things have gotten quite complicated…’  

Still, one fortunate thing is that the black mage leader can’t just eliminate me either.  

The fact that they went as far as making a contract to use me as a stand-in must mean they’re also in a position where they can’t show their face even to their own subordinates.  

They say even if you’re caught by a tiger, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.  

Now that it’s come to this, I might as well double as both hero and mastermind.  

“Master! You’re here!”  

“…You’ve arrived.”  

Trying to embrace a ‘whatever happens, happens’ mindset, I entered the office to be greeted by Parsha and Runiel, who were already inside.  

“Why are you both here so early in the morning…?”  

“Since you became a hero, the amount of mail you receive has doubled and then some! So we’ve been sorting all of it.”  

“…With Parsha’s help, I was drafting a reorganization plan for the Count’s knights. Now that you’ve become a hero, I thought the order should match that level of strength.”  

I didn’t even notice them returning yesterday since I passed out right after bathing.  

But they’ve been working hard.  

“It’s true… Our house’s knights have only been a formality for some time.”  

Come to think of it, our knight force was already lacking, and after Father took most of them, only a handful of guards remained in our domain—not enough to call a knight order.  

So yes, like Runiel said, it’s time for a major overhaul.  

“But the issue is budget…”  

The problem is, our house has always been strapped for funds, both in the past and now.  

Of course, now that I’m a hero, everyone’s contacting us to offer help—but it’s all basically loans with strings attached.  

The Empire’s nobles and merchants are nasty folks who’d try to squeeze every coin from you, hero or demon lord alike.  

‘Same goes for the royal family and the Holy Nation.’  

They may have a public obligation to support the hero, but that’ll only last a few times.  

Unless it’s a group like Lumen Ordo, the so-called absolute force of good, support will soon turn into manipulation.  

“Oh, don’t worry about the budget.”  

As I hesitated for that very reason, Parsha spoke with a relaxed smile.  

“There are so many people applying just at the mention of your name, I bet we could fill the mansion’s garden with them.”  

“Is it really that many…?”  

“You may not have noticed since you’re not one to care much about public opinion, but you’re the hottest topic in the world right now.”  

Am I really that popular?  

Sure, the title of ‘hero’ carries weight, but it’s hard to believe there are still that many people acting out of goodwill in this twisted world.  

“To interview all the knight candidates, you’ll probably be pulling all-nighters for days.”  

“Haha….”  

“But you don’t need to worry. I’ll be by your side until the end.”  

Even Runiel, after exchanging a brief glance with Parsha, nodded as if confirming it to be true.  

The establishment of House Lingard’s exclusive knight order.  

That would further solidify Cecil’s position as the future head of the family—not a bad development, to be honest.  

Of course, we shouldn’t pick just anyone, so interviews are necessary.  

But if we make Runiel, Parsha, and Cecil the interviewers, we might be able to build a decent order.  

“All right, I’ll be counting on you. Commander-in-training.”  

“Ha.”  

Naturally, the ideal candidate for the knight commander was Runiel, so I praised her gently.  

She inhaled slightly, then began to speak with a touch of emotion.  

“…It feels truly surreal.”  

“What part?”  

“It feels like just yesterday I was a slave, waiting to die… And now I’m on the brink of achieving my lifelong dream.”  

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional too.  

Originally, she was meant to become the Emperor’s hound, causing bloody chaos.  

Yet here she is, smiling so innocently.  

Now that I think about it, even Meredia has changed a lot from the cruel figure I knew.  

They’ve all gone through hardships and still have uncertain futures, but seeing these characters diverging from their original paths feels like a reassuring signpost for the journey I’m taking.  

“Master, I will continue to give my all—”  

“Oh, what’s this?”  

Just then, as I looked at Runiel with a proud smile, I heard Parsha’s voice beside me.  

“What is it?”  

“…Um, nothing.”  

I turned my gaze toward her in curiosity.  

She quickly looked away and stuffed the letter in her hand into the nearby pile.  

“Wait a minute.”  

But before she could fully hide it, Runiel swiftly snatched the letter.  

“Runiel, is something wrong…?”  

“Master, that’s the seal of the Mistilane family.”  

“…Ah.”  

I looked on, puzzled, until Parsha whispered to me, and I finally caught on to the situation.  

‘A letter from Runiel’s family.’  

I don’t know the full details, but her relationship with her family must be pretty broken.  

“Sigh… seriously.”  

Whatever the content of the letter is…  

“…Utterly shameless.”  

Judging by the cold sigh and twisted expression on Runiel’s face, it doesn’t seem like anything pleasant.  

“Are you okay, Runiel?”  

“…Ah, I’m sorry, Master.”  

So when I looked at Runiel worriedly and asked cautiously, she snapped out of her daze and hurriedly relaxed her expression, handing me the letter.  

“I’m sorry for checking the contents without permission.  

I will gladly accept any punishment.”  

“Hm.”  

Caught off guard, I took the letter from her hands, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and spoke.  

“A bothersome fly is buzzing around, huh?”  

“Ah.”  

As I said that, I tore the letter in half.  

“Indeed… blood is thicker than water.”  

“……”

“That’s why, when you cut ties, you must do it cleanly.”  

Honestly, I was a bit curious about the letter’s contents, but more importantly, I needed to care for Runiel’s state of mind.  

As a half-baked white mage who became a hero by accident, I’d have to rely even more on the strength Runiel would provide moving forward.  

She may be loyal to me now, but you never know how things will change with people.  

So it’s better to show gestures like this ahead of time.  

“Um, would that perhaps be a bit difficult for you?”  

“M-Master.”  

“Ahaha… I understand everything, you know.”  

With that in mind, I tore the letter into tiny pieces, wearing the softest expression I could muster to show Runiel that I was a kind superior.  

“Everyone has one or two inevitable weaknesses.”  

“……”

“For you, Runiel… I suppose that would be your family?”  

Meeting the other person’s eyes and empathizing with them—Alfred once told me this was the best form of communication.  

“So if it’s hard, you can always talk to me abou—”  

Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would work, but I was relieved to see my sincere empathy seemed to be getting through.  

“I-I will sever it completely!”  

But just before I could finish my sentence, Runiel suddenly went pale and knelt before me in a panic.  

“I will settle this with my own hands as soon as possible!  

I swear it on my name, Runiel, and the sword you bestowed upon me!”  

“?”  

“S-So please, I beg you, give me just one chance to redeem myself…!”  

I was just as taken aback as she was.  

‘Should’ve known better than to trust Alfred’s advice.’  

It seemed her trauma regarding her family ran deeper than I expected.  

I had to calm the situation down quickly.  

“No, no, calm down. I only meant I could help you if you needed it.”  

“…If that is your will, Master, then I will obey.”  

“Still, try handling it however you feel is best first.”  

Seeing her so nervous, I hurried to add those words, and her trembling expression quickly brightened.  

“Th-Thank you for the chance!”  

“…Haha.”  

Yeah, family matters are best left alone, even by close friends.  

Unless your family is like Lady Meredia, who’s basically a walking enemy with murder in her eyes.  

“Sigh… This is seriously like something out of a dream.”  

As I scratched my head awkwardly, Parsha muttered beside me with a chill running down her spine, and I turned toward her, confused.  

“…If I knew I’d walk in on something this spine-chilling, I would’ve come later.”  

Then suddenly, a deep voice full of distaste came from the direction of the window.  

“Mr. Bergen?”  

“Ah, pardon me. This place is smoke-free, isn’t it?”  

I hadn’t sensed any presence, but there he was—Bergen, perched on the open window frame, holding a cigarette before tucking it back into the pack.  

“Well now, anyway, I’d really like to avoid walking such a tightrope again in the future.”  

“Ah, I’m sorry about that.”  

“…Well, as long as that contract from back then is still valid, I’d even do worse things.”  

Still stunned by his sudden appearance, I quietly smiled and responded to the subtle hint in Bergen’s words.  

“That… I think I can confidently assure you of.”  

“Can I hear the reason?”  

“I’ll be attending the Shadow Union meeting soon.”  

And of course, as expected of Bergen, who always has impeccable intel, he seemed to understand everything I was implying with that one sentence.  

“Ha, okay. Got it. I’ll prepare myself too.”  

The fatigue in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp glint.  

“I wouldn’t really call it a reward, but I brought a letter.”  

“A letter?”  

Seeing him like that, I braced myself again, but tilted my head curiously when Bergen casually took out a letter from his coat.  

“It’s from someone you know very well, one who also asked me for a favor.”  

Someone close enough to entrust Bergen with a letter, and someone I know that well?  

Who could possibly…  

「Something came up again, so I probably won’t be able to see you for a while, Young Master.」  

“…Alfred?”  

As I read the letter Bergen gave me, I immediately recognized the handwriting I had seen countless times before.  

「Given the situation I’m in, I feel I must share the secret I once planned to tell you in person, even if it’s through a letter.」  

Before I could even wonder how Alfred got so close to Bergen…  

「So, where should I begin… Right. Let me be clear about one thing first.」  

As I read further, I couldn’t hide my shock and started to break into a cold sweat.  

「Parsha is not actually my biological granddaughter.」  

It was a shocking revelation that had never even appeared in the game.  

「In truth, she is a clone of the so-called Great Shadow—the leader of the black mages.」  

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