Who is Ferris, Meyer’s slave knight?
Simply put, if the Emperor of the original had Runiel, and Lady Meredia had Parsha, then Meyer had Ferris.
She, a beastkin slave raised by Meyer since childhood, is one of the ultimate characters who always appears when listing the top combatants.
‘If Bergen is the master of espionage and infiltration, Ferris is the master of assassination.’
Of course, compared to Bergen, who serves as the player’s informant in the original, recruiting Ferris was nearly impossible, so I had never even considered her in the dream team lineup.
But to think I would actually run into her during the knight order interviews like this.
‘Well, it’s obvious she didn’t actually come here wanting to join our knight order.’
Considering the situation, it’s unlikely that Ferris, a loyal subordinate of Meyer, truly came to take the interview.
If so, there is only one possible purpose for her.
That would be to target my life.
‘Yeah, honestly, if anyone in this mansion were to be targeted, it’d only be me.’
From Meyer’s perspective, the only one he’d want to eliminate from the Lingard mansion would be me.
Because, among the people in the mansion, I’m the only one for whom ‘assassination’ is even a viable option.
‘Just look at Runiel — assassination wouldn’t even scratch her, and Lady Meredia doesn’t even stay at the mansion, so she’s not a target either.’
Cecil, my younger sister, does come to mind a little, but after the Selection Tournament, her combat ability has skyrocketed.
To the extent that just yesterday, she even managed to leave a small scratch on Runiel’s cheek during a live training session with real swords.
As for Parsha, since she hasn’t made her public debut yet, the chances of her being a target are extremely low.
‘So basically, she’s an assassin sent just to eliminate me…’
I’m someone who used to lie bedridden without a single person caring about me, so I tend to welcome even hostility from others, but still — accepting an assassin feels like a bit much.
Yet even so, it would be a shame to just catch Ferris right here and now.
‘She’s too valuable to waste just like that…’
Ferris is one of the few tools Meyer, who maintains a hypocritical façade, uses behind the scenes to extend his reach.
Thus, if I could manage to keep her in the mansion — or better yet, win her over to my side — it would significantly weaken Meyer’s power.
‘No wonder he’s one of Lady Meredia’s major political rivals. It might really be the smarter move.’
Though Meyer’s personal combat power falls short of Meredia’s, his skill in backdoor dealings, dirty work, and scheming rivals hers.
Seeing that Meyer has started making moves to keep me in check, it seems the time to prepare for future battles has come.
“You’re thinking too much.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“Did that beastkin get something on her face? Why are you staring so hard?”
While I was deep in thought, staring absentmindedly at Ferris, Lady Meredia’s somewhat displeased voice came from beside me.
“No, it’s just… this is my first time seeing a beastkin in person. It’s a bit fascinating.”
“……”
“…Those twitching ears — don’t they look a little cute?”
Thanks to my foolish comment as I turned to look at her, Lady Meredia immediately frowned and glared at me.
“Pathetic idiot. Die.”
“…Haha, just kidding.”
Fortunately, unlike before, Lady Meredia didn’t completely turn her head away from me with a sulky expression, though her sharp tongue remained unchanged.
“How did I end up stuck with someone like you…”
However, if there was a slight difference compared to the past, it was that in the murmur that followed her sharp words, there was a faint tinge of affection directed at me.
Compared to the days when I had to risk my life to even propose a contract with her, it’s truly tremendous progress.
‘Anyway, she was listening in after all.’
Of course, I hadn’t said those silly words just to make Lady Meredia jealous.
Even though Ferris maintained a poker face almost on par with Runiel from the original story, her ears had been twitching slightly from earlier.
And I knew very well that this was her habit when she was secretly eavesdropping.
‘Now that I look closer, her eyes seem to have narrowed subtly…’
For some reason, I get a chill down my spine from her gaze piercing through her expressionless face and glancing at me.
Maybe I’ve gotten too used to hanging around the world’s strongest people like Lady Meredia lately, but Ferris absolutely has the skill to overpower me and take my head if she wants.
Allowing someone like that into the mansion so casually is making me a bit tense, but well — it’s something that must be done.
“So, what do we need to do?”
Just as I finished organizing my thoughts, Ferris, who had maintained a blank expression all this time, finally asked me in a low voice.
True, it was a bit much to keep them waiting after summoning them here.
Alright, shall we begin?
“To be honest, just making it through the first round already proves your abilities.”
“……”
“Thus, the second-round interview requirement is simple.”
As I finally opened my mouth, not only Johan and Ferris, but Runiel, Parsha, and even Lady Meredia turned their attention to me.
It was only natural, since I hadn’t told anyone — not even Runiel or Parsha — what the second interview would entail.
“In the second interview, we’ll be testing your mental strength.”
The reason I had kept it secret was that if anyone except Parsha had heard of my plan, they would have definitely tried to stop me.
“Try enduring as much as you can.”
“Wait, you?”
“…Master?”
Honestly, I did promise Lady Meredia that I’d cure her terminal curse, but in truth, I still haven’t fully mastered my own power.
Thus, starting now, I need to seriously train my ‘abilities.’
And this interview is a perfect chance to practice my ‘power of domination’…
“Ha!”
“…?”
Just as I was gathering strength in my eyes and drawing mana through my body, a thin, soft hand suddenly covered my eyes, making me flinch and stop.
“Master, I’m really sorry, but…”
“Parsha?”
“…You mustn’t open your eyes.”
Unlike usual, Parsha’s face had gone pale, and she awkwardly smiled while whispering to me as she kept my eyes covered.
“…Why?”
“If you open them, everyone except Lady Meredia could die. And even then, that’s assuming I survive too…”
Wait, what?
That makes no sense — I’ve never walked around with my eyes closed!
My slightly narrow eyes are just an external feature — I can see perfectly fine.
“…P-please, Master.”
“…?”
“Just this once, please keep your eyes closed…”
And when even Runiel, dripping cold sweat, pleaded with me, I reluctantly relaxed the tension in my eyes and closed them.
‘Maybe I really do need cosmetic surgery.’
Seriously, this face is going to be the death of me.
*****
“Alright, then — get ready.”
For a brief moment, Johan and Ferris were bewildered by the sudden commotion among the interviewers, but soon they realized the cause.
-Goooo…
An unknown energy seemed to spread from Whitney, who was sitting among the interviewers, and soon an overwhelming pressure began to bear down on them.
“Gah?”
“…Ugh.”
Johan, whose physique was that of an ordinary knight trainee, immediately gasped and collapsed into his seat.
Even Ferris, who had endured most kinds of pain, could barely stand by forcing strength into her legs, desperately bracing herself against the ground.
“W-what is this…?”
“T-this can’t be.”
Meanwhile, Whitney, who was still calmly sitting at the table, seemed to the two of them like a natural disaster incarnate.
“This kind of pressure is usually reserved for monsters…”
“…Ugh.”
An overwhelming force — like earthquakes, tsunamis, storms — that erodes one’s will to resist just by being near it.
Naturally, it was a pressure that should never have been emanated by a mere human, but Whitney, who had now approached right before them, made it feel completely natural.
“Master, I’m really sorry, but if you open your eyes…”
“…?”
However, the endless, eternity-like moment ended instantly when Parsha, trembling violently, hastily covered Whitney’s eyes.
“…Haa, haa.”
“…Huff.”
Finally freed from the dizzying feeling as if a mountain-sized giant was pressing down on them, Johan and Ferris gasped for air and began to grasp the situation.
‘What the hell… a monster…?’
‘…I’ve never heard of something like this.’
What shocked them even more was that there was now not a shred of that overwhelming aura left around Whitney, who had been radiating such pressure just moments ago.
“Haha, why are you both so tense already?”
But even that fact was less shocking than the words Whitney spoke as he casually approached them.
“I haven’t even started yet.”
His voice was light as if joking, but to Johan and Ferris, who had properly felt the terror just now, Whitney’s eerie smile didn’t look like a joke at all.
“I-I quit!”
“Eh?”
Thus, it was only natural, according to Whitney’s prediction, that Johan, unlike Ferris who had a clear assassination goal, would suddenly shout such words.
“I-I don’t think my skills are fit for the Lingard Count’s household yet.”
“……”
“So I’d like to train more and… uh…”
However, while speaking politely to declare his withdrawal, Johan suddenly trailed off mid-sentence.
‘…What’s this?’
He was suddenly seized by an urge to shut his mouth, and even an urge to retract what he had just said.
‘Normally, at times like this, I trust my instincts…’
The reason a nobody commoner like Johan managed to graduate from the prestigious Bywork Knight Academy was thanks to his uniquely sharp instincts that would occasionally flare up.
‘But this time, something feels… off.’
Unlike usual, this new surge of instincts felt slightly strange.
…It was as if two different impulses were clashing inside him at the same time.
An impulse to get as far away from Whitney as possible, and for some reason, an impulse to stay near the beastkin standing beside him.
“So, are you really quitting?”
“Uh, well…”
“If you really wish to quit, you may do so at any time.”
Conflicted by the first experience of instinctual collision, Johan hesitated for a long time before eventually choosing the impulse that felt slightly stronger when he heard Whitney’s low voice.
“N-no, I’ll stay.”
“…Hmm.”
“I-I apologize for my careless words. I’ll do my best going forward.”
Then Whitney, who had been watching him intently, finally gave a small smile.
“That’s a relief. I really like you, Johan.”
“Eh?”
“Never mind. Now then, shall we get started in earnest?”
The moment Johan heard those words, the urge to flee the mansion doubled instantly — but it was already too late.
“From now on, both of you should resist as much as you can against what I’m about to do.”
“…”
As soon as Whitney finished speaking, both Johan and Ferris, as if puppets controlled by invisible strings, lost control over their own movements.
*****
Meanwhile, at the beginning of all this.
Parsha, who was observing the two candidates carefully from the interview table Whitney had left behind, muttered in a fascinated voice.
“…Did Master anticipate even this? Hehe.”
Cliche Novel 