Rebecca had been so blissfully happy these days that she felt chills running down her spine every single moment.
Every bite she took tasted like a delicacy from land and sea, every scent that wafted to her nose felt fragrant, and every sound that reached her ears rang like sweet heavenly music. That said it all.
And the reason for her overwhelming happiness? Obviously...
"Sis! Good morning!"
It was because of her little sister, who had recovered from her illness.
Rebecca stroked the head of the girl who came bounding in energetically despite the early hour and clung to her leg, feeling an indescribable joy.
"Leona. How's your body? Any pain?"
"Nope! None at all! Now I really don't hurt anywhere! Listen, my sheets and pillow don't have blood on them anymore! I feel energy surging through me! I could even jump around!"
Rebecca laughed and pulled her excitedly bouncing sister into a hug, checking her condition by the feel of her skin as she stroked her.
All she felt was the soft, firm texture unique to a child.
It was so touching that there were no hollow, spongy spots or dry, crumbly patches like a withered apple. Rebecca stroked Leona's body over and over.
"Ahahaha! Sis! That tickles~!"
"...You're really getting better. You're healed."
The disease that bored holes throughout the body with mana.
Mana Perforation was truly a horrific illness.
Those holes didn't punch through all at once and then go dormant. They gnawed away slowly, forming gradually. That made it all the worse.
Of course, the process was pure agony, and filling those holes was agony too.
And it cost a fortune.
If Rebecca had been silver-rank instead of one rank higher at gold, she would've been broke in no time.
Just imagining it made her squeeze her eyes shut in dizziness.
"Sis. What's for breakfast?"
"Hehe. What do you want?"
"Pancakes!"
"Ahahaha!"
Rebecca burst out laughing without realizing it as she locked eyes with her sparkling-eyed little sister.
Right now, there was no need for such dizzying hypotheticals.
No, they didn't even cross her mind.
Facing this happy reality was overwhelming enough.
"No good. You need to eat more meat first."
"Eeeeng!? Why~! I want pancakes! Pancakes!"
"Honestly, what am I gonna do with you... Fine, for dessert then?"
"For real!? Yay! Let's eat quick!"
"Hehe..."
Such conversations would've played out entirely differently before.
Because Leona, stricken with Mana Perforation, had to be cautious even about eating.
"How can I ever repay this kindness..."
It had been a week and three days since she started the healing potion.
Leona's illness was essentially cured.
Rebecca was so thrilled and grateful that she felt like bowing to Alzen and everything under the heavens.
"Sis! Did you hear? There's a new theater in the city!"
"Leona. Don't talk while eating, or it'll spray everywhere."
"Mmph! Sorry..."
"Wanna see a play?"
"Yeah!"
"Then let's go."
"For real!? Wooow~!"
Leona, who joyfully threw her arms up, quickly devoured her meaty stew and then stared intently at Rebecca.
"What's up?"
"Sis. Can I make the pancakes?"
"Huh? Uh... Think you can?"
"Yeah! I can!"
"Wanna make them together then?"
"Yay! Gotta make huge, thick ones!"
Leona bounced excitedly to the counter with sparkling eyes.
Rebecca watched happily, helping her cook.
Though "helping" mostly meant Rebecca doing almost everything herself.
After several trials and errors, they managed to make a truly gigantic pancake.
Leona slathered it with heaps of honey and cream.
"Ahaha. Leona. Isn't that too much? It's so sweet, we might not finish it..."
"Yeah! This one's for you, Sis!"
"...Huh?"
Rebecca stared blankly down at her sister, who swiftly pushed the plate with the massive pancake toward her.
"What's wrong? Don't want it anymore? Stomach upset? You feeling sick?"
"No no! Sis, you worry too much! It's a present!"
"...A present?"
"Yeah..."
Leona trailed off shyly, her face flushing red.
"I... I'm sorry for all this time. Sis. I threw tantrums and got mad at you..."
Stunned by the sudden apology, Rebecca quickly pulled herself together.
She hadn't realized her sister felt that way and needed to reassure her.
"Leona. That couldn't be helped. Everyone acts like that when they're sick."
Rebecca was an experienced adventurer and mercenary.
She knew well how unbearable pain warped people and changed them.
Getting angry, crying, or losing your mind was nothing.
She'd even seen grown adults regress to infantile states.
If hardened adventurers and mercenaries crumbled like that, what about her little sister, still too young to have learned patience?
"No need to apologize. You think I'd resent you for that? Never. This big sis loves and cherishes Leona always."
"...B-but... You spent so much money because of me..."
"Not a penny wasted. It was for my little sister."
"Sob... Waaaaaah!"
Leona, who'd been holding back tears, finally broke down crying.
It was the first time since contracting Mana Perforation.
No matter the pain or hardship, she'd somehow held back her tears. Seeing her wail now rippled Rebecca's heart.
"...Ugh."
Only now did Rebecca glimpse her sister's feelings.
Crying from hope was something to celebrate together.
It spread good influence around.
But crying from despair was the worst.
It clung viciously, impossible to share.
Leona must've held back to avoid worrying her, until it burst like this.
"Sob... Leona. Thank you. Thank you for holding it in..."
"Waaaaaah! Waaaaaah!"
So Rebecca was overjoyed that Leona cried from hope.
And her gratitude toward Starnassila Alzen grew even more.
This hope was, undeniably, his doing.
"...I definitely will."
She dreaded if she could ever fully repay the favor, but she steeled her resolve anyway.
She'd dedicate her life, even her soul, to it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"No way, do they think this is some info broker's office...!"
I sank into the sofa with my weary body and exhaled a deep puff of cigarette smoke.
"The proportion of commoners has spiked lately."
"Haa... Yeah. No idea what they're thinking..."
Ever since my prediction about Elbus's livestock issue happened to hit the mark, commoner visitors had flooded in for some reason.
That wasn't a huge problem, but the issue was that their concerns were all tied to daily life.
Sudden health woes—am I cursed? Farm tools breaking fast, no clue why. Suspect spouse cheating. Kid picking up bad habits, how to fix? Weird noises at home... and so on.
Why come to me with that stuff?
And this wasn't some roadside inn. Was the ducal residence open for petty gripes?
Knock knock!
Right then, another visitor entered.
"Um, h-hello! Nice to meet you, Lord Starnassila Alzen!"
"...Yeah. What brings you?"
"Bugs are infesting our house... C-could it be a black mage's curse!?"
"..."
Lately, it was all like this.
Was Urtega really the one who picked these people?
"Haa..."
I mustered what knowledge I had, gave a solution, and sent the visitor off before slumping back into the sofa.
"Murel. Was that the last one for today?"
"Yes. That was the final."
"Hoo..."
Gulp gulp!
I chugged some booze and sighed.
"No idea what they're thinking..."
The situation was baffling, frustration building.
But it cleared up soon enough.
"...What's this now?"
A stack of documents flew onto my desk.
"..."
Skimming them, they were titled "Queries on Current Conditions in Terabaon," mostly petty issues about village life and industry.
In other words, riddles mirroring the questions from all those commoner visitors.
"Hey. Quino. What's all this?"
He flinched and averted his eyes when I glared at him, the one who'd delivered them.
"...I-I was just told to pass them on... I'll be going now."
I glared at his hasty retreat, then smirked crookedly.
"...Aha, I get it. Playing it like this, huh?"
Having seen through Urtega's scheme, I ground my teeth.
He clearly wanted to use me somehow.
Solve these riddles, and next it'd be admin papers. Then deeper issues... and before I knew it, I'd be occupying a ducal administrative post.
The future sketched itself too naturally. I shuddered.
"No way I'm letting that happen... Time for drastic measures."
I'd endured and complied plenty.
But my compliance was making them see me as a pushover.
"You think I'll just take it lying down?"
I resolved to make clear who I was—what kind of person.
"Perfect. Got plenty of ammo stored up. Full condition."
Feeling my bladder full, I shot up from my seat. But Murel swiftly hugged my arm and forced me back down.
Powerless, I could only sink into the sofa without resisting.
"Ow...! You're getting cheekier lately? Let go."
"Lord Alzen. Just in case, but you're not planning something unspeakable in His Grace's office again, right?"
"...Depends on how Father plays it. If I have to, I will."
"No. You just recovered. Please hold it."
"Let go."
"My apologies."
"Haa... Fine, you fetch him here then."
"...My apologies."
"Damn it..."
I bristled for a second, but her pleading gaze softened me a bit.
"Tch, fine, I won't. Let go."
"Promise?"
"Yeah. I won't. Think I enjoy pissing in someone else's office?"
"...I'll trust you."
I stood as she slowly released my arm and headed to Urtega's office.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Great Duke, Your Grace! Your proud and splendid son has come calling! Show your face! Quick-like!"
"...What is it."
Today, Urtega was buried in papers again, glaring at me with a frown.
"I think I've done plenty already. So I'm off traveling. Don't try stopping me."
"That again. Traveling... Why so obsessed? Got some goal?"
"Eh, grabbing a few relics. And I hate paperwork... Oh, by the way, this is me putting up with it once. Pull any sneaky crap again, and I'll piss all over your office. Got it."
"...Piss if you want. If that's what it takes to snag talent like you, I can bear it as Family Head..."
"I'll shit too."
"..."
He grimaced and sighed.
"Fine. But if you attend a ball or banquet..."
Zip.
The moment "ball" left Urtega's mouth, I undid my fly.
Thinking one near-death beating would make me meekly join that tiresome, politics-infested viper pit of nobles? Big mistake.
Of course, it wasn't entirely profitless—I wouldn't dread it that much otherwise.
A gathering of nobles meant key figures assembled.
Game characters, setting book figures... Personally intriguing.
But not enough to endure the bugs and sycophants swarming "Starnassila Alzen."
Dealing with them was the protagonist's job.
The hero was the one for that hassle.
"..."
"..."
A suffocating silence.
Urtega surrendered first.
"Haa... Fine. Go. You spiteful brat."
"Hahaha! Smart choice, Father! I'll be off then! Oh! Can I take Vivian too!?"
"...If Vivian allows it."
"Obviously! Later!"
I left the office with a victorious laugh.
"Haa... Lord Alzen. You shatter my trust so easily."
Then Murel popped out from the shadows, eyeing me reproachfully.
"I didn't break any promise? I just unzipped."
"...Still not behavior for in front of His Grace."
She approached close, peering up with wide eyes, whispering softly.
Then I felt a soft touch at my crotch.
"Don't make me so anxious. I was ready to block you from His Grace this time...?"
Zip.
Her graceful fingers rezipped me, and I flinched involuntarily.
"...Ahem."
At a loss for words, I cleared my throat awkwardly and brushed past her.
She giggled with a foxy smile and followed a step behind.