“Lionheart.” “Yes, Chief.” “You picked a good husband.” “…….” “…….” Noel silently refilled Dunadan’s glass. He never thought his hobby of collecting alcohol would be helpful in a moment like this. It was clearly too early to be drinking, but seeing the other person’s condition, he simply couldn’t refuse to pour him a drink. At first, he wondered what was going on since he showed up so suddenly, but after hearing what had just happened, he could understand why.
“……You mean Mr. Aiden gathered three Magic Cores in just a few hours?” “Unbelievably easily.” As Noel cautiously recounted what had just happened, Dunadan slammed the glass Noel had refilled down his throat in one swift motion. The sense of despondency in his movement was extraordinary… … . “Do you know that creating the first Core is used as a substitute for a coming-of-age ceremony in the Tribal Alliance, Lionheart?” “I did hear about it from those who went into battle with me.” “You know that everyone in the Alliance is obligated to learn how to wield magic from birth, then.” It means that even if you master it from a young age, creating just one by the time you become an adult is the 'average.' And the mere fact that they can do such a thing means the Tribal Alliance is the nation with the highest individual combat power relative to its population, even on a continental scale.
'Surely…' Noel rummaged through his past memories. Hadn't there been countless warriors of the Great Plains who shone brilliantly even in that hellish Alliance War, all if they had possessed just two or three cores? Yet, this person named Aiden Kellermain. It means he reached that level in just a few hours.
"Simply being born with a supernatural ability and handling it well are completely separate matters." Sometimes there are blessed ones. Those who handle multiple supernatural abilities very naturally. It is hard to deny that Aiden Kellermain is undoubtedly of that kind. So.
"Honestly, I was even prepared to comfort you. Even those who are confident in handling physical strength struggle to master magic." I am clearly a genius, and a blessed person. Why can't he even handle something like this properly? I've seen quite a few guys get that frustrated.
Moreover, I don't know what method he used, but he is a fellow born with both the pure white energy of the Lionheart and the divinity of the Holy Kingdom's royal family. It wasn't difficult to predict that he would have immense pride. I expected him to feel the same sentiment Dunadan felt when he first wielded magic, or the kind of 'wall' he saw in others. Conversely, I certainly hadn't expected him to feel such emotions looking at a 'beginner.' "He's a genius." Dunadan frowned briefly at Noel, who was quietly nodding his head.
He looked as if he were ruminating on the sentence he had just uttered. "No. Calling him a genius... is a bit of a stretch." Dunadan continued, shaking the drink in his glass. "He's a monster." "..." While it is certain that the talent Aiden displayed is at a tremendous level, it is not unique.
After all, judging solely by what is recorded in history, there were more than enough individuals with talents that could be described as violent. The Savior of Humanity, the Defeated Evil God, the Forgotten Demon King… As long as such terrifying names from beyond the heavens are etched into the continent’s history, it wasn’t exactly a particularly special talent. That was what I thought.
Until I witnessed what he did yesterday firsthand. “I grew up being called a genius myself, but I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. If I go back to the Great Plains and tell my fellow chieftains, they’ll treat me like a lunatic.” At this blunt assessment, Noel remained silent for a moment before speaking up. “How long does it usually take to reach that level?” “Ten years for an average person.” “…….” “It took me two years.” “…….” “Trust me, Lionheart.
You really picked a great husband. I’m curious to see just how far he’ll grow.” To think that what a person called a genius achieved in two years was accomplished in a single night, and even then, in just a few hours. Noel stroked his cheek and briefly considered what to say. Dunadan was born with a talent for looking down on others his entire life, and he had become the very standard of genius.
However, having witnessed a "talent that feels like a wall" for the first time in his life, he was clearly on the verge of losing his mind. Should she comfort him? Or… … “You’re just like Mr.
Aiden.” “……It’s a good thing that you have such a great relationship, but do you really need to brag about your husband in front of me right now?” Noel chuckled and refilled his glass. Actually, it was less about bragging and more about her feeling bewildered herself, so she felt compelled to voice it. It wasn’t just his ability, but the very thing he had done that was questionable. “… …
Why the sudden training?” Unless one is a fool, anyone would know that Aiden extremely avoids getting entangled in "big trouble," "troublesome things," or "difficult things." Of course, since staying by her side meant inevitably facing such turmoil, she had brought in a man she thought could handle it; however, it was evident that she did not welcome such things. After all, wasn't the very reason Noel kept him under almost constant surveillance to protect him and prevent him from suddenly getting swept up in such matters? While Noel was mulling over this question, Dunadan dropped a sentence again in a dazed voice. “This is fine liquor.” “I have another bottle, so I’ll give it to you as a gift.” “Aren’t you thinking of drinking toast?” “I have official duties remaining.” Noel gave a wry smile.
At least one person had to stay sober to prepare for any mishaps caused by someone losing their mind. It meant that, had he not unnecessarily brought up the questions he harbored, that would likely have been the case. “By the way, Mr. Aiden, why did you go out of your way to learn magic?” “He says there is someone he wants to impress.
He says he wants to become a better person.” “…….” “I told you. You picked a good husband. Isn’t life worth living when a guy born with that kind of talent looks at you with such devotion?” Noel stared at Dunadan in silent, expressionless silence. For a long time.
Long enough to make the person who spoke feel flustered. In a way, it looked as if he was suppressing his own embarrassment. “......Surely he wasn’t talking about me.” He remained silent, then,At the sight of Noel cautiously muttering such words, Dunadan retorted in a voice of disbelief. “If not a newlywed wife, who else would hear such things?” “…….” Noel’s blank expression deepened slightly.
Well, to be honest, that is true. But... Mr. Aiden was kidnapped and forced into a contract marriage to begin with.
There is no reason for him to say such things to Noel herself— “It seems you don’t remember the past, do you? Like when you were young?” “No, it’s nothing. I didn’t think you would actually forget.” “It’s not that you don’t. You probably do.
Probably.” Noel attempted to wipe her face with her hands as the continuous stream of sentences pounded in her mind. Again. Again, again, again. Even though she wanted to deny it, these things seized her as if under a spell.
Did that man really have something going on with her in the past? Is he going around saying such things without any shame because of it? She didn’t know. Even though she wanted to push it to the back of her mind, thinking she couldn’t find out right now, she couldn’t help but be bothered by it since it kept making her conscious of it in succession.
“…….” And when such distracting thoughts arise, the solution is quite clear. Noel sighed and retrieved another glass from the closet. Dunadan let out a wry laugh at the action's clear intent. “Don’t you have official duties left?” “……Come to think of it, a few drinks are helpful, not a hindrance.” “Of course.” Clink, the two clinked the rims of their glasses together.
'… … Could it be, does he really like me?' As he poured the liquor into the glass, Noel suddenly ruminated on that thought. “…….” Nah. It can’t be.
That makes no sense. As he gulped down the alcohol filling the glass halfway, he continued to recall such thoughts. … … Perhaps because of the alcohol, his face was burning. ▣
-Skill Info 『 Dunadan U`Jal 』 - Bond: Level 2 - Can copy 1 additional skill.
<Copied Skill> ◆ General Ability: An ability bestowed by Urgan, the God of Magic Power Increase.
It can be operated by imposing restrictions on oneself.
▶ Core Count: 5 ※ Proficiency increases rapidly due to the Omnipotent skill correction.
Heterogeneous traits are granted. ※ Only 'Unique' series restrictions can be specified. It cannot be used by any other means. However, if the corresponding conditions are met, the skill changes. In that system window, Aiden glared at the number 5 next to the core count.
'I only made up to 3 for now because of the Chief...' As the number of cores increased, his expression became almost on the verge of losing his mind, and he felt increasingly self-conscious. Consequently, the question that was originally supposed to be added remains a mystery. The problem was the two additional sentences attached at the very bottom of the skill window. 'So you're saying I can only do special things?' In the game, simple restrictions like 'skipping a meal' or 'not sleeping for more than 7 hours' were always possible.
But when he tried it, Aiden found that all such restrictions were completely nullified. Just as it says in the skill window, it implies that only special things are possible. 'What on earth does "Unique Class" even mean...' Judging by the terminology the system has used so far, it probably means possessing characteristics that 'others do not have.' 'A forbidden spell that no one else has ever used?' ...Just thinking about the number of people in the Great Plains makes my head spin. It makes me dizzy even more when I consider how many people across the entire continent use magic.
If that is the case, wouldn't I be unable to use magic even after going to the trouble of learning it...? 'I'll have to think about this.' Just as I was about to close the window with that thought, a new message suddenly flashed before my eyes.
-System Message
▶ Affection for Target 'Noel Astria Seamus' increases.
▶ Bond Level is upgraded from Level 2 to Level 3.
▶ Skill Copy count is increased by 1!
▶ Related content will be added to the Main Quest soon!
Aiden blinked blankly and glared at the window that had suddenly appeared before him. '...Did that work?' I did suspect that the words I had casually tossed around to Dunadan earlier might reach Noel. Honestly, I threw them out half-jokingly, so seeing them actually rise leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. “…….” At this point, I feel a sense of urgency that I need to change my mindset a bit.
I do think that if his affection level is skyrocketing this fast, it could develop into a really deep relationship later on. '… … Surely it won't go that far.' Right now, it's just a series of coincidences causing him to become increasingly interested in me. In any case, the attention being showered upon him now will eventually just shift to the 'Protagonist' once they appear.
Anyway, I plan to dump everything on the Protagonist I'll soon encounter and return to a normal life. I just need to make good use of it until then. Aiden tapped his chin and fell into thought. 'What remains right now is… …' There are currently a total of three Skill Copy Tickets left.
One from Katya, one from Noel, and one I can obtain from His Majesty the Emperor. 'I probably don't need to learn it right away.' It would be strange to learn skills in advance when you never know what might happen in the main scenario events. I've already skimmed through the available skills, so the ideal scenario is to adaptively learn whichever one seems most suitable for the situation when things get urgent. After all, wasn't the very reason he went to the trouble of learning magic to deal with 'what if' emergencies?
'… … It would be best to just get through this peacefully without learning anything at all.' Isn't that exactly why he's working so hard right now? He is heading to a place he remembers visiting once before: Billy Hagen's Tool Shop. He is there to collect the information he requested previously.
As soon as he entered the shop, Billy recognized his face and snorted. "Ah, you're the guy who stuck his head into that dangerous business, right?" … … His way of remembering is a bit strange, though. "What about the information?" As soon as he spoke, a rolled-up stack of documents dropped onto the counter with a thud.
I’ve organized everything, from trading volume and distribution channels to the most important 'trading location'."The reason they went out of their way to emphasize the transaction location is likely because they specifically asked me to find it, as there is a very high probability that it is the setting where the incident will occur." Aiden nodded and quickly scanned the documents. Certainly, the work was impeccable enough to warrant an extra payment. Aiden plopped down the sack of gold coins he had brought on the counter. "I added 50 gold more.
As a token of friendship." "Do you have a lot of money?" ……Noel did give me a generous amount. Aiden nodded vaguely. After emptying the sack to check the amount and confirming it was true, Billy let out a sigh and set aside the extra portion. "I don't need this, so take it.
It wasn't even a proper job." "Huh?" "I mean those weapons. I couldn't find who was undoing them. They weren't hidden very securely." "It was 550 gold; you should have put in some effort." Billy replied with a nonchalant laugh. "Bullshit." "… …” "If I can't find them, they must be at least high-ranking nobles.
Are you telling me to dig into their information?" "Do you want to get someone's head chopped off?" "... ... I see." Nodding, Aiden frowned slightly. 'Didn't they usually fail to find that?' High-ranking nobles, indeed. In the game, tracking down the group responsible for distribution wasn't particularly difficult.
They were just common petty criminals, after all. The problem was finding the person who 'instigated' them. Getting stuck at the very first step like this is quite a challenge, given only the version of the original story Aiden remembers. '...Something is definitely different.' The strained relationship between the Prince and the Emperor, who are supposed to be the heroes of Act 1, and the fact that something feels off right from the very first incident of the main scenario.
He feels a constant sense of unease in the minor details. And this feeling that it is somehow different from the 'original' he knows was being amplified by a single fact. "Excuse me, Mr. Billy." "Just call me Billy.
What is it?" "The personal details of the person I asked you to include aren't here." "You didn't put them in because they aren't there, right?" "... ... Is that so?" The information about the 'protagonist' was missing once again. Even though they couldn't find an informant this competent. “…….” I haven't given up hope yet.
Even if the main scenario is slightly twisted, without him, the very 'foundation' of this game world would be shaken to begin with. But. “-” What if. What if.
He isn't at the scene tomorrow. What if it becomes certain that this world is a 'world without a protagonist'.
-Quest Info
▶ Failure to complete the events listed in this section will result in massive penalties!
◈ Fake Marriage - You have been chosen as Lord Noel's spouse.
Maintain your contract with your partner until the end!
◈ Act 1, <Institutional Rift> - Your frequency of contact with key figures in the scenario is increasing sufficiently. - Your presence will soon be officially incorporated into the scenario.
The direction of the scenario will be determined by your actions! - A related event will occur soon. (D-2)
◈ Life is Beautiful - Katya Heinkel Craven desperately desires something from you. Please do your utmost to help her fully feel her 'senses'! - A related event will occur soon. (D-2) … … Such terrifying events, If he has to solve it entirely 'alone'. He has something in mind.
It is something he absolutely does not want to do, and the probability of doing it is not high, but if a moment of desperation inevitably arrives. 'I guess I have to do it.' In that time, he, too, will have to do what needs to be done.