AMLSL 3

Chapter 3

Planning**

– Rattle, rattle…

A single carriage, having just escaped the blood-soaked tea party full of twists and turns, departs from the ducal estate.

Because of Whitney’s order to leave the ducal estate as quickly as possible, the carriage’s speed was considerably faster compared to usual.

‘Surely he’s not fleeing after poisoning the duke’s daughter, is he?’

But Sasha, her exclusive maid, who was inside the carriage completely cowed and watching Whitney’s every move, had no way of knowing the reason, so she couldn’t help but make a chilling assumption internally.

‘Ah, no way. That can’t be.’

But if that were the case, what exactly were those noisy sounds coming from the ducal estate just moments ago, and those cloth-covered somethings being quickly carried outside?

Even from her perspective—blocked by the ducal estate’s security personnel and only able to watch from a distance—it didn’t seem like any ordinary matter.

“Um, um… Young Master.”

“Yes?”

That’s why Sasha threw caution to the wind and asked a question to her master, who was giving off an even more ominous aura than usual today.

“By any chance, did something happen at the tea party earlier?”

“Oh dear…”

She immediately regretted her audacious behavior.

“…So you saw that, did you?”

“Eek!”

Because Whitney, who had at some point turned her gaze from the window toward her, began muttering with a tone that sent chills down one’s spine.

“This is a bit troublesome…”

“I, I was just…”

“You realize you could end up in danger if you’re not careful?”

Curiosity killed the cat. It was the warning that Sasha’s seniors—Whitney’s thirty-seventh exclusive maid included—had emphasized most when teaching her how to survive in the mansion.

“Y-y-yes, I was wrong! I overstepped!”

“What?”

“I-I won’t tell anyone! About what happened today, absolutely no one! Even if someone were to pluck out my eyes and tongue, never!”

Sasha, who had just realized she’d violated that rule, began desperately pleading, but Whitney’s response was cold.

“No, there’s really no need to react so excessively.”

Even at Sasha’s quick repentance, he merely narrowed his already thin eyes further and scratched his head.

“Someone like you will be forgotten on their own with time, after all.”

He spat out a remark that made one’s blood run cold, in a calm tone as if erasing a single maid from the world was nothing at all.

“I-I-I still have a mother and younger siblings to support…”

“…So be careful from now on, understood?”

At those words that sounded like a death sentence, Sasha finally began her last defense in tears, but fortunately, Whitney seemed inclined to give her one more chance.

“And if something like this happens again in the future, just pretend you didn’t see it and forget about it.”

“Ah…”

“That would be better for you.”

Thanks to that, Sasha, whose tension had eased in an instant, immediately straightened her back stiff as a knight and raised her voice—without even having time to feel relieved.

“…Yes!”

“Ahaha. I told you there’s no need to be so tense.”

She hadn’t come into this hellhole just for a salary several times higher than average. Sasha regretted it belatedly, but it was already too late.

* * *

‘I suppose from now on, when something like this happens, I should go alone…’

He had nearly gotten an innocent, pitiful maid involved in a terrible incident.

It was fortunate that Sasha had such little presence—if she’d had even the slightest distinguishing feature, she might have been marked by Merdia just for lingering in front of the main gate.

Now that he’d decided to be in the same boat as her, there would be many such incidents in the future, so he should probably come up with measures to prevent innocent people from getting caught up in them.

‘Honestly, it wasn’t something that should have blown up this much.’

If that bastard who was presumed to be a pawn hadn’t died at today’s tea party, I wouldn’t have had to worry about this.

Since I survived differently from the original work and the development got twisted, it’s entirely possible. But even if that’s true, the attitude the dark mage showed before dying is still questionable.

If he was going to beg for his life, he should have begged the one who cast the curse on him—why on earth did he ask me to save him? Did he try to drag me down with him since he was dying anyway?

‘Or maybe, could it be some hidden power in my mediocre white magic?’

I know almost everything about the original game, but the one thing I lack information on is my current-life self, ‘Whitney Ringard.’

Especially regarding this strange white magic I wield, I have no guesses whatsoever.

The fact that it’s the complete opposite of its existing characteristics, and that a tiny amount of dark magic suddenly went berserk from just a brief interaction—I should probably set aside a day to research it.

– Creak…

“Young Master, we’ve arrived.”

Anyway, I was lost in such thoughts for a while, and before I knew it, the carriage slowed and a familiar scenery spread before my eyes.

“I-I’ll open it!”

“Oh, you really don’t have to…”

“Please step down this way!”

As I took in the scenery and tried to get out of the carriage, Sasha—why, I don’t know—was fully pumped up and hurriedly opened the door and bowed.

I wonder if there’s really any need for that, but thinking about it, it seems to be her own way of expressing loyalty, and I couldn’t help but smile.

From what I heard, she has more than one or two family members to support at such a young age, so she probably wants to make a good impression at this job where the salary is several times higher than elsewhere.

I was planning to take good care of her anyway without her having to try so hard, but working hard itself isn’t a bad thing, so as long as she doesn’t overdo it, there’s no need to stop her.

“Huh…?”

But Sasha, who had been vigorously bending at the waist, suddenly raised her head and her expression changed abruptly.

Wondering why, I followed her gaze forward, and soon realized the reason.

“Orabeoni.”

“Ah, it’s our Cecile.”

It was because my adorable younger sister, Cecile, had come out to greet me after a long time.

Top of the Imperial Academy. Youngest silver-rank knight trainee. And though she doesn’t have talent in white magic, unlike defective me, she’s a capable mage recognized by the majority.

Because she’s so capable, she gets called here and there often, so our interactions have been extremely limited since long ago, but she’s still a truly proud and precious younger sister to me.

“A-ah, what on earth did you do to Father?”

“Hm?”

But just as I was about to greet her warmly, she suddenly cut off my words and asked in a trembling voice.

Why is she suddenly asking where Father is?

“What are you talking about, Cecile. Father went on an outing, didn’t he?”

“…An outing? Is there anyone who goes on an outing for over a year?”

Aha. So that’s what she meant—she was worried about Father who had been away from the estate for a long time. As expected, my little sister has a kind heart.

“I heard the rumors too. So say it with that mouth of yours directly. Where is Father…”

‘Hmm, what to do.’

But unfortunately, Father’s whereabouts are currently top secret.

Because he should be carrying out a confidential mission by the Emperor’s orders right about now. It was only briefly mentioned in the game—before I regained my past-life memories, even I didn’t know where Father had gone.

Anyway, that’s why I can’t presumptuously reveal Father’s whereabouts, but I do have a duty to reassure my anxious younger sister.

“Haha, Cecile…”

“W-what.”

Having organized my thoughts, I gently grabbed my sister’s shoulders—she looked rather pale—and began whispering in the warmest voice I could manage.

“Father is in a good place right now.”

“…What?”

“So there’s nothing to worry about. Everything will be sorted out by the time you graduate from the Academy, anyway.”

By the time I’m sold off to the ducal estate as a son-in-law, Father will have finished his mission and returned. Naturally, the next head of the family will be my capable younger sister.

“From now on, I, your orabeoni, will handle the complicated family matters in Father’s place.”

“Nngh…”

“So you just focus on your studies. Understood?”

And it wouldn’t do for an older brother to make his already busy sister—called here and there—worry about family matters too, so until she fully takes the family into her hands, I plan to do my best to lay the groundwork.

“…Good girl, right?”

With such sincerity packed into it, I bowed my head further toward my sister and gave her a bright, eye-smiling grin.

“……”

She stared blankly at me for a while, and eventually—whether she understood my feelings or not—she pressed her lips tightly together, clenched both hands, and bowed her head.

“Sh-should I forget this too?”

“Hm?”

As I was gently stroking my admirable sister’s head, Sasha—who had been watching the situation nervously from the side—crawled her voice out to ask that. Why?

“Good heavens, Young Master…”

Around the time I was mulling over the reason alone for the third time, a voice as familiar as my sister’s began approaching from afar.

“Have I not told you repeatedly? Please don’t say meaningful things with that kind of expression.”

Alfred, the head butler—the estate’s general manager and my only conversation partner—was walking over, sighing heavily.

“People will misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand what?”

“…Let’s not talk.”

* * *

“Mm.”

I wanted to talk a little more with my sister whom I hadn’t seen in a while, but I was led by Alfred’s hand into the estate’s office and had no choice but to focus on work, buried in a mountain of documents.

“The moonlight is quite bright tonight…”

“Ahem.”

It was only when night fell that I finally finished today’s portion and was looking at the moonlit scenery to cool my head, when Alfred—who had been assisting me—cleared his throat.

“Please refrain from muttering with that kind of expression for no particular reason.”

“Why?”

“Th-that… Never mind. Explaining the reason would be lese-majeste.”

Alfred is fine overall, but he has a tendency to say things whose meaning I don’t understand. Well, it’s not just one or two days—he’s been like that since I was young, so I just let it slide now.

“That aside, Young Master. Since the work is done, I have something important to discuss.”

“What is it?”

Come to think of it, Alfred has really worked at this estate for a long time. By my past-life standards, he should have retired long ago.

“I will be retiring this year.”

“Ah.”

“I say this year, but I imagine it’ll be wrapped up within a few months.”

I had been thinking that internally, but Alfred—who had been watching me for a moment—spoke, quickly making it a reality.

The family is already in a precarious situation—if Alfred leaves too, what will I do now?

“There’s no point in trying to stop me. It’s already been agreed upon with the Count beforehand.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve been working as a servant for forty years now. It’s time for a rest.”

I wanted to cling to him, crying and begging if I had to, but seeing Alfred’s snow-white hair, I didn’t think I could bring myself to do it.

“I plan to build a house on a high hill with a good view and live out my days farming. So…”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard all this time, Alfred.”

So I folded away my regret and decided to coolly bless his retirement.

“Rest comfortably now.”

“Hek.”

It was a well-wish sent with that meaning—why is he suddenly flinching?

“…Have you finally shown your true colors?”

“What?”

“Ahem… No. Nothing…”

Oh dear. Even someone as capable as Alfred can’t beat the passage of time, it seems. Seeing the head butler—who always showed nothing but flawlessness—wavering like this, I don’t think I can hold onto him anymore, even as a formality.

“Anyway, even if I retire soon, I still have things to do. First, regarding the matter the Count secretly ordered me to handle…”

“Wait, Father did? This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Anyway, hiding my sad heart, I was listening to the report of Alfred—who I would now miss—and couldn’t help but tilt my head at the unfamiliar news.

“…I apologize. I thought you might know something, Young Master.”

“So, what is it?”

“It concerns your engagement, Young Master.”

An engagement—wasn’t that what Father was openly pushing with the family’s fate on the line? There’d be no reason to secretly order Alfred about something like that now.

“According to the information gathered so far, the clue to normalizing your white magic seems to lie with the Embergreen ducal house.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. Speaking of it now, I heard that the reason the Count hastily pushed for the engagement between you and the duke’s daughter before suddenly disappearing was also related to that.”

I was worried Alfred might be wavering, but fortunately, judging by what he was saying, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Indeed, the reason Father—one of the Empire’s few remaining white mages—accepted the Emperor’s dangerous proposal without complaint was to borrow the Emperor’s authority to push forward the engagement between me and the ducal house.

But to think that reason wasn’t just for the family’s revival but also included a part for my sake. That’s slightly touching.

“Honestly, about half of the many misconceptions about you, Young Master, are largely due to that gloomy aura that chills one’s spine just from getting close. So if that alone could be resolved, you too might be able to live a normal life…”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, but then I’d like to hear what the reason for the other half is?”

“…Eum, that’s a good point.”

I had felt the warmth of father-child affection for the first time in a while, but Alfred’s nonsense ruined it.

Thanks to that, I was sighing and genuinely contemplating whether I should call a doctor right now, when Alfred—who had been quietly watching—took on a serious expression and spoke again.

“And this is something I want to tell you purely out of this old man’s personal concern, Young Master…”

“If you have something to say, feel free to say it.”

“…Once I leave your side, there will probably be no one left who understands you, Young Master.”

He told me to speak comfortably, but I didn’t expect to be insulted from the very start.

“I’ve been by your side since you were born, watching over you, so I know that your nature is extremely good.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, yes. The only person in the Empire who consistently uses polite speech even to servants like me is you, Young Master.”

I almost felt slighted, but what followed was quite moving.

“Haha, hearing that brings tears to my eyes.”

“Mm, honestly, I’m still slightly suspicious whenever I see that fishy expression of yours… Anyway, the important point is that it will take a considerable amount of time for others to realize your true intentions.”

There seemed to be something strange mixed in there, but anyway, Alfred has a point. Even the estate’s servants, for some reason, find me quite intimidating.

Still, I’ve been practicing smiling a lot on my own lately, so wouldn’t showing a bright side like that help?

“So now, instead of waiting for others to notice, you need to make an effort to win their hearts first, Young Master.”

“Eum.”

But as if seeing through my complacent thinking, Alfred’s stern voice pierced my ears.

“Do you understand? No matter what happens, you must build with your own hands a loyal retainer who will be devoted to you—and furthermore, someone who can fully understand you.”

So in the end, he’s saying I should step forward and make allies myself. Actually, I’ve had similar thoughts since awakening to my past life.

To clear Blacktail Fantasy 3, the protagonist’s abilities are important, but the composition of companions is also quite important. I’m not in the protagonist’s position, but since I’m in the same boat as Merdia, the difficulty would be higher if anything—not lower.

That being the case, the first thing to secure, setting everything else aside, is a guard. To survive the many dangerous events that will come, I need a reliable and capable guard knight I can trust with my back.

“Anyway, I’ve narrowed down the candidates. I’ve categorized them by role, so pick someone useful from this list and…”

“No, I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”

For that reason, I was briefly going through my past-life memories searching for guard candidates, then broke into a triumphant smile and cut off Alfred.

“I happen to know just the right talent.”

“Is that so? But if that were the case, they shouldn’t be missing from my list…”

Of course, I trust Alfred’s judgment too, but I know.

The best cheat character available for recruitment in the early game—one that caused a stir in the game community for a while when first discovered.

“I’ll need to visit the slave market tomorrow.”

“Ah, so this old man has been bested by the Young Master’s whims after all.”

And the first discoverer of that character was none other than me.