■ Spring is Coming □
Time flowed quickly, and before we knew it, February had arrived.
Spring, which we had been waiting for so long, was finally about to come.
Over a period of about one and a half years, the slight belly fat that I had accumulated gradually disappeared in just a month due to Master’s thorough dietary management and harsh training, as if by magic.
It was like how Hollywood actors completely transform their bodies before and after depositing.
I returned to my nimble appearance from my early twenties, known as the Executioner on the battlefield. While looking at myself in the mirror in the morning, I became entranced by my own good looks.
‘Really cool.’
This is what being alive feels like.
Even though I turned 28, I still retained a youthful mischievousness in my appearance, along with a well-defined Adam’s apple that exuded vitality. My hair, which I had shaved and then regrown, now shone as lustrous blonde locks.
The depth and gravitas that I lacked in my youth gradually increased as I aged.
‘Am I not a bit like a Hollywood actor? What… what was that character’s name? Some star thing.’
Although the memories of my past life were now almost entirely blurred, I furrowed my brow trying to recall them when Dorothea, who came in to brush her teeth, said while looking at me standing in front of the mirror in my underwear:
“You’re playing around.”
“I need to use the sink, so move aside.”
She slapped my buttocks with her palm and gestured for me to step back.
“Yes, ma’am.”
After politely yielding the sink to Dorothea, I draped a towel over my shoulder and exited the bathroom.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
Even with the heating on, I shivered as I only wore square-cut underwear. Since climbing up to my room on the second floor seemed bothersome, I hastily grabbed a bathrobe hanging next to the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen.
As I entered, Barnett, who was toasting bread in the kitchen, asked while holding a spatula:
“Oh, welcome. We have strawberry and marmalade jam. Which one do you want?”
“I’ll take marmalade.”
“What about your side dish? We have bacon, sausages, and fried eggs. What would you like?”
“Bacon should be fried until crispy, three slices. One sausage is enough, and two sunny-side-up eggs.”
“I figured you’d say that, so I prepared them beforehand.”
Barnett shrugged and neatly placed the two freshly cooked fried eggs next to the toast.
We had been living together for over a month, so she already knew all my tastes.
Her neatly tied ponytail and the ribbon securing it made her look more and more like a newlywed every time I saw her.
I took the plate she handed me and set it down on the table.
A lavish breakfast spread awaited me.
As I picked up the fork and kn*fe to start eating, Barnett sat across from me, resting her chin on her hands and watching me with a cheerful smile.
Though her gaze was slightly burdensome, I tried my best to ignore it and took a bite of the perfectly cooked sausage.
Crunch!
As my teeth sank in, the juices burst forth.
Juicy yet wild, its distinct smoked aroma strongly wafted through my nostrils.
Made purely from lean meat and fat without any flour, this top-tier sausage truly stood out.
Of course, the chef’s culinary skills were also world-class.
“How is it? How is it?”
“It’s… delicious.”
“Hehe, I infused it with my affection for you.”
“…”
How did it come to this?
At first, Barnett clearly stated she had no particular feelings for me.
Even after our initial encounter, she never demanded anything serious; she simply came to me whenever she felt lonely at night, and we shared physical intimacy.
Now, we were practically cohabiting, and these encounters had become quite frequent. Occasionally, Dorothea joined us for some threesomes.
But at some point, I realized that her preparing breakfast had become an entirely natural act, and she even woke me up in the mornings.
When I went out, she would help me put on my robe, and if food got on my face during meals, she would wipe it off and eat it herself — her displays of affection grew increasingly intense.
It was like being newlyweds.
Herein lay the biggest issue: I didn’t particularly dislike it.
Even though we weren’t married yet, I began to feel that such a devoted woman might be suitable for building a family with.
It felt like being slowly boiled alive in hot water, but perhaps it was just my imagination?
I decided I needed to end this sweet cohabitation as soon as possible.
Unless I wanted to march down the aisle with Barnett.
“Talk about starting the morning with a heavy atmosphere, huh.”
Right at that moment, reinforcements arrived to save the awkward situation.
“A, welcome.”
Hearing Dorothea’s teasing, Barnett responded, hurriedly getting up and bringing the meal she had prepared earlier for her.
“Hey, can you sprinkle some ketchup on mine?”
“Sure.”
Following Dorothea’s request, I picked up the nearby ketchup bottle, turned it upside down, and shook it onto her plate.
Satisfied, Dorothea began eating.
She had a rather childish palate, loving bright red ketchup as much as her hair.
As the three of us sat together at the table, the conversation naturally turned to work.
“Last night, I heard through communication with the Demon King that they will soon declare war on Oz.”
“It’ll get warmer soon, so it makes sense.”
With spring arriving, operations would begin.
This peaceful daily life would also come to an end.
While I felt a bit afraid, I was also somewhat excited.
After all, it was about cutting away the rotten upper echelons of this country.
“By the way, are you keeping the Hero’s Artifact safe?”
“Of course.”
I slightly lifted the edge of my bathrobe to show a necklace adorned with a red gemstone.
The jewel decorating the Hero’s Circlet.
Its official name is Unlimited Power.
It supposedly grants the wearer infinite mana, making it a priceless treasure of the Oz royal family.
Thus, this gem is essentially a dream item for mages.
Being able to cast high-level spells without worrying about mana limits makes it a cheat item.
Unlike the divine sword Adria, which only the Hero can use, the Hero’s Three Sacred Treasures—Circlet and Shield—can be used by anyone who isn’t from the Demon Tribe.
In the past, Heroes lent the shield to warriors and the circlet to mages, but the bankrupt Arthurius hoarded them all for himself in prison.
Anyway, because the Unlimited Power gem itself is a beautiful ruby, perhaps driven by greed, Dorothea casually asked with a fork in her mouth:
“Can I try it on?”
“I don’t mind, but will it be okay?”
“A witch is a job title, not a specific race, right?”
“That’s true.”
Convinced by her reasoning, I willingly removed the ruby necklace from my neck.
“Yay!”
Dorothea reached out joyfully to touch the necklace.
Zap!
“Ouch! That’s hot!”
But she had to immediately withdraw her hand due to the sparks that shot out from the ruby.
“What?! This thing discriminates against people! What is this?!”
“Maybe it’s because your heart is as wicked as a demon’s?”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
I teased Dorothea while picking up the ruby necklace that had fallen to the floor.
Though it was said jokingly, there was some basis to it.
Unlike typical wizards (wizards) who handle elemental magic, witches (witches) also deal with curses and astrology.
Since these originated from the Demon Tribe, it wasn’t strange for the ruby to react negatively to Dorothea’s mana.
After putting the Unlimited Power back on, I told Barnett and Dorothea:
“There really isn’t much time left, so prepare yourselves mentally in advance. If we do well, the follow-up troops will be able to safely enter the capital.”
“I know.”
Barnett, who had just moments ago exuded the air of a newlywed, was now back to being a knight.
The same went for Dorothea, who had been acting silly just moments ago.
“You know me. My magic is strongest when there’s nothing to protect.”
Her specialty was annihilation warfare.
Using superheated flame magic to sweep away enemy forces without leaving a trace — a magical bomber.
Previously, there was Baron Lewis to counter Dorothea, but now there was no one in the capital capable of stopping her.
“Don’t go too crazy inside the Royal Palace. If the infrastructure gets damaged, it’ll cost a lot to repair later after occupation.”
“I know that much, alright?!”
Even though she had grown another year older, Dorothea was still short-tempered.
She listens to me somewhat since we’re friends, but when she goes berserk, someone needs to restrain her.
“Barnett, you know what to do if things get out of hand, right?”
When I showed her the neck slash gesture, Barnett smiled faintly and nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll knock her out in one go.”
“Alright! Let’s go outside! You dogs!”
Thus ended our cozy breakfast time, and I headed to the Emerald Tower to train under Master as usual.
[[#]]Mid-February.
As the freezing season of frozen everything passed and the gentle breezes began to blow through the capital of Oz, we finally received the Demon King’s orders.
‘Assassinate King Oscar and join the advancing Demon King’s Army.’
Thus begins the prelude to the week-long war.
