It’s generally understood that serious discussions are held after the children have settled down to sleep. This has been the norm across all eras and places.
“Right then.”
After laying Eliza to rest on her bed, I returned to find Lady Agrippina already changed from her casual nightwear into a gown, her monocular now perched on her eye. The green lens covering her eye was unusual compared to her usual items, set between her deep blue and pale willow eyes.
This monocular, crafted not from her usual plain design but instead adorned with delicate filigree of gold thread forming intricate patterns—or perhaps letters?—radiated a powerful magical aura.
“Alright, let’s see it then.”
There was no need for clarification or questioning. I sighed, perhaps for the umpteenth time today, and summoned forth with a heavy heart.
“Come forth.”
A single command, but one imbued with intent. Words with intent gain meaning, and meaning becomes imbued with a soul, influencing the world and bringing forth the intended end result through them.
The space wavered, the world blurred. Without any dramatic flourish, much like how a coin rolling off a table and landing on the floor might seem mundane, my hand came to hold a singular sword.
It was heavy, unnervingly accustomed to my grip—it was the “Sword of Desire,” the cursed blade that had followed me on that ill-fated day. As expected, my desperate act of tossing it away during my return journey to thwart its curse hadn’t worked. Like some cursed marionette returning with the inevitability of destiny, it had returned. In the end, it had adapted to answer my call, which was no laughing matter.
“Ho… Not twisting nor warping the space, not even parasitically attaching to flesh, but answering a simple summoning. Now that’s quite impressive.”
Lady Agrippina didn’t even glance in surprise as the Sword of Desire materialized in my hand. Instead, she immediately began examining the method of its appearance. Though it was undeniably irksome as ever, watching her delve into her research reminded me of just how brilliant she was as a researcher. Perhaps that was the reason her strange room—part workshop, part bedroom—had remained intact even after two decades since her last fieldwork excursion.
“That was nearly miraculous, wasn’t it?”
“Miraculous?”
Leaving aside the somewhat ironic observation of this boisterous cursed item at my bedside every night whispering “use me,” her mention of “miracle” here probably referred to the divine miracles granted under the Faith category by the gods.
The gods are the caretakers of the world, the entities responsible for pruning and maintaining it. They prevent civilization and life forms from regressing, acting as the sole authority capable of adjusting the weave of the grand fabric that is our world. Though they might have their own territories and disputes among themselves, one cannot deny their existence within a sacred and inviolable domain.
“Could this cursed artifact actually be wielding such a force?”
I was somewhat lost. Are we talking about blessings, or curses? Also, stop bombarding my mind with protest frequencies; I might just strip away my mental defenses if this continues.
“That’s right, a miracle. Without dispersing magic, without causing any distortion in the world, and without creating any reaction of broken laws—merely having objects traverse space in such an “absurd” manner yet none of these side effects occurring suggests to our world, this phenomenon is considered “completely natural.””
The only category it could fall into, she said, was a miracle, while maintaining the dignified face of a mage. Her steady expression and unwavering demeanor left little doubt that I was not being toyed with as usual.
“What else I can determine… it’s remarkably ancient and… does not seem to have any properties that drain the spirit or soul. That’s about it, I suppose.”
I almost blurted out “Lie!” with an earnest expression, but her emerald eyes gleamed, imparting an unexpected sense of conviction, making it hard to contradict her. Now that I could vaguely perceive magic, I began to suspect that those eyes were anything but normal.
Still, doubt lingered as I gazed silently at the Sword of Desire. The blade, darkly radiant, reflected the room’s light. Its oppressive presence was enough to cast doubt on even the seasoned judgment of the long-lived researcher.
Suddenly, accompanied by the sound of rustling clothes, Lady Agrippina extended a finger, lightly touching the hilt. And…
“There’s… quite significant resistance, it seems.”
A small spurt of blood blossomed. The finger merely grazed the sword and yet exploded, the flesh torn, and the bone exposed.
“Wha—!?”
“Ow… It’s been a while since I’ve bled like this. Seriously, was it necessary to remove my anti-rejection barrier?”
She spoke with a nonchalance as if it was just a minor wound, sucking on the gashed fingertip. This was no way for a major injury to heal! Moreover, if she had already suspected such an effect, why would she need to confirm it by touching it?
“Isn’t experimentation important? You’ll have regrets if you don’t try when curious.”
The reason for the relatively scarce population of the long-lived species despite their power became clear in that moment. Here were individuals who risked everything due to excessive curiosity. With already low reproductive instincts, the fact that researchers like her frequently took these reckless actions certainly wasn’t helping their numbers grow.
“Well, as it appears quite convenient, you might as well use it, don’t you think? It’s not cumbersome to carry since it returns when summoned, so you should feel free to throw it around.”
“No, I had that thought too, but the sword complained that my handling wasn’t appropriate.”
“That’s such a hassle.”
In agreement, I let the comment spill out. Releasing her injured finger from her mouth, the gaping wound had already stopped bleeding. Though it was unexpected that it hadn’t healed as soon as the pressure was lifted, I suppose that wasn’t unusual for an injury of that magnitude.
“I can tell what’s on your mind, but I’m not exactly specialized in corporeal manipulation. While during a period of idle curiosity, I did explore techniques for interacting with the nervous system.”
“Leisurely interest” leading someone to tamper with minds was proof enough that they were fundamentally different from regular humans. The very existence of research attempting to stimulate reflexes through external brain manipulation was something on which I could remark no longer.
“But, if we trick someone into gripping it, wouldn’t it make a great trap?”
Considering how complaints arise with mere throws, I suspected that attempting such use would lead to my own misfortune.
Even if the resistance could be a good thing in weaponry, it might be worth investigating how far it goes. Dropping it in the middle of battle and having a comrade accidentally pick it up only to have their hand explode would hardly make for a good tavern story.
But considering how Lady Agrippina needed to remove her highly advanced protective barrier—akin to unnecessarily sophisticated gloves—before interacting with it, the Sword of Desire might have some intrinsic resistance to magical interference. If it can deflect or cancel magic aimed directly at it, it could even serve as a final line of defense.
Ah, but then again, Mika’s wire technique that transformed spider silk and ensnared the blade seemed unaffected. Perhaps relying on it too confidently isn’t wise after all.
Handling such a dangerous item freely for experimentation is always a quandary. Though it incessantly insists on being carried around constantly, cursed artifacts that pose risks simply by being in one’s possession are undoubtedly troublesome. If it were to operate with miracles as its basis, I imagine even if it were thrown into the Manor, it would pose no difficulty for it.
“Well, this is worse than I anticipated. A bit bothersome to heal this. I’ll be borrowing the healer’s services, so watch over things in the meantime.”
Lady Agrippina, who had been silently regarding her own wound, decided against perseverance and got up to leave. Judging from her use of both feet, perhaps the pain was genuine. Delicate magical spells like spatial transfers require focus, making them prone to failure when concentration wavers.
Even she isn’t invincible, it seems. It’s reassuring to know even a creature like her has its limits.
I was conducting the same level of assessment on potential enemies subconsciously, but that’s acceptable since I categorize her more as an enemy archive rather than a connection character in my mind.
I haven’t forgotten the vow I once made to one day get my comeuppance.
I leaned the Sword of Desire against the couch, taking advantage of my host’s absence to sprawl luxuriously. It was truly comfortable—far superior to the beds back home. Ah, such bourgeois decadence…
Receiving such a troubling reward, my future path has grown even more complex. Though attaining the power to do as I please is indeed the blessing I was granted, having multiple paths to choose from makes things rather difficult. A so-called “happy problem,” but ultimately, the task of selecting one path remains daunting.
“Alright, let’s proceed with this approach then…”
Murmuring, I summoned my abilities, bringing up the skill tree interface. It was impressively user-friendly, but during combat, accessing and examining it in detail for skill acquisition was challenging, making it impossible to confirm during my dungeon exploration endeavors.
Glancing at the accumulated proficiency, the numbers were indeed troubling. Though they didn’t quite match the boost given to my first combat experience, the accumulated value was still impressive, suggesting something akin to a “first blood” bonus.
The dungeon attack had resulted in one battle after another, culminating in the defeat of a major boss, so the amount was somewhat expected. With such a sum, I could devise various mischievous strategies, making it a joyful prospect indeed.
However, the future considerations make it hard to touch this lightly. If I decide on the path of a mage, I would need a multitude of skills advantageous for academia. Despite my past where certain things came naturally—things I had taken for granted in my previous life—undoubtedly studying magic wouldn’t be easy after finishing a liberal arts education.
Thinking on specialization, surely improvements in court languages would be fundamental, possibly supplemented by various add-ons. Pronunciation and intonation for the upper classes, different from those designed for the lower strata, along with necessary grammatical structures would come into play.
Thus, writing and reading skills would also be required. The allure of certain enhancements, such as “intuitive reading comprehension” or “speed reading techniques,” would further drain my reserves. Calculating it all, more than half my savings would vaporize instantly. For effective study, skills like “memory enhancement” and others would be beneficial, and increasing the upper limit of “mana storage capacity” would be a must as well.
…Though expensive, it’s quite a bargain. Regular humans might take years to master such skills. Even through life-or-death experiences, the ability to gain such skills with a single button press, though deviously advantageous, evens out, if not exceeds, the value of years dedicated to intensive study.
What a strange feeling this is. Ah, I remember now—it’s the same as when you know your bonus is coming in but anticipate a massive expense with winter insurance premiums and year-end festivities, leaving you hesitating to touch your bank account aside from living expenses.
Gahh, so frustrating, I feel like my intestines are twisting. I can’t deny a certain allure to the title of mage. Isn’t it something grand to gain the title of “master”? Surely it would be nice to be asked, “Master, please help.”
…No, wait, perhaps that’s a bit off? Ah, well, never mind.
Still, thinking about upgrading “dexterity” or pushing “battle swordsmanship” to the brink of its divine capabilities, it’s tempting to consider as it somewhat fulfills some effort goals. Though I may understand the limitations of solitary swordplay, I’ve always cherished the sword hanging by my side, cultivating a personal attachment.
No good, thinking about the sword makes the problem child at my feet start spewing toxic waves as if to say, “Will you use me? Will you cherish me more?”
No one said anything about twirling you around now. I’ve allocated enhancements towards one-handed sword skills, so I’m somewhat overburdened with the two-handed longsword honestly.
Shaking my head to dispel such thoughts, a clear sound echoed as my left earring swayed. The charming chime revived memories of whispers from a childhood friend against my ear, and I was momentarily convinced that I caught a nostalgic scent.
Simultaneously, the familiar vibration I always felt coursed slowly from my tailbone up my spine and into my brain with a soothing caress.
“…Yeah, that’s probably right.)
I came here after announcing I would leave my apprenticeship after five years to my childhood friend. To act the older brother and protect my sister, that was the reason for my arrival.
Hence, the path I should steadfastly follow is the ambition I began with. My enthusiasm for adventure, cultivated in my previous life and burning strongly even now, hasn’t dwindled, even after enduring such hardship and risking my life. The evidence lies in this unwavering passion.
Attacks from monsters during rest periods, the formidable ogre in the abandoned hall that made me truly confront the danger of death, the desperate battles within the ruins of the magical palace alongside friends. Each was a monumental life-or-death event that, frankly, made me want to retreat and live a quiet life right after.
However, the rescue of Charlotte in the abandoned facility, receiving the gleaming fairy-knife in dire moments, sharing in bounty conversations with Mika while fending off bandits and overcoming formidable enemies riddled with wounds, each led to indescribably rewarding experiences.
Though seemingly similar to the cherished paper adventures undertaken with beloved companions, these new adventures provided a unique joy that was unmistakably real, with a faint rusty metallic tang. However, the indelibility of those memories was no different from the times we gathered around dice and maps, laughing like fools and creating priceless memories.
No, I don’t crave excitement or dismiss the value of peace. I’ve learned the preciousness of calm, steady times from both sets of parents and family in my past and present lives.
“But… I just can’t quit, can I?”
It had been fun in the end. The harrowing events that nearly cost me my life. Despite all that, I couldn’t help but fondly recall even these mere two encounters—both of which, if condensed into a session, would have taken much less to conclude. Yet they had somehow been deeply enjoyable.
Sharing tranquil moments around the dinner table, reveling in joyous feasts, or quietly conversing shoulder-to-shoulder—it all held immense value.
But the passion for adventure burns just as strongly in me.
Why does it flare up so vividly after the fact when I dreaded every moment of venturing through that magical palace, wondering who designed such atrociously imbalanced mechanics?
The feeling of yearning, nostalgic yet strangely familiar, felt akin to that same sensation of satisfaction after a session concluded, chatting endlessly as we walked in a cluster towards the station.
Though it had ended, that sense of anticipation for the next. Because it ended, the next.
Perhaps I am destined to forever grumble while wagering my life, only to retrospectively regard those moments as precious experiences. This life, this chip tossed onto the tapestry of adventure, is not light in the slightest. Yet, undoubtedly, if a new board is set before me, I will surely cast it once again.
“Huh, so in the end, I’m kind of a foolish creature myself.”
With roughly sixty drachmas awaiting me, even if it doesn’t ensure a life of complete leisure, I’d give some thought to stabilizing my living circumstances or perhaps indulging in a little luxury! But the fact that I’m only considering these for my sister’s future and as an adventurer reveals the obvious. Lady Agrippina and Lord Raizenitz deserve not to be overly criticized.
Then let’s embrace being an adventurer to the core.
What? Titles can be acquired later as an adventurer. Even Lord Raizenitz once complained about older men joining as auditors with no age restrictions.
Right then, so, let’s do this.
“What should I enhance, then?”
I peered into the interface, diving into my own world…
【TIPS】 No granted abilities drastically alter one’s core personality.
No one else is to blame for my current state. This is simply who I’ve always been.
