Login in to Alandal

"Explain it in detail," I commanded Alice.

My head was hurting. As I frowned, Alice lowered her head slightly.

"At the yearly banquet, the children of several prestigious families made a hunting bet."

"So, I guess the Skylar and the Millennium Households were there." I interrupted.

"Yes. Lady Beatrice and the Young Master also participated, even at a young age. At that time, Lady Beatrice was also an apprentice wizard in the 1st Circle, and they allowed her to participate to gain experience with the Young Master..."

Alice frowned slightly as if recalling that time before continuing.

"If only animals had appeared, nothing would've happened. But suddenly, a group of orcs attacked. It wouldn't be hard for Xerion, a 4th Circle wizard, to deal with the orcs, but it was too much for him to fight while protecting the Young Master and Lady Beatrice."

"Oh... So, he was attacked by the orcs while protecting Beatrice and me."

"Fortunately, the heads of several households arrived in time, so he didn't die, but he is still in a coma. He kept fighting against the orcs even after he ran out of Mana, so it was too much for him..."

Her voice faded.

The situation itself was absurd, so I let out a short sigh and lay down on the bed.

I couldn't say how far this incompetent trash was trying to ruin things or whether it was already impossible to properly talk with Beatrice, who I had to bring to my side.

Seriously, if Raymond were in front of me, I would beat him hard.

"This is driving me crazy, really."

I messed with my hair. It felt like the plans I had up to this point were ruined by something I had no way of accounting for.

Alice approached and put a towel under my head. She was making sure that my still-wet hair wouldn't dampen the blanket.

"Are you interested in Lady Beatrice?"

She asked as if trying to sound out my feelings.

What does that mean?

Am I interested? Of course, I'm interested.

She was the rope that would save my life. But I wasn't interested in her in the way Alice thought.

"Beatrice is a genius."

"The young lady is definitely a genius."

"She has the talent that I don't have."

"..."

"I just need that talent, nothing more."

I answered indifferently and stood up.

Alice naturally moved around me and dried my hair.

"Young Master seems scared."

"..."

Alice's words were so on point that I couldn't say anything.

To be honest, I was scared. I was so afraid that my fingers trembled.

The thought of not wanting to die was running through my head repeatedly.

I had no choice but to be desperate to live and to work on a solution somehow.

"Sigh..."

I sighed, and after making sure my hair was dry, I went back to my bed.

"I will have breakfast tomorrow at 10 am. Get it ready by then."

"That is a little later than usual, Young Master."

I usually had breakfast by 8:30 am.

As an actor, I always kept the same schedule to care for my body.

But I had to change that schedule slightly for what was to come.

“I'll eat after my morning workout."

"Okay. Then, I will prepare breakfast at 10 am."

"Thanks," I replied without thinking. Alice looked shocked.

She stared at me, wondering if she had heard me wrong.

"I'm going to sleep, so you can leave now."

"Yes, thank you, Young Master. I will see you in the morning."

Saying that, a gentle smile tugged on Alice's lips as she left.

***

Exactly 7 am was when I opened my eyes.

Although it couldn't be considered early in the morning, it was right before the rest of the house started their activities.

Count Millennium always woke up at 9 am, and everyone tended to move according to his schedule for convenience.

There probably wouldn’t be a soul awake until at least 8.

"Haaaahm."

I yawned and changed my clothes.

Maybe it was because it was too early, but my eyes were stinging a little. I wanted to go back to sleep.

But somehow, I overcame it, put on clothes suited for exercise, and went outside.

Flinch.

Gosh, you scared me.

Alice was standing outside the door, waiting.

She was indeed really diligent. But why on earth was she already waiting for me?

"Alice?"

"Yes, Young Master. You got up early."

"I woke up earlier than usual, but how come you're already here?"

"I thought the Young Master would wake up at this time, so I was getting things ready."

I was slightly taken aback. Did she just do it out of instinct?

I watched her for a moment and then nodded. There was no reason for me to argue with that.

"Let's go to the training field."

"Alright. Around 9:00 am, the knights will use the 1st and 2nd fields, so I think we should go to the 3rd field."

Alice replied with her head down.

I would have gone to one at random if I were alone. But since she said I should use the 3rd field, I just followed her.

Once we got there, I started jogging.

Raymond Millennium. This guy didn't look too fat, but his whole body was filled with fat rather than muscle.

He was like a typical skinny pig, and I had to burn off the fat in his body first to build some stamina.

“Huff, huff...”

But way too quickly, my breath began to grow rough. This just showed how messed up Raymond's body was.

I clenched my teeth and ran.

I deliberately started to think about other things to not think about how tired I was.

'I might not be able to get Beatrice on my side.'

As it turned out, it wasn't just that Beatrice disliked Raymond because he was a scumbag or incompetent.

It wasn't a problem I could quickly solve, as I was the reason behind her brother’s coma.

In the worst-case scenario, I might give up on recruiting Beatrice entirely.

'I just won't have her on my side...'

But the stronger she grew, the better it would be anyway. Beatrice wouldn't be my enemy, after all.

"Gasp... huff."

Breathing hard, I wiped off the sweat pouring down like rain, but I didn't stop. I was going to run until my limbs could no longer move.

'Later, when the main character tries to destroy the kingdom, Beatrice will eventually come in handy whether she likes me or not.'

Beatrice eventually would help out in the big picture. But what I needed now was someone who could protect me.

It may not sound good, but... someone with a talent strong enough that the main character wouldn't covet Raymond's.

Someone who could be sacrificed instead of me when I faced the main character. I needed someone like that.

'Among those who oppose the main character in the kingdom, the one with the highest talent is...'

Only two people are described like that in the novel: Beatrice and Selina.

'Should I aim for Selina?'

Selina Warrug.

If I failed to get Beatrice on my side, I would have to get Selina, which wouldn't be easy.

As Beatrice was a member of the Magic Tower, I would have several opportunities to meet her, but with Selina, matters were different.

I wouldn't have many opportunities to meet with Selina, the daughter of the kingdom's renowned swordsman family of Count Warrug.

I would only meet her a few times a year, and it would be over by the time we both said 'hello.'

"Both aren't easy," I muttered as I slowed down. This is hard.

With my plans regarding Beatrice shattered, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Sweat poured down like rain, and I felt like I was going to die.

Alice, who had been watching from afar, approached.

"You are exercising too much."

She said with a worried face and held out a glass of slightly reddish liquid.

"I thought it would be helpful to have something to drink afterward, so I made Kaffiachi Tea."

"Thank you."

I didn't know what Kaffiachi Tea was, but I was so thirsty that I took it and gulped it down.

As I drank, Alice wiped away my sweat.

"His Excellency, the Count, asked if you could have breakfast with him… Should I still get it ready at 10 am, as you ordered? Or..."

"It’s okay. I will eat with my father."

My father… I also thought it was about time to meet Count Millennium.

"I understand."

Alice nodded.

***

I took a shower after my workout. Count Millennium was a father to Raymond, but that didn't mean he could be treated lightly.

I should be polite even at a meal with his father, so I dressed before seeing him.

The door opened, revealing the dining room. Count Millennium and the Countess were already inside.

As soon as I entered, I bowed slightly in greeting.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

"..."

Count Millennium's eyebrows twitched. With a strange expression, he immediately gestured toward a chair.

"Sit down."

"Yes."

I answered briefly and immediately sat down. And as I sat, the food began to be served.

Count Millennium watched with nonchalance while the Countess spoke.

"You seem to have woken up early this morning. Did you not sleep?"

"I just woke up early to work out. Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."

A hint of a smile played at my lips. This was one of the things I'd been thinking hard about for the past few days.

What should I call the Countess Millennium?

The current Countess wasn't Raymond's biological mother, so it would be awkward to call her mother, and I couldn't just call her by her name because she was no stranger.

So, I chose the title of Her Excellency as a comfortable in-between.

"You… have changed a lot."

Countess Millennium had a strange look in her eyes.

I wasn't the usual Raymond, and it was natural for her to sense the change as one who lived in the same house.

"He just stopped acting like scum."

Count Millennium said. I turned my head to look at him.

I stopped acting like scum, he said. He said so, even though this was just the beginning. I managed to hold back my laughter as I replied.

"It's not that I've stopped acting like scum."

"What is it then?"

"I'm just trying to become a classy scumbag."

"That's ironic."

As if it was absurd, Count Millennium shook his head. Then his sharp eyes scanned my entire body.

"Did you knock down the two apprentice wizards of our family because you were trying to become a classy scumbag?"

"Yes. Those apprentices, though they learned magic with our family’s support, made it obvious that they looked down on me. I needed to make it clear who's above and who’s below."

"Ha..."

Count Millennium gazed upon his son, a stranger in the boy he had once known. Time had slipped through his fingers, transforming his offspring into a foreign entity. The realization struck him with the force of a thunderbolt, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

Eventually, he changed the subject without saying another word and turned his attention to the meal.

Perhaps because he was a Count, the table contents were gorgeous and plentiful.

While I was deciding what to eat first, Count Millennium spoke again.

"I guess you will not attend the banquet again this year, and I won't force you to. However, I want you to deliver invitations to the Warrug Household. As a member of this house, it is only natural you complete your obligations."

As the bell chimed in my mind, I couldn't believe my luck. I had been searching for a path to the Warrugs, and suddenly, the opportunity presented itself before me like a gift from the gods.

"What did you just say…?"

"If you're not even willing to deliver the invitations to the Warrugs..."

Count Millennium frowned.

I hurriedly lowered my head when I heard him saying that name once again. It was to hide a wide smile.

"I will go."

"What?"

"I will deliver the invitation to the Warrug Household. I will do that. And… I think I will also attend the banquet."

After all, even if someone were wholly screwed, there would always be at least one way out. And this seems to be it.