Chapter 12 – Variable
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 12 – Variable
As Diana and I returned to the mansion, the sun had already set.
After spending the whole day roaming the streets, my body ached.
“Haah…”
Looking at Winfred’s mansion, a sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Despite managing to auction off the ring and bringing Diana back to the Duke’s estate, I still felt uneasy.
[Scenario Progress: 10%]
Erica leaving as if chased by something.
And inevitably, the progress rate climbing steadily.
The conclusion drawn from this is as follows.
‘She must have heard about the ring.’
I casually observed the progress rate.
From 5% to 10%, it was safe to say it’s the steepest increase I’ve seen so far.
What does this imply?
How will the progress rate hinder me in the future?
Or was the progress rate even worth paying attention to in the first place?
The answer didn’t take long.
‘Let’s ignore it.’
After all, once I break off the engagement with Isabel, it will all be over.
The deteriorating relationship and the rising progress rate are not immediate concerns.
I erased Isabel from my mind.
Glancing briefly at Diana waiting behind me, I spoke.
“Follow me.”
“Yes.”
Diana followed me at a steady pace.
Glancing back, Diana’s face was expressionless.
Her once pitiful armor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by sharp-edged armor that fit her body perfectly, shining brightly.
Before I knew it, we arrived at the entrance to the mansion.
In front of the entrance, the butler and servants were waiting for me.
The butler glanced at Diana and asked.
“This lady is…?”
“She’s the personal knight who will accompany me from now on.”
“Then, could it be that this knight is the one who was knighted…?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“A lady knight… What in the world…”
The butler’s face turned pensive upon hearing the news.
I lightly clicked my tongue with annoyance.
“How long are you planning to keep us here? My legs are getting numb.”
As I spoke in a cold tone, the butler, unable to continue speaking, lowered his head.
“I’ll arrange a suitable room for her and prepare a warm bath. Oh, and I’ll prepare a meal as well.”
“I expect it to be done promptly.”
After hesitating for a while, the butler reluctantly opened the entrance door.
I turned to Diana with indifference.
“Diana, follow the butler.”
“Understood.”
I left Diana to the butler and went straight to my room.
After a quick bath and meal, I threw myself onto the bed.
“Phew.”
I felt drowsy and tired from exhaustion.
I stared blankly at the ceiling lost in thought.
All that’s left now is the annulment.
After receiving the money from selling the ring, officially break off the engagement with Isabel, and leave the mansion without any lingering attachments.
My goal is to secure the Relic, not to progress the scenario.
“I should start thinking about the growth route soon.”
This is a world within a game.
With swords and magic, gods and unknown dangers lurking.
Normally, I would focus on growing while progressing through the scenario, but now that I’ve completely abandoned the system, it’s literal survival of the fittest.
I can’t leave everything to Diana, so I shouldn’t neglect my growth either.
The fastest way to increase my strength.
That would be finding hidden pieces and monopolizing opportunities.
Like the artifacts stored in the underground vault of the Duke’s estate.
“Why not just empty the underground vault altogether?”
It wouldn’t be too difficult.
Currently, the proper use of the artifacts stored in the underground vault is not yet known.
In other words, it means that its value is significantly undervalued.
The strategy is also simple.
Propose a trade with the Duke, offer a suitable price, and then buy the artifacts at a low price.
Knock, knock—!
“Young Master, are you there?”
Just then, the butler knocked on the door.
“What now?”
Lying on the bed, I raised my head slightly to watch the butler cautiously entering the room.
“Lady Luna and the Young Duke are currently returning to the mansion.”
“Already? Why?”
“I heard that Lady Luna insisted on returning to the mansion adamantly.”
“What? Just for that reason?”
Duke Winfred, Belzor Winfred.
He has three children, two sons and a daughter.
Ian Winfred.
The sole heir, and the so-called Young Duke in this mansion.
And.
“That crazy woman…”
Luna Winfred.
Winfred’s eldest and only daughter, and Kyle’s sister.
The only crazy bitch in the game.
The woman who led the harassment against Kyle in the mansion.
In the future, a main character, mentioned as a heroine candidate in the story.
“So, when are they arriving at the mansion?”
“I believe they will arrive before sunset tomorrow.”
I felt dizzy with the sudden news.
The butler glanced at me nervously, as if afraid that Kyle, who dislikes Luna, would cause trouble.
“…”
The future is messed up.
Did my impulsive actions change the future?
But what’s the relevance between my engagement annulment and their early return?
An eerie silence enveloped me.
Just before the butler’s anxious face reached its limit as he stood in front of the door.
“Alright, you can leave.”
Finally, I gave the order to dismiss him.
The butler quickly lowered his head and left.
Alone in the empty room, I muttered under my breath.
“Shit.”
Why is nothing going smoothly?
****
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Winfred’s direct descendants returned to the mansion.
The mansion buzzed with activity from early morning.
Countless servants gathered to prepare the mansion, and the kitchen worked tirelessly to prepare meals for them.
Regardless.
I quickly finished my meal and headed straight to the training grounds.
Passing through the stone path to the training grounds, I spotted Diana swinging a training wooden sword alone in a corner.
I approached cautiously.
So absorbed in her training, Diana didn’t notice me approaching.
Swish—!
The sound of the sword cutting through the air echoed in my ears.
I found a spot to sit down, observing her training silently.
“Hmm.”
It was evident in her movements: the predictable path of the sword, the scattered center of gravity.
Overall, it was sloppy.
While her strength in swinging the sword was passable, there were many shortcomings.
The biggest problem was her unsightly posture.
Stiff shoulders, unbalanced center of gravity, and the gap between her wide-open toes.
Diana’s swordsmanship, not yet developed, was quite lacking.
But that’s okay. Since she has the talent, developing it won’t be too difficult.
I casually threw a remark to her in a calm tone.
“How about relaxing your shoulders a bit?”
Diana’s stiff shoulders twitched slightly at my remark.
She paused her sword swinging and turned her head.
“When did you arrive?”
“Uh, just now.”
“Did you say to relax my shoulders…”
I nodded slowly.
Even if she didn’t know anything about swordsmanship, it could hurt her pride to have her posture corrected by someone like me.
Diana cautiously asked without showing any emotions.
“…Have you learned swordsmanship?”
“I have. A little.”
Before the regression, my sword skills were among the top five in the Empire.
Even though everything has been reset now, the insights and experiences gained aren’t going anywhere.
“Would you like to continue for now?”
“Continue? Really?”
“Yeah.”
Diana nodded her head and lifted her sword again.
Soon, her upper body twisted like lightning.
Her sharp sword cut through the air vertically, while she blinked once and regulated her breathing.
“Move your right heel backward.”
The tip of the sword lowered.
“Shift your center of gravity forward.”
Her stiff shoulders straightened, and her swift sword strikes sliced through the air gracefully.
“Straighten your wrist.”
The monotonous trajectory turned irregularly curved.
Swish—!
She swung.
Swish—!
Swung again, and again, and again.
I pointed out Diana’s flaws as I saw them.
Indeed, talent isn’t just about form; correcting posture one by one shows improvement in her skills.
“Ah…!”
A deep flush spread across Diana’s face.
She must be keenly aware of her improvement in skill.
As I sat there, instructing her.
“Oh my.”
A seductive voice pierced through my ears.
Somehow, the familiar voice furrowed my brows involuntarily.
I turned my head slowly.
A woman stood against the sun, gradually approaching us.
Her jet-black hair swayed in the wind, and ominous glints shone in her azure eyes.
“Kyle.”
A chilly gaze pierced through me.
Eventually, a faint smirk appeared on her lips.
“Why are you staring instead of greeting your sister?”
Ah, damn.
“You didn’t greet me either.”
Kyle Winfred’s one and only half-sister.
Luna Winfred.
[Translator – Peptobismol]
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