Chapter 52

"Sure thing! I'm Sawamura, a virtual Narou user.

I'm really sorry for the late update; the end of the year has been tough.

Ah, is there a job where you can earn money just by breathing?"

---

The next morning, or rather, it's almost noon.

I eased the headache with a potion and went down to the living room.

Thinking about having some coffee, I turned my eyes to the kitchen, where Yuki was preparing lunch in a "maid outfit."

...Huh?

"Good morning, Master."

Noticing me, Yuki greeted me with a beautiful bow.

"Good morning."

When I returned the greeting, she said, "Please wait a moment," and went back to the kitchen.

...What's going on? She looks really good in that maid outfit. It suits her so well that it feels completely natural. But why a maid outfit? This is weird, right? It's weird, isn't it?

"Hey! Yuki, what did you do!?"

Sylvia, who had just woken up, pointed at Yuki and shouted. What does she mean by "what did you do"?

"Winner takes all."

Yuki said this without even glancing at her. Sylvia puffed out her cheeks, looking somewhat regretful.

"Hey! Second! There's a big, yummy coconut out there in the garden!"

Eko, who had been playing outside, came back, wagging her tail excitedly. She's really energetic.

"Big coconut? Big coconut!"

"Coconut, huh?"

"Coconut!"

"The inside is edible, but it's really hard."

When I told her that, Eko's eyes sparkled. She's planning to crack it later, I bet.

"Lunch is ready."

At Yuki's voice, we gathered in the living room and took our seats.

The table was set with delicious-looking homemade sandwiches and salads. Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, and a cool breeze blew in from the terrace, offering a view of the garden and the pool. The spacious living room and high ceiling were filled with a sense of openness. Next to me was a well-endowed dark elf maid, across from me was a strikingly beautiful platinum blonde, and next to her was a cute beast girl.

I've won. I've already won, even without being the best in the world.

But I'll still aim to be the best in the world.

"Letter, huh."

After lunch, while drinking coffee, I heard the story from Yuki.

I see, I see. It seems the late Duchess Lucia Aishein wants me to do something.

"But why did you think Philip was fine at that time, Master?"

"Ah, he was probably brainwashed."

"Ah, I see."

Yuki understood immediately. It's strange for the head of a major merchant guild to move personally just for a dark elf slave and a letter. It's clear that the Duchess had brainwashed him.

Now, what's in the letter?

What the Duchess wanted to pass on to me must be something significant. Let's see—

"Wow."

The information written in the letter was more serious than I expected. This is a real doozy.

"How is it?"

Yuki, curious, was watching my reaction.

"This is a real mess. It's not easy to talk about. But—"

"But?"

"Well, leave it to me."

"Y-Yes, Master."

Yuki nodded happily and closed her mouth. She trusts me completely, even though she must be curious. I felt her warm gaze as I read through the Duchess's letter.

The letter contained four pieces of information:

1. A list of trustworthy people

2. A list of untrustworthy people

3. The internal situation of the Castor Kingdom

4. The method to learn the "Brainwashing Magic"

All of it is quite serious. From 1 to 3, it's clear that the Castor Kingdom's Chancellor, Bar Moro, is an agent of the Marbel Empire, that there are many imperial agents within the kingdom manipulating public opinion, and that those who have realized this are already at a disadvantage.

The kingdom is on the verge of being taken over by the empire. If the reformist leader, Prince Claus, becomes king, the kingdom will become part of the empire. The so-called "new era of walking with the empire" is actually a way to become a vassal state. They will be forced to sign a one-sided treaty and be exploited. Despite the many small countries around the empire that have been absorbed and dried up, the imperial agents in the kingdom's media are hiding this fact.

On the other hand, those who know the truth are fighting as the "conservatives" with Prince Main as their leader. However, they are at a disadvantage. Despite advocating for military expansion, the kingdom's military is shrinking. The people of the kingdom strongly oppose war. If this continues, they will be invaded without even being allowed to fight.

Considering this situation, the fourth point is—

The reason the Aishein family has kept the "Brainwashing Magic" secret for centuries. It's clear that they want me to "do something about the future of the Castor Kingdom" in their place.

I immediately understood why they chose me. To pass on the "Brainwashing Magic" to an "exceptionally capable person" who can see through and resolve Yuki's brainwashing. If I had failed, the letter wouldn't have been given to me, and Yuki would have returned to Philip, searching for a new master. It's a way to find the ideal successor.

Honestly, I don't really care about the future of the Castor Kingdom. But I have a promise with Yuki, and I'm worried about Main. If I want to resolve this quickly, should I just kill Chancellor Bar Moro and the First Queen? But that might make me look like the bad guy due to the agents' manipulation. The ideal scenario would be for Main to take control and purge the corruption.

I thought about it, but I couldn't come up with a clear answer.

For now, I'll complete the "fourth objective" and then get involved once I'm fully prepared.

My preparations aren't perfect yet. I don't engage in battles I can't win. To be the best in the world means to be undefeated. Even a single defeat is unacceptable. I must be the best in the world, recognized by everyone. That's who I am, and that's my definition of being the best.

"Alright. I've decided on a plan."

For now, I'll put learning the "Brainwashing Magic" on hold. It looks quite, or rather, very troublesome. I need to focus on my preparations first, the preparations to be the best in the world.

"I'll go with Sylvia and Eko to learn the transformation skill. Can I leave the servants to you, Yuki?"

"Yes, leave it to me."

"Sorry for always going on separate missions."

"Don't worry about it."

Yuki nodded happily. I had a feeling she had something in mind about the "servants" since she mentioned wanting to educate them. Maybe the maid outfit is part of that?

"You look really good in that maid outfit."

I complimented her as we parted ways.

Yuki said, "Thank you," and bowed, then hurried off. Her ears were red, of course. I felt good about complimenting her.

---

In the afternoon, the three of us, excluding Yuki, arrived at the "Slime Forest" between the capital Vinston and the mines.

"Can we learn it too?"

Sylvia, walking next to me, asked, looking unsure.

"Of course, you can."

"But I've never heard of a transformation skill..."

It might be a skill that hasn't been discovered in this world yet. The conditions are a bit special.

"There are four conditions. I'll explain them in order, as they're quite complicated."

When I said that, Sylvia took out a notebook from her inventory. Her readiness to take notes as soon as she heard it was typical of her. Eko, on the other hand, was skipping along, swinging our connected hands and humming a tune. She's always doing her own thing.

"1. Deal 1111 to 9999 four-digit repeated damage to the same type of monster at least once. 2. Deal 1111 to 9999 four-digit repeated damage to a dungeon boss at least once. 3. Complete conditions 1 and 2 within a week. 4. Take a pose and shout 'transform.' That's it."

"Wait a minute. The last one is necessary?"

"Yes."

"Is it really necessary..."

Sylvia, slightly exasperated, still took notes. Eko was already posing and shouting, "Transform!" with her arms crossed. She has a good sense of it.

"I see. The weapons Second bought earlier were for the repeated damage, right?"

"Right. We need to deal 1111 damage, which is pretty weak, to a hard enemy like a high-level monster."

Before coming to the Slime Forest, we bought three spears from a weapon shop in the capital. I also read a skill book for "Spear Mastery" at Comiket. We're fully prepared to deal low damage.

We chose the Slime Forest because slimes have low attack power but high defense, and this forest has a variety of slimes. It's the perfect place to target all four-digit repeated damage from top to bottom, making it the best place to meet the first condition for "Transformation."

"Make sure to note down the repeated damage you deal. Eko, you too."

"Got it."

"Okay!"

"Alright, everyone, do you have your spears?"

"Yep!"

"Y-Yes."

Eko, who was enthusiastic, and Sylvia, who was a bit hesitant. I have a feeling Eko will get really into "Transformation" once she learns it... She'll probably spend her nights coming up with catchphrases and special move names. It's a bit scary.

"Alright! Let's start the repeated damage hunt!"

Thank you for reading.

I've been very grateful this year.

I hope you have a wonderful new year.