Chapter 58

With the enhancement of my hearing, I can hear the noise outside. There must be a considerable number of people... perhaps even in the hundreds. It seems that many have gathered at the gate of the mansion. The knights under Maxim's command are currently dealing with the situation, but if the other side gets serious, the gate will be broken through immediately.

I never expected that the Duke of Evagne's family, to whom Lady Etain belongs, would be so hostile toward those with black hair and black eyes. I had anticipated that today's discussion would end with the viscount not backing down, and the young lady sulking, but ultimately, as father and daughter, they would find a way to reconcile.

However, the viscount has already taken action toward the next step. No, it was my fault that the situation has escalated. How did they find out? Was it because of the mediator's words at that time...?

"Father! Isn't this too much!? If it weren't for Raze, you would have lost your life, and yesterday, if it weren't for Raze, many would have...!"

"That's enough, my lady. Let's stop there."

"But—!"

"I'm happy just knowing that you're angry on my behalf."

When I said this from the bottom of my heart, the young lady looked at me sadly.

(Really, I am happy just knowing that.)

To have an ally. To have someone I can trust wholeheartedly.

How much that encourages me.

The viscount... you don't know, do you?

"Raze, you seem quite calm."

"Yes. As I said earlier, I have no ties to this viscount's family anymore."

"Does that mean you're leaving right now? Those out there are the Duke of Evagne's seasoned men."

The viscount frowned, perhaps thinking I was overestimating my abilities. Well, I haven't shown him my true strength before.

"Viscount, the two pieces of information I wanted... you couldn't obtain them, could you? You barely touched on the eight-star天赋珠玉, but it wasn't what I wanted."

"What are you trying to say?"

"To me, those two pieces of information were truly necessary. Staying here and being protected by the viscount's family's glory, or receiving an undeservedly high salary, I don't need any of that."

"!"

"You are very smart and can predict the future like a seer, but you made one mistake. I don't value this country's future that much. If there's a place where I can live freely, I will leave this country."

"...So you have no lingering attachment?"

"I do. But it's only for the young lady."

I walked around the sofa and stood right next to the young lady.

"Young lady, will you come with me? The world is vast—there's not enough time in a lifetime to see everything."

The young lady's eyes widened. She looked at my outstretched hand, then at my face. The viscount—said nothing. Rather, the butler and Maxim were flustered.

The viscount, who cares so much about the young lady that he would sacrifice himself to protect her—why doesn't he stop her?

"...I'll go."

When the young lady took my hand and stood up, the viscount's expression changed.

"W-What did you say...?"

The viscount knew that the young lady wouldn't take his hand. But because that turned out to be wrong, he is surprised.

"Viscount, I went to the church while you were away today."

"...What...?"

"I broke the contract magic between the young lady and the viscount."

"!?"

The viscount, with his handsome face, is now distorted. The butler and Maxim also look confused.

"From your reaction, it seems only you knew about the contract magic."

I only suspected that the young lady was under contract magic today. It was because when she heard my story and began to doubt the viscount, she looked so unwell.

I thought the young lady might be under a contract magic that prevented her from betraying her real father. So, I went to the church with her.

There, the knowledge I learned from Non came in handy. In the church, you can pay money to perform a ritual to cleanse sins and impurities. You bathe naked in holy water, and the process is very similar to breaking certain contract magic. If you circulate a high amount of magic power in your body during this process, many contract magic can be broken—Non said that only a few people in the church know this.

The young lady has a lot of magic power and even has the talent 【Magic Manipulation ★★★★】, so the magic was easily broken.

However, unique forms of magic or those that require the magician as a medium cannot be broken, but in the young lady's case, it was different.

The viscount, still in shock, stood up.

"Eva, then you...!"

"Yes, Father. I remember everything... I killed Mother."

Why did the viscount use contract magic?

It was because the young lady accidentally heard from a butler in the mansion about her mother's death. To seal this memory and prevent the family from falling apart again, he used contract magic. It not only sealed the memory but also included clauses like not betraying the father and not betraying the daughter. The key was whether the person felt they had betrayed. The viscount's actions, which he believed were for the daughter's good, were safe, but the young lady's doubts about the viscount were considered a betrayal.

When the young lady remembered the fact of her mother's death, she didn't lose control. She was calm, and at first, I thought there might not have been any contract magic at all. But when we returned to her room, she confided everything to me and clung to me, crying. After crying, she said, "It's okay now" and smiled.

—Actually, she suspected that her "Encouraging Magic Eye" might have been the cause of her mother's death.

The young lady had a vague suspicion.

"No! You did nothing wrong!"

And for the viscount, the young lady was his greatest weakness.

"I'm fine. I can face my sins. More importantly... it's time for both of us to stop depending on each other. I need to leave my parents, and you need to let go of your child. We can stand and walk on our own without relying on such magic."

"But, but, there's no need for you to leave this house!"

"...Raze, we're going."

"Yes."

I turned my back on the viscount with the young lady.

"Eva, Eva—!!"

The viscount's anguished voice was painful to hear. As he tried to stand and chase after us, I released a killing intent—causing the viscount to collapse and Maxim to flinch.

The viscount cared more about the young lady than anything else. He accepted her doubting her father as part of her growth, believing she would never betray him at heart because of the contract magic.

But the young lady overcame it.

And we left the room.

"...Raze"

"Yes."

"Was what Father did wrong?"

The viscount dedicated himself to this country and to the young lady. Even if it was seen as "evil" by others, it was truly right for him.

I don't hate the viscount. I don't even dislike him. Rather,

(What an unskilled person.)

I felt sympathy for him.

If I had relied more on him and entered his protection, it would have been wonderful for the viscount. That's why he tried to threaten me.

But it seemed like a malicious act to me, even if his intention was to protect me.

"It wasn't wrong. Your father is a very honorable person."

I stated firmly.

"Then—"

We reached the entrance hall, where maids and butlers, frightened by the commotion outside, were present. I opened the door leading outside for the young lady.

"Was what I did wrong?"

The night was dark under a thin moon, and the knights of the Sylies family had gathered, illuminating the approach to the gate with many magic lamps. On the other side of the gate, about a hundred armed soldiers had gathered, and their magic lamps also lit up.

"No."

I stated firmly.

"If you had done something wrong, I would have stopped you with all my might."

"...I see."

As we started walking, the knights tried to stop us, but we ignored them and kept moving forward.

"—There's a guard named Raze here. If you hand him over, this will be resolved."

"—It's very impolite to come at such a late hour."

At the gate, Lelena and a knight were arguing. When they noticed us approaching, they were startled. Lelena's face twisted in pain.

"Raze... take my hand."

"Yes."

I took the young lady's hand. It was cold, almost unbelievably so. She must be trying hard and feeling anxious... at least let my warmth reach her.

The young lady pulled me forward, stopping a few steps from the gate.

"Raze"

"Yes."

"Will you still guard me, even though I've left the viscount's family?"

"Of course."

"Then... open the gate."

"But, Lady Eva—"

"It's my order. Open the gate."

"...Understood."

The knights, though hesitant, opened the gate at the young lady's command. On the other side, armed soldiers were watching us warily. They seemed less trained than the Sylies family's knights, but there were many half-elves among them.

"Lady Eva, please hand over Lord Raze. The viscount has been informed of this."

Lelena knelt and made the request.

"Raze is no longer associated with the viscount's family."

"Is that so... then there's no problem."

"What will you do with Raze?"

"...I can't say."

"Will you kill him?"

"!"

Lelena flinched. ...Will they kill him? That's scary. And they decide someone's life so casually.

"I can't hand him over. Raze is very important to me... as my guard."

"But—!"

"Raze"

"Yes."

The young lady turned and looked up at me. Her eyes sparkled with warmth, heating my heart and stirring my fighting spirit.

Ah, this is the "Encouraging Magic Eye." How comfortable it feels to have a controlled magic eye.

But, young lady, even without that, I had enough fighting spirit.

"Can you defeat everyone here?"

Lelena was startled by the young lady's innocent question, and the armed soldiers became hostile.

"If I go all out, it won't be a problem."

It's an objective fact. In this world, one pure gold adventurer is stronger than a hundred black iron adventurers.

The difference in talent is that great.

I'm confident that even if all the armed soldiers attacked together, they couldn't stop the Uroboros.

"—Raze, you're saying such things..."

Lelena tried to calm me down, but it was in vain.

"Go all out, Raze."

The young lady's orders are always simple.

"Clear the way."

And she always uses people a bit roughly—though today,

"Understood, young lady."

I also feel like causing some chaos, so it's perfect.