Chapter 24

EP.24 Growth-1

In the deep darkness, the thick shadows that supported Reinhardt came to deal with the enemies who were harming the family.

"...Master Darkness... It seems..."

The current location was the residence of Jihard, the Dainons family mansion.

"...Damn..."

Darkness, Chris Reinhardt, looked around the interior of the mansion and took out a cigar. He then sighed with the cigar in his mouth.

Although he did not light the cigar, no one raised any objections to his peculiar behavior.

"...Are they all dead already?"

The massacre in the mansion was already over, and it was horrific.

No one could speak.

"...This is Darkness... I will report."

Chris, who had barely taken out the communication magic device, began to speak.

The report was as follows:

Jihard Dainons was found beheaded,

His father, Zen Dainons,

His mother, Hye-rin Dainons,

His fiancée, Rain Ripord, and his younger brother, Eli Dainons,

All five members of the Dainons family were dead.

A sigh without smoke escaped from his mouth with the cigar.

***

The atmosphere in the Reinhardt family mansion was bustling with activity. Despite the unfortunate incident, the servants were hurriedly trying to lift the spirits to change the mood.

After all,

[Oh, it's a festive atmosphere~]

<It's because it's the birthday of the lady of the house.>

It was the birthday of Sirika Reinhardt, the companion of the family head.

[But, you know, more people should come for a birthday, right?]

<Most of the people who should come have already arrived. It's a good opportunity to make a good impression on both Sirika and the family head.>

The nobles don't just open social circles for pleasure and luxury. It can also be seen as a kind of meeting to gauge each other's relationships, situations, and power.

[You're quite knowledgeable. Weren't you a mercenary?]

<After a few years as a retainer, this is basic knowledge.>

Like a dog that can recite poetry after three years at a school, Leo also boasted of the common knowledge he had learned as a retainer and stood up from his seat.

[Where are you going?]

<I can't just sit around. I need to find something to help with.>

While resting was good, it also made him feel conspicuous. He originally preferred working to resting.

[...But there's not much to do, really...]

“Miss!!”

A sprinting race was taking place in the corridor, with a white-haired girl leading the pack.

“Miss Ariasphil!”

The young lady of the hero family becomes a wild child at social gatherings.

“Stop! Miss Ariasphil!”

The maids, holding various dresses, struggled to chase after Miss Ariasphil. But it was impossible for ordinary people to catch a first-class knight running at full speed.

“I have something to do.”

Leo started to chase after his young lady as if he were participating in the race.

After running down the corridor and turning several corners, Ariasphil finally stopped.

“...Phew... Here...”

Beyond the long corridor, at the back of the garden, in the stable, Ariasphil hid herself in a pile of hay and thought.

“There you are.”

It was Leo's voice.

“...Huh?!”

At the familiar voice, Ariasphil turned around. Her dedicated knight greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“...How...?”

“Just a hunch. I had a feeling.”

As mentioned earlier, Leo had not wasted his life as a retainer. Finding the places where his young lady usually ran to was no big deal.

[...You're quite perceptive, but... there's still a problem with your lower half...]

<Shut up, relic.>

Thus, they exchanged warm-hearted insults as Leo approached Ariasphil.

“What problem made you run away, Miss?”

“I didn't run away. I just avoided it because I didn't want to do it.”

[That's what people call running away. Hehe.]

I don't know why some sage is being so petty. In such situations, it's virtuous to comfort and embrace.

“May I ask why you ran away?”

“...They keep telling me to wear a dress. I don't want to wear one...”

He knew.

While other noble young ladies played with dolls, Ariasphil had started with swords. She was a warrior strong enough to knock down sturdy knights, not just a child's play.

Wearing a slightly soft chainmail was tolerable, but wearing a dress, which was so light and airy, was quite a burden.

“...You really don't want to wear it?”

“Yes. I don't want to wear it.”

Her decisiveness was so firm that it almost sounded like a cutting sound. Still, in such situations, a strategy of embracing is necessary.

“Then not wearing it is also an option.”

“...Huh?”

First, he showed agreement to lower Ariasphil's guard.

“It can't be helped. If you don't want to, forcing you wouldn't look good either.”

“...But... then I can't attend the party. The other servants will keep trying to make me wear one.”

[If you know that, just wear it...]

<Ah, shut up. Don't destroy my innocence.>

After scolding the source of all evil, Leo focused on the conversation again.

“Then let's run away together. Like this.”

“...Not run... together...?”

Just as she was about to deny the word 'run,' her interest was piqued by the word 'together.'

“Run away together?”

“I also find such formal occasions burdensome. Wouldn't it be better to avoid them together rather than alone?”

It wasn't a lie. If he stayed at the party, he would likely get into trouble with other nobles.

If a change of mood could be achieved through such a light act of rebellion, it would be good for Ariasphil's emotional well-being.

In his previous life, he had forced her to do things she didn't want to do, so she didn't wear a dress or even a frilly outfit until she was 15.

“...Together... run away...”

At that moment, Leo didn't realize.

‘...Run away together...? This is... something lovers do...!’

It wasn't true, but,

‘...A date...!?’

Leo didn't know that Ariasphil's thoughts were roughly along these lines. It wasn't true, but.

“...Are you okay? Your face is red...”

“Eh?! I'm fine! More importantly...”

She brushed her long hair behind her ear to hide her blush.

“...Run away and... what will we do...?”

“Since I just got paid, let's go around the city.”

Leo calmly explained his plan to run away.

Like having a meal together.

Drinking tea would also be nice.

Visiting a portrait shop wouldn't be bad.

To have a proper excuse, he would say they were looking for something he lost to an assassin.

To her, it would be a clear plan for a date.

To Leo, it wasn't at all.

The sage looked at him with disdain, as if he were looking at society's waste, but it wasn't true at all.

“...That... sounds good!”

“I'm glad you think so. Shall we do it then?”

“Yes...!! Let's definitely do it!”

When she was worried about running away to avoid wearing a dress, she felt reassured that Leo was firmly on her side.

‘Maybe it will be even better...!’

“I also find it difficult to wear a tuxedo. Not as much as a dress, but...”

Ariasphil was a genius, as he had repeatedly mentioned.

Her reflexes and judgment were superhuman, surpassing ordinary people.

“Tuxedo...?”

That's why she didn't miss even the short word Leo mentioned in passing. Her hearing was not to be underestimated.

“Ah... Yes. Mr. Alfred gave me a tuxedo.”

In his previous life, Alfred had also provided a tuxedo for Leonardo.

Although he was older then, it seemed that his efforts to calm Ariasphil last time had influenced his evaluation, and he received it earlier than before the regression.

“...Then... you'll wear it...?”

“...Yes, I'll have to wear it if I attend the party, right?”

Of course, this was based on the assumption that Ariasphil would attend the party. Leonardo didn't realize.

‘...Tuxedo... Leonardo's tuxedo...!’

A genius was now gathering all her thoughts, struggling with a dilemma.

‘Thinking about it, Leonardo always wore comfortable clothes...’

Although he hadn't bought clothes for a month, Leonardo had never worn or seen a tuxedo that required such perfect attention to appearance.

‘...It must... be amazing...?’

It was a continuous struggle and torment.

[Why is he like that?]

<Maybe he's not feeling well?>

Unfortunately, for the two mental sufferers, it was a torment they couldn't understand.

‘...But... a date is better than a tuxedo. It's a different level from just buying a gift...’

“Besides, Miss Ariasphil, you find it difficult to dance at social events, don't you?”

Just as her brain cells were overloading, Leo spoke again.

“...Huh? Oh!”

Although she was flustered, Ariasphil managed to answer, breaking free from her dilemma.

“I don't particularly like social dancing either. It's good that we won't do it together.”

“Yes! Not doing it together... Wait, together?”

Once again, the word 'together' caught her attention.

“Doing it together...? Social dancing...?”

“Ah, yes. Mr. Alfred asked me to persuade you to dance as much as possible. If that's the case, it might be better to do it together... But you don't particularly like dancing...”

The amount of rewards was too much to refuse.

Leo had no intention of forcing her.

The struggle over why he didn't have such intentions burned the insides of those who saw it.

***

“Wow...! Miss...!”

The servants didn't add any more exclamations. It wasn't because they were plain or it didn't fit.

The change was so striking that it left the onlookers speechless. The delicate beauty that the armor barely concealed was now emphasized endlessly by the dress.

“...Is... it okay? Not strange?”

Now, what she was worried about wasn't the inconvenience of the dress. It was more important to consider what emotions the young man she would meet as her partner would feel.

“Yes! Everyone will definitely like it!!”

“...Leo... also likes...”

It was hard to say or ask more. The blood rushing to her neck and face indirectly explained the reason.

“Let's go quickly! Sirika will definitely be happy!!”

It would be nice, but what would be even better is seeing Leo's face, which was as red as hers.

The door opened,

and the splendid social hall filled Ariasphil's vision. The dazzling light from the chandeliers, the equally splendidly dressed young nobles who were there to shine at the social event,

did not satisfy the girl named Ariasphil.

‘...Leo...! Where is Leonardo...!’

So, holding the hem of her dress, she began to look around the social hall.

She wanted to show him this appearance before her father, the family head, or her mother, the birthday girl.

At that moment, Leo's figure appeared among the crowd.