Chapter 89

EP.89 Speeding - 4

There are all kinds of torture in the world.

From physical to mental torture.

Perhaps in the methods of inflicting and enduring torture, I am the unparalleled one, surpassing even Aria.

The most difficult physical torture was being in a room where the floor temperature was hot enough to cause first-degree burns, with just enough oxygen to maintain consciousness, maximizing the pain.

The most difficult mental torture was being in a room with no windows or light, being starved as much as possible, and being kept awake by nightmares induced by drugs and incubi.

But now, it was time to set things straight.

"So... what's your name?"

"It's Ein, Gladio-sama."

"...Oh... I see."

With every word, Gladio kept staring at me with a bewildered look, which was more painful than being branded with a hot iron every hour.

"Who's your father?"

Seeing Chris, who usually acted with bravado, shivering and trembling in a car that felt like it was scraping the lining of his stomach with sandpaper, made me feel as if my insides were bleeding.

"It's Leonardo-sama. Dark Chris-sama."

"Your mother?"

"Biologically, the person closest to being your mother is Ariasphyl Reinhardt-sama. Execution Knight Commander Marken-sama."

When Aria blushed and looked embarrassed, I felt as if my insides were turning red with internal bleeding.

Every time Marken pressed his fingers to his eyes and sighed deeply, I felt like stabbing my eyes with nails and bleeding.

"...Oh... Mr. Ein...?"

"You don't need to use honorifics. Mrs. Shirika."

At least, it was fortunate that Ein was the most dry and cold in drawing the line.

"...Lios."

Shirika, who also seemed to be at a loss, put down her teacup and spoke. I had only seen her make such an expression a few times in my previous life.

"Yes! Mother!"

"Did you know?"

And she was the only person, among non-warriors, who could control those two unruly children.

"...I didn't know Aria was coming? I never imagined she would receive a direct revelation..."

That meant he knew Ein was coming but chose to remain silent.

If Leo's patience had been any less, he would have modified the endings of Lios' pure love novels to tragic or love-rival scenarios, as if he had registered his own unique magic with a different name.

"I apologize to Leo."

In response to Shirika's words, Lios slightly opened his half-closed eyes, bowed his head in a rare show of contrition, and apologized. This was an extremely unusual behavior for him.

"...I'm sorry, brother... I didn't completely hide it... but this is just an excuse. I'm sorry, brother..."

I didn't really expect much from Lios, so I wasn't particularly disappointed. It was fortunate that he didn't outright say, "Leo and Aria have a child."

"...First, let me summarize the situation as I explained it."

After giving a brief explanation of Ein, summarizing the highly unusual circumstances in a few sentences would probably be impossible even for a sage.

[To be honest, if you summarize too much, it loses credibility.]

<Thanks to who?>

[...Did you think I would end up like this?]

According to the sage, when Ein, or rather Type Diat, was created, it was closer to a high-level machine than a living being.

But due to some error in storage or the development of new traits over a long period, the physical information input by the sage was lost, and the cognitive system had also changed.

<That's even more infuriating, you know.>

In the end, it was the same as discarding one's conscience and acting like a dog.

{The crime of desecrating life is a serious one.}

[It's not about desecrating life.]

The sage, with a serious expression, opened his mouth. Despite his appearance, he might have some philosophy as a magician...

[It's about deception.]

This was not just trash but waste.

* * *

When Leo sent a mental signal, Ein punched the sage. To others, it looked like he was just digging in the air.

"...Why did you do that suddenly?"

"Oh, it's fine. There was a very petty and ugly bug, and Ein caught it. You won't see it now because it's already caught."

Since it was no longer visible even to Leo, it wasn't a lie. It would be impolite to stop or restrain Ein, who was working hard.

"...Is that so? Then, what happened to Ein at the magic tower and the temple?"

"First, the magic tower decided to defer to the temple's opinion. The temple... decided..."

Leonardo took out a judgment document containing the temple's decision.

"...A quasi-spirit..."

"It seems they were influenced by the papers on 'Eastern Goblins' and 'Ego Weapons' used in the magic tower's discussions. There was no significant opposition overall."

The content was provided by a junior from the magic tower from the East, stating that when an ancient artifact acquires a self through mana and gains a physical form and intelligence, it should be considered a quasi-spirit, similar to a spirit entity.

Thanks to this, both the magic tower and the temple were able to guide opinions in a moderate direction.

"...I see. So that's how it happened."

Marken stroked his chin and clicked his tongue. His tongue was so numb and bitter that he couldn't help but complain.

"...I have countless things I want to ask you. Starting with why you have my granddaughter's hair, to whether you pruned all the important facts about the magic tower and sent letters periodically."

In response to Marken's words, Leo could only bow his head in agreement. He felt a similar sense of helplessness as in the Senate, but the situation was fundamentally different, so perhaps it was inevitable.

"...But what makes me most angry and unable to understand is just one thing."

At these words, a dry swallow naturally followed. Marken was undoubtedly the biggest hurdle in this situation.

The first thing that came to mind was the report.

Not reporting it meant causing harm, which, from the perspective of the Execution Knight Commander, was a sufficient reason for punishment.

The second thing was Aria's relationship.

The hair and the current relationship between himself and Ariasphyl were so entangled that it couldn't be explained as a simple knight and lady relationship.

"Why didn't you ask for help?"

"...Pardon?"

Marken sighed and glared at Leonardo.

"There were many opportunities to ask for help from the family. Why did you just keep quiet?"

But now, his eyes were not just filled with dislike but also with a deep sense of affection.

"...That's..."

It was such an unexpected question that Leo was momentarily speechless and stammered.

"I didn't want to cause trouble for the Reinhardt family..."

"Trouble? Do you think the Reinhardt family would be troubled by just one person?"

It was a similar statement to what Marken had said when they first entered the armory years ago. The only difference was that "rookie" had been replaced with "you."

"Fool, whether you like it or not, you are also a senior in the family. Realize your position now."

Even if Leonardo was insensitive, he wasn't so stupid as to not understand the hidden meaning in those words.

"...Really... is it okay?"

"Heh, not just okay, it's an honor. If another family could have a mage-swordsman like you, they would probably give all their wealth to have you."

Even Dark Chris agreed without objection. Or, based on his actions and tone, it could be inferred that Marken agreed with Chris.

"And, after all, Ein also has Reinhardt blood. We are not completely unrelated, are we?"

Lios was grateful for the encouragement but wished he had known this sooner. Lios avoided Leo's gaze with a slight "Sorry..." and half-closed eyes.

"...And seeing Ein's face without doing anything, isn't it embarrassing for the head of the family, Leonardo?"

The head of the family, Gladio, smiled and looked at Ein. Ein, though expressionless, seemed to have a glimmer of life in his eyes, indicating he didn't have a negative reaction to the Reinhardt family's response.

"...Raising a child alone is not an easy task. It would be good to share your concerns."

Shirika, as a parent, tried to understand and comfort Leonardo, even if only a little.

Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Leonardo kept blinking and repeatedly checking his hearing.

Leonardo himself didn't realize it, but everyone in the Reinhardt family, from the servants to the family members, already owed him in various ways.

Starting from the lowest position, rising to this position through effort rather than talent, was no longer something to be ignored but rather a source of pride.

By the time Lios arrived at the family, Leonardo had already demonstrated his contributions and upheld the family's values and honor, and his achievements and efforts at the magic tower were well-documented, further solidifying his status.

From the Reinhardt family's perspective, and even from the direct lineage, Leonardo's presence was welcomed, not rejected.

Moreover,

"So, brother, what do you plan to do about the relationship from now on?"

"...Brother...! That's... inappropriate..."

Aria, with a slightly flushed face, turned and glanced at Leo. Most of the people present had long since noticed Aria's feelings.

"...It's a bit overwhelming..."

It was too obvious.

'...Overwhelming? Honey is already dripping from your eyes.'

'...If you put away the picture of Knight Leo from your pillow, it might be less obvious...'

'...A bond is formed with a bond. The only one fitting for Aria is Leonardo.'

'...My granddaughter's favorite man is such a guy... Well, at least it's a relief...'

'...Indeed... Having Leonardo around was not a mistake... It's a relief to see my daughter become more human.'

'...I need to teach Aria how to handle men... Especially the night skills...'

{'...A different ending from Ruben... Sage... This is what you wanted... Your departure is somewhat forgivable...'}

['...Finally, this ridiculous charade is ending. Anyone who doesn't understand this is an idiot...']

Leonardo smiled gently and said,

"Of course, I will act in a way that doesn't make Ein feel uncomfortable."

* * *

Suddenly, everyone, including Ein, hit their foreheads simultaneously.

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