TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 148
Evening came again.
[Would you like to view information about Vitality?]
In the room where darkness had settled, I was staring at the Blue Window.
The Blue Window I gazed at while sitting on the chair felt terrifying. Since I couldn’t understand what Vitality contained or what cost it consumed, it made me uneasy.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared.
If Vitality meant lifespan, there honestly wasn’t any alternative. Even searching through the novel’s knowledge, there were only two ways to extend one’s lifespan.
One was to ascend to the level beyond a Sword Master.
And.
The other was to abandon one’s humanity.
The former increased the body’s perfection, creating a miracle where the human lifespan of 100 years could be extended five to seven times, or even approach immortality. The latter involved sustaining life through something called Dark Magic.
I didn’t want to use the latter method if possible. There are things a person should and shouldn’t do.
As a Possessor who loves love and justice, walking the path of a Villain felt a bit wrong.
That said, reaching the level beyond a Sword Master was practically impossible. In the novel, it was only mentioned as “Such a realm exists,” but no one had ever actually achieved that divine state.
Even reaching the level of a Sword Master would likely be enough to extend my lifespan.
I nodded slowly, burdened with worry.
“Alright.”
Let’s give it a try.
It wouldn’t be too late to think about it after taking the hit. Thinking it would be better to face it head-on, I gave my answer to the Blue Window’s question.
“Yes.”
[Viewing information about Vitality.]
And then.
The Blue Window began to reveal information about Vitality in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
-Viewing of Side Story No. 102, ‘The True Meaning of Vitality,’ is starting.
***
Another sunny morning at the Glorious Estate.
Waking up earlier than usual, Olivia was staring at the dawn sky with blinking eyes.
-Tweet! Tweet!
“Ugh…”
Awoken by the chirping of birds at dawn, Olivia covered her ears and threw punches into the empty space.
The birds’ chirping, which wouldn’t even be satisfying if they were turned into Fried Chicken, sounded louder than usual today.
-Tweet tweet! Tweet tweet!
“Eeeek! You tiny birds that aren’t even worth a bite!”
Back when Ricardo was a Vagabond in the slum, Olivia had once tasted a sparrow. She remembered receiving a roasted sparrow as thanks for putting a Gold Coin in a Begging Tin—a memory that wasn’t particularly pleasant.
-What is this?
-A sparrow.
-Can you even eat that?
-Yes.
-I don’t think so…
-Then don’t eat it.
-I won’t.
-Then I’ll eat it all by myself. Looks delicious…!
-Eeeek…! Don’t eat it all by yourself!
Olivia remembered it as the worst ingredient, with drumsticks the size of a booger, barely any edible meat, and too many bones to pick out.
Annoyed at the tasteless creatures disturbing her sweet sleep, Olivia found herself disliking the sparrows.
She wanted to go back to sleep, but they kept disturbing her. At this rate, it felt like she would have to voice her concerns about the Empire’s Safety in an urgent situation.
It was still too early…
[06:12]
Thinking it was too early to wake Ricardo, Olivia pressed her lips tightly to suppress the patriotic feelings rising in her throat.
“Air…”
-Tweet tweet tweet!
“Eeeek…!”
She couldn’t take it anymore.
“Air raid…”
Just as the words “Air Raid Alarm” were about to leave her lips, a strange hand suddenly covered Olivia’s mouth.
“Mmph…!”
Following the rude fingers covering her mouth, Olivia rolled her eyes. Though she didn’t know who it was, Olivia, annoyed at the interruption of her patriotic concern for the Empire’s Safety, felt irritated.
Just as she was about to say something in a voice filled with annoyance.
“The Empire is safe, Young Lady.”
“Huh…?”
“And how can you get mad at the sparrows? You enjoyed eating them before.”
Ricardo’s gentle voice reached Olivia’s ears.
Ricardo was looking at Olivia with a Small Smile. His tired eyes gazing down at her seemed extremely weary, as if he hadn’t slept a wink.
Olivia looked at Ricardo with her lips slightly parted.
“Rihardo?(Ricardo?)”
Unable to pronounce properly because Ricardo was covering her mouth, Olivia opened her mouth and bit down on Ricardo’s Palm with an “Ahng.” The salty taste of Ricardo’s hand wasn’t pleasant.
“Why are you biting me!”
“Just because.”
“What do you mean ‘just because’! I thought I woke you up sweetly…”
“Heheh…!”
With a mischievous smile, Olivia stared at Ricardo. Wiping the saliva off his hand with a Handkerchief, Ricardo frowned slightly as he slowly patted Olivia’s head.
“Please don’t bite. It hurts.”
“It tastes bad, so I won’t bite anymore.”
“…”
Muttering, “I’ll put chocolate on it next time,” Ricardo smiled and spoke in a Low Voice.
“Young Lady.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you up so early? You should sleep more.”
“Those birds woke me up.”
Pointing at the sparrows with a pout, Olivia demanded justice, asking Ricardo to deliver Divine Punishment to the sparrows that had disturbed her sleep.
Ricardo smiled and said, “Please endure it,” like an animal rights advocate, while stroking Olivia’s head.
Olivia repeated Ricardo’s question back to him. Asking why he was up so early and if it wasn’t still time to sleep, Olivia looked at Ricardo.
“Why are you up so early, Ricardo? The sun hasn’t even risen yet.”
“Ah… I had a Nightmare.”
“A nightmare?”
“Yes.”
At the mention of a Nightmare, Olivia fell into deep thought. Nightmares were indeed scary. Knowing that seeing Ghosts or dreaming of losing snacks could completely ruin her desire to sleep again, she asked Ricardo in a worried voice.
“Did you dream of losing snacks?”
“No.”
“What, then.”
Exhaling a bored sigh at Ricardo’s unexciting dream story, Olivia shook her head.
“That’s not a scary dream.”
“Is that so? I found it very scary.”
“Was it really scary?”
“Yes, it was very frightening.”
Ricardo’s sigh, saying “Very…” echoed in Olivia’s ears. Hearing Ricardo’s trembling breath, filled with what seemed like deep contemplation, Olivia turned her head to look at him and asked.
“Eat something. You’re just hungry.”
“No, it’s just that my thoughts became complicated, and I couldn’t sleep.”
“Complicated?”
“Yes, something I thought was fine suddenly seemed frightening in the dream.”
“Ricardo, you coward.”
“Not as much as the Young Lady.”
“Eeeek! What’s wrong with me!”
“Where’s the person who begged to sleep together because of a cockroach?”
“It’s dead.”
“Pfft…!”
Ricardo didn’t go into detail about the Nightmare he had. Saying that the Young Lady would be shocked and faint if she heard, Ricardo kept what happened in the dream a Secret, wearing a slightly gloomy expression as he shared his thoughts on the dream.
“It was incredibly frightening.”
Ricardo stopped stroking Olivia’s head and stood still.
Seeing Ricardo’s trembling eyes looking at her, Olivia, determined to show the dignity of a Master, spoke to Ricardo in a confident voice.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, Ricardo.”
“Oh… That’s quite touching.”
“Yes. So lie down here.”
Olivia patted the side of the Bed, telling Ricardo to lie down. Although she knew that a man and a woman lying on the same Bed was highly improper, she thought she could at least offer a spot to the Butler who came saying he was scared of a Nightmare.
Since she wasn’t a Master who would coldly kick out a Butler who came to her out of Fear, Olivia wriggled her body to make space next to her on the Bed and slightly lifted the Blanket.
Ricardo stared blankly.
An awkward gaze crossed the Empty Space.
“Lie down.”
“It’s a very tempting offer, but if I lie on the same Bed as the Young Lady, I feel like my heart might stop working.”
“I don’t smell.”
“That’s not the reason…”
Ricardo took a deep breath and covered his flushed face with his hands. Whether he had a fever or not, Ricardo’s earlobes turned red, and Olivia gazed at him softly.
“Ricardo, do you have a fever?”
“No.”
“I don’t think so. Your face is red.”
“It’s just your imagination.”
Knowing that a Butler’s words couldn’t always be trusted, Olivia grabbed Ricardo’s wrist and pulled him onto the Bed.
“Eeeek!”
Ricardo, caught off guard, was pulled onto the Bed by Olivia’s hand.
Ricardo, with his hand placed near Olivia’s pillow, found his balance faltering, ending up in an awkward position looking at Olivia.
Ricardo’s face, staring intently at Olivia as if they were Lovers about to kiss.
Olivia, wearing a Sullen Expression, grabbed Ricardo’s cheeks with both hands and pulled his face closer to hers.
With a soft bump of their foreheads, Olivia looked at Ricardo’s flustered expression and gave a short and concise response.
“No fever.”
“No…”
“What? Are you sick?”
As Olivia reached out to press her forehead against Ricardo’s again, Ricardo hastily pushed her away.
“What are you doing…!”
“Health check.”
“Who checks for a fever like this…!”
With a confident expression, Olivia answered Ricardo. She felt that since someone like her existed, it wasn’t strange at all.
“Why, is it wrong?”
“No, it’s right, but you shouldn’t check other people’s fever this way. Really…”
Olivia replied to Ricardo.
“I won’t do it to anyone else. Not even to Father.”
“Why not?”
“It’s bothersome.”
Smiling brightly, Olivia grabbed Ricardo’s wrist and coaxed him to lie down beside her.
“Since you’re my Butler, I’ll check your fever.”
With a helpless smile, Ricardo lay down beside Olivia and said.
“Honestly… You’re impossible to deal with.”
Ricardo, who had been trembling from the Nightmare, lay beside Olivia and closed his eyes, and the two slowly drifted into sleep.
And then, five hours later.
“Ricardo… I’m hungry.”
Olivia woke Ricardo up.
*
[End of Viewing.]
With trembling eyes, I stared at the illusion shown by the Blue Window, my hands shaking.
The Tragedy unfolding in the familiar space made me feel the emotion of ‘Fear’ for the first time.
Even in battles where I crossed the line of life and death, I had never felt such Fear, yet here I was, feeling it in the Young Lady’s Room.
-Ricardo…?
-…
-Wake up, Ricardo.
The Young Lady was holding my cold, lifeless body and crying. Like someone stranded on an Isolated Island, she shed endless tears, calling my name.
Unable to bear the rising sorrow, she pounded her chest.
Saying she couldn’t believe it, she clung to me tightly, speaking to me without pause.
-Huh?
-…
-Why aren’t you answering?
-…
-I can walk now… Look…. I’m walking like this. Look, Ricardo…!
At the end of the long, sorrowful moment when the Young Lady’s tears finally stopped.
The Cold Darkness began to engulf the Young Lady’s body, surging around her.
It was Fear.
A Fear greater than my own death.
-I’ll save you. No matter what it takes.
[Vitality…]
[is consumed as a Medium for the User’s Lifespan.]