DBOFS 64

Chapter 64

Viscount Arthu let out a scream.

Lenore’s sword strikes poured down on him so quickly that it was hard even to follow with the eye.

He managed to block a few, but that was less due to skill and more like blindly filling in “C” for every answer on an exam and getting a couple right by luck.

“Graaah—!”

In the end, battered into a mess, Viscount Arthu collapsed and covered his head with both arms. His body was trembling, and his trousers had grown damp.

“S-s-stop…!”

Lying on the ground, the viscount surrendered, looking half-dead.

“You couldn’t even last five minutes.”

Lenore sighed, her face devoid of any sense of triumph. She hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“Is that all it takes to make you stop?”

Jade seized the chance to tease.

“Shouldn’t you properly apologize, Viscount Arthu?”

“Y-you—!”

The half-dead viscount twisted his face at those words.

“Judging by your expression, you still think you have some fight in you.”

“I—I apologize!”

When Lenore raised her sword again, he hurriedly grew polite.

“Lenore… no, Lady Laerega’s heir! It was my mistake!”

“A mistake, you say? You deliberately insulted with those filthy, ugly ambitions of yours…”

“Y-you wench—!”

“Wench?”

Lenore did not forgive a second time.

“What exactly did you just call Baron Lian?”

Clang! Her sword pressed against the viscount’s throat.

“…M-my apologies, Baron Lian.”

Grit.

The sound of his teeth grinding made his apology hollow.

Supported by a servant, Viscount Arthu quickly retreated, though not without glaring at Jade.

He’s going to try something later.

Go ahead, see if you can touch me. Jade smirked and discreetly flicked him the middle finger—

“Baron Lian?”

“Ah, nothing!” He quickly lowered his hand when Lenore approached unexpectedly.

Lenore handed her sword to her maid and greeted Jade.

“As you probably already know, I am Lenore of House Laerega.”

Though she had jumped in hot-bloodedly, speaking face-to-face with the daughter of Lady Irene made Jade awkwardly laugh.

“Ahaha, I am Lian… that is, Jade Lian. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“And I, to meet you.”

Her husky voice and refined, old-fashioned speech carried the dignity of a true heir to a grand noble house.

Jade, almost unconsciously comparing her to the wild-natured Harris, recalled Irene’s claim.

Wait… so her argument was what, exactly?

To raise Lenore as Laerega’s heir, then bring her to Godwin and let the late duke choose her as his successor instead?

Something felt strange.

As Jade hesitated, Lenore continued the conversation warmly.

“Thanks to you stepping in, my maid did not suffer unjust punishment. I am grateful.”

“Oh, no, it was nothing.”

Of course, the warmth was one-sided. Even as fellow nobles, their ranks were worlds apart.

And we’re even in opposing factions.

So Jade tried to put distance between them.

“As you saw, my relationship with that man was already strained, so I was just meddling unnecessarily—”

“How is that meddling? That was righteousness.”

“…”

Oddly, Lenore was reacting with genuine fondness.

“I too disliked him, but since he was one of Godwin’s people, I tried not to be too cold. Yet when one hears something so outrageous, words fail.”

“R-right, exactly, it was ridiculous…”

“I’m glad you see it the same!”

Lenore beamed and began chattering freely, as if they had bonded.

She admitted she had only spared Arthu because she was visiting her mother’s family, that he looked so weak she was afraid one hit would kill him, and that his absurd words had left her reeling.

Wait, no! We’re not that close—!

Why are you spilling your heart like this?!

Jade sweated inwardly.

I mean, I do like you personally, but… this is dangerous!

And indeed, Godwin’s retainers in the training yard were already giving them strange looks.

But as a natural-born aristocrat, Lenore noticed none of it.

“With hands this small and soft, how could you duel…?”

She playfully took Jade’s hand, then froze.

“…?”

The hand, which looked so pale and delicate, was unexpectedly firm. Even calloused.

Startled, Lenore instinctively ran her fingers along Jade’s wrist and forearm, guided by a knight’s instinct.

“…?!”

Jade nearly jumped.

“L-Lenore, what are you—”

“Your frame is slender, yet your muscles are well-toned…?”

“M-muscles? Me?”

Jade’s eyes widened.

He doesn’t even know?

Puzzled, Lenore unconsciously pushed a bit of her mana through Jade’s hand to test.

Strangely, it felt as though her mana was being drawn away.

Was that just my imagination?

Then her eyes widened sharply.

Without realizing it, she had probed Jade’s internal mana!

Ordinarily, checking someone’s internal mana required trained skill and physical contact. Only those with refined control could manage it.

“…!”

Jade also felt the strange sensation and his eyes went wide.

Th-this feels really weird!

He realized with alarm that his own draining technique had accidentally absorbed some of Lenore’s mana. In panic, he tried to sever the connection—

But reacting too abruptly, he instead allowed Lenore’s mana to surge in, probing his own inner mana flow.

The sensation of foreign mana entering… it’s like having your organs exposed without anesthesia…

He nearly gagged from the instinctive revulsion.

“…Remarkable!”

Lenore quickly pulled her hand back, astonished.

She hadn’t meant to, but she had discovered his secret:

He’s been constantly circulating mana to reinforce his body!

It wasn’t unheard of, but typically physical training came first.

Mana circulation required intense focus and stamina—without a strong body, few could maintain it.

“Truly impressive!”

“Ahaha… i-is it really?”

Jade, scrambling for excuses, realized Lenore had completely misunderstood.

She didn’t figure it out properly. Thank goodness. I’ll just play along.

So he laughed and nodded.

“Yes, I am amazing, aren’t I~?”

It wasn’t bad to accept praise, after all…

So that’s why I was moving so well in the dungeon.

It made sense now.

In my past life I was sickly, so I assumed this was just a normal healthy body. But it’s actually quite strong.

Meanwhile, Lenore misread his nonchalant reaction again.

To overcome natural weakness through relentless mana training…!

How much must he have suffered to respond so calmly now?

Deeply moved, she said earnestly:

“You have the qualities of a knight.”

“…?”

How did she arrive at that conclusion?

“N-no, I don’t think so. Besides, I’m already a Guide—”

“All the more reason physical training matters!”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Ah, perhaps you lack a proper teacher? Do not worry! I shall personally instruct you.”

She declared it confidently.

Though her own skills weren’t perfect yet, she figured that made her a better teacher for beginners.

They say prodigies cannot understand the struggles of the less gifted. That doesn’t apply to me.

And she already had one student, who rated her as quite… adequate.

“Who said you could teach anyone?!”

“Dimi?”

Lenore turned at the sharp voice.

“Ah, Baron Lian, this is my younger brother, Dimuade.”

The second son of House Laerega, unlike his elder sister, possessed breathtaking beauty: shimmering silver hair in the sunlight, sharp violet eyes, features like a finely crafted doll, and vivid red lips.

“And my first student—”

“Who gave you the right?!”

The handsome boy quickly stepped between them, glaring fiercely.

“I am and will always be my sister’s first and only student! How dare some nobody butt in?!”

I never said I wanted to…

Jade swallowed his irritation at Lenore’s glance and politely greeted him.

“Hello, Second Young Master Laerega. I am Jade Lian—”

“Shut up.”

It was no use. Dimuade snapped even harsher:

“Who asked to know your name? Take a hint and leave instead of clinging like a leech!”

“Dimuade!”

Lenore looked flustered, but Jade only blinked calmly.

Yep. Definitely Harris’s cousin.

Polite, kind Lenore felt almost alien—but Dimuade clearly carried Godwin’s trademark arrogance.

Though compared to Harris, this one feels more… petty. Like a kitten mewling, or a yappy Maltese. A Chihuahua maybe…

While Jade indulged his silly thoughts, Lenore scolded with an apologetic look.

“What rudeness is this? Baron Lian is now my friend—”

“Sister, you saw last night at the banquet how vile he is! Are you mad to even speak with him?!”

“Dimuade!”

Definitely a Chihuahua.

Watching the siblings argue, Jade was convinced. Cute, sharp-tongued, utterly bratty.

“Baron Lian, forgive me. I raised my brother poorly—”

“You did nothing wrong, Sister! The fault lies entirely with that wretch—!”

Dimuade lifted his violet eyes, sharp with hostility, and almost pointed at Jade—then froze.

“…Wretch?”

It wasn’t Jade he was reacting to, but the man standing behind her.

“Who exactly are you calling a wretch?”

A dark, overwhelming force wrapped around Jade’s waist.