Chapter 76
76
After finishing the conversation with the Duke, Yohan left the room. The East Wing at noon was quiet. Even the noise seemed to be consumed by the deep shadows of the sun.
If it weren't for the pitter-patter of footsteps following him from behind.
Yohan turned around sharply, and LeBlaine froze in place, still holding up the hem of her dress as she tiptoed along.
"What is it."
"Well... that is..."
Yohan watched LeBlaine, stiff as a board and rolling her eyes around, and said,
"I can hear you thinking all the way from here."
"That's not it!"
"Or is it?"
"...Actually, it is."
LeBlaine's shoulders slumped, looking dejected.
"I absolutely didn't mean to bother you. I was just wondering if, if you're okay with it... if you're really okay with it, could I possibly get a little something you have...?"
Her voice was barely audible.
'What's her purpose?'
If that child wanted something, her Dad would get it for her. Besides, there were Henri and Isaac, who seemed to be living with half their minds missing these days. There was no need for her to come to him to get something.
While he was sorting out his thoughts, LeBlaine was glancing at him, gauging his reaction.
At this point, he was genuinely curious.
What on earth did she want?
"What is it?"
"A fingernail or a strand of hair."
"...What?"
I felt like biting my tongue.
'A fingernail or a strand of hair...'
Anyone who heard that would think I was casting a curse.
But I really needed them. Because they were the medium that would allow me to obtain some of Yohan's magic.
Paimon just had to, specifically, particularly! want Yohan's magic.
I tried to appease him by showing him Dad, Henri, and Isaac, but he said their purity wasn't as good as Yohan's and refused.
"Why my fingernails or hair? Are you planning to curse someone?"
"It's not that. Yohan, you're going to the Academy soon, right? You've been attacked several times, so I thought it would be a good idea to create a double to prevent that from happening this time."
I rattled off the excuse I had prepared in advance. I couldn't say it earlier because my mind went blank when I was caught tailing him.
"They say you can make one if you have fingernails and hair!"
This was something out of a legend, but it didn't matter.
'I'm in a child's body, so they can believe something like this.'
Just as Yohan was about to say something, his eyes sparkling,
"What?!"
Isaac's voice came from behind me.
He quickly ran over, grabbed my hand, hid me behind his back, and frowned. Henri followed close behind.
"Why is Big Brother with the kid? Did he bother you again?"
"You're not usually interested in others. Please continue to not be interested in the future."
As Henri and Isaac spat out sharp words, Yohan's eyebrows twitched.
I was flustered and tugged at their sleeves.
"No. He didn't bother me. I followed Yohan!"
"Kid, why would you? Did Big Brother give you a look or something?"
"If that's the case, you don't have to worry about it, LeBlaine."
That's not it, I said.
As I was saying, "It's not-" Yohan turned his back. Without a word of explanation, he walked away from us.
I stomped my feet.
"That's not it! I really just followed Yohan!"
"...Really?"
Isaac asked, and Henri had a rare stern look on his face.
Henri gently grabbed my shoulders and met my gaze.
"I told you. Brother is a dangerous person, so never be alone with him."
I drooped my eyebrows and looked at them. At my dissatisfied expression, Henri called out, "LeBlaine?"
"Yohan doesn't seem like a bad person."
"Kid, Brother has no emotions at all-!"
"When we went to see the play with the maids last year, everyone cried because it was sad, but I didn't cry. Does that make me a bad person?"
Isaac was flustered and shouted, "That's...!"
"Little Brother didn't have to look at the documents from the accounting department today, right? So you had time to read a book."
"...That's right."
"Youngest Brother didn't have to be a training partner for the knights, right? So you ate snacks with me."
"Yeah."
"Yohan did all that instead."
"..."
"..."
I said with a sulky expression, "I'm going," and shook off Henri and Isaac's hands.
When I returned to my room, I saw a long-haired beauty... no, a handsome man, munching on snacks on my bed.
I stared at him with hazy eyes.
"My snacks..."
"It wasn't very tasty."
"But you ate it all without leaving any?"
"I'm bored. You don't keep me around, you keep me cooped up here."
That's because he reads my thoughts, that's why. It's difficult to deal with someone who knows me inside and out.
But there are restrictions to keeping him away. First of all, he can't be more than about a kilometer away from me, and if my condition is bad, people will recognize the demon.
'I have to send him back before going to The Capital.'
I thought as I picked up the letter envelope stored under the bed. It was a letter from Seria.
[After Adolf, one of the 21 priests, was executed, the Temple's movements have been unusual. They are desperately searching for sacred objects to restore their lost honor. They are displaying the Etwal, which is like the symbol of the Temple, in the Grand Chapel for several days...]
'There was no display of the Etwal in my past life.'
They must be in a hurry if they're even taking out mythical relics to hold onto the hearts of disappointed believers.
I checked the drawing of the Temple's Etwal that Seria sent.
'Huh?'
Then I frowned in surprise.
"What is it..."
"What's wrong?"
"The sacred object is strange."
Paimon approached and checked the drawing.
"Etwal?"
"Do you know it?"
"Of course."
He's mastered all sorts of studies, so did he also learn theology? I nodded and said.
"That's right. It's the Etwal, but it's a little different from what I know."
"How so?"
"The Etwal that the Temple originally kept had jewels embedded in each corner of the hexagram, but this one doesn't."
I definitely saw it.
When Mina possessed the Temple's Etwal, there were jewels embedded in each corner.
I took out my Etwal that I was wearing around my neck and showed it to Paimon.
'Like mine, it doesn't have any jewels.'
Paimon sat across from me and rested his chin on his hand, as if I was saying something strange.
"It's natural that there are no jewels since there is no Familiar."
"What does that mean?"
"Isn't the Etwal originally a sacred object for holding Familiars? To use your example, it's like a warehouse."
I widened my eyes.
"Familiar? The one you create with magic or Divine Power?"
"I'm talking about a real soul. Like a demon's Familiar. Your Familiars don't have ego, do they?"
Paimon pointed to the small notches carved into each corner of the hexagram.
"You keep the Familiar inside here. So you can take it out whenever you need it."
At those words, I widened my eyes.
There were a total of six notches. So that means you can control six Familiars.
"If it's a soul, could a demon possibly become someone's Familiar?!"
"Of course. But a noble being like us cannot be contained without our consent."
"I see."
"Above all, the user wouldn't be able to maintain us. Even you are using this much Divine Power to borrow our Special Ability just once."
"Then what do they usually contain?"
"They turn human souls into Familiars. But turning humans into Familiars is not something that humans can do. They have no choice but to obtain souls that have been Familiarized by higher beings like demons."
Frowning, I tapped the table and looked at Paimon.
"Could it be that the reason I can summon demons is to complete the Etwal?"
Paimon's lips twisted into a crooked smile.
[Only after you have the qualifications can you and I have a conversation.]
So Bune said I wasn't qualified because I didn't have the Etwal.
I clenched the hem of my dress tightly.
'Mina also completed the Etwal.'
All of her tremendous abilities were the power of demons or Familiars.
And Mina, who completed the Etwal, became a powerful figure that even the Pope couldn't easily handle.
If I complete the Etwal before Mina...
'I can become the strongest in this continent and make Dubled an independent nation in an instant.'
My heart was pounding.
Paimon looked at me and cleared his throat.
"That doesn't mean you should aim for me."
"Yes!"
"..."
For some reason, Paimon looked a little dejected, but I just tilted my head.
'I'm tempted by Paimon's abilities, but he's not the type of personality that's easy to use as a Familiar.'
Only six chances. I have to create Familiars that will definitely be helpful.
I immediately connected the Communication Stone to Seria.
[Yes, Young Miss.]
"Gather information on special jewels and minerals in The Capital. Buy as much as you can."
[If it's a special jewel or mineral, there may be those who offer unimaginable prices.]
"It doesn't matter."
After all, it was a trading company that I was running to earn funds to make Dubled independent.
"And we can earn a lot of money now."
With the Long-Distance Teleportation Array.
That night, I sneaked into Yohan's room.
As I had confirmed, Yohan seemed to have gone to the training grounds. The room was very quiet.
'He goes to change the sheets before going to bed, so I have to pick up his hair before that.'
Then it wouldn't be as much as Paimon wanted, but there was no other way. I was planning to diligently collect dust to make a mountain.
[At this rate, I'll be going back after the year is over.]
Paimon sneered, so I thought, 'Shut up.'
I carefully opened the bedroom door.
And tiptoed towards the bed...
"Gasp!"
Something was crouching on the sofa next to the bed.
Startled, I froze and covered my mouth.
But something was strange.
It looked like a human silhouette, but why wasn't there any reaction?
'Paimon, attack immediately if anything happens to me.'
After saying that, I cautiously headed towards the sofa and was shocked.
"Yohan!"
It was Yohan, crouching with a pale face. The blood vessels from his wrists to his neck were bulging thickly.
If Yohan, who was keenly aware of any presence, couldn't say anything even after I came in, it was serious.
"Get a grip! What should I do, a doctor, a doctor!"
Just as I was about to rush out, Yohan grabbed my wrist.
"Quiet... It's just poison... I can purify it in a week."
"But...!"
"I am the eldest son of Dubled... If my body is damaged, there will be more than one or two who will have foolish thoughts."
That was probably true.
The reason why the vassals' factions haven't split up is because there is a sole heir, Yohan.
'Could it be...'
I examined Yohan's condition in detail.
Even though I look like this, I was educated at the Temple for two lifetimes, so I had an eye for seeing illnesses.
'Bloom Poison.'
It was a poison often used by mercenaries.
"You were injured when mercenaries attacked at the border, right? So you came to rest in the castle under the pretext that Dubled was being ignored."
"..."
"You've been holding it in all this time?"
"Don't bother me..."
"Idiot!"
I shouted.
How could there be such an idiot in the world!
Everyone else was criticizing him for being inhuman and not valuing anything, even his younger brothers didn't understand his heart, and he was carrying all the burdens alone.
I was so upset with Yohan that my vision kept blurring.
Yohan was staring at me very intently.