Reef and Rigon were looking for something to do while staying in the castle.
I thought it was unavoidable given their situation, but it was especially severe for Reef.
According to the butler’s report, she asked a maid if she could do chores or anything, whatever that she could do.
“It seemed to me that she was very anxious because of her brother.”
Gulpiro clicked his tongue and said.
“She always asks me if her brother’s light blood disease has been completely cured, almost obsessively.”
“Hmm...”
“I think she wants to stay with the Seventh Lord because she thinks that the disease may break out at any time.”
Was that so?
With the death of the Tyrant, the light blood disease that Rigon was suffering from had completely disappeared. There was no way it would appear again.
I had already explained it to her enough, but it still didn’t seem to completely erase her anxiety.
Even if she could understand it with her head and reason, it would be an anxiety that was close to the realm of obsessive compulsiveness, as Gulpiro said.
She had been living like that for the past few years, so it’s not that she didn’t understand.
'I haven’t really thought about what I should do to the two of them.'
That was natural. Because I didn’t save them for any particular purpose.
Of course, I had no intention of expelling them, like what Reef was concerned about.
Rather, I knew Rigon was the future flesh-headed Refrigon, so I wanted to keep him by my side for as long as possible.
And it was a good thing that they seemed to feel the same…
Should I help them grow properly?
There was no doubt that both of them were talented.
Reef had grown from an ordinary person to level 40 in just a few years. Needless to say, she was a genius.
And especially for Rigon…
He became a Lord of Calderic within five years from now.
Judging from the memories that flashed in my mind that time, the Overlord said he made a contract with the demons, so he was most likely using demonic powers then.
But even considering that, it was an abnormal growth that far exceeded common sense.
He had become a strongman at the same level as a Lord in just a few years from his current mediocre level.
“Is Rigon fully recovered now?”
“Yes.”
His body was in disrepair from suffering from light blood disease for several years, but he recovered quickly thanks to Gulpiro.
As the alchemist said, I only needed to procure the ingredients for the potion and he would do the rest.
Anyway, it would be a waste to just leave such talented gemstones alone.
Doing nothing and staying in the castle all the time seemed to make them uncomfortable, too.
The next day, I immediately called the siblings and Asher.
“Gulpiro will leave the castle soon. Do you two want to stay here?”
When I asked the siblings, Reef hesitated and then nodded.
“Yes, I’m sorry, but if you give me permission, I’ll do anything you want me to do, my lord.”
I nodded and shifted my gaze to Asher.
“Asher.”
“Yes.”
“Teach these two swordsmanship.”
That surprised both Asher and Reef.
“Do you mean teach them?”
“Yeah. Maybe you don’t like it?”
“No. It’s not like that, but…”
Asher looked at the two of them.
The request to teach swordsmanship seemed quite embarrassing to Asher.
There were plenty of knights in the castle, but the strongest among them was, of course, Asher.
So, if possible, I was trying to make her do it…
“What do you think?”
I shifted my gaze to the siblings and asked.
Rigon answered with a look of enthusiasm.
“Of course it’s great! Just teach me, and I’ll do my best to learn!”
Reef said cautiously.
“Thank you, but we are only receiving too many undeserved graces.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not just giving. If possible, wouldn’t it be better to learn swordsmanship properly and remain in the castle as a knight?”
“...Yes?”
At that, Reef gave a slightly bewildered expression.
“Anyway, if you both want to learn, study hard. Asher is the strongest warrior here in my territory.”
At my compliment, Asher said with a little embarrassment.
“I’ve taught no one before, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it well…”
“It’s okay. Just try it first.”
If it didn’t work, then I could ask the other swordsman instructors in the castle to do it.
As such, the lesson of Asher began right before my eyes. I stood on one side and watched the scene.
First, Asher put the two of them side by side and put her hands on their backs, starting with Reef.
When I saw the flow of magic that I felt with my [Super Sensory], it looked like it was flowing inside.
I knew nothing about magic training, so I was just guessing if she was trying to figure out the level of the two.
After taking her hands off Reef’s back, Asher asked with a surprised face.
“…You said that it’s been about three years since you learned to practice?”
“Yes.”
“You have accumulated this amount of magical power stably in such a short time.”
As expected, Reef’s talent was outstanding.
Next, Asher placed her hand on Rigon’s back and let out magic. Then she opened her mouth right away.
“The magic path has already been opened. Have you ever learned to practice before?”
“Oh, yes. Before getting sick, swordsmanship and magic little by little…”
I tilted my head at that.
'Has he already learned?'
I thought it wasn’t because there was no magical power that I could feel from Rigon.
But if he had magical powers, but I wondered how he suffered from light blood disease. Was it because the accumulated magic power was too weak?
“Sir Asher.”
Rigon suddenly called out to Asher.
“The magic that is flowing through my body. Can I just move it like this? I thought I could do it.”
“...Uh?”
Then he closed his eyes and furrowed his brows with a focused face.
At this, Asher’s expression showed wonder, and soon it turned into astonishment.
“...!”
I watched the scene blankly, unsure of what was happening.
The only thing I could feel was that the flow of magic flowing inside Rigon’s body had changed slightly.
After a while, Rigon opened his eyes with a much more refreshed face than before, and Asher blankly removed her hand from his back.
“How is it?”
I was curious about the reason for that reaction, so I asked quietly.
She murmured as she looked at Rigon, who was stretching with a fresh face, as if she was looking at a monster.
“...Unbelievable affinity. No matter how much magic enters his body, he could freely manipulate it as if it was his own…”
I looked at Rigon, who was looking this way with a puzzled face
Even if I didn’t quite understand what Asher was saying, it’s obvious that he possessed an incredible talent if he surprised her this much.
'I guess he’s not a normal genius either.'
If he developed properly, he might be of great help later, right?
There wasn’t much time left until the main story, so if he grew in an explosive manner, it would be great.
It was time to go to the gym and tell Asher to continue fully instructing the siblings.
“Lord.”
The butler, who showed up, reported.
“The Second Lord has visited the castle.”
“...?”
Second Lord? Suddenly?
***
I left the three of them alone and went downstairs.
After entering the castle’s hall, I saw the Thunder Lord, who had a rather haggard look. Like someone who hadn’t slept for a few days.
“What’s the matter?”
She stared at me quietly and then opened her mouth.
“Let’s talk in a quiet place.”
“Tell me what business you have by coming here.”
“I came here to talk about the last duel.”
I could feel the suppressed anger in her trembling voice.
I also thought it was because of that.
“Follow me.”
I walked to my room and sat down opposite the Thunder Lord.
“Speak now.”
“...”
She could hardly speak.
She was just staring at me with ferocious eyes and showing only one-sided hostility.
In the silence that had settled down for a long time, I was tired of waiting, so I spoke up first.
“It must have been related to your spirit.”
“...!”
She bit her lower lip and then opened her mouth.
“What the hell have you done? Why have I completely lost my connection with my spirit? No, I can’t even feel its presence at all!”
I answered briefly.
“That’s because it’s gone.”
“...What?”
“The Thunder Spirit Laxia that you have has completely disappeared. Since it no longer exists in the world, you can’t feel its presence.”
I had nothing to hide, so I told the truth to her face.
She looked at me blankly, with a face in complete shock.
I thought while waiting for her to come to her senses.
Spirit art, a racial trait of elves.
Spirits were natural beings completely separate from elves.
However, only elves could contract with spirits and borrow their powers, so it was called the racial trait of elves.
Elves, who were born with a strong affinity for spirits, could make contracts with many strong spirits.
In a word, spirit art was a realm of talent that must be innate.
And Thunder Lord was one of the most powerfully blessed elves on this continent.
That’s why she could make a contract with a great spirit as strong as Laxia, and she could also become a Lord of Calderic.
'But now that great spirit is gone.'
She lost her strongest power in one day.
I looked at her level once more and felt a little somber.
With a pale, weary face, she soon stuttered;
“It- it no longer exists? Laxia…?”
“Yes.”
“...Why? Why?”
“That’s because I destroyed it.”
A look of distrust and deep despair filled her face.
“Ooh, don’t be ridiculous. Don’t be funny. How can Laxia suddenly be extinct…?”
To her, who was muttering in denial of reality, I stopped her and said.
“There is no way to revive it. Throw away the regrets and give up neatly.”
“That’s… what--”
What followed was anger.
The Thunder Lord looked at me as if to kill me with tears in her reddened eyes. I was a little baffled.
'Is she going to cry?'
She immediately got up from her seat.
“Seventh Lord, I will kill you. I will truly kill you someday.”
“...”
“I will definitely make you pay for this!”
Then she spun around and walked towards the door.
I looked at her back and thought.
Our relationship wasn’t a good relationship from the beginning, but somehow it seemed like I had extinguished any possibility of reconciliation.
...Then should I let it be?
I also wanted to maintain a somewhat okay relationship with the other Lords if possible.
However, if there was a Lord who was irretrievably estranged, wouldn’t it be better to have a clear advantage? So that it wouldn’t become an obstacle in the future.
And to be honest, I got annoyed because she started the fight first and was now acting like this, so I opened my mouth.
“The Overlord and other Lords don’t know this yet.”
The Thunder Lord stopped at my words.
“I think you lost a lot of power after losing Laxia. If the Overlord knew about it, would you still be able to maintain your position?”
She turned her head slowly, and her face was much paler than before.
“All, you…”
There was no way she couldn’t understand that it was a threat.
Her face was filled with a mixture of shame, anger, and all kinds of emotions.
I said calmly.
“If you don’t mind losing all your other spirits, you can attack.”
“...”
Her whole body trembled. She slowly forced herself to calm down.
I pointed to the opposite of where I was sitting.
“Come back and sit down.”
