Episode 6
“Alright! This activates Double Tomahawk!”
“Hmm… Ah, Ancient Dragon. Then I’ll set this here… and, I win~”
“Impossible!?”
“Wow, Shell, you drew something amazing.”
“That’s Geld-sama’s third loss in a row.”
A year has passed since I became Geld. Today, as always, I’m having a card battle with the maids.
I’ve been using the money that the original Geld hoarded to buy up card packs, challenging the maids to battles, and getting my cards swindled away.
It’s not like I’m losing all the time; my win rate is around thirty percent, but I’m still definitely a sucker. Now, the maids even barge into my room to challenge me to matches.
“Then I’ll be taking this Angry Death Knight~”
“To steal the Angry Death Knight from me with the Ancient Dragon you stole from me… What a fiend…!”
Shell has a delighted look on her face after getting a new card, but I’m secretly thrilled to be playing with the maids. So, it’s a Win-Win relationship. Getting my cards stolen is like a necessary expense.
“Geld-sama, Ereki Teru-sensei has arrived.”
“Hmm, is it that time already? We’ll continue this next time.”
“Okay~”
“Let’s play again~”
After seeing the maids off as they left in a group, it was just me and my attendant, Shino, in the room.
Being surrounded by the maids like that, and this situation now, were things I couldn’t have imagined when I first took over Geld’s body.
Shino seemed to feel guilty about erasing my memories, and as atonement, she apparently requested from the start to return as my attendant to take care of me.
Father had apparently been suppressing that request, worried that I might do something again, but after seeing me indulging in card battles with all the maids except Shino and recognizing that I was safe, Shino was happily reinstated as my attendant about half a year ago.
If it had ended there, it would have been fine, but Father, annoyed by the sight of me doting on the maids surrounding me, decided that there was no longer any need for recuperation and dispatched something like a tutor, taking the drastic measure of stealing my blissful time. Ereki Teru-sensei is one of those tutors.
“Ugh… troublesome… isn’t it, Shino?”
“You can’t say that. Come on, the teacher is waiting for you.”
“Guh, I haven’t even said anything yet…”
Even though my memories are gone, so I’m no longer useful as a noble’s son… why am I studying…?
The despair I felt when Father said, “If it were before you lost your memories, disinheritance would have been possible, but you’re fine as you are now. Work hard,” was immense…
When I asked what he would do if my memories returned, he made a face as if he had bitten into a bitter bug and groaned. He might have various conflicts.
I managed to avoid going to school by using that as a starting point, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll inevitably inherit the Waslein Family.
After tuning out of the ‘History of the Kingdom of Ukyak’ lesson, it’s time for my daily wooden sword practice. I still do this voluntarily.
Even if I master swordsmanship, I probably won’t have the opportunity to use it, but I need to move my body to some extent for health reasons.
Besides, the sense of accomplishment when I level up is indescribable. I might be swinging my sword because I want to experience that again.
“Hah!”
This technique called ‘Dragon Flight Slash’ involves swinging the sword upwards from below, causing a white, semi-transparent dragon to emerge from the ground. It makes no sense.
“Hoh!”
Next is ‘Slashing Airwave’. When I swing the sword, something like a white, semi-transparent slash flies out from the sword. It’s dangerous, so I have to aim it at the sky when I use it.
“Ha-ha!”
Finally, ‘Double Slash’. It’s the first technique I learned, but why isn’t it as cool as the others? It’s simple and lame.
Geld’s style is to perform all the techniques once and then start normal practice swings.
I really want to play around launching dragons endlessly, but apparently, techniques consume something like MP or SP. I can perform Double Slash about ten times, but I get exhausted after using Dragon Flight Slash three times.
“Phew, is that it?”
“Good work, Geld-sama.”
“Yeah.”
When I finish training, Shino, who was somehow nearby, hands me cold water. I wonder how she times it.
And while I’m gulping down the water, Shino diligently wipes my sweat with a towel.
At first, she just handed me the towel, but one day, I jokingly told her to wipe me, and for some reason, it became the norm ever since.
I could just say, “I’ll wipe myself from now on,” but of course, I have no intention of saying that.
Now, I’m sweating just so Shino will wipe me. The sense of accomplishment from leveling up is actually irrelevant. It’s all for this moment.
“Okay, all done.”
“Mug mug, mmm.”
Is she already done wiping? Should I extend the training time to sweat more…? No, how about dividing the training into smaller sessions and getting wiped twice…?
“Geld-sama, do you have any plans after this?”
“No, just the usual: rest a bit, eat, and take a bath… Is something up?”
“Well… Emi has been complaining lately that Geld-sama hasn’t been playing with her.”
“Emi, huh? She’s too strong, though.”
She’s the benefactor who gave me the opportunity to get along with the maids, but that card maniac is just too strong. My win rate against her is probably less than ten percent.
“Um, so is it okay to put Emi on hold for a while?”
“No, if I’m challenged to a match, I’ll accept it. I’ll take a bath and eat right away, and then we’ll play.”
“Understood. I’ll let Emi know.”
Good, good. At that time, Emi might be in her nightgown instead of her maid uniform. If there wasn’t the advantage of seeing that, playing against her wouldn’t be worth it.
“By the way, Shino, could you come if you have time?”
“Me too?”
“Yeah. If I can’t win… or rather, I probably won’t win, avenge me…”
“Geld-sama… Understood. Leave it to Shino.”
When I say “if Shino has time,” I mean after Shino has eaten and taken a bath. In other words, I’m planning to see Shino in her nightgown as well. What terrifying cunning on my part.
Shino is the second strongest in this mansion, after Emi. She’ll surely show me a heated match. It might be so heated that there might be accidents where I can see or not see inside the neckline of her loose-fitting nightgown. Oh my, what divine, far-reaching plans. I’m looking forward to the night.
Play well, exercise well, learn well… somewhat, and eat well and sleep well.
What a fulfilling and happy life. I’ve grasped success.
I hope this kind of life lasts forever…
By the way, I was beaten to a pulp by Emi afterwards.
Furthermore, two years later, the Waslein Territory was also beaten to a pulp and destroyed.