Chapter 1 After Clearing
The road to Waslein would take a month if traveled directly.
We took our time, leisurely traveling along the coast by ship, and finally returned home after about three months.
In Waslein, a series of events unfolded: a touching reunion with the maids, a surprisingly easy revocation of my disinheritance, and a despicable plot to promote me as the Heir Apparent.
Among these, the most challenging and nerve-wracking was undoubtedly the battle between Shell and Millie. It was a brutal war between women, sparked by Shell’s desire to become my mistress and Millie’s refusal to allow it.
I resolved to play the part of an uninvolved third party in this conflict. To that end, I was indulging in a Card Battle with the maids in a separate room when Shino, for some reason, dragged me into the battlefield, and I was unfortunately caught in the crossfire.
I have no intention of being disloyal to Millie and Shino any further. But Shell is adorable.
She’s generally spacey and has a small animal-like charm, and, to put it bluntly, it feels like being adored by a pet.
So, when she approaches me, I can’t help but fuss over her, and when she demands to be my mistress, I can only gently refuse without hurting her feelings.
“Seriously…”
So, I proposed a Sugar Daddy Arrangement without the physical intimacy.
The kind where I occasionally give her money and we eat together. If we had that kind of relationship, it wouldn’t be cheating, so Millie would be satisfied, Shell would be satisfied because she could live a relaxed and carefree life, and I would be satisfied because I could enjoy talking to Shell.
This wonderful proposal, beneficial to all three parties and making everyone happy, was vehemently opposed by Millie and Shell and summarily rejected.
Moreover, not only was it rejected, but Millie and Shell temporarily joined forces and launched an outrageous attack, criticizing me.
“Those two, they have no sense of humor. Well, I was half-serious, though.”
Faced with such a situation, even I couldn’t remain silent.
I revealed my anger, stood up forcefully, and stomped out of the room with large strides, making a loud noise to show my indignant attitude. Then, I declared that I would return in about ten days and scurried away with my tail between my legs.
I then sprinted alone towards the Royal Capital, covering a distance that would take five to six days by Carriage in a single day.
After spending a night at a familiar luxury inn, I am now strolling through the Royal Capital the next morning to fulfill my purpose.
“To think it would rise from 20 En to 2,000 En…”
Is it the aftermath of the game ending? I certainly thought that 20 En, where a night at a luxury inn wouldn’t even cover lunch, was unsustainable, but a sudden hundredfold increase is outrageous. Having spent this much money, I want to achieve my goal this time.
Yes, it’s not like I was just running away because I was afraid of that battle.
I had been wondering if there was any way to act alone, and when I was genuinely frightened by that terrible battle and tried to run away, it occurred to me that if I just kept running, I could be alone.
However, it’s still impossible to find someone whose current whereabouts are unknown, and all my attempts to follow the faint clues have been in vain.
All that’s left is the Regular Fighting Tournament. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to give up for now and return to Waslein.
So, I went to the venue, half expecting it to be futile, and checked the bulletin board next to the entrance.
It seems the next event is in three days. Conveniently, today is the last day for entries, and if I win the preliminaries tomorrow, I can participate in the main tournament.
“Hmm… Well, might as well enter. I’ve never won before anyway.”
I completed the entry on the spot and, having nothing else to do, quickly retreated to the inn.
The next day, I easily passed the preliminaries, and then came the main event of the Fighting Tournament.
On the tournament ladder posted on the bulletin board, the name of the person I was looking for was listed on the opposite side from me. In other words, we would only meet in the final match.
“Finally found him… Wait, he’s a seeded player and exempt from the preliminaries? That’s why I didn’t see him in the preliminaries.”
In that case, he should advance without difficulty. If I don’t mess up, we’ll fight in the final.
“Hey Claire… You inherited the memories, right?”
As a senior member of the Swordsmanship Club, I need to make my cocky junior, who has become arrogant due to his excessive strength, realize that there are always people above him.