Episode 62: I Tried Rescuing Liese.
The Forest in the Dukedom was quiet, and a cold night breeze was blowing.
Moving as if to blend into the Darkness, I formulated a plan in my head.
Liese’s whereabouts, and Kyl’s movements. While pursuing these, all I could think about now was rescuing her as quickly as possible.
“Lord Serios, Kyl is here.”
The place Emma had tracked down, where Kyl had taken Liese.
“There are no signs of anyone around,” Kanon reported in a low voice. We had arrived at a dilapidated-looking building within the Dukedom.
“Kyl and Liese are here?”
I pondered while staring at the building. A member of the Dark Guild should be more cautious. And yet, this place was completely unguarded, as if waiting for someone.
“I’ll go. You two wait outside.”
“Lord Serios, it’s dangerous to go alone!”
Cutting off Kanon’s voice, I replied without turning back.
“This is my own problem. Rescuing Liese is my duty.”
Kanon looked dissatisfied, but perhaps sensing my determination, she nodded quietly.
The inside of the abandoned house was more orderly than I expected. I had imagined a dust-covered space, but there were signs that someone had been using it until recently.
And there, in the center, a man was sitting.
“So you came, Serios von Aegrid.”
In the dim Light, his pure white hair shone faintly. His eyes were calm, yet they seemed to hold a deep anguish.
“Where’s Liese?”
“Rest assured. She’s unharmed. I haven’t laid a single finger on her.”
There was no lie in Kyl’s voice. But that, in turn, was unsettling. I couldn’t discern his true intentions for kidnapping Liese.
“Then, why did you do this? What’s your objective?”
To my question, Kyl gave a small laugh. Then he slowly stood up and faced me.
“I didn’t know the answer. Liese’s words shook me. But that alone wasn’t enough for me to change. That’s why I met Duke Everett.”
“Duke Everett?”
I couldn’t help but frown. The story of Kyl going to meet Duke Everett was unexpected.
“I consulted Duke Everett. And I asked him how I could protect Liese, how I could change.”
“And what did Duke Everett say?”
Why would Kyl consult Duke Everett? Honestly, there was so much I didn’t understand. What was their relationship? As I pondered, Kyl briefly lowered his eyes and gave a wry smile.
“He told me, ‘Focus on her desires.’ Not my own desires, but Liese’s. I’m here to find that out.”
I was dumbfounded by the Duke’s utterly unexpected advice. Somewhere, I had convinced myself that the Duke was a bad person, the lowest kind of man who didn’t care about Claris at all.
If his words were true, then the current situation was vastly different from what I had anticipated. But still, I couldn’t shake off my doubts.
“What was your reason for taking Liese away?”
“I wanted to protect her. She healed my Wounds. My chest grew Warm. After investigating the Duke, the Royal Family, and you, I thought she shouldn’t get involved with you nobles.”
I felt that Kyl’s words weren’t wrong.
If Liese didn’t get involved with anyone, and the otome game didn’t progress, wouldn’t that also be a valid outcome? If I didn’t go to the academy, if I killed Liese… such thoughts also crossed my mind.
If that happened, there would be no Judgment, and a peaceful world would await?
But is that really true? Knowing everything, could I live on, overlooking it all? Impossible.
“Duke Everett told me this: ‘If you want to protect her, test your own convictions.’ That’s why I needed to talk to you. For Liese’s sake, to face you.”
Kyl’s eyes were direct. I couldn’t sense any lies or deceit in them.
“Are you… testing me?”
“That’s right. And there’s one more thing, a message from Duke Everett.”
“A message?”
Kyl nodded silently and began to speak.
“‘Serios von Aegrid, you have not shown me your resolve’… That’s what he said.”
“Not shown my resolve?”
At those words, I couldn’t hide my surprise and bewilderment.
“What does that mean? The Duke said something like that?”
“Yes.”
Did Duke Everett use Kyl as a messenger?
“Serios von Aegrid, I ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Liese said that she is Serios’s Tool. I investigated and found out that you imposed heavy taxes and saved her with the power of your gold. It’s true that after that, you managed your domain like a normal noble. But you caused trouble at the academy. You clashed with the Royal Family.”
Even if he’s someone who can gather information, he’s not someone who can judge it.
That’s how Emma had described Kyl.
He might have judged me as a villain based on fragmented stories he heard.
“I see. What did you think when you heard that?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I can’t judge. The only thing I can judge is whether you are someone who can protect Liese.”
Saying that, Kyl drew his Dagger.
“The only thing I can do is kill. If you win, I can entrust Liese to you with peace of mind. But if you are weak and lose, I’ll take Liese and run as far away as I can.”
In the end, it’s no different from the Judgment event.
But the one difference is that, instead of being killed by an Assassin who understands nothing, this is a head-on fight.
“Here I come!”
Kyl dashed across the room in a low stance.
Leaping sideways from the doorway towards a wider space, I drew my Sword and parried Kyl’s attack.
It’s not like I’ve just been idly subjugating bandits since coming to this world. I won’t be beaten so easily!
“Guh!”
“What’s wrong? Are you injured?”
“Shut up. It’s none of your business.”
His attacks, clearly lacking precision, were not those of the Assassin Kyl from the game.
“I don’t know what circumstances you’re under. But I won’t lose to you in your current state.”
After exchanging several blows, I clearly had the upper hand, and I knocked Kyl’s Dagger away.
“Guh!?”
“I probably couldn’t beat your true self. But if you’re weakened, even I can win.”
“Shut up! Kill me!”
“Very well. But first, tell me. Why were you weakened?”
“…Because I found out Liese was being targeted.”
“Liese is being targeted?”
Who would be targeting Liese?
“While I was investigating the Royal Family, I found people who were targeting Liese.”
“What?? Who are they?”
“I don’t know. But I killed them, and that’s how I got these Wounds.”
Kyl, who had suffered a large wound on his back. He wasn’t in any condition to fight from the start.
“What will you do?”
“I’ll leave Liese to you! You must protect her!”
“I promise.”
“Then, I’ll disappear. She herself said she was your Tool. There was never a role for me to play from the start.”
Finally, Kyl disappeared with a smile. Emma would probably take care of the aftermath.
I headed towards Liese.
She was sleeping in the back room, unharmed.
Seeing her like that, an expression of relief spread across my face.
“Liese, thank goodness.”
Liese rushed over, and I held her tightly. At her Warmth, I felt relieved from the bottom of my heart.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
I picked her up and carried her out of the ruins.
Author’s Note
Hello, this is the author, Iko.
That’s all for today!
I think updates will become less frequent from tomorrow!!
I plan to update daily for the rest of January! So I’m always waiting for your support ⭐! This is a Kakuyomu Contest participating work! So please support it!