“I had no idea there was a place like this in the mansion, and I’ve worked here for years,” Rosalia said as we walked.
“Yeah, well, only the lords in the family know about it.”
We passed through the hidden door located in the basement library and proceeded into the passage. It smelled of mold, having gone unused for so many years.
“If you know about it, that means the previous lord recognized you as the next in line for lordship! I’m so happy for you!”
“R-right? Ha ha ha…”
All I could do was muster up a pained smile as I watched Rosalia delight over my words. You would never guess that her joy was for someone else and not herself.
Contrary to what she imagined, the only reason I knew about this was because of my game knowledge. Weiss didn’t know about this passage, but his little sister did, which meant she had been the favored choice. Whatever. If nothing else, I wanted to recognize him. He wasn’t chosen by the previous lord, but even still, he continued to work hard.
The debt he took on was because he was trying to do things for his subjects. He tried his hand at all kinds of enterprises in the hope of developing his territory, but they each ended in failure. Because he wasn’t officially meant to be the successor to the position, he wasn’t able to inherit the personal connections his father had, and unlike the hero, he was not blessed with friends who had the knowledge and experience to fill the gaps in his own.
It’s rough throwing yourself into something and getting no reward for your hard work. I get it, Weiss.
I was speaking to myself too. It hurt to have no one expect anything of you. It hurt to have no one there to see you work your hardest. That was why I wanted to recognize Weiss, even if no one else did. Fortunately, I had Rosalia, who felt the same way I did.
“What’s the matter, Lord Weiss?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how fortunate I am to have you here. You’re my maid and my bodyguard. If you weren’t around, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened to me.”
“Please, Lord Weiss. I am your personal maid—I’m simply doing what must be done. I know just how incredible you are. Ah, but I believe we will be running into some monsters shortly, so please get behind me,” she said with a big smile before turning to raise her spear and stare down the passage with a serious expression on her face.
I sensed something as well.
The monsters in this area were just called “big rats.” They appeared in the opening hours of the game, and while they weren’t particularly strong, their speed made them a pain to deal with.
“Don’t worry, Lord Weiss. I’ll take care of them in no time. Ice! Shackle my enemies!”
“Wh-whoa…”
Upon exiting the passage, we were met with six big rats, so I took up my sword to support Rosalia. However, without any help from me, she bound the rats’ feet to the floor with her ice magic, then swung her spear and murdered them all in one fell swoop. I was completely useless.
You’ve gotta be kidding me! She’s way too strong! I guess, now that I think about it, the entire hero’s party struggled in combat against her, so of course she’s crazy strong.
“Lord Weiss, I’ve defeated the rats. We can move forward.”
“Yeah, of course. You sure are strong,” I said. “You beat them in an instant!”
She giggled. “I’m just so happy that you’re relying on me that I went a little overboard. I would be even happier if you kept complimenting me. Just kidding!” She paused. “Um, Lord Weiss?”
“You did well, Rosalia. Thank you.”
I gently patted her head as she smiled triumphantly at me. This was what she was asking for, right? For some reason, it made her face turn bright red.
Crap, now that I think about it, she’s older than me. Did I offend her in some way?
“Ah, um, you asked for compliments, so I thought maybe you’d like a head pat,” I said awkwardly.
“Oh, I was just surprised is all. You’re right, I did enjoy that.”
“Great. Okay, let’s keep moving!”
I started walking in an attempt to brush past the strange vibe between us. Eventually, I located a rather large and sturdy door and pushed it open, revealing a number of leather bags behind it. I could just barely make out the gold coins inside of them.
Hell yeah! Unlike the ones in the game, these are super shiny! Those rings should be in here too.
“Amazing, Lord Weiss!” Rosalia said. “With this much, you’ll be able to pay your debts! Thank goodness you won’t have to sell your territory to him.”
“I know, right? I’d better offer thanks to my ancestors,” I replied.
There was a small wooden box within the wall’s cavity. Pulling it out, I opened it to reveal two rings: one with a large red gem and another with a blue gem.
“Lord Weiss, what are these?”
“These are family treasures of House Hamilton. Rosalia, take this one. It should protect you.”
“I could not possibly accept such an expensive-looking gift.” She shook her head.
“Please. Consider it an order. C’mon, hold out your hand.”
Even as she resisted, I forcibly took her hand and slid the ring with the red gem onto her pale, slender ring finger. This ring protected its wearer from losing their life a single time. Considering that Rosalia was so intent on sacrificing herself to save Weiss, I knew it would come in handy one day.
As for me, I took the other ring and put it on my finger with a big smile on my face.
Magic Ring
Raises the magical growth and magic power of its wearer. The first lord of House Hamilton received it for distinguished military service in the war.
Status Up
Magic Power: 40 → 50
I couldn’t help but grin wider when I saw that the effects were exactly what I anticipated. In the game, this money served as capital for the hero to begin his work as a lord, while the red ring was used to protect him and the blue ring was used to increase Firis’s already high magic power.
So, was it okay for me to just take it? At the end of the day, the hero and his party had plenty of people who would help them out, but what about Weiss? Wasn’t it all right for me to use this stuff to save him?
“Okay, let’s get a move on. Whoa, these gold coins are crazy heavy! Rosalia, sorry, but could you help me carry these?” I asked. When I didn’t get an answer, I nudged her. “Um, Rosalia?”
Rosalia was staring at the ring on her finger, her cheeks bright red for some reason. When I called her name, she panicked.
“O-oh, of course. My apologies. I’ll grab them right away.” She began to grab one bag of coins after another. “Hup!”
She must have had incredible strength; at most, I could lift two at the same time, yet here she was, carrying ten at once.
Wonder what’s up. She’s been acting kinda weird since I gave her the ring.
“Lord Weiss, in exchange for following your order, can I make a request?” she asked with a serious expression.
“Oh, yeah, I don’t mind.”
It was rare for Rosalia to have such a serious look on her face instead of a smile. Was she really so against the idea of wearing a ring that matched mine?
Before I could finish that thought, she began to explain what her request was. It was entirely unexpected, and while I was initially against it, she ended up getting her way.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Good day, Lord Weiss. You look like you’re in good spirits. Heh heh, I expect good things from you today,” said Gustaf, who was sitting across from me.
“Yes, well, I owe my good mood to you,” I answered him, though I wore a gloomy expression.
The next day, I was meeting with Gustaf in my office, Rosalia next to me and Gustaf’s own bodyguard from yesterday standing beside him. Contrary to his words, he had a condescending smile on his face. He definitely assumed I couldn’t pay back what I owed.
Bah ha ha, fool! I’m only playing the role of a pathetic young man.
I was glad my facade was working. Just to be safe, I looked at Rosalia, and she nodded with a straight face.
She mouthed something at me: Don’t forget your promise.
I wouldn’t dare.
“Now then, Lord Weiss. Will you return my money as promised? If you cannot, I want your territory immediately. However, I am not a coldhearted man. I will give you a single chance.”
“A chance? What do you mean?”
“You see, I want you to sell that maid of yours to me as a deposit. I am sure you would love to be useful to your master, no?” Gustaf said, flashing a vulgar smile as he beckoned Rosalia over.
You piece of crap. Yesterday, he wanted her for a night, and now he was all in on owning her like she was property. After a moment of hesitation, she gazed at me, then bit her lip and began to walk toward Gustaf.
“Rosalia, why?” I said.
“I apologize, Lord Weiss,” she answered. “This is the only way…”
“Hmph,” Gustaf cut in, “you should have just done this from the beginning. Heh, I’ve always wanted to have you to myself. Oh, the fun we shall have. A man like him doesn’t deserve you—gragh?!”
Just before Gustaf could touch her waist, she grabbed his hand and twisted his arm with a cold glare. He fell from the chair and cried out in pain while she gazed down on him as if he were nothing more than trash on the side of the road.
“‘A man like him’? Words like that are lèse-majesté toward our lord. Also, it is sinful to try and touch that which belongs to him.”
“You…” Gustaf groaned.
“And you are committing treason by drawing your sword before the lord,” Rosalia said to the bodyguard. “Fortunately for you, Lord Weiss is a kind man, so as long as you sheathe your weapon, he’ll forgive you.”