Having returned to the mansion, Lunamaria and I requested an audience with Astrid. Naturally, it wasn’t to ask her whether the old man’s suspicions were on the money. My body had finally recovered enough to perform the soul transfer on Claudia. I could just opt for eliminating the source of the curse instead, of course, but since I wasn’t certain yet whether I’d actually be able to win, I decided to focus on curing Claudia first. And even if I proposed my method to Duke Dragonaut, I doubted he’d actually trust me. So my plan was to first persuade Astrid, then get Astrid to convince her father.
However, for better or for worse, when I went to talk to her, I was informed she was currently in the middle of a conversation with her father. Perhaps Claudia’s condition had taken a turn for the worse. Once they gave Lunamaria and me permission to enter, I decided there was no need for formalities or clever lead-ins and cut right to the chase.
“You want to know if there are any priests in the area capable of using Sense Lie?” the duke asked, looking puzzled. “Of course there are, but why would you ask such a question?”
“Because I want you two to believe what I’m going to tell you.”
“Hm... In other words, it’s something so outrageous that you think we wouldn’t believe it unless you have some incontrovertible proof like Sense Lie.”
“That’s exactly right.”
I bowed to show the duke my appreciation for being so quick on the uptake. His gaze still had a hint of suspicion, but then again, the same could be said of Astrid standing next to him, as well as Lunamaria behind me. That wasn’t surprising, since I hadn’t told Lunamaria why we were there.
Keenly sensing their doubt, I continued. “I know that time is of the essence for you right now, and every moment you spend talking to me is a moment wasted. I also know that asking you both to invite a priest here while you’re both so busy with Lady Claudia is the height of rudeness, and I apologize, but even so, I must ask for your consent on this matter.”
“No, no, there’s no need to be so formal,” the duke said with a wave of his hand. “You and your entourage are this kingdom’s—and indeed our family’s—benefactors. And on a more personal level, I can’t thank you enough for providing me with more information on indigo wyverns. The least I can do to repay you is hear you out, but...”
Duke Dragonaut glanced furtively at Astrid, who nodded in agreement with her father, then fixed me with a serious look.
“I’m of the same mind as father. And might I add, even without the use of Sense Lie, I do not intend to cast doubt on someone we’re so indebted to. If you have something you’d like to tell us, why not just say it now?”
“Really? Okay, in that case, I’ll get right to the point: I’ve found a way to save Lady Claudia, and I want your permission before I do it. That’s what I came to ask.”
Taking Astrid up on her suggestion, I said what I wanted to say. In response, both she and her father looked stunned. But the duke must have come to his senses right away, because he scowled on what seemed like reflex. He must have heard the same thing from so many different people at this point, placed his hopes on them, and had those hopes betrayed every time.
“Are you sure?” he said, his voice thick with wariness.
“Well, I can at least guarantee it’s a better option than using tanashia to mask her pain. Now I know your next question is going to be ‘How do you plan to do this?’ So I’ll go ahead and take the liberty of answering: I’m going to raise Lady Claudia’s level. And of course, there’ll be no need to take her out of the mansion. I’ll perform the procedure here.”
“Th-That’s...”
“Preposterous? I don’t blame you for thinking so. As a matter of fact, up until a few days ago, I myself had never even dreamed that such a thing was possible.” I indicated Lunamaria behind me. “Lunamaria here can vouch for me. Just last night, I raised her level by one. Still, I’m aware that a testimony from a slave of mine isn’t much proof, which was why I wanted to bring a priest with Sense Lie here.”
A long silence fell over the room. The length of the silence indicated just how shocked—or perhaps dubious—Duke Dragonaut was. Finally, Astrid spoke up, her voice sounding strained. “I’ve never heard of any magic, be it a spell or item, that has the ability to raise someone else’s level. Just how did you do it?”
“Put simply, by offering part of my soul to her. To be honest, I don’t understand the specifics of how it works either, but the fact remains that I was able to raise Lunamaria’s level. And if I can raise hers, I should be able to raise Claudia’s as well. My guess is the higher her level she is, the more she’ll be able to resist her curse.”
“And you’re saying that will save my sister? What if I tell you that I can’t possibly entrust her to you on such a flimsy premise?”
“I’d tell you that I wouldn’t fault you for it. It’s understandable you’d hesitate to leave a precious family member’s life in the hands of someone you’ve only just met. If that’s how you feel, though, then I’m leaving and heading back to Ishka. It was never my intent to stay in the capital for very long anyway,” I said, expressing my honest feelings as I bowed.
Instead of Astrid, however, the duke replied. “Raise your head, Mr. Sora.”
“Yes, sir.”
“To be honest, this news comes as a real shock, and I’m still not sure I believe all of it. But as a duke and as a retainer to the royal family, I’ve come across many people from all walks of life up until now, and I can at least tell that you’re not attempting to deceive us with your words. More importantly, such a person could never tame an indigo wyvern like you did,” he said, flashing a grin with that last comment. Just like when he was asking me everything he could about Claimh Soras, it seemed that when indigo wyverns were mentioned, the duke’s attitude instantly became more casual and friendly. Or perhaps he was just trying to meet me halfway. His next words proved my guess correct.
“Therefore, first off, I’d like to express my gratitude to you for divulging that secret for my daughter’s sake. If anyone else found out that you had such an ability, you’d never be able to live a peaceful life again. And yet, well aware of the risk, you’re prepared to help Claudia, more or less a complete stranger to you. I truly do appreciate such generosity.”
“Your words honor me.”
“However, what I don’t understand is why you’d go so far. I said so myself just a bit ago, but you’ve only met us Dragonauts within the past several days. So why are you doing all this for us?”
If I were a normal adventurer, I could probably have said, “So I can make connections and get myself noticed by the nobility,” and the duke would have accepted that explanation. But I’d already tamed an indigo wyvern, slain two types of Lords, saved Ishka, and been commended for my achievements at the royal palace. It wouldn’t make sense for me to reveal my secret just for the sake of getting in good with the dukedom. Introducing them to the Jirai Ao Ochs had already been more than enough to make them indebted to me. So what was the real reason I was going to such lengths to save a family member of theirs? That was what the duke was asking. And I didn’t have to think about how to answer. I just told him how I truly felt.
“You went through such lengths to help me out with the Suzume incident. And though it might be presumptuous of me to say so, I’ve been deeply moved by the generosity and hospitality that you, Lady Astrid, and Lady Claudia have shown over the past several days. Most of all, if I see a girl younger than me suffering in pain from a curse in front of me, and I know I have the power to free her from that pain, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t help?”
Claudia was roughly the same age as Suzume; in other words, around twelve or thirteen, and the same age as I’d been when I was exiled from the island. A girl of that age, suffering and screaming in pain from a curse she didn’t deserve? Did I really need a reason to want to save her? Still, if I was forced to say, there was one reason that came to mind:
DEVOUR IT ALL.
Yes. I remembered. In that place that felt neither like a dream nor reality, I remembered what I’d thought back then. A thought that had seemed to consume my entire being. If I wasn’t a capable fighter and I couldn’t protect anyone I cared about, then I’d eat. Eat everything. Devour it all.
So what was stopping me from devouring a curse or two as well? Why couldn’t I just devour the curse that was making this poor girl wail in pain?
IT’S IRRITATING. IT’S A NUISANCE.
And so I’d save her. And at the cost of my own soul, if necessary.
I didn’t tell the duke or Astrid this because it would just complicate things, but even if they refused to let me heal Claudia, I was going to sneak into her room at night and ask the girl herself for permission.
Duke Dragonaut and Astrid listened intently to what I had to say, watched my behavior carefully, and thought it over. Finally, the duke slowly gave his answer.