Chapter 68…………………………………….
“Kauts! I’m really fine, okay?”
“No, my lady. If you use mana again, you might collapse. And you haven’t slept at all last night. You must rest well for at least a full day.”
“I really am fine…”
When I drooped my head, the duke came over and gently patted my shoulder.
“Anne, I told you there’s no need to push yourself. Ron is precious, but you are also someone precious to our family.”
“Father…”
“So don’t strain yourself. Rest as Kauts says. Ron will surely wait for us for a day.”
When I lifted my gaze and met the duke’s warm smile, the fatigue finally seemed to wash over me. A series of events had rushed in one after another, and I must have been holding myself together in tension. My body felt limp.
Well, in this state I didn’t even have enough mana for teleportation anyway. Even if I managed to fill the teleport with mana, I’d probably collapse the moment we arrived.
Right. First, rest.
After the duke and Kauts left, Britta helped me wash up. The moment I lay down on the soft bed, I fell right asleep.
Who knows how much time passed.
The room was completely dark.
My hazy consciousness drifted in and out—until…
—…Ren! Ren!
A warm, familiar voice rang clearly.
It was Ron, without a doubt.
“Ron…!”
His name escaped from my dry lips.
Then—suddenly—a sharp jolt flashed across my head.
Wait, Ren?
Ren?!
“…!”
My eyes shot open. I was so startled that my upper body jerked up violently.
“That’s right! Ron thinks I’m Ren!”
I ran my hands over my long, messy red hair that reached down to my chest. I swept a hand over my very obviously girl’s face.
“Ha… but now he’ll meet me not as Ren, but as Maryanne…”
Then what exactly am I to Ron now?
I’m engaged to Shevert, and Shevert’s younger brother is Ron, so…
“H–his sister-in-law? Ughhhhh!”
The twisted, tangled relationship made me shudder.
I’d have to explain that I wasn’t Ren but actually Maryanne Delve all along—and on top of that, I’m his sister-in-law?!
Hello, young master. I’m your brother’s fiancée.
How am I supposed to say that?!
Knock, knock.
Just then, Britta’s voice came from outside the door. Judging from the duke and Kauts speaking anxiously beside her, they must have heard my scream and rushed here together.
The eastern Ruiwa Forest was covered in dense fog.
But piercing through that fog were dozens of glowing eyes.
The Devil assassins.
They had received a secret mission and were waiting for a carriage that would pass through the forest.
Ron, who was hiding behind a tree, was prepared to attack at any moment.
But he wasn’t allowed to step forward today either.
“Step back.”
Because of his master, Gurter.
When Ron began releasing black aura, Gurter used force to suppress him. It was possible only because Ron was still young. Even Gurter—one of the few swordmasters in the empire—felt fear from the power emanating from Ron.
His eyes changed again.
Normally, Ron looked like an innocent child. But when he held a sword, his eyes turned wild with madness.
Until now, Gurter had forcibly pushed down that power, keeping it under control.
Because of that, no one in the assassination unit knew the truth. Even Ron himself didn’t realize the true extent of the power hidden inside him.
Though who knew how long that would last…
Rustle. Crack.
The assassins began moving swiftly. From a distance, the sound of hoofbeats approached.
As the carriage drew nearer, the assassins ambushed, surrounding it in an instant.
And the situation ended just as quickly.
“Hey!”
A whistle cut through the air, shouted by one of the blood-soaked assassins.
Only then did Gurter and Ron move in to handle the aftermath.
Inside the carriage, soaked in the stench of blood, everything was a mess.
While gently calming the surviving black horse, Ron said,
“Master, I can do well too.”
“You’re still far from ready.”
Gurter replied curtly as he shoved the items into a deep pit. Ron approached to help bury them with soil.
“But I’m really good at hunting monsters too! Last time, I took down six Muses all by myself!”
“….”
Gurter glanced behind him.
Thankfully, the other assassins were resting a bit away. They wouldn’t hear the conversation.
With relief, Gurter let out a sigh.
“Yes, you defeated six Muses.”
How difficult it had been to cover that up so no one would find out.
In truth, Ron had killed so many monsters that Gurter lost count. As Ron grew, the energy within him surged uncontrollably, and to release it, Gurter secretly took him deep into the mountains at night.
Each time, Ron ran wild like a demon, slaughtering everything in reach.
“But you’re still far from ready.”
That was all Gurter could ever say to Ron.
“Yes…”
The fierce glow in Ron’s red eyes faded. Becoming a child of his age once again, he silently tamped down the earth and packed away the items.
He promised himself that one day, he’d be good enough for the assassination division too.
So I can show Ren.
He wanted to boast to his one and only friend.
He wanted to say he trained hard, became strong, and could protect someone precious.
Thinking of Ren made him miss Ren.
What was Ren doing now?
He’d come too far to exchange letters or meet anymore.
Ron gently touched the necklace hidden under his clothes.
When he did, it felt like he could feel Ren’s heart.
“You brat! What are you doing? Get over here!”
“Yes, Master. Coming.”
Setting aside his thoughts, Ron chased after the much larger Gurter.
By the time they reached the lodge, darkness had fallen.
As the assassins scattered, Gurter discreetly signaled Ron so others wouldn’t notice. Ron nodded in understanding.
He set down the items and slipped into the darkness alone.
A small figure darted through the forest, sword in hand, his red eyes glaring fiercely as he searched for prey.
Ron relished this hour Master allowed him.
He cut down everything that moved in the darkness. If he didn’t release the killing intent overflowing inside him, it would consume him painfully.
Gurter gave him freedom through these nightly monster hunts.
Wherever Ron passed, monster corpses fell in one clean strike. His hunt lasted until dawn drove the darkness away.
Night’s thick essence seeped through the window.
I had slept enough, and my mana had recovered enough for teleportation.
But mentally, I felt worse than before I fell asleep.
The duke and Kauts both looked deeply troubled after hearing my concerns.
But no matter how much we twisted our heads around, it wasn’t something we could solve by overthinking.
“He won’t be able to handle everything at once.”
The duke nodded in agreement.
“Right. First, we should tell him he is of the Kereis bloodline. After that, we’ll reveal you are Maryanne Delve.”
“Yes. Thinking of how shocked he’ll be… we have to unravel things slowly.”
“My lady, here.”
Kauts handed me a robe, and I pulled it on carefully over my head.
For now, I should approach Ron as Maryanne Delve—Shevert’s fiancée.
Ren’s identity would have to wait.
“Please gather close to me.”
The duke and Kauts drew near. I marked the coordinates and channeled mana into the teleport.
A white flash burst forth.
We arrived precisely in front of the Devil organization’s lodge.
The guards, startled by the sudden appearance of strangers, drew their blades.
But only for a moment.
“Urk!”
“Khk!”
With only short cries, the guards collapsed unconscious.
The one who subdued them in an instant was Gurter.
He bowed upon recognizing the duke in the dim light.
A man of the Kereis bloodline whom he once served, the one who had survived the fratricidal war and become the family head—Getre.
He was also the one who saved Gurter from death and smuggled him away.
“Your Excellency.”
Getre walked toward the bowing Gurter.
“It’s been a while, yet still I only see the top of your head.”
At the duke’s words, Gurter straightened. How long had it been since they last met?
Until now, they had only confirmed each other’s well-being through secret letters.
Even after Ron appeared, they never met in person, fearing enemies might catch on.
“You look like you’ve grown bulkier since last I saw you.”
“And Your Excellency’s aura seems even stronger than before.”
A greeting shared only among the empire’s notable swordmasters.
“Is it time for you to show yourself to the world again?”
“Yes.”
A breath of relief escaped Gurter.
The boy he had pitied for so long would finally return to his family.
Suppressing an overwhelming rush of emotion, Gurter purposely said something opposite.
“A shame. If I could teach him a bit more, that brat could reach a level of swordmaster that surpasses even me.”
“Well, from what I know, Ron has already surpassed you.”
“……!”
“I jest.”
But Gurter’s expression froze for a moment.
Because in truth, Ron was becoming strong enough to make even his own master seem insignificant.
Gurter had continued teaching him only because Ron was still a child.
The duke’s joking words struck a little too close to reality.
“Ron went into the forest. To train for a bit.”
“At this hour?”
Gurter turned toward the girl’s voice behind him—but her face was completely hidden by her robe.
If the duke hadn’t introduced her earlier, he would not have known who she was.
“My daughter-in-law.”
“A-ah… greetings.”
Gurter bowed hastily, and the robed girl returned the greeting.
“I’m Maryanne Delve. Does Ron often go out alone to train at dawn?”
A subtle tension welled up in Gurter’s face.
The Delve young lady still hiding her face…
Gurter wondered why she would come here with the duke at this hour, then realized:
There had been a recent uproar.
The rumor that the Kereis family’s new daughter-in-law was from a mage family.
Since Gurter always kept close watch on anything related to the Kereis house, he learned of the rumor immediately.
So that’s why she used teleportation.
So the rumor about her having no magic ability was wrong.
“It’s not common. Only occasionally.”
He didn’t reveal the real reason. He planned to explain Ron’s immense power privately to the duke later.
No matter how she was the duke’s daughter-in-law, he couldn’t reveal everything.
“Please, come inside.”
Just as Gurter turned to lead them,
Her voice stopped him.
“I’ll take a short walk first.”
