The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: A Conversation

I ended up being dragged to Ainel's office.

Though I gave Sione such a pitiful look asking for help, she couldn't say anything to Ainel and just let me go.

Given Ainel's unsettling demeanor and how cowed Sione looked before her.

It couldn't be helped.

Creak. Click.

Entering the office, Ainel closed the door.

"Well, let's skip the pleasantries and get to the point."

She spoke after crossing her legs in the leather chair behind her desk.

"Attendant Ray. Just what trick did you use to bring down that arachne?"

"...It was exactly as you know. I offered my left arm to the arachne, and when it was biting my arm, I drove my sword into its head to kill it."

Swish swish.

Ainel's hair swayed as she shook her head.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, then slowly opened them again.

Her eyes held negative emotions bundled with annoyance and troublesomeness.

"That's not the answer I wanted. I clearly told you. I personally cut open where you stabbed your sword and examined the arachne's head, finding burns and melted tissue."

"...Surely not. Are you suggesting I used magic?"

Since Ainel was practically at Sword Master level.

Though she could probably detect lies by listening to even heartbeats if she wanted.

I denied her words, thinking she might let it go if I tried to bluff at least once.

Indeed, Ainel silently listened to my words.

"Moreover, you personally cut open the arachne's head to examine the wound I made? I, a lowly servant, cannot understand your intentions."

I expressed my feelings.

To be honest.

I really couldn't understand why Ainel had gone so far as to dig into the dead arachne's head.

Just to examine the wound I'd made on that spider.

Even if she was investigating demonic energy.

It seemed a bit much to specifically examine the wound I'd made on that spider in such detail.

"Your swordsmanship when I saw you before buying you from the merchant was cleaner and more refined than other slaves, but that was only compared to other slaves. Your skill then was only good enough for street thugs and goblins."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ainel began habitually tapping her desk with her index finger.

"Yet on the way to the Marquisate, I heard you killed cultist pawns while protecting Sione alone. They say there was even one at Sword User level."

"...I merely threw myself into protecting Lady Sione and the gods favored me."

"Keep the nonsense to a minimum. Killing a Sword User just because of divine luck? I'm speechless at how absurd that is."

Ainel snorted at me.

Her tapping index finger suddenly stopped.

"Just how could a man with such meager sword skills kill women who had reached Sword User level? As I was wondering about this, now I hear you've caught an arachne too."

"That is..."

"Yes, I could overlook the archery somehow. I'd even heard from the merchant before buying you that your archery was certainly excellent."

Ainel propped her chin.

The cold pressure of a knight at the boundary between Expert and Master began weighing on my shoulders.

"But now that the arachne story has come up, how could I not verify it personally?"

Ainel's sharp words pierced my ears.

"Even male mercenaries who've spent their whole lives fighting - eight out of ten die facing an arachne alone. Because they cannot hold mana."

"Yet you, who was never on a battlefield and born to a lowly status with nothing but passable sword training. Still you caught an arachne while protecting Sione alone."

"If you weren't hiding anything from me, how could you achieve such an astounding result?"

Ainel uncrossed her legs and stood up.

"Ray, seventh slave of the iron cage. Speak the truth."

She slowly walked to the side of the office and took down a sword hanging on the wall.

"No matter how unsatisfactory a daughter Sione may be, I cannot let someone hiding so much remain by her side."

A cold sensation crept around my neck.

My body warned me I was in extreme danger from Siabel's pressure.

This was unfair.

It was frustrating that a swordsman who hadn't even fully reached Sword Master level but merely had a foot in the door could toy with my life, and I could only watch.

I really didn't understand why the Sianella people were all so fussy and desperate to get involved with me.

Since it seemed I'd only see that sword being drawn from its scabbard if I kept hiding the magic.

I finally began telling the truth.

"...If I tell you everything without hiding anything, could you lower your sword?"

"That depends entirely on you, doesn't it?"

I took a breath and began answering calmly.

"I can use magic. I simply borrowed magic's power to protect Lady Sione."

As expected.

Ainel must have already roughly guessed I could use magic.

She just nodded slightly at my words without showing much other reaction.

"Since when could you use magic?"

Ainel tilted her head and met my eyes.

"Don't think about lying. I see through everything."

I nodded.

For a knight of Ainel's level, if I tried to make up lies.

She could obviously detect falsehoods by noticing my smallest reactions, even listening to my heartbeat.

Though I'd tried denying it a few times earlier, since she clearly had no intention of letting it go after seeing my reactions.

Being honest was the right choice now.

"I couldn't use it when I was behind iron bars, but the more time I spent with Lady Sione, the more mana and magic I could handle."

This answer was unexpected, as Ainel's eyes widened slightly.

"That means."

"Exactly as I said. I've only been able to use magic since coming to this Count's house."

"Hmm."

Ainel stroked her chin, lost in thought.

After quietly watching her for a while.

Before long, I could see her attention shift from her private thoughts back to me.

"Show me the magic."

"Very well."

I manipulated magic just as I had shown Siabel before.

Since we were in her office. Small in scale, but clearly demonstrating I could use magic.

Though fire formed a curtain riding the wind, spirit flames only burned what I willed.

So there was no need to worry about fire spreading.

When the brief magic display ended, disbelief clouded Ainel's face.

Wait, she hadn't reacted at all when I said I could use magic.

Why was she like this now?

"A human man using fairy and elf magic."

"...You know about this magic?"

"House Sianella has deep ties with the forest keepers. Your magic... is the same power used by children of the great forest."

Silence fell with her words.

Ainel seemed to recognize that my magic wasn't ordinary magic but spirit magic.

It seemed in this world only fairies and elves could use spirit magic.

She appeared to be even more shocked about my identity after stumbling upon this coincidence.

At this rate her private contemplation time would stretch endlessly.

Trying to get her attention, I said:

"I've revealed all my hidden abilities. What do you plan to do with me now?"

"Well."

Ainel, who had been just watching quietly, suddenly moved swiftly.

Shing!

The sharp blade drawn from its scabbard now pointed at my neck.

"What should I do?"

With the cold blade at my throat, Ainel approached me step by step.

"No collar, no restraints on wrists and ankles, not even binding magic."

"Perhaps I should kill you, using the excuse that you're too dangerous to keep around, being marked by exception after exception."

"Or should I let you continue guarding Sianella? I'm conflicted."

That's when it happened.

[Quest has been formed.]

「Prove Your Loyalty」

「Ainel Sianella wishes to confirm your loyalty in a somewhat extreme and unusual way. Prove your loyalty to Sianella with eloquent words and equally unusual methods to earn her acknowledgment.」

「Reward: Physical ability enhancement」

「Failure: None」

Though the sudden sword was startling.

Seeing the quest made me realize there was no killing intent in her blade.

No penalty was specified for quest failure.

And the description of confirming loyalty through extreme and unusual means proved this.

In fact, Ainel probably already knew.

The extent of my loyalty in wrapping myself around Sione and sacrificing my arm despite being able to use magic.

She probably just wanted to hear and confirm it herself.

I just had to tell her what she wanted to hear.

In an equally unusual way.

"Let me ask you. Are you loyal to Sianella?"

"...That's half right and half wrong."

Ainel's eyebrow twitched.

"My loyalty is primarily to Lady Sione, with Sianella being only a secondary object of loyalty."

"Are you sure it's alright to say that before me?"

"Didn't you say you could detect all lies anyway?"

"Interesting."

Ainel laughed coldly.

"Then how will you prove this loyalty to Sione?"

"Isn't my loyalty shown in all my actions?"

I thought for a moment.

Even if it was for the quest.

How much trouble and effort I'd gone through for that Sione.

"When demon worshippers attacked Lady Sione, I fought until my mana was exhausted to protect her."

"In the Beltrin Mountains, I embraced her and rolled down the slope to protect her from a charging orc."

"I even offered my life fighting an arachne to protect Lady Sione."

Ainel's mouth slowly curved upward.

That look.

It was the same look Siabel had when she saw my magic.

"Moreover, most importantly."

I couldn't leave out this last part.

"If my loyalty to Lady Sione wasn't so great, I could have just worked as a servant."

"Instead, I personally raised Lady Sione up again and changed her from someone who had closed her heart due to others' comparisons and disparagement."

How much effort I'd put into turning Sione from just another person into a real person.

I take pride in this achievement that would have been impossible without extraordinary dedication.

That's how miserable Sione's situation was back then.

Though now she walks around looking at the world with bright eyes.

Back then Sione just lay in bed staring at the same ceiling every day.

Ainel must know well that I created a small miracle.

Thinking about Sione like this.

Though I'd complained about how difficult and troublesome it was, I realized we'd built up quite a bit of time together.

And.

Thinking about Sione made me want to point out one thing.

I looked straight at Ainel and said:

"So let me ask you."

"What is it?"

"Why didn't you even greet Lady Sione when she was right beside me?"

My words froze Ainel's somewhat amused expression.

"Are you trying to lecture me now?"

"No. Not a lecture. Earnest advice."

Even I was starting to think I shouldn't have said it.

Well, what's done is done.

Can't put spilled water back, so might as well finish speaking.

"Do you think it's right to ignore Sianella's young lady and only speak with a mere attendant like me?"

"..."

Though Sione was clearly beside me, Ainel had ignored her and focused only on me.

Even so, she was her daughter.

How could she not even acknowledge her and only speak to the attendant?

Sione had quite a bit of pride in House Sianella.

And her mother was the head of that house.

Even with their twisted relationship and faded past affection, she must still respect her parent.

I can still clearly see her awkwardly watching just me and Ainel while being completely ignored without saying a word.

"If I may be so bold in this moment. I hope Lady Ainel will not turn away from or ignore Lady Sione. At least-"

Meeting her cold gaze, I said:

"Shouldn't family exchange greetings?"

When I finished speaking, Ainel stared blankly at me for a moment before letting out a deflating sound.

Following that, she smiled brightly, completely unlike her usual cold demeanor.

I waited until her sudden inexplicable laughter subsided.

"Sione has gained quite a loyal subordinate, so unlike her."

Ainel withdrew her sword and hung it back on the wall.

She returned to her chair and crossed her legs.

"You asked me to fully see how Sione has changed."

Ainel showed me an elegant letter on her desk and said:

"Don't worry about that."

"...Pardon?"

"As you said, I've arranged something for the changed Sione."

Just what arrangement was she talking about?

"This autumn, I plan to take Sione to the First Princess's coming of age ceremony."

Propping her chin, Ainel smiled slightly and said:

"After years of not showing her face at social gatherings, leaving only abundant rumors. Isn't it time to clear away those rumors?"

"Ah..."

How long had it been since she started hunting monsters in the mountains?

At Ainel's words, my head spun thinking about the upcoming carriage journey to the capital and all the preparations we'd have to handle.

TL Note:

During Ray’s conversation with Ainel, a random Siabel puts pressure on Ray, even though she shouldn’t be in the room. I want to clarify that that is exactly how it is in the raws. I have rechecked multiple times.

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