Lugh's POV (HINATA)
"So, you decided to run away?" I asked, stepping closer to the girl crouched on the ground. She was trembling slightly, understandable, considering the four headless corpses lying around her, their blood soaking the dirt beneath.
"Y-Yes," she managed to say, voice barely above a whisper. "I thought it was the best choice. They… they weren't interested in me, and… I wanted to repay my parents for giving me this life."
I tilted my head slightly, amused. What a strange girl, grateful even to those who treated her like a tool.
"Well then, Clair," I said, lowering my tone. "What do you plan to do now that your possession is cured?"
Yes, Clair Kagenou, the eldest daughter of Baron Kagenou, and, interestingly enough, the canon Cid's older sister. Who would've thought the girl I rescued from a cursed possession would turn out to be her?
She glanced up at me, her dull blue eyes flickering with confusion. "I… I don't know," she murmured.
Her story was simple enough. A few weeks ago, she'd started noticing strange symptoms, whispers she couldn't silence, shadows that clung to her skin, and sudden bursts of magicules she couldn't control. She realized she was possessed, and in fear of becoming a burden to her family, she ran away from home, hoping to isolate herself until it passed.
But fate, as always, wasn't kind. The bandits found her before I did.
While she had some sword training, reality wasn't like sparring in a marble hall under her father's supervision. One real fight was enough to teach her the cruel difference between training and survival.
I killed the bandits before they could lay a hand on her. Though, to be fair, they probably wouldn't have harmed her immediately. If she had told them about her condition, they might have tried selling her to the Church instead or simply killed her out of fear.
When I approached her, trembling and blood-splattered, I used Appraisal and immediately noticed it, natural majinization. Her body was slowly being corroded by excess magicules. However, the transformation hadn't advanced far enough like Alpha; in her, it was just a two-centimeter mark. That caught my interest.
Curious, I decided to test something. Drawing the Demon Dweller Sword, I pressed its tip lightly against the writhing blob of corrupted flesh near her waist. The blade hummed faintly, its edge drinking the excess magicules like a starving beast.
The reaction was instant. The dark patch sizzled, then peeled away like molten wax, and within seconds, her body returned to normal.
Clair was back to her human form, yes, human, not Majin. It seems that before a person fully transforms, absorbing the excess magicules can halt the process entirely. A useful discovery.
"Well, Clair," I said, checking the corpse, "now that you're cured, it'd be best if you return home. Your parents might favor your brother, but living under that roof is still better than wandering the streets."
She lowered her gaze, clutching her knees. I could tell from her expression that she'd already expected this conversation. According to her, Cid was seen as the true prodigy of the family, her parents' shining hope for the future.
Despite her own talent, she was still a girl born in a world where strength defined worth, and gender bias lingered like a stubborn curse. Even in this so-called fantasy civilization full of magic and sword-wielding heroines, discrimination hadn't vanished, it just wore a polite smile.
Unless the talent gap between her and Cid was enormous, her parents would keep betting everything on their son, just like countless noble houses do.
It makes me curious. Is this Cid the one from canon? Perhaps not. Given his wish to live as a background character, he would likely avoid standing out this much. It's possible he is another reincarnator entirely, or maybe this Cid truly is a genius, one who reached greatness without relying on otherworldly memories.
"Can you teach me? How to protect myself?"
Her voice trembles, though she tries to hold my gaze. I look at her face, defiance flickering behind fear. She's doing her best to stay composed. Even in this Lugh form of mine, I appear younger than her. Yet to her, I must look like something far more dangerous. Watching me end another's life so easily must have shattered her sense of normalcy.
"I don't know how to teach someone to protect themselves," I reply evenly.
Her eyes dim slightly. She's seeking comfort, trying to form a connection, something emotional to cling to after nearly dying. Pathetic, but human.
Truthfully, I had already considered killing her. A witness is always a liability, and if she talks about what she saw, it could complicate my position. Yet she hasn't pried into how I saved her, nor asked questions she shouldn't. That alone shows she has some sense.
"…But I can teach you how to kill. If you eliminate every threat that stands before you, you won't need anyone watching your back."
I need more connections, people beyond my summons and the Shadow Garden. In the end, I'm placing a bet on her, just like I've bet on the loyalty of my summons and the future members of my organization. Yet caution demands redundancy. I'll form another group, one that exists in the shadows of the Shadow Garden itself.
They won't know about each other. Not yet. Maybe someday their paths will cross, but for now, secrecy is survival.
Clair could be the perfect start. Her noble lineage gives her access to information, resources, and networks that remain out of my reach. She's a risk, but also an opportunity.
It's a gamble, but a necessary one.
"Please teach me"
****
Hinata's POV
"If one night's stay costs two silver coins, and you have five hundred eighty-nine copper coins, how many silver or copper coins do you have left?"
Hearing the question, Ghislain frowned. She looked at her fingers, silently counting for a moment before turning to me.
"Three silver, eighty-nine copper coins," she said.
"Correct," I nodded. "You've improved."
At my praise, her tail gave a slight twitch, and her ears flicked before she replied with a quiet hum.
Teaching her mathematics was necessary. In her world, she couldn't even handle simple calculations, that's why people cheated her so easily and underpaid her. It was a good thing I had already taught them the basic terms and customs of this world before returning. At least they could hold a proper conversation, though they still needed more practice to become fluent.
"So, how's your adventure experience? Any problems so far?" I turned back to her. She had already begun taking quests on her own since I'd been tied up with other work. Besides, I trusted her strength; if trouble came her way, she could handle it. And honestly, they needed their own space. I couldn't be with them all the time.
"Nothing new. It's pretty much the same as before," Ghislain replied casually. "A few people asked me to join their party again, but I refused."
That sounded like her. They'd only slow her down anyway. Despite still adjusting to this world's magicules, Aura and its peculiarities, she hadn't lost the experience and instinct from her previous life. In truth, she was more capable than many adventurers with far greater energy reserves.
"Still, be cautious," I reminded her again. She nodded silently.
Although demi-humans weren't openly discriminated against in this kingdom, thanks to the history of the human hero Freya, who once fought alongside elves and beastmen, there were still some humans who liked to stir trouble. Old prejudices didn't die easily, and there were always those who looked down on other races.
Slave trading is quite a big market. Although it isn't legal in this kingdom, people with money and influence always find ways to twist the rules. That's why it's best to stay low-key and avoid unnecessary attention.
Still, one couldn't deny that being a noble came with many privileges. It made me wonder whether I should use my background card to create an identity tied to nobility. I didn't need to claim a grand title like a baron, just posing as a distant relative might be believable enough.
Or perhaps I could go even further, an illegitimate child of the king, maybe.
"Lady Hinata," I turned at Lilia's voice. "I've finished this book." She handed it to me. It was the one containing details of the various noble families in this kingdom, I got it from Clair. Although analyzing its contents would have been easy with Mathematician, I wanted Lilia to learn more about the noble families as well.
As I looked at her, my gaze lingered on her chest for a brief moment. She noticed but didn't show any reaction.
After that day when I tested how the skill LP worked, I hadn't touched her again. Even though she often reminded me that I could call her whenever I wished, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It felt like cheating, taking advantage of her devotion. She had chosen to serve me, and would probably obey any command I gave, but that didn't make it right. Not in the long term.
I wasn't against a casual, mutual relationship, but this wasn't one. This was something one-sided, and I didn't like that.
Logic told me there was nothing wrong with it, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that she deserved more than being treated as a tool for lust.
Should I try to pursue her seriously? It didn't sound like a bad idea. After all, at some point, I have to start building the imaginary harem I keep dreaming about.
I shook my head, pulling my gaze away. No, this needs proper consideration. Besides, I'm not completely out of options. Training with Clair often leads to some… intimate moments as part of testing the skill's effects.
Speaking of her, since my schedule's been so packed lately, I can only see her once every three days or so. And today happens to be one of those days.
I sighed at the thought. I'd have to sneak back into the baron's estate again. Still, it wasn't too troublesome. The man held little real power, his guards were inattentive, and neither he nor his wife possessed much strength to begin with.
This wasn't particularly strange. After all, truly talented individuals were rare. In most human kingdoms, power came from numbers rather than individual strength, which explained the obsession with summoning otherworlders.
Forming private armies, however, was considered a serious crime in the kingdom. Aside from a few approved exceptions, it was illegal for anyone to keep combatants under their command. Still, nobles had plenty of ways to get around that rule, hiring warriors as butlers, cooks, or maids, for example. Everyone knew about it, and everyone did it.
All of this only made the idea of becoming a noble even more tempting.
Forget it. I should just check how Clair is doing.
DING
[Dimensional chat group has sent invitation]
[Accept/Decline]
"...."
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Some non human subordinates suggestion