I now realize I've never heard Asella call my name before.
In the future, I thought it was out of contempt, and now I assumed it was about maintaining proper etiquette, but she simply didn't know it.
"I'm Lars. Lars Gotberg."
"Lars."
Asella repeated my name once, then moved past me.
Her long hair brushed lightly against my face.
...What a peculiar fragrance.
"Young Lord, tell me what you want."
"So suddenly?"
She's still not using my name. Well, it would be strange to suddenly drop formalities.
"It's fair payment for the rose. Since Her Majesty accepted it, the flower now has value."
So she wasn't planning to just take it without compensation?
I'm truly touched by that sentiment alone.
"It's fine. Please accept it as a gesture of goodwill."
"No."
Asella turned sharply toward me and emphasized her point.
"I told you, it's payment. When you receive something, you give something in return. It's the most important rule in the world."
She raised her finger and drew a simple magic circle. Like striking a match, a small flame appeared and vanished into the air.
"You can't activate powerful magic with a small amount of mana."
She's being stubborn about such a trivial matter.
I was too lazy to argue, so I gave a noncommittal answer.
"Very well. I'll think about it carefully."
"I'll be waiting."
Asella walked away from me with doll-like, graceful steps.
***
In the afternoon, I toured the estate grounds with Sivers as my guide.
The mansion grounds alone were quite extensive, but beyond the walls guarded by knights, the domain was even more impressive.
To the south lies a small town where the domain's residents live.
In the west, a large river flows, making the land good for cultivation despite being somewhat cold.
To the east, the Healer Training Center is a small academy with dormitory facilities that also serves as a church, though it's not heavily religious in nature.
I'm not supposed to live in the dormitory, but apparently I should be attending classes there. I barely remember ever attending properly.
"Ho ho, when I heard about the young master's achievements, I was truly amazed! The news has spread throughout the mansion, and there's no end to the voices singing your praises!"
Sivers was being excessively enthusiastic, so I waved my hand to change the mood.
"Who would believe such rumors? They're probably talking behind my back."
"Oh no, not at all. I know better than anyone how much you've changed, young master. Now, over here..."
While following Sivers' guidance, I checked my status window.
"Stats."
―――――――――――
Strength: 6
Vitality: 6
Magic Power: 1
Mana: 12
Divine Power: 22
Faith: 100
―――――――――――
Wow, this is garbage.
Is this a person or a paper doll?
'With stats like these, the physician exam is going to be tough.'
Looking toward the forest in the north, I asked Sivers:
"Is that area unexplored?"
"Yes, it is. It's also the northwestern boundary of the Empire. Beyond the marshes lies unknown territory, so you must be careful. It's crawling with powerful magical beasts."
"So the practical exam will take place in this forest."
"As expected of your insight, young master. You'll be tested on your healing abilities while accompanying knights to subjugate magical beasts."
Magical beast subjugation.
Something I did to the point of exhaustion in the Hero's Party.
The problem is my stats.
At least my mana and divine power are somewhat innately high due to my bloodline.
But my magic power is 1. I have absolutely no talent for magic.
I should have at least trained my body, but this rascal spent his formative years just drinking and fooling around.
My stamina is barely enough to run around in the field.
My strength is nothing special either.
'It's still funny that only my faith is 100.'
Just as sword training increases strength, healing spell practice increases divine power.
Studying theology or praying to strengthen one's faith also raises it.
I'm a case of excessively strong faith.
Being a transmigrator, I know better than anyone that there are no gods in this world.
Paradoxically, my values regarding deities are unshakable.
Even ten years later, my faith was always 100.
The problem was that my untrained divine power held me back, preventing me from casting the strongest healing spells.
'That guy Gis probably has divine power around 25.'
He must have that much, being the ace of the training center.
'I'll have to take the exam using medical knowledge.'
Though I'm just a quack doctor without a license who's only done a few practical sessions.
'But no matter how much knowledge I have, in this world, I ultimately need skills.'
There's one thing that catches my eye.
A part of my status window that's always been hidden.
―――――――――――
Talents: ■■■ (S)
■■ (S)
―――――――――――
I can't tell what they are.
Could be for magic, could be for swordsmanship.
Having a talent allows you to open a skill tree.
What's certain is that my talents would be amazing if unlocked.
I have two S-rank talents, which is extraordinary.
'Usually, a person has only one talent. I've always found it strange that I have two.'
I don't know why, but they're useless if not unlocked.
"Should I open them?"
Life's too short to be ordinary when I could be exceptional.
And there happens to be a good opportunity.
***
Evening banquet time arrived.
This is the formal occasion to discuss the cooperation between the Third Empress and House Gotberg.
For nobles, etiquette and procedure are paramount. They live such rigid lives.
My engagement to Asella is one of the agenda items.
"You look splendid! If this were a ball, young ladies from all families would be requesting dances! Ho ho ho."
As I finished preparing for the central hall, Sivers adjusted my collar while laughing heartily.
As I was about to leave the annex, I noticed a basket of candy on the table.
"Ah, those were meant for the Princess, but she declined them."
"I like candy. Wonder why she refused."
Thinking I might eat them later if things got boring, I grabbed a handful and put them in my pocket.
I made my way to the appointed place.
"Father, I've arrived."
"Lars, you're early."
When I reached the central hall, Father looked at me with satisfaction.
"I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you showing such a diligent attitude, unlike before."
"It's only natural as the eldest son of the family."
"Don't worry about the family. As long as you prepare yourself as you are now, I'll support you in pursuing your ambitions."
"I'm deeply honored."
Father is such a good person that it's almost a flaw.
He'd probably stamp approval seals on anything after gaining just a little trust.
No wonder he fell completely for the Empress who's only full of exploitative intentions.
"Lars, I forgot the promise I made to your mother to do my best for you. Looking back, I think my attitude of prioritizing work over you was the greater mistake. Yet you matured before I did, and I'm grateful. You truly are my son."
"Haha, there's no need to doubt that."
"I'm reassured. From now on, I plan to reduce my workload and pay more attention to all of you."
The expression "all of you" came up.
There's one more young lady in the Gotberg family besides me.
"But will you be alright with the Princess's physician exam? It was decided rather suddenly."
"To be honest, I'm a bit worried. Entering the imperial palace would certainly be an honor, and it would look good as her fiancé."
"Well, I have no doubt that my son will do well. I support you."
Looking at Father's innocent eyes, I had the intuition that it would be difficult to use underhanded methods with him.
It was natural that he was clueless about political machinations, and he seemed like the type who had never accepted a bribe in his life.
'No matter how I look at it, the Third Empress's faction seems like a rotten rope.'
That's why when that incident happened, the family was accused of plotting treason and was exterminated without being able to say a word.
If you're going to ride something, Father, it should be Asella, not the Empress.
That would be a much smoother ride.
As we were talking, someone entered the reception room with a maid.
"Father, I've come to pay my evening respects."
"Ah, welcome, Neria."
A small girl who politely greeted Father.
'Neria Gotberg.'
My half-sister.
Anyone could tell at a glance that we were family, as all three of us had white-toned hair.
It's a characteristic of those born with strong divine power.
Father's was ashen, Neria's was gray, and mine was almost pure white.
Neria was just over ten years old but had a remarkably composed demeanor.
"Hello, Neria."
I smiled naturally and greeted my sister warmly.
But Neria seemed somewhat afraid of me.
"Ah, Brother... hello."
Neria avoided my gaze.
This attitude was familiar from ten years in the future.
'Neria is the Saintess of the Hero's Party.'
Right now, she's still an ordinary girl. She'll be chosen as the Saintess after the hero appears, which is after our family's extermination.
I was probably selected as the healer for the Hero's Party partly because I was Neria's brother.
I don't have particularly negative feelings toward Neria.
Perhaps because she's the Saintess, she was one of the few people who treated me kindly.
Though she always had a fearful attitude due to past grudges.
Since we'll be seeing each other often from now on, it would be better to get along well.
"That dress suits you well. It makes you look taller."
"Oh, really...?"
Neria glanced down at her skirt and raised the corners of her mouth.
She's always been self-conscious about her short height, so she likes being told she looks taller.
"Now that everyone's here, let's go to the banquet hall."
We followed Father.
Walking down the spacious corridor.
Neria, walking beside me, had her shoulders slightly hunched.
'She must be nervous because the imperial family is here.'
I tapped Neria's shoulder lightly.
"Wah, yes?"
I took out a candy I had put in my pocket earlier and placed it in Neria's hand.
"Don't be nervous. I met the Empress and Princess earlier, and they seemed quite ordinary."
"R-really...?"
"You haven't eaten anything since it's mealtime, right? Have this. Sweet things quickly improve your mood."
"Ah, thank you..."
Neria popped the small candy into her mouth.
A bright smile immediately spread across her face.
"It's sweet!"
Sugar quickly converts to energy, so it naturally improves mood quickly.
And during growth periods, it's good to eat plenty of anything.
"I really do feel less nervous now. Brother, you're so knowledgeable."
You're the knowledgeable one, using such difficult words for a ten-year-old.
"If you want more, just ask anytime."
I lightly patted the top of Neria's head, and her shoulders hunched like a small animal before quickly relaxing.
I entered the banquet hall, feeling Neria's gaze on me the entire time.
The evening banquet was filled with luxurious food.
Though the dinner was only for five people—Father, myself, Neria, the Empress, and Asella—servants brought food and wine in abundance.
Asella and I exchanged brief formal greetings.
Afterward, Father and the Empress engaged in stiff conversation.
It's making me yawn. My jaw is going to fall off.
Most of it is political talk that will soon become useless anyway.
The Empress seems eager to draw Father into the power struggles of the imperial court.
Father is clearly weighing the pros and cons, so the conversation is subtly going nowhere.
Father has the initiative, but since the other party is higher in rank, he must maintain courtesy.
Ugh, how long do I have to listen to this?
The Empress chattered endlessly to Father.
I'd believe she was a jester rather than a mage.
"In the imperial court, building factions is of utmost importance. For instance, suppose a prophecy foretells the Demon King's invasion in ten years. What weapon would every faction desire?"
"The Hero, I suppose. The faction with the Hero would gain strong influence in the imperial court."
"The best choice is certainly the Hero. However, doesn't House Gotberg have access to an equally valuable alternative?"
"You mean the Saintess. Indeed, there was a Saintess in House Gotberg's previous generation."
Father affirmed to the Empress.
"Without a Saintess, even the Hero cannot defeat the Demon King. What do you think? Are there any candidates for Saintess in the Gotberg training center?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"If there aren't any, we must create one. There's a reason the term 'Saintess candidate' exists, isn't there? Our houses are now in the same boat. Our children are promised to each other in marriage."
"You're right."
The Empress was desperately trying to draw out a useful card from our family.
She is, without a doubt, a rotten rope.
How desperate must she be to be in such a hurry?
Father's greatest mistake in life was engaging Asella to me.
"You mentioned there was a Saintess in your previous generation. What about this? A child who inherited that blood."
The Empress glanced at Neria.
Neria flinched.
Father also seemed uncomfortable by this point.
But the Empress, true to being Asella's mother, was stubborn.
She signaled to a waiting servant, who brought something out.
'Here it comes.'
An object was placed on the table.
It was a bronze goblet, but it had an imposing presence.
"This is an artifact that awakens the user's hidden talents. It's a very rare item."
'Rare indeed. It's something that appears only once a year in the world.'
I knew she had it.
I had heard about it from Neria. She said her talents were awakened by the chalice the Empress brought.
And if I use it.
'I could awaken two talents.'
The woman was indeed an Empress.
But to suddenly place it on the dining table like this...
"Lady Neria, what do you think?"
"Yes?"
Neria jumped in surprise, her shoulders hunching.
"Have you ever thought about the possibility of becoming a Saintess?"
"T-that..."
Neria lowered her gaze.
Her trembling lips slowly formed a sentence.
"Doesn't a Saintess have to fight the Demon King...? There are many demons and magical beasts..."
"It's an honorable duty for the continent."
At the Empress's firm words, Neria became frightened and hiccupped.
Neria looked up at Father as if seeking help.
But Father waited for her answer, respecting her will.
Neria seemed to misinterpret that wait as pressure, and barely answered in a shrinking voice.
"...I-if it's for the family."
"Wait just a moment."
I interrupted before Neria could finish her answer.
The Empress glared at me, wondering what I would say to interfere again.
Even Asella, who had been bored until now, looked at me with interest.
"Couldn't a Saint be born instead of a Saintess?"
If that artifact is so precious, let me have a taste. No, give it all to me.
"This could be interesting."
Asella gave a thin smile.