Chapter 303

After that, I was swamped with no time to breathe.

I had to explain to Milia, who had just woken up, why I almost killed Damien, and I also had to get permission to hang someone at the city gates after finding Freide.

I didn’t mind them whispering among themselves, but if they were loud enough for me to hear, that was a different story.

So, the young predator finally drove the pretty boy to death by overexertion? Interesting idea. Let’s see if you can still say that after hanging at the city gates for two days.

“Please spare me, Beastman Predator!! I’ll never speak out of turn again!!”

“Who said anything about killing? I’m just hanging you up for a bit.”

I wrapped the trembling soldier in chains and hung him at the edge of the city gates. Everyone in Faelun Castle would see what happens when you cross the line with your jokes.

“Please, have mercy…! I don’t want to freeze to death like this!”

His body swayed like a pendulum in the wind. The tightly bound soldier desperately cried out as he stared into the void.

Drama queen. It’s not like I stripped him naked. He’s not going to freeze to death.

—

After setting an example and calming down the rumors, I headed to the infirmary where Damien was resting.

I owed the boy who had crossed the River Styx and come back an apology.

…Honestly, it’s Damien’s fault for being so weak that his heart stopped over something so trivial, but I still needed to apologize.

Maybe I could also argue that I failed to control my strength? I’m not entirely sure, but I guess I feel a little something.

[ …You’re slower than a snail. If you hate apologizing so much, why not just give up? ]

Hersela sighed in exasperation and scolded me.

…Easy for her to say. She’s probably never apologized in her entire life.

‘Do you even know what an apology is?’

[ It’s a virtue you lack. ]

As I walked down the hallway, I grumbled back and forth with Hersela for a while.

A silent uproar, you could say. No matter how loudly I shouted in my head, neither my voice nor Hersela’s would reach anyone else.

—

Finally, I arrived at the infirmary.

Damien, sitting on the bed, looked like half his soul had left his body.

Not only had he suffered a heart attack, but his previous injuries were still lingering, so he was wrapped in bandages all over.

Beside him sat Milia, who had come to nurse him, unable to hide her concern.

…Such devotion. Too bad it’s unlikely to be reciprocated.

What am I supposed to do with these two…?

I sighed and stepped into the room.

“Ah, welcome, Ha-shal-leur. Here to see Damien?”

“Ha, Ha-shal-leur…!?”

Unlike Milia, who greeted me warmly, Damien’s expression stiffened when our eyes met.

His eyes darted around, unsure, and cold sweat dripped down his bandaged forehead. His fear was unmistakable.

At least I’ve successfully instilled some fear in him.

I’m not sure if this counts as positive progress, but having some emotion is better than none at all.

“Why are you here…? Don’t tell me, another spar…!?”

…Relax, that’s not it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.

Freide and Florence made it very clear. They told me not to mess with him.

“That’s not why I’m here. I came because I have something to say to you.”

To be precise, I came to apologize.

I didn’t expect your mental strength to be that weak.

“Something to say…?”

“Yeah. First of all, I’m… I’m….”

I’m sorry, I wanted to apologize—

……

…Do I really have to?

“I’m…?”

“You idiot, what if your heart had stopped for good? I thought my liver was going to drop.”

Now that I think about it, I’m pissed. He should be the one apologizing.

Sorry for causing a scene, sorry for being so weak, stuff like that.

“…….”

Damien and Milia looked at me with awkward expressions.

[ I knew this would happen. ]

The voice in my head mocked me with a laugh.

‘No, think about it. Isn’t the intention more important than the words? I had the intention to apologize, so I’m way better than Damien, who only apologizes with words.’

So let’s call it even.

I didn’t get a sincere apology either.

[ You’re quite the smooth talker. If only your intelligence matched half your eloquence…. ]

This woman has always seemed dissatisfied with my intelligence… But isn’t our intelligence the same?

After all, it’s your brain that’s now mine.

—

“So, has anything changed?”

I sat by the bed, picking up a piece of fruit Milia had peeled, and asked.

“Changed? You mean the fact that you can kill someone just by glaring at them?”

“…No, not that. Like, do you feel a mysterious vitality every time you breathe, or like you’ve grown an extra finger joint, or like you can feel the flow of blood in your veins… stuff like that.”

The sensation of sensing and utilizing the flow of energy usually felt like that. Life Force was a bit different, though.

Since it’s a slightly different kind of power, Life Force felt more like pouring strong liquor into your muscles and veins.

“Well…? I’m not sure. I’m just out of breath and my head feels dizzy. My body feels a bit itchy, but not to the extent you mentioned, Ha-shal-leur.”

Damien shook his head.

“Itching, huh… That’s a bit vague.”

From the moment he collapsed from cardiac arrest in just two seconds, I had a rough idea, but it seemed the first attempt ended in failure. Still, feeling a bit of itchiness meant it wasn’t entirely pointless.

I’ll have to try again later, maybe tone down the intensity.

“Nothing ever comes easy. Even after putting in so much effort, the results are just… meh.”

I sighed, placing my hand on the back of my neck and tilting my head toward Damien.

“Uh… Should I apologize?”

Whether I do or not, it’s not like I mean it anyway.

This guy, how did he level up in the original story? There was definitely a way to get stronger quickly…

I tapped my temple, trying to dig up the fading memory. Maybe because I’ve been through so much, even memories from just half a year ago were already blurry.

So, that method was definitely…

Ah, never mind.

It came to mind, but it’s not something I can use. The fastest way to make Damien grow rapidly was to sacrifice Milia for a growth bonus. But now, that’s both realistically and morally impossible.

So, I’ll have to give up on that method… Then…

My thoughts stopped when someone poked my shoulder.

“Hey… Ha-shal-leur?”

A voice filled with confusion and curiosity, calling me cautiously. It was Milia, who had been quietly listening.

“Why’d you call me, Milia? Is there something you’re curious about?”

I turned my gaze toward her. Milia was staring blankly at her left hand, her eyes wide open.

“Is this what you were talking about…?”

Her left hand, which had folded a metal knife in half.

“Huh? You, did you just…?”

Wait, what’s going on?

How did you even do that…?

Everyone was speechless, just staring at Milia’s left hand.

Milia had gotten stronger over time, but folding thick metal like paper? That wasn’t something she could do. Unless…

“A master…? Milia?”

Damien muttered, clearly not expecting this. Yeah. Strength like that was impossible without some kind of divine intervention. There was only one answer.

A master.

Wow. How did this happen? Damien, who was trying to become a master, only felt the signs, but Milia ended up becoming one instead?

Does that even make sense?

Of course, the accumulated energy was still a bit weak for a master. It was weaker than Nigel when we first met or Leonor, who had just become a master.

Normally, reaching master level with that little energy would be almost impossible… but it seems the emotional trigger was just that intense.

The only thing that could’ve pushed her to master level was that one moment. When she was half-crazed with jealousy, the energy she emitted was unusual. She must’ve already reached master level then.

…What an absurd outcome. But absurd or not, it’s still worth celebrating.

Damien and I congratulated Milia, who still looked dazed, and pushed her to go brag to Freide.

A master-level archer would be a valuable asset. Freide would probably congratulate her too. Knowing Freide, she’d probably give Milia equipment worthy of a master to help defend the castle.

After Milia, looking awkward, left the room following our persuasion, I glanced at Damien and smirked, shrugging my shoulders.

“Now that you’ve become the weakest, Damien, don’t you feel something?”

“Uh… I guess I need to work harder?”

Good. As long as you get it.

There’s a limit to being a late bloomer, but becoming the weakest? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?

—

After telling Damien to rest well for the next training session, I left the infirmary and headed to the bathhouse.

It was the perfect time—most people would’ve finished using the baths by now. The maids and servants would be busy preparing dinner, and the knights would be on patrol or training. Just the right timing.

As expected, the bathhouse was empty.

I poured hot spring water over my body, which I had only roughly wiped down earlier, and washed myself clean.

Beyond the wall, the sun was setting below the horizon, painting the sky red as it ended its daily journey.

—

That was the last moment of peace I could enjoy.

What awaited me after the bath wasn’t a mouth-watering dinner but some serious news that made me swallow dryly.

Beastmen were marching toward us from beyond the ruins of the northern wall.

At a speed almost like galloping horses.