Searching in the Dark (6)

[Scenario weight 8.00%]

"Hmm?"

Had Santa come last night?

Judging by the position of the sun, it was nearly noon. As soon as I woke up, I instinctively opened the information window, rubbing my eyes as I stared at the letters suspended in mid-air. I double-checked, unable to believe what I was seeing.

Something was off. The last time I checked, the number was clearly 7. It was definitely 7.18%, I remembered.

What had happened in the meantime?

But even when I accessed the archive and called up the scenario notes, there was nothing unusual. Since '#006,' things had been quiet, and there had been no significant changes.

What's going on?

I brushed my messy hair out of the way and got up. Looking around, I noticed my clothes were off. My cape, gloves, and mask were neatly laid out on one side of the table.

Come to think of it, I clearly remembered leaving the baron's mansion, but I had no idea when I had ended up in bed. I think I must have fallen asleep while talking to Leonardo, probably during some trivial conversation.

I shoved my feet into my shoes carelessly and stepped out of the bedroom. As expected, I saw Leonardo, drenched in sweat from his usual morning workout, and Vittorio, sitting at the counter, diligently studying numbers.

"Good morning. I'm last again today, huh?"

Leonardo, doing push-ups with just one hand—no, three fingers—pressed against the floor, exhaled heavily. I guess he was worried about getting his clothes sweaty, as his shirt was once again left off.

As his back muscles rippled and his firm arms pushed his body up, Leonardo glanced over at me, his eyes lazily drifting in my direction, and gave me a slight squint. Seeing that mischievous grin paired with those innocent-looking eyes, I couldn't help but feel a bit disoriented.

I waved a small greeting to Vittorio, who was giving me a tiny wave in return, and crouched down in front of Leonardo, still mid-push-up.

He was drenched in sweat, having clearly been at it for a while. He felt like a walking furnace. Even just getting close to him, I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Resting my chin on my hand, I asked Leonardo, "Did you carry me back yesterday? It must have been heavy."

"I didn't want to wake you up since you were sleeping so soundly."

"So, you carried me all the way back, all that distance?"

For a moment, I mentally calculated the distance from the Baron's mansion to the inn. If it were me, I would've just dropped him halfway and told him to figure it out on his own.

Is he seriously a servant or what? It's absurd, I can't even find the words. At the same time, I couldn't help but think:

He… really must be a bit simple-minded. He might be different from someone like Viscount Lopez.

Was he betrayed by Godric—or whatever his name is—because he was acting like such a fool, letting himself be taken advantage of? Having such an innocent guy as the protagonist definitely gives off that traditional "royal road" feeling. But being this naïve also feels like a problem.

Is he just good with his body and a complete airhead otherwise? A typical martial artist protagonist, maybe? Watching him with a troubled expression, Leonardo tilted his head slightly, as if to ask, "What's the problem?"

You. You're the problem.

I don't know if I'll be able to cling to this clueless guy and make it to the end safely.

But I couldn't voice my unease, and instead swallowed my sigh. Anyway, the mystery was solved. Now I understand why the scenario weight increased overnight.

Yeah, it's been a bit strange from the start.

I pulled my hand away from my chin and gently brushed aside Leonardo's slightly damp hair. He blinked, not moving, and without asking what I was doing, just stared at me quietly.

Is this enough?

After some thought, I decided to ask Leonardo directly.

"Can I climb on?"

Let me ride your back.

Leonardo seemed to think for a moment, then asked Vittorio for a towel. Watching closely, I saw him wipe his sweaty body with the towel and then lay back down on the floor.

"Do as you please."

"Thanks."

Without hesitation, I sat down, like I was sitting in a chair. It felt almost like an ancient punishment chair. Hmm, it's quiet. So, I decided to use Leonardo's back as my makeshift bed and lay down on it.

Leonardo, as usual, seemed fine with it and resumed doing push-ups in that position.

I could feel Vittorio staring at us, probably a bit bewildered. To him, it must look like two grown-ups are doing something ridiculous first thing in the morning.

The sensation dropped like a roller coaster, and then greeted Vittorio's polished desk.

It was quickly lifted again, and this time, it met Vittorio's forehead.

As I lay on Leonardo's back, feeling the up-and-down motion of gravity, I reached my conclusion.

[Scenario weight: 8.01%]

It seems like Leonardo is the scenario weight charger!

I had a feeling about this from the start. I was only observing, unsure if it was true. Like during the chicken raid or while searching for Roboy, for instance.

Every time I happened to be close to Leonardo, the weight seemed to increase little by little, and I couldn't ignore it.

I moved around on Leonardo's back, shifting my position from lying down to turning over. It was like flipping sausages on a grill—rolling this way, that way. Yet, Leonardo didn't say a word of complaint, accepting this ridiculous act.

"Isn't it heavy?"

"Not really."

Leonardo replied with a heavy breath and a rough voice, sounding lower than usual.

He really had the attitude of a servant. Or maybe, since I'm technically his employer, he's just tolerating it for that reason.

Anyway, after trying various experiments, it seems being stuck to him doesn't increase the scenario weight every second. It slowly rises like charging a battery, and then stays stagnant for a while.

[Scenario weight: 8.05%]

It's been about 10 minutes since the last change, but the numbers aren't rising anymore. Compared to what went up last night, this seems less. There doesn't seem to be a daily limit, but maybe there are other conditions.

I got off Leonardo's back and walked over to Vittorio. 

"Did you keep watch at the inn well yesterday?"

"Yeah…"

"Good job, you're such a good boy!"

I smiled brightly and opened my arms wide. Vittorio gave me a very awkward look, wondering why I was acting like this, but eventually, after about five seconds, he gave me a quick hug. Then, he hurriedly stepped back, and I could see his ears turning red for just that brief moment.

No change.

Interacting with the supporting character Vittorio didn't trigger any noticeable response. But being close to Leonardo, just being around him, caused the percentage to rise. Could it be because of the protagonist's aura? Maybe it's because Leonardo is a special and unique main character that somehow influences things.

"Mm."

I should definitely look into this someday.

It would probably look too suspicious, though. Should I give Leonardo a sleeping pill or something? No, that's too criminal. But if I get his permission, would it be okay? Somehow, I feel like Leonardo would easily agree.

A lot of thoughts tangled in my head, but at least it wasn't without results. It seems like something I'll need to do every day, like clockwork. I need to come up with a reason for this too. Hugging for morning exercise, maybe? That might sound a bit too weird. I can't really explain it as something like "hugging increases serotonin" to a medieval fantasy character. But I can't just give up on such a good method, can I?

Even though the increase is tiny, just being close for this short time has raised my scenario weight by several times compared to the initial amount. It's a small thing, but every bit counts. Step by step, I need to accumulate it to avoid any trouble later on.

Anyway, I'll figure out the excuse later. I smiled, satisfied with the new path that had opened up for me.

Then, in a gentle tone, I teased Leonardo.

"You exercised, so we should eat breakfast. Anything you want?"

He was just lying there with his eyes closed, but I couldn't help wondering—how much had my weight increased by now?

He did much better than expected last night, so I should reward him.

I entrusted the task of whisking the eggs to Vittorio, who strongly insisted that his leg was fully healed, and when the onions were turning a golden brown, I tossed in some bacon cut into bite-sized pieces. Spinach wilts quickly, so it should be added last.

As the heavy pan clattered, Leonardo approached and took the handle.

A tailor-made servant, how convenient.

Meanwhile, Vittorio announced that he had finished whisking the eggs. Seeing the proud little face of the boy, who had learned from watching me, proudly tell me that he had removed all the egg strings, I smiled and then handed him the task of pouring milk into the egg mixture. The marbling effect created by the white milk pouring into the bright yellow egg mixture was visually pleasing as well.

I seasoned the prepared egg mixture and poured it into the frying pan with the sautéed vegetables. As the egg mixture hit the still-hot pan, it began to sizzle and bubble. For texture, I added halved fresh tomatoes and grated salty cheese generously on top, then put the entire pan into the oven.

Not satisfied with just frittata, I also thickly sliced some bread for the young man and the boy, and sautéed the remaining onions in butter to make a generous onion soup.

When the frittata came out of the oven, golden brown and crispy, I took it out and sliced it. It resembled a cake, though more rustic than a traditional cake.

The fragrant smell of spinach, well-cooked bacon, butter, onions, and cheese wafted from the soft, cooked interior. I cut it into large pieces and served it on each plate, along with the warm soup and bread.

Taking a spoonful of the fluffy frittata and swallowing it, the savoury and slightly salty flavour spread in my mouth as it crumbled. It reminded me of steamed eggs. While this was baked in the oven and had a firmer exterior, it didn't really matter. The fact that it was enjoyable in my mouth was what mattered most.

Whether it was the dairy that suited them well, or the fact that it was a homemade dish, Vittorio, his cheeks slightly flushed, busily mumbled through his food.

Seeing Leonardo eating a big chunk of the frittata without cutting it into pieces, taking spoonfuls like a crescent-shaped lump, I smiled with satisfaction.

I'll have to count on you in the future, my survival backup battery.