Turning Point (2)

"Both of you, come in."

The Count ordered as he opened the office door. I leisurely glanced around, trying to appear at ease. The conditions here were certainly much better than in the old fortress. A somewhat gloomy voice from Leonardo reached my ears.

「It reminds me of when we were recruits.」

'It's not like we did anything wrong. Where's the boldness you had when facing the monster?'

「Hmm.」

'Straighten up, Commander.'

"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Sit down."

Leonardo, who had instinctively stood with his hands behind his back and stiff posture, finally relaxed and sat down in a chair.

Count Ertinez watched Leonardo closely before speaking heavily.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Stop trying to make excuses. Ever since training was mentioned, you've always run away, but suddenly, you started wielding your sword like a knight who's been on the battlefield for over ten years."

Leonardo seemed to hesitate for a moment, then muttered something that could be considered an excuse.

"…I worked hard."

"If effort alone was enough, the citizens of El Dante would all be elite knights by now."

As expected, Count Ertinez didn't even bother to listen to that.

Also, that sword technique. It wasn't just some random flailing, was it? Something like in a martial arts novel, where a certain word keeps slipping out, and you can't help but listen.

"Your swordsmanship was just like that of Leovald, that young field commander."

As I turned my head, I locked eyes with the Count. It seemed like he was having an important conversation with Leonardo, so I blinked, unsure of why he was looking at me now. The Count hesitated for a moment, as if uncertain, then narrowed his brow.

"Could it be…"

Could he have noticed that the contents have changed?

At that moment, something suddenly rises before my eyes.

[Role – Disguised Lover Isaac]

'What is this? Until just now, the information was clearly…'

[The Persona is forcibly brought out and is confused.]

Hey. What are you doing here if you don't even know why you were brought out?

At that moment, the immersion level of the Persona, which had been stuck at 26%, suddenly shot up. It climbed to 28%, 29%, 30%… and then started rampaging!

'What's going on?'

Just as I was panicking, Count Ertinez said something that completely surpassed my expectations.

"I thought it was strange that you suddenly acted like a mature brat and had the body of a knight. But the fact that your swordsmanship gave off traces of a deceased commander… was it tailored to his preferences?"

"Excuse me?"

What is he talking about now?

[The Persona is paying attention to a new possibility.]

Count Ertinez was serious.

"I thought it was strange. You said you were acting with the same purpose, but his goal is Commander Leovald, and you have no connection to him, do you?"

Well, it is him.

"Somehow, the process of bringing you here… if everything was one-sided… Leonardo, are you pretending to be the dead hero in order to win Isaac's favour?"

Hmm. This conversation is getting strange.

[The Persona shows sudden interest.]

'Don't suddenly show interest.'

I can't predict the flow of this conversation at all. Could it be that Count Ertinez believes that rumour? The one where the reckless fool is supposedly the arsonist who turned my inn into ashes?

Wait. Right now, the keywords are '#Class Difference ' and '#Forbidden Relationship.' At this rate, who knows what the third keyword will be?

I'm starting to feel a chill down my spine.

'Is this going to turn into a disaster? I think I need to stop this.'

「What's that supposed to mean?」

'It looks like the Count is misunderstanding the relationship between Leovald and me.'

「Misunderstanding?」

'Yeah, like we were something special.'

「…Isn't it special?」

Why is he like this?

'Well, yeah, it is. We're kind of in this together. But to everyone else, right now, I'm just tied to Leonardo. I don't know why everyone thinks that… but for now, I'm using that excuse to stay in the castle.'

「!」

This guy's so slow. Why is he only just reacting now?

Anyway, I can't afford to worry about Leonardo in this situation.

I straightened my neck and focused on Count Ertinez.

"Count, it would be disappointing if you belittle Leo's progress like that. Leo is genuinely trying to become a new person in order to correct the mistakes of his past."

Though the contents inside him have indeed become a new person.

"Leo's swordsmanship resembling Sir Leovald's… I think it's because he received teachings from Sir Orlie of the Sinistra Church. Since I am a patron of the church, Leo also had a brief connection with him."

Since the setting is that Orlie taught Leovald swordsmanship, the similarities between Leonardo and Leovald should be enough to cover it for now. It's an excuse I just made up in 3 seconds, but I believe the assistant writer will go along with it.

"More importantly, don't you think there's a more pressing issue right now?"

At that, the Count reluctantly agreed.

"…I heard you also encountered something similar on your way here to El Dante. You must have already suspected it. The recent movements of the monsters are troubling."

Ten years ago, the turmoil from the disaster was suppressed, and now, with monsters rampaging again, chaos is inevitably on the horizon.

"The most troublesome thing in this situation is the appearance of new, aggressive monsters. There have only been a few cases so far, but it's likely to increase. The issue is that we don't know why they are so active, and we don't have a strategy to deal with them…"

As the conversation shifted, Count Ertinez' gaze swept over me.

"It seems you already know the monsters' weaknesses or how to counter them."

Enduring his skeptical stare, I smiled faintly. Though after our last meeting at the fortress, the Count had clearly become more aware of my presence, so this wouldn't have much effect on him. Still, if he's suspicious, that works in my favour.

"I tend to know a lot of random things," I replied casually. Not just about monsters, of course.

"It's not the kind of knowledge that's worth boasting about, but if there's ever a time you need my help, feel free to ask."

The Count caught on to the shift in the conversation and briefly twitched around his eyes. It lasted only a moment, but it was enough.

"…You may go for now. The commotion must have startled the child. Stay by their side. Also, all three of you should head to the chapel. I'll allow it today as a special exception."

Was that a hint to check on Ferdinand in the chapel, to monitor his condition and offer some comfort? Since he's family, I could understand that.

I failed to get him to reveal more, but he seemed to hesitate at the end, so I had a sliver of hope. Perhaps, this incident would serve as a turning point, where Leonardo's strength would be recognized, and his role expanded. For now, though, I was dismissed from the office and sent back out into the hall.

'In the end, what the Count did… was raise the persona's immersion to the 30% mark.'

It seems that every time I meet with Count Ertinez, the immersion in increases. Maybe he's more of a romantic than I thought.

I couldn't enter the inner office, but when I sat in the reception area, Vittorio approached with a worried expression, waiting for us. It was just after the commotion with the monster had been settled, and the Count's tone had been sharp. Even Leonardo had been reminded of his days as a recruit.

I waved my hand lightly, signaling that everything was fine, and Vittorio relaxed.

"Sorry I left you alone."

Vittorio shook his head, as if it was no trouble at all. Unlike Count Ertinez' concerns, Vittorio had a strong heart. After all, he'd spent three days and nights being chased by nameless creatures and had slept in a wagon at times. Vittorio leaned closer and whispered.

"I overheard some people talking, and they said 'the second young master' saved everyone."

"Ah."

Is this the effect of 500 fame points? Just by staying quietly in the fortress, I had been receiving exaggerated treatment until now, but maybe things will be a bit different from here on out, I thought as I walked forward.

***

When we arrived at the chapel, we were naturally guided to the treatment room. Since holy water is used as a healing method, the treatment room wasn't the traditional one with beds and medicine, but rather a large tub-like space. 

Inside the tub was Ferdinand, the most seriously injured from the recent commotion, floating gently with his face submerged in the water.

'Drowning?'

"Excuse me, young lord?"

Splash. Perhaps hearing the sound, Ferdinand lifted his head from the water. His furrowed brow and wet hair hanging down made him look almost identical to Leonardo.

"Ah, Isaac. My apologies. The sound is still ringing in my ears… If you could speak a little more clearly, I'd appreciate it."

While watching that scene, Leonardo whispered.

「The holy water works well for external injuries, but not so much for internal ones. To recover, he'll need absolute rest for a while.」

'That sounds suspiciously like an experience.'

「Hmmm.」

'Is it from experience?'

Ferdinand emerged from the tub, and after a brief conversation, it was clear that while the holy water might not be very effective on internal injuries, his bruises and superficial wounds had already been easily treated.

"Ah. Leonardo… you've come."

Although Ferdinand seemed a bit down, I couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. Is this where the scenario ends for now?

'Ah, there's still one thing left to deal with.'

It's not a complicated matter, but it's a bit troublesome.

***

The night arrived after the chaos had settled.

The curtains in the bedroom attached to the inner corridor of Lilium Fortress fluttered gently. It was late at night, and the moonlight, as if trying not to be too loud, hid behind the clouds.

Taking advantage of that moment, the bedding rustled slightly. A finger, moving silently, reached toward the figure lying on the bed, but—

Thud. It was caught midway.

Leovald had already shaken off the drowsiness the moment he sensed the presence. He narrowed his eyes and called out the name of the intruder who had tried to move stealthily under the cover of night.

"Isaac?"

Isaac stared at him, his face caught off guard.