The Villain has Perished

Ding!

<<Your mana heart grows firmer>>

<< +0.1 Physique >>

<< +0.1 Magic Power >>

The notifications told me about the progress I made from the 9 magic stones.

The growth of stats is greatly affected by race. For pure humans, their stat would never go higher than 100 in normal conditions.

Ding!

|| Accumulated Life Points: 551 ||

|| Your Occupation Leveled Up! ||

|| Your Summon Capacity has increased! ||

|| You gained a new skill! ||

Name: Sol Lionel

Life Points: 501

Occupation: Summoner

Occupation Level: Level 2

Summon Capacity: 100

Accumulated Life Points to next Level: 551/1000

Skill(s) Unlocked: <Extract>, <Summon>, <Cancel> (New)

The Life Points given by each mana stone were different. And now I have as many as 501 Life Points!

'Yes! I leveled up!'

The benefits were enormous! The summon capacity increased by 10 times! And I got a new skill too!

———

<Extract>

<Level: MAX>

<Cost: N/A>

<Description: Absorb Life force and passively convert it into Life Points>

———

<Summon>

<Level: MAX>

<Cost: - >

<Description: Summon beings from unlocked avenues in exchange for an appropriate cost>

———

<Cancel>

<Level: MAX>

<Cost: N/A>

<Description: Cancels your summons by erasing them. Returns 10% of the Magic Power used for summon.>

———

Seeing my progress with my eyes was exhilarating and addicting.

Proceeding to the other page of the Grimoire, I brooded over the next avenue I should unlock.

[Avenues]

Insect Avenue - Unlocked

Beast Avenue - Requires 100 Life Points to Unlock

Plant Avenue - Requires 500 Life Points to Unlock

I didn't take long to make my choice.

'I can ask for more magic stones later, anyway.'

|| Use 100 Life Points to unlock Beast Avenue? ||

|| Confirm Yes/No ||

I tapped on the word 'Yes' written on the Grimoire.

Ding!

|| -100 Life points ||

|| Beast Avenue Unlocked! ||

The pages turned by themselves. And more information was added.

[Beast Avenue]

Great Boar, Second Mortal Awakening (New)

Hound Wolf, Master (Locked)

'Offh, the life points needed for the next unlock are quite a bit.'

While thinking of ways to earn Life Points, I read about the Great Boar.

—

Species: Great Boar

Rank: 2nd Mortal Awakening

Summoning Cost: 100 Magic Power

Housing Space: 20

Physique: 250

Magic Power: 10

Skill: <Stampede>

Description: Great Boars normally live in groups. They take great pride in their strength and never back down from a challenge.

–

<Stampede>

<Level: N/A>

<Cost: N/A>

<Description: For every 10 Great Boars summoned, their Physique temporarily increases by 1%.>

––

'I don't think I can summon it here.'

While I was reading the information, someone knocked on the door.

Knock—! Knock—! Knock—!

"Y-young master, may I come in?"

It was a soft voice that made someone feel relaxed when they heard it. My brows creased as I recognised its owner.

"Enter."

A young maid walked in. She wore a dress combination of white and blue with high-knee stockings, and a short – very short – skirt.

"These are y-your medicines for today, young m-master."

'Sigh, she's here again.'

After I started calling my family Imposters, the healers diagnosed me as mentally ill and I was put on an indefinite prescription. Her job was to make sure I ate those meds regularly.

Mind you, despite acting like her scaredy-cat, her physical strength was nothing to scoff at. She never hesitated to resort to strength when it came to feeding me my meds. In her defense, she'll cutely(acting) say that this was her job, and she would do anything if it was for me.

As expressionless as I was, I could feel myself frowning.

"Hiiek! P-please don't hit me, y-young master."

She started sweating at my changed expression and retreated with quivering legs. The corner of my lips almost twitched when she covered her face.

Her appearance alone, at this moment, would make anyone's protective instincts flare up.

'No wonder, my skill <Bitch Slap> is Level 6. Just looking at her makes me want to slap her.'

The young woman in front of me was Yula Einsberg, my personal maid appointed by the family, and the last spy from the Spirit Continent.

She was a Daemon, whose only job was to feed me these medicines every day.

'What are they even feeding me?'

Yula didn't move and stood beside me until I ate it.

I had tried spitting the medicine, out-right-refusing, acting to eat but keeping it hidden in my mouth and more methods in the past, but nothing ever worked on her.

Yula opened her mouth and spoke, "Young master, t-today you'll have dinner with the family. It's Duke's will."

I nodded with an expressionless face while looking at the window. It seems the night arrived while I was busy absorbing mana stones.

'They are asking me for a family dinner, even though I ate alone all these years. It seems this is Duke's way of saying, I'll have to be the one to go meet him.'

It was a suitable response from a Duke to his son, but not a Daemon to his King.

'Is this some kind of test? Do they think I'm Sol, not Solomon? Was I mistaken?'

I stood up and chose to dress accordingly for the occasion. All the while, Yula stared at my back.

Yes, would you look at that?

Though she is a Daemon, she is my personal maid, even if in name only! Yet, she doesn't bother to help me dress up! What type of maid was she!?

Mind you, I was perfectly capable of dressing myself.

But we were in a nobility setting world! It was perfectly normal for servants to help their masters wear clothing!

'Why do I sound like a pervert…?'

I finished and left the room with Yula in tow.

The Lionel estate truly was beautiful. I knew this beforehand, but walking down the halls, I was again reminded of this fact.

Sculptures of lions stood on sides of the wide halls at regular intervals. Though my room was in one of the rather less maintained sections of the estate, it was better than the palaces shown in the television dramas in my 2nd life.

|…alive…fiend….how? |

|….black hair…..don't look….|

|I should…..Lionel estate… dangerous….|

"Y-young master, why did you s-stop?"

"It's nothing."

I stopped looking at the servants and continued walking. I didn't need my <Reader> attribute to know what they were thinking. Most of them were afraid of me after I miraculously survived, and my hair turned black.

<Reader> allowed me to read surface level thoughts, intentions, and emotions of others depending on their facial expressions, body-language and unconscious habits they weren't aware of themselves.

Knock—! Knock—! Knock—!

"Young master is here, my lord."

"You may enter."

Yula pushed the door open and stood at the side.

Entering the room, the first thing I noticed was the absence of servants. The only people present were my four family members who were possessed by Daemons.

Duke, Duchess, Ice Princess, Wallowing Swordsman, and finally, my personal maid. These were the 5 Daemons who had infiltrated the Lionel family, my family.

"Come sit." The Duke beckoned me.

Nodding my head, I walked to the empty chair at the end of the table and sat across from the Duke.

—————

Clink—! Clink—! Clunk—!

The noise of cutlery hitting the porcelain utensils echoed as everyone ate in silence.

The Duke was sitting at the far corner of the table and the duchess was sitting next to him. Seated beside the duchess was the Ice Princess, and in front of her was the Wallowing Swordsman.

Finally, I was eating at the other end of the table, opposite to the Duke.

It was the first family dinner in years where everyone was present. A farce, if nothing else.

"How is the food? Everything here has been prepared to suit your liking." The Duke was the first one to break the silence.

"Do tell me if you want anything more." The Duchess added with a smile. "I prepared the dinner myself for you."

My hands grew cold. The food wasn't anything I've ever seen, let alone eaten.

"It's good."

The silent clinking of cutlery continued.

It was clear whose favorite these dishes were. Solomon's.

'But why are they talking ambiguously? Are they giving me my space because they think I'm Solomon, or is there another reason?'

'Do they have doubts about me being Solomon?'

It might be possible.

But I didn't have enough evidence to form an answer yet.

The Duke spoke again. "When do you plan to return?"

I stopped eating and looked up.

"...!"

All of them were staring at me, waiting for my answer. Even <Reader> couldn't tell what they were thinking.

'Return? What does he mean by that?' The gears of mind worked like never before as I reviewed information from the novel and connected it with the reality I was living. 'In the novel, all Lionels except Wallowing Swordsman went missing before the Coalescence. Jae-sung had to scourge the entire continent to locate them. Only to discover they were in the Spirit Continent.'

Time was ticking, and they were waiting for my answer.

'Did all of them leave with Solomon for the Spirit Continent? Is that what he means by Return? But aren't they here in the Kamera Continent for a mission? Did they complete it?'

I didn't know what the Daemons were doing in this Continent. Jae-sung was never able to find the answer, as the Daemons killed themselves rather than answering.

'I should act like Solomon? But this might be my last chance to act like 'Sol' if they have any doubts about me being Solomon.'

While I was using every last brain-cell, my mouth moved… on its own.

And I spoke arrogantly and carelessly, too.

"Return? I'm living in my home. Isn't returning what you do when you are going back to your home?"

Speaking my part, I started eating again… while crying internally.

'I did it. This useless personality! Wait for me to return, I'll stitch this mouth! Just you wait!'

But I also knew, despite my thoughts, this was my anger, my powerlessness speaking. I could never see eye-to-eye with these Daemons, and my prideful personality only made the matter worse.

Suddenly, a bout of heartfelt laughter rang.

"Hahaha, little brother, father meant returning from Rite Of Passage. You are the one who will be presiding over it. Father was speaking about that." The Wallowing Swordsman wiped the tears that were forming from laughing too much. "Your prudent personality is the same as ever. You too, father, you are still a klutz."

I nodded to them and spoke.

"I'll be leaving first."

Pushing my chair back, I stood up and turned around to leave.

'That was a close call. It seems they were testing if I'm Solomon or Sol. But I should leave before I mess up more.'

If I was following proper etiquettes, I should've waited for Duke to leave before leaving. Though, given my – Sol's – personality, this was something he would definitely do. After all, there weren't many chances to insult Duke while avoiding punishment.

"Sol." Duke's words stopped me from leaving immediately. "You can stop taking your prescriptions from today."

"I will do so."

Finally, I left the hall.

'Haaaaa…That was stressful. But with this, I'm sure. They believe I'm Sol, not Solomon.'

"Y-young master, is your dinner finished?" The maid in skimpy clothing, Yula, asked me.

"Obviously. I wouldn't have left the room otherwise."

Tok— Tok— Tok—

I started walking down the hall while referring to my memory.

"Where are we going, young master? Your r-room is not that way."

"Training."

Night had fallen completely by now.

I wouldn't have been able to sleep today after everything that went by. So, I decided to train in my sword techniques.

'Oh? There are some people training at this time of the day?' I thought while noticing the pair of pink-head and blue-head that stood out from the crowd.

Whooosh—

A gust of cold wind blew and Yula muttered, "It's c-cold."

I smirked as I watched Yula shivering from the corner of my eyes, thanks to her light clothing. She probably wasn't feeling cold, but complaining because those clothes hurt her pride.

I was the one to order her to wear those clothes.

Why?

Because Daemons had pride! Especially Yula!

A few years ago, Yula let her prideful self out for a moment. Realizing that, I instantly ordered her to start wearing revealing clothes.

'Hmph! I may be weaker than you Daemons and have weaker authority.' I snorted inwardly. 'But not you, Yula! You don't have a higher authority than me! It was your worst decision to become my maid!'

I walked to the weapons stand and chose a wooden sword.

'But don't worry, soon I'll stop these little tricks and come at you for real.'

"Yula, choose a weapon. We'll train together."