¡Shaaaaaa!
After wetting my hair with warm water, I rubbed my skin with soap for who knew how long. It wasn't until I got out of the bathroom and put on comfortable clothes that I finally felt were real. I was back home.
Step step.
I took off my wet hair with a towel and went down to the first floor. Amelia and Erwen were waiting for me in the living room.
«You've taken your time». Amelia seemed a little upset with my clean appearance.
I sat on the couch in front of her. «Since you're not writing this, I don't suppose there was anything worth mentioning?».
«Yeah, despite your fears, I couldn't find any listening devices or anything like that».
That was a relief. I was worried that the gentlemen had left some when they broke into the house...
«Apart from those who were already there», Amelia added.
Oh? Were they already there?
«Judging by your expression, I guess you didn't know that. There has been a crystal ball recorder in the living room from the beginning».
Even though he said it as if it were obvious, it was the first time he had heard of her. But if he deduced from his statement that he had been there a long time...
«¿Erwen?»
When I cast a suspicious glance at the prime suspect, Erwen shuddered and looked away. «B-Well... like you never know... S-If it weren't for the crystal ball, we wouldn't have been able to figure out what happened to you so quickly...».
...Well, I can't say anything to that.
When I asked him, he told me that glass balls with recording capabilities were only installed in the entrance and living room. I decided to consider it a security measure that any homeowner could take.
No wonder they met me with the marquis so quickly.
I posed a question that I could not ask in the carriage that the marchioness had arranged to take us home. «Erwen, how did you know I was at the marquis' house?».
«You couldn't be anywhere else! After all, that man came here in person!»
«That man...?»
«Oh, didn't you know that, sir? Eltora Tercerion, the prime minister's son, was the commander who came to arrest you!»
«That? Isn't he the one who was recently promoted to Commander of the Third Corps?»
Is the prime minister crazy? Why would he send his son on such a dangerous mission? What if he broke his skull? Although, if he appreciated his son in the first place, he wouldn't have sent him into battle.
The way of raising the marquis' children seemed very spartan to me, but that was none of my business.
«But Schuitz, what exactly happened to the marquis?»
«Yeah. Please tell us now. You don't know the surprise I got when I saw the broken door and you disappeared when we returned».
I explained to them the marquis' misunderstanding of me and the deal he proposed, and asked them to give their opinion. Their reactions were very different.
«Wow, will he really give you the title back? It's incredible». Erwen was happy and said it was good news.
Amelia, who was on a similar wavelength to me, expressed concern that things were too easy. «The Prime Minister is the best support you could have, but I can't help but feel uneasy».
«But what else could I do? If I had said no, I would have just complicated things more».
«...I will carry out my own investigation into the prime minister.»
«Yes, I have faith in you.»
«Excuse me? What's wrong with me?»
«You too, of course, Erwen.»
The only ones he could truly trust were his comrades. This world was too hard to survive alone.
***
Tap, tap.
While he was busy tapping the table with his index finger at regular intervals, lost in thought, the door opened and a man entered. «Have you called, father?»
Eltora Tercerion was the marquis' only daughter and the man who would one day inherit everything the prime minister had built. But the marchioness's gaze was cold when she landed on him. «If you had functional eyes and ears, you would have already seen and heard it for yourself. So I choose to ignore it. What do you think of this incident?»
«To be honest... I was very surprised. I never thought Baronet Yandel would be alive like you said, Father».
«That's all?»
Eltora swallowed at the marquis' complementary question and chose his words carefully. «His return seems to be advantageous for our family. Although years have passed, many people still remember him. As a political symbol, it can be put to good use...»
«Enough.» Eltora's logical observations were interrupted by the marquis. «Is your insight so limited?». He gave his son a look not only of disappointment, but of disgust. Eltora looked away at the ground and sighed inwardly.
Why was this old man behaving like this lately?
He was never a kind father, but he wasn't that bad either. However, it had gotten a little worse two years ago, and now Eltora was starting to feel like an emotional punching bag.
He also brought that strange woman... Have you noticed anything in me?
It was suspicious. Lately, his father never called him unless he had orders to distribute, nor did he share information with him properly. Like now.
«Father.»
«Speak.»
«This is the first time I've heard that Baron Yandel is not an evil spirit. Why did you hide it from me too?» eltora asked carefully, trying to test her father.
The marquis' response was cold as ice. «It seems like you expect me to hold your hand forever».
«That's not what I meant. It's just that I was thinking it might have been more helpful if I had known beforehand...»
«The fact that you believe that Baronet Yandel is not an evil spirit is a sign that you have no choice to begin with».
«Excuse me? But Father, you said clearly-»
«Enough. I'd just waste my breath trying to explain this to you».
His words were too merciless to be directed at his own son. Eltora pursed her lips, but the marquis did not listen to her, but instead mentioned the reason why he had summoned him.
«Tomorrow I want you to go in person and inform Yandel of the day of our next appointment. I want to continue the conversation that we couldn't end today».
«The appointment... What date should I give you?».
«This month's full moon».
The meeting would be held in the evening.
***
It was the afternoon of the fifteenth.
«Then see you later, sir. Take care.» When I left the house saying goodbye to Erwen, the carriage waiting in front of our door opened.
«Long time no see», I said.
«Have you decided to stop using polite language now?».
«I heard you are the marquis' son. Then you should already know who I am».
«It's true...» The prime minister's son interrupted himself with a somewhat bitter look, but that was none of my business.
«It doesn't matter, let's go».
«Clear.»
The carriage traveled along the wide main road. Soon, a military platform appeared. Like last time, we used it to travel in style to Karnon, the royal capital.
«It is convenient to reach the royal capital in less than an hour. How much does a trip cost?»
«One million stones per person. Of course, that's assuming there's no carriage».
«...Then it is better to take a carriage.»
«You're right. In any case, there are not many nobles who use this place accompanied by staff. I have heard that it is only used for urgent matters».
While we were chatting, the carriage finally reached its destination. In the distance you could see a huge mansion. I wondered how much it cost to own so much land in a place as expensive as the royal capital.
«We must hurry. My father is waiting».
«I guess this time it won't be a crystal ball?»
«I already told you. Father wants to have dinner with you».
Well, even if I said that, I assumed the marquis was planning to organize the dinner by video call.
Crujido.
The prime minister's son led me to the banquet hall on the fourth floor. There was a large window in one of the outer walls that overlooked the outer garden and offered a beautiful view of the palace beyond. However, I couldn't afford to enjoy the views.
«You are already here». The Prime Minister, who was sitting at the head of the table, greeted me.
«It's been a while, Marquis Tercerion».
«You've come a long way. Sit down, Baron Yandel. Ah, Eltora, you can go now».
«...Have a nice visit.»
When the prime minister's son left, the empty room seemed even emptier, but there was no better setting for a private conversation.
Grifo.
The first thing I did was sit in front of him. Maybe it was to prevent staff from having to come in during the meal, but the table was already covered in food. For reference, the amount of food placed in front of me was five times greater than that placed in front of the marquis. It seemed like they had taken my needs into account as a barbarian.
«Don't worry and eat. I'm not going to ask you to follow any suffocating rules of etiquette».
«...If you say so». The marquis began to cut his meat, and I tore off a chicken thigh and put it in my mouth.
«How is the food?»
«Es excellent».
«I'm glad.»
While we continued eating, I decided to get to the point. I knew that it was not allowed to talk about work during meals according to Rafdonian etiquette, but I belonged to the only race that was not subject to such empty formalities. «Marquis, the food is great, but now I want to hear more about what you were saying the other day».
«How am I going to help you claim your title?»
«Yeah. I'm sure most people won't be able to accept him suddenly coming back from the dead».
«None. I was hiding there too».
«That makes things a lot easier». The marquis proceeded to explain what he had in mind. «I plan to claim that the royal family entrusted you with a special mission to infiltrate Noark. Now, after two and a half years, you have completed your mission and returned. What do you think?»
It was a short lie that could be summed up in a few sentences, but there was no point in wondering if it would work. The marquis had the power to make it happen. «Not bad».
«Of course, it will take some time. I will have to create a paper trail inside the palace to corroborate the claim».
«And what will you do with the announcement that declares that I am an evil spirit?».
«Don't worry. I can only say that the rumors were necessary for your infiltration mission to work».
The marquis made no comment on my incorrectness and instead replied. «Let me ask you the following. How many people knew who you were when you were in Noark?».
I quite liked the scenario he was preparing itself. If I made a comeback like that, I could get my old life back.
But hay un problem con este plan...
«And what do you want from me in return?» It was the question of what he had to give up to achieve all this.
The marquis put down the knife with which he was cutting the meat and raised his hand. «A total of two things».
«Dime».
«I manage to create a special forces unit focused on you. You lead them and join the war».
«For how long?»
«Until the war ends.»
I was trying to become his slave. «Until the war ends? It is difficult to accept an offer without an end date.»
«So let it be a maximum of three years. If the war ends earlier, the terms of the deal will continue to be met. Of course, you will also be rewarded for any war achievements you accumulate in that time».
It was a condition he could live with. Most of the adventurers were making money in the war effort these days, anyway. «And the second?»
«The second...» The marquis interrupted himself and put down his fork. «I'll tell you the second thing I want tomorrow morning. This way it will be faster. There are a lot of empty rooms here, so stay tonight».
What is this, the commercial break after a failure?
***
After dinner, a servant guided me to a guest room. To be honest, what he wanted most was to return home, even if it took hours, but there was something suspicious about the marquis' way of acting.
Given the date and time he had invited me to the mansion, and even the unexpected request to stay the night, I was beginning to get an idea. But after asking for a message to be sent to Erwen at her house, I decided to spend the night here at the marquis' request anyway. Sometimes a crisis could turn into an opportunity.
«Ugh...» This room was really too spacious and luxurious for one person.
Tick, tock.
I turned off only the light on the nightstand, lay down on the bed and looked at the time. Then I also turned off the mana lights in the room and turned down the clock.
Tick,tock, tick.
The constant clicking of the seconds hand as it moved forward marked the silence.
Tick, tock.
The sound was repeated ten more times, and then it happened.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
I immediately sat on Hansu Lee's bed. This time, I would have to work faster than usual.