Chapter 39 - 39 Illusion
While Steve was in the Royal Capital, his main schedule was to observe the research at the Royal Research Institute, but today, at Oliver-san's request, he was participating in the training of the Knights Order. Not only the Royal Guard Knights Order, but selected members from other orders were also participating.
In conventional instruction and training, much was based on intuition, but with Steve's SOP Magic, the key points of the work were clearly indicated. Utilizing that in instruction made for fast learning.
In a Standard Operating Procedure, items called 'key points' are often set. For example, in the process of tightening a screw, the 'work' is tightening the screw with a screwdriver, and the 'key point' would be that the height of the screw head has lowered to the specified point.
The key point indicates the state that should be achieved in response to the act of tightening. Even in the work of wielding a sword, one cannot defeat an opponent simply by moving their arms up and down. There are many key points for dealing damage, such as the angle of the sword when it hits the opponent and the way the joints are moved to get there.
And it takes time to understand that through intuition. Sometimes, one is defeated by an opponent before they can understand it. SOP Magic was what compensated for that.
The knights waiting for instruction talked while watching the knight currently being instructed.
"Since they said a child was awarded the Dragon Wing Medal, I thought it was a made-up story anyway, but seeing the real thing, I understand the achievements are fact."
"Yeah. The stamina to keep instructing without a break. Swordsmanship on par with the Royal Guard Knight Commander. On top of that, he's a mage. Age doesn't matter. If I met him on the battlefield, I'd definitely underestimate him and get killed in one blow."
Just like the nobles, the knights had doubted Steve's achievements regarding the Dragon Wing Medal. However, having actually received instruction, they understood his greatness. At first, they had looked down on Steve and acted as if they wouldn't listen to him properly, so Steve deliberately started with mock combat training.
The Royal Guard Knights, who knew Steve's strength, were put at the back of the line, and the knights participating from other orders challenged him one after another, but they were all repelled by Steve. Furthermore, no matter how many people he continued against, Steve showed no signs of fatigue.
In reality, it wasn't that Steve didn't get tired. It was just that the SOP Magic made him perform the same movements even if he was tired, so his movements never became sluggish.
In the end, not a single person could defeat Steve, and from then on, they began to receive instruction obediently. And through that instruction, their movements improved remarkably. However, even so, no one appeared who could use the Godspeed Sword. It wasn't something that could be done immediately just because one heard how to do it.
There was one person who felt relieved about that. It was Daphne-san.
She was also participating in this training and receiving Steve's instruction. During that, she had the negative thought of what she would do if someone became able to use it after seeing him explain the usage of the Godspeed Sword when asked by a knight.
And so, she was relieved that no one else had become able to use it.
Oliver-san, her father, came up beside such a Daphne-san.
"I thought someone or other might become able to use the Godspeed Sword, but that wasn't the case."
Though he spoke in a disappointed tone, he too truly thought it was good that he wasn't being caught up to.
"Does this mean retirement is still far off?"
"It seems so. I've decided that the time I retire will be when I'm defeated by someone."
"Then, it would be logical to yield that seat to the Dragon Wing Medal-dono."
"Well, that's true, but it's difficult when it comes to the heir of a territorial noble. Besides, he's not a small vessel who would fit solely as the Royal Guard Knight Commander."
"Isn't it a bit inappropriate to use the metaphor of a small vessel for the Royal Guard Knight Commander, whom all knights aim for?"
Daphne-san complained about her father's metaphor, but Daphne-san herself also thought that being just the Royal Guard Knight Commander was too small for Steve. The Royal Research Institute had also been targeting Steve for a long time and had been sounding out the King about inviting him.
As the King, he wanted to incorporate the skill Steve used to reform his territory, but out of guilt for giving him such poor land, he hesitated to pull Steve away from the Archibalt Territory now that it was starting to show a profit. If this were the son of a noble whose territory management was stable, like Margrave Sowell, and if he weren't the heir, the King would likely have moved strongly to invite him.
"I have no intention of correcting it. I don't think I'm wrong either. On the contrary, I'm surprised that your evaluation is so low."
Oliver-san said this and looked at his daughter, though he didn't actually look surprised.
"My statement was also just a formality. I am well aware of the greatness of that boy—no, of the Dragon Wing Medal-dono. Also, I know that if I said I wanted to become the Royal Guard Knight Commander, he would surely yield it without a fight."
Oliver-san's eyes widened at his daughter's statement.
"In other words, you mean to aim for the Royal Guard Knight Commander position without getting married?"
Oliver-san also knew that his daughter was torn between the path of marriage or becoming the Royal Guard Knight Commander. And he knew that since he couldn't just hand over the position of Royal Guard Knight Commander through nepotism, it would require extraordinary effort.
He had hoped that she would get married for her happiness as a woman, rather than aiming for the position of Royal Guard Knight Commander, which she might not even achieve.
However, 'happiness as a woman' was just Oliver-san's own arbitrary idea—the standard male way of thinking prevalent in the Kingdom of Cascade—and getting married didn't necessarily mean true happiness for a woman.
Also, since she could marry into a Ducal House, he had naturally assumed Daphne-san would consent to the marriage.
"No, that is not it. I will marry, but that does not mean I am giving up on being the Royal Guard Knight Commander. I believe there must be a way to balance both somewhere."
"No, that would be impossible. I thought you understood the heavy responsibility of the Royal Guard Knight Commander better than that."
"I do understand. And when I thought I had to give up one or the other and consulted with the Dragon Wing Medal-dono, he told me to find a path where I could get married and still become the Royal Guard Knight Commander."
Daphne-san said that and gave a small smile.
"Is such a thing possible?"
"He said there is no problem legally. If there were a legal problem, we would have to solve it from there."
"That's because there's something like a tacit understanding that it's something men become. I thought that you might be able to become it as an exception. However, if you are to marry and bear and raise children, there is also the matter of the other party's house..."
"I was made to realize that such things are trivial compared to changing the law. In any case, entering a male-dominated society as the first woman is no ordinary feat, but when I talk to him, I feel like somehow it will work out."
Oliver-san felt something like romantic love in his daughter's words and became uneasy. He prayed that his daughter, who was about to get married, wouldn't cause a problem by harboring such extraordinary affection for someone other than her marriage partner.
When the training ended, Daphne-san invited Steve to additional training.
"If possible, I would like to build up a track record of defeating the Royal Guard Knight Commander before my marriage. Would you be willing to accompany me in training after this?"
"I don't mind that, but if I don't return home once, there are people who will worry about various things. Why don't you come to my house? Let's continue there."
Since Steve had been warned by Aurora-san, he wanted to avoid being alone with Daphne-san. He thought that if they stayed here for extra training, they would end up alone, and it would be troublesome if strange rumors started spreading, so he made up the excuse of going home once.
Furthermore, since Steve could return home in an instant with Teleportation, he could have just said he'd do the extra training after that, but Daphne-san didn't think that far.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Just as Steve said that, he felt the activation of magical power.
Daphne-san hugged Steve, who had said 'shall we go,' and began to cry.
"Actually, I don't want to get married. Please, say that you will take me as your wife. If you say so, Steve-sama, Alfred-sama will surely give up on me. I feel that if I am by Steve-sama's side, I can become the Royal Guard Knight Commander even if I have children. No, more than that, I adore you."
At the sudden confession, Steve gently hugged Daphne-san without being surprised. Daphne-san's body, with its developed muscles, was firm and lacked the softness he felt when he hugged Christina-san, but it was very warm.
Immediately after Steve felt Daphne-san's warmth, a knife was thrust into both of their necks. The one who stabbed them was a young woman. She looked at the bloody knife she pulled out and laughed.
"Fufufu. I wonder what will happen when they are confirmed dead while embracing each other. With this, Evelyn-sama's broken engagement will surely be canceled as well. Even so, I wondered how strong he was since they called him the Dragon Wing, but against my Illusion Magic, he's only this much."
Her name was Scarlett Cleiman. A mage employed by Margrave Cleiman and the cousin of his daughter, Evelyn.
Because she was from a branch family of Margrave Cleiman, she was able to take the magic aptitude test. What was discovered there was that she was an Illusion Magic user. Her main job was to create gaps by showing the target intended hallucinations and then assassinate them.
"If it's found out that I used magic to commit an assassination in the Royal Palace, it will cause trouble for the Margrave-sama, and it would be bad if Evelyn-sama's engagement fell through again, so I can't return to that mansion anymore, but I will continue to watch over Evelyn forever."
Saying that, she vanished from the scene.
Leaving the Royal Palace immediately, Scarlett packed her minimum belongings in her room and left at once. She hadn't decided on a destination, but thinking she had to find an inn to stay in tonight, she headed for the district where inns gathered.
Her head was full of Evelyn, who was smiling happily now that her marriage to Alfred was decided.
Evelyn's engagement had been decided by their parents, but she harbored feelings for Alfred. So, while the marriage to Alfred was a political one, for Evelyn, it was also a marriage for love.
That had suddenly fallen through because Alfred said he wanted to marry Daphne. Seeing Evelyn shed tears every day, Scarlett had resolved to eliminate Daphne.
And she thought that if Daphne's death involved a scandal with another man, Alfred would be able to give up on her, so she targeted the time when she was with Steve.
Of course, permission to enter the castle would never be granted for such a reason, so she had bypassed the gatekeepers with her Illusion Magic.
Scarlett was elated that her goal was achieved. Before such a Scarlett, Steve, who she was supposed to have killed, appeared.
"I understand the background now. So it wasn't an assassin sent by Margrave Cleiman, but your own solo act."
Steve spoke to Scarlett with a brilliant smile.
Scarlett faltered at Steve's appearance.
"Impossible, I should have thrust the knife into your neck. The same sensation of taking a life that I've felt before was transmitted to my hand. You can't be alive!"
"If that were reality, yes. This is a dream you are seeing. So Illusion Magic can even replicate sensations."
"Are you saying this is Illusion Magic?"
Scarlett was violently shaken. she thought she was showing the opponent an illusion with her own Illusion Magic, but he was saying that was the illusion.
And that the opponent could also use Illusion Magic. According to prior information, he could use Measurement magic and his physical abilities were on par with the Royal Guard Knight Commander. There was no information that he could use Illusion Magic.
Therefore, she had never dreamed that she would be driven into a corner by the very magic she specialized in.
"You talk about everything while unguarded, and you become defenseless against attacks. Depending on how it's used, it might be the strongest magic, huh?"
"That's right. I was recognized for this magic. And I have eliminated all enemies for Evelyn-sama's sake. The same goes for this time!"
"Well, that has been thwarted like this, though. If you will give up now, I'll keep this matter only within my own heart."
Scarlett felt doubt at Steve's proposal.
"What benefit is there in that for you?"
"I also don't want to put a blemish on Daphne-san's marriage."
"And if I refuse?"
"I will make your crime public. If that happens, Margrave Cleiman's responsibility will be unavoidable, and it will surely reach Evelyn-sama as well. And she will also have to bear the sadness of losing you."
What Steve said had a sense of reality. No matter how much Scarlett claimed to be a lone actor, it was certain that some would suspect Margrave Cleiman had given the order. After all, a marriage with a Ducal House would bring great profit to a Margrave.
"I thought I'd kill you along with the woman, but now I want to kill you for your own sake."
Scarlett glared at Steve with eyes full of murderous intent.
"That would be impossible. The match was decided the moment I resisted your magic at the start. Your magic doesn't work on me, and your physical abilities don't reach mine. Won't you just back down quietly?"
Steve had felt Scarlett's murderous intent since during the training. Of course, this was also due to the SOP Magic. It was using the danger detection ability that Oliver-san possessed.
Furthermore, the reason Oliver-san couldn't sense the bloodlust was because it was directed at Daphne-san and Steve, and that was the difference between him and Steve.
And Steve, who had sensed the bloodlust, had been prepared to receive the attack. The Illusion Magic directed at him was recorded by the SOP Magic at the same time he resisted it. He had then immediately used Illusion Magic against Scarlett.
Note that Daphne-san was still under the effect of the Illusion Magic and was inside her own dream.
And Scarlett was also seeing an illusion inside the Royal Palace.
Inside that dream, Scarlett admitted defeat to Steve.
"I can do nothing if Evelyn-sama is taken hostage. I shall give up. However, why do you go so far to protect her marriage? Is it out of affection?"
"I suppose the reason is because she's my disciple. My master's teaching is that one should take responsibility not just for technique, but for their life as well."
In Steve's mind was the image of his father from his previous life. He taught his employees not just how to work, but how to live as human beings, and took responsibility for their lives. Even when management was difficult, his efforts to somehow provide bonuses came from that kind of thinking.
"What a person of character. You are so composed it's hard to believe you're a child. If only Evelyn-sama could fall for someone like you."
"Setting aside how I am, I do think I need to teach the other party a lesson for their flippancy. If he ever does anything to make Daphne-san sad, I intend to settle the score properly. Now that I can use Illusion Magic as well."
"If that's the case, I leave the monitoring of Alfred Gis Stuart to you. Now, I'd like you to release the magic soon."
"Understood."
When Steve deactivated the Illusion Magic, he teleported Scarlett to the room he had shown her in the previous illusion. He had discovered that even with a scenery seen through Illusion Magic, he could teleport if it was an actual location.
Scarlett, suddenly back in her own room, asked Steve in surprise.
"This... is this also Illusion Magic?"
"No, this is reality. It's your room. I apologize for entering a lady's room without knocking, but it's mutual that it would be troublesome if we were seen by someone."
"So the Dragon Wing Medal is not just for show. You were an opponent I couldn't match from the start."
"I'm glad you understand. I'll make sure you keep your promise."
"Even for me, involving Evelyn-sama is against my wishes. I shall interfere no further."
Since Scarlett promised that, Steve returned to the original Royal Palace.
There, he deactivated Daphne-san's magic. Steve, who had more magical power than Scarlett, had layered Illusion Magic on top to cancel out her magic. The process was to deactivate the effect once Steve's magic had overwritten it.
"Huh?"
Daphne-san was startled that her position and Steve's were different from the illusion she had been seeing until just now.
"It seems you fell asleep from fatigue."
"Ah, I have shown you something embarrassing."
Daphne-san hurriedly straightened her posture. Because the dream she had been seeing was what it was, her face turned bright red and she couldn't look Steve in the eye.
Steve looked at such a Daphne-san endearingly and invited her to the carriage.
"My carriage is waiting, so shall we go to my house together in it?"
"Yes."
Daphne-san walked behind Steve and headed toward the carriage waiting area.
The window of the carriage stopped there was a mirror, reflecting Daphne-san's face as she peered in.
"Why is this window a mirror?"
"You'll understand once you get in."
Urged by Steve, Daphne-san boarded the carriage. Then, the window she had thought was a mirror just now allowed her to see the scenery outside from within.
"I can see outside!"
"This is called a Magic Mirror; you can see the other side from one direction, but from the other side, it just looks like a mirror. By presenting this to His Majesty through the Royal Research Institute, I had the custom regarding the retirement of female knights invalidated. There will be no more retiring once you get married like before."
Daphne-san understood what Steve had done for her. As a reward for presenting the magic item called a Magic Mirror, he had the King cancel Daphne-san's retirement.
However, that meant he had wasted something that should have originally earned him a large amount of prize money by using it for her sake.
Daphne-san realized the gravity of the situation and hurriedly looked at Steve's face.
"With the presentation of this magic item, how much gold could you have received?"
When told that, Steve replied with a smile.
"Fortunately, I'm not hurting for money. Besides, if I can eliminate prejudice against women, that has benefits for me as well. My territory is short-handed and employs many women, but we are shunned by nobles who value tradition. If conflicts due to such prejudice disappear, isn't that enough?"
When told that, Daphne-san felt like saying once again that she wished Steve would take her as his wife. However, Steve already had a fiancée, and she knew that saying it would cause trouble.
There, she remembered Bella.
Marriage and bearing children are not the only forms of love. What she could do was become a symbol of the creation of the society without prejudice against women that Steve aimed for. By becoming the Royal Guard Knight Commander even after marrying into House Stuart, she would become a signpost showing that women do not have to give up their jobs after marriage. Thinking that, she somehow swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.
Meanwhile, Steve corrected Daphne-san's 'magic item' comment.
"It's true the name is Magic Mirror and I made it with magic, but the principle is science, and it should be reproducible without magic eventually. That's exactly why I'm reporting it to the Royal Research Institute. Well, the use for this thing is to draw out the opponent's hidden true feelings, so I wouldn't want it used on myself, though."
"I would certainly like to decline having my hidden true feelings peered into."
Daphne-san turned a smile toward Steve.