It goes without saying, of course, that with so many eyes on my affairs, I had to buy another gift as well.
A sapphire necklace—priced at a staggering two white gold coins.
It was expensive, and that was really all it had going for it. Still, to everyone else, that was probably the most satisfying part.
For nobles, after all, price is the only thing that proves value.
“What’s so great about this, anyway?” I muttered quietly, gazing at the sapphire necklace in my hand.
If it were up to me, I’d just hand over some wildflowers. But then I’d be the subject of every wagging finger and whispered rumor in the room.
So what choice did I have? Even a perfunctory gift must be given, for the sake of appearances.
“I knew it… this just isn’t me.”
With that, I tucked the sapphire necklace inside my coat, cursing all the pointless ceremonies and empty rituals of nobility.
* * *
The next day dawned.
Despite the servants’ bustling and frantic efforts, the engagement ceremony itself was a modest affair.
It wasn’t a wedding, just an engagement, after all. Only a few family members attended to mark the occasion.
And of course, the ceremony was held at a temple.
“—with this, the engagement of Lea Praha and Louis Berg is complete.”
The Cardinal’s words signaled the end.
The engagement ceremony skipped all unnecessary formalities and wrapped up quickly.
“Now, it’s time for the betrothed to exchange their gifts.”
Ah, so it’s not quite over yet?
At the Cardinal’s words, I nodded and handed Lea the jewelry box a butler had brought.
Lea opened the box, and nodded with a faint smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
She didn’t seem particularly pleased, but she managed a polite smile for the occasion.
I, too, had only prepared the gift out of obligation, so I just nodded and let it pass, replying, “I’m glad you like it.”
“Would you accept mine as well?” Lea handed me an elegant box. When I opened it, I found a coat that radiated a stately air.
Even at a glance, it looked extravagantly expensive.
Judging by the color, it was probably made from the fur of that most coveted creature, the Dark Yeti.
…Looks warm.
The design was so refined, I had to admit—I genuinely liked it.
“Very nice.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.” Lea nodded, a pleased smile on her face. She seemed to have caught on that I was truly satisfied.
In any case…
“—may the blessing of radiance be upon you both.”
With those words from the Cardinal, the engagement ceremony came to an end, and we exchanged farewells before heading out of the temple.
Outside, several carriages were lined up and waiting.
“Lady Lea, this way, please.” The Head Maid escorted Lea toward her carriage.
Just as Lea was about to step in… I called out, stopping her in her tracks.
“Lady Lea, may I have a moment of your time?”
* * *
Lea and I made our way to a bench behind the temple.
“Is something wrong?”
Well… “wrong” was as close as I could get.
I hesitated for a moment at her question, then let out a small sigh and handed her the basket I’d brought.
“…Here. Please take it.”
“Huh?” Lea looked at the bouquet I handed her, her eyes going so wide I wondered if human eyes were really meant to do that.
“I, uh… thought of you when I saw these. We’re not lovers, but we are engaged, after all.”
I scratched my neck and mumbled an excuse. It slipped out before I could stop it—just in case she found it a burden.
But instead of looking uncomfortable, Lea simply broke into a bright smile.
“Wow! They’re beautiful. What kind of flowers are these?”
“…I don’t know. Honestly, I just bought them from a street vendor.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Lea brought the basket close and took a deep breath. A breeze stirred, gently ruffling her hair.
For a moment, my mind was filled with just one thought: she looked beautiful.
Her golden hair, fluttering in the wind, made her look like an Elf out of a myth.
“Wildflowers. They’re my favorite, you know.”
“…Is that so?”
Lea’s words jolted me back to my senses.
It was laughable, really. Me, catching feelings for someone.
As if I didn’t already have my hands full with revenge. There wasn’t nearly enough time in the day to squander on something as frivolous as romance.
“…Let’s get going then.”
“Already?”
“…I’d like to go back and rest.”
I hurried to my feet. I’d handed over the flowers—mission accomplished.
It was best to make my exit before my thoughts got any more tangled.
But Lea, either unaware of my inner chaos or simply choosing happiness over analysis, just kept smiling at the basket.
She even started to hum.
“Lord Louis.”
“…Yes.”
“Now that the engagement’s over, can we speak less formally?”
I wanted to refuse, but there was no real reason to.
Missing a chance to get closer to her just because of a few inconvenient emotions would be foolish. And I needed to look convincingly close to her if I wanted to use House Praha as my shield.
So I nodded. “Alright.”
“Good! Then you can drop the formalities with me too, Louis.”
…Louis, she says.
Not even Hera, who’d been my wife before I rewound time, ever called me that way.
I forced myself to stop thinking and nodded again, replying hesitantly, “Very well.”
“No, I mean really drop them.”
“…Fine, I will.”
As soon as I took a casual tone, Lea smiled gleefully and nodded.
Then, with a cheerful “Up we go—” she got to her feet.
“You said you wanted to leave, right? Let’s hurry.”
“…Yeah, let’s.” I nodded in reply.
“Oh, and…” Lea, who’d started walking ahead, spun around and flashed me a bright, genuine smile. “Thanks for the flowers.”
It was the same smile she’d shown when she received her engagement gift—except this time, it came straight from the heart.
* * *
The engagement ceremony ended without incident, and we returned to the Duke’s Residence.
Nothing had actually happened, but my head throbbed as if I’d just fought a war.
“I feel like death…”
I was on the verge of collapsing, but since duty called, I let out a sigh and hauled myself out of bed.
I set my recently obtained Supreme Elixir on the table by my bed—an old-fashioned, dignified piece of furniture.
“…Now, what shall I do with this?”
The Supreme Elixir was a once-in-a-generation potion that would increase my Aura just by drinking it. There was, however, a rather significant catch.
It came with a truly staggering amount of pain.
Granted, it wouldn’t actually kill you, but it would make you wish it had.
“Damn it… Still, it can’t hurt more than the Elixir of the Divine Archer.”
I took a deep breath, let it out, and promptly uncorked the Supreme Elixir.
Then, without further ceremony, I brought the glass bottle to my lips and poured it down my throat in one go.
Gulp. Gulp. The Supreme Elixir slid down my throat.
“Urgh—!”
Suddenly, my heart started pounding as if it might burst.
My Aura Heart—the starting point of Aura, something every knight possesses—was now vibrating relentlessly.
I clutched my chest and desperately grit my teeth.
Veins rose along my neck, cold sweat poured down like a waterfall, but I ignored it and braced myself.
My current rank: Intermediate Aura Adept.
Even with the Supreme Elixir, reaching entry-level Aura Expert would be the best I could manage.
Of course, because I’d taken the Elixir of the Divine Archer, I wouldn’t reach a perfect entry-level—more like a shaky step just shy of intermediate—but even that wasn’t enough.
This won’t do…!
If I wanted to take on the Artezia lot, I needed to raise my abilities as quickly as possible.
At the very least, mid-level Expert. That was the minimum I’d need to stand a chance.
“Ghh… ngh…!”
Grinding my teeth through the pain, I pressed my hand to my Aura Heart.
How to reach mid-level Expert, not just entry-level?
The answer was almost insultingly simple.
“You just… break it.” I forced a crooked smile as I muttered to myself.
Then, through my palm, I injected an explosive surge of Aura straight into my Aura Heart.
CRACK!
Somewhere, something hard broke with a sound that was impossible to mistake. It wasn’t just my imagination.
That was the sound of my Aura Heart shattering, leaving only a faint trace of its original shape.
“Hrgh… hrr…”
Breaking an Aura Heart—the very heart of a knight—would make most people howl or faint in complete and utter shock. But I didn’t.
And for good reason: I could restore a broken Aura Heart.
Steady… I need to control my Aura with meticulous precision.
Like sculpting with tweezers, I manipulated the Aura, adjusting it with painstaking care.
Between the fragments of my shattered Aura Heart, the energy of the Supreme Elixir settled in.
Normally, the Aura Heart would have expanded from within, swelling like a loaf of bread left to rise. But now, it stitched itself together in ragged patches, growing even larger than before.
This technique was more circus act than knightly art.
The power flowing from my Aura Heart grew steadily stronger, until the difference from before was like comparing a puddle to a river.
Intermediate Aura Adept.
Peak Aura Adept.
Entry-level Aura Expert.
And finally, mid-level Expert.
My Aura Heart climbed each rung, step by step, until it reached the level I’d been aiming for.
At that moment—
KABOOOOOOOOOM!
My Aura Heart burst, then reformed—perfectly restored—and settled at the entrance to my heart.
“Hah… hah… I think I’m about to drop dead.”
Only then, finally free from the pain, did I collapse onto the bed, panting for breath.
Within half a year of returning through time, I had finally reached the level of my previous life.
* * *
A little while later.
I sat up in bed, watching my Aura Heart flutter like a fish freshly returned to water.
I’d said I’d reached my previous life’s level, but honestly, that wasn’t anything to brag about.
Sure, not just anyone could reach mid-level Expert, but it wasn’t exactly a once-in-a-lifetime feat, either.
It was the final stop for the merely average. That was mid-level Aura Expert.
“Well, at least I won’t be running out of Aura anymore.”
Every single one of my master’s techniques was a voracious Aura-guzzler. It was no wonder a single usage would leave me feeling woozy. That was what happened when you ran out of Aura.
But now, that particular misery was a thing of the past.
“Three times… no, maybe even four times in a row?”
The prospect of being able to unleash my master’s techniques multiple times was so satisfying that I clenched my fist, savoring the feeling.
Anyway…
With the engagement ceremony successfully tied up with a bow, it was about time I got moving again.
There was no shortage of things on my to-do list.
I needed to swing by Death Veil, hand over the pendant the Goblin Lord had been hoarding to Educator Martel, check up on the Mithril Trade Route, and, for good measure, hunt down the Relics of the Divine Archer.
To get all that sorted, I’d have to get a quick move on.
“…Better hurry.”
I let out a sigh, picturing the road of hardship unrolling before me.
But then I remembered my true purpose, and steeled myself once more.
There was only one reason I was putting myself through all this—revenge.
If I wanted to taste the sweet, juicy fruit of vengeance, I’d have to be more than capable of investing this much effort.
Taking a deep breath, I started sorting my priorities.
First things first: the trade route.
Within the next half year, the Grand Duke would be heading off to the Demonic Realm. Which meant I needed to build up as much influence within the family as possible before then.
And the best way to do that? Get a stranglehold on the family finances.
And for that, the Mithril Trade Route will do nicely.
A grin curled at the corner of my mouth.
Thanks to my recent dealings with the Miph Merchant Guild, I’d already set things on the right track. Now it was time to hammer the final nail in.
I stood up and shrugged on the coat Lea had given me.
It was time to corner the market on Mithril, the so-called divine metal.