Chapter 127. Review (2)
“Heading in first?”
“Yeah. Gotta check on the room.”
As I turned from the railing, Equistelle asked casually.
“Any reason… Wait, because of that beast-kin?”
Guessing her amused smirk, I replied lightly.
“She’s a bit odd, and I don’t want her facing prejudice due to beast-kin stigma.”
“You’ve got your hands full.”
Equistelle, lounging on a white chair, waved dismissively.
“Fine. I’ll contact you later about the headhunting. Go ahead, I’ve got work left.”
“Alright.”
Leaving her, I stepped off the balcony into the hotel’s unlit hallway.
Walking alone through the corridor bathed in crimson sunset, I mentally sorted my next steps, but the tasks were numerous.
Where to start?
First, I’d enter the Inner World to assess things, but clarifying what I needed to know beforehand was crucial.
To overcome this world’s challenges as a sword genius unfit for the empire, rather than being swept along, was my ambitious goal.
“—?”
Mid-thought, I sensed a presence and glanced aside.
Behind a pillar’s shadow in the balcony corridor, Lien stood, her gloved hands clasped politely, gazing at me coldly.
Her silver hair shimmered in the fading red sunlight, fluttering over her maid outfit.
“…”
Inwardly startled, I rubbed my chest.
Even when briefly out of sight, Lien was always silently by my side.
Even now, she hadn’t relaxed her guard, protecting me.
Feeling both unease and awe at her unwavering duty, I asked subtly.
“…Not tired?”
“I’m fine. No need for you to worry.”
The silver-haired maid replied emotionlessly, following me naturally.
Our footsteps echoed in the empty, sunset-lit corridor.
Lien spoke first.
“You overdid it in that fight.”
I glanced at her, struck by her pinpoint observation.
“…How’d you know?”
No bleeding injuries, but moving my shoulder brought muscle pain so intense it felt like my body was shattering.
Since she’d noticed, I touched my shoulder to check.
The backlash from using [Lethal Strike] right after inheriting it in the Inner World.
Not just that—I’d instinctively linked it with [Explosive Sword] to maximize power, a reckless move driven by intuition. It hit me how much I’d relied on instinct.
“I thought I hid it well.”
“Not from me. I monitor your condition closely, including your arm’s range when you have muscle pain.”
“…”
I glanced at her azure eyes. Noticing non-bleeding issues through behavior was almost terrifying.
But it made sense.
‘Looking back, there were plenty of oddities.’
Lien had suspected my possession mere days after it happened.
Though my daily behavior might’ve seemed off, her swift certainty and confrontation were uncanny.
Was this why?
She’d been meticulously observing the original Enoch. And she still was.
Her devotion to me likely tied to this.
“Anyway, no problem.”
I pulled a portable ampoule from my pocket, unwrapped it, and took one. An emergency mana recovery potion from Antenor.
Twisting the plastic cap, I downed the liquid, a clear scent spreading.
“…”
Within seconds, my weary mind felt refreshed. As fatigue eased, my shoulder pain lessened.
I’d tested it, and surprisingly, it worked on a non-mage like me.
But, as the original story suggested, it wasn’t dramatic. For mages, it might be potent, but for me, it was just a strong fatigue reliever.
“Seems effective.”
Touching my shoulder, I added quietly to Lien, walking silently beside me.
“This’ll reduce injury concerns going forward.”
“…”
“Does this ease your worries? It should mitigate some risks of injury during operations.”
“…To an extent.”
She glanced at me.
“Remember, even with the Order’s medical support or the Saintess’s healing, I won’t stop guarding you.”
Obvious, but true.
The Saintess couldn’t revive the dead. Lien’s resolve to protect me was exactly what I hoped for.
Meeting the maid’s gaze, who shadowed me, I nodded slightly.
“Then I’ll count on you.”
“…”
Lien turned her head without replying.
Her silent response was enough.
I’d come far from my precarious position, accumulating injuries and fretting over healing.
Making the Saintess my follower family was for the same reason.
Potions, pills, and medical supplies from the Order’s top healers were a huge asset.
Though items effective for non-mages were limited, they existed.
I turned forward, concluding.
This was another answer.
A way to survive in this world, as I’d longed for.
***
The limousine returning to the family was quiet.
I gazed at the mining city outside.
Events during the Order’s medical aid, post-meeting, flashed through my mind.
Under Amelia’s calm leadership, the Order’s healers bustled, their robes fluttering, aiding people.
The sight of white robes rippling across the city was striking. Even I was quietly impressed.
The vehicle left the city’s outskirts.
Only then did I feel the long nomination mission had ended.
“Are you alright, Enoch?”
A voice drew my gaze to Amelia.
She sat, hands folded on her lap, studying me.
“You seemed lost in thought. Are you hurt?”
“No. Thanks to your treatment, the muscle pain’s gone.”
I moved my arm. The Saintess’s power was undeniably beneficial. My shoulder felt much better.
“You’ve accumulated muscle fatigue. More rest will fully heal it.”
“This is enough.”
No empty words. I was reaffirmed that choosing Amelia as my follower family was right.
But, as a follower family, she couldn’t always be at the Holy Residence, so constant recovery wasn’t feasible—a pity.
A soft snort came from beside me.
“Hmph. Another follower family besides me.”
Sirocco, arms crossed, glared at me, her ears twitching as she stared at Amelia.
Her red eyes and tail tapped the leather seat. I asked.
“Got a problem?”
“Nah, not really.”
She shook her head.
“Just feels… weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah. Someone else joining as your follower family. I don’t even know what this feeling is. It’s strange.”
“I look forward to working with you, Sirocco. I’ll do my best, despite my shortcomings.”
Amelia smiled at her.
“Let’s support Enoch together. As the junior follower family, I’ll give my all.”
“Junior!”
Sirocco’s tail bristled as she looked at her.
“Hmph, so I’m the senior?”
“Of course. If you have tips about Enoch, please share. It could help my support.”
Glancing at me, she added with a smile.
“Well, if it’s your choice, I’ll follow!”
Her ears and tail perked up happily. She turned to me, asking bluntly.
“So, she’s staying in the same room too?”
“…Same room?”
At her bombshell, Amelia tilted her head, puzzled.
“I must stay at the Holy Residence, not Elsyde’s Fortress. But, um, same… room?”
Looking to me for clarification, I replied to Sirocco simply.
“No misunderstanding, please. She was assigned a room but barged into mine.”
“Oh, so… that’s it?”
Still confused, Amelia tilted her head. I sighed.
Come to think of it, I’d need to manage relations between follower families.
Both Sirocco and Amelia appeared in the original story, but their interactions were never depicted.
With no guide, balancing their dynamic was the answer. Since Amelia stayed at the Holy Residence, conflicts were unlikely.
More pressing matters demanded my focus.
Leaving Sirocco and Amelia’s chatter behind, I closed my eyes.
When I opened them, I was in the World of Impermanence.
An infinite night sky and horizon stretched before me.
Stepping forward in this alien realm, far from the limousine, I thought.
‘Finally made it.’
I’d tried entering the World of Impermanence in the car, but it hadn’t worked.
After repeated attempts, I succeeded.
Despite Amelia’s treatment and the mana recovery potion, my mental state wasn’t fully restored—proof of my condition.
I realized how miraculous my inheritance during the fight with Ixion was.
‘Or was I just that desperate?’
With a wry smile, I looked up.
As expected, a familiar figure appeared.
“Been a while, Enoch.”
The hooded old swordsman.
The Last Sword Saint of the Empire, with his ash-gray beard, leaned on his one-handed sword, facing me against the horizon.