Chapter 56

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: A Small Gift
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Siete Cartiel was on edge because of the poison.

“Diello Argenta.”

He naturally assumed the poison that had struck Cartiel was Argenta's doing.

He'd thought him a coward, incapable of such revenge.

“So he had an ace up his sleeve after all.”

Or perhaps that frail demeanor of his was all an act.

“My lord.”

But the findings of Cartiel's intelligence division were different from what he'd expected.

“In our investigation of the poisoning, we found traces of Alloje's magic.”

“…Alloje, you say?”

Unaware that Argenta had planted spies in his intelligence division, Siete narrowed his eyes.

“Yes. There were signs of an attempt to conceal it, but they couldn't hide the residual magic on the cart that transported the poison.”

“The scale of the power?”

To be detectable so long after the poison's release meant the magic involved was immense.

“At least the level of a direct family member of the house's head.”

“…In that case.”

It must be Alloje, then.

There's no way that foolish, powerless Croire Alloje could wield such power.

He dismissed even the slightest possibility that it could be her.

She might have used the power of the source, like when she defeated the monster at the last meeting.

But using the power of the source by drawing blood unleashes an instantaneous, explosive force, which would inevitably leave a different kind of trace.

If Croire Alloje had used the power of the source, the informant would have recognized it immediately.

Since that wasn't the case, there was only one answer.

“Alloje…”

I knew they were capable of scheming, but this soon?

And against Cartiel, of all places?

“Alloje is getting too bold for their own good.”

Siete frowned, a mix of displeasure and suspicion on his face.

* * *

After this incident, Cartiel's movements became considerably more subtle.

Not only did they grow more cautious, but they were now clearly wary of both Alloje and Argenta.

Since we had people planted within Cartiel, their movements were relayed to us in great detail.

Siete Cartiel was said to be in a foul mood.

Furthermore, they were reportedly leaning toward Alloje as the culprit, rather than Argenta.

It was the perfect misunderstanding I had engineered.

But we didn't have long to savor our victory.

“You both need to rest.”

Nias, the Argenta family physician who always spoke his mind, stated this with great conviction.

“Please make the master's office warm so he can rest comfortably.”

He gave Pielle a polite but undeniable order—or something close to it.

“I would prefer for him to rest in his bedroom, but since I know he will refuse, he should at least rest comfortably in his office.”

He said that since it was right after the rampage, Diello's health needed to be managed more closely.

Thanks to him, Diello's office was made so warm that just passing by made one feel a flush of heat.

It was, in essence, the Argenta way of healing—with fire.

On the other hand, as an Alloje of water, my method of recovery was completely different.

“Should I go to the sea?”

The endless sea was dangerous due to the monsters, but perhaps the top of a cliff, away from the monster-infested beaches, would be safe.

As I was pondering this,

“Escort her.”

Diello, who was on his way to his office, gestured with a gentle smile.

“Understood.”

Pielle's expression was perfectly serene as she replied.

“To where?”

To the sea? I blinked, and Diello gave a faint smile.

“To a small gift for Croire.”

He called it a small gift, but from the way he spoke, it was a place.

“…?”

Instead of explaining further, Diello kissed the back of my hand and whispered,

“Rest well. Even after the Nightmare is detoxified, it can linger and torment a person for a while, so you must get proper rest.”

His voice, sweet as could be, resonated, and then he moved away from me.

“I will escort you, then.”

The place Pielle took me to was a massive swimming pool.

“…Was there always a place like this in the Argenta estate?”

Pielle smiled at my question.

“Even if this is the Argenta estate of fire, my lady must have a place to rest, wouldn't you agree?”

She gestured for me to go inside.

“The master gave special orders to have it built.”

Then she added,

“As a surprise gift, without your knowledge.”

I blinked at her words, then burst out laughing.

Then, I happened to notice something neatly arranged inside the pool area.

A basket of fresh-scented flower petals, fragrant oils, and the like.

“This is…”

As I examined the items, Pielle said gently,

“It seems the servants also wanted to show you a small token of their appreciation.”

At her words, I looked more closely at the items.

[An aromatic oil for relieving fatigue!]

I could see that all sorts of thoughtful explanations had been attached.

A small laugh escaped me. It was because I could picture the maids huddled together, attaching the little notes.

Pielle said,

“It seems many of the servants were quite impressed by you during the master's last rampage.”

“Ah…”

Certainly, the servants must have been trembling in fear before the rampaging Diello, who looked ready to burn them to a crisp at any moment.

So naturally, they must have been deeply impressed to see me calm him down.

Is that why they've so readily opened their hearts to me?

I was grateful to the people of Argenta for their thoughtfulness.

Even in a world with magic, preparing all this must have taken a considerable amount of time.

And if they prepared it without my knowledge, they must have worked at night after I was asleep, right?

They clearly must have had a lot to consider.

Not just Diello, but the staff who worked so hard to prepare it.

And these gifts on top of it all.

“Thank you, everyone.”

Pielle smiled gently at my words.

“Then please, rest well.”

“I will.”

As Pielle took her leave, I looked around the swimming pool. It was the size of a grand hall and filled to the brim with water.

And with so much water around, I could feel strength returning to my body.

It was clear that in a place with an abundance of one's source, not only did one's power grow stronger, but the recovery rate also quickened.

—Splash!

After a few simple stretches, I stepped into the pool, still in my light blouse.

The water was as warm as the hearts of the Argenta people.

“It's a heated pool.”

How thoughtful.

I flinched for a moment as my clothes got wet, but once they were completely soaked, it actually felt more comfortable.

*Phew.*

I tapped the surface of the water, and the sound echoed throughout the vast pool area.

There was no one else to respond; I was all alone in this spacious place.

That was comfortable enough.

But there was a small problem.

“…I can't swim.”

Who would have thought an Alloje couldn't swim?

Of course, I could control the water to keep myself afloat, so there was no danger of an accident.

The moment I entered the water, the entire pool felt like an extension of my own limbs.

—Splash!

After a moment of hesitation, I stepped off the underwater stairs and pushed myself further into the pool.

I felt my legs begin to float, but only for a moment before the water around me held me up firmly.

—Swaaa…

I shaped the water to my will, forming it into a staircase, then into a gentle slope.

The further in I went, the deeper the pool became, eventually exceeding my height, but I could walk through it as if on solid ground.

“This is perfect.”

He'd clearly had this pool made for me to heal, but it seemed I could use it for other purposes as well.

I recalled the sensation of forcing the poison from my blood.

Of course, I hadn't done that consciously. It had been almost instinctual.

But if I could achieve such fine control consciously…

More importantly, what if I could deliver a fatal blow with even a small amount of water?

I planned to practice that. It was a matter of control.

—Plip!

Raising my hand, the first thing I created was a dagger.

When I thought of a dagger, I could only picture a simple shape with a hilt and blade, but the water formed a surprisingly detailed image.

Though made of water, even the decorative tassel on the hilt was clearly visible.

“…Ah.”

I realized where I'd seen it—it was the dagger Diello sometimes carried.

Had it really left such a deep impression on me?

I held the water dagger, turning it over and over in my hand. Then I tossed it back into the water.

—Plunk!

It made a heavy sound, as if real metal had been dropped. But the dagger, having returned to water, never reappeared.

* * *

I trained for a long time, diligently creating one thing after another.

I could not only move freely through the pool, but I could also make waves crash within it.

—Crash!

“…Oops.”

Of course, the walls and floor of the room were flooded, but since that too was water, it wasn't difficult to return it to the pool.

Just then, I discovered a strange object.

“What's this?”

In the center of the pool floor was a huge dome, surrounded by magic.

A weak magical seal, seemingly intended only to keep its contents from being released.

I knew what this was.

The maids sometimes released a similar-looking object for me when I was in the bath.

I didn't know what they called it in this world, but it was like a bath bomb.

It was much bigger than the ones I usually saw, though…

—Poke.

On a whim, I gave the object a poke.

A few bubbles immediately leaked out.

Oh my god, it's a real bath bomb!

Was this built to be a bathroom rather than a swimming pool?

Or was it meant to be used as either?

“Ooh…”

The bubbles, which had been leaking out slowly, soon began to fill the area around me like a cloud.

—Fwoosh!

Since the bubbles were also mixed with water, they did move according to my will.

But considering they also contained air, it occurred to me that a Cartiel might be able to control them better than I could.

I narrowed my eyes.

—Splash!

From beyond the foam, which had piled up high enough to obscure my vision, I heard the sound of someone cutting through the water.

“…!”

Anyone else would have been startled, but right now, the entire body of water was in my hands.

So I could feel it—the fiery energy cutting through the water under my command.

“Diello?”

At my words, the newcomer stealthily parted the wall of foam and appeared.

A strong arm was visible through a water-soaked shirtsleeve.

He raised a hand to sweep back his hair, and the ends of his black locks were stained with pink foam.

“Am I intruding?”

It was Diello. He asked with a gentle smile on his face.