Chapter 15: It’s A Pass

Commonly, there are two known ways to use mana.

Accumulating it throughout the entire body, or concentrating it in the heart.

Choosing the former makes one a superhuman, choosing the latter makes one a mage.

Occasionally, there are some madmen who choose both, but that’s not important, so let’s move on.

Well, but that’s how the superficially known facts go. In truth, if you go to the fundamentals, there was a characteristic of moving to a larger classification.

“Aaaargh!!”

The physician’s disciple, whose arm was severed in an instant, rolls on the floor as if she were an insect.

However, it wasn’t particularly my concern.

Her role here was to pass me, and she hadn’t shouted the word “pass” yet.

So, it seems one arm isn’t enough.

Thinking that, she must be a woman with truly outstanding professionalism. To pass me only after I cut off her limbs, there’s no greater degree of professionalism, is there?

Considering I’ve had many irritating things happen lately, she was too good a person to be called a hypocrite; it would be a waste.

I look at the brooch, which is glowing red as if it has taken the form of a lightsaber.

For something made for single use, it’s an item with quite decent performance.

Even if the physician’s disciple wasn’t a particularly strong knight, it severed the arm of someone clad in mana in an instant.

Yes, it’s ultimately a crafted item.

To reiterate, the methods of using mana are broadly divided into two.

The Elven way, accumulating and using it in the body. Or the Dwarven way, using it through a medium.

The former is the commonly known method, and the latter is the method I use.

The former draws on what’s accumulated in the body, so it can be used freely like one’s own body, but the latter follows a very complex method.

Activating the medium, adjusting the activated medium… roughly, one must go through such a complicated process to use mana.

The medium created in such a way, capable of using mana, is this thing I’m holding, called an artifact.

It seems there were complicated processes after that as well… but I don’t particularly need to know.

What’s important is that I am a body suffering from Grace.

“Ah, aaah…”

‘If I have to render her completely incapable of combat, the remaining arm would be good, right?’

Swish—

“—!?!!”

My Grace was specialized in the creation of artifacts.

I cut off the remaining arm of the physician’s disciple, who still hasn’t said “pass,” using the brooch. Then, as if its role was over, the red light faded, and it became an ordinary accessory again.

I probably can’t use this anymore.

It was natural, as it was an item with a restriction of being single-use in exchange for high output.

However, since I have spares, it wasn’t as if I couldn’t cut off her remaining legs. The sword I used when facing her was also one of the artifacts.

So I considered cutting more, but it seemed unnecessary. Looking at the physician’s disciple, she was in an even more grotesque state than before.

Her body, which had been writhing in pain, stopped, and her eyes rolled back as she let out silent screams.

Come to think of it, she didn’t seem to have much killing intent at first.

Seeing her like this reminds me. Considering her true nature was to be full of worries and negative, perhaps I actually returned her to normal.

My honest impression is that there were no signs of pretense in her timid, trembling-with-worry appearance.

The problem was after the duel suddenly started and her eyes changed; her appearance before that didn’t particularly seem like acting.

I heard she wasn’t a very high-level knight, so could she have been hit by some mind-affecting magic?

Since hypnosis actually exists in this world, it’s not impossible.

“…Gr, Grand Duchess…nim…?”

The one who blocked my way earlier, so… Pola?
Polik?

Anyway, Count Pol-something speaks to me with wide eyes.

Seeing a burly, hairy man of considerable age like that, I felt a strong urge to poke his eyes out for no reason.

However, doing so would mean losing one person who was showing me goodwill in the current situation, so I had to swallow the urge for now.

My social image would also hit rock bottom.

Come to think of it, would a normal person feel that it looks painful here?

Of course, for me, I merely thought that since the severed part was red, it matched her equally red hair quite well.

“…Count.”

‘Is saying, “If I cut off her legs too, will she declare me passed?” too socially inept here? Hmm, it’s a problem to ponder. But I can’t think for long, so I should speak in a standard manner.’

“Ask His Eminence to treat the examiner. We should keep her alive.”

“…Ah, I understand.”

This probably isn’t a particularly sociable thing to say either, but it should be a statement showing some leniency.

‘…Or is it not? Well, my head isn’t working well, so I don’t know.’

I don’t know if it’s because of the cut from earlier or if my organs are damaged, but my thoughts aren’t flowing smoothly.

I suspect that when the medicine wears off completely, I will definitely faint. My mind can endure it, but this weak body has a habit of quickly shutting down in the face of pain.

My heart suddenly beats twice, and my vision sways sluggishly. The tightening heat from the crown of my head was a sign it wasn’t simple fatigue.

So, it would be best to resolve this quickly.

“…And, Supervisor.”

I approach those who had started to draw their swords but stopped, now standing frozen silently.

“What does one do in a case like this? The examiner who should declare a pass has become unable to speak.”

I want to think about what they gain from my death, but my head hurts.

It was better to just say what needed to be said quickly rather than trying to gauge their emotions. That’s also why I assigned the Cardinal to the, uh, physician’s disciple.

If I listened to the Cardinal’s lengthy speech any longer, I felt like I might inadvertently press a knife to his throat.
Since I had to live by social decorum for the time being, such behavior was not good.

“…If the examiner is unable to make a judgment, the supervisor decides whether to pass or fail instead.”

Still gripping his sword, the supervisor speaks while slowly looking at me. Even without thinking deeply, that was clearly in the realm of intense vigilance and suspicion.

Mary’s image involuntarily came to mind, probably because the expression of the person standing before me was so obvious.

“Is that so? You would have the authority then. In that case, speak. Judged by fair standards, am I a pass, or a fail?”

The expression Mary sometimes showed me, though more passive and hidden by acting than this, was not like this man’s.

He was expressing his feelings with his whole body, mixing intense anger and even patience, as if he were looking at a lifelong nemesis.

So, that man is the type of person I enjoy playing with.

Emotional, yet foolish individuals who pretend to be rational. Weak individuals who fall apart after being indulged and then hit with a few harsh words at the end.

“…Considering the Grand Duchess’s physical condition and the examiner’s aggressive attitude, the Grand Duchess’s response was excellent.”

It seemed there was one more person, besides Mary, with whom I could have a thorough chat. It was just a shame that moment wasn’t now.

“However, the fact that Count Pollack intervened at the end, the flow of the exchange itself—”

“Ah! Did you see that last attack?”

Of course, that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a simple conversation right now.

Even if my head ached and my body was in the worst condition, these types were easy to handle.

“…A situation where it couldn’t last long due to the Grand Duchess’s stamina issues—”

“Of course, you probably didn’t see it. I know the Count is stronger than you, and even he didn’t seem to see it. In that case, if I were to do that to you now—”

“—!?!”

Clang—!

A sword is quickly drawn from the supervisor’s hip.

Extreme caution emanated from the tip of the sword, but there was a considerable distance between him and me.
And that thing from before had long since lost its effect, so I couldn’t use the exact same thing—

‘Looking at those eyes, even if I told him those facts, he wouldn’t believe me, would he?’

“…Pfft, as if I’d swing it. Why suddenly draw your sword like that? Making a person feel awkward. You should continue speaking, shouldn’t you?”

Grit—

It sounded like teeth grinding, but the supervisor soon opened his mouth again.

“…existed. Furthermore, with that last blow, it has been proven that you can use mana… this—”

Come to think of it, why is that man so angry with me?

My judgment is clouded right now, but what’s on his face is clearly intense anger.

Is it because I cut off the arm of the physician’s disciple?

No, the roots of the anger seemed quite deep for that. It didn’t seem like something that had formed in just a day or two.

To define that emotion precisely—it’s a rather old grudge.

Should I say it’s like the look someone gave me in my past life during a truthful conversation? It’s just as incomprehensible now as it was then.

Especially now, for a grudge to suddenly arise towards me, who has done no harm to that man, was quite a strange thing…

‘…Aha?’

“To induce carelessness in an opponent selected considering the Grand Duchess’s level—”

‘That’s right, that’s right. There was about one thing that could have earned me a grudge. They were such unremarkable fellows that I’d forgotten, but now I roughly get it.’

“Ah, let me give you a piece of advice. I recommend you don’t give a failing result. You seem to have something you’re relying on, but aren’t you truly curious?”

‘No, if you count them, it wasn’t just one.’

“Unbefitting of a knight, despicable—”

‘It was three times, after all.’

“…Where all those who snuck into my room disappeared to.”

I whispered quietly.

They say knights have sharp senses, so perhaps the Count standing beside the physician’s disciple… should I memorize her name too?

Anyway, the Count standing beside her, led by the Cardinal, might have heard—

“Me, thods, u, sed…” (basically nothing)

The supervisor before me probably understood. That much was a sufficient distance.

“Shh, you must continue, right? You should at least see their faces, shouldn’t you? They are still alive, you know.”

As proof, hasn’t he made such a hideous face, unable to contain his emotions?

Ah, how amusing.

Having lazed around idly for a while, I had forgotten that such thrilling things existed in the world.

Come to think of it, weren’t such things hidden all over the mansion? It’s a good thing, as I won’t be bored at least while temporarily playing the role of Grand Duke.

“…was, done.”

The supervisor’s eyes trembled uncontrollably, and intense hostility and killing intent were directed at me.

Feeling it twice in one day, I think I can definitely tell the difference between the two.

The former, the killing intent shown to me by the physician’s disciple during the duel, was less intense than the latter, the emotion currently directed at me.

If the former was mechanical, the latter was human.

In that case, perhaps it’s better to reserve judgment on her.

Hmm, either way, it was an enjoyable dilemma. Though my vision was blurring, it felt as if my body was screaming.

“Based on these, matters, ah. The final judgment, is…”

He’s hesitating, but frankly, it doesn’t really matter what judgment he makes.

If he declared a fail, I just had to persuade the Cardinal to redo the exam itself.

I had confirmed that the Cardinal’s side would, for now, support me—this was evident from the sword the Holy Knight had given to the Count.

So, no matter what, only that man would be at a loss.

I don’t know what relationship he had with the assassins who snuck into my room, but it seemed to be quite special.

This is why emotional beings are easy to handle. It’s not difficult to break them or win their favor with a few words.

Grit—

“…Pass, it is.”

Because I can easily lead them to the desired result.

“…A wise decision, I appreciate it. I’ll pass on your regards later, so if there’s anything you want to know, come find me.”

The supervisor, perhaps unaware that his own lips were bleeding, merely glared at me with an intense gaze.

I thought about smiling, but it seemed like it would just provoke him unnecessarily, so I decided to respond with a blank expression.

To gain his favor, the animosity already seemed too excessive.

While slowly turning my head, I still remained wary of what was behind me.

I wondered if he might attack, unable to contain his resentment, but he seemed to be a fellow who valued his own life.

“…Grand Duchess.”

As if the treatment was finished, the Count also approached me as I was walking towards the Cardinal. Sonia’s severed arm, which had been behind, was now reattached through holy power.

If I also received the Cardinal’s treatment, I would heal quickly, but as Grace is strengthened, my already short lifespan would be further reduced.

I don’t want to shorten my time, so it’s just unfortunate.

I put on that usual smile and looked at the Count, holding onto my increasingly blurry vision.

It would have been fine even if he hadn’t intervened, but seeing him jump in directly, he was the type of person who would be useful in many ways.

“Ah, sorry about today, Count. I think I’ll have to find you a skilled hairdresser later.”

“………”

‘…Hmm, is this not it?’

The Count’s expression doesn’t look very good. Normally, with an apology and goodwill, it’s basic human nature to move on.

‘…Or, was it not? Well. It’s hard to think further. It’s probably best to just state my request.’

“…Let’s go. My body is finding it hard to endure.”

“…Ah. Understood, Grand Duchess.”

Desperately holding onto my increasingly failing sense of balance, I mounted the horse with the Count’s escort.

Perhaps the medicine was wearing off; the tingling sensation rising from my internal organs was a feeling I had to ignore for now.

Even if I were to collapse, I had to collapse inside my room.