I borrowed her power and some skills by the skill of the brave Epona, [Knights who follow me].

As soon as I borrowed the training hall in the castle, I tried to move my body, and my physical abilities are drastically different from before.
　The most remarkable thing is the increase in the amount of magic power released.

It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can get your hands on it.
　It could be said that the weakness had been overcome.
　With this, the number of possible tactics will increase at once.

''Not at all, I can't compete with Rougu-sama.......''

Breathing hard, the tart kneels on the spot.
　He was given an opponent to test his strength.
　He dared to fight the all-out Tart without using the enhancement of his physical abilities through magic power.

Until now, as expected, the tart had won when he did that much handicap, but today he was able to win.

''I didn't know you could be this strong. I'm looking forward to using [Knights Following Me] on Tart.
'I'm looking forward to it too. It's so nice to have Master Lugue's flowing through me and connecting with me all the time.

Is it me or is it just me, or does it sound strangely cryptic?
　I'd like to grant [Knights Following Me] to the tart immediately, but I want to experiment with various things.

I want to manipulate the skills I give him to some extent.
　Among my skills and the skills I borrowed from Epona, there are clearly skills that I want to give to Tart.

Among the skills I own, 【Limit Breakthrough】 and 【Super Recovery】.
　This combo is extremely vicious. ........I found out after fighting the demon race. That's not something you should deal with as a person.
　I want Tart to surpass a person.
　And with Epona's skill, the [Egg of Possibility].
　I'll try various things to see if I can't pick these three to give them to you, and then give the power to Tart.

'I'm afraid to ask you to use a skill that only three people can use... but I also want you to choose it for sure.
How could I not choose you? Tart is my family and my favorite assistant.

At first, I got it just as a tool. But now it's not.
　I may be presumptuous to say this, after using brainwashing techniques to curry favor with me, but I believe our bond is real.

'Yes!　To me, Master Lugue is everything. Have you decided who the other two are?
One of them is going to be Deere.

Dia is my lover, and we will eventually bond. Even with that in mind, you're the best wizard I've ever known.
　I have no reason not to choose him.

Where's the other one?
It's a little annoying. If it's safe, it's Maha. But she's a logistical support, and her fighting ability is not that important. You can choose your father as an immediate replacement, but I'll put that on hold for now. If I think it's necessary, I'll choose it then.

You can only choose three people in your life, so don't be in a hurry.
　In fact, I prefer the situation where there is one slot available.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I love you as much as you love me.
I'll think about it. I'd better get back to it. I've got a dinner party coming up.
'I'm getting nervous. I'll do my best not to embarrass Master Lugue.

I'm not worried.
　Tart's maid skills are now at the top-notch level.

◇

The dinner, it was not planned by the royal family, but was organized by the nobles who were allowed to stay in the royal castle just like us.

The participants are the noblemen who are allowed to stay in the castle and their servants.
　In total, there are about fifty of them.
　They are all people who can easily blow up a baronial family like Touahade, for example.

As soon as we enter, gazes gather.
　First to me, the one who is the topic of conversation, and then to my mother, Tart, and Dia.
　It's not that I'm tired of seeing beautiful people, but these three are still outstanding, and my eyes can't help but be drawn to them.
　While I'm proud of them, I also have a hazy feeling.
　Tart is fuming, but Mom and Dia are used to it.

Some familiar faces were there.
　Neusch Gefis.
　The heir to one of the four great dukes of the country and a classmate.
　He gave me a light glance.

''Thank you for inviting me here,''

My father curtsies, and we follow suit.
　Following the instructions from the other side, we took our seats and the tart took a back seat.
　Originally, we were supposed to be seated in the lower section, but this time, since we were the guests of honor, we were ushered into the upper section.

'Baron Touahade, I am sorry to call you here even though I have to prepare for the reception ceremony. I wanted to ask your son a number of questions. Have a seat.

The Duke of Gephis smiles at me, but his eyes are not smiling.
　He is of medium height with a mixture of gray hair. He has a well-groomed face and, above all, a light of intelligence.
　A real aristocrat. He's dressed flamboyantly, yet he's harmonious without the slightest bit of sarcasm.

...I look around and there are many decent nobles.

Perhaps it's because he hosted them and he chose them.
　The same kind of people call friends. Is it because decent aristocrats gather with decent aristocrats, or is it because Duke Gephis is educating his staff?
　When we took our seats, our food was brought to us.

''So that's how it is.''

I whisper.
　Today's dishes are all made with northern ingredients.
　The three starters were: sobie, a northern vegetable with walnuts; halter pheasant, a large pheasant also found in the north, with berry sauce; and chum salmon rouibe (sashimi on ice) from a northern river.
　The next meat dish was also a northern dish. It was bear meat cooked in a northern miso.
　To begin with, the bread was made of rye, which is resistant to cold.
　Despite the fact that if you were inside the royal castle and asked for a word, the meal would be provided by the castle, all of these dishes brought in ingredients from Gefis territory and had their cooks cook them.

This wasn't to miss the local cuisine, nor was it to proclaim the wonders of their own territory to the partygoers.
　By serving this kind of food on this occasion, he was demonstrating his position and intentions.
　He said that he cannot follow the decisions of the royalty, or even the center, and that the Gefis territory will move by its own will.

''What do you think of today's dish? Doesn't it suit your palate better than the central cuisine?''

I'm the one looking at him.

'Yes. It's good, but the central dish isn't bad either.'

The intention of this question was to ask if he would be attached to the North, or to the Dukes of Gephis.
　That's why I said that I couldn't accept that proposal under the current circumstances.
　The air in the place becomes a little swallowed, and my father opens his mouth in response.

''Let's not do this kind of central-style detour. I can assure you that this place is not bugged and there are no cunts. ........As long as Duke Gephis doesn't have any informants mixed in with the people he's gathered, it should be fine.

At his father's words, Duke Gephis's cronies were furious and rose to their feet.
'There can be no such thing among us!
'Baron Touahade, you're getting too carried away!
I'm sorry about this. I'm a bit of a worrier, after all.

The roundabout way of doing things is to avoid being taken advantage of when the time comes.
　If you don't want to side with the Duke of Gefis in the conversation we just had?　What a thing to say, and if it becomes public knowledge, it could be considered treason.
　On the other hand, if the conversation here doesn't leak out, you don't have to do that.

'Hmm, I see. I believe in everyone. Hence, let's hear it straightforwardly. This is the decision of the center. We are not convinced of this central decision. Can you kill a demon in the first place?
I don't know. I could kill the last demon tribe, but I couldn't kill them all. No matter how many of them I killed, they would have regenerated, and if it wasn't for the brave Epona, I would have had to flee.
"Well, they could have killed him, even if they couldn't. I don't believe it. How could they do such a thing?
"I have an S-ranked skill set, sir.
What kind of power is that?
'Making those skills known would be tantamount to disclosing my weaknesses, and I'll keep quiet about what skills I have.

Essentially, one in a hundred million people have an S-ranked skill.
　Just having it is enough to qualify as a hero.

''Fine. But if you can't kill them, what's the point?''
"We have developed a way to kill it. However, it has yet to be proven. Until the demon tribe shows up and tries it, I can't say for sure that it can be killed. Hence, it is possible that it can be used to kill them.

There's no point in hiding it, so I answer honestly.

It's the first time in history that a non-brave person has killed a demon race.

He knows how big a deal it is.
　Not just me, but anyone else might be able to kill the demon race.

Therefore, I'd rather have you bet on that possibility than have me die from an accident or illness and lose the justification for keeping a brave man in the center. ........Besides, I don't want to die either, so I'll do my best to resist, and with my S-ranked skills, it's quite a bone to kill me.
Haha, looks like they've seen through me.

I was being watched from the streets, and then when I entered the royal capital, it was taken over by a bunch of rowdy people, and they were aware of it.
　In short, they wanted me to do less damage by reversing their decision to not send the brave men out to the provinces now if the demon race couldn't kill them.

''You're quite interesting. Baron Touahade has been blessed with a good son.''
'Yes, I'm proud of my rogue. That's not the end of the story, is it?
Well, we've really run out of patience with the central government in this affair. The House of Lords is still in order, but they've taken over the reins.

Those guys are two of the four major duke families, East and West.
　The north and south, the Gephis dukes and that duke family with close ties to Touahade, are decent, but the east and west are aristocratic nobles in the so-called bad sense.

''If you can really kill the demon race, Rougu-kun, you'll be making a name for yourself more and more in the future. You can't ignore the East and the West. If you're brave enough to take on the power of the brave men and women, we'll be able to wipe out their influence. Will you help us?　Obviously, we'll pay you and we'll do our best to back you up.

I am grateful to receive support from a great nobleman for exterminating demons.
　Obtaining the backing of Duke Gephis is also a strength above all else in surviving the aristocratic society.
　However, it's also true that it would be difficult to move if we were taken in here, which is troubling.

''You mean taking me in, but how exactly do you mean?''

He urges them to talk beyond that, while thinking.

'My family and I will enter into a marriage in Touahade. Our blood is the strongest of all. My son, Noish, and your beautiful daughter, Claudia, your beautiful daughter." "I decline.

I answered immediately.
　This suggestion is out of the question.

There was no way I could give Dia to you.
　I've decided to live my second life as I please.
　Hence, for the sake of my own love, I would kick it, even if it was a proposal from a great nobleman.

"And you answer to him, not the Lord?
''Yes, because what you need is not the power of Touahade, but the power of being the second bravest man in the world. My father will leave me in charge of it, too.
Yeah, Lugues will do it.

The Duke of Gefis wrinkled his brow, though slightly, as if he hadn't expected to be refused.
　If it was a pure calculation of profit and loss, there was no way they would kick the proposal.
　They would have intended to show the utmost sincerity in the first place.
　Because they didn't choose Dia's fiancée as a crony aristocrat or anything else, but the Gefis duke family, and that too, the heir.

When you have defeated the demon race, we'll appear again. Next time I'll offer you a different proposition.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
Hmm, no more trouble. From now on, you can just enjoy the food. Our cooks make excellent desserts.
I will, sir.

I didn't keep him at all.
　I think he realized from my reaction that he had no pulse at all.
　After that, I genuinely enjoyed the food.

Dia loved the northern food. I looked at it and guessed the recipe as I ate it, and I had a vague idea of what I was going to make.
　Next time, I'll make it for Dia. I'll make something better.
　I like her. So I won't let her take it away from me, and I want to do what makes her happy.