The Male S*ave of the Count Sianella Family

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“Ray, you… don’t know anything, do you?”

It was Aria, not me, who reacted first to Ravi’s question.

“What are you thinking so hard about that you won’t tell us anything… Ravi Crunel. What does that mean?”

“…Following Aria’s orders, I was observing the orcs lying haphazardly along the path where the carriage had to pass. At first, I wasn’t sure, but… the brutal scars left on the orc’s body clearly looked like they were made by magic.”

“A brutal scar, you say? It’s possible that Siabel, the expert, could have done that. If there were arrows lodged in them, it might have been a single archer shooting at a not-quite-dead orc.”

“No.”

Ravi firmly rejected Aria’s opinion.

Her crimson hair swayed as she shook her head slowly. Her bangs, quite long, parted slightly to reveal her smooth forehead, but the motion caused some strands to fall and partially obscure her gaze.

“Those wounds couldn’t have been inflicted by an entry-level expert knight.”

The eyes that peeked through her hair glimmered with careful scrutiny.

“The apparent scars were very different from the way Siabel hunts orcs… especially the arrows deeply embedded in them; the insides of the orc were already shredded. A rank-and-file knight would struggle to do such damage.”

“Ravi.”

“Yes?”

“Take your time and speak slowly. No one is rushing you.”

“……”

Ravi took a slow sip from her drink on the table.

As Aria mentioned, she was speaking so rapidly that it felt as if she were under pressure.

I needed some time to think about how to respond, or she might as well run out of breath in a moment like this.

I waited without much complaint for Ravi to continue her elaborate explanation.

“And so… as the proud head of the Second Battle Wizards of the Alenarr Marquis Family, I can surely say that magic was definitely involved.”

“…Could it be that a wizard from the Marquis Family did that?”

“After checking, none of our wizards have summoned any wind. The magic must have traveled via arrows, so… it could be someone from the Count’s side who did it.”

“But there shouldn’t have been any magic users among the Count’s personnel.”

“That’s why I’m about to ask you now.”

Ravi pushed her hair aside, clearing her line of sight.

Her black eyes sparkled deeply, reminiscent of a winter galaxy. They seemed to focus entirely on me.

Meanwhile, Aria, standing next to her, leaned back, crossed her arms like Siabel, merely observing this curious situation.

“I remember you were preparing the palace with Princess Shione Shianella that day—”

Ravi extended her words while squinting her eyes.

Tap. Tap.

With the blunt end of her pen, she lightly tapped her lips before speaking naturally.

“You didn’t infuse magic into your arrows, did you?”

I had no obligation to disclose my spirit magic to Ravi. Even if I did, it wasn’t necessary.

I shook my head without hesitation.

“No matter how much mana I awakened, how could a man wield magic? Regrettably, the best I can do is circulate the small amount of mana gathered in my heart.”

“All… what kind of question am I asking? It’s natural that men can’t handle magic…”

“……”

“Hmmm……”

After saying that, Ravi remained silent for a moment, studying my demeanor before she began fidgeting with her pen again.

The sound of the pen scratching on paper grew more muddled and thick, as if she was pressing hard on something.

Having written something intensely, she turned her gaze back to me.

Just then, Aria raised a hand to temporarily halt Ravi’s questioning.

“If you don’t wish to answer, you don’t have to. We called you here to talk, not to interrogate you. Understand?”

“…Understood.”

“Good. Let’s ease the pressure a bit, Ravi.”

“Yes, I will be careful.”

Aria signaled Ravi gently with a glance, and Ravi nodded in acquiescence.

Questions about Flora and Shione filled my mind.

Why were there so many things I wanted to ask, and why was there such a stubbornness in finding whoever used magic?

If this dragged on, it felt like the conversation could go endlessly, so I expressed that due to the blizzard, I found it hard to maintain clarity. I mentioned I wasn’t sure if Flora or Shione had wielded magic.

I occasionally sealed my lips tightly to avoid certain answers.

Once I provided suitably vague replies, Ravi fixed her eyes back to her notebook, falling deep into a tower of imagination.

Finally, after silently observing the situation, Aria opened her mouth.

“Thank you for your time. You may leave now.”

With her brief dismissal, I carefully stood up, nodded to them, and as I thought about how Shione would react to my desire to become Siabel’s swordsmanship apprentice, I moved my feet.

…Ravi Crunel had gradually wiped me off the board and was almost convinced that Shione wielded magic.

It seemed like today I’d have even more things to talk about with Shione than usual.

*

After confirming that Ray, Shione Shianella’s attendant, had left, Aria Alenarr listened intently to the fading sound of his footsteps from beyond the door. As the sound of his steps grew fainter until it vanished completely, she spoke up.

“Ravi.”

At Aria’s voice, Ravi, who seemed about to get absorbed into her notebook, turned her gaze toward her.

“What do you think was real and what was false in what Ray said?”

“……”

“The swordsmanship I witnessed had a level of finesse that can’t just be attributed to talent and a short training period; it bore the seasoned skill of an experienced mercenary. If he could respond fairly against a heavy attack from that demon… simply injecting a little vitality wouldn’t be enough.”

“……”

“In my eyes, he seemed to weave a convincing narrative by skillfully mixing truths and lies. It sparked my curiosity but only raised more questions. What do you think, Ravi?”

Ravi, putting her pen into her pocket, replied to her.

“Even if you feel that way, I… really don’t know.”

She opened her notebook with one hand and glanced at one line.

“4. Hiding something.”

“I think we’ll need to observe a bit longer to understand.”

*

On my way back to Shione’s room, I caught sight of Siabel up ahead, tying her long hair into a ponytail with a hair band, her lips pressed against it.

Considering she was in the hallway and dressed in a thick winter outfit with a fluffy fur coat draped over it, it seemed she had finished her conversation with Shione quite a while ago.

“Hmm?”

Just as I noticed her, Siabel seemed to spot me too and walked over with a bright expression.

With her arms raised, holding her hair, she quickly approached me, her red lips pursing. The round hair band bobbed up and down with her movement.

“Did your talk with Princess Shione go well?”

“Hmm-hmm.”

Nodding vaguely, she moved her lips again to say something.

“이구 줌 뉴나훈테 주바.” (I can’t be sure what this means, but let’s keep it colorful.)

“…What?”

“움움…….”

“Are you asking for the hair band?”

“움.”

Come on… She could easily do this on her own, so why ask?

Seeing her mischievous grin, it seemed she was in the mood for some playful teasing.

I shook my head in amusement and reached my hand toward her.

The instant I grabbed the hair band that was gripped by her lips, Siabel opened her mouth.

“King.”

She attempted to bite my finger.

Siabel, at the age of twenty-three, was certainly old enough to act gracefully within the nobility; what on earth was she doing?

Drawing my hand back in disgust, Siabel giggled again.

“What are you doing?”

“Just a bit of light teasing. Hand over the hair band kindly.”

“…Here it is.”

Siabel received the hair band from me and quickly tied up her neatly gathered hair.

Even while tying her hair, and afterward as she gaze at me, she maintained a gentle smile.

Her cheerful demeanor wasn’t just a fleeting reaction to a moment ago.

The warm feelings radiated from her didn’t seem to show any signs of fading away.

“Did something good happen?”

“Oh, was it that obvious?”

I nodded silently in response to her question.

Then, Siabel chuckled and ruffled my hair playfully.

“Actually, there is one good thing. I finally have my first apprentice.”

“Apprentice, you say…?”

“The one standing right in front of me.”

Siabel tilted her head while poking her hands into her fluffy coat pockets.

“My apprentice, Ray.”

“…Did Princess Shione permit this?”

“Of course. She said it would be a sin to waste your talent and readily gave her approval. I was lucky to share sentiments with your sister. Now, then—”

Siabel extended her hand to me from her pocket.

“Let’s make it a good relationship, Ray.”

Since she offered a handshake, it wouldn’t be polite to just stand there awkwardly.

I clasped her hand, and in that moment,

[You have become Siabel Shianella’s apprentice!]

[Due to the development of your relationship with her, your mana efficiency has improved significantly.]

[From now on, your sword will, at times, deal deadlier wounds to enemies than usual.]

[Siabel Shianella’s interest in you has surpassed a certain level.]

[Siabel Shianella’s evaluation of you is ‘a most desiring apprentice.’]

[If you engage in battle within a specific distance of Siabel Shianella, a portion of your powers will be unlocked.]

After reviewing the newly revealed status window, I smiled brightly.

“I look forward to your guidance, Master.”

“Hmmm… Just call me Siabel. Master sounds too stiff.”

“Siabel, then.”

For a while, our rapport was filled with mutual laughter.