1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

128. In Our House (1)

The domain of Tenest lies at the crossroads where the cool weather meets the fertile lands of the east.

Winters are less harsh, summers pleasantly cool, and crops thrive, drawing even the Emperor’s covetous gaze.

Meanwhile, from the mansion perched atop the cliff, renowned for its breathtaking views, a carriage filled with the sound of muffled sobs crossed the threshold.

The driver, glancing back at the weeping girl, let out a deep sigh, while the girl, Melin, squeezed her already worn-out tear ducts, wetting her cheeks like a wrung-out cloth.

‘Mother…’

Upon hearing what had transpired upon her return to her hometown, it felt as if her very life had crumbled.

According to the words of a local old woman selling fish nearby, it went like this:

Her mother, having toiled tirelessly to earn money, returned only to realize her daughter was missing. She searched high and low, only to return empty-handed, ultimately waiting endlessly in front of the orphanage.

Even as autumn faded into the depths of winter, she remained, until the cold proved too much to bear, leading to her demise.

The conclusion of such foolish love left the heart of the still-growing girl tangled in complexity.

The carriage came to a halt, and the driver opened the door.

He wished to give the girl, lost in her human emotions, a moment longer, but this was the estate of a great noble family.

He could not linger indefinitely, so he gently nudged Melin’s side to lift her up.

“Child, if you find yourself here with nowhere to go, you must gather your wits.”

The driver knew all too well what the people of the mansion were like.

The servants and soldiers were those who had either amassed tremendous experience or had managed to set foot here through blood ties or connections.

There was no way they would look kindly upon a suddenly appearing orphaned child.

Just then, the head maid, Elma, approached.

The coachman flinched and bowed his head.

“I have returned, Head Maid.”

“Hmm, it’s you. You said you were from Bellam, correct?”

“Ah, yes…”

“I did not ask you that.”

At the head maid’s sharp remark, the coachman patted Merin’s shoulder.

“Child, you must answer properly.”

The coachman worried whether the girl could speak correctly.

She already seemed to be in trouble, and if she failed to respond appropriately to the head maid, it would surely lead to dire consequences.

Yet, Merin, who had just moments ago been on the verge of tears, wiped her face clean and calmly introduced herself.

“I am Merin Arisil. I look forward to your guidance.”

The coachman was momentarily taken aback.

The rigid posture and the earnest glint in her eyes were not something a girl of her age should possess.

The head maid shot a piercing glance at Merin before turning her back.

In a panic, the coachman asked her, “Um, Head Maid? What shall we do with this child?”

“…”

Without a word, the head maid departed.

The coachman let out a deep sigh at the sight.

After such a long journey, it was only basic courtesy to have her washed and provided with new clothes.

The fact that they wouldn’t even do that meant she was in serious trouble.

‘Well… It’s a child brought by the young master; there’s no way they’d treat her kindly.’

With no other choice, the coachman sought out a maid he was on friendly terms with and discreetly asked her to look after the girl.

* * *

After bathing in the washroom, Merin changed into new clothes.

Having only worn shabby garments before, she struggled a bit, prompting the maid to let out a deep sigh and fasten the buttons for her.

Then, she smiled warmly.

“Is the young master doing well these days?”

Melin found herself at a loss for words.

Her memories of him were but a blur—being thrown to the ground during the practical magic lessons, bound and helpless.

And that he ruled the academy like a king, perhaps?

Ah, then he must be doing well.

“…Yes. Everyone at the academy holds him in high regard.”

“Really? That’s quite fortunate.”

Melin felt a twinge of unease at her smile.

The rumors she had heard about Hessel since arriving here were all dark and foreboding.

“It seems you have a favorable view of the young master.”

“Oh, of course. He is my savior.”

“Savior?”

At Melin’s question, the maid’s eyes sparkled with a knowing glint as she began her tale.

“Actually, there was a time when a monster sealed within this mansion was unleashed.”

Melin recalled faint whispers from the instructors about it.

The rumor of a vengeful black swan awakening.

It was said that the owner of this place had swiftly dealt with it.

“If the young master hadn’t been there that day, we would have all perished.”

The maid gazed into the distance, as if lost in the memories of that fateful day.

“Oh, enough of that. For now, shall we sleep in my room? I’ll find a way to sort out your room later.”

“…Thank you.”

Melin stepped out of the dressing room.

In the corridor, a towering man and a middle-aged fellow were playfully waving their hands.

From their armor, they appeared to be soldiers of this place.

“Are you the child that the young master took under his wing?”

The middle-aged man asked, and Melin nodded.

After that, a brief introduction followed.

Through this, she learned the middle-aged man’s name was Jack, and the man beside him was called Rodel.

“Uncle Jack, I heard rumors that Sir Coulo is going to train him. Is that true?”

“Let’s hope not.”

It sounded a bit ominous.

Merlin resolved to flee if things felt off.

In that moment, Jack cleared his throat as if recalling his purpose and spoke.

“Ahem. Actually, the twin young masters, the lady has called for you. It seems the eldest has sent word; he’s quite curious about various matters.”

Merlin left behind the hand-waving maid and followed the two men.

As they strolled through the corridor, her thoughts drifted.

Mostly about Hessel von Tenest.

‘If he has someone following him this closely, perhaps he isn’t such a bad person after all?’

The image she had of him from the dormitory was of a fierce face, hurling insults at people, calling them vermin and worse.

She had thought the reputation she heard here was not much different, but seeing them now, she wondered if he might be someone whose exterior and interior were, in a good sense, different.

‘Well, if you think about it, just the fact that he didn’t kill us and accepted us as subjects…’

Merlin cautiously asked Jack and Rodel.

“What kind of person is the eldest young master?”

Jack and Rodel halted, their eyes widening in surprise.

Then Jack, crossing his arms, let out a groan and turned to Rodel.

“What do you think, Rodel?”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say he’s a good person, would you?”

“No, absolutely not. He was a downright vile scoundrel.”

Jack rubbed his forehead, grimacing.

“In the past, I thought he was just a pure demon reincarnated, you know? The only reason we stuck around was to pick up the crumbs he left behind.”

With that, Jack suddenly curled the corners of his mouth upward.

“But now…”

Jack, who had been grumbling, turned his back again.

“Well, I suppose you could say he’s an okay person.”

Merlin pursed her lips and blinked.

Just as she was beginning to solidify her perception of him, they arrived at the door where the twin children were said to be.

“Well then, Merlin. We’ll be off. Don’t make any mistakes.”

“Yes, thank you, Uncle Jack. And you too, Brother Rodel.”

“Brother, huh… I do look a bit young, don’t I?”

Jack left, teasing Rodel as they walked away.

Melin stood alone before the door, suddenly gripped by tension, swallowing hard.

She was terrified of making a mistake in front of the noble children, unsure of what fate might befall her.

“Huuh.”

With a sigh, Melin steadied her heart and knocked.

“Uh, come in.”

It was the voice of a youthful boy.

As Melin stepped into the living room, her eyes widened in surprise.

Before her stood a boy and girl, both barely taller than her head, approaching with eyes brimming with curiosity.

“Are you the one that big brother sent?”

While the young master spoke, the young lady smiled brightly and held up a piece of paper.

[Nice to meet you. I am Niasel ben Tenest.]

From the way she acted, it seemed she couldn’t speak.

“I am Melin Arisil. It is an honor to serve you, young master. Young lady.”

Fortunately, thanks to the maid who had roughly taught her etiquette during her bath, she managed to maintain basic decorum.

“First, take a seat.”

The young master gestured to the leather sofa.

As soon as Melin sat down, a barrage of questions began.

Starting with, ‘How is Frost Heart?’ to [Is big brother doing well?].

“Talking about Frost Heart is considered taboo, so… I’m sorry, young master.”

Melin replied, beads of sweat forming on her brow.

“I believe big brother is doing the best he can there. The others are taking care of him.”

Like children who had never set foot in a foreign land, they had many more questions.

They were curious about the Belham Kingdom she hailed from, what the people there ate to survive.

“…Well, the people there eat lobsters. The nobles don’t like them, calling them sea bugs, so they’re mostly served to prisoners. Of course, those of us who have little also eat them.”

Just as her mind was swirling, pushing sad thoughts to the back, Mirsel asked innocently.

“But why did you come alone if you went to see your mother? If you had come together, we could have made room for one more.”

Melin’s eyes trembled.

“Th-that is…”

Was the water from the bath seeping back into her tear ducts?

She struggled to continue, but the quivering in her throat and the tears streaming down her cheeks were beyond her control.

Melin buried her face in her knees, unwilling to show her wretched state.

“I-I’m so sorry for showing you this, I truly apologize…”

As she trembled and sobbed, Niasel looked at Melin with a sympathetic expression.

Mirsell, sweating and scratching his temple in discomfort, muttered, “…What on earth is going on? Did I do something wrong?”

Niasel narrowed her eyes and nudged Mirsell playfully.

“Hey? Don’t push me, Niasel.”

[Stay out of it.]

“Fine, I get it, just stop already.”

Eventually, Mirsell was shoved out of the living room by Niasel’s insistence.

With only the two of them left, Niasel approached Melin and gently patted her back.

Feeling the small touch of her hand, Melin let out a louder wail, crying uncontrollably.

* * *

[…This is what happened.]

As Donathan admired the illustrated diary sent by Niasel, he thought, ‘What a truly kind-hearted child. Unlike some others.’

“Indeed, she is certainly different from Deisel and Erusel.”

‘That someone refers to you, you know?’

“Oh dear, I’m too soft-hearted, it’s worrying. Life must be exhausting.”

‘…What a brazen fellow you are.’

I carefully tucked the letter into the drawer.

Since I was the one who had placed it there, I might face some discrimination, but contrary to my fears, it seemed there was nothing to worry about.

With the twins around, Jack and Rodel would take good care of her, and she would adapt quickly.

‘But how long will you hold onto that?’

At Donathan’s question, I glanced to the side.

A single bed floated aimlessly.

The map, lifted by hundreds of gold, had already been floating for thirty minutes.

“I think I can still manage more.”

Compared to the early days, the amount of mana had truly increased significantly.

Thanks to Rix’s blessing recently, an immense amount of mana had accumulated from practicing in the mana field and the Ruon subjugation battle.

—

There, in the holster, was Peldira’s staff.

*Whispers of the Mist*

● Attribute Type: Concealment.

A magical staff crafted from the wood of another realm by a grand sorcerer for their apprentice.

It completely hides the incantation until the magic is activated.

Only the owner can perceive the mana.

The accuracy of the incantation increases by 30 percent.

The efficiency of the mana increases by 10 percent.

As an S-rank artifact, the options were truly insane.

With the accuracy of the incantation, including the gloves, it totaled a staggering 40 percent.

With the additional 10 percent increase in mana efficiency, the consumed mana was drastically reduced.

Above all, the best part was how well the stealth option blended with the hundreds of gold.

To say it ‘completely’ hides the incantation…

From the enemies’ perspective, even if I were to openly draw the incantation right in front of them, they wouldn’t have a clue when or where the magic would strike.

The incantation itself would be invisible, and no matter how keen their senses, the mana emanating from it could only be felt by me, the owner.

‘It’s fascinating every time I see it. To think that even the mana cannot be sensed. Isn’t it the very essence of power that is neither seen nor felt?’

“What, is that so?”

Wait a moment.

Cannot be seen or felt?

That means…

In a flash of inspiration, I set the bed down and coated my arm with hundreds of gold.

With that, I lifted the bed effortlessly, and something astonishing happened.

It felt as light as holding an empty box.

Had Donathan sensed the usage of my muscles? He exclaimed in surprise.

“Ha, Hessel. Draw your sword once.”

“Alright…”

As if possessed by a spirit, I drew the sword in one swift motion.

In that state, I surrendered my body to Donathan, and the sword in my hand swung.

Ping!

The speed of the sword was incomparable to usual.

—

This was akin to the speed one felt when encircled by the rapid currents of aura manipulation.

‘W-what is this!’

As Donathan gasped in surprise, a shiver ran down my spine, and I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle that felt like it might burst forth.

“Heh heh heh.”

This could be quite useful for my exoskeleton suit.

After all, if I just cast the invisibility spell properly, no one would notice.

“I’ve become even better at cheating.”

With this, I could at least pretend to wield aura somewhat competently.

—