My Mind Sword’s Cooldown Is Too Long

“Family head. I’ll talk first.”
“Next family head. It doesn’t matter when we’re alone, but be careful outside.”
Libra nodded as if she understood, then opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“You clearly said you wouldn’t spare any necessary support. In return, I’d have to help with family matters.”
“I remember.”
“But… no killing. I only kill evil god worshippers of the Belmagor Order.”
“It will be so.”
“Family head. There must be no lies.”
“We’ll include that in the contract too. I won’t give you orders to kill people.”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
Her concern was obvious.
It’s not necessary to directly order someone to kill in order for a killing to happen.
It’s also possible to indirectly order an assassination by giving commands that can only be completed by killing people.
She’s being cautious about such aspects.
“Don’t worry. If a mission is given, you can decide and act based on your judgment. You can stop at your discretion. But there must be a reasonable report.”
“…Those conditions are too favorable to me. What if I keep refusing?”
“If you can convince me, that’s fine too.”
“…If you nitpick.”
“If you can’t trust me, we can pretend this conversation never happened.”
“…”
Libra fell into thought.
Unlike before, she pondered for quite a long time.
After patiently waiting for her thoughts to be organized, her purple eyes opened.
She seemed to have made a decision.
“I’ll trust you. I’m the one who needs help. But I won’t accept outrageous conditions.”
“Don’t worry. You can gauge with your ability, can’t you?”
“I was planning to do that without you saying it.”
From somewhere, Libra took out a small scale.
When using magic, if there’s a medium to help, mana consumption decreases and accuracy increases.
This also applies to unique characteristics, so her unique characteristic [Scales] can also increase accuracy by carrying an actual scale.
This is important now.
I expressed that I’d hold her leash, but I can’t make a contract with force.
Even if I did, she could just run away, so it wouldn’t have much effect.
If I make the contract conditions too good here, instead of gratitude, I’d be met with suspicion. And if I make the conditions harsh, her scale would detect it and reduce her favorability.
Therefore, making her feel indebted to me as much as possible is most important.
“Then it’s my turn to ask. Some of the evil god worshippers are colluding with the imperial family. It will be more dangerous than you think. You could be unjustly executed. Are you prepared?”
“I’ve been prepared for death from the beginning. Revenge is my priority.”
I said the Belmagor Order matter was dangerous, but in truth, it’s not that politically dangerous.
It’s just that some of the imperial family’s retainers who were pushed out in power struggles cooperated with evil god worshippers out of desperation.
Just a handful of factions that would immediately back down if Merchen and her family caught evidence.
If there’s enough power to defeat Archbishop Marquizares and his followers, there’s nothing else to worry about.
However, there’s no reason not to take credit, so I added a word.
“I could be in danger too. That’s always the case with politics. In that case, boldly abandon me.”
“If such a day comes… I won’t hesitate.”
“Good. Make sure you do.”
“…Family head. Jokes don’t work. If we’re in the same boat, I won’t abandon you.”
Libra smiled slightly.
She seems much more relaxed than at first.
Now it’s time to talk about my conditions.
“My conditions are simple. I’ll ferret out the collaborators within the imperial family, so you continue what you’ve been doing and clear out the evil god worshippers’ hideouts. I’ll inform you of hideout locations as they’re identified. I’ll prioritize your revenge until the evil god worshippers and the Belmagor Order are annihilated. But after that.”
“After that?”
“You’ll need to review documents by my side.”
“Documents?”
Libra tilted her head as if it was out of the blue.
“Family head. I’m a witch. Document work doesn’t suit me.”
I know.
You’re an assassin with a witch flavor, after all.
“I’ll get help from your unique characteristic. You’ll need to discern the value of the documents I hand over with your unique characteristic. Is that possible?”
“…If it’s just that, it’s possible.”
“Then we’ll do it that way. However, the term will be set after the matter is concluded.”
“…No. We need to decide now. I can’t stay here forever.”
“Don’t worry. The term will also be set through your ability.”
“…Still.”
“Though I say documents, it’s just borrowing the power of your unique characteristic. I won’t ask for difficult tasks.”
“…”
Libra became as silent as a clam.
She might have felt that the conditions themselves were favorable to her, but she’d be worried about not setting a term.
Her ability is fair. As long as she doesn’t manipulate the scale.
Therefore, the better the conditions for her, the more help she receives, the longer she’ll have to stay with the Calderon family.
In truth, since it’s not a difficult task, I won’t be able to make her stay that long.
By my estimation, even at the longest, about 5 years?
But if I steadily build favorability during that time, I can get help even after she leaves the family.
“Isn’t your ability fair?”
“My ability isn’t omnipotent. It can’t reflect variables.”
“Still, I can’t give you a definite answer right now. Since we don’t know how deeply the evil god worshippers are colluding with the imperial family, I can’t propose a fair term either.”
“…Then I’ll propose a term.”
Libra raised one of her fingers.
Surely she’s not saying just 1 year?
“1…”
“If you’re going to say 1 year, leave right now.”
“1… 10 years. Up to 10 years maximum. More than that would be difficult for me too.”
“…That much is.”
I gained an unexpected benefit.
I thought at most 5 years, and at least 2 years.
But there’s one more thing I’m greedy for.
Libra’s military power is among the highest in the worldview.
If I have her as an escort, my radius of activity would increase incomparably to now.
It’s a shame to bury someone like her in a corner of the Calderon mansion.
After thinking briefly, a clean excuse came to mind, and I opened my mouth again.
“Then there’s the issue of position. What would you prefer?”
“…I prefer jobs with few people.”
“You’ll be staying at the Calderon mansion from now on. Get used to it.”
“I adamantly decline.”
“Then… be my guard.”
“…Guard?”
Libra made an expression of not understanding.
“Family head. Need a guard?”
“Didn’t you say with your own mouth that you’re strong?”
“I said it, but I won’t kill.”
“I won’t ask you to. It would be what I said.”
“If I’m a guard… incidents are bound to happen.”
“If such things happen, I’ll handle them myself, so don’t worry.”
“…Understood.”
Libra sighed slightly but didn’t express other complaints.
Before her mind changed, I quickly handed her the contract.
I set her salary at 10 gold coins for now.
This should be sufficient for living.
“A salary of 10 gold coins?”
“Is it too little?”
“It’s too much.”
“Then work hard as a guard.”
“…I’ll try.”
You don’t need to try.
I’ll make use of you myself.
“Family head. I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I’m curious about why you’re chasing evil god worshippers.”
Why am I chasing evil god worshippers?
That’s simple.
[Main Quest]

Destroy the Belmagor Order.
Reward: Strengthening of Mind Sword (心劍)

Strengthening of Mind Sword.
What more reason do I need?
But I can’t say it like this.
“Does one need a reason to catch cockroaches that have entered their house?”
“…That makes sense.”
Libra nodded with a small smile.
Satisfied with this, Libra picked up a pen and signed the contract.
At that sight, I too smiled inwardly.
I got a 10-year guard.
One among the world’s strongest ranks.

Merchen Eildarin.
As the next family head candidate of the political family Eildarin, she was currently more thirsty for achievements than anyone else.
“My lord. It’s dangerous for you to go directly.”
“Isn’t that the 10th time you’ve said that? My ears will grow calluses, Hakan.”
Merchen headed to the Forest of Corpses at dawn when others were asleep, taking only Hakan, her confidant.
It was because of Cain’s letter.
Normally, Merchen would have sent someone too, but this matter was of grave importance.
Since there are collaborators among the imperial family’s retainers, they need to act with minimal personnel until they can identify them.
Having observed Cain for three years and seeing that he had never given false information, she moved directly this time.
“It should be around here.”
Merchen searched through the forest, lighting a red flame that closely resembled her hair color with magic.
Though they’re a political family, that doesn’t mean they do nothing.
Since she too needs to protect herself, she’s been learning magic since childhood.
“Oh! Isn’t that it?”
At that moment, a hut that had been burnt to ashes came into her view through the trees.
Hakan immediately pushed through the trees and checked the surroundings.
After completing investigations for possible ambushes or traps, Hakan reported safety to Merchen.
“…This is.”
As she approached the hut, there were bodies placed in front of the burnt hut.
Two from the Eight Great Villains and one of an unknown old man.
The old man must be Archbishop Marquizares.
From what she observed, he was dead, but according to Cain, he seemed capable of resurrection.
The bodies only had heads; the rest was not visible.
They must have burned along with the hut.
“…My lord. There are no signs of resistance on the bodies.”
“It seems so.”
“You’re not surprised. These are surely from the Eight Great Villains, aren’t they? It looks like they were cut down with a single sword.”
“I’ve seen something similar before.”
Merchen said calmly.
She had certainly seen it before.
In Cain’s report card. In his practical evaluation and the autopsy records of named monsters.
“Hakan. We’ve confirmed this, so let’s investigate the hut first.”
At Merchen’s command, Hakan moved quickly.
Though the hut had turned to ashes from the fire, magical traces don’t easily disappear.
Looking through the debris, traces of dirty human experiments and human sacrifices were indeed found.
“Ugh…”
“Are you alright?”
“…I feel like throwing up.”
Merchen and Hakan quickly completed the evidence collection.
They resolved it even more quickly because it was a scene they didn’t want to look at for long.
During that, they witnessed a peculiar scene.
“Purple fire?”
Magic usually follows the elements.
Just as Merchen created red flames, ordinary magic is like that.
However, this purple flame that makes one feel dreamy just by looking at it.
“…A witch?”
Only a witch could produce such a magic reaction that deviates from the norm.
Witches aren’t particularly persecuted, but they form closed communities.
Being so rare, it should be easy to identify who it is.
Above all, it was this purple flame that burned the bodies.
It seems definitely related to the evil god worshippers.
“…I’ll set it aside for now.”
Merchen set aside the matter of the purple flame.
She might need it someday.