My Mind Sword’s Cooldown Is Too Long

A unique characteristic is a special ability one is born with.
Being rare, they are mostly powerful abilities that are not casually mentioned.
Therefore, revealing one’s unique characteristic means showing an important card in one’s hand.
“Is it alright to tell me?”
“If you keep it a secret.”
“I don’t really have anyone to tell.”
“You look that way.”
“…”
“That was also a joke.”
Libra smiled slightly and explained her unique characteristic.
Since I already knew the content, I waited for her to finish speaking.
She also hid a considerable portion of her unique characteristic’s capabilities.
“You gauge the value of two things with scales? What does that have to do with fortune-telling?”
“I can also compare concepts. For example, whether someone will live or die within a year.”
“…That’s like prophecy.”
“However, the more variables there are, the less accurate it becomes.”
“For example?”
“If I gauge whether someone will die within a year… it’s only possible based on their current condition. It’s useful if they have a disease.”
“What if someone stabs them with a dagger?”
“Beyond my ability. I can’t predict that.”
Libra shook her head.
What her unique characteristic can gauge is limited to the current state.
It cannot contain the many variables that change in the future.
However, it is possible to accurately see through the current value visible to the eyes.
“That’s sufficient.”
“…Then.”
“I’ll officially recruit you into the Calderon family. I won’t spare any necessary support. In return, you’ll have to help with family matters. The term is until we root out the evil god worshippers.”
“Not enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your ability. Won’t you tell me?”
“Of course not.”
“…Hiding it suggests it’s not a remarkable ability.”
“Think as you wish. I’m leaving now. The sun will rise soon.”
Ignoring Libra’s dissatisfied expression, I took out a medicine bottle from inside my clothes.
“It’s an antidote. Will you drink it?”
“…You’re thoroughly prepared.”
“I heard there’s a skilled individual among the Eight Great Villains who uses poison, so I prepared it, but it became unnecessary.”
“Quite famous in the back alleys. Not the type to be affected by an unremarkable ability.”
“Your leg seems fine. I’m leaving now.”
“…That was a compliment. I’ll take the antidote.”
I threw the bottle containing the antidote to Libra.
She caught it cleanly and emptied the bottle in one go, after which her expression became much more relaxed.
Rui the Poison Drinker’s unique characteristic [Extreme Poison] is the ability to overlay his magical power onto ordinary poison.
Therefore, the poison he uses is just ordinary poison.
Now that Rui the Poison Drinker is dead, ordinary antidotes can quickly alleviate the symptoms, and the medicine I handed over was something I requested from Risiella.
As a detoxification potion handled by one of the Empire’s five great families, its performance is incomparably superior.
“Can you move now?”
“…Yes.”
Libra slowly moved her injured leg.
Though slow, it definitely moves.
After confirming that much, I immediately left the forest.
Because it had gotten too late.
The sun was already beginning to rise, and since I had walked here, I needed to move quickly.
While walking along the forest path, I occasionally stayed aware of what was behind me.
Because I never knew when Libra might suddenly change and stab a knife in my back.
…Though this was excessive worry, I don’t let my guard down even if communication went well.
Glancing back, I saw Libra was definitely following, albeit slowly.
She seemed somewhat tired, but it couldn’t be helped.
I couldn’t carry her just because her leg was injured. I’m tired too.
“…Car?”
“I’ll provide one once we reach the family mansion.”
“No. Not that.”
Libra, who had exited the forest, called me to a stop.
Seeing her suddenly talk about a car, I thought she might be thirsty, but that wasn’t it.
She seemed to be asking about a magic automobile.
It’s been 30 years since magic engineering took root in the Empire.
Though not cheap enough for commoners to ride, she naturally thought I had come here by car since I revealed my identity.
“I don’t have a car.”
“…? Next head of the Calderon family… Calderon is one of the Empire’s five great houses…”
“But I’m rather frugal.”
“A lie…”
Libra slumped to the ground.
I thought she was following diligently along the rough forest path despite her tired appearance.
Can’t be helped. Since we still have a long way to go, I offered her a word of encouragement.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“Is that a lie too?”
“We only need to walk for about three hours more.”
“…I’d rather die here.”
Libra buried her head in the ground.
Despite many twists and turns, we were able to arrive at the Calderon family mansion without being too late.
“…Magic automobile.”
“Still haven’t given up? Riding such a thing at dawn would attract attention.”
“No.”
Libra, with her face steeped in fatigue, didn’t yield and retorted.
“A scheme to torment me. You definitely knew. Very calculated.”
“You’re smarter than I thought to notice that far.”
“Lies don’t work on witches.”
“That’s a lie.”
“…!!”
Unfortunately, her [Scales] doesn’t have the ability to detect lies.
It merely weighs everything detected by the unique characteristic.
“You’ve returned.”
As we arrived at the mansion, butler Alfred was waiting to greet us.
Despite having left the mansion without a word and returning only after sunrise, he didn’t ask about the circumstances.
Seeing that I had left the car behind, he must have noticed that I wanted to hide something.
His sense is always good.
Unlike certain others here.
“This is my guest.”
“You look tired, I’ll prepare bath water first.”
“Take care of the guest first.”
Alfred silently nodded and gestured to the maid behind him.
Libra seemed slightly wary but didn’t refuse.
At that moment.
“Ah. Isn’t this Lord… Cain.”
The most unpleasant voice reached my ears.
Greymore Peldaron.
He is one of the elders of the Calderon family and a person from the collateral branch, the Peldaron family.
His existence was the reason I didn’t take a magic automobile.
Though he is an elder of the Calderon family, he is a person who values his own safety the most.
Among the figures of the elder council, he is the one who sends the most blatant checks toward me.
Additionally, he is indirectly connected to the matter of the Belmagor Order.
Greymore doesn’t worship the evil god.
Forces intending to overturn the imperial family using the Belmagor Order deliberately approached him.
However, that doesn’t mean he is without sin.
Because he made the choice himself after hearing all the stories.
Greymore, a selfish person who only cares about himself, will be publicly executed on the day the Belmagor Order collapses.
Until then, I just need to create evidence that the Calderon family has nothing to do with him.
“I was worried since you went out so late. You’re not a child anymore.”
“Lord… Greymore.”
“And who is that behind you?”
As Greymore pointed to Libra, she quietly looked at him.
I immediately raised my arm to stop her.
If Libra were to use [Scales] on Greymore, he would definitely be caught.
“Enough. You must be tired, go ahead and rest first.”
As soon as my words fell, Alfred and the maid took Libra and disappeared from sight.
Greymore, who had been watching silently, continued with a blatant sneer.
“A night life is fine, but you should also consider the dignity of nobility.”
“I take your advice to heart.”
“It’s alright. You’ll be holding the sword succession ceremony soon, so the family head must have his reasons.”
The sword succession ceremony.
It’s a sword ritual performed by the next head of the Calderon family.
It’s a succession ceremony conducted at the family’s sacred place, accessed using the Calderon family’s hidden passage, where one must defeat the family’s guardian soldiers with just one sword while all magic is forbidden.
Naturally, defeating guardian soldiers with bare hands is nearly impossible.
Current family head Gin Calderon defeated them, but it’s not an event suitable for a next-generation family head who has just come of age.
The ostensible reason for the succession ceremony is to prove qualification to become family head… but in reality, it’s an event to select a family head that suits the tastes of the elder council.
In fact, it was possible to become family head without a succession ceremony if one received recognition from the elder council.
The reason for mentioning the succession ceremony now is implicit pressure: submit to Greymore himself and the elder council if you don’t want to get hurt.
As long as Gin Calderon is keeping his eyes wide open, they can’t kill me.
But it meant don’t think becoming family head will be easy.
The reason Greymore can be so blatant is simple.
Long tradition. Bad practices that arose when individuals from collateral branches were brought into the elder council. It’s like taming the family head.
There’s a considerable difference between a family head who hasn’t yet built power and figures from the elder council who have already navigated the political world.
Greymore also has connections to other five great houses, as well as the imperial family, which is why he acts so boldly.
Even if one appeals against the bad practices, they would just become a child who fled in fear of the succession ceremony.
The justification is on their side.
However.
‘That won’t last much longer either.’
When the existence of the Belmagor Order rises to the surface and eventually sinks underwater.
When that day approaches, Greymore will also notice.
That the lifeline he grasped has been rotting from the inside.
“Lord Greymore. Thank you for your concern, but I’m tired now, so let’s talk later.”
“I see. Then I’ll visit you next time.”
Tsk tsk…
With an unpleasant smile.
Greymore moved his steps.
Not imagining his own end at all.
Inside a small building where darkness has settled.
A man is continuously praying while kneeling on one knee.
He recites an incomprehensible prayer in a small voice on a bizarre magic circle drawn with blood on the floor, craving an unreachable answer.
Soon after, the man stood up as if he had realized something.
“Ah… Ahh…”
The man, who began to twist his body grotesquely while clutching his head, soon collapsed to the floor and began to wail.
Compassion. Despair. Anger.
Various emotions crossed his face, and then, as if having made a decision, the man raised his trembling body again.
Slowly moving his steps, he arrived in front of a small table.
Lifting a ritual dagger from it, the man staggered back to the magic circle drawn with blood.
Though worn and tattered from long use, perhaps due to daily maintenance with devotion.
Only the blade of the dagger was sharply honed.
The man stared blankly at such a dagger and then.
Thunk-
He thrust it into his heart.
The expression of the man, distorted with pain, in his final moment was… joy.
“Guhak!”
The evil god worshipper, Archbishop Marquizares, was resurrected.
By taking the life of his follower.