[Dongfang Huaizhu]: Pursuing endless life? Using living people for experiments?! That's terrifying!
[Saeko Busujima]: And pursuing power. But their methods are far too heretical.
[Seitenshi]: This is familiar to me! Weren't the people in my world who created the Gastrea virus also pursuing these things?
[Athena]: Human desires truly are foolish.
[Artemis]: I agree with that!
[Akane Nishino]: But you can't lump all people together like that!
[Yuki]: Well, in short, this Diabolos Cult isn't a good thing in this world. Their infiltration of nations is severe, so eliminating them wouldn't cause any moral qualms.
[Akane Nishino]: Mhm, mhm, mhm! And we can save those descendants of Hero Bloodlines along the way!
[Akane Nishino]: But my strength seems a bit lacking...
[Yuki]: Don't worry. Since I'm here, I'll help you.
[Akane Nishino]: Mhm, mhm, mhm! I knew Yuki-kun was the most reliable! Don't worry! I'll give you a reward!
Seeing Akane's message, Yuki smiled.
Yuki and Akane then discussed their plan of action in the group chat.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the estate.
Claire Kagenou was being questioned by her mother in her room about her opinion of Yuki.
"Mother? Why are you asking me what I think of that Big Brother Yuki?"
Under her mother's gaze, Claire's eyes flickered, not daring to meet hers directly. Her hands gently fidgeted with her clothes, betraying her inner nervousness and unease.
"Why? Because a mother cares, of course!"
Lady Kagenou said with a smile.
"After all, he's the savior of my precious daughter. Naturally, I want to know more about him!"
"Mmm! Alright."
Hearing her mother's words, Claire felt it made sense.
After lowering her head to think for a moment, she began to voice her thoughts on Yuki.
"He's amazing! When he dealt with those bandits, it was so clean and quick. I didn't even see him make a move before it was over."
Claire nodded gently, her eyes filled with admiration for Yuki and a faint trace of fighting spirit.
"Uh... that's not what I meant!"
Hearing her daughter's words, Lady Kagenou sighed and shook her head.
"I'm asking what you think of Mr. Yuki as a person!"
"From a girl's perspective."
Hearing her mother specify, Claire was taken aback, still looking somewhat confused.
Seeing her daughter's complete lack of understanding, Lady Kagenou shook her head helplessly.
"You, always so focused on sword training, on becoming the strongest Dark Knight."
"Aside from that and inheriting the family business, have you forgotten there's another crucial matter?"
Lady Kagenou prompted her daughter.
Hearing this, Claire's expression became somewhat stunned.
"Is there anything more important than becoming the Kingdom's strongest Dark Knight?"
"Of course! The major event of your life! Marriage!!!"
"Oh my goodness! My dear daughter, have you practiced your sword skills so much you've become silly?!"
Lady Kagenou was utterly exasperated. She held her forehead, facing her daughter as if facing a dull piece of wood.
Initially, she had been worried that discussing this with her daughter so early might be a bit inappropriate.
But now, it seemed like the perfect time.
Because if Claire grew any older, there was a risk she might become too set in her ways. By then, it would be difficult to correct her.
"Marriage?!"
Claire exclaimed, finally understanding what her mother was getting at.
"Finally caught on!"
"Thank goodness!"
Seeing her daughter's reaction, Lady Kagenou breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Having a reaction means there's still hope.
"So, what do you think? A man like Mr. Yuki... does our Claire like him?"
Lady Kagenou then asked her daughter with a smile.
"Uh, this... I..."
Questioned like this, Claire's cheeks flushed slightly, and her gaze became evasive again.
When she recalled Yuki's appearance, her heart involuntarily began to beat rapidly.
This feeling was even more intense than when she faced a formidable enemy in battle.
"Alright, you don't need to answer. Seeing your reaction, I already know you're interested!"
"Can't blame you. After all, Mr. Yuki really is quite unique. So it's perfectly normal for my daughter to be drawn to him."
Lady Kagenou had already discerned her daughter's inner thoughts without needing to hear a reply.
"But... Mother, he already has... a woman with him. And... he seems older than me..."
Claire lowered her head shyly, her words hesitant.
"Silly girl!"
"Didn't you see? They asked for two rooms, which means they're not together yet!"
"Though I observed carefully, that girl named Akane Nishino does seem to like Mr. Yuki. But at least for now, they aren't together!"
"And even if they were together, so what? It doesn't mean there can't be one more."
"Your mother is a good judge of character. I can tell at a glance that Mr. Yuki is absolutely no ordinary man. A man like that... do you think women would be lacking around him?"
"So you don't need to worry about that at all!"
"As for age, that's even less of an issue."
Lady Kagenou smiled, instilling her philosophy in her daughter.
Claire listened intently, absorbed in her mother's explanation and analysis until dinnertime.
When dinnertime arrived, Yuki and Akane were notified and escorted by a servant to the dining hall.
Upon entering, they saw the Kagenou family already seated.
Yuki and Akane quickly took their seats.
"Hahaha, Mr. Yuki, come, come, you must try our local specialties."
"This is fire-seal roasted beef."
"This is elf mushroom soup!"
"..."
Baron Kagenou enthusiastically introduced these otherworldly delicacies while hosting Yuki and Akane.
Though the names sounded novel, the taste was actually somewhat lacking.
At least for Yuki and Akane, accustomed to modern cuisine, the seasoning of the dishes here felt a bit thin.
Akane tried some of the food. At first, she found it novel, but she soon found it hard to adjust.
Yuki could naturally also discern the issues with this world's cuisine. It helped him understand why, in the original work, the male protagonist (Cid) had his subordinates promote modern culinary techniques (like Mitsugoshi Co.) in this other world.
At the very least, there was a lack of experience in the use of seasonings, resulting in dishes not quite suited to Yuki and Akane's palates.
Still, it was edible. Yuki and Akane finished what they were supposed to eat.
While listening to Baron Kagenou talk about matters of the Kingdom, Yuki noticed Claire occasionally stealing glances at him.
He then offered her a smile.
Seeing she'd been caught, Claire hurriedly averted her gaze.
Ten minutes later.
Yuki and Akane left the dining hall.
Inside, Baron Kagenou, in his excitement, had had a few too many cups.
The result? He was completely passed out drunk.
Yuki and Akane didn't return to their rooms. Instead, they walked out of the house and strolled through the garden outside.
"Yuki-kun, by the way, is it really okay for you to drink?"
Akane tentatively asked the person beside her.
She remembered Yuki, like herself, was still a first-year high school student.
To some extent, that meant he wasn't of legal drinking age yet.
"It's fine. There's no law here prohibiting someone of my age from drinking."
Yuki shrugged and chuckled lightly.
"That's true."
Akane smiled slightly and nodded.
She then shifted the topic to something else.
"About what Baron Kagenou mentioned earlier, the frequent disappearances of children in the Kingdom lately..."
"Is that the work of the Cult?"
Akane thought for a moment, then asked Yuki.
"Yes."
Yuki gave her a definite answer.
"And those bandits we encountered today... do you think they simply wanted to kidnap Claire for ransom?"
"You mean... those bandits were actually from the Cult?"
"In that case, could Claire be a descendant of a Hero's Bloodline?!"
Hearing Yuki's words, Akane suddenly thought of a possibility.