1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

9. The Landlady (1)

Is it said that humans are creatures of adaptation?

The repeated assassinations were starting to feel like part of the daily routine.

I stepped into the landlady’s mansion.

If you ask why I’m doing such a crazy thing.

No matter how much you hear about what kind of person the enemy is, it’s just an inference combined with others’ evaluations.

It was necessary to see for myself.

“Yo, young master. May I inquire what brings you here today?”

The butler, opening the door, was startled and bowed his head. His severe trembling affected his voice.

“I thought I’d come for mealtime. Why, is it so strange to have a family meal?”

“Huh?”

The original Hershel would have been holed up in his room, eating alone. It’s hard to imagine him as a family man, dining merrily, and besides, even someone as clueless as him would know that the landlady and his half-siblings disliked him.

That guy suddenly showed up, ranting about a family meal. No wonder the butler was surprised.

“Is there a problem? There should be enough time to set an extra place.”

“That, that’s true…”

The reactions of the other servants were the same. Those I encountered as I walked whispered behind covered mouths.

They were clearly agitated. This was good for me. It would be difficult for them to decide whether to attempt an assassination here and now.

A sudden, surprise action—did they expect that?

It’s only natural they’re unprepared.

Of course, thoroughly prepared people are an exception.

“How do you do, young master. Your place is always prepared.”

She was the housekeeper.

“Let’s start with grooming before the meal.”

The housekeeper glanced at a nearby maid. The maid approached with a neat gait and greeted me. The housekeeper left the scene gracefully, as if it wasn’t her concern.

“Please come this way. I’ll guide you to the bath.”

It’s clear what you’re planning to do, but maybe I’ll play hard to get.

“Do I really need to dress up? I’ve already done all that before coming here.”

“This is the lady’s mansion. You must adhere to the rules. Not just Mr. Hershel, but all other family members follow them as well.”

The maid showed no signs of leaving.

Of course, the lady and even my half-siblings insist on bathing before the meal, but what else could I say?

“…I’ll bathe alone. Don’t even think about accompanying me.”

Nothing happened until I submerged myself in the bath. But it was surprising. As I walked down the corridor, I saw many doors. Judging by the soap scent wafting through the gaps, there seemed to be more than one or two bathrooms.

With a carefree attitude, I finished my bath and moved on.

Dressing was impossible to do alone. The order of putting on clothes, the position of the buttons, none of it was familiar.

“Is it too tight?”

“It’s fine.”

The maid finished with the belt and then brought a moderately-sized box. Opening the lid revealed simple cosmetics.

I knew this was just the beginning.

“This toner is excellent for moisturization.”

“No need to explain every item.”

As I felt the damp cotton pad, a system window popped up.

[Poison detected. Type: Killer Frog’s deadly poison]

[1-second invincibility trait activated.]

It was just as Selly had warned. The toner was clearly laced with poison.

An assassination attempt right at the first gate.

This was why I had hesitated to step foot here.

“It feels great, doesn’t it? My skin feels revitalized.”

“…Is that so?”

As I feigned calm, the maid’s eyes flickered. A mischievous impulse struck me, and I spoke while wiping my face with a towel.

“Would you like to try it on yourself?”

It’s just a woman who tried to kill someone; this much should be fine.

“I appreciate the offer, but this is a luxury item. It’s not suited for someone as lowly as me.”

“Your skin is too lovely to be called lowly. Shall I apply it for you

My gaze fell upon the mirror.

In the dressing room mirror, my reflection looked like a ruffian teasing a powerless woman, no matter who saw it.

It was this woman who had done wrong, yet why did I feel like the villain?

The maid who should be guiding the way was weeping incessantly. If we continued together like this, I would undoubtedly appear to be a real scoundrel.

Reluctantly, I had no choice but to offer her a handkerchief.

“…Don’t cry. It was just a joke.”

But perhaps confused by the white color, identical to that of a makeup pad, and even more so by her pallor, she let out a final cry and eventually fainted.

Her tears must have blurred her vision so much that she couldn’t distinguish anything.

“……”

From beyond the door, I could hear whispering voices.

“Did you hear a scream just now from inside? What on earth happened?”

“Why hasn’t Emil come out? They went in together.”

“Could it be…?”

It seemed I had garnered some absurd misunderstanding. An explanation was desperately needed. I opened the door and, with a worried look, casually remarked as if nothing was amiss.

“She just collapsed, didn’t she? She must be unwell; someone should take her to the infirmary, right?”

Seeing their shocked faces, I realized my mistake. Indeed, it made sense.

Could this scoundrel really manage to look genuinely concerned?

“…I didn’t lay a finger on her.”

“Yes, yes… Of course. We believe your words, young master.”

“That’s right. Emil has always been a delicate child. Yes, indeed…”

But why are you all avoiding eye contact?

“I see, I understand.”

“You understand?”

“No, it’s just… I meant to agree with the young master, but I got flustered and misspoke.”

“……”

The more I tried to explain, the more tangled the situation seemed to become.

Once the maid woke up, things would surely quiet down.

As I pondered who to ask to guide me instead of the fallen maid, the door at the end of the corridor to the dressing room opened.

I saw the back of a man with silver hair. A maid was whispering something in his ear. His shoulders shivered, and his shout echoed resoundingly.

“He dared to barge in? And to harass as well? Is he declaring war on our mother now?!”

I stealthily crept up behind him. The maid, who noticed me halfway, stepped back in surprise, but Erusel, seemingly furious, just fumed.

“A vile creature seems to have entered. Who could it be? I’ll help too.”

“Of course—”

He turned his back. As our eyes met, he began to gape like a goldfish. I savored the vibration as I placed my hand on Erusel’s shoulder.

“Good timing. I was in need of someone to show me the way, and my brother is just perfect for the job.”

“I-I’m actually quite busy right now…”

Trying to run away?

“I know you’re off to eat. I thought I might join the family for a cozy meal together after so long, shall we go together?”

He stepped back, trying to escape.

With each step he took, mine began to advance in rhythm.

Erusel sweated coldly, his eyes trembling as if an earthquake had struck.

“Do you want to converse with your brother while walking backward? I’m flattered, but be careful not to fall. Unless you have eyes on the back of your head.”

I can’t let him slip away.

Before me now is a free pass ticket that skips over the upcoming assassination and leads straight to the dining hall.

* * *

As expected.

There were all sorts of things, like venomous stings or statues crumbling, but the servants hesitated, perhaps fearing that Erusel, who clung close in front of me, would take the hit instead.

Thanks to that, the process of sitting down at the dining table was nothing but comfortable.

“…Why have you come here?”

Erusel, seated opposite me, asked.

“I came to eat, didn’t I answer that?”

“No, that’s not it… You must have some ulterior motive for coming, tell me your true intentions.”

I wanted to see for myself what kind of person he was.

It was quite an inappropriate response to say out loud.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I thought I might forget the faces of my family, so I came to see.”

I looked at Erusel’s face as if I were an artist about to paint a portrait. Annoyed by my brazen attitude, he gritted his teeth and muttered.

“You expect me to believe that? People should have a conscience…”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing at all.”

I pursed my lips as I looked across the wide dining table.

The time had come, yet only Eruzel and I were seated.

“Running late. How impolite.”

“Well, I came early to knock you down a peg.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing at all.”

With nothing more to say, and as I kept silent, an awkward stillness filled the air.

It was Eruzel who broke the prolonged silence first.

“But if you were to be released, shouldn’t it be at your brother’s mansion? Why here? No matter the servant, you belong to our mother. Is this some kind of declaration of war?”

“……”

It was unjust, but explaining would be futile.

The more I would, the deeper the servants’ misunderstandings would become, as clear as day.

“You’ll find out eventually.”

At my curt reply, Eruzel’s brows furrowed. But I could no longer afford him any attention.

Because the closed door had opened.

“It’s been a while, big brother.”

He was a man with an intellectual appearance and a rather handsome impression.

His hair was silver, and while his overall foundation was quite similar to Eruzel’s, his voice carried a sense of superiority, completely devoid of any tension.

If the portraits and the family tree were to be believed, his name was undoubtedly Dacel.

“Dinner is running late.”

“I always arrive at the set time. It will be soon, so please wait.”

“Is that so? But why haven’t the other siblings arrived yet?”

“They have schedules and are out. It’s a pity, considering you’ve come for a rare family meal.”

His demeanor was utterly devoid of emotion, as if he were a well-sealed perfume bottle that wouldn’t reveal its fragrance until opened.

A sense of wariness, incomparable to that with Eruzel, arose.

“The place feels empty. Actually, upon hearing that you were coming, I prepared a bit of entertainment. What do you think?”

“Entertainment?”

“Do you remember? The game we used to play with father when we were young.”

With a snap of his fingers, the butler carefully brought over a cushion with a single marble placed on it.

There was no need to ask what this marble was; I knew all too well.

The Eye of the Abyss.

It’s a bead that measures the power of the one who touches it.

Among the guilds that take on monster hunting as their trade, only the mega guilds owned such an item, as it was incredibly expensive.

To use such a thing as a toy.

Indeed, it’s a wealthy family’s lineage.

“Let’s relive some memories and have fun for old times’ sake. Shall Eruzel join us too?”

“No, that’s alright… You brothers have your fun.”

I shifted my gaze from Eruzel, who was shaking his head, and watched Daysel closely.

His intentions were crystal clear.

To find out why I, who had not died up to this point, was still alive.

I came to know them, and our purposes aligned. It was, in fact, an expected development.

The swine-bodied me, why haven’t I died? He must have been dying to solve that mystery.

He probably speculated that the reason wasn’t my physical enhancement.

“Then, I’ll go first.”

Daysel placed his hand on the bead. A mysterious swirl of five colors enveloped it.

There are five colors that represent the scale of strength.

Among them, Daysel produced the second strongest, a golden hue.

“As expected, I’m still far from being like my father.”

The highest level is the unmeasurable black.

A status that one might or might not reach in the middle to latter part of the scenario.

Despite my young age, I could feel Daysel’s power just from the fact that he produced the golden light, just one step below.

“It’s the eldest brother’s turn.”

If it were the untrained swine Hersel’s body, it would naturally produce the lowest grade, brown. I couldn’t help but smile.

The weaker I appear, the more they’ll let their guard down.

Then the assassination attempts will continue to be as easy as they are now.

Besides, even if I showed them how pathetic I am, there’s no way these guys would understand the concept of ‘1-second invincibility.’

I have nothing to lose.

“Let’s do it.”

I placed my hand on the bead.

But damn it, a system window popped up.

Could it be that even this kind of power measurement is considered a ‘threat’…?

[Magical detection confirmed. (Type: Insight)]

[1-second invincibility trait activated.]

It was Eruzel who spoke the result, nearly tumbling from his chair.

“Th-that’s black…”

Suddenly, hard mode was unlocked.

This is definitely a failed game.

A crappy game.