Chapter 172 Head Maid
The next morning.
I woke up in the manor of the Weaverpool Territory. Now, this place felt as comfortable as my own home. I slept well too.
"Haa, I guess this is one of my homes too. Haaah."
I stretched and did some light neck exercises. I might need to use my body today, so I should loosen up early.
Even as I got out of bed, I remembered that my real home was somewhere else.
Right, my hometown, the Ravenscoft Territory. The place where my Aunt is waiting.
I’m the Lord, so I handle affairs in Weaverpool, but isn’t the main residence in Ravenscoft?
I slowly nodded. Isn’t this romantic in its own way?
If anything had changed since I became the Lord, it was that I wanted to try being a leader of some kind.
The Lord’s position was to fulfill their duties as a noble, managing and developing the territory.
SLAAP!
I slapped my own cheek and shook my head.
"Let’s not talk bullshit. I didn’t even drink last night, so why am I like this?"
I sighed and washed up. A soft, cool stream of water hit me from head to toe.
After a refreshing shower, I stepped out, and a breeze came in through the open window.
"Hmm, that’s refreshing."
I put the clothes I had been wearing into a basket and chose what to wear.
Hmm, this should be good.
Swoosh, rustle.
I changed into the clothes I used to wear before becoming the Hero.
"Other people change their attire when their status changes, but not me. My status changed, but the essence of me, as a human, hasn’t. This is comfortable for me!"
A pure white shirt, slightly stretched linen pants, and even a leather belt bought from the local market.
Now, I lightly warmed up. How will I use my body today? Kekeke.
Click.
The door suddenly opened. Ah, it’s breakfast time, isn’t it?
Piery came in with the meal and made eye contact with me.
"You’re already up? Please have your meal."
"Oh, Piery! Good morning!"
"...Is it because it’s morning? You’re quite vigorous."
"I’m very healthy, aren’t I? Hahaha!"
"Down there too."
I looked down. Something was sticking out prominently, as if it would pierce through my pants. It was my alter ego.
To think it was already getting angry.
"Ahem..."
I sat down at the table and barely managed to cover it. I ended up showing something unnecessary.
Piery brought the meal and carefully asked,
"I have a question. Is it standing 24/7?"
"I’m not a monkey, you know? That’s a bit harsh to say!"
And so, I ate. Today’s menu was a dish with a fried egg on top of noodles, and sushi rolls.
Given Aki’s influence from the East and the ability to catch fish from the nearby sea, it was a reasonable menu.
While eating, I glanced at Piery. Usually, she would leave when I was having my meal.
But today, for some reason, she was just staring blankly with a complicated expression.
Is she worried about something?
"Piery...?"
"Ah, yes. I’ll come back later then."
"No, no. Just a moment!"
I called out to Piery, who was about to leave. She turned back, looking puzzled.
"It looks like you have something on your mind."
"No, I don’t."
"Then let me ask you this. Do you have any worries?"
"...I said no."
"Your expression tells me you’re full of worries."
I shook my head and gave her a look that said, "Tell me." Piery averted her gaze. Is it a difficult problem?
I chuckled lightly. Piery, she’s still the same, as always.
Right, I’ll open my heart first.
"Actually, I have a worry too. But it’s really... Haa."
"What is it?"
"I’m planning to go on a honeymoon... and I’m thinking of taking all the women with me."
"...What?!"
Piery stared at me as if I’d said something crazy. Wait, that look is a bit much.
"And only the women I’ve had sex with."
"Are you going on a legion-sized expedition? Do they usually call that a honeymoon...?"
Piery asked with a genuinely surprised expression. No, why is she so serious about this?
"Oh, come on, it’s not that many!"
"Well, you never know. There are cases where people commit rape on a whim while drinking..."
"I’m not that kind of person, you know? Ah, I’m offended."
When I shook my head, Piery finally burst into laughter.
"Puhahaha, honestly, Lord, you haven’t changed at all, then or now."
"Should I change? Only my status has changed; Lucian, the human, is still the same."
"Hehe, that’s true. Um..."
Is she finally going to speak? Piery couldn’t continue speaking.
"Finally?"
I nodded, interested. Speak, Piery!
"Anything is fine. What’s bothering you?"
"Haa, lately I’ve been having strange dreams."
"Dreams?"
"Well... I don’t remember them, but after I wake up, only an alien feeling remains."
Piery’s expression looked complicated, like someone struggling to talk about something vague.
The content itself was quite complex.
"Dreams, suddenly? What is it?"
This isn’t my main area of expertise. Still, I asked,
"How long has this been happening?"
"A week."
"That’s quite a while, isn’t it? So, are you sleeping well...?"
"Fortunately, I’m sleeping well. But after I wake up, it’s just so bizarre. As if I’ve been to another world."
The atmosphere became a little heavy. I looked closely at Piery. If someone had cast a curse, it would have been obvious.
"Huh...? Come to think of it, mana from Piery’s body? When did she have so much that it was overflowing like that?"
I was surprised without realizing it. Mana was surging out of Piery’s body.
This was something only seen in people who innately possessed a large amount of mana.
But Piery isn’t a mage or anything of that sort, is she?
"Um, Lord? Is there something on my face?"
I immediately snapped out of it. Piery was clearly nothing more than a Head Maid.
A competent and capable one, at that.
But suddenly she’s like that?
"Piery, have you been learning magic recently? Or training?"
"What? No, I’m always performing my duties as Head Maid..."
Piery stared at me as if I’d said something absurd.
Right, that makes sense. That’s normal.
I don’t stay at the manor often, but every time I came to Weaverpool, I saw Piery working busily.
So she wouldn’t have the time for training or anything like that.
"But right now, mana is overflowing from your body, Piery. Can you feel it?"
"What? Really? I... I don’t really know."
Piery looked down at her own body. Her yellowish-green eyes gleamed.
"That’s because you’ve never handled mana before. The current surge is no joke."
At my words, Piery continued to scan her body with a worried expression. She must have been flustered by the sudden change.
"Is this bad? Is it because of the dreams?"
"No, it’s probably not bad."
I answered to reassure her. It wasn’t necessarily bad just because of that.
It was just something I’d have to monitor to see if there were any other side effects after such an awakening.
First of all, it doesn’t seem like she’s been affected by Kahlum.
"The Black Army’s source, Grant, is gone, so I won’t have to deal with them anymore."
What on earth could it be?
As I tilted my head in confusion, the Goddess subtly interjected a word.
"What? Suddenly?"
What, so Piery was an awakened one from the start? Not just awakened now?
But I didn’t even notice a hint of it? From our first meeting, Piery was just an ordinary person.
"So Piery’s ability has only just been activated now?"
"Do you happen to know what kind of ability it is? I need to give her advice."
At my words, the Goddess let out a knowing smile.
"They say a man is what a woman makes him, don’t they? Please boost my confidence! Heueung."
For a moment, I doubted my ears. Wait, Piery is an ability user like that?
"An ability to control time? Like Horuz?"
"Aha!"
Wow, anyway, I learned something amazing. So Piery is a time ability user?!
"Munch munch!"
"L-Lord...?"
First, I hastily finished my meal. This wasn’t the time to be eating.
If it was confirmed that Piery was an ability user, I had to help her learn to control that ability.
"My harem’s combat power is increasing!"
At this rate, it seemed there wouldn’t be many ordinary people left among my harem members.
I don’t know when Lyra or Dinora might awaken either. Of course, awakening isn’t a common occurrence, though.
After finishing my meal, I called Piery affectionately.
"Piery!"
"Yes, yes...?"
"You can control time!"
"What? Time?!"
"Yes! It’s a truly rare ability, and I don’t know when it started, but it seems to have just awakened now."
I was as happy as if it were my own business. Then Piery tilted her head, looking uncertain.
"So, is that a good thing?"
"Of course! You can rewind time, accelerate it, and the applications are endless, aren’t they?!"
Piery’s face brightened, as if she’d thought of something. Had she finally grasped it?
"It’s really good, isn’t it?"
"Right? And it’s a rare ability!"
"No, there’s so much work to do at the manor and the Lord’s residence. I always lacked time, but now I’ll be able to use time effectively!"
"Ah, oh..."
"I want to get used to this ability quickly! What should I do?"
Piery suddenly bombarded me with questions. I just nodded, looking at her.
Most people would be happy to gain powers they didn’t have when they awaken. But Piery is linking it to her main job.
She’s a world-class workaholic, truly.
"...Work addiction is like madness in some sense."
"What?"
"Ah, it’s nothing."
I sighed. Anyway, it seemed Piery had become aware.
Now, the next step remained.
I organized what I wanted to say to myself, then faced Piery.