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༺ Unique Ability ༻
"…Excuse me."
"What is it?"
"Could you please prepare breakfast for me?"
A few months had passed since the conclusion of Frey's trial.
"You still want to be treated like a noble? You're even asking me to prepare breakfast when you've never made such a request before."
"…Please."
Following the trial's verdict, Frey, who had been confined to his mansion, sat down at the dining table and requested his breakfast with a haggard expression from the person in front of him.
"Sigh…"
The one making delicious sandwiches and warm coffee for Frey was not Kania, nor was it any of the servants who had faithfully served the Starlight family for decades.
"…How annoying."
It was a female knight who had been assigned by the imperial family to monitor Frey. This knight was someone who always gazed upon him with disgust.
"Well, we won't be seeing each other anytime soon, so I'll prepare something special for you."
She, who never failed to show contempt towards Frey, sighed and walked away.
"Soon, the final battle between the imperial army and the Demon King's army will begin. As a proud knight of the imperial order, I must fight."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes. And because the hero, who has been conserving her strength until now, will participate in the battle….We will be able to defeat the Demon King."
With a cold expression, she raised the corners of her mouth and questioned Frey.
"Isn't that bad news for you?"
"Huh?"
"Are you not the Demon King's dog?"
The female knight, now abandoning any form of respect, whispered an insult at Frey, who was sitting at the table whilst looking blankly at her.
"To think you attempted to kill the hero, the sole hope of this empire and of the world…. And you continue to live luxuriously in your mansion like a parasite, just feeding."
"…Hmm."
"Do you even know how many times I've wanted to kill you?"
Staring at Frey's expressionless face, the female knight continued speaking.
"Not just me, but all the people of the empire must want to kill you. So many have tried to break into the mansion, so you must know that much."
Completing her rant, the female knight moved away with a disgusted expression.
"Forget it. There's no point in talking to someone like you. I'll prepare your last breakfast, so don't worry."
"…Thank you."
As the female knight was about to leave the room, she stopped after barely hearing Frey's faint voice.
"To think you're thanking me…"
Scanning the request written on the paper by Frey, she replied in a cold voice.
"…when I'm preparing your last meal."
– Bang!!
With that, she slammed the door shut.
"...…."
Quietly looking at the closed door, Frey slowly picked up the newspaper that was lying on the table.
[Sunrise Newspaper]
[Is the glorious sun setting on our empire?]
[Recently, the major battle between the Demon King's army and the Royal Army resulted in yet another defeat for the Royal Army. The Royal Army, which has never won a single major battle excluding minor skirmishes, has once again proven its incompetence.]
"Phew."
Frey let out a faint sigh as he read through the report in the newspaper.
[Meanwhile, for some reason, the Hero has been in hiding since the invasion of the Demon King's army began a few months ago, and due to this, some people are voicing that the Hero's qualifications should be reconsidered…]
"It's time for the final battle."
[In response, both the royal family and the Church explained that it was to make thorough preparations. In fact, news has spread that the Hero, who had been conserving her strength until now, will participate in the upcoming 'final battle'…]
"She's been hiding like a rat, but it seems she's finally decided to fight?"
Right after Frey's trial ended, Ruby made various excuses and began a reclusive life.
Taking advantage of the fact that Frey couldn't remove his armaments until he awakened them, she headed straight to her mansion.
As a result, the only thing Frey could do whilst being monitored by various people, and restricted due to the system penalty, was to await the 'final battle'.
"…Sigh."
Consequently, Frey was forced to live an idle life, something he had never been able to experience until now.
He continued to read the newspaper to alleviate his boredom.
"They even published this."
Discovering that the advertisement section of the newspaper was filled with assassination requests for him, he muttered whilst grasping his forehead.
"Shouldn't they censor this?"
Whilst blaming the publisher of the newspaper, he uttered a hollow laugh as he muttered to himself.
"No, that can't be. It must be a message for me."
Frey, who had been laughing emptily for a while, suddenly stiffened.
– Thump!
"Here you go."
The female knight, who had prepared breakfast at some point, angrily tossed the plate of food onto the table.
"…I have something to go do now, so bye."
As Frey stared blankly at the plate that was still vibrating, the female knight quickly left the dining room, as if merely watching him eat would upset her stomach.
"...."
Thus, Frey was left alone in the dining room again.
– Swish.
He quietly reached for the food on the plate.
"Sandwich, and… coffee."
He then picked up the food, muttering in a monotonous voice.
"Even the buttered rye bread…"
It was the dish that his butler made frequently, as well as the dish that he loved the most during his childhood.
Frey gazed at the dishes before cautiously taking a bite of the sandwich.
"…Huh."
However, the taste he expected was not present.
What normally comprised this meal was crisp cabbage, and salty bacon.
Warm eggs and a refreshing sauce, accompanied by fresh tomatoes.
Instead of the perfect ingredients that Frey loved,
"Y-Yuck."
The sandwich was made with rotting cabbage and soggy bacon.
Inside it were cold, crumbly eggs, and a paper thin sauce, with withered tomatoes.
It was disgusting.
"…It's bitter."
The glimmer of hope in his eyes faded. Frey took a sip of coffee and sighed as bitterness replaced the sweetness he loved, forcing him to stop eating.
– Crunch.
With a slightly depressed expression, Frey shoved the heavily buttered rye bread into his mouth.
"Ouch…"
Holding his teeth that turned sore from chewing the rye bread, which was harder than a brick, he quietly lowered his head.
"I wanted to enjoy a slight bit of happiness before the end."
Bowing his head, he pushed the food in front of him aside and muttered to himself in a faint voice.
"…It was too much to ask for."
"What are you doing?"
Someone approached Frey as he was about to get up.
"Aria."
"Ha."
Frey turned to look at Aria, who had called out to him. She had shed some of her childishness and began to resemble him more every passing day.
"You maggot."
Aria replied with contempt.
"Why are you crawling out into the dining room again? I told you to stay in your room, you maggot."
"…Sorry."
"Shut up and go back to your room. It's nauseating just to look at you."
"...."
With a disgusted expression, Aria glared at Frey. Strangely, he began to stare back at her.
"…F***, seriously."
She spat out a curse mixed with disgust and left the dining room.
– Rumble!! Rumble!!!
"…Ugh."
Frey, who was staring blankly at her, suddenly widened his eyes as the mansion began to shake.
[Main Quest: The Final Battle]
-The Final Battle has begun!
-Within 24 hours, defeat the Demon King!
"At last."
The message he had so fervently desired during the past few months finally appeared.
"The end is near."
Frey jumped up from his seat the moment he saw the message.
"It's finally time to end everything."
Frey began to run frantically to an unknown location.
"Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally."
Wearing a faint smile for the first time after months of depression, he sprinted forward while repeating those words like a mantra.
However, his trembling voice contrasted greatly from his joyful expression.
"…I won't be needing…"
The place he had arrived at after running passionately was the entrance leading to the basement of the Starlight Mansion.
"…this magic circle any longer."
Frey gazed at the powerful barrier that all successors to the Starlight Family had continued to reinforce in order to prevent intruders.
– Crash!!!
He drew the sword from the scabbard hanging on his waist, striking it against the barrier.
"…Hoo."
After driving away the large cloud of dust that had arisen with a few swipes of his hand, Frey took a deep breath and entered the basement.
"Huff…!"
From that moment on, he concentrated all his strength and began to emit stellar mana from his body.
– Fizzzz…
The basement was publically known to be full of slaves throughout the Empire.
Not only did the servants believe this as a truth, but even his blood-related sister Aria had glared at him with a disgusted expression when this news was brought to light.
In reality, the basement was full of nothing but wine barrels and old cheese. Now, a translucent silver barrier was also present.
– O you who seek to awaken the sleeping weapon.
Frey, who was watching indifferently, cocked his head at the voice that could be heard.
– What do you intend to use this weapon for?
As the voice questioned him, Frey answered without a moment's hesitation.
"…To rest."
And then, silence fell for a moment in the basement.
– You have spoken the truth. You may take the Hero's Armament.
After a long time passed and the voice had finished speaking, armaments began to emerge from the magic circle engraved in the center of the basement.
A sparkling stellar sword, armor, helmet, and wrist guards.
After discovering these various items neatly arranged in the center of the basement, Frey acted quickly.
"Heave-ho."
He stoically began to put them on.
– Swish…
Frey continued to equip the Hero's Armament that comfortably fit his body as soon as they made contact with him.
"Let's go."
Whilst muttering, Frey left the basement.
"Lord Frey! Have you been well all this time?"
However, the moment he left the basement, someone entered his sight.
"…Dmir Khan."
"Yes, at your service. Your loyal servant, Dmir Khan."
The one who called himself Frey's servant was the former second-in-command of the Demon King's army, Dmir Khan.
"As you may have noticed, we are on the verge of launching a full-scale attack. No, perhaps it might have already begun."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes, and during the historic moment when we conquer the imperial palace… Shouldn't you, Lord Frey, lead our army? If you just follow me…"
Frey maintained a soulless expression despite Dmir Khan's presence.
"What do you have there?"
Glancing at the limp Aria and the knight that Dmir Khan was holding, Frey questioned him.
"Ah, these guys."
Dmir Khan answered casually, as if it were nothing to him.
"They attacked me when I arrived at the mansion, so I subdued them."
"Frey…! You bastard…! In the end, in the end!! You really were with the Demon King's army…!!"
"…I should have just killed you."
Glaring coldly at Aria, who reacted fiercely to his words, and the knight grumbling with rage, Dmir Khan spoke.
"I will spare Lady Aria's life, as she is Lord Frey's sister. However… there seems to be no need to keep this pathetic knight alive."
Whilst speaking in a cold voice, he reached out to the knight.
"May the glory of the imperial family…be eternal."
The knight, sensing her impending death, closed her eyes tightly and murmured to herself.
"By the way, where did you get that armor….."
Dmir Khan's question, while in the middle of reaching out to the female knight, was suddenly cut off.
Even after a considerable period of time had passed, the sentence was not given a conclusion.
– Rumble…
"Uh?"
A puzzled expression formed on the knight's face as she slightly opened her eyes and saw Dmir Khan's head on the ground. At that sight, her face was drained of color.
"Br-Brother?"
"…Heave!"
It was then that the female knight discovered Frey, who was emitting a fierce aura in front of her.
"Uh, uh… uh… uh…"
It was not the listless Frey she had despised and hated.
The knight stared at Frey, who was exuding such a sinister aura it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a demon who had walked out of hell.
"Pl-Please spare… me."
Without realizing it, she begged for her life.
– Shing.
"Ah, ugh. Ugh?"
Glancing at her, Frey drew his sword.
"Pl-Please… I beg you…"
Frey aimed his sword at the panicked knight, who was now pleading with him, her hands clasped together.
"…Hic."
He forcefully raised the sword and then swung it down upon the knight.
– Thump.
"B-brother?"
Instead of the sharp edge, Frey struck her with the blunted side of the blade.
"…..Aria."
Frey gazed emotionlessly at the unconscious knight.
"B-Brother? Did you… save us? But why…"
"Stay here and rest for a while."
He said this to Aria, who stared blankly at him and started hastily asking questions.
"Wait! What's going on…"
– Fwoosh!!
"…Ah."
Having knocked out his sister, Aria, who was someone he had to protect, Frey spoke to himself erratically.
"Calm down, I need to calm down…"
He held onto his trembling hand while glancing down at the two women.
"You've endured well. It's okay, Frey. You just need to do this with the other heroines during the final battle."
He painfully murmured to himself.
"…I can't afford a Retry over a trivial mistake when I've come this far."
Having calmed himself, Frey left the Starlight Mansion with a stoic expression and began heading towards the final battle, prepared to settle his ill-fated relationship with the Demon King.
For some reason, the sunlight that day was unusually weak.
***
Meanwhile, during the same time.
"What is… going on?"
"Huh?"
"R-Retry?"
Whilst observing Frey heading towards the final battle alongside the other main heroines and the translucent Frey, Irina questioned Ferloche.
"Why would Frey say that word?"
Irina asked that question to Ferloche, who had a cold expression on her face.
"Retry? What is that?"
"…Retry? It's the first time I've heard that word."
"...?"
Frey and the other main heroines were puzzled upon hearing that word.
"Of course Frey would say that."
Ferloche, who had been guiding everyone until then, glanced at them and continued.
"After all, the 'Retry' ability that I possess is…"
Glancing at the translucent Frey, who had his head cocked in confusion, she continued speaking.
"…something that used to be Frey's unique ability."
You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02