I Raised the Villain's Daughter Too Well-Chapter 39: Didn’t Know! -

“No... no, wait.”

I snapped out of it.

Geminos wasn’t meant to serve me.

She existed for Firnea.

Using her for myself was out of the question.

Still, I couldn’t help but be curious.

Even in a mana space, physical materials should retain their usual properties.

And yet she’d sliced through that ancient tree like it was a radish.

“How did you do that? It wasn’t magic, and it didn’t seem like swordsmanship either... It’s just... strange.”

“Cutting’s my specialty.”

Geminos raised her hand—stained pitch black.

“I’m good at cutting people too.”

“...Can you locate the Young Lady?”

“Nope. I can’t know anything my host doesn’t.”

Host.

Honestly, that word rubbed me the wrong way.

I gave the next command without a shred of hesitation.

“I don’t know what else you can do yet... but at the very least, you’re perfect for protection. Next time we meet the Young Lady, have all of you guard her.”

Geminos smiled gently as she answered.

“Do you intend to repeat the same mistake?”

“...What?”

“The Head and the Butler-Chief made the right choice. The Young Lady is the most important one, after all. But... does it really mean anything if only she survives?”

“...”

“Why is it the Butler-Chief, and not the Family Head, who inherits command over us? Perhaps you should give that some thought. Apologies if I’ve overstepped.”

...MacLaine had said it.

If only one Geminos had been left with Pitus, the Head wouldn’t have been assassinated.

In my opinion, that wasn’t MacLaine’s fault.

It was that useless daughter-obsessed Pitus who ordered all of them to protect Firnea.

And as a butler, how could one defy a direct order?

But I’m not in the same position.

No one’s given me an order.

...I can choose something else.

After a brief pause, I asked,

“Can you all move independently?”

“Yeees~”

“Then send twenty-nine to guard the Young Lady. You stay with me.”

“As you command.”

Geminos lifted her skirt in a graceful curtsy.

A translucent, monster maid-loli like this would be a hell of a reinforcement no matter the task.

I can’t use her for myself—but if it’s for the Young Lady, that’s a different story.

Looks like I’ve found someone to help tear down the Sparring Hall.

Still... I’ll need to figure out exactly what kind of creature she is.

“You’re really invisible to everyone else, right?”

“More precisely, I can choose whether others can see me or not.”

“Stay visible to me only. Someone’s coming.”

“Yes~”

I calmly drew my sword and stood in place.

Emily was approaching hesitantly.

“...What the hell is this?”

Emily looked bewildered as she glanced between me and the massive, freshly cleaved tree.

“Y-You cut that?”

“Yes.”

“...Why?”

“Just felt like polishing my swordsmanship a bit.”

No way she’d believe that, but I couldn’t exactly explain the truth either.

As she stared at me blankly, something seemed to click in her mind.

She nodded slowly.

“...A w-warning, huh.”

“Pardon?”

“Got it. I won’t tell anyone.”

So she took it as a threat.

Not ideal—threatening House Laurencia wouldn’t exactly win me allies...

But if we’re being honest, she’s an enemy.

One I’ve already defeated.

It shouldn’t cause any problems.

“Do as you please. Are all the depots burned?”

“...Yeah, looks like it.”

Glancing toward the supply depots, I saw thick smoke rising—Arin must’ve done a thorough job.

That smoke’s gonna draw attention.

We should probably flee before any other teams catch wind.

“Arin!”

I shouted in the direction of the depots.

But—

No response.

Instead...

—KAANG...!!

A sharp metallic clash echoed through the air.

“Huh...? What was that?”

Emily frowned, clearly confused. I narrowed my eyes and spoke seriously.

“...Lady Emily.”

“W-What is it now?”

“If I’m not back in twenty minutes, run.”

“...Why?”

“If the team leader is eliminated, it’ll be a problem.”

Looks like things just got a whole lot more troublesome.

****

The House of Senfenesia follows a single doctrine:

Become the apex.

Surpass all rivals.

Trample the world—and crush the heavens beneath your heel.

In other words—

They’re a house that’s all but guaranteed to betray the Imperial Family someday.

Even they themselves don’t deny it.

The only reason the Emperor hasn’t already purged Senfenesia is because he knows this:

Those who aim for the summit never act without certainty.

They don’t yet believe they can defeat the Empire as a whole.

This generation can wield that blood-drenched blade.

So when that sword finally turns on the Empire—

Its handling is left to the next generation.

And that generation will likely leave it to the next one after that.

The Empire is far too powerful to be shaken by the rebellion of a single noble house.

“...Tch.”

Olvesia hated that.

If it were merely a matter of not having the confidence to sink her fangs into the Empire’s throat—

She might have understood.

It would’ve been disappointing, but forgivable.

But what she wanted—

Was to see it.

To witness the power Senfenesia had accumulated over a thousand years finally erupt.

To see them claw at the heavens, scraping the last dregs from the bottom of their power.

Whether that ended in the utter annihilation of their house,

Or the death of the Empire itself—

She wanted to see it with her own eyes.

It wasn’t that she was deranged.

Even the Family Head had said the same.

“I too wish to witness that glorious day. But... it’s not something we can achieve in our lifetime. Our duty is to prepare what comes next...”

That was what Olvesia’s father had said.

Prepare for the next generation.

Be content with leaving behind scraps of intel for a future they wouldn’t live to see.

But unfortunately, Olvesia—

Was born with blood too thick to be satisfied by that.

“At the very least... let it be my child. Or my grandchild...”

She gripped her sword hilt tightly and sighed inwardly.

She knew.

Unless her child was a once-in-a-century genius,

This generation would not see that dream fulfilled.

That was why Olvesia always seemed so irritable.

“Finish it. Quickly.”

“Y-Yes! I’m sorry!”

Kain, flinching under Olvesia’s glare, raised his greatsword in a panic.

To eliminate a commoner cadet as ordered.

But—

‘What the hell is this guy...?’

The supply depot roared with flames.

And his greatsword—

Couldn’t even dent the unnamed commoner.

—KWAANG!

“Hmm...”

A strike powerful enough to cleave stone and fell a tree—was stopped by a sword held in just one hand.

The swordsmanship—was hard to define. It didn’t even seem appropriate to call it swordsmanship. The movements were sluggish, wavering.

Yet there was something disturbingly refined about them.

They dissipated force, then redirected it—then cut.

It was unpolished, but felt as if it existed for the sole purpose of overcoming his sword.

The worst possible matchup.

How could such a technique even exist?

‘Damn it... I can’t even read what this guy is thinking...’

Kain shot a glance behind him and grit his teeth.

Their squad leader, Olvesia, hadn’t destroyed a single stronghold. Instead, she’d climbed the mountain and watched the flow of the battle.

And then—she had said only:

“I remember now.”

After which, she descended to the place where the smoke was thickest.

Still no strongholds destroyed.

But she was Senfenesia. No one could question her decisions. Doing so and incurring her wrath could mean not just the end of your sword class, but the end of your life at the Academy itself.

So he obeyed.

Coming to this already-ruined stronghold, engaging this nameless commoner—it was all by her order.

Kain poured his tangled emotions into his next swing.

“Just go down already!”

“Urgh.”

The clumsy sword technique had reached its limit.

A gap opened after the fourth exchange.

Kain grinned. Persistent bastard, it’s over now—he thought as he drove his greatsword straight toward the commoner’s skull.

—

—CRUNCH!

“...??”

It was blocked.

No, more than that—

It was bitten.

The blade had been caught in his teeth.

Kain’s mind went blank for a moment.

“...Ptooey!”

Arin spat the greatsword aside with a vicious motion, stumbling back a few steps.

Didn’t look like his teeth were broken.

...He bit a greatsword—and it didn’t snap?

“...Hoh.”

While Kain stood dumbfounded, Olvesia stepped forward.

“S-Sorry...”

“Withdraw.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am...”

Arin, watching the two converse, tensed her jaw.

The last opponent hadn’t been easy—but this woman was something else entirely.

She could feel the difference. Instinctively.

“Not bad.”

Olvesia eyed Arin with a glint of interest—

Then, without a word of warning, she charged.

“?!”

—

CRUNCH—!

A shoulder slam.

Not the sort of tactic a noble lady would typically employ.

Arin was sent tumbling several times across the ground, slamming into the dirt before quickly springing up and wrenching her shoulder back into place.

No time to breathe.

A merciless sword strike came crashing down toward her skull.

A blow brimming with murderous intent.

Arin barely raised her sword in time.

“Ugh...!”

“Impressive. To react like this with your arm already damaged.”

Olvesia bore down with enough strength to snap Arin’s wrist, her tone sounding almost amused.

She was being overpowered.

This was the first—no, the second time Arin had ever encountered a wall this solid.

Which meant: she’d seen it before.

She had trained. Fought. Endured. Learned.

She no longer rejected her strength as “witchcraft.”

She accepted it as her own—

So that she could one day defeat the real witch.

“Move...!”

“Hm?”

The moment heat began radiating from their clashing blades, Olvesia paused and lightly leapt back.

She checked her blade—and saw the spot that had touched Arin’s glowing red-hot.

“...Magic swordsman? No, it’s not magic.”

Examining her sword with narrowed eyes, Olvesia remembered something she’d once overheard in passing:

That ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ something resembling a witch had entered the Academy.

“Are you a witch?”

And she was not the type to suppress her curiosity.

Arin spat blood-tinged saliva to the side and shook her head, eyes gleaming with defiance.

“I’m... human...!”

“Then what is that?”

“This is—my own power. The one I was born with.”

Arin steadied her breathing, readjusted her stance.

“...Hmm.”

Olvesia lowered her sword, stroking her chin in contemplation.

What was she doing? In the middle of battle?

Arin didn’t let her guard down, tilting her head warily—

Only to be met with a completely absurd question.

“You.”

“...?”

“Are you, by any chance... a male capable of reproduction?”

Arin tried to decipher the meaning of the question.

But she couldn’t even begin to understand it.

“...I’m a girl.”

“I see.”

Olvesia let out a small sigh.

“How unfortunate.”

And in that moment, her entire body vanished.

“...Huh?”

She had literally disappeared.

The sudden disappearance made Arin’s guard falter for just an instant—

And by the time she heard the slicing wind behind her, it was already too late.

‘How—?!’

She twisted her head around as fast as she could—

But all she could see was the glint of a blade.

She couldn’t react in time.

She clenched her eyes shut, bracing for the pain.

—

—CLANG!

“...?”

But instead of a fatal strike—

She heard the clash of metal.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a familiar back.

“Hah... hah... Looks like I made it.”

Virdem stood between her and Olvesia, having blocked the strike just in time.

He caught his breath, keeping his eyes fixed on Olvesia.

“Why do you torment innocent people? What are you, insane?”

...Not exactly the most butler-like thing to say.