"Looking at your expression, I see you're right. I'm a bandit who fights against injustice. When I say something nice, you'll reveal the location of the secret auction house that's being held this time. Oh, and when it's going to happen, too."
The history of this ability is short, leaving many unknown facts. The best way to learn is through direct experience.
As the power grows stronger, some of its abilities become more limited.
In the case of Ryan's <Instant Death>, the fact that it is almost impossible to train is a limitation, if any.
It's a good thing this world is full of monsters popping out at any moment. Otherwise, why would he kill someone to train for instant death?
The amount of experience required for training was also enormous compared to other abilities.
What he needs on the last day is a 3-stage <instant death>, but at the current rate...
'At least 4 years?'
Of course, this is the time it takes, assuming he participates in every single subjugation.
‘Ha, I’m not a researcher of our family’s special abilities, so I wasn’t really interested...'
He guess je should start paying attention now.
Why?
It's because of Vania.
<The Eyes of the Mirror>.
The name of the 'special' ability that made Vania the Princess of the family before her return.
A special class that only had two, along with instant death. A crazy power that sucks up and uses others' abilities. Could there be no limits?
'Well, even if there is, you won't tell me, right?'
The reason Ryan is so suspicious is because of the conversation he had with Vania this afternoon.
“...Since you never know what might happen, wouldn’t it be better to master it thoroughly? It’s an easy blessing to train.”
"There's no need to go that far anyway. You'll be caught the moment you try to control someone with special abilities. Why would you do something like that?"
There is no need to necessarily complete <Footsteps of Darkness>.
Vania's answer sounded plausible at first glance, but...
'That's bullshit.'
It's a crazy ability that can be used in any way you want. Because you can control the user like a puppet.
'Vania is clearly training this ability to the bare minimum necessary.'
Ryan was sure.
<The Poem of Retrograde>, which must be completed to be able to deal with any variable, has been trained to the end.
And, Vania said that she would definitely complete <Restoration of Light> someday.
He doesn't know why it has to be finished, but whatever. Probably so some asshole in the future doesn't do something stupid. It's obvious.
He doesn't know what it is, but it must be because his sister is trying to clean up the mess they made.
But?
<Dark Footsteps> has no intention of being fully trained. It's an easy blessing to train, as long as you have a target.
And come to think of it, the <Shackles of Bondage> she had from the beginning was also unfinished. That too is easy to train.
Why?
'Why? Is there a reason why you don't train?'
Ryan's lips were parched.
It was stupid.
Why haven't I ever had such obvious doubts before?
If there is some 'restriction' that prevents Vania from fully training Bless... what kind of restriction is it?
Limitations on power?
If you train all the blessings you have, your power will be dispersed, and you won't be able to use your power when you really need it.
'Fuck, that would be better.'
What Ryan is worried about is that the caster, Vania, is taking physical damage.
Because that's the worst assumption.
The Eyes of the Mirror - Footsteps of Darkness
“Wow! That’s it, that’s it!”
“Oh, really?”
Vania, just emerging from Ryan's shadow, cheered. It seemed she felt the gauge fill up to level 2.
‘Bunny, I know you’re going to avoid answering anyway, but I’ll just ask...’
And then,
“Now let’s come up with a concrete plan on how to ruin the auction!”
“...”
Ryan stared blankly at Vania's excited face, speechless.
“Huh? Why is that...?”
Knock. Knock.
Droplets of blood dripped onto the white bedsheets. Only then did Vania, frozen, look down at it.
“...”
“...”
In the eerie silence.
Ryan's hand slowly moved up towards Vania's face.
Stay still... Wipe the nosebleed away.
Soon their eyes met, and Ryan muttered in despair.
“Fuck...”
“Who are you...”
"Waste your time, and you'll die! Confess quickly, and you'll live!"
Ryan thrust a sharp piece of glass into the Marquis's neck. Blood flowed from his neck with a groan.
“...32 Rue Chevillon, basement of the villa owned by the Marquis of Parso. The date is three days from now, at 7:00 PM.”
The Marquis confessed, trembling.
After hearing that, I immediately got out of Ryan's shadow.
The Eyes of the Mirror - Footsteps of Darkness
Marquis Philippe Ballack, no, his brother-in-law, was startled when he saw me suddenly appear.
Elliot is the brother-in-law of Marquis Philippe Ballack, though he may not be the same as other Black Club members.
I know you're worried about your family, so let's be clear.
“This man lied.”
Actually, I don't know if it's a lie or not.
“What? I told the truth.”
“Sir, we’ve already captured and imprisoned two of them. One is the Marquis de Margiela, and the other is Count Prinz.”
I never caught or imprisoned anyone. I just told anyone I knew about the Black Club.
The Marquis's eyes shake rapidly.
A look of surprise on the face of those strangers he's meeting for the first time today, wondering how they could possibly know that list.
"I asked both of them, but they said different things. One of them must be lying. The old man is threatening me with cross-examination. So please don't lie and tell me the truth."
“...”
“I think at least one of the answers I received from the two people I caught first should be the same, but the answer you gave me now is completely different.”
The Marquis's eyes wavered. He must have lied.
I applaud your heartfelt consideration for your brother-in-law, who showed resourcefulness even in a life-threatening situation.
"I'll give you another chance. You'll have to agree with one of them, right? Lie, if you want to. After all, there are plenty of club members in the capital besides you, sir."
“...”
“If I go to the other twenty-four people and ask them one by one, one of them will probably tell the truth, right?”
I know the number of members.
The Marquis opens his mouth in a daze.
Ryan, who had been listening to our conversation, quickly noticed and applied force to the glass shard he was shoving into the Marquis's neck.
“Huh!”
"Is it really that hard to tell the truth about the location of the auction house? It shouldn't be more important than your life. I won't kill anyone needlessly, so don't worry. Confess the truth, and we'll live."
At Ryan's words, the Marquis' mouth finally opened again.
“...Townhouse 21-4, Villa Street. The house with the black iron gate. Four days later, 5:00 a.m.”
He'll have to survive if the answer is the same as the one I already know, so it has to be the truth this time.
Judging by the way he bites his lips in anger, it looks like he would run to Elliot and beg if he were spared.
Anyway, he probably won't even remember the auction location.
I took Ryan's hand.
The Eye of the Mirror - Poetry of Retrograde
As time goes by, a little, I find myself back in the shadows.
Ryan is walking with a limp.
And soon, Marquis Philippe Ballack was seen entering the jewellery shop with two escorts.
Ryan whispered as he passed a peaceful storefront, oblivious to the chaos that had erupted.
“It was nice to meet you, brother-in-law.”
Thanks to the dazzling performance of the robbers, we succeeded in finding out the location and time of the secret auction in just one hour!
We returned to the academy as if nothing had happened and joined our families.
“What the heck?!”
And Revan was astonished.
He was shocked when we told him that Alex had been admitted thanks to the Crown Prince's help.
Actually, I heard that Revan went to a professor he knew to ask him to help us out because he was worried that Alex might have a hard time getting into the school.
“Oh, my, it was a waste of time. Hey, if that was the case, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
Ryan, who was eating chocolate without stopping, said.
“No, I’m afraid you might not be able to communicate well with the professor...”
“So, you’re just the guy who threatened the professor?”
“Wow..."
Revan became thoughtful, then shrugged as if it was okay.
"But it's okay. I had another favor to ask. It went well."
“What favor?”
“I’ll tell you later,” said Revan, who was wandering around the crowded schoolyard, and looked at Ryan with a frown.
“But what is that guy constantly eating?”
"Ah, while I was waiting for my brother, these are the snacks Mr. Merchen received from the forty-two female students and five male students of the academy. I couldn't take them all with me, so the Lord is eating them and disposing of them."
Max answered, and Revan blinked at the Prince sitting on the bench, then ran his hand over his arm.
“...It’s a bit scary that even male students are involved.”
“Hmm? The young master is already coming out.”
Then, Kali said.
We all turned around in surprise.
Alex came out, as Kali had said. He was walking with a somewhat languid, feeble gait.
"What? I thought it would take two more hours?"
Alex came out much sooner than expected, and he didn't look in good condition.
I became ominous.
'Uh, did you fail the test?'
The Crown Prince, the Professor. Two high-ranking officials intervened behind the scenes to get Alex admitted.
But what if he fails the test and doesn't meet the admission requirements?
But given the high-ranking officials' separate statements, the Academy had no choice but to accept Alex's admission.
'Wow, then it's admissions fraud!'
That won't do!
For a brief moment, all sorts of worries raced through my head, and Ryan, surprised as well, hurriedly ran to Alex and asked.
"Alex! What's wrong with your expression? Did you fail your test? Why are you out so early? It feels like you're just handing in a blank form to avoid wasting time."
"Father..."
“Hey, why!”
Alex said with a sigh.
"I'm fine. I was just disappointed that the test was so easy. I was shocked by how indiscriminate it was. They said they'd call me back tomorrow with the results, but I can tell you without waiting. There's no way I got a single question wrong."
“...”
Oh my...
There was a moment of silence, then Ryan shouted.
“Ah!”
He cleared his throat and snatched Alex into his arms.
“Ah, Father!”
“That’s crazy, really! Well done! The best!”
“No! I don’t want to solve problems like that and be called the best...!”
That's it, until the end!
We all laughed in relief.
Finally, the father spoke.
“Yes, then let’s go home after having a delicious and expensive dinner!”
The evening after the sun has set, at the capital's lodgings.
A candle is lit in the room, and Ryan is sitting on the bed. And Vania is repeatedly entering and leaving Ryan's shadow.
It was to train Bless.
The two planned to go and ruin Elliot's secret auction four days later, and they would definitely need Vania's next level of <Dark Steps> ability.
“Just a little more, just a little more...!”
Ryan, who was deep in thought, pressed his forehead against his forehead as he watched Vania repeatedly disappear and reappear right next to him.
He is now seriously considering the power called 'superpower'.
‘Damn power.’
"Waste your time, and you'll die! Confess quickly, and you'll live!"
Ryan thrust a sharp piece of glass into the Marquis's neck. Blood flowed from his neck with a groan.
“...32 Rue Chevillon, basement of the villa owned by the Marquis of Parso. The date is three days from now, at 7:00 PM.”
The Marquis confessed, trembling.
After hearing that, I immediately got out of Ryan's shadow.
The Eyes of the Mirror - Footsteps of Darkness
Marquis Philippe Ballack, no, his brother-in-law, was startled when he saw me suddenly appear.
Elliot is the brother-in-law of Marquis Philippe Ballack, though he may not be the same as other Black Club members.
I know you're worried about your family, so let's be clear.
“This man lied.”
Actually, I don't know if it's a lie or not.
“What? I told the truth.”
“Sir, we’ve already captured and imprisoned two of them. One is the Marquis de Margiela, and the other is Count Prinz.”
I never caught or imprisoned anyone. I just told anyone I knew about the Black Club.
The Marquis's eyes shake rapidly.
A look of surprise on the face of those strangers he's meeting for the first time today, wondering how they could possibly know that list.
"I asked both of them, but they said different things. One of them must be lying. The old man is threatening me with cross-examination. So please don't lie and tell me the truth."
“...”
“I think at least one of the answers I received from the two people I caught first should be the same, but the answer you gave me now is completely different.”
The Marquis's eyes wavered. He must have lied.
I applaud your heartfelt consideration for your brother-in-law, who showed resourcefulness even in a life-threatening situation.
"I'll give you another chance. You'll have to agree with one of them, right? Lie, if you want to. After all, there are plenty of club members in the capital besides you, sir."
“...”
“If I go to the other twenty-four people and ask them one by one, one of them will probably tell the truth, right?”
I know the number of members.
The Marquis opens his mouth in a daze.
Ryan, who had been listening to our conversation, quickly noticed and applied force to the glass shard he was shoving into the Marquis's neck.
“Huh!”
"Is it really that hard to tell the truth about the location of the auction house? It shouldn't be more important than your life. I won't kill anyone needlessly, so don't worry. Confess the truth, and we'll live."
At Ryan's words, the Marquis' mouth finally opened again.
“...Townhouse 21-4, Villa Street. The house with the black iron gate. Four days later, 5:00 a.m.”
He'll have to survive if the answer is the same as the one I already know, so it has to be the truth this time.
Judging by the way he bites his lips in anger, it looks like he would run to Elliot and beg if he were spared.
But I'll spare him.
I took Ryan's hand.
The Eye of the Mirror - Poetry of Retrograde
As time goes by, a little, I find myself back in the shadows.
Ryan is walking with a limp.
And soon, Marquis Philippe Ballack was seen entering the jewellery shop with two escorts.
Ryan whispered as he passed a peaceful storefront, oblivious to the chaos that had erupted.
“It was nice to meet you, brother-in-law.”
***
Thanks to the dazzling performance of the robbers, we succeeded in finding out the location and time of the secret auction in just one hour!
We returned to the academy as if nothing had happened and joined our families.
“What the heck?!”
And Revan was astonished.
He was shocked when we told him that Alex had been admitted thanks to the Crown Prince's help.
Actually, I heard that Revan went to a professor he knew to ask him to help us out because he was worried that Alex might have a hard time getting into the school.
“Oh, my, it was a waste of time. Hey, if that was the case, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
Ryan, who was eating chocolate without stopping, said.
“No, I’m afraid you might not be able to communicate well with the professor...”
“So, you’re just the guy who threatened the professor?”
“Wow..."
Revan became thoughtful, then shrugged as if it was okay.
"But it's okay. I had another favor to ask. It went well."
“What favor?”
“I’ll tell you later,” said Revan, who was wandering around the crowded schoolyard, and looked at Ryan with a frown.
“But what is that guy constantly eating?”
"Ah, while I was waiting for my brother, these are the snacks Mr. Merchen received from the forty-two female students and five male students of the academy. I couldn't take them all with me, so the Lord is eating them and disposing of them."
Max answered, and Revan blinked at the Prince sitting on the bench, then ran his hand over his arm.
“...It’s a bit scary that even male students are involved.”
“Hmm? The young master is already coming out.”
Then, Kali said.
We all turned around in surprise.
Alex came out, as Kali had said. He was walking with a somewhat languid, feeble gait.
"What? I thought it would take two more hours?"
Alex came out much sooner than expected, and he didn't look in good condition.
I became ominous.
'Uh, did you fail the test?'
The Crown Prince, the Professor. Two high-ranking officials intervened behind the scenes to get Alex admitted.
But what if he fails the test and doesn't meet the admission requirements?
But given the high-ranking officials' separate statements, the Academy had no choice but to accept Alex's admission.
'Wow, then it's admissions fraud!'
That won't do!
For a brief moment, all sorts of worries raced through my head, and Ryan, surprised as well, hurriedly ran to Alex and asked.
"Alex! What's wrong with your expression? Did you fail your test? Why are you out so early? It feels like you're just handing in a blank form to avoid wasting time."
"Father..."
“Hey, why!”
Alex said with a sigh.
"I'm fine. I was just disappointed that the test was so easy. I was shocked by how indiscriminate it was. They said they'd call me back tomorrow with the results, but I can tell you without waiting. There's no way I got a single question wrong."
“...”
Oh my...
There was a moment of silence, then Ryan shouted.
“Ah!”
He cleared his throat and snatched Alex into his arms.
“Ah, Father!”
“That’s crazy, really! Well done! The best!”
“No! I don’t want to solve problems like that and be called the best...!”
That's it, until the end!
We all laughed in relief.
Finally, the father spoke.
“Yes, then let’s go home after having a delicious and expensive dinner!”
***
The evening after the sun has set, at the capital's lodgings.
A candle is lit in the room, and Ryan is sitting on the bed. And Vania is repeatedly entering and leaving Ryan's shadow.
It was to train Bless.
The two planned to go and ruin Elliot's secret auction four days later, and they would definitely need Vania's next level of <Dark Steps> ability.
“Just a little more, just a little more...!”
Ryan, who was deep in thought, pressed his forehead against his forehead as he watched Vania repeatedly disappear and reappear right next to him.
He is now seriously considering the power called 'superpower'.
‘Damn power.’
The history of this ability is short, leaving many unknown facts. The best way to learn is through direct experience.
As the power grows stronger, some of its abilities become more limited.
In the case of Ryan's <Instant Death>, the fact that it is almost impossible to train is a limitation, if any.
It's a good thing this world is full of monsters popping out at any moment. Otherwise, why would he kill someone to train for instant death?
The amount of experience required for training was also enormous compared to other abilities.
What he needs on the last day is a 3-stage <instant death>, but at the current rate...
'At least 4 years?'
Of course, this is the time it takes, assuming he participates in every single subjugation.
‘Ha, I’m not a researcher of our family’s special abilities, so I wasn’t really interested...'
He guess je should start paying attention now.
Why?
It's because of Vania.
<The Eyes of the Mirror>.
The name of the 'special' ability that made Vania the Princess of the family before her return.
A special class that only had two, along with instant death. A crazy power that sucks up and uses others' abilities. Could there be no limits?
'Well, even if there is, you won't tell me, right?'
The reason Ryan is so suspicious is because of the conversation he had with Vania this afternoon.
“...Since you never know what might happen, wouldn’t it be better to master it thoroughly? It’s an easy blessing to train.”
"There's no need to go that far anyway. You'll be caught the moment you try to control someone with special abilities. Why would you do something like that?"
There is no need to necessarily complete <Footsteps of Darkness>.
Vania's answer sounded plausible at first glance, but...
'That's bullshit.'
It's a crazy ability that can be used in any way you want. Because you can control the user like a puppet.
'Vania is clearly training this ability to the bare minimum necessary.'
Ryan was sure.
<The Poem of Retrograde>, which must be completed to be able to deal with any variable, has been trained to the end.
And, Vania said that she would definitely complete <Restoration of Light> someday.
He doesn't know why it has to be finished, but whatever. Probably so some asshole in the future doesn't do something stupid. It's obvious.
He doesn't know what it is, but it must be because his sister is trying to clean up the mess they made.
But?
<Dark Footsteps> has no intention of being fully trained. It's an easy blessing to train, as long as you have a target.
And come to think of it, the <Shackles of Bondage> she had from the beginning was also unfinished. That too is easy to train.
Why?
'Why? Is there a reason why you don't train?'
Ryan's lips were parched.
It was stupid.
Why haven't I ever had such obvious doubts before?
If there is some 'restriction' that prevents Vania from fully training Bless... what kind of restriction is it?
Limitations on power?
If you train all the blessings you have, your power will be dispersed, and you won't be able to use your power when you really need it.
'Fuck, that would be better.'
What Ryan is worried about is that the caster, Vania, is taking physical damage.
Because that's the worst assumption.
The Eyes of the Mirror - Footsteps of Darkness
“Wow! That’s it, that’s it!”
“Oh, really?”
Vania, just emerging from Ryan's shadow, cheered. It seemed she felt the gauge fill up to level 2.
‘Bunny, I know you’re going to avoid answering anyway, but I’ll just ask...’
And then,
“Now let’s come up with a concrete plan on how to ruin the auction!”
“...”
Ryan stared blankly at Vania's excited face, speechless.
“Huh? Why is that...?”
Knock. Knock.
Droplets of blood dripped onto the white bedsheets. Only then did Vania, frozen, look down at it.
“...”
“...”
In the eerie silence.
Ryan's hand slowly moved up towards Vania's face.
Stay still... Wipe the nosebleed away.
Soon their eyes met, and Ryan muttered in despair.
“Fuck...”
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