I was flustered by Ares's sudden strange reaction.
I just asked what it was? While I was flustered, not knowing why, Sibylius also looked at me strangely.
“What kind of idiotic thing are you saying? Isn't Black Pain something your family has kept for generations, an item whose location is known only to the head and the heir?"
I never heard about that!
Black Pain? It's an item that never once appeared or was even mentioned in the original work.
I wondered if she was joking, but there was no sign of it.
"Stop such jokes. As the Whiperion heir, there's no way you wouldn't know. Just now, Ares herself said it was in a place known only to herself and Ceres."
Damn it all!
The original Ceres knew? And Ares knows that fact too?
But since I didn't know and asked, of course they'd find it strange.
Even if I didn't know, it was a fatal mistake.
“Ceres, you?"
Ares looks at me in shock. I hurriedly tried to make an excuse, but...
“Actually, the thing is!"
“Don't tell me your memory still hasn't fully recovered?!"
“...Huh?"
Before I could say anything, Ares said something strange, leaving me dumbfounded.
“My memory is fine, though?"
“Asking something like that is itself proof that your memory is confused. Have you forgotten? Didn't you fall down the stairs and hit your head!"
At this suddenly revealed setting I'd never heard before, not only I but also the two people nearby were bewildered.
“Ceres hit his head?”
Alios asked Ares.
"What are you talking about? I've never seen Ceres injure his head.”
“Of course. He injured his head a few days before meeting you, Knight.”
What?
“Ceres, who hurt his head in the accident on the stairs, remained in a daze for several days afterward. Then, on the very day he met you, Knight, he seemed to have fully regained his senses and talkd normally.”
Was there content like this in the original work? Checking my memories, I found a part I could guess from. It was a monologue from the original Ceres, explaining how sickly she was. Ceres herself said she didn't remember much about the past few days, perhaps because she was too sick, or because something had happened.
So that was actually because she hit her head, and she herself didn't remember clearly?
Then I possessed her body right at the timing when Ceres fully regained her senses from that state?
“Wait a moment."
I tried to find out the situation in more detail.
“Why did I fall down the stairs? Normally, I'd move with a servant's help.”
“...It seems you don't remember that either.”
Ares, receiving my question, hesitated for a long time for some reason before answering.
“You argued with me.”
“About what?"
“...If you've forgotten, you don't particularly need to know. Just that I committed some wrong, and you got angry. You refused my support and tried to go down the stairs alone.”
Ares, who refused to state the detailed reason for some cause, explained the subsequent events as if monologuing.
“Forcing yourself to walk alone, you ended up slipping on the stairs. Even after urgent treatment, perhaps due to the aftereffects, you were dazed for a while.”
“Did I?"
“Perhaps because the argument with me remained subconsciously, although you spoke with the servants, you avoided conversing with me.”
Ares's eyes took on a worried glint, and she grasped my shoulder.
“Amidst that, on the day Knight Alios arrived, you suddenly regained your senses. Finding it difficult to ask if you remembered that day's events, I just assumed you had come back to yourself."
“Well, something like that, but...."
"Why didn't you tell me your memory was confused all this time?"
Okay, this is the crucial moment.
Figuring I needed to answer well so I wouldn't be suspected in the future, I made an excuse.
“I thought Mother would worry if she knew my memory wasn't complete, so I didn't say anything.”
If she's going to conveniently create a setting like memory loss for me, that's great.
I just need to use the fact of this memory loss myself.
“Actually, parts of my memory are still missing. Some things I should naturally know just don't come to mind."
“Then we need to treat it immediately!"
"It seems impossible. I've tested my healing power on my own body several times, but it stayed the same.”
"Why?"
"Perhaps it's because the cause isn't physical trauma but a psychological issue."
As I vaguely fabricated a reason, Ares flinched and trembled.
“A psychological reason….”
“It seems things related to the mind can't be fixed even with treatments using holy power and the like. Let's wait for it to recover naturally.”
“...Then there's nothing to be done."
As Ares stepped back, speaking reluctantly, the other two approached this time.
“Ceres, why didn't you tell us about that!" (Alios)
“To think you stayed quiet even while receiving treatment!" (Sibylius)
Alios was flustered, and Sibylius looked exasperated.
I vaguely brushed off the two of them as well.
“You both know noble society well. I couldn't carelessly reveal that I, the sole heir to a Count's family, had lost my memory.”
"True, it would become a huge scandal.” (Alios)
Mentioning nobility, Alios, being a current noble herself, immediately understood.
“Tsk, the dignity of nobles, is it.” (Sibylius)
Sibylius, though not a noble, had lived long and seen all sorts of things nobles do, so she also accepted it.
I was surprised at first, but thanks to the 'memory loss' setting, I was able to resolve the crisis.
And,
“I can use this."
“What did you say?" (Ares)
“Mother, let's try asking Emperor Viol to send me home first, as planned."
Saying I'd thought of an ingenious method, I informed the three of them.
After discussing with the group, we all immediately headed to the Imperial Palace.
“Ceres, you're finally back!"
Viol was happy to see me return, but...
“Ares, Sibylius, why are you pests in the Imperial Palace?"
She shot the two who followed me a look fearsome enough to appear in nightmares.
“Sibylius, have you forgotten you're not allowed to enter the Palace without my permission? Ares, you too, daring to come here without any notice, have you grown bold?"
While reprimanding the two, she was particularly wary of Ares.
She probably thought they came to take me away,
“Please return Ceres." (Ares)
Realizing her thought was correct, Viol's expression twisted viciously.
“Why should I?"
“Ceres is not in a normal state right now. He is experiencing partial memory loss.”
“...What."
Hearing unexpected words instead of what she anticipated, Viol blanked out.
Then, as if startled, she stared at me.
“Don't tell me your body's condition has worsened again!"
“No. Actually, something happened before I met you.”
I told her a slightly edited version of the story about falling down the stairs, hurting my head, and having memory confusion.
“I hid it until now, but I don't think I can keep going like this. I'm going to recuperate at home for a bit.”
Viol looked at me suspiciously.
“Suspicious. Are you lying to deceive me?"
“I'll show you proof.”
I sent a signal to Ares with my eyes.
Then, from her empty right hand, the black sword materialized.
"Black Pain!"
Viol recognized its identity instantly.
“Ares, you really have gone mad! Black Pain is something sealed by your family under the First Emperor's command. Why did you take it out without our Imperial family's order?"
“I took it out to save Ceres from the wicked half-demon.”
Viol's expression changed strangely.
“To do what?"
“I happened to hear news that Ceres had been taken by the half-demon Sibylius. Thinking she would harm my son, I had no choice but to bring this to confront her.”
“What are you talking about? That pest was trying to heal Ceres under my orders."
“How was I supposed to know that? Your Majesty never informed me of such a fact.”
Viol shut her mouth. Since it was true, she likely had nothing to say.
“Unaware of the truth, I took out Black Pain and went to fight Sibylius. But midway, Ceres, who heard the news, rushed over."
“And so?"
“Thanks to Ceres, the misunderstanding was cleared up, but the really important problem occurred after that. Ceres saw Black Pain and asked what it was.”
Ares pointed to Sibylius, saying someone else saw it besides her.
“Yes, that's right. I saw it. How he foolishly couldn't even recognize an item kept in his own family.”
Sibylius, who had already coordinated the story with us, sighed but said what she was told.
This was the good method I thought of.
Creating an atmosphere where she has no choice but to let me go by stating the fact of the memory loss as it is!
Of course, omitting the sensitive fact that Ares also intended to rebel against Viol.
"His condition is so poor right now that he doesn't even know an item the heir absolutely must know. He needs to recuperate at home for a while, so please send him back."
As Ares strongly insisted using the memory loss as an excuse, Viol hesitated.
“Can't he recuperate here too?"
“Does that mean you ultimately won't let him go?"
Facing an opponent who clung on till the end, Ares's expression turned serious.
At that moment, aura rose above the Black Pain she held.
What the?!
I was so startled I almost shouted aloud. Since when did she become a Sword Master?
I was surprised, and Viol's eyes widened, but the other two were calm as if they already knew.
Alios spoke to Ares as if she had expected it.
“So you did become a Sword Master."
“I quickly turned off the aura when you arrived, did you see it?" (Ares)
“I can tell without seeing. Your presence is leaking enough for a fellow Sword Master to recognize. It means you're not yet proficient with aura, so be careful." (Alios)
“...I'll keep that in mind." (Ares)
As the fellow Sword Masters talked about things only they understood, I grew anxious.
Becoming a Sword Master, something she didn't achieve in the original work, is commendable, but this wasn't part of the plan.
Glancing at Viol's expression, it wasn't very good.
“Why did you show your aura? Are you saying you'll stab me with that if I don't give Ceres back?"
As she spoke warily,
“I am merely asking for a gift.” (Ares)
“A gift?” (Viol)
“The birth of a Sword Master is a joyous occasion for their nation. Monarchs have always given gifts as congratulations.” (Ares)
“So you're saying return Ceres as a gift now?" (Viol)
“Didn't you give Knight Alios a gift, albeit reluctantly, when she became a Sword Master?" (Ares)
Ares said. She wasn't asking for much. Just forgive her child's rudeness and allow him to recuperate at home. She was pleading for mercy.
With her opponent speaking like this, Viol also seemed to find it hard to find words of refusal. Her eyes darted around before landing on me.
“Ceres, your will is….”
“Of course I'm going back. Just send me home already. If you miss me, call me again later or something.”
"...Understood."
Seeing my will was also firm, she finally gave up as if she had no choice.
“Go home and rest well for a while.”
“I planned to even if you didn't say so. You rest too, and Sibylius, sorry for bothering you, rest well too.”
With Viol's permission granted, we could finally return home.
And I followed the Emperor's command really well, doing nothing and resting completely for a while.
“Knight Alios, you rest too, and don't come by for a while.” (Ares)
“Why?!" (Alios)
“My child needs to recuperate, and it's a disturbance if you keep coming, Knight." (Ares)
With Ares blocking even Alios, who used to visit daily, there was no one to interfere.
Resting by lying in bed all day like when I was sick.
Using my healed body to take walks here and there.
And preparing for original novel events that would happen later.
I was spending a truly fulfilling holiday.
“Ceres." (Ares)
One day, Ares suddenly came to my room with a reluctant face.
“A man named Airan has come seeking to meet you, accompanied by priests.”
Now?