Chapter Title: Black and Falsehood (3)
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The chirping of birds echoing in his ears heralded the brightening morning.
"Lady Anet, may I come in for a moment?"
Ronne, who had brought some suitable snacks, stood blankly in front of Anet's door.
It had been nearly a week now that things had been like this.
He had told Kroha it would be fine, but in truth, no one was more worried than Ronne himself.
He desperately wanted to fling the door open, but that was impossible.
All he could do was take solace in knowing the Anet he remembered was a woman of strong resolve.
"I've brought some things to ease your hunger. I'll leave them by the door."
The food from yesterday was still untouched. Ronne barely suppressed a sigh that threatened to escape.
'It might have been better if the young master came himself.'
At least then he could have shown his face.
Ronne, about to leave, paused. Lately, he hadn't been able to report on Kroha.
Normally, such reports weren't permitted like this, but now it seemed okay.
For a moment at least, Ronne wanted to fulfill his duty as Anet's friend rather than a Frontel knight.
"Young Master Kroha's complexion has improved a lot lately. It seems he's taken an interest in something."
There was still no reply. Even so, Ronne pressed on.
"...And day by day, he's surpassing his previous achievements. He's reached a level far beyond most apprentice knights. Considering he's only ten, it's even more astonishing."
These weren't just words to comfort Anet.
Kroha was showing such excellence that Ronne constantly questioned if this was truly the child who had suffered from Dissolving Ice.
"As you know, Lady Anet, at this age, handling 3-star mana is something only Master Luke has done..."
The unfinished sentence lodged in Ronne's throat like shards. He needed a moment to spit them out.
"...So please don't worry too much. Young Master Kroha will manage just fine even back at the family."
With that, the one-sided conversation ended.
No response at all meant further monologuing would be pointless.
'But she's never gone this long without replying...'
Only then did Ronne belatedly notice something off.
"...Pardon the intrusion, Lady Anet! I'll accept punishment for this breach of etiquette later!"
Bang-!
The door handle shattered with a thunderous crash. For a 6-star knight like Ronne, it was a simple matter.
'Damn it!'
Upon checking Anet's condition, Ronne could scarcely believe his eyes.
***
Poke. Poke.
Kali prodded Kroha repeatedly with a tree branch.
"Hey, you vermin."
Yet Kroha showed no reaction.
"Can't you hear me, vermin?"
Poke. Poke.
Undeterred, Kali kept jabbing. This time at the back of his head instead of his waist.
"The cherries are all gone. Hurry and get new ones... Huh, wearing a different expression today?"
Seeing Kroha's face, Kali tilted her head curiously.
"What are you thinking to sit so calmly? It's amusing in its own way, but..."
"Go away."
Kroha dryly pushed Kali's head aside.
"How dare a mere vermin touch this one's head so casually!"
"You're annoying me. Cut it out."
"Hoh, all the Frontels this one remembers were stiff-necked fools, yet you're a bit different."
"Different?"
It was almost a soliloquy.
Suddenly, she wondered why she felt so irritated.
These were emotions her original self wouldn't have felt.
She didn't know when she'd become so tolerant of sentiments like affection.
The one thing she was sure of was Anet's profound influence.
"It's not that you don't understand. Even this one gets bothered as the cherries dwindle. So fetch new ones quickly."
It seemed unrelated, but Kroha decided to let it slide. Cherries anyway...
"None left."
"...W-What do you mean by that?"
It meant exactly that. There were no more cherries left in the mansion.
They had been prepared for Anet in the first place, so with her rarely going out lately, no extras were stocked.
Kali, frowning gravely, suddenly spoke as if struck by a thought.
"Is it because of that constant racket from the mana?"
"...What?"
"That's why your 'teacher' has no spare cherries for this one, right?"
Ronne had never prepared cherries for Kali, but that wasn't important now.
"Tell me more."
"What more is there? It's still making a fuss right below us."
Kali pointed at the floor. Kroha knew exactly where that was.
The real issue was the mana causing a racket.
At Kroha's current level, he couldn't sense it, but he understood the implication.
'Come to think of it...'
Ronne's usual visits for physical training were long overdue.
Uncharacteristic for Ronne. And then, as if confirming the chill down his spine wasn't imagination...
Thud-!
A massive boom echoed through the mansion. Kroha instantly knew the direction.
'No way.'
Kroha moved without hesitation. If his guess was right, it was a major hassle.
He soon reached Anet's location.
"...Young master."
Ronne's expression showed he hadn't expected Kroha. Meaning the situation was chaotic enough to leave no room for that.
Through the gap, Anet looked visibly unwell at a glance.
Veins bulging across her body twitched, and faint groans escaped with each ragged breath.
Even now, Ronne busily worked to treat her.
'Mana rampage.'
This was beyond mana poisoning—an advanced stage. Symptoms likely started just hours ago.
Any longer, and her mana-tainted skin would have burst open.
The question was why this happened.
Such cases were rare.
Unless forcing mana beyond limits in prolonged combat.
'Not her.'
That didn't apply to Anet. Nothing like that happened at Thorn Hill.
"Ronne, what happened to Mother?"
Kroha asked in a low, steady voice.
Not about the rampage itself, but the cause.
"Well..."
"It's fine. Tell me."
Ronne hesitated briefly before speaking cautiously.
"I didn't tell you, young master, but Lady Anet's core has been unstable for a while."
"...Her core?"
If the core was unstable as Ronne said, skipping straight to rampage after mana poisoning made sense.
The mana in a core was vast beyond imagination.
A sudden surge could cause this.
Now, why was the core unstable?
"Lady Anet was levied by the family."
A heavily abbreviated explanation. Kroha knew it was out of consideration for him.
Frontel levy.
It meant paying a price when a family member broke rules and committed grave faults.
Anet's reason was obvious.
The illegitimate child, an indelible stain on Frontel—Kroha himself.
"It was my oversight for not noticing sooner. What does duty even matter..."
Ronne bit his lip, face full of guilt.
From his reaction, even he hadn't noticed until recently.
Not surprising. Mana rampages like this struck suddenly for most.
"No, if not for you, Mother's condition could be worse."
That it stopped here was thanks to Ronne injecting his mana to stabilize her.
"Focus now."
"Right..."
Ronne couldn't help but be impressed by Kroha's composure.
Mature beyond his years usually, but this situation? Unbelievable.
"I'll do my best."
Ronne reflected on his shortcomings and resumed injecting mana into Anet.
It was temporary, but she'd hold steady for a while.
Still, no knowing when it'd rampage again. Needed a fundamental fix.
'Sort my thoughts.'
He hadn't noticed Anet's unstable core because she'd deliberately hidden it.
At least it hadn't interfered with daily life.
'The levy might explain it then, but no recent trigger for rampage.'
The only possibility: mental collapse accelerating core instability.
'In the end, all because of me...'
***
Time passed, Anet's blue-tinted skin returned to normal, and her breathing steadied.
"She should stay stable for a while."
Ronne wiped his sweat as he spoke.
True to his words, Anet looked markedly better.
"Good work, Ronne. You should rest, even if just briefly."
Not professional level, but Ronne's mana healing exceeded expectations.
Makes sense for Frontel knight qualifications.
"I'm fine. Better to stay by Lady Anet in case..."
"She won't like that. Go rest properly."
He hid it well, but fatigue must be heavy.
Using mana for healing demanded intense focus and stamina.
"...Then I'll rest in the next room."
"Don't worry about us."
"Right. With you here, young master... Lady Anet will feel secure."
Ronne forced a smile and left. The prior chaos gave way to silence.
After a moment, Kroha spoke.
"You're there, right, Kali?"
"So you knew."
Kali emerged from hiding her presence.
She then slowly scanned the sleeping Anet's body with interest.
"Ugh, must have hurt terribly."
"Hurting" didn't cover it. The pain was like bugs devouring her insides.
"Found your answer, eh, vermin? Your hands are shaking that much."
"You said a lie can become truth if there's potential..."
"Correct."
"Then restoring Mother's core isn't impossible."
"It depends on your desperation."
"That's enough."
As Kali said, Kroha had just found his goal for the first "falsehood."
Not as Aintz's hunting dog, but as Frontel blood—for the first time, a power he truly craved.
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