Hello... Rex here...
Bedridden, and banned from going out—Rex here...
Hmm? Why?
Well, it's quite obvious, isn't it?
I was kidnapped during an afternoon shopping trip. After that, I even fought an Advanced Class adventurer alone, literally inches away from dying. If it were me, and that happened to my son (not that I had one), then I'd definitely ground him too.
Rather than punishment, it's more for protection, though.
After all, Father didn't accept the "trade" that was forced on him by Count Vedel.
Although that was the correct choice, I still feel that Father is a bit too cold... isn't he worried about me? No, he wouldn't ground me if he wasn't worried, though... crazy...
Anyway, it had been two days since that fight, but even now, my injuries haven't fully healed.
Apparently, Shadowless's dagger had poison on it that slowed recovery; thus, I needed more time to recuperate.
And yes, it's exactly as you think. Thanks to the poison, there's still a hole in my back, going through my lung. Thus, I'm bedridden, forbidden from moving.
Extraneous actions would make me short of breath easily, after all... proven when I tried to escape outside and collapsed after a dozen steps.
"..."
But anyway, that's not the only reason I'm unable to leave the bed.
I glanced to the side, where a beautiful maid was sitting... It was Miranda, the slave I had just obtained.
I learned this from the other maids who loved gossip, but it seemed that after she was released by the kidnappers, leaving me behind, she ran as fast as she could to Father's side. Her quick thinking was also the reason Father arrived in time to save me back then.
But despite her contributions, her expression was grim.
And the reason... was me.
As my slave, it should have been her duty to protect me—at least, that's what she claimed to one of the maids who listened to her worries.
Her act of escaping alone, leaving her master behind, made her feel intense guilt—enough that the slave mark on her chest burned, bringing her to her knees in pain.
Anyway, since then, she had tried to stay by my side as long as possible... as if keeping an eye on me.
Honestly, it was unnerving. But at the same time, knowing that a beauty was staring at me so intently... sent shivers down my spine.
Still, the silence was killing me...
"Miranda...?" I whispered in a small voice—the loudest I could muster in my condition. "Isn't it time for your sword practice now...?"
Yes, that's another point I need to emphasize.
Due to her guilt over being unable to do anything but escape, she volunteered to be trained by Father's knights. Although they were clueless about her latent talents, after letting her try various weapons, they quickly figured out that a sword was the best choice for her.
To be specific... a rapier.
A sword that focused on speed and technique rather than brute force. A weapon meant to pierce an enemy's vitals accurately. Elegant but deadly.
"Yes, Master."
Miranda nodded and stood up from her chair.
"Please excuse me for today. I'll return to your side after my training is done," she declared, bowing deeply before turning around and leaving.
As she closed the door behind her, I let out a long sigh.
"Finally alone..." I muttered before beginning to cast healing spells on myself.
Ah, right.
The fact that I can use magic is a secret.
Only one person knows this... no, two, if you include my little sister, Elisha.
Huh? Dominator's Hand? No, that's not magic, but a skill. That's why I can use it despite having the curse of Mana Release Incompatibility. Everyone knows I can use Dominator's Hand, since I play with Elisha using it all the time, but none are aware of my magical prowess.
One reason is that normally, one needs to be over ten years old before beginning proper training. There's a belief that practicing magic too early could lead to mana deviation and bring death to the user... though that's a danger all magicians must face regardless.
The real reason a "child" can't practice magic is their lack of discretion.
Me?
I have that.
Rather, my mind is the same as an adult's, so I have no issue practicing magic early. And with my curse, even if I did lose discretion, I'm not considered a danger without attack magic. That's why my Teacher allowed me to train, while keeping it a secret from everyone else.
Anyway!
Despite using magic to heal my wounds, the potency was reduced to 1% of regular output.
Based on my calculations... at this rate, it would take a full day of nonstop healing to recover completely, which I couldn't afford.
Not only would I lack the mana to last that long, but it's not like I have extended periods where I can be alone. Even if my mana emission is nearly zero thanks to my curse, it's not completely undetectable to someone observing me directly.
Thus, in the past two days, I only managed a total of six hours of healing.
Still far from getting back on my feet...
---
One week passed.
And now, I'm finally able to step out of bed.
There were two main reasons I was allowed to leave so early, even though I had just recovered. One was that all my wounds had closed fully. And the other...
"So Father is fighting against Count Vedel?" I confirmed, raising a brow.
Father placed both hands on his desk and sighed. "...Yes."
Apparently... we're now officially at war.
The main reason was that Father could no longer tolerate the Count's heavy-handed schemes. And the clincher? My kidnapping incident.
But even though I call it a "war," the two are on the same side, under the same king. There's no way a real war would be permitted between them. Rather, it was closer to a formal "competition," with honor on the line.
Based on the kingdom's laws, the war would be done by proxy.
Each side would send five knights or soldiers to fight in one-on-one duels.
The winner of each round would have the right to remain on stage and fight the next combatant, or step down and let the next fighter take over. Basically, a king-of-the-hill format.
And of course, killing the other party is allowed in this format.
"I see..." I nodded, understanding Father's intent. "So who will you send to fight, Father?"
"..."
Without a word, he pushed a sheet of paper toward me. Did he want me to... read it myself?
I carefully picked it up and checked the listed names... and gasped.
"Seriously...?"
Why... why is Miranda's name on the first line?!