Chapter 92: Strange Motive, Sudden Explosion!

Some hours ago...

Sadim was polishing his red and gold armor with a serious look on his face.

Across from him, Rosemarie watched.

... Hrmmm

She had her arms folded, a stern expression on her face, as she stared at him like she was about to explode.

The golden-haired man let out a deep sigh.

"Rose, you have to understand that I'm just..."

"Just what?"

Rosemarie interrupted him before he could even finish what he was saying.

She was extremely furious.

"I can't believe you're actually planning to steal from God Dionysus like it's no big deal!"

"Di-, Dionysus?"

Sadim abruptly turned to face her.

His body was shaking a bit.

There was confusion written all over his face.

"H-, He said... his name was Dionysus?"

"Well, yeah. N-, Not exactly."

Rosemarie raised an eyebrow.

What was supposed to be a lecture about how wrong his actions were had taken a completely different direction.

"Are you trying to distract me?"

A small vein popped on her forehead.

"Hnnn... 'cause it's not working, ya know!"

She was trying really hard to sound firm, but not in a way that would hurt Sadim's feelings. It was a delicate situation, and if she wasn't careful, it could damage their relationship.

In the past, there were moments when she would just snap at him whenever he did something foolish like this.

But tonight, she didn't want that to happen.

"Sadim, just tell me... what's going on?"

Concern was clear on the nun's beautiful face.

Instead of answering, Sadim stood up from his chair and walked past her to the corner of their large tent. His eyes locked onto his reflection in the silver plate armor lying on the ground.

『It doesn't make sense. The young lord who came to visit—I heard from the other knights that his name is God Vritra, a Fiendcelestial from House Bloodgarden in the Hell Continent. But why is he responding to the name Dionysus? Why that name, of all names? Is he trying to send me a message?』

Sadim was struggling to think clearly, but his mind was a blur.

His heart trembled, and it was starting to show in the way his legs shook.

『This feeling... it's unfamiliar...』

It was fear.

『I feel like I've already lost, and I don't even know why. No, no, that's ridiculous. Is he answering to Dionysus because he's really that bastard? Or is it just a random name to hide his true identity? None of this makes sense. Something tells me I shouldn't go to Arcellion's place tonight, but if I don't, that might give Vritra some kind of confirmation... but of what?』

It felt like he was playing a mental minefield.

Every time he thought of a new strategy, the fact that Vritra had chosen this particular name would disrupt all of his plans.

Like some automatic defense.

『Unless... no, that doesn't make sense either.』

Sadim shook his head in frustration.

He couldn't find the answer.

... Hnnn~

Rosemarie kept watching him, looking even more worried than before. But no matter what she said, this stubborn man just wouldn't listen. Sometimes, she found that side of him really attractive, but other times, she couldn't stand it.

In the end, though, Rosemarie loved both Sadim's strengths and flaws—they were part of who he was, at least in her eyes. What made it hard for her, though, was the fact that Sadim always felt like he had to be perfect in every way.

"Young master!"

"Psssst!"

"Young master!"

After patiently doing this for nearly a minute, Vritra grunted heavily and flicked his finger to push the window open just enough for her to slip in.

"Gyahhh!"

Ghislaine tumbled into the room and crashed onto the polished floor like a tangled cable.

"Th-, Thank you, young master..."

She groaned loudly.

The young lord completely ignored her and shook his head nonchalantly while sipping his tea.

━ ━ ━ ━

10 minutes later...

Benita and a guard were carefully guiding a tired Sadim down the hallway, probably looking for a spot where he could lie down. They treated him like he was fragile, even though he was perfectly fine. Still, Sadim made sure to walk slowly, acting weak on purpose.

"First Lieutenant, are you alright?"

The guard supporting him on the left side asked.

"I-, I think I'm alright..."

The golden-haired man coughed heavily.

Benita placed a hand on his chest.

"Are you sure? You're still..."

"Don't worry about me. I'll manage."

"Al-, Alright then. Just hang in there, okay?"

Benita looked deeply worried, barely able to speak without stuttering in her confusion.

Suddenly, a small smile crept onto Sadim's face.

『Excellent...』

In that moment, a powerful explosion shook Lord Arcellion's mansion, causing the entire place to tremble like a ship caught in rough seas.

Tables and chairs were thrown across rooms, guards tumbled to the ground, and paintings and oil lamps crashed to the floor. Screams from the maids echoed through the halls in sheer terror.

"Wh-, What just happened──?!"

Benita tried to stay calm but couldn't hide her shock.

Without warning, Sadim delivered a swift chop to Benita's neck, knocking her out instantly.

... Urrgh!

Benita collapsed, and the panicked guard quickly turned his attention to her.

"H-, Head Maid Benita!"

"She must've fainted from the shock."

Strangely, Sadim now appeared perfectly fine.

The guard blinked, utterly confused.

"Wh-, What's going on?"

Instead of answering, Sadim placed a firm hand on the guard's shoulder and frowned.

"The mansion must be under attack. Take Miss Benita to a room to rest. I'll report this to Lord Arcellion!"

"O-, Okay!"

As the guard picked up Benita and hurried away, Sadim flicked his wrist and delivered another quick chop to the guard's neck, sending him crashing to the floor.

Both were now out cold.

Sadim folded his arms and grinned.

"Heh... as if I had any reason to be worried."

[Ding! The "hero" Sadim Goldtouch has made another daring move. His Fate Value has experienced a great increase by 150!]