My heart was filled with joy.
I wanted to turn to the next page and learn more about the book's contents, but... I couldn't open it.
Suddenly, the handwriting on the visible page changed.
"Unlock conditions not met."
Looking at the words, the meaning was easy to understand. The unlock condition was probably what the previous page mentioned: finding the "treasure" hidden in this world.
But the book only said there was treasure, without giving even the slightest hint of where it was or what it looked like. Even if I wanted to find it, I wouldn't know where to begin.
That was absolutely infuriating.
"Um..."
A girl's voice broke my concentration.
When I looked up, I saw Theresia looking completely bewildered, while Carol was frowning as if she were looking at a lunatic.
"Did you see what was written in the book?" Thearesia asked, clearly curious.
From her perspective, she saw nothing. More precisely, she saw a blank page. To them, the book contained absolutely nothing.
But strangely enough, the man in front of her was reacting to it—sometimes speechless, sometimes happy, and sometimes surprised—as if he were reading something invisible to everyone else.
I realized immediately that they couldn't see the contents.
"Sorry, I was too engrossed in reading just now."
"Hey! You really saw something?"
"Of course. Didn't I say that this is a family heirloom passed down through generations?"
"So that's how it is..."
Despite her intense curiosity about the book and what I had seen, she decided not to press further since I claimed it was a family secret.
"However, we can leave aside the matter of the book," she said, her tone turning slightly more serious. "Have you remembered yet?"
This was the last inquiry. If I still didn't give an explanation, she would have no choice but to let go and hand the matter over to her servant, Carol. Thearesia was kind, but she wasn't naive. She wouldn't help someone who might threaten those around her.
"My name is Regulus."
I looked her in the eye.
"As for how I got here and why I'm dressed so strangely... all I remember is that last night I suddenly smelled a strange odor, and then, in a daze, I was attacked."
It was all a lie. Even the name.
As for why I took his name... the reasons were twofold.
First, having my own Earth name in this world—or rather, in this kingdom—felt pointless. As someone who was completely unregistered, giving a fake name was safer.
Second, and more importantly: if "Regulus" was in the vicinity last night, it proved that his wives must also be nearby.
If I absolutely needed to prove my identity later, and I had helped save them or knew where they were, there was a high chance that Regulus's wives (who were victims themselves) might lend me a hand.
Of course, there were risks. The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, wasn't very active in public affairs, but his destructive power was legendary. I didn't know if Theresia and Carol had heard of him.
But honestly? It didn't matter if they had.
Now that I had acquired the Authority of Greed, I could theoretically defeat Theresia—even with her blessing as the Sword Saint—and Carol, who didn't seem weak either.
It wouldn't be easy for them to deal with me. especially since they were unaware of my abilities.
The only thing to worry about was the limitations.
If my secondary power (Little King) couldn't be used, my main invincible skill (Lion's Heart) could only be used for a maximum of five seconds at a time. If it exceeded five seconds, my heart would stop, and I would die.
Also, I had to be wary of other abilities in this world. For example, the Authority of Gluttony could devour a person's name and memories. If I gave a fake name, maybe it would offer some protection? Or maybe it would backfire? I wasn't sure.
But my biggest concern was sustaining the invincibility.
To use Lion's Heart indefinitely, I needed a proxy—a "wife"—to carry my heart. Without one, I was just a normal man with a five-second time limit on godhood.
I looked at Theresia.
If someone really had such a beautiful wife, how could a normal person let her live alone? How could he tolerate her not belonging to him?
'If only it were true,' I couldn't help but think to myself.
On a whim, I decided to test it. I tried to activate the subordinate power, Little King, targeting her.
Thump.
"Huh?! It worked?"
"What worked?"
Theresia, who had been lost in thought, looked at me in confusion. My eyes were filled with surprise and excitement.
"N-nothing," I stammered, shaking my head. I forced myself to calm down, but I couldn't suppress the excitement in my heart.
It worked. I had successfully placed my "heart" into her.
Given the current situation, I really didn't need to be afraid of them anymore.
'But... why?'
For a moment, my heart was filled with confusion.
Even recognizing someone as a "wife" was enough to activate the power? In the stories, Regulus usually held a wedding, even if it was just a formality, before the connection was established. Did the requirements change because I was the new user? Or was my Authority just that potent?
Theresia mentally labeled me as a "strange fellow" before turning to look at her maid.
"Carol, you heard his name."
"I heard it. But I still think this guy is very suspicious and should be handed over to the guards."
"Don't say that."
Theresia was quite helpless in the face of Carol's stubbornness. Once the knight made a decision, she almost never changed it.
However, Theresia also knew that even if she knew my name, she couldn't let me leave so easily without verifying my story.
"In that case..." Theresia started to speak.
"What do you have to complain about?" Carol interrupted, staring at me.
She noticed my gaze was completely different from before. I was daring to meet her eyes now.
"What? Can't I feel dissatisfied?" I shot back.
I decided to confront her directly. Don't back down. When I lose my temper now, even I'm afraid of myself.
"Don't think that just because you have the Young Miss protecting you, I won't dare to do anything to you," Carol said, her hand dropping to the hilt of her sword. She drew the blade slightly, the steel singing a warning.
"Hmph! You think I'm afraid of you? Come and try if you dare!"
I crossed my arms, giving off an attitude of "whoever backs down is a coward."
Even a clay figurine has a bit of fire in it. They had targeted me from the very beginning. If I hadn't been insecure before, I wouldn't have put up with it. Why should I tolerate this now?
If she dared to make a move, I would definitely pin her to the ground and teach her a lesson for almost retiring my "little brother" earlier!
I was getting angrier the more I thought about it.
I almost—I really almost—became a eunuch. If that had happened, Theresia would have been left to live a lonely life without me!
I puffed out my chest, ready for battle.
However, what was strange was...
Both Carol, who was threatening me, and Theresia, who was trying to stop us, suddenly turned their heads away. They stopped looking at me entirely.
I looked down.
Ah.
My pants were still split open.
....
.....
.....
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