“Lord… I’d like to wash up…”

“Go ahead.”

“…”

“Lord… I’d like to practice my swordsmanship…”

“Go do it.”

“…”

“Lord… I’d like to just lounge around in bed…”

“What do you want me to do about that?”

“…”

Sylvia’s sword dependency was severe. Whenever she spent more than a minute away from me, she’d trail back like a lost puppy. Even if she was with me all day, she’d periodically insist on drawing her sword.

It seemed that in the past, whenever she felt bored, she’d fidget with the hilt to suppress her anxiety. This couldn’t continue. I reached that conclusion.

“It’s an order. Leave the office.”

“Huh? But what about my guard duties…?”

“It doesn’t matter; we’re both still in the estate. If this keeps up, we won’t solve anything. Thus, I’ve determined it’s urgent to treat your dependency.”

“T-That can’t be…!”

[The evil god Kali fully supports your decision!]

Sylvia looked stunned, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. But this was necessary. Who could have imagined her dependency was this severe?

If she were quietly waiting in my shadow, I wouldn’t have taken such drastic measures, but if she needed to regularly hold a sword, she had to be treated.

I pushed Sylvia, who stubbornly resisted, out of the office. Just as I was about to close the door, she shot me a pleading look, her big eyes shimmering with tears that looked ready to spill.

“Lord… I might die from anxiety like this… What if we consider ourselves a fated pair and, whenever I bathe or sleep, I stay by your side…”

“No.”

[The evil god Kali chastises you for not praising our Dark Knight more fervently!]

Slamming the door shut, I turned away. I could hear her muttering softly, “Ah, the tears aren’t working this time…”

Would they? Maybe with Charlotte or Yulia, but not with Sylvia. Her tears wouldn’t sway me.

With that troublesome distraction gone, I was finally ready to focus on my work.

‘Something feels off…’

[The evil god Kali grows tense at your sharp senses.]

An unsettling sensation suddenly washed over me. As I turned around, I noted Kali’s peculiar reaction too. Something was amiss in the room. I was certain of it.

But nothing in the room looked or sounded out of place. If it wasn’t a visual or auditory cue, then what was the source of my unease?

As I closed my eyes and focused on my other senses, I detected a faint, sweet aroma wafting through the air. Ah, now I understood.

“Charlotte, what are you doing over there?”

“Ah! How did you find me?!”

As Charlotte emerged from behind a large shadow cast by the chair, I had initially intended to reprimand her for sneaking into my office without permission. But the moment I saw her impish grin, my anger dissipated.

"Is that…?"

"Yes! I learned it from Knight Sylvia! Isn’t it awesome? This isn’t a mana-using technique, so as long as I concentrate, I can do this all day!"

"…"

Charlotte was repeatedly slipping in and out of the shadows, clearly having fun with her newfound ability. It was undeniably impressive.

"What does the scenery look like inside the shadow?"

"Hehe. Want to try it out?"

"Can I see too?"

"Come here! I’ll teach you!"

She took my hand, leading me toward the shadow behind the chair, half-submerging her body into it.

“Now, hold my hands tightly!”

“Wow. Okay. But what’s different about this?”

“It’s not just different, you’ve got to focus! Breathe with me! In, out! In, out!”

“In, out. In, out.”

“No, it’s in, out! Like this!”

“…What’s the difference?”

“Ugh! There’s something different! Just come in!”

As she struggled to explain, Charlotte finally pulled me fully into the shadow with her.

“Whew. This is what it really looks like.”

“….”

I found myself crouching within the shadow, gazing at Charlotte’s gleeful smile. Inside the shadow, I could see her clearly, but stepping outside made her vanish entirely.

Aha. So this was how it worked. It wasn’t about actually entering the shadow but rather a clever form of concealment.

If I had figured it out sooner, I might have tried to reach into the shadow. How had I not seen it before?

“This is a secret! I told Yulia there’s a big room with beds and couches in the shadow, but you must never tell her!”

“Of course. I’ll take it to my grave.”

“Hehe.”

We pinky-promised, sealing our agreement with a thumbprint. I should join in teasing Yulia later.

"Anyway, this is amazing. I heard this is a technique Sylvia developed after long training due to her inability to use mana, but you picked it up immediately."

"Hehe! Isn’t it awesome! You can use it wherever there’s a shadow!"

Charlotte stood up confidently, hands on her hips, beaming with pride. Then, she suddenly tilted her head toward me, her gaze softening.

[The evil god Kali scolds you for not showering our Dark Knight with more praise!]

Was she silently asking for a pat on the head? I had been intentionally resisting out of jest, but—

“Alright.”

As soon as I complied, Charlotte grabbed my hand and placed it on her head.

There was no way I could resist the strength of someone who wielded a sword as big as hers.

After rubbing her head for a while, she beamed with satisfaction.

‘But can someone at the Sword Expert level actually use this technique? It seems odd.’

Upon reflection, it was strange. Since this stealth technique didn’t involve mana, it wasn’t magic. But techniques at the Sword Expert level usually involved skills that didn’t stray far from normal human limits, like running quickly or slashing rapidly.

Only a Swordmaster could emit light from their sword, levitate, or telekinetically move objects without touching them.

So this technique, which allowed one to vanish just by entering a shadow, was far beyond conventional abilities.

‘Is Sylvia already qualified to be a Swordmaster?’

I couldn’t shake the feeling that my instincts had not failed me. Sylvia was more than capable of becoming a Swordmaster. She just needed to take one more step, but something was clearly blocking her path.

If I could help her clear whatever that was, she could become a Swordmaster in no time…

I shook my head, dismissing the troubling thoughts. I’d have to consult a Swordmaster when the opportunity arose.

“Sir! I’ve learned a spell too!”

“A spell? Did you learn it from Sylvia?”

“No! For some reason, I can’t grasp any of the spells she teaches!”

That made sense. With how poorly Sylvia explained magic, it would be odd for anyone to understand it on the first try. It was normal to struggle.

“I learned it by sneaking a peek at the book Yulia was reading! It was really fun, so I picked it up!”

“Oh? What spell is it? Can you show me?”

“Of course! I haven’t shown anyone yet, so you’ll be the first!”

Beaming with pride, Charlotte stood confidently in the middle of the office. I wondered what she would demonstrate.

Suddenly, she drew her impressive sword.

“Charlotte…”

“I won’t cause any trouble! Trust me!”

“Alright. Go ahead.”

With the sword pointed skyward, she let out a strange groan.

And then she brightly smiled at me.

“How’s this?”

“…?”

“Isn’t it awesome?!”

“…What?”

“It’s an invisibility spell! With this, I can become transparent even outside the shadows!”

Transparent? She seemed completely visible to me.

It looked like her self-study on magic had failed. However—

“Wow! Whoa… I’m so surprised I can’t even respond properly. I can hear your voice, but I can’t see you at all.”

“Right!? Right!?”

[The evil god Kali scolds you for not praising our Dark Knight more vigorously!]

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Charlotte seemed thrilled, even more confident after my astonishment.

She darted around, waving her hands in front of my face, but when I kept pretending to ignore her, she became even more excited.

“Okay! Should we take it a step further?”

“Let’s see what you can do.”

“Yeah! I’ll show you! Haaah!”

Once again, she raised her sword and made a strange sound.

Then she stared at me with eager eyes.

“…I have to pretend not to see this.”

“Yeah! I’m still invisible! Can you see me, sir?”

“Hmm. Charlotte must have already left. I should get back to work.”

“Oh? Huh? Why can’t I see you yet? It should last about three minutes, according to the book! Maybe I’m a genius mage after all!”

Just as she was reveling in her success, I sat down and focused on my work. Charlotte’s demeanor shifted, and soon tears filled her eyes, trembling.

“Why is it still going? I don’t want to be invisible forever! Please, let me be seen, sir!”

“…”

“Sir! Please look at me!”

“Wha—! Did someone just touch my arm? Is it a ghost?”

“It’s me! It’s Charlotte! I’m not a ghost!”

As Charlotte tugged on my arm, I feigned confusion, looking at the empty space beside me. She seemed genuinely frightened, and before long, she clung to my arm and began to sob.

“I don’t want this! I don’t want to be a ghost forever! Please, let me be seen, sir!”

“Ugh! What’s happening to my arm?”

“It’s me! It’s me! Please, sir…!”

[The evil god Kali scolds you for not recognizing the emotional turmoil of our Dark Knight!]

I had teased her enough; it was time to let up. Suddenly, the door swung open.

Oh no, not now.

“Wah! I don’t want to disappear like this forever!”

“Aslan, I found something while reviewing the research materials… What’s going on with Charlotte?”

“Uh? Huh? Yulia, can you see me?”

“Of course I can! What are you talking about?”

“Oh. Oh…?”

Charlotte’s gaze locked onto me, and her tiny face showed betrayal, quickly flushing crimson.