Reinhard had been having a strange feeling of déjà vu whenever she looked at Toyota. Peeking at him inconspicuously from the side, she watched him stare at the different, nearly identical utensils with a tense gaze. It was hard to describe in words. He couldn't possibly bear the weight of strength that she did—so was it similar pasts? She could see an emotion in him that she recognized in herself, as if staring into a mirror—a kind of unique loneliness, a type of self-isolation.
As she subtly turned her eyes, watching him give up and grab the biggest fork from the large napkin, she suppressed a chuckle. It was amusing how she could feel his stress just from the silence. She had deliberately kept quiet, maintaining the atmosphere like this. She knew it was an unbecoming trait of a knight, but ever since she had seen him passionately scold her—telling her not to blame herself—an urge to tease him had emerged.
It was an indescribable sensation, like an itchy body part that had finally been scratched. Watching his face deflate made her feel as if the itch had been relieved. She had also noticed this when he attempted to convince her to stop selecting clothes. All she had to do was look him in the eyes long enough, and he would flinch and back off as if he had lost confidence.
At the time, she found it humorous. But looking back on it… could it have been fear? Fear of her causing him pain by sucking out his mana? The guilt at this realization weighed heavily on her chest. She could make it up to him—baby steps. How would he like the food she made? She had a DP for it, so the answer should've been obvious… but she found herself craving some sort of compliment.
As he tentatively put some of the roasted, seasoned pork into his mouth, his eyes widened, and he began shoveling it in with no manners.
His mannerisms—even his eating style—were similar to Felt. Could they both be from the slums? But then, where did he acquire such clothes and the enchanted ring? She could easily sense the magic emanating from it—maybe four different enchantments were placed on it. As far as she could tell, one of them gave her instincts a sense of danger. Could he be aware of it?
"This is… the best meal I've ever had," he managed between bites.
Soon, all the meat on his plate was gone. Seeing this, Reinhard tried hard to suppress a satisfied smile. It was clear what his preferences were in food, as only the greens were left untouched.
The grandma, who noticed this immediately, scolded him. "Don't waste food. Eat your veggies."
Toyota, with an astonished look on his face, asked, "Why do I have to eat that?"
"Have you tried it?" she asked in a cracking, accusing voice.
"No."
"Then how do you know you don't like it?"
As if pondering her words, he poked at the greens with his fork before giving them a test bite. Soon enough, all the food was gone.
"I usually don't like eating greens… the chef must be really skilled."
The old man, with a sly grin, turned to Reinhard, who was finding it hard not to look away.
"Yeah," he said, "the chef is very skilled."
Maintaining a calm demeanor, she stated matter-of-factly, "From now on, all of your personal meals will be made by me."
Feeling the servants' gazes turn to her, she felt the need to justify herself.
"Because of the threat of assassination and the possibility of more attempts, this will be a way to extinguish the threat of poison."
The old couple turned to her skeptically, as if doubting her reasoning with accusing eyes. Toyota, realizing who had made his dish, sheepishly turned to her.
"You cooked this, right? It's very good… but you don't need to do that. I wouldn't want to waste your time on me."
"It's my duty to make sure no one poisons your food, as well as keep track of your nutritional needs. After all, you are still growing."
Hearing her say that so innocently, he was stunned.
"If you say so…"
Toyota, looking down at himself, began to wonder: Am I really that small that I need to grow? And why does it even matter to her?
After it was all over, Toyota was guided to take a bath. He was brought down to a lower floor with a row of stone columns, the space filled with hot, wafting steam. On the floor, he could make out stairs that led to a large pool of water—it was similar to a hot tub he'd tested once before.
Ding.
Two new souls have started the integration process. All new abilities have been added prior to memory Transfer.
I have new abilities—and their memories can't possibly be worse than the main route. So there's only smooth sailing ahead. Great.
Jumping into the warm water with a cannonball, he expected it to feel like a swimming pool. He was wrong. Unable to see how deep the water was due to the thick steam clouding his vision, his curled-up form slammed straight into the concrete bottom.
All he could do was let out a groan of pain as he slowly forced his body to unwind, carefully feeling for anything broken.
"That was stupid…" he muttered, rubbing his backside, which was most definitely bruised.
He slowly stretched out in the water, letting the heat soothe the ache.
Back to the main topic…
Would I get some more passive abilities—or something I could use as a trump card?
"Status screen."
[TOYOTA CRIMSON — STATUS SCREEN]
Souls Synchronized: 3 / 7
Titles:
Crimson Prince — Given to the 7th son of the Scarlet King.
Child of War — After synchronizing your soul with Envy Route Subaru, you've inherited aspects of his ability and karma.
Falsely Fulfilled Father — After synchronizing your soul with Sloth Route Subaru, you've inherited aspects of his ability and karma.
Harem King — After synchronizing your soul with Lust Route Subaru, you've inherited aspects of his ability and karma.
Stats:
Strength: Fit (Mid) C
Trained human strength; able to lift, sprint, and fight at a high level.
Dexterity: Fit (Mid) C
Reflexes of a skilled fighter, capable of tight movements and reactive footwork.
Constitution: Average (Low) D-
Endurance is average, but physical resilience is below standard. Injury-prone under high strain.
Intelligence: Fit (High) C+
Strategic thinker with sharp intuition, capable of advanced reasoning and deduction.
Wisdom: Exceptional (High) B+
Holds instinctive understanding born from countless regrets, decisions, and lives. Can intuit truth from silence, and foresee consequences even before they unfold.
Charisma: Exceptional (High) B+
A quiet gravitational pull shaped by pain and layered identity. Others are drawn to you not by words, but by the weight you carry and the strange sense that you understand.
Current Weapons: None
Overall Physical Threat Level: C
Overall Magical Threat Level: B-
Overall Threat Level: B+
Skills
Passive:
Envy: Subaru's Mentality
Adapts emotional and logical behavior patterns similar to Subaru Natsuki. Increases resistance to trauma, improves perseverance under despair, and leans toward self-sacrificing tendencies.
Current usefulness: Unique
Potential usefulness: Unique
Envy: Subaru's Whip Proficiency
Grants instinctive familiarity with whip-based weapons. Mirrors Subaru's improvisational and evolving mastery from later in his journey.
Current usefulness: Unique
Potential usefulness: Unique
Sloth: Subaru's Teaching Proficiency
Grants instinctive familiarity when teaching those with lower intelligence than yourself. Mirrors Subaru's years of mentoring others.
Current usefulness: Unique
Potential usefulness: Unique
Sloth: Subaru's Parenting Proficiency
Grants instinctive familiarity with parenting.
Current usefulness: Unique
Potential usefulness: Unique
Lust: Subaru's Bedroom Proficiency
Grants instinctive familiarity when in the bedroom. Enough said.
Current usefulness: Unique
Potential usefulness: Unique
Sloth: Subaru's Appraisal
Able to grade abilities into current usefulness and potential usefulness.
Lust: Subaru's Kingly Aura
All who look at you feel a regal presence.
Current usefulness: B
Potential usefulness: B
Dragon Monarch
All draconic beings feel fealty, loyalty, and reverence towards you, and will unconditionally never harm you purposely.
Current usefulness: SSS+
Potential usefulness: SSS+
Regressor's Assistant (Unique Binding Ability)
When Subaru dies, you die.
Your soul is tethered to his by the Witch of Envy. You are both a safeguard and a burden—bound to his fate, loop after loop.
Current usefulness: S+
Potential usefulness: S+
[Locked Passive Skill] — ??????
A passive skill that has yet to be unlocked. Requirements unknown.
Current usefulness: F-
Potential usefulness: Ex+
Active:
Fragment of Sloth
Summons a single Unseen Hand. Can interact with physical matter or phase through objects. Loses stability over time or extended range.
Current usefulness: B+
Potential usefulness: SS
Fragment of Greed
A volatile ability that evolves based on your desires. Will slowly develop into a unique Authority of Greed variant shaped by your choices, ambition, and emotional state.
Current usefulness: F-
Potential usefulness: SSS-
[Locked Active Skill] — ??????????
A sealed ability. Requirements unclear. May require an emotional catalyst, system evolution, or another soul fusion.
Current usefulness: F-
Potential usefulness: Forbidden
Sin Authority of Blasphemy
Description: Unknown. This Authority was not meant to exist in this world. Its true power, origin, and cost are sealed. The system refuses to describe it.
Current usefulness: F-
Potential usefulness: Forbidden
Overall Mana Control: B+ — Greater than average mage
Overall Mana Pool: D- — Just below average civilian
Overall Mana Purity: EX- — One of the most pure Od in the world
Spells:
Vita: Amplifies gravity (Mastery Level: 2)
Current usefulness: B-
Potential usefulness: EX-
Murak: Decreases gravity (Mastery Level: 2)
Current usefulness: B-
Potential usefulness: EX-
Minia: Creates purple projectiles (Mastery Level: 3)
Current usefulness: C-
Potential usefulness: EX
Shamac: Distorts senses with inky mist. Potential for minor teleportation. (Mastery Level: 1)
Current usefulness: D-
Potential usefulness: EX
Abilities Learned:
Creation of Rudimentary Constructs (Mastery Level: 1)
Current usefulness: D+
Potential usefulness: Forbidden
Passive Abilities:
Instant Mana Regeneration — Any mana exuded from the body is instantly regenerated. More useful the higher the mana pool.
Current usefulness: SSS+
Potential usefulness: SSS+
Chantless Cast — Able to perform spells without verbally speaking the incantation. Increases casting speed.
Current usefulness: S+
Potential usefulness: S+
Karma's Reserve — The more pain you experience, the more your personal mana pool expands.
Current usefulness: Forbidden
Potential usefulness: Forbidden
Reading through all of his abilities, a few things caught his eye—his Wisdom and Charisma had increased. He didn't know how his Wisdom had gone up, especially considering what he had just done, but he'd take the boost regardless.
He had gained three new proficiencies—one of which he didn't fully understand.
Bedroom proficiency?
Did it have to do with falling asleep easier? If so, maybe he'd finally have no more reason to be scared of sleeping.
The system didn't want to explain it.
Should he ask the parasite?
No—that thing was probably still holding a grudge after being exposed. Besides, it could only respond when directly addressed. Ever since he'd concluded that the parasite and the system were two separate entities, he'd realized it couldn't say anything unless he acknowledged it.
At least, that was the working hypothesis.
His new titles made him oddly curious about the memories he was about to receive. One of the routes suggested Subaru had become the typical isekai protagonist with a harem—predictable, but still interesting. The other was even more surprising.
Subaru had kids?
Was it with Emilia or Rem? Knowing how the witch always seemed to push Subaru toward Emilia throughout the narrative… they were probably quarter-elves.
He felt… relieved. For once, the memories he was going to receive didn't seem painful.
This was like a freebie.
***
After the bath, Toyota was handed white linen clothes. Slipping into them, he mulled over potential escape plans. His Fragment of Sloth now no longer displayed "F" for current usefulness, meaning it was officially unlocked. Theoretically, he should be able to use its ability now.
All the more reason to find Regulus's mansion and begin "heart duty."
He didn't know exactly how many wives Regulus had—but it had to be around a hundred. If there was any backlash with his ability like there had been with Subaru, he needed to act fast, before it was too late. His best bet?
Convince Reinhard.
Find something that would help him escape.
Halting mid-thought, Toyota spotted a hidden hallway. It led downward, ending at a distant door.
This room looks like it's meant to keep people out.
A large, rugged bell hung on the door—more warning than ornament. Though it had a keyhole, curiosity got the better of him. He twisted the doorknob. It opened easily.
After quickly checking his surroundings to make sure no one was watching, he slipped inside.
Would what I'm doing be considered rude?
Well, abducting someone was rude too. He could use that excuse if needed.
The air inside was cold. His first impression was that the room was dimly lit, despite the sun still being up. Thick curtains blocked any sunlight from entering. The interior was dreary and bare, nothing notable except the large bed in the center. A candlestick sat on the nightstand, flickering faintly—the only source of light.
His expectations were betrayed. The room was... boring.
Just as he turned to leave, a soft sound stopped him. Faint, but distinct.
Breathing.
He turned back. Lying on the bed was a sleeping woman.
But it wasn't her presence that shocked him—it was how she was breathing. Not like someone asleep. It was distant, unnatural. Like she wasn't really there. Like a doll. Or a corpse.
Yet her cheeks and lips showed signs of blood flow. Her chest rose and fell—she was breathing. She was alive.
But she didn't feel alive.
Slowly, Toyota walked closer, his chest tightening.
A curse? A coma?
Her lips were dry. Her skin, pale. It looked like she hadn't seen sunlight—or water—in days. Long golden hair spilled around her. She was stunning—at least twenty years old.
Could he heal her?
"System… would I be able to buy a healing item for someone else to use?"
[System]
Host is able to—if he maintains physical contact with the one he wishes to heal.
Leaning forward, he gently took her slender, cold hand.
"System… buy a minor heal. Make it the transferable type."
[System]
5,000 point purchase completed.
"Wait, what? Wasn't it 500 before?!"
[System]
Every time a healing item is purchased, it will increase in price to prevent abuse by the host.
He stared blankly at the message.
Okay… fair.
If he had enough points, he would absolutely try to exploit it. Still, losing that many hard-earned points stung.
Was the next one going to cost 50,000?
His frustration bubbled quietly.
Unknown to Toyota, Reinhard had silently entered the room, using her stealth Divine Protection. Remaining completely hidden, she observed. Her emotions were on edge. She didn't know what was happening—and wouldn't intervene unless he did something drastic.
But to her shock, his hand—still holding her mother's—began to glow.
A calming red light radiated from it, energy flowing gently into her mother's arm. Her skin grew less dry. Her pallor softened into a healthier hue.
Reinhard's eyes widened.
This… isn't any magic I know.
Was that a Divine Protection?
Toyota let go, waiting a few seconds.
Still nothing.
"Why… why isn't the lady waking up?" he muttered.
It should've healed her. Did she have internal injuries that were healed instead? Or…
A horrific thought crossed his mind.
Could her name and memories have been eaten… by Gluttony?
(AN: This Chapter is more of new update on the status screen. I wrote this last night but re reading it I didn't like the way I wrote it so I deleted everything and started from scratch. Reinhard has So many DPs that I'm not going to specify which one she's using anymore, just that she is using one I tried reading all of her abilities but I cant memorize all that.
I've set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Although when I get bored, I add extra.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 70 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)