Roswaal's territory, noon.
After sparring briefly with Puck, Shendu followed Emilia at an unhurried pace, taking a leisurely tour of the area and admiring the scenery.
The group of three, plus one spirit, strolled through the outer village.
Before long, they returned to the manor grounds and sat inside a gazebo in the garden, breathing in the fragrance of flowers while appreciating the beautiful view.
"Big Sister, this ring is incredible. It's even better than a Divine Protection."
Inside the gazebo, Felt eagerly switched to a new ring. Sensing that the magic she could cast had grown stronger, she could not help but hug Shendu's arm, her face brimming with excitement. She had never imagined that someone as small as herself could command such magic.
"It's nothing. I'm glad you like it."
Shendu smiled faintly. She felt that giving this item to Felt had been a suitable choice.
Even an ordinary person could likely protect themselves with this ring. The advantage of instant-cast magic was obvious—no wind-up, no cooldown. It could easily catch an enemy off guard.
Simply put, it was somewhat like a Green Lantern from the DC Universe—magic shaped entirely by imagination.
Her first step was to use mass-produced magical items to secretly cultivate a force that belonged to her alone.
Just as Emilia was staring at the ring, seemingly about to say something to Shendu, Ram approached at the appropriate moment and bowed respectfully to Emilia.
"Lord Roswaal has returned and is waiting in the drawing room. Lady Emilia, and this guest as well, please come together."
"Lord Roswaal wishes to meet you personally."
Ram's tone was calm, but there was still a trace of vigilance in her gaze toward Shendu. Perhaps the earlier battle had given her new thoughts.
"Oh, I understand. Ram, we'll head over shortly."
"Yes, Lady Emilia."
After delivering her message, Ram turned and left without lingering.
Shendu still had some impression of Roswaal. He seemed to be an ancient monster who had lived for a very long time, reincarnating his soul into the bodies of his own descendants, much like Orochimaru.
"Um, Sister Shendu. Although Roswaal is a noble, there are some rather strange aspects about him. There's no need to pay too much attention to those oddities."
Recalling that clown-like face, Emilia spoke in a lowered voice.
"Oh? We're meeting a noble now?"
Felt felt a little nervous and instinctively grabbed Shendu's sleeve, her emotions slightly unsettled.
"Don't worry. With me by your side, what is there to be afraid of?"
Shendu comforted Felt. Emilia also felt that it was about time, so she spoke decisively.
"Let's go. We shouldn't keep Count Roswaal waiting too long."
"All right."
Shendu did not refuse. She followed behind Emilia at an easy pace.
She had a premonition that Roswaal's intentions were far from simple. His support of Emilia undoubtedly had a purpose.
...
Before long, they arrived in the drawing room.
There, a peculiar man had been admiring the mural on the wall. Upon hearing footsteps, he calmly took his seat at a long table and began to examine them.
Just as Emilia had said, Roswaal was strange in more ways than one.
Despite being a noble, he wore flamboyant, colorful clothing, looking utterly unconventional—nothing like the refined and courteous nobles one might imagine.
Even his long hair appeared as though it had been coated with dark blue pigment. His skin was unnaturally pale, almost sickly, like that of a vampire.
His eyes were different colors—one green, the other gold.
Combined with the thick layer of powder on his face, it was difficult for Shendu to feel any favorable impression.
If a beautiful young girl had heterochromatic eyes, she might find it pleasing to the eye. But in this man's case, it completely shattered her aesthetic sensibilities.
"I say, weren't we supposed to meet the noble of this territory, Roswaal? Why has a clown been brought in to entertain us instead?"
Shendu's teasing remark startled everyone present. They could not tell whether she was truly foolish or pretending to be, daring to show such disrespect before a noble.
The moment they noticed her rudeness, Rem and Ram stepped forward simultaneously, rebuking her.
"Guest, please show proper respect to Lord Roswaal."
The two maids were visibly angry. Seeing the man they revered treated so lightly, they glared at Shendu.
"Oh, my apologies. Dressed so strangely as you are, I mistook you for a clown who wandered in from somewhere."
Shendu gazed at Roswaal with a faint smile, her tone light.
Yes, she was testing him—testing the limits of his patience, probing the depth of his composure.
No sooner had her words fallen than Rem produced her morningstar, while magic gradually began to surge from Ram's body, as if preparing to teach this guest a lesson.
"Oh? Many thanks for the compliment. This is the first time I've been addressed in such a manner."
Roswaal rose to his feet, a smile on his face, without the slightest hint of anger. His composure ran deep.
Ordinarily, when a host was slighted by a guest, some change would show in their eyes. Yet Roswaal displayed none at all, as though he truly did not care about his own appearance.
"As expected of a silver-haired young lady like Emilia. Just as Ram described—someone with quite the personality. And a warm-hearted one at that, willing to help Emilia recover what she has lost."
Roswaal slowly approached, his mismatched pupils fixed on Shendu, the more he looked at her, the more satisfied he seemed.
"It's nothing. Only what I ought to do."
Shendu responded indifferently, curious to see what this clown would say next.
"Very well. As the master of this estate, allow me to introduce myself."
Roswaal stepped forward and inclined his body in a noble's bow. When he straightened again, he introduced himself word by word.
"I am the lord of this territory, Roswaal L. Mathers. To have the honor of hosting such a rarely seen silver-haired young lady is a blessing granted to me by the heavens."
"May our guest enjoy her stay."
At the end, Roswaal spread his arms with a smile, flawless in his courtesy. By doing so, it almost made it seem as though she had been the one lacking manners.
"Shendu."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Having no further intention of testing him for now, Shendu responded politely as well. After all, she could not overturn the table at the moment. Maintaining surface harmony was still important.