Chapter 4

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In the midst of the incomprehensible list of pitch-black titles, Zeo was taken aback. Based on his experience, titles were something one earned through actions and positions, but the thought that someone who appeared innocent and friendly to others could be harboring such devious titles made him shudder.

(The young lady said that Lily, or rather, the Bitch, neglected her work and only paid attention to men. Indeed... she's manipulating people around her with that skill.)

The "Status View" ability also allowed one to discern the details of skills and titles. Now, Zeo's mind was vividly filled with the sins Lily had committed and the circumstances surrounding them.

[Skill: Emotion Amplification. The power to manipulate the intensity of emotions such as likes and dislikes. Resistance is possible with magic power, but a strong will is sufficient.]

[Title: Unjust. A title earned by deceiving and belittling many people. A symbol of fraud and malice.]

[Title: Parent Killer. A title earned by killing one's own parents after being tempted with eternal wealth and honor. Lacks any sense of justice.]

[Title: Just a Bitch. A title earned by seducing handsome men even if they have fiancées or partners. A manifestation of a frivolous and self-centered mind.]

[Title: Delusional Woman. A title earned by the overconfidence of believing oneself to be the center of the world and a beautiful girl. An extremely arrogant attitude (laughs).]

There were other things, like how she belittled Charlotte despite her kindness, and how she disliked those with more power than herself. Lily unknowingly revealed the ugly depths of her heart to Zeo.

Zeo was utterly taken aback. He had thought it might be bad, but he never expected to encounter someone so despicable.

(Still, what is this "Divine Right of the Crown" skill that hides the level? I can't figure it out no matter how much I investigate.)

[Skill: Divine Right of the Crown. One half of the First Authority. A dormant power for now.]

It was completely incomprehensible. From the description, it seemed the power wasn't active yet, but it implied that it had some kind of power.

(And the "Parent Killer" title... she said she was tempted, but by whom...?)

The existence of the "Divine Right of the Crown" skill and the hint of a mastermind behind the scenes gave Zeo an unpleasant feeling. However, due to lack of information, he decided to set that aside for now.

The immediate problem was the "Emotion Amplification" skill. It was troublesome, and Zeo couldn't help but be wary.

(If someone has a good impression of me, this skill will amplify it to the maximum. The same goes for the opposite.)

Even a performance to show a good impression would easily make someone infatuated with him, and a little badmouthing would be enough to belittle others. It was a very troublesome interpersonal skill. The most concerning part was that there was no visible change in status.

(Usually, if someone is poisoned or hypnotized, it would show up in their status.)

Zeo had once watched a battle between an adventurer party and a Gazer, a giant eyeball-like monster. When the Gazer used the "Sleep Mind" skill on the front-line swordsman, he immediately attacked his rear-line comrades. At that time, the swordsman's status showed:

Name: Droy Elges

Race: Human (Status: Hypnotized)

Lv: 21

When Zeo himself was poisoned, his status also showed the abnormal status added to his race. However, there was no abnormal status on those who were praising Lily.

Probably, Lily could only manipulate good impressions under certain conditions. The people themselves were just acting as they thought, without any abnormal status.

(That makes it difficult to distinguish the young lady's allies. With such high MP and no strong will, they are undoubtedly the Bitch's slaves.)

Moreover, despite having the rare skill "Light Magic," which allowed her to use all light-based magic, she didn't use it at all. The skill level increased with use, but she seemed to focus on seducing men and belittling others. From the fact that her MP was below maximum, it seemed she had used "Emotion Amplification" today.

(I need to be careful... or why doesn't she use that skill on the young lady? Maybe it didn't work?)

Skills and magic that interfered with a person's will, like hypnosis, were unstable and depended on the target's magic power, resistance, and willpower. Droy, the adventurer, had been snapped out of it by a slap from his comrades.

(Well... should I appraise the other one too?)

A handsome butler who was looking at Lily with a faint blush and affectionate eyes. Recalling the weak complaint Charlotte had whispered to him, this was likely Auster, Charlotte's former personal butler.

Name: Auster Waldner

Race: Human

Lv: 23

HP: 142/142

MP: 150/150

Attack: 130

Defense: 108

Magic: 132

Agility: 287

Skills:

[Stealth: Lv6] [Wind Blade: Lv4] [Armor: Lv4]

[Shadow Bind: Lv2] [Enhanced Leg Strength: Lv7]

Titles:

[Butler of the Duke's Family] [Ungrateful] [Disloyal] [Living in the Shadows]

(...It would be dangerous to act rashly. His status is several times higher than mine.)

As a butler in this fantasy world, guarding was part of his job. He was a specialized type focused on speed.

(For now, I'll level up and then deal with those who oppressed the young lady physically.)

However, Zeo snorted. The "Emotion Amplification" skill gave some leeway, but it was the result of distrust towards Charlotte. With a solid trust, it could have been prevented. Those who had betrayed the trust and oppressed their masters deserved their punishment.

(It's a good thing I'm the one to carry out the punishment. After all, I'm not the young lady. As long as I don't harm her, I'll just give them a light beating. ...Well, the Bitch won't get off that easily.)

He would just punch them if they did nothing. Lily was an exception, but their actions towards Charlotte would eventually come back to haunt them in some form. Charlotte herself seemed to dislike excessive harm to others and might even let things slide.

(Setting things straight is important. Whether my actions as a monster will have an effect is another matter, but sometimes a good punch can improve relationships. Personally, I don't like it, but the young lady wants to restore the original relationship.)

...Unaware of the intensification of their malicious actions towards Charlotte, Zeo ran out of the mansion.

(Oh, before that...)

As if remembering something, Zeo made a U-turn and approached the feet of the two maids. They were the ones who had insulted Charlotte earlier.

Maintaining his invisibility, he clenched his hand, covered in hard scales, and aimed a powerful strike at the maids' shins.

"Ah...!? Aaaaaah!?"

"Wh-What...? What the... Aaaaaah!?"

(Ha! Take that!)

With an attack power of 35, the two maids, hit with the force of an adult male, teared up and writhed in pain. Feeling satisfied, Zeo finally ran out of the mansion.

---

Let's go back to around noon.

The Hibel Duke's territory managed a prestigious academy that had been attended by generations of the royal family. The school, located in a bustling city second only to the capital, was built like a palace, and noble children from all over the kingdom studied there.

"Well, look at her. She's been bullying Lady Lily, yet she still has the nerve to show her face at the academy."

"Of course, just because she's from the founder's family, she acts however she wants in the academy. She's so different from Lady Lily."

"Prince Richard is so pitiful... to have to marry such a low-born, evil woman."

Until recently, Charlotte was the daughter of a prominent noble family and the daughter of the academy's chancellor, Duke Hibel. Despite her high status, she was respected as a model lady who never forgot her manners, even to students of lower rank. However, the academy had become a place of torment for her.

Her former classmates, who used to chat happily, now glanced at her with the same disdain they would show a filthy object and gossiped behind her back.

"...Sigh."

The once enjoyable and fulfilling school had become a place of discomfort. Walking in the shadows with a gloomy expression, she looked nothing like the honored daughter of a duke.

If she could have been as brazen as the villainous ladies in stories, it might have been easier, but Charlotte's personality didn't allow for such arrogance. The situation without a place to run was eroding the innocent girl.

"I have to go to the student council room..."

Ideally, she would return to her room after class and be healed by a small monster, but her position didn't allow it.

Charlotte, who had completed her education as a princess at the unusually young age of fifteen, was serving on the student council with her fiancé, Richard, to use her time before her marriage to contribute to the local academy and territory. However, the student council members, including Richard, were all infatuated with Lily and had abandoned their duties, leaving Charlotte to handle all the paperwork.

As a conscientious person, she couldn't leave it alone and stayed until the last minute every day to finish the work, but no one offered to help her.

"...Ah."

On her way to the student council room, she saw Lily, who had been her childhood friend and fiancé, Richard Grandia, laughing innocently in the courtyard surrounded by seasonal flowers. Around them were Alex, the son of the Duke of Galvus, the head of the knight order, Edward of the Duke of Aurelia, who had been the prime minister for generations, her former butler Auster, and her brother Lloyd. All of them, except Auster, were members of the student council and close childhood friends.

"...!"

Seeing Richard gently caress Lily's cheek, Charlotte felt a sharp pain in her chest. She loved Richard as a woman, and she could tell that his eyes were those of a man in love.

It felt as if her insides were being torn apart. It was unbearably sad to see that gaze, which had once been directed at her, now focused on another woman.

"Excuse me... I'm interrupting your conversation..."

She wanted to turn and run away, but as someone entrusted with a part of the academy's affairs, as a childhood friend, as a family member, and as a fiancée, she couldn't ignore their behavior.

In response to her, five pairs of eyes looked at her as if she were a loathsome object, and her half-sister Lily hid behind her fiancé, looking frightened.

"It's you... What do you want? We're busy right now."

"...Lately, everyone has been neglecting their student council duties. What's going on? You've been spending all your time with Lily."

Trying to avoid upsetting them, Charlotte spoke in a calm, businesslike manner, but they all laughed and looked down on her.

"We're teaching Lily, who has little experience as a noble, how to live as one. Isn't it the duty of a noble to help the weak?"

"Or what? Do you want us to help you with your work? That's why incompetent people always rely on others. We, as upper nobles, have to handle far more paperwork than the student council. If you can't even do that, what are you going to do?"

Hearing Alex and Edward's harsh words, Charlotte lowered her sky-blue eyes sadly. To be fair, she was doing well. She was handling all the paperwork that the others, who had abandoned their duties to indulge Lily, should have done.

At the very least, they had no right to mock her for not doing the work they themselves had neglected.

"However, it's been a year since Lily became a noble and started attending the academy. She should be able to act on her own soon, and you all have fiancées. Spending too much time with one woman will make people question your integrity."

It was a reasonable point. If someone with a fiancé spent too much time with another person of the opposite sex, it was easy to imagine the impression it would give.

In this case, Richard and the others were already seen as unfaithful men who abandoned their fiancées, and Lily was seen as a woman who pursued a high-ranking noble with a fiancée.

Continuing to protect her indefinitely was not a good thing. For everyone's sake, they should maintain an appropriate distance. That was the advice she was giving, but suddenly, Lily covered her face with her hands and cried out in a tearful voice.

"Horrible, Sister! Just being near me, a commoner, degrades Richard and everyone's dignity! Bonds have nothing to do with birth! How can you say such a sad thing about not being able to be friends because of status!?"

"Wh-What? No, no one said anything like that..."

What was supposed to be a discussion about propriety had turned into a grand debate about social inequality. Trying to clarify her point, Charlotte was met with a shout.

"Lily!?"

"You...! Even if you're only by name, how can you say such things to your sister!?"

And with a sharp slap, pain shot through her cheek. Looking up, she saw Richard, who had slapped her, with a furious expression.

"Sister! Apologize to Lady Lily! Don't you think it's cruel to view our bond with such a lowly perspective!?"

"Lady Lily, please wipe your tears with this handkerchief. Crying doesn't suit you."

"That's why I hate pure-blooded noble women! They speak beautifully but look down on others in their hearts! Learn from the simple and kind Lily!"

"The thought of being close to such an ugly woman until recently makes me want to vomit."

Her brother, her butler, and her childhood friends all directed their utmost contempt at Charlotte, who had only spoken the truth. To them, making Lily cry was a sin in itself.

"We can be close to whoever we want! How can such a power-hungry person be my fiancée! If my partner were someone like Lily, who can treat everyone kindly without discrimination, how wonderful it would be!"

Richard's words, as he held Lily and looked down at her, deeply wounded Charlotte's heart. She had sensed that her beloved fiancé's heart was drifting away due to her half-sister's appearance, but this was the first time he had openly expressed his disgust at their engagement.

Trying to hide her tears, Charlotte bowed her head and trembled, but Richard and the others continued to shout at her before turning and leaving, comforting Lily.

...Unaware that the corners of their mouths, hidden by their hands and handkerchiefs, were twisted in ugly smirks.

By the way, what are the conditions for ranking? I always thought it was based on evaluation points.