Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 5

The Second

To Stella, Aiden Kellermain had been the person who burdened her with endless tasks all day long.

It was mostly a phenomenon that was almost a byproduct of the esteemed Dame Noel spending the entire day preoccupied with this man, but in any case, it was not a situation Stella found pleasant.

"-Mr. Aiden."

In that regard.

There really had been no need for him to leave her with such an intense workload on top of everything else.

"What exactly is this?"

Stella spoke, her expression showing she was utterly at a loss for words.

Right before her eyes, His Highness Daniel lay there, wheezing, his entire body caked in blood.

He was conscious, but it was clear he could not even begin to speak.

And the very man responsible for reducing the prince to this state merely shrugged his shoulders.

"If I told you there was a reason for this, would you believe me?"

"It would have to be a reason sufficient to justify inflicting severe injuries on a member of the royal family."

Stella answered in a voice that had gone rigid.

Even if he was effectively exiled here, he was still royalty. That alone was enough for this to spark a conflict between nations.

"And we will certainly have to prove that fault lay with him. The royal family’s power is such that—"

However, the words that came out of Aiden’s mouth were completely out of place in that context.

"Do I really need to prove it?"

"...What?"

As Stella stared at him blankly, Aiden continued in an indifferent tone.

"If a royal commits a crime beyond a certain degree, they are cast out, aren’t they?"

"That is true, but why bring that up now, all of a sudden?"

"There was that kidnapping of the young Lady Cromwell in the capital not long ago, wasn’t there?"

"..."

"It caused such a stir. That young and beautiful viscount’s daughter, kidnapped and gone without a trace."

Stella’s face grew even harder than before, incomparable to her earlier expression.

Not only was there no clear connection between these topics,

but Daniel’s reaction to hearing that was far too strange.

Despite being so gravely injured he could barely utter a sound, he flinched as if struck by lightning.

As if.

He had just been confronted with an evil he had never imagined would be discovered.

"If the culprit were right here, it would make things quite interesting, wouldn’t it?"

"..."

No way.

It was hard to believe.

A royal, exiled to another country, laying hands on a noblewoman of that nation.

If it were true, it was indeed the kind of heinous crime that could see even a prince expelled from the royal family.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"I don’t have evidence, but it’s right here. The means to discern the truth."

"...What?"

"Even if all we confirm is whether he’s lying or not, that would be proof enough, wouldn’t it?"

Stella’s eyes narrowed.

Indeed, there was such an item.

But it was also certain that this man before her was not someone who should so casually know of its existence.

"Private."

Stella kept her narrowed eyes fixed as she spoke calmly to a nearby soldier.

"Go to the first floor’s magic device lab and bring me one item. Just say ‘detector’—they’ll understand."

"Understood!"

The way the soldier’s reply sounded somehow drawn out was probably because he had instinctively sensed it too.

That something about this situation was extraordinarily serious.

And it was not such a wrong impression.

It did not take long at all before His Highness Daniel’s babbling excuses of ‘I absolutely did no such thing’ were laid bare by the ‘lie detector’ the Imperial military was developing in secret.

"...This is enough to drive anyone mad."

Stella could not help but let out a groan.

For two reasons.

First, this series of events erupting in quick succession, as though lightning had struck, was the sort of colossal incident that would have to be reported all the way to the Imperial Palace.

Second, this meant she was now guaranteed to spend the entire night working overtime.

▣

After that, the investigation proceeded at lightning speed.

Once they searched His Highness Daniel’s quarters and all the places he had visited, they discovered clothing and personal items belonging to Lady Cromwell.

Every trace of his attempts to cover up what he had done, along with evidence of various other ‘miscellaneous’ crimes.

"-That is all."

As Stella concluded her report, Noel pressed her fingertips hard against her temple.

"What does the Holy Crown Kingdom have to say about this?"

"They expressed their gratitude."

"...What?"

"They said that because of their internal laws, they had no choice but to keep that worthless prince in the royal family, so they were thankful we got rid of him so cleanly. They also said that if Mr. Aiden ever came to the Holy Crown Kingdom, they would be delighted to treat him with utmost hospitality."

"..."

The leader of the Holy Crown Kingdom, the Pontiff—especially the current Pontiff was famous as the most eccentric among all those who had ever held the position.

Just hearing that answer, it was clear the reputation was well-earned.

"In fact, there is someone even more serious than the Pontiff."

"Who?"

"[Deathwish] has expressed interest in Mr. Aiden."

"..."

"She sent word in a friendly tone suggesting they have a meal together sometime. Truly, it’s just like her an ambitious woman who stops at nothing to recruit anyone who catches her eye."

Noel ran a weary hand through her hair.

"Deathwish, you say."

"Yes."

"You mean the Second Princess of the Holy Crown Kingdom? The one with the imperial syndrome who would kill her own brother without hesitation if it meant she could take the Pontiff’s throne?"

"Yes."

"The same woman who, when it comes to handling divine power, is said to surpass even the current Pontiff."

"...Yes."

Receiving such information not a day or even a few hours after this incident—

It was likely just a glimpse of what was to come.

As the saying goes, word travels a thousand leagues without legs. What had happened today would soon spread like wildfire among all the ambitious schemers already gathering every scrap of intelligence they could.

"I don’t understand why they’re so interested in Mr. Aiden. Honestly, he’s just an ordinary swindler."

Ordi...nary?

While Stella’s eyebrows twitched, Noel continued speaking in her indifferent tone.

"He shattered a royal of the Holy Crown Kingdom—someone who wields pure divine power with a single bare-handed strike. He exposed crimes they had been hiding without the slightest delay. He suggested using a classified item that no one outside the Imperial Command could possibly know about and did so as if it were nothing, despite never having set foot in the military his entire life."

"...Yes."

"And then, just as he said, actual evidence came out."

"..."

"It’s nothing special. I don’t see why everyone is making such a fuss. Don’t you agree?"

"..."

Seeing Noel speak in a voice that sounded half resigned, Stella quietly closed her mouth.

Even from the perspective of the one reporting all this, it was an unending chain of incomprehensible events so unbelievable they made it hard to breathe.

If all this had been done in less than a single day by a man who claimed to be an ordinary swindler...

Well.

"Um, Dame Noel. Forgive me if this is impertinent."

"Hm?"

"Where in the world did you find someone like this?"

"...Honestly, I don’t know either. Was he always like this?"

Indeed, at this point, his actions were so far removed from the background he claimed that they made no sense at all.

Even Stella herself had completely given up asking why she had brought in ‘someone like him’ in just a day.

The problem was, even Noel—the one who had brought him here—looked genuinely bewildered by the current situation.

How?

It went without saying, but if someone as high-ranking as a royal made up their mind to conceal a crime, uncovering it would be like trying to fit an animal through the eye of a needle.

Especially a crime so filthy and vile that he would have gone to every length to keep from ever being caught.

And even stranger than that was the fact he knew about the experimental military device.

At that point, it was less like fitting an animal through the eye of a needle and more like fitting an elephant.

She herself knew better than anyone how notorious the military’s security procedures were. Once something was labeled classified, there had never been a single precedent of it being leaked to an outsider. That paranoia spoke for itself.

And yet.

He knew about both. This man called Aiden.

...How?

There was nothing else she could think.

Just how much does he know? How far does his knowledge go?

The more she thought about it, the more her confusion deepened.

Just who is this man, really?

Where did he come rolling in from...?

"Dame Noel."

Those thoughts circling endlessly in her head, Stella suddenly spoke. Her voice uncharacteristically hesitant.

Noel looked at her, puzzled by the unaccustomed uncertainty, until the hesitation finally took shape as words.

"There’s one more thing... one more question that remains."

"A question?"

"First of all, how did those two end up fighting in the first place? Do you know, Dame?"

"Roughly. Wasn’t it the prince who picked a fight first?"

According to Sir Lester, who was present at the scene, His Highness Daniel had been the one to provoke the conflict—"The prince, displeased with the Lionhearted’s fiancé, picked a fight, and Aiden retaliated."

No doubt Aiden himself had tried to explain the situation as plainly as possible, but summarized like that, it inevitably sounded rather different.

"I heard it was something like this: after being insulted that he was unworthy of being your fiancé, Mr. Aiden flew into a rage and did what he did."

"..."

"I must admit, it made me see him in a slightly different light. He has a manly side to him, doesn’t he?"

...Words could always sound very different depending on how they were said.

As soon as she heard that report, Noel’s mouth twisted into a peculiar shape.

"Did he really... like me that much?"

"There isn’t a person on this planet who could dislike you, Dame Noel, but it is curious. It’s completely at odds with the attitude he showed at first, don’t you think?"

"It is strange. From the start, we weren’t even—"

Noel suddenly closed her mouth.

A phrase she had heard not long ago flickered through her mind.

-It seems you really don’t remember the old days? When you were little, perhaps.

-No, it’s nothing. I never imagined you’d truly have forgotten.

That was what he’d said.

That man.

"Dame Noel? Are you all right?"

Stella’s puzzled voice broke through her thoughts, and Noel snapped back to herself.

Then, slowly, her eyes lowered.

"No."

Her lips twisted with a trace of bitterness as she murmured.

"Perhaps... we did know each other."

"Excuse me?"

"It’s nothing."

After that brief silence, Dame Noel finally raised her gaze and spoke.

"Stella."

"Yes."

"Contact the Central Intelligence Department."

Stella’s eyes widened.

The Central Intelligence Department was the most notorious among all the Empire’s intelligence agencies.

Although it almost never happened, rumor had it that if they truly set their minds to it, they could uncover even the Emperor’s most private secrets.

Contacting them was something even the Lionhearted would hesitate to do unless the matter was of considerable gravity.

"...Should I request a detailed background investigation on Mr. Aiden?"

Yet despite her surprise, Stella knew Noel too well. With just a word, she instantly grasped exactly what Noel intended.

"Check everything. Leave nothing out, not even the most trivial details. Report all of it to me, every word, without omission. If necessary, feel free to use my name as leverage."

"Understood."

With that, Stella gave a salute and disappeared.

Watching her go, Noel lifted her teacup again.

The bitterness spread sharply across her tongue once more.

The military’s intelligence-gathering capabilities were impressive in their own right, but the Central Intelligence Department operated on an entirely different level.

With this request, she would definitely be able to seize some kind of thread.

A clue about who this man really was, at the very least a starting point to trace his true nature.

"Aiden."

Noel murmured slowly.

"Aiden Kellermain."

As if savoring the name.

"Let’s see, then."

I will find out.

Who you are.

What it is you want.

Without fail.

▣

"I want to go home."

Aiden muttered in a dazed voice.

System Message

▶ ‘Deathwish’, Katya Heinkel Craven, is approaching you.

▶ This is a core story target. The fate of the world will be determined by how you influence her!

▶ Your impact on the main story has increased.

▶ Your bond level with the target has risen to Level 1!

▶ Syncing with skill ‘Weaver of Fate’!

"...What is all this?"

Not even a full day had passed, and he was already tangled up with some terrifying person.

This is why you shouldn’t let your temper get the better of you.

He had simply given the prince a good beating when he kept crossing the line, and now the repercussions were... a bit much.

Honestly, even within the game, that slippery prince had been a frequent antagonist—an enemy so riddled with weaknesses that even Aiden’s patchy knowledge of the original work was enough to crush him in moments.

He had committed more than a few atrocities, and digging into just one would inevitably drag all the rest to the surface, like sausages tied together.

I didn’t expect that thing to be a classified item, though.

The lie detector the military used was simply one of the core items available in the game, so he had mentioned it without thinking.

He hadn’t imagined that, at this point in the timeline, it was still a prototype considered a military secret.

More importantly.

Aiden gloomily scanned the window floating in front of his eyes.

Katya Heinkel Craven.

Commonly called [Deathwish]. One of the main scenario’s ‘key figures’ and the most vital core of the Holy Crown Kingdom’s faction.

He had been granted the right to copy a skill, but it bothered him that he didn’t know why she was interested in him in the first place.

Still, that was that.

I should at least take what I can get.

▶ Using the skill copy function of ‘Weaver of Fate.’

▶ Analyzing the skill list of target ‘Katya Heinkel Craven.’

▶ Displaying the most valuable skills in order.

With that, the skill window scrolled down, showing the abilities Katya undoubtedly possessed.

Most were related to divine power, much like those Daniel had shown earlier.

He already had a rough idea what kind of skills this princess would have, and among them, he knew perfectly well which was the most extraordinary. It was the same as when he copied Noel’s skill.

Recalling what he knew of the original work, Katya, like Noel, possessed a unique ‘extraordinary ability’—one that existed nowhere else in the world.

Even among those born in the Holy Crown Kingdom, where divine power originated, her ability was the most alien of all.

System Message

▶ Copying ‘Unique Ability: The First Vow.’

▶ This is a power possessed by no one else in the entire world.

▶ Target ‘Katya’ may develop increased affection toward you!

...He couldn’t help feeling uneasy about yet another inexplicable interest directed at him.

I’ll think about that later.

Far too much had happened today.

Aiden dismissed the window and closed his eyes. After being battered by so many events all day, it didn’t take long for his consciousness to slip away.

Perhaps that was why—

The moment he fell into a deep sleep, he did not see the window that appeared before him, as if it had been waiting for exactly this moment.

System Message

▶ You are now the sole person possessing more than two ‘Unique Skills.’

▶ The Pantheon is taking notice of you!

▶ This is a major change with tremendous impact on the main story!

▶ Unlocking new special abilities.

▶ New events are being added to the main storyline

.

.

.

▶ Recalibrating events.

▶ The Pantheon is wary of you.

▶ The entity ‘’ is observing you.

▶ You have been granted a new special ability!

▶ [Unique Trait: Omnipotence] has been granted!

▶ [Unique Trait: Origin] has been granted!