Inside the banquet hall of Chalon Castle, the breakfast venue.
Piel conveyed news about Theo to Maximin.
"Father, Theo said he'll sleep until lunch. He didn't sleep at all last night."
"What did you say...? What did you just say, daughter?"
Maximin, with eyes wide open, asked back.
"He didn't sleep at all last night, so he's sleeping until lunch. He's sleeping right now. I don't know what he was doing all night."
Piel repeated, still with her lips pouting out.
Clatter!
Maximin got up from his seat without having breakfast.
"Let's go to Theo quickly! Was there anything else unusual?"
Piel, not understanding why her father was so surprised, simply complied.
"...? It seemed like the window was open. There was a lot of wind noise."
"Let's go quickly, daughter! Sorry, but I'll leave first. Don't worry about me, go ahead and eat."
Maximin slightly bowed to the guests in the banquet hall and then headed to Theo's room with Piel.
However, among the remaining guests, not a single person continued their breakfast.
Irene spoke softly, looking around at the others.
"...Should we go too?"
"Of course."
"Let's go, Irene."
Seria and Amy nodded in turn and got up from their seats.
Alice and Alphs followed suit.
Thus, the five of them also quickly made their way to Theo's room.
In front of Theo's room.
Maximin knocked on the door forcefully.
"Theo! Are you in there! Answer me!"
But no sound came from inside.
"...Can't be helped."
Maximin took a stance to kick the door with his back foot.
He could have ordered a servant or butler to bring the key to the room, but every second was crucial at this moment.
"Excuse me."
With those words, Maximin kicked the door with all his might.
Crash─!
With a loud noise, the door immediately flew off its hinges.
Theo, who had been soundly sleeping on the bed, startled awake.
He frowned but, seeing Maximin, returned to his usual expression.
"What's the matter... Lord Maximin. I told Piel I'd skip breakfast and lunch..."
"You! I heard you didn't sleep all night! Is there somewhere you're not feeling well!"
Maximin hurriedly approached Theo and examined his body.
Then,
"Ugh."
A sharp pain surged through Theo's body.
Many people were murmuring and looking at him from the corridor outside the room.
"Theo!"
"What's happening?"
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Not only the people Irene brought with her but also the servants and maids of the Chalon family were gathered in large numbers.
...Naturally, having to show his unwashed and vulnerable self to so many people, [Twisted Noble's Dignity] did not leave him alone.
Unaware of this, Maximin's eyes went wide upon hearing Theo's groan.
"You! Are you hurt somewhere? Just wait a moment. Hey, you there! Call a healer right now!"
"...I'm fine, Lord Maximin. No need for a healer. I'll just take a bath and come back."
Theo immediately got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom.
Having been forced to wake up not even ten minutes after falling asleep, his steps to take a shower were wobbly.
Dark circles were fully formed under his eyes.
Upon seeing his precarious state, Maximin immediately called for a healer as soon as Theo entered the bathroom.
Swoosh──
Theo silently endured the stream of water from the showerhead.
Showering in cold water was unbearable, but he felt he might fall asleep standing if he used hot water.
"..."
His head was foggy.
Both his mind and body had reached their limits.
For the first time in his life, he clearly felt the flow of Qi and learned how to absorb Qi from the outside and accumulate it, applying it to his techniques.
Nay's teaching was harsh enough to quickly erase the thrill of feeling and utilizing Qi for the first time.
Even the tenacity stat, which he had stopped thinking about increasing for weeks, immediately rose.
The process of inputting Nay's words into his mind and outputting them through his body was not easy.
It felt like he had attended all the classes of the first semester of the Hero Department in half a day.
Her too-much-talking trait was fully applied in her teaching.
─Ohoho~ You're absorbing Qi at a remarkably fast rate. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said you're the fastest among those I've seen. Perhaps having no mana in your body at all makes it the optimal body for absorbing Qi. Yes, keep breathing like that. Inhale when the wind blows, and exhale when it leaves... Oh! Child, concentrate! You mustn't open your mouth. Breathe only through your nose. I'll keep the rhythm. Sssuuuuu... Haaa~
Once again. Sssuuuuu... Haaa~ Right, right. You're following well.
Around 2 AM, Theo was so tired that he began to nod off.
But every time, Nay would verbally snap at him.
─You fool! The amount of Qi can be increased most easily when the Dantian has just opened. Now is not the time to sleep! Sleep all you want when your Dantian is stabilized. Come on, wake up quickly!
Somewhat convinced, Theo grimaced and fought the sleepiness.
The combination of a talented disciple and a harsh master was excellent.
As a result, Theo managed to dedicate himself to training for over 10 hours without eating anything.
Thus, Theo finished his long shower, reminiscing about the events that had happened the night before.
"Sigh."
Though there was a fluffy robe, he didn't wear it, opting for uncomfortable everyday clothes instead.
Outside, Maximin, Piel and others, were clearly waiting, and he didn't want to get hit by [Twisted Noble's Dignity] again.
Creak─
As he exited the bathroom, sure enough, there were Maximin, Piel, and various other people.
Maximin said,
"It's a relief, Theo! Fortunately, you can walk. We were considering breaking down the shower door since you weren't coming out."
Theo, with a haggard expression, alternated his gaze between Maximin and a middle-aged man standing politely beside Maximin, who seemed to be a healer, before opening his mouth.
"...No, I'm just tired from not sleeping all night. I don't need treatment."
"Hmm... Alright then. You, just in case, wait in the hallway."
"Understood, my lord. Please call me anytime if you need me."
The healer bowed slightly and exited through the door.
Maximin, looking at Theo, said meaningfully,
"Could it be... Was there some kind of incident? I would appreciate a brief explanation."
Saying so, Maximin glanced at [Demon Sword].
Theo replied,
"With so many eyes around, it would be better to close the door first."
"Understood. Close the door!"
"Yes, my lord!"
A servant, who was somehow already by the door, silently closed it.
Theo, pointing at [Demon Sword], began,
"...First off, 'this thing' is called [Demon Sword]. But calling it that seems to be blasphemy to it. Anyway, it prefers to be called Nay. It would be better for both you and me, Lord Maximin, to refer to it as such."
"Ho... Understood."
For the first time ever, Maximin, learning the name of the family's sacred artifact for the first time, nodded continuously.
He then handed me a beverage contained in a glass on the table.
"Anyway, since you're tired, drink this. It's a special beverage from the Chalon family that was a great help during overnight missions in my active days. Ah, I drank a lot of it during exam periods when I was at the academy, too."
"Thank you."
Theo immediately gulped down the drink.
It was a familiar taste.
Unlike a stamina recovery potion, it was a convenience shop's regular beverage product that pulled tomorrow's energy into today, not directly replenishing the body.
'Mint, and now this...'
After drinking the beverage, Theo, suppressing a burp that threatened to escape, explained to Maximin what had happened since the previous night, leaving out anything related to 'Qi' on Nay's advice.
─The breathing technique I'm currently teaching you is to be passed down to only one person. You must not teach it to anyone else, understand?
At that time, instead of immediately responding, Theo asked Nay two questions.
First, couldn't someone else potentially learn this breathing technique just by looking?
Second, by mentioning it's to be passed down to only one person, does that mean you've regained memories from before you were trapped in the sword?
Nay answered,
─Hahahaha. The first question is quite amusing. You needn't worry about that. Even the greatest geniuses of the continent could only superficially mimic this breathing technique; they were never able to grasp its true essence. I will reveal the true essence when the time comes.
As for your second question, no. I too am curious. What kind of person was I...
Her tone was oddly bitter-sweet.
Having his curiosity satisfied, Theo vowed not to teach the breathing technique to anyone else.
Meanwhile, Maximin, who had been nodding seriously, spoke with grave determination as if he had made a significant resolution.
"...Theo."
