On their way to the Langkter mansion, the faces of the Practitioners were filled with joy and exhilaration.
Billy burst into laughter and said,
"Having a capable friend really does bring unexpected benefits. Never in my life did I think I'd see Langkter bow his head. Thanks, Theo."
Mike joined in,
"Hey, dude. Are you possessed by Satan? Theo's your friend? What kind of way is that to talk to the Great Warrior of Light!"
"Hmm... now that you mention it, I haven't fully released the demonic energy from my body... Aaargh!"
Suddenly, Billy screamed and grabbed Mike by the hem of his shirt.
"Yeah, I'm possessed by Satan! I'll pass it on to you too!"
"Ah, ah, the demonic energy is entering my body. Go away, go away, go away... Aaargh!"
Mike also screamed exaggeratedly, even foaming at the mouth, really into the act.
Sara, Adrienne, and Britney shook their heads in disbelief.
Sara, pressing her forehead, said,
"Stop it, you idiots... It's so embarrassing."
Adrienne and Britney added,
"Really. What is Renimid doing? Not taking these fools away."
"Ugh, I hate to agree, but I do."
Despite the criticism, Billy and Mike were still deep in their demon-possessed performance.
They looked at each other and nodded.
"Kekeke... The Demon lord desires your bodies."
"Haha... I don't like it, but since we're so hungry, we'll have to feed on you."
Then, they approached Sara, Adrienne, and Britney.
Sara pulled out her fist,
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"This won't do. You guys need to be hit."
Just then, Billy and Mike made eye contact with Theo.
"Heavens! To think such a radiant person exists! I can't stand it!"
"Is that the legendary Warrior of Light...! Let's run away... Aaah!"
At that moment, as if the Demons possessing them were exorcised, Billy and Mike pretended to faint.
Theo looked down at them with an incredulous look. He wasn't angry.
The stark difference in behavior from the people he saw inside the Order was rather refreshing to him.
'After all, getting angry in this situation would only make me look like an idiot.'
Everyone was desperately trying to hold back their laughter.
Theo sighed and said,
"You don't have to hold back."
Only then did everyone burst into laughter.
But Theo didn't hear the familiar voice he was expecting.
Feeling something was missing, Theo asked Claire,
"Is Isabella's health really that bad?"
In the story, Isabella often took breaks after being active in front of many people.
'She must be tired.'
Her unique ability, [Mind Reading], continuously revealed the inner thoughts of those around her to the user, even if she didn't want it to.
And now, Theo was sure Isabella could not read his mind.
Claire clasped her hands politely and hesitated before answering,
"Um... Yes. The Saintess's health is not... very good. She keeps complaining of severe headaches."
Theo knew why she was acting this way.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"I'd appreciate it if you treated me the same as before, Claire. Even though I've been chosen by the Divine Artifact, I'm still the same Theo Lyn Waldeurk. I'm not some incredible Warrior of Light like Hero Ryuuk."
"But... the Warrior of Light is almost like a divine emissary. How could I dare... Huh?!"
Before Claire could finish, Theo gently took her clasped hands and slightly bowed his head toward her.
"Please, Claire, treat me as you did before. It's hard for me like this."
Flustered, Claire quickly replied, "Uh, um... Okay, understood."
However, Theo did not let go of Claire's hands.
Narrowing his eyes, he looked at her,
"You're still using formal language."
Completely embarrassed, Claire said,
"Okay! Theo! Is that, is that okay...?!"
"Yes."
Theo, appearing satisfied, finally let go of her hands.
"Phew, ah... Phew, ahh..."
To calm her startled heart, Claire took deep breaths in and out.
Meanwhile, Theo had another thought.
'Ah, I should tell the others too.'
If people close to him treated him like the congregation in the Catherdral did, his daily life would become suffocating.
Most people underestimate the power of words.
But Theo knew from experience that the power of words is stronger than one might think.
Even if to someone insignificant, continuously using honorifics towards them can lead to respecting them in your heart after some time.
'And you tend not to talk about trivial matters with someone you use honorifics with.'
That's not good.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})From the smallest to the biggest issues, he needed to create an environment where everyone could comfortably share everything with him.
One casually mentioned piece of information could change the course of events, especially since his group includes notable individuals.
After organizing his thoughts, Theo told his companions,
"The same goes for everyone else. Please treat me as you did before. Not as the Warrior of Light."
All his companions nodded in agreement.
Theo asked Fyat, who was sporting a proud smile.
"What's up with you?"
He felt uneasy for some reason.
That smile reminded him of Siena.
Fyat replied,
"Because it's cool. I thought I had no eye for men, but I was wrong."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Ah, just in case you're worried, Theo Lyn Waldeurk, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
With a smile, Fyat continued,
"As I've said before, I don't mind not being Theo Lyn Waldeurk's first woman. It's natural for a strong male to have many females, regardless of race."
Theo was puzzled.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Pointing at Claire with her index finger, Fyat said,
"Hmm? What are you talking about, Theo Lyn Waldeurk? Didn't you just seduce that human female?"
"It's not good to refer to people as males and females like animals, Fyat."
Fyat nodded.
"Hmm, it's hard to change a habit of hundreds of years, but since Theo Lyn Waldeurk dislikes it, I'll try to change."
"Above all, I did not seduce Claire. I merely asked her to treat me as she used to. How does that look like seduction to you?"
Now it was Fyat's turn to be puzzled.
"How is not letting go of a woman's hand until she agrees, not considered seduction?"
Theo was at a loss for words.
Objectively, Fyat's logic made sense.
Taylor stepped forward, sensing Theo's difficulty.
"Ahahaha, Fyat. As you may know, Theo sees the world a little differently than other people. In Theo's world, that might not be considered seduction."
Theo looked at Taylor with an incredulous look.
'Is this supposed to be helping or making it worse?'
However, Fyat seemed convinced, resting her chin in her hand.
"Hmm, that seems possible. Theo Lyn Waldeurk often thinks differently from ordinary humans."
"That's right, Fyat. Throughout history, those who have achieved great deeds often saw things differently than other people."
"That's true. Theo Lyn Waldeurk has a capacity far beyond other men."
Theo said nothing.
'Well, regardless of the process, the outcome is good.'
Thus, Theo and his group arrived at the Langkter mansion amid lively chatter.
For the first time in his life, Langkter decided to cast aside his mask of pretense.
After all, Theo was well aware of most of the truth, and he was a person whose rise to prominence was assured, possibly even receiving a call from the Pope as soon as tomorrow.
Langkter concluded that the best course of action was to lower himself and honestly reveal everything, aiming to make a good impression on Theo.
So, as soon as Theo and his group arrived at the mansion,
"Have you arrived, Theo Lyn Waldeurk! The Great Warrior of Light!"
Without caring about the gazes of those around him, Langkter immediately prostrated himself before Theo.
