Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord Act 4 (Light Novel) E-Book

Satori Tanabata

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 383

Beschreibung

After defeating the god of evil, Yumiella has finally surpassed the level cap of 99. While this achievement ought to be a joyous occasion for a power-obsessed gamer like her, she can’t seem to focus on it with her marriage to Patrick just a few months away. When the reality of what a big, aristocratic wedding really looks like starts to set in, Yumiella realizes that while she wants to get married, she really doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of a whole ceremony. Impulsively fleeing home to clear her mind, Yumiella ends up in the neighboring kingdom, where she finds that the citizens are completely terrified of her. A mysterious man gives her shelter so that she can avoid conflict, but despite her best efforts, Yumiella finds herself entangled in the conspiracies surrounding a power struggle in the kingdom. How will she use her newly leveled-up Yumiella Strength to get out of trouble this time?

Leseprobe

Prologue

It was the middle of the night, yet the king’s office in the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Valschein was lit brightly enough to be able to read even in its darkest corners.

The aristocracy was notorious for its obsession with appearances, and their decor reflected this obsession—rooms were often filled with rare artifacts from foreign kingdoms, and on occasion, an unusual relic from a different continent altogether. However, most of the furnishings in the king’s office were created by artisans of his own kingdom.

The only object that was obviously foreign at first glance was the magical instrument currently being used to illuminate the room.

The occupant of this office, his strong features drawn into stern lines, was an incredibly busy man. As he scanned through the documents laid out before him, he was simultaneously listening to a report from the man standing before his desk.

A pair of glasses were perched on the king’s nose. Recently, he had been having trouble reading the small letters on the papers he had to peruse every day, and so lately, he always had his glasses on hand.

The king wanted to hide the fact that he required reading glasses even though he was still under fifty years old, so the glasses never left this room. It was difficult to believe that this was the same King Valschein who was known far and wide for being nominally in control of the Yumiella Dolkness.

The king looked up from the documents and removed his glasses, returning his attention to what the man standing at attention before his desk was saying. The man finished his report, never wavering in his focus.

“I see, so we still do not know where she went,” the king said as he rubbed his temples. His tone was troubled. “When I first heard she disappeared, I thought we would quickly locate her somewhere nearby.”

“I apologize. It doesn’t seem prudent to make a big show of things and publicly announce that she’s a person of interest to the state, so we haven’t been able to expand our search as we’d like to...”

Though the young man seemed deferential enough in the manner in which he framed his words, a barely concealed grin hovered around his lips, an expression that made it seem as if he wasn’t concerned at all. The king, however, knew better: an amused smirk was this man’s default expression, and in this case, it belied his internal frustration.

The man with the constant smile was called Ronald. In aristocratic society, being able to trace one’s lineage was of paramount importance, but despite this fact, very few knew his family name. This was on purpose due to the simple fact that Ronald could easily get chased out of the Royal Palace if word got out that he was actually part of the notorious Hillrose family.

Prior to setting his plans for a coup into motion, the duke of Hillrose had sent off his son, Ronald, to serve the king. Although his father’s coup had ultimately failed, Ronald had climbed up the ranks to the point that his name had become the obvious answer if one were to ask who the king trusted the most in his court.

Trustworthy and highly skilled, Ronald took care of tasks the king preferred to keep hidden behind the scenes. Hence Ronald’s involvement in the current missing person case—the king wanted to handle this matter internally.

“She’s someone who has the potential to be a trump card for this kingdom,” the king said with a weary sigh. “I’ll send over several more skilled trackers. I want her found and brought back here, no matter the cost.”

Ronald nodded. “I am much obliged for your support.”

“I’ll leave it to you, then,” the king said. “I must ask, though, is there really not a single lead...?”

“Yes. It’s incredibly strange, but we have absolutely no reports of anyone seeing her.”

The king began to think through the facts as he understood them. She would definitely have been found if she’d traveled a long distance—there were guards on the town roads and many passersby to serve as witnesses. Even if she had traveled only on isolated roads, she would stand out precisely because there weren’t many people there.

“She might unexpectedly be hiding somewhere nearby,” the king suggested.

“It would be a great relief if that were the case, but...is she really the sort of person to do something like that?”

“It was just a thought.”

Just as Ronald had pointed out, the king knew that she wasn’t the kind of person who would expend a lot of effort to sneak around. Everything that the king knew of her suggested that she was straightforward to a fault. If she wanted to run, she would likely just run, going as far as she could without looking back. But, if that were the case, where exactly had she disappeared to?

“She must have someone helping her,” the king said.

“Yes, I think that is definitely the case,” Ronald agreed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already left the kingdom.”

She would’ve been easily found if she were operating alone. If there was someone helping her escape, however, it would’ve been much easier for her to leave the kingdom undetected. With the girl’s small stature, she could have been concealed within some cargo on a carriage, or some other such method that would’ve made it difficult to find her.

“Could it be considered a kidnapping?” the king asked.

“A kidnapping...?” Ronald considered. “If she had actually resisted, there would be some evidence of that.”

“Kidnapping is not just putting a sack over someone’s head and abducting them. Tempting someone with sweet promises and manipulating them into following you is a form of kidnapping.”

“I understand,” Ronald said. “You believe that someone goaded her into deciding to escape on the spot.”

“From what Edwin’s told me, it didn’t seem like she’d been talking to any potential accomplices before that. This seems like it could be the most natural course of events.”

Ever since that incident, she had isolated herself completely, and the only one she’d opened up to was the second prince, Edwin.

Ronald thought silently for a bit before speaking again.

“We will only consider the worst-case scenario—the possibility that she was abducted by another kingdom. We will ignore all other possibilities for now and focus on that.”

“I’ll leave it to you. You must bring Alicia Ehnleit back at all costs.”

Ronald bowed deeply in response to the king’s command.

The girl they had been discussing, one Alicia Ehnleit, was a user of light magic—something incredibly rare in this world and a definitive trump card against the element of darkness. In other words, she was the strongest pawn the kingdom had against the ever-present threat of Yumiella Dolkness.

Back in the king’s office, another man entered a beat after Ronald exited, making them just miss each other.

“You’re back,” the king said to the second man. “Judging from your expression, I assume she wasn’t just hiding in the dungeon.”

“I apologize,” the man said. Unlike Ronald’s ever-hovering smile, this man wore a terribly haggard look.

This man was Adolphe, commander of the Knight’s Order and the pride of the Kingdom of Valschein. He was a swordsman who had been, until a few years ago, considered the strongest person in the kingdom. At the time, he’d been at the extraordinary level of 60. What was particularly notable about him was that this strength was despite the fact that he was completely untrained in magic.

As might be expected in a world where most skilled magicians were of an aristocratic background, genetics had a large effect on magical ability. It didn’t matter if someone increased their level and mana stores—there was a certain level of innate talent needed to convert mana into elemental magical energy and produce a spell.

The commander of the Knight’s Order was a symbol of hope for the people of Valschein who had no ability in magic—he was living proof that one could climb the ranks with just pure skill and swordsmanship.

However, Adolphe didn’t brag about his accomplishments. He might have had a sense of inferiority because he couldn’t use magic, but despite being the strongest person in the kingdom in both title and level, he showed no signs of being attached to the top of the ranks. Even when royalty from foreign kingdoms showered him with compliments, desperate to poach him for themselves, Adolphe would modestly deflect their commendations and say, “There will eventually be someone who can surpass me.”

The king respected Adolphe for both his military performance and his integrity. Seeing one of his staunchest supporters looking so worn down with care, he offered words of comfort: “Don’t worry too much about it, Adolphe. It’s nothing you should feel responsible for.”

“No, the failings of my subordinates are my responsibility,” the grizzled swordsman countered. “Please decide upon our punishment once things have settled.”

As Adolphe’s words suggested, the Knight’s Order had been involved in Alicia’s disappearance.

A year and a half ago, Alicia had journeyed to the Demon Lord’s castle with a party of warriors brought together in order to take down the Demon Lord, and of all the things she could have done during that battle, she’d ended up stabbing her ally Yumiella Dolkness in the back. Luckily, things worked out, because Yumiella recovered and even defeated the Demon Lord, but Alicia’s choice meant that they had been one step away from the kingdom being swallowed up by the Demon Lord’s army of monsters.

Naturally, the kingdom couldn’t reveal such information to the public for fear of outcry, and even among the scant few who knew the events as they had happened, there were some who’d thought there was no choice but to secretly execute Alicia for her deeds. It was Yumiella, the victim herself, who begged mercy for her. It was announced to the public that Alicia had been critically injured in the battle, while in reality, she was being confined in the Royal Palace under house arrest... This was all that Yumiella herself knew about the situation.

While it was true that Alicia had been confined to a room in the Royal Palace and was living out her days with no freedom, she was frequently taken on trips to a dungeon near the Royal Capital. There, she was forced to level grind while accompanied by members of the Knight’s Order, who were there to both protect and supervise her.

During a break between battles in the dungeon, Alicia had briefly left the guards to relieve herself and disappeared into thin air—this was how she’d gone missing.

“I offer my deepest apologies,” Adolphe said again. “We understand how important she is to the kingdom, yet still we failed.”

“There’s no use regretting something that’s already happened,” the king reassured him. “Now that she’s gone, we must find her at all costs.”

“If it comes to it, I’ll handle Countess Dolkness, even if I have to do it on my own.”

There were two meanings to Adolphe’s somewhat threatening statement. First, it was his intention to serve as the first line of defense against Yumiella if she were to ever oppose the royal family.

The Kingdom of Valschein currently had a positive relationship with Yumiella, but things could easily change based on how she was feeling. The Kingdom needed a way to stop Yumiella if she ever became drunk on her own power and set out to unify the continent under her control. The king was well aware that Yumiella claimed that she had no intention of doing such, but what was important wasn’t whether she would do it, but whether she could do it.

If Commander Adolphe weren’t able to handle Yumiella on his own, then the second layer of the plan called for him and Alicia to cooperate on the battlefront, combining the strength of his sword with the power of her light magic. There were several other people included in this plan, but the main strategy required Adolphe and Alicia at the center.

Preparation for this strategy meant that it was crucial for Adolphe and Alicia to build their strength. Accordingly, Adolphe had lessened his workload in order to focus on his own training while Alicia was being sent into a dungeon.

Even with all these countermeasures, Yumiella would still be tough to beat. She had superhuman physical ability, dark magic that was especially adept at destroying large areas, and recovery magic that could heal her own wounds... She was an entire army in a single person.

“I won’t make you go up against Lady Yumiella on your own,” the king said, gently opposing Adolphe’s willingness to charge at an invincible living war machine. “That’s a battle that you have little to no chance of winning, and I wouldn’t want to lose you.”

“My subordinates in the Knight’s Order are making their own progress,” the old warrior argued. “I’m easily replaceable. If anything happens, please take your feelings out of consideration and use me as needed, Your Majesty.”

“How easily replaceable you are is up for debate. I believe you to be the strongest swordsman in the world. If magic didn’t exist, Lady Yumiella wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

The king’s reasoning was thus: Magic relied heavily on the user’s innate ability. The root of Yumiella’s strength was her dark magic, so if she didn’t have that advantage, Adolphe could probably win against her. She might not even have been able to reach level 99 without her magic.

Adolphe shook his head sadly in response. “I appreciate your praise, and I follow your logic, but I don’t think that would be true. Even without her dark magic or her powers of recovery, I believe she would have eventually reached level 99. I could sense her strength and willpower from just the few words we exchanged during her audience with you right after she entered the Academy.”

“Don’t be so self-deprecating. You’re incredibly strong,” the king reassured him.

“I’m simply stating facts. I could feel that I stood no chance against her. I don’t feel jealousy or anything of that nature... That may be my weakness—the fact that I don’t particularly care whether or not I am the strongest in the kingdom.”

The king had always considered the commander’s humility a virtue of his, so this topic was of acute interest to him. Given what he knew of her, he had to agree that if Yumiella were to drop down to being the second-strongest person around, she would become incredibly frustrated and desperate to climb back to the top. She had a certain level of confidence that could be considered a form of pride.

“I see, that’s what you mean...” the king mused.

“My apologies, I’ve taken up your time with unnecessary talk. Is there any further progress on Lord Ronald’s investigation?”

“We have no leads. We’re continuing the investigation under the assumption that there must have been outside involvement.”

“I didn’t think someone would dare to come after her inside a dungeon...” Adolphe considered. “Although, there are many adventurers of unknown backgrounds making their livings in dungeons these days. It would be easy for someone to slip in.”

“One might say that such a plan is too bold, while others might call it a shortsighted method to gain access to a target. I’m thinking that the Lemlaestans might be getting out of control again.”

Lemlaesta was the kingdom neighboring Valschein. It was a small kingdom, but their technology-based economy meant that they were skilled in developing magical instruments. The small nation was currently embroiled in a conflict over succession to the throne, and consequently some Lemlaestans had taken some injudicious actions to further their own ends.

“Lemlaesta...” Adolphe said with a thoughtful frown. “It’s definitely close enough to flee to.”

“Are you thinking of going there undercover?”

“If I just disguise myself a bit, they won’t find out who I am. If an agent from Lemlaesta has her, I won’t be able to just bring her back by force, but I believe there’s an inherent value in me being close by.”

Though she wasn’t as strong as Adolphe, Alicia was quite strong. As an undercover noncombatant, Adolphe wouldn’t be able to resort to extreme measures—measures that might be necessary to bring Alicia back if she were unwilling to come quietly.

The king considered the diplomatic issues that would arise if Adolphe’s identity were revealed, the effects of the commander of the Knight’s Order being temporarily unavailable, and all of the various other possibilities before he made his decision.

“Understood. You’ll head to Lemlaesta, then. Once you reach the capital, coordinate with those on-site there and join the search for Alicia Ehnleit.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And so, taking leave of his king with a final bow, Commander Adolphe headed to the Kingdom of Lemlaesta.

What Adolphe did not know was that Yumiella Dolkness had already surpassed level 99 not too long ago...

Chapter 1: The Hidden Boss Assesses Her Level

It was now autumn, and it would soon be time for my first harvest festival since moving back to Dolkness County.

Even though it felt like I’d been here for years already, not even a year had passed since I had graduated from the Academy. A lot had happened since then, from stopping Duke Hillrose’s grandiose attempt on his own life to the appearance of Yumiella 2, a version of myself from a parallel world—having such an eventful life probably messed up my sense of time.

Around a month had passed since I had taken down the god of evil. I had largely recovered after using up all of my magical energy to turn back time in the parallel world—physically, at least. Mentally, I was still recovering both from the ordeal itself and from the new knowledge I had gained during my final visit to the parallel world...

What the hell even is the Holy Empire of Dolkness...? Whatever, I should forget about 2’s speedy empire founding. I should think about more fun things. Something fun, something interesting... With that thought, the face of my fiancé, Patrick, popped up in my mind. Oh, that’s it! I should do a level assessment!

We happened to own one of those magical crystal-orb instruments that were used during the level assessment that was part of the entrance ceremony at the Academy.

Everyone should have one of these in their home.

It had been quite expensive, but I couldn’t not buy it. I sometimes brought it out, held it between my hands, and smiled at the “99” that popped up—it was a hardworking, useful device.

I can also assess Patrick’s level. He’s probably close to 99.

Once he maxed out, we were going to celebrate. I’d been trying to plan a surprise party to congratulate him on reaching level 99, but it had suddenly been swapped for a wedding, so his level 99 celebration would have to be a quieter affair.

But mostly, I just wanted to check my own level. It had slipped my mind after the shock of everything that happened with 2, but since I had surpassed the level cap, I wanted to know by exactly how much.

I wonder if I’m in the hundreds, or the thousands, or even in the millions!

My level had been capped at 99 before, but I wanted to know if there was a new maximum or if the sky was the limit—there was a lot I wanted to know.

“My level will increase, forever and ever,” I belted out. “There’s deviation in the asymmetry between the hearth and the bamboo grove.” I was singing my totally original tune, “The Leveling Song,” on my way to grab the crystal.

Just in case the first half of the verse matched an existing song, I made sure that the latter half wouldn’t infringe on anyone’s copyright—I’d devised unique, original lyrics so that no one could even think of lashing out at me for copying a song. I’d also made the melody eccentric to dispel any allegations that this was just a parody song. The melody was like a mix of folk and metal.

I was finally at the chorus. I tried to sing it using a mix of techniques from Japanese enka and Western opera.

“The villainous device teaches the hunter meteorites,” I sang.

“Please stop! You’re scaring me!” a voice pleaded with me, bringing my happy singing to a stop as I came face-to-face with Eleanora in the hallway of the estate. I’d known Eleanora, daughter to the former duke of Hillrose and current freeloader in my home—ever since we were at the Academy together—but I’d never before seen her make such an obviously displeased face.

Looking back on it, when I used to sing karaoke in my past life, my friends would give me some candid feedback about my singing. They’d also referred to my singing as “strange transmissions.” I suppose it’s possible that I might be tone-deaf.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed. “My singing must have been bad.”

“I mean, it wasn’t not bad, but...” Eleanora hesitated. “I think it was actually in a realm far past ‘bad.’”

I’d apologized with the expectation that she’d say that I wasn’t that bad, but Eleanora had instead dealt a critical hit.

If I’m in a realm past being bad... Does that mean...?

“Do you mean that I’m so bad that I’m actually good?” I wondered hopefully.

“Not at all,” she said with a dark expression. “I meant that you’re so bad that I was about to lose my mind.” It seemed like there was a part of her that was actually angry with me.

Eleanora was surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to the arts. She probably couldn’t forgive my half-baked song. The lyrics were definitely fine, but perhaps the melody was a bit too odd.

“Which part in particular was bad?” I asked. “Was it my singing or the melody?”

“The worst part was the lyrics!” she exclaimed. “The words were so deeply nonsensical that they sent shivers down my spine!” She even rejected the lyrics, which I’d had such confidence about.

She didn’t have to be that harsh... Even I would be hurt by that. It hurts even more coming from someone as kind as Eleanora.

A normal person would give up here and never sing in front of others again, but I wasn’t going to give up. I was going to practice and become good enough for Eleanora to praise me.

“Understood. I’ll perform for you again at another time, so I hope you’ll listen.”

My determination didn’t have the desired effect either, because she immediately changed the subject. “Were you on your way somewhere, Yumiella...?”

“Yes, I was going to get the level-assessment crystal—” I started to explain before she abruptly cut me off.

“I want to see it! I want to see that crystal as well!”

Huh? I didn’t expect Eleanora to be so interested.

She had never seemed that interested in the crystal ball before, so I wasn’t sure why her attitude had suddenly changed. Was she perhaps leveling up in secret? I could understand her enthusiasm if she wanted to check her own growth.

“Well then, why don’t we assess our levels together?”

“I would love to!” she responded enthusiastically. “I love level assessments!”

Ah, it’s so nice to have friends who get really into the same interests as me. There’s something about assessing our levels together that feels like an appropriate activity to do with friends. I don’t care about singing that much, so I’ll leave the practicing for later. Onwards to the crystal!

I began striding forwards once more, when I heard a voice mumbling something behind me.

“Phew, I’m saved...”

I turned to regard my friend. “What? Did you say something?”

“We have to focus on the level assessment!” Eleanora exclaimed, her smile seeming strangely fixed. “Hurry, Yumiella!”

As my level increased, my hearing abilities also became enhanced, but I didn’t always catch everything everyone said. If their voice was too low or too quiet, it was like the frequency didn’t match and my brain wouldn’t process it. Besides, if I were processing every sound that my Yumiella Ears heard twenty-four hours a day, my brain would probably short-circuit.

And so, in the end, I didn’t know what Eleanora was mumbling about, and I decided that it didn’t matter. We continued down the hall together.

“The crystal is the same sort of instrument that everyone uses at the entrance ceremony, correct?” she asked. “I didn’t know you had one at home.”

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s nostalgic to think back on it...” I felt wistful for a moment. “Though, it was also the reason I became the center of attention.”

“Center of attention? I don’t remember much about the entrance ceremony.”

“You mean the entrance ceremony where there was a huge commotion over me being level 99? You must’ve been watching too, Lady Eleanora.”

Eleanora considered this, her brow furrowing prettily for a moment, before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I only remember hearing about you a little after the entrance ceremony. I assumed you were present, but I don’t recall seeing you.”

While reminiscing about the past together, shocking news had been revealed: seeing someone who was level 99 wasn’t a big enough deal to burn itself into Lady Eleanora’s memory.

I’d assumed that this was the moment when every student at the Academy took notice of me, but Eleanora was, in a sense, in a whole different realm. I was honestly impressed.

“Speaking of the entrance ceremony,” she suddenly cried with a cheerfulness that sounded suspiciously forced, “isn’t that the moment where you and Sir Patrick had your first fateful meeting? Did you feel something for him at first sight?”

“Oh, I didn’t notice Patrick at the entrance ceremony,” I said dismissively. “Though I do vaguely remember thinking that there was someone with a slightly higher level than others...”

“What? Didn’t your heart start beating the moment you locked eyes, or anything wonderful like that?”

“No, I don’t remember any reaction in particular.”

Eleanora seemed disappointed by my answer and its complete lack of romance.

That’s just how real life is. People rarely fall in love at first sight.

We’d reached our destination as we’d reminisced. It was a room on the first floor of the estate that we had turned into a storage room, full of things like unused pieces of furniture. Rita didn’t like me going to the storage room myself, but I always felt much more awkward calling over a servant to get something for me.

“I don’t remember where I put it after using it last time... Oh, there it is.” Since I used the crystal often, it was on a shelf right by the door. I picked it up with both hands and showed it to Eleanora. “Now we can assess our levels.”

“That does indeed appear to be the case,” Eleanora replied, a little stiffly.

Oh? She was so excited about the level assessment just a second ago, but now her response seems dull. I want her to go into this excited. I need to hype things up somehow...

“Maybe a song?” I wondered aloud.

“Wow, it’s the crystal! Yay! Let’s assess our levels!”

“What? Uh, okay.”

Eleanora’s excitement levels had suddenly shot back up. It seemed she wanted to check her level after all.

She can go first, then.

Of course, we’d be doing it here. I was too lazy to bring the crystal to my room. I was the kind of person who ate my takeout in the parking lot.

I caught sight of a tall, narrow desk nearby, which seemed like it had no other use than to display a flower vase. I moved the vase, placed the crystal on the desk, and encouraged Eleanora to put her hand on the smooth surface.

“Here you go! All you have to do is place your hand on top.”

“Okay...” Eleanora said, nodding as she reached out her right hand.

I’d always assumed that Eleanora was level 1. That seemed like a reasonable expectation of someone who had never before defeated a monster. But considering how interested she seemed to be in the crystal, I suspected that she might have been secretly level grinding.

That’s why she must’ve been going out with Ryuu. That’s it! Being with the strongest dragon also guarantees her safety. I wonder what her level is...

“Oh, you’re level 1.” I was only a little bit disappointed.

“Well, yes, of course.”

She was level 1, and she’d known it all along.

Why? Why did you want to assess your level?

As my mind filled with questions, the weakest of noble ladies moved away from the crystal.

“Next is your turn,” she said.

I shook my head. “I’ll go last, after Patrick.”

“What?” She looked at me quizzically. “Are you not feeling well yet?”

“I have my reasons, of course...”

I mean, I guess I usually would want to go first when it comes to the crystal, so her concern makes sense.

My hesitation was enough for her to suspect I was feeling unwell.

Of course, I had a reason as to why I wanted to go last. After recent events, I had surpassed level 99. I was definitely past level 100, and my level could possibly be in the thousands or millions.

I was on a completely different level—I basically possessed a strength so immense, it felt like I was cheating. I was in a situation one could describe with a ridiculous title like My Stats Are What Now?! I’m the Only Person Who’s Level 999,999,999 in a World Where the Max Level Is 99.

I’m sorry if there’s actually a book like that out there. Even if it’s not exactly that, I’m pretty sure there are some with similar titles. I myself am in the ridiculous situation of being a villainess who’s level 99, so please forgive me for any unintended copyright infringement.

Things were starting to get off topic. Back to the crystal—in these types of stories, it was common for an object like this level-assessment crystal to break because it couldn’t handle the person’s powers after they’d surpassed the world’s limits.

I expected that there was an eighty percent chance that the crystal would break—I wasn’t sure if it would just shatter or explode into pieces, but I figured it would break. As for the remaining twenty percent... There was a ten percent chance it wouldn’t be able to assess my level and would just display an error message, and a ten percent chance that a level above 99 would be displayed.

I wouldn’t be disappointed by either of the latter options. An error message wouldn’t be that different from the crystal breaking, but if I got to actually see my numerical level, that would be great.

This was my somewhat long-winded reasoning for having Patrick use the magical instrument before me, and when I explained the gist of things to Eleanora, she seemed to understand.

“I see. It’s because you’ll break something again.”

“Break something again?!” I echoed.

“Um, that’s pretty common, isn’t it...?”

I’m not constantly breaking things... was what I wanted to argue back, but then I began to recall all the things I’d broken in the past. I’d broken various things, from dangerous artifacts to rare objects. I didn’t want to affirm that I was Yumiella the Destroyer, so I decided to respond to Eleanora’s question with silence.

“So...” I needed to change the subject. “Let’s go look for Patrick. Though, I feel like he’ll appear soon anyway even if we don’t search for him.”

“I don’t think Sir Patrick would appear before us so conveniently,” Eleanora said, seeming skeptical, but I knew that the probability of Patrick happening to show up was extraordinarily high.

Every time I just thought, “Oh, won’t my darling Pat-Pat just show up?” he would suddenly materialize. He was just a convenient man... Hmm, that didn’t sound quite like the compliment I intended it to be. A man with good timing? No, that wasn’t it either.

Hm... Oh! He’s a man that swiftly appears in a crisis! That’s the kind of man Patrick is!

“Help me, Patrick!” I called.

“Couldn’t you say ‘help me’ with a bit more emotion?” Eleanora suggested.

“He’ll still come. He’d come quicker if, say, a child had been kidnapped.”

“Is that so...”

Yes. He’ll come. I know he’ll come. As long as I believe, he’ll show up.

Five minutes had passed.

“He’s not here,” I said.

“That appears to be the case,” Eleanora responded.

He didn’t come. Reality was cruel. Happiness wasn’t something that came to you but was instead something you had to find for yourself. The bluebird of happiness was in Tyltyl and Mytyl’s home all along, but their journey to find the bluebird was no doubt meaningful.

Happiness might be closer than you think, but what’s most important is the will to go and search for it yourself! Oh, right, my original train of thought about how the person I live with isn’t showing up at the right time...

As I was pondering the philosophy of happiness, Eleanora picked up the crystal.

“You must be having strange thoughts again. Come, we’re leaving.”

“Please don’t drop it,” I said.

Eleanora seemed inappropriately casual in the manner in which she held the crystal and walked off with it.

Please don’t drop it. I’m planning for the crystal to break, unable to bear the brunt of my strength. I can’t have it falling and shattering on the ground before then.

Eleanora and I walked around the estate looking for the bluebird of hap—no, Patrick. He wasn’t in his room, and Daemon was the only one in the office. As I wondered where else my fiancé could possibly be, I heard voices in the entryway. It seemed that he’d been out and had just returned.

I intercepted him. “Welcome home!” I said cheerfully. “Do you want to eat, take a bath, or—”

“Welcome back, Sir Patrick. Here, please place your hand on this crystal.”

Eleanora interrupted the most important part.

Whatever, it’s fine. I just said all that out of habit, since that’s what usually follows “Welcome home.”

Eleanora was holding out the crystal with both hands, a beaming smile on her face. She was adorable. I couldn’t believe the fact that Patrick didn’t seem too happy about the magical instrument being thrust before him.

“Thanks. Uh, let’s do that later. It’s not something I have to do right—”

“If you don’t go first, then it’ll never be my turn,” I said, speaking quickly, knowing he would otherwise refuse based on his expression.

I grabbed his wrist with both hands and brought it to the crystal. He resisted and tried to pull away, but it was no use. Eleanora held up the crystal and pressed it against Patrick’s palm. It was perfect teamwork, a combination move between us.

I’ll name this move “Forced Level Assessment.” It’s a move where you forcibly assess someone’s level.

“All right, good job, Lady Eleanora!” I crowed. “Check the number!”

“Um, it’s... 99! It’s 99! That’s incredible, Sir Patrick!” Eleanora said, jumping up and down with joy in response to seeing the number displayed on the magical instrument.

Please don’t drop it, I prayed. I definitely can’t have the crystal dropping and shattering on the ground, okay?

Despite my concerns, I understood why Eleanora was so happy. I felt as happy as if this were my own accomplishment.

Oh, Patrick, you’ve grown so much...

“I feel like a mother seeing her son’s growth,” I cooed.

“Who are you calling your son?” Patrick snapped.

He must be in his rebellious phase. If you’re going to join a biker gang, Patrick, then Mommy would appreciate it if you rode a CBX400F.

I thought about showing off my excellent impression of a straight-six engine, but instead, I decided to genuinely celebrate his accomplishments. I’d save the impression for another time.

“Congratulations, Patrick,” I said with a smile.

“Thanks...”

Despite reaching the max level, Patrick didn’t seem too happy. He had also refused to do the assessment of his own volition, and I felt a little confused about why that might be.

Come to think of it, he hasn’t really talked about his own level recently. Why not, Patrick? You’re level 99! You’re probably only the second person in the entire world to reach it. We’re the strongest couple in the world... Wait. You don’t need two “strongest” people. I was number one until yesterday, but now we’re both at the top. We need to hold a competition to determine who’s the strongest. The battle’s already begun.

I took a dramatic pause before saying, “It appears the time to determine who’s the strongest in the world has come.”

“I knew this would happen,” Patrick said with a sigh. “That’s why I didn’t want to do it. I’m fine with you being the strongest, so can you stop bracing for a fight?”

“Hey! That’s something that a protagonist who’s the self-proclaimed weakest character would say! You say that, but you’re secretly the stronger one! It’s like I’m the underdog who just says they’re the strongest!”

In most stories, the one who wanted to figure out who was stronger was the weaker character. The peaceful character who said, “Come on, we don’t need to fight,” usually turned out to be the stronger one.

And in this case, that’s not true. I’m the stronger one.

I was ready to fight, but Patrick appeared to have no intention of doing so. He looked at me with pity.

“Weren’t you a bit more levelheaded when we first met? I feel like you’ve become more violent lately.”

“I don’t think I’ve changed that much.”

I think I’ve always been like this. He’s probably just seeing a different side to me because we’ve been together for a while. I don’t think I have a violent side, though... Oops, I was about to get off topic again. We’re in the middle of competing for the title of strongest in the world.

I inched closer to Patrick and took another dramatic pause. “This is the result of my levelheaded thinking. Generally speaking, the one with the higher level is stronger. If we’re the same level, then we have no choice but to fight and see who’s stronger... See, isn’t it a logical train of thought?”

“Logical...?” Patrick echoed, as if he were interrogating the meaning of the word itself.

Since we were both level 99, we had no choice but to fight to see who was stronger. Perhaps the one with the higher base potential—in other words, innate skill—would win. Or perhaps elements outside of our levels, such as swordsmanship and precision with magic, would decide the winner.

If it’s only two people, I reasoned, we won’t have to worry about extra people turning things into a battle royal, and we can fight to our heart’s content.

Come on, Patrick. Let’s have the most powerful lovers’ quarrel of all history!

Right when my excitement had built up, Eleanora chimed in.

“Yumiella, didn’t you say you were above level 99?”

I felt myself deflate slightly. “Oh.”

“Isn’t that why you wanted to use this crystal? It was only a moment ago that you mentioned that. Have you already forgotten?”

“That’s right.”

Right. I’m not level 99 anymore. I’d completely forgotten about it until dear Eleanora pointed it out.

The fact that I’d surpassed 99 slipped my mind because I’d been wanting to battle Patrick to determine who was stronger when he reached my level. My feelings got me carried away.

There are just those times where you still want to go through with a plan, even if the situation has changed and it’s not necessary anymore. It totally happens.

In my previous life, when I was a college student, I had purchased a power bank I wanted to bring on a trip, even though the trip itself had already been canceled. I’d had no other reason to go to the electronics store, but I forced myself to go anyway, and it was only when I got home and unboxed the power bank that I realized I didn’t need it.

My increased level had slipped my mind. Does this mean I just get to keep being the strongest person in the world? Should we still settle things with a battle anyway, just to be sure?

As I mulled over whether or not to keep my battle stance up, Patrick decided this was his moment to convince me to choose peace.

Just how badly do you not want to fight, Patrick?

“That’s right!” he said, mustering up his enthusiasm. “You’ve surpassed the maximum level. That means you’re stronger than me, a normal person who is level 99, which is the limit. Right? So we don’t have to fight, do we?”

“Am I number one in the world?” I wondered.

“Yeah, you’re number one, Yumiella.”

“What if I was the second strongest in the world?”

“Then you’d be number two, wouldn’t you...?”

Number two was number two, after all. Even if number two was number two, number one was still number one, and I was number one, not number two, which meant I was number one.

I see, so there’s no need to decide who’s the winner between us.

As I relaxed my stance, Patrick let out a sigh of relief.

“You saved me. Thank you, Lady Eleanora.”

“Did you forget about Yumiella’s level increasing as well, Sir Patrick?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“I had been concerned that something like this would happen, but I didn’t realize that the prerequisites had changed...”

Oh, Patrick had an “it totally happens” moment too. It seems like his occurred because he expected I would want to fight. That doesn’t sit right with me... How could a boy not be interested in being the strongest person in the world? Whatever, it’s fine. Patrick’s done with the crystal now that he’s reached the max level, which means I’m free to destroy it as I please.

“All right then, my turn,” I said.

“Why were you waiting for me to get home?” Patrick wondered. “I would’ve expected you to assess your own level first.”

I guess I just seem like someone who’s eager to use the crystal.

I summarized the explanation I gave to Eleanora for Patrick, explaining how there was a possibility that the crystal might break.

“And that’s why I think the crystal might shatter,” I finished.

“Even if they’re sold in the markets, it’s still a rare item. Don’t break it,” he admonished.

“Like I said, it’s going to be an inevitable accident!”

“Just don’t do it willfully, okay?”

Why would I do that? The only three possibilities here are the crystal physically breaking due to an inevitable overload, an error message being displayed, or a three-digit number being displayed. I would never willfully break a precious magical instrument. How absurd to think I would.

Patrick’s suspicious gaze felt as if he were saying, “She’s going to break it on purpose,” and it was painful, so I decided to get the assessment over with as quickly as possible.

“I’m going to check my level now,” I announced.

“Yes, go ahead!” Eleanora said with a smile as she held out the crystal for me.

If the crystal exploded while Eleanora was still holding it, her hands would become a bloody mess. It would be terrible if the flying shards hit her in the face.

I found a table near us and moved the vase that was sitting on it.

“It might explode, so please set the crystal down here.”

Eleanora seemed slightly displeased, but she set the crystal down where I instructed. Then she took several steps back, as if she were afraid of it exploding. In contrast, Patrick cautiously took a step closer.

It’s all right, I’ll absorb all of the damage from the impending explosion. All right then, countdown to detonation: three, two, one, blast off!

“Huh?”

I lightly touched the crystal, but nothing happened. There were no signs of it exploding.

What’s happening? Is it option two, an error message?

As I blankly scanned my surroundings, my eyes met Patrick’s. He looked relieved.

I didn’t realize you didn’t want it to explode that badly. Whatever, there’s nothing that can be done.

I collected myself and looked down to see if the crystal was showing an error message or a three-digit (or above) number.

Before I could turn my attention back to the crystal, Eleanora slipped past Patrick. She’d probably decided that it wasn’t dangerous anymore, and so she’d gotten close without anyone stopping her. She was right across from me, with the crystal between us. She bent down to look at the crystal.

“It says...13!”

“Pardon? Thirteen?” I echoed.

What do you mean “13”? How could my level be so low? Oh wait, it’s not 13, it’s “13!” It’s factorial thirteen, so it’s thirteen times twelve, times eleven, times ten, and so on, so... It would be factorial ten multiplied by eleven through thirteen... So about six billion?

I felt a sense of pride about being level six billion. I hadn’t realized that I’d accumulated so much extra experience after reaching the maximum level.

As I stood there, trembling with emotion, Patrick got closer and stared at the crystal.

“Oh, it really does say 13. What does this mean...?”

“It’s fine, it’s 13! Isn’t it?” I said, attempting to communicate the factorial symbol through my volume and excitement.

Although, do they even know what a factorial is here...?

“Why did you suddenly yell?” Patrick asked.

The way that he had said it made it seem like it was just 13.

Wait. What does it actually show on the crystal?

I couldn’t imagine that the factorial symbol would show up on the crystal, but if the full six billion number was showing, why would Eleanora have rephrased it?

I just remembered, Eleanora is a person who would confidently say that one hundred minus seventy-seven is thirty-three. She would probably freeze up seeing a number over a million, and then do her best to count backwards from the one’s place.

I have a bad feeling about this. It’s not even hot, but I feel sweat running down my back.

I ignored the feeling and looked at the crystal. My hand was still on it, and I leaned over the crystal as the results came into view.

“Thirteen...?”

The number before me was 13. It was a whole number, more than 12 but less than 14. XIII in Roman numerals. There was nothing else displayed—it was just the devil’s number on the crystal.

I let go of the crystal and then put my hand back on it to reassess my level, but the result was the same. I considered the possibility that my eyes were just deceiving me, so I decided to check with Patrick.

“It says 13, right?”

“Yup, it’s 13,” he confirmed.

“It said 13,” Eleanora added.

My world felt like it was twisting, and my vision was spinning, but I was the calmest person in the room. I was calmly accepting that I was level 13. I was calm. And so, I calmly, quietly, coldly explained what I needed to do next.

“All right, let’s destroy the world.”

“Calm down, Yumiella,” Patrick said automatically.

My only objective was to prove that the results of the level assessment were incorrect. I was going to find proof that I wasn’t level 13, no matter what.