5. Unusualness.

The otherworldly weirdness that Sigurd felt at the beginning of the encounter disappeared like an illusion immediately the mirror became reflective again.

The only evidence that the meeting ever happened, at least to calm Sigurd's mortal mind was the flowing sink water that was still frozen in time but that also returned, bringing with it the noise Sigurd intended to obstruct Ophelia's enhanced hearing which proved partly useful and partly not in relation to frozen time.

"My Lord!"

Sigurd was not given the time to do anything else as the bathroom door was opened abruptly by Ophelia, who looked combat-ready for some reason.

Fortunately, Sigurd had some clothes on, or it might not be awkward. As proof of this, Ophelia had her professional face on as she inquired from Sigurd why she's here.

"My Lord, are you alright? I heard the smash of a mirror so I assumed there was a confrontation... "

"Confrontation? With whom?"

' So she moved after I punched the mirror but the Time Stop delayed her. How wide was the effect outside this room? Did the entire world freeze? ' thought Sigurd as he replied to Ophelia while turning off the running shower and sink water.

"Err, the Gang?"

"No. I was a little excited about an epiphany I had so I punched the mirror without thinking. It's not the Gang..."

"You punched it?... How is your fist? Are you bleeding?" Ophelia asked with a still expression.

"Chill Ophelia. I'm still a Second-class Knight, I won't be bleeding profusely from just shattered glass, you know? "

"Yes, you were even one of the youngest Second class Knights in the History of the Empire but you are still flesh and blood with no Zen. An arrow shot by even a Squire could kill you if you're not cautious"

"You make a fair argument but I covered my hand with my towel, I know my limits. Here... bring me a new towel and tell the chef I want a normal meal, I won't be training today; before you call the maids to clean up after I'm done"

Ophelia affirmed before excusing herself from the room. Now that Sigurd had dealt with what plagued his thoughts and existence he could speak without coming off as distant or unusual and it seemed Ophelia has reciprocated.

He took a few minutes to gather his thoughts and memories for a good sync with the current timeline.

He then got into the shower naked and started bathing but as the water showered on him like rain his mind flashed back to a memory he thought he had long forgotten from his second run.

•••Flashback•••

At some point in his second life, he left the family territory to his step-brother who was able to unlock his Zen and with sufficient resources became powerful enough to defend the territory unlike him who couldn't fix his damaged body after taking every known supplement.

With the foundation he repaired, he felt good leaving it behind to work for the Guardians who valued his unusual knowledge, especially in information gathering. But on one rainy night, there was an information leak on important goods he was carrying which put him on the run from the Fiends and their associates.

After he managed to escape into the dense woods due to a dear sacrifice, he gazed at the rainy sky as he nursed his wounds and grieved his loss, only to see stars that looked like they were five pairs of eyes blazing in his direction. It was during that sequence of events that he had his fortuitous encounter which fixed his body.

••Fin••

"...So it was actually them that I saw that day... ... The Watchers. I always thought it was weird seeing bright stars on a rainy night" said Sigurd as he stepped out of the shower waiting for the new towel. "I have to achieve all my plans in this last run by all means necessary. At least I didn't die a pathetic death like my first life but if I fail this time no do-overs even if it means committing suicide when 'He' breaks our agreement"

A/N:Please, I'm not endorsing self-harm of any kind. Seek help if you're in a situation of constant self-harm.

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Sigurd now casually dressed and feeling fresh walked through the long hallways of the huge estate with Ophelia in tow to the dining hall. The maids, standing guards, and other staff show their respects whenever he passes them by. The windows beside the hallway told Sigurd of the night drawing near as the sunset caused him to quicken his steps.

Soon Sigurd was seated at the head of the dining table waiting for the maids to finish serving the unusually simple dish of a single-cut venison tenderloin, a bowl of rice, and salad with some tomato gravy.

After the maids were done, Sigurd didn't dig in immediately but stared at Ophelia from head to toe.

Her platinum blonde chin-hugging sharp Bob hair perfectly enhancing her tan-like brown skin, down to her F-cup but firm bust that strangely testify her knightly profession, to her curvy waist and hips that seem ready for childbearing, to her sexy long legs. All that fitting in her uniform; a blue-black woman's tailcoat, white inner shirt, black jeans, black boots, and black gloves.

And even though Sigurd was sizing down Ophelia, there were no lustful or romantic reflections in those ruby eyes and she could feel that's the case. This is the reason why their relationship has been cordial since the beginning.

Ophelia noticing his stare also retaliates with her cool azurite eyes staring down at Sigurd for a while until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Sir?..."

"...I thought we've talked about this. You eat at the dinner table with me especially when I'm alone, so that your strict professional attitude won't keep you starving till I'm asleep. I hope this is the last time I say this"

"Yes, my lord..." replied Ophelia before serving herself with her gloves off and sitting next to Sigurd, then she thought.

'Why is he being unusually strict now? I'm used to seeing him single-minded towards his goals to care for whether I eat with him or not. This just feels... I don't know but not like I'm complaining"

The single-minded Sigurd that Ophelia knew was very self-destructive even though he was a good guy; making him more often than not miss the bigger picture. It was pure luck than any of his hard work or strife that he survived over a century, and Ophelia didn't mind him slowly shedding it away. Well, to be fair it's not like she knew the specifics of the wider scene.

Silence prevailed the entire eating time till Ophelia asked what was on her mind since seeing the simple dish.

"Sir, if I may..."

"Hm?"

"Will you truly not be training tonight?"

"...No. I have to handle the last bit of paperwork at hand before handing over the micromanaging to Mr.Berenger Busch tomorrow. Oh, and you are free to do whatever while I work with Dedric after dinner"

"...Then I will be ruhigen on the training grounds "

"Very well. You have my permission to use the private training hall, you've stagnated for a while now and it's not good"

"Sir, you know very well that we have no control over the rate at which we accumulate Zen or better yet how fast we rise in the power rankings..." While cutting the piece of meat, she replied logically.

"It seems you're using my feel-free-to-speak card very well... but no worries, those days of ruhigen will soon be over"

"That's quite ambitious of you, Sir"

Knowing well that this way of accumulating Zen has been in use since before the founding. Ambitious is a nice way of saying it when someone claims can provide a better method.

"Well you're always by my side as my right hand, you will see the process first-hand..." Sigurd said with the confidence of a regressor before placing his cutlery "... I'm done, I will be leaving first".

"What has changed for him to be this way"

.....

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