Elimination Plan?

Based on Alfred's opinion as Mia's trainer, this time Mia is on my list of suspects. She had been on my radar of suspicion before, but I had deprioritized her for some reason.

There were some rather suspicious reactions, although I immediately attributed them to my recent change in behavior.

Mia is a year younger than me. She has been pretty since childhood with her brown hair and green eyes.

Mia used to be a good child. Perhaps she still is a good girl now. One day, when Eilif visited the orphanage in the Vallois area to donate some basic necessities and money, Edward met Mia and became friends with her.

Seeing his child playing happily, Eilif offered Edward to bring Mia from the orphanage to be his playmate and servant. Edward, of course, agreed as he had no playmates at home except Yolina. This all happened before Edward's bad traits surfaced.

As they grew, Edward's behavior worsened. The distance between Edward and Mia grew wider. It was not uncommon for Edward to verbally or physically abuse Mia. Although the physical abuse was not extreme, it involved slapping. Edward also occasionally sexually harassed her, such as groping her chest when she was unaware. Fortunately, Edward still had some sense and did not impregnate her.

And because Edward had recently become kinder and gentler thanks to me, Mia was naturally shocked and puzzled by his change. That's why I had lowered my suspicion of her.

'Well, considering all that, it wouldn't be surprising if she wanted to kill me, right? Even though Edward behaved badly, I hope Mia didn't do it. After all, she's a sweet girl with potential. It would be a shame if I had to kill her.'

There was another factor why I had lowered my suspicion of Mia, and that was the role of Delmia Yussein in the game. Mia is a loyal servant who never disobeys her master's words. She also wouldn't kill Edward because, in the game, Edward remains healthy and strong until his death event.

Moreover, Delmia Yussein in the game is a healer in the Harmonie Guérisseurs Consortium, also known as the Harmoguere Healer Guild. Mia is also active in the Sciendufer Church. Her healing abilities emerged as Edward's abuse worsened. Every night in her room, Mia would secretly heal her wounds. After Edward's execution, Alfred and Mia, being closely associated with Edward, would be interrogated and declared innocent and uninvolved.

Later, the player, as Zephyr, would meet the character Delmia Yussein during the third Sciendufer Demon Trace side mission at the Sciendufer Church, six months after Edward's death at the hands of the church, Zephyr, and his friends. If the player approached Mia, Zephyr would apologize for killing her master. At that moment, Mia would hold Zephyr's hand and thank him for releasing her from Edward's chains of suffering.

However, such a scenario would not occur because I had taken over Edward's body. Not only would I not abuse Mia, but I also intended to improve Edward's behavior. Because of this, Mia wouldn't become a healer, even though she had potential, which would likely remain unrealized. To unlock that potential, I would need to encourage her and find a trainer for her.

"So, what do you think, Young Master?"

Alfred's voice interrupted my reverie.

"Huh? Yes?"

Startled, I quickly looked up at Alfred.

"What about Mia? As I said, she's been acting a bit strange lately," Alfred said.

I pondered for a moment.

'I don't want to lose Mia as my ally. Besides being sweet and good at housework, her future potential as a healer is quite high to support me.'

"Hmmm, for now, just keep a close eye on her. Don't make any rash moves. I'll ask my sister to join us later," I said in a neutral tone.

Then I slightly leaned forward and clasped my fingers in front of my mouth.

"Miss Yolina? To interrogate Mia through her memories?" Alfred asked to confirm.

I nodded lightly.

"Mhm. I do plan to ask her to perform a memory reading. But before that, keep Mia within our grasp by continuing with our daily routines as normal. This is to anticipate if Mia is indeed involved in my suicide attempt, nothing bad will happen. Her strange behavior might be because someone is threatening and watching her. Remember, our enemy is someone who can completely erase my memory of specific events and nearly take my soul. If Mia is bound by some sort of seal or soul curse, killing her might alert the enemy."

I explained firmly. Alfred remained silent, and his fingers once again stroked his mostly hairless chin.

"I forgot to ask since you mentioned Miss Yolina. Does Miss Yolina already know about this?" Alfred asked.

I smiled bitterly at Alfred's question and stroked my stomach, my gaze focused on my abdomen.

"That woman, she beat me up when she found out I attempted suicide."

As I answered, I could feel Alfred's smile. But when I looked at him, he cleared his throat and his expression became neutral.

"Ahem! So, you've told Miss Yolina about this. But, if it's as you said, is Miss Yolina capable of handling it?" Alfred asked.

'Damn Alfred, you're happy to know I got beaten up, aren't you?'

Shaking my head, my hands clasped again in front of my mouth.

"Most memory-erasing spells don't completely erase memories, but seal them in the deep recesses of the consciousness, almost impossible to unlock. I'll be honest with you. I have a skill that can delve into memories. And even with that, I couldn't find my memory of the suicide attempt at all. Even if there were remnants or traces of the erasure, I couldn't recover them. The conclusion is, my memory was erased, completely." I provided my incomplete answer.

I paused for a moment and glanced sideways, squinting.

"That's why I'm not sure if my sister is competent enough to handle this. I'll consult with her first." I turned my gaze back to Alfred.

However, Alfred squinted his eyes.

"I know you might have had doubts and suspicions about Lady Eilif before. And now those two are gone. Why don't you consult or ask for help from Lady Eilif? Besides being skilled in soul matters, I'm sure she would be happy to hear from her beloved son after a full semester of no contact," Alfred said.

I just sighed and didn't answer for a moment. Then I opened my mouth.

"I'm not that impudent..."

My sentence trailed off. Then I continued.

"Ahem, I mean, I wouldn't be that inconsiderate after behaving like a thug towards my mother for so long. I want to resolve this with my own efforts and plans for now. I know solving this problem would be easier if mother got involved. But also because of that, if my mother came here out of concern, she would attract a lot of unnecessary attention."

I paused for a moment and continued.

"And right now, my sister might have already contacted mother. I believe that woman is smart enough not to contact the Vallois or Zefattin families for reasons you might have predicted from the oath you made under the magic contract. I just hope she doesn't tell the full story." I responded.

Alfred remained silent.

"Then, do you expect that after consulting with Miss Yolina, she will relay information from Lady Eilif?" Alfred asked.

"That's right." I replied, sighing and lying on the bed with my legs dangling off the edge.

"Alright. What about Mia? Do you want me to keep a closer watch on her?" Alfred asked, adjusting his tie.

"Hmmm."

--

[Alfred Montague]

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 53 years

Familiarity: Close {updated}, Loyal (Subject: Eilif Jubaida Vallois)

Affiliation: Zefattin House, Vallois House, ??? {updated}

Strength: 173

Defense: 107

Stamina: 180

Agility: 156

Mana: 84

Overall Stats Rating: 140 (Professional Hero)

Traits: Perfect Butler, Shadow Walker, Killing Aura, Sword Master, Martial Arts Expert, Cold-Blooded Killer {updated}, ...

__

Some information was updated. I glanced at Alfred from my lying position and then immediately sat up again.

"Alfred? Do you have subordinates?" I asked curiously.

It just occurred to me. Alfred has the traits Shadow Walker and Cold-Blooded Killer, which are very fitting for an assassin. And many assassins form hidden guilds. So, it's possible he has colleagues. This was just my random thought.

Alfred frowned and seemed hesitant to answer. But due to the magic contract clause that required him to answer truthfully, he had no choice but to open his mouth.

"Yes, I do," Alfred replied with a resigned look on his face.

"Assassins?" I asked with a blank expression.

"...," Alfred was silent for a moment before answering, "Yes, Young Master."

"Do you have a guild?" I asked.

"Yes, we do," Alfred said with a twitching eyelid.

"Hmmm. Are they here? How many of them?" I asked again.

"Three are at Lady Eilif's mansion, two at the Zefattin House, and the other two are in Durdan," Alfred replied.

At that moment, a small red dot appeared at the upper corner of my vision.

--

[Alfred Montague]

New affiliation: Blade Nocturna Brotherhood (Leader) {updated}

__

I ignored it and questioned Alfred again.

"Durdan, the neighboring city. Is there anyone in Sciendufer?" I asked to confirm.

"One."

My eyebrows raised as I heard Alfred's response, indicating that there was still a member of the guild in Sciendufer. At the same time, my fingers unclasped.

"Ohh, who is that?" I asked with anticipation.

"Me," Alfred answered flatly.

"..."

"..."

We just stared at each other with blank expressions.