Chapter 84: Have It All

“Lancia, Lancia!”  

The duke rode alongside the knights, the rhythmic pounding of hooves echoing in the air. Without hesitation, he summoned his contracted summon, unleashing it into the battlefield.  

As expected of the Duke of the East, he had entrusted the 4-star summon to Lancia, keeping only the 3-star summon for himself.  

The summoned beast glanced around, confirming that the area was secure, then tilted its head in confusion. The sensation was immediately transmitted to the duke. Without hesitation, he swung his sword in a flash, scanning the surroundings for any remaining demons.  

“… The demons?”  

“They’re all defeated.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“He did it.”  

Lancia gestured toward Ian.  

Ian, who was casually sitting atop a demon’s corpse, waved nonchalantly. It was hardly the sight one expected before a duke, but the man didn’t seem to care. Instead, he approached Ian, pulled him into a tight embrace, and wept with gratitude.  

“Thank you… Thank you!”  

“No, I— wait, what’s happening…?”  

Ian froze. It was one thing to be hugged, but by a middle-aged man drenched in tears? Feeling helpless, he turned to Lancia.  

He couldn’t exactly scold the old man for crying, could he? In the end, Ian simply patted the duke’s back in silence.  

It wasn’t a woman or a beauty in his arms—just a middle-aged man sobbing uncontrollably. The situation made him extremely uncomfortable.  

“…Father, you look pathetic. Stop crying already.”  

“Ugh—! Fine. I get it.”  

At Lancia’s words, the duke quickly composed himself, wiping his tears away. In just a few seconds, he had regained his usual dignified demeanor. Straightening up, he turned to the knights and mages accompanying him.  

“This hero here has vanquished the demons! Knights, check for any remnants! Mages, collapse the tunnels!”  

At his command, the knights and mages sprang into action.  

Although much of the area had already caved in due to the Empress’s attack, the mages carefully sealed any remaining gaps.  

Meanwhile, the duke did not rest. Instead, he ordered his summon to stand guard against any potential monster or demon attacks.  

Now that the situation was under control, Ian finally let his guard down—only to feel exhaustion crashing over him.  

‘What the…?’  

His vision blurred, the world spun, and he collapsed.  

The last thing he saw was Lancia rushing toward him.  

“—Ian!”  

***

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.  

The rhythmic swing of a pendulum filled the quiet room.  

Ian awoke to the familiar sound, groaning at the realization that the infernal clock was still ticking. He had hoped to never hear it again.  

As he pushed himself up, a wave of dizziness struck. He knew this sensation all too well.  

Growl—

‘…I’m starving.’  

Outside, darkness had already fallen. Steadying his trembling legs, he forced himself up and stumbled out of the room.  

He had completely forgotten that all the energy used by his summons came from his own body. The more he unleashed special techniques, the more strain it placed on him. He had carelessly overexerted himself without a second thought.  

“Whoa… Whoa…”  

With each step, his breath came in heavy gasps. Lacking the strength to walk properly, he prayed he would run into someone.  

Just then, he spotted a flickering light in the distance.  

“Who… Ugh!”  

“Finally! I found you…!”  

A maid patrolling the halls at night gasped upon seeing him.  

Of course, she would be surprised. A man who had been lying as if dead was now up and moving—it was enough to startle anyone.  

Before she could react further, Ian weakly grabbed her arm.  

“Food….”  

“Y-Yes!?”  

“Something to eat. Hurry… It’s urgent…”  

“Y-Yes, right away!”  

At his feeble request, the maid panicked and sprinted off.  

‘No, I get that you’re in a hurry, but shouldn’t you at least help me walk…?’  

How much time had passed? Ian wasn’t sure.  

Something soft and moist pressed against the corner of his lips.  

He parted his mouth slightly, chewing sluggishly, but his body was so weak he could barely even swallow.  

The pieces of bread in his mouth kept slipping out, falling uselessly to the floor.  

Then, the feeding stopped.  

‘…Well, this is awkward.’  

It seemed the person feeding him was struggling, probably frustrated that he couldn’t even keep the food in his mouth.  

Frankly, if he were in their position, he would also feel disheartened trying to help someone who kept dropping their food.  

Just as he was contemplating this, something soft suddenly pressed against his lips.  

For a moment, he wondered if he was being assassinated.  

Then, something finely ground slipped into his mouth.  

This… This, he could swallow.  

A mixture of soup and bread slowly made its way down his throat, and warmth gradually spread through his body.  

With his strength returning little by little, Ian weakly raised a hand and pushed the person in front of him as a sign that he could eat on his own now.  

“…Do you feel better?”  

He nodded.  

But he still lacked the energy to open his eyes or speak.  

Perhaps understanding this, the person continued feeding him—dipping small pieces of bread into the soup before placing them into his mouth.  

After finishing that… he suddenly craved protein.  

Meat. He wanted meat.  

Bacon, pork belly, a whole roasted barbecue—anything.  

Growl—

“…Meat.”  

“You want meat?”  

He nodded.

“I think it will be difficult here… you there, call the knight.”  

“All right.”  

***

[Ian’s POV]

After a brief exchange of voices, I felt someone lift me up. As I was guided forward, a rich, savory aroma filled the air—the scent of meat.  

I was seated in a chair, a fork and knife placed in my hands. Though some strength had returned to my body as carbohydrates circulated, I still lacked the energy to lift anything.  

“Should I feed you?”  

At some point, Lancia, who was sitting beside me, asked softly. I carefully put down the utensils and nodded.  

Seeing my response, Lancia gently tore a piece of meat and placed it in my mouth. As the juices burst, warmth and energy spread through my body.  

By the time I had eaten half a plate of meat, I had regained enough strength to hold my fork and knife.  

Still, I pretended otherwise and continued letting her feed me.  

‘This is insane—’  

My mind spun as I recalled what had happened earlier. That soft touch… No matter how much I thought about it, it had to be Lancia’s lips.  

I carefully shifted my gaze, fixating on her lips. Those were the very lips I had—  

Of course, I had no intention of admitting that I, as a man, had lost my lips to a woman. Rather, I wanted Lancia to be the one who felt embarrassed.  

“…I really enjoyed the meal,” I said, breaking the silence.  

“Did you eat everything? You sure eat a lot.”  

Noticing that I had finished two full plates, Lancia gave me a slightly weary look.  

But I couldn’t help it. If I hadn’t needed this much energy, I wouldn’t have collapsed in the first place.  

I turned away, trying to hide my embarrassment.  

“Aren’t others like this?”  

“Huh? What do you mean?”  

“I mean summoners who handle multiple summons. Do they collapse like this?”  

Hearing my words, Lancia fell into deep thought. Even her father, the Duke Strike, was a summoner who commanded several summons. Yet, he had never collapsed from using them.  

‘…Ah, I see.’  

Comparing myself to others, I finally understood why I became hungrier and collapsed more often.  

Summoners usually struggled with all sorts of training, forming a connection with their summons just to learn a single skill. The more summons they controlled, the harder it was to fully utilize their abilities.  

But me? I could draw out the full power of any summon.  

I could freely use skills and Origin Art that most summoners would never master in their lifetime.  

‘So that’s the difference… Others struggle to use even one skill properly, while I drain all my energy…’  

Realizing this gave me a headache. Should I start carrying emergency rations?  

I thought about how the protagonist in the game handled this situation. But in the first place, this never happened in the game. According to the system, the protagonist would always return to the academy after battle to replenish supplies.  

‘So, should I do the same?’  

It wasn’t as if I were some kind of Ultraman. It made sense to refuel after a fight.  

“Do you have some kind of illness?”  

“…Huh?”  

“You collapsed so suddenly…”  

“Oh, that’s not—”  

I froze.  

Lancia had a point. Other summoners who controlled multiple summons were fine, so wasn’t it ridiculous that I alone would collapse from hunger just because I had more?  

If anything, her assumption that I had an incurable disease sounded more reasonable.  

“…Actually, I’ve never told anyone this before.”  

“You’ve never told anyone?”  

At my slightly exaggerated lie, Lancia’s eyes widened with curiosity. I calmly continued, playing the role of a patient with a tragic fate.  

“I have a condition that can’t be healed, not even with the power of a summon.”  

“…That can’t be…”  

“This is something that His Majesty the Emperor—no, more precisely, the summoned beast Artia—told me.”  

Lancia’s expression stiffened at the mention of the emperor. No matter how high her status as a duke’s daughter, she wouldn’t be able to confirm the truth with the emperor himself.  

“They said that every time I use a summon, my lifespan shortens.”  

“…How could that be?”  

Lancia’s eyes welled up with moisture, the absurdity of my lie only making it more believable.  

She grabbed both of my hands, her voice trembling.  

“Then… the more you fight against demons…”  

“The closer I come to death.”  

“Then why… how can you be so carefree about it?”  

“Because it’s what I must do.”  

I met Lancia’s gaze, letting my words sink in. If I played this right, I could use the Knights Templar instead of relying on my summons.  

“Fighting demons is my destiny.”  

And with it… the power of this family.  

I would take it all.

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