1 Second Invincibility in the Game Master 3

– Clatter, clatter…

A carriage that had just escaped from the tumultuous and perilous tea party left the duke’s residence.

Due to Whitney’s order to leave the estate as quickly as possible, the carriage was moving at an unusually high speed compared to normal.

‘No way… he didn’t poison the princess and flee, did he?’

However, Sasha, Whitney’s dedicated maid, who was sitting nervously in the carriage and observing her master’s every move, had no way of knowing the reason for their haste. Thus, her mind couldn’t help but jump to a chilling conclusion.

‘No, no way.’

But then, what were those loud noises coming from the duke’s residence earlier? And what about that mysterious object hastily carried out, covered in cloth?

Even from a distance—where she had been blocked by the estate’s security—Sasha could tell that sothing unusual had happened.

“U-um… Young Master.”

“Yes?”

Mustering her courage, Sasha decided to ask her master, who was exuding an even darker aura than usual today.

“Did sothing… happen at the tea party earlier?”

“Oh dear…”

She imdiately regretted her reckless question.

“…You saw that, didn’t you?”

“Hic!”

Whitney had turned his gaze away from the window and was now staring directly at Sasha. His murmuring tone sent a chill down the maid’s spine.

“This is a bit troubleso…”

“I-I was just…”

“You do realize that knowing too much can put your life in danger, right?”

Curiosity killed the cat. This was the most emphasized rule that Sasha’s predecessors—Whitney’s thirty-seventh personal maids—had drilled into her about survival in this household.

“I-I’m sorry! I was being presumptuous!”

“Huh?”

“I swear! I won’t tell anyone about what happened today! Even if soone were to rip out my eyes and tongue, I would never—!”

Realizing she had broken this cardinal rule, Sasha desperately began to plead, but Whitney remained indifferent.

“There’s really no need to react so dramatically.”

Even as Sasha repented swiftly, Whitney rely narrowed his eyes further and scratched his head.

“Soone like you will be forgotten in ti anyway.”

His casual tone, as if erasing a re maid from existence was no big deal, made Sasha’s knees buckle.

“I-I still have a mother and younger siblings to support…”

“…So be careful next ti.”

Faced with what felt like a death sentence, Sasha teared up and began her final plea. Fortunately, Whitney seed inclined to grant her one more chance.

“And if anything like this happens again, just pretend you didn’t see it and forget about it.”

“…Ah.”

“That would be best for you.”

The tension drained from Sasha’s body in an instant. But before she could even process her relief, she stiffened her posture like a knight and raised her voice.

“…Yes, sir!”

“Aha. See? No need to be so tense.”

She hadn’t taken this job for its exceptionally high salary alone, but it was too late for regrets now.

*****

‘I guess I’ll have to handle things alone from now on whenever this happens…’

I had almost dragged an innocent maid into a grueso ss.

Thankfully, Sasha was so unremarkable that she had gone unnoticed. If she had stood out even a little, rely lingering near the front gates could have put her on redia’s radar.

Since I had decided to side with her, there were bound to be more incidents like this in the future. I need to co up with counterasures to ensure that innocent bystanders wouldn’t get caught up in them.

‘Honestly, this wasn’t supposed to escalate like this.’

If only that informant hadn’t died at the tea party, I wouldn’t have to worry about all this.

My presence had already caused a deviation from the original storyline, so this kind of unforeseen developnt was inevitable.

Still, even considering that, the dark mage’s behavior before his death remains a mystery.

If he was going to beg for his life, shouldn’t he have pleaded with the one who cursed him? Why had he turned to Whitney instead?

Was he just trying to drag soone down with him since he was going to die anyway?

‘Or could it be… that my diocre white magic has so hidden potential?’

I knew almost everything about the original ga. But strangely, I had very little information about my current self—Whitney Lingard.

Especially this bizarre white magic I wielded. I had no clue what it truly was.

The fact that it functioned in direct contrast to its usual traits, the way even the slightest interaction had caused a small amount of dark magic to spiral out of control—it was all too unusual.

Perhaps it was ti to set aside a day for thorough research.

– Screeeech…

“Young Master, we’ve arrived.”

Lost in thought, I barely noticed as the carriage slowed down and a familiar scene unfolded before my eyes.

“I-I’ll get the door!”

“Oh, you really don’t have to—”

“Please step this way!”

As he was about to step out, Sasha, brimming with nervous energy, hurriedly opened the door and bowed deeply.

I couldn’t help but wonder if such formalities were necessary, but after a mont’s thought, I realized this was her way of expressing loyalty, and an involuntary smile crept onto my lips.

Apparently, she had a large family to support at such a young age. Given that this job paid several tis more than others, it was natural that she’d want to leave a good impression.

Not that it was necessary—I intended to take good care of her regardless.

Still, working hard wasn’t a bad thing. As long as she didn’t push herself too much, there was no reason to stop her.

“Huh…”

As Sasha bent forward energetically, her expression suddenly changed when she lifted her head.

Wondering what had caused this reaction, I followed her gaze forward—and imdiately understood.

“Brother.”

“Ah, my dear Cecil.”

My beloved little sister, Cecil, had co to greet after a long ti.

The top student at the Imperial Academy. The youngest Silver-ranked knight apprentice. And although she had no talent for white magic, unlike —the defective one—she was a widely recognized, capable magician.

Because she was so talented, she was often summoned here and there, leaving little opportunity for us to interact. But to , she was still a proud and cherished sibling.

“Ah, what the hell did you do to Father?”

“Huh?”

Just as I was about to greet her warmly, she suddenly interrupted , her voice trembling with urgency.

Why was she suddenly asking about our father’s whereabouts?

“What are you talking about, Cecil? Father is on a trip, isn’t he?”

“…A trip? Who goes on a trip for over a year?”

Ah, so that’s what this was about. She was worried about our father, who had been absent from the estate for so long. My little sister really had a kind heart.

“I’ve heard the rumors. So tell yourself—where is Father?”

‘Hmm… What should I do?’

Unfortunately, our father’s current whereabouts were classified information.

He was carrying out a top-secret mission under the Emperor’s command. If not for a brief ntion in the original ga, I wouldn’t have known about it even after regaining my past life’s mories.

Since his location was a state secret, I couldn’t just reveal it.

But as her older brother, I had an obligation to reassure my worried sister.

“Haha, Cecil…”

“W-what?”

After organizing my thoughts, I gently placed my hands on my anxious-looking sister’s shoulders and spoke in the warst tone possible.

“Father is in a good place right now.”

“…What?”

“So there’s no need to worry. By the ti you graduate from the Academy, everything will be settled.”

By the ti I was married off as the duchy’s son-in-law, Father would have completed his mission and returned. Naturally, my capable sister would take over as the rightful heir.

“I’ll handle all the complicated family affairs in Father’s stead.”

“Ugh…”

“So you just focus on your studies. Understand?”

She was already busy being called here and there, so as her older brother, I couldn’t let her be burdened with family matters as well. Until she could fully take control of the estate, I would prepare the groundwork for her.

“…Am I a good brother?”

I leaned in slightly and flashed a playful smile, putting all my sincerity into my words.

“……”

For a mont, she simply stared at , dazed.

Then, as if finally understanding my intentions, she clenched her fists and lowered her head, pressing her lips together tightly.

“…Should I forget about this too?”

“Huh?”

As I gently stroked my admirable sister’s head, Sasha, who had been watching nervously from the side, suddenly whispered in a tiny voice.

“Oh dear, Young Master…”

Just as I was pondering the reason behind her question, a familiar voice rang out from the distance.

“Didn’t I tell you countless tis? Please stop making ominous statents with that expression.”

It was Alfred, the head butler of the estate—and my only conversational partner. He walked over with a heavy sigh.

“People might get the wrong idea.”

“About what?”

“…Never mind.”

*****

“Hmm.”

I wanted to spend more ti talking to my sister, but Alfred dragged into the estate’s office, where I was imdiately buried under a mountain of docunts.

Only when night fell did I finally finish my share of paperwork for the day. As I looked outside to clear my mind, I murmured absentmindedly.

“The moonlight is particularly bright tonight…”

“Ahem.”

Just then, Alfred, who had been assisting with my work, cleared his throat.

“Please refrain from making such statents with that expression for no reason.”

“Why?”

“That… It’s nothing. If I explained, it might be considered blasphemy.”

Alfred was competent, but he had a habit of saying incomprehensible things sotis.

Then again, he had been like this since my childhood, so I had long since given up questioning it.

“Anyway, Young Master, since we’ve finished for the day, there’s sothing important I need to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

Now that I thought about it, Alfred had been working in this estate for a long ti.

By my past life’s standards, he should have retired long ago.

“I’m retiring this year.”

“Ah.”

“Technically, within a few months, once everything is settled.”

I had been thinking it to myself, but Alfred spoke as if he were making it a reality.

With the estate already in a precarious situation, what would I do if Alfred left as well?

“It’s no use trying to stop . I’ve already reached an agreent with the Count.”

“Really?”

“I’ve been serving for forty years now. It’s ti for to rest.”

My first instinct was to grab onto him and beg him to stay.

But seeing Alfred’s hair, now completely white, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“I plan to build a house on a high hill with a good view and live out my days farming. So…”

“You’ve worked hard all this ti, Alfred.”

Swallowing my regret, I chose to let him go with dignity.

“Now, take a well-deserved rest.”

“Gasp.”

It was ant as a simple farewell, yet Alfred flinched.

“…So you’re finally showing your true colors?”

“What?”

“Ahem… Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Oh dear.

Even soone as competent as Alfred couldn’t escape the ravages of ti.

Seeing my once-impeccable butler wavering like this, I knew I couldn’t bring myself to stop him, even as a re formality.

“Anyway, even though I’ll be retiring soon, there’s still so business to take care of first. Regarding the confidential orders the Count gave …”

“Wait, Father gave you orders? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

As I listened to Alfred’s report—one that I would soon miss—I couldn’t help but tilt my head at this unfamiliar news.

“My apologies. I assud you would already know sothing about it, Young Master.”

“So, what is this about?”

“It’s about your engagent.”

My engagent? Wasn’t that sothing my father had been openly pushing forward with the family’s fate on the line? There shouldn’t be a reason to handle it secretly through Alfred.

“According to the gathered information, it seems the key to normalizing your white magic lies within the Embergreen Duchy.”

“Really?”

“Yes. In fact, it seems that the reason the Count suddenly accelerated your engagent with the Lady before his disappearance was related to this matter.”

For a mont, I worried that Alfred’s mind was starting to waver, but thankfully, his words made sense.

After all, my father—one of the few remaining white mages in the Empire—had readily accepted the Emperor’s dangerous proposal. He had done so not just for our family’s revival but also to secure the authority needed to push forward my engagent with the Duchess’s family.

But I never imagined there was a reason beyond the family’s future—one that was actually for my sake.

That was… touching.

“Honestly, half of the misconceptions people have about you co from that eerie aura that sends shivers down their spines just by being near you. So, if that could be fixed, perhaps you could even live a normal life—”

“I’m not sure I understand, but now I’m curious—what’s the other half of the reason?”

“…Hmm. That’s a difficult question.”

Just as I was feeling a rare mont of warmth toward my father, Alfred’s nonsense snapped right out of it.

I let out a deep sigh, seriously debating whether I should summon a physician for him.

Noticing my reaction, Alfred, who had been hesitating, suddenly grew serious and continued speaking.

“And this… is just an old man’s personal concern, but there’s sothing I want to say to you.”

“Go ahead. Say whatever you want.”

“Once I leave your side, Young Master… I fear there will be no one left who truly understands you.”

I told him to speak freely, but I wasn’t expecting such a bleak statent.

“I’ve been by your side since the day you were born, so I know for a fact that you have a kind heart.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed. You’re probably the only noble in the Empire who consistently speaks respectfully to re servants like .”

That almost felt like an insult, but the sentint behind his words was touching.

“Haha. Hearing that makes tear up a little.”

“Though I must admit… I still get suspicious whenever I see that shady expression of yours.”

“…What?”

“Anyway, my point is that it will take a very long ti for others to recognize your sincerity.”

There might have been sothing strange mixed into his words, but I couldn’t deny he had a point.

Even within the estate, the servants were oddly wary of .

Still, I had been practicing my smile lately. If I showed them a brighter side, wouldn’t that improve things?

“That’s why you can’t just sit and wait for others to understand you. You must take the initiative to win their trust.”

“Mm…”

Alfred’s stern voice pierced through my complacency.

“Do you understand? No matter what, you must gather loyal subordinates—people who will not only serve you but also truly understand you.”

So, in other words, I needed to actively build my own allies.

Truth be told, I had already been thinking the sa thing since regaining my past life’s mories.

In ‘Blacktail Fantasy 3’, the protagonist’s abilities were important, but the composition of their party was just as crucial.

I wasn’t in the protagonist’s position, but since I had aligned myself with redia, my difficulty level was at least as high—if not higher.

That ant my first priority was securing a bodyguard.

If I wanted to survive the countless dangerous incidents ahead, I needed a reliable and skilled knight to protect .

“I’ve already prepared a list of candidates. I’ve categorized them based on their specialties, so you can choose soone suitable—”

“No need for that.”

As I recalled my past life’s knowledge and considered my options, I suddenly smirked and interrupted Alfred.

“I already know the perfect candidate.”

“Is that so? But if that’s the case, there’s no way they wouldn’t be on my list—”

I trusted Alfred’s judgnt, of course.

But unlike him, I had insider knowledge.

I knew about ‘the’ broken character who had beco a sensation in the ga’s community when they were first discovered—

A ridiculously overpowered recruitable unit available right from the early ga.

“Tomorrow, I need to visit the slave market.”

“Oh… So in the end, this old man was rely a pawn in your entertainnt.”

And I was the first person in the world to discover them.

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