The duel decided to take place tomorrow night.

I could have done it right away, but for some reason my father insisted.

"I'll get some spectators for the fight. Wait for a while."

"...Don't make any stupid plans. Will I disappoint you?"

"Quietly chirp your nonsense. There's no need for unnecessary tricks. I will crush you head on."

With these words, my father climbed into the Baskerville family carriage and drove away from the mansion.

Meanwhile, I returned to the girls I live with, feeling a bit disappointed.

Aeris, Nagisa, Urza, and Levienna were waiting for me in the dining room, fully armed with swords and armor.

"...What are you guys doing?"

"Goshujin-sama, are you okay!? Levienna is with you!"

"We were just talking about going to help, desu~no! It's time to fight, desu~no!"

Levienna and Urza came running up to me, and they spoke to each other in a strong tone of voice.

Urza is wearing in her usual adventurer's gear. She is holding up her oni kanabo with her right hand with an "Ei, ei, ooo!" while raised it to the ceiling.

Levienna is wearing armor with only her helmet removed, instead of her usual maid's outfit.

This maid comes up to me, rattling her metal full-body armor, and I slump my shoulders in dismay.

"Aside from Urza... did you plan to fight my father, too? This is not something a maid can handle."

"Don't worry. This is armor to shield Goshujin-sama. Please use this Levienna as a meat wall and defeat the Lord!"

"..."

As a servant, why would she say that?

Levienna's employer... the one who pays her salary, after all... is supposed to be my father.

"...If I start using you as a shield, I'll be done for. I've prepared for that, don't worry. Urza too, calm down."

I pat Urza's head and tell Levienna to take off her armor.

I then turn my attention to Nagisa and Aeris in the back of the room.

"You guys have been worrying me. I'm going to fight my father tomorrow, but it will be a single combat, so I don't need your help."

"So do you have a chance, my Lord?"

Nagisa, who stood with her back leaning against the dining room wall, asked me with interest.

She, too, is fully equipped and had a sword at her waist. She is fully prepared to go into battle at any moment.

"Of course. There is plenty of room. I have at least ten different strategies for both offense and defense."

Ever since Garondolf Baskerville had beaten me and tortured me, I have been trying to figure out how to defeat Garondolf.

A pattern of a sudden decision to fight.

A pattern in which a decision to fight had been made by prior arrangement.

A pattern in which Garondolf attacked me by surprise.

A pattern in which he attacked me in the dark.

A pattern in which we fight in a one-on-one combat.

A pattern when I fight in a melee of many against many.

And many more.

I had made several strategies based on the assumption that I would fight in every possible situation and place.

It would have been impossible for me to win if I had just been reincarnated in this world... but now I have a chance to win.

To be honest... it hurts me a lot that I used the 'Doping Bottle' that I had saved as a last resort in the fight against Shinya Kushinagi the other day.

If I had had it left, I could have won the fight with a safe strategy... but what is not there is not there. So, it will be a risky battle.

"I'm not proud to be stronger than my father. There will be some risky paths to cross. But... in the end, I will win. That's what I'm determined to do."

"I see... then that's fine. If my Lord says so, I will only watch the battle."

Nagisa nodded with a gentle smile and closed her eyes.

"My Lord, you have put an end to my fate. Now I will watch over you and see that your fate is settled."

"Thank you. A beautiful woman's support is the best fuel."

I cowered with a wry smile... and finally turned to Aeris.

"You don't cheer me up, Aeris?"

"Zenon-sama... I'm worried about you."

Aeris is sitting in a chair, looking down with a somber expression.

Her angelic beauty is severely pale, and her bitten lips are white.

"No matter how Zenon-sama is injured, I will heal you, I promise. But... if you die, I can't bring you back to life."

"..."

"If something happens to Zenon-sama, I don't know how I will live. If you can, please don't do anything dangerous."

"...It's a little late for that. We've been through the hellhole together."

Our party has been through many dangers, including Gigant Mithril. Even the battle with Shinya Kushinagi was so close that a single misstep could have cost us our lives.

"But I've been winning all along. You've seen it too, right? You worry too much."

"I don't know why I'm so worried either. I don't know... but I have a really bad feeling about this."

Aeris looks up from her slumped face and looks straight at me.

Her blue eyes are filled with tears. They are as beautiful and clear as if they are made of glass.

"I don't know why... it just pop into my head. Zenon-sama being murdered by the Marquis of Baskerville. Bring stabbed by a sword through the heart."

"..."

My eyes widen involuntarily at this ominous prophecy.

Come to think of it... in the game, Aeris has often made strange predictions.

Every word of the oracle of the goddess foretold an ominous future that would surely come true in the near future.

However... if asked whether this foresight is important or not, it is not so.

Even in the game, there is no detailed explanation of Aeris's precognition, and the conclusion is left vague: 'She is a saint, so she may have been divinely ordained'.

Neither the appearance of Gigant Mithril nor the encounter with Shinya Kushinagi was foreseen, nor was her own future of being immersed by pleasure in [DunBrave 2] foreseen.

"It's an interesting story... but don't worry. I'm going to win."

"But..."

"And your prophecy has convinced me of my own victory. I will defeat my father and put an end to the Baskerville family's cursed history."

"..."

Aeris still has a worried look on her face.

It's not very nice... but I'll give her a service to reassure her.

I took Aeris's left hand and kissed the back of her hand.

"Z-Zenon-sama!?"

Aeris's voice turned upside down.

Come to think of it, this might be the first time for me to touch her like this.

"I'm glad you like that ring."

On Aeris's finger is a ring, the magic item I gave her.

I had accidentally given her a valuable magic item, but I don't feel bad when I see her wearing it on her ring finger like this.

"I'm going to win. So... when this is all over, let's talk about men and women. Will you let me kiss you again?"

When this fight is over, we're gonna get married.

I realized after I said this that I had uttered a line that almost sounded like a death flag, but Aeris seemed to like it. Her cheeks are tinted rosy with emotion.

"Zenon-sama... I'm so happy! You've finally decided to marry me!"

"Yes, but I haven't said that much..."

"I understand, I'll be waiting for you, Zenon-sama, believing in your victory! I'm sure you'll win and have s*x with me!"

"Hey, don't say 's*x'... you'll make me weak..."

Really, why are the girls so proactive about s*x? Are they frustrated?

"Hmm...?"

I glance over to see Urza, Levienna, and Nagisa standing in a row beside me.

"Goshujin-sama, Urza want a kiss too, desu~no!"

"Yes, it's not good to favor only Aeris-sama."

"Umu, I also felt a thrill when I was watching from the sidelines. So, I'd be happy if you could take me too."

"..."

In the end, I ended up kissing each of their hands in turn.

The girls seemed to have gotten carried away, and now they asked me to kiss them on their cheeks and lips, and even demanded hugs from me.

I refused to kiss them on the lips... but instead they asked me to give them more skinship than usual.

And then... the next night came, and it is time for the duel with my father, Garondolf Baskerville.