Chapter 64: The Shy Tomboy

The fortress felt different tonight. As Mordecai walked past patrols of newly acquired skeletal guards and late-night goblin cleaning crews, he noticed they didn't cower or avert their eyes in terror.

They stood a little taller and offered him respectful, crisp salutes. The air of oppressive fear had been replaced by an atmosphere of focused, unwavering loyalty.

He eventually arrived at the heavy, white-painted double doors of the Guest Wing, and the sterile scent of healing potions and clean linen drifted through the air.

'Someone has been doing some restyling, I guess.' He muttered while walking.

After some minutes, Mordecai had finally arrived in front of the door where Regel was resting.

'I can feel that she's here, but since she's a girl and this is a world full of tropes, I want to avoid any kind of clichèd scene where I see her naked and starts screaming like a goose, I'll knock on the door.' He thought.

(In reality, he was just following his Skyrim HUD)

*Knock Knock* Mordecai knocked at the door, but there was no response.

*Sigh* 'That's one of my hardest decisions since I came into this world."

He waited for a few seconds, listening intently. His glowing purple eye briefly pulsed as his HUD quickly confirmed her status with a small, floating blue text box: [Status: Deep Sleep / Healing in Progress].

Satisfied that he wasn't about to stumble into a catastrophic anime misunderstanding involving a slapped face, thrown pillows, and a screeching heroine, he gently turned the brass handle and pushed the door open.

The room was quiet, bathed in the soft, ambient light of a bedside mana-lamp.

Lying in the bed at the far end of the room was Regel.

She was the twin sister of Egel, the proud, masochistic vanguard of the Hero's party, but unlike her confident sibling, Regel was a completely different entity.

She had bright, fiery red hair, tied back in a small ponytail, with soft bangs framing her face, and a lithe, athletic build. She had been part of a different adventuring party, one that had been utterly slaughtered in a dungeon. But the main difference between them was in their personality. Egel was a total badass, while Regel was sweet and shy.

That poor girl had been left for dead, humiliated, broken, and terrified, until Larry had stumbled upon her, saved her life with some cleaning and a spoon, and carried her back to Fort Blackstone.

Since then, she had been sleeping, her body and mind slowly repairing themselves in the safety of the Dark Lord's stronghold.

Mordecai walked softly across the room, pulling a wooden stool up to the side of her bed.

Then, he sat down, observing her.

She was covered in clean white bandages, her chest rising and falling in a steady, peaceful rhythm. Clutched securely in her hands against her chest was a large, immaculately polished silver spoon—a comforting talisman of safety left for her by the skeleton janitor who had saved her life.

Even in sleep, there was a timid, fragile quality to her. She reminded Kaito of the character Kale from that old anime he used to watch on Earth—incredibly shy, constantly overshadowed by stronger figures, yet harboring a deep, terrifying well of latent power waiting for a spark.

This time, Mordecai didn't activate his CEO persona. He didn't look at her as an asset to be managed. Instead, he looked at her with the gentle, protective empathy of an older brother who understood exactly what it felt like to be weak and broken by a cruel world.

He leaned forward slightly.

"Regel," Mordecai said, his voice so soft it was a gentle vibration in the quiet room. "Regel. Wake up." He whispered while gently shaking her.

The girl immediately stirred. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she let out a small, soft groan; her long eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly, groggily opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurry at first, and she blinked a few times until the tall, imposing figure sitting beside her bed came into focus.

She saw the dark coat and the glowing purple eye.

To the rest of the world, this was the face of the Supreme Necromancer. The villain. The monster that haunted the nightmares of the Kingdom of Light.

But to Regel, waking up from the darkest, most terrifying trauma of her life, the man sitting before her didn't look like a monster. The lighting caught the gentle, reassuring curve of his smile.

His posture was relaxed, protective.

In her vulnerable, hazy state, looking into his deep, calm eyes, she felt an overwhelming sense of safety. He didn't look like a Dark Lord; he looked like a dark prince who had banished the nightmares away.

"M-M... Mordecai-sama...?" Regel stammered, her voice incredibly small, a heavy blush immediately rushing to her cheeks. She instinctively pulled the white bedsheets up to her chin, her grip tightening on the silver spoon as she tried to hide her face in pure, overwhelming shyness.

"Just Kaito is fine, Regel," he replied softly, his tone warm and steady.

He didn't push her. He sat patiently, letting her process her surroundings.

"You've been asleep for a while," Mordecai continued. "I can see that your wounds are healed and that the physical damage is gone. But I know that the other scars... the ones inside... take much longer to fade."

Regel’s breath hitched. The memories of her failed party, the humiliation, the terror of the dungeon, flashed in her mind. Her large blue eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she looked down at her lap, her shoulders trembling.

"I... I was so weak," Regel whispered, her voice cracking. "My sister... Egel... she is so strong. She is a vanguard. She is fearless. But I... I couldn't protect anyone. I just cried, trying to find some reassurance. I am useless."

Mordecai’s expression didn't change.

He didn't offer her empty platitudes or tell her that everything would be fine. He knew that cheap sympathy didn't heal trauma.

Instead, he slowly raised his right hand and offered it to her. He held his palm open, a silent invitation.

"You aren't useless, Regel," Mordecai said, his voice dropping into a register of absolute, undeniable certainty. "You survived. Surviving is the hardest thing to do in this world. But now, you have a choice."

Regel slowly looked up from her lap, her tear-filled blue eyes locking onto his extended hand.

"The people who hurt you," Mordecai said, his purple eye glowing with a quiet, supportive intensity. "The Narrative that told you that you were weak because you didn't fit into their perfect, heroic mold. The world that left you to die in the dark. It is time to answer them."

He leaned in slightly closer, his voice a gentle, irresistible current.

"I see your true potential, and this is the time for your revenge, Regel. Tell me. What do you want to do?"

[HIDDEN SKILL ACTIVATED: SHONEN MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH]

[TARGET: REGEL]

[BUFF: MORALE BOOST.]

[EFFECT: "Your companion now feels motivated! Be sure to cheer her up! +40 points to all stats.]

Regel stared at his hand. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She was terrified, shyly remembering that she had spent her entire life hiding in the shadow of her brilliant, powerful sister who pretended to love her. 'I'll always protect you, Sis!" Egel always said.

But as she looked into Kaito's eyes, she didn't see judgment or expectation. She saw a man who had also been broken, a man who had been pushed to the edge of the abyss and had chosen to turn around and conquer it.

A tiny, nascent spark ignited deep within her soul. It was a spark of anger, the righteous, burning anger of a survivor who refused to be a victim anymore.

Regel’s trembling hand slowly emerged from beneath the white bedsheets, still clutching Larry's spoon in her left hand while extending her right.

She reached out. Her small, pale fingers wrapped tightly around the dark leather of Mordecai’s glove.

She squeezed his hand, her knuckles turning white. She looked up at him, the tears still in her eyes, but the paralyzing fear was gone, replaced by a quiet, incredibly intense resolve.

"I want..." Regel whispered, her voice shaking, but gaining strength with every syllable. "I want to get my revenge. I want to show them... I want to show them that I am not weak anymore."

The moment the words left her lips, the ambient mana in the room spiked violently.

A brilliant, pulsing aura of pure, untamed azure energy erupted from Regel’s body, blowing her red hair back and causing the magical lamps in the room to flicker wildly.

Up in the corner of Mordecai’s vision, a barrage of translucent pink System windows snapped into existence, accompanied by a triumphant, explosive chime.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Entity 'Regel' has experienced a Psychological Breakthrough!]

[HIDDEN POTENTIAL UNLOCKED!]

[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!...]

[Class Evolution Conditions Met: The Timid Survivor is ready to awaken.]

[Admin Note: The dormant power within this entity has been triggered. Full awakening will occur when the specific narrative catalyst is present. Stand by for catastrophic power output.]

Mordecai read the prompts, a genuine, proud smile breaking across his face. The System had just confirmed what he already knew. Beneath the shy, trembling exterior, Regel was an absolute powerhouse waiting for the right moment to detonate.

The azure aura slowly receded, absorbing back into Regel’s skin. She sat in the bed, panting slightly, looking at her own hands in absolute shock, feeling the incredible surge of new strength coursing through her veins.

Mordecai gently released her hand and stood up from the wooden stool.

"Then get ready," Mordecai said, his voice carrying the calm, steady weight of a commander addressing his most valuable soldier. "Continue to rest for tonight and gather your strength. Because tomorrow is the big day."

Regel didn't hesitate. The timid girl who had hidden under the blankets just minutes ago threw the sheets aside. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She was wearing a simple white hospital gown, but she stood tall, her deep blue eyes shining with a fierce, quiet dedication.

She placed her hand over her heart—pressing the silver spoon against her chest—and offered the CEO a deep, perfectly executed bow, her cheeks flushing a deep red, but a proud smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Kaito," Regel said softly. "I will not let you down."

With a newfound grace and purpose, Regel turned and walked out of the infirmary, heading toward the main hall to prepare her gear.

Mordecai watched her leave, feeling a deep, profound sense of satisfaction. The pieces were falling into place. The board was set. The employees were motivated, the trap was laid, and the company was stronger than it had ever been.

He took a deep breath, the sterile air of the medical bay filling his lungs. There were still a few more stops to make.

Jeanette in the alchemy labs.

Vera in the vault.

And finally, checking on Pyroas in the recovery suite.

The CEO turned and walked back out into the dimly lit corridors of Fort Blackstone, ready to finish his rounds. The night was young, and Ravenloft Holdings had an empire to build.

'I'm scared of what's gonna happen with Jeanette.'