When the Mid-Boss Villainous Noble Recalls Memories of a Past Life and Gains Game Knowledge. I Will Never Accept a Future Where I'm Called the Jealous Earl - Chapter 15

The power I wield—jealousy—is fueled by the emotion itself. If I don’t actively feel jealousy, its strength wanes.

From what I know of Khalil Dicaman in this world’s knowledge, his mastery of jealousy allowed for nearly infinite summons. However, my limit seems to be around 100 creatures, and there are apparent restrictions on the abilities I can grant them. To understand the extent of my power, I’ll need to experiment further.

The ideal combat strategy with jealousy involves summoning numerous fish with potent healing abilities to sustain myself while overwhelming opponents with sheer numbers.

At my current level, that strategy is out of reach.

As for Khalil’s most infamous technique, it’s been dubbed the “Nuisance Swarm Strategy” in online discussions. It involved summoning a horde of tiny fish that could bypass resistances, inflicting two guaranteed debuffs and spreading countless others. This relentless, suffocating tactic made even seasoned opponents falter. But I doubt I could replicate it at this point.

“Hmm? Is it done?”

The catfish I had sent to subdue the Duke’s spy returned.

Splop!

“Oh… what the—”

I had summoned the catfish to carry the spy back, but I hadn’t expected it to do so by stuffing him into its mouth. The spy’s finely made black robe was now drenched in a slimy, unidentifiable substance.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. My apologies, Duke’s spy.

“…”

The catfish stared at me with its round, unblinking eyes.
“What is it?” I asked.

Thwack!

It suddenly flopped onto the ground with dramatic force, as if trying to communicate something.

“…”

Stop looking at me like that!

“Ugh…”

“Oh!”

Caught up in my exchange with the catfish, I’d nearly forgotten about the spy lying on the ground.

Time to erase his memories. I would remove any recollection of the summoned fish, deepen his sleep with magic, and leave him here.

“[Mendako.]”

I summoned two small octopuses imbued with memory-altering abilities. They floated lazily through the air before attaching themselves to the spy’s head.

I hadn’t even given them instructions yet.

“[Order: Erase all memories from the moment I cast the soundproofing spell until now.]”

“Pip!”

Did that octopus just chirp? Well, no matter.

Once they finished erasing the memories, they’d detach on their own. As for the catfish that had helped subdue the spy, it was time to dismiss them.

“Well done,” I said.

“…!!”

The catfish vanished instantly as I raised my hand to dismiss it. I never did figure out what it was trying to communicate.

“You two as well,” I said to the octopuses. “You did great work. I’ll call on you again.”

As I dismissed the octopuses, I realized something troubling: I now had to move the slimy, drenched spy myself.

Dragging him was my only option.

The trail I left—a slick, wet path—made it clear where he had been moved, but I managed to get him into a safe spot.

“Time to dispel the barrier…”

As I did, clattering noises came from inside the cabin.
“Is everything ready?” I asked.

“Almost,” came the reply.

The guards and Mina were ready, but Noel was still packing an assortment of items into a large furoshiki cloth. None of these items had been in the cabin earlier, so I had no idea where she’d found them.

“Khalil-sama,” Mina said, approaching me.

“What is it?”

“How do you plan to transport Namis-sama?”

Ah. I hadn’t considered that at all.

“I’ll carry her,” Noel said suddenly.

While I could store their belongings in my item box, Namis herself seemed too heavy for Noel to manage.

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, skeptical.

“I’ve carried her ever since her health declined. I can handle it,” Noel replied confidently.

If she was that certain, I decided to trust her. As for the item box, it couldn’t be helped if Mina and the others saw it.
“In that case, I’ll take care of the luggage,” I offered.

“That’s heavy! You don’t have to act strong,” Noel said, her tone now much more casual. Her mother’s recovery had clearly eased her guarded demeanor.

While I didn’t mind her being at ease with us, this kind of familiarity could lead to rumors. I’d have to address it before we returned to the public eye.

Her comment, however, irritated me slightly.

“Here, let me—wait, where did it go?!” Noel froze as I touched the furoshiki and it disappeared into my item box.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Wait a minute! Where did you put it? My mom’s things were in there!”

“I’ll explain when we get to my territory.”

Noel protested loudly, but I brushed her off and began walking toward the carriage.

“Come on, let’s focus on getting there first. Khalil-sama will explain everything later,” Mina said, trying to calm her.

“But… one of those things was a gift from my mom,” Noel said, her voice tinged with sadness.

“The fountain pen?” Mina asked.

“Yeah…”

I felt a twinge of guilt. Anyone would be unsettled if something precious vanished in front of them. I’d need to apologize once we reached my territory.

As we reached the main road, the hostile stares returned.
This time, they weren’t just aimed at me—they extended to Namis and Noel as well.

“Hey, loser!”

“Hahaha!”

A group of children shouted insults at us, their laughter echoing.

“I want to kill them…” Mina muttered under her breath.

“Don’t respond,” I cautioned her. “They thrive on reactions. Ignore them, and they’ll eventually get bored.”

Our carriage soon came into view, prepared and ready to depart.
“Khalil-sama, welcome back,” one of the guards said.

“We’re leaving immediately. Is everything ready?”

“Of course!”

I directed Namis and Noel to the carriage I had used earlier, ensuring Namis would be as comfortable as possible. The rest of us—myself, Mina, and the guards—would take another carriage.

“It’ll be a long journey. If anything happens, let me know right away,” I said.

“Understood,” Namis replied.

“Any other questions?”

“Just one,” she said softly. “Earl Khalil Dicaman, if it weren’t for you, I would’ve left my daughter all alone. Thank you, truly.”

Gratitude was a rare and comforting sentiment, especially after enduring the malice of this city. It struck me that I might have been more drained by it than I’d realized.

“Of course,” I said, quickly turning away. “Driver, let’s go.”
My face was definitely red. There was no way I’d let anyone see me like this—it would ruin my composure.

“Khalil-sama, are you all right?” Mina asked.

“…It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

Feigning sleep seemed like an option, but I needed to stay alert until we left the Duke’s territory in case any problems arose.

Thunk.

The sound of a small stone striking the carriage broke the silence.

Fools. Did they think they could act without consequence simply because this was the Duke’s territory? Normally, such behavior would warrant arrest.

The lack of consequences here spoke volumes about my reputation—or lack thereof—in this territory.

“Ignore them,” I instructed. “Anyone shouting insults, throwing stones, or causing trouble—they aren’t worth your attention.”
“Understood,” the guards replied in unison.

What a wretched city.