Chapter: 453
“Ah. Hello.”
“Greetings, Young Lady of the Alrn Family.”
As I stepped out of the mansion and made my way down, the two forest lords were waiting for me, taking on human forms.
One was a bear, comparable in size to Benedict or Lasha, and the other was a tree resembling a distinguished old gentleman.
Despite the powerful aura emanating from them, they maintained a polite demeanor.
“Your skills may be pathetic, but at least you know your manners? I was worried you might be lacking in that department too.”
I responded as I usually did, but their expressions didn’t change at all.
It was probably because the kindness I had shown them weighed heavily on their minds. Thinking that was a good thing, I grinned, and the bear’s eyes sparkled in return.
“Wow. You’re really small and cute!”
There was a definite admiration in her tone.
Perhaps because of her large size, the bear, who loved all things small and cute, viewed me with envy as if I were a doll.
As I watched the bear fidgeting with her fingers, feeling a hint of unease, the tree beside her smacked the bear’s thigh with its staff.
“Kun. What nonsense are you spouting in front of our benefactor? Please, show some decorum.”
“Uh, sorry, Mirval.”
“The one you should be apologizing to isn’t me.”
“Sorry, Young Lady.”
“Enough. Don’t worry about it. What can I do? It’s impossible for someone like me to envision how cute I am compared to a big lug like you!”
Thanks to the training I’d endured with perverts like the Clumsy Fox and the Perverted Apostle, the bear’s shy demeanor only came off as endearing.
At least this one turns red when teased.
Meanwhile, the Clumsy Fox or Perverted Apostle starts to hyperventilate immediately.
“You truly are merciful, Young Lady Alrn.”
Noticing my playful demeanor, the tree bowed its head once more in respect.
So this charming old man has spent his life as a virgin, huh?
He’s never even held a woman’s hand, living alone all this time.
Imagining the image of an old man living miserably in a solitary room caused me to break into a grin.
“…Why are you laughing?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. Just imagining the ugly state of the noble tree.”
“Ugly…?”
The old man’s expression hardened in an instant. It seemed he was sensitive about this topic.
Delighted by his reaction, just then, Muir hastily interjected, stepping between me and the tree.
“Let’s get straight to the point since the Young Lady has a lot to do.”
“Straight to the point? What’s there to say, pup?”
“Yes, Young Lady Alrn. You are our benefactor, after all. Naturally, we must repay you.”
“Repay? You pathetic guys?”
“We intend to grant you a blessing that can only be received after passing a trial.”
…Really?!
Not expecting such a thing, I widened my eyes and turned to the bear and the tree. They nodded in agreement.
“I don’t expect this to be sufficient repayment. However, it’s all I can offer at the moment.”
“…Same here.”
Seeing the visibly stiff tree, I couldn’t help but feel as if it might burst if poked any further.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing the tree explode in frustration while others try to calm it down.
But I’ll hold back. Let’s finish this quickly. Squandering the kindness I’ve built up like this would be a little too much.
“If you’re going to give it to me, hurry up. I don’t have time to waste with you.”
“Alright, just a moment.”
The bear quietly knelt down before me to meet my gaze.
Whoa. Why is she looking down at me even though she’s kneeling?
This is so unfair. If it weren’t for that pathetic god, this wouldn’t be happening!
“Wha-What’s wrong?”
Seeing my frown, the bear seemed to panic, fumbling with her words.
She looks like she could crush my waist with one hand, yet here she is, struggling to even extend her own.
It’s a lot like Joy, who seems cold-blooded on the outside but is quite soft on the inside.
Just a moment ago, she was stammering and then ran away.
What a shame.
If I had poked her a bit more, her face might’ve truly exploded with embarrassment.
“Um…”
Hearing the bear’s voice snapped me back to reality, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her increasingly distressed expression as I grabbed her hand.
“…Huh?! Uh, uhhhhhh.”
“What are you doing? Are you not going to give it to me?”
“Of course! Just a moment.”
The bear nervously glanced at my hand as if it were a chick, mumbling about needing to control her strength.
Thinking about my durability, she likely wouldn’t hurt me even if she went all out.
It’s just that I look delicate, but I’m packed with the strength to smash anything!
“The blessing I’m offering is the bear’s incredible strength.”
The blessing of the bear’s strength is straightforward and powerful.
It temporarily boosts physical strength to the maximum.
Of course, after unleashing a strong attack, you’d get hit with a debuff that reduces your attack power for a while, but for me, it’s endlessly useful. After all, I’m the kind who bets everything on a single strike.
“This blessing may not suit someone as delicate and cute as you, but I hope you can use it well.”
“Hey, you dumb lug.”
“Yes?”
“You’re cute too, you know? You look like a beast but end up whining like a baby. It’s honestly so laughable!”
After telling her not to spew garbage and to keep sulking instead, I moved past the bear and approached the tree.
The shock of being called a noble tree still painted a frown on the tree’s face.
However, he was an adult who could differentiate between his feelings and private matters.
“The blessing I can grant is the voice of the trees. If you listen closely, you’ll naturally hear what they have to say.”
No way. Come on. This isn’t what you should be giving!
This is genuinely useless!
What could possibly be the point of hearing the trees speak!
Their intelligence is practically nonexistent, so you wouldn’t gather any useful information from them!
I knew it! You were holding back! You were miffed I called you a noble tree!
Alright! If you’re going to respond like that, I’ll give it right back!
Let’s see just how much of a loser you can be after becoming a great mage!
“I’m sorry I can only offer something so meager. Unlike Kun, the forest hasn’t fully returned to its former glory yet.”
…Oh.
Hmm.
Well, it can’t be helped then.
Swallowing the words that were about to overflow, I shrugged, smiled, and turned away.
I would’ve liked to say something polite like thank you or that this was sufficient, but I knew that as soon as those words came out, they’d be translated into something horrible, so I just kept my mouth shut.
“Then I’ll take my leave now. I have a lot to do back in my forest.”
The tree didn’t seem to expect an answer, bowing politely again before turning to leave.
Following right after, Muir expressed his intention to depart as well.
He said he had much to catch up on due to the matters here.
“If you ever need my help, please contact me through Lina. I’ll come running right away.”
With the atmosphere indicating that the bear would leave as well, I casually turned my head, but the bear just tilted her head while still kneeling.
Is she not even considering her responsibilities in the forest?
I mean, even though I restored the forest, this can’t be right?
As I stared at her while she tilted her head, the Clumsy Fox, who had been staying quietly, crept up beside me and blocked my view.
Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? I could understand it better if she was snuggling up to me, but what the heck?
“Lucy!”
Turning to the voice calling me, I saw Frey, her face a mess as if she had just fought a battle.
Arthur looked equally dirty, as if they had been in some sort of real fight rather than a mere sparring session.
“Lucy!”
“Get away! Dumb knight!”
I pushed Frey back as she approached me, while Arthur shrugged beside me.
“From the looks of it, you seem fine.”
“Prince, you look worse than usual. At this point, you could probably beg on the street. Should I lend you some money?”
“Why is it causing a fuss when I’m worried?”
Seeing Arthur sulking made me chuckle, and I turned my attention to Karl, who was catching up behind me.
As soon as Karl met my gaze, he smiled broadly before bowing deeply.
“I’m glad you’re looking well.”
“You’re fine, right? Not hurt?”
“Of course. Compared to what you went through, my struggles are nothing.”
“Right. That’s true.”
Eager to try out the reward I had just received, I grabbed Karl and positioned him in front of me.
“Alright, Karl. I’m really going to swing at you with all my might, so be ready to take it.”
“I’ll gladly take whatever you unleash, Young Lady.”
Seeing Karl grinning made me smile back. Then, I firmly gripped my mace with one hand.
What I was about to do was no different than usual. Swinging my mace with full divine energy.
However, the difference this time was that the bear’s strength would be added in.
The moment I consciously called upon this blessing, an overwhelming surge of power filled my entire body.
I felt like a wrathful warrior, poised to shatter everything in front of me.
With the exhilaration from the mesugaki skill swelling within me, I noticed Karl’s surprised expression across from me.
“Uh, Young Lady?! That attack…!”
“What are you waiting for? You have to take it, dumb knight.”
“Yikes! I’ll go all out!”
The colors surrounding Karl’s sword began to shimmer.
The tip of my mace shone like the sun.
Each of us.
Each of us dashing forward in confirmation of our supremacy.
KABOOM!
As our clash generated a resounding boom, nothing remained but the absence of color.
The collision of our powers made everything else vanish without a trace.
As I was lifting the corners of my mouth in delight at finally being at a level where I could match Karl, I noticed his face frozen in shock, making me tilt my head.
What kind of expression is that? Is something wrong with my body?
Wow.
My arms feel wobbly.
Not even a marionette would be this flimsy.
“Kyah?!”
The pain from my now-broken arm hit me like a truck.
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