Chapter: 454
Honestly, I never expected that my arm would end up broken from a simple swing.
I mean, who knew that a reduction in attack power could lead to this kind of outcome?
I thought it would just leave me exhausted or maybe give my muscles a slight strain, but I never anticipated that my arm would be shattered.
What left me even more bewildered was the chaos that erupted after my arm broke.
The pain wasn’t a major issue. I’ve endured worse agony before; a broken arm is nothing. Sure, it hurt, but it was manageable.
But the frenzy around me was completely out of my control, and that was downright perplexing.
First, I had to calm Karl down, who was profusely apologizing while shedding tears.
Then, there was the bear sobbing about how my blessing led to this disaster.
I kicked the Clumsy Fox, who had furrowed her brow, only to see her place a splint on my broken arm, so I decided to let that slide.
Next, I asked Arthur, who was flabbergasted on the side, to bring along Phoebe.
Frey had a look of amazement as my arm dangled limply, and I shot her a disapproving glance.
After all this commotion, Phoebe rushed over, and although her eyes widened at my dangling arm, she didn’t freak out like the others. Instead, she calmly started healing me.
Phoebe’s sacred magic worked wonders as usual.
First, she eased the pain and then slowly healed my arm so it wouldn’t feel overwhelming. She was a much more skilled healer than I could ever be.
If I had to handle my own healing, what would I have done?
I would’ve just gritted my teeth and dealt with it, pain aside.
That’s all I know how to do.
As I was curiously flexing my now-intact arm, Phoebe finally spoke up.
“Young Lady.”
Her voice was as gentle as always, but oddly it had a chilling undertone this time.
Was it because I messed up?
Maybe Phoebe was just talking normally, and I was misinterpreting things?
Thinking about this, I slowly lifted my gaze and saw the shadow under her eyes, making me lower my gaze again.
“When you asked to take care of the forest, I nodded obediently. I trusted you.”
Well… that’s true. She hesitated a bit but still let me go.
“After we met again in the dungeon, I also remained silent. Even while witnessing your injuries, I kept my mouth shut.”
Is that a problem? I’m the one who excels at dungeon exploration, and I’m the tank—there’s no reason for me not to take the lead.
That’s literally a tank’s role.
No. Forget I said anything. I won’t say anything else.
“When you collapsed from overexertion, I remained quiet. I endured my worry while healing you.”
I didn’t expect to collapse either.
Grandpa only mentioned methods but never warned me about the side effects.
So it’s all Grandpa’s fault! It’s not my mistake!
Of course, since I can’t talk about Grandpa, it becomes my fault!
Damn it!
“But now! After everything’s said and done, you’re hurt again!”
It was the first time Phoebe raised her voice, startling me and making me look up.
There was Phoebe’s face, crumpled up like she was about to cry.
Seeing her ready to burst into tears left me at a loss for how to react.
‘Hah. Grandpa!’
[You’re responsible for yourself.]
‘What?!’
[You need to know how to handle situations like this. That’s how you grow up.]
Grandpa’s voice dripped with annoyance.
What the heck!? Is he mad at me for breaking my arm!?
I didn’t do it on purpose! Why are you mad at me!
You have to understand my plight, especially you, Grandpa!
“Young Lady.”
“…Yeah?”
While I was mentally screaming inside, Phoebe was managing her emotions on her own.
“I’m sorry. I know you didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Ugh. Please. Just yell at me.
Scold me for not listening to you!
That would make me feel better!
“Isn’t this favoritism too much?”
As I was gasping for air, Arthur chimed in.
“You scolded us for an entire day yesterday.”
“Seriously. You went on non-stop after we returned.”
“To be honest, at one point it felt more like torture than a lecture.”
“Isn’t it torture?”
“…It is torture when Phoebe lectures.”
As soon as Arthur initiated the conversation, our friends jumped in with one line each from the back.
Even Joy, who had turned away, had something to say, indicating how terrifying Phoebe had been yesterday.
Since it was about the time I collapsed, I kept my mouth shut and soon realized Phoebe wasn’t responding, so I stealthily turned my head away.
Phoebe’s earlier teary expression was now replaced by an intense blush.
“Pathetic Saint?”
“Uh, y-yeah. The lecture yesterday was a necessity.”
“I get that. We did mess up. But why don’t you scold Lucy Alrn?”
“Exactly. That’s just unfair.”
“Uh, um, because the Young Lady is different…”
“What makes Lucy different, Phoebe?”
As soon as Joy spoke up, the atmosphere shifted completely.
The gazes of everyone that had been on Phoebe now converged onto Joy.
Joy, who had been quietly observing Phoebe, suddenly felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on her and began glancing around nervously.
“W-Why is everyone suddenly looking at me?! Wasn’t this supposed to be revenge for Phoebe’s nagging?!”
“Lucy, that’s what you said.”
“You called her Lucy Alrn.”
“I did say Lucy.”
Realizing the shift in the room dynamics, I understood I had a golden opportunity.
If I passed this mood over to Joy, I could escape this awkwardness!
“Right. Joy did call me by my name in a silly way.”
Naturally, as I called her Joy, the tension in everyone’s gaze intensified even further.
Joy wore an expression of someone who felt betrayed, but I feigned ignorance and tilted my head.
What did I do wrong? I just called my friend by her name!
“Joy. I’d like to have a word with you.”
“I agree with the Saint’s statement.”
“Me too. I really want to talk.”
Watching Joy squirm in increasingly dire straits, my solitary thought was:
Thank you! Joy! You saved me! I won’t forget your sacrifice!
For at least thirty minutes!
*
Erin, the maid of the Alrn family and Lucy Alrn’s personal attendant, was currently busy with various tasks at the academy.
Lucy often questioned why she was working for other useless folks; if she had free time, she could at least hone her skills. However, Erin refused.
Being Lucy’s exclusive maid was enough of a privilege, and if she did nothing, negative rumors about Lucy would only grow.
Wanting to help Lucy and not become a burden, Erin was adamant about doing her share of work.
Of course, she wasn’t completely carefree. A sudden outsider would usually face scrutiny from others.
Though Erin had resolved to endure the pressure as an outsider, contrary to her expectations, the other maids did not treat her harshly.
Instead, they seemed a little intimidated by her.
They said she should rest without worrying about doing any work.
If she insisted on helping, they’d only assign her easy and simple tasks.
In such an atmosphere, Erin was acutely aware of just how remarkable her Young Lady truly was.
How much had Lucy accomplished for even a mere maid like her to share in the brilliance of her aura?
While praising Lucy in her heart, Erin was determined not to linger beneath her shadow.
She wanted to find her work without anyone telling her to.
Not wishing to burden Lucy.
To ensure that people would speak well of Lucy, even maids too.
Erin showcased various skills she’d learned from the Alrn family among the other servants.
Her abilities, once praised even among the lower noble families where she served as a maid, were astonishing compared to others at the academy, and it didn’t take long for Erin, who had once been seen as a burden, to become a beacon of support among the maids.
Now that Lucy had stepped outside for a moment,
Erin was doing her tasks, wishing for her quick and safe return.
“Um, Erin?”
“Yes?”
“Could you help me for a moment? There’s something I can’t do alone.”
“Of course! What’s the matter?”
“It’s hard to explain with words. Please just follow me for a bit.”
Erin tilted her head but followed the other maid.
Where she was being led was a rather secluded area in the academy. Was there really work for a maid to do in such a place?
Thinking that, Erin started to sense something ominous and came to a halt.
“Erin?”
“Who are you?”
“Uh?”
Having looked closely at the maid with suspicion, a sense of discomfort began to rise.
There was something repugnant lurking underneath the surface.
“What are you?”
“…Tch.”
Barely stepping back, Erin watched as the thing pretending to be a maid lunged at her.
As just a regular maid, Erin couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as the hand of the creature reached for her.
The speed of its hand was beyond what she could hope to handle.
Ah. If something happens, my Young Lady will be sad.
In that slow-motion moment where Erin worried for her Young Lady,
A sudden hand appeared and blocked the creature’s grasp.
“Wow, these powers of the Void are a nuisance. I thought I had organized everything well, but it turns out like this.”
“…You!”
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