Chapter: 461
Not long after, the baroness Klebb regained her senses, but she remembered absolutely nothing.
Not the fact that she was kidnapped. Not the fact that someone else was impersonating her. Not even why she was there in the first place.
“Did I… perhaps cause trouble for Lady Partan?” she asked, her eyes trembling with anxiety.
Seeing her like that, Joy couldn’t help but smile, saying it was no big deal.
In a way, it was probably for the best. It was better to be unaware than to tremble in fear recalling the nightmare of almost dying.
Joy reminisced about her own days trapped in nightmares, suggesting they talk about it at the next tea party before stepping out of the room.
If I were back in those days when I couldn’t even close my eyes without fear…
Back when the mere thought of entering a dungeon would make me tremble and collapse.
Would I be able to walk around smiling now if Lucy weren’t by my side?
“Joy.”
Just when she was feeling thankful towards Lucy and reflecting on her doubts about herself, Lucy called out to her.
In the glimmering red eyes below, there was a playful glint as if she had discovered something interesting.
“You’ve got work to do, you clueless fool. It’s a chance for you, the one who always makes a mess, to actually be helpful. Happy, right?”
As usual, Lucy was speaking in a condescending tone, looking down at Joy.
If the other ladies had seen this, they would grumble about her arrogance, but Joy didn’t pay it any mind.
She was well aware that Lucy didn’t mean anything by it. Considering all Lucy had done for her, it didn’t matter if it was genuine or not.
“What can I do?” Joy replied.
If Lucy, who handled most matters on her own, was asking for help, it would surely be something difficult.
It had to be a burden for her, after all.
But that’s okay.
If it’s Lucy’s request, I’m ready to do anything.
As long as I can repay her for all she’s done, I’ll do my best, no matter how tough the task is.
With her resolve firm, Joy gazed into Lucy’s eyes, only to freeze at what Lucy said with a smile.
“It’s simple, you clueless one. Just create a spell from what you used against that pitiful ‘sympathy tree’.”
…
Uh, hold on a second.
That’s not simple at all!
What you just said is to create magic from scratch that doesn’t even exist!
And not just for me; it has to be elaborate enough for other people to use, too.
Lucy tilted her head, not grasping Joy’s bewilderment.
“What’s wrong, Joy? Feeling insecure?”
Is she really asking that out of ignorance?
I thought she understood some things about magic, but maybe that’s not the case!?
Then how on earth did she create that spell in the forest last time?!
Joy silently swallowed the questions surging inside her.
It was true that she had dispelled the Evil God’s power last time.
Whether it was a miracle born from her desperation or the result of her accumulated efforts, Joy had performed what many would consider an anomaly.
However, that was only possible because it was magic she cast herself.
The less-than-perfect magic she manifested using her own skills and mana was something only she could do.
As for this, asking her to formalize rough sketches into a proper spell to be used by everyone?!
If she had that kind of skill, would I even be a student right now!?
With such expectations, I would already be a professor teaching others!
Joy had so much she wanted to say, but she couldn’t spit it out.
Because the purity in Lucy’s gaze was simply too much for her.
She didn’t want to let Lucy down by saying she couldn’t do it.
And yet, she didn’t have the confidence to build the spell up.
What to do?
How should I manage this?
“How can you think so lowly of yourself that you feel this insecure? A baroness of the Partan family should be proud!”
“Ah, no! I’m super confident, you know!”
At Lucy’s provocation, Joy unconsciously raised her voice, only to realize what she had just said and trembled.
But it was already too late. Joy couldn’t take back the words she had spoken.
“Oh? Overflowing with confidence, are we?”
“Er, um…”
“Don’t tell me the magnificent Young Lady of the Partan family is going to say, ‘Oh, I totally can’t do that?’”
Joy bit her lip at Lucy’s tease and subtly signaled to Phoebe for help.
Being experienced in the social signals among nobles, Phoebe easily caught Joy’s glance.
Please! Phoebe!
Help me out with Lucy!
You’ve known me long enough to know how ridiculous that is!
Please!
Meeting Joy’s desperate gaze, Phoebe smiled lightly and shifted her attention to Lucy.
Phoebe! Thank you!
I’ll gift you something nice related to Lucy later!…
“Of course. The Joy I know wouldn’t be like that at all.”
Phoebe!? You!?
Realizing she was betrayed by someone she trusted, the shock turned Joy to stone, but that didn’t matter as Lucy and Phoebe continued chatting happily.
“So now we just have to wait for the clueless one to do something ridiculous, huh?”
“Indeed. After all, she’s a descendant of the Partan bloodline. I trust her.”
“I believe it too. That she’ll do something silly.”
*
“What should we do, Your Highness?”
Arthur looked at Joy, who sighed heavily in lament.
“What do you mean, ‘what to do’? Just go to Lucy Alrn and tell her you can’t do it already.”
“But Lucy’s totally counting on me!”
“Then you should go tell her now. That way, at least you’ll be the laughingstock. Better than disappointing her.”
Arthur’s statement, completely devoid of empathy, made Joy widen her eyes, yet she couldn’t speak her mind.
What he said was purely practical advice, after all.
“Saintess, I’m sure you were aware of this. You’re well-versed in sacred magic, so you can handle regular magic as well.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
“Then you should have stopped this fool from doing something dumb.”
“Why should I have done that?”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’s simple. Lady Partan wouldn’t ask for something impossible. Since she’s asking Joy, it’s clearly something she can achieve. My job is not to deny her request but to help Joy give her best effort.”
As Arthur calmly continued, as if narrating a piece from the Bible, he slowly began to understand how the situation had unfolded.
So Joy made a fool of herself in front of her pride, and the Saintess had reinforced that.
Lucy Alrn, who didn’t know much about magic, must’ve taken the Saintess’s words to heart and felt encouraged.
“Hm.”
Arthur knew that when it came to Lucy, Phoebe believed anything she said.
Her expression when listening to Lucy’s words was almost reverential, as if she were hearing the words of a deity.
Thus, Arthur understood he had to take what Phoebe told him with a pinch of salt. But not right now.
What she said was somewhat persuasive.
Had Lucy Alrn ever asked the impossible of us before?
What she asked was always difficult and taxing but clearly within reach if we tried hard enough.
If we thought about it that way, the request she made this time was also something we could achieve.
“Can’t we just do it the way we did last time?”
At that moment, as all three fell silent for their own reasons, Frey quietly chimed in.
“No, we can’t, Lady Kent.”
“Why not? It worked fine last time.”
“Yes, it did. But reproducing the same magic again is entirely different from casting it yourself.”
“…Different?”
Frey tilted his head, having little knowledge about magic, while Joy sighed and began to explain.
“Lady Kent, you can probably mimic someone else’s swordsmanship after seeing it, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, can you teach that sword technique to someone after just watching it?”
“…Umm?”
“Could you analyze it from the ground up and write it down as a book?”
“…Ugh.”
“That’s what Lucy is asking me to do.”
Though Frey considered her predicament, he disagreed.
“I think it’s possible with some effort. I could teach someone the sword technique after seeing it for the first time.”
For Frey, who had remarkable talent in swordsmanship, this was his conclusion after deep contemplation.
Hearing his answer, Joy momentarily lost her words, only to sigh again and shake her head.
“Um? What is it?”
“Frey Kent. Just eat your snacks quietly. That’ll help more.”
“Sure, I’ll do that.”
After Frey stuffed his cheeks with treats, Arthur leaned back, crossing his arms as he voiced his previous concerns.
“First of all, trying to tackle this task alone is a mistake. It’s insane to walk down an untested path without a guide.”
“I know that, Your Highness. But who should I ask for help?”
“Your surroundings are overflowing with skillful magicians.”
“If what I needed to create was regular magic, that’d be no problem. But the magic I have to create this time is tied to the Evil God.”
“…I get that now.”
What Joy intended to do was interpret and formalize the Evil God’s power as magic.
Even if her intentions were noble, that doesn’t mean everyone would see it positively.
Especially not a being with immense power.
“As long as the Saintess is nearby, we might manage, but…”
“There will always be whispers in the background. I’ve been friends with Phoebe since we were kids.”
So asking for external help wasn’t an option. Nor should it be.
“It would be nice if there was someone trustworthy.”
Upon hearing Joy’s comment, Arthur recalled his previous encounter in the forest and spoke up.
“Should we seek wisdom from the lord of the woods?”
“From that creepy fox?”
“…I mean… that individual…”
“I get it. That being is a bit unsettling. Still, the lord of the woods is the lord of the woods.”
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