“I just want to be with you all.”
Nobody answered my words.
It was unlikely that anyone could fully understand what that meant. After all, I was the only one who had heard the goddess’s voice, even if just for a moment.
But I guess it was possible to infer the meaning to some extent.
If I was following the goddess’s will, it meant I shouldn’t even be here.
“……”
Sophia erased the expression from her face.
In truth, it was a bit ambiguous to say that Sophia and I were extremely close. Among the people around me, we had spent the least amount of time together. That said, there hadn’t been any significant events to build a proper trust. All I had done was tell Sophia that I wasn’t necessarily fond of Leo, whom she liked.
Moreover, it was hard to say how high her feelings were prioritized given the current situation.
For those who believe in the goddess, her existence would be more important than anything else. If the goddess directly told someone to stop loving her… Well, feelings aren’t that easily severed, but at the very least, they would try to hide their affections outwardly. The belief in the goddess would come before any feelings of liking someone.
“So, are you saying that, to you, the fact that you are with us is more important than the words of the goddess who allowed you to be here?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why?”
That was a question I couldn’t properly answer.
There’s nothing more meaningless than assigning reasons to feelings. After all, isn’t it ’emotion’? A word that’s completely opposed to logic. No matter how much logic you attach, it merely serves to justify the feelings.
I just wanted that.
I thought I wanted to be here.
That was all I could say.
Maybe Sophia realized that I couldn’t provide a suitable answer, so she didn’t press further.
“Do you blame me?”
This time I asked.
When Sophia first spoke to me, I felt like things might get tangled up, but as our conversation continued, my heart became calmer. Well, it’s not like I felt completely at ease, but at the very least, I didn’t feel the urge to run away.
“……”
This time Sophia fell into thought.
Her face still expressionless, her gaze just stared blankly above my head. After contemplating for quite a while, she finally opened her mouth.
“I… I don’t know.”
Even after a long period of pondering, the meaning behind her answer was unclear.
“I definitely think I should, but isn’t that strange? The being I believed in as the truth disappeared because of you, but I don’t feel any resentment toward you when I see you. So…”
Sophia raised her hand and looked up.
She had been the one who wrapped divine power around her sword to heal people’s wounds.
But now, even if she tried to use that power, she wouldn’t be able to. In this world, the goddess’s power no longer operated.
Magic still existed. Creatures like Gryphons, which seemed biologically impossible, casually sat around. There were also steam engines that functioned better in specific areas than the world I lived in, and villains that seemed right out of a game were all tied up and sitting there.
Only the goddess’s power had vanished from that mystical world.
To me, it was a comforting sight, but…
“If the goddess were here, and you hadn’t stopped her, what would this world be like?”
That was a pure question. I genuinely didn’t know, so I asked.
“The goddess would desire to create an orderly world.”
“In that world, you would have no value.”
“That’s correct.”
I was an alien presence from the very beginning. Thus, I was something that needed to be caught after being used once. Because that wasn’t done, we were in the current situation.
“Then in that world, would I still be me?”
Sophia’s gaze flicked, however briefly, toward Leo.
“……”
Ah, I think I understand.
The goddess is a being that loves order. And even the believers of the goddess know that at least to some extent.
They would also understand what kind of world the goddess sought.
And in that world, governed solely by order, emotions might be seen as impurities. The Fanggriffon pretended to obey order but ultimately couldn’t shake off its resentment toward the goddess, and that result led to this ‘disorderly’ world.
Sophia’s feelings of liking someone are merely part of a chaotic heart.
Even Sophia’s feelings for Leo didn’t stem from some logical reason. I couldn’t completely guess the reason since I’m not Sophia, but that handsome appearance might have played a fundamental role.
And to ‘fall in love’ because of someone’s looks is highly… illogical.
“I really don’t know.”
But I couldn’t assert that to Sophia.
After all, I couldn’t even imagine the world created by the goddess. A society where even people’s free will is controlled under the order crafted by the goddess doesn’t seem appealing just by imagining it.
“……”
Sophia merely repeated opening and closing her hands silently.
*
Maybe it was a relief, but before I could exchange words with others, the soldiers of Velbur had taken over the Papal State.
Or should I say they had taken it over? It was technically empty, so there was no fighting.
There would likely be significant backlash from the Iberian Kingdom, but the land of the Papal State was originally territory that Velbur had ceded. When it came to legitimacy or justification, the Iberian Kingdom would be far behind Velbur.
Moreover, one of the most important figures of Velbur was right here.
“……I’m sorry.”
Charlotte spoke in a genuinely feeling voice.
Me, Alice, Claire, and all the other imperial citizens were surrounded by Velbur soldiers.
“This is just a formal procedure. I promise you all will be able to return home soon.”
“I understand.”
I figured it would end this way.
While overturning the underground of Lutetia was sanctioned by the king, in this situation now, Alice was essentially just the Emperor’s daughter, who was a criminal. Of course, she had played a significant role in toppling the culprit and thwarting the scheme, so for now, as Charlotte said, this was just a formal procedure.
In reality, we weren’t restrained like the emperor and other knights.
“……We still have quite a lot to resolve… Yes, a lot.”
Alice spoke with a distant look, seemingly staring at a faraway mountain.
As the Emperor’s daughter and currently the only recognized Crown Princess of the Empire. Well, other Emperor’s children were recognized too, but nobody would go as far as to elevate any other to the emperor’s seat in this situation.
If the Emperor were to be dethroned, the available space for that position would be massive. So much so that Alice’s stature would seem small in that position.
“First, we have to deal with that Gryphon as well.”
The Velbur soldiers surrounding us were all wearing extremely tense expressions and refused to come any closer, and the reason was the Gryphon that had been glaring threateningly at the soldiers from behind me.
Its wings were spread wide open in an overt display of intimidation.
“……I think it will eventually come back.”
When I said that to Alice, she scoffed.
“So how long does it take for it to come back?”
“……”
I looked up at the Gryphon. Indeed, when would it have plans to return?
“……Maybe tomorrow?”
Huff.
The Gryphon let out a big breath through its nostrils.
Well, it seems like it has no intention of coming back at least until tomorrow.
Seeing this, Alice wiped her face with her hand.
“You know the Gryphon is the symbol of the Empire, right?”
“I know.”
It had been prominently marked in the royal seal of the Empire.
“And that Gryphon’s master is you.”
“I’m not the Gryphon’s master.”
If it thought of me as its master, it wouldn’t be tossing me around like a pancake.
It wouldn’t have treated me like a suitcase either.
It didn’t seem like it would return just because I told it to go back.
“Anyway, it’s following you.”
Ignoring my words entirely, Alice continued.
“What do you think people will think when they see the Crown Princess appearing with a Gryphon?”
“……”
Hearing Alice’s words, I fell into thought for a moment.
Then, I recalled the voice of a knight murmuring ‘Fanggriffon’ after it charged in.
And Sophia had called me ‘Fanggriffon’ too.
……
No way?
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