Chapter: 414
Leaning back in her chair, Lina broke into a daft grin as she recalled the memories transmitted from her fragment.
These memories were jam-packed with over-the-top happiness.
Lucy with her bright smile.
Lucy, sweaty and disheveled after a grueling training session.
Lucy, curled up, wearing a gloomy expression.
Lucy, oozing a disgusted vibe all over.
Lucy, crying her heart out.
Lucy, her face slightly puffy from too much crying.
Lucy, becoming even more beautiful thanks to the artistic Apostle!
Lucy, with a divinity so pure that those who believed in the goddess would prostrate themselves.
Lina felt an overwhelming urge to be right there beside Lucy instead of just existing as a fragment.
“Lucy hugged me like I’m a doll!”
Overwhelmed by embarrassment and glee from sifting through these memories, Lina flailed her arms before thumping her face onto the desk.
Since the personalities of the fragments are bound to Lina, she wasn’t entirely thrilled at the thought of being caught by Lucy Alrn.
She could tolerate making the first move in awkward situations, but not when it was the other person being overly proactive.
Because that’s just too embarrassing.
How can she endure being petted by the most beautiful and adorable peak of beauty in the forest who has lived for centuries?
Even now, as she read the memories from her fragment, Lina’s cheeks were flushed.
If simply bearing those memories was this overwhelming, how would it feel to be wrapped in Lucy’s arms? Would she really die from joy and embarrassment?
“…I really want to go to her.”
While sneaking a glance at the bunny girl painting of Lucy on the wall, Lina thought about escaping this tedious forest.
Being the ‘owner of the forest’ sounded grand and dignified, but the reality was that the job was pretty mundane.
Their obligation was strictly to guard and maintain the forest.
Being unable to meddle with the forest’s ecosystem, the forest’s owner could only witness time pass by vacantly.
That was why Lina had been the first to sign a contract with the Academy, despite the pushback from others.
She knew that if she didn’t do something, she might really die from boredom, which led her to make the deal, resulting in all sorts of joys.
However, human greed doesn’t diminish when one desire is fulfilled; if anything, it tends to grow.
As Lina gradually crossed lines she shouldn’t, the longing to be by Lucy’s side blossomed within her.
“Lina!”
A voice calling from outside, reminiscent of a wolf’s howl, brought a chill to her expression.
Why the hell is that piece of work here? I was just getting hyped up!
Though she grumbled at her desk, she couldn’t ignore the voice coming from outside.
The entity calling her was one of the powerful spirits guarding the forest.
“Are you deaf?!”
“Feel free to stop calling, Muir.”
Muir.
A wolf from the Northern Forest, possessing the sharpest fangs in the world.
Extremely passionate about his duty to protect the forest.
“Were you busy with something? I notified you since I entered the forest, but you didn’t seem to hear.”
“Sorry, I had something to concentrate on.”
“Did I interrupt?”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Good to hear.”
As a fellow forest owner, Muir recognized Lina as one of his own and smiled at her response.
“So, what’s up, Muir?”
“Oh, there’s been some weird happenings in several forests lately. I’m just doing rounds to check on things.”
Muir’s expression turned grim as he mentioned the odd occurrences.
Seeing his droopy ears, Lina could guess something was amiss. It’s rare for him to show sorrowful vibes.
“Did someone die?”
“Yeah. The guardians of the Mevida Forest and the Dermogul Forest have passed away.”
Upon hearing the names Mevida and Dermogul, Lina remembered the forest owners who watched over them.
Both were young kids who hadn’t even reached fifty years of consciousness.
They must’ve targeted the weak.
“Who did it?”
“There’s an ominous energy from dark magic mixed with the evil god’s aura. They must’ve teamed up.”
The moment Lina heard the terms dark magic and evil god, her mind immediately conjured the image of the girl she had been thinking about moments ago.
Not just beautiful like before; she also emitted an aura of strength and reliability now.
Recalling that image somehow instilled in Lina a deep confidence that this disaster wouldn’t last long.
“I know you’re tough enough not to crumble easily, but still, be cautious. The continent’s state is tense.”
“Thank you for worrying.”
“Of course, that’s what pals do.”
Seeing Muir with a healthy demeanor, he made to leave but suddenly paused.
“Lina, you’ve always loved beautiful things, right?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“What do you think of this? I got it from someone affiliated with the Art Guild on my way here.”
Muir pulled out a rather plain-looking pendant from his pocket.
Though it was crafted neatly, meeting Lina’s strict standards, it fell flat.
“Open the pendant. They say it’s the most cared-for piece.”
As she turned it over in her hands, Lina opened the pendant after Muir’s cue.
The moment she saw the picture inside, she froze in place.
Inside the pendant was a depiction of a praying girl, unmistakably depicting her most cherished girl, Lucy Alrn.
Lina’s shock must have shown on her face because Muir chuckled, mumbling to himself about how it was a good thing to bring it.
“I knew you’d like it. Even my untrained eye was captivated, so there’s no way you wouldn’t love it.”
Before Muir could finish his sentence, Lina advanced toward him with unearthly intensity.
“Is there more?”
“Uh. Huh?”
“I said, is there more? More things with Lucy drawn on them.”
“Well… Yes, but those are for others.”
“Bring them all here. Now.”
Muir tried to protest against Lina’s threats, but overcoming the forest owner was impossible within his domain.
The wolf with the sharpest fangs in the world turned into a soft puppy, vacating the forest after being stripped of everything by the clever fox.
*
They say ominous imaginings often turn out to be true. The story Luca had relayed turned out to be real.
The Art Guild had started creating and distributing items related to me just after I left!
At first, it might sound like they were sloppily selling junk, but the Art Guild’s crazies weren’t the types to compromise their pride.
In mere days, they churned out products comparable or even superior to those they had previously released, even dubbing them prototypes, looking for improvements.
Given the Art Guild’s fame for an array of artistic items, it was only natural for the continent’s enthusiasts to take interest.
No sooner had rumors of this new jewelry started circulating, another incident added fuel to the fire.
The rumor claimed that wearing items related to me would bring good fortune.
This rumor began with a merchant.
He had fortuitously acquired and donned some jewelry, narrowly escaping death during an incident.
He felt like the item itself had saved him, so he started recommending the Art Guild’s jewelry to people around him.
This luck spread to others as well.
From simply picking up money on the street to hitting a jackpot, everyone found success.
Thanks to that, the Art Guild’s jewelry became so sought after to the point they literally had nothing left to sell; I learned this in the back alley.
“The Master left a note asking for one as well.”
“…The old lady shouldn’t be acting so needy at her age.”
After putting Jobell in an awkward position, I emerged from the back alley, hoping the Art Guild’s trend wouldn’t reach the Academy.
However, my hopes were dashed. It wasn’t long before I started spotting new students at the Academy sporting the Art Guild’s jewelry.
“Your Ladyship, why didn’t you tell us about this sooner? I’ve struggled to get one after hearing the late news!”
When Joy finally showed me her hard-earned pendant, I nearly lost my mind. I had a strong urge to snatch it and toss it away somewhere!
But after seeing her teary-eyed expression, I just couldn’t.
“Not cool. I want one, too.”
“Now I agree with Lady Kent on this one. Joy, that’s just unfair. You could’ve gotten some for your friends!”
“I would’ve if I could! But that’s just not the situation right now!”
Watching Frey and Phoebe team up to grill Joy, I pondered reaching out to the perverted Apostle about getting one but shook my head.
One Joy is already dizzying enough; if the other two have them, I’d truly be filled with shame! It’s one thing to let them have them; I absolutely can’t hand mine over.
[Lucy, casually turn your head to the right.]
‘Why? What’s up?’
Following my grandfather’s advice, I subtly turned my head and spotted Visi peeking from afar, tilting her head.
What’s that girl doing alone? Whatever happened to her usual partner, Adrien?
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