Chapter: 516
As the sunset painted the sky in hues of crimson, the chaos within the academy had almost perfectly subsided.
Not a single life was lost. Material damage wasn’t that bad either. The contaminated barrier had returned to normal, and the remnants of the Evil God’s presence lingering throughout the academy had vanished thanks to Lucy’s miraculous efforts. There was no longer any room for further chaos.
“Thank you for your efforts, Saintess.”
After all the procedural matters were settled, the bishop bowed, and Phoebe smiled slightly.
“The real thanks should go to you, Bishop, and the other priests. What have I actually contributed here?”
“Didn’t you stand up against the Evil God as a proxy for the divine? Even though you must be tired and worn out, you tirelessly moved to reassure others and assisted First Queen while dealing with the aftermath—how can you say you did nothing?”
The bishop thought Phoebe was being humble, continuing on with a loose smile, but she couldn’t bring herself to agree with his words.
To her, it felt like she had done absolutely nothing today.
It was Lucy who sensed the Evil God’s plans. It was Lucy who made all the necessary preparations. It was Lucy who eliminated all variables underground. And afterward, it was Lucy who purified the Evil God’s essence.
Phoebe thought all she did was dance on a stage created by the apostles of the deity.
She merely moved desperately, trusting the voice of the playwright above her.
Yet, the one who should have received the spotlight received nothing, while she, who had no reason to be acknowledged, gained all the accolades. How could Phoebe bow her head in acceptance?
“Indeed, Saintess. If it hadn’t been for you, who knows how many lives would have been lost?”
“Not just within the academy, but external individuals would have been at risk as well.”
“…Perhaps us too.”
“The fact that you have relieved us of the sins caused by our own incompetence and saved our lives is all because of you, Saintess. So please, accept our gratitude.”
Seeing the bishop and priests praising her noble deeds and expressing their gratitude only added to Phoebe’s complicated feelings. They smiled, hoping the Saintess would understand their hearts, unaware that it made her heart even more tangled.
“No, everyone.”
I know myself.
I know that Lady Alrn must not step forward.
If the identity of the apostle gets exposed in the coldness of the divine church, a major upheaval will occur.
Lady Alrn doesn’t wish for the countless sacrifices that may arise from the turmoil.
That’s why she hands over all the credit to me.
I understand that in my mind.
“I really….”
But I can’t accept it in my heart.
Hearing gratitude for an honor I didn’t achieve.
The one who should be getting the praise is left under malicious rumors without hearing any thanks.
“Nothing…”
Is this also a trial? Is the divine bestowing trials upon my heart? If I overcome this, will something change?
“Saintess, it’s time to close the doors.”
From behind Phoebe, who hesitated, Arthur and Frey appeared. The bishop and priests smiled and nodded as they saw the two figures who were close to Phoebe.
“My apologies, Saintess’s friends. It appears we’ve kept you here longer due to our incompetence.”
“No, Bishop. Priests. How can the word incompetence enter when you all risked your lives to protect the people outside?”
Arthur conveyed that a thank-you from both the academy and the kingdom officials would likely come later, chattering away before escorting Phoebe out of the church.
“Prince, is Lady Alrn…?”
“She’s snoring away, sounding like a log. She must be exhausted from exerting too much energy.”
“No issues?”
“According to many esteemed individuals, she’s perfectly fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Phoebe, who shifted the blame for her own incompetence onto Lucy and even stole the credit for her miraculous feat, let out a sigh of relief mixed with guilt.
While she observed Phoebe’s drooping shoulders, Arthur thought for a moment and cautiously spoke up.
“Saintess.”
“Yes?”
“I know it’s out of place for me to say this, but perhaps you should accept the thanks?”
Following Arthur silently, Phoebe suddenly halted her footsteps, slowly raising her head.
The shadow of Arthur, standing beneath the sunset, stretched long behind him, catching her eye.
“I can kind of guess why you feel uncomfortable accepting gratitude, but if you keep piling up burdens in your heart, won’t you just increase the burdens of others too?”
“I am aware. But…”
“Do you perhaps want to see Lucy Alrn’s face turn beet-red as she runs away?”
“…What?”
“If that’s the case, I’d like to see it too. Watching that clueless girl squirm under praise could be quite the sight.”
“I want to see it too. Lucy is cute after all.”
As the two nodded in agreement, Phoebe’s cheeks blended with the sunset’s glow.
“T-That kind of talk…”
“Don’t you want to see it?”
“No, I—”
“Really?”
“I’d like to see it… But that’s a completely different story from what I want to say!”
Startled, Phoebe raised her voice, causing Arthur to shrug.
“Saintess, Lucy Alrn knows more than we give her credit for. Enough to recall my mother’s last words.”
Arthur muttered as he recalled that Lucy’s wisdom was more akin to that of a deity than a mere mortal, causing Phoebe to blink in confusion while Frey tilted her head.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Arthur chuckled to himself and continued speaking.
“However, there’s something she doesn’t realize. No matter how much the sun tries to hide behind the clouds, eventually the clouds will part.”
There’s no need for someone to step forward and declare how amazing Lucy is. No matter how hard she tries to conceal herself, those who remain on the ground will inevitably face her light.
“Until that day comes, isn’t it okay to let this shy sun hide her face? When that day arrives, no matter how much she wants to hide, she won’t be able to.”
Listening silently to Arthur’s words, Phoebe caught sight of shadows hidden in the darkness as the sun set, allowing a light chuckle to escape her lips.
“It seems I’ll have to endure a lot until that day, for her sake.”
Not long after Phoebe spoke, the streetlights shone brightly, dispelling the darkness. Under the bright light, a loose smile adorned Arthur’s face.
“You’ve let go of a lot, Prince.”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been reminded of precious memories.”
“Is that so? It’s a nice yet troublesome thing.”
“…What?”
“There’s only one Lady.”
Arthur, who had his mouth slightly open under the streetlight, eventually realized that Phoebe was teasing him and stepped back to hide his flushed face.
Amused by Arthur’s shy reaction, Phoebe then turned her gaze toward Frey, who was teasing Arthur by calling him the ‘pathetic prince’.
“Lady Kent, do you know what the playing is doing right now?”
“Caught by the professor. I couldn’t see the pupils in the professor’s eyes, so it was scary.”
“Hm. Then I guess it’ll be hard to see her today.”
*
A warm spring breeze carries the sound of someone singing.
It’s hard to say it’s a beautiful voice, but it’s comforting to listen to, and if you pay close attention, it calms your heart—a kind of song.
As I focused on the melody, which seemed perfect for playing while sleeping to dream sweetly, I suddenly felt a raindrop fall near my face, causing me to wake up.
Facing the darkened ceiling, I realized I’d been asleep just moments before.
How curious. What was I doing that made me doze off? I’m sure I was…
Ah, I remembered. I collapsed right after unleashing the miracle of purification.
Using the miracle of purification was indeed exhausting. Despite my divine nature, which should put me above anyone else, I truly felt depleted to the point I thought I might die.
But even so, it seems like the miracle worked out well.
Forcing my weary body to rise, I rubbed my face, only to notice that tears had welled up in my eyes.
What’s up with that? Did I have a sad dream? Did I realize the impossibility of speaking in my usual tone, causing me to break down in tears?
[Have you awakened? How’s your body doing?]
‘Feeling perfectly fine!’
[Ah, thank goodness. Truly, it feels like my heart drops every time something happens to this strong child of a body!]
‘You don’t have a heart to drop!’
[…It’s a metaphor! A metaphor!]
With grandfather’s grumbling voice as background noise, I stretched and looked around in the darkness.
Erin seemed to have fallen asleep at my bedside, nursing me, while the clumsy fox snored against the window. Outside the door, I sensed the presence of a sword.
The stillness of the night where everyone was in a deep slumber indicated that everything had come to an end.
Phew. There were so many variables, but we somehow made it through.
I’m relieved, but next time, let’s tackle things in a safe manner instead of this trial-by-fire nonsense.
Being forced to act on my greedy desires is far too tiring.
If I’d just thrown a tantrum and brought Benedict along, I wouldn’t have gone through nearly as much trouble.
As I grumbled about making foolish decisions due to my personal desires, a notification sound chimed in my ear.
– Ding.
Following the sound, I lifted my head to see a blue window pop up in front of me. It was the content of a quest I had tried to check before.
[How long will the fairies keep sleeping?]
I can confidently say that what’s written on that blue window is the first quest I’ve ever seen in my life.
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