Chapter: 582
After arriving at the place where the Partran family had settled, Joy washed off and flopped onto the bed.
Thoughts raced through her mind like a swarm of bees, but she was powerless against the fatigue that enveloped her.
Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, she instantly lifted her head and scanned her surroundings. Once she confirmed she had returned, she slowly let her shoulders drop.
That’s right. It’s all over, isn’t it? There’s no more enemy here.
“Don’t let your guard down that easily.”
“Yahh!?”
“That’s not allowed.”
Startled by the voice beside her, she shrieked and began conjuring magic, shooting a cursed projectile in the direction the sound came from.
“Despite your shabby appearance, your magic isn’t bad. Lucy has trained you well.”
However, the curse didn’t connect. The intruder merely waved their hand, dispersing the curse.
Joy was taken aback by her opponent’s power while hurriedly preparing her next spell.
This person is a wizard far stronger than me. If I faced them head-on, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to just roll over and die. At the very least, I can buy some time until the Partran wizards arrive.
“Before you sharpen your gaze, wipe the drool off your mouth. What would the duchess think if you lost your dignity?”
“…M-Master?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
The great archmage Erginus looked at his disciple with a slight hint of disdain before settling into a chair nearby.
“Dealing with darkness is—”
“As you can see, it’s gone quite well. If you want, you can call me the God of Darkness.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. God of Darkness sounds a bit off, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm. That’s certainly not a positive title. The previous generation must have been a mess, to say the least.”
With a light chuckle, Erginus watched Joy hurriedly compose herself, then continued.
“You did well yesterday. It’s hard to believe that you achieved such outstanding skill in merely a few days of training.”
It felt like sincere praise, but Joy didn’t feel happy hearing it.
“No. I’m lacking.”
Yesterday, Joy had followed Lucy to save the Fairy Forest and successfully defeat the evil god, but in that process, all she gained was a lament for her weakness.
“Because of my fault, my friends almost died.”
Lucy had insisted it was unavoidable. That it was the best course of action, but Joy didn’t think so.
If Lucy hadn’t faced the evil god, if she hadn’t trapped the evil god in agony and fear, we’d all be dead.
I was the one who confidently stated there was a method to do it. So, the responsibility for the failure lies with me.
“I must really be a hopeless idiot.”
I thought it would work. I believed I could definitely help Lucy this time.
But what was the outcome? I’ve once again achieved a spectacular failure, causing my friends to experience fear they won’t soon forget.
“It’s normal to feel that way.”
While Joy sobbed at the thought of being nothing but a hindrance to her friends, she was surprised by the dry response and looked up.
Erginus was resting his chin on his hand, pouting.
“Is there anyone in this world who doesn’t make mistakes? Everyone lives like that.”
“But I…”
“You almost got your friends killed? I’ve done that too. I can’t even count how many times I’ve endangered others out of sheer curiosity.”
There were times when, in a frenzy to collect dragon blood, he nearly met his end. Times when revealing the opponent’s strengths turned allies into enemies. Times when he challenged the god of magic only to lose his powers.
“I have countless tales of my own mistakes. Even now, I played a role in letting the Fairy Forest fall to darkness.”
As he monotonously recounted his own failings, he glanced at Joy, who was wide-eyed.
“But do you think others haven’t messed up? Not a chance. The hero often took the wrong path at the worst times, making us suffer. Garad caused trouble by flirting with women whenever he entered a village. Ruel, the uncompromising old man, picked fights when he could have let things slide.”
Erginus wasn’t the only one who erred. They all made mistakes based on their personalities and actions, which was precisely why they could stick together.
Knowing that the person beside her was also the same kind of fool, they would sigh it off, curse a little, and then discuss how to resolve the issue.
“While Lady Alrn may be noble enough to be chosen as the apostle of the dark god, that doesn’t make her a superhuman who doesn’t make mistakes. It wouldn’t be odd at all if she nearly killed you this time.”
“No way. That’s…”
“Since you were involved in this matter because of Lady Alrn, she bears responsibility too. You know that.”
Erginus cut off her attempt to deny it, clapping his hands to snap her out of her thoughts.
Startled, Joy flinched, and Erginus gently continued.
“Is Lady Alrn your friend?”
“…Yes. Of course. Lucy is my precious friend.”
“Then throw away any sense of obligation. Friends aren’t formed based on cost-benefit analysis.”
Joy opened her mouth without thinking, only to take a breath and lower her gaze.
Friends are those who take care of each other. There’s no need for calculations about profits and losses.
If they want to help each other, that’s enough.
That must be the point Erginus was trying to make.
I understand it; I get it.
However…
It might take a bit of time for my heart to accept that.
Because I owe Lucy way too much.
“By the way, this guy, who looks like he wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed, is acting so childish.”
“That’s a charm in itself, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. So charming it’s infuriating.”
Startled by the soothing touch on her shoulder, Joy straightened up.
“Y-You’re the Fairy Queen?”
“Yes, that’s me. Were you surprised?”
As the Queen’s darkened gaze fell upon Erginus, he quickly spoke up.
“Your Majesty, please, calm down. This child is just—”
“I know. She’s my disciple, right? This person remembers when I commanded the darkness.”
“Well then…”
“I was just joking. Do you think I’m the kind of petty woman who would get jealous over a mere conversation? Besides, Erginus prefers someone a bit more mature, right?”
“Cough! Cough!”
As Erginus’s face turned beet red and he coughed repeatedly, the queen let out a soft laugh.
In the revitalizing atmosphere, Joy sighed in relief at the warmth around her when she heard the voice by her ear again, and she clenched her fist.
“Thank you for saving me, modern-day wizard.”
Once the queen’s gratitude touched her heart, Joy finally felt the weight of what she had done.
Nothing went to plan, and there were countless mistakes made, but she helped Lucy save the Fairy Forest.
She resolved Erginus’s lingering regrets from the Mythological Era. Free from her guilt, Joy bit her lip to hold back her tears.
“If you wish, I could become your spirit myself.”
“That would be a problem, Your Majesty. Spirit magic is highly convenient, making it easy to rely on. For a wizard, it could likely become poisonous.”
“Are you worried about losing your disciple?”
“To be honest, yes. This child’s talent had me wanting to take her under my wing even during my eccentric phase.”
“…What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Now that we’ve finished here, will you cut ties with me?”
“A-No! That’s impossible! It’s just… I mean.”
“Fufu, you’re adorably flustered.”
Surrounded by two near-deity beings, Joy could only accept her position of being cute and flustered.
*
Around lunchtime, Arthur, summoned by the First Queen, walked towards the tent she was staying in, desperately trying to ignore his fatigue.
– That person really seems quite interested in you.
“Not really. I imagine she just wants to confirm what happened.”
– Hmm. Well, if I were managing a country, I wouldn’t let you be.
“Is that so?”
– Your personal abilities aside, the connections you have with others are quite impressive. If they can be used, they should be.
From the perspective of someone leading a nation, he saw Joy as quite a useful card.
Given that this was a statement from the piece of the first Soladin, it had some persuasion to it. As for whether he himself was truly valuable? He had no clue.
“Welcome, Third Prince. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes, of course. I haven’t done much, so feeling tired would be odd.”
– You say you’re not tired? After all the times you screamed awake at night?
Arthur silently told his inner voice to shut up and plastered a grin on his face.
“How is the First Queen? She seems to have been working non-stop since the battle began yesterday.”
“I was just stepping back a little from the front lines.”
– I’m also a liar. Even now, energy is still leaking from the sword on my hip.
Arthur knew from other knights that the First Queen had never stepped back from the front lines.
She had always been at the forefront, encouraging the knights, ever since Benedict Alrn and his knights stepped out.
Lucy Alrn’s informants seemed to hold some discomfort regarding the First Queen, but her dedication to the nation was genuine.
“I’ll skip the pleasantries and get to the reason I summoned the Third Prince.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
Was he about to explain yesterday’s incident? He had no idea where to start.
First, he’ll push most of the credit onto the Saintess and then…
“What do you think about becoming engaged to the Young Lady of the Alrn House?”
“…What?”
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