Chapter: 582
Joy arrived at the place where the Partlan family was seated, cleaned herself, and flopped onto the bed.
Her mind was flooded with countless thoughts, but against the overwhelming fatigue in her body, she felt utterly powerless.
Before she knew it, Joy drifted off to sleep and woke up suddenly, lifting her head to look around. After confirming that she was back, she slowly relaxed her shoulders.
Right. It’s all over, isn’t it? There are no more enemies here.
“Letting your guard down so easily.”
“Hiyah!?”
“Not good.”
At the voice from beside her, Joy screamed and formed magic, shooting a cursed bullet toward the direction of the sound.
“Not bad at all, considering your ragged appearance. Lady Allen must’ve trained you well.”
However, that curse didn’t reach its target. The intruder casually waved their hand, dispersing the spell.
Joy was startled by the intruder’s skill but quickly prepared her next spell.
The opponent was a wizard with overwhelmingly superior abilities. If it came to a direct confrontation, it would be hopeless.
But that didn’t mean she was going to just roll over and die. At the very least, she needed to buy some time until the wizards of Partlan arrived.
“Before sharpening your gaze, wipe the drool off your mouth. What would the Ducal Young Lady think if you lost your composure?”
“…M-Master?”
“Yeah. It’s me.”
The great wizard Erginius looked at his disciple with a sense of disappointment before settling into a nearby chair.
“Defeating the darkness is…”
“As you can see, it went well. If you’d like, I could be called the God of Darkness.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. Referring to someone as the God of Darkness sounds a bit off, don’t you think?”
“True. It’s not a very positive title. The last guy should’ve been a bit more competent.”
Chuckling lightly, Erginius observed Joy hurriedly fixing her appearance and then spoke up.
“You did well yesterday. It’s hard to believe your impressive skills came from just a few days of training.”
Though the compliment felt sincere, Joy didn’t feel the slightest bit happy upon hearing it.
“No, I’m lacking.”
Yesterday, Joy had followed Lucy to save the Fairy Forest and succeeded in defeating the Evil God; however, what she truly gained from the experience was nothing but despair at her own powerlessness.
“I almost got my friends killed because of my mistakes.”
Lucy had insisted it was an unavoidable situation. That it was the best they could do, but Joy disagreed.
If Lucy hadn’t faced the Evil God, if they hadn’t trapped the Evil God amid pain and fear, they would all have died.
It was me who confidently claimed to have a plan. So, I must bear the responsibility for the failure.
“I must really be an absolute fool.”
She thought it would work. She thought she could do it. This time, she was sure she could help Lucy.
But what was the outcome? Once again, she had failed miserably, putting her friends through an unforgettable nightmare.
“Everybody goes through that.”
Joy was teary-eyed, thinking she was nothing but a hindrance to her friends when she was jolted back to reality by his dry response.
Erginius had his chin resting on his hand, pouting.
“Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t make mistakes? It’s just how life is.”
“But I…”
“You almost killed your friends? That’s happened to me too. Countless times, I got caught up in my curiosity and put others in danger.”
Things like almost dying while trying to collect dragon blood, unintentionally making enemies out of those who could have been allies, challenging the God of Magic and losing the ability to use magic.
“I’ve made countless mistakes. Even the fact that the Fairy Forest has now been tainted by darkness is partly my fault.”
He recited his failings nonchalantly while chuckling at Joy’s open-mouth response.
“But tell me, do you think the others never made any mistakes? No way. The Hero constantly took wrong turns, making us suffer. Garad caused problems by flirting every time we visited a village. Ruel always created conflict where there could have been compromise.”
It wasn’t just Erginius who had erred. Everyone made mistakes according to their personalities and actions. That was why they were able to stick together.
Knowing that greatness didn’t come from being flawless, they could exhale a sigh after any blunder and then figure out how to deal with it.
“Lady Allen is indeed a noble who is chosen as the Apostle of God, but that doesn’t mean she’s some superhuman who doesn’t make mistakes. Even this time, it wouldn’t be surprising if she nearly killed you all.”
“No, that’s…”
“The fact that you all got dragged into this is Lady Allen’s responsibility too. You know that.”
Erginius effortlessly cut off Joy’s attempt to deny it and clapped his hands together, creating a sound.
Startled, Joy hunched her shoulders as Erginius continued gently.
“Is Lady Allen your friend?”
“…Yes. Of course. Lucy is my precious friend.”
“Then throw away any sense of debt. Friends shouldn’t be judged by profits and losses.”
Joy opened her mouth instinctively but caught herself and lowered her gaze.
Friends are supposed to embrace one another. There’s no need for a calculation of benefits.
As long as each wants to help the other, that’s enough.
What Lord Erginius seemed to be saying was something along those lines.
She understood and accepted it, but…
Yeah.
It might take some time for her to fully embrace it in her heart.
After all, she had received so much from Lucy.
“By the way, why does someone who looks like they wouldn’t bleed if stabbed by a sword appear so much like a timid girl?”
“Is that not just overflowing with charm?”
“Yes. Overflowing with charm. It’s almost enough to be jealous.”
Joy flinched at the soft voice that landed on her shoulder, straightening her back.
“Y-Your Majesty the Fairy Queen?”
“Yes indeed. It’s me. Surprised?”
At the Queen’s darkened gaze, Erginius quickly interjected.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. This child is just—”
“I know. She’s my disciple, right? This one remembers me dispelling the darkness I wielded.”
“Then…”
“Just joking. I’m not petty enough to be jealous for merely having a conversation! Besides, Erginius’s preference leans more toward maturity, doesn’t it?”
Guhuh! Cough!
Erginius’ face turned crimson as he coughed repeatedly, and the Queen chuckled softly.
In the warmth of the scene, Joy sighed with relief, but then heard a voice by her ear and clenched her fist.
“Thank you for saving me, modern wizard.”
Once the Queen’s gratitude reached her heart, Joy finally felt the weight of what she had done.
Not a single thing went according to plan, and she’d made countless mistakes, but she helped Lucy save the Fairy Forest.
She resolved the lingering sentiments that Erginius left in the mythical era. Overcoming guilt, Joy bit her lip, fighting back tears swelling up in her eyes.
“If you wish, I could become your spirit.”
“That’s a no-go. Your Majesty. Spirit magic is too convenient and easy to depend on. For a wizard, it would likely become a poison.”
“Are you worried about losing your disciple?”
“To put it bluntly, yes. I wanted to snatch this child up even when I was being difficult.”
“…What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Now that we’ve finished here, will you cut off all ties?”
“A-Ah no! That won’t happen! It’s just that… I mean…”
“Fufu. You do look pretty cute when you’re flustered.”
Surrounded by beings close to deification, she had to settle with being adorably flustered.
*
By the time it was nearing noon, Arthur, summoned by the First Queen, walked towards her tent, trying his best to ignore his fatigue.
– That person seems to have quite a bit of interest in you.
“Not really. They probably just want to check what happened.”
– Hmm. Well, if I were in a position to manage the country, I wouldn’t just let you be.
“Is that so?”
– Regardless of your personal abilities, the people connected to you are quite remarkable. If I can take advantage of them, I should, right?
From the perspective of someone leading a nation, I might be considered a valuable piece.
Given that the piece was talking about the original Soladin, it had some persuasive weight. I, on the other hand, couldn’t quite confirm my own worth.
“Welcome, Your Highness the Third Prince. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes. Of course. It’s strange that I’m not more tired since I haven’t done much.”
– Not tired at all? After waking up multiple times screaming at night?
Arthur silently told that voice to shut up while forcing a smile.
“How is Her Highness the First Queen? It seems she has been working tirelessly since the battle began yesterday.”
“I’ve been slightly withdrawn from the front lines.”
– What a fib. The energy still emanating from the sword at your waist tells a different story.
Arthur knew from other knights that the First Queen had never stepped back from the frontlines.
She had always stood at the forefront, rallying the knights after Benedict Allen and his squad left. Even now, she hadn’t closed her eyes even once while working.
Lucy Allen’s informants seemed to have a bit of a reluctance toward the First Queen, but her passion for the country was genuine.
“Let’s skip the pleasantries. The reason I called for you, Third Prince, is…”
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
Was this going to be an explanation about yesterday’s events? I’m having trouble figuring out where to start.
First, I should shift most of the blame onto the Saintess, and then…
“What do you think about getting engaged to the daughter of the Allen Family?”
“…Excuse me?”
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