Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: 34-4. We Fight, But We Also Love.
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I returned to the northern palace and shared a conversation with everyone.
"It's finally all sorted out. Even the monsters descending on the defensive lines have stopped."
"It should be safe for you to retrieve the phoenix cradle now."
Pine was standing a little away from me, still hiccupping nonstop. It would've been nice if she'd kept clinging to me, but oh well.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Licht."
When I advised that it was okay to take out the cradle, the woman with golden hair nodded in agreement.
A brilliance like sunlight shone through the window,
"What would you like as a reward for subjugating the apostle?"
and golden feathers fluttered down from the sky like fragments of the sun raining down.
'That's why her nickname is the Living Sun.'
In the game, she was a character aligned with the side I disliked, so I'd never recruited her as a companion.
"If there's anything you desire, I'll speak to His Majesty on your behalf."
She worried about her son Nex, but in such a twisted way that she tried to build him a harem. Why would I ever use her as a companion?
I needed a spirit mage to catch Magic Hat, but I didn't have to use her. Being a DLC heroine played a part too.
In the game, you could get stronger by recruiting others well.
I could use her rivalry with Nex. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?
"Asha, you've been through a lot too!!"
Drake grinned cheerfully at Asha as she sipped her black tea.
It was like he'd boiled a steam whistle or something—the room vibrated for a moment. Impressive.
"Drake, show some restraint. You're the same as ever, even during the war."
"The academy vice principal hasn't been around much!!"
That explained why the school's staff felt a bit sparse. So this guy was Grand Hearts Academy's vice principal.
"Living Sun."
"Yes? Licht."
I tossed out a question to satisfy my curiosity. It had to flow naturally rather than suddenly bringing up Nex.
"Are you the vice principal of the academy I attend?"
"That's right. I was urgently dispatched north last semester, so I couldn't show my face."
Clink. Asha set down her teacup again, meeting my eyes with her golden gaze, revealing the sharp edge of one of the Ten Heroes.
"Come to think of it, Nex mentioned you're a close junior of his."
Perfect. She took the bait.
A probe to gauge her.
She'd watched me intently during the undead monster fight earlier, and after spending so much time with that pillar husband guy, this was easy.
"Is Nex doing well?"
"No, honestly, whose fault is it that he's living so miserably?"
I laid out the truth to the golden-haired woman.
Because of his mother's overprotection, he hadn't received proper love since childhood.
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you might already know, but his lover was kidnapped by a Hero Cult apostle..."
I adopted a slightly relaxed posture. I'd already lied about being the Hero of Intellect.
"When the Head attacked the academy, he protected the students all by himself, without any support."
I crossed my legs. Showing any sign of intimidation here could ruin everything.
Asha didn't know my hand, but I had a rough idea of hers.
'I nearly got shot and died too, so I've got every right to call her out.'
If Sharutineth had been kidnapped and Nex swayed to the Hero Cult, I might not have needed the phoenix cradle.
From her dislike of her own spirit and the lack of mentions of the Second Saintess in the story,
the vampire saintess probably met a bad end.
"May I ask just one thing?"
I summoned a spirit to bring down a shower, washing away the lies under the cold sky.
"Why are you trying to set up your senior's marriage with multiple people on purpose?"
"Did Nex tell you?"
I shook my head, regulating my breathing to avoid giving away the lie,
"No. It's the Hero of Intellect's ability."
Pine seemed to be sulking against the wall in the distance, but I didn't care.
Even if she crossed her arms and glared, our prior village drama made it...
"Ah, ugh..."
She'd turn her head away the moment our eyes met. Even if it was an accident, the stimulus must've been too strong.
Her hiding her face with her white tail. Such actions were just cute.
"My ability finds or hides information. So I know the hidden truths."
With no more interruptions, I prepared to start the talk, sipping scones and black tea.
"You hid that Nex's father has purple hair, didn't you?"
"..."
A deduction from my playthroughs and DLC reviews combining Nex and Asha's relationship.
"...Did you tell Nex?"
"No, that's for you as his parent to resolve."
Like how Pine hid as Mardol, and no one doubted her black hair.
"...Even a bird in a cage must fly someday, Lady Asha Aureus."
They were parent and child.
The issue was her overprotection, fearing he'd lose his loved one like she did.
In the past, I'd anticipated the game's additional content.
Because there might be a route to romance the Nameless Saintess.
So I was thrilled jumping at the game company's announcement.
I figured I'd learn the past of the cute wolf-eared girl,
and she wouldn't have to envy others' love anymore.
Fan patches or mods didn't count as canon, so I ignored them.
But clicking what seemed obviously about our saintess revealed
Spoilers and analyses flooded in, piquing my interest, but
Checking screenshots on the game page left me deflated.
'Why is the hair color... gray?'
A girl looking younger than the family head I knew, in her early twenties, with an ethereal appearance,
'They're crazy for heroine sales.'
Player reactions were positive, so the creators rode the hype.
The short description made me nauseous. Playing as a married woman with a kid's husband?
This is just NTR, right? Pure insanity.
"Hey, Soo-hyun. You try the new DLC?"
"That's NTR!!"
My pillar husband guy's sudden voice chat rant shifted my thinking a bit. I'd accepted thinking it'd be about the northern grand duchess.
"Nah? From playing it, it feels like a real side story, not NTR."
"What're you talking about... Ki-seok."
He uploaded pics to our guild chat. DLC start screen for character creation.
"See, no name or appearance customization. You just play as the protagonist."
No customization. Just a brief glimpse of a purple-haired man,
"This company wouldn't do that..?"
Opposite of the original's high freedom in appearances—I sensed inconsistency.
'Just a story DLC then.'
He continued with my emoticon. Sophitia saying 'NTR is a crime even in the north!' or something quirky.
He wasn't this bad at first, but infected by me, he collected everything northern grand duchess related.
I passed it since it wasn't our saintess emoticon, but at this point, it was scary. Good thing I'm normal.
"Check the clear perks... Nah. Just read one review."
Ding-. Notification with a game community link from Ki-seok.
Maybe he worried from my constant saintess DLC cries. Guild master losing dignity looked pathetic.
'Wish he'd fix the cold or radical sides.'
Ruthless in means, bold methods friend.
He took the route purging northern rebels against the grand duchess for 'True Iron Blood' achievement.
Touch once more and blood purge, he'd say.
Last time he hired that gold knight for shock therapy on me,
Always saying I'm oblivious and frustrating.
But claiming Sophitia Coldheart prettier than our saintess? No way. What's oblivious?
"Author nickname... Guardian of Light?"
Clicked Ki-seok's link; white screen loaded forever—super long post.
"...So Asha's husband died in the war after all."
30 minutes full read summed up: sad ending.
"Guys who make stuff this good, why no heroine route for our saintess."
Purple-haired boy enters Aureus house as servant, heals gray-haired girl's heart.
Phoenix burned everything to ash.
"Hence the subtitle Ashen Phoenix."
She had a constitution where spirits wouldn't awaken, holed up as a total shut-in.
"Seems pure love... Why write the description like that."
Player resolves family crisis.
Teaches her love, golden hair regains color strand by strand.
Improperly hatched spirit burned it gray or whatever. Setting didn't matter.
Hair dyed love's color was romantic. Images showed only her happy smile.
"Would've been nice as happy ending. Shame."
Player rises from servant to son-in-law, but dies in Hero Cult war.
Clear perk: hidden space behind ducal study full of purple-haired man's items.
"Inevitable fate."
I hadn't攻略ed Magic Hat yet, unaware our saintess might die like this,
"Bittersweet tale."
Review's lingering aftertaste made me swallow bitterness, even just reading.
Honestly, from here it's pure speculation.
"...When senior Nex was born, you must've panicked."
Heard about Sharutineth and Nex, Ten Heroes blood is thick, traits inherit well.
Pine Granasia sneaking behind me proves it. Tail hides face, but it's you. Just stand.
"No spirit like yours emerged."
Dusted scone hand, checked her flustered face. Story's landing.
"To keep him from getting hurt like you in fights, you did it on purpose?"
"Nonsense. How dare you speak such folly..."
Hero Cult threat lingers. Probably didn't want him suffer losing love like her.
Her calc: harem awakens spirit stronger than hers.
Maybe didn't want him repeat her misfortune.
"If not expressed properly, kids won't know. Lady Asha."
Closed eyes, recalled real dad the firefighter. As kid, I resented him often, immature.
"I know from experience. I misunderstood my dad too."
Felt neglected by sole family always dispatched.
Childish black history. Even days off, saving lives.
"You asked what reward I want."
But dad taught fishing on trips, movies etc.
Surely tired, yet carved time for memories.
Understood my heart best, showed me shining world—my father.
Like Asha, caging child for preciousness loses that light. Family fights outsiders shouldn't meddle,
'Even portraits and items moved to hidden study space.'
Frankly, Nex pitiful.
Asha silenced even truth-knowers, so he doesn't know dad's identity, treated bastard.
"...Tell His Majesty no need."
I stood, donned white academy coat. Headed to room prepping to leave north,
"Instead, see senior Nex's true self. Duchess Asha Aureus."
Paused, half-turned, relaying pillar husband's words.