Chapter 75
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Memories Become Thorns (3)
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"Uwaaaah!"
Caught between telekinetic force and holy power, the Gustatory Officer let out a short scream.
For Sita Rahim, had there ever been a day as overwhelming as this one?
"The nightmare of the fire spirit..."
Memories flooded back of those days when she'd nearly been roasted alive.
No, this was far worse than the fire spirit incident.
The two women the Central Officer had brought with him were glaring at each other, radiating an ominous aura.
- Rumble rumble rumble...
The problem was that this ominous aura was directly affecting reality itself.
"Wh-what do I do wh-what do I do how do I..."
She couldn't even get the words out properly.
These were beings far too formidable for her to intervene.
One was the former saintess of the Holy Church.
The other was the current princess of the Crossroad Kingdom.
How was someone like the Gustatory Officer supposed to stop people who could dispose of her without a trace on just a glance?
- Crackle crackle crackle.
The sinister sound of powers clashing echoed relentlessly through the recovery room.
At this rate, the outcome was utterly unpredictable.
"Pl-please, you two can't fight... The Central Officer will be so sad..."
The Gustatory Officer mustered all her courage and timidly piped up.
The response was immediate.
"We're not fighting."
"Uuuugh."
They didn't even spare Sita a glance, just kept staring daggers at each other.
Anyone can see you're fighting.
"Princess. Say it again. No, choose again."
Erzena pointed at the desk with her fingertip.
Dozens of paper cards with words scrawled on them were scattered across it.
"I won't ask twice. Choose wisely."
Her voice was the coldest it had been since seeking asylum at the Immigration Control Office.
"What... is Nathan to you?"
Illein didn't hesitate. She picked up two cards from in front of her.
Right hand: 'Friend'.
Left hand: 'Man'.
Erzena read the two words aloud.
"Friend... and man..."
It was straightforward.
Illein's chosen words conveyed their exact meaning.
Nathan was a friend to the princess. Close enough to exchange letters.
And he was a man, too.
'A friend and a man. That's all there is to it.'
That's what she'd thought exactly two minutes ago.
But if you rearranged them just right...
"...Boyfriend."
The words twisted into an outrageous new meaning.
Once more, the two women's gazes clashed.
- Craaaackle!!!
Holy power surged wildly, fiercer than ever before.
Golden light poured from her eyes.
- Grriiind.
In retaliation, psychokinetic force shook the entire recovery room.
"Eeeeek!! Central Offiiicer!!"
The pitiful Gustatory Officer's scream was the only fitting accompaniment.
About 30 minutes earlier.
"Hmm... what to do about this."
Erzena stared at Illein, who had been sitting silently in the recovery room for a while, with a troubled expression.
"Uuu..."
The princess's face was the picture of gloom.
Whatever had happened outside, after a commotion and some noise, she'd returned in a complete funk.
And Nathan still hadn't come back from wherever he'd gone.
'Why did Nathan send the princess to me?'
She pondered for a moment.
Nathan wouldn't have done this without reason.
He must have entrusted the princess to her expecting something in return.
'Hoping for a cure to her mutism?'
No, that couldn't be it.
Their first meeting proved that much.
Illein had shown fierce hostility just from sensing the holy power.
That was why Erzena was suppressing her golden aura as much as possible even now.
'Then what could it be...'
Then, a single word popped into her head.
Friend.
'Right. Maybe he sent her to become friends with me.'
The princess currently only knew Hanna and the Central Officer.
It was just like when she'd first applied for temporary asylum.
'Plus, they're already living together...'
The way Illein looked at Nathan was a bit worrying, but it should be fine.
Nathan wasn't the type to be easily swayed by that sort of thing.
'But I have no idea what to say.'
Conversation wasn't a one-way street.
It required back-and-forth, emotions exchanged.
Erzena slowly opened her mouth.
"Um... Illein?"
"Uuu."
She mumbled dejectedly.
As expected, impossible to understand.
Erzena frowned and glanced around.
"Can't speak, huh... Ah, how about we try writing?"
At that, Illein snapped her head up.
- Nod nod.
Why didn't I think of that?
She quickly fetched paper and a pen.
The moment Illein took the paper, she scribbled furiously without pause.
- Scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch.
"Pr-princess. Hold on a sec..."
- Scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch.
And about a minute later, the paper came back.
Erzena took it and read.
[This morning I woke up excited to head to the Immigration Control Office but after seeing the Central Officer's entry interview I realized the world is so sca-,]
- Thud.
Her hand automatically covered the paper.
She barely stemmed the flood of information.
Instinctive revulsion.
"Wh-what was that just now...?"
The text was denser than the Holy Church's scriptures.
- Tap tap.
Illein tapped the desk with her pen, as if saying she had more to write, pressuring silently.
"...Uu."
From that, the former saintess realized.
Losing speech meant losing even basic ways to communicate.
And for someone isolated from the world for so long, conversation meant dumping all their info and feelings unilaterally.
This wasn't dialogue. Just one-sided talking and writing.
That was how Illein faced the world.
"L-let's do this!"
Erzena hurriedly snatched two sheets and scrawled large words.
[Yes.]
[No.]
"This'll make it easier!"
The key to bonding was common ground and pacing.
Not too fast, finding overlaps—that was the first step to friendship.
Let's take that step.
Maybe Illein wanted that too.
It might be the best way to learn to connect with the world.
"Illein. Do you... like cake by any chance?"
Start with food.
'No one in the world hates cake.'
A carefully crafted question.
Illein picked up a card.
[No].
"..."
Right from the start, Erzena felt choked.
"Then, excluding showers, how often do you take a full soak in the bath?"
For the 15th question, Illein picked up a card.
[Once a week]. [Once]. [Evening].
What started with just 'Yes' and 'No' had already expanded to over a dozen word cards.
"Wonderful! Me too. Bathing before bed makes the blankets feel so soft, right?"
Illein stared blankly at the chattering woman in front of her.
'Weird woman.'
That was Illein's current assessment.
She said she was the Holy Church's former saintess.
That alone was reason enough for Illein to hate her.
But Erzena claimed she'd impeached herself.
'Why?'
A woman at the church's pinnacle.
Yet she'd thrown it away and sat here casually facing her.
'She should find me uncomfortable.'
To the church, she was a walking headache.
A monster blessed by God yet used it to kill her own brother.
Erzena showed no sign of unease.
Illein's green eyes fixed on her with curiosity.
What exactly was this woman?
"Great. Let's add more words. Let's see... man, woman, money, trust, friend, funny..."
Now Erzena was the excited one, scribbling dozens of words on paper.
Watching silently, the corner of Illein's mouth twitched faintly.
The gloom faded, replaced by a slight thrill.
Honestly, it was fascinating.
Hanna intuited what she wanted without words.
Nathan was the only one who understood her mumbles completely.
'Those two were the only ones comfortable around me.'
Who would've thought someone else would try so actively to talk with her?
"Ah, right! Later, let's go buy some flowers together. Nathan has zero interest in that stuff, so the house feels so drab. Right?"
Her thoughts shifted bit by bit.
'Maybe... unlike what I saw at the Immigration Control Office, the world isn't all danger.'
Looking back, even that stubborn dwarf had cleared up misunderstandings through talk with the Central Officer and softened up.
And the former saintess hadn't shown a hint of holy power in front of her.
Consideration.
First time receiving it outside Hanna and the Central Officer.
Illein felt an inexplicable warmth from her.
Cozy, tension easing gradually.
Even knowing she was from the church, the gentle feeling persisted.
Like... an older sister.
"Alright, next question!"
But one thing.
Just one thing bothered her.
"When Nathan went to the royal castle to see you..."
"Nathan..."
She kept calling the Central Officer by name.
Not a title. Not his position.
Erzena used 'Nathan' consistently, public or private, without hesitation.
As if it were the most natural thing.
- Throb.
Illein unconsciously pressed her hand to her chest.
'What is this feeling?'
She didn't know.
But every time she heard it, it felt a little off.
Not painful, but stifling.
A first-time sensation.
And with it, a realization.
- Illein.
The Central Officer called her by name.
- Don't cross that line.
Sometimes dropping honorifics, speaking casually like close friends.
'But I...'
Still only addressed him by title.
The discomfort grew.
Nathan had called her a friend.
To the princess, Nathan Kell was utterly precious.
Her one true confidant.
'I want... to call the Central Officer by name too.'
If she had the right.
If she had the courage.
Wouldn't it be okay to call him by name?
That was when.
"Ahem. Princess Illein. So... what kind of... relationship do you have with Nathan?"
Erzena asked very cautiously, averting her gaze as if it were nothing.
"Ah, just curious! He doesn't talk much about himself..."
Illein didn't hesitate.
The answer was set.
She scanned the many cards on the desk.
"...Uh?"
But 'one and only' and 'confidant' weren't there.
"Uuu..."
A bewildered gaze.
She'd never thought beyond that.
So she picked the closest words.
[Friend], and [Man].
Nathan Kell was the first man to approach her, a man she could rely on.
And an irreplaceable dear friend.
She held up both cards.
Erzena's face visibly relaxed in relief.
"Ahem. I see. Friend and man... Wait, hold on."
But not three seconds later, it hardened.
"...Boyfriend?"
"Eh?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected combination, Illein looked up in surprise.
- Crackle crackle crackle!
Erzena's suppressed holy power burst forth.
The moment the repulsive golden aura hit her eyes, Illein instinctively unleashed her psychokinesis.
Without realizing the misunderstanding she'd caused.
"What did you just say, Illein?"
"Eh? Ueh? Uh... Uwaa?"
A hedgehog never knows how sharply its defensive spines stab.
But once hostility flared, Illein had to retaliate.
"...Uu."
That had been her way of survival all along.
- Grriiind.
Psychokinesis began surging in response to Illein's emotions.
Finally, after the magic academy president finished his business and left, I could head back to the Immigration Control Office.
"Damn, I'm late."
The sun was already dipping toward the horizon.
I headed to the recovery room where Erzena was.
Now that I knew what to tell and show Illein, there was no reason to dawdle.
- Slam.
I threw open the door and said,
"Illein, Erzena. You here-, ugh."
And froze solid.
First into view: Erzena, arms crossed, looking down at the princess.
Her head held high in a haughty poise I'd never seen, eyes narrowed down at Illein—I gaped.
Next: Illein standing right in front of her, staring straight back defiantly.
Gone was the dejected face; now tense and guarded, right hand extended defensively.
Holy power and psychokinesis divided the room precisely in half, like rival factions rippling against each other.
And finally, what I saw...
"Centraaaal Offiiicer..."
The Gustatory Officer, sniffling and clinging to my pant leg.
"Can I go home earrrrly..."
Thoroughly swept up in the two bizarre forces, her brown hair disheveled, she sobbed pitifully.
"Send me hooome waaah!"
It's already past quitting time—what early leave?
"What... the hell is going on here?"
My brain couldn't keep up.
How did things sour between them in just an hour?
That was when.
"Nathan."
A voice colder than a midwinter north wind called me.
"Y-yes. Erzena."
The former saintess—my roommate, asylum seeker, and collaborator—enveloped in thick golden aura, spoke.
"I need to talk to you. Alone."
"Pardon? M-me, ma'am?"
"Yes. Right now."
I just got back from resolving one mess?