Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Chapter 15 - Arma Valentine #3
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The sunset sky was beautiful.
Beyond the horizon, which was dyed a deeper red than ever before, the colors of the sky layered upon one another like stacked towers.
Yellow, orange, purple, and then back to cold, dark blue.
Watching the sun burning the horizon beneath the darkness that blanketed the sky like a lie brought to mind a solitary campfire blazing in warm silence.
The wind blew.
On the gently rippling water's surface, vibrant colors spread out, creating a mystical scene.
And the woman.
The girl who made the entire scene before their eyes feel even more like an unreal illusion.
Beneath her clean, long silver hair that reflected the sky's light perfectly like a canvas, her pure white shoulders were fully exposed in soft curves, with the sunset's glow slipping down onto them.
The girl's back was so beautiful it could be called unreal.
That was why even her sudden outburst, yanking at her own hair in frustration, seemed like an extension of the mystery.
But one person.
Even though Luther's face flushed slightly at the girl's stunning figure, he watched the whole scene with a smile and ended up bursting into laughter again.
"Integra, why don't you just give up and pop the fruit already?"
[The fairies must all be blind!]
[Master, don't laugh either!]
As the sun set into night.
Integra had tried summoning the fairies once more, but it was hopeless.
Staring at the now-calm water surface, Integra pouted her lips, and Karen said with an awkward laugh.
"Um... well... maybe the legend is just wrong... or something?"
A beautiful girl soaks in the water and sings, and they appear.
A fairy-tale story anyone could hear anywhere.
And if even a spirit like Integra was failing, Karen wondered if there was truly any beauty who could succeed in the first place.
But unlike Karen, Luther, who knew Integra's true nature exactly, was looking for answers elsewhere.
'Is it just because it's a hologram?'
It's fake, not real.
Moreover, since it was a hologram projected from a drone, Integra was already violating one of the conditions: 'soak in the water.'
'But it's cuter and more fun watching her get frustrated, so I won't say anything.'
After enjoying a bit more of Integra stomping her feet in frustration, Luther gave Karen a glance.
Karen then turned back to Max, who checked on the crimson giant armor standing a bit away before popping the fruit from his pocket.
"You called? I came early."
As soon as the fruit burst, fairies emerged from beneath the water surface.
Videl, leading them, greeted cheerfully, and Integra bit her lip, clenching her fists.
'She's holding back from asking.'
Like whether they hadn't heard her calling, or if beautiful girls singing really did summon them at all.
'But it's really amazing.'
The Integra before his eyes was ultimately just a hologram.
Meaning it was a created image.
So expressions and actions could be manipulated however they wanted.
She could show no embarrassment or anger, staying perfectly calm as usual, or pretend to be wildly excited when she wasn't at all.
But Integra wasn't like that.
She displayed her emotional state perfectly through her actions and expressions.
As if she were a real living person.
'Of course, this assumes Integra isn't acting... she probably isn't, right?'
If all her behavior so far had been an act, nothing could be scarier.
But Luther wasn't seriously worried or afraid.
Integra was an honest and pure AI, after all.
'Slightly sly at times, though.'
In any case, as Integra pouted and fidgeted, the fairies began talking again with Videl at the front.
"The Queen is resting."
"We were going to invite you all to the kingdom, but that seems difficult."
"Sorry, but we did receive the Queen's gift properly."
"Is the Queen safe?"
The last question came from Karen.
The fairies smiled warmly at her sincere tone.
"She's safe."
"Like we said earlier, she's resting."
"She said a few days of good sleep would fix her up."
[She'll be fine.]
[I scanned her body before we parted, and it was just exhaustion.]
Integra spoke in a voice only Luther could hear.
Thanks to that, Luther felt much less worried as he watched Karen exchange more kind words with the fairies before speaking up at the right moment.
"What is the Queen's gift...?"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot."
"I'll give it to you now."
The fairies hurried over to each member of the group and kissed their foreheads.
"It's the Queen's blessing."
"The fairy's blessing will be with you."
Light particles rained down over Luther, Karen, and Max's heads.
But the fairy who tried to kiss Integra ended up kissing empty air and fidgeted awkwardly, while the one heading for Arma hesitated before kissing the giant armor's headpiece.
"Just bless it there."
Unable to watch, Luther pointed at the drone, and though the fairy furrowed her brow in confusion, she eventually kissed the drone as if she had no choice.
"We are the summer fairies, the Summer Fairies."
"Now you won't suffer from the heat with summer's protection."
"The hotter it gets, the stronger you'll feel."
It was a blessing that felt impressive yet vague.
But Karen and Max's faces lit up with smiles, thrilled just to receive a fairy's blessing.
And Integra's eyes widened in surprise.
[Master!]
[Unknown power is affecting not just Master's body temperature regulation, but the drone's cooling too.]
[Can't pinpoint the cause.]
[Is this... magic?]
The magic Integra had experienced so far was quite physical.
Freezing surroundings or setting them ablaze, things like that.
And that's why it was easy to understand.
It was ultimately physical phenomena.
But this blessing was different.
If one had to nitpick, it could be interpreted as a physical phenomenon too, but it felt like a completely different category.
'Well... if I have to describe it, maybe something involving chemical reactions.'
In any case, Luther looked over himself with a satisfied expression.
The fact that the fairies' blessing worked on him meant he could acquire the other blessings from Dragon Hunter Origin as well.
'Dragons' blessings.'
In both Dragon Hunter Origin and 3, the enemies were wicked evil dragons.
Though few in number, good dragons inheriting the power of the divine dragon Volpid still survived in this world, so gathering their blessings would greatly boost Luther's own power.
"Anyway, we're heading back now."
"We're worried about the Queen."
"Strong lesser dragons and monsters suddenly vanished, so the weak ones are getting wary."
"They'll start fighting among themselves soon."
"You should leave the canyon quickly too."
"Powerful lesser dragons sleeping deep in the canyon might wake up."
"You know how to call us, right?"
"Call anytime you need help."
"You're our friends."
Chattering through their necessary words quickly, the fairies smiled and vanished back into the water just as they had appeared.
"Sigh... they're gone."
Karen spoke in a voice full of regret—whether subconsciously or openly, she had enjoyed meeting the fairies the most.
A very teenage girl reaction, fitting her age—
'No, Max looks even more disappointed.'
His shoulders slumped to his ears as he sighed, looking utterly dejected.
But right then.
"They're gone. Still noisy as ever."
Arma Valentine, who had been silent the whole time, spoke as she opened the giant armor.
Her tone suggested she had been hiding inside the armor to avoid the fairies.
"Arma... have you met fairies many times before, Lady Arma?"
When Karen asked cautiously, Arma furrowed her brow as if recalling an unpleasant past and nodded.
"I've seen them a few times. I've summoned them with my real body a few times too."
"Really?!"
[That's definitely a lie!]
Karen and Integra raised their voices almost simultaneously.
The former to everyone, the latter only to Luther.
In any case, both spoke up, but their expressions were polar opposites.
Karen's eyes sparkled with admiration, while Integra bit her lip in frustration again.
'Arma's real body.'
As Arma herself had admitted, what was here was a murder doll remodeled after her by the Magic Kingdom.
So what about her real body?
Was it also a beautiful woman with pink hair like the doll before them?
'Come to think of it, maybe the fairies just like pink hair?'
[That's it!]
[I'll try with pink hair next time!]
'No, that's a bit...'
What if it still doesn't work?
But he knew exactly how Integra would react if he said it aloud, so Luther kept it to himself and quickly changed the subject.
"Lady Arma, thank you for waiting."
From the rest to the time waiting to summon the fairies.
Arma lazily put a cigar in her mouth, lit it, and replied.
"It's fine. There's plenty of reason to wait for an angel with the Heavenly Armor."
She exhaled a long stream of smoke, slightly furrowing her delicate brow before continuing.
"The meteor that destroyed my home. That's related to you, isn't it?"
Arma had already witnessed Luther absorbing the second fragment.
Plus, she had heard stories from Anne Rose and Lilia before leaving, so she grasped the rough situation.
Luther, the 'angel,' had his 'Heavenly Armor' scattered in pieces, and in the process, lost memories of the 'heavens.'
"Yes."
[Can you hand over the third fragment?]
Following Luther's affirmation, Integra's question came, and Arma took a long drag from her cigar before replying.
"I can hand it over. But there's a condition."
"What?"
"Let me research the Heavenly Armor."
Luther and Integra weren't surprised by Arma's words.
It was the answer they had expected.
As the world's greatest relic collector and already immensely wealthy, the only thing she would want was the Heavenly Armor.
[She still can't bring herself to demand ownership of the Heavenly Armor.]
'She's not that shameless.'
In any case, it wasn't a bad condition for Luther and Integra either.
[Arma has already researched the Heavenly Armor used by Emperor Clausewitz.]
[If we show her our nanosuit, we'll get info on Emperor Clausewitz's legacies in return.]
Luther thought the same.
But contracts like this required drawing clear lines from the start.
"I can't agree to any experiments or research that risk damaging or destroying the Heavenly Armor."
"Of course, that's a given."
Unlike Anne Rose's claim that she was furious, Arma nodded readily and calmly moved past the topic to the next one.
"I heard you're fighting an organization called Hecatoncheires. A group of dragonkin, right?"
Her expression was so languid it was hard to read her thoughts.
So Luther decided to be straightforward.
"Yes. From info overheard in battle, it seems they're plotting something dangerous in this land."
[So much for being honest.]
Valboa and Astra hadn't uttered a word about their conspiracy during the fight.
But since it was originally Integra's joke, Luther faced Arma directly, and she narrowed her brow once before exhaling white smoke again.
"Anything beyond them targeting the Spirit's Jewel?"
"Something seems to be at the Valkein Ruins."
"Valkein Ruins?"
"A site not far from Asain Canyon."
She couldn't know about it, could she?
But it seemed like unfounded worry.
Arma put her cigar back in her mouth and said.
"I've only heard of it, never been. It was fully excavated before I was born."
In truth, calling Valkein Ruins abandoned wasn't an exaggeration.
Research and excavation were long complete, no looters bothered, and too damaged for tourism.
"Might as well stop by once. Alright, I'll go with you."
Her face remained impassive, but a hint of energy entered her voice.
Excited at the possibility of new discoveries, perhaps.
'I'm starting to get a sense of her.'
Her expressions had such small range, but watching closely gave a rough feel.
Arma Valentine was definitely smiling now.
"Shall we head out right away?"
"No, it's already night... how about departing tomorrow morning?"
Luther still hadn't fully absorbed the second fragment.
He needed another day of rest.
Arma replied shortly with "I see," then suddenly turned to Karen.
"You're Karen, right?"
"Yes? Oh, yes! I'm Karen."
As Karen quickly answered, Arma stared at her silently.
No, she moved her lips soundlessly several times.
Not a mutter.
An act to convey her will to another.
Luther couldn't make out the words.
But Karen's face changed in that instant.
Clearly, Arma's voice had reached Karen at least.
[Karen is agitated.]
He didn't need telling.
Her face stiff as she tried hiding it, but her pupils trembled faintly.
What could it be?
Had Arma told her about the identities or pasts of Karen and Max, which Luther had suspected since first meeting them?
If so, what had Arma seen to know Karen's past?
[Karen's condition isn't bad.]
[Joy and sorrow mixed... a complex expression like that.]
Luther agreed.
But he didn't ask what happened.
'No danger.'
If there were issues with Karen's secret, Arma wouldn't gloss over it like this.
Not when they had to travel to Valkein Ruins together.
"Rest."
Arma said curtly again and closed the giant armor's breastplate.
Its size made it feel like a coffin.
[Master, aren't you going to ask about Karen?]
'For now.'
Karen wasn't a character from Dragon Hunter Origin.
Whatever secret she held was unknown, but no need to pry yet.
'We'll travel together... eventually, she'll tell us.'
So patience now.
Respect his first companions, Karen and Max.
With his mind made up, Luther pretended not to notice Karen's expression change and spoke energetically.
"Alright then, shall we eat? We can talk about Valkein Ruins too."
"Yes, I'll prepare."
Max replied energetically to Luther, and Karen masked her face with a forced smile once more.
Roughly 15 days remained until the 'Night of Mana' when the demon lord would descend in the original story.
Luther gazed south toward Valkein Ruins.