Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Lucia, under house arrest, had buried her face in her knees.
The outside was noisy. She, who had lived with Eleanor, knew it wasn't a random occurrence. Eleanor wouldn’t stand idly by.
But...
'She couldn’t possibly make it all the way here.'
She didn't have that kind of strength.
Even if Oz cooperated with her, it would be impossible. Oz would be held back by Discreet, and a defenseless Eleanor would be captured before even arriving.
Yes, she shouldn’t harbor hope.
What right did she have to hope, anyway?
She, who had run away instead of making excuses in front of Eleanor.
What right did she possibly have...?
BANG!
Suddenly, the sound of a gun resonated in Lucia’s ears. At that volume, it was probably Ulla’s rifle.
“See...”
Ulla was Tenebris’s best sniper. If she pulled the trigger, it meant she hit her target.
Moreover, the target would be Eleanor, so she probably couldn’t even defend herself.
“Forget it. Forget it and transfer to another place... I’m a soldier, so a normal life like that was never meant to be...”
BANG!
At that moment, the sound of a gun again rang in Lucia’s ears. A second gunshot.
What it meant was simple.
Eleanor didn't fall from the first bullet. She hadn't given up.
Lucia felt as if she could see the scene before her eyes.
“Stop...”
BANG! BANG!
The gunshots continued.
Lucia couldn't help but recall it, even if she didn't want to. Her two friends were fighting. They were hurting each other.
The sounds were getting closer.
There was urgency in the gunshots.
Lucia imagined Eleanor approaching despite her injuries, and Ulla pulling the trigger with a sorrowful heart at Eleanor, then she covered her ears.
BANG!
But with her keen hearing, covering her ears didn't mean she couldn't hear.
She flinched at the impact sound, which had only decreased in volume.
And as such hellish time passed, silence fell.
“Ah...”
Stillness.
Lucia realized that the battle between the two had ended.
The outcome of the match was obvious without even looking.
“Haha...”
Eleanor must have lost.
She couldn’t defeat Ulla. Unless Ulla intentionally let her win, there was no way she could win.
Eleanor's special power would probably be of little use against Ulla, who used physical means like guns and gunpowder as weapons, not complex powers.
“...I wanted to at least apologize.”
“Then do it!”
CRASH!
It happened just as Lucia’s murmur ended.
A loud crash came from the door.
It felt as if someone had kicked it open. Lucia, startled, flinched while running towards the door.
“...”
And as her hand touched the doorknob, Lucia fell into thought again.
Had she heard things? If it were Eleanor, she would have come in. But there was no reaction other than the first voice she heard.
“Ugh...”
But at the sound that followed, Lucia threw the door open.
There, she saw Eleanor, wearing a cat mask, slumped on the floor gripping her ankle as if she had sprained it.
“Ouch... My grand entrance ended up a mess... Hello, Lucia! I’m Phantom Thief Chrysalis.”
“What on earth are you doing...”
“I wanted to make the most spectacular entrance by kicking the door open with a pow! but I failed. Heheheh.”
“Haha...”
Lucia, forgetting even the current situation, let out a chuckle at Eleanor’s foolish appearance. She was truly a troublesome person.
She was so gloomy, but Eleanor was the kind of person who could make such things seem unimportant enough to elicit laughter.
One could say she was even more malicious because she was serious about it herself.
“Why on earth are you doing something so reckless, Noah...”
Lucia chuckled, yet chided her with a worried tone.
“Noah? What do you mean? I’m Phantom Thief Chrysalis.”
“Noah, this isn’t the time for games...”
“I’m Phantom Thief Chrysalis, symbolizing the moon and a black cat!”
She was stubborn, despite showing no shred of intention to hide.
Moreover, with the cat-shaped mask, she looked both foolish and cute.
“This isn’t a place you can just come into. More importantly, what’s with that mask? Were you planning to hide with that?”
“I thought it would be hard for you to talk if you saw my face.”
“...”
Lucia was momentarily speechless at the surprisingly considerate reason.
“If you don’t have the face to see me, then tell Phantom Thief Chrysalis. I’ll deliver it for you.”
“What you’re saying is all jumbled up...”
Even the subject wasn't classified.
Lucia, as if dumbfounded, crouched down to Eleanor and examined her condition.
“So many bruises...”
It must have been injuries from Ulla's gun. Even rubber bullets, being accompanied by gunpowder, would hurt upon impact.
“Her wrist is swollen too...”
Eleanor’s wrist was badly swollen, perhaps from overexerting herself while wielding the heavy greatsword.
“And...”
Lucia fell silent again, as if lost for words.
The more she examined Eleanor's physical state, the more she realized how much Eleanor had pushed herself for her sake.
If this weren't Scientia, where killing was forbidden, she would have died.
Given Eleanor’s personality, she wouldn’t have aimed for that, so Lucia could easily guess that Eleanor had risked her life for her.
“I’m sorry...”
When her heavy lips parted again, what came out was an apology.
All along, she had wanted to say these words.
“I’m sorry for looking away.”
Lucia knew how much Eleanor suffered from nightmares every time she was alone in the dead of night.
She knew, but pretended not to.
Because she had approached her as a foolish 'character' who repeated exaggerated actions to the point of appearing stupid.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
When she was struggling, when someone was targeting her, she couldn't help.
Because her role was to observe and gather information, not to protect her.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
And the most fundamental problem.
Lucia had deceived Eleanor.
Even knowing how much she struggled, how many crises she was exposed to.
She did nothing.
She simply watched from afar, assuming Oz would ultimately step in.
Lucia confessed, sobbing. The regret was resolved. So now it was time to speak.
“So you don’t have to do so much for someone like me.”
It was time to cut ties.
She was a soldier belonging to the Empire’s intelligence agency, Tenebris.
She couldn't refuse orders from above.
She would be ordered to transfer to another region for failing this mission.
“Are you done talking, Lucia?”
Eleanor listened to Lucia’s confession with a calm demeanor, then grabbed Lucia’s wrist, who was trying to distance herself, and pulled her into a hug.
“You’ve been watching me all this time. You’ve watched all my actions, my pranks, from up close.”
She didn’t look away.
So it was okay.
“You’ve helped me all this time. You helped me write my reflection reports, and you took over my part-time jobs.”
She had already helped Eleanor countless times.
So it was okay.
“And...”
The root cause of Lucia hating herself the most.
The first button that was wrongly fastened.
“I also have many secrets.”
Their relationship had been built wrongly.
It wasn't just Lucia's attitude of approaching with lies that was the problem.
Eleanor, who had adorned herself with lies, was also the same.
“Just as you knew my secrets and said nothing, this time, I will understand.”
She knew but pretended not to.
While it was partly due to orders from above, it was also Lucia's own consideration.
This time, she would do the same for Eleanor.
It wasn't necessary to know everything about the other person. Pretending not to know while knowing, understanding—that was what she considered a friend.
“So don’t go, Lucia. Let’s be friends again.”
“I... I can’t.”
Lucia said, sobbing.
Wouldn’t she want to, too?
“I am a soldier of the Empire. Therefore, I must not disobey orders.”
Eleanor patted Lucia’s crying head. She understood. Eleanor also knew what was binding her.
She had even heard the problems about it from Oz. She had clearly learned that emotions alone weren't enough.
Therefore, she took her first step.
“You said you knew about my true identity, right, Lucia?”
If what was binding her was the military law of the Imperial Family.
“I am royalty. The rightful heir to the Chrysos Kingdom. I will never abandon my people, nor will I bow to anyone.”
Eleanor’s first answer as royalty, immature as it was.
“Defect to Chrysos, Lucia. I will free you from everything that binds you.”
The best she could offer now. But her words, coming from someone who possessed nothing, were light.
They had to be light.
It was ultimately just an appeal to emotion.
Because she didn't have the power to realize what she said.
No money, no power, no authority.
Nothing at all.
It was as good as an empty promise.
“...”
But Lucia’s heart wavered, looking into Eleanor’s blue eyes, which held her will.
She wanted to believe in that strong will.
“Take my hand, Lucia. Be my subject. I will protect you.”
It would definitely be a foolish choice.
It was impossible even for the Chrysos Kingdom before it fell, and now there was no foundation whatsoever.
“You just have to stand by my side, as usual.”
Never.
“So don’t go anywhere, stay with us, Lucia.”
Impossible.
“Let’s reconcile. Let’s shed all our apologies to each other and become friends again from the beginning.”
Yes, it must be impossible, yet...
“Yes...”
Lucia took that hand.
She had made a childish choice.
“Heheheh. Then it’s settled.”
“Noah?!”
Eleanor, upon hearing Lucia’s words, grabbed her arm and started running.
She was utterly headstrong.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Discreet Punisher thought.
Had he been coercive?
Was he, who desired Lucia’s growth the most, the very one hindering it?
He reflected on his past attitude. When he first met Oz.
- Please lend your residence to the Successor of the Mage King.
- …Yes?
- Is there a problem?
- No, there isn’t...
- Then it’s settled.
He forcibly gave her an order, wanting to confirm an opportunity for Lucia to change.
It was for her, but... Yes, it was coercive.
Discreet then recalled the incident with Prudence Loa.
- And Agent Lucia, you only need to convey a one-way message to Prince Oz.
Immediately after the contract with Oz was concluded.
- He will understand if you say the operation failed.
- That’s...!
- Agent Lucia.
He made Lucia deliver only a unilateral message.
Even though he desired her growth, he said nothing.
- Execute the order.
- …Yes.
Ignoring emotions, he simply stated facts known only to him.
Yes, he simply gave orders, completely disregarding Lucia’s emotions.
The one inhibiting Lucia’s growth was Discreet himself.
“Ah! Master! And... Professor Discreet?”
“...”
Discreet looked at the girl who had brought Lucia out, even though she was covered in blood. Was he different?
He thought he was acting for his family, but was that truly the case?
Had he not ignored everything and simply imposed his ideals?
“Commander...”
“Commander? This person? Now that you mention it, you two did look alike?! Both of you had cat ears and tails!”
“That’s a common trait of beast-kin, Noah...”
Discreet looked at Lucia, who was calling him “Commander.”
They were family. They were supposed to be family.
But it was Discreet himself who had dismissed that relationship as workplace matters. He had made it that way.
It was natural, but...
Had the two ever spent time together as family?
Had he ever treated Lucia as family, not just an agent?
Discreet didn't know.
He didn't know what Lucia liked or disliked.
He hadn’t even tried to know.
Therefore,
“Lucia.”
Not as her superior in the workplace, but as her family, as her older brother.
“Yes, y-yes.”
“Do you know how to ride a bicycle?”
“Excuse me...?”
First, he decided to take a step, to try to understand her, even a little.
It was the first step for a man endlessly competent in work but endlessly clumsy in family relationships.