Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Episode 41
Olivia's revelation of being royalty certainly stirred things up, but she wasn't wrong. I am maintaining a distance from Arietta. At first, there was a clear line, but it's true that we've grown closer.
[Erosion Rate: 24%]
The higher the [Erosion Rate] climbs, the harder it is to keep Arietta at arm's length.
That's precisely why I've been using formal language and setting boundaries.
Arietta is a dangerous presence.
Not that she's dangerous, but the closer I get to her, the more easily my emotions are swayed.
Arietta and Oz's bond is incredibly deep.
It feels awkward, like I, an outsider, have intruded upon that sacred connection.
“Is it really necessary to keep your distance…?”
“What? From whom? Why? More importantly, do you even have anyone you're close enough to to call it 'keeping your distance'?”
“…”
I turned towards the voice and saw a girl crushing candy with her teeth.
Tia, our academy headmaster, who probably had the hardest time with this whole incident.
“…Headmaster, if you’re going to visit a patient, at least announce your presence.”
And I do have close friends I keep a distance from.
So, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop with those prejudiced remarks; they’re hurtful.
“Why should I announce myself if I’m not human?”
What a lame excuse.
“So, what brings you here? If you’re planning to snap my neck, please reconsider.”
“Look, if you don't provoke me, that won't happen, okay? More to the point, don't you have any idea?”
“No.”
“I need to debrief you. You have to tell me how things ended, don’t you?”
“You’re asking me this while I'm hospitalized?”
Isn’t this a bit much? At least wait until I’m discharged.
I didn't have it easy during this incident, so I wanted some peace and quiet to rest. Of course, I'm still under heavy surveillance.
It wasn't exactly relaxing, but in this chaotic situation, no one would make a move.
“Well, you have a point. But the situation is a bit precarious. I was going to ask the others, but…”
“What happened?”
“The ones who are physically fine are terrible at explaining things, and the one who’s relatively okay is…well, her head’s a bit strange.”
It’s true that even I sometimes struggle to understand what Eleanor says.
But here, I had to defend her honor.
“Noah’s head isn’t strange. She’s just unique.”
“I never said Noah.”
“Oh, really?”
“No…Actually, you’re right…”
See? I knew it.
This prejudiced, wicked lizard!
Well, I could vaguely guess how the others responded.
Alexios probably didn’t even grasp the situation properly.
Baekyang, Arietta, and Marie were all critically injured from the direct fight with [Death King], so excluding them, that left only Lucia and me.
“The only one who seemed like they could communicate properly was that cat…”
“With a beastman’s heightened senses, she probably couldn’t even speak in front of you, Headmaster.”
“It’s not like I’m going to eat her.”
Tia shrugged casually and chuckled.
Beastmen had keen senses.
However, because they were too keen, they were often rendered speechless in the presence of an apex predator.
Just as I had glimpsed Tia's true form with [Contemplation], Lucia must have sensed Tia's true power through her senses.
Moreover, as a spy, Lucia would have felt multiple times more pressure facing Tia.
“Well, that’s how it is. I narrowed it down to the only one who could communicate, and it just happened to be you.”
“It would've been nice if you’d said I was the most trustworthy.”
“Honestly, aren’t you the least trustworthy? Just be grateful I'm not grilling you about all your secrets.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”
So, enough with the small talk.
It was time to answer Tia’s questions about what transpired. Of course, I wasn’t planning to reveal everything.
Things like Eleanor’s key and divine magic needed to be kept hidden.
Of course, there was no way Tia wouldn’t notice if I lied, so I had to embellish the truth just enough.
“First, to tell you the most important outcome…”
There were many ways to conceal the truth, but the most effective method at this point was simple.
“Death King’s Key has been split in half.”
“What…?”
Drop a bombshell so shocking that it short-circuits their understanding.
“Wait, hold on…What?”
That way, they wouldn't have the capacity to question other details.
Their mind would be too occupied trying to process that one piece of information.
“Well, that’s what happened.”
“What do you mean, 'that’s what happened'?! What did you do to split the Key in half? Wait a minute…then where’s the other half?”
“Marie Sistus has it. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, it’s best not to try and take it from her.”
That’s what I was worried about. Taking the Key meant killing its holder.
Of course, Tia wouldn't casually kill Marie and steal the key, but…
“Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
“You just said you weren't human.”
“Sharp wit, you Successor to the Mage King.”
She probably had been considering taking the key.
That alone showed how dangerous the key was.
It held such value and danger that one might have to consider killing to retrieve it, just to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
“Well, whatever…It’s the Key of the Immortal, so only beings from the Underworld can use it anyway, so it’s fine.”
“That’s right.”
Fortunately, the [Key of the Immortal] held by the [Death King], Thanatos, couldn’t be used by anyone outside the Underworld.
This incident would surely heighten Tia's vigilance towards the [Death King], so she probably decided there was no need to retrieve the key.
“Now, explain exactly what happened.”
“You’re working a patient to the bone.”
If she was planning on listening to such a long story, she should have at least brought some juice or something as a get-well gift.
“Well? Isn’t the fact that you overworked Arietta a bigger problem?”
“…Is it that serious?”
Despite her teasing tone, Tia sounded more serious than I expected.
That displeasure was genuine.
“Fine, I can’t hide it forever anyway. Arietta’s condition is quite serious.”
“…”
I knew Arietta had pushed herself too hard.
Hadn’t Olivia just visited in her place?
Still, since she’d only asked me to deliver a flowerpot, I assumed she was just exhausted.
“Actually, speaking of which, the reason I'm in such a hurry is because of Arietta’s situation.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The Saintess is the symbol of the Church.”
The title of Saintess held a special significance within the Church.
A being loved by God, a beacon of hope for all.
Even the nicknames given to the Saintess showed how much weight the title carried.
So, what would happen if the Saintess were seriously harmed in this incident?
If she was put in danger in Scientia, the very place she was sent for safety?
“…The Pope is coming?”
“Exactly.”
Tia nodded with a sour expression.
It was clear that she found the Pope’s presence unpleasant.
“I’m warning you, don’t provoke the Pope.”
“I understand perfectly what you think of me.”
I was offended.
So offended that I felt like going to the Pope and causing a scene.
Oz would probably agree. After all, this whole thing started because the Pope took Arietta away.
I needed to give him a piece of my mind.
“No, seriously, don’t. I’m the one who suffers the consequences of your antics. I get tired just talking to him.”
“You’re stronger than you think, Headmaster.”
Wasn’t the [Dragon Emperor] capable of easily shaking off such mental fatigue?
That's what I thought, anyway.
“I’m telling you, don’t.”
“Don’t worry, Headmaster.”
Because I'm a free spirit.
While I was explaining the detailed account of the incident (with some embellishments) to Tia and thinking about how to deal with the Pope, a new visitor arrived.
“Lots of visitors today.”
“Ah… Is it not a good time? Are you still in too much pain to talk?”
“No, not that much.”
“Hmm…”
The visitor was none other than Marie Sistus, the one at the center of this whole incident.
Even though I had explained the situation, I thought she would still be confined, so I never imagined she’d be walking around freely.
What were they thinking, leaving the Key holder unsupervised like this?
No, considering Tia’s personality, it was probably just overconfidence.
“So? What’s up? Oh, did you come to give me your answer?”
“Ah, no…I haven’t decided on an answer yet.”
I observed Marie with [Contemplation] as she averted her gaze and mumbled.
She had just lied.
I didn’t know why she was avoiding the question, but I wasn’t that hung up on the answer anyway.
There was something more important.
[KP Death King]
Marie Sistus
[Contemplation] only revealed the rank and title of game characters and Key holders.
Was it because she now shared the Key?
The word “Erosion” had disappeared, replaced by the title “Death King.”
It was good news to know that titles could change.
Didn’t it mean I could still keep track of the Key, even if its ownership changed?
“Um, are you okay?”
“Hmm?”
Marie fidgeted as she asked about my well-being.
Had she simply come to visit?
Honestly, I didn’t think she’d visit me for no particular reason.
“Aside from the tingling sensation, I’m fine.”
“Ah… Um, if you’re still feeling unwell, I can help you.”
“Huh?”
Was she offering to take care of me?
Considering her usual personality, that was unthinkable, but perhaps she was trying to change now that she had her freedom.
But hadn't she just gained her freedom? It would be a shame to spend those first moments taking care of me.
“I was fine even when I shocked myself with lightning magic before, so don’t worry about it.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I was conducting a small experiment.”
“Sorry, I don’t understand.”
Even now, I considered it a fascinating and groundbreaking experiment.
Without the information I gained then, it would’ve been difficult to neutralize Gerard.
“…The world is much wider and more diverse than I thought.”
Marie nodded as if she had realized something new.
I might have led her down a slightly questionable path, but all’s well that ends well.
“Well, that’s how it is, so you don’t have to worry about me. Go see Noah instead.”
“I’ve already been to see Noah.”
“Don’t lie.”
If she had, she wouldn’t be here talking to me.
Knowing Eleanor, she would have clung to Marie and pestered her if she’d come for a visit.
“I’m not so weak that I need others to worry about me.”
“But you died… If I hadn’t retrieved your soul with the Key’s power…”
A shiver ran down my spine at the shocking revelation.
Really? Was I in more danger than I thought?
Judging by Marie’s pale complexion, she wasn’t lying.
“Well, I’m fine now, so you can go.”
“Why are you trying to get rid of me? Do you hate me?”
This kid…was annoying.
It was hard to put into words, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Marie was bothersome.
“I’m saying I’m going back to sleep now, so go.”
“I’ll watch over you until you fall asleep.”
“It’s uncomfortable, so go.”
“Okay…”
But if she made that dejected expression again, I’d feel like a jerk.
Seeing her slumped shoulders as she trudged towards the door made my heart soften.
“…I feel uneasy falling asleep alone, so just stay for five minutes.”
“Okay! I’ll watch over you from close by.”
Good grief… With such a soft heart, I worried about how I would handle Chapter 3, which was fast approaching.
Chapter 3, where the “Outer Beings” would begin to intervene in earnest, would be much more dangerous than anything we’d faced so far.
Unlike Gerard or the [Death King], their violence would be indiscriminate.
“Oh, speaking of which…”
I appeared in Chapter 3 as well.
The problem was that I wouldn't be a comedic character like now, but a powerful wizard.
I hadn't planned on following the original story, but it would be good to think of a way to fill the void left by my original counterpart.
“This is going to be a pain.”
“Hmm…? Is something wrong?”
“No, just talking to myself. And I’m going to sleep now, so you don’t have to respond to everything I mumble.”
Marie covered her mouth with her hand and nodded.
She was surprisingly obedient at times like this.