Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Episode 96
In the midst of my chat with Arietta.
About five hours had passed.
“……I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Yes, Arietta. ……But let’s make it some other time, not today.”
Arietta did not hide her look of disappointment.
No, it had been five hours.
We talked for five whole hours, and she still had more to say?
No matter how heartwarming the atmosphere was, I hadn’t even been able to eat a simple gruel since waking up.
I held back because I couldn’t bring myself to break the mood, but wouldn't five hours of chatting be enough?
There would be plenty of time in the future, after all.
“Ah, but just a little longer…….”
“……Many people must be waiting, Arietta.”
Especially the one who was watching the situation from beyond the window.
Arietta must have also noticed the presence of Lucia, who was watching us anxiously from outside the window.
I didn't know if it was out of jealousy or disappointment, but Arietta wasn't bothered by the fact that she was waiting outside.
It meant that with her reacting as if she knew nothing, I had no choice but to play along.
After I finally managed to soothe Arietta and send her out, I heard a tapping sound on the window a short while later.
I had no choice but to open it, and a haggard-looking Lucia came in.
“Your skills at managing your admirers are quite impressive, Prince Oz. Truly astounding.”
She was picking a fight the moment she came in.
No, setting that aside.
“Was it that hot outside?”
“Yeah…….”
At my question, Lucia, who had been grumbling, bowed her head as if exhausted.
She was wearing the formal uniform of the Imperial Army, as if she were receiving a commendation from the Papal States for her role in this incident.
Unlike regular military uniforms, formal ones tend to have a lot of useless decorations, so I could understand why she would be hot.
“Is it alright for Tenebris to be operating so openly?”
“We can’t just not do any public-facing work. Well, at times like this, we move as part of the 8th Legion, but…….”
“You’re working hard. So does that mean Tenebris’ public-facing position is with the 8th Legion?”
“It’s just me. The commander must never be exposed to the surface, and the rest of them mostly have problems with their personalities or abilities, so……”
“I-Is that so?”
It seemed to me like they were laying the groundwork to eventually push Lucia completely out into the open.
More importantly, what did she mean the rest had problems with their personalities?
Are you sure your organization is okay?
“More importantly, the daily temperature range in the Papal States is the worst. It was cold at dawn, but it’s hot during the day. How can anyone live in a place like this?”
“There are places worse than this.”
“That sounds just awful.”
Lucia undid the top button of her formal uniform and began fanning herself.
This kid is so careless.
It suddenly became difficult to look at her.
“Besides, if you came here as part of the 8th Legion, why are you coming in and out through the window? You could have come for an official visit, couldn't you?”
“Haha, do you have any idea how suffocating it is just to stand in front of your hospital room door?”
“Hmm……. I see…….”
Come to think of it, she wasn't wrong.
It felt strange to say it, but the most famous people in the Papal States right now were probably me and Arietta.
Even if the situation was being maintained, rumors were bound to exist.
But to wait continuously in front of the hospital room door while Arietta and I were talking?
If it were me, I’m confident I would have died from the public's gaze.
“Let me tell you in advance, I’m a cat, not a fish, so I have no intention of getting caught in your little pond, Prince Oz.”
“……Isn’t that a species-ist remark against beastkin?”
I wanted to refute the part about managing admirers, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.
So I decided to ask about the other thing. I was honestly curious, too.
What exactly was the standard for what constituted hate speech against beastkin?
“It’s fine when I do it because it’s self-deprecation. But you can’t.”
“Isn’t that a little unfair?”
It seemed to be an issue that depended on an individual's feelings.
“You think? I’ve never thought of it that way, so I wouldn't know.”
Lucia shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed.
I had thought this before, but this one had a surprisingly close sense of physical distance.
“So, what’s the occasion this time that you have to rush over the moment I open my eyes and tire me out?”
“Haha, what a shame, Prince Oz. I have a feeling you’re going to be even more tired after you hear the news I’ve brought.”
“You……. Now that I see you……?”
When I happened to check Lucia’s face, the area under her eyes was stained black.
No wonder her sense of distance felt closer than usual; she was so mentally and physically exhausted that she had lost her mind.
“I have good news, headache-inducing news, and news that will drive you insane. Which would you like to hear first?”
“The news that will drive me insane.”
“I’ll start with the good news. If you hear the later parts first, I doubt the good news will even register in your ears.”
“……”
The answer was already decided, wasn't it?
If that was the case, she shouldn't have asked which one I wanted to hear first.
“First, the good news.”
As if she were stiff, Lucia, who was perched on the bed, lay back and stretched.
Perhaps because she was a cat beastkin, she was incredibly flexible. But if I said this out loud, she would pick a fight, calling it beastkin-hate speech, so I didn't bother.
“Thanks to your struggle, the number of casualties within the Papal States is only in the double digits. I pay my respects.”
“……That’s good enough news, I guess.”
Honestly, it was far more heart-pounding news than I had expected.
I thought the number would have been dozens of times higher. It was like that in the game, after all.
But perhaps due to the overlapping preparations or thanks to [Challenger of the Divine], the damage was minimal.
“Well, you’ll be able to hear this anywhere, so it’s not something I really need to tell you.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. You used such conspicuous magic, who wouldn't know? Prince Oz. You're quite the celebrity within the Papal States right now.”
“Not really any different from usual.”
“……That’s true, too.”
I had always been a celebrity.
The times I wasn't could be counted on one hand. Moreover, including the cat right in front of me, there were over ten people who spied on me on a regular basis.
“Shall we get to the main point then? Let’s start with the headache-inducing news. Are you mentally prepared?”
“If I say no, will you tell me later?”
“Noah has escaped the Papal States.”
That was truly headache-inducing news in many ways.
The fact that my wordplay was ignored didn't matter, but Eleanor, who had been staying put, escaping was unexpected.
How on earth did the situation turn around for that to happen?
I was really trying, but I just couldn't predict her behavior patterns.
“To be precise, it wasn’t an escape. She just left right after her conversation with Her Holiness the Pope ended. I don’t know what was said, but she must have received permission to leave.”
“Hmm……. Right. This is driving me crazy.”
She left the Papal States without any issue after a conversation with Lucia Domine.
There was no particular problem with that.
After all this chaos, it wouldn't be right for the Papal States to keep a student here from their standpoint.
But if the parties involved were Lucia Domine and Eleanor, it was a little different.
“That brazen old crone?”
I had been had.
As I thought, that damn old woman must have known about Eleanor.
I couldn't be sure if she realized she has a Key through her [Contemplation], or if it was because they had met in the past.
The [Contemplation] that Lucia Domine and I possessed shared the same roots, but their branching paths were likely different.
At the very least, Lucia Domine's eyes probably didn't see something like a game tooltip. Unlike me, who knew about the game, that would be quite alien to Lucia Domine, a native of this world.
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Do you know something? ……Ah, actually, never mind. I’d rather you not say. I don’t think I can handle any more work.”
“It seems the Pope and Eleanor knew each other.”
“I told you not to say it……!”
Like I care. You did it, so I'll do it too. Wouldn't it be nice if we fell into the swamp of headaches together?
-It might be my mistake, but umm……. I mean, I saw someone who looked incredibly skilled arrive.
Back then, after fending off the [Death King]'s invasion in [Scientia] and saving Marie.
When I told her Arietta was in critical condition, Eleanor had said that.
-A doctor?
-I wonder? They might be a member of the clergy.
Not a doctor, but a skilled member of the clergy.
Eleanor had brushed it off as a gut feeling at the time……. but her choice of words was quite blatant.
In that case, did the two of them know each other?
When we first arrived at the Papal States, they acted as if they didn't know each other.
Yes, ‘each other.’
Even if Lucia Domine didn't recognize Eleanor, it would be strange for Eleanor not to recognize Lucia.
There should have been some kind of reaction, but the two of them acted as if it were their first meeting.
No, perhaps I didn't get that feeling because the circumstances of Eleanor's transport here were so absurd.
I mean, she had beaten Arietta to take first place in the ‘girl who seemed like she would be kind’ category through manipulation.
Even if they had a close relationship, I imagine she wouldn't have wanted to acknowledge it.
“I don’t know how much the Pope knows about Noah, but I’ll have to look into this part separately.”
“I can leave that part to you, can’t I, Prince Oz……?”
Lucia began to speak, her hazy eyes pleading with me.
It seemed Lucia still hadn't come to her senses. Is she crazy?
“Get a grip, Lucia. I’m not a member of your organization. If you want the information I get, pay a fair price.”
“And yet you use our information all the time, Prince Oz.”
“Then you should get famous too.”
Besides, you want sponsorship from me?
The information I obtained was no different from the sponsorship funds the Empire sent me. It meant this was all a debt of the heart.
“Then shall I move right away…….”
I didn't know how long I had been unconscious, but the fact that Lucia was fully dressed in her formal uniform meant the chaos had been brought under control to some extent.
In that case, at least three days must have passed since Eleanor left the Papal States. I had to move as quickly as possible.
“No, Prince Oz. Wait a moment.”
“Why are you being so clingy? I’ll give you the information later, so can you stop?”
“……I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like a troublesome woman.”
Is there a difference?
If she really wanted to claim otherwise, I would appreciate it if she didn't occupy someone else's bed while pathetically clinging to the hem of my clothes.
Do you think I'll take care of you just because you cling to me like that? I have a policy of not taking in stray cats.
“That look in your eyes is annoying, but I'll say what I have to say first.”
Lucia said, not even trying to hide her rotting expression.
“There’s still the news that will drive you insane.”
“That was just…….”
“Eleanor’s case is the headache-inducing news.”
“……”
No. Don't do this.
There's a situation worse than this? It can't exist. It shouldn't exist.
“Then, the news that will drive you insane...”
As I looked down with a dumbfounded expression at Lucia, who had begun to occupy the bed, she closed her eyes tightly.
What on earth was she about to say that required so much mental preparation?
“The Hero has made contact with Noah.”
“……”
“Didn’t you say it just now? That the Pope and Noah seemed to know each other.”
She said, rubbing her fatigue-filled face with her hand.
“It’s the same on this end. It seems the Hero and Noah knew each other.”
My head was spinning.
I didn't know where to even begin with this.
Still, the most important thing was.
Eleanor was an attention seeker.
The Hero had a similar personality.
“This is driving me insane…….”
It seemed the worst duo I knew had joined forces.
How in the world did those two team up?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Before Oz had brought the dawn.
Like everyone else, Eleanor was also fighting a difficult battle.
The only problem was…….
“Keuk……!”
“I see. So it’s not a power you can wield naturally yet?”
The difference in skill between the two was so vast that it couldn't be compared to the fights of others.
Power, technique, physique, speed, experience.
In every one of those aspects, Eleanor could not beat Scar.
In the first place, Delayed, who was controlling Scar, was the boss of Chapter 4. And since he had become even stronger by accepting the power of the [Death King], there was no way for Eleanor to win.
“Huuuk……!”
Eleanor took a ragged breath and charged again, raising her greatsword. A faint golden light lingered on the blade, but…….
“Haha! Aside from that strange characteristic, it’s not a very impressive power.”
Clang!
When their two greatswords clashed, it was Eleanor who was pushed back. There was certainly nothing on Scar's sword.
Mana, demonic energy, divine power, or yokai energy. It was an attack that carried none of them, so Eleanor's Key couldn't exert its power.
All Eleanor could use was the mana dwelling in her own body.
And since Eleanor still only possessed power at the R-rank level, the gap between the two was all the more pronounced.
“If I…… if I defeat you……. Everyone…….”
“What a boring one. I would think you’d have more questions!”
Scar kicked away Eleanor, who was getting up to charge at him again, and shouted.
His opponent was one who wielded an unknown power. That was why he wanted to gain as much information as possible through conversation. But what was this? His opponent was just repeating the same words.
He was getting sick and tired of trying to dig up information from an opponent who only repeated the same words like a broken wind-up toy.
Scar approached Eleanor, who had been sent flying far away.
His opponent was below standard.
She possessed a bizarre ability, but everything else was lacking.
All she had was grit. Her power, speed, strength, technique, even her skills.
All of it was lacking.
“Didn’t I tell you before? They’re all already dead.”
“……”
“The king, the queen, from a mere gardener to the beggars in the slums.”
But Scar had no intention of leaving her be, either.
His opponent was certainly weak, but…….
“I devoured them all.”
“……Then defeating you will be revenge for everyone!”
Even in that state, she hadn't lost her way. His opponent was a being who, rather than giving up in the face of reality, accepted that reality and embraced a new goal.
That was why she was annoying, eerie.
“How irritating. I see now I must kill you here.”
Scar changed his policy from information gathering to killing.
The moment he raised his sword, having trampled Eleanor underfoot.
“Ta-da! Ta-da-da-da! I am the one who has decided to raise my sword for the weak and for those who do not give up!”
“This is driving me absolutely insane…….”
Scar frowned at the absurd self-introduction and retreated.
At the same time, a golden sword aura passed through the spot where he had been.
And what appeared was a woman with brightly shining blonde hair.
“This world is something else. What is wrong with the heads of the people in this world?”
Wavy, brightly shining blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
Like Eleanor, she possessed the power of [Severance], which could nullify the regeneration of 'outer beings'…….
[SSR Golden Hero]
Lustitia Heros
The Hero who defeated the Demon King had appeared in the Papal States’ [Hedenia].
“It seems you don’t know who I am, so I have no choice. I am none other than──”
The beautiful hero, Lustitia!
It was the very moment she, feeling proud of her identity, was about to make a spectacular self-introduction.
“Decentura……?”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Eleanor muttered, looking at her with hazy eyes.
That sparkling hair, those eyes, even her personality.
That all-too-familiar appearance…….
It was reminiscent of Decentura Heros.
The person she had once thought of as family, the person she had wanted to be like.
At Eleanor’s forlorn voice, Lustitia scratched her head once, then soon smiled bashfully and amended the self-introduction she was about to make.
“──I’m her older sister~.”
One more.
There was another survivor of the ruined kingdom of Chrysos.