Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts
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The Holy Kingdom's forbidden library was a place crowded with a staggering number of books and documents. Even after the commotion of our fight with the lich, it showed not a single scratch.
"This is far more impressive than the Magic Tower's library..."
Seeing the density and level of the defensive spells laid before me, my jaw slackened slightly. The spells laid here were far more rigorous than the library facilities I had seen in the Magic Tower.
"Is it that amazing?"
Victoria was walking beside me, clinging tightly and matching her steps to mine. She kept trying to link arms, but we had barely compromised by holding hands.
"They're at least Sage-tier spells or higher."
Mages are divided into tiers such as Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Dragon, and Sage based on the number of rings in their Mana Core.
Originally, it was said to have been established by the chief god Odin, who founded the fundamentals of magic, and no mage can surpass it.
"But you can do that too, can't you, Astal?"
"I can barely imitate it. Ultimately, if I meet a mage of Sage-tier or higher, my magic being seen through is a major drawback."
Victoria knew I was a Sage-tier mage and that I could use higher-tier magic by utilizing three-dimensional magic circles.
In response to her question, I lowered my head and spoke. In the end, a counterfeit can't surpass the real thing; it's different from something hastily faked.
Just like my current contractual relationship with Victoria.
"...In the end, even in this fight with Leozark, I would have lost if you hadn't been there."
"Are you only now feeling the absence of your lover? Yes, I do think I'm a bit of a remarkable person myself."
-You are someone with the talent to make me fall for you. When I found out you'd secretly come to the Holy Kingdom, I was truly startled.
I had merely stated a fact, but the corners of Victoria's mouth curled up wildly as she pushed her head toward me, as if asking for praise.
It seemed the volume of Victoria's inner thoughts changed depending on the distance. If I had paid just a little more attention to the faint noise a moment ago, I could have avoided an embarrassing situation.
"Anyway, it's just a one-month fake relationship."
I spoke as if it were nothing and tried to go deeper into the forbidden library. Because all I could see around here were black magic forbidden by the Holy Kingdom or sexually explicit spring paintings.
Frankly, I was more interested in the black magic than these blatantly lewd pictures. For a mage, scholarly passion is an essential virtue.
"If that were truly the case, why did you risk your life for me? No matter what, you didn't need to create a spatial teleportation gate with your bare body."
-This definitely means he has feelings beyond mere liking for me. Even someone as clueless about love as me can sense it! He's not even glancing at the spring paintings now...
Victoria watched me indifferently tossing the lewd pictures aside and showed a mischievous smile like a cat.
"...Perhaps you've fallen for me?"
-Come on, just give me a good answer! This Victoria will gladly accept your confession!
Victoria spread her arms wide, striking a benevolent pose. She even let out a sigh, as if confident about something.
"That will absolutely never happen, so rest assured. I would have done the same even if it were Kyle in that situation."
I retorted to Victoria while twitching my brow. If anyone in our party had been in her situation, I would have risked my life.
"...Then why did you get angry at the people who called me a temptress? As if I were truly your girlfriend."
-I've never seen him get that angry before...
As if Victoria were saying this, there was no one around us now.
Because Wilhelm had gone upstairs, keeping an eye out, since Victoria the Saint had made the strange suggestion earlier about touching her chest.
"If someone called you impotent, wouldn't you curse them out too?"
"No. They'd be stating the obvious... Why should I get angry? I've never seen it grow larger or harder."
Snap.
Victoria suddenly linked arms and pressed her chest as close as possible. Meanwhile, her gaze was fixed on my crotch.
"......"
"Look now. Isn't it strange that there's no reaction even with a beautiful woman like me providing stimulation right beside you?"
-The important thing is the detail... To imprint the sensation of my softness into Astal's mind as much as possible when he's off guard.
I clenched both fists, even chewing the inside of my mouth, desperately holding back the blood flow rushing downward.
Unlike before, the feeling was different. It wasn't just teasing; it was an eerie sensation of genuine sincerity gradually crashing in.
"It's uncomfortable; could you walk a bit apart?"
I spoke as coldly and curtly as possible to Victoria and tried to push her away slightly with force, but...
"I won't let go. No matter what anyone says, I'm your lover for the next month."
-I'll keep appealing until we return to the Demon Realm. Cigarettes and alcohol are bad, I'm telling you...
She puffed out her cheeks slightly, struggling and resisting, not wanting to let go of my arm.
Victoria's attitude, which originally seemed like she would insult me as a lust-driven monkey or mix in curses and obscenities, had changed.
'Did Victoria eat something wrong...? Or was it an enemy attack?'
Feeling a chilling sensation as if a blade had pierced my heart, I looked around to check if there were any enemies nearby.
This was, after all, the forbidden library of the Holy Kingdom Aurelium. It was strange that there were no security forces even though the key was with the Pope.
"All the golems are smashed. Looks like Leozark's doing..."
The golems, which seemed to have been created by squeezing out Divine Power to form a core, all had large holes punched through their heart areas.
The traces of turbid magical power remaining there undoubtedly seemed to belong to the black mage Leozark.
"Astal, do you truly wish to save me?"
At that moment, Victoria took a stance blocking my path. She spread her legs and arms wide, as if saying I couldn't go any further.
"...So there's something ahead?"
Seeing Victoria's actions, I had picked up on something. Judging by the words and attitudes of the Holy Kingdom people, it seemed she hadn't lived comfortably here.
"Yes, you might be disillusioned with me, but would you still be okay with it?"
-Because I hid from you the fact that I'm terminally ill.
Victoria wore a grave expression, gnawing on her lips, and her body and inner thoughts were trembling slightly.
"What's the big deal? I had no expectations of you from the start anyway."
"Can I take that to mean your expectations were just too low?"
-He's disappointed in me. Well, after insulting and provoking me like that, it would be strange to say I'm dying soon now...
Victoria forced a smile, trying to hold back tears, but hot liquid was trickling from the corners of her eyes.
Even after seeing that and hearing her inner thoughts, I thought I couldn't say anything. An uncomfortable sensation squeezing my heart tight arrived.
"It's not like that, so don't worry. Even if you weren't a Saint but actually a demon, I could accept it."
"You, who detest demons and monsters that killed your parents so much... are you saying that?"
"Yes, if it's you, Victoria."
Pat—.
I continued speaking while placing my hand on Victoria's head. Her soft, flowing hair met my large, scar-covered hand.
I thought it was fortunate I was wearing bandages for the first time. Otherwise, Victoria might have disliked the rough, coarse texture.
Pat pat.
It was my first physical contact with Victoria initiated by me. Because I didn't want to see her gloomy expression anymore.
"So, don't worry too much. I had some idea anyway."
"...Astal?"
Victoria's eyes widened as she looked up at me from below. Her lips now glistened under the light.
-Ah, he's going to kiss me now.
As if intuiting something, Victoria tightly closed both eyes. I looked at her and rolled my eyes for a moment.
Should I really meet her expectations like this?
'Even after saying that, I feel a bit embarrassed...'
Feeling sorry and pitiful for Victoria desperately trying to hide her terminal condition, I got swept up in the moment and ended up saying such an irresponsible thing.
If I just let it pass without doing anything, wouldn't the trust in my words disappear? Victoria is a reliable enough person among my comrades.
As the lich Leozark said, I might not find a solution to her miracle.
"......"
"......"
And so, for several minutes in the quiet, people-less forbidden library, only awkward silence flowed between Victoria and me.
Press.
I had no choice but to present a compromise.
I pressed my thumb to my lips, then transferred and pressed it against Victoria's mouth.
"I don't know what you were expecting, but be satisfied with this for now."
It was an action more childish than a game, something that could barely be called an indirect kiss. At least this way, she wouldn't fall into self-loathing and spread depression.
"Ugh..."
-Something touched my lips. It touched. It touched...!!
Feeling the sensation, Victoria, who had opened her eyes, fanned herself, her face slightly flushed as if she had broken out in a sweat in that instant. Her body creaked as she moved aside, looking quite ridiculous.
"...You coward. Really clueless too."
"For your information, I originally only intended to pat your head? You're the one who closed your eyes."
Soon realizing it wasn't a real kiss, Victoria let out a despondent sigh, linked arms with me again, and spoke.
"I'm not your real lover. You should save the next one for someone you truly like."
I spoke slyly to Victoria like that and began to provoke her, teasing her about her dazed reaction.
"What, did you really have feelings for me? You closed your eyes, hoping for even a kiss?"
"......"
If I didn't do this, it seemed like I might truly develop bad feelings toward Victoria.
"Unfortunately, I'm a person married to alcohol, cigarettes, and magic. You'd be better off looking for someone else."
Making up nonsense I didn't even mean, I moved deeper into the forbidden library.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Victoria Everhart's heart was now pounding madly. Even though it wasn't a deep kiss sharing love, but something akin to a child's prank.
'...How did these feelings grow so much?'
At first, she thought he was a creepy person targeting her, the Saint. He was someone who knelt before her and recited cheesy lines.
'Before you, I am merely a pitiful slave to the emotion called love.'
Spending time together, Victoria judged that what Astal had said back then was sincere.
After all, he truly didn't desire the miracle, showed an attitude of respecting her, and told her not to use it.
'Married to alcohol, cigarettes, and magic...'
Now Victoria had deliberately buried Astal's arm between her breasts to maximize the area of contact with her skin.
She even pretended to stumble, swaying her body to let physics shake it this way and that, making the most of her assets.
Since Astal's hand kept tensing up, and the pulsating blood vessels and prominent veins were visible to the point of being noticeable, it seemed the effect wasn't nonexistent.
Originally, she thought having only her chest fattened up was unsightly, but now she secretly felt proud that she was larger than the women in the spring paintings.
'...Let's see who wins from now on. I will definitely make you my husband within a month.'
Victoria solidified her chilling ambition in her heart, devising strategies in her mind to make Astal fall in love with her.
With the gaze of a predatory lion looking at its rabbit prey.