Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Friend? (2)
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“-You seem to have improved since before?”
“⋯⋯Vespa.”
Carlyle replied in a voice full of disbelief.
No, how could anyone hear about someone cutting off a person's arm and reattaching it, and then react like that?
“Well, before, you would've just left it cut off and ignored it, right?”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Isn't it progress?”
Was Gray impressive for earning such praise from this kind person, or was this person impressive for being able to praise Gray?
It was ridiculous that he couldn't even refute it because it wasn't wrong.
“More importantly.”
Carlyle quietly gazed at the blue mist forming in front of Vespa.
Ever since she had shot magic at Gray before, she had been diligently practicing magic on her own.
“You've gotten much more skilled in the meantime?”
Actually, saying she had gotten skilled was a bit of an understatement.
⋯⋯She wasn't just skilled—she was growing by leaps and bounds.
‘If the Mage Tower saw this, they'd try to kidnap her for research, wouldn't they?’
[Those are the kinds of people who would calmly do far worse things.]
‘True enough.’
There are many ways to measure skill in magic, but fundamentally, it's about how quickly and powerfully one can cast spells.
Calculating formulas a bit faster, arranging mana more expertly, infusing will into the arranged mana more proficiently.
In that regard, this person's way of training magic was completely different.
“What should I say⋯⋯ We're getting close!”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“Like this, when it gathers all blue like this—oh, mana, was it?”
“⋯⋯.”
Blue mist gathered in front of a mage who didn't even know what mana was.
And then it fluttered around beside Vespa, as if acting cute.
“-Like this, it feels like it wants to talk to me. So I listen as carefully as I can and try to communicate! I think we might be able to talk soon.”
“⋯⋯.”
What was that?
What on earth was she saying?
She was talking about mana like it was a pet. The energy that represented the world's will.
“It still feels like we don't quite understand each other yet⋯⋯ But someday, we'll be able to talk!”
“⋯⋯Yes. Good luck.”
If they talked any more, Carlyle's common sense about magic might collapse.
Well, regardless.
‘Things are going smoothly.’
[Indeed. This will definitely be helpful.]
Vespa's magic skills would surely be a big help in the upcoming incidents.
She had already achieved the original goal of ‘befriending the Lady,’ so she could have lost interest, but she kept practicing anyway.
The reason she did such things was simple.
Because Carlyle had asked her to.
“⋯⋯.”
What should he say?
She could have at least once asked why she had to do such things, but no matter what he asked, she just said that and cheerfully complied, which actually made him feel guilty as the one giving orders.
-You're right, Carlyle!
No matter what he asked her to do, that was always the response, and she never refused.
‘⋯⋯Her status even lists obedience and such.’
Obedience—literally, she accepted anything Carlyle said with eager compliance, which was a bit unnatural.
If Elena felt like a partner bound by some debt or favor, Vespa felt like she would do absolutely anything for him.
“Um, th-that, Carlyle—”
She even fidgeted uncomfortably as she brought it up.
“Is there, anything else you'd like me to do separately?”
“Pardon?”
“I want to, do something more for you. Any inconveniences, or things you want me to do⋯⋯?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Even if it's hard or painful⋯⋯”
⋯⋯No.
What was wrong with her?
[⋯⋯Service addiction.]
‘What nonsense is that?’
[If she's not addicted to helping others, it doesn't make sense. How can someone take pleasure in being asked to do things?]
‘⋯⋯.’
He realized anew.
This was why she had stuck by Gray's side all this time, with a personality like this.
Carlyle sighed and changed the subject.
“No other requests. Could you help brainstorm some ideas?”
“Ideas?”
Ways to make a friend for Gray.
Carlyle couldn't think of anything on his own.
“If the goal is to make a friend for the Lady⋯⋯”
Vespa placed a finger over her lips and tilted her head.
“⋯⋯You might not need to do anything at all.”
“Pardon?”
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Receiving the Holy Sword made one a Hero, which naturally carried immense political significance as well. As a symbol protecting all humanity, every action drew everyone's attention.
In other words.
Even Cardinal Felix, whom Gray found uncomfortable, sometimes had to meet and talk with her.
Usually, it was Felix receiving reports from Gray on recent events.
“Such things happened?”
As always, Felix's gentle voice flowed softly. It was the picture of a benevolent cleric.
Had the topic Gray just brought up not been about cutting off someone's arm because they annoyed her, it might have seemed that way.
“⋯⋯.”
Gray quietly stared at Felix.
No matter what she said, this person always reacted the same way.
To an outsider, it might seem like she accepted anything Gray did, but being face-to-face with her, Gray knew it wasn't that.
It wasn't ‘acceptance’—it was closer to ‘it doesn't matter.’
As long as she fulfilled that ‘duty’ properly.
This cardinal truly had no interest in what Gray did.
⋯⋯At least, that's how it seemed to Gray.
In that sense, this recent report was a bit special.
“Do you know why she's doing such things?”
“⋯⋯?”
Gray furrowed her brows and looked at the cardinal.
Until now, no matter what happened, she never asked follow-up questions like this.
She had always just acknowledged it and moved on.
Though reluctant, Gray somehow gave an answer.
“She seems to want to make her a friend.”
Cardinal Felix's hand paused for a moment.
As if something had caught her attention.
But that hint vanished quickly. It was a fleeting emotion that even the Hero Gray didn't notice.
“A friend for the Chasefield Lady?”
“⋯⋯Well, I think it's useless. But when I told my father, he said it might be that.”
“I see.”
“⋯⋯.”
Gray stared at Felix for a moment.
Since the other had acted differently from usual toward her, she could try something unusual too.
“⋯⋯What do you think, Cardinal?”
“What do you mean?”
“About me making friends. Is it necessary?”
Felix smiled faintly.
“How unusual. Isn't the Chasefield Lady someone who does whatever she wants?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Asking for others' opinions— you've changed a bit from before.”
That was true.
But seeing how Carlyle wanted to make friends for her.
She thought maybe it was something ‘necessary’ for her.
Especially from someone who never did anything harmful to her.
“Just do as you please, like always.”
“I don't even know what a friend is in the first place.”
“Someone you're happy to be with, perhaps.”
“Hm?”
“Someone you're curious about, someone you want to know more about.”
“⋯⋯.”
“If you feel that way about someone, you could call them a friend.”
Felix said with a smile.
“Does the Chasefield Lady have such a person?”
“Uh—”
⋯⋯She did.
Such a person.
A face immediately came to mind.
“⋯⋯.”
That was what they called a friend.
Gray quietly bowed her head and nodded.
And Cardinal Felix quietly observed her like that.
Carefully, scrutinizing every reaction.
In the meantime, Gray answered curtly.
“None.”
“There is, isn't there.”
“⋯⋯.”
Gray flinched.
“No lies, Chasefield Lady.”
“⋯⋯.”
“We promised, didn't we? The two of us share everything.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Who did you think of?”
“Someone you know too.”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Cardinal Felix.”
Gray slowly raised her eyes to look at her.
“You're scheming something, aren't you?”
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Don't. Do that.”
At Gray's words, Felix smiled faintly.
“No.”
Definitely.
Even though she had just told Gray not to lie.
“In the first place, there's no way I'd hate the Lady making friends.”
“⋯⋯.”
She herself.
Clearly showed she would never speak her true feelings.
◆
-System Message
▶ A friend has been gained for ‘Gray Chasefield’.
▶ The ‘Linked Quest’ has been completed.
“⋯⋯What.”
Lying in his lodging, doing nothing, and suddenly such a window appeared before his eyes.
Carlyle looked at it with eyes full of disbelief.
[Something happen?]
“Seems the Lady has made a friend.”
[⋯⋯Hm.]
The Holy Sword quietly sighed.
[Someone must have told her.]
“Pardon?”
[There are things like that.]
“What are you talking about.”
[Delicate things that trash like you would never know.]
“⋯⋯No, what are you saying.”
[It means the friend-making was probably already done.]
“⋯⋯.”
Thinking that way, the low difficulty made sense.
It was a quest that completed itself no matter what, without doing anything.
The problem was.
“⋯⋯Then why didn't you tell me until now?”
[Embarrassed.]
“⋯⋯.”
[I absolutely don't want to say it myself.]
“⋯⋯.”
[Well, if it's complete, isn't good just good?]
“⋯⋯Trying to gloss over everything with that is a bit much, isn't it?”
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-System Message
▶ Confirming completion of the ‘Linked Quest’.
▶ ‘Main Event’ will occur soon.
▶ The event progression direction will change.
▶ Rewards will increase.
▶ As a Main Event reward, the relationship form with ‘Gray Cardinal’ and ‘Hero’ will change.
▶ As a Main Event reward, an additional function of the ‘Holy Sword’ will unlock.
▶ As a Main Event reward, changing the form of the ‘Holy Sword’ will become possible!
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