Adaptation (1)

So, I get a reward just because you found something I'd tucked away in advance?

It reminds me of when I used to game. There were tons of little hidden things like this, and hunting them all down one by one was honestly half the fun.

Maybe it was thanks to all that sighing, but I'd recovered at least a little of my strength. I sat up and checked what was written on the blue window.

The Necklace of Miracles — that was the one I'm wearing around my neck right now, right?

I recalled that miraculous scene where the lion's voice had come through, took a deep breath to steady my heart, and appraised the necklace.

...Huh? Is something wrong with my eyes? Maybe I'm seeing things because my body hasn't fully recovered yet?

I wiped my dry face with both hands, opened my eyes again, and when the message was still there, I tried to bolt upright in horror — and pitched forward instead.

Living as a sickly noble girl is rough. One slightly emotional reaction and vertigo comes knocking on the spot.

<...Lucy. Why on earth are you doing that the moment you wake up?>

'Could you please pretend you didn't see that?'

<Hard to do, when the mess you've made is so spectacular. Look over there. Even Lady Rina has woken from her slumber and is gazing at you with a fond little smile.>

Forced to lift my head at Grandfather's words, I saw the face-con fox's unsettling grin and promptly buried my face back in the blanket.

Erase that smile from my memory this instant. Thinking about it any longer will just give me chills.

Different thoughts instead. Yes. Let's think about the reward.

A party member limit increased by one — that's obviously about dungeons.

It must mean one more person can enter places that previously only allowed four.

Whoa. Holy crap. Plenty of rewards I've received so far have seemed outrageous, but this one is genuinely all-time legendary.

This is an even more broken, game-breaking function than the Mesugaki skill.

Being able to bring one more person into a dungeon!

If a reward like this had existed in the game, speedrun records would have been shattered left and right!?

I can already think of a handful of combinations off the top of my head, and with enough research, all sorts of absurd synergies would start popping up!

Aargh! Seriously! You were supposed to add a function like this while it was still a game! Why hand it out now?!

With my current reputation, how am I supposed to put together all these combos!?

If they'd at least added this as DLC, I could have dug into the game so much more deeply!

I kicked my legs about and grumbled, but my mouth was full of smiles.

Because even now, there were more than enough ways to put this to use.

It would obviously come in handy the moment I went off to grind levels too.

Unlike before, whichever dungeon I entered now, I could bring all of my friends along! No need to worry about anything else — I could grind it all in one go!

It was a shame Phoebe was staying at the Church of the Main God's Holy Land and couldn't come with me right away, but who cares. Once the academy's second year starts, time to conquer dungeons will be in abundant supply anyway. I'll just put Phoebe to work slowly when that time comes.

Smirking as I dismissed the blue window, I saw another message still remaining and my eyes went wide.

Given the word greatly, there must be some considerable change, but in my current state there's no way to feel it out.

After all, I'm the one who burned through my divinity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the point of exhaustion a while back and turned into a sickly noble girl. Until I replenish all my divinity and lift the exhaustion, I can't do anything at...

Hm? Wait. Something's off? Why is my divinity already recovered this much? If I compare it to my days as the sickly young lady, it's suspiciously high?

Sure, I've grown a lot since then, but recovering this much in a single day? Does that even make sense?

'Grandfather. Could you check my divinity for me real quick?'

<Your divinity? That's got a long way to go before it... Wha—?! What in the impossible is this.>

Judging by Grandfather's reaction, it wasn't just my imagination. Could this too be a change that came with my divinity's growth?

Moving my partially recovered divinity about, I could feel that its movement had become far more natural than before.

It obeyed my will well enough in the past too, but back then it was pretty rough around the edges.

But not now. The divinity I possess right now flows as smoothly as water, moving exactly as I wish.

If the rise in divinity proficiency is this tangible, then what kind of incredible effect must the increase in divinity understanding have?

Heart pounding, heart pounding, I went searching for a way to verify it. An understanding of divinity — that should be something like what Grandfather experienced when he came to understand the miracle inside the necklace, right?

Then if I brought divinity magic to mind in my head, I ought to get a feel for it.

The most difficult thing I currently know is Armadi's Mercy.

It's a reward the useless Chief God handed me, and I've been putting it to good use, but I still don't actually understand what principles it operates on.

Even though I've learned multiple divinity spells and grown proficient with them.

Would it be different now? Now that my understanding of divinity has increased so dramatically?

"...Whoa."

The moment I came face to face with the miracle contained within Armadi's Mercy, my eyes flew open.

I hadn't understood everything held inside it. My shortcomings were far too many for that.

But one thing, at least, was carved vividly into my mind: that the miracle Armadi bestows is so very, achingly beautiful.

Finishing my brief moment of awe and returning to reality, I moved my divinity as instinct directed.

And with that, life returned to a body so weak it had struggled to move so much as a fingertip. My exhaustion had been redefined as a status condition — and I had succeeded in dispelling it.

<Er. Hm? Lucy. Might I ask what you just did?>

'I dispelled my exhaustion.'

<That's... no. No, wait. Explain what you just did, if you would.>

'Grandfather. Grandfather.'

<What is it.>

'Is that any way for someone asking a favor to speak?'

<Ahem. Ahem. What I meant to say was—>

'Strange? I distinctly remember you telling me that one must be respectful when asking me for a favor?'

<...Damn it all! Fine! I'll ask properly, happy now?! Lucy. I beg of you — grant me the gift of your knowledge!>

'Why of course. For you, Grandfather, I'd be happy to share as much as you like.'

As I snickered and went on explaining to Grandfather, an amusing thought occurred to me.

The me of now, grown one step further —

could I land one on Benedict?

The day after the anniversary of Lucy's mother's passing.

The air in the Aln Estate hung heavy and still.

The reason was simple. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Everyone in the household had laid eyes on the state Lucy came home in, carried back in Benedict's arms.

The sight of a child who had always postured as haughty and strong, weeping in grief until she collapsed, was so pitiful that even those who harbored ill feelings toward Lucy found themselves thinking, poor thing.

As for the hearts of those who thought well of her on a normal day, there was hardly any need to explain.

"...To think I'd actually prefer to be run ragged training instead."

Arthur had been given the day off because the Knight Commander, Forsell, had declared training suspended so that the young lady's grief would not be disturbed by any commotion. He fiddled with a cookie for a while before finally setting it back down on the plate.

The image of Lucy falling apart in sorrow kept flashing through his mind, and he had no appetite.

"Tell me about it. When I think of the young lady's state too, my chest just feels heavy. Honestly, it makes me wish I had something grueling enough to leave no room for thinking at all."

Joy was no different.

Even collapsed in Benedict's embrace, Lucy had never once stopped sniffling — and that sight had stirred ripples in Joy's heart so great they still hadn't faded.

Right now, Joy's mind was filled with nothing but worry for Lucy.

"...Lucy. Will she be alright?"

Even Frey, always so indifferent, could not stay calm this time.

For her, the sight of the person she treasured more than anyone crumbling had gifted Frey an emotion she rarely knew: a heavy, throbbing gloom.

From the moment she'd faced Lucy yesterday, Frey had lost all her drive and had been unable to do anything at all.

Jackal, whose bond with Lucy was comparatively shallow, bore it better than the other three — but that didn't mean his own heart was untroubled.

He understood, at least in part, the other three's gloom, and so instead of saying anything, he simply kept his mouth shut and waited for them to shake it off.

That was when it happened. From the distant stairs came the sound of light, bounding footsteps, and not long after, the door burst open.

"What are you losers gathered around doing? Having a little symposium on just how pathetic you all are?"

A girl wailing in grief for her lost mother. A pitiful child who kept sniffling even after losing consciousness. A strong child who acted tough despite the deep wound in her heart.

Lucy Aln looked at the heavy atmosphere of the drawing room and let out her usual snickering, insolent remark — but everyone's reactions were different from usual.

Arthur, who would normally have fired a retort back, said nothing and only forced a smile.

Joy opened her mouth to say something, then, as though her emotions had surged up, hurriedly turned her head away.

And Frey — Frey walked carefully up to Lucy's side and gently took her small hands in hers.

"...What? What's with you guys? You missed me that much after one day? You're all losers with separation anxiety? Puahaha. How ~utterly pathetic."

Lucy tilted her head as if she couldn't fathom it, then flashed her usual grin, but the mood in the drawing room still wouldn't lift.

"Lucy Aln. There is no need to act strong."

"Your Highness! This is exactly the time to show some tact! Why do you have zero empathy?!"

"No, I—"

"Your Highness, you should just keep your mouth shut."

"What—"

"Third Prince. This time, you are in the wrong."

"...Right. My apologies. I'll shut up."

Watching Arthur crumple, Lucy seemed to catch on to something, and a useless little laugh slipped out of her.

"Ohh ~ I see. You guys feel sorry for me, don't you?"

"No, that is. Lady Aln. It's not like that—"

"It's nothing like that. Lucy Aln. This is, well, you see—"

"...Um. It's. It's, um."

"Enough. I'm not mad. You pathetic pieces of trash failing to read the room is a daily occurrence, after all? I understand. It can't be helped."

While Arthur, Joy, and Frey floundered under Lucy's voice growing more murderous with every line, Jackal felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.

"Follow me, you dumb goldfish. I'll carve directly into your brains just who actually deserves the sympathy here."

Jackal's ominous premonition proved dead on.

Just as they had discussed before Lucy arrived, they were made to repeat training so brutal that no room was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left for a single thought.