The Toll of Triumph
“Heh heh heh.”
A laugh slipped out, born of pure satisfaction.
I hadn’t felt this good since contracting with Endairon. Not even tearing Grack apart had brought this kind of rush.
“What the hell is that… terrifying.”
“……I was trying not to ask, but… what is she?”
“Definitely not normal.”
“In every possible way.”
My laughter grew louder as the door cracked open, and when it finally swung wide, I stood tall and shouted, my back deliberately turned to them.
“What are you all standing around for?!”
“Huh…?”
“What do you mean? It looks open, so should we pretend to push it or something?”
“As an ordinary human, I’m currently experiencing a profound sense of powerlessness. Any issues with that?”
“I thought all spirits were cute… I feel betrayed.”
These idiots.
They only ever look decent on the outside!
“The least you could do is clap after everything I just did! Your gratitude for my efforts is seriously lacking!”
“Y-yes, ma’am.”
“If Lady Jeanie orders it, we’ll do it.”
Getting elbowed in the side wasn’t exactly the reception I wanted, but the fact that they obeyed immediately while still managing to look put-upon made me realize we were all cut from the same cloth.
“That was incredible, Jeanie!”
Clap, clap, clap.
Amid the half-hearted applause from the men, one person clapped with genuine enthusiasm. Who else but Ash?
He was so over-the-top that it actually embarrassed me a little. I’d asked for applause, but I hadn’t expected this level of dramatic praise.
“……I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I?”
“Yes! Truly magnificent! You’re the most impressive person I’ve ever met in my life. Absolutely incredible……!”
It felt like the time my dad came to sports day and cheered louder than anyone else. Except Dad never shot heart-shaped glances at me while doing it.
Ash looked like someone who’d just fallen head over heels at first sight.
“Now that I think about it, Lox, you really were risking your life with that attitude.”
“I didn’t realize your courage ran that deep.”
“Right? I’m seeing you in a whole new light. Where’d you leave your will?”
I was the one who’d opened the door, yet somehow Lox was getting all the sudden respect and attention. It annoyed me a bit, but since I’d already gotten Ash’s enthusiastic applause, I let it go and dismissed Endairon with a clear conscience.
The moment he vanished, dizziness crashed over me.
The accumulated fatigue hit all at once. Summoning four spirits simultaneously really was pushing it.
Undine was still outside by the lake, while Undain and Adore remained at my side. Materializing Endairon to open that ridiculously massive door had taken the heaviest toll.
I quietly unsummoned Undain to ease the strain on my body, but once the overload started, my condition deteriorated fast.
The last time this happened, I’d spent an entire day bedridden. That was during the Grack incident.
Alarm bells rang in my head, but instead of showing weakness, I struck a cocky pose toward the approaching group.
“Well? Have you witnessed my greatness?”
“Yeah, I guess……”
“Not moved to tears? I’ll allow it.”
As naturally as possible, I leaned against Ash, who had come to stand beside me. If I didn’t, I was going to sway.
I rested my spinning head on his solid shoulder and pressed my own against his arm. When my free hand felt empty, I hooked it through his elbow for good measure.
Ash’s body grew steadily firmer beneath my weight, and the others’ gazes zeroed in on every point of contact.
Their stares were growing more intense by the second, but I didn’t care. I finally felt like I could breathe again.
“Um…… you’re clinging to him awfully naturally.”
“It’s only natural for men to follow a hero.”
“……You have zero intention of learning humility, do you?”
“Not planning to cultivate it. More importantly, Lox, isn’t there something more important than nagging right now?”
“The two of you separating seems pretty important to me.”
The nickname “mother-in-law” suited Lox perfectly.
And I’d always been the type of contrarian—both in this life and the last—who did the opposite of what I was told.
Our Ash really does have big hands.
Deliberately making a show of it, I kneaded Ash’s arm as I spoke.
“If you have any conscience, you’ll admit my contribution to this expedition has been enormous. While I was opening the door, all you guys did was breathe.”
“We did receive far more help than expected. For that, we are truly grateful.”
Lox’s eyes kept twitching toward wherever my hands wandered on Ash. The sight was so satisfying that I ended up kneading Ash even more enthusiastically.
“A cultured person doesn’t express thanks with words alone, right?”
“……What exactly do you want? Ash is off-limits.”
“Come on, even I wouldn’t ask for a person. Though now that you mention it, that’s not a bad idea.”
“How about Chad instead?”
“What?!”
It was a joke, but Chad took it seriously and nearly jumped out of his skin.
Of course, I didn’t need Chad. I could see his face.
“Chad’s got the kind of face that deserves to live free. What I’m saying is, my name should be added to the excavation team. I didn’t care before, but I’ve changed my mind.”
“I was bracing myself for something outrageous, but that’s actually a reasonable request.”
“And at the very front, if possible.”
“If we find the Cup of the Golden Star here, that would only be proper. We’ll place your name at the very top—so it remains in history.”
Back when I’d casually joined this party’s search for the artifact, I never imagined I’d play such a major role. I hadn’t even believed this group would actually find the Cup and go down in history.
But now that it was clear we’d reached this point thanks to me, the thought of my name being left out of the glory felt absurd.
I wasn’t some pushover who’d work myself to the bone for someone else’s benefit.
If there was something to claim, I was going to claim it. I wasn’t asking for money.
So the only thing worth taking was a share of the honor. Not that I cared about glory or fame, but it was still better than working for free.
Even Lox—my sworn rival—nodded without protest, so the rest of the party didn’t seem to have any complaints either.
Everyone appeared to agree, and Ash looked especially delighted.
“Of course. You’re the one who played the most crucial role.”
He took both my hands in his and whispered with such heartfelt joy that it made my chest feel strangely itchy.
“Jeanie, we couldn’t have come this far without you. We all know that. And more people should know exactly what you’ve done for us.”
It was the gratitude I deserved, so why did it make me feel so restless? This guy really did like me way too much.
“Ahem. That promise is enough for me. Just don’t leave my name out as one of the great adventurers who discovered this place. Oh, and skip the family name—just use my first name.”
“We’ll do as you wish.”
“First of all, you two! Let go of each other’s hands.”
Lox really was asking to be killed.
Even under my murderous glare, he wedged himself between Ash and me.
He definitely needed a reevaluation—as a loyal retainer who valued Ash’s safety above his own life.
The only problem was that he was so aggressively protective from me.
“The mood was nice, but I hate to interrupt—don’t forget we still haven’t found the Cup.”
“You don’t look sorry at all.”
“We don’t know what dangers might still be lurking inside. There could be more mechanisms or traps that activate later. This isn’t the time to relax.”
“You’re right. Let’s head in quickly.”
We’d been riding high as if the Cup were already in our hands, but Lox had a point. We’d only just opened the door.
Beyond the door stretched a long, high-ceilinged corridor, its far end flooded with light so bright it illuminated the entire passage.
Until we reached that end, we couldn’t afford to let our guard down.
“Let’s push forward with everything we’ve got!”
“Have a good trip.”
“……You’re not coming with us?”
“I’m going to eat some apples for a bit.”
Out of nowhere, I pulled a perfectly ripe apple from my pocket. Since it came from my magically expanded pouch, it counted as magic.
Poof.
“What are you suddenly……”
“I’m hungry. I’ll rest here for a while, so you guys go ahead and check if it’s safe.”
“Isn’t that the job of the strongest person? Assuming that person has any common sense……”
“I have no common sense. That’s what the underlings are for. I’m too precious for that.”
Everyone seemed to know I was the strongest in the party.
Even after being labeled an underling, these simple-minded men only looked confused about why I refused to go with them.
Normally, even if told not to go ahead, I’d charge in and cause trouble anyway.
“You’re acting weird. It’s just walking down a corridor—why rest? Aren’t you curious about what’s inside?”
“You want to rest? Then let’s all rest together before we go.”
“No, all of you go. Ash, you too—get going!”
“Jeanie? Why are you suddenly…… Jeanie?”
I shoved both Chad and Ash through the door.
Standing guard like a sentinel, I watched until they had all crossed more than halfway down the corridor.
Only then did I step aside and slide down the wall.
“Damn it, this is exhausting.”
Feeling the strength drain from my legs, I nearly collapsed onto the floor. Rai clicked his tongue as he approached.
[Master, you have the strangest stubborn streak! That’s what happens when you try to do something you’re not used to all by yourself!]
“I thought I could handle it…… and I did!”
[You overdid it!]
I wanted to argue, but the fact that it was undeniably true only made me angrier and more embarrassed.
All this pain just from opening a door!
It was infuriating. So infuriating!
[Master is an idiot! A complete idiot!]
“Shut up! Who are you calling an idiot?!”
[Only idiots try to act tough!]
“It’s different! I just hate looking weak! Ugh…… I really am dying. Who knew opening one door would be this hard? Were there only monsters in ancient times?”
I barely had the energy left to shout. I unsummoned Adore as well to conserve what little strength remained and writhed alone in the darkness.
[By current standards, yes. That’s why I wasn’t rotting away in the boring spirit realm for over ten thousand years. It means there hasn’t been a talent like Master in all that time!]
“So that means……”
[Wait, I sense another wave of bragging coming……]
“I’m a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius. Hah.”