Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Aftermath (2)
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"...That's how it happened."
After Mucky's intervention, Ariana seemed even angrier, so I desperately explained the whole situation to calm her down. Thankfully, I managed to soothe her.
"...I understand. I know what kind of person you are, Is, so I'll let it slide this time."
"Phew... Thank you."
"But in that case, isn't it the lady next to you who's at fault?"
"Pardon?"
"She linked arms with you without even asking your permission."
Ariana stared intently at Prelia.
Under her gaze, Prelia flashed a mischievous smile and clung even tighter to me.
"But~ he's the prince who showed up in front of me in that hopeless situation~"
"Whoa, a prince...!"
"He saved me, he's my type looks-wise, he's got a great personality, so isn't it okay to be a little greedy?"
"Ugh...! No, it's not!"
-Squeeze...
"?!?!"
Suddenly, Ariana linked arms with me from the opposite side.
In response, as if to say you started it, Prelia grinned playfully and tightened her hold on my arm.
'Almighty Goddess, please save me, Almighty Goddess, please save me...'
I prayed to the Goddess, trying my best to ignore the soft sensations pressing against both my arms.
Whether they knew about my plight or not, the two of them kept clinging to my arms, locked in a staring contest.
"I can't hand Is over to someone like you! Is is my direct Holy Knight!"
"Gasp, using your position to pressure me... Now I see why such a cool knight doesn't have a girlfriend."
"N-No, that's not it! I've never once stopped Is from dating!"
"Even if that's true, he might've held back because of the subtle pressure from you."
"I-Is that how it is...?"
Ariana looked up at me with a shocked expression at Prelia's words.
Her face was growing increasingly pitiful, which was adorable, but I had to set the record straight.
"Don't worry. I've never had a single romantic opportunity in my life. As a kid in the slums, I didn't have the luxury for that. After being taken in by the church, I lived a life of temperance under the nuns' teachings. And as a Holy Knight, my sole duty is to protect you, Saintess—so how could I entertain such impure thoughts? The reason I've never dated is entirely my own issue. You bear no fault whatsoever."
"I-Is that how it is...?"
"Yes, that's how it is. So please don't worry. And..."
After reassuring Ariana, I turned to look at Prelia.
"Mage, please stop teasing the Saintess. No matter how fun her reactions are, she's a pure soul who could genuinely get hurt."
"Ahaha, got it!"
Prelia gently released my arm and stepped back, at which point Mucky immediately climbed up my arm and resumed its armor form.
After calming things down, I asked Ariana,
"By the way, what happened to the Hero?"
"Oh, he died."
"???"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Cough, cough! Ahh! I'm gonna die, fuck...!"
"Phew, you scared me. I really thought you'd passed on."
"Bullshit, don't jinx it in front of a dying man."
"Haha, still, thanks to you, Hero, I saved my life. Truly grateful."
Ariana's declaration that the Hero had died had my heart racing in anxiety, but as soon as I stepped outside the tower and saw Ruin alive, I let out a huge sigh of relief.
'As expected of the protagonist. He accomplished his task and didn't die.'
Saved someone in crisis? Yes.
Survived? Yes.
He seemed irredeemable yet somehow redeemable.
"How did you slice through the tower? You couldn't have just brute-forced it."
"Heh, cough! Simple. I poured all my Holy Power into a full-force swing, and it cut right through."
"Pardon?"
"Believe it or not, I'm fucking strong. Cough, cough!"
What? Is this what it means to be a Hero?
No matter how you looked at it, that tower wasn't something you could just hack through with a sword—yet he did it casually.
I was briefly awestruck by the protagonist + Hero combo's power.
"Cough, cough! Shit...!"
The moment Ruin coughed, some unidentified chunk of flesh came loose.
"...Huh? Hero!"
I hurriedly scooped him up.
"Fuck, this hurts like hell..."
"Don't talk! Your condition's worsening!"
I thought it was just his usual post-vomiting aftermath since he was hacking up blood, but it was worse than I'd imagined.
"Fuck... I don't wanna die a virgin..."
"Hero! Hero!!"
I grabbed Ruin, who was trying to leave those ridiculous words as his last, and desperately searched for a way to help.
And at that moment.
"Haa... Since you saved Is, just this once."
-Swoosh...
Ariana's delicate finger touched Ruin's forehead.
It looked almost like she was pricking it.
"Cough, cough... Ah... I'm gonna live..."
His coughing subsided somewhat, and Ruin's face relaxed in relief.
His gaze turned to Ariana.
"Ariana, if you'll give me another chan—"
"Ah, Is! You had wounds on you too, right?!"
"Yes? But the Hero's—"
"No, that's not okay! Even small wounds can turn into serious illnesses if neglected!"
"But the Hero—"
"The Hero's fine at this level. Right?"
Ariana's cold gaze bore down on Ruin, and to her icy question, his response was...
"...Yeah."
An affirmative laced with tears.
That...
'Sorry, man.'
You should've treated her better.
In the end, Ariana healed Ruin just enough to keep him from dying, then began treating the wounds on my body.
Since the Muckies had been toying with me rather than killing me outright, there were no fatal injuries.
-Swoosh...
Ariana placed her hand on my cheek, continuing the healing.
Due to the positioning, we ended up staring right into each other's eyes.
'...It's a bit belated, but damn, she's really pretty.'
It was always in the back of my mind, but after narrowly escaping death, she looked even more beautiful.
As I gazed at her blankly, Ariana's cheeks flushed red.
"Um, Is? Staring so intently is embarrassing..."
"...Ah, sorry."
I quickly averted my eyes.
And then.
"Hmm~?"
Prelia was watching me with the eyes of a cat that had spotted something amusing.
"Come to think of it, you're the Saintess and her direct Holy Knight, huh..."
"Uh... Yes, that's right."
Prelia seemed lost in thought for a moment.
She closed her eyes, rested her hand on her chin, paused, then suddenly nodded and asked me,
"So you're the Saintess party dispatched directly from the Imperial Palace!"
"That's correct."
'She's switched to casual speech naturally.'
Well, that's just Prelia's style, so whatever.
As I nodded in affirmation, her eyes sparkled.
"In that case, do you have a next destination or anything? Heading back to the capital?"
"Yes. We were supposed to head to the Imperial City by now to submit detailed reports on everything that's happened... but as you can see, we got held up in Solaya for far too long. We'll have to depart quickly once things settle."
"Hmm, I see~?"
She wore a smile that screamed ulterior motives.
"Is something the matter...?"
"No, no! It's just that being saved by the Saintess party feels like a miracle! I'll repay the favor properly!"
"No need for repayment. We follow the Goddess's will: we save those in peril and stand against injustice—"
"Still! I insist on repaying you!"
"But—"
"That's that! Take this, and I'm off!"
-Whoosh!
A piece of paper about the size of a palm flew toward me.
I snatched it mid-air and checked it, my eyes widening in shock.
"This is... a Mage Tower invitation?"
This was something even the protagonist in the game didn't get until mid-to-late game.
Why give something like this to me?
I hurriedly looked up toward where Prelia had been, but she was already gone.
"...Heroines really are unpredictable."
"Is! What did that lady just give you?"
"Ah, it's..."
When I showed Ariana the Mage Tower invitation, her eyes went wide too.
"A Mage Tower invitation?! I hear the Mage Tower folks rarely hand these out..."
"Hahaha, seems like it's her way of 'repaying' us. We didn't save her expecting anything in return, though..."
Since she's gone this far, I should visit at least once.
It'd be rude not to after accepting the invitation.
'And Prelia's a heroine.'
Building a connection now would pay off in the future.
"...A-Anyway, returning to the Imperial City comes first! R-Right?!"
"Pardon?"
Ariana seemed oddly anxious.
"Y-You're not planning to head to the Mage Tower right now, are you?!"
"Well, reporting to the Imperial City takes priority..."
"Right! Great! Let's hurry and restore Solaya to its livable state! The Muckies trashed more places than you can count!"
"Call me...?"
"Ah, Mucky. Not you, the Muckies... Hmm, awkward to say."
"How about giving it a name then?"
"A name, you say?"
Ariana's eyes lit up as if she'd been waiting for this, and she drew closer to me.
"Yes! Since you're its master, Is, let's name it!"
"Hmm, a name... Nothing comes to mind."
"Then shall we brainstorm together?"
"That sounds good."
"Heehee, the two of us coming up with a name together—it's like we're a married couple!"
"Pardon? What do you—"
After much discussion, Mucky's name became "Ia."
She never explained what it meant, but it sounded cute, so we went with it.