Chapter 124
Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: EP.124 Summer Festival - 1
On the way back, Lucille didn't say a single word.
She must have been thrilled to have mastered the ultimate skill and become a complete mage, but it seemed the lingering feeling of graduating from me was holding her back.
After a long silence, she finally spoke timidly as they reached the palace entrance.
"...So, does that mean I'm no longer your disciple? Our master-disciple bond..."
"Once a disciple, always a disciple. That won't happen."
"R-Really? Once a disciple, forever a disciple! Eternal disciple! Yay!"
"How grand."
I smiled and played along with her forced joke.
With the mood somewhat lightened, they returned to the palace, where the queen came looking for Lucille.
"How did it go?"
Once inside the office, the queen asked in a surprisingly calm tone. But from the sweat beading on her forehead, her eyes, and the faint tremble in her hands on the desk, it was clear she was quite tense.
"She mastered the Pinnacle of Magic."
"...I see? Of course she did. She's my daughter, after all. Well done anyway. Rest easy today. But you can't stop here, understand? You're going to be queen someday. Don't stop until you become an Archmage."
"Yes..."
Was it because the queen wasn't as overjoyed as expected? Lucille replied with a slightly deflated expression and stood up.
"And the Sage, stay a moment."
Lucille glanced at him, bowed, and left. Only then did the queen collapse onto the desk as if her tension had melted away.
Her shoulders shook. Her vibrant red hair swayed.
The crown slipped from her head, and as a mother rather than queen, she sobbed softly.
"Sob... Sniff... Sob..."
Those weren't tears of sorrow, but of joy and relief.
There was no need to awkwardly interject.
He crossed his arms and sat in the chair, waiting. Soon, she composed herself, wiping her reddened eyes with a handkerchief.
"Sniff."
"You're getting snotty."
"...I know... Thank you so much..."
"If you're truly grateful, let me keep using the annex laboratory. And along with the kingdom travel pass..."
To tackle the DLC Main Story and remaining achievements ahead, he listed what he needed, and the queen approved without hesitation.
He'd expected some pushback or conditions.
"Of course I'd grant that much."
The queen rose slowly, approached, knelt before him, and bowed her head.
"What are you doing?!"
"...Thank you. Teacher."
"..."
"If you hadn't been her teacher... Lucille would have... I can't thank you enough."
"No... It's nothing."
"Besides what you mentioned earlier. Anything you desire, I'll give it. Even the throne if you wish..."
"By marrying Lucille? That's already over."
She really was unpredictable.
Making such an offer in this atmosphere.
Not for nothing was she the queen. Admiring her, he helped her to her feet.
"Let's set aside talk of Lucille for now. There's something more important to discuss first."
With the DLC applied, the story would start any moment.
They needed to prepare countermeasures as much as possible.
"Please use the kingdom's intelligence department to investigate anyone acting suspiciously."
"Anyone acting suspiciously...?"
Catching that this was directed at the queen, not Lucille's mother, she wiped her tears, returned to her seat, donned her crown slowly, and asked in a stern tone. He explained Chronos based on the information so far.
"An outer god..."
"Among outer gods, Chronos is one of the worst."
"I've heard of Gultelak, who follows Kosmo, the outer god of space. He always tends his fields alone and doesn't refuse meetings with people. At that level, even the church doesn't bother him, so no need to stir up trouble..."
Chronos was far beyond that, which was the problem.
He grew serious, and the queen groaned.
"Chronos's followers are more numerous and dangerous than you think. They're just biding their time. If they move in earnest, it won't just be the kingdom—chaos will engulf the entire continent."
No one lives without regrets.
"...I see. And?"
"We can't prevent the chaos, but we can minimize it. Handle that part yourselves..."
"And?"
"I'll assign a bodyguard for Lucille and a trainer to guide her to Archmage."
"No reason to refuse a recommendation from the Sage. Who?"
"Witch Huilot."
The queen tilted her head, then stiffened.
Just moments ago, she seemed ready to give him anything, but now she let out a heavy sigh.
Yeah.
It wouldn't be easy.
Living alone in hostility to a massive city-state.
Then tearing apart the mayor and all three hundred councilors, hanging them in her forest, marking her as a dangerous figure across many nations.
Housing such a witch in the capital, in the palace no less.
After the meeting with the queen, he headed to the annex. Even without classes, Lucille was there.
"Why?"
"Um... Teacher. Classes..."
"There's nothing more for me to teach you."
"But I want to learn more than just magic. Like your music..."
"I can teach that, but later. You're not planning to stop here, right?"
"Uh... Yes."
"To become an Archmage, it's not just mana capacity—calculation speed matters too. Keep training that in your spare time."
"...Yes."
"Meditate every morning..."
He pulled out cards.
"Do daily duels to sharpen your calculation skills."
"...Yes!!"
As he held up the cards, Lucille beamed innocently.
It wasn't really about teaching her more.
There was nothing left to teach, and he had to stay in the capital until the summer festival.
He also needed to process intelligence from the kingdom's department and eradicate Chronos's followers as much as possible.
Catching them like rats before Chronos appeared wouldn't stop the DLC.
But it could minimize their movements when it started, giving him room to maneuver.
So, prepare as much as possible now.
He wasn't one to complain later if unprepared.
Staying at the palace, he used intelligence reports to purge dissidents, prepared to face Chronos, occasionally helped Cherubim, took guild quests, and passed the time.
"Festival!!"
Finally, the long-awaited summer festival began.
The kingdom capital's summer festival lasted a week, drawing travelers from various countries eyeing the event.
Merchants, once worried it might not happen, joyfully decorated shops and stalls now that it was on.
Lodging everywhere buzzed with touts for festival-goers, prices rose slightly, but they stocked limited-edition items not sold normally.
In that festive heat.
He headed to the riverside with Lucille, where the festival's start would be announced.
"This far is enough, right?"
Not in her usual dress but priestess robes, Lucille awkwardly tugged at the flowing hem.
"I wonder if I can really do this..."
"You're the one communing with the river spirit. Don't chicken out."
"Of course. I'm the one and only disciple loved and cherished by the sole Sage on the continent."
"Y-Yeah."
He'd never get used to that.
As he waited with Lucille at the festival entrance.
"I'm here."
A familiar voice.
There stood a silver-haired nun in habit, smiling brightly.
Veronica.
"Missed me a lot, right?"
Grinning with upturned lips, Veronica strode over, smugly eyeing Lucille.
Normally, Lucille would retort, but she just smiled softly.
"...Then I'll be off. Teacher."
"Yeah."
Lucille bowed and entered with the knights. Watching, Veronica tilted her head.
"Princess Lucille seems much calmer?"
"Things happened. Anyway, you?"
"Hm? Me?"
"Did pushing Raysi work out?"
"Huh? Oh. But we're just standing here talking?"
"No way."
The festival lasted a week.
He had to conquer every stall and shop event.
"Let's go. I skipped proper meals; I'm starving."
"Heh. I'll fill you up."
"Ooh. Looking forward to it."
First stop: a stall at the entrance. For the oddly specific "fruit juice drinking" event, they paid coins and got two large cups.
"Enjoy! And here's your stamp! Collect them all and head to the Kingdom Merchants' Association HQ for a special prize!"
Special prize was nothing much.
Commemorative trinkets or toys.
But collecting them all was needed for achievements...
"Wow! This is good!"
"Hehe. Right? We went all out! Can't spoil the mood at a rare festival with bad stuff!"
Veronica sipped from the large juice jug, eyes sparkling, as he tried some too.
"So? How'd it go?"
"I baptized Viscount Willie's third daughter. Blessed their family and factory too. So Viscount Willie now follows Marquis Raysi."
"Nice. Well done."
"Hehe. I'm that good. And..."
Sipping juice, they headed to another stall. Bought walkable long stick candies, toys, ornaments, watched bards and jugglers, then stopped before the platform.
"The princess approaches."
Festivals were always lively, but opening and closing ceremonies were solemn.
Perhaps why— the chattering crowd obeyed, falling silent.
"...Wow. She's really changed. In just days."
The girl atop the platform had shed her innocence. Only those worthy of major kingdom events were present.
Her red hair and white priestess robes fluttering, she walked to the riverbank and raised her hand.
-Splash!!
A girl emerged above the river.
The new river spirit dwelling here.
Sprinkling mist, it showered blessings on the riverside crowd as Veronica grabbed his hand.
"Real princess. What happened?"
"Hm... Mastered an ultimate skill and graduated from me?"
"...And? That's it? Be honest. I can investigate."
Could she really find out?
He snorted.
Even Lucille wouldn't admit to Veronica that he'd dumped her.
Or so he thought.
"You dumped Lucille, huh?"
She actually told.
Right after the opening, Veronica, fresh from seeing Lucille, didn't wait for his reply, bit her thumbnail, and muttered softly.
-Crunch! Crunch!
"More solidly... to shatter... O God, grant me strength...! Courage to enter that wall...!!"
Author's Note
See you later~!