Chapter 56
Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: My Turn - 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Today's schedule? Snow stomping..."
"That's for tonight. With the full moon, the snowy field will be quite the sight. And during the day... we'll register for the Princess Tournament first and go through the preliminaries, right?"
"Ugh... I didn't practice yesterday..."
She had gotten completely wasted yesterday, so Lucille ultimately couldn't play the practice game. But what could be done? That was her choice too.
If I had to make her win this tournament, I would've kept pushing her to duel even drunk. But that wasn't the case.
"Still, we have some time left. Want to do one now?"
I pulled out my deck, and Lucille nodded slightly.
"Then I'll go wash up."
Veronica, who had no interest in dueling, stretched lightly and headed inside. Soon after, the sound of water started, and I popped a cookie in my mouth before holding out the drawn card.
"I'll activate Cabin in the Mountains for now."
As I placed the card down, Lucille pondered deeply before deploying a Guardian card. Then, munching on her cookie, she glanced toward the door.
The spot where Leventia had been standing earlier.
"Lady Leventia... why was she standing there? It seemed like she was staring at something."
"Who knows."
What she had been looking at was the scarf I had knitted. One similar to the one now around Lucille's neck.
Maybe it brought back old memories. Or perhaps she lost hers and wanted a new one.
Of course, I had no intention of making another. It was quite a hassle to knit one.
"...Was she coveting it? But... I have no intention of giving it to anyone."
Lucille clutched the high-quality wool scarf tightly and stared at me. As if she would never let it be taken away. I smiled and shook my head at her.
"It won't get lost unless it's destroyed. See that incantation circle there? That's a spell to find its owner."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes. Last night, I took a strand of the Princess's hair."
"Y-You did?"
I took a single long strand of her crimson silk-like hair, burned it, and completed the spell. So even if she lost the scarf, it would return to Lucille's side.
"A spell like that exists? How fascinating."
"It's not that difficult a spell."
"...Master. Did you make something like this for the Hero Party members too?"
"Hm. Yes. Not sure if they still have them now."
"...I see."
Lucille closed her eyes slightly, as if deep in thought. Not focusing on the game—what was she thinking about?
I drew a new card, flipped it face-up, placed it, and ended my turn. Lucille stared at the board for a moment before placing another Guardian and activating a Magic card.
"Magic card, Thunder Strike. I'll attack the Reverse card."
Since learning Duel, we'd played quite a bit, and with each game, her style was blending into her dueling.
Lucille liked counter quick-play Magic.
It was my main style too—if you got caught in a quick-play Magic combo, the opponent couldn't do anything as their Life Points drained away.
Whether she was imitating me or just liked it herself... whatever, it didn't matter.
"Reverse card reveal. I'll activate Magic Nullification. All Magic cards on the field are destroyed."
"The moment the Magic card is destroyed, Clear Oracle's effect activates. Each Duelist sends all cards in hand to the Graveyard and draws cards equal to the number in their Graveyard."
Damn. My hand reset, and the combo was blocked. Lucille smiled brightly as she took her new card.
"It's fine. No matter what anyone tries."
"Hm..."
"I'll make sure you can't do a thing."
The weak Princess who always cowered in her room, too timid to come out, was hard to find in Lucille now.
The Lucille holding her cards shone brighter than ever, looking ready to face any enemy head-on.
I could say it for sure.
Lucille had grown. More than before. That meant S-Rank Mentor Achievement was getting closer, so I felt proud.
But.
"I still can't lose at Duel."
That was that, and this was this.
"Hoo..."
Veronica emerged, towel-drying her damp silver hair. Instead of her usual black nun's habit, she wore a comfortable black shirt and shorts, padding barefoot into the living room. Her pale, springy legs moved as she flopped onto the sofa next to the sprawled-out Lucille and asked,
"Why's the Princess like this?"
"Heh heh heh. Proof she's still got a long way to go."
How dare she try to beat me at Duel?
True mastery was still far off.
"Ugh... Master is really strong. How do you always draw exactly the card you need at the perfect moment?"
"Heh heh."
"...But I'll definitely surpass you someday, Master."
"I hope you do. At this level, preliminaries should be a breeze. Go wash up, and we'll head to register."
"Yeees..."
Lucille staggered to her feet and headed to the bathroom. Veronica glanced at her, then sat in front of me instead of the sofa.
"Dry my hair for me."
"No drying device in there?"
"I prefer when a person does it. And my hair's too long for the device anyway."
"What about at the church?"
"The nuns did it. I'm a cardinal, you know. Cardinal. That's a perk."
She stuck out her tongue playfully and leaned her back against my legs, as if she'd stay like that if I didn't. So I fetched the comb and dryer device.
"It's been a while since you dried it for me."
"Yeah."
After first meeting Veronica in Baek Eun Village, during the main story and while I was doing achievements, we'd traveled together a few times.
We'd shared lodging then, and I'd dried her hair those times.
Her long, shimmering hair—like melted silver—even wet, had no tangles, soft and moist.
I combed and dried it gently, glancing at Veronica in the mirror beyond.
Eyes closed, humming a holy hymn contentedly, she looked quite pleased.
"Enjoying it, miss?"
"Yeah. Good enough to hire you for life to do my hair."
"Using a sage like me for that? Can a cleric indulge in such luxury?"
"Clerics are people too. People."
Exchanging silly banter, I pulled a potion from my bag. One I'd made in the elf forest.
"What's that?"
"Hair essence. Posture is key to boosting charm."
A potion that raised Charm stats for male or female characters, with permanent gains from consistent use.
"Huh. But clerics probably don't need it?"
"Clerics are people too... and I'm a woman. Of course I want to look pretty."
"Hm. Really?"
"...Why?"
"Nah. The Hero Party didn't seem interested."
In the main story, high Charm was useful often.
High Charm expanded negotiations and choices, so I'd taught the Hero Party—lacking related skills—ways to raise it for when I wasn't around.
They didn't really care for grooming though.
Leventia the training maniac went without saying, and Evangeline just said perfect elves didn't need it.
Claire... I did it and taught her a few times, but with no talent for it, it was pointless.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Heh heh..."
She smiled faintly and tilted her chin up slightly. Our eyes met naturally from below, and she looked up at me before closing hers.
"Well, I'm different from them."
Once ready, Lucille gripped the hem of my robe tightly. She seemed quite nervous. She'd grown, but was it still far off?
Probably not.
"No need to be tense. Preliminaries aren't that hard."
"...B-But if I lose... it'll be embarrassing for you, Master..."
"I guarantee it. As the Princess, you'll pass the preliminaries for sure. Have confidence."
"Uwoooooh! Reverse card reveal! Wolves' Howling activates! All Beastkin Guardians on opponent's field return to hand! Chain Trap card, Blue-Eyed Drake's effect nullifies all opponent's Magic cards! Ha ha ha! Can you block my Howling Burst Stream next turn?!"
"No need to go that overboard."
Willkers was in preliminaries too, it seemed. The beastkin staff from Raidnin in front of him scowled deeply.
Duels were usually done quietly and politely—that was the etiquette. But not everyone had manners.
"Uahaha! I win! I won! No one can beat my wolf deck! Ha ha ha!"
"That little shit's so damn loud! Duel with your mouth? Huh?!"
"What?! Let's settle if I'm loud with a Duel!!"
Watching Willkers, who'd passed preliminaries, duel another qualifier, Lucille broke into a sweat. That guy had confidence as big as his chatter.
"T-Then I'll go too."
I placed a hand lightly on Lucille's shoulder.
"Go to that one."
I pointed to the supervisor who'd just lost to Willkers. The chicken beastkin, soul drained by his chatter, was struggling to tidy cards.
"But..."
"Strike when the enemy's weak."
Of course, Lucille could pass preliminaries easily, but surer wins were better.
At my words, Lucille stared at me quietly.
"What's wrong?"
"...No. You're right, Master. Attack when the enemy's weak..."
Then she glanced toward the entrance. What was there?
Leventia was standing there. Why was she here? She had no interest in cards?
Looking closer, she'd come with Cecil inside the prelim area. Ignoring Cecil deep in talk with Vermund, Leventia stared this way. Lucille watched her a moment before turning to me.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"As a prayer for victory..."
She fidgeted, hesitating, then nodded as if resolved.
"Ei!"
She suddenly hugged me tight. Pressing her head to my chest, she looked up with a big smile.
"I'll win. No matter who or what the opponent is."
"Ha ha. Sure."
Looking much less tense, Lucille headed to Willkers's supervisor. As she walked away, Veronica beside me grabbed my arm lightly and said in a slightly subdued tone,
"Like it?"
"A disciple respecting her master is always beautiful."
"Hoo. Then friends cherishing friends is even better?"
Grinning like a cat, she fully hugged my arm and said leisurely,
"Got time later? Let's hit the pool."
She glanced casually at Leventia, Cecil, and Lucille before fixing her gaze on me, her deep sapphire eyes flashing unwaveringly as she declared,
"Next is my turn."