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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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“Is… is that right? Of course, it’s not true, right?”
Claire, visibly flustered, looked relieved. Veronica finally smiled.
“Hey, where did this rumor even come from? Who started it?”
“I heard it from Roven.”
“I heard it from Rutilka.”
“I heard it from Wilkers.”
“I heard it from Sister Aiste.”
“I heard it from Larkshill…”
This was pointless. If I ignored it, it would die down on its own.
As they say, don’t feed the trolls.
“Maybe the Princess started it herself?”
Why would she?
The rumor probably started because Lucille had personally requested the adventurers. It would surely die down soon enough.
Still, just in case, I should probably find the source.
“Hey, when you guys get back, find out who started this ridiculous rumor and let me know.”
“Huh? Sure, why not?”
Lark, gnawing on a piece of meat, accepted my request. As I was writing out a formal request for him, General Leoden approached, a drink in his hand.
“We owe the adventurers a great debt. Even if it was at the Princess’s request… you fought well.”
“Eh, it was nothing.”
“We got paid, so don’t worry about it.”
“In that case… any thoughts on remaining on the battlefield?”
“Nope.”
The adventurers flatly refused. General Leoden sighed, disappointed.
“But the battlefield should be fine as it is. The Hero’s Party is here, the kingdom’s army is fighting well, and as long as there are no major issues, you should be able to hold your own without the adventurers. And you can always call for the Sage, right? We do it all the time when we’re in a pinch. Right, Sage? You always accept requests from the Adventurer’s Guild so quickly. You seem a bit busy now, but you’ll still come if we call you!”
I only accepted requests from the Adventurer’s Guild because they were usually related to achievements.
I usually ignored personal requests and dungeon exploration requests.
Wilkers, unaware of this, chattered away excitedly. General Leoden looked at me, then at Claire, his expression troubled.
“We’ve requested your assistance on the battlefield several times, but you’ve always ignored us.”
That was because there were no achievements to be gained on the battlefield. And even if there was a shortage of manpower, Claire, Leventia, and Evangeline were here, so it wasn’t a problem.
I glanced at the hopeful Claire, then averted my gaze. In a corner, Leventia and Evangeline were staring at us with intense, focused expressions.
“Will you come if we request you?”
“Of course not.”
Was I crazy?
“Then what about a request from the Church?”
Veronica, her expression brightening in stark contrast to the dejected Claire, gently tugged on my robe. I met her sparkling, expectant gaze and nodded.
“I’ll go.”
I still had achievements to unlock at the Church.
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Claire sat in her tent after the party.
How could she repair her relationship with Hyun-woo?
She wracked her brain, but no answer came.
Only a growing sense of despair, the feeling that it was impossible.
‘And…’
Hyun-woo was forming new relationships.
Lucille.
Hyun-woo’s student, the Princess of the kingdom.
A noble, and though a bit gloomy, a lovely girl who was changing for the better, thanks to Hyun-woo.
Claire knew that Lucille’s feelings for Hyun-woo were more than just respect for her teacher.
Probably…
“…infatuation… right?”
She recalled what the adventurers had said at the party.
The Princess, who had always been too afraid to leave the palace, had personally gone to the Adventurer’s Guild to issue a request?
That must have taken a lot of courage.
She was changing, and it hadn’t been long since she had become Hyun-woo’s student.
Hyun-woo was doing a good job, managing to draw out the girl who had been holed up in her room for so long.
So, it was only natural for such rumors to spread.
Even if the rest of the story was exaggerated.
–Flap.
Lost in thought, Claire looked up at the sound of the tent flap opening. It was Leventia. The knight entered, her expression grim. She looked at Claire with sad eyes and sat down.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Huh…?”
“…Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry…”
Since Hyun-woo’s departure, Leventia had apologized to Claire constantly. It was her jealousy and inadequacy that had led to her despicable actions, the root of all their problems.
“…I’m sorry… I… I have no words.”
“…It’s not your fault. I was also to blame… But where’s Eva?”
“She said she wanted to be alone in her tent…”
Leventia, who had been with Evangeline earlier, knew. Hyun-woo’s words, spoken to the adventurers.
That he wouldn’t be returning to the battlefield.
That meant he no longer cared about them. And that was a devastating blow to Evangeline.
It was easy to guess why she wanted to be alone.
She was probably trying to escape the conflict between her elven pride and her despair, retreating into herself once again.
Even knowing it was a sweet, fleeting poison.
“…What should we do?”
“……”
Leventia couldn’t answer Claire’s question.
She had tried to find a way to apologize to Hyun-woo, to earn his forgiveness, countless times.
But she had failed every time.
“What did… Hyun-woo say…?”
“That our relationship is over…”
Claire’s words were a dagger to Leventia’s heart. If only she could escape reality like Evangeline, but that was impossible. She could only bite her lip until it bled.
Yes, their relationship was over.
But…
“…N- No…”
The thought of a life without the Sage filled her with a terrifying fear, as if she had been abandoned in the darkness.
Even her thick, sturdy armor couldn’t protect her from this fear. The only light in this darkness was the Sage, Hyun-woo.
“Aah… sob… ugh… sob…”
Why had she done it?
Why had she been so jealous of him?
Why couldn’t she have been honest with herself?
The strong knight Leventia cried like a frightened girl. Claire gently embraced her.
She was in the same situation, the same predicament.
So, she had to comfort Leventia.
Like wounded animals, licking each other’s wounds.
But it was a meaningless gesture, like drinking seawater to quench a thirst.
The only one who could heal their wounds was elsewhere.
“Heh… hehehe… hic… hehehe… Foolish human. You came to see me again…?”
Alone in her tent, Evangeline smiled, lost in her delusions. Delusions to escape the overwhelming pain and guilt.
Lying on her cot, she looked at the man standing beside her.
A foolish human.
An oblivious human.
But a human she had been proud of.
A human she had loved enough to grant the title of Honorary Elf. Evangeline’s eyes were unfocused.
Ignoring the red wine spilling from the bottle on the floor, she reached out her hand.
“Come here. Let me hold your hand…”
But the hallucination simply smiled warmly and didn’t take her hand.
The hallucination, which had always comforted her, was different.
“Ah… aah… ugh… uwaah…”
She knew why.
Because she had seen him in person a few days ago.
Alive, breathing, vibrant.
The discrepancy between reality and her delusions was enough to shatter Evangeline’s defense mechanisms.
“Sob… sob… hic… Fool… foolish human… sob…”
Foolish?
She was the foolish one.
Why had she been so arrogant? Why had she been so critical?
Overwhelmed by disgust, a hatred for her elven heritage, and a crippling guilt, Evangeline frantically searched for a dagger.
And then,
–Slice.
She cut her already shortened ear.
As the long ear, a symbol of elven pride, was further mutilated, the pain intensified, and the guilt subsided.
This was her punishment.
Her punishment for being a foolish, pathetic creature.
“Ah… ugh… ah…”
“What are you doing?”
Just then, the tent flap opened. Evangeline looked up blankly. Standing there was a silver-haired priestess.
Veronica.
“…What are… you doing… here…?”
“Evangeline. I was asked to heal you.”
“I don’t… need it…”
“I don’t want to heal you either.”
She meant it.
Why would she want to heal Evangeline, who had treated the Sage so horribly?
But she couldn’t refuse General Leoden’s repeated requests.
Veronica didn’t hide her annoyance. Evangeline glared at her with venomous eyes, and Veronica returned the glare.
Veronica’s expression was grim when she returned from forcibly healing Evangeline.
The Hero’s Party was in a truly pathetic state.
The Hero had lost her courage, the strong knight was consumed by despair, and the proud elf had abandoned her pride.
Veronica couldn’t help but worry.
This was dangerous.
If this continued, it would be dangerous.
She bit her lip and looked at Hyun-woo, who was bustling around amidst the boisterous crowd.
He had been the key to resolving this crisis, the one who had worked the hardest, and yet he wasn’t resting.
He was helping where he was needed, drinking with the soldiers, cheering them up with his lute playing and jokes.
And he was even livening up the atmosphere by playing a card game called Duel with them.
“Hmph…”
He was always like this. He helped the weak, the struggling.
He took on tasks others would avoid, and he tried to maintain good relationships with everyone, regardless of their social standing.
There was always a lively, vibrant atmosphere wherever he went.
As if he carried the light with him.
So, what would happen…
If Hyun-woo were to face the despair, the darkness, of the Hero’s Party?
Wouldn’t his heart ache for them, and wouldn’t he reach out to them?
Just like he had reached out to save them in Silver Village.
“…That can’t happen.”
He was a man who didn’t seek rewards.
But even so, wasn’t it too cruel to ask him to save those who had hurt him so deeply?
Veronica couldn’t allow that to happen.
To eradicate heresy, one needed a strong will.
Sometimes, one had to be ruthless. And Veronica believed she possessed that strength.
So, someone as soft-hearted as the Sage…
“…Someone strong, like me… has to protect him.”
Veronica clenched her fists.
She vowed to protect Hyun-woo from being used.
Believing that only by her side could he find peace.
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