It was when Johann was pleading in reverence to the deity that the warmth filling the cave suddenly vanished.
As the warmth dissipated and the light that dispelled the darkness scattered, the cave fell into shadow.
Shortly thereafter, a thud echoed as something collapsed.
“Lucy!”
Benedict’s voice rang out.
Johann, startled, opened his eyes to see Benedict catching Lucy, who was about to fall.
“Bishop Johann! Are you just going to stand there and watch?!”
“...Ah! I’ll be right there!”
In a hurry, Johann rushed to Lucy’s side and began to weave magic, pulling the divinity still within him.
This was a child undoubtedly blessed by the deity.
She was chosen by the deity who had remained silent for so long.
It was unacceptable for her, who had just displayed a miracle before my eyes, to come to harm!
She had once traveled through many unfortunate regions, providing aid to those in need.
In terms of diagnosis and healing, she was more skilled than anyone else.
Johann soon completed the examination of Lucy Alrn.
Once the divine magic subsided, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow and let out a sigh of relief.
“She’s fine. She simply overexerted herself, leading to exhaustion. There’s nothing wrong with her body.”
“Really?! If something happened to our daughter!”
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
“Her current condition is just as precious to me, Sir Benedict.”
Though Benedict’s voice was raised in worry for Lucy, he fell silent when he met Johann’s gaze.
His eyes were filled with intensity—wrinkled and aged, yet all the more striking and resolute.
Even before the monstrous Benedict, his eyes held a firm will.
“I can’t guarantee how long it will take for her to regain her strength. After all, she performed a miracle that the young lady was neither supposed to conjure nor able to conjure. However, I am certain she will wake soon.”
“...I’ll trust you.”
As Benedict took a step back, silence returned to the cave.
But it didn’t last long.
The count summoned flames with his magic to illuminate the cave.
“Gentlemen, while it’s nice to share words, have you forgotten something important?”
“Hm?”
“Are you referring to us?”
Before the two, who appeared puzzled, the count dropped a massive ball of thread.
The moment they saw the thread protected by magical energy, both Benedict and Johann gasped in astonishment.
“What's the condition?”
Upon hearing the question from an old comrade, Karia shrugged with an awkward smile.
“Just so-so. Neither good nor bad.”
Having been cursed by the evil deity, Karia had finally been saved after a long slumber, yet she felt no particular excitement about it.
That was understandable, as her consciousness had been deeply submerged due to being robbed of her body by the evil deity.
Though she remembered the tumultuous times of battling for dominance between curses, that was about all she could recall.
To Karia, the long years of her disappearance felt like a fleeting dream that passed overnight.
If asked what remained in her memory, there would only be one answer.
Light.
An intensely bright light.
Warm and comforting, reminiscent of the sun, evoking childhood memories.
And the sight of the beautiful, adorable girl who held it aloft.
The back of the child standing confidently before the monstrous evil.
“Karia?”
As she reminisced about that scene, Karia was jolted back to reality by the call of her companion.
“No, I’m fine. Benedict.”
Perhaps due to her excessively long slumber, the once indomitable knight who fought alongside her on the frontlines had turned into an old man.
Though she had once doubted if there was any point in aging at all, it was clear now that time had indeed passed.
He was filled with wrinkles, and streaks of gray began to appear in his hair, along with many old scars.
Though he still retained much of his former self, the passage of time was evident.
“And how about you? You don’t look so good yourself,” Karia observed.
Despite having lost most of her power during the process of liberation from the curse, Karia still possessed her keen perception.
“Me?”
“Should I point out one by one?”
“Let’s see you try.”
Benedict, dressed in a suit that seemed ready to burst at the seams, feigned nonchalance, but he couldn’t deceive Karia.
This was her area of expertise.
“Underneath your clothes, burn marks. Gloves worn by someone who didn't even think to wear them when they were bothering you. Your brows furrowing slightly, perhaps from pain when sitting. Shoulders slightly tense. And...”
“Okay, that’s enough.”
Hah. After a long slumber, it seems your eyes have not changed at all.
As Benedict chuckled while saying this, he suddenly furrowed his brows as if sensing something wrong.
“You pushed yourself too hard, didn’t you?”
“I had a chance to show off my wonderful self to my daughter. I gave it my all after a long time.”
Benedict, who had been cooped up in the territory for so long and had overexerted himself, chuckled at the thought that his body was far from fine.
“But your daughter caused quite the stir, huh?”
“Indeed.”
“How is she now? Has she matured a bit?”
“She’s changed dramatically in this past year. However, because she’s changed so much, she makes this papa tense for different reasons every day.”
“What kind of change are we talking about?”
“Want to hear?”
Karia nodded without much thought.
Having caused numerous problems since childhood, her daughter was once regarded as a guardian deity of the kingdom. It was only natural she was curious about how much her daughter had changed.
But soon she regretted her decision.
“Well, first off, yes. My daughter is amazing. Just so amazing that I can’t help but boast about it.”
The blessings bestowed upon her daughter.
How she topped the entrance exam at the Soul Academy.
That she had defeated many geniuses within and was regarded as a new divinity.
That the child who once worried about making friends now had many people around her.
Up to this point, it was fine.
It was just the foolish father of that once-terrifying girl bragging.
Having shared similar experiences, Karia could view it with satisfaction.
But the problem was what came next.
“And not long ago, she called me papa again! Papa! How sweet and adorable that sound is!”
How cute and lovely his daughter was.
How she treated him so well was something he could not endure.
Though it might not be appropriate to say this, it honestly felt a bit nauseating.
Lucy, somehow, hadn’t gone off the rails even more.
She must have disliked having a father like this fool.
What a remarkable child.
“Did I overdo it?.”
“You’ve already said everything you needed to say, idiot.”
“Haha. Sorry. I guess I should start getting up since someone is waiting.”
“No, before that, I have one question.”
“Hm?”
What emerged from Karia was the image of the girl who had held up the sun.
She wondered if it was merely a hallucination or if what she had seen was real, and if she would have the chance to meet that girl.
Listening intently to Karia’s many words, Benedict smiled, pulling himself up from his seat.
“Don’t worry. You’ll meet her soon.”
“...It wasn’t a dream.”
“Correct. And one more thing. It was she who found you, rescued you, and purified you. Be sure to thank her when you meet.”
“Why should I worry? Am I someone who would betray her kindness?”
“No, I know.”
“And Benedict, thank you.”
Though Karia expressed her gratitude, Benedict did not respond. Instead, he waved lightly and headed outside.
Just then, a man in his mid-twenties walked in, crossing paths with him.
Upon entering, the man’s gaze fell on Karia’s face, and he froze.
Who is he? From the way he desperately fought back tears, he didn’t seem to be a stranger to her.
As she examined his face, Karia suddenly recalled someone’s name but shook her head.
That fool wasn’t the type to carry himself with such courtesy.
“Master.”
But that denial was shattered by the man’s choked words.
“...Alsetin. Is that you?”
“Yes. Your foolish disciple.”
“Really?”
Karia couldn't believe her ears, and Alsetin responded with a gesture.
It was a code only Karia and Alsetin knew.
It was true.
The child who had cried and begged her not to leave was now standing here as a proper adult.
Time is indeed terrifying. How could the arrogant child, who once used to annoy her, have grown up so well?
“Still, now that you’re older, you’ve matured too? You can use honorifics now.”
“Isn’t it time to stop living like a ruffian in the back alleys?”
“Enough. Stop rambling and come here.”
“Alright, then. You old hag.”
“Yeah. That’s the spirit.”
The voices of the two, filled with playful banter, intertwined with the tears flowing from their eyes.
[Calculating...]
As I awoke, the first thing I checked was the rewards.
No matter how incompetent the deity was, always shameless in its perversion, it always managed to provide proper rewards.
This time, having endured much due to its faults, I expected something in return, but all I saw was a message indicating that it was calculating.
No, hey?
According to Grandpa, a day had passed since I collapsed, so why am I only seeing this message?
What have you been doing all this time?!
Get to work!
Do you think I would have nearly died multiple times due to your incompetence and be okay with you slacking off like a bum?!
As I screamed internally, my head started spinning, and I toppled forward.
“Don’t you know how many times I told you to rest? Even though your body was already in poor condition, you pushed it to its limits, and now your state is the worst. You need to rest.”
<The fox is right. You should take care of yourself, girl.>
‘I know that...’
“Shut it, you earless fox. Do you think I wouldn’t know what you know?”
My physical condition was the worst.
Even the dim-witted fox, who was using its energy, was in bad shape.
In the process of liberating myself from the curse, I had exerted all the strength I originally possessed.
While I should have been able to rest from just one of those tasks, I had tackled both.
Even the fox had told me that it was a miracle that I had made it this far.
As a result, I now had to live in a state akin to that of a frail, mischievous girl for the foreseeable future.
It was troubling.
I had so much to do during the vacation! I wouldn’t be able to train properly in this condition!
Ugh. I wouldn’t lose out on the remaining two months, would I? That would be incredibly painful.
Is there no way? Just as I was pondering how to recover my body quickly, a message popped up.
[You have successfully rescued the victim of the evil deity. Rewards will be added.]
...Huh?
[The seal of the evil deity, Bahda, has been broken, but you have subdued and sealed him again. Rewards will be added.]
No. Excuse me?
[The evil deity, Agra, intervened, but you defeated him and caused a miracle. Rewards will be added.]
Armadi?
[Calculating complete.]
[Quest ‘Savior of Menestale’ has been completed.]
[Rewards are being distributed.]