“Papa, I’m going to the social gathering.”
Lucy, who had once been terrified of leaving her father’s side, abruptly declared her intention to attend high society events to Benedict.
If this were a tale of heroism, one might imagine the scene of a child breaking free from their shell after losing their protector. But reality was far from that.
The child, whose decayed and rotten heart showed through her eyes, simply wanted to vent her hatred on the world. She desired to repay the pain the world had inflicted upon her with the same suffering.
If, perhaps, Benedict had noticed his daughter’s pain, the story could have unfolded differently. If he had, as always, sought to protect her, Lucy might not have thrown herself away.
But Benedict, drowning in despair after losing his wife, barely had the strength to breathe, let alone pay attention to his daughter.
“Do as you wish,” he muttered.
“Yes, foolish... Father,” Lucy responded.
And with that, the child gave up on salvation.
As the illusion shattered, Lucy’s despair burned into my mind. A darkness so suffocating that even a worldly adult would struggle to endure weighed heavily on her heart.
I clenched my teeth to endure it, and only after a long time passed did I raise my sweat-soaked face and wipe it clean.
<...You’ve seen another memory from the past, haven’t you?>
‘Yes.’
<You seem deeply affected. Would you like to rest for a while?>
‘I’m fine. This much is nothing.’
I replied flatly to the old man’s concern, forcing myself to stand. But I staggered and fell forward, landing with a thud.
<Nothing, you say?>
‘...Be quiet.’
The shield I’d dropped had rolled far away. As I sighed and moved to retrieve it, I caught a glimpse of my face reflected on the white surface of the shield.
The gaunt, pale face staring back at me was unmistakably mine, but it looked far from normal.
If I stepped out like this, Carl would panic and start shouting, and Karia would pretend not to care but secretly worry.
Haa. I’d better stay here until I can at least put on my usual expression again.
With a long sigh, I sat back down on the ground, staring up at the dark ceiling.
What is the Junk God trying to show me?
If his goal is simply to prepare me to oppose the Evil God and save the world, this is unnecessary. It’s a hindrance. If I become confused, unexpected variables might arise.
It’s also hard to believe he’s showing this to console Lucy, who no longer exists. After all, it was the Junk God who bestowed the "Mesugaki" blessing upon this world.
The Junk God, who understands his own faults and knows shame, wouldn’t commit such hypocrisy.
Then what is it? What does the Junk God want?
As I pondered absentmindedly, I realized Mira’s death anniversary was approaching.
The thought sank my mood further, and I hugged my knees tightly to my chest.
“This incident seems to have been orchestrated by Rasha to protect Lady Lucy Allen.”
Visiting the Holy Land ahead of an upcoming Church event, Johan sipped his tea and explained what he had uncovered.
“To protect Lady Allen?”
“Yes. That woman cherishes young saplings with the potential to grow into strong beings. She must have acted to ensure they wouldn’t be cut down prematurely.”
“Still, how can you be certain this is related to Lady Lucy? There are other strong individuals in the Imperial Colosseum.”
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“There are several reasons, but the deciding factor was that all those killed by Rasha were individuals who sought to engrave Lady Lucy’s peculiarities in their minds.”
Fayby nodded, understanding why the victims were exclusively dark magicians and priests.
The dark magicians likely viewed the Apostle of the Junk God as a valuable sacrifice, while the priests of the Church would never acknowledge the existence of such an Apostle.
“So, Rasha must have noticed Lady Lucy’s truth?” Fayby asked cautiously.
“Most likely. After all, she is the Apostle of the Evil God.”
“...Pardon?” Fayby blinked in disbelief at Johan’s nonchalant statement.
“Did you not know? It’s a widely known fact among those who are aware.”
“You’re saying Rasha serves the Evil God?”
“The term ‘serves’ is ambiguous. That woman has no faith.”
When the Church realized Rasha’s connection to the Evil God, they mobilized to eliminate her.
Rasha, who had never hidden her trail, greeted her pursuers with a savage grin and took down every opponent who came for her, all while taunting them to bring stronger challengers if they wished to kill her.
However, Rasha’s wish was never fulfilled.
“At the time, His Holiness declared that having a faithless Apostle occupying the position was a boon for the Church. He saw no need for further sacrifices,” Johan explained.
“That does sound like His Holiness. He’s exceedingly pragmatic,” Fayby remarked.
Though Rasha was enraged by the decision, there was nothing she could do. From that point on, the Church chose to observe her from a distance without direct intervention.
“This time will be no different,” Johan concluded. “Because I will ensure it.”
Johan was confident he could steer the Church’s response, ensuring minimal interference in Rasha’s activities.
“Lucy Allen!”
Arthur’s shout snapped me back to reality. Turning around, I saw the massive claw of the dungeon boss bearing down on me.
It was too late to dodge. There wasn’t enough time to defend.
What’s left, then?
Destroy it.
Gripping my mace, I swung it down at the claw’s center. The indestructible appendage shattered into shards, scattering across the floor.
As the boss flailed in agony, I realized my mistake.
Damn. I was only supposed to play defense. Now the fight is progressing way too fast.
What should I do? Heal it in secret so they don’t notice?
It feels petty, but losing the bet would be worse.
<Don’t worry. The time for the bet has already passed.>
‘Really? Phew, thank goodness.’
<And besides, you won’t have time to heal that claw anyway.>
‘Huh? What do you mean—’
I couldn’t finish my thought. Before I could, I felt an enormous surge of mana from behind me.
“Great job, Lady Allen! You’ve opened up an opening!”
Turning toward the source of the mana, I saw a large, intricate magic circle glowing behind Joy.
It was woven from several smaller circles, forming a massive one. Even though its complexity was beyond my comprehension, I could sense what spell it would unleash.
The sheer cold radiating from it made that much clear.
“Freeze!”
Crash!
The massive crab-like boss, as large as a small hill, froze solid in an instant. The entire cave filled with an icy chill.
Joy had completely drained her mana, trembling from the cold as she lacked the energy to even warm herself. Still, her face lit up with triumph.
“It worked! I wasn’t sure it would, but it worked!”
Caught up in the thrill of her success, Joy disregarded any semblance of noble decorum, shouting with unrestrained excitement.
Watching her from a distance, I sighed at her lack of composure. Nonetheless, I cloaked her in divine energy, stopping her shivers.
“Oh, thank you, Lady Allen, I really—”
“Hey, Joy. Do you not know what the term ‘confirmation kill’ means?”
“Huh?”
“Seriously? You don’t know? I thought your brain was at least decent, but... wow. I’m disappointed. Really disappointed.”
“I mean, it’s not that I don’t know! But surely it wasn’t—”
Crack!
The sound of ice shattering echoed through the cavern. Even after being completely frozen, the crab boss clung to life, its form beginning to stir once more.
“...Huh?”
Joy blinked in confusion as I let out an audible sigh. Her cluelessness was truly incurable.
“Joy! Lucy Allen! This isn’t the time to be standing around! That thing will revive any moment now!”
“It’s fine.”
With a monotone voice, Frey swung her sword.
The slash, a strange blend of hues that seemed to be every color and none at once, cut through the frozen boss cleanly, splitting it in half and ending its life.
With a heavy thud, the creature’s massive head hit the ground, and a door leading out of the dungeon appeared.
“It’s over now.”
Frey sheathed her sword as if it were nothing, but the rest of us weren’t so calm.
Seriously, that girl. She’s already manifesting a color before her second year?
Is there no limit to her talent?
At this rate, by the time she finishes her second year, she’ll be able to go toe-to-toe with Benedict.
Arthur, startled by Frey’s remark, hurriedly grabbed Joy and exited the dungeon to report their time to the officials waiting outside.
Having already heard the result from the old man, I leisurely followed them, wondering how I could tease them this time.
Just as expected, the three of them were despairing over their loss.
“Joy! If you hadn’t messed up—!”
“But Prince, you also said it was the right move back then! This isn’t entirely my fault!”
I chuckled as I watched them bicker, but my amusement was interrupted when Karia, in disguise, approached me.
“Lady Allen, it seems we need to leave the archipelago immediately.”
“Why? Did you get engaged or something? Who’s the poor idiot stuck with you?”
“...The Pope is coming here. Bishop Johan personally delivered the information, so it’s reliable.”