It wasn’t long before the young Lady Cleve regained consciousness, but she could remember nothing.
She couldn’t recall that she had been kidnapped. Nor could she remember that she had been replaced by another. She had no idea why she was here.
“D-Did I cause any trouble to Lady Patran, perhaps?”
Seeing her trembling with anxiety, Joy casually reassured her, then put on a smile.
In a way, it was probably for the best. Rather than trembling in fear, haunted by the nightmare of nearly dying, it was better for her to know nothing at all.
Thinking back to the time when she couldn’t escape the nightmare, Joy spoke up, suggesting they chat at the next tea party, then left the room.
If I hadn’t had Lucy by my side during the time I was trapped in that nightmare...
Back when I was too scared to even close my eyes.
On the days when just thinking about entering a dungeon made me shiver and freeze up...
Could I have walked around smiling like I do now if Lucy hadn’t been there?
“Joy.”
While Joy was lost in thoughts of gratitude and doubt, Lucy called her name.
In Lucy’s red eyes, which shimmered below, there was a mischievous glint as if she had discovered something fun.
“You’ve got something you need to do, dumb idiot. It’s your chance to be useful for once, since all you’ve ever done is get in my way with your stupid actions. Aren’t you happy? Right?”
Lucy spoke to Joy, her tone as usual, looking down at her with that characteristic air of superiority.
If the other young ladies had seen this, they would have surely muttered about how rude she was, but Joy didn’t mind in the least.
She knew Lucy didn’t mean it sincerely. And when she thought about all the things Lucy had done for her, even if those words were sincere, it still wouldn’t matter.
“What should I do?”
If Lucy, who usually handles everything on her own, was asking for help, it must have been something difficult for her.
It would definitely be a burden on me as well.
But that’s fine.
If it’s Lucy’s request, I’m ready to do whatever it takes.
I’ll give it my all, even if it’s a difficult task, if it means repaying the favor for everything she’s done for me.
With her resolve firm, Joy looked into Lucy’s eyes. But the words Lucy spoke next, accompanied by a smile, made her stiffen.
“It’s simple. You idiot. Just turn the dumb little trick you pulled on the Sympathy Tree into a spell.”
...
Excuse me.
That’s not simple at all, is it?
What you’re asking is to create an entirely new type of magic from the ground up, something that doesn’t even exist. And it has to be intricate enough for other people to use, not just me.
Lucy tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand why Joy was confused.
“What’s wrong? Joy. Are you insecure?”
Is she really asking this because she doesn’t know?
I thought she knew something about magic, but maybe I was wrong!?
Then how did she create the magic in the forest last time!?
Inside, Joy wanted to say all this, but she held it back.
The fact was, she had broken the power of the Evil God before.
Whether it was a miracle created by her desperate will or if it was the result of all her accumulated effort, Joy had performed an act that many people would call a miracle.
However, that was only possible because it was magic Joy herself was casting.
The magic she used, made possible by her personal ability and magical power, could only have been cast by Joy herself.
It would be like asking someone to take a half-done sketch and turn it into a fully fleshed-out piece of art—something anyone could use!
If I had that kind of skill, I wouldn’t be a student right now!
I’d probably already be a professor, teaching others.
The words she wanted to say were overwhelming, but Joy couldn’t bring herself to say them.
The reason was simple—Lucy’s gaze was far too pure.
She didn’t want to disappoint Lucy by saying that she couldn’t do it.
But, she also couldn’t be sure she could create the spell herself.
What should I do?
What do I do?
“How dumb and incompetent do you think you are to be this insecure? A noble Lady of the Patran family should have more pride than this.”
“A. No, I am confident!”
In response to Lucy’s provocation, Joy unknowingly raised her voice. Realizing what she had just said, she began to tremble in embarrassment.
But by then, it was too late. Joy, who wasn’t a legendary mage controlling time, couldn’t take back the words she had already spoken.
“Hmm. So, you’re overflowing with confidence now?”
“That’s... that’s not it!”
“You wouldn’t be saying ‘I can’t do it’ like a little crybaby, would you, my dear noble Lady of Patran?”
With Lucy teasing her, Joy bit her lip and, in a moment of desperation, subtly gave a look toward Phoebe.
Phoebe, who was familiar with the signals between nobility, easily caught her gaze.
Please! Phoebe!
Stop Lucy!
You’ve known me for so long—please understand how absurd this is!
Please!
Phoebe met Joy’s desperate eyes and, with a light laugh, turned her gaze toward Lucy.
Phoebe! Thank you!
I’ll give you a gift related to Lucy later...
“Of course. The Joy I know would never be that kind of person.”
Phoebe!? You!?
Joy froze, betrayed by someone she trusted, but she couldn’t say anything. Lucy and Phoebe continued their conversation, laughing.
“Then now we just have to wait for how many idiotic things Joy will do, right?”
“That’s right. She’s the one who carries Patran’s blood. I trust her.”
“I trust too. I’m sure she’ll do something stupid.”
“What should we do, Prince?”
Arthur looked at Joy, who was lamenting, with a look of disbelief.
“What do you mean, ‘what should we do’? Go to Lucy Alrn right now and tell her you can’t do it.”
“But Lucy is really expecting me to do it!”
“That’s exactly why you should go now. If you do, at least it’ll be better than just disappointing her. Being laughed at is still better than being let down.”
Arthur’s practical advice made Joy’s eyes widen, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
What he said was painfully realistic.
“Lady Saint, I’m sure you already know this. Given your deep understanding of holy magic, I believe you can handle even regular magic.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
“Then why didn’t you stop me when I was doing something stupid?”
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“Why should I have?”
“...Huh?”
“Lady, you would never ask for something impossible. If she asked you, it means it’s within your capabilities. So my job is not to reject the Lady’s request, but to help you do your best.”
Arthur’s calm voice, as if quoting from the Bible, made him understand the situation.
So, Joy had already made herself a fool for her pride, and the Saint had just cemented that, huh?
Lucy Alrn, who didn’t understand magic, must have believed the Saint’s words.
“Hm.”
Arthur knew that Phoebe would believe anything Lucy said.
When Phoebe listened to Lucy, her expression was as solemn as if she were listening to the words of a divine being.
So, while Arthur knew that Phoebe’s words should be considered with caution when related to Lucy, he didn’t question them now.
Because what Phoebe said, while not entirely convincing, wasn’t entirely without merit.
Had Lucy Alrn ever asked for something completely impossible from them?
What she asked wasn’t easy or simple, but with effort, it was always within reach.
Thinking about that, Arthur realized that Lucy’s current request was also within their capabilities.
“Why not just do it like we did last time?”
As the three of them fell silent for their own reasons, Freya, who had been quietly listening, intervened with a soft voice.
“That’s not possible, Lady Kent.”
“Why? We did it fine last time.”
“Yes, we did. But if you want me to recreate that magic, I can do it. However, casting magic and turning it into a formula is completely different.”
“...Different?”
When Freya, who knew nothing about magic, tilted her head in confusion, Joy sighed deeply and continued to explain.
“Lady Kent, when you see someone’s sword technique, can you roughly follow it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then, can you teach that sword technique to someone else?”
“...Mm?”
“Can you analyze that technique and put it in a book?”
“...Hmm...”
“What Lucy asked me to do is like that.”
As Freya understood the difficulty, she stayed silent, but her thought process was different.
“I think it might be possible with some effort. Teaching a sword technique you’ve only seen once.”
Freya, who had an exceptional talent in swordsmanship, nodded after careful consideration.
Hearing that answer, Joy lost her words, then sighed again and shook her head.
“Huh? Why?”
“Freya Kent. Just stay quiet and eat your snacks. That’s more helpful.”
“Mm, okay.”
After Freya stuffed her cheeks with snacks as usual, Arthur, arms crossed, voiced what he had been thinking.
“First of all, trying to do this on our own is difficult. Walking down an uncharted path without a guide is foolish.”
“I know that, Prince. But who should we ask for help?”
“You have plenty of capable mages around you.”
“If the magic I need to create was just regular magic, it wouldn’t be a problem. But the magic I need to create this time is related to the Evil God.”
“...I understand.”
What Joy was trying to do was interpret the Evil God’s power through magic and turn it into a spell.
Her intent was clearly good, but just because her intentions were pure didn’t mean everyone would view it favorably, especially those with great power.
“The Saint is here, so it’ll probably be less of a problem.”
“But there will still be talk behind the scenes. Phoebe and I have been close since we were young.”
So, they couldn’t just ask for external help. They shouldn’t.
“It would be nice if there was someone trustworthy to ask for help.”
Listening to Joy’s words, Arthur recalled the encounter they had in the forest and spoke up.
“Should we ask the owner of the forest for wisdom?”
“That creepy fox?”
“...Well, that person is...”
“I know. It’s hard to be around them. But the owner of the forest is still the owner of the forest.”