Why is she worried about me?
Did she not notice that I’m related to the Evil God?
That can’t be true.
Just a moment ago, I was drenched in the power of the Evil God. My body was wrapped in so much energy that it could make my sanity disappear.
Yuden, who has even earned the title of Sword Saint, could never fail to recognize that aura.
This woman knows all of it and still worries about me.
Me.
Me.
She still considers me her friend.
“Ha. Damn it.”
With a bitter laugh, Luca spat out curses and looked at Yuden with eyes that had burst blood vessels, now red.
“Yuden. No. Sword Saint.”
“...Hm?”
“Do you really think I’m so pathetic? Even though I committed crimes worthy of being erased from the continent, you still think you should worry about me?!”
She’s always been like this.
Has she always seen me as someone beneath her? No matter what I did, she never cared.
Instead, when I used cowardly tactics, she shattered me and then asked if I was okay, like she does now.
“Luca. What are you—”
“Don’t talk nonsense. When did you become such a saint? Acting all good now?”
Luca had spent a long time as a companion to Yuden.
He knew what kind of person Yuden was, at least roughly.
Before she became the Sword Saint, Yuden had been the embodiment of a free-spirited adventurer.
She moved as she pleased.
When others picked a fight, she would go into a frenzy, pushing them down until they were broken.
When someone stabbed her in the back, she wouldn’t stop at simply returning the blow; she’d pursue them until she destroyed them.
So why is she worried about me?
I betrayed her expectations, and I’ve been betraying her countless times. Why is she still worried about me!?
“Ha. I see. To a star like you, someone like me is just a pebble, isn’t it? No matter how desperately I bark, I’m just a puppy that doesn’t pose any threat to you.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“What do you mean, ‘it’s not like that!’ Then why are you still worried about me?!”
For a moment, Luca tore away the mask he had been wearing and raised his voice, pouring all his emotions into it.
“What have I done for you!? Do you still think I helped you rise to your position?!”
In the past, Yuden had always expressed her gratitude to Luca.
She always said that without him, she could never have made it this far.
Every time she said that, Luca felt his insides rotting away, but he still smiled on the outside.
He couldn’t reveal his true nature in front of others, as it was far too ugly.
“If you still think that ridiculous idea, then forget it! I always wanted to see you fall! I wanted you dead! I wanted the star shining above me to fall!”
Realizing his end was near, Luca threw off his mask and revealed his true nature.
He confessed his sins in an attempt to turn Yuden’s concerned gaze into horror.
But reality didn’t change as Luca had imagined. Even after hearing his confession, Yuden didn’t look horrified. Instead, she just gave him an awkward smile.
“What’s this? Why are you making that face? What’s going on?”
“I’ve known for a long time.”
“...What?”
“Luca, it’s been years since we parted ways. I became the Sword Saint. I was dragged around by the former Sword Saint and learned about politics. I understood what you were doing back then.”
Years had passed, and during that time, Yuden, once a beast, had become a person.
Led by the former Sword Saint, she had traveled to various places and met many people, slowly understanding the actions of the past and the feelings Luca had hidden.
“But it’s all in the past now. All those things you did ended up helping me.”
“Stop talking nonsense! You! You never forgive those who oppose you!”
“Most of the time, yes. But not you.”
“Stop pretending...”
“Don’t you remember? When we first met, you saved me when I was about to die.”
Driven by the desire to face Sir Benedict, Yuden ignored the screams from her body and stepped into danger again.
And she found herself in an irreversible situation.
Yuden still remembered that moment clearly.
The wyvern’s tail coming down at her.
She had been about to give in to inevitable death when Luca’s sword slashed through the wyvern’s neck.
“There are many other things I’m grateful for. You taught me what order is when I used to charge in recklessly. You showed me how not to get fooled by scammers in every swordsmanship dojo. You stayed by my side when I was running wild, all alone.”
Though both were adventurers from commoner families, the gap in knowledge between Yuden and Luca was vast.
Yuden was certain that, without Luca, she would have died in the streets. The help he gave her was massive.
“...No. That’s because you thought I was beneath you.”
“Either way, it’s true I received help from you. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Luca.”
“....”
“So, I can laugh off your bitterness.”
“You... you think I made you into a star?! I created a light that I could never reach!? Is that what you think!?”
“Yeah.”
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
Luca, who had been silently listening to Yuden’s truth, suddenly burst into manic laughter.
The oppressive laugh, which no one could interrupt, only stopped when Luca started coughing violently.
He staggered, wiping the blood off his leather gloves, and turned his gaze toward Lucy.
“Did you know?”
“Isn’t that a bit too full of yourself?♡ Why would I care about you, some pathetic piece of trash?♡”
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Despite hearing Lucy’s voice penetrating his ears, Luca was too busy talking to himself.
“No. No, that can’t be it. Yuden can’t know something she hasn’t said herself. Even if she’s favored by the Lord. Ah! Of course! The great Lord must have given a revelation! He showed me the way to oppose them, right!? Right!? That’s the only explanation!”
Listening to Luca’s frantic cry as if trying to validate his conclusion, Lucy slowly curled up her lips into a grin, giving a silent nod.
“Do you want to know?♡ Do you want to know how you’ve been played by a cute girl even though all your stupid plans failed?♡ Hahaha! You’re disgusting!♡ You can’t even keep up with a pervert’s thinking!♡”
“Answer me! You!”
“Your struggles are so pathetic, I’ll answer just for you, okay?♡ You’re wrong!♡”
“What?”
“Wrong♡ From beginning to end, everything’s wrong!♡ Your plans are sloppy!♡ Your reasoning is sloppy!♡ Your instincts are sloppy!♡ Heh heh heh!♡ You’re really a hopeless teacher, huh?♡ Well, maybe that’s why you ended up getting played by a girl like me, huh?♡”
Laughing loudly, Lucy didn’t even try to hide her sneer. She covered her mouth halfway and continued with a wicked smile.
“The useless Lord never told you anything!♡ He never saw you as a threat!♡”
“No.”
“Everything you did never left any mark on me!♡ You were just a dog, following my orders!♡”
“No. No.”
“You couldn’t even influence anyone else!♡”
“No. No. No!”
Refusing to accept her words, Luca clutched his face tightly, but Lucy watched him with disdain.
“Hahaha!♡ Sure~♡ You can deny it all you want! But does that change reality?♡”
“...”
“You’re talentless, and you don’t even have the ability to help others grow. You’re just a piece of trash, Luca, didn’t you know that?♡ Huh?♡”
Luca, unable to say a word, ran forward, giving in to his emotions. But his struggle was stopped by a knight standing beside Lucy.
Arlen’s knight, Kal, easily subdued Luca and held him in front of Lucy.
“I’m kind, so I’ll give you one last reward, my dog.♡ Thank you?♡ For struggling to die just the way I wanted?♡”
“Lucy, I’ll... I’ll—!”
Bam! Lucy’s foot flew and struck Luca’s chin with perfect precision, knocking him back and causing his face to slump.
“Lady Arlen.”
Watching the whole spectacle from behind, Yuden wore a conflicted expression, a mix of emotions.
“You’ll have to pay dearly for using me as your actor without saying a word.”
“I know. Old man lover. Since you’ve helped me, I’ll make sure to tell the fool, Papa, that you were a good little pervert. Papa will surely forgive you because he’s a complete fool.”
With playful words, Lucy smiled as Yuden suppressed her emotions and responded.
“...And one more thing. Tell me everything about this scheme. I want to know when I became your toy.”
“That’s something I’m curious about too, Lady Arlen.”
A woman’s voice pierced through the stagnant atmosphere.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the stairs of the clock tower, and at the top, taking in all eyes, stood Queen Consort Kavaty Soladin, with a calm smile.
“I think I have the right to hear it, since everything that happened here took place at Soul Academy. What do you think, Lady Arlen?”
“Why don’t you just threaten me, Queen of Delusions?”