The Lucy Alrn that Arthur knew was someone who added rudeness to everything she said, forcing her words to be sarcastic and purposefully irritating, no matter who she was speaking to—whether it was a servant, a friend, a superior, or even a god. Even after spending a long time with Lucy, Arthur had only ever heard her speak kindly once, and that was when she was crying and apologizing in front of him.
Perhaps that was why, when Lucy, with her hands clasped together, quietly prayed to the Divine God, Arthur was struck with shock.
Her pale skin, almost impossible for a human to possess, the immaculate lines of her body, and the fatigue that only made her appear more noble. Her voice, usually so sharp, now sank, subdued, as she prayed.
Arthur couldn’t help but feel that the Lucy Alrn standing before him, illuminated by the divine light, was unlike the one he knew. She appeared sacred, noble, reverent, and filled with an earnestness he had never seen in her before.
It dawned on him just how much Lucy Alrn’s usual arrogance had clouded her appearance. Perhaps the forced behavior she exhibited was a kind of chain given to her by a god who was envious of her appearance.
As Arthur unconsciously smiled at the warmth of the divine energy surrounding Lucy, the ribbon tying her hair split, and her red hair scattered into the air. At the same time, the divine energy flowing from her formed into a shape, and the dark underground landscape was bathed in light. Arthur, standing in the center of this light, couldn’t help but think of stories from the mythical age.
Stories of armored angels fighting in the name of the gods.
Ha, I never thought I would think like this, but now I understand why the Apostle of the Arts was so eager to praise Lucy.
Without the oddity of her, Lucy’s appearance is so wondrous that, as an admirer of art, how could I not be amazed?
...Maybe if I told the Apostle about this, they’d make jewelry to preserve her appearance.
While Arthur harbored such personal thoughts in awe, Lucy Alrn, glowing with divine radiance, opened her eyes.
Looking around with her vivid red eyes, she met Arthur’s dazed gaze and smiled, just as she always did.
“Could you stop staring at me like that? It’s pretty disgusting when you look at me with such lustful eyes.”
“Wh-what? Who’s looking at you like that?”
“Who else? The incompetent, perverted prince, who’s just standing there and staring while not doing his job.”
As Lucy’s gaze shifted downward, Arthur’s face flushed red, and he quickly stepped back, flustered.
“Is what Lucy said true? Prince?”
Arthur tried his best to ignore Freya’s innocent eyes, which were glaring at him from the side. He coughed awkwardly and turned his gaze elsewhere.
The piece of the ancient ancestor statue, also watching Lucy, finally snapped out of its trance and cleared its throat.
“Wait a moment. Let me... There’s no need to confirm this. The Dark God’s trace is completely gone.”
“Are you saying that everything was resolved with just that one thing?”
“Yes. Did you not understand what just happened? What that child performed was not something that can be described in one instance! That was a miracle!”
Surprised by the word "miracle," Arthur turned his gaze toward Lucy. He blinked when he saw her casually yawning.
“What’s that? Your imaginary friend is talking nonsense? Did the pathetic bastard get beaten and cry about it?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll sleep. You can handle the rest, since you’re a capable prince, right?”
“...You’re sleeping? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before Arthur could respond, Lucy’s eyelids closed, and her body collapsed.
Seeing her collapse like a broken doll, Arthur panicked and tried to catch her, but Freya was quicker, catching Lucy effortlessly in her arms.
Despite their similar builds, Freya easily held Lucy, embracing her with both arms.
“I can’t let the lustful prince have Lucy.”
“...Do you even know what lust means?”
“No? I don’t know.”
Arthur sighed at Freya’s shameless reaction but was completely unfazed as Freya tilted her head and continued speaking.
“Do you know, Prince?”
“Do I look like an idiot like you?”
“Then explain it to me. What is lust?”
“...”
Arthur frowned. Did Freya genuinely not know what it meant? Was she pretending just to tease him?
Or maybe, Freya Kent wasn’t as dumb as he thought?
No. Well... whatever. How do I even explain lust, of all things?
How do I explain what Lucy Alrn said to me, what it meant?
“Why can’t you explain?”
“...Now that I think about it, I guess I don’t really know either.”
“I see. So you’re just as much of an idiot as I am, huh?”
Freya smiled brightly, calling Arthur a fool, and Arthur clenched his lips in frustration. The playful laughter of the ancient ancestor statue on the side only aggravated his mood.
The head of the Department of Magic, intending to speak to Lucy, left the room. Not long after, divine light erupted from the underground of the academy.
When Joy felt the warmth of that divine light, she immediately understood that it was Lucy’s doing.
The young lady had solved the problem once again.
Perhaps this was all part of Lucy’s plan. Joy smiled lightly and activated the magic circle that the head of the department had drawn earlier.
“Feibi. Can you check this with me?”
“Ugh.”
“...Feibi?”
“Ugh. Ugh.”
Hearing the crying sound, Joy turned around to see Feibi on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
“What? What’s wrong, Feibi?! What happened?!”
“Just now... just now... a miracle... Ugh, the young lady...!”
Feibi’s words were broken, but the meaning was clear.
Lucy had just performed something miraculous, and Feibi was crying tears of joy after sensing it.
Joy, while thinking that Feibi was being overly dramatic, didn’t say anything. She knew how much Feibi cared for Lucy.
If Feibi was calling it a miracle, then the Dark God’s energy wouldn’t be an issue with the magic circle anymore.
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Thinking this, Joy reconnected the magic circle to its power source, and the magic circle shone in a pure white light.
Good. The magic circle is functioning properly. Now, all we need to do is confirm that the academy’s barrier is working properly again.
Hoping everything would return to normal, Joy stuck her head out the window and saw, far in the distance, the barrier slowly rising. She sighed in relief.
Phew. Thank goodness. If something had gone wrong again, we would have had no way out.
“Indeed. As expected from someone who carries the blood of the Patran family.”
Joy flinched at the familiar voice behind her and, with a deep breath, quickly composed herself.
“Erginus’ magic circle... You’ve managed to decipher it.”
As Joy had guessed, the familiar voice belonged to the First Queen, Kabati Soladin, who had accompanied the head of the Department of Magic.
“The miracle performed by the Saint is what I added my hand to.”
After glancing between Joy and Feibi, the First Queen nodded thoughtfully.
“Lady Arln? Why are you asking about her?”
“If it’s you, you must know about her.”
The blacksmith Inuki had found his way to a clothing store on the academy grounds.
The elderly seamstress, who was mending clothes, showed no interest in speaking with Inuki, her face furrowing in displeasure.
“Do you think I’ll back down? Hurry up and answer.”
“Fine. But why are you looking for her? With your picky temperament, I don’t think you’d be interested in some unfinished warrior.”
The seamstress had known Inuki for a long time and was very familiar with his eccentric personality.
If the warrior wasn’t someone she’d approved, even if a king visited, Inuki would ignore them.
“Well, we’ll see. But I think there might be an exception.”
“...You? Is that your preference? The young lady is beautiful, but...”
“What the hell are you talking about, old hag!”
Seeing Inuki yell, the seamstress raised an eyebrow.
Was he serious? Was he really acknowledging the young lady’s talents?
Even though Lady Arln’s father was Duke Benedict, and her talent had been widely recognized, she still hadn’t earned the approval of this cantankerous old woman.
“Anyway, hurry up! Do you know Lady Arln or not?!”
“I do. I mended her clothes last time, so of course I know her.”
“Oh! That means you have a connection with her!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Despite the seamstress’s difficult personality, her hammering skills were excellent.
Although she was now a retired old woman, back in her prime, she had been capable of filling an entire city with her craft.
If she were to make armor for the young lady, there was no reason to stop her.
“Alright. Don’t be too proud. Go ahead and make the connection. Our bond isn’t insignificant, so you should at least do that much.”
“Understood. But I have one condition.”
“Speak.”
“When making the armor, may I also create a piece of clothing for myself? There’s something I’d like the young lady to wear.”
“Heh, that’s no problem. Let’s go. We’re off to make the connection.”