I understand why the other spirits fled when they saw me. Right now, I am their natural enemy. The rumors probably exaggerated things, and they may have believed that just touching me would result in purification.
<It’s not just a rumor. It might actually be true, you know.>
‘Seems like it. After all, I inherited the power from Mama at the end.’
At the conclusion of the battle, it was I who declared a new beginning for this world.
Though I acted with the power I inherited from Mama, it seemed that from the perspective of the concept of a "beginning," it was taken differently. Now, I find it much easier to handle the power compared to before.
If I wished, I could probably erase the spirits just by looking at them.
But unless something seriously bothers me, that’s not something I intend to do.
‘But why did Bishi run away? I don’t get it at all.’
Just recently, she openly supported me.
Among the spirits, I even convinced her mother to help, so why is she running from me now? Did she do something to feel guilty about?
<Let’s follow her and see. If we really want, we can catch her easily.>
‘I hope I don’t accidentally break something while adjusting my strength.’
Unlike my friends, Bishi’s body is fragile. If I grab her wrong, she might snap like a strand of pasta.
Shrugging, I took a few steps and quickly reached Bishi, who was gasping for air.
"Eek!" she screamed, as she struggled to move her trembling legs. Upon seeing my face, she screamed as if she’d seen a ghost.
How could someone who claims to be a spirit master be so frightened?
"Hey, Bishi," I called.
"...Y-Yes, Lady Allen! What is it?" she stammered.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I’m sorry for upsetting you! Please forgive me!" she pleaded.
Is she really talking to me right now? Our conversation doesn’t seem to be matching.
Frowning, I noticed a group of spirits whispering from one side and headed toward them.
"Stop," I commanded.
Naturally, the spirits tried to flee, but as soon as I imbued my command with divine power, they stopped dead in their tracks.
"What kind of nonsense is this?" I asked.
Just a while ago, they had been standing proudly with their heads high, but now that my position had shifted, they immediately cowered.
Maybe the Soladin royal bloodline was inherently ugly. It wasn’t the king who was the anomaly, but rather Asher and Rena, the real anomalies.
"Shut up and tell me what you did to my friend. Now," I demanded.
Should I just purify them all? These guys couldn’t even protect the royal palace, their only true purpose, so erasing them wouldn’t be an issue.
“Aderi,” I called.
"If you doubt my existence, want to hold my hand? After one arm is purified, I think you’ll be able to figure out who I am," I said.
As I surrounded my fingertip with divine power and moved it, Aderi bowed down obediently.
She quickly backed away the moment my hand touched her, so it didn’t seem like she was trying to mock me.
"I thought old men like you were all creepy. Thought you were mocking me," I replied.
Well, actually, there are more cases of that than you’d think.
Back in the day, people would tell the king, "If you want my head, go ahead and take it. But if you do, you’ll be a tyrant," in defiance.
Some even said they liked the royal gifts, only to be suspected of assassination and killed.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Is that better now?"
"Do you really want to be tormented?" I asked.
What’s so surprising about someone apologizing?
Up until now, I couldn’t do it because of my Mesugaki skill! I’m still a person with a proper inner self!
When it’s time to apologize, I can say I’m sorry!
<But I should make some allowances. Honestly, I can’t imagine you apologizing in the past.>
I couldn’t argue with the old man’s words, so instead of letting the insults rise, I sighed.
"Fine. I’ll let it slide this time. But tell me why Bishi is in that state," I said.
"Scared? Why?"
Are we talking about revenge here?
I folded my arms and, ignoring the other spirits fleeing, reflected on the past.
Up until now, I hadn’t reacted strongly to Lucy’s past because I thought of it as someone else’s story.
But now, things were very different.
Everything that happened back then happened to me, and the disdain they showed was directed at me. The pain I endured was mine alone.
Now, with power and strength in my hands, revenge against them isn’t hard.
Honestly, with a single word, I could bring down an entire family.
"Such a useless worry," I muttered.
But, aside from what was possible, I wasn’t planning on taking revenge.
If I had been powerless back then, getting beaten and not being able to do anything, I wouldn’t have thought about it. But I’ve paid back what I could.
I wasn’t called the Flying Hedgehog by Joy for nothing.
From now on, anyone who challenges me will be suppressed, but I don’t want to drag the past into the present and make a fuss.
"If I had wanted revenge, I wouldn’t have saved the kingdom. Why bother with this damn country?"
In fact, back then, I didn’t even realize who I was, but even if I went back, my actions wouldn’t change.
There’s too much to do in the present for me to dwell on such a trivial past.
"Want me to take care of them?"
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
"Then take care of them. When you threaten them, make sure to use my name."
"Until now, yes. From now on, no."
Passing by Aderi, I turned toward Bishi again and sat down opposite her, smiling.
"Sorry for always treating you like a sidekick. I wanted to say I couldn’t help it, but I know you must have felt hurt."
"Oh, no. Maybe at first, but I got used to it after a while. It’s okay," she said.
"You wouldn’t have had a chance to say anything to me if it weren’t for now, huh?"
"Uh... Hmm."
Seeing her hesitate made it clear she had been holding a lot back.
Anyway, she was being petty, as usual.
If only she had a big heart like Fabi.
"It’s a joke, so don’t take it seriously. Unlike others, I’m not a masochist," I said.
"...That’s mean," she muttered.
"On the other hand, I do plan on keeping my promise. Here, take this," I said, handing her some papers from my spatial pocket.
She received them, looking confused, but soon, her expression turned serious.
I thought she wouldn’t understand it at all, but damn, is Bishi smarter than me!?
"This is..."
"You saw the chaos the king caused, so you know. If a spirit has a proper body, they can live like a human."
I had asked Erginus for help, developed the theory, and even confirmed its practicality through black magicians connected to Karia.
With the right body and a skilled spirit master, it’s possible to give a spirit a new life.
"Of course, if the body is too average, the mismatch with the soul will make it impossible to last long. The best option would be to use their own corpse, but that old hag died centuries ago, so that’s impossible. So, what do we do? We create a body that’s almost indistinguishable from the original."
"Is that possible?"
"For an ordinary person, no, but for a legendary mage whose name will be remembered through history? Definitely. After all, that person has already proven it," I said.
You can’t bring back a lost soul.
But you can give a wandering soul that lost its life a new chance.
What Aderi chooses to do with her life is up to her.
If she decides to cling to life and crosses the line as a spirit master, then she’ll meet me again.
"I’ve given you the method I promised. Now it’s your choice."
There’s a piece of paper with the Allen family seal and my name on it. With that, anyone can help them, so I no longer need to interfere.
Honestly, I didn’t understand most of what was written on that paper anyway.
"Well, see you later."
After saying my goodbyes, I grabbed the fairy’s hand and arrived at the place where it all began and will end.
The Allen family mansion. A place full of happy memories, but also a horrific nightmare. A place where laughter will bloom again.
Hoping for laughter and chatter, I stepped into the mansion, only to freeze at the chilling atmosphere.
<It’s impressive the mansion is still standing.>
At the center of the continent’s greatest knight and the god of myths, the gods were in the middle of a heated argument.