Chapter 39
‘Right. In the original story, I’m sure….’
A character who had clashed with Axion from the very beginning of the original work, while Axion steadily carried out his plan to bring about the destruction of the continent.
In other words, an early-stage rival—someone introduced to demonstrate the protagonist’s growth.
‘At first they fight on equal footing, but as Axion gradually awakens to the power of the Demon Dragon, he’s eventually eliminated in a brutal way.’
He had a fair amount of presence early on, then disappeared later, so I’d forgotten about him.
A fate where he’d be erased by Axion.
I looked at the boy with a sense of pity. Somehow, I felt a strange sense of kinship with him.
“What. Why are you staring like that?”
The boy flicked away my sympathetic gaze with a sulky expression.
Whether he liked it or not, a question suddenly popped into my head and I tilted it slightly.
‘Come to think of it… how did this woman, Cora, show up again?’
The blue-haired woman was still standing there with a vacant expression.
I couldn’t remember clearly.
Well, of course.
‘Dazard… didn’t appear in the original at all.’
The original story didn’t begin until at least twenty years later. Something could easily have happened in the meantime that caused them to disappear.
“By the way… who are you?”
Setting aside whether they appeared in the original or not, meeting transcendents this easily—people you’d normally never run into—made me think I should buy a lottery ticket.
The boy suddenly asked in a sharper tone than before.
“Judging by where you came from, you definitely met that old fox… but if you’re not Vanilla, then who are you?”
His eyes glinted strangely. He clearly found me suspicious.
Without me noticing when she moved, the vacant-faced woman had stepped behind me, blocking my retreat.
‘…Am I being surrounded right now?’
Being scrutinized like this by two transcendents in a body with no powers whatsoever was… something else.
“Well, at least the future of this world looks bright.”
“Huh?”
These two airheaded people were supposed to be the transcendents who protected the continent from Axion?
I’d wondered how the continent survived at all. Still, they didn’t seem to be transcendents in name only.
“I’m Scillia, the second daughter of the Count of Evanroir. And this child is called Axion.”
“Ah—o-oh, I see.”
“You said earlier that only those connected to the ‘Day of the Rift’ can be here. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
When I offered a proper noble greeting, lightly lifting my skirt, the boy flushed and hurriedly bowed in return.
“I ended up getting connected to the ‘Day of the Rift’ because of a certain mutt. I was worried there might still be lingering effects from the monsters, so I came to see the Saintess.”
“I-is that so? Then you must be accompanying Morocanil. Dazard wouldn’t have brought anyone himself.”
Morocanil?
So he’s a transcendent too.
Then is he here in this temple right now?
‘Perfect. I can just give him the stone right away.’
As I thought that and absently touched the stone inside my clothes, Cora shook her head briskly.
“No. Morocanil already met the Saintess early this morning and went to the capital. So that means this person must be Dazard’s guest…”
He’s not here?
“Really? Did he say where he was going?”
“H-huh? Morocanil?”
“Yes!”
Cora blinked, having been muttering about me possibly being Dazard’s guest.
“Uhh… whenever Morocanil comes to the capital, he always goes there. That place called something like ‘Three-Second Poisoning.’”
Give us three seconds and we’ll poison anyone!
The very place where I’d met Morocanil before.
My heart began to race.
“He’s there right now?”
“Yes. He goes every day and monopolizes the reservations, so that shop’s booked until next year. All of it’s Morocanil’s reservations. Even I’m having trouble because of it… Huh? Wait—where are you going?!”
I didn’t listen to the rest of Cora’s words and hurried off.
“I’m sorry, but something urgent came up. I’ll be going now!”
“Hey—intruder!”
Aishe shouted after me and hurried to follow, but she froze in shock at the words I threw back.
“I really am Dazard’s guest. He’s probably still in the temple, so try asking.”
A guest who would come with Dazard on the Day of the Rift?!
For a moment, that thought clearly crossed Aishe’s face.
Leaving the two of them stammering behind me, I quickly walked down the corridor they had come from.
If I went that way, I’d reach the exit.
“Haah… huff…”
Thankfully, I made it out of the temple without getting lost.
The shop with the three-second poison was closer than expected, and since I’d been walking quickly while carrying Axion, it didn’t take that long.
Or so I thought.
“But…”
Clink.
I rushed inside and couldn’t hide my disappointment.
Morocanil—who I’d expected to find there—was nowhere to be seen.
“Looks like he already left.”
On the counter where Morocanil’s stone had once been displayed, there was only a small sign that read Reservations Closed.
I let my shoulders slump slightly and stepped back outside.
“Oh dear, Axion. Mommy rushed too much—were you uncomfortable?”
“Mmm!”
“Alright, let’s put you down here.”
Even with arms and legs like iron, carrying a baby for so long took stamina. I set Axion down and patted my shoulder when—
A small boy rushing past with his head lowered bumped lightly into my shoulder.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
Since I’d been standing in the middle of the street without paying attention, I waved it off.
Then I stepped into an alley and leaned my back against the wall.
I’d walked too fast and figured I’d rest for a moment.
And right then—
“Ho ho! I followed the whisper of fate, and look—it led me straight to my bluebird!”
A voice so greasy it sounded like the speaker had eaten ten sticks of butter stabbed straight into my ears.
It was so unpleasant my skin crawled.
I turned toward the source of the creaking voice.
“Greetings!”
A man with an oily face stood crookedly at the entrance of the alley, stroking his mustache with his index finger.
Behind him stood several muscular men, clearly his subordinates.
“…Who are you?”
“Ahh. One might call me a gentleman—someone who helps delicate blossoms like yourself.”
“……”
“Heh heh. Were you startled when such a refined gentleman suddenly appeared, little fawn?”
I decided that if I listened any longer, my ears might rot.
I scooped Axion into my arms and took a step back to get away from him—
And a thick hand landed heavily on my shoulder.
“Oh my, oh my. Don’t be afraid, little fawn. The reason I appeared so suddenly before you is—”
I could tolerate the greasy voice and tone to a point.
But touching me without permission? That was unacceptable.
I put my iron leg—effective even against a transcendent like Dazard—to good use.
Smack!
“Aaagh!”
“C-captain! Are you alright?!”
The mustached man clutched his shin, hopping on one foot before losing his balance and collapsing onto the ground.
“Ughhh…”
“How dare you put your hands on me. Should I cut off your wrist instead?”
“N-no, that’s not it. I was just—”
As the man—apparently some kind of guard captain—groaned in pain and tried to explain—
“Seize that woman!”
“H-hey! You idiots—w-wait…!”
Unable to bear their superior’s suffering, his subordinates rushed toward me all at once.
The mustached man muttered something belatedly, but in the heated chaos, no one seemed to hear him.
I widened my eyes and hugged Axion tightly.
Just come any closer. I’ll make you just like that pervert.
I was swinging my leg around wildly with that thought—
When—
“Everyone, please calm down.”
A white flower petal drifted softly down onto my head.
…Or so it felt.
In the next instant, countless petals fluttered down all around.
No—what looked like petals weren’t petals at all. The moment they touched the ground, they scattered and vanished.
Powerful divine energy, given form.
It radiated an aura similar to the divine power Dazard had shown before.
‘Dazard…?’
Thinking he’d saved me again, I looked up—
“We meet again.”
“Morocanil?”
But it wasn’t that despicable man Dazard.
Through the scattering holy petals, a blond, handsome man appeared so close I could almost touch him—looking, this time, truly like an angel.
Smiling gently, he extended his hand toward me.
“Hello, Lady Evanroir.”
