4
The morning arrived soon.
When it came to actually sharing a bed with a goddess, Lyu, who had not experienced that ever before, groaned in distress as she fought her own nerves.
And on top of everything else, she blushed and groaned some more as she was questioned and probed and prodded about Bell. Lyu braced herself for yet another sleepless night, but mysteriously, her eyelids began to sink while she talked with Astrea. The goddess’s warmth guided the fairy into a peaceful slumber.
But when Lyu woke up and found herself in the warm, soft embrace of the goddess’s bosom, she almost screamed.
“I never knew Lady Astrea had that side to her…”
It had already been a decade since she had joined Astrea’s familia. Lyu’s ears reddened slightly at making such an unexpected discovery. “No, I know she is just doing all she can for my sake since I couldn’t sleep. I know that…but…!”
This was her third day in Zolingam. The sun had yet to rise.
The birds were still sleeping in the woods as Lyu began her early-morning training again today. This time wielding not just Futaba but also Cecille’s wooden sword, which she had not had a chance to return yesterday.
She thought she really should have returned it last night, but Lyu had not been in a proper state of mind, and it seemed like Cecille would not be willing to see her anyway. She wanted to apologize as well, but she was sure that would not be accepted.
There was always the option of asking Astrea to return it for her, but Lyu did not want to leave it to someone else—she wanted to return it herself. After she finished her training today, she would ask one of the familia members in the home, and no matter how awkward it might be, she intended to return the sword with an apology.
That was her intent at least, but…
“Oh, good morning, Lyu!”
“We were up early today. Did you have a nice sleep in Lady Astrea’s room?”
“Sleeping with Lady Astrea…my precious goddess’s bed…I—I won’t forgive you…”
In the part of the woods she had used yesterday, Schau and Iselina were waiting. Cecille did not seem to be there, but instead, there was a fresh, new face. And apparently Lyu’s night in the goddess’s room was already common knowledge in the familia.
The prum Schau was cheerful, the werewolf Iselina was smirking tauntingly, and the black-haired human girl was…well, something was creepy about her.
Lyu struggled for words, but she coughed awkwardly to cover it. Struggling against the heat threatening to spread to her cheeks, for some reason she asked a question.
“Why are you here? Are you really…?”
“That’s right. Lady Astrea asked us to!”
“Well, Cecille is one thing, but…we’ll come along for the ride. You’re the incredible predecessor who overcame Orario’s Dark Age, after all.”
Lyu was stunned at Schau’s and Iselina’s answers.
“We ended up siding with Cecille in the argument yesterday, but…”
“We’ve heard about you from Lady Astrea, too. But it’s been tense from the moment we met you, and you were hard to talk to…and, well, like I said yesterday, we were scared. But we really did want a chance to talk with you this whole time.”
Schau, who was half Lyu’s height, moved her arms and gestured to explain herself, and Iselina smiled even as she scratched her cheek. And finally, the black-haired girl said something terrifying.
“I…because of you doing this and that with Lady Astrea…my impression of you has sunk low enough I want to curse you to death, though…”
“…Ah, and you are?”
“Uranda…”
Lyu’s question got a muttered response.
She had long, wavy hair that covered her eyes. It was perhaps an awkward comparison, but she looked almost like a combination of Chigusa and Cassandra. She was one of the familia members who had been watching the home yesterday.
“We heard about your situation from Lady Astrea. We can help you, even if it’s just us.”
After distancing herself slightly from the quiet aura emanating from Uranda, Iselina explained why they were there. And with that, Lyu finally understood.
Thanks to Astrea, Lyu could now maintain some level of composure. The sharpness, like a bare blade, had disappeared, and her demeanor was gradually softening. Thanks to that, the girls who had found her unapproachable before could now speak more freely.
It would be rude and uncouth to say I’ve been dancing in the palm of Lady Astrea’s hand.
Astrea may have told them that Lyu would be better tomorrow. That motherly concern for her children made Lyu smile gratefully. Of course she was also grateful to Iselina and the others for taking that final step of actually reaching out.
There was still some distance between them, but with Alize and the others gone, the thought of being able to be part of the familia again was like an impossible dream.
It was overblown, but it made her think of the word family and made her nostalgic.
“Especially with yesterday’s incident, I am sorry for being a careless senior…And I am thankful that you were still willing to meet me halfway.”
Putting her left hand on her chest, she said what she needed to, just like an overly serious elf. And while she had not realized it herself, but there was a faint little smile on Lyu’s lips.
The boyish Iselina giggled a bit and scratched her head, and the small Schau blushed without bothering to hide it. And Uranda stared. She really was hard to understand.
Trying to hide her embarrassment too late, Schau red-facedly changed the topic.
“Ah, are you still using that wooden sword?!”
Before Lyu could say she was intending to return it, the prum girl smiled innocently.
“It was made for you, so I’m sure Cecille will be glad!”
“…? For me?”
Confusion crossed Lyu’s face. Iselina raised her hand and smacked the prum girl on the head.
“Schau, you dummy.”
“Ah! S-sorry, please pretend you didn’t hear that, officer!”
That was a tall order, but seeing Schau bowing so low she practically touched the ground, Lyu chose not to delve into it for now.
Chatting with her juniors like this was nice, but her adjustment was the top priority. There was no time to waste.
The amount of growth yesterday, while small compared to the level-up, should reduce the disconnect I’ve been feeling, too…Though I still don’t understand how my abilities could have grown so much so quickly…
Thinking back to last night with Astrea, she shifted her thoughts in the face of that question and started to think about her training today, but…
“Umm, Lyu! Why don’t we play tag!”
“Tag…?”
Schau offered that proposal as if to redeem herself.
“After getting crushed so quickly yesterday, I’ve been thinking this whole time! About how we can beat you down!”
“Our goal isn’t to beat her down, it’s to help her, though.”
Ignoring Iselina’s exasperated comment, Schau raised her hands high and hopped around.
“And what I came up with was tag! If you catch us while we run around in the woods, you win! If we slip by you and touch you, then we win!”
She was Level 1, from what Lyu had heard, but while accepting she could not contribute much in combat, she had apparently put quite a bit of thought into this. Her eyes gleamed like a cute little animal’s as she looked questioningly up at Lyu.
While not wanting to let Schau’s efforts go to waste, Lyu gave her an honest answer.
“It sounds interesting, but I believe the fundamental difference in strength is too large. I don’t believe it will be a proper match—”
“It’s fine! We’ve got a secret weapon on our side!”
As if expecting Lyu’s answer, she pulled something out of the small bag on her back. They were three pole-like things wrapped in white cloth.
Lyu was not sure what they were, but Schau looked awfully sure of herself. Looking down at her, Lyu then glanced to the side. Uranda was silent still, and Iselina had a wry smile, but there was a sense that she also wanted to try it, too.
“We’re definitely gonna surprise you!”
Schau was leaning forward, almost snorting in excitement even after seeing the difference in their strengths yesterday.
If she was going to go that far, then fine. That was what Lyu thought.
“Very well then, I’ll go along with your proposal.”
“Thank you so much! All right! Let’s kick her butt!”
“Like I said, you’re forgetting the point of this.”
Schau grinned in satisfaction as Iselina sighed and then took one of the poles from her. Uranda did the same.
“All right, we’re going to hide, so give us one minute please!”
With that, they hurriedly disappeared into the forest.
Lyu felt almost bemused and wondered if that was how Maryu and Lyana must have felt.
But it was a waste just waiting, so she swung her wooden sword while counting the seconds. She had intended to return it, but to avoid injuring them, she was going to use it today, too.
“Fifty-nine, sixty…here I come.”
Whoosh!
The sixtieth swing sliced through the air sharply enough for the girls to hear it, and then Lyu flew forward.
The instant acceleration would have terrified any lower-class adventurer who saw it. Following after them into the deep woods, she leaped forward like a gale wind.
“Since you asked for this, I’ll be a little bit rough.”
Careful not to break any trees, she kicked off their trunks and made a conscious effort to move chaotically. Even though Lyu accounted for her enhanced abilities, her body was like a bucking bronco. But being a little bit over-the-top like this made it easier to adjust. Her goal today was to fully grasp how much of a disconnect there was between her mind and her body.
A thudding bambambambam rang out as Lyu darted around at high speed searching for the girls. To test her heightened senses, she carefully listened so she wouldn’t miss anything covered by the sounds of her own movement. This was an impossible feat for Level 2s, never mind Level 1s, and the girls hiding must have found it astonishing, and possibly terrifying. However, Lyu had accepted their challenge, and she had no intention of letting it be a simple game.
“Since we’re already here, I’m going to make the most of it.”
And that feeling had surely made it through to the others. Almost as if casting aside any doubt, a sudden gust of wind arrived.
“?!”
The blast of air struck her in the side. Lyu, who had been racing forward like a bullet, was suddenly sent flying, though she quickly righted herself after landing on a tree trunk. A flash of surprise registered in her sky-blue eyes, and then she realized what her juniors were planning.
“This is…the work of a magic sword!”
The gust of wind had been imbued with magic power, but there was no chance it was actually magic. Lyu had her ears peeled this entire time and never heard any casting. In which case, the only possibility was a magic sword that could be activated with a single slash.
Cecille is a Level 2 high smith…If she’s developed the Smithing ability, then she would be able to forge magic swords, too!
Those three bundles wrapped in white cloth. Those had to be magic short swords.
Most likely, Schau had asked Cecille to borrow them, maybe even telling her it was to kick Lyu’s butt.
That she had chosen wind affinity ones in order not to hurt the forest was worth high marks as well. But more than anything, because the wind they created was colorless and translucent, it was difficult to sense. If she could find where the wind was coming from, it would lead her right to them, but the attacks weren’t coming from just one direction—they were coming from three. Schau, Iselina, and Uranda were unleashing a constant barrage from their hiding spots, buffeting Lyu’s body.
On top of that, the forest was a natural maze once they ventured this deep. The blasts of wind were flying through gaps between trees and leaves and undergrowth, bouncing off things, making it seem like the attacks were coming from every direction.
The wind was completely drowning out other noises.
“This is well thought out…!”
Squinting her eyes as she endured the magical winds, Lyu complimented the strategy.
This area around their home was like the girls’ backyard, where they had lived for many years. When they chose this as the battlefield, they naturally had the advantage. They knew exactly where they should hide and the perfect places to launch their attacks from.
Lyu had been caught in a well-constructed plan.
But…this is good!
Though Schau may not have intended it, the blasts of wind pressing down from all sides demanded excellent balance and control. Even now that Lyu was Level 5, maintaining her posture in this vortex required effort. In other words, enduring these gusting winds was well worth it.
Because it continued without end, it was far more useful than training by herself normally. Lyu repeatedly jumped around like she was cutting through the wind that howled in the forest and then facing it straight on.
“I’ll answer with my full strength, too!”…is what I’d like to say, but there’s still something else, isn’t there?
Lyu was still calm.
These magical winds alone were not enough to corner a Level 5 like Lyu. Forget hurting her. Just getting close enough to touch her would be difficult. And the magic swords would break when they reached their limit. This cage of wind could only be maintained for a time.
Lyu’s movements were limited in this situation—in other words, they had successfully restrained her for the moment, but the girls were still far from victory. No doubt, they were perfectly aware of this.
“…Just to be safe, I should prepare something.”
As she mumbled that to herself, Lyu readied a little insurance.
In one smooth moment, as Lyu moved swiftly through the torrent of wind, she suddenly caught sight of the green-haired prum.
“Whoa?! That’s crazy!!!”
Schau, who had been constantly changing her hiding place as she used the magic sword, let out a shriek and turned around. As she tried to catch the girl who was frantically running away, Lyu stored up power in her legs.
Not resisting the gust of wind that side, Lyu landed against a tree trunk that was close by, and the moment she leaped off…
“Now, Uranda!”
She heard Iselina’s voice clearly. The next moment, a dark chant echoed in Lyu’s ears.
“Open, my love. Lunus Wolfsbane.”
An intense pressure enveloped her body, completely restricting her movements.
“…?! A status down! And I can’t move!”
Lyu immediately noticed the negative status effects. And the source of it, Uranda, was writhing in the shadow of the tree she had been hiding behind.
“Ugh, it hurts…it hurts…but I won’t let you go…hee-hee-hee…”
The girl’s hands were gripping a dark shard of magic that looked like a pitch-black stake that was piercing her chest, and she smiled eerily even as she groaned in pain.
Once she saw that out of the corner of her eye, Lyu was sure of it.
—A curse!
From her appearance, she had seemed like someone who fought from the rear rather than standing on the front line, but it turned out that Uranda was a curse-user, of all things. That magic stake tormented her, and in exchange for her pain, she could bind the target of her curse—in this case, Lyu.
Lyu was a little surprised to discover a type of person who had never been one of Astrea’s followers before.
She was curious how she had come to receive Astrea’s blessing, but…this was not the time.
“Nice one, Uranda!”
“Got you!”
Schau, who had been running around acting as bait, saw her chance and turned back. Iselina had been blocking Lyu’s path with her magic sword and she quickly joined Schau.
Seeing the two of them closing in with their hands stretching toward her, Lyu realized it was all a trap.
I see—the secret weapon was Uranda.
Lyu remembered the smile on Schau’s face when she had let Lyu see the bundled-up magic swords, almost intentionally showing them off.
That had been the key to ensnaring Lyu in this trap.
While Lyu had not given Uranda’s unique aura much thought to begin with, they had splendidly drawn her attention with the magic swords. Schau was probably the one who acted as the brains of the party, just like Lyra once had.
But, that’s still not enough.
If it were the prum Lyu knew, there would have been at least another layer or two of traps. Remembering the peach-haired prum girl’s nasty smile, Lyu decided it was time to use her bit of insurance.
“Imbue the light of stardust and strike down my enemy—Luminous Wind.”
One burst. She fired off just a single green ball of light aimed at her own feet.
“Eh?!”
“Wha—?!”
When the girls were just one step away, she cast her queued up spell. Schau and Iselina both were stunned to see Lyu disappear as the explosion went off.
Lyu had anticipated an unexpected and had preemptively performed a concurrent cast in a voice soft enough that they could not hear her while she gave chase.
Ironically, the gusts from the magic swords they had relied on for their trap had completely drowned out the chanting. Because it was cast using just a small amount of magic power—just enough for a single orb of light—none of them had even noticed.
That was Lyu’s small bit of insurance.
“If it had sealed not just my movements but my magic as well, you might have reached me, but…what a shame.”
Quickly dodging the Luminous Wind blast at her feet, Lyu leaped backward with a single spin and then planted her boots against the trunk of a tall tree. Now that she was out of range, the effects of the curse went away. Her eyes turned to Uranda, who looked stunned. She couldn’t let that opening go, she leaped.
“Kh!”
It was an absurd amount of acceleration and movement. The sheer difference between what she expected and what her body actually did made Lyu furrow her brow. She steadied herself as much as she could and closed in. She leaped from trunk to trunk six times. Zigzagging like a lightning bolt, she appeared without warning in front of Uranda.
“One.”
“Ugh!…Even if you finish me, more will rise to take my place…!”
Uranda went down with an odd shout as Lyu landed a carefully controlled strike with her wooden sword.
It sounded like she was still muttering something after going down, but Lyu quickly moved on.
“Two, and three.”
“Damn iiit?!”
“Aaaaargh! We lost again!!!”
She closed the distance in a flash and the remaining two became fodder for her wooden sword.
Unable to fully block the attack, Iselina slammed into a nearby tree while Schau went tumbling and landed on her back as she groaned in frustration.
After their game of tag was over, the four gathered for a break.
“You’re too strong! And I was so sure of that plan…” Schau slumped to the ground.
“So long as you don’t let it go to your head, you can be proud. The follow-through was lacking, but the strategy itself was excellent. That was a much better workout than I expected.”
Lyu gave an honest assessment of the game. The training had put Lyu through her paces and had just the right amount of tension. She could already feel an improvement in her ability to rein in her Level 5 strength. And despite already knowing the tricks involved, she was ready to try it again.
“Reallyyy? You think so?”
Schau started squirming when she heard Lyu’s sincere compliment.
“…She said as long as you don’t get let it go to your head…” Iselina could already tell that Schau was on the verge of outright boasting, so she reminded her of Lyu’s warning. “…But you escaped it so easily in the end. When I heard the plan from Schau, I thought it had a real chance…” Iselina smacked her forehead. “Where do you think we went wrong?”
“With another two or three layers, you would have had a good chance of catching me off guard,” Lyu answered frankly.
“Ugh! Not even one more?! Two or three?!” Schau groaned.
And Uranda, who was sitting away from Lyu, started muttering to herself, too.
“I think I might start hating Orario adventurers…”
Though she had not fully adjusted to her status yet, Lyu laughed a little to herself at her juniors who seriously tried their best to win against a Level 5 adventurer.
In Lyu’s mind, being able to think that at all was due to their youth and lack of experience, but she also felt that was just right for them. That impertinence and overreaching was what led to growth, so long as they had comrades to support them. That was what Lyu thought, having fought through and survived the Dark Age.
As the three of them began to overlap with the old Astrea Familia she knew, her voice grew warmer.
“At the very least, the prum girl I knew would have gathered more information and prepared far more traps.”
Hearing that, Schau suddenly shot up.
“Is that prum Lyra?!”
“…! You knew Lyra?”
“No, not at all! But I’ve been so curious after hearing Lady Astrea’s old stories!”
Schau seemed almost ready to leap onto Lyu she was so excited. Iselina grabbed her by the collar and warned her she’d get swatted aside, but the prum girl didn’t settle down even when as her arms and legs spun in the air.
“When I became Lady Astrea’s follower, I didn’t have any confidence, since I was just a prum…! But when I heard about Lyra, it gave me hope!”
“!”
“Even though she was weaker, she was smart and came up with lots of plans and was relied on by all of you! Isn’t that incredible?! I thought even if I couldn’t be like the prum’s hero, maybe I could be an ally of justice like Lyra was!”
“A-an ally of justice…”
“Mmhmm! I don’t know what she looks like, and I won’t be able to meet her, but…I want to be like her!”
Thoughts of sly, coarse Lyra and whether she was really a proper ally of justice or if it was a good idea to be like her and all sorts of questions filled Lyu’s head, until she was not sure what sort of face she should make, but…before her mind could catch up…
“Schau…have you found your own justice?”
“I do! I want to be a prum who helps weak people like me!”
Schau answered immediately without any doubt. It was a wonderful goal. When Lyu looked at her, Schau averted her eyes, and Iselina smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t yet,” Lyu confessed. “It’s embarrassing to admit as a follower of Lady Astrea…but I am still searching for my justice at her feet.”
Lyu thought that was enough for now.
“My justice is of course protecting the beautiful, abundant, honorable, and lovely goddess…that is my justice…hee-hee-hee…” Uranda was confusing and sounded a little scary. But it seemed she had her own beliefs as well.
“Lyu, for future reference, could you tell us more about our predecessors? Even if it isn’t complicated stuff like what justice meant to them. Even if it’s just something that we could have used in the tag game just now, for example.”
“I want to know, too!”
“Me too…”
Lyu was at a bit of a loss when they asked that, but she was also glad. Glad to be able to talk with the next generation about the comrades who had always helped her. Glad that there were others who wanted to know them.
Lyu was aware she was not the best storyteller, and so…
“I’m not sure that I can do their story justice, but…”
And then, she spoke. About the human captain, Alize Lovell, who was as radiant as the sun. About the human second-in-command, Gojouno Kaguya, ever the wolf in sheep’s clothing. About the prum strategist, Lyra, who was more devious and cunning than anyone. About the human attacker, Noin Unic, who was always deft and tactful. About the dwarf defender, the brave Asta Nox, who protected everyone with her small frame. About the werewolf middle guard, Neze Rankett, who was surely Iselina’s direct predecessor. About the Amazon brawler, Iska Bra, who was the most eccentric and the most fashionable. About the human healer, Maryu Réage, who was a beacon of tolerance and motherliness. About the human wandering mage, Lyana Lietz, who originally came from the distant magical land of Altena. About the elf who was their anchor in the rear, Celty Srowa, who was the only one actually younger than Lyu.
There were ten of them, not counting Lyu. She was happy to tell Schau and the others about their great predecessors, who had always teased her, taught her, and guided her, and whom she had always fought alongside.
And they were the ones who had asked her to carry on the vow “On the sword and wings of justice.”
“…”
Breaking into smiles at Lyu’s old stories, the girls pressed her for more and more. And hiding alone in the shadow of a tree, Cecille watched.
“Are you not going to join, Cecille?”
“…! Lady Astrea…”
Astrea had appeared behind her at some point, and when Cecille spun around, she could not hide her initial shock, but she quickly adopted a gruff scowl.
“I won’t…I hate that woman.”
“I would be happy if you and Lyu could get along. You’re bumping heads right now, but I’m sure you’ll come to like Lyu if you give her a chance.”
“…Even if that’s true, I won’t go.” She looked down almost apologetically as a shadow crossed her face. “I can’t even fulfill a single commission…”
She trembled as those words slipped past her lips, and then immediately, she excused herself.
Astrea watched in silence as she left alone.
“…”
The only witness to their exchange was Lyu, who sensed Cecille’s presence, even at a distance.
“How is your adjustment going?”
“Proceeding much better than I expected. It’s all thanks to Schau and them, I suspect.”
After spending the day honing her mind and body, night had fallen and the moon sat high in the sky.
Lyu and Astrea were alone in Astrea’s room again tonight, sitting around a table and having dinner. She had gotten much closer with the other members of the familia over the course of the day, so it was probably about time for her to start eating with them in the familia’s dining room, but…
“I’m sorry, Lyu, but I’d like to keep you for myself today, too.”
Astrea had asked, so Lyu of course had to accept. Lyu personally felt that it would be better to eat in the dining room because she could’ve sworn that behind Uranda’s wall of hair, a pair of baleful eyes were skewering her for having the nerve to monopolize Astrea.
…Of course, it’s probably more for that girl’s sake than mine.
Recalling the exchange between Cecille and Astrea she had seen that morning, Lyu had a feeling that was probably the main reason. It was just instinct, but she felt like if she started eating dinner with the others now, Cecille might lose her own place. And that was perhaps what motivated Astrea to request Lyu’s company again tonight.
“If things keep going this smoothly, the adjustment should be done soon.”
As Lyu explained the progress of her training, the food adorning her plate steadily disappeared. While she silently thanked her juniors for preparing her portion since she was terrible at cooking, Lyu waited for what felt like the right moment to ask her burning question. “So Lady Astrea, about that magi—”
“All right, Lyu, shall we update your status again tonight?”
“………”
When Astrea spoke over her, Lyu closed her mouth. She didn’t think Astrea was deceiving her. She just suspected it was her way of saying that it was not time yet.
Astrea smiled apologetically and started to prepare for the status update.
Lyu would have liked to think there was no way an update like yesterday’s would happen again. But in that moment, Lyu already had a feeling.
Lyu Leon
LEVEL 5
Strength: I50->G200 Endurance: I50->G200 Dexterity: I50->G200 Agility: I50->G200 Magic: I50->G200
It jumped again…
All of her abilities had gone up, by a combined 750 points exactly. It was a growth that made last night’s results look small in comparison. Her basic abilities had gone up evenly across the board. Almost like the record holder’s ability growth.
Even Lyu had to question it.
“Lady Astrea, this is…”
“I’m sure it is exactly what you are imagining,” Astrea answered her topless follower. “This is a first for me as well, but I believe this process is necessary, for your sake.”
“…”
“Once everything is finished, I will give you the magic that is waiting to manifest. So I would like you to come to terms with your five-year journey and make it your own.”
Lyu felt like she finally understood what the goddess had seen when she’d unsealed the record of the past five years inscribed in her back.
And so, her answer was, of course, “As you wish, Lady Astrea.”
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