Lucia Arrives at the Cristallo Sacro

“Fireball.” Eric shot out a blast of fire at the pile of monster corpses. We needed to get rid of them so more monsters wouldn’t be drawn here, but it was much easier to burn them all than it was to bury them. Unlike when I traveled with Sir Gaius and we had to bury every single one, I was glad that we could just cremate them. “This should do it!”

Looking away from a satisfied Eric, I looked up at the good-looking face above me. “Um... Please put me down. I can stand by myself now. I was only dizzy for an instant, I’m fine.”

My plea was met with a flat, “No.”

After I used Soap to scatter the monsters, I almost fainted, and Sir Celes was carrying me. Despite my protests of being fine, he refused to let me down and walked towards the carriage with me in his arms.

“I was worried when you almost fell.” Sir Celes gave me a stern look as he shot down my objections. “I thought you might’ve fainted from using your magic in a way you didn’t usually. You’re still pale, so I can’t put you down.”

Eric popped his head out from behind Sir Celes’s back and said, “Hey, how much mana did that use? Let’s measure it! Here, I’ve got mana restoratives!”

“I don’t need them!” I exclaimed.

As I shook in fear of that terrible taste, Sir Celes’s stern expression changed to a slight frown. “Master Eric... When are they going to improve those things?”

“Sir Celes, you’ve drunk it before?”

“The Commander and I can use a bit of magic, after all,” he said with a shrug. “Just some support stuff.”

“That stuff is gross, huh?” Sir Celes’s frown gave way to a wry smile. “I feel the same way!”

As Sir Celes approached the carriage, the door flew open. At the same time, Miss Maria nearly fell out of it. “Lucia!” She hiked up her skirt and jumped down, running towards us. “Are you okay!?”

“Yes, I was just a bit dizzy. I’m alright now,” I replied, still in Sir Celes’s arms.

“Celes, give Lucia back!”

“Lucia still doesn’t look good, so I believe she should get some air first,” he insisted.

“She can get air if we open the windows! She can rest better in the carriage! This is an order from the Sacred Maiden: Give Lucia to me already!”

True, it would be easier to rest in the carriage. I was a bit tired, so I would gladly take Miss Maria’s suggestion. I’d like to avoid riding on Sir Celes’s horse, if possible, since I’d be too nervous.

“Sir Celes, please put me down,” I said, motioning downward.

“...Alright.” Sir Celes gently lowered me down to the ground.

“You dummy!” Before I could get a word in, Miss Maria clung to me, seemingly angry. “You shouldn’t have just jumped out like that! You scared me half to death!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t just smile at me, Lucia. I’m mad!”

“I must have let you down. Thank you for getting angry with me.”

Miss Maria is so kind, getting angry for my sake. Amidst our conversation, Lord Reynard came to tell us we were departing. “Now, you two, please return to the carriage. We’re setting off.”

“Ah, what about those trees...” I asked, glancing over to the side.

Eric, who had stood up by then, puffed up his chest and said, “I already smashed them all to bits! I worked hard, you know!”

“You make the mess, you clean the mess,” Gaius retorted.

“Shut up, bear! Who are you, my father!?” Eric was playing around with Sir Gaius, all smiles.

Sir Gaius is so popular. I agree, he’s just like a father! I’d never tell him that, though.

After that, Miss Maria pulled me back inside the carriage. As we entered, His Highness smiled at us, crossing his legs elegantly. The door closed, and the carriage slowly began to move.

“I’m sorry for making you fight so suddenly,” His Highness started. “It might have been from the carriage, but I did watch you. Your power is quite amazing. It looks like they weren’t exaggerating about what happened with the ogres and the roc. Will you fight for us from now on?”

“Ed! Like I said, stop trying to make us fight!” Miss Maria protested once again. “We’re not used to it! It’s scary!”

“As a denizen of this world, it wouldn’t be strange for her to help on our journey to purify the Cristallo Sacro. If we fail in purifying them, the world will be flooded with monsters, and humanity will soon fall. They’ve been spreading terribly in the last ten or so years.”

“But Lucia and I are normal humans!”

“You and Lucia have special powers, Maria. The rest of us don’t. Without you, we cannot purify the Cristallo Sacro.” As the carriage rocked, the prince reverently took Miss Maria’s hand and dropped a kiss to it. “My beloved Sacred Maiden, for the sake of your life, and all of ours, we need you to be prepared to fight.”

“...Does it really have to be me? Can’t someone else do it?”

“Normal humans cannot purify. You need to purify the Cristallo Sacro, and since Lucia has been sent to help fight, we need results.”

“That’s all good for you... I’m not here because I want to be.”

Oh no, this is beginning to sound like a fight! But I agreed with Miss Maria. She was from a different world. She had no obligation to work so hard for our sake.

“Miss Maria.” I didn’t want to speak directly to His Highness, so I spoke to Miss Maria instead. “I’m alright. Thank you for trying to protect me. It’s fine, you don’t need to fight. But please, just lend us your power for a bit at the end. Just if we can’t purify the Cristallo Sacro ourselves.”

“Does that mean you’ll purify them for her, Lucia?” His Highness scrutinized me with his emerald eye.

“If I’m able to, I’ll do my best. But if you truly need the Sacred Maiden for it, I’d like to ask you to let me follow up for her. I know I am being selfish, but I don’t want to force everything on Miss Maria when she’s so afraid. I ask you to please only do it after we do all we can first.”

“...I see. Then go ahead and try.” The prince gave me a composed nod. “It might not look like it, but I’m counting on you. Since you’ve shown us your powers, it would be a waste to leave you as a maid.”

Thank goodness he agreed to my plea. I was afraid I’d be punished for cutting in.

“No, then you’ll be the only one getting scared!” Miss Maria grabbed my hand and clung to me.

“You’re so kind, Miss Maria.”

“Wha, wait, that’s not what we’re talking about right now!”

“But it’s true,” I said as I patted her hand. “Thank you for trying to speak to His Highness so that I wouldn’t be scared or troubled. It made me happy. I’ll be able to do my best because you’re here for me.”

I’ll even drink those horrible mana restoratives for you! As I gave her a smile, Miss Maria’s face softened into one of her own. “Oh, you...!”

“It’s our world, so we need to do everything we can for it before relying on the Sacred Maiden. So please, just lend us your powers for a moment, at the very end.”

While we spoke, the carriage slowed to a halt.

“Your Highness, Sacred Maiden. We’ve arrived at the Cristallo Sacro of Kyriest.” Commander Agliardi’s voice from outside informed us that we’d arrived at our first destination.