Volume 7, Chapter 73 – For Now, a Conclusion

Translator Note

lot of monolog here, i won’t italicize the text, it will look weird

Yisi waved her hand with a wry smile.

“Well, you don’t have to worry too much, Laxy. As a cardinal of the Ymir Church, the Marquis of Taris won’t say much. Besides, you’re an angel with your own consciousness. As long as you yourself are unwilling, the Marquis can’t just take you by force, right? You’re a level 41 angel, after all.”

“Mmm…”

To Yisi’s surprise, Laxy fell silent. It wasn’t that she thought Yisi was wrong, but that Yisi’s words left her at a loss. Although it had never been brought up, from the moment she was traded as an object by Dominic, then mistakenly identified Edith as her master, only to be tossed to Yisi—coupled with the principle that an angel must obey their master’s commands—Laxy had unconsciously slipped into the role of an “object”. So, when Yisi mentioned that the Marquis might take her away, Laxy’s first thought was to eliminate the Marquis; she had never considered that she actually had the right to refuse.

“What’s wrong? You look dazed, Laxy.”

“N-nothing…”

Laxy quickly composed herself and shook her head.

What a hopelessly good-natured master.

Laxy didn’t notice that her expression had unconsciously relaxed a little. If the usual Laxy always wore a serious, meticulous expression, then the current her could definitely be called an approachable, big-sister type with a tolerant heart.

“In that case, if the Marquis of Taris comes to me, I will refuse him without mercy and tell him that this is a right given to me by you, my lord.”

“Uh… although it’s a bit troublesome, alright, let’s do as you say, Laxy.”

When the time comes, I’ll just rely on Evelyn’s backing and ignore him, not see him, and not answer.

Yisi’s words made Laxy unable to resist covering her mouth to stifle a giggle.

“Hehehe… I was just joking. As an angel, how could I bring trouble to you, my lord? At that time, I will politely send him away in my own name.”

Laxy can joke too? Although it feels like I’ve been played, it’s surprisingly refreshing. Yisi couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“…That would be for the best. I look forward to seeing how you’ll refuse the Marquis of Taris then.”

“Of course, I will place the gift you gave me on the table and say politely, “An angel from the Kingdom of God will only recognize a master of her own will. A mere human shouldn’t get too carried away”.”

“I see.”

What an arrogant angel.

And yet, I can’t help but find her cute.

Placing the sword on the table is not the action of someone who wants to talk things out, and that phrasing is too contemptuous—hmm, no, Laxy is a high-and-mighty angel to begin with. Perhaps looking down on humans is only natural for her, fitting her character?

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I should have realized this long ago, but it’s only now that it comes to mind. Yisi couldn’t help but smile. I really have no self-awareness. Of course, neither does Laxy.

Come to think of it, Laxy has really spent quite a long time with me and my companions.

Laxy must think so too.

Saying no more, Yisi tilted her head back slightly to look at the mottled patterns on the ceiling of the stone pavilion. As if making a single sound would destroy this peaceful and stable atmosphere, the two of them fell silent. All that was left was the gentle breeze that ruffled the rising steam and the rustling of leaves. The distant clamor became the best accompaniment to this tranquility.

At this moment, silence was more eloquent than words.

After an unknown amount of time, Yisi finally retracted her gaze from the ceiling, turned her head slightly, and, feigning casualness, let her eyes fall on Laxy.

“By the way, when you were fighting in the plaza before, did you use a forbidden spell, Laxy?”

“A forbidden spell? Do you mean [Starfire Aria]?”

“Starfire Aria? No, I’m not talking about the spell that turned the plaza into ruins. It’s the other one, the one that allows you to fight continuously without falling into magic power exhaustion.

Hmm… your magic power recovery rate should be three points per second, Laxy, but since that day, I’ve noticed that your recovery speed has doubled. Generally speaking, this kind of spell that greatly enhances one’s own abilities comes at the cost of burning one’s own life force, right? Just like the [Curse of Envy] Pepe used. Although I don’t know if angels have a concept of life force, you are unique to me, Laxy. So if possible, I hope you won’t use that kind of forbidden magic again. No, I should say, if you don’t know how to undo it, you can discuss it with me, and we can find a solution together.”

She noticed?

Laxy’s eyebrows drooped.

How should I answer?

Although she had anticipated this day would come from the moment she had used the Source of Mana without restraint in the plaza, when it actually happened, she still felt at a loss.

Laxy subconsciously gripped the hem of her maid’s skirt.

No, I’ve already prepared myself for this. I just wasn’t willing to face it.

If my lord didn’t bring it up, then I would tell her the truth in a month. If she did bring it up, then I will carry out the mission of an angel—to never betray, never deceive one’s master—to the very end, and tell her the truth.

I’ve had this planned for a long time.

But there’s still a bitter feeling.

Laxy, her face hidden behind her blue bangs, gave a lonely, wry smile. Although she didn’t have a human heart, nor could she, like a real human, taste what ‘bitterness’ was, she had a faint feeling that the taste now spreading in her throat must be it.

Once she had steeled her resolve, she no longer hesitated. To be able to have one last joke with her master, there were no more regrets. Those other guidance angels could never appreciate the human world as calmly as she could. They would never have a master who they could speak freely with, who wouldn’t treat them as a disposable object. They would never be able to experience what she was feeling now. She was happy.

If I show even a trace of loneliness, it might change Yisi’s attitude, and she might not take the Source of Mana. But that would be wrong; it’s a course of action with no future. Clearly realizing this, Laxy feigned ease and let her expression return to its proper state.

“My lord, there is something I have not told you…”

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Although she wanted to say it all at once, the words were stuck in her throat, unable to come out. Her chest tightened, cold sweat broke out on her back, her lips couldn’t help but tremble, and even her breathing became difficult. The bitterness in her mouth brewed into sorrow and desolation. Laxy’s voice became a little hoarse. With difficulty, with hardship, with a hint of determination and a bit of sorrow, she forced the last, most crucial words from her throat.

“Actually… I… I have… I have… the Source of Mana…”

Saying those four words in one breath, Laxy couldn’t help but feel a sense of exhaustion, like a person who had squeezed out the last bit of their strength. If it weren’t for her willpower, wanting to maintain the dignity of an angel to the very end, she would have already collapsed to her knees from weakness.

But Yisi merely retracted her gaze from Laxy.

“I see.”

Her voice was so calm it was startling.

Was my voice too low? Did Yisi not hear me clearly?

Laxy’s tone became urgent.

“My lord, I have the Source of Mana that you have been looking for. The reason I did not tell you immediately was because it is in elemental resonance with my power core…”

“Yes, I know.”

Without looking back at Laxy, Yisi just nodded, stuffed the bread Laxy had cut from the plate into her mouth, and then swallowed it down with the milk Laxy had prepared. Her calm demeanor showed no sign of urgency.

“…My lord?”

Laxy’s questioning tone made Yisi stand up. After clapping her hands, she faced Laxy, her face a mixture of helplessness and a wry smile.

“So, this is what has been troubling you all this time, Laxy. I really didn’t expect this.”

“I-I didn’t mean to deceive you!” Laxy’s voice suddenly grew louder, but then, as if feeling guilty, it quickly lowered. “The reason I hid it was just because I wanted to stay a little longer…”

“Then why did you say it now?”

Although she didn’t want to answer, since she had already spoken of the Source of Mana, she had nothing left to hide. Laxy swallowed and answered with a sense of desperation.

“Because I had set a deadline for myself. If you were to ask me about my magic power recovery speed, I would tell you the truth. That way, I would have never deceived you from beginning to end.”

The wry smile on Yisi’s face deepened, but because Laxy was looking down, she didn’t notice.

“And what if I hadn’t asked?”

“A month… If you hadn’t asked me for a month, I would have told you on my own… that was my final deadline. I cannot let you be taken by the Demon Lord because of my selfishness…”

“Ah~ ah~,” her voice full of helplessness, Yisi let out a long sigh. She reached out and lightly grabbed Laxy’s shoulders, pulling her in front of her, and uttered two short words.

“Idiot.”

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“Eh?”

“I said, you’re an idiot, Laxy.”

The incomprehensible criticism made Laxy’s face flush red in an instant.

“What do you mean by that, my lord?”

“An idiot is an idiot. You’ve been with me for so long, yet you don’t even know what I would choose.” If I were to hug her now, it would probably give her more of a sense of security. But I won’t take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state. Yisi just stood on her tiptoes and gently stroked Laxy’s gem-like blue hair. “Don’t worry. Even if you have the Source of Mana, I won’t take it. I’ve said it before, you are unique and irreplaceable to me, Laxy. So I won’t take the Source of Mana.”

The warmth from the top of her head made Laxy’s eyes widen.

“Do you know what elemental resonance is? And you still have the challenge with the Demon Lord. Leaving that aside, you came to Gota to get the Source of Mana to help Her Holiness Pope Evelyn of the Ymir Church. If you don’t take it from me, you’ll be trapped in Gota forever.”

Yisi tilted her head slightly. Since Laxy was a little taller than her, she had to look up to see her expression clearly.

Her own reflection was mirrored in Laxy’s beautiful purple eyes. But more than that, the anxiety and sorrow in those clear eyes were the most noticeable emotions.

Laxy must have suffered a lot during this time. To actually put the Source of Mana on Laxy and then have me go look for it, Tartaros is truly a Demon Lord with a twisted sense of humor.

“I know. Elemental resonance means that if I take the Source of Mana, you will disappear because your power core will go rampant. So, as long as I don’t take it, you won’t disappear from my side. As for the Demon Lord’s challenge, I’m just waiting for it to come to me now. Originally, I only planned to hang it on the city wall, but now I’ve changed my mind. To think it made my Laxy suffer like this. If I don’t strip it naked and parade it through the streets, I won’t be able to quell my anger.”

“But Pope Evelyn…”

“Don’t worry. If that girl knew that the price of her freedom was to sacrifice you, Laxy, she would refuse without a second thought. Hmm… if you don’t believe me, let’s go and verify it now. Hold on tight.”

[Advanced Teleportation]

In just a few breaths, the two of them arrived before Evelyn, who was handling official business alone in her room. Perhaps because she had just woken up, Evelyn’s silver hair was loose, and she was only wearing a loose nightgown.

“Yo.”

Yisi proactively greeted Evelyn, who was engrossed in her work, but it had the opposite effect.

“Waah!”

Startled, Evelyn threw the book she was holding at Yisi. Yisi caught it accurately, straightened it out, and placed it on the desk.

“It’s me. Your reaction is too heartbreaking, Evelyn. It’s like you saw a monster.”

“Tsk, so it’s you. You always appear so suddenly and scare me,” Evelyn, who had been about to get up and run, sheepishly retracted her feet and sat back down in her chair as if nothing had happened. She deliberately opened only one eye, first glancing at Yisi, then at Laxy. “So, what are you here for? Let me say this first, I didn’t bully An-chan in our last negotiation.”

“I know, I know. I’m not here to talk about the negotiation today.”

Yisi explained the relationship between Laxy and the Source of Mana in simple terms.

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“So that’s how it is. If I take the Source of Mana, you’ll gain your freedom, Evelyn. The price is that Laxy will disappear. Well, Laxy herself is willing to hand it over. Now it just depends on your deci—”

“No.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Evelyn flatly refused. “It looks tempting, but only a fool would be willing to bear such a burden. If I were to gain my freedom at the cost of Laxy’s sacrifice, wouldn’t that be the same as living on with her share? Spare me from such a heavy life. I’d rather not have it. In any case, leaving the Tower of Ymir only means losing my magic power; it doesn’t mean I’ll die. And even if I would, I wouldn’t use someone else’s death to put a new shackle on myself. Besides, I still haven’t paid back my debt to the Fallen who were killed by Julius.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you. I’ll thank you again this afternoon. See you then.”

Without waiting for Evelyn to reply, Yisi directly used [Advanced Teleportation] and returned to the courtyard with Laxy.

She shrugged at Laxy.

“See? That’s how it is.”

“But the Demon—”

“Alright, alright,” Yisi forcibly interrupted Laxy’s hesitation. The latter’s beautiful purple eyes were full of turmoil, like a crumbling building that would collapse with just a little more force. Yisi deliberately puffed out her unremarkable chest. “There are no ‘buts’. If I have to say it, I’m very strong. So strong that Tartaros doesn’t dare to see me.”

In contrast, the tightness in Laxy’s chest became even more suffocating, and a mist began to form at the corners of her eyes. But unlike before, this was an emotion of release, of finally being able to let go, of no longer having to be terrified of the burden on her shoulders.

As if holding something back, Laxy pressed her lips together tightly. But her long, trembling eyelashes betrayed her emotions.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh? I’m not going to take the Source of Mana from you, Laxy. Since Evelyn herself has given up on it, I plan to leave this place in a few days. To hell with Tartaros’s twisted sense of humor.”

But Yisi had misunderstood Laxy’s meaning. The latter was tightly covering her mouth and had begun to sob quietly.

The sound grew from low to high. By the time Yisi realized it, it had become a torrential downpour of tears that could not be stopped no matter how she tried to console her. Laxy herself hadn’t even noticed that she had already thrown herself into Yisi’s chest.

Hmm…

I never thought that the serious and proper angel would cry like a little child.

I wonder if she’ll wipe her nose on my clothes.

Even though I should be at a loss, I can’t help but think of such inappropriate things.

Well, this is the end of it.

Like consoling a child of God, Yisi wrapped her arms around Laxy’s head and gently stroked her long, blue hair.

Today should be considered a good day, right?

With this thought, a relieved, wry smile appeared on Yisi’s doll-like face.