Ch. 141 Heroine – Chapter 141
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 141
Even in chaotic times, people don’t stay cooped up at home.
Despite all sorts of incidents and accidents, a sense of safety complacency always lingers.
Perhaps it’s a side effect of the war with monsters lasting too long.
It’s been a whopping 300 years.
It happened yesterday, it’s happening today, and it will happen tomorrow.
To them, monster attacks are already a part of daily life.
It wasn’t exactly packed, but the exhibition hall was quite bustling with people.
I didn’t have high expectations since it was underground, but the interior was neat and the scale was impressive.
Since the square was created to commemorate the Celestial War, the exhibition hall’s theme was also centered around it.
The subjugation of the fifth Demonic Beast, the Colossus Typhon, which appeared about 70 years ago.
The countless stories and tragedies born from that war.
The birth of heroes and their noble sacrifices for everyone.
Even before becoming Lucia, I had visited memorials and exhibition halls.
But this was the first time I visited an exhibition hall showcasing a different world’s culture and history.
Maybe that’s why.
Everything seemed new and mysterious.
I had read related information in the novel, but it was only briefly mentioned.
Visiting a place dedicated to honoring the fallen and reading the records felt entirely different.
“A Demonic Beast… huh.”
I muttered, looking up at the model of the Colossus Typhon.
The fifth Demonic Beast that descended 70 years ago.
The sixth Demonic Beast that appeared five years ago.
And soon, the seventh Demonic Beast will attack.
Around the time summer vacation ends and the second semester is almost over.
The fire giant will stand on the earth, turning border defenses into ashes.
It is akin to an erupting volcano, a sun fallen to the ground.
In “The Dawn of the Sword”, there is only one country.
Most nations and dynasties have perished, and the surviving few united to form the current country.
A union without a name.
In fact, many things here lack names.
The academy is simply called the Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Academies.
The districts are also just called District 1, District 2, District 3, with no other names.
The square is the same. It’s just called the Square of District 6.
In this world, the more valuable something is, the less likely it is to have a clear name.
It’s due to religious reasons.
The gods of the four seasons that humans believe in.
They have no names.
Transcendent beings don’t need a reference point to distinguish themselves from others.
They are one and all, finite and infinite.
The beginning and the end, the origin and the terminus.
Beings so perfect they don’t need to rely on identity for a name.
Thus, the humans who worship them should also have no names.
But unlike divine beings who don’t need names, humans need a reference point to define themselves.
So, humans compromised with reality.
They didn’t give concrete names to valuable things.
The country has no name, and cities are divided into districts.
It’s an act of emulating the nameless gods.
In this vast world, there is only one human country.
Did the union conquer the world?
Of course not.
Quite the opposite.
Everything else was taken, leaving only the territory of one country.
Inside the borders is the human domain.
Then, what lies beyond the borders?
Rifts don’t discriminate by location.
They don’t only appear in human territory.
The domain of monsters.
Everything outside the country is a den of monsters.
And the monsters constantly attack inside the borders to seize the remaining human territory.
The Celestial Corps must protect both inside and outside the borders.
It’s only natural that a defensive wall was built to isolate the outside.
The absolute defense line protecting the country from monster attacks.
It’s the role of the 1st Division to venture beyond the borders and subjugate monsters.
That’s why the Commander neglects the country’s affairs.
He’s too busy dealing with the monster domain to catch his breath.
The seventh Demonic Beast.
The fire giant.
The twilight of the world.
The sun of the apocalypse.
Surtr.
The giant, without warning.
Transforms the land into a barren wasteland in an instant.
Breaks through the defensive wall and announces its invasion with massive footsteps.
‘There are still a few months left.’
The first semester isn’t even over, let alone summer vacation.
But Devils have already started appearing.
There’s no guarantee that the Demonic Beast’s invasion will happen at the same time as in the novel.
Perhaps tomorrow, Surtr’s heat could scorch the earth.
‘…No, let’s not rush. Eugene is steadily growing, after all.’
By now, he’s probably enjoying his date with Alice.
The deeper their relationship becomes, the more Eugene’s growth will accelerate.
Love is always the greatest emotion that turns the impossible into the possible.
“There were such monsters in the past…”
Anna shrank back as she looked at the model of the Demonic Beast.
The half-human, half-beast monster was intimidating for a child.
Unable to hide her anxious expression, Anna asked,
“What if such a monster attacks again?”
“Don’t worry. That’s why we’re here.”
I reassured her by patting her head.
The Celestial Corps and the academy exist to fight monsters.
It’s the duty of supernaturals to protect people from the otherworldly monsters threatening humanity.
Well, Lucia doesn’t have a burning sense of duty or anything.
But I’ll do what I can, okay?
“Even if a terrifying monster attacks, I’ll protect you, and so will Carlos. Right?”
I glanced at Carlos.
He nodded slightly and said,
“I’ll protect her.”
He must have omitted a lot from his earlier words, but even with that short response, Carlos’s determination came through.
“Yeah, hehe!”
Anna, seemingly reassured, smiled brightly without a trace of worry and grabbed Carlos’s hand.
Now that I think about it, Anna and I had been holding hands even before we entered the exhibition hall.
And with my other hand, I was holding Carlos’. In that situation, when Anna grabbed Carlos’ hand, we ended up forming a circle, all holding hands.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Carlos’ blank stare. I let go of Carlos’ hand and moved to the side.
Now, with Anna in the middle, Carlos and I each held one of her hands.
“Big sister, big brother! Let’s go over there this time!”
Anna shouted excitedly. She was supposed to be trying to bring me and Carlos together, but she seemed to be enjoying herself more. I smiled warmly and followed where Anna led. Even the usually stoic Carlos drew a faint smile on his lips whenever Anna beamed.
Come to think of it, with Anna in the middle and us holding her hands, it felt like we were a couple taking our child out on the weekend.
Though we’re both too young to be parents.
To anyone watching, we’d probably look like an older sister and brother taking their younger sibling out.
Lost in these silly thoughts, I followed Anna’s lead.
After taking a few steps, I turned my head and looked around.
‘I feel like someone’s watching me again…?’
Did Lucia have a princess complex?
I’ve praised myself for being pretty many times.
Well, Lucia is truly beautiful!
But I don’t think I was a narcissist.
Maybe Lucia’s exhibitionist tendencies are acting up again.
It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but Lucia is a pervert who likes to expose herself.
There was even a time when I wore a bunny suit and crawled around on all fours outside.
The thought that someone might be watching made my heart race.
Ah, this is bad.
Just thinking that someone might be watching me.
It’s, well, kind of turning me on.
“Big sister? What’s wrong? Your face is red.”
“Ah, yeah. It’s just hot. Isn’t it a bit stuffy?”
“Hot? That’s weird. It’s cool and nice here.”
I can’t make a fool of myself in front of a child.
I steeled my resolve.
Not regularly satisfying my desires is really making me think about all sorts of things.
Lucia hasn’t given up her humanity yet. She’s a person, not an animal. She can’t just be swayed by her desires.
…But maybe I’ll just lower the zipper of my tracksuit a little.
Because it’s hot.
◈
“…She looks happy.”
Eugene muttered to himself.
Even from a distance, it was no problem to observe Lucia’s expression.
The gentle curve of her eyes and the smile on her pink lips.
The golden-haired girl seemed genuinely happy in the current situation.
Even among the crowd, Lucia’s presence stood out.
Her fresh laughter, her swaying hair, her subtle gestures.
All of it softly seeped into Eugene’s vision.
If only he could be by her side.
If only he could see that smile up close…
The bitter smile that unconsciously formed was mixed with self-deprecation.
‘Is this jealousy?’
The childish impulse rising in his chest.
The emotions directed at the gray-haired boy by her side.
Eugene clenched his sweaty fist tightly.
He tried to keep his supernatural abilities from leaking out due to his emotional turmoil.
“Ugh, I don’t like this…”
At first, Frey had been furious, but as time passed, her energy waned.
If Lucia had shown even the slightest discomfort, she would have immediately interfered.
But seeing her laugh so happily, Frey couldn’t help but feel deflated.
[…Hic.]
From deep within, Alice let out an anxious voice.
Frey could fully empathize with her feelings.
She didn’t like this situation.
No, to be more precise, she was scared.
The anxiety that Lucia might be taken away by someone else.
This was also why they had been wary of Eugene.
Alice and Frey were certain that they were special to Lucia.
Among all the people Lucia was kind to, they were the only ones she treated specially.
Just as Lucia was special to them, they were special to Lucia.
That fact gave Alice and Frey an unparalleled sense of relief and satisfaction.
But what if someone more important than them appeared in Lucia’s life?
What if they were no longer special?
What would they do then?
They didn’t want Lucia to form other bonds.
Aren’t we enough for her?
Does she really need to get close to others?
‘…Should I melt her limbs and lock her away?’
Frey gritted her teeth, thinking of something that would have horrified Alice.
Even if I melt them, she’ll regenerate quickly, so I’ll have to cut them off periodically.
So she can’t go anywhere, can’t meet anyone.
Resistance is futile. I’m much stronger.
First, I’ll cut off her limbs, pluck out her eyes, and crush her mouth.
Block her nose and ears and trap her in a void of darkness.
If I grind her under my heel, she won’t be able to resist anymore.
Then I’ll put a collar on her and make sure she knows who she belongs to───
‘Tch.’
Frey tightly shut her eyes.
I promised not to hurt her again, and here I am thinking like this?
I’ve already wronged her several times.
I can’t make the same mistake again.
Besides, Alice would faint if I really did that.
I don’t want to be hated by Lucia or Alice.
She shook her head, trying to shake off the trivial and impulsive desires.
When she opened her eyes, Lucia’s figure was already far away.
I must have been lost in thought for a moment. When did she get that far?
“Let’s hurry and follow.”
“…”
As Frey took the lead, Eugene silently followed.
Careful not to be noticed, Frey followed Lucia but suddenly stopped.
There was one person missing. Why is there only one person beside me?
“Not following?”
If she was uneasy about sending just Alice and Eugene, the class representative of Class A had followed along.
Frey had a favorable view of her since she cared for Alice in various ways.
But if she got in the way of tailing Lucia, Frey would just leave her behind.
“…”
Arin stood still, as if rooted to the spot.
Her gaze wasn’t directed at Frey or Eugene but somewhere else.
Frey had been looking at her irritably, but soon she noticed something was off.
‘Why is she… sweating so much?’
Even though the weather was gradually getting hotter, the inside of the memorial hall was cool.
It wasn’t the kind of temperature that would make someone sweat like that.
Even from a distance, Arin’s expression was unusual.
Her pale face, beads of sweat running down her forehead.
If you looked closely, her fingertips were trembling slightly.
“Arin?”
Eugene approached Arin.
Though he was concerned about Lucia, he couldn’t just leave Arin like this.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“…”
Arin didn’t respond to Eugene’s call.
Her trembling pupils weren’t focused on Eugene but on something else.
Following her gaze, Eugene’s eyes turned in that direction.
Among the many visitors.
There was one person who stood out, capturing attention.
Their presence was so intense that it was surprising Eugene hadn’t noticed them sooner.
Lily-white hair that reached down to her waist.
Uniquely, while the outer layer was white, the inner layer was black, creating a two-tone effect.
The white blouse emphasized her ample chest, and the high-waisted skirt accentuated her slender figure.
She was a sensual woman who couldn’t help but draw attention.
But Eugene wasn’t swayed by something as trivial as her physique.
What caught his eye was her face.
To be more precise, it was the mask she wore diagonally across her face.
“A red fox… mask…?”
There was no way he was mistaken.
That was Astaroth’s mask.
Could it just be a mask with the same design?
He held onto a small hope, but Arin’s reaction told him everything.
She wiped the cold sweat from her chin with the back of her hand and spoke in a trembling voice.
“…I really hate the sound of warning alarms.”
Because it’s a declaration that peace has been shattered.
“…”
The woman’s head slowly turned.
Though her face was hidden behind the mask.
Everyone in the room could instantly tell.
The woman with the red fox mask.
Was looking straight at them.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Wherever the protagonist and heroines go, there’s always something going on.The Black Knight with the hypersensitive body has arrived!
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
How much do you want to bet that this arc leads to the next IF side story, heh.
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