Translator Note

Hey there, this was supposed to be out two days ago. I’ve been busy, sorry sorry!

Rea​d ​on​ KatR​e​adi​n​gCafe​

Chapter 166 – The Witch and the Black Knight (43)

Though I had loudly proclaimed things like “I’ll help Lapis!” and “I’m the Witch of Love!”, I had no intention of resolving the matter the way Violet wanted.

Because Edel learning pure love was far more important than Lapis, who had been heartbroken.

“I hid everything, Estelle. Are you really sure this will save Lapis…?”

After stashing away all the treasure chests Violet had gathered over the years, she trailed off with a worried tone. It seemed she was doubtful that simply hiding gold and jewels would be enough to rescue Lapis.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”

“The… Witch of Love?”

“I know everything about love. That includes Lapis’s story. So don’t worry too much.”

This was why I disliked perceptive people.

To dispel Violet’s suspicions, I emphasized once again that I was indeed the Witch of Love. Though I wasn’t sure how she had studied love, she must have realized she couldn’t compare to me, as she reluctantly nodded.

“Lapis will come charging after the treasure. Violet, all you and the other sirens need to do is buy as much time as possible.”

Though Lapis bore the title of the Witch of the Sea… among players, she was known by another nickname.

The gold-digging, love-struck fool.

Lazuli may have been her choice, but now that her seal was broken, the witch’s curse would make her perceive the first man she encountered as “Lazuli.” Consumed by the curse, she would repeat her past mistakes, giving everything—heart, soul, and body—just like before.

Of course, due to the witch’s curse, she would demand compensation in return…

But if he was a greedy bastard, he’d undoubtedly ask for money first.

While Lapis was busy chasing treasure to win Ophé’s love, Edel and I had to get to Ophé ourselves.

“Hmph. So we’re not fighting?”

Edel, who had been silently observing the whole process, crossed his arms and spoke in a curt tone.

“We can fight the Kraken, but not Lapis.”

The Witch of the Sea—Lapis.

Her power in the ocean was overwhelming. Even if Triceratops could tear through holy barriers, the best we could manage was barely escaping the sea alive.

No matter how strong Edel was, even if he had defeated the Kraken, I couldn’t let him fight a monster like her.

“Sion and Aria fought her just fine in the fairy tale. Seems like the story’s a little different from what I read.”

“W-Well, you see…”

I averted my gaze from Edel’s sharp, indifferent stare.

There were two reasons why Edel couldn’t fight Lapis.

First, this was the world of Aria Chronicle, where side characters faced merciless deaths without warning. Even if Edel was the Black Knight, there was no telling when or how he might meet his end against a stronger foe.

Second, if Edel lost to Lapis, he might ask how he could grow stronger… and in the end, he might just kick pure love aside altogether.

After all, the only reason he had agreed to learn pure love from me was because he had lost a battle.

What if, after losing to someone else, he abandoned pure love and sought power elsewhere…?

If that happened… all the effort and time I had invested so far would go to waste, and it would interfere with my search for the last remaining Heavenly King, the Succubus Queen.

That was why I had to give him a convincing reason not to fight Lapis.

“Edel, do you remember the story of the Witch of the Sea?”

Worried the sirens might overhear, I stood on my tiptoes to whisper, and Edel obligingly leaned down.

“If it’s from the fairy tale, then yes.”

“Then do you remember the elf named Ophé at the end? The one who treated Lapis like a sugar mommy, making her do all sorts of things?”

“That pointy-eared bastard?”

Pointy-eared bastard?

Well, elves do have long ears, so he wasn’t wrong.

I never expected to hear Edel call someone that, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“Anyway, unlike Sion and Aria, who resolved things through battle, there’s another way to save Lapis.”

Namely—saving the Witch of the Sea.

‘How can we save Lapis?’

After Lapis’s prime-era illustration was revealed, players had agonized over how to save her, eventually leading to this very question being asked during an official Q&A session.

‘Lapis can be saved by Lazuli’s sincere words… but the witch’s curse will devour even that salvation. So it will only last for a brief moment.’

Only Ophé, now acting as “Lazuli,” could temporarily free Lapis from her curse.

In essence, it was practically impossible—just phrased in a roundabout way.

Because Ophé would undoubtedly try to use Lapis, just like Lazuli had.

But that didn’t mean there was no way.

The truth was…

There was only one thing Lapis needed to know: Lazuli no longer existed in this world.

And Ophé had to be the one to tell her.

“The only one who can snap Lapis out of her eternal sorrow—after failing in love and being consumed by the curse—is Ophé. Only his voice can reach her.”

If, at that moment, I could use Ulti to lull her curse to sleep… not only would the original story be preserved, but future peaceful sea dates would remain safe.

“Hmm… And what does that have to do with me?”

“Wouldn’t it be boring to just follow the story exactly like in the book? Right now, the protagonist isn’t Sion or Aria—it’s you, Edel.”

“The protagonist… I see. Heh. Very well.”

The word protagonist seemed to lift his mood, as Edel flashed a pleased smile.

That aside, I had my doubts about whether Edel could persuade anyone with words… but if it really came down to it, I could always use Ulti as a last resort to brainwash Ophé.

…Right. All for Edel’s pure love.

It wouldn’t even conflict with the conditions I had set for Ulti.

Preserve the original story. Preserve Edel’s pure love. Save Lapis from her curse for 200 years.

Wasn’t this killing three birds with one stone?

“Persuasion, hm? My demonic sword has never failed in persuasion. Trust me, Estelle.”

As I tried to pull away after whispering in his ear, Edel gripped his sword and gave me a reassuring smile.

“No, no! You can’t get sincerity out of someone like that! I’ll teach you what to say. Absolutely no demonic sword!”

What, were you gonna try to “persuade” your wife with a sword after marriage too?! I refuse to let that happen!

Perhaps Ophé taking Lazuli’s place had stemmed from nothing more than a small coincidence—the mere act of undoing the seal. Or perhaps it was closer to fate.

‘You want me to lift the curse on the elves? Then bring me a dragon’s heart.’

The reason Ophé lusted after money was because of the Witch of Beauty, Dia. But unlike Lazuli, he wasn’t blinded by love—he just wanted to use Lapis.

A mere elf couldn’t possibly defeat a dragon, so he needed money to buy a dragon’s heart.

But regardless of Ophé’s circumstances, if history repeated itself, it wouldn’t just be the Atilla Kingdom this time—the entire southern continent might sink beneath the sea.

A witch’s curse, left unattended for too long on the brink of destruction, was nothing short of a time bomb capable of bringing the world to ruin.

We had to delay Lapis’s curse until Aria could devour it.

“Got it, Edel? You remember what I told you to say when we meet Ophé, right? You’ll use a serious tone? No swords, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I remember perfectly. If you want, I can recite it right now. Shall I?”

Even though I had practically handed Edel a script for how to persuade Ophé, I couldn’t shake this unease.

“It’s fine. I trust our protagonist wouldn’t make such a mistake.”

He’ll do fine.

Edel wasn’t so stupid that he’d mess this up.

“Heh. Indeed. I am the protagonist. You may call me Sion if you wish, Aria.”

Did I hype him up too much?

I frowned at Edel’s absurd remark.

If Edel weren’t the Black Knight, who cared about Sion? No protagonist could compare to him.

“No thanks. I’ll stick with Edel. Got it?”

Because Edel was Edel—the one learning pure love from me.

That was enough.

“But Estelle, there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“Uh, yeah? What is it?”

“I thought pure love—love itself—was only beautiful and happy. So why is Lapis trapped in eternal sorrow because of it?”

Ah. Right.

Come to think of it, whenever I taught Edel about love, I had only ever emphasized the positive aspects.

Even with the Saintess and her Guardian, I had forced an idealized version of pure love onto him…

To Edel, who only knew love as something beautiful, happy, and empowering, Lapis’s heartbreak and sorrow must have seemed utterly alien.

Though Edel asked the question with his usual indifferent expression, I couldn’t help but feel like he was demanding an explanation.

“W-Well, you see…”

Love doesn’t always end happily.

I could explain that.

I could…

But like a child caught in a lie, I stumbled over my words, too busy avoiding Edel’s gaze to finish.

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t say it.

What if, after learning the darker side of love, Edel decided he no longer wanted to learn pure love from me…? That fear gnawed at me.

Just as I was wondering how to escape this situation—

Rumble—!

Perfect timing—the sea trembled violently, signaling Lapis’s arrival.

“W-We’ll talk about it later!”

There was no point in teaching him the bad parts anyway.

This is all for Edel’s sake, I justified inwardly.

Then, seizing the chance Lapis had given us, I hastily grabbed Edel’s hand and leaped into the sea.

Even if Violet distracted Lapis, time was running out.

Lucent