Chapter 219 – Lucia (2)

Ｒｅａｄ ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅａｄ​ｉｎｇＣ​ａｆｅ

Lucille knew she had grown weaker.

She had used most of her blessings to establish the circulation system.

She no longer possessed the omnipotence of the past.

The Chosen One.

The one who resembled a god.

The pinnacle of humanity.

Once, she had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with such transcendent beings as the blessed saintess.

That was who Lucille had been, and aside from exceptions like Bael, there were few who could rival her. 

Perhaps that was why. Even though she was aware of her weakened state, she hadn’t fully grasped just how much she had declined. 

Living a peaceful life, far removed from battle thanks to Yoo-seong’s care, had only made it harder to realize.

She knew she wasn’t as strong as before, but she hadn’t expected to be this weak.

Lucille smiled bitterly and said,

“I’m sorry. I died.”

“…Is that what you say after coming back to life?”

When the Great Calamity began, Lucille did her best to protect people.

She spared no effort to save the children at the orphanage.

Monsters poured down from the shattered sky like torrential rain.

Amidst the screams of despair, Lucille used her remaining blessings to their fullest.

Immortality.

A supernatural ability that prevented her from dying, even in death.

Since all she had left was her regenerative power.

She burned through it without reserve.

And then she died.

She died completely, without a trace.

Shattered by the strike of the sixth calamity beast to descend in history.

Even after mimicking Michael and consuming her soul, she could only hold on for a moment.

“Why did you push yourself so hard? You know you’re not as strong as you used to be.”

“Ehehe, sorry for worrying you.”

At Yoo-seong’s sigh, Lucille smiled awkwardly. 

She had no choice. She couldn’t just stand by and watch people die. 

Even if she could no longer be called a saintess, she had once been one. She wanted to protect as many as she could reach. 

She felt bad for worrying Yoo-seong, but she didn’t think her actions were wrong in the slightest.

“…You were dead for four years. We held a funeral and were about to cremate you when I secretly took your body. If it weren’t for me, it would’ve taken even longer for you to revive.”

In her prime, she would’ve revived immediately after death.

But for the current Lucille, who had fallen to a level below even the captains of the Celestial Corps, it was a distant dream.

Lucille’s unique nature played a significant role in her drastic weakening.

Yoo-seong, Michael, and Iris had reached their heights through effort.

Though their foundations were solid, they weren’t born as the strongest.

They had grown stronger step by step, climbing the ladder through training.

In contrast, Lucille had been born as the strongest.

She had reached her pinnacle not through effort, but through the blessings of the Four Seasons.

Having lost most of her blessings, it was only natural that she had fallen from grace.

“I came back sooner than I expected. I thought I’d be dead for about 20 years after using up even my soul.”

“…I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.”

At Yoo-seong’s quiet words, Lucille realized she had been reckless. They had lost precious comrades due to soul damage. It had been a deeply painful experience for Yoo-seong. 

After Lucille, the other two had also left, leaving Yoo-seong alone. He must have kept thinking about it. 

Was there really no other way?
Was there truly no way to save them? 

The fruits of that contemplation were right before her eyes. Lucille had revived much sooner than she had anticipated.

“I’m sorry.”

The deaths of Michael and Iris were also painful wounds for Lucille.

She had tried not to think about them if possible.

Remembering the two, who had left without even a proper goodbye, made her sad.

“No, don’t be sorry. You’re back safely, so it’s fine.”

He forced a smile, pushing aside his gloomy expression.

Yoo-seong spoke in a light tone, as if nothing had happened.

“More importantly, what do you want to do now? Officially, you’re a dead person. Do you want to reveal that you’re actually alive? Or should I prepare a new identity for you?”

There had been quite a few witnesses when Lucille died. 

Johan, who had recently become the leader of the Holy Knight Order, and Karma, the captain of the 4th Division, among others. 

Even for a regenerator, having their body shattered meant death. They had even confirmed that her breathing had stopped. If she suddenly came back to life, it could cause quite a stir.

Even so, given Lucille’s nature of valuing connections, she would likely choose the former over the latter. 

Changing her identity would mean cutting ties with her past. In fact, Yoo-seong had already prepared for her eventual revival, so she could naturally reclaim her place.

“Then, could you prepare a new identity for me?”

However, Yoo-seong’s expectations were proven wrong.

Lucille spoke with a serious expression.

“While you’re at it, please make me young enough to enroll in the academy.”

“The academy…?”

Yoo-seong couldn’t help but ask again. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what the academy was. 

The academy was an educational facility for young supernaturals. Yoo-seong himself had laid the foundation for the academy. 

He had established the first academy because he believed a facility to train supernaturals was necessary. 

There was no way Yoo-seong, of all people, wouldn’t know about the academy. His question wasn’t about the academy itself, but about Lucille’s intentions in mentioning it.

“I actually thought about becoming a teacher… but ehehe, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I don’t have enough knowledge to teach students…? So I thought about it. Why not enroll as a student?”

“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Had she suddenly developed a desire to attend the academy? Well, Lucille had been confined to the church in her childhood and had wandered the world aimlessly afterward. 

It wouldn’t be strange for her to yearn for an educational institution like a school. 

Hmm, if that’s the case, there’s no helping it. Let’s protect Lucille’s innocence. But as Lucille continued her explanation, Yoo-seong had to correct his misunderstanding.

“While I was dead, I received an oracle from the Four Seasons.”

“…What?”

It had been a long time since she had heard the voice of the Four Seasons.

It was the first time since she had used up her blessings to create the circulation system.

In a hazy dream, the Four Seasons whispered to her.

“A new ‘Chosen One’ has been selected.”

A new hero to succeed Yoo-seong had been born.

It’s a bit awkward to say this, but Yoo-seong had failed to fulfill his purpose as the Chosen One.

He was the sword of the plan to defeat Bael. The chosen hero to slay the King of Demon Gods.

But he had only driven Bael back, not killed him.

From the perspective of the Four Seasons, Yoo-seong was a failure. 

Even if Lucille denied it, that fact remained unchanged. The forging of a new sword to replace Yoo-seong was an inevitable necessity.

“Soon, a new hero will enroll in the academy. So I want to be there to watch over them. As someone who was once a saintess. To see what kind of person the new hero is, and whether they’re on the right path.”

If possible, she wanted to stay by Yoo-seong’s side.

It wasn’t just because she loved him.

She wanted to protect him for his own sake.

He was exhausted. The endless war had worn him down mentally. 

Mars, the God of War. 

The pillar supporting humanity. Everyone believed in and relied on him. Not just ordinary citizens, but even the captains of the Celestial Corps leaned on Yoo-seong. 

A living legend. Humanity’s strongest sword and shield. 

Yoo-seong himself had worked hard to build that image. After all, people can afford to be at ease when they have someone to believe in and rely on.

But what about Yoo-seong? Who does he rely on? Who does he lean on?

Yoo-seong is not a god.

Though he is called the God of War, he is human.

He may be closer to a god than a human, but he is still human.

“Humans can’t live alone. They need someone to trust and rely on.”

Lucille wanted to be that someone for Yoo-seong.

She wanted to become the pillar he could lean on and trust.

But the Four Seasons had spoken.

A new Chosen One had been chosen.

Someone more necessary to Yoo-seong than her, who had lost her power.

‘If the new hero awakens… Yoo-seong’s burden will lessen.’

If there’s more than one God of War.

If there’s just one more person with abilities comparable to Yoo-seong.

Then Yoo-seong won’t have to support humanity alone anymore.

“…Alright.”

Yoo-seong, who had been lost in thought for a moment, nodded heavily.

“Then I’ll create an identity for you at an age where you can enroll in the academy. Will you keep using the name Lucille?”

“No, if my face is the same and my name is the same, there’s no point in changing my identity, right?”

It’s not a big deal, but it’s a little embarrassing.

The Saintess Lucille, who was active more than 140 years ago, is unknown to anyone except Yoo-seong, so it doesn’t matter.

But Sister Lucille is a different story.

She had built many connections while running the orphanage.

…What would people think if they saw someone my age attending the academy?

Even if no one cared, I would care.

While attending the academy, I’d prefer not to run into anyone from my past.

Especially the children I cared for…!

“That makes sense. Do you have a name in mind?”

At Yoo-seong’s question, Lucille crossed her arms and fell deep into thought.

It’s a name she’ll be using for a while. A name is the clearest standard that represents oneself.

That’s why names carry meaning. What should I choose? If possible, something similar to Lucille… yes, that’s it. Let’s go with that. I’ve thought of a good name.

Lucille smiled brightly and spoke her new name.

“How about ‘Lucia’?”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Did you know?

The day the first chapter (prologue) of Self-Harming Heroine was uploaded on March 14, 2022.

And today is March 14, 2023.

Yes, that’s right.

It’s been officially a year since Self-Harming Heroine was serialized!

Time really flies.

I must have been an idiot in the past for thinking that I could have finished the story a long time ago in a year.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Thus, corruption begins now!