Ch.250250. Contact

“Elia.”

“…”

“Elia!”

“…”

“If you don’t answer, I’m breaking in?! I really have something urgent right now!”

Huh.

Usually Elia is the one saying these lines to Darwood, but it feels a bit different hearing them from someone else.

Lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling with cloudy eyes, Elia had such a vague thought.

“Hey, you really…! Fine, I’m really coming in!”

With those words, the door really did burst open.

“What have you been doing for days! Today you even skipped all your classes…!”

Continuing that sentence but losing her words, Trisha’s expression was barely captured beyond Elia’s blurry vision.

She couldn’t tell what exactly had caused that expression.

Whether it was herself, sprawled out wearing only underwear in a drunken state, or the pyramid of empty liquor bottles neatly stacked beside the bed.

“…”

After a long silence, Trisha eventually clutched her forehead with both hands, clearly suffering from a headache, and let out words like a groan.

“…I should have stayed by your side.”

“…Huh?”

“I was worried when you started using a single room as a hero, and sure enough, what is this? I always knew you were secretly sensitive…”

“…”

In fact, this could be considered somewhat unfair. It wasn’t like Elia always behaved this way.

There was no need to see emotions with her eyes.

The reason why the usually diligent and clever Elia would become this abnormal had only one cause.

“…It’s because of that Darwood again, isn’t it?”

That’s right.

Trisha knows very well that love can make people blind. Who could understand this more clearly than someone who can visually see emotions?

But even so, why suddenly become a complete wreck?

“What’s going on? What’s the problem?”

“…”

Elia silently tried to tilt another bottle to her lips.

But Trisha snatched it away too quickly for her to succeed.

“What, what are you—”

Elia’s mumbling voice suddenly subsided.

Anyone would react the same way if they met Trisha’s tiger-like glare.

“Tell me right now. Or I’ll really get angry?”

“…”

The nicer and more accommodating a friend usually is, the more devastating their threats become.

Eventually, after much hesitation, Elia had no choice but to stammer out her words.

“…I confessed to the teacher.”

Trisha’s mouth fell wide open.

“S-so? What did he say?”

“…Don’t know.”

“…What?”

“I haven’t heard his answer yet.”

Trisha’s eyes narrowed.

Then what on earth was the reason for being in this state? She hadn’t even been explicitly rejected yet.

Just as Trisha was about to add another comment with that thought, her mouth suddenly closed tight.

It was because she caught a glimpse of Elia’s emotions moving subtly at the edge of her vision.

Judging by that movement…

“…”

No, surely not.

It seems unlikely, but…

“Elia.”

“Yes?”

“Are you just ‘afraid of being rejected’ right now?”

“…”

Elia’s mouth clamped shut.

Her emotional fluctuations spiked as if she’d been caught red-handed.

Trisha stared at Elia with an incredulous expression before clutching her head.

“You idiot. You absolute idiot. Even with love blinders on, how can someone become a wreck without even getting an answer? If people heard that the hero, humanity’s hope, was acting like this over one man, even passing dogs would laugh!”

“You didn’t say that was correct yet.”

“Then is it wrong? Is there another reason?”

“…Don’t call the teacher just ‘one man.'”

When such a timid mumble came out instead of a rebuttal, Trisha glared at Elia with an exasperated look.

After staring for a while, Trisha finally rubbed her face dryly and heaved a deep sigh.

“…Fine, we can argue about that later. Just put some clothes on quickly. If the hero is seen in this state, you’ll be a laughingstock to the person coming now!”

“Oh, right. Are they some emperor or something? I could handle that somehow.”

“…What?”

“If they’re coming to say something strange, I could shut them down. I might even raise my voice if they say anything weird about the teacher.”

“…”

“…Recently, their gaze toward the teacher has been somewhat concerning—”

“Stop talking nonsense and put your clothes on quickly!”

Before more irreverent words could escape Elia’s mouth, Trisha’s exclamation was accompanied by pants and a uniform top flying into Elia’s face.

While Elia finally got up with a droopy expression and gathered her clothes, Trisha was cleaning the messy room at an incredible speed.

It was certainly a speed that would make the dedicated maids in charge of the senior dormitories want to recruit her as their junior.

“But who’s coming that you’re making such a fuss?”

“You’ll know when you meet them!”

“…Even if I look a bit disheveled, there’s no one who would complain to the hero about it.”

“That might be true for ordinary people, but not for ordinary people!”

Elia narrowed her eyes at Trisha’s screaming response.

The way she emphasized that they weren’t ordinary people seemed to put more weight on “people” than on “ordinary.”

As if the issue wasn’t that they weren’t ordinary, but that their humanity itself was questionable.

“The person coming now is—!”

Fortunately, there was no need to prolong such questions.

As soon as Elia saw the person entering her private room before Trisha could finish her sentence, her mouth fell open too.

As “it” entered the room.

A terrible sense of incongruity fell into the room.

A being that seemed detached from some constant… “law” that constitutes the world.

With each step, a grand sound echoed, along with a physique several times larger than an average person.

Though covered in a robe reminiscent of a monk, every part of that “body” was made of smooth metal.

‘…No, no, not just steel…’

Steel that meticulously concealed numerous “functions” underneath.

A form close to a steel giant walking on two legs.

If Darwood were here, he would probably think of the word “cyborg” first.

“…Pleased to meet you, Hero.”

As soon as she heard that voice, Elia’s arm, which had been fixing her hair, froze. Goosebumps were rising all over her body under her clothes.

It wasn’t because the voice carried some extraordinary aura.

Rather.

Nothing could be felt.

No atmosphere, no emotion.

Not a fragment of what could be called “humanity.”

Again, if Darwood were here, he would immediately associate it with the term “mechanical voice.”

“Pleased to meet you, Hero. I am Alpha-11, an executor from the Demonic Spire.”

The “thing” that identified itself as an executor from the Demonic Spire extended its mechanical hand made of steel toward her.

A hand made of seamless, smooth solid steel.

“I came because there’s someone I need to meet.”

“…”

At those words, Elia suddenly felt a sense of fate.

Usually when someone unexpected suddenly appears like this, they’re always related to one particular person.

“May I ask who you’re looking for—”

“Darwood Campbell.”

“…”

Of course.

●

In fact, appearing before people is almost like a calling for Lucien.

Whether it’s large religious events, occasional social gatherings, or even daily masses or prayer meetings, as someone holding the position of Holy Knight, leading such events has always been her role.

“…Wait. Isn’t that the Holy Knight?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would such a distinguished person come to a place like this—”

Two passersby who were saying such things while passing by her suddenly stared at her face.

“She really looks like her…?”

“She does…?”

“…”

It is indeed her. Probably ten out of ten passersby would recognize her by her appearance.

But the reason people still doubt whether she’s really the Holy Knight is…

“But then, who are these people with the Holy Knight…? And who’s that small woman beside her…?”

Darwood and Yuria.

Lucien is currently walking through the city district on what amounts to a double date with these humans.

“…”

The situation of walking down the main street with the sisters on each arm is enough to make her brain go blank, but what makes Lucien hang her head even more is…

“Isn’t the Holy Knight forbidden from dating…?”

“Y-yes…? Then she can’t possibly be the real Holy Knight.”

So it’s natural for her to shrink away.

Of course, she had given up her position as Holy Knight long ago, but if she were to properly reveal what she’s doing now to the passersby pouring in as soon as she steps out onto the street, her reputation would truly plummet to the depths…!

‘How embarrassing…!’

Her eyes spin wildly. Heat rises throughout her body.

If someone were to confirm that she is the “real” Holy Knight and rumors spread about her being seen like this…!

“Don’t worry. People aren’t as interested in others as you might think. That’s why even celebrities can go out just slightly covered up and people don’t recognize them.”

“…Darwood.”

“Yes?”

“I wouldn’t be this scared if I weren’t ‘wearing this’…!”

She said with trembling voice and teary eyes.

Her finger pointed near her and Yuria’s necks.

What’s attached here is, well.

A ‘transparent leash.’ Other people probably can’t see it.

Apparently it was made with ectoplasm, outsourced to Professor Vulcan.

“…”

Why was it so important to put leashes on her and Yuria that he would use such premium materials to make transparent leashes?

“What, did you really think I would put a leash on Yuria and treat her like a pet being walked in front of other people?”

“…To some extent, yes.”

“My goodness, how could you think such a thing…!”

“Think about what you’ve done so far before you speak-!”

It would be stranger if he didn’t do it.

Considering the social reputation this man has built up so far, it would actually be more natural if he really did it.

Why is he pretending to be sensible now?

While such sentences were sequentially appearing in Lucien’s mind, Yuria, who had been walking quietly beside her, fidgeted with her fingers and quietly opened her mouth.

“…I don’t mind.”

“…”

“Do you… dislike it, sister?”

“Ah, n-no, I don’t really dislike it that much…”

Lucien answered with quivering cheeks.

She couldn’t bring herself to say harsh words to her sister who had been in particularly bad condition lately.

Instead, she shot back at Darwood with a pouty expression.

“B-but! You should know some moderation! Even though we do everything you ask, making such unreasonable demands is…!”

“…I didn’t request this.”

“…”

Lucien stupidly closed her mouth.

It was only after a long while that she could continue speaking.

“…What?”

“I said I didn’t do this.”

“Then who…?”

In response, instead of Darwood, an answer came from Yuria’s side.

“…I asked Darwood to do this.”

“…”

“And I also asked for you to join us…”

A shock like lightning striking hit Lucien’s mind.

The sight of Darwood shrugging his shoulders as if to say “see?” was particularly annoying.

“…W-why would you do such a thing…!”

“There’s a sense of blasphemy to it.”

“…”

“Being treated this way by Master, I-I mean, Darwood, it’s quite, q-quite pleasurable…”

“…”

“I wanted to show you too, sister…”

With a completely flushed face.

But with a rather clear expression, in a voice melting with undeniable heat, she muttered such words.

“…”

While Lucien was on the verge of fainting, Darwood looked with satisfied eyes at the scene before him.

Regardless of the current state, he was definitely achieving his immediate goal.

‘…This is like a fast charger.’

The White Demon’s magical energy was rising terrifyingly.

He was told that the more “intimate contact” he had with the subject, the faster the seal’s magical energy would charge.

So he went to Yuria and asked what she wanted to do most, and this was her answer.

Walking with a leash along with her sister.

“…”

He thought some kind of mental education might be needed later, but for now, this was definitely working.

As he was having such satisfying thoughts, a shadow suddenly fell across his vision.

It wasn’t that the sky had suddenly darkened; rather, a “large body” had suddenly appeared before him.

“…”

Darwood looked up involuntarily and immediately flinched.

There was a being he never imagined he would see in a place like this.

“…A cyborg?”

“I apologize, but I cannot identify such a being. You seem to be confusing me with something else.”

Even the voice is mechanical.

While Darwood was blinking and thinking such thoughts, the cyborg suddenly stared at her intently.

For Lucien, it was a gaze movement that suddenly made her mind clear.

Wasn’t it looking back and forth between her neck and Darwood’s hand?

As if it could see what was “connecting” them.

“An ectoplasm leash. What an interesting device. Using such premium materials to make such a trinket. There must certainly be a specific purpose.”

“…”

“May I ask why the Holy Knight is wearing such a thing?”

Lucien’s face turned bright red as if it was about to explode.

●