Ch.327327. Beginning

“Ugh, my stomach hurts.”

“That’s why I told you not to eat it.”

Findenai’s expression wasn’t good.

Seeing her clutching her stomach in pain was more frustrating than amusing.

Was telling her that the food she made wasn’t edible really that hurtful?

Compared to the pain I would have felt eating it, it seemed like nothing.

“You ate at least a bite for the little hero and the princess even though it tasted bad.”

“…I’m not particularly pleased that you’ve been talking with the Dark Spiritmaster.”

So the Dark Spiritmaster had been keeping that in mind.

As always, she’s physically an adult but mentally a child.

“I thought I made it edible enough. Was something undercooked?”

“There should be digestive medicine in the infirmary. With your sturdy body, that should be enough.”

“Aren’t you going to nurse your master?”

“…”

As I made a face wondering what on earth she wanted, Findenai flopped down on the sofa in the lab.

It was the sofa where Professor Per would occasionally take short naps when work piled up.

“My stomach hurts.”

[Shall I take a look?]

As Stella immediately stepped forward, Findenai responded with a cold glare.

“Why are you butting in?”

[Let me see your stomach.]

“Is the Saintess so clueless? Go pray or something.”

[You don’t seem to be in that much pain.]

“Oh, really.”

Findenai covered her eyes with her hands and sighed before answering.

“Deal.”

[I’m not sure what to do. Deus, please take a look.]

“…I feel like some kind of transaction just happened right in front of me.”

Though I spoke without hiding my discomfort, Stella quietly retreated and disappeared, while Findenai grinned.

“Come on, hurry. If I collapse here in pain, who’s going to protect you?”

“Sigh, thanks to you, I can tell the stomach pain is a lie.”

But despite saying this.

Unable to resist this woman’s demands, I slowly knelt on one knee in front of the sofa where she lay and placed my hand on her.

The warm skin felt through her clothes.

The muscles that had developed firmly during her time with the resistance intertwined harmoniously under my hand.

“There, feeling better now?”

When I asked her casually, Findenai stared down at me and grinned, clearly pleased about something.

“Heh, hehehe.”

“…”

“Heh… Ah, sorry. I’m trying to hold back my laughter but it’s not working.”

“What’s so funny?”

I wondered what made her so happy about a simple touch, when Findenai placed her hand over mine and asked.

“What should we name the baby?”

“So that’s what you wanted.”

I immediately stood up and brushed her hand away. Findenai laughed hysterically, pounding the sofa, saying I’d finally caught on.

“Oh, this is hilarious! Didn’t you feel something just now? Like a sudden burst of paternal instinct?”

“Huff.”

“How about it? Hm? Isn’t this when you’re supposed to make a final passionate move? Enemies visible through the window! The loving couple’s final…”

Findenai, in the middle of speaking, seemed to realize something was off and sat up abruptly, scratching her cheek.

“Not final. You and I aren’t going to die here. Come to think of it, if we do it now, it feels like one of us might die. Stories usually go that way.”

“In my world, we called that a cliché.”

“Really? Then how about after it’s all over?”

“…Do you really want it that badly?”

I was starting to get annoyed. I couldn’t understand why she was being so insistent.

But Findenai glared at me and put her hands on her hips.

“Shit, there are women everywhere eyeing your lower half. How can I just sit back?”

“…”

When I looked at her with an expression asking if she was serious, the confident Findenai ended up scratching the back of her head.

A slight blush appeared on her face, suggesting embarrassment.

“Ah, well. That’s just an excuse…”

“Then?”

“Just… just… umm, just…”

Findenai rarely hesitated with her words. Finally, unable to withstand my gaze, she confessed.

“You don’t express yourself well with words.”

“…”

“So I wanted to feel it in other ways. If you don’t express it in words, you should do it through actions, right? But there’s none of that either.”

Looking at her, various thoughts crossed my mind.

I could feel that the usually confident Findenai was uncharacteristically anxious.

“I see, my fault then.”

It meant that my passive behavior had pushed her to this point.

“I was planning to clarify our relationship after this was over. But if you can’t wait until then…”

I slowly approached Findenai and gently pushed her back. She naturally sat down on the sofa behind her.

“Huh?”

Confused by the sudden situation, Findenai’s expression turned bewildered, but like an assassin launching a surprise attack, I gripped her shoulders and carefully kissed her.

Heurp!

A strange sound escaped from Findenai. Finding it amusing, the corners of my mouth turned up slightly while still kissing her.

Noticing this, Findenai’s cheeks turned bright red.

“Puhah! Hey, hey, you bastard! Y-you’re laughing?!”

Findenai immediately pushed me away.

But her hands still gripped my shoulders, suggesting she didn’t dislike it.

“A-are you enjoying teasing me? Would it kill you to let me prepare mentally?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Look at how you’re asking! You already know what answer I’ll give!”

Findenai, embarrassed, blurted out words in an excited state. Judging by how fast she was speaking, she was quite flustered by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“Don’t you like it?”

Finding her cute, I asked once more, and Findenai squeezed my hand tightly and exclaimed.

“I don’t! Yes, I don’t like it! What are you going to do? If I say I don’t like it? Huh? What will you do?”

Well.

“I guess I have no choice.”

I silenced her by kissing her again. Not expecting such forceful behavior, Findenai’s eyes widened and became moist.

After the unexpectedly intense kiss ended.

“Huh… eh?”

As if still in a daze, she couldn’t speak properly.

“I apologize for being a master who doesn’t respect his maid’s opinions much.”

I carefully placed my hand on her cheek as she babbled like a child.

The warmth felt through my palm.

Her trembling cheek.

However, rather than fear.

Her eyes seemed to be flirting, wanting more.

Findenai tilted her head slightly and carefully kissed the hand on her cheek.

Smooch.

It felt like that was the only way she could express her feelings.

As I slowly reached out my hand.

BOOM!

Amusingly.

And somehow predictably.

A commotion erupted outside, and I could feel magical barriers being erected around the entire academy.

I immediately pulled away and rushed to the window. They hadn’t reached the academy entrance yet, but in the distance.

I could see Magic Inquisitors pushing their way from the city toward us.

“Findenai, get ready.”

Returning to my usual self, I spoke, and Findenai, whose cheeks had been flushed until just now, stared at me blankly.

Then.

Without a word, she abruptly stood up, grabbed Baekseol that was hanging askew at the research lab entrance, and went outside.

[She’s surprisingly quiet?]

[Indeed.]

“…Were you watching?”

The Dark Spiritmaster and Stella who had suddenly appeared on either side of me. Their mouths were tightly shut, but their flushed faces were answer enough.

Anyway, I also thought Findenai was uncharacteristically quiet as she left.

Feeling a bit worried, I slightly opened the door again and heard a voice coming through the corridor.

“Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!”

The killing intent she was releasing while spewing curses could be felt even from here.

“You fucking bastards! Your timing is absolute shit! You fucking assholes!”

She finally burst into a scream, and as if revealing the power she now possessed, the entire building was shaking violently.

[…Is Findenai going to handle all of this herself?]

[If it were me, I would have retreated first.]

I honestly agreed with the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella’s words. But for now, I needed to prepare to face the army.

I grabbed Heralhazhad’s staff and headed out of the research lab.

[But Deus, you’re giving off a bit of a bad boy vibe?]

[…I, I like it.]

“Time and place, people.”

Getting annoyed at the two who were muttering, I snapped.

[Loser.]

The Dark Spiritmaster’s curt reply came back.

* * *

Magic Inquisitors were rushing toward the academy, followed by the iron-clad soldiers of the Valestan Duchy.

The front line was held by the most defensively capable unit, and they had mental protection magic cast on them by the Black Mages of the Kingdom of Zerman.

It was to prevent the mental damage wave that Deus Verdi had previously caused through souls.

‘We’ll just take the magic hits and break through. Once we infiltrate the academy, we can claim victory.’

Tairn, the Magic Inquisitor running at the front, was convinced of this as he gripped his staff.

It would be much easier with Saintess Lucia and the Holy Grail.

But souls were merely used by necromancers, and holy power only annihilated souls, so she had clearly refused.

It was the Saintess’s position that innocent souls should not be destroyed.

If this attack failed, the Saintess would also face severe backlash.

But she would endure that as well.

‘Much depends on this battle.’

Tairn began running with the determination to win at all costs.

As they were about to reach their destination,

He saw two people standing at the academy entrance. Both were wearing somewhat fluttering and ridiculous dresses.

“…It can’t be.”

One with blonde hair had a strangely familiar silhouette.

Tairn was almost terrified.

Not because of their strange attire or threatening aura.

But because of their very existence.

They were people who shouldn’t be blocking them here.

Was it his last conscience?

Though their eyes were covered with white masks, if one had eyes, they would know.

‘Princess?’

That it was Elenoa Luden Griffin.

Then the black-haired girl next to her must be…

“Ah, damn. Do I really have to wear this?”

“I’ve always wanted to try it. Magical girl.”

Elenoa excitedly answered Aria who was grumbling, snorting with excitement.

Even though Aria was glaring at her in frustration, Elenoa excitedly examined her own outfit from various angles.

“If I had a mirror and drawing paper, I’d sketch this right away. What a shame.”

“Shut up and look ahead. They’re here.”

“Say the line! Say the line!”

“Ah, I don’t know! How am I supposed to say such lines! Twilight? What? World peace? You’re really crazy.”

“Transformation lines are basic!”

Though Elenoa was grumbling, Aria ignored her and stepped forward.

In her hand was now a massive golden greatsword. The splendid sword adorned with various jewels was named…

‘Griffin’s Claw?!’

Tairn doubted his eyes.

The greatest treasure in the royal family’s vault.

It was so rare that few had seen it, so those around didn’t seem to know what it was.

But Aria casually thrust it into the ground and shouted.

“If you want to pass through here, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Behind Aria, who was shouting, Elenoa also slammed her staff on the ground.

That too was a treasure carefully preserved in the royal vault.

Light burst from Elenoa’s body and transformed into an ordinary robe.

“…Huh?”

Seeing this, Aria gaped and glared at Elenoa.

Elenoa winked and gave a thumbs up.

“I can’t fight wearing something so embarrassing at my age.”

“You bitch! You forced me to wear this! Wait a minute! Let me change clothes too…!”

Aria was about to shout something, but.

Dong!

Piano music coming from somewhere signaled the start of battle.

“Owen, not now! Not now!”

“Push through!”

Tairn gritted his teeth and charged forward, pretending not to see the girls.

“Wait! Just a moment! Ah, damn! I don’t know either!”

“Go! Magical girl washboard!”

“I’m really going to kill you later!”

There was quite a commotion.

But to express it in terms of the game that was the background of this world.

To face the final boss, Deus Verdi, first.

They had to defeat the mid-bosses.

Former hero Aria Rius and Princess Elenoa Luden Griffin.