Ch.9898. Stella

As the morning sun rose, people gathered around the campfire in front of the carriage.

It seemed they had come from a nearby village to check on the commotion from last night. The mother superior approached them first.

Since it was the closest village to the convent, they appeared to have a special relationship. Especially those who had received medical treatment or appreciated the gospel sharing were very friendly toward the nuns.

Rather than being concerned, the villagers said they were glad to have found them and brought a pile of food to repay the kindness they had received.

Suddenly, a small breakfast buffet was set up in this place somewhat distant from the village.

Morning enjoyed under the rising sunlight. Honestly, I was so exhausted that I didn’t want to move a finger, and injuries from being swept up in holy power left me slumped against the carriage.

“What’s this? Not eating?”

Findenai, who had piled food high on her plate, glanced at me while passing by and asked.

I was too tired to answer and gestured with my chin for her to go away, but she sat down heavily beside me with a fork in her mouth.

“…Go away.”

“What are you saying? There’s nowhere else decent to sit.”

“Can’t you go inside the carriage?”

“Lady Illuania is having her meal in there.”

Findenai started using her fork beside me, making an insincere excuse that didn’t even pretend to be considerate of the pregnant woman.

The villagers must have slaughtered chickens early in the morning, as chicken and eggs were the main menu, accompanied by salads and fruits—quite a generous plate of food.

But even looking at it didn’t stimulate my appetite.

Rather, my mouth felt dry and my tongue felt numb, making me not want to even smell the food.

I wondered why I was sitting here like this, when suddenly a glass of milk with a straw was held out to me from the side.

“Drink this. You lost blood earlier, so you should drink something.”

“…”

“Even if the nuns treated you, getting nutrition from food is still essential, right?”

Findenai held out the milk without even looking at me. Though I wondered why she was suddenly acting this way, I took the cup because I wanted to wet my throat.

But when she saw my hands trembling so much that the milk almost spilled, she snatched it back.

“Sigh, this is typical of mages who’ve used too much mana. Fine, just open your mouth.”

“…Just go away.”

“Oh my.”

Though I refused, the straw pushed past my lips and poked my throat. Startled, I took a breath and milk naturally flowed through the straw into my mouth.

Wetting my throat definitely made me feel better. The milk was fresh and tasty, going down smoothly.

Being handled like this by Findenai was humiliating, but the sensation of milk going down my throat was more satisfying than I expected.

After finishing the milk, as I was taking a deep breath…

The rich aroma of chicken filled my mouth. Surprised, I tried to close my mouth, but Findenai grabbed my chin with an indifferent expression and forced it open.

“Honestly. You’re so skinny yet you refuse to eat.”

“…!”

“Stay still. I don’t want to make this seem like torture. What kind of maid am I? Force-feeding my skinny master.”

“Mmph! That’s enough!”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Despite her words, Findenai’s fork didn’t stop. I grabbed her wrist to make her stop, but I couldn’t resist because I had no strength.

After feeding me all the food on the plate, Findenai left with a strange, satisfied smirk on her face.

That smile of victory felt like the ultimate humiliation to me, and I wanted to throw up everything inside.

[That looks quite nice.]

A voice came from behind me. I turned my head slightly to see the Dark Spiritmaster poking just her head through the carriage, looking in my direction.

“Don’t go around like that.”

I commented because it looked like her face was stuck in the carriage. The Dark Spiritmaster pulled herself out completely and crossed her arms in front of me.

[You know this was extremely dangerous, right?]

Her words made me laugh involuntarily.

“When has it ever not been dangerous?”

Come to think of it, I’ve always fought with my life on the line. I always had a clear direction for victory, but that didn’t guarantee absolute success.

[Well, that’s true, but…]

Though her expression was hidden by the black cloth covering below her eyes, concern was evident in her visible eyes.

I steadied my breathing and continued speaking. I couldn’t let my assistant feel anxious.

“Don’t worry. This is just another experience to see the limits of spirit magic.”

Especially this time, I showed her a new direction by handling a demon’s soul.

I thought she might be satisfied with that much, but the Dark Spiritmaster was still looking at me with dissatisfied eyes.

[That was certainly impressive. But that’s not why I’m upset right now.]

“There can be no steep growth without accompanying risk.”

[…You’re generally quite intelligent, but sometimes you pretend to be stupid.]

“…”

[I really hate that.]

The Dark Spiritmaster kicked at me while pouting. Of course, being a spirit, her kick just passed through me.

[What are you planning to do with the Saintess?]

“I’ll handle it myself.”

I fixed my gaze on Stella, who was standing alone in the distance, looking up at the sun.

Seeing her with closed eyes and clasped hands, she seemed to be praying in gratitude to those who saved her and to the goddess Hestia.

[Um, my position is secure, right?]

“…”

[I mean, you two seemed to have a good atmosphere going?]

I took a deep breath and waved my hand, which was starting to regain some strength.

[And I don’t have any special connection with you. But that Saintess is connected to you through spirit magic.]

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, leave.”

[No, as your teacher, can’t I worry about these things?]

“I never thought of you as a teacher.”

[Blehhh!]

The Dark Spiritmaster stuck out her tongue and turned to leave. The cloth covered her tongue anyway, but her personality was amusing.

She was wise and knowledgeable about spirit magic, but having spent half her life locked in her research lab with little human interaction, she often showed immature behavior.

Sometimes I wondered if she was just a child in an adult’s body.

‘The complete opposite of Aria.’

A different feeling from Aria, who had a child’s body but was mature from experiencing all sorts of hardships, though somewhat broken.

I briefly wondered what Aria was doing now, but my thoughts were interrupted.

Stella, having finished her prayer, approached me cautiously.

Her once blonde hair had turned half white, giving off a pale light.

It seemed to represent all the hardship she had endured.

Her cyan eyes were gazing steadily at me.

She looked like a woman from a painting.

Seeing her with the sunlight at her back, I understood why the Saintess was called the kingdom’s sun.

“Did you say your goodbyes?”

[…How did you know?]

Stella bowed her head shyly at my words. She had just come from bidding farewell to her god.

[A demon dwelled in my body, and I shared Vellica’s intentions. Her remnants still remain in my body.]

Perhaps because they had lived in the same body for so long, Stella and Vellica’s souls seemed to have merged.

The Dark Spiritmaster had said this was something even she had never seen before and found it fascinating.

Although we don’t know if Vellica is still safe, as the holy power would have been more fatal to her.

“…”

[The goddess Hestia wouldn’t want to receive someone like me either.]

“Is that so.”

[I was sufficiently grateful until now, and since I’ve fulfilled my role, I could let go cleanly.]

I nodded and listened to her words. Strength was gradually returning to my body, but not enough to stand yet.

Noticing this, Stella carefully sat down beside me and rested her head on my shoulder.

I couldn’t feel her touch or warmth, but with her movement, a breeze gently tickled my nose.

[Since no one can see me, I can be this bold.]

A soft laugh like “huhut” was heard. It was similar to what I heard when we first met on the rooftop.

“Do you have any regrets left?”

[No, many people have shown me that what I’ve done until now wasn’t wrong.]

Even after spending hours thanking them with tears before praying to her god, Stella still seemed moved.

[So what happens to me now? Black Mage.]

Stella looked at me with her head still on my shoulder. If she had been alive, her breath would have touched my cheek, we were that close.

I answered her firmly.

“You need to sleep.”

[…]

“My reason for possessing you wasn’t to use you as a soul for magic. It was just to be a resting place where you could rest.”

[I see.]

Stella seemed somewhat disappointed, but I had no intention of backing down.

She was too exhausted.

She had been suffering enough to choose the extreme option of annihilation.

Now she needed to close her eyes and rest.

[So this is the last sky I’ll see before I fall asleep.]

“Yes, I suppose so.”

From now on, Stella would sleep within me. She would fall into a deep sleep that neither god nor demon could disturb.

[Hmm, it’s a bit disappointing. I wanted to have more conversations with you.]

Yet she didn’t strongly resist the idea of rest. She too knew that she was exhausted.

[Could you tell me something?]

Still leaning against me with her arms crossed, Stella asked.

“Tell you what?”

[You read fairy tales to children before they sleep, right? I’d like to fall asleep listening to a story about you.]

“I’ve already told you everything I can tell about myself.”

[That’s true.]

Stella smiled gently and snuggled closer to me.

[Then what do you think about me? We shared a brief but intense experience, didn’t we?]

I remained silent for a moment at Stella’s question.

The sun that had risen was too bright to look at directly, so I slowly lowered my gaze.

“I have never been in love.”

And I honestly told her what I felt for her.

“However, I have experienced it indirectly.”

I had indirectly felt the emotions that the original Deus had for Illuania.

“I cannot deny it was a warm and comforting feeling. And I thought I would probably have difficulty feeling such emotions.”

Aria said that in the first cycle, I had been with Erika, but I still questioned whether I truly loved her.

I continued speaking.

Not to convey something to Stella.

It felt more like Stella was secretly eavesdropping on my honest monologue.

“However, if I were to harbor such feelings for someone.”

I slowly looked at Stella.

I quietly bid farewell to her, who had always wanted to be with me but would now part.

“I think it might be someone like you.”

A moment of silence.

As I stared at Stella’s flushed face, she opened and closed her mouth like a fish before taking a deep breath.

Even though she no longer needed to breathe, it seemed to be a habit from when she was alive.

[Are you trying to make me not want to sleep? Please don’t create regrets for me.]

That wasn’t my intention.

When I replied that I was just expressing my honest feelings, Stella hesitated before speaking.

[You and I are opposites.]

“…”

[You don’t know much about love, but I know the emotion of love all too well. I loved everyone I met.]

Indeed, because of that.

Because those feelings were genuinely sincere, so many souls sacrificed themselves for this woman.

[Perhaps that’s why I don’t want to call my feelings for you love.]

“…”

[Because it’s not the same as what I felt for others. So I won’t call this love.]

I felt warmth.

It felt as if the mana remaining in her soul was gently enveloping me.

[But I don’t have the talent to give it some grand name.]

Stella’s voice, which had begun to gradually disappear, grew softer.

[The sun of the continent has set. Lucia will do well as my successor.]

“Yes, she will.”

Like a child slowly falling asleep.

[Please help that child. During the time the sun rests, become the moon and protect this continent.]

“I’ll try.”

[Huhut, I’ll be watching from beside you to see if you’re working hard.]

Slowly.

Very slowly.

[When I lost my eyes, I thought I would never see the moon again.]

Stella’s arms wrapped around my waist as she turned into light and entered me.

[See you again, my moon.]

The gradually disappearing Stella whispered with a smile at the end.

[I’ll become your star, and always be with you.]