Chapter 410

Chapter 410

For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Episode 410: Faye Cried Bitterly

I had been chuckling to myself by the window for a moment. A whimpering voice came from behind me.

“Huu… Senior?”

A sudden wave of awkwardness washed over me. I shut my mouth and turned around to see Faye, who had been sleeping using my chest as a cushion, rubbing her eyes and getting up.

“Ah, Senior Faye. You’re awake? You could have slept longer.”

“Eung. Staying up all night working for the past few days has become a habit, so my sleep schedule is messed up. I actually feel more awake at night. Besides, I fell asleep next to Junior right after lunch, so it’s not like I didn’t get enough sleep.”

“If that’s the case… ah, would you like to sit next to me?”

There was only one chair in Faye’s room, but I had enough for everyone in my inventory.

Setting up a bed is a bit of a hassle, but chairs are convenient because you can just use them anywhere.

Faye, who had been looking at the chair that suddenly appeared from thin air, stretched once, as if showing off her alchemy pouch, and shook her head.

“No. Put it away, Junior. I’ll sit somewhere else.”

“Huh? The bed will be cramped since the others are sleeping there…”

“Eit!”

With an awkward shout, Faye jumped onto my lap. I tilted my head, wondering if she really needed to make such a sound for just this.

Faye, as if noticing my question, giggled and spoke first.

“Hehe… I was actually a little envious of Iris sitting on Junior’s lap.”

“Then you can sit here anytime.”

“It’s a little embarrassing. I’m a year older, but I’m still her Senior, and acting like such a child…”

“Iris is almost 500 years older though? Are you saying Iris doesn’t act her age…?”

“Eii, elves are an exception! They’re a race whose bodies and minds don’t age after a certain point!”

That’s true. The reason elves are long-lived isn’t just because their bodies age slowly, but also because their minds do. Otherwise, half of the elves would be living like recluses.

I nodded vaguely and put my arm around Faye’s waist. It was a reflexive action, something I often did with Iris.

“…Huh?”

Something felt different.

Faye, perhaps misinterpreting my startled reaction, shrank back and asked in an embarrassed voice.

“Ah, I guess I’ve gained a little weight compared to Iris? I’ve been eating so well since meeting Junior…”

“Huh?”

What is she talking about?

A little bit of extra flesh… well, it’s inevitable given the difference between a newborn high elf and an alchemist who sits all day.

But that doesn’t mean Faye is fat. It’s just that she feels soft to the touch.

“Senior Faye, you’re perfect as you are now. You used to be too thin, probably because you couldn’t eat properly back then. Except for your chest.”

“Eung. Is that so? Well, back then, a piece of bread with jam-flavored potion was my entire meal for the day. By the way, even in that situation, my chest didn’t lose any weight. I found that strange too.”

Faye replied, squishing her chest with her own hands. I realized as I felt the sensation of it naturally changing shape and pressing against the back of my hand.

The strange feeling I had a moment ago came from her chest.

“Senior Faye, hasn’t your chest gotten a little bigger?”

“Eh?”

“We’ve had times when I’ve had you sit on my lap like this, though not often, right?”

“Yeah. And you’ve always fondled my chest, so of course I remember.”

“It would be weird if my hand didn’t go there. Anyway, it feels a little different now than it did then. Before, it just lightly touched the back of my hand, but now it’s slightly covering it.”

“You remembered every single one of those times?! In the first place, that much difference would be obvious even if your hand was just a little higher!”

“No. I placed my hand in the exact same spot, but the contact area has become different.”

Thanks to my Exceptional Memory trait, I can perfectly recall anything I set my mind to. And I can assure you, Faye’s chest has gotten a little bit, but definitely, bigger…!

“Do you understand? I’m serious about Senior Faye’s chest.”

“Ugh.”

Faye made a face as if she was fed up with my confident attitude. She wiggled her butt, looking like she was contemplating whether to jump up right away…

Outside the window. The clouds in the dark night sky parted, and the bright full moon began to illuminate the world. She froze in place.

“……”

Faye’s white skin, untouched by sunlight, glowed under the moonlight. As if this was where she belonged.

Faye, who had been staring blankly up at the sky for a long time, opened her mouth in a soft voice.

“You know, Junior.”

“What is it, Senior Faye?”

“I know I’m saying this now, but thank you for always believing in me.”

“It’s only natural because…”

“Because you saw me become a great alchemist in the future?”

“No. That’s part of it, but there’s a slightly different reason.”

Of course, I initially approached her based on the memories of H&A. But that wasn’t the only reason.

No, if that were the case, I probably wouldn’t have believed her. It takes quite some time for Faye to blossom as an alchemist.

It’s not until her fourth year that Faye alchemizes the Philosopher’s Stone. How could I believe her if she said she would make a golem to fight an Evil God before even becoming a third-year student?

So, saying that I believed her simply because I saw her potential is wrong.

“What is it then? Why did you believe in me so steadfastly?”

“It’s simple. Because I’ve seen Senior Faye. That’s why I believe in you.”

I had been watching Faye all along.

Her figure as she went hungry but still used the ingredients bought instead of bread, the way she poured all those sponsorship funds into research without hesitation, her back hunched over in the workshop all day, the stubbornness with which she held onto the alchemy pot even when things didn’t go her way and she felt down, the smile of pure joy as she created strange objects,

I had witnessed every moment of Faye’s right beside her.

That’s why I can say with confidence.

“Senior Faye wasn’t wrong.”

“Junior…”

“I know Senior Faye’s talent, I know your efforts, I knew your environment, and I even know your beliefs.”

A weapon that could protect its master to the very end, even against an Evil God. It certainly wouldn’t be easy. There’s no precedent for a weapon made by human hands, not by the same god.

“But I believed that Senior Faye could do it. Even if it was a little lacking, that’s a gap I could fill.”

“……”

Faye wasn’t wrong. Because I would make sure of it.

If she needed money, I sponsored her; if she needed samples, I procured them; if she needed knowledge, I searched even through dungeons to find it.

Even if the opponent was an Evil God, nothing would change. If proof was needed, all I had to do was show it.

“How is it? Did that answer your question?”

“Eung.”

Faye nodded slightly and then leaned her back deeply against my upper body. Resting her weight on me, she opened her mouth slowly, looking much more comfortable.

“Junior, you remember the story about how my mother died because the sword my father made broke, right?”

“How could I forget that?”

“I heard this while working on the golem. They said my father and mother both knew.”

“Huh?”

“That because he was so enthusiastic about making it for the first time, it was a pretty and sharp dagger, but it lacked durability. My father, who made it, and my mother both knew that from the start.”

“So that means…”

“Yeah. That dagger was a weapon meant to protect just one person, just once, and my mother chose to save me instead of herself.”

“……”

“Don’t look so lost, Junior. It was just a story. But… eung, about the golem I made this time. In the end, it was made to defeat an Evil God, and then it broke, right?”

“It was a bit disappointing. It would have been nice if we could have kept using it.”

Even if I were to make a new golem, the blessing of the Clashing Steel wouldn’t reside in it, so it would be difficult to show the same power as before.

“Listening to the story about the dagger and watching Junior fight, I thought, isn’t a weapon that simply meets the user’s expectations insufficient?”

“…Senior Faye?”

Creating a weapon that was true to its essence and would not betray its user. That was Faye’s driving force.

But now. Faye had achieved that goal once, and she had also heard from Rohan that her starting point was a little different from what she had thought.

So, what conclusion did Faye reach?

Quietly waiting for her next words, Faye reached out towards the moon outside the window. Then, she clenched her fist tightly, as if grabbing something.

“Junior just said it, right? That if there’s something lacking, Junior just needs to fill it. This time, I’ll try making equipment like that.”

Faye brought her clenched fist to her chest and hugged it dearly. She continued to speak in a position that somehow felt like she was praying.

“So that I can fill Junior’s shortcomings, so that I can look beyond just demonstrating my skills… I’ll make a weapon like that. In return, Junior also has to make something for me!”

“Me? For Senior Faye?”

I’m not confident in making things, unless it’s breaking them.

As I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, Faye wriggled around and sat facing me.

Then, with her unique, ominous smile, she dropped a bombshell.

“Hehe… I’m talking about Junior’s baby.”

“What?”

While I was flustered by the sudden provocation. As if not missing this opportunity, Faye leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“You said my chest seems to have gotten bigger, didn’t you? Would you like to check…?”

“……”