episode_0139
by fnovelpia“Liar.”
“A liar, you say?”
“Yeah.”
Christine smirked.
“You don’t know anything, unnie. You’re just doing it because you have to. Right?”
“Protecting Eric is only natural. It’s how we all repay our debt to him. Even if he doesn’t remember it.”
“That very thought—that you can judge it so rationally—is what makes you different from us.”
Christine slowly began circling around Luciella.
“Eric Grave is nothing but a parasite clinging to the hero’s party, a worthless bug who contributes nothing. Far worse insults than that reached oppa, and we did nothing.”
“At the time, we believed it was the right thing to do. That’s why we’re doing our best to save him in this world now, isn’t it? He’s someone we can’t afford to lose in what’s to come.”
“Hmph. I told you. That’s the difference. You’re protecting him because you have to, aren’t you?”
Luciella nodded. What other reason could there be?
“We’re moving because we want to save him. Not just because we have to, but because we genuinely want to.”
“I don’t see the difference. Either way, the goal is the same: to keep Eric safe and ensure he lives a happy life.”
“Yeah… I didn’t expect you to understand just from words like this. But for now… just protect him. That much isn’t too much to ask, is it?”
“If I’ve taken on the duty of guarding Eric, then I will protect him. Even if it costs me everything.”
Even as she said this, no particular emotion welled up in Luciella’s heart.
She fully understood why Eric had to be protected. They had failed to give him the treatment he deserved, and she wasn’t foolish enough to squander this second chance.
Yet, she didn’t believe for a second that her past self had been wrong.
As if reading her thoughts, Christine asked,
“Unnie… you don’t feel any regret, do you?”
“Correct.”
Back then, she had made the best, most rational decision possible. Countless people had approached the hero’s party, claiming they could be of help—Eric was just one of many.
Among them, only Eric stubbornly stayed by their side, never hesitating to nag or offer advice. But of course, there was no reason to blindly believe his self-proclaimed title of “prophet” without evidence.
Naturally, if Eric Grave was truly a prophet, she demanded proof. Yet he dismissed the request, insisting he couldn’t reveal the future himself.
All he said was to follow his prophecies without question.
And, as an added plea, he swore it would lead them to victory.
Of course, no one would blindly trust a prophet who demanded faith without proof. Luciella, too, saw him as nothing more than a hanger-on with barely enough skill to keep up.
Looking back now, his refusal likely stemmed from how easily the future could warp from even the slightest whim or thought.
If someone knew a prophecy foretelling their victory in a life-or-death duel, their blade would inevitably waver. Eric didn’t want the future distorted by such individual doubts.
Luciella suspected his current insistence on following his words without question was for the same reason.
Yet, even so, she didn’t regret her past actions.
“Countless people approached us, and trusting their words was far too risky. In fact, aside from Eric, there were plenty who claimed to be prophets—you remember that, don’t you?”
“So… you didn’t trust any of them?”
“If we had, the consequences would’ve been far worse. The hero’s party would’ve become puppets for the powerful, dragged into endless wars instead of fighting the Demon King’s army. We’d have slaughtered blindly, never questioning who deserved the blade.”
“That’s…”
Christine wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t outright call Luciella wrong. By any measure, they were the continent’s central figures, the hero’s party. And countless people had tried to forge even the smallest connection with them.
Eric, too, was just one of those people. Shunning him had been a unanimous, logical decision at the time.
Even if she felt regret now, it would be nothing more than pointless self-indulgence—useless to Eric.
“And in the end, we lost. Fell to the Demon King. Not a single spell, prayer, or even the holy sword could touch him. Had Eric not sacrificed himself at the last moment, we’d all have been beheaded right there.”
“Exactly! Knowing all that, how can you still treat oppa so—”
“That’s why I’m following him now. Trusting his words, acting without doubt. Because I know it’s what must be done. I won’t make the same mistake twice. Rest easy, Chris.”
“Sigh… Unnie, you’re really…”
If anything, Luciella couldn’t understand why the other three were so devoted to Eric—why they’d abandon even their own duties to pledge loyalty to him.
If you make a mistake, you make up for it. If you fail, you rise again. If something goes wrong, you identify and fix it.
“As long as you’re alive, there’s always another chance. People can change. Once you realize something was wrong, you’ll inevitably pick yourself up.”
“…Not everyone is as strong as you, unnie. I was foolish to hope. I thought maybe, with the world changed and oppa moving forward, even you might change a little.”
“Strong?”
“You’d never feel regret or despair, would you? Even if you died, you wouldn’t resent it—because you’d have done everything in your power. But… that also means you’ll never truly feel joy, either.”
“Are you cursing me now?”
“Heh, not at all.”
Luciella, too, felt emotions no different from anyone else’s. But none of them were fleeting.
Every experience she’d had helped her grow as a hero. Her joys became the fuel to move forward; her despairs, the motivation to never repeat them.
That was simply how things worked.
Yet, looking into Christine’s eyes, Luciella couldn’t help but ask:
“…Am I the one who’s wrong?”
“No. There’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, it’s because you’re like this that we could fight with peace of mind. Without you, the hero’s party would’ve collapsed long ago. But if you’re asking whether you understand us now… the answer is no.”
“Me, the hero…”
“Did I go too far? Don’t overthink it. Just act as you always do. If the time comes for you to realize something, it won’t be because of our words.”
Tap.
Christine lightly tapped her foot.
“That’s enough talk. I’m heading back. I’ve seen that oppa’s safe, and I’ve said what I wanted. I’d have preferred a more serious mood, but this isn’t bad either. Take your time.”
“……”
Silently, Luciella watched Christine turn her back and walk away—before eventually following. As Christine said, she didn’t have the answer now.
For now, she would focus only on protecting Eric. Luciella steeled her heart once more.
———–
“Are you sure it’s fine for the two of us to go to school together?”
“I got Christine’s permission. She seemed disappointed, but she agreed since I asked. You’ll need my sword to get around from now on, so it’s best to show our connection early. Otherwise, that eccentric young duke will just laugh at you again.”
“I’m already a member of the student council. That alone should be enough for most students to recognize me.”
“It’s not enough. The only reason you’re in the student council now is purely the president’s favor. Right?”
Luciella nodded.
Commoner students weren’t unheard of, but it was inevitable they’d lag behind those who’d received elite educations.
In fact, aside from Luciella, the other commoner entrants had barely met the academy’s requirements—most were practically invisible.
Even though the admission standards were lower for commoners to account for the disparity, the gap in foundational education and resources was insurmountable.
Nobles, already advantaged, had no reason to refuse the preferential policies, and commoners were content with the concessions. The system had persisted for decades.
Until one unknown freshman appeared and knocked every other entrant flat.
“That was really something back then…”
“What was?”
“Nothing.”
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