The “capture” of the Divine Protection (Gift) from the Dungeon’s Spirit had come to an end.
Everyone except Carla, who had abandoned even her fiancé and escaped ahead of the others, managed to return safely through the exit that appeared after defeating the Dungeon Boss.
Carla was nowhere to be seen outside, and the whereabouts of her Divine Protection (Gift) remained uncertain.
At that time, the Spirit had said that it had invited three people besides me. One of them had already been identified as Carla, who had obtained the Divine Protection (Gift), but it was still unknown whether the remaining two had obtained it, or even who they were.
“Aria, did you get a Divine Protection (Gift)?”
As soon as we exited the Dungeon, Feld approached me with heavy footsteps and a slightly scary expression. He seemed to have deliberately ignored it during the battle, but judging from his expression, Feld was also aware of the dangers of Divine Protection (Gift).
“No, I didn’t receive a Divine Protection (Gift).”
“Really…? Then what was that power? It looked like your Status上限 had skyrocketed…”
“That was a Combat Art that the Spirit named for me.”
“Combat Art…? That was? You’re really not a Divine Protection (Gift)? It’s true that we were saved by it, but wouldn’t it still put a strain on your body?”
“There’s a time limit, though…”
There is certainly a burden, but if you use it continuously to some extent, the same thing happens with normal Combat Arts.
Feld is such a worrier. While his large hands gripped my shoulders, I thought to myself that he was really like a father… but I didn’t say it out loud. Hearing the conversation, Mira and Viro approached us.
“I think it’s good if you’ve become stronger… but Aria-chan, you’re old enough now, so don’t use it recklessly, okay?”
“That was a Combat Art…? I was going to ask if it was a Divine Protection (Gift), but if that’s the case, can I use it too?”
Mira looks young, but she says things like a relative’s aunt. Viro, who had cleared up his doubts, had already switched his focus to whether it could become his own strength.
“You guys, I understand that you’re curious, but we’ll talk later. There are other Adventurers around here. Let’s withdraw quickly.”
At Dolton’s words, who arrived last, everyone noticed their surroundings and began preparing to withdraw.
Apparently, this is the entrance to the Dungeon in the Forest. Judging from the fact that the sun had set and the humidity of the air, I determined that it was midnight, but even at that time, there seemed to be a small number of Adventurers coming and going.
The Crown Prince and Clara had already withdrawn, and among those who were still remaining, I met Elena’s anxious eyes, but Amor, the King’s younger brother, glared at me as if to block them, and they left.
“Then let’s go back too.”
We, “Rainbow Sword,” also moved away from the Dungeon front, leaving a little distance from Elena and the others. Even so, the distance was not that great to begin with, and after walking for about ten minutes, we arrived at the Duke of Foudール’s guesthouse, where we had first entered the Dungeon.
I had lost my sense of time due to the long Dungeon capture, but we arrived in the middle of the night, and we were so tired that we fell asleep like logs in the detached rooms that had been assigned to us.
The next morning, near noon, I was awakened by the approaching presence of a housemaid, and I learned from her that Dolton and Viro had been summoned in the morning and were having a final meeting.
I was also supposed to be summoned, but Dolton apparently refused because I had been in a fierce battle and was exhausted.
Probably… like Feld, they thought that the Iron Rose I used was a Divine Protection (Gift). I think Dolton prevented me from being forcibly confined by the Royal Family due to such a misunderstanding.
I think Elena would respect my will to some extent, but I don’t know how Amor, the King’s younger brother, or Elvan, the Crown Prince, would act.
“So, Aria-chan, did you meet the Spirit? What kind of Spirit was it?”
When Feld and Mira woke up around lunchtime, Mira asked me this while eating, as if it was a part that she was curious about as a Spirit User.
“The Spirit itself said that it wasn’t a normal Spirit. It said that human consciousness was mixed in.”
“I wonder if Elves eat this much meat…” I thought, and Mira told me information that I didn’t know.
“Human will, huh…? From what I’ve heard, I was wondering why the choice to give Divine Protection (Gift) was biased towards the Royal Family and the upper nobility. It’s strange that Aria-chan was called too.”
“In my case, it seems like my ‘hair color’ caught its attention.”
“…That hair, huh?”
Feld, who was listening to our conversation next to me, looked at my hair, which I no longer hid with ash, and muttered quietly for some reason.
While we were doing that, Dolton and Viro returned. Not only that, but Sera, who had returned to her maid outfit, was also with them, and she told us the results of the discussion along with Dolton and the others.
The reward for “Rainbow Sword” this time is 200 gold coins. In addition, some of the items and materials found in the Dungeon will be given to them.
Two-tenths of the distribution will be given to Dolton as the party’s maintenance fee, and the rest will be distributed equally. However, since I am new this time, it will be slightly lower. Even so, my share is 20 gold coins… a large sum of money that would allow me to live modestly in the countryside for ten years.
The items and materials will be stored in Dolton’s mansion for the time being, and will be converted into cash or used as materials for equipment as needed.
But this time, the Royal Family will give us even more materials as a special reward. As soon as that story was over, Sera handed me a leather package.
“…To me?”
“Yes, Aria. This is a material as valuable as a Dragon’s Fang, and it was supposed to be in the Royal Family’s possession, but Her Highness the Princess suggested that it be given to Rainbow Sword. However, Dolton-sama said that the reason the situation could be changed in the end was because of your power.”
When I opened the leather package, it contained a jet-black horn about 20 centimeters long. This is…
“It’s the horn of the Minotaur Murderer that we broke off. The other materials were burned by that ‘young lady,’ but only that one was safe. It’s too small to make a weapon for me or Feld, but the Galbas brothers should be able to strengthen your weapon.”
Seeing Dolton and Viro nodding with smiles, I gripped the horn tightly with both hands.
“Now, here’s the main point.”
Apparently, I disappeared from that place and returned a few seconds later. There were three people who disappeared at the same time at that time, and one of them has been identified as Carla, who obtained the “Divine Protection (Gift),” but one of the remaining two also obtained the “Divine Protection (Gift),” and the other only received “Blessing.”
When Dolton had said that much, Sera began to speak next.
“Aria, Dolton-sama explained that you also obtained a ‘Blessing’ instead of a Divine Protection (Gift). I would like to hear that explanation directly from you, and I have brought a request to Aria, an individual member of ‘Rainbow Sword.'”
“A request?”
When I muttered that, Sera nodded quietly.
“This is a direct request from Her Highness the Princess. Please ask her about the details.”
After taking a breath there, Sera smiled wryly.
“Although she didn’t put it into words, Her Highness the Princess was worried about you.”
“…………”
If it was that technique before it became a Combat Art, I wouldn’t have been able to move without recovering, but the current Iron Rose, which has become a Combat Art, has fatigue, but there are no painful areas on my body.
More than that, a request from Elena? I shifted my gaze to Dolton, wondering if it was okay, and he nodded slowly with a serious face.
“Personal requests are common. Besides, I’ve prevented interference from other members of the Royal Family, but you decide about Her Highness the Princess.”
“It might be better to prevent interference from the Princess.”
I nodded quietly at Viro’s light tone that followed.
Even if it’s a Blessing instead of a Divine Protection (Gift), the Royal Family probably doesn’t want to leave someone who has been involved with the Spirit at large. If that’s the case…
“I understand. I’ll listen to the story.”
I immediately headed to Elena’s private room with Sera.
The gazes of those who saw me on the way were varied. The Royal Knights and attendants had a mixture of favorable and fearful gazes, while the knights of the Duke’s family, who did not participate in the capture, gave me contemptuous gazes.
When I arrived at Elena’s room in about 10 minutes, the Royal Knights who were guarding the door stood at attention when they saw me, and Sera’s mouth twitched slightly as if she was trying to suppress a laugh.
“Your Highness, I have brought the Adventurer in question.”
When Sera said that in front of the door, a Shadow Unit maid, whom I had seen before, opened the door from the inside, looked at me, and smiled slightly.
I was led into the room and proceeded to the back, where Elena, who had momentarily floated up from the sofa when she saw me, sat back down deeply as if to cover it up, and smiled elegantly.
“Come here, Aria. You don’t need any hastily learned etiquette. Everyone here knows ‘you.'”
“…Understood.”
I sat down on the sofa across from Elena, as guided by the maid, and stared at her intently, trying to discern her true intentions.
“Your Divine Protection?”
“Straight to the point, aren’t we? I was wondering what to talk about with Aria-san after so long… but I suppose this is just like you.”
As the tea Sera brewed, a local blend, wafted a sweet fragrance, Elena took a sip and sighed in relief.
“I ‘refused’ it. Probably the same as Aria-san. Instead, I wished for a slightly healthier body… [Fire Javelin]—”
Elena suddenly tried to use magic. But even though her Mana was clearly moving, the magic didn’t activate. Elena looked at her hand and laughed self-deprecatingly.
“I believe my [Fire Magic] [Skill] and [Attribute] have been erased. The Spirit-sama said it was to repair my soul… If one Attribute is reduced, the Magic Stone pressing on my heart will gradually shrink. But… the [Fire Magic] I trained to Level 3 is gone. I was the one who ‘agreed’ to it, but I can understand a little how Carla-sama felt about not wishing for her body to be healed.”
“I see…”
Erasing a [Skill] engraved on the soul is probably similar to using [Cure] to remove a tattoo.
And the fact that Elena used the word “agreed” suggests that even such a being has some kind of restriction when it comes to touching the soul.
By losing one Attribute, Elena lost a little power. But at the same time, by gaining a healthier body, the voices pushing her to be queen should also grow louder.
I had a rough idea that the “request” she wanted to make of me was related to that.
As I stared at her silently, Elena seemed to sense my thoughts and gave a fearless smile that was so like her.
“To be blunt, in one year, I will be entering the Magic Academy. For those three years, I request the Adventurer Aria-san to be my bodyguard within the Academy.”
Elena’s body has been healed.
But indeed, with this, Carla-sama wouldn’t want it.
Next time, preparing for the request.
The next update is scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday.
Once again, thank you to everyone for reading this peculiar novel that chooses its readers.