11 - Chapter 8: Episode 8 [Flashback]
"Uh... uh, right. Only the two of us are left, huh?"
"Hehe."
The moment Lily and Cynthia left, Aria clung to my side.
She grabbed my arm, pressing her chest against it.
Ahem, Aria, this girl is a Saintess, but why is she so defenseless?
All men are wolves, yet
if she keeps coming on like this—
No.
I can't blame Aria.
Even if it's just me, I should snap out of it and change the subject.
"Aria? Shall we go check on Enma's condition?"
"Okay. But what are you planning to do about Enma?"
"Honestly, I don't want Enma to receive any punishment."
"Not just once, but twice she made a mistake?"
"Still, it clearly wasn't her fault."
"Haa... Yuria, you're too kind. That's the problem."
"Still, it came from my fault."
"Since it's come up, what did happen with Enma in the reception room?"
"Well,"
I explained what had happened after I entered the reception room.
"Actually, at first, there wasn't much of a problem."
"She felt guilty about her mistake, so the atmosphere was a little awkward."
"So I sat across from her and tried to lighten the mood with some playful banter."
"Fortunately, the atmosphere gradually improved."
"Enma's expression also gradually brightened,"
"and we started to open up to each other."
"In the end, I accepted Enma's apology and even managed to forgive her!"
"But..."
"Such peaceful time didn't last long."
"As time passed, Enma's expression grew sly."
I should've noticed it then.
"At first, she started playing light tricks on me."
"I thought she had cheered up, so... I just went along with it."
Because it felt right to be agreeable.
"But the intensity of her tricks gradually increased."
"And eventually, she seemed to have succeeded in deducing one fact."
"That I couldn't veto her words."
"Enma, to confirm her thoughts, to me..."
"To me..."
I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.
"To me..."
I kept trying to speak, but
my heart simply wouldn't let me say it.
What she made me do was...
because she'd forced me to say things that would tarnish my Comrades and my faith.
I didn't want to utter such words.
because she'd forced me to say things that would shake my convictions to their core.
If I brought up those words, Aria would be hurt too.
I didn't even want to think about it, let alone tell her.
I couldn't possibly tell Aria such a thing.
As I bit my lip, I saw Aria's expression crumble.
Did I fail to control my expression?
What kind of face was I making to make her look so sad?
I...
I'd
kept silent to avoid seeing that expression, but
No.
This won't do.
"You don't have to force yourself to speak..."
Aria, as if understanding my feelings, embraced me with a warm touch.
Wrapped in her arms, a surge of emotion welled up inside me without me realizing it.
"I-I'm sorry, Aria..."
Aria's incredibly warm embrace.
Her touch enveloped me.
Even though her embrace was a little stiff,
my heart felt so gently enveloped.
"No, it's not your fault."
Her warm embrace tightened slightly.
Aria hugged me tighter and tighter,
burying my face in her chest.
Gah!
My breath...
"Aria!"
As I started patting her back, Aria noticed and released me.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment, and..."
"No, Aria, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm sorry for making you worry unnecessarily."
This time, too, I'd ended up making her worry because of me.
I could've just glossed over it and moved on, but
no matter how I thought about it, my inability to articulate was frustrating.
"No, Yuria, it's not your fault! I guess I shouldn't have asked."
Aria even blamed herself for asking.
Her kindness was so warm.
"If it's hard, shall we stop talking here?"
"Yeah... I will. Thank you."
"Okay. And may I take Enma with me?"
"Huh?"
Still in her embrace, I wondered what she meant.
With that thought,
I lifted my head and looked up at Aria.
Aria's face, brightly smiling, looked down at me.
But something,
something...
something felt a little
off about her smile?
Was it my imagination?
Yes, it must be my imagination, right?
It probably is.
Saintess Aria
is like a ray of sunshine,
with a warm and kind heart—a true Saintess.
"Right. Please take good care of Enma. She'll be struggling again because of this incident."
"Of course. Just leave it to me."
Aria, brightly smiling, stroked my hair.
Her touch was so warm and pleasant that
in that moment, I wanted to entrust everything to her.
I wanted to stay in her embrace forever,
enjoying this warm, comfortable feeling, but
I knew better than anyone that now wasn't the time.
As the Hero who personally experienced this incident,
I had to do my best so I wouldn't be ashamed before my Comrades who'd left for the Demon Realm.
I wouldn't regret it later.
"Then, Aria, could I ask you for one favor?"
"Yes, I'll grant you anything!"
Her excessive kindness was sometimes a burden, but
now wasn't the time to be picky.
"Could you use your barrier magic to create a magic formula that prevents my Incubus Trait from spreading?"
On the battlefield, she protected us from various debuffs and curses.
If I used that in reverse, wouldn't it be possible?
"Ah, that method would be possible! As expected of Yuria. I'll try it once."
Aria's Holy Power, in the shape of golden threads, meticulously formed a magic formula.
I always think this when I see it, but Aria's magic formula was truly beautiful.
Soon, transparent barriers appeared around my body.
"It's a success?"
"Yes, it was a success without any problems."
"As expected of Aria. To apply it so quickly."
"If Yuria hadn't told me, I wouldn't have easily thought of it either."
"Haha, thank you."
"But why did you ask for a Protection Formula? I'll be right by your side protecting you, you know?"
"Ah, well, I can't just send my Comrades off to a dangerous place and then just mess around, can I? I'm heading to the Royal Library to try and find some information."
"I see. Then I'll focus on Enma's treatment and follow you soon."
Just as I'd expect from Saintess Aria.
As soon as the commotion ended, she focused on Enma's treatment.
Honestly, if it were me, I'd find it hard to show Enma the same kindness Aria does.
To show kindness and treat someone who'd raped a Comrade...
I worried my own selfishness might make her struggle, but
seeing Aria,
I, with my petty thoughts, felt endlessly ashamed.
Right, she wouldn't be like that.
"Then I'll go to the Royal Library first."
"Yes, I'll follow you soon."
With that, Aria carried Enma over her shoulder and left for her room.
Haa...
Now that I'd received a safe insurance (Protection Formula) from Aria,
shall I head to the library too?
With that, I tidied up my belongings and headed to the library.
Royal Library
The library, endlessly soaring and piercing the sky,
possessed a size and majesty reminiscent of the legendary Tower of Babel.
A tower with a legend that it was built simultaneously with the kingdom's founding.
That colossal tower was so vast it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say all the world's books existed within it.
As I stepped into that colossal tower,
an endlessly towering world of massive books appeared before me.
Wow... The scale is so overwhelming, I don't even know where to begin.
I'd visited it once before, but
every time I come here, it naturally elicits admiration.
First, shall I go to the Floor of History?
Let's check if such cases existed in the past.
The existence of a Hero, though I was chosen in this generation,
is a system that has existed many times throughout history.
Couldn't I learn something from the examples of past Heroes?
There's a saying that the past is a mirror reflecting the future.
As such, there's bound to be something to learn from it.
With that, I headed towards the Floor of History and climbed the stairs.
As I climbed the stairs, I checked my surroundings, but
the women around me didn't seem to show any interest in me.
Aria's magic truly seems perfect.
Feeling relieved, as I climbed the stairs,
I spotted my Comrade, Archmage Ella, the Master of the Magic Tower.
Aria had clearly said she was busy with research, but
just as she said, she seemed to be frantically collecting materials in the library.
What could she be researching?
I was curious, but it would be rude to look too closely, wouldn't it?
Anyway, I don't know much about magic, and
I don't have the luxury of being distracted.
So, leaving Ella to her work, just as I was about to step onto the next floor,
"Yuria?"
She must have spotted me; I heard my name called from behind.
"Oh, Ella?"
"What the? If you came, you should've at least said hello. I almost missed you."
"Haha, you seemed so focused, I thought I might be bothering you unnecessarily."
"Nonsense. If it's Yuria, you're always welcome."
"So, why are you here?"
"Well, actually..."
Ella probably doesn't know the situation yet.
But this isn't the place to explain it.
Should I just gloss over it for now?
"I came to the Floor of History for something."
"Oh, really? What is it about? I know the library well, so I'll guide you."
"Uh-huh, thanks."
Indeed, she'd know this tower best on the continent.
"Huh? You're wearing a Protection Formula?"