kscans

Chapter 78 - The Final Summons

Ariel was once again summoned by the king.

This might be the last time. For some reason, she had that feeling.

(I want to see Darius and Mireille one more time...)

But that wish would not be granted.

She had not been able to part with Darius cleanly. Nor had she been able to find someone to support Mireille next.

Still.

She felt that if she were gone, everything would be resolved.

(Darius and Mireille will surely be happy.)

She had left extra alchemy tools in the tower, just in case.

She had moved the materials needed for the Magic Furnace and monster subjugation in the Tree Sea from the base to the tower.

Her memories with Mireille and her troubled diary entries were put away in a single box.

She believed she had prepared the tower as much as she could.

...However, she couldn't leave a letter for Mireille.

She was aware that her senses were different from others. She didn't feel she could leave behind the right words.

Finally, she went to the Tree Sea Defense Force, distributed monster-repelling bells and potions to the members, and left instructions for them to retreat if she did not return.

This should be enough.

Ariel steeled her resolve and headed to the king.

—

Entering the King's Chambers had been a source of terror for her lately.

She would be forced to watch videos of Darius living in a world of nobles she did not know. Dancing with other women, laughing, looking like he was having fun. A side of Darius she had never seen before. Her heart would stir, and an unbearable pain would well up inside her.

(If only this... was the emotion called love.)

She had looked it up and found out. This was called jealousy and envy. I am jealous of the women in these videos.

In the end, she never understood, never could achieve the "act of loving" that Darius had given her. That was what made her sad.

Today, she hadn't even prepared an antidote. She didn't put up her defense magic. She had stopped fighting back.

But, in that moment. Seeing the king’s appearance, Ariel gasped.

He was stranger than usual. His eyes were vacant, and though his speech was slurred, he was shouting senselessly.

The room was filled with the faint smoke of cigars. The scent of mana dependency.

(So this is what he was smoking.... Who gave it to him?)

Ariel glared around the room.

"Well, well, I never thought I’d find a living weapon in a place like this."

A chill ran down her spine. The voice belonged to Queen Margaret.

The queen, with the mana-dependent smoke? But, she was the queen. Ariel instinctively bowed. The queen approached, lifted Ariel’s chin with her fan, and smiled sweetly. Then, she struck her down.

"—Hk!"

Her body went flying.

(Should I deploy my defense magic?)

The thought crossed her mind, but it would be a bad move. All the king and queen wanted was to hurt her. Resisting would only prolong it.

"You don’t even remember me, do you? Even though we were in the same Mage Order."

Surprised by her voice, Ariel lifted her head. But she had no memory of her. Her past indifference to people was now baring its fangs.

Her lack of reaction only provoked the queen further.

The metal-reinforced fan came down without mercy, and her face began to swell.

The king watched with satisfaction.

And then, at the worst possible moment, the door opened.

"My... you all seem to be having a great deal of fun."

The one who appeared was Rainer, captain of the Mage Order.