A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Chapter 245: Bright and Ugly Color

***Arc 10 One Who Doesn't Acknowledge, Chapter 245 Bright and Ugly Color***

Two and a half koku had passed since she continued sending magical power.

In the sky, the moon descended behind the mountains, and the dark blue sky began to lighten.

“――Onee-sama!”

It was at that moment when Krische, who had been motionless like a corpse, started to move.

Kreschenta, who was holding her hand, leaned in even closer, but Krische movement stopped her and looked down at her hand.

Under Krische's right hand――what appeared on the ground was a magic circle that filled this giant crater.

And just as she raised her hand, lines of magical power immediately expanded around it――encircling and enveloping something invisible to the naked eye, layered over and over again――creating a small magic crystal.

A blue crystal with numerous intricate geometric patterns that should be called madness.

It becomes more transparent as if the cloudiness was removed, and inside it was a light pink light.

The colors mixed together, giving off a beautiful purple glow like the eyes of the two girls.

Kreschenta and the others were speechless, and the girl naturally opened her eyes as if waking from her sleep.

Then, when she woke up, she lovingly held the floating magic crystal to her chest like a treasure.

*You never cease to amaze me, Krische. ――Honestly, I thought there was no hope.”*

“Thank you, Regalave-san.”

She said, then looked at Kreschenta.

"And... Kreschenta too. Ehehe, it's all thanks to Kreschenta."

It was a gentle smile, as usual.

But it seemed like something she hadn't seen in a long time.

Kreschenta looked at the magic crystal Krische was holding, her gaze flickered in amazement.

"…I..."

“There were numerous stop time formulas engraved on Berry's soul over and over again. If it wasn't for that, Krische might not have been able to find Bery. Bery might not have been able to maintain her soul in the proper form either.”

Krische stroked the magic crystal and just smiled happily.

"Kreschenta probably tried to help Bery when she was in danger. Krische is really glad that Kreschenta was by Bery's side."

She said, kissing Kreschenta and hugging her, holding the magic crystal in her hand.

However, Kreschenta remained dazed and did not speak.

"... Kreschenta?"

Krische asked, puzzled, then suddenly realized something.

"...sorry, Krische should have apologized first. Kreschenta must have been worried and rushed after Krische. Sorry, Krische made Kreschenta worried a lot."

‘Krische had to apologize to Selene as well’, she said as if she had just remembered.

"Krische, just thinking about Bery all the time... But it's okay now. Krische brought back Bery's soul. Later we can――"

"...That, is"

"It's Bery. Krische made it so that you can see it even when she is in a body. You can't see the soul when it's in the body...look"

Krische brought the magic crystal in front of Kreschenta's face.

Light pink trapped in blue.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than light――but there was something familiar about that beautiful glow.

At least that was not something Kreschenta didn’t know about.

"……Really"

"Yes. The only thing left to do is prepare the body, but we have to think about various things. The soul is very delicate, so we need to be careful..."

‘Ah’, Krische was about to fall down as if the string had been cut, and she instantly hugged the magic crystal to her chest.

Kreschenta supported her.

"...Please take a little break. Save the talk for later."

――Next time, properly.

"...Yes, sorry..."

Without being able to finish what she was saying, the strength left Krische’s body as if she had fainted.

She hardly ate. It was doubtful if she had had a proper sleep.

More than that, she was worried about what she had been doing until just now and used magic to examine her body.

At least there were no visible abnormalities, and she sighed in relief.

*"It seems that the fight between me and you has become void."*

The magic power shook intermittently, and Regalave brought the tip of Their nose closer to her and narrowed Their eyes at her.

*”I rejoiced in the return of that pleasant person and in the saving of his life. However,...you don't seem particularly pleased, you look quite complicated."*

"...Lizard, please be silent."

At those words, the magical power swayed happily again.

The men of Kreisharana were just watching.――One of them was about to say something, but Vinthril stopped him with his hand.

"Your Majesty Queen Alberan. Whatever you do, please refrain from making such statements in front of us."

Kreschenta stared at them, revealing her displeasure, and sighed.

“Also, regarding the circumstances. I don't want to make this a diplomatic issue between countries, but it is not a trivial matter that can be ignored/ Of course, based on Her Majesty's appearance, the situation must have been quite urgent. ...Please stay at our chief's house. Rest there, and we will inquire about it again tomorrow.”

Kreschenta showed a bit of hesitation and looked at Krische, then closed her eyes and pondered.

Then, with a deep sigh, she dissipated the magic around her and nodded.

"...For now, I want to let my Onee-sama rest. As you said, there is an urgent situation, and as you can probably guess, she has not been in a normal state for a while. I apologize for our rudeness."

Her words lacked softness, but Vinthril didn't say anything, just looked at Lira.

As expected, they couldn't have a queen from another country to ride with a man.

Larnell, who had grown into an adult, was capable of carrying three women.

It wasn't that close to the village, but it wasn't that far away for Griffin.

Lira nodded and as she approached the two of them, she called out to Larnel, and Kreschenta looked back at Regalave.

"I'd like to thank you. I'll probably stop by again on my way home once Onee-sama wakes up."

*“I look forward to it. I really want to hear about the depths of the world she has seen.”*

Not paying attention to what Regalave said, Kreschenta picked up Krische and rode on Griffin's back.

Then she just looked at the little magic crystal Krische held――at the light that dwelled there.

The next day――Kreschenta told everything honestly without hiding anything.

The people who heard the story were the aging Alkierence, Vinthril, Lira, and several others.

Since Kreschenta was reluctant to leave Krische’s side, the meeting took place not in the village council chamber but in the chief's house where Krische and Bery had stayed before.

Sitting in front of the hearth, Kreschenta finished speaking and calmly waited for their reactions.

She didn't make excuses.

Partly because she thought it was impossible to cover up what they had seen, and partly because she honestly didn't care.

No matter what, they wouldn't suddenly attack her.

Even if this strained the relationship, there would be no major problem.

At least not for Kreschenta or Krische.

It was a small problem compared to the problems that had been occurring for a while.

"...There's no point in lying. If someone else had told the story, it would have been hard to believe, but... if it's Krische-sama, it’s convincing.”

With the help of the Holy Spirit, Krische went to bring back the souls of the deceased servants.

At Crescenta's words, the men looked at each other with incomprehensible expressions, but Alkierence’s words made them abandon their doubts.

The people who were present at that place were Vinthril and Lila, and the other one was Begu――a man who had served in the War of the Five Great Powers.

However, all the men present had witnessed the battle between the Holy Spirit and Krische.

Even in Kreisharana, the concept of soul was merely something to be believed in, and few truly believed in its existence from the bottom of their hearts.

The only people who sincerely believe this were those who have lost a loved one.

However, if it was Krische――they knew enough about the unknown to think that way.

There is nothing that can stand up to the divine Holy Spirit.

They thought so, but that fixed idea had been shattered by that girl.

And when they were told that the girl had caused such a great deal of trouble and left for the other side of the world in order to bring the servant’s soul back, they were able to accept it, even if they couldn’t really make sense of it.

The fact that it was Queen Kreschenta who spoke of it, and the serious faces of Vinthril, Lira, and Begu, showing no traces of doubt, contributed to this relatively straightforward understanding.

Knowing the insignificance of humanity, they constantly question their individual selves and limits.

It can be said that they easily accepted it because they knew better than anyone how much there was in this world that they did not know, and they questioned their own immaturity every day.

“Um, Bery-sama is…?”

It was Lira who opened her mouth.

Kreschenta used her finger to point to the door where Krische slept.

"I don't understand enough to say anything clearly either. If Onee-sama says so, it's probably okay, but if Onee-sama doesn't wake up..."

She said, and was about to get up.

Before that, the door opened and Krische appeared from inside.

Wrapping the magic crystal with both hands as if it was important, she looked at the situation here, thought about it for a bit, and then bowed her head.

"Um...sorry for surprising everyone. It's because of Krische that everyone is gathered together here, right?"

"...Onee-sama, please don't mind it and rest a little longer."

"Krische is fine now. Last time Krische was able to get a feel for the body――"

"That's not the problem."

Kreschenta glared at Krische, then sighed and pulled her arm, making her sit next to her.

Krische's expression was soft and his complexion was good, but she still looked a little haggard.

She hasn't been able to live a normal life for some time now.

And on top of that, she acted recklessly.

Krische was only good at using magic, but her physical strength was below that of an ordinary person.

She was malnourished and fatigued――she was not in a state to be considered healthy..

"......It's good that you woke up. I was a little worried."

"Yes, sorry for worrying you. It's been a while since Krische saw you, Vinthril-san. Regalave's place..."

"Yes. And I heard about the situation from Her Majesty the Queen."

Krische went ‘I see’, and nodded.

She gently stroked Kreschenta’s head as if praising a child.

Kreschenta was about to say something, but she lowered her eyes and accepted it silently.

“Krische wanted to bring Bery's soul back. So Krische went to Regalave-san’s place――''

The explanation was a very poor version of Kreschenta’s.

However, the story and circumstances were as had been explained――the men looked at each other again.

There is a high-dimensional realm that overlaps with this world, and the existence of something huge that creates the reincarnation of all souls.

Although she spoke in a childlike manner, there was something believable about it.

She only knew how to decorate words using onomatopoeia and mimetic words, and she only told what happened as it was.

Although it was the second time, everyone listened intently.

Depending on the situation, some would have pitied her as she held the magic crystal with great care, thinking that she had developed a mental disorder.

However, she was clearly sober, and everyone knew how powerful she was.

Without any doubt, they silently accepted her words.

"Is Bery-sama there...?"

"Yes. The state of the soul is unstable, so Krische needs something to contain it. So for now, Krische has it placed inside a magic crystal..."

Krische answered Lira's question,

"...Is she awake?"

Kreschenta, who had been silently listening to her sister's story without interfering with her, finally asked.

Krische, with her finger on her lips, responded.

“It’s probably similar to sleeping, maybe? If Krische intentionally try to wake her up, she'll probably wake up, but if we wake her up while she's trapped inside, she'll probably be really surprised, so Krische'll need to prepare the body properly.''

Krische smiled and said, “Krische wants to meet her soon, but Krische will have to be patient.”

"Krische've been thinking about it a bit, but Krische want to create a separate world from that dimension and this dimension. In this dimension, where the influence of magic is weak, there seem to be various problems, and the other one is full of problems too. It might be faster to create an entirely new world from scratch."

She lovingly caressed the magic crystal, smiling like a little girl.

For a moment, they couldn't understand the meaning of most of her words.

"No matter how you think about it, it's better to have a dedicated space until the body created with magic gets used to it, and if you create it from scratch with magic, you can even prepare a body that won't die. In that case, Krische can stay with Bery and the others all the time..."

After that, she looked at her sister.

"――It's the birdcage that Kreschenta was talking about. It's a very durable world where there are no people who do terrible things. ...It's an eternal birdcage that feels safer than any other place in this world."

‘How is it?’ Krische asked.

Kreschenta looked at her sister, then at the magic crystal, and nodded, ‘Right.

Krische, who was in a good mood, tilted her head a little at Kreschenta gaze and expression, but she smiled without worrying about it.

Then, a low-key stomach rumble sounded, and Krische’s cheeks turned red.

The men, without a smile, pondered the words from earlier. Vinthril and Alkierence exchanged glances and nodded.

“As Her Majesty said, it would be best if you put something in your mouth and take a rest. No matter even if it's Krische-sama, your body is not as durable as Yagernaus-sama’s.”

Alkierence said and looked at the men.

"Depending on the situation, it may lead immature hearts astray and hinder training. ...From now on, consider everything you heard here as strictly confidential. Swear it on your swords until your last breath."

The men respond by tapping the handles of their curved swords.

No one took the meaning of the words spoken by the girl as a mere parable.

“Krische-sama, you are equal to the Holy Spirit. Personally, I want to praise and bless you. And I have no intention of doubting whether your wishes are right or wrong, and I have no intention of denying them. I understand your joyful feeling. ...However, in any case, it would be best not to talk about such things in front of other people.”

"……Uh?"

“Just as one may unintentionally kill insects when they walk, Krische-sama is like that to ordinary people like us, regardless of what Krische-sama thinks. Even if that one word is light for Krische-sama, it's better to assume that others don't think the same way."

Krische tilted her head slightly and traced her lips.

Alkierence continued his words.

"Your words are equivalent to the flapping of the wings of the Holy Spirit. If Yagernaus-sama were to soar into the sky, no matter what Yagernaus-sama's intentions were, everything around him would be mowed down by the storm caused by the wings. Similarly, one small word from Krische-sama can become a storm for others."

He traced his snow-white beard with a serious look in his eyes, as if he was looking at something dangerous.

“...Many people understand that death is an absolute law, and because they understand this, they accept it regardless of their feelings. There are people everywhere who fear death every day. ...I just want to convey that. The eternity you speak of will be a sweet fruit to many. If you let others hear it in vain, it will definitely lead to disaster someday.”

Krische heard those words and nodded, remembering Bery's words from the past.

Then she bowed her head in shame.

"Sorry, Alkierence. Krische was so happy that Krische got a little excited... Krische may have been careless."

"If you understand, that's fine. It might be disrespectful to Krische-sama, but please think of it as an old man's advice. ...Greed is an inexhaustible thing, and even we sometimes have thoughts of wanting to dedicate an eternity of time to our own training. The older one gets, the closer they get to death.”

Vinthril looked at Alkierence, a little surprised, but he just smiled like an old man.

Then he pointed at Vinthril and narrowed his eyes.

“Even now, when I have been blessed with a good successor and have passed on everything that should be passed on, people live their lives not as individuals, but as a group, building many connections. I want to surrender myself to the flow, just as our ancestors did. ...I would rather live my life to the fullest, feeling more beautiful in the appearance of the flowers that wither and leave seeds than in the eternal giant flowers.”

While using polite words, as if pleading.

His voice was soft, like an old man preaching to a child.

“...Please, don't let someone like me go astray. Understanding your own power well, I hope Krische-sama can consider each of your actions and words from now on."

Understanding that she was being reprimanded, Krische bowed her head sincerely.

Strangely, even if Gallen and Eluga were here, she felt like they would say the same thing to her, and thinking that way made her feel even more ashamed of her own carelessness.

"……Krische'll be careful"

Alkierence nodded with satisfaction and looked at the men again.

The men nod, say excuse me, and head outside.

"Lila, the meal. And please bring something easy to eat for Krische-sama."

"yes"

Lira nodded and looked at Krische.

"...No matter what, I'm glad Krische-sama is safe. Above all else, I'm happy about that."

Krische smiled back and Lila said.

"Personally, today's story is very..."

‘――Mother must be starting a new life now.’

Looking at the light of the magic crystal Krische held, she said with a smile.

"...Right. I'm sure she’ll live a long time in the next life for the amount of time you live in this life."

Alkierence nodded at his daughter's words.

Remembering his wife who died young.

Taking care of themselves, they spend another night at Kreisharana, where Krische and Kreschenta discuss what's to come.

Kreschenta also seemed to have calmed down and clearly came up with a plan.

To release the immense magical power that was filled at the Origin, fill the sky and earth, and create an environment where Krische can freely manipulate even the world.

And to use that magical power to create a new dimension that places more emphasis on the soul than on matter.

If they create a world where they can do everything freely, and if they can easily control it, it would be easier to stabilize the body that is the container for the soul.

All they had to do was assist Bery and the others until they got used to their new bodies and stabilized.

Their little miniature garden――an eternal birdcage where no external enemies exist.

Even after reaching out to the realm of the God of Creation, all the girl desired was peace and security.

As they laid down plans for several decades to come as if talking about tomorrow's plans, they said thanks to Alkierence and the others at sunrise, and left the village to go to Regalave.

Krische expressed her thanks again and informed Regalave that she might return soon, and then used teleportation.

Choosing the time of sunrise was to avoid causing a disturbance as much as possible.

They landed near the capital and slipped past the guards to reach the estate in the royal territory.

Elvena, who had been feeding Suiko since early in the morning, noticed this and panicked and called Selene.

Before Krische could say anything, Selene hugged Krische’s slender body tightly.

Krische apologized again and again to Selene, who had dark circles under her eyes, and waited until her tears had calmed down.

Krische then told Selene the whole story, bit by bit, and then explained her plans for the Eternal Birdcage to Selene.

Krische, who was being held in her arms, didn't notice that her relieved face became stiff little by little.

"Ehehe, we'll all be together there forever..."

"...Krische"

Krische tilted her head as Selene's voice interrupted her.

"I'm glad you came back safely. And about Bery too...but that's a different story. I'll refrain from doing that."

“Eh...?”

Selene pulled away to distance herself from Krische, wiped her tears, and looked at Krische.

The two servants who were listening to the sudden story noticed the change in the atmosphere and looked at each other, and Kreschenta narrowed her eyes.

"...Of course, I'm not going to get in the way, and I'm going to support you....But I don't want to."

"Why――"

"...I guess it’s a reason that Krische won’t understand."

Kreschenta said with an exasperated tone.

"Are you sulking?"

"Don't tease me. ...Even if it's trivial to you, I'm serious about what I'm saying."

She said without raising her voice.

Seeing her like this, Krische tried to get closer to her.

However, Selene gently held her shoulder.

"Um, Selene, if you're angry――"

“I still love you the same way, and I understand your feelings. ...I really do think I understand you."

What Krische wore around her neck was a magic crystal with a string threaded through it.

She wrapped it tightly in her hands――looking at the light shining inside.

The brilliance was infinitely beautiful and dazzling.

Then what about hers, she wondered.

A sensation of something murky and heavy accumulating inside.

It seemed to her that if she had a soul, then it must have looked hopelessly ugly.

"...It's not your fault. It's my problem....Please leave me alone today."

She felt like she could understand why Krische would risk her life for something so beautiful.

It was a story that was as beautiful as it was cruel.

A beautiful story with beautiful characters, even their lives.

However, Selene didn’t have the heart or qualifications to continue looking at it.

“I... am different from all of you."

——Unlike her who possessed everything, Selene was not a special existence.

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