Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Death Serpent

“I’ve always thought that if I just push myself, the children born after me won’t have to go through so much suffering anymore.”

Despite being strapped to a machine, she looked down at me with a smile.

She, who had always been by my side,… was now far, far beyond my reach.

“So, I’m fine with this. If by doing this, everyone no longer has to experience suffering, then my purpose will be fulfilled.”

There’s no way she’d say such a thing.

While being helplessly captured, I’d been hearing her crying all this time.

But… at this moment, all I could do is take this thing in my hand back with me.

Sealed within this magical device… was the soul of her successor who was supposed to be born.

This thing, which I shed blood to take it with me, was the cause of my peaceful life turning upside down… but I must not lose it. At least until I could leave it with someone I trust.

“That girl’s in such a tough situation, but I think it’s going to be okay in the end. Someday, you’ll rescue her, right? So… please, hurry up and leave.”

Behind me, the partition was beginning to descend.

It was the only escape route she had pried open with her final act of free will.

…Someday, I’ll come back for you.

Struggling to say that, I turned away from her.

Perhaps it was cruel to offer her unnecessary hope.

But… because there was a sense that giving up here would be certain if I didn’t put it into words.

“Yeah, I’ll be waiting.”

She smiled in response as if we were making a usual arrangement for a hangout.

That’s a lie.

Neither I nor probably she believed in those words.

Nevertheless… not allowed to stop, I slipped through the partition that had descended lower than my own back by now, escaping out of the room.

…It was then that I heard her voice.

“…it.”

It was her voice, escaping through the gap, her true feelings that emerged thinking I probably couldn’t hear her anymore.

“…I hate it here!”

I hesitated to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but want to know her true feelings, so I stopped.

What I heard from inside was… sobbing.

“I want the three of us to see various things and taste a lot of delicious food together…!”

I know. You’re surprisingly gluttonous, so I hope you don’t pass that habit on to our daughter.

“I want… to be a mom…!”

For me, you always seemed absent-minded and yet so restless and clumsy, so I’d honestly been worried if you could really handle being a mother.

Perhaps, had things gone differently and our child was born… that part of yours would change too.

“I want us to travel and explore together as a family… not just here, but the outside world too!”

The outside world… from what little we knew of it, time flew faster there than in this secluded place. I wonder if civilization had developed to an unimaginable extent over there.

Ah… everything seems so captivating… but I can’t reach any of it.

If only I had the power… not just fighting ability or magical prowess, but the power of speech, political influence, social skills, and the power to change the world we live in… Would my wishes have come true?

“I’m… I’m really sorry, but…”

Just before the partition closed, her voice reached me through the gap.

Perhaps it was a convenient hallucination.

…But even so, I did hear it.

“I’ve always… always loved you…”

That was the last I’d ever heard from her.

Iris

“……Ah……ah……”

Though dimly, my consciousness resurfaced.

My body, still entwined by the snake, remained suspended in the air, limbs hanging limply, completely devoid of strength, not moving in the slightest.

I felt nothing of my body, and only my consciousness was still barely hanging on…

“…So you can still wake up. What a shame. Had you stayed unconscious a little longer, your power will be completely gone, and you’ll be free from this suffering.”

I shook my head weakly, devoid of strength.

From within me, I sensed something crucial being shattered.

A chilling sensation gripped me as I felt the hand of destruction finally touching the deepest core of my being.

But… I couldn’t do a thing about it.

“Ha, haha… HAHAHAHAHAHA!! There’s no need to mourn such a thing! Even if you possess that power, humanity will eventually latch onto you, exploit you and eat you up until nothing remains! It won’t amount to anything worthwhile anyway!!”

He began cackling like a madman while covering his face with his hand, but I could still catch a glimpse of his left eye through the gap between his fingers.

Why… even when he’s laughing… why is there such a painful look on his face?

At this moment, he should be messing with and destroying my existence as he pleased… but he looked terribly, terribly sad about it.

“That’s why… you should just let me… destroy that power so it can never be used again!!”

I felt a lethal sensation, as if something crucial had been seized.

At this overwhelming sense of loss, my consciousness started fading again…

“I see… so things have come to this. He’s always the overthinking type, isn’t he? Sorry for my late arrival, but it’s okay now, I’m going to protect you.”

In the midst of sinking into darkness, unexpectedly, a light was born.

“Come on! Haven’t I told you to not bully girls?”

“I’m not bullying, I’m just… What…?”

Somehow, the man could hear the voice, even objecting to it.

He looked absolutely stupefied, and the hand that’d been tormenting me involuntarily stopped the abuse.

“Even if you don’t mean it, you always look so… well, you often seem grumpy and have a scary face, so I always tell you to be a little nicer, right?”

For some reason, even in this situation, there was a light and soft feeling… I felt like could hear a warm voice, as if being held by a mother.

“…Impossible… What trickery is this?!”

The man suddenly groaned aloud.

At the same time, the pressure gripping my head began to release.

The spot on my forehead where she touched me in a dream before felt warm and emitted light around it.

As if repelled by that light, the man’s hand moved away from my face.

Simultaneously, the dark feeling that was swirling around my mind and soul abruptly vanished, setting me free.

“……!”

I couldn’t breathe properly, and my body could barely move.

However, the cold was easing, and I was slowly regaining some sensation.

It felt like something was embracing me and warming me up.

“Why… why can I sense you with her… why are you protecting that girl…?!”

With a shocked expression, the hostility he directed towards us and the frenzy from moments ago disappeared, and the man shouted as if he were just an ordinary young boy.

“Answer me, LILITH!!”

“……Li…lith…?”

In a daze, I struggled to raise my head while murmuring what seemed like a name I heard earlier.

Amidst my fading consciousness, in my blurred vision, there was a vague sight of her, her back turned away.

“Yeah, my name’s Lilith Atlas Wim Aileen, meaning ‘Lilith, child of Atlas and Aileen’. It’s a mouthful, but what can I do.”

I remembered now.

She’s the person I’d seen in dreams several times before.

Now, in reality, despite the fading and feeble light, I could sense her right in front of me.

“It was close, but we meet again. Everything will be alright now.”

Those words… despite me still being restrained, they brought an inexplicable sense of relief.

“I can’t stay for much longer, but that girl’s arriving soon… Really, she manages to help out until the very end, even though she deserves to rest peacefully in this place. I’m truly sorry.”

She turned around and gave me a faint smile as she said that.

The next moment, the shadowy snakes that had been constricting me were suddenly pierced by numerous needle-like objects, causing the restraints to loosen.

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

An incredible roar echoed throughout the entire area.

Even though I knew it wasn’t directed towards me, my body instinctively tensed—a wolf’s… no, a thunderous roar that could rival hundreds, if not thousands, of wolves combined in intensity.

As if being scraped away from my soul, one of the snakes restraining my body began to liquefy and dissolve, losing its form and flowing away like a liquid, releasing me.

There, standing before me as if it had appeared out of nowhere, was a majestic and colossal wolf. Her fur stood on end like needles all over her body, and her wings, spread wide, served as a shield between me and the man.

“…You’re…?”

Um, mother of the Sirius cub?

“Indeed. Sacred Daughter successor, you have my thanks for saving that child.”

Her thoughts were conveyed to me. It was an imposing will, as expected of the epitome of Phantasmal Beast, one that did not reflect any signs of aging.

“Even though these dying bones can’t do much… I’ll repay him in blood before I depart the living realm…!”

Simultaneously with that thought, the remaining two snakes restraining my body crumbled and dissolved, pierced by the countless spears formed by her fur.

“Get up, child, and brace yourself as hard as you can!”

Just as I felt my support waning and about to collapse, I suddenly realized being held by something akin to a gigantic mouth. There was no time to comprehend this before experiencing the sensation of my body floating in mid-air.

Snatched and ripped away from the shadows, I sensed being flung backward… It was only after my body was already hurled into the air and started its descent that I became aware of this.

“Guh… Iris…”

I was barely conscious when Reiji-san caught me, who seemed to have regained consciousness himself.

The two of us tumbled to the ground together, and in a protective manner, Reiji-san shielded my fall with his own body. But he seemed to lose all strength once again.

In a frantic attempt, despite my entirely unresponsive body, I turned it back towards the direction we came from. There, a colossal wolf, shining in gold, was entwined in combat with the shadow, now transformed once more into a large serpent.

A gruesome battle unfolded between the two, as they entangled, each attempting to devour the other.

“…No… stop…”

The losing side… was clearly the mother Sirius.

It seemed that her body had done all it could for that single throw. Her golden fur was rapidly stained red.

With the shadowy serpent entwined around her body, she was immobilized. Yet, her head and neck were still able to resist, fighting against the restraint.

Then… a slender object fell toward me with a red trail and rolled to the side.

It was… the mother Sirius’ right foreleg.

Severed from her body.

“Please… stop…!”

I felt emotions flooding in.

With those feelings riding on it, my throat, which shouldn’t have been able to move, quivered and shouted out.

“…pauwel…slepir…!”

From my heated forehead, light spread once more… and the giant shadowy serpent halted its movement.

Released from restraint, the mother Sirius regained freedom and, standing unsteadily on her remaining three legs, moved to shield me.

“…Ridiculous. Why… not just Lilith, but why are you standing in my way?! Don’t you harbor resentment for this world as well?!”

The man raged, shouting his anger at his surroundings.

His demeanor felt almost like that of a child left behind by his parent.

“You utter fool… Have you gone so blind that you don’t even recognize your own child, the successor with her blessing?! Has your brain finally turned into mush, or you’re this foolish from the very beginning?!”

“…What did you just say?”

The man went stiff at the mother Sirius’ words.

“It’s as I feared, you don’t get it at all… Begone from this place, and reflect on what you’ve done, if you’re still even capable of it, that is.”

“No… this can’t be… Are you saying this girl is… Lilith and I’s…?”

His eyes locked firmly onto me.

Gradually, the madness within them receded, replaced by a rational gleam, and the man’s face contorted slightly with a sense of astonishment and shame.

“Then, what have I… done…?”

He was dumbfoundedly looking at me, as if wondering whether he’d done something that couldn’t be undone…

“Rayo Gerifalte!”

Suddenly, a voice filled with resolute determination echoed from behind.

It darted past me and Reiji-san, racing through the air while emitting fierce flashes of lightning.

“Guh…?!”

The man, taken by surprise, quickly created a barrier with his hands, redirecting the lightning towards his back.

“…Tch, I should have realized this is your home turf. Humans can be unexpectedly capable, right, Sir Vice Knight Captain?”

Someone else interposed himself between the man, who once again emitted an aura of resentment, and us.

Clad in comfortable yet practical attire, he effortlessly wielded a large sword with just one hand… He was none other than the ruler of this land, Leonhardt-sama, whom I had seen only once before on the battlefield during our initial encounter.

“I apologize for my tardiness and for allowing you to face such a situation due to my inadequacy. I’ll take responsibility later for any blame… but for now!”

He thrust his sword into the ground before him and began an incantation.

“Ignition, Acceleration, Circulation… Speed of lightning…”

Every time Leonhardt-sama advanced his incantation, numerous magic circles expanded around him… this magic was something I’d never seen before. Perhaps it’s a spell not implemented into the game?

“Full Install!”

From the purple magic circle floating around him, bolts of purple lightning extended towards Leonhardt-sama, wrapping around his body. With lightning enveloping his entire form, he dashed forward.

…Even Reiji-san sprinting at maximum speed was no match for this.

Using that kind of speed, Leonhardt-sama thrust his greatsword into the man in a reverse grip.

“Damn you… for a human to…!”

After staggering the man with the impact, Leonhardt-sama took another step and slammed his hand on the pommel of his greatsword with tremendous force.

The man was frozen in place and couldn’t react, and with a loud clang like steel being struck, sent flying along with the barrier he erected.

“I can’t pierce through…! Nevertheless, today’s the day you go down!”

Leonhardt-sama effortlessly swung his greatsword like a stick, pulling back into a stance as if pulling back a bowstring.

The purple lightning that covered his entire body converged into the greatsword.

It emitted a dazzling light, rapidly increasing in momentum, scorching the surroundings and blinding the sight.

“Receive the retribution for trampling upon my territory and harming His and Her Highnesses! Thunder Dragon’s Wrath!”

“That won’t do, you imbecile…!”

The man, despite reaching out to defend against the purple lightning flash, was completely engulfed and overwhelmed by its brightness, which was about my height in diameter.

“…Take this, monster!”

“I’m not… done yet…!”

At that moment, someone else’s roar was heard overhead.

“ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

The lightning fired by Leonhardt-sama faded away, and a large figure, resembling a meteor with a crimson glow, descended toward the man that had just become visible.

As the light held by this figure was swung straight at the man, the force field surrounding him was shattered, sending shockwaves tens of meters away before finally stopping.

“Curses… so this is a Cyclop-made weapon, made to slay dragons…!”

The man, finally sustaining some damage, with his shoulder and chest torn open, coughed up blood from his mouth.

The large figure who inflicted real harm on the man we couldn’t so much as leave a scratch before… was Captain Walter, the “Ars Nova” he wielded glowing even more ominous than before.

“You know how long I have waited to skin your slimy hide, snakeface!!”

With his hair standing on end due to rage and emitting a powerful fighting spirit that could be felt even by us standing behind him, Captain Walter’s demeanor was vastly different from the hearty and somewhat reassuring atmosphere he usually exuded. He appeared more like a demon god in that moment.

For the first time since the battle, the man showed fear, if only briefly.

Captain Walter, not taking any chance, leaped at him like a berserker and swung his battle axe at the man’s neck.

“…No…you can’t…!”

A plea escaped my lips involuntarily. Despite everything that he had done to me, it was strangely unbearable for me to witness him getting hurt right in front of my eyes.

And not just me…

“I beg you, please don’t kill him…!”

I felt as if she was also pleading to spare his life.

The next moment, the warm light that had saved me before surged and enveloped the surrounding again.

“What the…?!”

The crimson light emanating from Captain Walter’s “Ars Nova” suddenly vanished, causing his axe, swung wildly, to miss its target.

Despite being shocked by what happened, Captain Walter still managed to pull back.

Neither side ended up getting hurt… For reasons I couldn’t understand, I felt relieved about it.

“…Doesn’t look like I can win against all three of you at once, can I?”

As the man spoke, the wound on his chest vanished.

He cleaned off the dirt from his slightly tattered clothes before turning away.

“…I’ll let you go this time. But if you dare show up in front of me again… I won’t be so merciful.”

He wrapped the shadowy snake, which had reverted to its small form, around his arm and spread his wings wide to take off.

Walter-san seemed to want to pursue him, but after a glance back at us, he reluctantly lowered his battle-axe.

“Oh, and one more thing… I have no obligation to give you advice like this, but…”

As if he only remembered at the last minute… he looked back at me, whose consciousness was still hazy, and…

“…Don’t come near Acropolis. If you want to keep your human rights, that is.”

With that, the man known as the “Death Serpent” flew away.

As soon as I could no longer see his back and the pressure disappeared, the thread of tension that had been building up in me finally broke, and my consciousness blurred.

“Irisria-sama, hang in there-”

Leonhardt-sama called out to me in a panic, but his voice quickly became distant.

As my consciousness sank into darkness again, only a single thought lingered.

The man’s final expression when he looked at me before leaving, it seemed… lonely.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

We can’t win against this enemy.

We instantly assessed the situation and tried to escape. However…

“Good decision… but I can’t let you get away. Go, Crom.”

Upon the man’s command, a colossal snake, which had expanded to five meters, opened its mouth wide, and darkness formed within.

Swiftly enlarging, the darkness emitted an intense curse that even bystanders could sense, withering the grass and flowers around the giant snake.

“Both of you! Behind me!!”

At Nii-sama’s shout, Reiji-san and I jumped toward his shield’s shadow. Just as we reached safety, the gaping maw of the shadowy serpent released a flash of darkness.

It was as if countless curses were condensed into that flash.

“I won’t let you! Force Shield…!”

The barrier, an absolute assurance that had saved us multiple times, erected from the shield Nii-sama thrust into the ground.

However, despite suppressing the impact, the shield was getting pushed back from sheer force…

“Guh…!”

“Kyah?!”

“Ack?!”

Three different cries echoed.

Before us, the dispersing darkness enveloped us.

A thunderous roar, then violent tremors followed.

“…What’s this… It’s suffocating…”

“The miasma’s too thick…!”

The darkness contained an intense miasma, which quickly spread out to the surroundings.

Penetrating our lungs, it aggressively attacked our bodies, causing excruciating chest pain.

Amidst this chaos…

CRACK

“Impossible… It’s breaking?!”

The barrier, which should have been absolute and saved us from numerous crises, cracked before our eyes.

As long as Nii-sama’s magical power persisted, we believed it could repel any attack. Yet now, more and more cracks began to appear.

“…Kuh!”

Instinctively, Nii-sama retrieved a piece of parchment from his pocket.

The “Moonlight Seal”… a disposable charm embedded with protective magic that lessened the impact of spells and magic, tearing it apart with his hand and mouth.

The shield held by Nii-sama was enveloped in a faint light. But that light was too fleeting against the raging darkness before us.

As the “Force Shield” shattered, the black serpent finished exhaling its breath.

Finally consuming the broken barrier, an explosion swept over us, swallowing us whole.

After what felt like an agonizingly long span of time, the shockwave of miasma that pierced our bodies gradually subsided.

My body felt heavy.

Despite wearing various equipment gifted by Milly-san, and being naturally resistant to curses, I, too, felt extreme fatigue, unable to resist the clinging darkness.

If that’s the case… what about the other two in the same situation…?

“Nii-sama… Reiji-san…!”

Jumping up in a hurry to check on the other two, I froze.

The landscape had completely changed.

Just a moment ago, the highlands were lush with vegetation, boasting a picturesque landscape with diverse flowers blooming everywhere. However, the area around us, our immediate vicinity, had turned into desolation, where residual miasma lingered, transforming into an eerie wasteland.

In that space, in a certain spot—behind the shattered shield embedded in the ground, a green patch of land remained as if it had escaped the blast. At the tip of that patch… Nii-sama, who had always protected me, lay sprawled on the ground.

“…Nii-sama!”

I rushed over in a panic, desperately casting healing magic.

“You can’t… Hurry, run…”

“Stay quiet, Ayame, I’m going to heal you…!”

I continued casting healing magic… to very little effect.

The miasma clinging to my entire body must have interfered with my healing magic.

Still, persistently layering “Heal” over and over, gradually but surely, the injuries began to fade away.

“Well done holding on for this long, but there’s only you left now. How do you plan to escape if you exhaust yourself trying to heal him?”

“Guh…?!”

Upon hearing the man’s words, I instinctively shielded the collapsed Nii-sama, maintaining the recovery magic while cradling him in my arms.

It might not offer more than paper-thin resistance… but with enchantments on my clothes, I resolved to endure the incoming attack.

The man conjured up something akin to black flame in his hand…

“Stay away from them!”

Reiji-san, despite bleeding all over, jumped in to separate us from the man.

Around him, invisible force-field swords I’d once seen rotated. Twelve of these swords were sequentially shot towards the man, making the air quake as they sped towards their target, each one forcing Reiji-san to take slight steps backward. However…

“Are you kidding me… He’s deflecting them barehanded…?!”

Using what seemed to be some sort of darkness magic, the man lazily brushed away the swords as if swatting flies.

But just as the twelfth and final “Form is Emptiness” was launched, Reiji-san lunged forward before it could reach. Swiftly unsheathing the “Arventia”, the sword glowed brightly due to all the fighting spirit concentrated within it.

In that moment, the man’s eyes widened in realization. The briefest of hesitation created an opening for Reiji-san to strike.

“Take this!”

Reiji-san leaped up, putting all his weight and the force of gravity behind him, and swung the sword down upon the man’s head.

Accompanied by a sound akin to striking a steel wall, the sword seemed to have landed directly on its target.

“…Heh… That actually hurt a little.”

“…The… fuck…?!”

As blood trickled from his forehead… the man, who seemed unaffected by the blow, nonchalantly licked it.

“Congratulations, you actually scratched me. But it’s going to take much more than that to bring me down, you know.”

The man’s tone remained casual.

When I looked closely, he was surrounded by faint hexagonal force fields, which seemed to have clashed and stopped Reiji-san’s sword.

Even Reiji-san’s best effort… resulted in only a small cut on the man’s head.

“Still, pain is still pain… and must be returned in kind!”

“Dammit…!”

Attempting a follow-up attack, Reiji-san’s white sword was seized by the man.

Just that action alone stopped the blade in mid-air, as if it had been fixed in space.

“What…?!”

“Did no one teach you how to swing a sword, human?!”

The man swung his leg.

In response to the gathering darkness around his foot, Reiji-san instinctively released his grip on the sword, focused his fighting spirit into his fist…

“Gaaah?!”

However, the man’s kick reaching Reiji-san’s body was slightly faster.

Thrown backward, Reiji-san’s body floated through the air, falling towards us like a ragdoll.

“REIJI-SAN?!”

“*cough*…*hack*?!”

“No… No!”

Each time he coughed, he vomited a large amount of blood, clearly having broken several ribs… There was no way he could stand up until healed.

And… like a spreading flame, the shadow that had clung to his body covered Reiji-san, and his body collapsed powerless.

The only one left was me, with no direct combat capability.

Powerful area healing was also out of the question without securing the time for incantation.

“Well then… both Sir Sword and Sir Shield here are down for the count, what are you going to do?”

At the man’s faint smile, my body trembled involuntarily.

How can someone be so strong…?!

This was the calamity that the previous King and Captain Walter repelled at a great sacrifice, a disaster that shook the entire continent.

I never intended to get too conceited, but even so, my heart, which had unknowingly soared after winning against a few formidable enemies, was rapidly growing cold.

There’s no way we can win.

A feeling of despair crept up from my feet to my entire body.

“I’m not going to ask again… What are you going to do?”

The man approached me with a sneering smile, his eyes filled with cruelty and sadism.

…I still had a last resort.

To heal the two of them and buy time for help… I could only use it once every few days, and it would drain me immensely… but I judged that I had no other choice but to use it, staking everything on a slim hope.

Struggling, I scolded my legs that seemed about to give in, and infused strength into my abdomen to shout.

“Manifest yourself… Sanctuary!”

The “Sanctuary” spread out with me at the center, enveloping the two of them and dispelling the curses clinging to them.

Even though I poured all my strength into it, my magical power, significantly higher than before, still had plenty to spare. At the current rate of power flow, it should last for about an hour.

I hoped that those two would wake up, or help would arrive in time…

As I desperately maintained the “Sanctuary” with that hope in mind, the man scornfully glared at me… and sneered.

“…?!”

The look on his face sent a chill down my spine.

Was he waiting for me… to do this?!

Nii-sama’s “Force Shield”, which we thought was an absolute protection, was easily broken by this man.

What’s there to say he couldn’t do the same to my “Sanctuary”?

As I realized my mistake, the man’s hand touched the “Sanctuary”.

“…Eh?”

I felt as if something unpleasant had touched my body, a sensation akin to slimy liquid. But when I looked down, there was clearly nothing touching me.

He was… caressing my “Sanctuary”.

“…Ah… Aaaaaah?!”

At the next moment, a sensation as if some foreign substance, like vile liquid, was seeping into every part of my body surged, making me inadvertently scream.

Erosion.

Such a word flashed through my mind amid the throbbing agony. At the outer edges of my supposed “Sanctuary”, the part touched by the man exhibited a mottled pattern of black and gold at the edge of my vision.

“…Hmph, what a fragile ‘Sanctuary’, not even worth calling an imitation.”

“No… Aaaaaaaaah, aaaaaaaaaaaah?!”

The man’s fingers sank into the “Sanctuary” with a squelch, as though plunging into clay.

At that moment— it felt as if a foreign object had been inserted into the core of my body, stirring a sensation that pierced through my entire body from the lower abdomen to the top of my head.

“Heh, why don’t you struggle more? If you don’t resist, it’ll tear you apart on the spot.”

“?! Aaaaaaah!”

His fingers delved into the “Sanctuary”, stirring and prodding as though to toy with it.

Each time this happened, intense pain shot through my back, at the base of my wings, causing me to twitch and arch backward.

The once small cracks widened with each exertion of the man’s strength, breaking and fracturing the “Sanctuary” bit by bit.

With each crack, my body felt as though it were being torn apart, as if pierced towards the center of my being, sending waves of sensation throughout my entire body, making my knees tremble and give way.

Amidst all that…

“……Ass…hole… keep your… hand off Iris…”

Faint murmurs, akin to delirious muttering, came from where Reiji-san should have been collapsed behind me.

At that voice, I remembered that those two were behind me now, and this time it was my turn to protect them.

Yes… I must… protect them…

“Ugh, aaaaaaah!!”

My hand trembled, blood vessels in my arm burst from overload, and crimson liquid spattered as it pierced through the thin skin. I summoned every ounce of remaining strength to maintain the “Sanctuary” at all costs.

White flowers began to bloom on the devastated ground, and the man’s fingers, previously embedded, were gradually pushed back against the intensified barrier.

“…Heh.”

The man’s voice was filled with something like interest.

“My, aren’t you the tryhard. Are those two really that important to you?”

“They… are…! I’ll… never… give up… on them…!”

Drops of sweat trickled down my forehead as I glared fiercely at the man before me.

It was a bluff.

I didn’t feel any confidence in winning.

But… I couldn’t give up.

For that reason alone… even if it meant exhausting everything I have!

“Foolish… utterly foolish! Humans just get more and more foolish with every generation!”

In the man’s hand, the gigantic, shadowy snake had transformed back into a small snake without me knowing… The moment I laid eyes on it, a dreadful premonition surged within me.

“Ugh… ‘Garden of A-”

As I tried to reinforce the “Sanctuary” by calling out that name… my usual staff was severed and split into two while I was holding on it.

The moment I realized that, the world around me—the “Sanctuary”—cracked with countless shattering noises.

And then, the very next moment—the “Sanctuary”, cracked into a grid-like pattern, or rather, like a cage meant to capture me, was enveloped in black flames.

“—――――!?”

I let out a voiceless scream.

As if my soul were being ripped open.

As if my existence was pierced through and thoroughly trampled.

As if my hope and dignity were mercilessly crushed and whatever remained was violated as one pleased.

The overwhelming feeling of loss, despair overcame my mind and body, to the point where I wished to die…

And then… the “Sanctuary” was burned away without so much as leaving a speck of ash.

To think that such a thing could happen.

“…*hack*…!”

The aftermath of the forcibly shattered “Sanctuary” caused chaos in the pathways of magical energy throughout my body, distorting vision, overwhelming me with intense nausea, and I couldn’t help but vomit.

The uncontrollable surge of magical energy within my body seemed to have harmed it, as a red liquid, a mix of stomach acid and blood, dripped onto the ground.

Even though magical energy remained, my body no longer responded at all.

My will to resist broke, and leaning on the remnants of the staff, now devoid of its ornamental tip, I collapsed gradually.

“Now… Crom, capture that girl.”

“No… don’t come here…”

A hand stretched out, and the large shadowy snake appeared, seemingly split into three.

Even attempting to escape, my trembling legs failed me, and I fell to the ground.

Despite trying to create some distance by retreating, I couldn’t summon strength into my shaking legs.

There was no desire to resist at all.

My body, heart, and even my soul had submitted to the man before me.

The snakes reached me in no time. They coiled around my right leg and both arms.

“W-What…?! No, please… not beneath my clothes…!”

The large snakes crawling over my skin, slipping between my clothing and flesh, slithered up and licked my entire body, constricting it directly.

The chilling sensation flowing from the snake in direct contact with my protective enchantments caused an uncontrollable scream to burst out.

My body was drawn up tautly by the snake constricting me just enough, lifting my feet off the ground.

“No, no… something’s coming in… please… let me go…”

“Just… shut your damn mouth.”

“Guh?!”

The man’s fingers rested on my neck, gradually exerting pressure, making it impossible to breathe, and only a groaning sound escaped.

It’s so cold.

My entire body was freezing.

Similar to when I was invaded by the crystalline monster in the first town.

No, this time it surpassed that intensity by far. My body, which should have grown stronger since then, was completely helpless against the invading cold sensation, and my body’s senses were fading away.

“…Crom, ease your grip. At this rate, that girl will die before her power can be removed.”

As those words were heard, the pressure covering my entire body suddenly loosened.

However, even so, a repulsive impurity, flowing slowly with a steady rhythm, seeped into my firmly constricted body.

“…Stop… ah… ah…”

Each time my body convulsed, the anguish of being tormented by the writhing impurity inside me made a gasping sound escape uncontrollably from the corner of my mouth.

“Relax. I don’t know how you managed to use that book… But even if you’re an artificially created fake, you’re still my kin, so I won’t kill you.”

With that, the hand on my neck loosened.

An unpleasantly gentle touch on my cheek, as I desperately tried to take in oxygen.

“However… here, I shall completely violate and defile your body. To make sure no one like you shall ever appear among humans again, so they won’t ever foolishly hold onto futile hope again…!”

“Agh… no, don’t… ahhh, please… ah… Aaaaah…?!”

What he said felt like a death sentence.

Disregarding my pleading, the impurity poured incessantly from the snakes coiled around my entire body, from the man’s hand touching my neck and cheek.

The pathways of magical energy throughout my body were being overtaken by opposing forces, and I could no longer feel anything.

I must not run away.

If not, what I can do, the meaning of my presence among everyone, will disappear again.

…No, I refuse to let that happen!

Pushed by such an impulse, at that moment, when even the slightest intention to resist emerged—those feelings, futile as they were, the faintly flickering wings finally, suddenly disappeared.

The world before my eyes turned pitch-black.

The world lost its color and sound.

I couldn’t feel any strength in my entire body anymore.

Even the sound of the staff’s remnants falling from my hand seemed distant, far away—…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Two days had passed since we found the Sirius cub.

When I woke up in the morning, the discomfort in my stomach had finally disappeared, and I was completely back to my normal health.

I quickly confirmed that I could use magic without any problems. After waking up and getting dressed, I immediately went to see the Sirius cub, who was being taken care of by Gantz-san.

As the people who had taken turns nursing the Sirius cub, namely Reiji-san, Nii-sama and Lenny-san, watched with bated breath… the light of my Ares Heal gently settled down.

“…How are you feeling? Does it still hurt anywhere?”

Outwardly, the deformation on her wing caused by the fracture had been completely healed. However, since this was the first time I tried to heal a Phantasmal Beast, I was still worried.

When I asked her, the Sirius cub moved her body around in a puzzled manner, licked her wing to check its condition, then let out a loud, healthy cry.

Looks like she’s fully recovered, I thought.

As everyone took a sigh of relief, the Sirius cub jumped off the table and started pulling on my skirt with her mouth. She looked desperate, as if wanting me to come somewhere.

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

Sirius’ desperate expression made me kneel down and stroke her head as I listened, then…

When I came to, I was looking at a landscape I didn’t remember. It was inside a cave somewhere.

There were two wolves… one was so huge that I had to raise my head to look up, and the other was about the size of a medium-sized dog… the Sirius cub that we found.

If so, was that big Sirius her mother?

The two wolves were leisurely snuggling up close together.

Techniques for the hunt. Stories of the past.

The mother wolf passed onto her child all sorts of things.

But eventually, she began to show signs of trouble.

The mother Sirius’ waking hours decreased day by day, until she would only wake up once every few days.

The Sirius cub continued to watch this scene from the side… and then, as if she had found something, she looked up at the sky… at the direction of the human settlement that she had been taught not to approach from her mother, and she walked out of the cave as if she’d made a decision.

While looking back at her unwaking mother with concern, many times…

“…s-sama? Is something wrong, Iris-sama?”

I was started back to my senses by the feeling of my shoulder being shaken. When I looked to the side, I saw Lenny-san looking at me with concern. Everyone else’s gaze was also focused on me.

“So… you came all this way, looking for someone to help your mother…”

That’s why she came looking for me.

She probably sensed my existence, and the power of that person that I inherited.

“But…”

My shoulders trembled.

My nose stung.

A drop that ran down my cheek fell on the tip of the Sirius cub’s nose.

She came down all the way here without regard for her own life… but I could do nothing for her.

“…I’m really sorry… I don’t think I can fulfill your request…”

Hearing those words, the Sirius cub, who must have understood exactly what I was saying, slowly released my skirt from her mouth and dropped her head.

I really wanted to do something about it.

But no matter who are, or how hard you try, this is truly impossible.

The reason for the symptoms plaguing the mother Sirius that I saw in the memories… was old age.

That, was the destiny of all beings.

If there’s only one thing I could do…

Gently, I picked up the Sirius cub and hugged her in my chest.

“How about… we return you to your mother so that you can stay by her side and see her off one last time?”

The Sirius cub let out a single, lonely wail.

Judging from the mother Sirius’ condition, she should have very little time left.

Therefore, I wanted to return her child to her as soon as possible, if only so that they could stay together for even a day… no, for even an hour longer.

With haste, I went to explain the situation to Leonhardt-sama…

“…Captain Walter?”

When I knocked and entered his office, there was another person inside… Captain Walter, who should have been away with his mercenary company on a joint exercise with some of the soldiers from the capital.

“I’ve only just returned. You look serious for some reason. Should I leave for now?”

“No, if possible, I would like you to come with me as well. I have somewhere to go.”

And so, I explained the gist of the matter to the Count and Captain Walter, who were both looking at me with puzzled expressions.

“…Please pardon my sudden request, but Leonhardt-sama and Captain Walter, I really want you both to come with me…”

If the mother Sirius wanted to see me before she passed away, then we should respect and fulfill her last request.

Besides… before we part, we might be able to hear her stories. She was, after all, the companion of that person in my dreams.

And so, I waited patiently for the Count’s reply, who had been listening quietly until I’d finished telling him everything.

“That… doesn’t sound like something I can refuse. Are you planning on leaving right away?”

“Yes… Nii-sama, Reiji-san and me. If both Nii-sama and I fly with our wings, we should be able to take Reiji-san with us, and it would cut the journey down by a lot, I think.”

The Count seemed troubled by what I just said.

“Is it no good?”

“…I’ll allow it. However, I will have to catch up with you three by land. My apologies, Captain Walter, but you have to accompany me. I don’t want to let anyone who doesn’t know about the circumstances into these mountains.”

“Sure thing. Though, if you ask me, something about this kind of bothers me.”

“Something bothers you…?”

I tilted my head at the Captain’s somewhat slurred words.

“Ah, I don’t really know how to say it… but I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Yes?”

“It might just be my imagination… but don’t get too ahead of yourselves, okay?”

I nodded in understanding. Even though his words were vague and based on his instincts, if they came from a veteran soldier like him, they were enough to make me feel uneasy.

And so, Nii-sama and I brought along Reiji-san and flew straight to the highlands.

The three of us, along with the Sirius cub fluttering around my shoulders, were floating over the picturesque grasslands. Leisurely, we made our way towards the cave where the mother Sirius awaited us.

“I have to ask… Since when were you able to fly, Iris?”

“I’ve been practicing hard since that day in the tunnels, you know?”

I still clearly remembered jumping after the falling Reiji-san when the tunnel collapsed.

Even thinking back now, it still sent chills down my spine… But thanks to that, I felt like I grasped the knack of flying in the sky.

Since then, I resolved to practice flying… I’d actually become able to fly like this just before the thing that tormented me for days happened.

“Ah… I did owe you my life for that, thanks.”

“Hehe, it’s I who should say that.”

Reiji-san and I chuckled, slightly embarrassed.

The story of what happened after we fell into that underground lake that day until we reunited with Nii-sama… remained a secret shared only between the two of us, never spoken of to anyone else.

Watching us like that, Nii-sama tilted his head.

“Well… that’s some smooth progress… I suppose?”

He murmured something I didn’t quite understand again.

The highlands here didn’t have many tall trees; instead, it featured a vast expanse of blue sky and grassland stretching as far as the eye can see, adorned with various highland plants covering the ground.

If I had to describe, the scenery here resembled the view of foreign mountains I once saw on TV, an immensely refreshing vista.

However, because this was an area untouched by humans, the footing was quite challenging, making walking a real struggle.

“Be careful around here, Iris. There’s a stream hidden on the ground.”

Leading the way, Reiji-san checked his steps as he spoke, easily leaping over the stream hidden in the grass… “easily” as in for his physique. For me, the distance was a bit too much.

“Oh dear, may I lend you a helping hand, o Princess?”

“Nii-sama, come on!”

With a playful gesture, Nii-sama reached out his hand. Reiji-san, smiling wryly, did the same.

Taking both their hands, I was about to be pulled up and over the stream when suddenly…

“I was wondering why I barely stirred anything up when I summoned that ‘Wound’. It must be because of you.”

An unfamiliar voice reached our ears, causing our movements to freeze.

Out of thin air, the figure of a young man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties appeared, walking toward us from the direction we were heading.

Since when had he been there?

I didn’t know. I had absolutely no idea.

This was a highland with a clear view, where one wouldn’t miss an approach.

Yet, just a moment ago, there hadn’t been anyone like this here.

If this were a film, then his image was abruptly inserted into a frame without any kind of transition.

Though I hadn’t been aware of his presence until this very moment, the instant I recognized his figure, my body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Like stepping into a den of a famished beast.

Like standing bare in front of a dragon’s nostril.

The cold sweat wouldn’t stop.

Just from facing him, the pressure was suffocating, causing an unbearable tightness in my chest.

My instincts were sounding alarms at full blast… compared to this… all the opponents I had faced until now were nothing but insignificant!

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Since when…?!”

Instinctively shielding me, Nii-sama and Reiji-san stepped forward and drew their weapons. Even they, with their weapons drawn, were trembling, their faces looking extremely pale.

But for me…

“No way… you’re…”

Some kind of cognitive block seemed to affect the two of them, as they seemed unaware of who he was.

I gazed in astonishment at the black things extending from the man’s back… tattered, jet-black wings that had completely frayed.

He’s a demonic-looking guy who controls a horrific serpentine monster

Captain Walter’s words came back to my mind.

The face of the man who was always by her side in my dream, it’s completely identical to the man in front of me.

He was… the black-winged Lightwing.

“…The Death Serpent…!”

His named escaped my lips in a daze.

The absolute worst disaster that Captain Walter spoke of.

A lone being that destroyed numerous towns and villages, annihilating the expeditionary force led by the previous King of Nordglacier and decimating the previous mercenary company of Captain Walter.

He’s now right in front of us…!

“…What did you just call him?!”

“What?! Why is he here of all places?!”

The two of them finally noticed the wings on his back, and cried out in panic.

“Run!”

I shouted to the Sirius cub growling at my feet.

At this moment, I instantly recall the nearest person who could be of help in this situation.

“Please escape… you know, there was a big person with me just a while ago, right? Get to him and ask for his help, please…!”

Desperately pleading, it seemed my plea got through, as Sirius cub hesitated a few times but eventually flew off.

Just knowing that this child wouldn’t be involved in the battle now slightly eased my heart.

But…

Could the three of us hold out until the Count and Captain Walter arrive?

The thought of that sent a shiver down my spine.

“…We must somehow endure here and retreat! Prioritize meeting up with Captain Walter and the others!”

My trembling voice issued instructions, and the two of them nodded without taking their eyes off the enemy.

However, their expressions remained tense.

The “Death Serpent” looking down on us with arrogance… his eyes, filled with sadistic pleasure, eloquently conveyed his intention not to let his prey escape.

Even if we escaped… what would happen afterward?

Even if we managed to rendezvous with Captain Walter, the Count, or Rolandia’s army, would we stand a chance?

Above all, if we escaped to the city, was there any assurance that a place where many powerless people resided… wouldn’t become a battlefield?

My thoughts spiraled, envisioning nothing but doom.

A sense of despair began to loom.

The man, as if relishing our panic, stood there leisurely, his face filled with delight.

Unbeknownst to us, beside him, a giant shadowy snake, as if condensed from darkness itself, had manifested…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

???

In the middle of a mountain, inside a cave that I had decided to be my final resting place.

My consciousness, which had been in a dream-like state as usual, suddenly woke up clearly.

The presence of someone familiar was approaching.

No, to be exact, the presence wasn’t entirely similar to that someone who was now… out of reach. However, the wavelength of the soul was extremely similar to hers.

A few days had passed since I last spoke to the leader of the humans who lived at the foot of the mountain.

I raised my neck, which had been stiff from sleeping for days.

The elderly Phantasmal Beast, known as Sirius the Celestial Wolf.

Hundreds of years ago, when the Sacred Daughter still walked this world as its protector… I stood by her side as a contracted familiar… but that was now a story of the distant past.

Despite all that, I couldn’t help but feel my heart racing at the thought of meeting her successor after hundreds of years.

Come to think of it… I thought she’d been quiet for the past few days, but it seemed that my alter ego… my daughter had disappeared before I knew it.

Sirius, the Celestial Wolf, was Phantasmal Beast whose power rivaled that of dragons.

Their ecosystem is a mystery to humans, but in reality, they rarely reproduce the same way other living beings do.

When they sense their coming demise, they create a “child”, which was an alter ego that they transfer most of their power and abilities into.

This is the way of life for Sirius, and how they lead to the next generation.

And just like before… the elderly Sirius, who had left behind a child, didn’t have much time left.

When I searched for my child’s reaction, she was in a place quite far away… at the base of the mountain, near the human settlement.

It seemed that she was going to the place of her successor.

Although I had never talked about the successor to her, she must have sensed her existence on her own and gone to see her with a clinging thought.

Please cure my mother’s body.

But alas, my body could no longer move as I want, and I now lived a life of sleeping for days, waking up occasionally, and then sleeping again.

Even the world’s most powerful healing power couldn’t restore this body, eroded by old age.

Nevertheless, I was grateful for my child’s concern.

The slightly swaying air inside the cave signaled another presence.

However, it did not belong to my long-awaited visitor.

I wonder if his timing could be any more worse, I thought.

I glanced at the person who rudely entered the cave, whose face was covered with a hood… Not just his timing, everything about him was just the worst… I let out a short snort and returned to my sleeping position.

“Never change, you damned mutt. Even when you’re so close to kicking the bucket, your skill in getting on people’s nerves is still unmatched.”

He didn’t seem offended, despite his complaints. He’d always been this arrogant and believed himself to be better than others. To be honest, I’d rather not have to deal with him if possible…

Oh, the irony… I spent months and years waiting for that familiar presence, only for this uninvited “guest” with a familiar face to show up first.

Standing before me was a single person.

At first glance, he seemed like a small, insignificant creature. However, anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would be able to tell that he is not what he seems.

“Hmph… I thought I smelled a familiar beastly odor, and to think that you’re still alive.”

“If we’re talking about smells, then it’s you whose smell has gone practically rotten.”

It’s a really putrid smell.

The smell of a serpent that destroys the world.

“I’ve always resented you.”

At those words, he sneered sarcastically and opened his mouth.

“I know, I know. You’d always been so close to her, but you never let your guard down around me even once.”

“That’s correct. In fact, I did acknowledge you, but only for your abilities… and the fact that you would never turn against her.”

“Huh? First time I’ve ever heard that.”

He sounded genuinely surprised.

But it’s the truth. I’ve resented this man more than anything else.

Because… she admired and trusted him more than anyone else, even more than me.

I was… jealous. I was a Phantasmal Beast, and he was just another human.

That… I could never admit it when I was still young, but now I understand myself well.

It was all because I acknowledged this man.

“But at the same time… I always felt that you were dangerous. Your gaze towards her was too obsessive. If she were gone, you would probably do something terrible. And, it seems that… I was not wrong.”

I spat it out for him to hear.

It’s not like I don’t understand his feelings.

Even I was furious at the world back then, wishing for it to be destroyed.

And yet… I just couldn’t accept his way of being.

He would trample on her last wish for his own obsession. That was the thing I could never forgive.

“…To think that you would stoop so low!”

I roared as I hurled my turbulent thoughts at him.

In response, the black snake wrapped around his neck hissed in intimidation.

However, when he stroke the snake’s head, it reluctantly returned to its original position and began to observe me with its eyes.

“So, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to stop me here and save the world?”

His mocking words caused me to sigh and let my anger dissipate.

“Just stop it. I’ve already retired and no longer want to involve myself with the human world. But… if you decide to keep doing things in your outrageous way, then this decrepit body of mine would have to get reckless.”

“Do you really think you can win against me like the old days?”

I fell silent.

It was frustrating, but he’s right. I could no longer stop him on my own.

My strength was now not even a fraction of what it once was.

My mystic eyes, which had the power of instant death, and my vocal cords, which had the power of calling death, had been passed onto my daughter, leaving me with almost nothing.

I was old and nearing the end of my life, and the man before me had abandoned his humanity, even ceased to be a living being altogether. There was no way I could fight him on equal terms.

But…

“You’re a clever little boy, but you are only concerned with yourself… You don’t understand that there are others who will fight to the death to protect what is important to them.”

That was the strength that this man once had, the strength that supported him.

“Irrelevant. What can a few desperate people possibly do against me?”

Both sides remained silent.

I thought that this centuries-old feud would finally come to an end here, but it seemed that he was just passing by. He really did have no intention of finishing off these old bones for good.

That’s why… I cursed under my breath at the sound of my child and her companions approaching from afar.

“Ah, I see… Those must be the people you’re talking about.”

He noticed them.

Had I not noticed the successor… had I not decided to summon her for a meeting, then this man wouldn’t have even been interested in her.

Now that he’d noticed, he wouldn’t miss that existence of a girl whose light had just begun to grow.

Even if I tried to jump at him with a hurry, the figure of a man laughing with a serpentine tone floated up into the air faster than my old body could move.

He flew away with three rag-like wings that shone black as if they represented nihility, having completely lost interest in me.

I could only watch the shadow that grew smaller and smaller while growling with resentment.

This new generation had such poor luck… On the contrary, she was the kind of girl who seemed to get through everything by luck.

Sighing, I whipped my sickly body and got up with a heavy heart.

I didn’t know what I could do, but I was going to rush to the side of that person who had a faintly nostalgic smell.

To prevent the hope that has finally sprouted from being plucked.

(Author’s Note)

Sirius doesn’t speak, because their voice calls upon death. The Sirius in this chapter communicates using telepathy.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Inside Gantz-san’s cabin, which was kept clean beyond expectations, there was a room with beautiful wildflowers and herbs arranged here and there, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Aini-san was listening with a serious look on her face as she placed her stethoscope on the belly of the Sirius cub, who stayed calm in my arms despite someone touching it directly.

The expressions of everyone watching the scene were stiff, and the surrounding area was filled with a tense silence.

Then, Aini-san took the stethoscope out of her ears and took a deep breath.

“…It’s done. To be honest, I’ve never seen a Phantasmal Beast cub before, so I’m not very confident…”

“You’re not confident…?”

Seeing all of us gasping in shock, Aini-san suddenly smiled.

“There’re no particular abnormalities in the internal organs, and no visible damage to the digestive system. I think it should be able eat and drink again now.”

At her giving the stamp of approval, all five of us watching… Reiji-san, Saul-niisama, Lenny-san, even Gantz-san, and I, that is… let out a collective sigh and patted ourselves on the chest.

“However, there still remain many external injuries, so it must rest until Iris-chan recovers and heals it. For the time being, I’ve treated all the bleeding and infection. Its right wing has a slight fracture, but again, let’s leave it to Iris-chan once she recovers.”

“Yes, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

“Don’t mention it… Besides, I’m glad to see that you’ve become a bit livelier than before.”

“Am I…?”

“Yes. You seem to be the kind of person who finds joy when helping others in need.”

I couldn’t deny that.

Since I had always been in a position where I received help from others, I often felt guilty about it, and my desire to help others might have come from that accumulated feeling in my heart.

“So here, I borrowed some water and meat from the kitchen.”

“I appreciate that, Reiji-san. Though, it doesn’t look like it has any appetite at the moment.”

Like Aini-san said, the Sirius cub didn’t even look at the meat that Reiji-san’d cut into bite-sized pieces, nor the water he’d placed in a bowl, but rather dozed off in my arms.

“Iris-chan, I was going to ask you to go back to your room and rest… but it looks like you don’t have any intention of doing that.”

“Ehehe… Yes, I’m sorry about that.”

Aini-san sighed softly as I gently lowered the Sirius cub onto the bed that Lenny-san and Gantz-san had prepared, and secured a seat next to the bed.

“Well, I’ll allow you to nurse it. But only until dinnertime, okay?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

I obediently nodded, resigning myself to the fact that I couldn’t make any more concessions.

“But still, where could this cub have come from? Sirius is the largest and rarest species of Phantasmal Beast after all…”

Everyone sank into silence after Lenny-san’s question.

Judging by the location where the cub was found, it must have been somewhere in the mountains behind the castle… but it seems strange that there would be no rumors if such a high-ranking Phantasmal Beast lived so close to a large human city.

“I think I know the answer for that.”

Suddenly, a new voice emerged from the entrance.

It was the Count, who was supposed to be busy.

“Really? I’ve never heard about it before…”

“There’s one such Phantasmal Beast living in the mountains behind this castle. For generations, our ancestors have had an agreement with her. In exchange for keeping her existence a secret, not allowing people to enter her home, and providing a peaceful living environment, she has been protecting the mountains and the back side of this city. This cub of hers must have come from there.”

The Count answered Aini-san’s question.

On that note, if I recalled correctly, some of the mountains behind this castle were off-limits. I thought it was probably for defensive reasons, but this was probably the true reason.

“…Can you really tell us that?”

“Actually, I received a telepathic message from that Sirius the other day. It seems that she’s heard of your existence and wants to meet you. The reason why her cub’s here is unknown, but…”

“She wants to see me?”

“Yes. It’s unusual of her, but perhaps those things on your back have something to do with it.”

…In other words, she’d recognized my race.

When I saw “her” in my dream, “she” seemed really close with that Phantasmal Beast. Could it be that the beast in my dream and the beast on the mountains are one and the same?

“Uh, are we going to be in danger if we go there? Isn’t she like, super ferocious?”

“You all will be fine. She seems to be a relatively old individual, and while she has a foul tongue, she’s pretty gentle.”

The Count reassured Reiji-san’s worries.

In that case, I’d like to meet her. After all, if she was the parent of this Sirius cub, then we should definitely return the cub to her parent.

“Um… Once I’m feel better, I’d like to take this child home.”

“That’s fine by me. I’ll send a pigeon to inform her in advance, so you can meet her even without going deep inside. However, be sure to bring your companions along.”

“…Thank you very much!”

“Mhm. Be sure to prepare well for the trip. Now, if you excuse me, I have official duties to return to.”

That was what the Count said before leaving.

“Heh… We’ll be leaving in three days, then. Be a good pup and wait, okay?”

Said Reiji-san, who reached out his hand to the Sirius cub who was being stroked by me.

The next moment.

CHOMP

“”“Ah.”””

Nii-sama’s, Lenny-san and my voice were perfectly in sync.

Not just Reiji-san, but Nii-sama and Lenny-san had tried stroking the Sirius cub. However, for some reason, only Reiji-san got bitten.

“It hurtsssssss! Why me?!”

Reiji-san quickly pulled his hand out of her mouth.

Aini-san, who was watching the scene with a somewhat calm expression, quickly took out some disinfectant from her bag full of medical supplies and examined the wound quickly.

“I-I-Is he alright?!”

I didn’t expect her to bite Reiji-san, because she’d been such a good girl until now.

Seeing the red liquid flowing from Reiji-san’s hand, I half-panicked and asked Aini-san.

“Well, there’s concerns of tetanus… but fortunately, according to legend, Sirius’ saliva has healing powers. I’ve already cleaned the wound, so you just have to check on it later, Iris-chan.”

As she said that, a relieved air flowed through the surroundings again.

“Thank goodness… Don’t bite someone for no reason, okay?”

I lightly tapped the Sirius cub’s head and spoke sternly.

She looked down again, so I gently patted her head. Even though she was still a child, and couldn’t speak human language, she clearly understood our words. I guess that’s Phantasmal Beast for you.

“Dammit… This is the first time I got bitten by a dog… W-Wait, I’m sorry, okay?!”

Apparently, the Sirius cub didn’t like the word “dog”, and she growled at Reiji-san again, making him hurriedly move away.

In our old world, Reiji-san was usually well-liked by dogs that he met for the first time, which is why I was surprised to see him getting the bite treatment.

In the meantime, the Sirius cub…

“Hmph.”

Yes, she let out a single snort, turned away from Reiji-san and snuggled against my hand.

Even though she’s so cute, she’s got quite an attitude… Reiji-san stared at her, his veins popping out of his temple.

“…This bastard…”

Reiji-san was trembling with anger.

However, what he just said was something I had to correct.

“Please don’t refer to her like that. She’s a girl, you know?”

“Uh… yeah.”

I felt bad for Reiji-san a little, but I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Two days had passed since Nii-sama’s visit.

My daily studies and other routines had been cancelled for the past few days, considering my condition.

…I suppose my highest priority as a princess was to stay healthy so that I could one day give birth safely.

In addition to Lenny-san, there were several other maids supporting me, and I wasn’t allowed to do most things myself.

It was depressing to see how overprotective of me they are, but since I couldn’t do anything about it, I might as well make good use of their kindness and spend my time as slovenly as I can.

Yesterday… the bleeding and other symptoms were so severe that I couldn’t get up properly and spent the day in my room.

Today, after a night’s rest, I was feeling a little better, but I felt uncomfortable staying in my room, so I went for a walk outside for some light exercise.

Thus, I was now strolling around the well-kept garden surrounding the vast Rolandia Castle.

“……?”

Suddenly, I thought I heard something nearby.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really… Did you hear an animal’s cry from over there too?”

It might have been my imagination, but for some reason, I was drawn to it, and walked toward it.

Beyond that was a corner of the neatly maintained garden, a rose garden on the edge of a cliff. I stepped into the well-maintained and neatly arranged area, and following my intuition, I quickly rushed through the maze-like place. And there, I saw…

“…A puppy?”

In the most secluded place, on the edge of the cliff, a white, fluffy, dog-like creature was lying down.

I said “dog-like” because unlike a normal dog… it had wings on its back, its fur was sticking out like blades, and it was glowing a pale golden color.

“No, it can’t be…”

Lenny-san, who seemed to recognize the creature, audibly gasped.

“Do you know it?”

“Yes… Please stay away from it, Iris-sama. It may be a cub, but it’s still the beast Sirius.”

“…Sirius?”

“It’s a Phantasmal Beast said to be a harbinger of misfortune… And its eyes contain the power of instant death.”

Phantasmal Beast Sirius… From what I’d read of it, its fur turns gold in the sunlight, silver in the moonlight, and jet back in the darkness. It also becomes soft in front of those it trusts, and sharp like a blade in front of those it opposes.

I’d never seen one before, but for some reason, I felt some familiarity with it, like I’d seen it in a dream… Yes, I’d definitely seen one such creature together with that person in my dream.

While I was deep in thought, I suddenly noticed a red patch amidst the glowing fur of the Sirius cub.

It’s hard to see because of the light it’s emitting, but if I looked closely, the cub was covered in wounds all over, and its wings were hanging strangely.

…Did it just fall down a cliff?

I looked up at the cliff towering behind it. It’s definitely a possibility.

“…This child’s injured. We can’t leave it here.”

“You can’t go, Iris-sama!”

Lenny-san tried to stop me in a hurry, but I assured her that it’d be okay.

I squatted down so as not to scare the little one, who noticed me and growled, and gently reached out my hand from a low position so as not to obstruct his vision. The Sirius sub, at first wary, began to sniff my finger.

“Don’t be scared, come here…”

I quietly called out to it and waited, eventually, the sharpness disappeared from the cub’s fur, and it returned to something resembling a fluffy puppy.

At the same time, the tension must have eased. I caught the cub’s small body that’s about to fall over and hugged it.

There was no resistance. On the contrary, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the way it rubbed its face against my chest in a way that seemed to be begging for affection.

“See, it’d be alright.”

“…You surprised me. Even if it’s still a cub, for a Phantasmal Beast to become that attached in such a short time… How could you be so sure about that?”

“I don’t think I did much. I just thought, from the first time I saw it, that this child was just scared, and that it didn’t have any hostile intentions.”

I wondered if the tame success rate increase effect of my subclass “Princess” back in the game still applied… but I kept that to myself.

And so, I reached out to heal the wounds of the now completely unwary Sirius cub… then I remembered that I couldn’t use healing magic right now.

“What do we do, I can’t use healing magic at the moment…”

“…You should take this.”

Lenny-san handed me a towel from her handbag.

It was probably intended for my use, in the case of a leaking accident. I gratefully accepted it and wrapped it around the cub’s injured area as carefully as possible. I thought it might resist, but it was surprisingly docile, so I took a sigh of relief and turned around.

“Iris-sama, where are you going?”

“I wanted to say Aini-san’s place but… Do you think it’s okay to let it inside the castle?”

For now, we needed to get out of this rose garden… but we didn’t know where to take the cub.

“If that’s the case, why don’t you take it to Gantz-san? He lives in the garden.”

“Ah, that might be a good idea. Thank you, Lenny-san.”

“You’re welcome…”

Lenny-san glanced at the dog-like Phantasmal Beast sleeping in my arms. Could it be that she actually likes small animal like this?

Gantz-san was probably staying in a cabin at the edge of the garden, where the gardener lives. He might be willing to take care of it for a little while, until that monthly thing of mine ended and my healing magic returned. We headed over to his place.

“Gantz-san, thank goodness you’re here, and…”

In front of the gardener’s cabin was a stone table, where a few people were sitting and chatting. Not only Gantz-san, but also…

“Reiji-san? Nii-sama?”

“What’s up? How’s your health looking?”

“I still feel a little… But anyway, why are both of you here?”

“Well… I just came here after some practice swinging. I’ve been studying too much and neglecting my training lately, so I thought I need a change of pace.”

“I’m here for the same reason, actually. Some training is just what I needed after being stuck in etiquette class for so long.”

Reiji-san, with a guilty look on his face, smiled bitterly, while Nii-sama was wiping the sweat off his forehead with a towel, looking somehow satisfied.

“These young ones, seem tired. I treated them, tea.”

“Haha… That was some good tea.”

“Thank you for your generosity.”

Next to Reiji-san and the others, I noticed a slender glass pot on the table, half-filled with a brown liquid that seems to be well-chilled.

It looked like… barley tea?

“So what brings you here? If you’re still unwell, shouldn’t you stay in bed?”

“Well, here’s the thing…”

“…Oh?”

“…Hmm?”

When I slightly pulled back the towel that had wrapped the Sirius cub, the two of them exclaimed in surprise and peered in curiously.

“I just found it lying in the garden. And, I can’t use healing magic right now… Gantz-san, can you lend this a place where it can rest for two or three days?”

“I see… Storage room, unused. A bed, I can prepare.”

“Thank you very much…!”

I thanked Gantz-san for kindly accepting my request.

He merely replied, “Don’t mind it”, and went inside to prepare.

“I’m going to get Aini-san, then.”

“I’m going to the kitchen to see if I can get something for this lil’ twerp.”

“Guess I’ll go get a blanket or something.”

With that, everyone scattered in different directions.

“Um, I can help too…”

I tried to offer my help, but…

“You stay with the twerp. It’s attached to only you right now, what if it gets scared again without you nearby?”

Such was Reiji-san’s reply.

Thus, I was left alone, holding the Sirius cub.

“…I guess that makes sense. Let’s just stay put until everyone comes back, shall we?”

I hugged the Sirius cub again and sat down on a bench nearby.

And then… I started singing a song that suddenly came to mind.

“……Was yea　…… mea ……　en fwal. Ma ……　ga k…………a yor syec…………”

That was the lullaby belonging to “her” in the dream, which I had come to understand a little more than before.

There were still a lot of things I didn’t understand, so I was just humming the melody… But still, I hoped this child, who’s breathing slightly in pain, could find some peace of mind…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

The feeling when I woke up was, to put it mildly, the absolute worst.

My lower half felt stiff.

Looking at the note left behind, I realized that Lenny-san had already taken care of the fallout, and I was filled with a sense of relief, but also with a sense of apology.

Then, remembering the bloody catastrophe just before I fainted, I fearfully rolled up the hem of my nightgown… and was relieved to see that it was completely clean down there.

However, when I noticed that something else was stuffed inside my underwear, I became dizzy again and collapsed onto the bed.

As much as I averted my eyes from “it”, “it” finally came.

Thinking about it in another way, it’s probably a miracle that it didn’t happen earlier. After over a month since I was sent to this world, it came as soon as I got used to the peaceful life here. My stomach and other parts of my body hurt, and I didn’t have the energy to get up.

As a result, I’d been lying face-down on the bed and hugging my pillow ever since I woke up.

Seven years of Ayame’s guidance didn’t prepare me for “this” one bit.

Such a delicate topic had always been uncharted territory for me.

As my thoughts went on and on in circles… there was a quiet knock on the door.

“I’m sorry, I had some urgent business to do.”

Aini-san, who had been out on business, entered the room.

The appearance of a professional doctor caused tears to well up in my eyes from relief.

“…You don’t look so good.”

“Aini-san… It hurts so much… Am I going to die?”

“Don’t worry, you aren’t going to die… I have to admit, it’s really unpleasant, though.”

She then slowly patted me on the back. Just that made me feel a little calmer.

“…I’m really sorry. I thought you’ve already experienced it, given your age. I should have explained it in advance.”

Afterward, she took my temperature and examined various parts of my body. I was silent and allowed the examination to continue.

“I’m going to ask you a few questions, so please answer honestly, okay?”

One by one, I answered her questions as she jotted down notes.

At first, she seemed to have an uneasy look, but as the questions went on, her expression softened.

“…Mm, you don’t seem to be sick or anything. The severity of your symptoms is probably due to stress and irregular living habits lately. You’ve been staying up late at night, sleeping during the day, and leaving food on your plate, right?”

“Yes, I can’t seem to sleep well at night, and I have no appetite.”

“But even so, you need to eat at least something to fill your stomach.”

“I’ll be careful about that in the future…”

I was being admonished.

I wasn’t scared by her gentle, older sister-like tone, but I felt apologetic all the same.

…She was right in the money about the stress part. Ever since I came to this world, I’d been under constant mental strain. The few days I’d spent in this capital city were much too peaceful in comparison.

“I know it’s not the best thing, but… How about some sweets?”

“Please don’t…”

I actually really wanted some sweets, but I had no desire to put anything in my mouth at the moment.

Seeing this, Aini-san started brewing some… herbal tea? I stared blankly at the transparent glass pot as the yellow-green liquid slowly filled up.

“Most people tend to get hungry during these periods… but I guess Iris-chan is the type to lose her appetite instead? Can you drink this?”

At her words, I slowly changed my position and sat down at the edge of the bed. I carefully put my mouth to the cup of tea-like substance that she is handing me.

As expected, it’s herbal tea.

The smell was refreshing, like lemon, with a slight tingling sensation of ginger… I didn’t feel nauseous at all, so I guess it’s okay to drink.

When I took a sip, I felt a refreshing scent going straight through my nose, and the faint sweetness of honey made my chest lighten.

“…It’s alright.”

“That’s much better. Now that it’s early summer, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, but don’t drink too much cold water. I’m leaving some tea bags and medicine with you just in case things get really bad, however, you shouldn’t take the medicine more than once every six hours.”

As she said this, she placed the medicine packages one by one on the bedside table, each with a memo attached that listed the dosage and precautions.

“And healing magic is prohibited. This is a physiological phenomenon caused by normal body functions, so I don’t think it would be very good to forcibly stop it with magic.”

“Yes… Although, for some reason, I can’t use it at all right now.”

“That’s probably also a part of your current condition. I hear that the Saints under the Church’s protection also have similar symptoms. My hypothesis is that your body is on some kind of safety mode.”

So I shouldn’t carelessly try to use it.

When I used healing magic on someone else, I would be exposed to its light and get affected by it.

“Here, take this.”

Aini-san took out something from the pouch she was holding.

“What’s it?”

“There’s one already put inside your underwear, but I hope you know how to use it yourself… It has to be replaced quite often.”

I looked closely at the piece of cloth given to me… it looked quite thin.

I was worried that something like this would work, but Aini-san told me that it contained a highly absorbent powder that was painstakingly created by an alchemist, and it would last longer than it looks.

…Apparently, the powder was made by extracting only the water-retaining component of a slime’s mucus. It seemed a little creepy to me.

Also according to Aini-san, there were several types of this thin piece of cloth, such as for heavy usage, or for night usage, which made me realize how difficult it is to live as a girl.

Even though it’s thin, the stiff feeling of having an extra layer wedged between my crotch and underwear was unpleasant.

Knowing that I had to do this for several days, and moreover, it happened every month, I started to feel extremely gloomy about my future.

In the meantime, after the explanation ended, I actually replaced my current one, which had already absorbed a lot of blood, with the one I was given… Aini-san then handed me a small pouch full of these thin cloths.

“I know it’s a lot to take in… but are you going to be okay on your own?”

“…I’ll do my best.”

“This is Iris-chan’s first time, so I don’t think it’ll be too much… but do let me know as soon as you’re running low on those. Also, even if it doesn’t leak, replace it at regular intervals and before going to bed at night, okay?”

“Yes… Thank you for everything, Aini-san.”

I thought back to the terrible state of the cloth I just disposed of, and this wasn’t considered “too much”?

As it turned out, studying about my body left me even more depressed than before.

After telling me to call her in the room next door if anything happened, Aini-san finally left, leaving me alone in the quiet room again.

“I guess this is proof… that my body is ready to bear a child?”

It was an incredibly surreal thing to think about.

If this was my old world, if I had still been “him”… having my own children was something I’d long given up on.

But now, I had a body that can grow a baby in my own stomach…

Although I didn’t really feel it right now… I wonder if the day would come when I’d have a child.

When touching my lower abdomen, which still felt heavy, I began to fantasize…

“…?!”

My body suddenly jumped up. My heart was pounding.

Why did the first thing that comes to my mind has to be an image of me with a large belly being supported by Reiji-san?!

It’s not like I hadn’t imagined something like that before, but…

“…Let’s just sleep.”

I collapsed onto the bed, stopped thinking and fell asleep, as if to run away from something…

I woke up again to the sound of pottery.

“…Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“Nii-sama?”

“I brought dinner… Could you give it a taste?”

When I heard about “dinner”, I looked outside and saw that the scenery beyond the window was already starting to change from red to black, and the sun had set quite a bit. It seems that I had been asleep for a few hours.

Though I still felt sick, I was feeling a little bit better now.

Aini-san did tell me to eat more, so I decided to get up and eat the food Nii-sama brought.

“…Huh?”

I was surprised at Nii-sama’s choice of food.

On the table was chicken and daikon radish in a stew. The smell of soy sauce and ginger stimulated my empty stomach just right. And then…

“Is this… red rice?”

It was, undoubtedly, Japanese cuisine.

Rice cooked with red beans was served in a bowl.

“Haha, well… I was simply fulfilling a promise I made to you.”

“Does that mean… you cooked all this, Nii-sama?”

Looking back, I think he did say something like that when we were losing against that shadowy monster.

He really kept those words to heart, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

“But where did you get the ingredients?”

“It wasn’t easy to find someone selling goods from the Eastern Islands in this city, but I took my sweet time doing that. All for you, of course.”

And so Nii-sama led me to my seat.

Taking a pair of chopsticks, I put them in the stew in front of me, starting with the daikon radish, which I was most comfortable with.

It seemed to be well-cooked, as I easily broke off a piece with my chopsticks and brought them to my mouth.

“Ah…”

“How does it taste? I did a pretty good job with it, if I say so myself.”

It had a very nostalgic taste.

The daikon radish soaked up the flavor of the ingredients well, and had a slightly sour citrus taste, and was lighter than I expected, so I was able to swallow it without much resistance.

If I had to describe, it tasted like…

“Nii-sama, you…”

…like my grandmother’s cooking we used to eat when we were staying at our grandparents’ home. Such a distant memory from my old world was coming back in full force.

“…Looks like my skills haven’t gotten rusty here. Do you know that Grandma cooked me this dish when ‘that day’ came to me the first time?”

“I see… Thank you, Ayame… It’s really delicious…”

I couldn’t control my emotions, and tears started to well up in my eyes, but I couldn’t put down my chopsticks.

The red rice was also more delicious than I expected, and I was filled with joy after eating a proper meal for the first time in days.

“…It must have been tough for you, with that body.”

“What was it like for you back then, Ayame?”

“It was… super rough. I guess it’s in our blood. Though, you’re surprisingly calm during all this, Iris. I was so… irritable during those periods.”

“That’s because… I used to be in my twenties, I think.”

Because I’d already gone through puberty once, I had a psychological brake on me, and I didn’t feel like lashing out at people around me at this point.

“Maybe you’re right… Onii-chan was a grown adult after all…”

“Ayame?”

Her face suddenly darkened.

“…This is supposed to be a good occasion… but thinking on it now, I feel a bit complicated.”

“Complicated? How so?”

“Iris, you didn’t become a girl on your own volition, did you? Would it be inconsiderate of me to celebrate you for such an occasion like this?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already accepted body for what it is, and it’s not Ayame’s fault that we were sent to this world.”

“…Yeah.”

“And… I’m not sure if that applies to everyone else, but I… I’m sure I’m going to stay like this forever even if we somehow return to our world.”

“Is it because of what happened during your reincarnation?”

“Yes… I think that the white book must have completely overwritten my original existence…”

I let out a strained smile.

Seeing my expression, Nii-sama just blurted out “I see”, and gathered up the empty plates and got up from his seat.

“I’ll be going, then. Get some rest, and please show a healthy face to Reiji soon, okay? He’s been looking really worried.”

“Wait, did Reiji-san know about…”

I really didn’t want any man to know what exactly happened to me, especially him.

“He doesn’t. I figured that you don’t want any man to know about it.”

“Thank goodness…”

“So, rest well, Iris.”

“You too, Nii-sama.”

The door was then closed again.

I decided to focus on resting for the rest of today as well, and prepared for bed.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

On that day, I was woken up as usual by Lenny-san, who had returned from the mercenary company and resumed her duty as a maid.

“*yawns*…”

“Did you not get enough sleep again?”

“Hnn… I went to bed at my usual time, but I couldn’t sleep well at all…”

Because of that, I felt nothing but fatigue in my body.

But I didn’t want to be lazy when I was being taken care of, so I rubbed my eyes and got up to get dressed as usual. Still half asleep, I tried to do my usual physical ability enhancement treatment…

“…What?”

“Is something wrong?”

Even though I was still half asleep, cold sweat broke out of my body, and my face went pale.

“…I can’t… use magic.”

The air in the room froze over as I muttered under my breath.

“I really didn’t expect everyone to freak out like that.”

“Ahaha… For now, it’s a good thing that nothing serious happened, Iris-chan.”

We were now strolling around the city, at Titilia-san’s suggestion.

Aside from she and I, Lenny-san was following me as usual, while Reiji-san and Philias-san tagged along as escorts. Since there were so many of us at once, we decided to wear casual clothes to appear as inconspicuous as possible and went for a walk in the capital city.

This, was the first time I’d worn a hooded parka in this body.

I’d never worn a short skirt before, either… Even though it’s only a little above knee-length… It felt somehow refreshing.

“So, how did it go?”

“Unfortunately, since Aini-san is away on business at the moment, a detailed analysis isn’t possible…”

We did perform a simple examination without Aini-san, whose results weren’t particularly problematic. However, the flow of magic, which could normally usually be opened and closed freely, was temporarily sealed for some reason.

“My magic power itself is fine, apparently. However, it seems like my body is… refusing to use magic? Something like that…”

“Refusing? Could it be the same as self-defense instincts that kicked in when you ran out of magic before?”

“It’s similar, but not quite, I think…”

I myself didn’t understand this kind of thing well, since it’s the first time for me, so I shook my head.

“In any case, I’m really glad that you’re here, Titilia-san.”

Because she was capable of using the same physical enhancement spell, I could still walk around, and our trip to the city didn’t end up getting cancelled.

“Enchanter is awesome, right?”

“It’s certainly more effective than when I cast it myself.”

As expected of a professional, I thought. Not only was it effective, but it was also fine-tuned so that I could feel comfortable when moving.

“Well, there’s no use thinking about stuff I don’t understand. Since we’re in town, let’s enjoy ourselves.”

“That’s a good idea, Iris-chan. Is there anywhere you wish to see?”

“Let me think about it…”

In fact, since arriving in this city, there’s one thing that I was looking forward to, which I told everyone about.

“Thank you very much for the goods, ma’am.”

“Any friend of Phi-chan’s is warmly welcomed in my shop! Come back again anytime!”

I bowed to the lady who owned the stall and took my leave.

The contents of the brand-new package I hugged in my chest were various colored pencils and a sketchbook.

Satisfied with the quality of the items I found at the stall Philias-san recommended me, my sinking mood was now completely lifted.

“Good for you, Iris-chan.”

“All thanks to your help, Philias-san. Though, I didn’t know you’re so well-known here.”

“Haha, well, when I was younger, I was a well-known tomboy in this city.”

Because Philias-san was somewhat of a celebrity in this city, people didn’t pay much attention to me next to her, which was a big help. Perhaps this was what they had in mind when they only allowed me to go outside with her escort.

There’s something else I wanted to ask of her, however.

“Um, I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this, but…”

“Hmm? Ask away.”

“Don’t you have any hard feelings toward me? Your noble status… your family, was taken away from you because of me, wasn’t it?”

Although I didn’t remember it personally… the reason why Philias-san’s family fell from grace was because of her father’s abduction and confinement of me… or rather “Her Highness Irisria”.

In a sense,          I could be considered a culprit, but Philias-san had always treated me well, so I couldn’t help but get worried.

Philias-san gently placed her hand on my head over the hood.

“Ahaha, that’s not true at all. No matter how you look at it, my father got it coming for doing such a thing. Besides… I don’t have any attachments to my old identity anymore.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I’m a mercenary, remember? If I still identified as a nobleman’s daughter, things could get awkward with the other members.”

As she said those words, I could feel that she was longing for someone, judging from her maiden-like expression.

“…Are you talking about the Captain?”

“?!”

Philias-san suddenly started coughing violently. I was surprised and blinked my eyes.

“Wha… How?!”

She turned bright red, flapped her mouth while staring wide-eyed at me. I thought she was a dependable older sister, but this side of her seemed kind of cute.

“Iris-chan… You’re weirdly perceptive sometimes… If only you weren’t so dense regarding yourself…”

“Eh?”

“F-Forget I said anything! …You’ll keep secret about it, right? Right?”

“Y…Yes…”

I vigorously nodded, partly because I felt a bit intimidated by her stare.

Though, from what I gathered from the mercenaries, pretty much everyone (except Captain Walter and Zeltis-san, that is) was talking about something along that line… I guess I should keep that a secret, too.

After leisurely strolling down the main street that connects the east and west gates, we had arrived at a café in a corner of the central square, which was decorated with fountains and canals. It was another recommendation from Philias-san.

We were led to the café terrace, which had a good view of the square. After we had placed our orders, the table was filled with a variety of cakes that the three other women had ordered in large quantities.

“Iris-chan, are you okay with just tea?”

“Mm, I just don’t feel like eating today.”

In front of me, was only some lemon tea. I picked up the lemon that was placed next to the cup, wondering if it was uncouth, and bit into it.

…For some reason, these past few days, I’d been feeling calmer when I bite into sour fruits. My loss of appetite had continued, my stomach was heavy, and I’d been constantly feeling a little nauseous.

I was really drawn to sweets, but… I gave up on the cake because the mere sight of it, which looked so calorie-rich, made me feel sick to my stomach.

“In any case, I heard that everyone in the mercenary company just left the city even though they just arrived here. They’re always so busy, aren’t they?”

“I know, right? I wouldn’t be here relaxing and drinking tea like this without you, Iris-chan.”

Philias-san, without a care in the world, stuck a fork into her own cake, took a bite of the creamy top, and writhed in pleasure.

“Mmm~ I don’t mind doing this every once in a while. I never get the chance to eat fancy desserts like these in the company…”

“Then, can I come along next time we do this again? The sweets here are so good!”

Reiji-san and I, who only had tea and nothing else, looked at each other and smiled wryly as Philias-san and Titilia-san were beaming with joy.

Surrounded by girls, Reiji-san seemed uncomfortably alone… or rather, he was sweating profusely for some reason, while anxiously watching the people passing by on the street.

“Uh, may I ask something? Why are the mercenaries going on a joint exercise with the soldiers dispatched to Diamant Valley?”

Suddenly, Reiji-san asked in a murmur. Because I was curious about that matter, I nodded in agreement with him.

“Ah, about that, well, the culprits are sitting right here. It’s Iris-chan and this other little lady.”

“…Eh?”

“…Fueh?!”

I stopped chewing the lemon, and Titilia-san’s hand holding the fork froze in its track when the topic was turned to us.

“You both… I hope you understand the gravity of your power a little more, please.”

“Huh?”

“Us?”

We tilted our head at each other, then at Philias-san.

“You know what, you’re like two peas in a pod… Anyway, what’s your biggest strength in battle, in your opinion?”

“Um, it’s healing magic for me.”

“It’s enhancement magic, but why?”  

“It’s nowhere near as flashy as Reiji-san or Milly-san…”

“True, true. Iris-chan aside, I can only do things behind the scene, you know?”

For some reason, Philias-san looked like she’s having an aneurysm when she heard our answers.

“What I’m trying to say is… your powers are the kind of power that allows people to exert much higher capabilities than usual… What do you think will happen if they get used to it?”

“Um, they become… overconfident?”

After thinking for a moment, I spoke up timidly. She smiled and nodded, as if she had been waiting for those words.

“That’s right. Because the effects of support magic are not directly visible, even if they can defeat the enemy thanks to the increased abilities provided by magic, they may come to believe that they could have defeated them on their own… If that happens when they’re in a situation where such support magic is unavailable, they may misjudge the power difference and get into trouble.”

At worst, it could become a matter of life and death, said Philias-san, taking a bite of cake. We all looked solemn.

“…I think I understand what you mean. I, myself, had forgotten until this morning that I can’t do anything without magic or equipment.”

“Yeah, something like that. That’s why everyone is currently undergoing the Captain’s special training regime to re-evaluate their true strength. Man, I’m just glad I’m sitting here instead of having to go through that.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with you… I’m sure that irritating person will be well-trained by the time he comes back.”

Lenny-san quietly vented her frustration at the currently absent Weiss-san as she cleared her plate of cake with a reserved gesture.

…Please return safely, everyone.

Thus, I silently offered my prayers to the faraway soldiers and mercenaries.

“Hey, Iris-chan, let’s go check out already…?”

My consciousness resurfaced at someone calling my name. I must have dozed off again.

“Come on, let’s go. We were talking about going to see some clothes next, but are you okay? Do you want Reiji-san to bring you home early?”

“Ah… I’m sorry, I’ll be going no-”

I hurriedly tried to stand up, but…

SQUISH

I felt a slimy, sticky sensation coming from between my thighs. My underwear was stuck to my skin with some sort of liquid, making me feel extremely uncomfortable.

“What’s the matter?”

“…It’s nothing. Please go on ahead.”

“Really? Okay, but I hope you catch up soon.”

After confirming that she was walking away, I slipped into the shadows.

“…Eh? What on earth…?”

I timidly lifted up my skirt so that no one else can see… then, I saw…

Several dark red streaks running down my thighs.

The small piece of clothing that covered the area above the thighs and the lower abdomen was tainted red…

Ah, I’m going to faint…

“…IRIS-CHAN?!”

Yelled Titilia-san, who seemed to have noticed what was happening, but by that time, my consciousness had already faded to black…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Does it… look weird on me?”

“No, it’s perfect in my opinion. You should be more confident in yourself.”

As I was checking my appearance, my attendant, a maid assigned to me by the Count, smiled and gave her approval.

My current outfit was a red checkered long skirt, currently in fashion for young ladies from high-class families, and a slightly thin blouse to wear during early summer.

Apparently, royalty in this country had laxer dress code than I expected, saving the elaborate dress that looks like it comes out of a storybook for only the most important occasions.

Thanks to that, I was able to wear something comfortable and easy to move in.

…Though, this outfit must be quite expensive.

I was walking towards a room in the annex, a small basket in hand.

Inside was a late lunch for Reiji-san, who didn’t show up anywhere even at lunchtime.

Recently, Reiji-san was either locked up in his study or sweating it out on the training ground, and I was worried that he wasn’t eating properly.

So I got permission from the Count to use the kitchen, and I tried my hand in cooking for the first time after so long.

I was pretty confident in it myself. Nii-sama, Titilia-san, the head chef, and the maids all gave the thumb up. Even the Count, busy as he was, set aside some of his time to give it a taste and almost ate it all.

“I wonder if Reiji-san will like it too…”

My steps were light as I approached the Count’s private study, where Reiji-san holed up inside.

As I reached my destination, my heart started to beat faster.

Still, I took a deep breath, strengthened my resolve, and knocked on the door lightly.

“Please excuse me…”

The door was unlocked, and the knob turned easily when I put my hand on it. I quietly opened the door, and found the person I was looking for right away.

He was sitting with his back to me, looking engrossed in a book… but if I looked closely, his head was slightly bobbing up and down.

I moved to the front to check on him… It seemed that he had fallen asleep halfway through reading a book, which was still open on his lap.

“Reiji-san?”

“Hngh… Huh, did I fall asleep?”

With a loud yawn, he got up and immediately reached for the book, but I gently stopped him.

“You shouldn’t overwork yourself like that. It’s already past noon, you need to eat something.”

“…Yeah, my bad.”

“It’s fine. I’m actually amazed that you’re so devoted to studying lately.”

As I said that, I took out the contents of the basket on the table… a dish like quiche in my old world, made with vegetables and bacon, and served it on a plate.

I made it in the kitchen I borrowed, using the recipe Auntie Miranda had given me.

I felt bad for the chefs there, who watched from behind me with anxiety the entire time, but to be honest, it was fun to cook for someone.

Thinking that the quiche might not be enough for Reiji-san, I also prepared a few round breads, some cheese and pickles, along with a flask of sugared tea to help him study… I lined them up on the table.

However, all of this food was for him only. As for me, I brought some tea of my own, that’s all.

“Iris, aren’t you going to eat too?”

“I don’t know why, but I haven’t had much of an appetite since this morning. I did have a little taste, so please don’t worry about me.”

“Okay then, I’m digging in.”

I watched with bated breath as Reiji-san took a fork and cut off a piece of the quiche, then carried it to his mouth.

“…Damn, that’s so good!”

“Hehe, I’m glad that you like it.”

Though, all things considered, it was a surprisingly easy recipe. I just needed to stir-fry vegetables and bacon, mix them with eggs and cream, pour them into a pie crust, add cheese, and bake in the oven.

The most difficult part was operating the oven, but the kitchen staff helped me with adjusting the temperature and checking the baking time, so I didn’t have to do much… In the future, I would definitely try out more difficult recipes, if the Count permitted me to use the kitchen again.

“I mean, this is some serious gourmet stuff you cooked. Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

For a while, only the sound of dishes clinking could be heard in the room.

“Is your studying difficult?”

“Well, I take it upon myself to study, so I can’t complain about it. You and Saul are studying etiquette too, right?”

“Yes… it’s completely different from what I’m used to back in the game…”

“Hahaha… Guess we all have to work hard in our own way, huh?”

“That’s right.”

We both let out a wry smile.

“By the way, are you still not allowed to go outside?”

Reiji-san, who seemed to realize something, suddenly asked.

“Not yet… Captain Walter and the mercenaries will catch up with us soon, so I was told that I can go out when Philias-san returns.”

I told him Titilia-san, who was itching to go shopping with me, was very unhappy to hear that, to which Reiji-san replied with a simple “I see”.

“Well, when that time comes, feel free to call upon me. I’m happy to escort you guys, and it’ll be a good change of pace for me as well.”

“Yes, I shall take your offer with grace.”

When I said that with a serious face, as if it were part of my etiquette studies, we both burst out laughing, even though I didn’t know what was so funny.

Thinking about it, it feels like it’s been a while since we had a proper conversation in the past few days. I’m really glad I made lunch.

While thinking about such things, I tilted my cup and look at Reiji-san, who was engrossed in his meal.

The early summer sun shining through the window was still soft, and the breeze blowing in provided just the right amount of coolness.

As such peaceful time slowly flowed by… suddenly, I felt sleepy.

My hands were already shaking as I put the cup back on the saucer. The sleepiness then became irresistible, and my consciousness sank into the darkness…

“…e up! Hey, wake up!”

As the sensation of being lightly shaken and a voice reached my ears, my consciousness floated back to the surface.

“Thank goodness, you’re finally awake. Don’t just fall asleep so suddenly on me, you know?”

“I feel asleep?”

“Are you really alright? When you said you had no appetite, I was worried that something’s wrong with you.”

“No, it’s not like that…”

It was a lie. The truth is… since yesterday, I’d been suddenly overcome by sleepiness and falling into a deep sleep all of a sudden.

On the other hand, my sleep cycle had become unstable, such as not being able to sleep at night.

Once, I almost fell asleep while walking, and I almost collapsed if Nii-sama hadn’t been by my side.

But, even if Reiji-san in front of me looked so worried, I couldn’t tell him about it…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Um, Aini-san… Do we really have to do this…?”

We were inside a room in the castle that gave the impression of being functional rather than ornate.

It was tightly locked and closed off with thick curtains so that it cannot be seen from the outside.

In addition, strict security was put in place to temporarily prohibit entry to this particular floor.

Only Aini-san and I sat face to face within this room.

My physical examination was being conducted. The strict security was to ensure that not a single word of this conversation was leaked to anyone else. However…

For almost half an hour, I’d been sitting there, clutching the hem of my dress while making a difficult face.

This was the last item left to be done during the examination, including blood tests. If it wasn’t finished, she wouldn’t be able to conclude the examination.

I wished to be done with it, too, but… I just… can’t…

“I’m sorry, this is embarrassing, but it’s also to protect you, in a way.”

“I know, but…”

“Please trust me, I consider myself a professional in this field, after all.”

With a sudden change in her atmosphere, my shoulders trembled.

She still wore a gentle smile, but the air around her was firm, as if she was determined not to back down from her duties. I guess it would be rude to keep hesitating like this to Aini-san…

“……I understand.”

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I steeled myself, tightly closed my eyes… and slowly lifted my skirt.

The thin dress I wore for the examination had no underwear underneath. A small cry escaped my lips as I felt the sensation of my most private place being exposed to the air in public, with nothing to protect it.

“Well then, if you excuse me… please don’t strain yourself.”

I shook my head vigorously at her words and squeezed my eyes shut… I felt like I’d die of embarrassment.

Nevertheless, she moved her fingers toward…

“…Have you calmed down now?”

“Yes… Sorry for troubling you…”

Still wiping the tears that seeped out due to the shame that was still tormenting me, I raised my face. I couldn’t stay down forever, so I took a deep breath and lifted my mood.

As I was doing that, I heard a light knock on the door. Then, a man’s voice.

“May I enter?”

It was Leonhardt-sama, the lord of this castle.

Aini-san eyed me for my opinion, and I nodded my head.

I’d already changed into normal clothes, which consisted of a blouse, long skirt and proper underwear, so there’s no problem with letting him in.

“You may come in, Leonhardt-sama. We’ve finished the examination.”

“…Pardon my intrusion.”

Leonhardt-sama then entered the room… and immediately kneeled before me.

“Your Highness Irisria… Forgive me for putting you through so much.”

“It’s fine… I understand that it’s necessary… Please, raise your head.”

He seemed really sorry about it, and I couldn’t help but hang my head, fidgeting with my fingers, but I understood where he was coming from.

The chastity of royal and noble women is important.

Since I was an unmarried royal princess who’d been missing for years, and I’d actually been kidnapped by villains, “that” is a major concern… It was a matter that had to be confirmed as a top priority.

Especially in this world, because royalty everywhere was descended from the “sacred” Lightwing bloodline, people took this matter very seriously.

In fact, in the past, when an unmarried member of the royal family lost her virginity to some unknown person, she was asked to commit suicide, or publicly treated as dead from illness and had to spend the rest of her life in captivity. Hearing about it made my blood run cold.

Therefore, it wasn’t wrong for Aini-san to say that proving my chastity was in a way, protecting me.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that I nearly died of embarrassment!

Even if it was done by another woman, it’s just… ugh…

If there was a saving grace to all this, Aini-san performed the examination quickly without changing her expression, as expected of a professional.

“So, what’s the result, Miss Aini?”

“Aside from the existing condition of the legs, there’s no problem with her health. She’s the same person who went missing years ago.”

“I see… That’s good to hear.”

“In addition , her magical wavelength perfectly matched with the sample stored in this castle… The genetic test is still pending in the capital, but at this point, it is safe to say that she is the real Princess Irisria. As one of the Selectors, I guarantee it.”

“I’ll let His Majesty know about it. Thank you for your hard work.”

“There’s no need to say that. I was simply doing my duty.”

Aini-san smiled as she said that. Back when I was about to leave that town, I heard that she left the clinic in the hand of someone else and followed me to the capital. It’s likely that she was assigned as my personal physician.

The “Selectors” she spoke of were the ones who have the rights to nominate and vote for candidates who are eligible to inherit the throne when deciding the next king in this country.

In the past, there were seven such Selectors, six most powerful nobles and a representative of the Church of Ailene. However, the scope had been expanded in recent years, and several people from the general public (most of whom are often the heads of urban areas), as well as the heads of the Knight Order, civil officials, and distant relatives of the royal family who do not have the right of succession, had been appointed. Aini-san belonged to the last category.

Because Aini-san, a Selector, recognized my identity, I’d been officially reinstated to the royal family and granted the right of succession to the throne.

…I wondered if this is good or bad. I felt complicated, but at least I wouldn’t be executed for impersonating a member of the royal family.

“…Is something the matter?”

As the two of them continued their businesslike conversation, Leonhardt-sama noticed that I had fallen silent and spoke to me.

“Um… I had a lot to think about, that’s all. I would like to go out and get some fresh air. Is that okay?”

“Then you should go out of the room and up the stairs to the right to the balcony. Today’s weather is clear, and the wind is gentle. It’s just the right temperature.”

“Thank you very much… I’ll be back soon.”

I stopped Leonhardt-sama, who was about to move to escort me, with my gaze and left the room.

The path to the stairs… My feet moved without hesitation, as if this body remembered it, and I reached it immediately.

“…Iris? Done with the examination already?”

Just as I was about to climb the stairs, a familiar voice called out from the corridor on the opposite side.

“You too, Nii-sama?”

“Yes. It looks like that I’m undoubtedly ‘Prince Saulquez’ in this world.”

Nii-sama sighed.

Since we had the same destination, I naturally took the hand offered to me and began climbing the stairs while being escorted.

“What now? I’ll let you know that I’m not the biggest fan of this inheriting the throne stuff, it’s just too much…”

“I can’t believe it’s actually happening either.”

Somehow, I managed to form a wry smile in response.

After climbing the stairs, the two of us walked leisurely down the corridor. This floor was very quiet because it only has a lookout and the roof balcony of this Rolandia Castle, which is attached to the mountainside.

I didn’t know why, but I was aware of this castle’s layout. Nii-sama next to me seemed to be the same, as there was no hesitation in his steps.

“The balcony’s here. Watch your step.”

Nii-sama went on ahead through the exit leading outside, then suddenly took my hand and pulled me out into the balcony, where a pleasant breeze was blowing.

“Wow…”

“An amazing scenery, is it not?”

A rooftop garden spread out in front of me. Not just that, this Rolandia Castle, built on the side of the mountain and took advantage of the slope, was located high enough for me to see the entire city from above.

The view was simply spectacular.

Running to the fence, I grabbed the railing and looked out at the view. It’s the time of day when people were probably enjoying tea. The early summer sun was not too strong, but it gently warmed my body. The wind that blew quietly and gently swayed my hair was very pleasant. With this scenery as a backdrop, I felt a pleasant time flowing by.

And yet, this gentle scenery was making my heart race. It seemed to be the same for Nii-sama, who was looking at it with a distant look in his eyes.

“For some reason, I feel strangely… nostalgic.”

“Tell me about it.”

This place, which was supposed to be a different world for us, where we should have stood for the first time… was as if we had known it before…

(Author’s Note)

I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what happened during the examination.