Chapter 6

Holding the shock in my hand and the characters that floated into my mind, I stood there frozen for a moment.

What? These characters I’ve never seen before. And why can I read them...?

"Edeline?"

I was startled by the puzzled look on the king’s face. At the same moment, the characters vanished from my mind.

"Ah, I’m sorry. I just saw something strange..."

Confused, I looked at Ai, and she was staring intently at the northern sky beyond the window.

I gently touched her shoulder again, but nothing happened this time. ...Was it just my imagination?

The king took a step closer to me.

"What do you mean by 'something strange'?"

"Ah, well... I thought I saw the word 'skill'..."

The moment I said that, King Yuri’s eyes widened. Then he firmly grabbed my shoulder.

"Did a skill activate!?"

"Eh, um? What do you mean by 'activate'...?"

Confused, I listened as the king explained quickly.

"Apparently, the successive holy maidens can use a special 'skill' magic. If she can use a skill, it means she’s the real holy maiden...!"

Hearing those words, I tried hard to recall what I had seen earlier.

"...The characters I saw just now were indeed readable as 'Holy Maiden Ai.' And then, 'Skill: Monster Detection.'"

"Monster Detection? Impossible...!"

The king’s face turned serious. After confirming the direction Ai was still staring at, he instructed the royal guards.

"Summon the knights!"

"Yes, sir."

The king turned to me.

"I’ll be away for a while. Please take care of the holy maiden in my absence."

I nodded.

After watching the king and the knights leave the room in a hurry, I gently moved closer to Ai.

...If she can use the magic unique to the holy maiden, then Ai really is the holy maiden, isn’t she?

Thinking about the heavy responsibility that would fall on her small shoulders made my heart ache. I just want her to be enveloped in happiness after all the hardships she’s endured...

At that moment, Ai looked at me. She seemed confused, not quite understanding what had happened, with a troubled expression.

Seeing her face, I made a decision.

...No, whether she’s the holy maiden or not doesn’t matter.

If it comes to this, I’ll protect this child!

I took a deep breath and raised my fist.

◇

A few days later, King Yuri came to us while Ai and I were drawing. Ai quickly hid behind me.

"Edeline, listen! The 'Monster Detection' you told me about was indeed functioning!"

The king spoke excitedly.

He explained that there was a village in the direction Ai had been staring at, and he had dispatched the knights there. For a few days, there was no news, and he began to think it was a false alarm. But then, monsters attacked. Thanks to the knights being fully prepared, everyone in the village and the knights were safe, with only a few minor injuries.

"Oh...! I’m so relieved everyone is safe. Ai did something amazing."

I hugged Ai tightly, but she shook her head, looking troubled.

"...You’re saying it wasn’t because of you?"

She nodded. King Yuri leaned in.

"No, it was because of you. How many lives do you think were saved because we knew about the monster attack? You are undoubtedly the holy maiden..."

He stopped, realizing Ai looked scared.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you."

He pressed his forehead. I smiled. It’s a big improvement that he’s aware of it.

I gently stroked Ai’s head, who still seemed unsure.

"Ai, you’re very smart. You’re aware of what you’ve done. My sister would probably be like, 'I don’t really understand, but I got praised! Hehe!'"

I mimicked my sister’s posture, and Ai giggled.

Then, after a moment’s hesitation, I decided to say what I had been thinking.

"...And, the power of the holy maiden is wonderful, but even without it, I think you’re a wonderful child."

Ai looked at me curiously.

"Even though we’ve only been together for a short time, I’ve found so many good things about you."

I smiled and took a deep breath, my eyes perhaps sparkling.

"First, your smile is so cute. Then, the way you enjoy your meals. And how you get sleepy right after eating. And how you melt in the bath. And how you drool in your sleep."

My rapid-fire compliments made Ai wave her hands in a fluster. Her blushing face was adorable.

I gently touched my forehead to her small, round forehead.

"Actually, Ai, you’re amazing just by being alive. ...Thank you for being born."

I’m not praising you because you’re the holy maiden. I’m praising you because you’re you.

My feelings must have reached her. Ai squeezed her eyes shut, looking like she might cry but also happy.

"King Yuri,"

I cupped Ai’s cheeks in my hands and turned to the king.

"She is Ai before she is the holy maiden. Please call her 'Ai' instead of 'holy maiden.'"

The king’s eyes widened.

"...Understood. From now on, I’ll call her Ai. ...Is it okay to call you that?"

We looked at Ai. She looked up at me and the king and nodded.

"Hehe. Let’s do lots of fun things together. Picnics, boat rides, cake buffets... Ah, King Yuri, you should join us too?"

"Edeline... For a moment, you seemed to forget about me."

King Yuri said with a complex expression, and I laughed. Ai was smiling too.