Chapter 86

EP.86 Speeding - 1

Returning to the mansion was put on hold.

In reality, it was more of a superficial delay.

In fact, it was closer to preparing to return home 'properly'.

“What revelation did you receive? Hero.”

The most important thing was what revelation she had received. Depending on that, the course of action for the future would be decided.

In response to the Holy King’s question, Aria hesitated a bit before speaking.

“‘Meet the darkness and stand against evil’...”

At her words, everyone wore a puzzled expression. On the surface, it seemed to mean confronting evil in the darkness, but there were many uncertainties about it.

“...Was the revelation that detailed?”

First, Lumine considered the peculiarity of the revelation. It was distinctly different from the revelations received by Aria and the previous saints, as well as the first hero.

“...Yes? It’s also written on this scabbard...”

She extended the scabbard that Leo had made for her. On the scabbard, as if etched with a branding iron, the words

[Meet the darkness and stand against evil.]

...were inscribed. Moreover, such a form of a holy mark almost never appeared unless it was a holy relic.

“...Meet the darkness and stand against evil...”

[Why? Is it different from the previous revelation?]

At moments when many people were around, the wise one took advantage of the situation to summon the spirit.

<Yes, it’s a bit different.>

Certainly, the revelation Aria received before the regression was ‘stand against evil.’ While this was in the same vein, the addition of ‘meet the darkness’ was certainly a point of concern.

<...Is the aftermath of the regression affecting the divine revelation?>

[Who knows? I can’t tell if the god can sense the changed future and past.]

Now, whether the God of Light had changed the revelation simply because the past had changed, or whether he had seen everything, including his own actions and events that had not yet occurred, was something only the god would know.

“Then, how should we interpret this revelation?”

“That’s up to you, Hero. Revelations are closer to enlightenment than commands.”

In this sense, the peculiarity of this divine revelation was even more emphasized. Most of the previous revelations had ended with just a few words.

“In my case, it was ‘learn the teachings.’”

While it seemed contradictory, it also made one think that the current Holy King had performed the revelation well.

“What about you, Lumine?”

“Oh, mine was ‘heal.’”

It was a revelation that required no further explanation. Lumine was dedicated to healing both physically and socially.

“...It really is unusual for me.”

Aria’s voice had dropped a notch, perhaps due to her unease. Without precedent, it was bound to be unsettling and frightening.

“Then, what happens next? Do we need to interpret the revelation?”

When one is afraid, it’s best to know what to do. That way, the fear of the unknown disappears, and a solution becomes apparent.

“Oh, as I mentioned earlier, Lady Aria, you are free to return.”

“Huh? Right away?”

Though she had longed for discharge, Aria was taken aback by the unexpectedly easy permission.

Indeed, whenever Aria had tried to leave, claiming to have received a revelation or sneaking out, the Holy King had held her back as if he had the eyes of a god.

“Keeping promises is important, Hero. Don’t you agree, everyone?”

At this meaningful advice, Aria smiled awkwardly. However, Leonardo’s awkward smile was a mystery.

“Upon receiving the revelation, Lady Aria will be virtually proven as a hero. How could I, a mere agent, break the promise with the embodiment of light?”

It was a valid point, but given the Holy King’s usual nature, it might also be a subtle jab.

But this was good news.

“Can I really go back?!”

“Of course. A farewell party...”

“No, it’s fine!! Let’s go!!”

Aria dismissed the idea of a farewell party and rushed out of the sacred prison, fantasizing about a party of desire and passion in her mind.

“Aria...”

“Aria...!!”

“Let’s go! Home!!”

The guests of the party were dragged out of the room by Aria, who had grabbed them by the hands. While her dedication to desire was admirable, Lumine couldn’t stop sweating.

“...I didn’t say I was going with you... Is it okay?”

Now that Aria was officially a hero, Lumine, as a saint, needed to assist her. For that, accompanying her was essential.

“I think it will be fine. I’ve explained it a few times at the temple. Probably...”

It will be fine. Probably. If we’re lucky.

***

“Sigh...”

A sigh echoed.

“Sigh...”

The deep-seated regret in her lungs escaped through her breath.

“Miss, even if you’re upset, it’s better to refrain from sighing in front of yourself, isn’t it?”

“...Sorry...”

Apologizing and admitting fault had become a common skill for Aria. The normalization of such skills was nothing to be surprised about as Aria spoke.

“Still... I just wanted to go home and be with my family...”

Now, using the term ‘my family’ no longer felt awkward. Leonardo had given up on correcting her and was now focusing on defending Lumine.

“That’s a kind word, but consider Lumine’s position too.”

[My position!! To be stuck with this brat 24/7?!]

In defiance, the [Wise Demon] barked angrily.

{Lumine! Think again!! If you keep this up...}

Similarly, the {Angel of Virtue} was also fiercely resistant.

“...Hmm...”

From Lumine’s reaction, it was clear.

“Ain.”

“Yes, Father.”

Crack, Thud

The demon and the angel each received a blow, their faces caving in and their forms disappearing. It would take about an hour to recover.

“Lumine also needs understanding. She’s always so tired, unable to get proper sleep.”

No one knew this better than Leonardo, who had a demon chattering away beside him 24/7 without a break.

“Hahaha, thank you for your concern. But thanks to this, I’ve been able to get some good sleep.”

Not just mentally, but thanks to Ain’s semi-physical iron fist, though he understood the desire to hide it, Leonardo nodded.

Petting Ain’s head was a bonus.

“Then, Father, I’ll prepare to leave.”

Ain, who had come out with the group, took off her hood. The group would surely be shocked to see this.

“Shall we start?”

“Yes.”

Leonardo took out a small dagger from his pocket. It wasn’t made of metal or wood, but rather had a tusk-like blade, similar to an animal’s tooth or claw.

“Leo? Why the dagger all of a sudden...”

“I’m going to show you how I came.”

Poke

As he spoke, the dagger’s blade pierced Ain. The sudden and unexpected action left Lumine and Aria unable to react.

“...W-What are you doing!!”

Aria was the first to react, grabbing Leonardo by the collar.

“Why...! Why are you stabbing our daughter?! Ain, who is dearer to me than my own eyes...!!”

To an outsider, she looked like a mother who had raised Ain for years. In reality, they had only met a month ago, but the misunderstanding was understandable.

“Lady Ain! Are you okay?!”

Seeing the dagger in her hand, Lumine quickly tried to heal her with holy power. Since it hadn’t completely pierced through, the healing should be easy.

“I’m fine.”

If it had really hurt, she would have said so.

With a calm expression, Aria grabbed the dagger embedded in her hand. For Ain, pain was more of a danger signal than actual physical pain.

Moreover, this was not an act of aggression.

“Fine...?! Our Ain...!”

“I’m fine. Please step back for a moment.”

Ain then extended her right arm. Starting from the pierced right hand, scales began to spread, gradually inflating her body into a massive form.

“Ain... Ain...!”

“...This is...”

A scaly body, bat-like wings extending from her shoulders and back, and a reptilian face reminiscent of a giant lizard.

“It’s a dragon...!”

“More accurately, a Sylph Wyvern. It’s not a dragon, but a wyvern, which is commonly used for riding.”

With a reptilian tongue, Ain calmly explained in her usual voice. Lumine and Aria were both stunned by this unnatural and discordant scene.

“Despite her appearance, Ain is a recognized familiar within the Magic Tower.”

The Sage’s Legacy

Type-Diat

Type Diat, Ain’s ability, involved acquiring the genetic information of living beings and temporarily incorporating it into her body.

Initially, due to long-term storage, the body information was lost, resulting in a slime-like form. However, by consuming Aria’s hair and her own blood, she transformed into a human form, following the same principle.

“Of course, to transform, I need to pierce my body with a material like a tooth. My contract and understanding are still low...”

“...Leo.”

Despite the explanation, Aria’s grip on his collar did not loosen.

“...Yes...? Why are you... tightening...?”

“Are you using Ain as a mount? Our daughter?!”

While not entirely wrong, explaining it this way made him feel like a terrible person. He certainly didn’t do it out of malice.

“Aria, this was my suggestion.”

“...Huh...? Ain...?”

“I wanted to show Father that I could be of help. And through this, I needed to demonstrate to the Magic Tower that I have value beyond dissection.”

Seeing Aria’s displeasure, Ain quickly stopped the wyvern transformation and ran to Leonardo. Her claws, teeth, and horns were still those of a wyvern, perhaps due to her still imperfect control.

“So, please don’t be angry. I believe in a family that gets along well.”

“...Ain...”

As Ain embraced Leonardo, Aria let go of his collar and hugged her own ‘family’.

“Right... Ain wanted to be helpful too.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Ain is always helpful. So, take a break for now. I’m still not used to it.”

“...Understood.”

Ain did not correct the term ‘mom.’ Besides trying to avoid conflict, she found it interesting that it made Leonardo’s heart rate increase.

***

“Is this a train?”

The alternative they chose was a train. They had considered a warp gate, but the temple had temporarily suspended the operation of nearby warp gates due to friction with the Magic Tower, leaving the train as the remaining option.

“Is it your first time riding?”

“Yes. I only know about it from knowledge, not from experience.”

“It brings back memories. Did you go to Ain’s dad’s hometown with this?”

Despite being a rather old memory, Aria remembered it clearly. After all, it was the night she spent in the same bed with her husband.

“Is that so? I’m curious.”

“Curious?”

“Yes. I’m curious why Father looks sad.”

“...Hmm?”

Ain’s sharp and tactless observation fixed everyone’s gaze on Leonardo.

“Are you okay? Leo?”

“If you’re feeling motion sickness, I can heal you. Would you like that?”

“No... Just thinking about old times.”

At the mention of old times, Ain’s eyes widened, a rare occurrence.

“What happened? Father?”

“It’s... not a good memory. I’m just remembering a train accident I was involved in.”

“...Ah... That time...”

Aria was likely recalling the train terror attack when she was a black mage. Moreover, Leonardo had often experienced terrorism and robberies while using public transportation, making it hard for him to wear a bright expression.

Especially when he had to think about what excuses he would give to his family upon return.

“It’ll be fine. In fact, being too cautious might make it harder to react if something actually happens.”

Lumine’s rational advice slightly eased Leonardo’s expression. The unspoken secret was that he didn’t expect to be killed with a saint around.

“Would you like a drink? I’ll go get some.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“I’m also fine. I drank tea before we left.”

“I need one.”

Surprisingly, it was Ain who agreed to Lumine’s offer, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

“I want to buy some water and look around the train more.”

Seeing this rare display of Ain’s childlike side, everyone smiled and sent her off with Lumine. Surely, there wouldn’t be any problems with Lumine...

Splat

“Huh?! Kid!! Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine...”

“What are you doing?!”

At the sudden shout, the two parents bolted out of their seats like a cannonball.

Ain was drenched in a yellow drink and ice cubes. The owner of the lemonade, seeing the overturned cup and Ain, was at a loss.

“Our child...?!”

Just as Leo was about to get angry, he was taken aback.

“This... I’m really sorry... It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a train...”

The owner of the drink, a wolf humanoid, bowed deeply in apology, and the old man beside him also bowed, checking on Ain’s condition.

“...I’m sorry... kid... Are you hurt...”

Leo couldn’t form coherent words.

“...Anus Village Chief...? Dean...?”

“Yes...? I am Anus...”

"...How do you know our names...?"

Their eyes met, and the gap in time and appearance was instantly bridged.

“...You’re Leo...!?”

“...Leonardo...?”

That’s what family is like.

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