Chapter 571: Vergleusen’s Fate

“-Haa, well, fine by me, I guess.”

When I shyly asked Fiona what she thought about me going out with Nell, she replied with a cool and distant “Okay”.

After all, I have a girlfriend, so spending time alone with another woman could easily be misconstrued as cheating. Of course, I had no intention of leaving just the two of us. Xerex was already planning to come along, and I wanted to invite Fiona as well.

“No, Chrono-san, you go alone.”

But to my surprise, Fiona’s unexpected words came out.

“Huh? Are you sure?”

“I’m not such a narrow-minded woman, you know. Besides, I trust you, Chrono-san.”

“I see.”

These words came with intimidating pressure. Of course, I had no ulterior motives towards Nell, none at all – but still, I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

“Then what about Sariel? Should I bring her?”

“No. I’ll have her come with me tomorrow.”

It was unusual for Fiona to personally request Sariel’s company.

“Something going on?”

“Yes. Since we’re already here in Avalon, I plan to do some investigating at the Aria Monastery.”

Compared to my lame attempt to kill time by playing around, her answer was serious indeed.

And so, on the 15th day of the month of the New Sun.

I went out with Nell and Xerex, as originally planned. Realistically, since I can’t walk alone, I wouldn’t be able to help with any investigation into the monastic order. In fact, I’d only slow them down.

Fiona told me, “You might as well deepen your relationship with the Princess of Avalon and the heir to a powerful noble house – make some connections. Personally, I see them as true friends, but… well, let’s not deny it. It’s true that they both have great status.

Still, I’m not so clever as to hang out with them just for political gain.

“Wow, so this is the Royal Castle of Avalon… Kinda feels even fancier than Sparda.”

The castle was the same white shade as the massive walls that surrounded Avalon. Two soaring towers stood out, their roofs a bright, vivid blue. The overall design, though in a fantasy world, was so picturesque that it felt more like something out of a storybook or a theme park than a real castle.

“Heehee, that’s because Sparda Royal Castle was actually a fortress used in warfare – there are still traces of that grim look,” Nell explained.

“Avalon Royal Castle was built to show the authority of the Elrod royal family. Of course, it looks nicer than other fortresses,” Xerex added.

We’d made our way to the center of town, gazing at the proud figure of the Royal Castle. Since late morning, Nell and Xerex had come to the temple for me. Since then, I’d basically been playing tourist.

True to his word, Xerex pushed my wheelchair with practiced ease. Avalon, much like Sparda – or maybe even more so – was beautifully developed; its streets were perfectly paved. I barely felt the inconvenience of moving around in a wheelchair.

“Well then, let’s go inside,” Nell said.

“Huh? You mean we can actually go inside?”

“The priestess resides in the royal castle,” Xerex replied.

Today’s goal was to visit Priestess Vergleusen. Well, if she’s a mentor figure to Nell, it’s not surprising that she’s someone prominent enough to live in the castle. I half expected her to be in some dojo in a corner of the city, though.

“Really, is it okay if I just walk in?”

At least in Sparda, the royal castle had strict access regulations. You definitely couldn’t just drop in for sightseeing. The only times I’d set foot inside were on official occasions: once for the Ischia Medal Ceremony, and once for Sariel’s war negotiations.

“Goodness, Chrono-kun, have you forgotten that I’m Avalon’s first princess?”

Uh, no, I definitely didn’t forget that for a second.

“We’ve already gotten permission, so don’t worry.”

“Right, but it still makes me a little nervous.”

“Hehe, Chrono-kun, you’ll probably be invited to the royal castle soon anyway, so you’d better get used to it now,” Nell said confidently.

“Invited? Why?”

“You defeated Chaosic Rim, didn’t you? His Majesty the King was there, along with many of Avalon’s high nobles, all present. Since you saved them from a terrible crisis, it surely won’t end with ‘Here’s your quest reward, have a nice day,'” Xerex pointed out.

Apparently, Xerex’s father was also present in the arena, or so Nell whispered as she leaned in close – her breath tickling me, which was kind of embarrassing. A little too close, Princess.

“So there was talk of all that, huh…”

It’s a bit annoying, but our Elemental Master’s reputation will benefit from it. And the more famous we become, the greater our influence. As rank 5 adventurers-especially those who are recognized by the king of Avalon-if we call out, “Join us in the war against the crusaders,” we might be able to rally some support.

Not that I want a conflict to break out here in Avalon. Even though this land isn’t as directly involved with the Crusaders as Sparda, it still has the Aria Monastery. We can’t let our guard down.

“Anyway, it’s not like they’re going to summon you today or tomorrow. His Majesty can wait until your injuries heal… So please, Princess, don’t ‘goad’ him into anything rash,” Xerex teased.

“Wha-I’m not doing that at all!”

Nell’s reaction was suspicious. Given her tendency to idolize me, she may have exaggerated my accomplishments. I hope she hasn’t misled the king into thinking of me as a perfect, princely Adonis. The disappointment would be devastating.

However, if he had actually been present in the arena, he would have seen my face, so perhaps he needn’t worry.

“Well then, Vergleusen awaits. Shall we go?” Nell urged.

At her slightly insistent urging, I entered the Royal Castle of Avalon.

We passed through the magnificent main gate, an artful white arch, but instead of going straight inside, we took a detour through the gardens. The front gardens, visible to outsiders, were elaborately landscaped in a style reminiscent of a grand French palace, but as we walked around to the back, it shifted to a lush natural park feel. Still, I suspect that the arrangement of each tree, stream, and pond was carefully planned to look picturesque from every angle.

And soon we came to a long flight of stone steps.

“Beyond these stairs is the ‘Fire Shrine’ where Ver-sama is,” Nell said.

She mentioned it so casually, but… come on, seriously? This is a shrine.

“I never thought I’d see a Torii gate in this world.”

“Eh? Chrono-kun, you know about Torii!?”

My casual muttering made Nell gasp in surprise.

“Uh, yeah… My homeland had them too.”

“I see. The Torii here on the continent of Pandora only exist in this place, an extremely rare type of ancient ruin. Perhaps your homeland is also a sacred region for worshipping Torii,” she thought.

Well, it’s the belief of Shinto in Japan, so I never expected it to show up in a fantasy world.

But it does explain where Nell’siko (shrine maiden) outfit might have come from. Shinto probably never spread very far, but somehow it survived quietly, passed down by the royal family of Avalon. It’s almost miraculous.

Feeling a strange sensation at encountering something so distinctly “Japanese,” I began to make my way up the stone stairs.

“Are you okay, Xerex?”

“I’ve been training by climbing the slopes of Mount Asver with heavier loads on my back. This is nothing.”

He lifted my wheelchair and carried me up with ease. Xerex may look slender, but with magic on his side, carrying my weight seemed effortless.

Soon we reached the top.

Another Torii stood there, identical to the one below. Beyond it was – once again – a place that could only be described as a shrine.

“Hah hah hah! You’ve finally arrived, Nell, Xerex. I’ve been waiting!”

And then someone boldly stepped right into my field of vision, blocking it. It was an awfully cute little shrine girl.

She was a small child, maybe in the gap between Lily’s child form and Leki/Ursula’s age. No matter how you looked at her, she was a child. But with her hands on her hips, leaning back in a haughty posture, she gave a big laugh. She seemed to be trying to act older than she was.

“Oh, how polite, to greet us all the way out here – as always,” Nell said.

“Of course! I, too, have been looking forward to this day. So, that man there must be the Kurono I’ve heard so much about-”

With a triumphant grin, the tiny shrine girl stepped forward and looked intently into my face.

She was just as beautiful as Lily, but what really caught my attention was the color of her hair and eyes – black hair and red irises.

“Could she be your little sister, Nell?”

“Huh?”

“She’s not much like her, but she’s pretty cute. Nice to meet you, I’m just an adventurer named Kurono.”

Oh – if she’s your sister, that makes her the second princess, a real royal. Should I really talk so casually? I half regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth.

“Ah… u-uh… ah…”

Sure enough, the “little sister” looked nervous and blushed bright red at my outstretched hand.

Fortunately, she didn’t blow up at me or call me rude or anything. Trembling all over, she cautiously extended her little hand. Her tiny fingers – softly reminiscent of Lily’s childlike form – lightly gripped my fingertips. A sweet, tentative handshake.

“Thank you. Would you mind telling me your name?”

“V-Ve…Veru…”

“Ver-chan, huh? That’s a nice name – kind of like your sister’s.”

Nell and Ver… that sounds sisterly, for sure. On the other hand, if Nell had such an adorable sister, she could’ve told me earlier.

I’m not particularly used to dealing with small children. I don’t have the skills or the conversation to entertain them. Perhaps I can ask her age.

“How old are you?”

“U-uu…”

Her tension seemed to shoot up, so Ver-chan closed her eyes and signaled her age with trembling hands.

She raised two fingers on her right hand, like a peace sign, and five on her left, making a total of seven.

“Seven, huh.”

“-!?”

At that, as if she’d reached her limit, Ver-chan looked like she was about to cry. She spun around in a graceful turn and bolted away like a startled cat, dashing into the main shrine building.

“Sorry, Nell. I guess I scared her.”

“N-no…”

Judging by her worried look, it was definitely because I had frightened the poor girl. The attempt at small talk had failed. My threatening face, no doubt.

“Would you please apologize to Ver-chan for me? Judging by her reaction, I think it’s better if we don’t meet again.”

“Ah… well, yes, all right. Chrono-kun, could you wait here for a moment? I’m going to have a little talk with her.”

“Don’t be too hard on her for being rude. She’s only seven.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”

With a friendly smile, Nell followed Ver-chan inside.

“I didn’t know that Nell had a younger sister. Did you, Xerex?”

“Ah, well, I… Chrono, sorry, but could you not ask me about that?”

“I see. Something complicated, huh. Got it.”

Looks like the Avalon Royal Family might have some shadows. Ver-chan might be in a sad situation somehow… I really shouldn’t get her into trouble.

Better to pretend that I never saw anything, never met anyone.

“By the way, where’s that Priestess Vergleusen, Nell’s mentor?”

“…”

For some reason, Xerex didn’t say anything.

“Ver-sama.”

“Hyaah!?”

In the living area adjacent to the main hall of the shrine, Vergleusen sat trembling, face beet red, huddled in a corner. Nell addressed her in a decidedly chilly tone.

“What was that just now?”

“W-what do you mean…?”

Vergleusen’s red face looked so mortified that Nell was embarrassed just to look at it. She was obviously trying to feign ignorance.

“My ‘little sister’-Ver-chan, seven years old. You didn’t even deny it. You couldn’t even hold a real conversation; you ran away like a scared child. It’s bizarre no matter how you look at it. You’re two hundred and fifty years old, Vergleusen-sama.”

Obviously, the two and five on her hands were meant to show “2” for hundreds and “5” for tens, not the total of seven. Kurono had just misread her, and technically, Vergleusen hadn’t lied.

“Th-that’s, well…”

“You’re not going to tell me you fell in love at first sight, are you?”

A sudden burst of murderous aura flickered in Nell’s eyes, making Vergleusen tremble like a helpless child.

“N-no! Absolutely not! I would never…! I-I just… let my guard down, got caught by his… charm or something…”

“Charm?”

“Yes, that! That face, so gallant, so bold – like a visage sculpted by the God of Beauty himself. In two hundred and fifty years, I’ve never seen a man so striking! Anyone would be stunned at first sight. Even I couldn’t-”

She babbled excuses in a hushed tone, and Nell was almost speechless. But she had to correct her.

“…Kurono-kun’s looks do not induce Charm.”

“N-no way! I just looked at him and my heart was seized! I’ve never felt like this before. It must be that dreaded status disease called Charm. I never knew it could be so… so terrifying!”

It’s common knowledge, even among those unfamiliar with magic, that being “beautiful” can make you famous and captivate people, which is commonly associated with a certain “Charm”. But Nell, who’d learned advanced healing magic capable of curing all manner of injuries and ailments, knew more precisely how it worked.

In short, there are two forms of Charm:

One is purely magical, captivating a target’s mind regardless of the caster’s appearance, as determined by a specific spell theory. The other is purely natural, occurring because one’s natural beauty inspires such admiration or longing that it feels like a magical effect. The latter is the type most people talk about.

And there is a kind of baseline to this “beauty” that triggers natural charm-though it can’t be rigidly defined. If you line up portraits or statues of the men and women historically known to possess Charm, you’ll get a rough idea.

On the other hand, if someone’s appearance does not resemble those examples, then that natural Charm cannot manifest. And it’s obvious that Kurono’s appearance doesn’t meet the standard set by the God of Beauty. The only ones in Sparda who definitely had that aspect were perhaps Lily in her true form and the gladiator Falkius.

“Hah! That’s it, Nell-you have to get rid of such a dangerous man right away! Surely you’re enchanted by his beauty. Leave it to me – flee, Nell, flee!”

“You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you, Ver-sama? Fallen at first sight.”

The absolutely arctic tone of Nell’s voice made Vergleusen freeze.

“There is no charm in Kurono-kun’s face. I happen to think he’s quite handsome, but he doesn’t meet the criteria for innate charm. If it felt like you were charmed, that means…”

“Th-that means…?”

“It simply means that his looks were tremendously your type.”

“N-nnggghhh!!”

At this cruel realization, Vergleusen collapsed in a heap.

“What a pity, Ver-sama. It seems that you and I are destined to kill each other.”

“Nwooooh?! W-wait, Nell, please! I have no desire to fight you!”

“But you fell in love with Kurono-kun, didn’t you?”

“I-I admit that my heart has wavered, but I already have someone destined for me! I have a duty – my life’s mission – that I must fulfill, and I cannot betray it!”

“There’s no way you can just forget about Kurono-kun.”

“I can-and I will-because I’m not human. Listen, Nell, I will never be united with Kurono, nor do I wish to be. My everything is pledged to the one who bears the Demon King’s blessing, my mate for all time!”

Tears threatened to fill Vergleusen’s crimson eyes as she spoke with firm conviction, and Nell let go of her urge to kill.

“It should be a relief to me, but… I see that even now you are truly bound by a sad fate, Ver-sama.”

“It’s okay. I’ve accepted my fate. But since my heart has been so moved… it would be too painful to see Kurono face to face again. I’m sorry, but could you send him back?”

“Ver-sama… All right. I understand.”

It was a painful decision – to turn away someone you had fallen in love with. Nell almost shed tears for both of them, even though they both knew it was the best thing for everyone.

“I feel terrible calling him here just to send him away. Tell Kurono that Vergleusen has gone on a training trip somewhere far away.”

“So you will not meet him at all?”

“Hah… that should ease your mind as well, Nell.”

“Forgive me, and thank you for your consideration.”

Taking pity on Vergleusen’s plight, Nell bowed politely, as a student would to her master. Then, noting Vergleusen’s anguished determination, she made her way back to Kurono, who was waiting outside.

“But… maybe I could just watch him from a distance?”

“Heehee… That’s a no, Ver-sama.”

Nell gave the clinging little priestess a decisive refusal with a dazzling smile.