The way back was peaceful.
No, so much so that I could even call it warm.
The relationship between Yuna and me had become far more natural than before.
Leaning on each other, we finished our carriage journey and were able to return once more to the capital of the Empire.
“Then I’m going to see my mom.”
“Alright. Go get some rest, Yuna.”
“Mhmm!”
Yuna, who used to refuse to leave my side, now seemed more at ease. She went back to the Magic Tower on her own.
“Now then, time to take care of some unfinished business…”
The short vacation had come to an end.
Well, it had been quite a fruitful one. My relationship with Yuna had progressed successfully, and my heart felt a bit lighter because of it.
Just as I was collecting my thoughts and heading back to the dormitory…
“Ah, Johan. There you are. As promised, I’ve undone the curse placed on Lobelia. What do you think?”
“…What?”
Suddenly, a lunatic claiming to be hell itself appeared.
And to make things worse…
“Now it’s your turn to heal her.”
She was dragging Lobelia who was bleeding profusely from one hand.
***
Lapis proudly went to find Johan.
And why not? She had flawlessly executed her plan once again.
It was something worthy of praise.
So, to hear some admiration from her foolish little brother, Lapis had decided to come to him in person.
“No…”
But Johan who should’ve been giving that praise could only experience a mental shutdown from the sudden situation.
Lobelia, half-dead.
No, at this point, it would be more accurate to say she was dying in real time.
“No, seriously, what were you thinking, beating her up like that?!”
Instead of praise, he gave a sigh and a scolding.
“Eh…? But Johan, you said the operation would be in a week…”
Lapis felt wronged.
Why was she the one being scolded? He had clearly said it himself….that it would happen in a week.
And that’s exactly what Lapis did. As soon as it passed midnight, officially making it one week later, she rushed over and beat the crap out of Lobelia.
As a result, Lobelia had successfully broken free from the curse.
After completing her task successfully, Lapis had even run all the way to the capital gates to meet Johan.
Of course, the process had been violent and brutal, and the end result left Lobelia half-dead. But wasn’t that Johan’s part to take care of?
“You told me to do it like this.”
“You’re supposed to do it after we’re ready. I mean, don’t you understand something that basic?”
“……”
“How can someone be so… Ugh, forget it. What’s done is done.”
Johan looked at Lapis with exasperation and let out a deep sigh.
Lapis, holding back tears, felt wronged. She had only wanted to help, but all she got in return was anger.
In the meantime, Johan gathered nearby branches and leaves, weaving them together using Babel Gear to make a stretcher for Lobelia.
“What are you doing just standing there? Grab that side!”
“Y-Yes!”
Choking up, Lapis followed Johan’s one-sided orders, trying not to get scolded any further.
***
Thanks to that idiotic Lapis, everything was in chaos now.
Last time, she had seemed like a fairly intelligent being, but a monster is still a monster.
She didn’t understand human standards.
Just because I said “in a week”, she goes off on her own and attacks Lobelia the moment the week passes?
Ugh. I should’ve known better than to expect anything.
No, I should’ve explained it more clearly like I was talking to a little kid.
“Tell me. What’s Princess Lobelia’s current condition? How long can she survive like this?”
“Uh, 30…”
“Thirty minutes, is it?”
“29, 28, 27…”
“Oh, come on.”
This wasn’t just a fire on my foot. My whole body was practically in flames.
At this point, I wasn’t even angry anymore.
I was so dumbfounded, I couldn’t speak.
What the hell was I supposed to do? No matter how fast I moved, it wouldn’t matter in this state.
Getting there in 30 seconds was impossible.
And within that time, I’d have to find the fruit and refine it too.
She’s as good as dead.
What do I do? Even as I’m panicking like this, time keeps ticking.
I need to find a solution.
Something… isn’t there something?
“……”
I stopped walking.
Then I organized my thoughts.
There was a way. It was basically a gamble, but there was only one possibility.
“Mephistopheles.”
I have to stop time.
I’ll stop Lobelia’s biological time, which is ticking steadily toward death.
There’s only one person who can do that.
“Kihi! You’re finally calling for me!”
“Shut up and stop time!”
“That’s no way to ask for a favo….oh, well now, if it isn’t my sponsor.”
“…Sponsor?”
What the hell is she talking about?
Sponsor? Since when did she have some kind of relationship with Lobelia?
“I’ll stop time for now. Fortunately, she’s already half-dead, so it won’t take too much effort. Hmm, hmm. That should buy you 30 minutes.”
“…Thanks, for now.”
I didn’t expect her to help without throwing some tantrum.
Well, maybe it had something to do with that sponsor thing she mentioned earlier… but I decided not to press.
Come to think of it, Mephistopheles looks decent enough at least on the outside, and while Lobelia keeps it a secret, she does have a soft spot for cute things.
Still, I didn’t think she’d be into someone even after knowing they’re a demon.
Maybe Mephistopheles’s disguise is more effective than I thought.
“But how did the Third Princess end up in such a sta— huh…?”
Mephistopheles turned her head proudly, only to freeze before her gaze could even reach me.
Her eyes locked onto someone behind me….Lapis.
Now that I think about it, hadn’t she been subtly avoiding Lapis?
“Oh? Oh my? Oh my my?”
“……”
Lapis tilted her head and began examining the frozen Mephistopheles.
Wait… do they know each other?
I thought Mephistopheles was just trying to avoid someone dangerous, but…
“How old are you?”
“…Seven thousand years old.”
“Such a cute age.”
“R-Really…?”
No, judging from the conversation, this is probably their first meeting.
It feels like Mephistopheles is the only one who knows something.
Is Lapis… sensing something’s off?
“That’s strange… What is it? You feel familiar. Have we met before?”
“N-Not at all. First time!”
“Hmmm?”
I don’t know what Mephistopheles is hiding, but this isn’t the time to dig into it.
“Let’s get moving, shall we?”
“Ah! Right, of course!”
Thirty minutes isn’t a lot of time.
Even if we reach the World Tree immediately, I’ll still have to figure out what to do with the fruit.
We need enough time to account for any unexpected variables.
“Mephi, you help too.”
“Got it.”
And so, with these non-human beings, I began transporting Lobelia.
***
Arrival at the World Tree.
Time remaining: 26 minutes and 40 seconds.
We made it pretty quickly.
You could say we were lucky in many ways.
As soon as we arrived at the Misfits’ hideout, Dietrich immediately stood out, and without needing much explanation, he followed right behind me.
He’s gotten pretty quick on the uptake. Right after checking Lobelia’s condition, he followed my orders without asking a single question.
Glad I kept him around.
Out of everyone around me, he seems the most useful.
“Dietrich! Open it!”
“Yes!”
Dietrich immediately severed the trace concealing the World Tree.
Soon after, the World Tree revealed itself. It was visibly larger than the last time, even though it had only been a week.
“World Tree! Are you there?”
There’s no time to wander around that massive tree searching for the fruit.
We need the tree’s cooperation.
I called out to the avatar of the World Tree I met last time.
“Hmm, hmm. Right on time, are we? You said you needed the fruit of the World Tree, correct? Of course, I can’t just hand it over for free. I’d like some cookies too…”
“Bring the fruit now, before I chop you down.”
“Eek! How can you say something so cruel?! That’s just mean!”
“You should’ve read the room.”
“So mean… I’m a sacred World Tree, and you’re treating me worse than a demon. How wicked can a human be?”
God, what a loudmouth.
I told you, it’s urgent! There are only 25 minutes left!
No, maybe not even that. Looking at Mephistopheles, who’s puffing up his cheeks and growing pale like he can’t breathe, it’s obvious.
That bastard was bluffing. Thirty minutes, my ass. He can’t even last five!
“Do you know who this person is?”
“Who?”
“She’s the bloodline of the one who burned down the previous World Tree.”
“…And you brought such a dangerous person before me and want me to save her?”
“If you don’t, she’ll be burned down by her own family.”
“Ahh! What a dreadful lineage!”
“So hurry up and find it!”
“Yes!”
Damn it, there are way too many idiots around today. Do I seriously have to explain every single thing?
I kind of miss Kult today. That bastard may have been an enemy, but at least he understood what I meant instantly… No, he understood me so well he could guess what I didn’t even say.
“Here it is!”
“…Is this the right one?”
“Then how big of a fruit were you expecting from one that’s only just formed?”
The fruit the avatar of the World Tree brought was only about the size of a cherry.
Considering the imposing size of the World Tree itself, calling it small didn’t even begin to cover how insignificant it looked.
“Will this even work?”
“If you’re planning to use it on the person lying over there, it won’t be enough.”
“…What?”
An unexpected variable.
This was my mistake.
I should have explained how I intended to use the fruit before asking for it.
A fruit that had only just ripened wasn’t enough to save someone like Lobelia.
“But it is possible to save her.”
“How?”
“There’s a price to pay. It’s a fairly heavy price, so you’ll need to decide carefully.”
“…Can you decide quickly, no matter what it is? I’m suffocating here.”
Mephistopheles was reaching his limit.
I told him to stop time, yet he was the one holding his breath.
“So what’s the price?”
“The price is….”
***
Lobelia stood on the boundary between dream and reality. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say between life and death.
In her hazy state, she saw Johan shouting something into empty space.
When had she regained consciousness? No, how long had she been unconscious?
“Half of one’s lifespan…?”
She heard Johan mutter, and only then did Lobelia realize he was talking to someone.
There was something standing in front of him.
Whether it was because of her dazed condition, or because the other party was a being that couldn’t normally be seen, she couldn’t tell, but it looked like mist.
“That’s fine.”
Lobelia blinked at Johan’s firm voice.
Just moments ago, he had said “half of one’s lifespan.”
Some kind of price.
“That’s fine. If it saves a life, giving up half a lifespan is actually cheap.”
The price for saving someone.
Why…?
Lobelia wasn’t a fool.
She could easily tell who it was Johan was trying to save right now.
Why would you go this far… for me…?
She shut her eyes tightly.
Johan was a coward. He was someone who had grown cowardly in order to survive.
And yet, that very man was now offering up half of his lifespan to save her.
There were many who might risk their lives for her.
But for Johan, a coward like him, to throw away half his life for her…
For some reason, it made her feel like she might cry.
She felt a small sprout take root somewhere deep in her heart.
And then, the sprout bloomed into a bud.
As if it were destined to blossom someday.
Why would you go so far… for me…?
For some reason, Lobelia was overwhelmed by a sorrow so deep it cut to the bone.
***
The cost to save Lobelia was none other than half of a lifespan.
But that’s fine. That much, I can pay without hesitation.
“Her Highness Lobelia would rather live with half her lifespan than die right now.”
It’s not my lifespan, anyway.
“…Still, is it really okay to decide someone else’s lifespan without their permission?”
“Of course it is.”
What? Did I say something wrong?
Lobelia would understand. I’m sure she would.
She’s of imperial blood after all.
Even if she just lives quietly, she’d easily have a few hundred years. And what’s half of that?
Ordinary people live like that all the time.
“Oh, but let’s keep this a secret, alright?”
Best not to bring it up.
If she never finds out, there’s nothing to get scolded for.
***
TN: Lmaooo
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