Chapter 254: Qualification Part 13

Thanks to the World Tree’s help, I was able to save Lobelia.

I roughly shoved the fruit into her mouth, and then the World Tree sprinkled some kind of light from its palm and Lobelia came back to life.

Her wounds healed rapidly.

But the physical wounds didn’t matter.

What mattered was whether the soul damage she suffered from forcibly awakening her powers had been healed.

“How is she?”

“She’s fine.”

“Details, please.”

“I healed the wounds on her soul. But… there’s something that bothers me.”

“Go on.”

“There’s an old wound.”

“That’s none of my concern.”

Do I really need to know about that?

I’d rather not.

Well, she’s lived as a member of the imperial family. It’s no surprise she might have a few hidden scars.

“Well, if you say so.”

Now that I think about it, the World Tree’s personality is surprisingly easygoing.

No matter what it does, it always seems to do things half-heartedly. This thing is probably going to live a long life.

…Assuming it doesn’t get caught by the Emperor, that is.

If it’s discovered, it’ll be burned at the stake.

Maybe it’s because it has a familiar face, but it feels oddly unsettling.

I was thinking of selling it out to the Emperor if things went south, but I might have to put that on hold.

“What are you thinking right now?”

“About you.”

“Oh my! I’m not even a year old yet! You can’t think things like that!”

“……”

“Well, joke’s over. Before that dreadful bloodline wakes up, could you all leave quickly?”

“Didn’t you say you were bored?”

“Mr. Mephistopheles kept me entertained more than I expected. But, you know… I have a mouth too, right? If you had brought some cookies or something, I would’ve behaved better. Hehe…”

“You have a mouth?”

Or is that just a metaphor?

So if you just bury it in the surrounding soil, it’ll absorb it as nutrients?

“It’s right in front of your eyes right now!”

“Hmm. So you’re capable of physical interaction too.”

“Of course! I’m the World Tree, after all!”

Using Tillis’s body as a reference to create the avatar was probably the right call.

The way it acts is exactly like her.

Though without the actual strength, this one just feels so… pathetic.

If you take away power from Tillis, what even remains?

“Come visit again!”

“Ah, sure… I’ll ask Mephistopheles to come play with you often.”

“That’d be even better!”

And with that, I turned my back on the World Tree and carried Lobelia on my back.

Whew, she’s kinda heavy…

Is it because of high muscle density? Compared to Yuna and Ariel, she’s definitely heavier.

Of course, if I said something like that out loud, I’d probably be executed for insulting an imperial member. So I’d better be careful.

“Whew, she’s light as a feather.”

“You’re sweating, though.”

“…We were in a hurry, weren’t we, Princess Lapis?”

“Want me to carry her instead?”

“Ah, yes! Of course. It would be an unworthy honor for me to lay hands on the noble body of an imperial member! I am deeply moved by Princess Lapis’s kind heart in thinking of her younger sister. Here, I entrust her to you.”

“……?”

Well, you said you’d carry her.

I even polished your ego. So just accept it with joy, won’t you?

“Of course! I’m a good older sister who cares about her little sister!”

“Sure, sure.”

I used to think she was just a terrifying monster, but now I feel like I’m starting to get a read on Lapis.

Still can’t figure her out completely, but I’ve found one core trait.

This person… no, this monster.

“You’re amazing!”

“Ohohohoho!”

She’s got an insane need for recognition.

Not that I mind. It’s a very convenient leash to work with…

“Changed your opinion of your sister?”

“……”

Yeah, I really don’t want to get too entangled with her.

Being around her makes me feel like I’m getting dumber.

***

Even though Lobelia’s wounds were healed, bringing her into the capital carried significant risk.

It wouldn’t do anyone any good for her to be seen.

I asked Lapis how she managed to bring Lobelia back, out of curiosity, and she said…

“I put her in hell and then pulled her out?”

When she’s saying insane things like this, there’s nothing to do but head back to the Misfits’ hideout.

I mean, seriously…treating a person like a bag you can just stuff into hell? That’s not okay.

And sending someone who just barely came back to life straight into hell? That’s… a bit much.

She’d wake up thinking she actually died.

Anyway, once we arrived at the Misfits’ hideout,

I called for Helena to examine Lobelia’s body.

“This is unbelievable…”

“What? Is there a problem?”

“She’s incredibly healthy. I’ve never seen someone this healthy before… Is it even okay for a human to be this healthy?”

“Oh. That’s… good, then.”

“She must always eat the best food and use the best things, huh?”

“That much is certainly true.”

Aside from her physical condition, that’s one thing I can’t deny.

She is an imperial member, after all.

“Is it okay to lay her on a bed like this? Are we going to be executed for this?”

“I’ll be sure to tell her you said that later.”

“Ah… so it’s back to life on the run for me again.”

Helena muttered with a gloomy look.

Does she not understand what a joke is?

Now I just feel bad, like I’m bullying her for no reason.

“Well, in any case, she should wake up soon.”

“How soon?”

“Right about… now… two seconds ago?”

As Helena perfectly times her estimate, Lobelia stirs and opens her eyes with a soft groan.

Wow. Now that’s what I call a true doctor.

“…Where am I?”

“You’ve awakened, Your Highness.”

“Johan…?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Where is this place?”

“Ah, that’s a long story. Since it’s long, why don’t you stay lying down while I explain?”

It’s not the kind of story I can just skip over.

So I began explaining to Lobelia. The kind of tale where I didn’t even know where to begin.

“So it’s true. There wasn’t a single lie in what my sister said.”

“That’s right.”

“And despite my order to keep silent, you went ahead and sold me out.”

“……”

“Couldn’t you have warned me? Or was there some reason I had to be blindsided without knowing anything?”

“I did try to stop her. I even tried to explain beforehand, but Her Highness the First Princess went ahead and acted on her own…!”

“Ah, enough. It’s already in the past, and things worked out in the end, so let’s not dwell on it.”

“I am eternally grateful for Your Grace.”

It felt like the guillotine kept swinging back and forth right by my neck.

“And so, you used the World Tree’s fruit to bring me back to life… is that it?”

“Exactly. I used that rare and precious fruit on Your Highness.”

“No need to emphasize it so much. I recognize your merit.”

“But of course.”

“So… it wasn’t a dream.”

“Huh?”

Lobelia mumbled, her face buried deep in the blanket.

“There wasn’t a price?”

“……”

Damn it. Did she catch on?

No, wait. From what she just said, she still seems unsure if this is real or a dream. There’s still a chance I can bluff my way through.

“A price? The World Tree’s fruit is already priceless. What kind of price could you mean?”

“……”

“It holds such powerful life energy. There’s no need for any extra price, wouldn’t you say? Haha.”

“…I suppose so.”

Did that work? I hope I didn’t stutter or sound suspicious just now.

“I won’t forget your loyalty.”

Oh, looks like it worked.

I’m alive! I actually made it out of this!

***

Such an obvious lie.

Lobelia buried her face in the blanket again at Johan’s transparent deception.

She could feel it instinctively.

That her face right now was in no state to be seen by anyone.

He went so far as to tell a lie that obvious just to ease my burden…

It was like she’d eaten the World Tree’s fruit whole, peel and all, and gotten hearts in her eyes for her trouble.

The once-charismatic Lobelia stole glances at Johan, wiggling her toes like a girl fallen into her first love.

Right… half his lifespan. There’s no way that wouldn’t weigh on him.

Johan looked pale.

Cold sweat streamed down his face, as though he were a man burdened with guilt.

But Lobelia knew. She knew that Johan had used half of his lifespan to save her……

How could she possibly doubt the loyalty of someone like that?

You were thinking of me this much…… Now that I think about it, you always trusted me.

Johan’s ugly and horrifying past deeds began to be neatly wrapped up.

A live reenactment of historical revisionism.

No matter how often people say history is written by the victors, this level of distortion could only be called excessive.

The tyrant known as first love was truly terrifying.

Ah… this won’t do. This must not be allowed.

A woman who must not love because of her status as an imperial member, and a man who cannot reveal his feelings because he is already engaged.

The words forbidden love once again began to pollute Lobelia’s mind.

Once her delusions began to spiral, they only accelerated.

Lobelia knew it. If this continued, she wouldn’t even be able to face him.

She had to stop here.

She knew that, and yet it wasn’t easy.

Her heart began to run wild like a colt freed from its reins.

Was she really such an emotionally sensitive person?

In a way, Lobelia was almost impressed.

This was how much she was capable of.

Unfortunately, she did not know that the World Tree’s fruit had healed even the long-standing wounds in her heart.

And so, she had no choice but to believe that all of this had changed because of Johan alone.

Ah, what a miraculous thing this was.

“Oh my.”

However, that rampage was unexpectedly brought to a halt by an unforeseen presence.

“…….”

Lobelia’s mind, once dyed in pink, turned pale in an instant.

Instinct overpowering even emotion.

The moment she took in the manifestation of death appearing before her eyes, every temptation that had been stirring Lobelia was blown away.

“You’re awake?”

An ability that had grown even stronger.

A destructive power that reached beyond the physical body and touched the very essence of the world itself.

By that power, the veil concealing the monster was torn apart.

A sigh of realization.

She had felt that something was off. The sense of alienation surrounding the being called Lapis had been overwhelming.

Still, she thought it was merely a case of hiding something.

Perhaps like Loki, raising a few hundred venomous snakes inside. Even after seeing the ability she displayed last night, she hadn’t been all that surprised.

Even when she glimpsed the shadow of death in the hand reaching toward her, it hadn’t been to this extent.

Lapis Vicious von Miltonia.

The moment she laid eyes on the true nature of the monster bearing that name—

Crack!

Lobelia recalled it instinctively.

An instinct that preceded even fear, an undeniable truth that anyone belonging to this world was meant to recognize.

“Ah, Lobelia. My proud family. You’ve finally….”

That thing did not belong in this world.

Fzzzzzzzzzzzt!!

Almost as an instinctive judgment, crimson lightning descended.

“You have earned the right to face me.”

Her vision dyed red.

Even within the lightning’s brilliance, bright enough to bury all darkness, the monster bloomed into a radiant, flower-like smile.

As if nothing could ever erase its existence.

***

My vision flickered.

It all happened in an instant.

A jolt, a feeling of weightlessness. And then, searing pain….only then did I realize it.

Lobelia’s ability had blasted everything around her.

Even just the aftershock was enough to make my life flash before my eyes.

They say repaying kindness with betrayal is the worst offense.

This must be exactly what that looks like.

Or maybe… maybe Lobelia figured out what I did.

Damn it, how did she find out?

Is this how I die? Just like this? So pointlessly?

“Uaaaaagh!”

But the voice ringing in my ears made one thing painfully clear. I was still alive.

A girl’s shrill scream.

“Our house!”

And the source of that scream had a very real cause.

“Uwooooh!”

And in that moment, a miracle happened.

Even the crumbling house began to return to its original state, restored by the power of the Prophet.

I quietly closed my eyes at the sight of Helena.

Seriously… everything around me is so damn weird; it’s exhausting.