“That technique really is fascinating, no matter how many times I see it.”
The noble lady said, looking at Luna lying on the bed.
The technique that severs only the soul. Soul Sever.
She was once again astonished by the mystical swordsmanship that, despite slashing through the body, left no physical trace or injury.
“Still, it’s a relief. One of the high-ranking members of the Celestial Church has been taken care of quickly, and we have good news to deliver to the princess.”
Once the disappearance of Zelos was confirmed, Princess Astria returned to the imperial palace with a word of thanks. From her perspective, the enemy who tormented her and her family was now gone. It must have been a great relief for her.
Naturally, we understood and gladly saw her off.
“But why hasn’t Luna woken up yet? You said that guy Zelos is gone.”
“It’s probably because her soul and body had been separated.”
The saintess replied, then gently pulled the blanket up over Luna with a look of pity.
“When a person is born, they’re given a soul and a body. These two are tightly bound together, and that bond usually never breaks; not even at death. But if they’re forcibly separated… terrible things can happen.”
“Terrible things?”
“Let’s say you and I are in a tug-of-war. Now, if I suddenly let go of the rope, what do you think would happen to you?”
“Well, I’d fall flat on my back.”
“Exactly. The soul and body maintain each other by holding on. But if one disappears, or if that connection is cut…”
“…They can’t return?”
The saintess’s metaphor caused the noble lady’s expression to grow visibly grim.
I had simply thought she’d fainted or collapsed from exhaustion, but now that Luna’s condition seemed more serious than expected, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
“No, looking at Luna’s current condition, I don’t think that’s the case. If she were truly in an irreversible state, her body should have already stopped functioning.”
But since Luna’s body was still faintly breathing, it meant her vital signs were still active.
“The fact that she’s still alive means the soul that owns this body is also still alive. But the question is… where is it?”
According to the saintess, she couldn’t sense any trace of Luna’s soul in her body.
She explained that every person gives off a unique warmth from their soul, but in Luna’s case, she couldn’t feel any of it.
“Was there anything unusual about Luna recently?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, if that Zelos guy took over Luna’s body, he must have gotten close to her. I was thinking….maybe the day she started acting differently was the day Zelos took over.”
At Pollo’s question, we carefully tried to recall the last time we saw her.
But no matter how hard we tried to remember, we couldn’t recall anything noticeably different about her.
“Hmm… Oh! Now that I think about it, a few days ago Luna went out and came back with a necklace I’d never seen before.”
“A necklace?”
“Yes! Since she was wearing a maid’s uniform while staying next to me at the academy, even a single accessory stood out.”
According to the saintess, a few days ago Luna had gone out to buy health food and returned wearing a necklace no one had seen before.
Naturally, the Luna I knew was never particularly interested in accessories, so that detail immediately struck me as suspicious.
“Would it be possible to find out where that necklace is now?”
“Hmm… I haven’t really seen it since that day… It’s probably in Luna’s room.”
A short while later, the saintess and the young noble lady returned from Luna’s private room.
Since it didn’t feel right for us men to enter a girl’s room, we waited outside. And soon, she came out holding a small ruby necklace I’d never seen before.
“Here it is… This confirms it. I can feel a certain energy coming from it.”
“Energy…?”
Instead of answering my question, she simply gave me a gentle smile and quietly placed the necklace on Luna’s chest, where she lay as if asleep.
***
For a brief moment, I had the strong sense that something had entered Luna’s body. And soon after, one of her fingers twitched.
“Luna—!”
I rushed over to her and saw Luna slowly open her eyes, blinking groggily as she looked my way.
When she spotted me and smiled faintly, the tension that had gripped me suddenly melted away, and I collapsed onto the spot in relief.
“Haah… Thank goodness…”
Luna quickly returned to normal.
Thanks to the saintess pouring divine power into her, she even looked healthier than before. Though maybe that was just my imagination.
Smack!
“Ow! Why’d you hit me?!”
“And who told you it was okay to bring home some random, suspicious thing?!”
According to her story, Luna had bought the necklace from a strange fortune teller who claimed it was a charm.
That night, after she fell asleep, she apparently met Zelos, who came to steal her body.
The fact that he tried to use an object like a necklace to trap a soul and take over Luna’s body just showed again how utterly crazy he was.
“Being forcefully possessed by someone like that… it must have been traumatic. I totally understand how Luna must’ve felt.”
“Hmm? Oh no, I gave it to him willingly.”
…What the heck was she talking about now?
No matter how fearless she was, giving her body to a villain so carelessly?
As we recoiled in shock, Luna turned her head toward me and smiled brightly.
“Hehe. But I knew Mars would come save me. Better to trust you than get hurt trying to act brave for no reason.”
“…Good grief…”
“See… You came to save me again, didn’t you…?”
Hearing Luna say she did it because she trusted me made it hard to stay angry, so I gave her a light flick on the forehead for her bold attitude.
“…Hehe.”
But for some reason, Luna just kept smiling all day. She was clearly delighted even after getting flicked.
***
At that very moment, Princess Asteria was urging her attendants to hurry as she rushed back to the imperial palace to deliver the happy news.
“Y-Your Highness! This is no way for a lady to behave—!”
“Out of my way! Move!”
Even though she was dressed in a formal gown, she sprinted wildly. It was an ungraceful sight for a princess of the empire. But Asteria had no time to care about such trivial things.
Shoving aside her attendants who tried to stop her, she ran straight to the audience chamber where the Emperor was conducting state affairs.
Bang!
Crash!
“Father!!”
The Emperor, who had been deep in discussion with his ministers about this year’s poverty relief policies, widened his already large eyes even further at the sight of Asteria bursting through the doors like a storm.
“Asteria? What are you doing here…?”
“Did it!”
She did what?
Surely she didn’t mean she… hurt someone…?
“N-No! Not me! Mars Noctus did it!”
“!!”
Only then, realizing the gravity of the situation, the Emperor ordered the other ministers to leave and took her to his private chambers.
“It’s safe here. Now, what on earth happened?”
Carefully checking the soundproofing spells to make sure no one else could hear them, the Emperor urged his daughter to speak, anxious to see if her story matched what he had begun to suspect.
“Well, the thing is…”
Though Asteria’s words sped up with excitement, she managed to clearly explain that Mars had safely defeated Zelos, their long-standing nemesis. Upon hearing the news, the Emperor was so overcome with emotion that he didn’t even think to wipe the tears streaming down his face.
“I see… That’s wonderful… Your mother would be so happy to know this…”
Recalling the empress, who had died unfairly due to Zelos’s treachery, the Emperor was moved to think that the woman he had truly loved could now finally rest in peace.
Although Asteria had no memories of her mother, she too silently prayed that this would finally bring her peace and allow her to return to the gods.
Soon, the Emperor thought of Mars, the man who had saved his daughter’s life once before, and resolved to summon him soon to bestow a great reward.
“Once again, I find myself in his debt. How could I ever repay such a tremendous favor…?”
“Um… Father?”
Though they had shared many conversations since the marriage incident, Asteria still found it a little embarrassing to call him “Father”. Yet hearing her gently say the word now, the Emperor couldn’t help but feel a slight chill.
“Hmm… Ria, do you have something in mind?”
“Well, he’s done the imperial family a huge favor twice now, hasn’t he? A favor almost equal to saving a life. I doubt a typical reward of money or treasure would feel like enough…”
“Then, have you thought of an alternative?”
“M… ay… be…”
“Hmm…?”
“A… wife…”
A woman? Did she mean to introduce him to a woman?
As the emperor began narrowing down a mental list of unmarried young noble ladies, the princess added,
“Preferably someone as pretty as me… from a family close to the imperial line… with a good character, like me, since I’m student council president… and maybe someone with great political talent too… someone like that?”
Squelch—
For just a moment. A very brief moment.
The Emperor was struck by a sudden urge to march over to the academy and give Mars a good beating.
Though she was barely trying to phrase it indirectly, it was obvious. She meant herself.
The emperor let out a long sigh, thinking he’d never expected to feel the same helplessness and frustration he had felt when marrying her off to Taurus, all over again.
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