Chapter 32
* * *
Five days have passed since Ceres's attack, but no particular incidents have occurred, and Yuurai is spending her days leisurely.
And in these five days, they were able to heal Ceres's wounds faster than initially expected.
The main reason for this was that Yuurai's Servant Enhancement significantly boosted Lipia's magical power.
Lipia's original Magical Energy was around six thousand, and on her own, she could only use moderately effective healing magic. However, with Yuurai lending her strength, Lipia could exhibit a level of power surpassing tens of thousands in Magical Energy.
Of course, Servant Enhancement is not omnipotent. If overused, it puts a strain on Lipia's body, so the enhancement is kept moderate, with breaks taken in between.
"......So? Isn't Ceres going back yet? Her wounds are healed, right?"
At the dining hall, Yuurai asked Ceres, who was having breakfast.
The plan was to send Ceres back once her wounds were healed, but for some reason, Ceres has settled in the town of Grimoire. She even joins them for breakfast.
Claire, Lipia, Ragvela, and Jeevy are all present in the dining hall, focusing their attention on Ceres.
"Return after losing? No way. I'm not going back until I beat you."
"What's with that competitive streak......?"
Ceres is a woman with short blonde hair and golden eyes. She is twenty-two years old. Her sharp gaze and features give off the aura of a warrior. Despite being a woman, she stands at a height of 180 centimeters. Right now, she isn't wearing her Silver Armor but is dressed in typical civilian clothes.
"Yuurai, lift the Curse you placed on me. Then we'll have a rematch. Next time, I'll kill you for sure."
"No way I'm lifting it. I don't even want to fight anymore."
"Lift it."
"Nope. And anyway, instead of asking me to lift it, why not ask the Saint? Isn't she in the Holy Capital? I don't really get it, but wouldn't the Saint be able to lift it?"
"Hah? Why should I bow my head to the Seirene Faith or whatever? Don't mess with me."
Ceres's face twists in clear irritation.
"......Hey, Claire. Ceres is saying stuff like this, but does she have bad blood with the church?"
"Seems like it. Apparently, their fundamental views on justice are different. Ceres's hatred for the church is pretty well-known around here."
"Views on justice? Like what?"
"The Seirene Faith and the Holy Knight Order fight for the justice defined by the God of the Seirene Faith, for the sake of that God. On the other hand, Ceres isn't a follower of the Seirene Faith and fights for the justice she believes in. Since the justice they believe in is different, we can't reconcile."
"Hmm...... So it's pretty complicated. Does that mean you and Ceres don't get along, Claire?"
"I don't really care. To begin with, I'm no longer a Holy Knight."
"I see. What about you, Ceres? Do you hate Claire?"
"I don't care about a fallen Holy Knight."
"......Oh, okay."
"Fallen Holy Knight, huh. Heh...... That's an interesting way to put it......"
Claire wears a dark smile, one that no one has ever seen before.
(Is she okay? Claire, she hasn't fallen into Corruption, has she?)
"Losing to a Monster, becoming an Undead, and on top of that, working for a Monster—how laughable! If you had any pride as a Holy Knight, you'd choose death over siding with Monsters!"
Claire quietly glares at Ceres. The air grows tense, as if sparks could fly at any moment.
"......It might be true that I've lost my pride as a Holy Knight. I chose to live as an Undead rather than die as a Holy Knight. Even so, I haven't completely abandoned the justice within me."
"Is there anything left in you? Holy Knights are nothing but puppets without 'for the sake of God.' They can't even decide their own justice; they're boring people who fight based on someone else's idea of justice! I have a God I believe in too, but I decide my own justice!"
Claire closes her eyes for a few seconds and then lets out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Maybe that's true. I lived clinging to God. Even now, I'm still like an empty puppet."
Claire opens her eyes and glares at Ceres again.
"But I'm not so weak that I'd fall for your cheap provocations, not while I stand beside Yuurai."
"......Tch. I don't know what that Monster means to you, but in the end, aren't you still clinging to something?"
"......Yuurai isn't someone so grand that I'd cling to her."
(Hey. Isn't that kind of rude?)
Ignoring Yuurai's quiet retort, Claire continues.
"Yuurai isn't as strong as a God, nor is she stable. So...... I support Yuurai. If Yuurai wishes for nothing more than peaceful days, I'll lend my strength for that. Not because of what a God says, but by my own will."
"Oh, is that so......? Tch. For an Undead, you sure spout a lot of nonsense."
"You're the one who made me say it. But yeah, it was a pointless conversation."
Having said what she needed to, Claire returns to her usual expressionless face. Yuurai lets out a sigh of relief.
(Does this mean she cares about me quite a bit? That's kind of nice to hear.)
"Uh, anyway, getting back on track, so Ceres isn't going back? I have no intention of fighting you, you know."
"I'm not leaving until I kill you."
"Oh, okay. If you want to stay, do as you like, but if you're free, help out the folks outside. The town still needs more hands for cleaning and stuff."
"Why should I do grunt work like some rookie adventurer? Make those Slave Bandits do it!"
"They're not Slaves, okay? Ugh, just do whatever you want, Ceres."
"Yeah, I'll do just that! And by the way, can't you make better food? All you feed me is tough meat!"
"Don't be picky. This town only has preserved dried meat. If you don't like it, don't eat it. Or just go back."
"Tch!"
Despite her foul mouth, Ceres ends up wolfing down the food before leaving the dining hall.
"Good grief."
Yuurai, exasperated by Ceres's bad attitude, lets out a deep sigh.
"Hey, was there any point in letting her live?"
"Claire, calm down. It's not up to us to decide her worth, right? Even if she's just an annoyance to us, she might not be to someone else. If she's not causing harm, there's no need to kill her."
Perhaps because she has seen worse people, Yuurai thinks to herself that Ceres is kind of cute in a way.
And to wrap things up, she adds one more remark.
"Killing someone just because they annoy me a little isn't what I'm aiming for."