A cold day in winter with cold raindrops drizzling down.
The first thing I encountered after arriving at ＜Spellage＞ was an unexpected person.
“His Holiness the Pope… … ?”
The Pope of the Vatican ＜Hedenia＞.
[KP The Saint of Waiting]
Lucia Domine
Surprisingly, she came to this chaotic ＜Spellage＞.
She was holding the pipe she always carried under the eaves, as if to hide from the rain.
“The successor of the King of Sorcery.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Now that the King of Darkness has passed away, the Vatican must also show sincerity. I just finished work.”
It is said that they came to hold a funeral for Salem. Since he was a powerful wizard in his lifetime, there will be many who will target Salem’s corpse, and there will be many who will make a fuss about it.
The church is trying to prevent it through a purification ceremony.
It may have a political purpose, but it’s something to be thankful for.
“Even so, it’s fast. It’s only been about a week since the death of the King of Darkness, hasn’t it?”
“Time is not an issue. Because I always decide whether or not to do it.”
Lucia Domine extinguished the pipe she was holding and gestured toward me.
“Are you not smoking any more?”
“Not to the extent of smoking in front of an orphaned child.”
Lucia Domine answered my question with a smile.
“You knew.”
I honestly wasn’t surprised.
I’m just wondering if that could be the case.
“All the monasteries in each country are connected to the Holy See to some extent, so it is impossible not to know.”
“Was it you who blocked the wizards’ eyes from me when Salem turned his eyes away from me?”
“It wasn’t quite like that. I was just returning my attention, but it’s nothing to be thankful for.”
Lucia Domine added, leaning crookedly against the building.
“Moreover, I was able to quickly find Arietta, who became a saint thanks to you, so let’s say I benefited from it.”
“Then it’s like I sold Arrieta.”
“You saved me from fate. If it had stayed the same, such a small monastery would have been swept up in the fate of Arietta. So you can be proud of it.”
“I’m not proud of it.”
“Would you like to do well?”
Lucia Domine, who giggled as if she understood what I said, soon put on a slightly serious expression.
“Let’s talk about the past for a moment.”
“Most of those things are about me.”
“you’re right. That’s my story.”
I don’t even deny it. On the contrary, it is surprising that he can proudly wrap his past into a story like that.
“There was a kid who was tired of the idea of the chosen people.”
“I still don’t see much of a difference.”
“okay. Like you.”
“Oops.”
The counter is great.
“The divinity that I had in my body was more brilliant and powerful than anyone else. The fortunate thing is that I did not persecute others through it.”
“Then you must have thought that your special self could save everyone.”
“Exactly. As expected, the successor of the King of Darkness. You’re quick to understand because it applies to you as well.”
“Because I felt it deeply.”
“If it could have changed, that would be great.”
It was arrogance to think that I could change everything just because I knew how the world was going.
With my help, Eleanor would grow more stable, that a bad ending could easily be changed to a happy one.
Because I was thinking that way, I was a major failure this time.
“The boy had no doubt that his good deeds would yield good results unconditionally. But it was invisible.”
“what?”
“The consequences of your actions. It just didn’t look right to that kid.”
Lucia Domine muttered as she touched the eyepatch covering one eye.
“It was belatedly that I realized why God took one eye from me. That my actions could create a tragedy out of sight.”
Saying that, she took out a gold coin from her pocket.
There was a stain on the gold coin, but it seemed to be a bloodstain.
She held the gold coin to me as if to take a closer look.
“This is the money I gave to a begging child. How do you think it turned out?”
“After escaping from your gaze, the child must have been murdered by money-seeking adults.”
“Exactly. It’s very simple. But the kid didn’t know that simple logic. Right before you see the child’s body.”
Although she said it self-deprecatingly, as if she had read an obvious cliché.
“Before he saw the body of the child, how many people must have been driven to death by that damned kid with his clumsy good deeds?”
That expression was infinitely cold.
I can only feel the cold of my sins that I can’t even help myself.
“The successor of the King of Darkness. No, Oz Quo Vadis. I noticed something when I met you here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you planning on becoming the King of Darkness?”
“It is natural. It is natural for the successor to take over.”
“… … .”
At my answer, she stared blankly at the gold coin lying on her palm for a while, then put it back in her bosom and said,
“Do you see the moral of the story I just told you?”
“I do not know. When doing good, let’s do only what we can afford?”
“Nope. The moral of this story is… … .”
A miserable smile that could not be thought of as a priest.
“… … It’s better not to do it than to do it awkwardly. If you don’t, your good deeds may come back as a cold corpse.”
A trembling dotted with regret is transmitted.
“If you really want to do something, you have to do your best. That’s my theory. What should I do if I want to save a child from a slum?”
“Do you give food that is not gold coins? Or will you give me a job?”
A common response to a common story.
It was a response worthy of a cliché, but Lucia Domine rather shook her head.
“Nope.”
And he declared with eyes that could be seen as madness at first glance.
“We have to overturn the slum where the child was. We have to cut out all the rotten things and throw them away.”
“That is extreme.”
“Because I decided to live like that.”
Lucia Domine looked up at the sky where the rain was falling drop by drop, then raised her hand above my head. It’s like baptism.
“You guys are so clumsy and emotional. I’m always worried. I wonder if I will make an irreversible mistake like I did in the past because I get caught up in the emotions of the moment.”
A blessing from the pope.
Brilliant golden light began to permeate my entire body.
The body, which had been wet and cold in the rain, regains its warmth again.
“Touching the hearts of others is always a matter of caution.”
The tiredness of coming from the forest to ＜Spellage＞ completely disappears.
“When you want to carry something, you have to know its weight.”
The mana that flowed through his body became even smoother.
“So what I say to you will always be the same.”
The kindness shown by Lucia Domine, who always had a frown on her face.
The madness in his eyes that he had seen just now had long since faded.
“If you’re going to do it with a half-hearted attitude, it’s better not to do it. Even so, if it’s something you have to do, if it’s something you’ve decided to do, please… … I hope you will do your best and leave no regrets.”
Lucia Domine left those words and walked away in the rain.
I only noticed that powerless movement, but… … .
“Thank you for your condolences.”
“It was nothing.”
She was sincerely mourning Salem’s death.
After she left, I waited under the eaves for a while to recover.
Now that I have decided to take over the position of [King of Darkness], I do not regret it.
but… … .
“Did I tell you to do your best if you’re going to do it… … .”
If so, shouldn’t we at least show a splendid performance?
transcendental magic
[pulsating heart]
So I’ll show everyone ‘for sure’.
that your king has come
* * *
Even so, I couldn’t enter ＜Spellage＞ with [Pulsating Heart].
So instead of him, I decided to move along with Salem’s other transcendental magic, [Great Step].
When it comes to attracting attention in the first place, the [Great Step] that grabs the opponent’s awareness itself is more efficient. And above all… … .
“Certainly, this side is dignified.”
A lion with a flame mane is quite dignified just for that.
Most of those who encountered me bowed their heads, while some showed a sense of caution and distanced themselves.
There was only one person who approached me.
“The Prince of Oz… … .”
“Lucia?”
A face as if he had seen a ghost.
His long-awaited private clothes were drenched in the rain and in a mess, and his complexion was also bad, as if he had been hurt somewhere.
It must have been looking for me.
“worry… … .”
“You say that?!”
match!
Before he could finish his sentence, he was slapped on the cheek. There was no hostility, and it could have been avoided, but it was accepted.
The time I spent in Salem’s treehouse was close to a week.
If she’s been looking for me all that time… … .
A slap on the cheek is rather cheap.
“Where and what have you been doing all this time!”
The enraged Lucia then wanted to grab my collar.
“where… … what did you do… … .”
Took.
He collapsed as if he was sobbing and buried his head in my chest.
Relieved or relaxed, she didn’t think of falling.
“… … I’m sorry, I’m a little late because I have work to do.”
“I know you are busy. I know, but I can’t say a word in advance… … .”
“Yeah, sorry… … .”
I could feel that the part of my clothes was getting damp. Crying.
Lucia slammed her head into my chest even more, as if she didn’t want to show her face.
I guess she was more concerned about me than I thought.
“Because you always do dangerous things… … . I mean, I’m worried.”
I am speechless.
Since Lucia always had a blunt attitude, such an honest expression was honestly surprising.
You must have worried about me that much, but… … . Things are bad right now.
Aren’t I in a state of attracting a lot of people’s attention?
If it stays like this, more people who have seen [Pulsating Heart] will flock to it.
It’s breaking the mood, but… … .
“Lucia, people are watching.”
“Huh?!”
Shasha shak!
Lucia backs off like a wary cat and cowers.
“Kuhm… … .”
“Now come and pretend to be cool… … No, it’s done. continue. I won’t disturb you.”
Perhaps to hide her shyness, Lucia was acting relaxed with her arms folded… … .
It seems that he couldn’t stop the red-stained expression and the wildly wagging tail. What a pitiful cat.
“Prince of Oz. I don’t know about you, but a lot has happened in the meantime.”
“yes.”
Can not be done.
It seems like he’s trying to talk about something serious, but his tail is going crazy.
My gaze keeps wandering elsewhere.
“ruler! receive!”
Lucia must have noticed that too, and she came closer to me with her head down and shoved a bundle of papers.
“This… … .”
It was data that investigated how power was flowing along with the current situation of ＜Spellage＞.
It must have been difficult just to look for me, but in the meantime, were you gathering information?
Even a workaholic is a disease.
“Thank you, just what I needed.”
“Muh, what. I just did the right thing Well, now I am a person hired by you for now!”
“Yes, you are the best partner.”
These are not empty words.
Not only is this guy basically competent, but his ability to gather information is unparalleled.
This is why I can’t help but stick to this guy when I’m moving.
Lucia hid herself in an alley where she would not be noticed, perhaps ashamed of my praise.
“Eat the spell you’re going to do. The Prince of Oz.”
A voice is heard from the alley. I thought it was gone, but I guess it’s still there.
As I continued on my way, I spoke in a voice only Lucia could hear.
“I thought so from the beginning.”
In response to my reply, laughter was heard from the side of the alley.
It seems to be a development I like.
“Then can I expect a reward?”
“Why would you go into exile? I’ll give you one seat.”
“I will respectfully decline that. If you go into exile, there is a country you have to go to.”
“Right.”
After having such a small chat, when we started to move.
“… … Cheer up, Prince Oz.”
Lucia reached out her hand from the alleyway.
“Yes, you have to work hard.”
match!
I just passed through that alleyway and clapped my hands with her.
There were many people who could not be overlooked in the data Lucia had delivered.
Among elder-level magicians, they were especially called elders.
“Even if it’s lower than Salem… … .”
Those who are clearly stronger than me.
Had they acted in time in the first place, the terrorism of ＜Spellage＞ might have ended much earlier.
They were only focusing on their own safety and the protection of research materials.
The country’s support means receiving all the support and eating it, and all it does is shut itself in a small room and hold its breath.
Those are great things.
“Okay then.”
As I was trying to keep the information Lucia gave me in my head, I arrived at the tower where Salem was staying, the center of ＜Spellage＞.
“… … The Wizard of Oz.”
A fairy tale from which my name was derived.
In the fairy tale, the name ‘Oz’ refers to the King of Wizards.
The funny thing about this is that Oz wasn’t actually a wizard.
He was just an ordinary human with a lot of talent, but he was an ordinary person who was mistakenly regarded as a king.
Yes, Oz does not fit the grandiose title of ‘King of Wizards’… … .
“You’re in no different position than I am now.”
A bravado coward.
Doesn’t it fit me right now?
“Things possible even in fairy tales.”
That’s why, in fact, I’m weak, and I’m trying to become the king.
Yes, the person best suited for that position in this world is… … .
“I shouldn’t be able to do it.”
because there is only me