Chapter 259 – Magic of Another World – 3

“Child, it’s not that I don’t know the reason for calling that woman here. However…”

Minerva spoke with a voice that couldn’t hide her grim emotions. It seemed she immediately inferred what I was about to say. In fact, for someone like Minerva, not to notice would be more surprising.

She came here saying she had a favor to ask but brought Nix with her, and she revealed her uncomfortable relationship with Nix right in front of me. So, it wouldn’t have been too hard to guess.

Parnari tilted her head, feeling puzzled by Minerva’s reaction.

“Those two were like that even when we met last time. What happened?”

“It’s something from a long time ago. About 200 years. It was a quarrel mixed with a bit of misunderstanding.”

“Two hundred years? Oh, so it’s because it’s not long ago that Skeantia is so angry like this. I get it.”

“……”

To treat an event from 200 years ago as if it happened just a few days ago, that’s so dragon-like. Even for Minerva and Nix, who have lived for hundreds of years, 200 years is definitely not a small amount of time.

With that mindset, it’s no wonder she could lightly accept being Nix’s assistant. A 300-year assistant contract wouldn’t normally be something one could manage with an ordinary sense of time.

“Well, it’s as you think, Minerva. In the end, the reason you came to harbor ill feelings towards Nix is because of the lie about teaching you new magic, right?”

“That would be the case.”

“Then there’s no reason to be angry anymore. In the past, you had nothing to do, but now you certainly do. You must have a mountain of research to work on right now?”

Minerva nodded slightly in agreement. As I said, in the past, she was bored to the brink of madness because she had nothing to do, but now that absolutely wasn’t the case.

Just a short while ago, she had been studying the Mirror Scroll, and I could find the other Ancient Scrolls for her. If that wasn’t enough, an opportunity to study magic from another world had even appeared.

She had moved far away from a situation where she had no more knowledge to accumulate and was bored to death. So, there was no reason to hold onto ill feelings.

The reason Minerva was angry was that Nix ‘lied,’ but more so because she ‘was lied to about new magic.’

“I understand. If the child wants reconciliation, then I should naturally oblige. As the child said, there’s no reason to be angry anymore. What’s the big deal about forgetting grudges from so long ago?”

“There’s one more thing. That matter wasn’t Nix’s will. Nix was just following the Goddess’s words.”

When I revealed that the Goddess was involved, Nix, surprised, grabbed my collar. I patted her head to mean it was okay. We had to completely clear up the misunderstanding.

If I just ended it there, it would look like Minerva was unilaterally forgiving Nix and reconciling with her. After all, Nix hadn’t done anything wrong from the start.

The conflict between Minerva and Nix had been Eclipse’s last resort. After all, if they didn’t fight, the creature that devoured the world would eventually come here, right?

So, the relationship between the two wasn’t one of unilateral forgiveness and reconciliation but rather something that happened out of necessity.

“Goddess? Are you referring to the God of the Holy Kingdom, child?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Upon my affirmative, Minerva’s expression became perplexed. I explained everything except for Nix’s true identity and the creature that devours the world.

When Minerva heard that the Goddess had revealed a revelation to Nix, she seemed puzzled as to why one who wasn’t even the Pope of the Holy Kingdom would receive a revelation, but the question didn’t linger for long.

It was because I was the one who made that remark.

I had met the Goddess directly, fought alongside her, and I was the one who’s revered as a living Holy One in the Holy Kingdom. So, when someone like me said that the Goddess had directly communicated revelations, it was something she couldn’t doubt.

“……I didn’t know the God of the Holy Kingdom had given a revelation to cause discord between us. I had no idea.”

“Hehe, you don’t need to apologize. You had every reason to be angry back then. I also resented the Goddess until I heard the reason.”

At that time, Nix was practically a scammer, so it was indeed an action that justified anger, but still, it was unfathomable that the God of the Holy Kingdom would be involved, judging by Minerva’s complicated expression.

Moreover, it was hard to blame Eclipse for that incident. If they had informed beforehand, Minerva would have figured out Nix’s act, which meant from Eclipse’s perspective, it was the best they could do.

After completely clarifying the misunderstanding, Nix returned to my side and whispered softly in my ear.

“Aren’t you going to use the method the Goddess mentioned?”

“It worked out, didn’t it? No reason to use it.”

“But the Goddess told you so. I came prepared… Hehe.”

“Revelations are open to interpretation. You don’t need to prepare anything, just put it back.”

Although I still felt uneasy about the fact that we emphasized ‘the three of us,’ I decided it was just my overreaction since it seemed like the misunderstanding had been resolved.

What more reconciliation could there be from here?

I affectionately patted Nix, who appeared visibly sulky. Her disheartened expression brightened immediately. The anxious demeanor disappeared, and instead, she took on a more pet-like aspect.

“Delta, what’s the method the Goddess mentioned?”

Just as I was stroking Nix’s head, Parnari suddenly asked.

“……Did you hear that?”

I brought Nix, who was grinning, close to me and pinched her cheeks with both hands to prevent her from saying anything unnecessary.

It might not matter with informal Nix or Flor, but polite Nix was somewhat worrisome.

“I’m a dragon, you know. Even in human form, my ears are sharp. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop; it just happened. If it was unpleasant, I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t unpleasant. It’s just… it’s a somewhat awkward method to implement.”

“Really? Understood. Then I won’t ask more.”

Noticing it was a tricky question, Parnari quietly stepped back as Minerva approached, as if taking her place. She removed her hands that had been pinching Nix’s cheeks.

“Now that the misunderstandings have been resolved?”

“Indeed. That the God of the Holy Kingdom intended for this to happen is a bit of a shock. If Nix had been caught by me, I would have committed an unforgivable sin.”

“That was all part of the preordained revelation. So, no matter how much you tried, Minerva, you wouldn’t have been able to capture Nix.”

I reassured Minerva and gripped my staff. It was the one in the game that had the highest intelligence bonuses. If the ultimate setup for close combat was Wingless Nightmare, this one felt like the ultimate setup for a magician.

When I asked if I could obtain it, they handed it to me from the Mage Tower’s storage. It was the same when I went to rescue Wingless Nightmare; there seemed to be all sorts of items available.

Now I just needed to obtain one of the final setups for Clerics, ‘Sacred Catalyst of the Sun and Moon,’ and I could safely say I wouldn’t be hobbled by equipment issues. After all, I had secured close-range weapons, a staff, and sacred catalysts.

I looked at Minerva while preparing magic.

“This time, you mustn’t faint, Minerva. Do you know how surprised I was when I saw you foam at the mouth and collapse last time?”

“……Let’s just consider it a temporary state of excessive excitement due to an impact beyond my threshold.”

The peachy hue of her cheeks turned slightly red.

Although Minerva had been flaunting her lemon-scented magic every time we found an Ancient Scroll and had trampled over the mages of the tower while transporting it, it seemed she was actually a bit embarrassed this time.

It was surprising to know she felt embarrassed. Given the reactions she had previously shown, it wouldn’t have been unusual at all if she had confidently acted that way.

“But this time, just in case, I brought Parnari along, so it should be fine. Nix is here too. It shouldn’t be like last time when the Mage Tower went crazy.”

“……I never thought I’d use Dragon Language for that purpose. These people are so strange.”

Recalling how she had calmed the mages that had been rushing toward me in a frenzy, Parnari seemed a bit fed up. Minerva cleared her throat, ahem.

The unaware Nix was left with only question marks floating above her head.

“Let’s begin.”

A purplish mana seeped from the tip of my staff. Minerva’s expression turned mushy again upon seeing it.

The gathered purplish mana formed into a perfect sphere, and as I swung my arm, it was launched forward.

The launched sphere floated aimlessly in the sky before suddenly turning sharply and colliding with the target I had in mind, resulting in an explosion.

The explosion sent out a wave of purplish energy. Where the wave reached, a carpet was laid out. The targets on it began to burn, enveloped in purple flames.

It was one of the spells called ‘Purple Water Spray’ from the series known as Brightest Darkness 1. It happened to be mixed in the magic I had summoned.

‘I don’t know what that has to do with water spray.’

After all, it was a spell that shot a mana sphere instead of water, didn’t burst like water, and the carpet was fire, not water. The only thing that matched the name was the color purple.

It could just as easily be called a carpet guided projectile.

“Ahhh…”

Minerva trembled with an ecstatic expression. Her half-dazed eyes showed no inclination of returning to normal, but thankfully, she didn’t foam at the mouth and collapse this time.

Clap clap, applause could be heard nearby. It was Nix. I gently tickled Nix’s chin and spoke.

“Minerva.”

“Uh, yes?!”

Her silvery-white pupils returned to focus. Her startled body twitched.

“Can you replicate the magic I just showed you?”

Upon hearing that, Minerva’s expression shifted instantly. Gone was the rapturous expression from watching the magic of another world; only a sharp demeanor remained.

Deep in thought, Minerva opened her mouth.

“Could you show me once more, no, twice more?”

“Understood.”

I used the magic two more times, and the mana matched perfectly. Minerva, who had been closely observing how I cast Purple Water Spray, lifted her staff with a serious expression.

Minerva concealed her silvery-white pupils behind her eyelids and focused for a while. As time passed, her eyes slowly opened.

“Child.”

“Yes, Minerva.”

“Please come closer for a moment. I have a request.”

I approached Minerva, puzzled. And.

“Shh, quietly…”

My head was buried between her chest.