Chapter 56
The Great Sage showed Daphne the ‘truth of the world.’
In that truth, Daphne saw her previous self, when Sellus first appeared in this world.
Sellus literally ‘appeared.’
Not created with a form by gaining ego from a fragment of a god, but just suddenly came into existence.
Then how could that happen? Three dragons created Sellus.
The reason was simple.
To dump the consequences of the causality they were losing onto Cellus.
“Was I the one handling the cleanup for those bastards?”
Daphne looked up at the Great Sage and ground her teeth.
“To put it that way, yes. Sellus-nim was created to receive their negative consequences.”
“Ha!”
She finally understood why, no matter what nonsense the dragons did, it always turned out good in the end and they never paid for their sins.
And she understood why, no matter how hard Sellus struggled to do good, it always ended in disaster, forcing her to bear sins she hadn’t even committed.
“And after that, they just played around among themselves without any guilt.”
Hahaha.
Daphne let out a hollow laugh. But her eyes weren’t smiling. They were just burning fiercely with rage.
“I must take revenge.”
Seeing Daphne clench her fists so hard her palms dug in, the Great Sage smiled bitterly.
“It’s difficult to find the dragons right away. They’ve infiltrated human society so deeply that they’re indistinguishable from humans.”
“So? So you’re saying to just sit on my hands?”
“No.”
The Great Sage bowed his head again to meet Daphne’s gaze.
“Black mages.”
“Specters?”
“Yes. We can use them.”
The Great Sage lightly snapped his fingers. Then, humans and dragons made of black smoke were created small like dolls.
“The three dragons are using the black mage organization, Specters, as their limbs. And in doing so, they’re spreading the aura of death across the entire continent. The ‘power received in exchange for serving disaster’ that I mentioned is also something they’re providing instead.”
The smoke dragon floated in the air with a human doll on its back.
“What purpose do those bastards have for acting like that?”
“Hmm. Well.”
The Great Sage snapped his fingers again to dispel the smoke dolls and shrugged his shoulders.
“I haven’t figured that out yet. I need to find out now.”
Daphne’s eyes narrowed.
“Whatever…… If I smash the Specters, the dragons will crawl out on their own, right?”
She didn’t care what purpose they had.
Daphne wanted revenge on them. She wanted to return all the loneliness she’d experienced and the pain that came from it.
To do that,
“Those black mage bastards. I’m gonna totally wreck them.”
By crumbling the Specters and catching and beating the hidden dragons.
Daphne’s eyes filled deeply with thick determination.
“As expected, if it’s Sellus-nim, I knew you’d say that. That’s good.”
The Great Sage smiled again at such Daphne and then stood up.
“Then I’ll be going again. I need to gather more information…….”
“What nonsense?”
It was Daphne’s sharp voice that cut off the Great Sage’s farewell.
“You have to help too.”
“Huh?”
“Help, I said.”
“……Why me?”
At the incredulous retort, Daphne frowned deeply.
“Why? Because you knew all this and didn’t tell me, and even toyed with me.”
“I never toyed…….”
“Shut up. You have to help me.”
The Great Sage pondered for a moment.
In fact, Sellus was an existence intriguing enough to dispel his boredom. Also, to handle unexpected situations, it was better to be by her side.
But he didn’t want to agree right away. After all, as a man, he should bounce a few times…….
“If you refuse, I’ll put you on my revenge list too. I’m a very great and scary dragon. I’ll chase you to the ends of the world and make your life miserable.”
The Great Sage briefly recalled the pitiful elf he met before.
-You haven’t properly experienced that crazy lizard yet. You think you can just run away? Run? Ruuun? Ha! You know why I didn’t run? Because if you run, you get caught! She’ll somehow stubbornly find you! And if you run, the punishment doubles!
That was real. Truly a terrified elf itself.
“Refuse? I never thought that?”
After all, as a man, it’s natural to reconsider something once thought.
The Great Sage smiled brightly and looked at Daphne.
“But it would be nice if there’s something I can get in return.”
“Are you kidding?”
“If I work for free, the quality of work will drop, are you okay with that, customer?”
“Haa…….”
Daphne touched her forehead.
“What do you want.”
“Lair.”
The Great Sage answered as if he’d been waiting.
“I want access to Sellus-nim’s lair.”
“What are you trying to steal?!”
“I’m not such a vulgar being. Unlike Sellus-nim.”
“That sounds like you’re insulting me.”
“It’s not ‘sounds like,’ it is. Anyway, I’m just curious about that place. If you permit access, I’ll cooperate a hundred times over.”
“……Hmm.”
Daphne tilted her head this way and that, pondering. Access to the lair wasn’t a big deal, but it was true that she hesitated a bit because she couldn’t guess what this sly Great Sage guy would do there.
“Fine. But on the condition that you go to the lair with me.”
The Great Sage smiled brightly and extended a handshake to Daphne.
“My name is Shiosen. Feel free to call me Shio.”
“My name now is Daphne. Don’t call me casually.”
“…….”
Daphne slapped Shio’s hand away, pointed outside, and glared.
“First, let’s go wreck the black mages.”
She was singing revenge, revenge all along. It really became revenge.
They’re all doomed.
Daphne’s small fist trembled faintly.
***
And now.
Having come to Heros’s office and boldly declared the subjugation of black mages, Daphne was somewhat flustered.
“You go.”
The paper handed by Heros had ‘Hero Training Institute’ written large on it.
Daphne rolled her eyes in bewilderment.
“What is this?”
“You’ll know if you read it. Can’t you read?”
This brat……. Daphne glared at Heros.
“It’s exactly as it says. It’s an institution that educates children who will become the next heroes.”
“Next hero?”
Daphne frowned.
“I don’t want to become something like that. I just want to beat up black mages.”
“You’re 5 years old, Lady.”
“What does age matter! Didn’t I make contributions in the last subjugation too!”
“Daphne.”
Heros placed his hand firmly on Daphne’s crown. It looked like soothing a child throwing a tantrum.
“If you enter the training institute, afterward you can face the Specters as you wish.”
“Ugh…….”
“You might go to actual combat as part of training.”
“That…… But……!”
Daphne shut her eyes tight and shouted.
“I hate heroes!”
Hate, hate, hate…… The firm cry echoed and resounded in the room.
Polin stifled a bursting laugh with a kek kek, and Heros’s expression completely hardened.
“……I don’t particularly like you either.”
Heros muttered bluntly and pursed his lips. Polin was now lying down laughing.
“Anyway, if you hate it, no choice but to pass it to Arius. Instead, you’ll never be able to face the Specters.”
“Ah, really! Petty!”
Daphne bit her lips and pondered.
A hero training institute to nurture the next hero?
In the world, the most annoying are first hero, second hero, third hero, so why do I have to strive to become the next hero! I’m already greater than a hero now!
But apart from this annoyance, it was true that it wasn’t bad for Daphne.
If she enters the training institute, she can receive more systematic training, and if she supports actual combat, she can meet more black mages.
“Huu…….”
Enter the training institute while hearing next hero vs wander around looking for black mages
If choosing between the two……
Daphne eventually dropped her head.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“You should have done that from the start.”
“Consider it an honor. The great me is personally entering the training institute!”
“Yeah, right.”
Heros twisted his lips as if dumbfounded.
“By the way.”
Then he pointed with his chin tip toward behind Daphne.
“Who’s that man outside the door?”
Daphne came with Shio. Since he said he’d help her, it was natural to keep him by her side.
But he said such talks are better among family, so she left Shio outside the door.
Thinking she could introduce him later.
But Heros’s notice was faster than that ‘later.’
“I never permitted bringing that guy into the mansion.”
He sharpened his aura and aimed at Shio’s neck. Shio, feeling the energy pricking his skin, slyly poked his head in.
“Hello?”
He lightly waved his hand.
“I’m Shiosen. Feel free to call me Shio. I came to help Sel… no, lady Daphne.”
Shio took off his hood. Immediately, long hair cascaded down. Black and white hair added mystery. Heros stared blankly at such Shio, and Polin, coming to his senses, blinked in slight puzzlement.
“Shiosen. Shio. Shiosen…… Shio?!”
In Polin’s mind, the portrait of the founding founder he saw in the Magic Tower in the past came to mind. The blinking speed quickened, then gradually widened.
“C-Could it be the Great Sage?!”
He shouted with his mouth wide open.
“People do call me that sometimes.”
“Oh my god. H-How? How?!”
He stomped his feet and covered his mouth with both hands. In the process, his monocle fell and rolled away, but he didn’t care. He just stared at the Shio in front of him.
“I’m a fan! From the Magic Tower, I learned of the Great Sage’s fame and mastered the Great Sage’s magic! The Great Sage is truly a blessing to humanity, such a great and amazing existence…… No, no. This isn’t the time! Please wait a moment? I’ll bring a book! Please sign it!”
With a face more excited than ever before, Polin rushed out of the office without even hearing Shio’s answer.
Daphne and Heros were momentarily dazed by the sudden situation. But Shio just smiled brightly as if it was familiar.
And whispered in Daphne’s ear.
“I’m this amazing person, lady aphne.”
……I’m more amazing, you know?
☆☆☆
By Anna 💓
