LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 82
Chapter: 82
“First, I’ve cast a spell so you can stabilize for a while, so you’ll be fine for now.”
Phoebe wiped the divine magic she had on her hands and spoke to Joy.
Joy, lying on the bed, had a blank expression as she looked at Phoebe.
She seemed as cold as if she had no interest in anything, but Phoebe, who had known Joy for a long time, could see the thoughts behind that mask.
So, she wasn’t scared at all.
Different from everyone else.
“Joy.”
As Phoebe called her name, Joy slowly turned her head.
“Look at me.”
But when another phrase followed, Joy’s icy gaze met Phoebe’s again.
“You know better than anyone that you’re not completely stable, right?”
“Yes. That’s true.”
“Then why did you deliberately do something to trigger your trauma?”
Under Phoebe’s interrogation, Joy had nothing to say.
How could she admit she decided to enter the dungeon out of greed?
She would surely see the Saintess let out a sigh in disbelief.
As Joy remained silent, Phoebe firmly grasped Joy’s hands with both of hers.
“Joy. You’re a strong person. But even strong people need time to overcome. If you swing it before it hardens, it will only break.”
“That’s true.”
“According to Armadi…”
Joy felt her breath hitch as she sensed Phoebe starting to nag.
Phoebe was certainly a saint.
In all her decades, Joy had never seen her angry, and no matter how unreasonable the situation, she just laughed it off as the Will of God.
Even when faced with rude words from Lucy, she would merely respond with an awkward smile.
But perhaps because she was normally so composed, when that person finally gets angry, it’s frightening, and when someone usually gives light warnings starts nagging, it can go on forever.
After being nagged by Phoebe a few times, Joy realized that if Phoebe started preaching about the Bible, she could easily continue for two hours.
Since the Saintess had preached in countless formal and informal settings, it was something she could do anytime.
Maybe she should just pretend to collapse and complain about mental exhaustion.
While Joy was seriously pondering such things, the infirmary’s door swung open.
With deep pink twin tails and slightly uplifted eyes.
A mischievous smile.
A girl with a surprisingly frivolous movement for a countess.
And, in a bad way, the most famous person at Soul Academy right now.
Lucy Allen.
She casually told her knight, “Shoddy Dog. Wait. I can handle that much,” and stepped into the infirmary.
“What? The Sloppy Saintess was treating the Foolish Young Lady?”
Joy was thrilled to hear Lucy Allen’s voice, disregarding the atmosphere.
“Lady Allen! How do you fare?”
“Don’t you know, Sloppy Saintess? Can’t you see my face behind this lump of flesh?”
“Lump of flesh?”
At Lucy’s words, everyone inside the infirmary froze.
The nurse, sipping water, began coughing as if someone had choked her,
Joy was questioning if she had really heard that right, and Phoebe was crimson-faced with a stiff smile.
In the midst of that, only Lucy remained unfazed.
“Is it strange to call you a lump of flesh? Then let’s see…”
“That. More than that! What brings Lady Allen here?!”
This was the first time Joy saw such a flustered expression on Phoebe’s face.
To think there was someone who could disrupt Phoebe’s calm demeanor, who had met all sorts of people and experienced all kinds of situations as a high-ranking member of Jushin Church.
Indeed, should I call her Lady Allen?
“I came because the Foolish Young Lady called.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll take my leave!”
“It’s fine.”
“No! I’ve finished talking with Joy anyway!”
Phoebe, who had been flustered and unable to keep her eyes still, suddenly became calm.
As if entranced, she stared at the cross hanging around Lucy’s neck and asked in a faint voice.
“Lady Allen, has a blessing been added to your necklace?”
“Glancing Saintess, you caught on fast, huh? Yes. But why?”
“Because it’s fascinating. To have gained so much divinity in such a short time. Lady Allen, you are loved by God.”
With pure admiration in her voice, Lucy smirked mockingly.
“Is that so? Isn’t that kind of attention normal?”
“I wish it were, but sadly, that’s not the case, Lady Allen.”
“What? Sloppy Saintess, are you jealous? Haha, totally disqualified as a saintess.”
Her usual cheeky and arrogant attitude.
If she were an ordinary person, one might grumble at her boasting, but Phoebe simply smiled.
“It’s gotten long, hasn’t it? I’ll excuse myself, but before I do, just a moment.”
Rising from her chair, Phoebe turned her head to look at Joy, leaned in, and whispered.
“I’ll continue what I wanted to say later.”
The declaration that she wouldn’t stop preaching made Joy’s eyes tremble.
Ah, the Saintess is trying to drag me to hell.
*
I’m feeling suicidal.
Forget about favorability and quests, wouldn’t it just be better to hit game over?
No, that’s too late.
To die in a more decent and quiet way, it’s better to ask Alsatine for poison.
Yeah, that’s the best option.
[Hey, girl.]
“Grandpa, please be quiet.”
No matter what I say here, my shattered heart will not return.
It seemed Grandpa sensed my broken heart as he didn’t say anything further.
Sigh.
A sloppy, incompetent, petty Lord?
What is this situation because of you? Because you amplified the Mesugaki skill…
Huh?!
What the heck is happening?!
Have I crossed the line into speaking nonsense to the Saintess AND giving her a dirty look?!
Damn it.
What’s this lump of flesh stuff?!
If you get any stronger, I’ll really end up calling Phoebe the lewd saintess!
Right?
While getting annoyingly worked up internally, I somehow felt like that might actually happen.
At this rate, if I called for Karl, the Mesugaki skill would probably turn her into Shoddy Dog.
Even if I’m now just calling her the Sloppy Saintess, if I cross the line she’ll definitely be called the lewd saintess.
If that happens, it’s over!
To insult a saintess, the very symbol of Jushin Church, in a sexual way…
I can’t even imagine what would unfold.
Not even in a game would such scenarios exist!
“Lady Allen?”
I had bit my tongue so much while internally complaining that Joy cautiously called to me.
“Are you okay?”
With the Mesugaki skill active, my expression should be calm, so why is Joy worried about me?
Is it a problem that I’m keeping my mouth shut?
Well, when you ask if I’m okay, I am fine.
Sure, I’ve said many blunders, but if it’s Phoebe, she’ll probably let it slide.
But I’m just worried something worse might happen next time.
So I shrugged and smiled.
‘It’s fine.’
“You’re worried about me? Foolish Young Lady? For someone who almost became a laughingstock, you seem surprisingly calm?”
Mesugaki skill, huh.
Is there a bit too much bonus today?
If you keep serving me such a huge helping, it’s going to be really troublesome for me.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a ‘laughingstock’ moment.”
‘Just a joke.’
“Foolish Young Lady. Can’t you tell the difference between a joke and reality? You’re so clueless.”
“…I’d rather not be told I’m clueless by Lady Allen.”
Right?
Even I’d be furious to be called clueless by someone like Lucy.
‘So, why did you call for me?’
“So, Foolish Young Lady, what’s the deal? Can’t sleep alone? Want me to sing a lullaby?”
“A lullaby from Lady Allen? That sounds terrible, so I’ll pass. I called Lady Allen to apologize.”
For confidently declaring I would enter the dungeon just to freak out and not be able to go in.
To apologize for ruining my schedule and causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
Most of all, to apologize for not being able to repay a favor even after receiving one.
Joy spoke with her usual serious tone.
Listening to her, all I could think was, why is she apologizing to me?
If I really think about it, I was the one who gave Joy the trauma, so it’s the opposite!
A wasted day?
I’m not speedrunning right now, so there’s no reason to go into a fit over wasting a day.
It’s nothing more than a small loss to a seasoned player at the Soul Academy.
‘Don’t worry about it.’
“Foolish Young Lady, you’re being too timid as a sloppy person. I’m not interested in whether you repay me or not, got it? There’s no way I’d be interested in someone as sloppy as you!”
“But…”
‘It’s fine.’
“Foolish Young Lady, can you not cling so much?”
As I spoke, I stood up from my seat.
I couldn’t stay there any longer, not knowing what kind of verbal abuse I might unleash on Joy.
I can’t get any more verbal on a kid who just barely got out from trauma!
“I’m going to head off now!”
“Take care, Foolish Young Lady. I hope that foolish face of yours looks a bit better then?”
*
One of Joy Partlan’s associates, Lady Avery from the Rumley Count family, was unconsciously chewing on her nails.
Lucy Allen. That damn girl.
Not long ago, she brazenly picked a fight with the Ducal Young Lady Partlan.
She blocked the path of that reckless brat who had the audacity to provoke the Ducal Young Lady.
It was entirely for the sake of Young Lady Partlan.
Why would she drag someone with bad memories of the dungeon right to the entrance and remind her of her trauma?
There was no way she could just sit back while that nasty brat visited Young Lady Partlan again.
However, that rascal openly displayed her wickedness.
She insulted Avery, then pushed her down to the floor.
Days had passed since Avery was humiliated in front of many people, and even now, she grinding her teeth remembering that moment.
Born as the rightful heir to the Rumley Count family, adored by many, she couldn’t endure such disgrace.
It didn’t sit well with her.
Even when that obnoxious brat wreaked havoc in social circles and insulted others, seeing her act all high and mighty just because she aced the entrance exam was unbearable.
Had Lucy Allen been a mere noble of questionable status, Avery would have taught her some manners directly.
But Lucy Allen was not someone you could deal with that way.
She was the last bloodline of the greatest martial family in the continent.
Having scored first in the Academy entrance exam, she spread her name far and wide.
She was viewed as a promising candidate likely to be the next Sword Saint after taking down the formidable Frey Kent with force.
Such a monstrous punk was beyond Avery’s capacity to deal with alone.
Ordinarily, she would have borrowed the influence of Young Lady Partlan to say a word or two, but Young Lady Partlan had a good opinion of that damned brat.
She regarded her as the benefactor who saved her life.
It was nonsensical to believe that that rascal saved anyone’s life.
It was just a mere coincidence, but still, Young Lady Partlan believed so.
“Should Lucy Allen be insulted any further, I might just get a little angry.”
Avery and the other Young Ladies’ persuading likely wouldn’t have an effect on the resolute view held.
So, they opted for a backup plan.
Surely, someone by now must be harboring hatred towards Lucy Allen.
Someone who would be gnashing their teeth over their last defeat.
Arthur Soladin.
They decided to borrow the power of the Third Prince of the Soladin Kingdom.