LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 230
“Hah.”
Acella breathed a deep sigh as she lay collapsed on the floor.
It was quiet. Thanks to the 6th tier spatial magic known as the ‘Duel Arena,’ which could also be called an absolute barrier, there was no one around.
Swish, her hair was overflowing with a pure white hue.
This time, it wasn’t just a few strands. Roughly 30% of the hair protruding from the crown of Acella’s head had clearly changed color, to the point that it felt distinctly uncomfortable.
The remaining mana flowed along the surface, adding luster, making it appear as if she had silver hair.
“…I’m exhausted.”
With no strength to rise, Acella crawled towards the remains of the Ritch. She barely grasped the wand he had stolen from her, cradling it close to her chest.
Hoo.
7th tier sacred spell.
She borrowed a weapon from the realm of the ancient gods that shaped this dimension long before the continent existed.
Using such magic came with a staggering price.
If she had known this would happen, she would have made a replica out of ice. Its power would have been similar.
“…To think he would take my wand.”
There were indeed ways to fight like that. She learned something new.
“There’s no time to rest.”
Feeling enough rested, Acella thought and stood up after just 5 minutes, fixing the duel arena’s magic that the Ritch had broken.
“Passed one, next is….”
Acella used her magic without growing tired.
Clairvoyance.
Her vision rapidly shifted, and she glared intensively at the Tree of Time.
“This is where we just passed.”
Her duel with the Ritch was a pivotal moment. If she had lost to him, the undead army would have advanced all the way to the kingdom, significantly tipping the battle in favor of the coalition. No, the coalition might have collapsed, forcing the empire to fight alone.
A crucial turning point that could lead to the world’s destruction.
In such chaos, she couldn’t imagine Lars surviving.
“There was a possibility of losing to the Ritch too.”
When looked at closely, the thickness of the timelines diverging at this turning point was different. About 9 to 1.
The statement that the Ritch only had a 10% chance of winning wasn’t just bravado. If he had been vigilant, he might have defeated her without even using the sacred spell.
She had thought she would never lose, especially when he had praised her as a strong sorceress, showering her with false humility.
“There are… ten remaining turning points.”
If she could overcome those, she could take Lars to the place he desperately wanted to reach.
To the so-called ‘good ending.’
She couldn’t inspect every scene. The more details Clairvoyance analyzed, the more costly it became for Acella to glimpse the near future.
Lars’s death she had seen was an event from a timeline much different from this one, so it didn’t require paying a hefty amount.
To examine all the details of an immediate turning point would cost her decades of lifespan. That would leave her unable to use powerful magic like the sacred spells.
There were also issues of tier.
“As long as I know when, that’s enough.”
Whoosh!
Returning to reality, Acella grimaced at the stale air of the battlefield.
“Just wait a bit, Lars. I’ll take you there.”
As Acella walked out of the duel arena, the golden space soon closed.
*
“The royal princess has arrived.”
Tanya said when the hero party had just defeated the second Spider Lord.
“The enemy’s noticeably weakened!”
“Looks like they’ve lost control.”
It was Ambrosia and Valen. The implication was clear.
“Acella has won.”
[No. 022: Magic Duel 12% → 0%]
[Ending has been deleted.]
Of course, Acella was a powerful sorceress with no one to rival her. But that was only true when her talent was intact, as she hadn’t eliminated Camilla’s spirit.
To think she took down the Ritch alone.
Her dignified emergence stole everyone’s gaze for a moment.
“The enemy’s morale has diminished! Infantry, assault and crush the enemy!”
The general made the right call. Seizing the opportunity, the coalition army opened the gate and launched a counterattack. It was clear that they were overwhelmingly in the lead.
“Commander, we need to rescue Acella.”
Acella, having finished the battle, was now in the heart of the enemy camp across the river. The undead army was charging toward her.
“I’ll clear a path!”
Lishe led the way while the hero party followed behind. They were headed toward Acella.
Boom!
No need to save strength any longer, Tanya unleashed her aura and effortlessly sent the enemy flying. I soared ahead, kicking off the ground.
Acella, seemingly unable to use magic against the undead rushing at her.
Had she exhausted her mana? I could tell by her weary demeanor that she was trying to hide her exhaustion.
“Your Highness!”
I rushed in front of her and activated a protective barrier. The undead that charged in were bounced back by the divine power.
“Faust.”
I offered her the sword sheath that was strapped to my waist.
“Will you take it and follow me?”
Acella scoffed.
“Aren’t you a doctor? You should’ve brought a stretcher.”
“I didn’t have the luxury to do that.”
“Just this once, I permit you. Carry me away from the battlefield.”
With her permission granted, I quickly scooped Acella up.
Strength Enhancement, Level 3.
Retracing our steps, the undead charging toward us got their heads pierced by incoming arrows, were cleaved in two by my sword, and lost sight thanks to my divine spell before turning away.
“Victory is at hand! Don’t let up your swords!”
Hearing the general’s shout, we cut through the intense battlefield to return to the castle wall.
*
With the Ritch dead, the undead army lost their power, and the coalition army bulldozed through them from the castle wall.
The last remaining Spider Lord was also taken down using holy water.
There were so many of them that it would take days to wipe them out completely, but the coalition’s numbers were just as great.
They couldn’t control the undead troops, so we could minimize our losses by alternating our attacks, ensuring our victory.
“Other people will be healed by the girl. Faust, I leave the prince to you.”
Having caught a breath, we began to regroup. I focused on restoring Acella’s mana and methodically cleaned and treated her wounds.
“Some mana circuits have burned out. Please stabilize for a while.”
She must have used quite the powerful magic.
Lying on the bed, receiving my treatment, Acella furrowed her brow.
“You should know that we don’t have such luxury. When would the hero party have the time to just lie around?”
“There will be a few days’ grace to eliminate the residual undead. The Demon Lord’s army will likely replenish their forces and then attack with the Demon Race. I don’t know when that will be, though.”
Thanks to preemptively eliminating the Four Heavenly Kings, at least we wouldn’t have to face any Demon Army or vampire lackey troops.
Originally, the Demon Army would have launched from the north, and the vampires from within the human realm, causing chaos as we had to teleport from place to place.
The Demon Lord’s army would also have bolstered their ranks, but since our coalition was much larger, we would be able to respond adequately.
I continued Acella’s treatment as I spoke.
“Rest is essential. If you head straight into the next battle, you will surely die. I’ll prohibit you from that for the time being.”
“Who are you to make that decision? I want to fight.”
“Right now, I am the only doctor in this party. Think of me as the attending physician and heed my words.”
“…Hah, just like a master.”
Acella shook her head, placing her arm over her forehead. It was evident she was trying to hide her fatigue, as she always acted strong.
Yet still, it seemed she was willing to listen for now. Thank goodness for that.
There was something a bit unsettling about seeing her like this.
“Your hair has grown somewhat silver.”
“Hmm? Ah, this.”
Acella didn’t respond.
―――――――――――
– Name: Acella von Württemberg
– Health: 24 / 31
– Status: Low on mana, undergoing treatment
– Injury: Burn >> Open history.
– Location: Mana Circuits
– Mood: Nostalgia
―――――――――――
Sudden bleaching isn’t a good sign for one’s health. However, no serious illness could be found in the diagnosis.
Could it be related to magic?
“They say silver hair is a symbol of a powerful witch.”
“Yeah. I improved during the fight with the Ritch. That’s all there is to it.”
Her tone was disinterested, as if she was hiding something.
“Is that really all? Please do not hide any ailments from your physician.”
“That’s everything.”
Acella said coldly.
It seemed she didn’t want to talk much about her hair.
After finishing the prescription, I addressed her.
“Thank you for your hard work in battle. The Ritch was a powerful executive of the Demon Lord’s army, but since you defeated him, it’s good news for the hero party.”
“Well, we have to win against the Demon Lord too.”
“Gothberg will surely rejoice. He’s working hard to take down the Demon Lord’s army as well.”
When my name came up, Acella finally seemed interested, subtly shifting her gaze.
“Really? Do you think he’ll be that happy?”
“Definitely. He’d be so happy he might fall while dancing and crack his head open.”
“Pfft.”
Imagining the scene of my embarrassment seemed to lift her spirits as Acella let out a light laugh.
“Don’t let it out that I’m fighting here. If he finds out I took down the Ritch alone, he’d probably faint from shock.”
“Yes. He’d probably let his candy fall out of his mouth.”
“…Hehe, yeah.”
Acella turned to me, appearing cheerful, and asked.
“Faust, you said you know Lars better than anyone, right?”
“Yes. I’ve spent a long time with him. I’m confident I can read his thoughts even now.”
“Hmm… then, you know…”
Acella twirled her hair with her finger.
“Does Lars perhaps like silver hair?”
I hesitated for a moment before answering.
I had never given much thought to something as trivial as hair color.
“Well…”
I rested my chin on my hand, pondering seriously before responding.
“If it’s you, Your Highness, I think he would like any hair color you choose.”
It seemed that Acella was pleased with my answer but wore a slightly resigned smile.
“That’s a nice thing to hear. But Lars wouldn’t possibly… like me like that.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Don’t pry too much.”
“Is it because he left the imperial family that he’s trying to avoid you, Your Highness?”
“It would certainly seem so. Considering what Lars has endured at my hands.”
Well, there were quite a few unreasonable orders she had enacted on him while in the royal family.
She often interfered with his every action, to the point of exhaustion.
Though I thought there would have been many good memories as well.
“I think I want to sleep now. Hey, Faust. Next time, tell me more about Lars.”
With that, Acella tightly clutched the blanket she had and curled it around herself, as if searching for something to hold onto.
“Understood. Please rest well.”
I extinguished the candle and left the room.