The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter - Chapter 154
Demon-LimitedHunterChapter154
༺JointPracticalEvaluation–(2)༻
Underthedimeveningsky.
LuceandIsatsidebysideintheyard,watchingthefirefliesswimthroughthegardenunderthecoverofnight.
Itwasquiteasentimentalatmosphere…
“Thering,areyouplanningtogiveittosomeone?Who?”
…Ifonlyitweren’tforLuce’scoldgazeandsubduedvoice.s
Iunderstoodhercynicalreaction.Lucewasn’treallysureofherownfeelings.
Sheoftenactedlikealoverwhilecallingmeafriend.
Butitseemedtoosimplistictodismissitas,‘Lucenotknowinghowtogaugepsychologicaldistance.’Especiallyconsideringhowfarwehadalreadycome.
Shehadmostlikelycometolikemeas‘Isaac’.
AndsecretlythoughtofmeastheNamelessHero.
‘It’sjustthatsheistoocautioustobecertain.’
Becausetherewasnoconfirmation.
“…Isitthatonesenior?”
Luceturnedherheadstraightahead,lookingattheswarmoffireflies.
The‘Senior’LucewasreferringtocouldonlybeDorothy.
“Dorothydoesn’tneedthis.”
“Shedoesn’tneedit?”
“Itdoesn’tmatchherownelement.Thisisamagicweapon.”
IshowedLucetheringoftheAbyssalQueen.
Withthemisunderstandingcleared,theominousaurafaded,andLuce’sexpressionsoftened.
‘Ah.’Shenodded.
“Itwasamagicweapon…”
“Didyouimaginesomethingstrange?Likeanengagementring?”
“…”
Lucepressedherlipstoherknees,whichshewasembracing,andremainedsilent.
IdeliberatelysquintedmyeyesandglaredatLucesuspiciously.
“Luce…”
“No…!It’sjustbecausewe’refriends,Iwasjustconcernedasafriend.Forme…Ionlyhaveyou.”
Embarrassedbyherownwords,Luceblushed.Asusual,hermelodiousvoiceechoedsweetly.
‘Ionlyhaveyou.’Huh…?
Itwentwithoutsaying.Lucesufferedfromsocialphobia,andIwastheonlyexceptiontohowshetypicallyfeltaroundothers.Iwastheonlypersonshecouldopenherheartto.
Luce’sbraidedrose-goldhaircascadedoverheruniform,shimmering.Itremindedmeofafewweeksagowhenweplayfullyfiddledwitheachother’shairandgiggledtogether.
Beyondthat,amemorywasreflectedasifitwereinamirror,displayedinthesamecomposition.
ThesceneofLuce,drippingwithbloodandsittingontheground,aswedearlyembracedeachotherinfrontoftheEvilGod’sarmy.
Butinreality,shemetasolitaryandlonelyend.
Recallingthis,Isuddenlyfeltasenseofincongruity.
Mymouthopenedslightly,andsuddenly,apossibilitycametomind.
“Perhaps.”
ImightnothaverealizedhowsimpleitcouldbetoavoidwhatIhadfeared.
AfterhearingwhatLucesaidduringtheSandstoneTrial,IrealizedwhytherewasnoneedtoworryabouttheExtraBadEnding「BirdCage」inthebattleagainsttheEvilGod.
Lucedreamedofbuildinganormallifewithmebyherside.Sheevenenvisionedthespecificsofourlifetogetherlikeapicture.
Livingtogetherinthesamehouse,achievinggoalstogether,andeventuallygettingmarriedandhavingchildren.
Shewantedtobuildafuturewithmeasherdearlover.
ThatdesiremusthavebeentherestraintthatstoppedLuce’simpulses.Tomakethefuturesheimaginedpossible,shecouldn’taffordtointerferewithourfuturethroughmeanssuchasconfinement.
Then,whatisthecatalystthatmadeLucedreamofsuchafuture?
‘HowwouldIknowthat.’
Ofcourse,Idon’tknow.
Butstill,thankstothat,mythoughtsbecameclear.
Icouldn’tbecertainofanything,however,IknewIhadtogivethisringtoLuce,whomIendlesslyadored.
ThenIguessI’llhavetofaceit.
Theshrillsoundofinsectsinthegrass.
Eventually,Ibroketheheavysilencethatwashangingintheair.
“Luce.”
“Hmm?”
“It’soutoftheblue,butyoudreamofbeinganExaltedTowerMaster,right?You’llbeincrediblybusythen…Willyoubebymysideeventhen?”
Lucelookedatmewithasuspectingexpression,asifaskingwhyIwouldasksuchathing.
“…Ofcourse?Evenifyoudon’twantmeto,I’llbebyyourside.”
“Thenlendmeyourlefthand.”
“Huh?”
WhenIextendedmyhand,Luceshowedabewilderedreaction.
Shestaredatmyfacewithapuzzledexpressiononherface,andeventuallyplacedherlefthandonthehandIheldouttoher.
Itwasaslenderanddelicatehand.
IgentlyheldLuce’sfingers.
AndslippedtheRingoftheAbyssalQueenontoherleftringfinger.
AsiftheringexistedjustforLuce,itfittedperfectlyonherfinger.
Itsuitsherquitewell.
“Isaac…?”
Luce’seyeswidenedinsurprise.
Asifhermindhadgoneblank,shealternatedbetweenlookingatherhandandmyface,asifunabletoprocessarationalthought.
IlookedatLuce,revealingmyteeththroughabroadgrin.
“It’samagicweaponthatwillenhanceyourwaterandlightningspells,youknow?Justwhatyouneed,right?It’ssaidtobeeffectiveonlywhenwornonthisfinger.”
“…?”
Lucewasdazedforquiteabitbeforeshefinallymanagedtospeak.
“Didyoupreparethis…forme?”
Hervoicetrembledslightly.Ifsomeonewhoalwayshadapokerfacewasthisshocked,itmusthavebeenquiteasurprise.
“Iwentoutlastvacation,remember?Ifoundthistreasureinanantiqueshopbychance.Igotitcheap,sofeelfreetouseitwithoutworry.”
“…”
Normally,Lucewouldhavesharplypointedout,‘Whowouldfailtorecognizesuchathingandsellitinanantiqueshop?’
Fortunately,Lucewassostunnedthatsheseemedtohavestoppedthinkingandcouldn’tsayanything,shejuststaredblanklyatmyface.
Ofcourse,itwouldn’thavematteredevenifshehadarguedinalogicalmanner.IwasreadytoskillfullychangethetopicwithmyBSAnti-Lucespeakingskills.
“It’snotjustagift.WhenyoubecomeanExaltedTowerMasterandIbecomeagoodwizard,andwebothmeetourgoals…It’sasymbolofourcommitmenttohelpeachothereventhen.”
“…Okay.”
“So,it’sabitcheesybut…”
Ismiledslightlyandextendedmyhandforahandshake.
“Thankyouforbeingmyfriend,Luce.”
“…!”
Asifsheheardsomethingcompletelyunexpected.
Luce’seyeswidenedonceagain.
Lucestaredatmyextendedhandforawhile,almostembarrassingly.
Therewasnoneedtoreadherpsychology.Forthatbriefmoment,itseemedlikeshewasdriftingthroughmanymemories.
Herfacerevealedamixofcomplexemotions,andtheexpressionshefinallyformedwas…
“…Heh.”
…Asmile.
“Metoo.Thankyou,Isaac.”
Lucegraspedmyhandandmetmyeyeswithherjewel-likeeyes.Shesmiledmorebrightlythaneverbefore,shyly.
Sheblinkedhereyesgently.Thesoftgreenlightemittedbythemoonlightandfireflieswasclearlyreflectedinhereyes.
Eventually,Lucestretchedoutherleftarmtowardstheskyandgentlylookedatheropenlefthand.
Theringonherleftringfingerreflectedthemoonlight,displayingaradiantblackpearl-likecolor.
Luce’ssubtlyflushedcheeksandherprofoundexpressioncameintoview.
Luce’ssmile,filledwithpurejoy,shoneendlesslyinthemoonlight,neverfading.
‘She’slovely.’
IwishforLuce’shappiness.
AndIloveherhappiness.
So,seeingherthishappynaturallyfillsmewithpride.
Welookedateachotherandsmiledbroadly,continuingourusualtrivialchit-chatinsoftvoicesforawhile.
Itwasatranquilnight.
***
[Thevaliantkillerwhale,Bello,couldnotdaretointerferetoday…!Welldone,Isaac…!]
[…]
InacorneroftheButterflyGarden.
Thesmallkillerwhalefamiliar,Bello,andThunderbirdGalia,summonedinasmallform,weresecretlywatchingIsaacandLucefrombehindatree.
IsaachadslippedaringontoLuce’sleftringfinger.
Asfamiliars,theycouldfeelthattheirmaster,Luce’sheart,wasfilledwithmorejoythaneverbefore.
TheThunderbirdlookedatLucewithadistantgaze,hisbeakfirmlyclosed.
ShehadlivedwithshackleseversinceshelosttheCandyHouseWitch.Tomakemattersworse,hehadsuccumbedtomadnessduetothecurseoftheEvilDragon.
Becauseofthis,theThunderbirdoftenfeltdeepguilt.
HehadstoodbyLucewhenshecrumbled,yethecouldn’tprovideherwiththesupportsheneeded.
Galiaresentedhispastpowerlessself,whichhadonlycausedhersadness.
Butnow,Lucewassmilingsobrightlythatitmadethepastseeminsignificant.
Happily,withoutanyenvy.
[Hey,Galia.Whatdothosetearsmean?]
[…It’snothing.]
Galiawasveryhappywithjustthatfactalone.
GratefultoIsaac,Galiawipedawayhisearswithhisblackwingsandheldafaintsmile.
***
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***