[V13C7] Charging Propose

Gluttonous Zoe had been sealed away and lost its contractor. However, this did not erase the shadows and dark mana it had unleashed, and the ‘precious things’ it stole would not return automatically.

Since Monica was the inventor of the spell for erasing the artifact’s shadows, she should have been incredibly busy.

Was it really okay for her to go shopping at such a difficult time? Monica voiced this question to Melissa, only to receive a sigh of genuine exasperation.

“You’re a human,” Melissa said. “Which means you can’t work all day long. Sufficient breaks are required to work efficiently, right?”

“R-Right…”

“And you said I can decide where we go for break time, right?”

“Yes…”

“I’m glad to see we have an understanding.”

Melissa bit into the plum that she had just bought at a nearby stall.

Apparently, this shopping trip served as Melissa’s break time too.

＊　＊　＊

Melissa had taken Monica to the locksmith to order a lock for her bedroom, followed by dragging her to various stalls for snacks. After Monica was finally released, she headed to the Sazandol branch of the Mage Association.

In Sazandol alone, there were at least several hundred people still comatose.

Meanwhile, Sazandol only had four mages capable of casting the shadow-removal spell: Monica, Melissa, the Branch Director of the Mage Association, and one elderly staff member.

It did not help that patients needed to be observed for a period of time after resuscitation. There was an overwhelming shortage of manpower.

This fact only made Monica feel more guilty about going shopping, but Melissa’s argument was sound.

“It’s literally impossible for the four of us to revive everyone. Our mana and mental stamina simply won’t last. That means we have to wait for reinforcements from the capital. All we need to handle are the urgent cases.”

Some victims suffered injuries when getting hit by the black rain and falling to the ground, while others had pre-existing conditions. Under Melissa’s guidance, such individuals were given prioritized treatment.

They required the assistance of doctors to determine this priority, as well as observe the recovery of the patients. But apparently, Melissa had made arrangements with the Sazandol Medical Association shortly after the black rain incident.

Melissa was good at drawing the line between what was possible and what wasn’t, and delegating the tasks efficiently. Even her snarky remarks played a role in motivating others.

If going all-out would make things easier on her, then Melissa would do so without a second thought.

This meant she was a great asset in the current emergency. It was a good thing she had come to Sazandol.

The comatose victims were generally brought to the Mage Association or various hospitals, but some had to be left at home too.

Today, Monica made the rounds to those who needed immediate treatment, and performed the shadow-removal spell on them. By the time she reported back to the Mage Association, the sun had already set.

“Good work out there, Monica.”

Isaac greeted Monica while she was organizing her things in the conference room.

Apparently, he had visited the Mage Association to deliver Cyril’s belongings while Monica was out getting locks made. Then, he stayed to nurse the bedridden Cyril back to health.

“Thank you, Ike. Um, how is Cyril-sama’s condition…?”

“His fever has subsided, so he should be fine now. He just had a meal and went to sleep.”

“I see…”

Monica felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief.

She wanted to talk to Cyril again, but at the same time, she felt guilty hiding Nero from him, and was scared of the repercussions.

(Is it okay if I wait for Cyril-sama to wake up…?)

Monica fiddled with her fingers, unable to make up her mind, when Silas suddenly barged into the room.

“Hey Ike, there you are! Let’s go grab a meal together with Nee-san!”

Silas paused with a tense face upon seeing the scar above Isaac’s right eye. As someone familiar with dragons, he could easily recognize their claw marks.

After regaining his composure, he took a deep breath and put on the reliable older brother act.

“Show me a good restaurant in Sazandol,” Silas said. “Your Leader is treating everyone tonight.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer. Let’s go, Monica.”

“O-Okay.”

In the end, Monica did not have the chance to see Cyril. She headed back home after sharing a meal with Silas and Isaac.

On an unrelated note, Isaac ordered many refills of both food and drink. So many, in fact, that Silas started ranting about the irreparable damage done to his wallet.

The man named “Isaac Walker” no longer had to hold back. He could simply be himself.

This realization left Monica with a warm feeling in her chest.

＊　＊　＊

Two days after the recovery of Gluttonous Zoe, Mary Harvey the Starseer Witch came to Sazandol carrying the ancient artifact Star-Weaving Mira.

This artifact was capable of absorbing and releasing the land’s mana.

The recent turmoil had caused a spike in Sazandol’s mana concentration. Although it wasn’t extreme enough to make the city uninhabitable, accumulating too much mana would eventually cause problems. The Starseer Witch was dispatched to address this issue.

The Sages already present in Sazandol gathered in a conference room to welcome Mary’s arrival.

Mary looked at the faces of Monica, Ray, Raul, and Silas, giving each a gentle smile.

“The ominous signs surrounding the Seven Sages have vanished. I hear you’ve all worked really hard. Thank you for your efforts.”

Ray generally avoided speaking during these meetings, but he unusually took the initiative to ask Mary a question.

“What about Frieda and my grandmother…? Are they okay…?”

“They’re currently receiving treatment in the capital. It’s only a matter of time until they wake up.”

Frieda and Adeline were not the only victims. In fact, Minerva had far more victims than the capital.

Moreover, the nationwide dragon countermeasures had resulted in the deployment of many skilled mages, including the Seven Sages. As such, they did not have the manpower to treat everyone immediately.

But apparently, the Royal Institute of Magic was working tirelessly on their research of the shadow-removal spell. It was only a matter of time until all the victims were resuscitated.

Ray let out a sigh of relief, then started muttering in his usual tone.

“Ominous signs for the Seven Sages, huh…? Then why did those two old guys get off so easily…?”

Silas could be excluded since he was exempt from the prophesy, but Mary had been put into a coma, Monica had her memories taken, and Ray and Raul had family members affected.

Meanwhile, Louis only lost his hair and Bradford was perfectly fine. The stark difference would make anyone complain.

“Maybe those two were born under a lucky star,” Raul muttered.

“They’re probably living off the luck of everyone around them…” Ray grumbled.

Monica put on a wry smile. She recalled Glenn’s comment from long ago, “Is it even possible to kill Master Louis? Like would he actually die if you killed him?”

After a slight chuckle, Mary returned to the subject at hand.

“Based on the celestial alignment and its influence on the land, I plan to use Star-Weaving Mira at the lighthouse tomorrow night. But…”

Mary paused and turned to Monica with a playful smile.

“Maybe you would like to try using Star-Weaving Mira instead, Monica-chan?”

“Huh?”

“There’s always the chance of another incident happening while I’m indisposed. In which case, it would be reassuring to have someone else who can use the artifact, right~?”

Star-Weaving Mira was an ancient artifact boasting significant power, requiring several applications before its use can be approved. However, it seemed that anyone with Mary’s permission was allowed to become a proxy user.

The use of ancient artifacts required a certain level of magic resistance and magical knowledge, but Monica was one of the Seven Sages. Those restrictions posed no issue to her.

(Me…? Using an ancient artifact…?)

This was a serious responsibility, but strangely enough, Monica was okay with that.

──I want to be someone I can be proud of. To be worthy of standing next to him.

Monica unconsciously reached into her pocket, before realizing that nothing was there. She quickly returned her hand to its original position.

Even if the charm was not with her, Monica had the power to decide for herself, and move forward on her own.

“Y-Yes, I humbly accept.”

Mary returned an affectionate smile, like a mother celebrating her child’s growth.

“Thank you. Well then, let’s discuss the preparations for Monica using the artifact tomorrow. I’ll arrange for the security and get approval for using the lighthouse. As for the unsealing of Star-Weaving Mira…”

“You there, patient! Stop, you’re not allowed to get up!”

A shout came from the corridor, interrupting Mary. It seemed to be Melissa’s voice.

Currently, Melissa was providing treatment to the comatose patients. Perhaps she had run into some sort of trouble?

Monica and the others exchanged glances, as a heavy set of footsteps approached the conference room.

The door slammed open, revealing a tall, black-haired young man. He was the chess fanatic from Randall, Robert Winkel.

This was followed by the clatter of high heels, and Melissa rushing into the room shortly afterwards.

“No one gave you permission to leave! Ugh, honestly! We have a lot of questions for you and your brothers, you know!”

While priority was given to victims with pre-existing conditions or injuries, Robert and his brother were important witnesses, having battled the imbuement mage, Samuel Throth.

Robert and his brothers were likely given priority in case they had important information about the incident.

Even if Robert had been unrelated to the incident, his brothers were members of the Randall Knights, as well as foreign nationals. Considering Ridill’s relationship with Randall, prioritizing their treatment was clearly the best course of action.

Since Robert had been comatose just a few moments ago, he wore only a simple sleeping gown.

But for some reason, he barged into a meeting of the Seven Sages with complete composure.

“Miss Monica!” Robert shouted.

“Y-Yes?!”

Robert stared right at Monica and delivered his next words in a clear, resonant voice.

“Will you marry me!”

Everyone in the room stared at Robert and Monica, completely dumbfounded.

Monica was speechless too. In fact, she had probably blacked out for a second.

The events of the chess competition flashed through Monica’s head. Back then, he had asked, “Would you consider marrying me so that we may continue playing chess together?”

Monica found it difficult to imagine a bolder statement than that, but Robert Winkel had easily exceeded her expectations.

Who else could make such an enthusiastic marriage proposal in front of the Seven Sages?

Monica desperately resisted the urge to flee the scene immediately.

After all, Robert was staring at her with clear and unwavering eyes. He truly wanted to marry her from the bottom of his heart──envisioning the fulfilling life of chess that lied beyond marriage.

He’s amazing, Monica thought to herself.

She lacked the ability to convey her feelings to the man she loved, yet Robert could express his feelings unabashedly in front of others.

(Then I have to give a proper response.)

Monica swallowed her saliva, clenched her fists, then met Robert’s gaze.

“I… I…”

She needed to say it. Properly.

Monica lowered her head, her lips trembling and her ears red. However, she eventually raised her head back up with determination.

“I-I can’t accept because there’s someone else I like. I’m sorry!”

Everyone had their own reaction to this. Silas grunted awkwardly, thinking that he probably shouldn’t have heard that, as Mary gleamed with joy, shouting “Oh my!”

Ray began mumbling to himself, “A proposal… right, I’ll do it someday… not someday, but soon… come on, hang in there, I can do it…”

Raul wore an expression of genuine surprise, while Melissa put on an unabashedly vulgar smirk.

And finally, Robert simply said, “I see,” with no change in facial expression.

With this, Monica mused to herself, she had put an end to her strange relationship with Robert, which had persisted since her days at Serendia Academy.

To Monica, Robert Winkel had a strange place in her heart. If asked whether she liked him or disliked him, she would have trouble answering that question.

However, the fact remained that she enjoyed the time spent playing chess with him.

Chess was the only thing connecting them, so now, the entire relationship was over… It should have been over.

“In that case,” Robert continued. “Please tell me about this person you like.”

“Huh?”

Monica froze with her mouth half-open, as Robert went on with a solemn expression.

“I’ll challenge him to a duel.”

“Eh? Um, well… that’s…”

Monica was now drenched in sweat. She glanced around the room, desperately searching for a solution.

Silas and Ray looked awkward, likely unsure if it was appropriate to listen. On the other hand, Mary and Raul seemed extremely interested.

“Who’s the lucky guy? Tell me secretly later, please~?”

“Wow, so you have someone you like! I’m rooting for you, Monica!”

Monica averted her gaze from Mary and Raul, only to lock eyes with the smirking Melissa.

Melissa tilted her head provocatively and spoke with a surprisingly clear, cat-like voice.

“Eh~? This is news to me. Hey, Moni-Moni~, you can tell me who, right?”

Monica began stuttering uncontrollably.

“I-I-I can’t… I really can’t! I-I’m s-sorry! I’m so sorry!!”

Monica bolted out of the room and ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

View the latest chapters at seeker142.github.io