Chapter 21

Then she withdrew to her original spot, let out a soft grunt, flicked her silver hair, revealed her little canine tooth, and proudly declared,

“I already said it back on the carriage, didn’t I? These eyes of mine can see through all illusions!”

“Ah… I thought when you said that, Sheffy, you meant your ‘Visual Magic’ could see the scenery. So it can even see through lies?!”

“See the scenery…! Ahem! What scenery or not, I, Sheffy Harl, am a person of integrity. I would never peek at any scenery!”

“?”

Isn’t looking at the scenery a normal thing? Sheffy, why are you getting flustered all of a sudden?

The upright and honest Sheffy Harl cast a sidelong “disdainful” glance at the rise and fall of Xiarette’s chest wrapped in her nightgown, and then the magic circles in her eyes gradually faded.

Sheffy waved her hand randomly in the air, as if to pretend this topic had never been brought up!

“Alright, let’s stop talking about these useless things. In any case, it’s enough that you know what that girl said is true. But… that leaves us with only two problems.”

“Sheffy, you mean, you don’t understand why she suddenly appeared, right? And also, you don’t know why she seems to worship you so much?”

“……”

Sheffy Harl slowly widened her eyes.

The look she gave Xiarette was quickly filled with disbelief.

She raised her small hand high and directly accused her!

“I mean, how come you, this dumb hero, get so sharp when you’re supposed to be a dummy! You said it all out loud—now I don’t look cool at all! You were supposed to ask me ‘what problems remain,’ and then I’d answer you in a cool and awesome way!”

“And that’s my fault?!”

Sheffy Harl could no longer act cool.

She stormed over angrily to Sylatrella, who was curled up on the bed.

“Hey.”

“Ah… Lady Sheffy, you’re here!”

“Ugh, tone down those eyes, they’re too bright.”

Just look at those eyes lighting up like an illumination spell the moment you saw me!

Sylatrella raised a butterfly ribbon tied with thread in her hands, holding it out in front of Sheffy for her to admire.

“Lady Sheffy, look, isn’t this pretty!”

“Ah yes, very pretty~ a piece of thread, how lovely.”

“Ugh…!”

Xiarette slapped her forehead and shook her head.

She just remembered—Sheffy was absolutely terrible with kids.

Look at that child, she’s clearly about to cry!

To prevent further disaster, Xiarette walked over to Sheffy’s side.

“Um… Sylatrella? Can I ask you a few questions?”

“No. Why should I answer your questions? Ridiculous.”

This little brat is seriously not cute at all!

Acting all shy and sweet in front of Sheffy, but going full-force with me—what kind of double-standard Holy Sword is this?!

Whether she wanted to answer or not wasn’t up to her.

The moment Sheffy Harl slightly furrowed her small brows, Sylatrella immediately put down the thread in her hands, sat upright, and transformed into a well-behaved child ready to answer any question!

How very satisfactory.

Though Xiarette could only smile wryly, she was finally able to ask the question that had gone unanswered earlier.

After listening, Sylatrella blinked her starry-colored eyes, tilted her head in brief confusion, then folded her arms in front of her and pondered deeply for a long while.

At last, she spoke.

“Mm… mm…? Actually, I can’t explain it clearly either—why I suddenly woke up… All I know is, ever since the Hero started interacting with Lady Sheffy, I, as the Holy Sword, have been able to sense this overwhelming abyss of magic—the density and purity of it… it’s so much stronger than what I had even when I was human! I was like in a half-dream, half-awake state, gradually able to hear the sounds around me, but just unable to open my eyes.”

Sylatrella looked at Sheffy, eyes brimming with dependence and gratitude.

“But but…! Yesterday, Lady Sheffy slept right next to the Holy Sword, and with such close contact, I was so scared, and also so excited! I instantly became fully awake! With such terrifying magic, there was no way I couldn’t wake up! A dream that lasted a thousand years has ended… I love Lady Sheffy the most—it was you who saved me!”

After hearing that, Sheffy Harl reached a conclusion.

So your awakening…

Was because I scared you awake?!

And it wasn’t over yet.

Sylatrella clasped her hands into fists over her chest, praying-like, and professed her reverence to Sheffy.

“Moreover… my physical body had long since perished, and it should’ve been impossible to restore—unless a vast amount of extremely pure magic could be gathered. The magic Lady Sheffy released by the lakeside while fishing yesterday was precisely the catalyst for my rebirth! You’re practically my mother of rebirth… I revere your greatness endlessly!”

“?!”

I thought you were a creep, and you think I’m your mom?!

Amid the shock, Sheffy still had one more question she didn’t understand!

“So how did you know my name? Didn’t you just wake up?”

“What kind of child doesn’t recognize her mother?!”

“Speak properly, you pervert!”

“Uwu… I’m sorry, I… I was just half-asleep, and there was a voice that kept murmuring your name beside me… so I remembered it. When I saw you, I immediately knew—you must be Lady Sheffy…! Because I knew the one mumbling your name had to be the Her—! Mmmph?!”

Xiarette suddenly stood up, moving fast and decisively, and slapped her hand over Sylatrella’s mouth!

It was clear that Xiarette was flustered—her face had turned red.

“Xia?”

Sheffy looked puzzled. She hadn’t finished listening—so why did Xiarette stop her?

Just listen to that—someone had been obsessively muttering my name all that time!

What if the Holy Sword could pick up on some kind of danger signal? Wouldn’t that mean someone had malicious intent toward me?! In the worst-case scenario, they could’ve tried to steal my donut—how dangerous is that!

And she even said… said what, exactly?!

As for that period of time… when she missed Sheffy every single day and silently repeated her name over and over…

Xiarette would never admit such a thing!

At that moment…

The body of Sylatrella, concealed beneath the bedsheets—

—suddenly began to flicker again with a faint golden glow.

21. Makes a lot of sense.

Golden specks of light stretched from Sylatrella’s toes to the tips of her hair, twinkling like she was surrounded by fireflies.

Sylatrella, however, remained calm and unhurried.

She stood up of her own accord and walked over to the Holy Sword, then turned back to smile warmly at Sheffy.

That smile was fearless and gentle.

“After being reborn, my state is still unstable… I can’t stay away from the Holy Sword for too long. I’ll go back inside to rest for now, so Lady Sheffy, please don’t miss me—I’ll be back in a few days and… wah?!”

“Hurry up and get back in there, you pervert! Why are you so talkative?!”

Not going back, huh?

Then let me help you with a flying kick straight back to your Holy Sword hometown!

Sheffy leapt up and kicked, sending Sylatrella—who was glowing with golden light—bouncing like a ball and dissolving into points of light that poured back into the Holy Sword.

Yet, even as she vanished, her excited shout of “Thank you for your grace, Lady Sheffy!” lingered in the air for quite a while.

Once the Holy Sword settled down again.

Sheffy slapped the sword’s hilt in frustration, making it buzz loudly.

Hah, you were just lucky you ran fast.

Otherwise I’d have kicked you again for sure!

All things considered… wasn’t Hero Xiarette the one who ended up the most dumbfounded?

Analyzing the situation and getting to the core of it, the entire matter could basically be summed up as…

The Holy Sword got swiped by Sheffy!!

Speechless, she walked up to the Holy Sword. From this point on, the way this Hero looked at her own sword had undergone a fundamental shift.

The Kingdom’s treasured Holy Sword, *Sylatrella*… from now on, would no longer be the solemn, majestic thing it once was.

Closing her eyes again to feel the magic flow within the sword, the once-depleted magic had now refilled, vast and limitless.

Xiarette turned to look at Sheffy—who appeared utterly nonchalant, sneaking her hand toward the table for another donut.

“To think the truth behind the Holy Sword turned out to be this… Sigh, Sylatrella must’ve suffered a lot all these years.”

“Er… she’s like over a thousand years older than us. Is calling her ‘little sister’ really appropriate?”

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate or not, but Sheffy, you’ve already had eight donuts this morning, you know?”

“Ugh!”

Damn it, can’t get any peace even out here!

Back at the Demon King’s Castle, Mother wouldn’t let me eat them either! Why is everyone always against donuts?!

While thinking that, Sheffy stuffed the donut into her mouth in a fit of anger.

Xiarette looked at the Holy Sword, a trace of worry gradually surfacing in her eyes.

Sheffy Harl, as sharp as ever, immediately figured out what Xiarette was concerned about.

To repay the slight of having her own thoughts exposed earlier, she now rushed to Xiarette’s side and jumped in with the answer first.

“Hehe, you’re feeling sorry for her, aren’t you? And you’re also worried that from now on, the Holy Sword won’t do its job anymore?”

“That’s… part of it, yes.”

Sheffy wanted a peaceful life.

With the Holy Sword’s support, Xiarette might be able to protect that peace for Sheffy, so Sheffy wouldn’t have to step in unless it was absolutely necessary.

Even if she wasn’t as strong as Sheffy, she could still stand beside her, shielding her from the wind and rain.

But if she no longer had the Holy Sword’s assistance…

Xiarette might truly lack the confidence to handle it all.

Even so… Xiarette still offered Sheffy a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Sheffy. It’s fine even without the Holy Sword. Sylatrella deserves to be free. I’ll train hard… even without the Holy Sword, I’ll return to the tenth tier as soon as I can.”

“Ohoho, acting tough now, aren’t you!”

“Sheffy, honestly…!!”

“Hahaha, hey now,

don’t blame me for being blunt~ But it’s true—among your Human race, the ninth tier depends on strength, the tenth tier on fate. What kind of hero are you without the Holy Sword? That pervert might still help out in the future, you won’t know until you try.”

No one could pass judgment on anyone else.

Sylatrella probably wouldn’t want to be forced to provide magic anymore, but if she wanted to help on her own accord, then there was no need to refuse her either.

At Sheffy’s urging, Xiarette, just like usual, gripped the Holy Sword with both hands, heart uneasy, and tried to invoke the sword’s magic.

*Sylatrella* radiated golden light once again, illuminating Xiarette’s eyes.

Oh, Holy Sword… would you still fight by my side?

However, in just a moment—

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