Volume 3 Chapter 7 Aging Famine
Sir Stefan steps down from the throne and moves in front of me to protect me.
A golden arrow shot by Famine cuts through the air and flies toward me.
I tightly close my eyes.
The arrow does not pierce me; instead, the holy sword that Sir Stefan conjured appears in his hand and knocks the incoming arrow away with a golden light.
"I will take your time as promised. ──You will become like a withered branch."
Sir Roxas's magic changes Famine's form, which looks like my mother.
Famine's appearance shifts from my mother to Lady Soiree, Francois's mother, and then to various other women, finally becoming a beautiful woman with golden hair and red eyes.
The freshness of the woman's body fades away, transforming into something like a withered branch.
"My, my beauty, my looks, I won't allow it, I won't allow it, I won't allow it...!"
Famine writhes violently.
She struggles to escape from Sir Ciel's magical bindings.
The people around Famine back away with frightened faces.
"How dare you humans protect that daughter of Alexandria, who took everything from my mother...!"
"Whether the power of Goddess Alexandria exists or not, Lydia is still Lydia. Kind-hearted, brave, and a crybaby──my precious fiancée."
Sir Stefan's voice resonates quietly.
I tightly grasp the arm of Sir Stefan, who holds me protectively.
That's right──Sir Stefan has cared for me since I was a powerless underachiever.
He got angry for me and taught me about emotions.
It's nostalgic, painful, and makes my heart ache.
My father, Francois, Sir Stefan──they have all lost precious things to Famine's time-stealing.
So, what about Famine...?
Why does she want to take away someone's everyday life?
Is it because of the witch Sylphina's wish?
"Shut up, shut up, shut up... Love is just an illusion; there is only desire... Men betray. If I control them, no one will betray me!"
Famine's body begins to swell.
From her body, which had changed into something like a withered branch, legs like a crustacean grow.
Her torso changes and transforms into a giant spider.
The people around Famine also turn into the giant spider that was attached to the temple.
"No...!"
If this continues, it will be just like what happened with Kirschtein.
A mother, who must have come to worship, hugs her young child tightly.
The little girl's arms, legs, and face change into those of a spider with red eyes, yet the mother continues to hold her child.
Screams, cries, and pleas for help fill the square in front of the Great Temple.
"Please... Goddess, I want to help everyone...!"
There probably isn't a world where no one suffers.
People worry, suffer, get tired, and feel fed up with many things.
Everyone carries different burdens in life.
Still, they love someone, cherish them, hug each other, and hold hands.
For every painful moment, there are also joyful ones.
Eating delicious food, sleeping, waking up──just that feels enough.
I don't want to take away someone's everyday life.
I want them to eat tasty food and keep smiling.
Even without thinking about what love or romance is, people can be kind to each other.
Because Sir Stefan was kind to me when I had nothing.
"Lydia!"
Mr. Lucian jumps in front of me and cuts through the rain of thread-like arrows aimed at me.
Sir Stefan covers me with his body to protect me.
With his hands clasped in prayer in front of his chest, salmon rice balls and shrimp tempura start falling from the sky.
The rice balls and tempura reach the people who have turned into spiders.
The rice balls hit their bodies and fall into the large mouths of those turned into spiders.
On the way, the child who turned into a spider was fed rice balls by their mother and returned to their original form.
In the town, it rained rice balls, and the rice balls rolled on the ground, disappearing as if they had fulfilled their purpose by being absorbed into the earth.
"You are mistaken, woman. I have no interest in the goddess Alexandria. I just want to protect the girl I like. As a friend...!"
"Ms. Lydia is my friend. Whether she has the power of a goddess or not... that won't change."
On top of a mountain of rice balls, a very small but round old lady was sitting.
Sir Roxas, who had been holding the lady's arm, let go.
Sir Ciel's magic circle wrapped around the old lady's body.
The old lady stared blankly into space, as if in a daze.
"Mother, I did my best, didn't I, Mother... I wanted to become a jewel person, loved by you..."
In a hoarse voice, the old lady spoke slowly.
"...pumpkin pudding."
Eir-Eir had somehow snuggled into my chest.
As it wriggled and peeked out, it looked up at me and tears started to fall from its big eyes.
"Eir-Eir, that child is your sister, right? ...Sir Stefan, I'm sorry. I... Famine... and inside Famine, there are my mother and Francois's mother..."
To erase Famine would mean that our mothers who were eaten by Famine would also disappear.
And I really don't want anyone to get hurt.
"Lydia. Do as you wish. My resentment and anger fade when I see your tearful face. As long as you are safe and you smile at me. My time may be lost, but... for now, that's enough."
"Sir Stefan, thank you... Sir Ciel, I will take the old lady to Lobelia."
"...Yes, understood. Your Highness, I will go to Lobelia with Ms. Lydia. There are riots happening in the brōtḥel town, and Saintwise and Leonsroar are working to suppress them. We can't leave it alone. Please leave the rest to us."
Sir Ciel stopped building the magic and said gently.
I really like the calm Sir Ciel.
Sir Ciel looks beautiful when fighting, but I prefer the usual Sir Ciel.
And so we returned to Lobelia Diner House with Sir Ciel's teleportation magic, bringing along the dazed Famine old lady.
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