Chapter 041 – The First meeting of Sybilla and Emmy and Where are We Going from Here Onward

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Even if I don’t intend to make some facial expressions, after seeing Emmy acting still like a child, I can’t help but loosen my cheeks to a bit of a smile.

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I bitterly smile as I gently stroke Emmy’s head as she cries and as I am about to remove my hand… I can’t move them!

Ah, really, despite all of this she really is still the [Holy Knight]. How am I, a mage, suppose to win over her strength.

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I’d take that back.

I really hate the Sun’s Goddess after all.

Am I supposed to be thankful for giving this princess-like girl a class I can’t do nothing about!? So stupid!

…Oh, I should stop. I’m starting to pick up the vulgar choice of words of Sybilla.

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[uuh… ugh…. Uhhhh..]

[Hey… I’d really appreciate if you can let go of my hand…]

[Nooo…. I don’t want to let you goo….]

[No, like, I don’t mean it that way…]

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This is bad… I should have seen this coming. I can only wait for her to stop crying…

As I stroke Emmy’s head, my gaze went a little further and—

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–In front of me wearing a disgusting grin on her face as she looks back at my gaze is a silver haired beauty you’d want to avert your eyes from if you knew she’s a goddess.

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[What the heck are you looking at.]

[Nothing much~ ‘So Russell’s face can make such sweeeeeeet and gentlllllleeeee expression for his childhood friend’ is a thought that didn’t last even a second in my head, you know?]

[Didn’t you just say it already!? Come here and get a taste of this fist!]

[Don’t you wish you could just pull away from your childhood friend?]

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Damnit. She knows I can’t move from here! It’s so irritating not being able to retaliate!

I’ll remember this and show you late… Oh, I almost stumbled with the abrupt feeling of getting freed all of a sudden.

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I checked on Emmy and she already stopped crying as she looks at Sybilla.

Well, Sybilla’s been observing our party from afar before but Emmy has no idea about her at all.

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[Let me introduce you, Emmy. This is Sybilla, the person I am partying with right now.]

[E-eh…?]

[Also, when a new dungeon appeared next to the village, she made a trip from Hammond all the way to Adoria by herself to protect the orphanage before I did.]

 [Eh!? Eh, ah- uhm, thank you very much!]

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Emmy appeared bewildered at first before straightening her back and bowed her head towards Sybilla for several times.

Sybilla is silently watching Emmy for some reason with her hands crossed as if evaluating her… Hey, what do you think you’re doing?

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[Emmy-chan, is it?]

[Yi-yes!]

[I acknowledge you now as one of Russell’s partners and a part of this party. You’re able to fix your childhood friendship as well. Everything is clear up to this point, no?]

[Yes! Just someone like me–]

[Stop!]

[Yiiie!?]

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Emmy will just start confessing once again when Sybilla stopped her.

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[You didn’t easily make it into the party just because you’re a childhood friend of Russell. If you’re just some weakling, then he will choose to stand in the front line himself despite being a mage you know. I’m sure about it. But you see-]

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After taking a breath, she loosened her arms and pointed her finger towards Emmy.

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[Asking you, a girl, to be his shield is him recognizing that you are stronger than him. That isn’t something easy for guys to admit.]

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And, using the same hand, she started to lightly tap on Emmy’s head.

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[That’s why the Emmy-chan that Russell has chosen is a special Emmy-chan. So don’t you ever say ‘just someone like me’ again. Isn’t this enough for Emmy-chan to be proud of? To be able to keep up with the changed version of Russel, the black eagle’s saint, you’d just have to be a bit more rud—ouch!]

[Just what are you trying to say?]

[That’s what I’m trying to say! You shouldn’t just hit girls and resort to violence all of a sudden!]

[There’s no other girl who made me think of hitting them except you, Sybilla, so you shouldn’t worry about that.]

[Just why!? Sybilla-chan is one of the world’s cutest! How could you do this!?]

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As me and Sybilla started to bicker then I felt someone pinched and pulled my sleeve.

It seems she has something she wanted to say with her upturned eyes.

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[uh-uhm, Russell.]

[N? What’s up?]

[I’d be happy if you can give me a chop too…]

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Why though?

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[It looks like some form of endearment between you and me. Just as I had told you before.]

[Seriously?]

[You’d better give her the chop, you know? She might end up crying again if you won’t.]

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I don’t really get it but if that’s what Emmy wanted then so be it.

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I nervously raised my hand as I aim at Emmy’s head and landed a chop.

I did not hold back and use the same amount of strength I used with Sybilla.

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[Ehehehe… I’ve been chopped by Russell. Now I’m same with Sybilla-san…]

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After giving Emmy a chop that should have hurt her, she started to grin mischievously instead.

…Well, yeah. You’ve been blessed by the Goddess with the best defenses after all.

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[Really… I can’t help but think that we really have someone we can rely on from that reaction.]

[Ofcourse! I’d never let Russell get even a scratch so you can leave the defenses to me!]

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After hearing those words, I… Or Sybilla rather, started rustling Emmy’s head before gently stroking her hair.

Obviously, Emmy was surprised by Sybilla’s sudden movement.

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[hiya…!?]

[Un un. Emmy-chan is now making such a good face. But, I’m not some woman who would rather watch on the sidelines and give her blessings. I feel sorry for you but–]

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Sybilla then took some few steps back from Emmy and used her hand to hold her waist as the other pointed her thumb on to her face.

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[Russell will not fall in love to anyone else aside from the world’s most beautiful goddess, Sybilla-chan!]

[I don’t even want to say anymore that ‘I won’t fall for you’ since you’ve been doing your best to make that reply come true.]

[…Why is your difficulty getting higher and higher? Is this what they mean that challenges make love stronger?]

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This kind of exchange really exhausts me. I can feel I won’t be able to deal with this differently sooner.

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Looking at our usual squabble, Emmy moved forward as she hold her own hands.

…What now?

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[I… Me too… Uhm, uh… I will not lose or whatever…!]

[Oh, how nice. That’s the spirit! I’ll even root for you!]

[Ugh…. How arrogant as if she already won…]

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How did it turn out into this… This isn’t something you should fight over.

 Also, don’t get so worked up, Sybilla. Perhaps you’re looking forward for another chop?

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[Well, enough of that. Let’s talk about what should we do now… For starters, let’s return and celebrate the village’s continuous peace.]

[Yeah, sure. It’s been really tiring after all.]

[Very well. I’ll tell them everything that happened so you can just take it easy from here on.]

[I’ll take you up on that offer…]

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Afterwards, we went back home to the orphanage and told Gemma-baa-san and Fredrica about what happened.

Fredrica looks so angry and surprised upon seeing Emmy but I was able to somehow talk her out of it and make her back down.

After that, a cheeky voice came over saying ‘Aren’t you being loved by your Onee-san too, Russell-chan?’. You really want that another chop huh.

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The celebration started and Sybilla once again led the feast.

I am in the seat of honor so I’m surrounded by food all over and got full to the brim.

I can feel my stomach is already bloated and got this really strong urge to sleep… I’ve moved a lot today so I won’t probably get fat if I go to bed now, right?

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I, the main protagonist of the celebration, left the feast early using the rowdiness behind me as a camouflage.

I look at the window and the sky look bluish and dim… Yep, this is what dusk looks like.

As soon as I lay on the bed, I felt like the exhaustion inside me has burst out and took over my body. It seems like the [Saint] magic can’t even help with mental and emotion exhaustion, huh.

No. My mind and heart belongs to me. Now it feels that this emotional and mental weariness is tiredly comforting.

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…Lot of things happened but I finally did it.

I defeated a Demon Lord with just my own power.

I certainly defeated one before Vince.

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[…No…That’s not… it…]

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I feel so tired that my head is already blackening out but I tried to reaffirm my current situation.

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I know. All of this happened because of Sybilla.

Who gave me the push to hold a sword again. Who gave me the power to use dark magic.

She taught me the ways to efficiently level up and even prepared for me a high-grade armor.

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And… She helped me save my childhood friend from the verge of death. A true miracle.

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I… I was able to do all of it without losing anything.

Really, Sybilla… You might really be a Goddess, after all…

Hey, don’t get mad… You really are a genuine Goddess…

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I opened my eyes and saw that morning has come.

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[…It’s already morning, huh.]

[It is. Morning, Russell.]

[N?]

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I look at the door and found Emmy looking at me as well.

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[…It’s such a perfect timing for you to come and hear that.]

[Eh?! i-it’s just a coincidence!]

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Seeing how Emmy is panicking, I couldn’t care less anymore whether it’s true or not.

We’ve only just been separated for a few days but how come this morning greeting feels so nostalgic.

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[–Morning, Emmy.]

[Un!]

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The smile of the little girl that I haven’t seen this close for a while had become one of a beautiful lady without me knowing.

Is it because she’s now able to fully face the mistakes she had done in the past? I can feel in my heart that this is what Emmy truly is.

The friendship that Emmy and I made since our childhood starts once again today… It doesn’t feel that bad.

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Upon arriving at the cafeteria, we found Sybilla eating lots of meat like it’s a matter of course.

Shamelessly eating lots of it, shamelessly asking seconds of it.

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[You must be feeling fully rested, no? Being the earliest to sleep and the last person to wake.~]

[You’ll get a chop. Morning.]

[Morning.]

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We sound so stupid talking like this first thing in the morning but this closeness between us is something I feel nice about.

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[You see, we talked about what we should be doing from now on. We talked about interesting memories too! It’s a four-girl’s meeting!]

[…Don’t tell me you’ve been aiming for that.]

[You’re making Sybilla-chan worried about you falling for it the second time, though? You really are hopeless without me.]

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…How am I supposed to say anything about that… That’s just true.

 I don’t think I’d feel at ease without Sybilla by my side.

I’ve been really relying on her, huh… I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear or seen anything of that.

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[So? What did you girls thought of what should we doing next?]

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Upon hearing my reply, she started to beautifully smile. A beamingly beautiful smile.

I know this. It’s the face Sybilla makes when she’s able to successfully prank or play someone.

I steeled my self as I look at the Goddess in front of my eyes as I can’t help but sigh deep in my heart.

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And so, I was once again reminded. That the Goddess Sybilla is someone who likes to say and do things out of the blue.

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[Everyone will be moving to a city far away!]

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And just like that, the place I’ll be living from now on had been decided without me.

Seriously, isn’t this too sudden?

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I think that I’ve been letting my self get dragged by Sybilla but I believe she’s probably made this decision in consideration of me as well.

As if there’s something better I can entrust than Sybilla’s wisdom. If I left it all to Sybilla, most things turn out fine.

It works out fine too since I just wanted to be dragged around for now.

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Really… It seems so exhausting but feels so exciting!

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Translator’s Notes:

1. I was scolded by a friend. Telling me being distressed isn’t a justifiable reason to act like some as*hole even in the internet so I’m sorry. He must have been annoyed by the prank too. lol. It feels like my character development went real quick as well. Anyway, I hoped to complete this chapter tonight and I did! But since this was already on NU, I wonder how will people notice it. Anyhow, sorry for the prank! won’t do it again! Hahaha
2. This is the end of Volume 2! Will start volume 3 on the day after tomorrow as a sponsored chapter! 🙂

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Status: 2 chapters on queue as part of special release.

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