Episode 63. Lyone and Groovy
Dylan and Groovy stood before Gerard.
“What have you been doing? If only you had found them just a little sooner, she wouldn’t have come back to life like this! Do you want to die?”
Just hours ago, they had been screaming for Bercheria, and now, their eyes were bloodshot and furious; they were once again furious. Gerard looked like he just needed someone to vent his anger on.
“What are you going to do now! What are you going to do?”
Leaving the royal family and living in another country, it would have been normal to act more maturely, but Gerard seemed to be becoming more and more of a runaway colt.
“I have a solution.”
Gerard raised an eyebrow in bewilderment at Groovy’s sudden words.
“What?”
Groovy raised his head, his face slightly different from before.
“There’s a solution?”
“Yes.”
He was trying to look confident, but he couldn't seem to shake the habits he'd grown accustomed to, as his gaze slightly shifted away from Gerard.
"What's the plan?"
Groovy gritted his teeth.
Ever since Gerard had said he'd put him back in the dungeon yesterday, he hadn't paused for a second.
How could he avoid being sent back to the dungeon?
After much thought and deliberation, he'd finally come to a conclusion.
"I learned how to handle animals from a wizard in prison."
He couldn't control every animal, but if he put his mind to it, he could easily control dozens.
Groovy had more mana than most people.
"If Bercheria looks exactly like me, she must have her own scent."
He didn't realize that no one had ever told Groovy he resembled Bercheria. All that mattered was that he could find her.
Dylan and Gerard looked at Groovy, and he raised his determined golden eyes.
"I'll release the wild dogs. Those beasts will definitely come for Bercheria."
"...!"
Behind them, still lying on the bed, a sly smile escaped Lyone's lips.
The day before.
Groovy, returning from dinner, had been summoned to his room instead of his planned walk.
Groovy wiggled his toes and glanced at the woman sitting in front of him.
He couldn't understand why this woman, the Emperor's mistress, had been so interested in him since their departure from the imperial palace.
Aside from staring at him, she had now come over and asked to talk, inviting him into her room and sitting him down.
"Um, what's wrong?"
She averted her gaze and held out a plate of cookies in front of him.
"Eat."
"Huh?"
Leone said, winking at a cookie studded with chocolate and blueberries.
"You've never tasted anything like this, have you?"
The Emperor's mistress was beautiful, but there was something sharp about her face that made her even more difficult to deal with than the Emperor himself, Gerard. He felt like saying the wrong thing would lead to a point of regret.
"Yes, I will."
"Uh."
Lyone was idly gazing out the window, swinging her crossed legs.
The cookies were surprisingly delicious, but honestly, it was hard to tell if they were going into his nose or mouth.
Groovy, who had finished three cookies, downed a glass of milk before finally being ready to listen.
“Ahem.”
"...Why? Why do you want to help me?"
"Why shouldn't I help you?"
"Yes, you're a bad person."
Usually, when someone says that, they'd just laugh or change the subject, claiming they weren't bad people.
But Lyone suddenly took on a sad expression and stared into empty space.
"Well, think whatever you want. If you go back to the dungeon, you'll never come out again. Are you prepared for that?"
Groovy shuddered as he thought of the dungeons.
Death would be better than going back there.
He hated dying in the dungeons.
There, when someone died, they were left to rot until their bones were exposed, and then they were thrown into a bone grave.
Even death was a terrible place.
Groovy had always grown up watching that.
It was a place no one in their right mind could endure.
“How can we find Bercheria?”
Lyone, in contrast, crossed her legs and brushed back her curly hair.
“A wild dog.”
“Huh?”
“Let the wild dog out. Then, as long as she's in this land, we’ll definitely find her.”
“...”
Lyone blinked, recalling a memory.
She had recently learned how to handle animals from a wizard who had been imprisoned.
Her ancestor was a wizard who had secretly helped animals, but her wizarding skills were exposed, and she was imprisoned.
Sadly, she had a limited lifespan.
The wizard, who had met Lyone in prison, felt it was a waste of her talent and taught her how to control animals.
Lyone looked at him with suspicion.
Was this all a coincidence, or a trap?
“Why are you looking at me like that? The choice is yours. If you have doubts, don’t do it. If you want to, do it.”
It was a situation where he had to hold on to even a rotten rope.
No matter what happens, there's no place worse than the dungeon.
He was certain of it.
"Then what price do I have to pay?"
A smirk spread across Lyone's lips.
"You're a smart kid."
Lyone leaned toward Groovy with the most serious expression on her face since they'd sat down here.
"What I want is Bercheria."
"...Huh?"
"So you just have to find Bercheria. That's my goal too."
"Why is everyone making a fuss because they can't find the weather goddess?"
Lyone laughed loudly at Groovy's question.
"A child like you doesn't need to know that. It's just that this Bercheria has surprisingly special powers. Just know that much."
The day Bercheria's guardian returned, everyone was thrilled.
Finally, days of complete peace had arrived in Periat.
Even those who had cursed the weather goddess changed their attitudes and became gentle the moment they sensed the guardian's aura.
Lacrahan looked at Bercheria, who was lying on the bed.
Now that the protective aura had spread, how would Gerard feel?
Initially, he must have been consumed by rage.
He had prided himself on being the only one worthy of calling himself a god, yet now a true god had appeared in this world. Gerard's honor and imperial prestige were like castles built on sand.
No one truly liked him.
Gerard knew this, which is why he was constantly impatient and lashing out.
Where Lacrahan had previously been the target of his restraint, now it was Bercheria.
Bercheria's mother must have felt her presence now, too.
"What should we do?"
Where they were now would no longer be safe when daylight came.
Bercheria, who had just regained her strength, could not be pitted against them.
Having never truly wielded her powers, Bercheria still didn't know what she was good at and what she wasn't.
She needed time.
But this place was dangerous.
It might be okay to spend a day like this, but someone would find them soon.
"Should I go deeper?"
If Lacrahan were alone, he could have evaded capture for as long as he wanted in the North.
But with Bercheria, it was a different story.
"Then..."
Then, a place suddenly popped into Lacrahan's mind. A place the two of them must visit at least once. And a place no one can find.
"Lacrahan."
Bercheria, who had awakened from a deep sleep, was looking at him.
Lying on a wooden cot, she was more beautiful than ever.
This wasn't just a sentimental remark.
Having regained her power as Bercheria, she was dazzlingly beautiful.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lacrahan's mind suddenly became complicated.
With Bercheria's powers fully restored, they couldn't be apart for even a moment.
If her powers were to overwhelm, Bercheria wouldn't be able to endure even a few minutes without Lacrahan by her side.
In this moment, with the protection of Periat restored and all her strength restored within her...
"What if?"
Bercheria got up from the bed and sat on the edge.
“If we’re apart, you won’t be able to handle the power. You don’t have the divine water.”
The pattern carved into Lacrahan’s rolled-up arm hadn’t passed to Bercheria since that day.
It was still divided between the two of them.
“Yes, I know.”
“That’s why I’ll always be by your side. I promise. But right now, there are too many variables. Gerard is in the north, and the gods of the three continents are all here. And.”
“I know. Mother must be here too. She must have felt my protective aura.”
“Yes.”
If she met them or was captured, there was only one thing Bercheria could do: not use her power.
If she were separated from Lacrahan, that was the only option.
“I plan to go with you to a village near the border.”
Bercheria’s eyes widened at the unexpected destination.
Dylan and Groovy stood before Gerard.
“What have you been doing? If only you had found them just a little sooner, she wouldn’t have come back to life like this! Do you want to die?”
Just hours ago, they had been screaming for Bercheria, and now, their eyes were bloodshot and furious; they were once again furious. Gerard looked like he just needed someone to vent his anger on.
“What are you going to do now! What are you going to do?”
Leaving the royal family and living in another country, it would have been normal to act more maturely, but Gerard seemed to be becoming more and more of a runaway colt.
“I have a solution.”
Gerard raised an eyebrow in bewilderment at Groovy’s sudden words.
“What?”
Groovy raised his head, his face slightly different from before.
“There’s a solution?”
“Yes.”
He was trying to look confident, but he couldn't seem to shake the habits he'd grown accustomed to, as his gaze slightly shifted away from Gerard.
"What's the plan?"
Groovy gritted his teeth.
Ever since Gerard had said he'd put him back in the dungeon yesterday, he hadn't paused for a second.
How could he avoid being sent back to the dungeon?
After much thought and deliberation, he'd finally come to a conclusion.
"I learned how to handle animals from a wizard in prison."
He couldn't control every animal, but if he put his mind to it, he could easily control dozens.
Groovy had more mana than most people.
"If Bercheria looks exactly like me, she must have her own scent."
He didn't realize that no one had ever told Groovy he resembled Bercheria. All that mattered was that he could find her.
Dylan and Gerard looked at Groovy, and he raised his determined golden eyes.
"I'll release the wild dogs. Those beasts will definitely come for Bercheria."
"...!"
Behind them, still lying on the bed, a sly smile escaped Lyone's lips.
***
The day before.
Groovy, returning from dinner, had been summoned to his room instead of his planned walk.
Groovy wiggled his toes and glanced at the woman sitting in front of him.
He couldn't understand why this woman, the Emperor's mistress, had been so interested in him since their departure from the imperial palace.
Aside from staring at him, she had now come over and asked to talk, inviting him into her room and sitting him down.
"Um, what's wrong?"
She averted her gaze and held out a plate of cookies in front of him.
"Eat."
"Huh?"
Leone said, winking at a cookie studded with chocolate and blueberries.
"You've never tasted anything like this, have you?"
The Emperor's mistress was beautiful, but there was something sharp about her face that made her even more difficult to deal with than the Emperor himself, Gerard. He felt like saying the wrong thing would lead to a point of regret.
"Yes, I will."
"Uh."
Lyone was idly gazing out the window, swinging her crossed legs.
The cookies were surprisingly delicious, but honestly, it was hard to tell if they were going into his nose or mouth.
Groovy, who had finished three cookies, downed a glass of milk before finally being ready to listen.
“Ahem.”
He wiped his crumbled hands on his pants, brought his knees together, and put on a serious expression.
“I’d like you to say what you have to say now.”
“Yes.”
Lyone suddenly stood up, ruffled Groovy’s hair, and sniffed at the roots.
“What, what are you doing?”
A terrified Groovy jumped and fled towards the wall, and she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
“Do you know about blondes like you with golden eyes? Not just similar ones. Perfect blondes and golden eyes, like you and Bercheria.”
“...No.”
“Yeah. Not many people know about you. The nobles were jealous of your kind, so they erased all traces of you.”
Groovy couldn't quite understand what Lyone was talking about.
"We're one of the few races that lived in the beginning. In the past, those with blond hair and golden eyes like you were called blessed with genes."
"How do you know all that?"
"Oh, well. I heard it from someone I knew before."
"...Yes."
"It's for a similar reason that Bercheria always seeks out blonde Awakened people. They have the finest genes. They possess the greatest beauty a woman can possess in this vast universe."
"Ah."
"Anyway. I'm going to tell you how to avoid going to the dungeons."
Groovy, wary of Lyone, pushed his chair back a little further.
“I’d like you to say what you have to say now.”
“Yes.”
Lyone suddenly stood up, ruffled Groovy’s hair, and sniffed at the roots.
“What, what are you doing?”
A terrified Groovy jumped and fled towards the wall, and she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
“Do you know about blondes like you with golden eyes? Not just similar ones. Perfect blondes and golden eyes, like you and Bercheria.”
“...No.”
“Yeah. Not many people know about you. The nobles were jealous of your kind, so they erased all traces of you.”
Groovy couldn't quite understand what Lyone was talking about.
"We're one of the few races that lived in the beginning. In the past, those with blond hair and golden eyes like you were called blessed with genes."
"How do you know all that?"
"Oh, well. I heard it from someone I knew before."
"...Yes."
"It's for a similar reason that Bercheria always seeks out blonde Awakened people. They have the finest genes. They possess the greatest beauty a woman can possess in this vast universe."
"Ah."
"Anyway. I'm going to tell you how to avoid going to the dungeons."
Groovy, wary of Lyone, pushed his chair back a little further.
"...Why? Why do you want to help me?"
"Why shouldn't I help you?"
"Yes, you're a bad person."
Usually, when someone says that, they'd just laugh or change the subject, claiming they weren't bad people.
But Lyone suddenly took on a sad expression and stared into empty space.
"Well, think whatever you want. If you go back to the dungeon, you'll never come out again. Are you prepared for that?"
Groovy shuddered as he thought of the dungeons.
Death would be better than going back there.
He hated dying in the dungeons.
There, when someone died, they were left to rot until their bones were exposed, and then they were thrown into a bone grave.
Even death was a terrible place.
Groovy had always grown up watching that.
It was a place no one in their right mind could endure.
“How can we find Bercheria?”
Lyone, in contrast, crossed her legs and brushed back her curly hair.
“A wild dog.”
“Huh?”
“Let the wild dog out. Then, as long as she's in this land, we’ll definitely find her.”
“...”
Lyone blinked, recalling a memory.
She had recently learned how to handle animals from a wizard who had been imprisoned.
Her ancestor was a wizard who had secretly helped animals, but her wizarding skills were exposed, and she was imprisoned.
Sadly, she had a limited lifespan.
The wizard, who had met Lyone in prison, felt it was a waste of her talent and taught her how to control animals.
Lyone looked at him with suspicion.
Was this all a coincidence, or a trap?
“Why are you looking at me like that? The choice is yours. If you have doubts, don’t do it. If you want to, do it.”
It was a situation where he had to hold on to even a rotten rope.
No matter what happens, there's no place worse than the dungeon.
He was certain of it.
"Then what price do I have to pay?"
A smirk spread across Lyone's lips.
"You're a smart kid."
Lyone leaned toward Groovy with the most serious expression on her face since they'd sat down here.
"What I want is Bercheria."
"...Huh?"
"So you just have to find Bercheria. That's my goal too."
"Why is everyone making a fuss because they can't find the weather goddess?"
Lyone laughed loudly at Groovy's question.
"A child like you doesn't need to know that. It's just that this Bercheria has surprisingly special powers. Just know that much."
***
The day Bercheria's guardian returned, everyone was thrilled.
Finally, days of complete peace had arrived in Periat.
Even those who had cursed the weather goddess changed their attitudes and became gentle the moment they sensed the guardian's aura.
Lacrahan looked at Bercheria, who was lying on the bed.
Now that the protective aura had spread, how would Gerard feel?
Initially, he must have been consumed by rage.
He had prided himself on being the only one worthy of calling himself a god, yet now a true god had appeared in this world. Gerard's honor and imperial prestige were like castles built on sand.
No one truly liked him.
Gerard knew this, which is why he was constantly impatient and lashing out.
Where Lacrahan had previously been the target of his restraint, now it was Bercheria.
Bercheria's mother must have felt her presence now, too.
"What should we do?"
Where they were now would no longer be safe when daylight came.
Bercheria, who had just regained her strength, could not be pitted against them.
Having never truly wielded her powers, Bercheria still didn't know what she was good at and what she wasn't.
She needed time.
But this place was dangerous.
It might be okay to spend a day like this, but someone would find them soon.
"Should I go deeper?"
If Lacrahan were alone, he could have evaded capture for as long as he wanted in the North.
But with Bercheria, it was a different story.
"Then..."
Then, a place suddenly popped into Lacrahan's mind. A place the two of them must visit at least once. And a place no one can find.
"Lacrahan."
Bercheria, who had awakened from a deep sleep, was looking at him.
Lying on a wooden cot, she was more beautiful than ever.
This wasn't just a sentimental remark.
Having regained her power as Bercheria, she was dazzlingly beautiful.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lacrahan's mind suddenly became complicated.
With Bercheria's powers fully restored, they couldn't be apart for even a moment.
If her powers were to overwhelm, Bercheria wouldn't be able to endure even a few minutes without Lacrahan by her side.
In this moment, with the protection of Periat restored and all her strength restored within her...
"What if?"
Bercheria got up from the bed and sat on the edge.
“If we’re apart, you won’t be able to handle the power. You don’t have the divine water.”
The pattern carved into Lacrahan’s rolled-up arm hadn’t passed to Bercheria since that day.
It was still divided between the two of them.
“Yes, I know.”
“That’s why I’ll always be by your side. I promise. But right now, there are too many variables. Gerard is in the north, and the gods of the three continents are all here. And.”
“I know. Mother must be here too. She must have felt my protective aura.”
“Yes.”
If she met them or was captured, there was only one thing Bercheria could do: not use her power.
If she were separated from Lacrahan, that was the only option.
“I plan to go with you to a village near the border.”
Bercheria’s eyes widened at the unexpected destination.
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