-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Late afternoon, with the sun hanging over the mountain ridge.
A man in a hooded cloak, seated on a white steed, stared at the shabby sign for some time.
“Has it already been a year?”
It was a pub he once frequented almost daily.
This was because **Adela**, who loved beer, had a particular fondness for the craft beer here.
He learned to appreciate the taste of beer thanks to her.
He experienced what it was to be completely drunk, and suffered through how agonizing a hangover could be the next day.
To him, whose entire experience with alcohol had been a glass of wine with meals, it was a new world.
Inside that pub now, two others who, like him, had come to know the taste of beer because of **Adela** were likely waiting.
He wasn't exactly pleased. Meeting them would inevitably bring **Adela** to mind.
They probably felt the same way.
The man handed his horse to an attendant and went inside.
There was only one table of customers.
**This was because they rented out the entire pub every year on this day to commemorate the anniversary of Adela's death.**
The pub owner, Charles, spotted him and smiled warmly.
Thanks to his frequent visits in the past, the owner didn't make a fuss about him being royalty.
The man, **Leonhart**, gave Charles a nod and approached the only occupied table.
A mage and a cleric.
An unlikely combination to see in a pub.
They merely stared into their respective beers, not a word exchanged between them.
**Leonhart** sat in an empty chair and threw back his cloak.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and ordered a beer from Charles.
A chilling silence hung over the table occupied by the three men.
**Leonhart**, who had been silent until his beer arrived, pulled something from his suit and tossed it onto the table.
An intricately folded paper doll.
It was a type of magic used to secretly deliver messages or scout enemy territory, as it detected no mana.
“What is this supposed to mean? ‘Who is **Adrian**’?”
“...A **Duchess**, I was told.”
**Leonhart**’s brow furrowed in displeasure.
**Luspell** was so disinterested in anything other than magic that he barely knew the Emperor's name.
Though even that interest vanished after **Adela** died.
In any case, for **Luspell** to know **Adrian**'s name perfectly was no small matter.
It meant he hadn't just heard it in passing; he had actually met her, and there must have been a memorable incident.
“That's not what I'm asking. Where did you hear that name? Did you meet her?”
“At the **Academy**.”
“What for?”
“She said she was there for an observation....”
Observation? **Adrian** started sponsoring a child recently, is that why?
**Leonhart** continued.
“And?”
“She called me ‘**Pel**’.”
“What...?”
“That woman called me ‘**Pel**’.”
**Owen**, who had been staring at his beer with a frigid expression, finally looked up.
The shock was evident on his face.
“Could it be that you misheard, Sir **Luspell**... Ah, no, that's impossible.”
Curiously, **Luspell**'s five senses were sharper than even **Leonhart**, a Sword Master.
A man who could hear conversations through walls could not have misheard something said right in front of him.
“Ha!”
**Leonhart** twisted his lips into a bitter laugh. She'd done it to him too, but he never thought **Adrian** would try to shake **Luspell** as well.
“She’s insane, pulling that trick on you too.”
“On me too... you say?”
“She called me ‘**Leona**’.”
**Luspell** and **Owen**’s eyes widened.
**Luspell** was **Pel**, **Leonhart** was **Leona**, and **Owen** was Wendy.
**These were their nicknames, which only Adela was allowed to use.**
“It seems she called in an expedition member to dig into my past. I was quite surprised at first, too.”
“Ah, a background check....”
“It's what she does best. She's the type who isn't satisfied until she knows everything about me. I've had to put up with it since we were kids.”
“Because she likes **Your Highness**?”
“She’s a woman who doesn’t even know what the emotion of 'like' is. She just wants to marry me and settle into the ducal house. So she keeps tabs on me to make sure I don't get into any trouble elsewhere.”
Even after years of friendship with **Leonhart**, this was the first time they were hearing such a story.
A gloomy expression spread across **Luspell**'s face, while disgust crept onto **Owen**'s.
“Marriage.... Was this agreed upon with **Your Highness**?”
“Of course not. She isn't one to seek consent. She's the type who believes others should naturally follow her decisions.”
“What a truly chilling sister of the faith. But why is she suddenly mimicking Lady **Adel**?”
“Because **Adel** is my only weakness.”
“...So because ordinary methods won't sway **Your Highness**, she's started to imitate Lady **Adel**?”
**Owen** asked back, bewildered. **Leonhart** shrugged.
“I can't think of any other reason she would do something like that.”
“This is the first I'm hearing such a strange story. I can hardly believe it.”
“Actually, I joined the expedition because I didn't want to marry her. She was quiet for a while after that, so I thought she'd given up, but it seems she was just looking for another way.”
“Then why would she do it to Sir **Luspell**? Sir **Luspell** has nothing to do with it.”
“He's my friend. So you be careful too, **Owen**. She'll approach you soon enough.”
**Owen** laughed cynically. The warm, kind aura he once had was nowhere to be found.
“That would be just fine with me. I'd be able to guide our fallen sister to the Lord's embrace.”
**Luspell**, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly clutched his head.
“Hah, and I didn't even realize....”
“Sir **Luspell**.”
The **Spirit King** had once said something in passing when he took back **Adela**'s sword, **Lulu**.
**- Adela's physical body is dead. But the spirit contract has not been broken. Think about why.**
A spirit contract is a contract of the soul. This meant **Adela**'s soul was still alive.
Therefore, if they could only find a way to bring back **Adela**'s soul, which the **Demon King** had taken to the underworld, bringing her back to life was not just a dream.
But the only ones who could contact the underworld were **Dark Sorcerers**.
The problem was that five years ago, most of the **Dark Sorcerers** had been executed for the crime of summoning the **Demon King** and 99 demons into the world.
The three men searched tirelessly for a **Dark Sorcerer**, never giving up. They would meet once a year on the anniversary of **Adela**'s death to share information.
Yet even after five years, they had made no progress.
“Damn it....”
**Luspell** chugged his beer.
To him, **Adela**'s death was no ordinary loss.
He had been powerless in the face of **Adela**'s death.
He never even got to use the power he had prided himself on.
The time he had spent endlessly researching and experimenting felt utterly futile.
He no longer wanted to try to grow stronger.
What good was magic that couldn't even save one precious friend....
‘I wanted to just get rid of it.’
For the past five years, he regretted it every single day.
I shouldn't have acted so high and mighty around **Adela**. I shouldn't have looked down on Spirit Swordsmen as being beneath mages.
I shouldn't have yelled. Shouldn't have snapped at her. Shouldn't have cursed.
I should have just done what she wanted. When she asked me to drink beer, I should have. When she told me to stop experimenting, I should have stopped.
When she told me to sleep, I shouldn't have resisted and just gone to bed.
**Luspell**, who remembered everything, could not forget. His guilt just kept piling up.
Now, even breathing was painful, and he felt it would be better to end his life.
A few days ago had been one of those days.
But then **Adrian** appeared and saved him. Calling him ‘**Pel**’.
Though he knew it was impossible, **Luspell** couldn't let go of that false hope.
The hope that maybe, just maybe, **Adela**'s soul was watching over him and had told **Adrian**.
Wasn't that why he had followed the **Headmaster** to find her?
With the hope that he might be able to feel **Adela** again.
“Hoo... I guess my condition really is a mess.”
To fall for such a ridiculous trick, lost in such an absurd delusion.
**Luspell** wiped a hand over his haggard face.
“No wonder she dragged me into it with the excuse of needing help. It was because of you.”
“What did you agree to help with?”
“She said she's drafting a construction plan for the Grand Plaza. She needs a mage's knowledge, so I'm supposed to go to the **Ivrante** estate this evening.”
“Ah... that business. Is she really going through with it?”
“She’s already started.”
**Leonhart** muttered about her being a piece of work and drank his beer.
“I could have refused, but my condition was pretty bad... she felt like **Adel**. So I agreed.”
**Leonhart** smiled bitterly. He, too, had been reminded of **Adel** by **Adrian**.
“That woman is a good actress. I was surprised myself.”
**Luspell** was lost in thought.
It wasn't that **Adrian**'s way of speaking or acting was similar to **Adela**'s.
It was her unique atmosphere that resembled **Adela**'s.
The way she would nag about things no one else did, while her eyes were filled with worry, was so....
“...Never mind. I must have been mistaken.”
“So, are you going to help her?”
“Why would I? She's not **Adel**.”
“Good thinking. Even if you help her, I have no intention of approving that woman's plan.”
“Am I in any position to help anyone...? It's hard enough to breathe.”
The depression that had momentarily faded while meeting his friends washed over **Luspell** once more.
**Owen**, who was well aware of **Luspell**'s severe depression, placed a hand on his back.
A warm energy spread through **Luspell**'s body.
But it was only for a moment. An even greater sense of helplessness seized his entire being.
“About looking for a **Dark Sorcerer**... should we give up?”
At **Luspell**'s question, **Leonhart** and **Owen** shook their heads firmly.
“No, I will never give up.”
“I'll keep searching until the very end, too. If that doesn't work, I'm thinking of looking into how to become a **Dark Sorcerer** myself. Wouldn't a **Dark Sorcerer** who can wield practical power be better than a powerless cleric?”
These were frightening words, should anyone overhear.
Especially not words befitting a cleric.
But **Luspell** and **Leonhart** understood **Owen**.
Who could blame a cleric who had come to curse God and distrust people after the death of a friend?
**Leonhart** ordered a new beer and raised it high.
“Shall we drink.”
“To what?”
“To the soul of our friend, who must be waiting for us in the underworld.”
The three men clinked their glasses and downed them in one go.
Even though they were large pint glasses, no one paused to take a breath.
Because their closest friend had always done it that way.
Beer is meant to be chugged.
Empty beer mugs quickly piled up on the table.
Just as they did every year, they talked about their memories with **Adela**, laughing and crying until they were completely drunk.
Which is why, when a woman with her cloak pulled down low appeared, they didn't recognize her at all.
“Well, well? You guys were really pounding them back, weren't you?”
