The Magical Holy Woman Seraphina - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Magic Saint Seraphina
Episode 59
Arden’s trembling fingers pointed at me, shaking visibly.
“You harassed me!”
“I didn’t!”
It was just a hug to recharge, I swear!
There wasn’t a shred of improper intent in it! It was just! Just!
That was all it was!
“You scoundrel!”
He wasn’t listening to a word of it.
Arden’s face flushed crimson as he vaulted over the spectator rail and came after me.
Behind him, Cassian and Debussy waved their hands lazily, thoroughly amused.
“Why…!”
Why won’t you stop him?!
Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?!
I bolted too.
Toward the Amusement Park.
“Golden ticket holders only…!”
“My apologies!”
Can’t you just say my hair counts as gold?
And so I slipped past the main gate, hid behind a dancing mascot, leaped over a Churros stand, bounded between balloons…!
“Stop right there!”
“Never!”
Here we were, two grown adults, while kids barely five or six walked calmly at their parents’ sides!
Act your age!
“Wait! Arden, just wait!”
“That’s nonsense!”
“I told you to wait, so why aren’t you waiting?!”
“You wait!”
“Ugh!”
He usually obeys perfectly when I say “wait” — what’s this about?!
When I say it in one tone he listens, but in another he acts like he can’t hear anything?!
At this rate, he’ll catch me.
“Children!”
I called out desperately to some nearby kids munching Cotton Candy and watching the chaos.
“I’m a Magic Saint!”
You know, right?
“And a villain is chasing me!”
Look!
I pointed at Arden, who was now practically breathing down my neck.
The children’s eyes went wide.
“A villain?!”
“We should save her!”
“Yeah!”
The children wearing the Crowns I’d given them grabbed at Arden’s clothes with sticky, candy-coated fingers.
“Don’t bully the Magic Saint, you villain!”
“That’s right, you villain!”
“L-let go of me….”
While Arden trembled in the grip of those adhesive little hands, I bolted for the nearest ride.
The Carousel.
The small children already seated looked up at me in shock and awe.
“Hello?”
I waved at them and tried to cut straight across to the other side.
“Excuse me! Young Magic Saint!”
“Yes?!”
“You can’t jump around on the Carousel!”
“Well, I know that!”
“Please, take a seat at once!”
“Ah, but I was just passing through…!”
“Now!”
Magic Saint or whatever—just the words of a conscientious employee with no such nonsense.
At the same time, countless children’s eyes bore down on me.
“You can’t jump on the rides!”
“That’s right! Jumping on rides makes you a bad kid!”
“A bad kid!”
“A villain!”
“I….”
I glanced back at Arden, still under sticky assault for the crime of being branded a villain.
The small child next to me shrieked.
“Is the Magic Saint a villain?!”
“No!”
Half-dazed, I sat down in an empty black horse.
“You need to fasten your safety belt!”
“Eek!”
How on earth did things come to this?
Arden watched me buckle the safety belt while half-crying, a victorious smile spreading across his face.
He peeled away from the children and trudged over.
With an expression of ‘I’ve got you now,’ he made to climb onto the carousel—but.
“You there, handsome young man—take your seat at once!”
“…….”
Arden too fell victim to the employee’s zealous madness.
“There can be no accidents on rides under my watch! Go chase each other somewhere else!”
“…Yes.”
I watched Arden with amusement as he climbed onto the white winged horse beside mine.
His leg caught on the wing as he sat, and he ground his teeth.
“Once this ride is over….”
“And—we’re off!”
The cheerful employee’s voice cut through Arden’s ominous murmur.
Soon, the carousel lurched forward with a bright melody.
As the carousel climbed higher, I offered excuses to Arden, who kept ducking his head anxiously and cramping his legs to avoid the ceiling.
“I’m serious. It’s not Indecency.”
“Quiet. Once this ends.”
“Can’t you just let it slide this once?”
I did good things today, didn’t I…, I drawled, gesturing toward the Amusement Park.
Children giggling, Crowns perched on their little heads.
A sight befitting the words “An Amusement Park of Dreams and Hope”—Arden fell silent.
I pressed my case earnestly.
“The kids are happy, their parents are happy, everyone’s happy—and if this ends with the Magic Saint being arrested? How traumatized would they be?”
Their Childhood Innocence would shatter to pieces.
“You’d become history’s greatest villain… recorded in the annals… writers would turn it into plays and perform them again and again….”
Meanwhile, I’d be writing my memoirs in prison and pocketing a fortune.
“…….”
“The only person who’d be happy about catching me today is probably the Crown Prince, too busy fuming over his ruined event….”
“No.”
“Hm?”
“He didn’t authorize an event like this.”
He never gave orders for anything like this, Arden ground out. “The one responsible for the Amusement Park’s opening will face the Crown Prince’s personal accountability.”
Ah, I see.
I nodded.
You know the Crown Prince’s heart well.
A moment of silence fell between us, filled only by the carousel’s song.
♩♪♬♩♪♬
Suddenly, Arden asked.
“Why do you only ever do good things?”
“What?”
What kind of question is that?
“I’ve always been good, haven’t I?”
“No. You used to split it fifty-fifty—half good, half bad.”
“Am I chicken or something?”

Chicken’s best when it’s half seasoned sauce, half snowflake powder.
Arden’s expression turned serious.
“Don’t you remember? We met when you were stealing things at the Tram Mansion?”
“I remember.”
I’d thought his working self back then was quite striking… not that it matters much.
“Ever since I declared I’d capture you, you’ve done nothing but good deeds. You don’t let fires burn on Plank Street, you give children memories as gifts….”
This made me, the one trying to catch you, look like the real villain. The way Arden spoke carried the faintest note of petulance.
A voice that reminded me he was younger than me.
For a moment I couldn’t find an answer and hesitated.
♩♪♬♩♪♬…
The music faded as the Carousel began to slow.
No!
“One more time!”
I flailed wildly at the attendant.
The attendant was merciless.
“A good child knows when to yield for friends who are waiting, don’t they?”
The exit is this way! The attendant swept his arm wide and gestured toward the exit path.
“Ugh!”
I yanked off the Safety Belt and bolted.
“Magic Saint, you can’t run!”
“Just this once!”
Like I’m going to child jail!
He’s chasing me!
Even as I said it, I glanced back — but to my surprise, Arden was still sitting right there on the horse.
“Huh?”
Why isn’t he chasing me? Is he hurt?
I tilted my head, perplexed.
Still seated on the horse, his long legs just barely touching the ground, Arden folded them once, then stretched them out again as he spoke.
“Magic Saint.”
“Yeah?”
“I have a duty to capture you.”
“I know….”
“I know you pursue justice. But regardless, your methods undermine order.”
So I have no choice but to try to capture you in order to protect this nation’s Rule of Law, Arden said.
“I understand.”
“And that outfit of yours is the biggest problem.”
“But this is—”
I changed the subject.
“Fine. Then try your absolute best to catch me. You won’t manage it anyway.”
“Confident. I’ll chase you until the day I die, so you try your absolute best to escape.”
“A obsessive man isn’t attractive.”
…….
“So can I go now?”
I asked, tensing to run again. Was the chase starting over?
But this time Arden didn’t stand up.
He shook his head and spoke.
“Thank you for correcting the Crown Prince’s mistake. I should have given clearer instructions myself.”
“Huh?”
“That is to say, the Crown Prince would have said so had he been here.”
…….
“By the authority delegated to me by the Crown Prince, I’m letting you go today.”
Just for today — just for this one day before the Amusement Park’s opening, this night of dreams and hope.
“I’ll treat it all as the park’s magic and forget it.”
“…All right. Fine.”
“Change your clothes and enjoy yourself.”
Arden, frowning to the last, pointed it out.
“Send a warning letter too.”
And there was Arden, covered head to toe in paw prints from Johann all across his shirt, saying such things.
There he sat on the fake-winged horse, his hair thoroughly disheveled from running, his expression still stern.
Yet somehow he looked just like a prince.
‘Get a grip.’
She shook her head once.
“But then, Arden.”
“What.”
“You’re forgiving me for embracing you just now, aren’t you?”
“…My mind’s changed. I’ll have you thrown out this instant.”
“What?”
“How dare you commit such indecency against an innocent young man who knows nothing of the world….”
“No…!”
Time to bolt again!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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