Time Healer Ceres - Chapter 138

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

‘I’d half expected this.’
Ever since Airien, that tiny rabbit spirit, had created a safe zone and rescued the people, Seres had known word would spread.
‘I wasn’t hiding it on purpose anyway.’
It was impossible to keep the Tamer Artifact’s power perpetually concealed. Too many people would grow curious about it, would dig for answers. She’d decided it was better to reveal her capabilities in measured increments before they did.
“Yes. It’s the power of the Tamer Artifact I recently formed a contract with.”
“As I thought…….”
“Wait, wait! A Tamer Artifact?”
“Child, are you saying you’ve formed a contract with a Tamer Artifact?”
While the Emperor of Devrika simply nodded as if he’d expected as much, both dukes bombarded her with urgent questions, hearing this for the first time.
The broken information network kept striking people in the back of the head like this. And now they were only learning of it!
“When? Could you possibly be the owner of that Tamer Artifact they discovered recently?”
“Damn it! Why are you only finding out now!”
“You didn’t know either.”
“I don’t pay any attention to Capital matters! But you do! You should have known long ago!”
“Fine, fine. It’s all my fault.”
The two dukes, who had been bickering for a moment, now scrutinized Seres’s form carefully.
“You were in an S-rank Black Forest.”
“Yes.”
The thought that a child had been alone in such a dangerous place weighed on them, their eyes filling with tender concern.
“Thanks to the Tamer Artifact, I wasn’t hurt at all.”
Seres offered a faint smile to reassure them.
Seres found it strange now. How long had it been since they’d last met? Duke Nora, Duke Elkane—both had only very brief encounters with her.
‘Peculiar.’
They weren’t particularly close to her. Their worry and their excessive affection might have been burdensome or awkward, yet strangely, she felt nothing of the sort.
Sitting on either side, gently holding and stroking her hands while their eyes overflowed with concern—it felt like slowly sinking into warm water.
Seres was somewhat bewildered by the unfamiliar feeling.
“From what they said, the owner of that rabbit appears to have disposed of monsters very swiftly.”
“…….”
The voice of the Emperor of Devrika reached her ears again.
“Could that person be…….”
“Yes, it’s me.”
At her matter-of-fact reply, not only the Emperor of Devrika, who had suspected as much, but also Duke Nora and Duke Elkane—who had just been sniffling over how she’d been trapped in an S-rank with these delicate hands—fell silent with their mouths agape.
“I can use a sword, you see.”
Not only Airien’s abilities, but her own swordsmanship had been witnessed by many.
She’d already expected rumors to spread to some degree. Though she hadn’t anticipated word reaching the Emperor’s ears quite so quickly.
“So you’re the one who…….”
“Yes.”
“Used a sword…….”
“Reasonably well.”
“…….”
Not reasonably well—she’d apparently been flying about. According to the witnesses, the monsters had died without managing a proper attack.
“Hah.”
The Emperor of Devrika laughed repeatedly. Meanwhile, Duke Nora and Duke Elkane remained silent, mouths hanging open, unable to form words.
Our delicate, gentle Seres—wielding a sword? And dispatching monsters in an instant?
“Now that I think of it.”
At that moment, Aseraian, who had been quietly observing the conversation all along, spoke slowly.
“Was it perhaps you who dealt with the Black Forest boss that occurred at the Academy last time?”
The A-rank Black Forest that had appeared at the Academy—the boss there had never been identified. Now the words of the guard commander came back to mind.
An Academy student had dealt with the monster instantly and left. And when he’d mentioned platinum hair, Seres was immediately who came to mind.
But Aseraian had immediately shaken his head. Seres hadn’t seemed like someone who wielded a sword at all.
Yet now, listening to her speak with Father, he found himself wondering if she might indeed have been the one who dealt with the Academy’s boss.
“Yes. It was me.”
“……!”
At Seres’s response, Aseraian’s eyes widened. She nodded calmly and added more. What was there to hide now?
“And I have the Mana Stone as well.”
“…Ha.”
Aseraian finally burst into laughter. The being they’d searched for so long had been this close all along.
“Which is why, if I may say…….”
“……?”
“You caught the Vaccular Boss… not just the rat runt.”
“…What?”
“Your Highness has the Mana Stone from that boss, doesn’t he? Might I have it back?”
I have quite a bit of debt, you see. If Aunt Agnes doesn’t cough up the money she swindled from these people, I have a feeling I’ll end up paying it back myself.
“You’re the one who dealt with the Vaccular Boss?”
“Yes.”
“How on earth……”
Aseraian fell silent. Was she also the one who had destroyed the Black Forest that appeared on Delasi 1st Street before this?
“……”
“……”
They all stared at Seres in dumbfounded silence. She scratched her cheek under the weight of their gazes.
“I’m willing to let the Mana Stone go for a reasonable price.”
At her words, they all opened their mouths again in astonishment.
Chapter 39. The Saint of the Borderlands
“Cough… cough… cough, cough!”
Blood spilled from Alex’s lips as the relentless coughing wracked his body.
“I’ll go see Master Bailks once more.”
“That’s enough……”
Jutel had materialized before him at some point.
“Your going won’t change anything.”
The S-rank Black Forest expedition had ended in complete failure. With only around a hundred casualties to show for it, Bailks’s fury had reached its peak. And Alex was bearing the full brunt of that rage.
‘Seems you don’t need medicine. The way you’re handling things so carelessly shows it.’
‘……”
‘Let’s see how well you manage without it for a while.’
Bailks had stopped supplying the medicine Alex had been taking. His condition was deteriorating by the day.
“I will go and tell him once more that this failure is not your fault.”
“Sigh… I know that much.”
How could the deaths in the Black Forest be his responsibility? That was absurd. Who could have predicted that an S-rank Black Forest would be cleared so easily?
“However……”
He needed somewhere to direct his anger.
“You even smuggled the children out.”
Before the Black Forest manifested, hadn’t he quietly moved every child in sight out of harm’s way? Bailks must have known about that too.
If the operation had succeeded, he would have overlooked such a small action. But now that everything had fallen apart, even that minor deed had become an irritant.
“The cause?”
“Nothing has been determined yet.”
“Bailks couldn’t uncover it either?”
“No.”
Alex and Bailks were still investigating how the S-rank Black Forest had been destroyed.
The boss’s body hadn’t even been found—how had the Black Forest suddenly vanished?
Yes, vanished. The Black Forest had quite literally disappeared.
Knock, knock.
“I’m coming in.”
With the knock, the door swung open and someone entered. As Alex turned his head quickly, Jutel had already hidden himself.
“How are you feeling? How are you today?”
The figure approaching with a worried expression was Chaien, the Arcane Tower Master.
“This won’t do. I’m calling a healer right now.”
“No, please don’t.”
Chaien noticed the cold sweat beading on Alex’s forehead and moved to call for a healer immediately. Alex quickly stopped him.
“I know these symptoms better than anyone. Rest for a few days and take my medicine—there’s nothing to worry about.”
He spoke calmly, trying to hide his pain, but Chaien’s furrowed brow showed no sign of easing.
“Your father is deeply worried.”
“Father… you told him?”
“Of course.”
Alex’s body stiffened as if he’d stopped breathing, and then he stared at Chaien intently.
“What did you say?”
“What do you mean? He’s worried and says you should see a healer at once.”
“……”
Only then did Alex exhale the breath he’d been holding, and a bitter smile crossed his lips.
“He didn’t tell me to leave, then.”
“What?”
“Please just tell him I’m all right.”
‘It’s not contagious, is it?’
‘That much I’m not sure of yet…….’
‘Where is Chaien? Where is he right now!’
‘Chaien…….’
‘Keep Chaien away from Alex’s quarters. Away from anywhere near him!’
‘Yes, of course! I understand!’
A fragment of memory from long ago surfaces again, vivid as yesterday.
“Brother.”
“Yes, what do you need? Want to visit the Elrsia Countess Family even now? I hear the new head of the house is quite skilled.”
“My illness.”
“Yes?”
“It may be contagious.”

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