A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic
Chapter 243: Eternal Nestling

***Arc 10 One Who Doesn't Acknowledge, Chapter 243 Eternal Nestling***

Despite being the king of a country, she didn't bring any escort with her.

Under the moonlight, with a trail of red and gold, and wearing a thin pink negligee, Kreschenta patted the Suiko on the back.

"...over there."

Where her sister was going――she didn't know, but she would at least need a lot of magical power if she was going to do anything.

Holding onto the Suiko’s stiff fur, she headed from the royal territory to the roof of the first-class city.

Holding onto the Suiko’s stiff fur, she headed from the royal territory to the roof of the first-class city.

"..."

――What she saw there was a pillar of light extending from the factory to the sky.

It seemed like a huge amount of magical power was rising up.

There was no need to think about what it was.

She knew that no one but her sister had done it.

From a distance, she stared at it, trying to decipher the meaning of that magical power.

She didn’t want to waste even a little bit oftime.

She was a little apprehensive, and she had expected it.

However, the situation was much worse than she imagined.

It was like pulling out the base of a building block.

It felt like the various things that had been supporting Kreschenta’s surrounding crumbled with a loud noise.

And that was something that she had to be avoid.

‘...Please, never blame yourself. Whatever the outcome――Kreschenta-sama's choice is definitely not something to be blamed for.’

‘You’re, really hopeless huh. ...Even though you’re about to die, is it the time to be worried about others?’

‘Yes. If I were to die it would be precisely for that reason, I think. ...I love Kreschenta-sama from the bottom of my heart.’

――Just like how Kreschenta-sama loves me.

When she think back on it, ‘Aah’, she thought.

That was when everything started to went crazy.

That servant got sick, and then everything went crazy.

"...It's your fault."

Something heavy was swirling around in her stomach.

Even if she wanted to vomit, she couldn't, and it kept accumulating.

A worn-out face came to mind, the face distorted in pain.

‘...Even if you can endure it, how many years are you planning on holding out?’

‘Of course, for as many decades as Krische-sama wishes.’

‘Even if life continues to be worse than it is now?’

‘There's no need to think about it...I've made an oath.’

And that smile too.

Did she want to end it?

Didn't she don’t want to see that any longer?

Was it because she was worried about her sister, who was clearly staking her life and heading off to do dangerous research?

The reasons were unclear even to her.

However, it seemed like there was no other option, that’s why――

“Y-Your Majesty the Queen!?”

“Nagal-sama, what about Onee-sama?”

Jumping over countless rooftops and rampart.

With the Suiko’s speed, it would take less than half a koku to reach the factory outside the royal capital.

On the plains outside――in the factory surrounded by distorted walls, the factory manager, Nagal, was about to jump on a horse.

When he recognized Kreschenta, he hurriedly got off the horse he just rode and kneeled.

“Save the greeting, Explain the situation.”

"Has! She came a while ago...saying she would use the magic crystals and suddenly――"

"Where ?"

“T-this way!”

He must have just woken up.

His hair was curly and his face clearly showed confusion.

Still, perhaps because he understood that Kreschenta, who was wearing a nightgown, was on urgent business, he immediately started running towards the large warehouse.

Kreschenta let the Suiko return and followed him.

There, as far as the eye could see, were low-purity magic crystals piled up that was used for Baumje-Ira.

There should have been a stockpile like a small mountain, but a third of it had disappeared.

"Your Majesty――”

"Please be quiet for a moment."

The consumed amount of magic crystals was abnormal.

The magic crystals that were piled up in this large warehouse, which stretches for four and a half ri, were collected by the country on a yearly basis.

Even though the purity was low, if Krische and Kreschenta feel like it, they could easily wipe out a fortress city with just the taken magic crystals.

The financial loss didn't matter.

All she wanted to know was what her sister had done with that much magical power.

The pillar of light was definitely here.

The surrounding magical power contained the remains of a technique that curved space――it matched what she saw from a distance.

"Did Onee-sama say anything?"

"...To the Ancient Dragon-sama's place."

"... Spatial teleportation, huh."

When Kreschenta swung her arms, she shattered the magic crystals around her, converting them into her own magical power and impurities.

The low-purity magic crystal had a lot of things mixed in with it, and it took some effort to engrave the magic formula, but if it was just converting it into magic power, there would be no problem.

Kreschenta did not know the exact whereabouts of the dragon.

She also did not know the exact distance from here to Arbyagel.

But it would be enough if she could fly close.

She had never experienced spatial teleportation.

She didn’t even know how to do it.

But, all she had to do was figure it out right here.

Wisdom acquired from birth.

‘If it's not useful even here’, then it had no value.

She danced, her skirt swaying, her golden hair sparkling red.

The way she spun around seemed like a kind of dance, and as if in response, the magic crystals shattered with a hard sound.

The blue light danced around the girl like a fairy, imprinting her graceful yet numerous techniques into the sky.

Nagal's eyes were captivated by the fantastic sight, and he immediately closed them.

Gradually, a light emitted from around the girl that made him unable to keep his eyes open――and

“!”

A strong wind swirled around, almost blowing his body away, and a second pillar of light stretched toward the sky.

――Arbyagel’s Forbidden Area

Traces of lava remaining from the battle, a distant mountain carved out.

In the vast crater, there was only one person and one dragon.

The gigantic beast that lifted its body on a moonlit night――A dragon, the silver girl stepped in front it.

In her nightgown, she held a rabbit in her hand that struggled wildly.

*“It's a request I cannot guarantee. I’m not particularly good at magic, and I'm not good at fine handling like you.”*

"Krische just needs Regalave-san to supply Krische with magic power. For now, it looks like Krische will need a lot of magical power to go find Bery, so I'm just asking Mr. Liga Rave."

The silver-haired girl said, her purple eyes shining in the moonlight.

Regalave narrowed Their eyes and looked at her little girl.

*"Many dragons died in battles, but there were also some who perished for reasons other than that."*

"...?"

*“It was what you’re attempting to do. Dragons who were interested in magic tried to explore the depths of the world with questions and inquisitive minds, and never returned.''*

They stretched their tower-like neck and thrust Their gigantic face in front of the girl.

*“Just like that small one was swallowed up by my magical power, even the dragon will be swallowed up by something deep within and disappear. Stop it. ...This is my advice as a friend, Krische.”*

Regalave shook their magic and spoke.

*“You, like us, will be able to carve out eternity. And once you experience it, you will understand how imprudent what you are about to do now is. That small thing you're attached to has only been with you for at most ten years――compared to thousands of years, it's like a blink of an eye.”*

“A blink of an eye”

*"Correct"*

The magic power quivered intermittently.

*“We, too, had our youth. Similarly, there were times when I felt joy, fear, anger, and sadness over trivial things, but those days are long gone now. It's just a part of the memories that I sometimes recall and enjoy.”*

*‘――That's what will happen to you, too.’*

Regalave continued.

*“That is why I think it's a shame that someone like you would be lost due to such carelessness. I understand your intentions, but eventually――”*

"It's not about time. ...Bery made a promise to Krische."

Krische said interrupting Them.

“Bery promised to wait for Krische to come back, Bery promised to be with Krische forever, and Bery said she'd be with Krische until Krische got tired of her.”

‘Bery said she would never make Krische sad.’

Just spinning the words that she remembered.

“Krische, Bery haven’t even welcomed home Krische. Krische is not even tired of Bery yet, Bery won’t break her word. Krische came home late and Bery just went out for a while.”

‘So Krische is just bringing her back’, Krische said.

Only her eyes were shining madly in the moonlight.

“Bery will definitely be with Krische.”

Pure as a child, yet, indeed, it could be called madness.

In her immaculate purity, she allowed not even the slightest taint.

She didn’t have the slightest hesitation that normal people have and simply continued to be greedy for her own desires.

“From now on, and for forever, Krische will always be with Bery”

She was an eternal hatchling.

Chasing after the first thing she laid eyes on, an eternal hatchling.

Even with wings that could soar freely in the sky, even with claws that could tear everything apart, even with a beak that could swallow anything, she neither left the nest nor sought freedom.

"...No matter how many hundreds of years, thousands of years, or tens of thousands of years, Krische will never get tired of Bery for the rest of her life, and Bery will keep her promise to Krische."

She would surely become the ruler of the world.

She could stir up storms with her wings throughout the entire world.

However, what she sought was a small birdcage that was infinitely kind.

Her own little cage where only beautiful things were confined within.

No matter how graceful and strong her body was, to Krische she was still a chick.

“Bery will be together with Krische”

The baby, who was born perfect without any flaws and didn't even cry out, was crying out for the one thing that filled the flaw that had occurred within herself.

Precisely because she was born perfect, she cried.

"Krische will forever always be Bery's."

Because it was her who created the flaw in the girl's perfection, entered and filled it.

Regalave gazed at the girl with Their reddish-purple eyes and closed them.

Their behavior seemed strangely human as if They were stunned.

*"To say that the death of that small one and our agreement have nothing to do with each other is surely a little irresponsible. ――If you wish, I won't stop you. I'll cooperate. However, as a friend, I hope for your safety, Krische.”*

Krische looked up at Regalave and smiled, waving her arm.

The magic crystal wall behind Regalave was instantly chipped away and turned into magical power.

A blue light that filled the sky wrapped around the girl's body.

Then, she casually bent the rabbit's neck in her hand, lay down on the spot, and closed her eyes.

The magical power that enveloped the girl's body continued to wrap around her, lines that resembled insanity, condensed――and then, suddenly, she stopped her movements.

Regalave watched her and then turned his gaze to the western sky.

A pillar of light was forming there, just as it had been when she appeared from above.

"...Why Krische-sama and Queen Alberan?"

"Don't ask me, Veras. Krische-sama and her sister...that's probably the cause of the pillar of light."

Vinthril shook his head at Veras’s words.

The people who appeared were Veras, the guardian of the Forbidden Area, Vinthril, the chief warrior of Kreisharana, and several others.

A pillar of light emanated from the heavens――as soon as he recognized it, he made the griffin flap its wings.

However, the Kreisharana warriors who noticed something abnormal arrived after the girl who appeared later――they were shaken.

Transforming her magic into wings.

The second pillar of light――a girl who literally, from the western sky using enormous magical power, overtook them like an arrow and had already reached the dragon.

From the pillar of heaven, the girl flies into the sky, without even a griffin.

And she was the Queen of Alberan.

The situation was more than enough to be called abnormal, and there were two people at the Holy Spirit's place.

She was Queen Kreschenta of the Kingdom of Alberan and lying there was the queen’s sister Krische.

Even though they were in a place like this, they were both still in their nightgowns――she looked stern, very different from the queen Vinthril had seen before, she was showing her emotions.

“Why didn’t you stop her!!”

*“I stopped her, however, her will was firm.”*

"...!"

Kreschenta glared at Regalave with irritation and told him.

"...If Onee-sama doesn't come back, you should remember this you lizard. I'll kill you."

Vinthril and the others, who were about to land a little far away, suddenly looked at each other.

It was a very disrespectful insult.

Vinthril becomes even warier when he saw the discrepancy from his previous impression of her.

There was no way she hadn't noticed Vinthril and the others, but even then, she was like this.

She was getting emotional.

And at a glance, she had extraordinary magical power wrapped around her body.

They recalled Krische’s previous battle.

When he saw this girl passing the griffin earlier, she could easily imagine that Queen Alberan had similar powers.

Vinthril and the others looked at each other, but the Holy Spirit in question narrowed Their eyes, trembling Their magic intermittently with amusement.

*"How pleasant. However, it's just right. You can take over, like Krische, you seem to be quite adept at handling magic. The possibility of her returning may increase slightly.”*

"...You don't need to tell me, I can't leave this to you."

Kreschenta also took a breath and lowered her eyes, without showing any more hostility toward Regalave.

Without disdaining to get dirty, she knelt by the girl's side, placed her hand on her, and flowed magic power into her body.

Just like the other day, the heart was beating.

However, there was no movement of magic power in her body.

"...Does Onee-sama have a plan?"

*“That's what I heard. It seems she had discovered the essence of a soul residing in everything."*

“Discover?”

Kreschenta furrowed,

*“She said all she had to do was extract it from that little one and transfer it to a new body but――but she died before that, right?”*

She stiffened and looked up at Regalave.

Her eyes flickered unsteadily.

“…Onee-sama, said that?”

*“Have you not heard? ”*

When she woke up, Kreschenta suddenly remembered Krische, who seemed to be in a good mood.

'Ehehe, thank you, Kreschenta. Krische won't fail this time. Finally, Krische...'

Kreschenta covered her mouth in shock.

Regalave continued without waiting for any response.

*“If you kill the beast and follow its soul, you will arrive at the place where that little one went――but that's the extent of that girl's calculations.”*

They sounded calm and indifferent.

*“The place where that girl went is probably a place where even dragons can't return from. Whether that girl can keep herself there, whether she found the small one’s soul, whether there is anything left of her, whether she will be able to return safely from there――”*

Regalave lowered Their body and closed Their eyes.

*“Even if you think about it just for a moment, there are many problems. There's a better chance that you and I will kill each other than for that girl to come back safely.”*

Kreschenta who heard that,

‘...Please never blame yourself.’

Remembered the words of the servant she had killed,

‘Whatever the outcome――Kreschenta-sama's choice is definitely not something to be blamed for.’

She remained silent, frozen in place.