"I'm tired."
"It was quite fun; we should come back sometime!"
"No, please have mercy on me."
We were in the carriage after having left the clothing store earlier.
It was a fierce battle of ruffles, lace, and flamboyant embellishments that lasted three hours.
Despite being a goddess, I was begging the heavens for this to end. Maria also, at some point, began to get more excited and chose clothes that left nothing to the imagination.
I wanted to die too; Gabriela's innocent gaze hurt a lot.
The good thing is that it's over.
"Sigh So where do we go now?"
Asked Celes with a slightly tired look.
"Fufufu, this time we're going to one of the most famous tourist spots in the capital, the Star Butterfly Garden."
"Hee hee, it sounds like a place where couples would go."
"And!"
So, is that right? That reminds me that there was a stream in Vanaheim Forest where lots of those butterflies nest. I took Maria there when she was still getting used to her senses.
I turned around to see Maria, but she was motionless as always, although I could faintly see a smile on her face.
Gabriela was confused because she didn't know what a star butterfly was… well, she'll find out when we get there.
"So you're telling me you haven't gone before because it's embarrassing to go alone?"
"Hptm!!"
It seems I guessed right.
"But I don't have a fiancé yet! And it would be so embarrassing to go alone to a place full of happy couples when I'm all alone! Isn't that sad to see?!"
"Okay, okay, I understand. Calm down."
I can't deny that she's right about some of that; it would be quite unfortunate to go to a place that's famous among lovers and be alone.
…No, now that I think about it, one probably wouldn't be able to resist the urge to burn the whole place down if given the chance while being alone.
"Well, this time we're all going, so let's suffer together."
"Lucia-san…! Thank you!"
"Hey! Wait, don't lunge like that! Don't rub your face against my chest!"
She didn't seem to be listening to me; I suppose the subject had been bothering her quite a bit. Let's leave it at that for the moment; she's still a child, after all.
But… Maria, the envy in your eyes is quite obvious! Gabriela, you too! You're already hungry, and it's not even noon yet!
So we spent a chaotic time while waiting to reach our destination.
"Woo!!"
Several minutes passed, and we had finally arrived.
In front of us stood an enormous building made of glass, with several towers and domes joined together, forming some kind of strange greenhouse trying to look like a palace.
Even I was amazed by the strange structure.
"Then let's go!"
Guided by the enthusiastic Celes, we ignored the long line at the main entrance and approached the area designated as the VIP zone.
I apologized internally to the people who had spent long periods standing around waiting for their turn to go in.
Initially, even if you're a noble, you need to make a reservation to enter this place and wait almost as long as the people queuing in front, although not quite as long. But it seems that royalty is an exception among the rules, so we were able to enter without much trouble.
Once again, I apologize to those who are still waiting.
"Wow! It's so big! Look, Mom, there are so many colorful trees!"
"Yes… I see that."
It's a bit disconcerting, since all the trees here come from different regions, even outside the continent.
Many of them require special care to maintain, and others affect the soil regardless of its quality. How do they manage to keep them all healthy together?
"I imagine you're wondering how different types of crops can converge in one place, fufu! That's due to a special system passed down by the founder of the Galark Kingdom some 2,000 years ago!"
I see, so that was it.
"I'm surprised they had that kind of technology; it's good that the good things from the past still survive."
"To tell you the truth… we don't really know how it works. The blueprints were lost a long time ago, and the researchers have been stuck from the start. All we can do is try to make sure nothing happens to it."
"…Well, that's not surprising."
"It's quite normal for various technologies to be lost over time, but it's not as complicated as it seems. Someday they'll decipher it, Mrs. Celestina."
"Do you even know how Maria-san works?!"
"Ha! No, I don't really know how it works; it was just to give encouragement."
"I see… that's a shame."
"..."
Maria looked at me a little worried about the slip up she had made, so I gestured to her that it was okay.
I know very well why she said that; it's because the system in this building is a lower investment than the care system I have in my greenhouse at the mansion inside the mountain range.
It is a system that mimics a space belonging to each plantation so that it does not affect the others.
That means that each tree is divided while at the same time appearing to be together in the same space.
The founding king possessed a talent for space time magic; many of the technologies of his time were of that attribute. It is a shame that no one can demonstrate that level of mastery in magic anymore due to the lack of knowledge in this world.
"Mommy! Mommy! Look, they're shining!"
"Do the leaves on the trees shine?"
"It seems that the star butterflies are resting on their oars, Lucia-sama."
"Mm."
Just as Maria said, the several luminous points on the leaves of the trees were butterflies resting on them; it seems we arrived at the time when they normally rest.
"They'll take a while to wake up… and while we wait for that, why don't we have a snack?"
Celes said that as she pulled a picnic basket out of her handbag.
It seems she brought her own magic bag with her; it doesn't surprise me that she had something like that as a member of royalty.
"Yeah!!"
"The rest area is further ahead; let's eat there."
With that said, Celes continued along the dirt path while Gabriela followed behind, trying to imitate her graceful walk… cute.
"Let's go then."
"Of course."
Without further delay, Maria and I started to follow them.
As we moved forward with more people, we found ourselves surrounded entirely by couples.
Whether strolling happily through the gardens or sitting on the benches placed along the sides of the path, there were only couples.
I also encountered several groups of women surrounding a single man, which, in an era where polygamy was the norm, is not surprising.
Even so, I'll make sure to wish those lucky bastards the worst of luck. I would have liked to be that popular in my previous life, where dogs didn't even bark at me although that was partly my fault too.
"We're still here; there are still free spaces, so any place is fine."
In an area surrounded by flowering trees, there were several sets of tables and chairs separated so as not to obstruct or inconvenience others.
It's a pretty beautiful place to eat, if you ask me.
"I want the one under that tree!"
Gabriela excitedly approached a table under a tree that bloomed with white petals.
The tree is called White Dew and should only grow in temperate climate zones.
"Gabriela, don't run like that; no one's going to take your place… people here are too distracted for that."
I said that while looking at the pile of couples who had been in their own world for who knows how long.
"Ha! Sorry, Mom, hehehe."
I don't know if you really mean it, but since what's beautiful is fair, I forgive you!
With that thought, I couldn't help but stroke my daughter's head.
"Sigh If she keeps this up, Lucia-sama will end up spoiling her."
"It doesn't matter! I will raise my daughter with all the love I can give!"
"Sigh Heavens… although I can't help but pamper her a lot either."
"Hehehe, it tickles."
Maria said that and started poking her cheeks with her finger.
"Ha! It's not fair! I want to cuddle Gabi-chan too!"
In the middle of that, Celes came between us and hugged Gabriela while rubbing her cheeks against hers.
This girl tends to get excited in strange places.
"Okay, you two, stop. Let's sit down."
"Ha! Right, I got distracted. Gabi-chan, sit on my lap for today, okay?"
"Alright!!"
Saying that, the princess spread a tablecloth on the table and placed several containers one on top of the other. When she had finished arranging everything, she sat down on one of the chairs at the side and put Gabriela on her lap.
It was quite a sight to see how she did all that without losing her grace.
"My mother was so excited to prepare this that she worried the other servants, but she really wanted you to try her food, so she worked with great joy."
"Well, I'll thank Cristina later."
"Fufufu, I'll be waiting for your next visit! Ah! My mother also asked me to give this to Lucia-san."
"Me?"
A little confused, I took the medal that Celes was giving me.
It was almost identical to the medal Seles had given me to enter the royal castle, but with more details.
Seles's had the figure of a phoenix holding a sword engraved on it, which was the national emblem of the kingdom. It was gold plated with eighteen red stars on the edges.
The one Celes had just given me had two phoenixes instead of one, and the sword they were holding was more striking. It was plated with gold and platinum, slightly blue, with three golden stars at the bottom, and it was also larger.
"With this, you will be recognized as a friend of my mother, the queen, and an ally of the royal family. Show it at the castle entrance, and you can come and go as you please. What do you think?"
"It sounds convenient yet annoying. Is it really okay to give this away so easily? I can't help but think this medal has other meanings."
"I don't think anything will happen. My mother is good at judging people, and if she thinks you're trustworthy, then you are. Don't worry about the extra implications; as long as you don't show the medal too much, you won't have any problems."
"Well, I'll accept it with gratitude."
I just hope this doesn't get me into any trouble.
We chatted for a while longer while we happily enjoyed our meal.
Cristina is surprisingly good at cooking, even though royalty is supposed to be waited on in every aspect of life. I guess she prefers to do things on her own.
Speaking of royalty
"Celes thought you were quite well known in the royal capital. How come people haven't noticed you?"
I noticed it from the moment we were in the clothing store, but people seemed to ignore Celes as if she were just another pedestrian on the street.
"Oh, that's because of this pendant I have with me. It's a magical concealment object; its only function is to divert people's attention so they don't notice who I am."
"It's quite convenient."
"Of course, but that alone isn't enough to go out alone, so I always go out with a bodyguard for the same reason."
"And where is the bodyguard?"
"Maria-san and Lucia-san are here, so there's no problem."
"You trust us a lot."
Although, given the strength we've already shown, it's not surprising.
"Lucia-sama, it seems the butterflies have already awakened."
Upon hearing that from Maria, we turned our attention to the gardens, whose points of light were becoming increasingly intense.
A sign that the star butterflies were about to flap their wings.
I got up from my seat and sat on the floor for better comfort. Maria followed beside me, with Celes and Gabriela behind us.
After waiting a while, the butterflies finally took flight, dispersing and moving in different directions, making beautiful arcs.
Gabriela was quite excited but silent, as expected; she is a child who knows how to read the atmosphere. Her eyes were shining as brightly as the light of the butterflies.
Maria, at some point, had placed her head on my arm since she couldn't reach my shoulder.
"It's been a long time since we've seen this view; the butterflies in the forest must be just as beautiful."
"The first time Lucia-sama introduced me to that place was an unforgettable memory for me; I will always be grateful for it."
"…I didn't do much."
I couldn't help but scratch my cheek, a little embarrassed by what Maria said. I'm not good with sudden attacks.
After that, we remained silent until the light show ended and the star butterflies returned to rest in the trees.
We packed our things and left for Asia, the next location.
.....
"It was quite beautiful. Did you like it?"
"It was quite beautiful. I'd like to go back there sometime. Wouldn't you agree, Lucia-sama?"
Maria, who said that, looked at me with an expression that said she would only go with me and no one else.
I'll make a reservation later and ask Celes to take care of Gabriela when that time comes.
"So, where are we headed now?"
"Yes! Let's stop at the artisans' bazaar inside the upscale shopping district. There are tons of handicrafts and antiques there; you're sure to find something that interests you."
"I'll be waiting for it."
"!!"
In the middle of our conversation, I could feel a thirst for blood directed toward the carriage; Maria and Gabriela felt it too.
Celes was puzzled by the sudden mood change, but we ignored her this time.
Maria took a defensive stance in front of Celes, and I lifted Gabriela onto my back while I prepared myself. I'm planning to fight bare knuckle this time.
Celes seemed to realize the situation and immediately became nervous, although it didn't last long, as she calmed down when she saw us.
Thank you for your trust.
It seems there are still idiots who dare to attack even within the city.
What was coming was an armored metal carriage driven by a madman with red eyes. It was quite clear he wasn't in his normal state; I confirmed it with my clairvoyance.
"It's better to leave."
At my murmur, Maria took Celes in her arms and opened the door, and without thinking twice, she jumped out. I did the same, but before that, I grabbed the carriage driver, who was still unaware of anything by the neck.
After landing further ahead, we could see how the armored carriage crashed violently into the one we had been in, destroying it. The crazed driver who had been driving it also died, crushed.
"What happened?!"
Celes screamed in bewilderment at the sudden attack; she probably never imagined she would be attacked in the middle of the royal capital.
But it wasn't over yet; the carriage was armored for a reason.
From the place where it finally crashed, a group of people in black coats emerged from inside.
Their eyes were just as red as the driver's, and in their hands they held black stones that released a kind of dark mist… miasma stones.
"Maria, protect civilians."
"Understood. [Joint Protection]"
At my command, Maria activated a skill belonging to shield techniques specialized in protecting several people within a certain range.
The normal range is one meter, but Maria can easily exceed ten meters.
"My dear Gabriela, keep watching from heaven."
"Yes, Mom!"
Gabriela didn't hesitate and rushed upward at my request.
"Alright, show me how big your balls are, you potheads."
Responding to my provocation or not, the crystals pierced their chests and began to deform, resembling disgusting creatures from some Lovecraftian series.
"GREAAAA!"
They all roared and charged en masse toward my unarmed self.
I had wanted to use this fighting technique for a long time, but I hadn't had the opportunity yet.
Today, I'm going to use these guys as guinea pigs.
"Don't die too quickly."
With that said, I gathered air in my right hand with magic and, using the strength of my arms, performed a palm strike toward the one closest to me, sending the other damned people following him flying back.
When I was practicing how to contain my strength, I created several types of martial arts that I believed were the best way to restrain myself in hand to hand combat.
What I'm using now is one of them a martial art that relies on magic and strength to deliver high damage blows without much area destruction.
"There's no problem, then. Let's continue."
Confirming there was no collateral damage, I assumed a fighting stance, pressing down on my legs, firmly planted into the ground.
The bastards had already begun to recover from the previous attack and were preparing to strike again.
This time, I won't give them time.
I stretched my arms back, fists pointing at the enemy, as I gathered air in them again.
"[Machine Gun Bang]"
Shouting the name of the technique, I unleashed a barrage of punches fired with compressed air pressure toward the damned.
Each impact tore apart their bodies so quickly that they had no chance to regenerate.
I stayed there for about five minutes until only pieces of rotten, yet still living, flesh remained.
"It's amazing that people in this world can deal with these things. With how persistent they are, even when turned into ground meat, they regenerate."
"Mom! A group in shiny armor is heading this way! Should I kill them?!"
It's terrifying that such a young girl could so easily say she was going to kill a group of people. More importantly, I believe those are reinforcements, so that's a bad idea.
"Don't do anything to them, Gabriela. They are allies!"
"Understood!"
And these guys had finished regenerating as well.
Look at those bastards acting like nothing had happened; these things are annoying in many ways.
"Alright, let's put on a good show this time."
I kicked off the ground, and in the blink of an eye, I was in front of one of the damned creatures. It looked like a giant human with craters all over its body, and with one kick, I launched it into the sky.
[Chain of Shadows]
Using an original spell from the magic I created, I bound the flying damned creature with a black chain emerging from the shadow of my trench coat and smashed it into another one, tying them both together with the same chain.
"I can't let him hit me. It would be strange if I were unharmed after that attack."
One of the damned creatures, resembling a bipedal bat, fired an electric shot at me from a distance, so I dodged it by ducking.
Electric type attacks are supposed to deal heavy damage and cause paralysis; simply resisting it would be suspicious.
[Prison of Shadows]
From beneath the shadow of the cursed one, several hands rose and seized every part of his grotesque body, slowly dragging him down. The shadow beneath him made a futile attempt to escape.
He will not die, but escaping from there will be nearly impossible.
"That makes three. Four to go."
I turned my gaze toward the remaining damned souls, who were keeping their distance, alert for any attack.
"Come on. I still have more to give."
"Everyone to your positions!"
Just as I was about to step forward, a shout distracted me from behind.
I had already noticed them, but the screaming confused me a little. Is his throat okay?
I turned around and saw a different group of knights from the ones who had escorted Celes earlier.
Their armor shone silver and gold with elaborate decorations; their helmets were also different.
The one who had shouted was the most striking—wearing a blue cape embroidered with gold and the kingdom's shield emblazoned on his chest.
He was the most muscular among them and quite attractive, exuding a fresh, youthful masculinity. Blond hair slicked back, strong eyes.
Go to hell, you little shit.
"Archers, prepare the sacred arrows!"
"Yes, sir!"
The archers at the rear readied their bows, aiming at the damned.
"REAAAAAR!"
The damned charged forward, trying to escape the archers' range.
"ROAAAAR?!"
Or so it seemed until lassos of light halted them mid charge.
The source was the screamer, who had been silently chanting while the archers prepared.
That's well coordinated.
"Fire!"
At his command, the archers released glowing blue arrows that rained down on the captives.
"GREEEAAAAAR!"
The arrows dealt severe damage, and the wounds refused to heal. Sacred energy is, after all, the greatest weakness of cursed and undead beings.
I don't want to do nothing either.
"Composite magic: [Corrupted Flame]."
Turning my hands into blood red flames, I lunged forward and struck the damned repeatedly.
The flames didn't burn; they consumed and dried them out. The more energy they absorbed, the faster they spread, until nothing remained.
But that wasn't all.
I clasped my hands together, forming a narrow slit between my fingers. Inside, the damned writhed in agony.
"[Pressure]"
As soon as I spoke, their bodies compressed while still burning. Slowly, they shrank to the size of marbles, which vanished entirely, consumed by the red flames.
That was the end of them. This attack also affected those bound earlier, ending their lives as well.
"I guess that's all."
As I turned to check on Celes and Maria, a sword suddenly pointed at me.
Surprised, I quickly caught the blade's tip between my index finger and thumb.
"State your intentions, witch!"
"Who are you calling a witch, brat?"
I couldn't help but get angry at the rude comment from the blond man glaring at me.
He was the same loudmouth giving orders earlier.
I don't know why he suddenly turned hostile when he had helped moments ago. The others even aimed their weapons at me… honestly, I don't care. If they want to die that badly, fine.
Releasing dense murderous intent, invisible pressure crushed the surrounding knights. Their limbs trembled as they struggled to stand.
Even the blond man began to shake, fear evident in his eyes.
"Sanctus-sama, what do you think you're doing?!"
Celes shouted from afar, dispersing the killing intent instantly.
"Princess?! What are you doing here?! Stay away from that witch, she's dangerous!"
"Are you calling me a witch again?"
"Sanctus-sama is being rude! Lucia-san is not a witch, she is my companion and friend!"
"Friend of the princess? But she used forbidden magic!"
"Of course she did! Lucia-san is a Majan ancestor; it's obvious she knows forbidden magic. She's also a confidante of my mother, so lower your weapons or you'll be charged with treason."
"Confidante of the queen…?"
"Don't believe me, Lucia-san? Show him the medal."
"Sigh This thing."
Still annoyed, I took the medal from beneath my trench coat and showed it to the stubborn blond man.
I swear, if I don't bury his head in the ground someday, I won't forgive him.
He examined the medal carefully.
"…"
Several minutes passed. He kept staring, finding new ways to irritate me. I wanted to punch him, but Maria stopped me. She had arrived earlier. Gabriela descended quietly behind me, careful not to be seen.
"…It's real."
"Of course it is. I gave it to her myself on my mother's behalf. What rude thoughts are you having?"
"But—"
"No excuses. You will report everything that happened here. Do you understand?"
"…Yes, Princess."
He left dejected, reprimanded by a girl ten years younger than him.
I feel much better now.
"Sorry about that. Lucia-san is a good gentleman, but he has certain prejudices. Normally, he's someone you can trust."
"Don't worry. If that brat misbehaves again, I'll make him a eunuch."
At my words, as if hearing something crack, all the knights clutched their trembling crotches.
"…I'll warn him."
Celes looked like she took that very seriously.
"Sigh Looks like those guys are already moving."
I whispered to Maria, who nodded silently.
This was likely a warning proof they can reach us. Next time, they'll be more extreme.
"…"
Maria looked at me with her usual cold eyes; it must be because of my expression.
The smile on my face didn't fade, filled with anticipation for tomorrow.