After my sermon to Lilia-san wrapped up, I decided to ask her about something that had been on my mind.
[Speaking of which, what happened to the hunting tournament?]
[Because of the Black Bear Incident, the tournament has been cancelled.]
[Well, even if they did calculate the points we gathered… the overall winner would’ve been Death King-sama, right?]
My question was answered by both Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san.
I see, so the tournament was cancelled… Well, I guess it can’t be helped, but still…
[In that case, what about the Fruit of the World Tree?]
[I heard it’ll be the prize for next year’s Sacred Tree Festival instead. The Fruit of the World Tree is a mysterious fruit that doesn’t spoil over time, so it’s said to be perfectly fine even after a year.]
[I… see.]
It seems that the Fruit of the World Tree will be next year’s prize, so Lilia-san and the others won’t be able to get it in this year’s tournament, at least.
Considering how Lilia-san and the others are feeling right now, I shouldn’t just bring it up casually.
After a brief silence, Lilia-san turned to Sieg-san and spoke.
[Sieg, I’m sorry. I told you to look forward to it, but in the end, I couldn’t get the Fruit of the World Tree…]
[…………………]
At Lilia-san’s words, Sieg took out a memo pad and pen from her pocket, scribbled something down, and turned it toward us.
“I’m going to apologize in advance. Lili, I’m sorry.”
[Eh? W-Wait, Sieg… Don’t tell me…]
[………………]
What was written there looked almost identical to what I had just said to Lilia-san earlier.
Seeing it, Lilia-san’s face went pale, and she instinctively took a step back.
Then, without any hesitation, Sieg-san clenched her fist and swung it straight at Lilia-san.
[Gyyaaaahhhh!?]
S-She was blown away!?
Her iron fist, far stronger than my earlier punch, sent Lilia-san flying backwards with incredible force.
Arehh, did she just punch her with a blow filled with magic power…? A-Are you alright, Lilia-san?
[……Ouch……]
But then, Lilia-san, who had collapsed on the floor, slowly got up while holding her face.
No, no, that punch had so much force it sent you spinning twice in the air! And you’re reacting with just an “ouch”? Even if she used magic power to defend herself, Lilia-san is practically a monster at this point.
Sieg-san looks at Lilia-san, who is holding her face and tearing up, then shows her what she wrote on her memo pad this time.
“Please don’t make assumptions about my feelings without permission. I’ve told you many times. I’m not blaming you for what happened.”
[……Sieg.]
“I don’t regret losing my voice or resigning from the Knights Order. I’m just happy I was able to protect the people dear to my best friend.”
[……………..]
I had a feeling that was the case.
Lilia-san was desperately trying to heal Sieg-san’s body, but Sieg-san was looking at Lilia-san and the others with a sad expression, rather than showing any signs of wanting that.
Then, Sieg-san turned to me and gave a small smile.
“Hearing what Kaito-san just said also woke me up.”
[Eh?]
“Lili, I’ve never been able to tell you this, but… I’ll be clear with you now—I’ve never once thought of healing this injury.”
[What!?]
Lilia-san’s eyes widened, as if she had forgotten everything that just happened to her face, when she saw what Sieg had written.
“However, I knew Lili was feeling guilty about me. So, I thought that if returning my voice would help Lili feel a little better, I shouldn’t say anything and just wait. If Lili had obtained the Fruit of the World Tree, I was ready to accept it with open arms.”
[…Sieg.]
Talking through written words, speaking without sound. Yet, the emotions Sieg-san wishes to convey resonate strongly.
Ah, I see now. That’s why Sieg-san was looking at Lilia-san with such sadness… What was truly difficult for her wasn’t the loss of her voice…
“Lili, I’m with you. I’ve been feeling guilty about you ever since that incident.”
[…Eh?]
“If I had been stronger, if I could have stood up for myself, I wouldn’t have had to burden you with these heavy shackles… As much as you wanted to bring my voice back, I also wanted to ease the weight you’ve been carrying. I thought the best way to do that was to stay silent and accept your atonement. But I’ve just now realized that was a mistake.”
Just as Lilia-san felt responsible for Sieg-san losing her voice, Sieg-san too felt guilty for causing trouble for Lilia-san because of her own weakness.
That’s why I believe Sieg-san is in so much pain watching Lilia-san suffer so desperately, yet still unable to stop her… Because she had been convinced that it was her fault, that she needed to accept Lilia-san’s atonement to redeem herself…
In the end, Lilia-san and Sieg-san might actually be quite similar. Both of them have a strong sense of responsibility and can’t forgive themselves, which is why they’ve been carrying this burden for so long.
“I was just running away. I was ashamed of my inadequacy and avoided facing you. I made excuses, telling myself it was for Lili’s sake… But if I really cared about you, I should have just told you what I truly wanted instead of running away. So…”
At that, Sieg-san stopped writing and removed the scarf wrapped around her neck.
The deep, slightly discolored scar—hidden for so long to avoid cornering Lilia-san—was now revealed. Sieg-san looked directly at Lilia-san.
Then, she placed her hand on her own neck, and a thin red light, made of magical energy, illuminated.
[…Li–Li…]
[ ! ? ! ? ]
[S… tap…… mis……. anders….. tand……. ing……]
A hoarse, faint, choppy voice, sounding like it’s being painfully squeezed out… perhaps she’s using magic power to force her throat to tremble, creating a “voice-like sound.”
It’s hard to make out what she’s saying… but even so, it felt like the most beautiful voice I had ever heard.
[Dis…… wunds…… ay…… gat…… wir…… samting…… aym…… prawd…… of.]
[……Sieg, you’re……]
The words she most wanted to convey. To Sieg-san, the large scar on her neck isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s proof that she protected something important to Lilia-san… her pride.
The effort of speaking this way seems to take a heavy toll on her, as Sieg-san’s breathing grows shallow. Still, with a gentle smile on her face, she picks up her pen and memo pad again.
“See, a voice is something easy for me to get. So, Lili, please don’t blame yourself anymore. Please stop thinking about erasing my most important pride.”
[……Sieg, I…… I……]
“Lili has always been kind, even back then… and you’ve always been a crybaby since you were a child.”
[When exactly did that happen…? But I know that… Sieg… isn’t the only one…]
Large tears fell from Lilia-san’s eyes, as if some heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Seeing this, Sieg-san gently hugged her.
The scene was so heartwarming, it looked like they were real sisters.
After the incident that had caused a rift between them in the past, it seemed that their relationship, which had unknowingly grown distant, was now beginning to heal.
[Miyama-sama… Should we slip away now?]
[I guess so.]
Burying her face in Sieg-san’s chest, Lilia-san sobbed like a child.
Watching this, Lunamaria-san silently called out to me, and after giving her a nod, we quietly left the scene.
Dear Mom, Dad—I was reminded once again how difficult it is to truly understand the heart. They should have been thinking about each other, caring for one another… yet, in the end, it only pushed them further into a corner. But today, I believe that the relationship between Lilia-san and Sieg-san, which had been full of misunderstandings, was, in a real sense—I think it was restored.
<Author’s Note>
Next Chapter: Is this the entrance of a new heroine? In fact, it’s a surprising challenger that has already appeared in several chapters.
T/N: 2/10