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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 15: What She Longs For
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!
The explosion was so massive, even the people in the distant territory of the House Raion could see it.
A strange tingling pricked at those attuned to magic—raw mana surging violently through the air.
Then came the deafening roar, the searing heatwave… and the unmistakable sight of a mushroom-shaped cloud rising high into the sky.
Lagos, watching the scene unfold through the tinted glasses Nova had given him, was visibly shaken—though he kept his face calm.
‘(Hmmm... Should I be preparing to run?)’
Lagos had always considered himself decently strong.
He’d fought and defeated mages before.
No matter how powerful the opponent, he believed a tactical response could always win the day.
But ‘that’?
That was something else entirely.
A whole different category of force.
You can’t fight typhoons.
You can’t outmatch the sun.
You can’t bargain with a drought.
That... was ‘that’ kind of power.
‘(But then again... I’ve already been paid way too much to run away now... What do I do?)’
Lagos had no delusions about being a man of honor.
He wasn’t a knight.
But he did take pride in his credibility as a mercenary.
And when he thought about that… he realized just how much money the Raion family had handed him.
‘(Damn… this is complicated.)’
In general, magic of that magnitude—area-of-effect spells capable of annihilation—are ‘almost’ never used in war.
After all, mages are still human.
There’s a moral line, and crossing it could spiral into total hell—mutual mass-murder via magic raining down on everyone's lands.
But, of course… there are always exceptions.
For example, when a deranged noble invades another's territory, pillaging and massacring without justification, the Mage Towers and other lords are ‘willing’ to overlook retaliation through force.
Lagos, who knew perfectly well that ‘his’ liege was one of those ‘exceptions,’ silently counted his blessings for still being alive.
The rookie of Cron—no, Lord Calyx—could have sent those monsters after him.
He could’ve dispatched ‘that’ mage to finish them all off.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he’d chosen a path that minimized death—for both sides.
And thanks to that decision, Lagos had survived.
Now, having seen that inferno, many knights of the Raion family were likely thinking the same thing as him—piecing the situation together with dread.
Just as Lagos was wondering what move his liege would make next—and what ‘he’ should do about it—a commanding voice roared behind him.
“EVERYONE, FALL BACK!!!”
It was Lord Hadem, shouting loud enough for the entire encampment to hear.
He climbed onto his horse with unsettling composure and spoke.
“Looks like that brat from Cron—no, Lord Calyx—took care of the monsters properly. We’re heading home.”
“Are you sure, my lord?”
Lagos approached Lord Hadem cautiously.
For a man like Hadem, retreating in such a public way would normally be a humiliating disgrace.
But to Lagos’s surprise, Hadem simply turned to his second-in-command and said with a shrug.
“A wise lion knows when it’s time to fight. We’re leaving!”
At those words, the knights of the Raion family let out a collective sigh of relief and began preparing to retreat.
Most of them were just grateful to have not been incinerated by that hellish flame.
But Lagos… was thinking something else entirely.
He remembered his lord’s personal code—
‘Lord Hadem never acknowledged defeat unless he truly recognized someone.’
In other words, Hadem’s words meant he now ‘acknowledged’ Calyx—not just as some greenhorn noble, but as a legitimate rival.
‘(Lord Calyx... may fortune favor you.)’
Hadem was ruthless and believed in power above all else.
But he wasn’t a fool.
He had the cunning and strategic instincts to run a territory and win battles.
And the fact that ‘that’ man now saw Lord Calyx as a worthy opponent…
Well, Lagos couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
＊ ＊ ＊
After the Deeprocs were annihilated by Sharon, cleanup proceeded swiftly.
The remaining Deeprocs were hunted down by the knights, and perhaps intimidated by Sharon’s display of magic, the forces of the House Raion withdrew without resistance.
With all matters resolved, I returned to the estate and immediately had Nova begin preparations.
Naturally, once everything was settled, it was time for ‘that.’
That being... a festival.
“Everyone—outstanding work!!! For Cron!!!”
[ “”To Cron!!!”” ]
With my shout, everyone raised their glasses and the festival began.
Just yesterday, the city had been shrouded in fear, but now it was overflowing with laughter and joy, with delicious food and cheerful citizens as though none of it had ever happened.
This is exactly why I hold festivals like this.
After enduring fear, people need a kind of ‘emotional luxury.’
And nothing satisfies that need quite like a festival.
It’s ‘definitely not’ because I personally enjoy throwing parties.
“You’ve all done well. Have a drink.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
I made my way around, handing out drinks to everyone.
To the knights who fought, to the scribes who worked to evacuate people—to everyone who had played a part—I offered a drink.
This was part of my role as lord—a gesture showing that I saw everyone's efforts, that I was aware of what they went through.
It’s a ‘performance’, yes—but a necessary one.
It's ‘absolutely not’ because I enjoyed after-work parties in my past life.
“My lord, pour me one too!”
“You did well, Nova. Thanks to you, we managed to draw the Deeprocs into the valley.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
Nova had led the finance office and the merchants, gathering everything from wild boars to the supplies needed for the entire operation.
I poured her a glass of white wine—her favorite.
And then, after making the rounds, I went to find the most important person of all.
The MVP of the operation. A walking nuclear bomb.
I wandered around looking for Sharon—and finally found her sitting alone on a hill, quietly watching the festival from afar.
“So this is where you were.”
“My lord…”
Her red hair fluttered in the breeze as she gazed at the celebration with a faraway look in her eyes.
When I spoke to her, only then did she turn to look at me.
It was still hard to believe that this delicate woman had wielded such overwhelming magic.
I sat down beside her.
“Would it be alright if I poured you a drink?”
“Of course, my lord. I’ll drink it gratefully.”
I poured her a glass of wine.
She accepted it politely, took a sip, and continued gazing at the festival.
“It’s beautiful…”
“Is that so?”
To me, it was she who looked more beautiful bathed in the moonlight.
With her crimson hair fluttering in the breeze, she looked like a true goddess of flame.
“Yes. Of all the places I’ve been, this land—Cron—is the most beautiful.”
“You flatter me. There are many territories more prosperous than ours.”
Calyx was born and raised in Cron.
But in my past life, I had access to information. Many domains were far wealthier and more splendid than this one.
There was the capital, for one, and the Blackrose family—infamous for both their opulence and influence.
But Sharon shook her head as if to say I didn’t understand.
“Those places may be dazzling, but they’re not beautiful…”
She turned back toward the estate—toward the festival.
Watching the people laugh and rejoice, she smiled.
“When people laugh freely… when they carry hopes for the future… when the spirits watching over them smile down… I believe ‘that’ is true beauty.”
I’d heard that elves experience the world through different senses.
They speak with spirits and perceive things others cannot.
But even I could understand what she meant when she called this beautiful.
And I agreed with her.
“If that’s what beauty is, then yes… Cron has every right to be proud.”
“Yes. Cron truly is the most beautiful place of all.”
For a while, we watched the festival together in silence.
And then I finally spoke.
In truth, this was why I had sought her out.
“Sharon… is there something you desire from me?”
“Something I desire…?”
It was time to discuss her reward.
A mage of Sharon’s caliber deserved compensation, but our domain didn’t have the funds for it.
To be precise—we had them, but I’d reinvested everything into the people.
So I had been considering a reward that wasn’t monetary.
“Yes. As lord, it’s my duty to reward the vassals who contribute to the domain. You’ve rendered great service. I may not be able to give much, but within my limits, I’d like to grant you what you desire.”
“What I desire…”
Sharon thought.
What was it that she truly wanted?
Not long ago, her only wish had been to help others.
But since coming here… she’d realized something deeper.
Helping people wasn’t her ‘true’ desire.
She…
“I want you, my lord, to make all the domains of the Empire like Cron.”
“…All the domains of the Empire?”
“Yes.”
When she was a child, she’d grown up in a small village where elves and humans lived together in harmony.
A village created by fugitives from both races.
She’d been born there—daughter of an elf mother and a human father.
It was nothing more than a cluster of huts, but it had been peaceful and happy.
They had helped one another, lived simply… much like Cron now.
Being here had stirred those memories.
And in remembering them, she had come to realize what it was she truly wished for.
She didn’t just want to help people.
She wanted to ‘recreate’ that village—everywhere.
“If you, my lord, would grant my wish… if you would make the Empire into a paradise like this place…”
Sharon stood and walked toward me.
Then she knelt before me… and kissed my hand.
It was a gesture of fealty—a servant pledging loyalty to their sovereign.
“The Flames of Sharon, Lawful Mage of Fire, will forever burn for you, my lord.”
Her eyes blazed with sincerity—more fiercely than ever before.
Wait, ‘this’ is what Sharon's been like all along!?
Her sincere words hit me like a lightning bolt.
I could feel my poker face starting to crumble.
I mean—seriously—what are you supposed to say when a pure-hearted half-elf mage suddenly tells you to unify the damn Empire?
I went with the safest possible answer to survive the moment.
“I… I see. I’ll do my best.”
“…Thank you.”
The night of Cron’s festival deepened.
And so did my worries.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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