Chapter 54
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Violet's First Words - Episode 54
Slowly, something began to pour out through the crack in the opened coffin.
"Oh!"
What flowed out were small piles of black dust-like particles.
An ominous presence emanated from them.
Violet craned her neck forward to get a better look at them.
The dust piles gradually coalesced into spheres, and then those spheres rushed toward me.
Startled, I jerked my head back. The spheres that grazed the tip of my nose climbed up the ladder and ascended.
I chased after the spheres and leaped into the Central Hall alone.
The number of people in the Central Hall had decreased since before.
Yet nearly half the attendees remained, still occupying their places at the Ball.
"My goodness, what could that be?"
One noblewoman gazed cheerfully at the black spheres clustering in the empty air.
"Run! Those are monsters!"
I cried out.
The spheres dissolved into points that scattered in all directions, transforming into shadow-like forms.
Literally shadows with human-shaped limbs and torsos.
In the Empire, only one type of monster existed—these shadows. They were the ancient soldiers of the demon race.
The people, initially bewildered, began screaming and fleeing in terror as the shadows moved.
Though they appeared unremarkable on the surface, they were so powerful that dozens of ordinary people rushing at them wouldn't budge them an inch.
"Sylphir! Protect the people!"
I tore at my dress hem and conjured aura daggers.
This was the first time I had created so many aura daggers at once.
I wedged myself between a screaming noblewoman and a shadow, slashing at it with my blade.
Sylphir darted between the people, blocking the shadows.
But the spheres did not stop.
One by one, more spheres crowded into the empty air, continuously transforming into human-shaped shadows that fell to the floor.
People clustered together and rushed toward the open entrance of the Hall to escape the shadows.
Some were pushed back and fell behind in the crowd.
One of the shadows seized the noblewoman who had fallen furthest behind.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
She screamed and collapsed unconscious on the floor.
These shadows were not particularly fast.
But they possessed tremendous strength.
Each time the shadows swung their grotesquely formed limbs, people fell. The sound of bones breaking echoed from all around.
Fortunately, Sylphir flew overhead, guarding the backs of those fleeing.
Thanks to that, most escaped safely, but a few people lay collapsed in the corners.
Ash stood apart from the entrance, calmly observing the people.
'Ash, do you want these people to die here?'
Violet rushed toward the corner, striking at the shadows as she thought.
She was fine herself. But she had no confidence she could protect everyone.
The shadows swarmed toward the noblewoman near the entrance, bleeding as she collapsed.
"Help me, Ash!"
Violet cried out.
At that moment, a window opened and something flew through.
"Here, my lord!"
It was Gran. Ash immediately drew the sword he received still in its sheath. Gran climbed through the window and stood beside Ash.
Thwack!
As Ash swung his sword once, the shadows around the noblewoman were pushed back.
"Violet Everdin."
Violet turned to look beside her. Ash had already moved to her side.
Violet naturally pressed her back against his.
"You won't even wait for my sword to arrive, will you? That's just like you."
Violet laughed in exasperation.
"Ash, honestly, I wanted to ask you about so many things besides Father's passing."
"For instance?"
"Whether you deliberately deceived me and hid your identity. Things like that."
"...Ask me after this is over."
Violet swung her sword. Each time she moved, the shadows scattered with a sharp cutting sound.
Simultaneously, the aura blades dancing around her body moved in harmony with her.
'This is strange. Standing beside Ash, my mind grows clearer and more stable.'
My body moved frantically, yet my spirit grew increasingly calm.
"I won't question it. I'm being strange, but right now, in this moment, it feels like a dream come true."
Ash had been a kind of idol to Violet, who was once a failed student of the Knight Division.
She knew it was impossible to become a Sword Master like him.
But she wanted to fight back-to-back with him. She wanted to become an equal comrade.
Ash looked at Violet.
"Was this a dream?"
"Yes. No matter what happens from now on, I wanted to tell you that much."
Ash stared blankly at Violet, then smiled faintly.
"Gran!"
Ash looked at him. Gran nodded and created a small sphere, floating it in the air.
The sphere drifted up and hovered above Violet's head.
"That sphere of holy power lures and summons monsters. It's Gran's specialty."
Ash said.
"What else can I do? I'm just a High Priest with nothing but divine power, so I have to resort to these crude tricks. Well then, I'll be off!"
Gran shrugged his shoulders and leaped out the window.
"That's what he said. And if you get hurt, I'll make sure Gran uses his healing power to fix you up."
Violet laughed.
But Violet could no longer see Ash's expression.
Countless shadows surged forward like waves, all rushing toward the sphere.
Violet raised her sword.
* * *
"Violet Everdin! Please, just one photograph!"
"Please accept this letter from someone who admires you—the Capital's savior, a genius swordmaster and spirit user!"
"You're so beautiful today too, Miss Violet! I love you!"
My ears were ringing.
So much had changed since the incident at the Ball. I'd become the darling of the entire Capital overnight.
Honestly, even calling me popular seemed insufficient.
Every trivial movement I made became headline news.
Invitations to balls poured in daily.
The most striking image seen throughout the Capital recently was one of me with Sylphir.
Reporters camped outside my residence every day, desperate for even the smallest scrap of gossip.
The most exhausting part was the fanatical followers.
They clamored desperately just to speak a single word to me.
"Please step aside. I'm declining all autograph and handshake requests."
Only Olive managed to keep people at bay with his expressionless demeanor.
"I'm sorry, Olive. People keep gathering in front of the house because of me."
"You didn't summon these people, Miss. There's no need to apologize."
Olive replied flatly.
Given the situation, I'd spent the last ten days quietly confined to the house.
Today, I'd reluctantly ventured out in response to the Security Knight Order's request to formally testify about the incident that day.
I'd managed to slip out through the back door quietly, but I'd been surrounded by crowds on my way home.
"This is unbearable. If my niece comes home one more time, I'll have to move."
When I entered the house, Cyril was sitting in the living room for some reason, flipping through a newspaper with a bored expression.
I greeted him while removing my coat.
"Uncle, I really don't understand. What did I do that's so remarkable? By the time the fighting ended, Olive had joined in too, and we fought together."
"A genius spirit user, a persecuted hero, a beauty of the century, a talent for the ages—if all of these terms refer to a single person, then commanding such phenomenal popularity is only natural."
Olive answered. I draped my coat over the sofa.
"...Please don't call me those things either, Olive. I'm so embarrassed."
"They're merely keywords that appear in articles written about you, Miss. I'll prepare tea."
Olive said.
I sat across from Cyril, my eyes scanning the pile of letters on the table.
"It seems the letter you're looking for isn't here."
Cyril lowered his newspaper and spoke.
"There's nothing particularly expected to arrive."
"That fellow Ash or whatever. Haven't you heard from him?"
Cyril let out a small sigh and set down his newspaper.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org