"!!!"
Sensing the immense surge of magical energy erupting from Lizbeth's body, Riezel's expression changed once again.
'Her magical energy...'
Lizbeth's magical energy didn't resemble that of a swordsman at all—it felt more like that of a magician born with overwhelming reserves of magical energy.
'Lizbeth's bloodline… is it really hiding such immense magical energy?'
Riezel was genuinely shocked.
Such vast magical energy—compared even to Yuri—it might not be any weaker.
And what was Yuri?
A Strategic-Class Magician!
And not just any ordinary one, but a Strategic-Class Magician whose magical energy alone placed her among the undisputed elites of her class.
Now, Lizbeth's body radiated that same kind of overwhelming magical energy.
If all of it were refined to temper her flesh and enhance her swordsmanship, how powerful would she become?
It was simply unimaginable!
*BOOM!*
Just as Riezel was stunned by the immense magical energy erupting from Lizbeth, another light-flame burst open.
However, this time, the flames did not appear on Lizbeth's body but on Moslow's.
A surge of light ignited on Moslow, and one by one, the mysterious runes engraved on its blade vanished within the flames until they were all gone.
Once the last rune disappeared from Moslow's blade, the flowing radiance along its edge suddenly transformed into a blinding brilliance, illuminating the entire side hall.
*Buzz—!*
Moslow's entire form trembled, releasing a hum filled with excitement, joy, and relief.
It was as if it had broken free from some restraint and regained its freedom, as it vibrated again and again until it finally broke away from the hole and soared into the air.
It turned into a streak of light, flashing repeatedly across the air at a shocking speed and leaving behind trails of glowing tails.
Its speed made even Riezel's heart tighten, so he had no choice but to use the Transparent World to keep up.
*Swish!*
Moslow swept past Riezel, then past Euryale—but when Euryale's gaze fell upon it, it paused for an instant before shooting skyward, flying in Lizbeth's direction.
By then, Lizbeth had already absorbed all the light from the altar, while the light-flame around her had also burrowed back into her body, and the vast magical energy that had been rising without end finally reached its peak and began to draw back into her slowly.
*Clang!*
Moslow returned to Lizbeth's side at the perfect moment, sliding into its sheath with a crisp sound.
Holding Moslow, Lizbeth fell from midair.
Seeing this, Riezel could no longer stand idle—he broke free of Euryale's grip and flashed toward the altar.
Just as Lizbeth dropped from midair, Riezel appeared beneath her and caught her in his arms.
"Lizbeth! Lizbeth!"
Riezel quickly knelt on one knee, freed a hand, and gently patted Lizbeth's soft cheek.
"Mm..."
Lizbeth let out a faint moan as her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Master..."
As soon as her eyes opened, the first thing Lizbeth saw was Riezel, and like waking from a dream, she softly called out to him.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
Looking at Lizbeth, Riezel's voice carried a trace of tension—something he himself didn't even notice.
"I..."
Lizbeth still seemed dazed, as if she hadn't yet processed what had just happened, but after a moment, she suddenly seemed to recall everything, and her eyes flew wide open.
"Eh?"
Lizbeth's eyes widened as she immediately noticed something strange—mainly, the magical energy surging within her body.
"I-Is this my magical energy...?" Lizbeth muttered in disbelief.
At this very moment, she could clearly feel an unimaginably vast magical energy flowing inside her.
It was dozens, hundreds, even thousands of times stronger than her past self—the sheer scale of this magical energy coursed through every vein, every cell, every corner of her body, to the point that she almost could not believe this was her own flesh.
Beyond that, she also sensed that her very physique had changed from before.
If she had anything special in the past, it was probably only the strange strength she had been born with.
For some reason, she had always been far stronger than her peers, even stronger than swordsmen of the same rank, which had been the only thing she felt set her apart from others.
But now, she could feel that aside from raw strength, every aspect of her abilities seemed to have grown extraordinary. Even though she could not yet put it into words, she was certain—things were very different now.
"Master, what's happening to me...?" Lizbeth looked at Riezel in a panic, instinctively seeking her master's guidance.
Yet she noticed that her master, for some reason, suddenly turned his face aside with an awkward expression.
Seeing this, the little princess became more flustered.
What was wrong?
Why wouldn't her master look at her?
Had she become ugly?
Or fat?
Lizbeth grew even more frantic and stood up from Riezel's arms—but the moment she stood, she discovered something else was off.
'...Why does it feel... chilly?'
In that instant, a dreadful premonition rose in Lizbeth's heart.
Following that ominous feeling, Lizbeth lowered her head and looked at her body.
Time froze in that moment.
"...Eh?"
Lizbeth let out a blank sound, then—
"KYAAA—!!!"
Seconds later, her scream echoed through the entire side hall.
===
No one knew how long it took before the side hall grew quiet again.
*Cough-Cough!*
Riezel cleared his throat a few times, as if deliberately trying to change the subject, then spoke to Lizbeth.
"How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?"
Yet his question did not earn an immediate response.
"It's fine... It's fine... No one else saw... Only Master saw..."
Lizbeth, clutching Moslow with teary eyes, pulled Riezel's cloak tightly around her shoulders and muttered under her breath with a somewhat hollow gaze.
"It was Master, so it's okay..."
"Didn't Elder Sister Marilyn also say it? Our everything belongs to our master... Yes... Everything belongs to our master..."
"In that case... If Master saw, then there's no problem... right...?"
Right after she whispered this, Lizbeth, eyes brimming with tears, suddenly bowed to Riezel apologetically.
"I-I'm so sorry! I let you see something so filthy!"
Upon hearing this, Riezel nearly blurted out, 'No, that was the most beautiful sight in this world,' but he barely managed to choke the words back, holding them in his throat.
Meanwhile, the little princess spiraled further into her flustered state, bowing over and over with apologies.
"I really am hopeless... Even when I finally get a chance to grow stronger and help Master, I still end up sullying your eyes!"
"No… I didn't—"
"Someone like me, even if Master sees me, I'll only be an eyesore! I'm really sorry!"
"No, that's not… I never thought that—"
"Please forgive me! I'll find a way to atone!"
"Wait, just listen to me first—"
"Otherwise, I'll disappear right now! Yes! Right now! I'll vanish from Master's sight and never appear again!"
"..."
Seeing Lizbeth bowing nonstop, her words growing increasingly irrational, Riezel felt helpless as every attempt to stop her failed.
Only then did he remember—once this little princess fell into extreme nervousness, she would spiral into crushing self-doubt, unable to hear anyone else's words.
He recalled the time when this little princess had been ordered by the royal family to the Frenzel residence, hoping to become his attendant. Back then, she had been so nervous she fell into this exact state, even declaring before everyone that she wanted to be his slave.
Riezel had been frightened then, and now, facing the same Lizbeth again, he truly felt as if he had gone back to that moment.
How should he put it?
A little nostalgic...?
Riezel gave a wry smile.
"Alright, calm down." Riezel pressed Lizbeth's shoulders, meeting her tear-stained eyes with utmost seriousness. "I never thought I saw anything filthy. You're not filthy in the slightest, do you understand?"
"Master…"
Tears welled even more in Lizbeth's eyes, but this time they weren't from panic or self-doubt, but from being moved.
"Really? Master doesn't think he saw something filthy?" Lizbeth asked pitifully.
"O-Of course not..." Riezel's emotions grew increasingly complicated, a strange mix he couldn't describe.
What kind of conversation was this?
Wasn't it far too absurd?
"Trust me, I don't think that way at all, so calm down, alright?"
Riezel could only reassure Lizbeth with that complicated, subtle feeling weighing on him.
"Master, you're so kind..."
Despite Riezel's repeated assurances, the little princess finally calmed down, yet her words left him feeling even more complicated.
What was this even supposed to be?
Riezel could only give a helpless laugh.
"KYAAA!"
Suddenly, the little princess cried out again, making Riezel turn at once.
"..."
Euryale had somehow appeared at Lizbeth's side, sniffing her like a little dog—she even buried her face into Lizbeth's cloak, startling the little princess into another cry.
"U-Um... could you not nudge me like that?" Lizbeth stared at Euryale with a look of bafflement and distress.
Yet Euryale ignored her and, as if enchanted by Lizbeth's scent, wrapped her arms around the little princess and refused to let go.
Now, the two women—one young, one mature—looking strikingly alike, clung together in front of Riezel, forming a scene that was oddly beautiful to behold.
'Seriously, what kind of mess is this now...?'
Riezel sighed once more, feeling utterly speechless.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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