CH 25.3

(O3O)/ – Here is Ch-25.3!!!

(OwO) – Sorry, yesterday I said “See you all next week” like I usually do and it created a lot of confusion.

(O3O)/ – But it’s fixed now and the post is here!!!

(-.-) – Do forgive me if I missed something, I had to chug down a lot of coffee to finish the chapter, so I’ll edit it later.

(OwO) – Enjoy the chapter∼♥

The light released by the contract was so intense that, everyone, including Oscar, Albert and Gustav, had to close their eyes.

“Did she contract that spirit!?”

“I don’t know… maybe.”

“But she’s still shining!!”

Oscar was having a heated discussion with Gustav.

The golden light was still enveloping Leonora, but it wasn’t as bright as before.

Albert was a bit worried, so he then knelled on the ground, grabbed her right hand and asked–

“–You’re alright, Leonora?”

On the other hand, Leo, the person in question, was–

(Ohhhh!!! I’m shining! I’m shining golden light! Oscar-senpai was right, I’m really shining!)

–Having the time of his life, because he was shining like a gold coin.

But the remaining light soon faded and Leo felt a bit dejected.

A woman then suddenly approached Leo from the side.

“L-Leonora–”

The woman was Natalia, and she was making a face of disbelief while pointing towards Leo, her entire body was shaking.

“–A-are you aware that you just summoned the Great Spirit of Light!?”

“……Huh?”

Leo didn’t understand Natalia’s question, what he summoned was a golden spirit of coins, he never intended to summon a spirit of light.

However, before Leo could say anything, his friends and classmates started to scream in joy; and then, all at once, they hugged him.

“It certainly was the Great Spirit of Light.” – Said Gustav, stepping closer in Leo’s direction, while brushing the other students aside.

Gustav was making the usual serious face–

“Leonora von Harkenberg, did you really contract the Great Spirit of Light?”

–And his tone of voice was even more scarier than normal.

But Leo, while frantically shaking his head to the sides, answered Gustav’s question.

“…N-no.”

It wasn’t the Great Spirit of Light, Leo had contracted the Golden Spirit of Coins.

“What are you talking about…?” – Said Albert, but he soon realized what Leonora was trying to do, and stayed quiet.

The surroundings were getting noisy, the other students started to speculate about what really had happened.

And after staring at the young girl for a while, to see if she wasn’t lying, Gustav finally asked the question that was bugging him the most–

“Then who contracted the Great Spirit of Light?”

–In a cynical manner.

Leo glanced around, he was looking for an answer to Gustav’s question.

(W-what if he’s right? Maybe I really contracted a spirit of light…?)

Leo was already loosing his hopes, he didn’t want to believe that his golden spirit of coins was actually a “Mere” light spirit.

(Oh, I remember! Bianca Neh-sama said: ‘light… spirit… please… contract… . ‘ Right!?)

Leo then pointed towards Bianca, and said–

“–Neh-sama, contracted, the spirit… . ”

“……Hah!?”

Bianca was a bit…… no, really surprised.

Sure, she tried to summon a light spirit, but it wasn’t Bianca that summoned the Great Spirit of Light.

“Leonora…… w-what are you saying, t-there is no way–”

‘There is no way that this is actually true!’ – But Bianca couldn’t finish her sentence.

“–She’s right, Bianca.”

The one who interrupted her was none other than Albert, her brother.

And then, with a soothing voice, Albert said–

“–As expected of my sister, the First Princess of the Weiz Empire , Bianca. As your brother, and Crown Prince , I’m proud of you.”

At first, Bianca didn’t understand what Albert was trying to do, but she soon realized why he said those word.

By using both of their titles as the Crown Prince and the First Princess, Albert gave emphasis on her status as a princess in front of the other students.

(So Leonora doesn’t want to be the center of attention, and Onii-sama helped her by boosting my reputation among the other students)

Leonora von Harkenberg stopped the dispute between the “Bernstein Faction” and the “Red Roses Faction.” But the aristocratic society wouldn’t recognize a girl with black hair as the emissary of the gods, the “Child Loved by the Spirits.” ( Tl/n: People with black hair, in this world, are regarded as commoners in the high noble society)

The summoning of the Great Spirit of Light… that alone is a feat worth of respect and recognition.

No one would – willingly – give away the title of “Child Loved by the Spirits,” except Leonora.

Admiration, longing, anger and regret… those were the emotions that Bianca was feeling right now. She admired Leonora, she wanted to be more like her… but every time Bianca felt like she would finally caught up with Leonora, the young girl would always be a step ahead of her. Leonora was always helping Bianca, directly or indirectly… always by her side… and like always, Bianca wasn’t able to do anything for her.

But as soon as Albert finished his sentence, the other students started to sing praises towards Bianca, they were saying things like: “As expected of Bianca-sama, the First Princess!” Or “You’re certainly the sister of Albert-sama, such raw talent!”

Those praises weren’t from the heart… they just wanted to gain her favor… like always.

Bianca felt like trowing up… .

Again… they were showing her those fake smiles again.

*Whisper*

“Leonora… I-I… I’m so… s-so sorry… . ”

Bianca just wanted to run away and get out of this place.

But then, all of a sudden, a small hand gently grasped Bianca’s left hand.

*Whisper*

“You don’t need, to apologize, Neh-sama… . ”

The girl had an innocent smile plastered on her face.

“Leo…nora…?”

“The spirit of light, surely contracted Neh-sama, no doubt.”

That shouldn’t be true.

But Leonora’s mischievous grin blew away any doubts that Bianca had left.

“So you’re telling me that, Bianca is the ‘Child Loved by the Spirits’?”

Bianca then raised her head and looked at him directly in eyes. She was unusually serious.

“…That’s right… I am the ‘Child Loved by the Spirits’.”

Bianca was, by no means, the real “Child Loved by the Spirits.”

But if Leonora went that far just for her sake, Bianca would play the part… .

…Even if it killed her.

After the class was over, Leo returned to his room.

“Haaah… . ”

He was a bit dejected.

(It doesn’t matter how much I chant… the Golden Spirit of Coins doesn’t appear…)

Leo was really disappointed when he finally found out the truth.

(Of course the golden spirit of coins would prefer a blond haired beauty rather than me, a black haired girl…)

That way, the church will receive more donations and the spirit would be even more pleased.

Bianca has an amazing amount of magic power and spiritual power.

After all, in order to be loved by the spirits, it was necessary to do good deeds and be a good person.

(I’m not a good person… and I’m really greedy…)

But Leo, who soon gave up on the Golden Spirit of Coins, decided to devote himself to the only thing that he was good at–

(Well… I suppose I’ll take part on the “Water Business” that Oscar mentioned…)

–Making money.

Some time later, after the students had left, a man sat down on a bench facing the altar, with his legs crossed.

The man was Gustav, with his usual serious face.

He was skimming through some of the letters he had received today, and the majority of those were “Love Letters.”

As a holy knight, and a war hero, receiving love letters had become a common thing, and because of that, Gustav was ridiculed by his previous subordinates.

After all, the girls who sent those letters were probably around 13 to 16, Gustav wouldn’t go for such young girls. ( Tl/n: Thank god, I almost called 911)

But even though Gustav wasn’t fond of young girls, they’re still nobles.

If he didn’t refuse them courteously enough, the consequences would be really troublesome. And they approach him with those intentions as a weapon.

“…Those pigs… . ”

But among those “Disgusting” noble ladies, a rather quiet and amazing girl stood out more than the others. ( Tl/n: I spoke too soon, I should’ve waited…)

“…Leonora von Harkenberg–”

Gustav remembered the glorious sight that he witnessed this afternoon.

A lion made of sacred golden light…… the Great Spirit of Light.

A supreme existence that, only those most devoted to the spirits, can summon.

“–In another 10 years, she’ll probably become the most beautiful girl of the whole empire.”

Altruistic Saintess and Bringer of Miracles, those were her titles.

But to the church, the holy knights and even to Gustav…… Leonora wasn’t more than an eyesore and a plague that needed to be exterminated.

The holy knights were conducing an investigation on Harlet’s conspiracy.

But as a result of Leonora’s meddlesome interference, the church lost it’s face and the believers stopped coming to the church.

The production of bread halted, many cathedrals were closed because of the lack of donations… while others were burned to the ground.

After reading all of the letters, Gustav retrieved an envelope from his breast pocket.

The words ‘Death notice’ were clearly visible on the piece of paper.

“Aneue… . ” ( Tl/n: Aneue means older sister, in a respectable manner)

Christine, Gustav’s older sister, had been missing for over two weeks now.

The letter stated that, a mob, of more than a hundred people, burned the church to the ground and his sister’s corpse was nowhere to be found.

At that time, Gustav thought about killing himself.

Christine was a good sister, and she too was a “Child Loved by the Spirits.”

After contracting with the Great Spirit of Water, Christine gained the title of “The Lady of the Lake.”

But even though Christine had such an amazing title, she never stopped baking bread for the poor people of the frontier cities.

She wasn’t supposed to die by a mere fire.

But unlike Gustav’s fire spirit, that prefer toned a strong people, water spirits prefer chastity.

If the Great Spirit of Water let Christine die because of such an idiotic reason, then… .

*Bam!*

Gustav punched the bench.

(…Still, she wouldn’t die because of that…!)

It was too early to give up.

Maybe Leonora gifted the painting to the church because of that… she even summoned the Great Spirit of Light and gave away her title to the Princess.

But the circumstances surrounding Gustav wouldn’t let him forgive Leonora and accept what she did to his sister.

If what Leonora did, when she revealed Harlet’s schemes, were really the will of the spirits, Gustav would die as a criminal.

But until then–

“–Leonora von Harkenberg, I’ll let you taste the same blade that killed thousands on the previous war… and avenge my sister… . ”

Gustav crushed the ‘Death notice’ and burned it with the flames of his contracted spirit.