Chapter 98: Stella

People began gathering around the bonfire burning in front of the carriage as the morning sun rose.

Due to the commotion, people from the nearby village came over to check the situation, and the Abbess went to them first.

Perhaps because this was the closest village to the convent, they seemed to have a strong bond. Those who occasionally went to the convent to receive treatment for illnesses or to express gratitude for the gospel seemed to be very friendly towards the nuns.

Most of the villagers returned with piles of food, stating that this seemed to be a good time to repay the favor.

Suddenly, a small breakfast buffet was set up in this place, at some distance from the village.

It was a lovely morning, as it was bathed in the rising sun. Frankly, I didn't feel like lifting a finger, and as I also suffered some injuries from being swept away by the Holy Power, I just slumped against the carriage.

"What are you doing? Not eating?"

Findenai, who was passing by with plates piled high with food, glanced at me and asked.

I couldn't be bothered to answer her, so I just gestured with my chin for her to go away, but she bit her fork and took a seat next to me anyway.

"....Go away."

"What? There's nowhere else to sit."

"You can just go inside the carriage, right?"

"Illuania is having her meal."

Findenai started poking at her food next to me, spouting a lie that didn't even contain a shred of sincere consideration for the pregnant woman.

The plates were piled high with quite a generous spread of food, with chicken and eggs as the main items, accompanied by salad and fruits, which suggested that the villagers had been catching chickens since early morning.

But even looking at that didn't stimulate my appetite.

Rather, the inside of my mouth felt dry, my tongue was tingly, and I didn't even want to smell any food.

I wondered why I was here and why I was doing this, but then someone handed me a bottle of milk with a straw in it.

"Drink this. It's good to have something after losing blood."

"...."

"Even though the nuns have treated you, it is essential to consume food for nourishment, isn't it?"

Findenai offered the milk without even looking at me. Although I was puzzled by her sudden actions, I accepted the bottle as my throat felt dry.

Seeing my hands trembling, she quickly caught it before the milk spilled over.

"Sigh, this typically happens when mages overuse their mana. Alright, open your mouth."

"....Just go away."

"Tsk."

Findenai forced the straw to enter my lips despite my firm refusal, the straw poking at my throat. Surprised, I inhaled sharply, and the milk naturally flowed into my mouth through the straw.

It certainly felt like my throat was being quenched. The fresh milk had a pleasant taste and went down smoothly.

It felt embarrassing to be treated like this by Findenai, but drinking the milk made me feel more satisfied than I expected.

I took a deep breath after finishing the milk.

Suddenly, the savory aroma of chicken filled my mouth. Startled, I closed my mouth, but Findenai grabbed my chin and forced it open with indifference.

"Geez, you're so skinny, yet you still don't eat."

"....!"

"Stay still. This somehow looks like I'm torturing you. Where else can you find a maid like this? Master Bastard has become weak, so I have to force-feed you."

"Ugh! That is enough."

"Alrighttt."

Despite saying so, Findenai didn't stop moving her fork. I tried to stop her by grabbing her wrist, but as I didn't have enough strength, I was unable to resist.

Eventually, after she finished feeding me all the food on the plate, Findenai left, while smirking with a strange sense of satisfaction.

Her smile of victory felt like the ultimate humiliation for me, so I wanted to throw up everything.

[That was a good move.]

At that moment, a voice came from behind. I turned my head slightly. The Dark Spiritualist was poking her head out of the carriage, looking in our direction.

"Stop poking your head out like that."

When I asked her not to stick her face out of the carriage in that manner, the Dark Spiritualist immediately popped out and crossed her arms in front of me.

[It was extremely dangerous this time. You know that, right?]

I couldn't help but let out a wry smile at her words.

"Has there ever been a time when it was not dangerous?"

On reflecting, I always fought by putting my life on the line. I could always see the path to victory clearly, but that didn't guarantee absolute victory.

[That may be true, but...]

As everything below her eyes was covered by a black veil, her expression couldn't be seen clearly, but I could still discern the concern in her eyes.

I regulated my breath and added a few words. After all, I couldn't let her, my ally, feel anxious.

"No need to feel worried. This is just one of the experiences on our journey to witness the end of Necromancy."

Especially this time, I showed her a new path by controlling the soul of the Demon.

I thought that this should have satisfied her a bit. However, the Dark Spiritualist still looked at me with lingering dissatisfaction.

[That was certainly impressive, but that's not the reason I'm not upset.]

"Exponential growth cannot occur unless it is accompanied by danger."

[...You're actually quite intelligent. But you feign ignorance at times.]

"...."

[And I really hate that part of you.]

The Dark Spiritualist pouted and kicked me to express her annoyance. However, since this was her astral body, her kick just phased through me.

[What are you going to do about the Saintess?]

"I will handle her myself."

I caught sight of Stella, who was alone and looking up at the sun in the distance.

Seeing that her eyes were closed and hands clasped together, it seemed like she was praying to Goddess Hearthia, expressing gratitude for those who saved her.

[Um, promise me, I will keep my position, right?]

"...."

[I mean, um, that's... Well, because the atmosphere between you two seemed good.]

I took a deep breath and waved my hand dismissively, as I felt some strength returning to me.

[You don't have any special connection with me, do you? Meanwhile, the Saintess is connected to you through Necromancy.]

"If you are going to continue speaking nonsense, leave."

[No, as your teacher, shouldn't I be able to worry about this?]

"I have never thought of you as a teacher."

[Bleh!]

The Dark Spiritualist stuck her tongue out and left. Anyway, because of the veil, her tongue couldn't be seen, but her personality was pretty amusing.

She was wise and knowledgeable in matters related to Necromancy. Still, perhaps because she spent half her life locked in her laboratory, she had little interaction with people, so she occasionally showed such immaturity.

I wondered if her physical growth was the only thing that progressed, as she behaved just like a child at times.

She is the opposite of Aria.

Aria seemed to be a contrast of the Dark Spiritualist. Despite her body still resembling that of a child's, she had endured various hardships and matured but ultimately ended up somewhat broken.

Suddenly, I was slightly worried about what Aria might be doing now, but the thought didn't linger long because Stella cautiously approached me after finishing her prayers.

Her dull blonde hair had turned partially white, giving off a light glow.

It seemed to symbolize all the suffering she had endured until now.

Her eyes, with a subtle hue of turquoise, were staring at me intently.

She looked like a woman painted on a canvas.

With the sunlight bathing her from behind, I could understand why the Saintess was called the Kingdom's Sun.

"Have you bid them farewell?"

[...How did you know?]

Stella lowered her head slightly, seemingly embarrassed by my words. Indeed, she had just bid farewell to the Gods.

[My body was once taken over by a Demon, and I agreed with Velica. Her remnants are still in my body.]

Perhaps because they had coexisted in the same body for a while, Stella and Velica's souls seemed to have fused with each other.

The Dark Spiritualist found this situation to be very interesting as it was her first time seeing something like this.

Even though we were still uncertain whether Velica had remained unharmed due to the Holy Power becoming more lethal.

"......"

[It is possible that even Goddess Hearthia wouldn't want to accept someone like me.]

"Is that so?"

[I have shown enough gratitude until now, and I have also fulfilled my role. So, I can completely let go of everything.]

I nodded as I listened to her words. My body was gradually gaining strength, but it wasn't to the extent that I would be able to get up.

Realizing this, Stella sat beside me cautiously and rested her head on my shoulder.

Even though I couldn't feel her touch or warmth, a gentle breeze brushed past my nose as she moved.

[I can make bold moves like this now because no one can see me.]

A soft and warm chuckle flowed out. It resembled the laughter I heard when we first met in the attic.

"Do you no longer have any lingering regrets?"

[Yes, because the things I have done so far have not been wrong. That has been proven to me by many people.]

Even though she had spent hours expressing her tearful gratitude to them before praying to the Gods, Stella still appeared to be deeply moved.

[So, what should I do from now on, my Esteemed Necromancer?]

Stella looked at me while resting her head on my shoulder. She was so close to me that her breath would have touched my cheek if she were alive.

I replied to her firmly.

"Of course, you must go to sleep."

[......]

"The reason I took possession of you was not to control your soul or use you for magic. It was simply to provide you with a place to rest."

[I see...]

Stella seemed somewhat disappointed, but I had no intention of backing down.

She was overly exhausted —worn out to the point of making the extreme choice of annihilation.

Now, she needed to close her eyes and rest for a while.

[So, this will be the last sky I see before I fall asleep.]

"Yes."

Stella would soon fall asleep within me, deeply enough that neither the Gods nor Demons would be able disturb her.

[Hmm, this is a bit regretful. I wanted to have more conversations with you.]

However, she didn't outright reject the idea of rest because she also knew that she was exhausted.

[Could you tell me something?]

Still leaning on me, Stella asked with her arms crossed.

"Tell you something?"

[Parents typically read fairy tales to their children before they go to sleep, do they not? I also want to fall asleep listening to stories about you.]

"I have already told you everything I could share about myself."

[That is right.]

Stella gave a bright smile, as she leaned a bit closer, and asked again.

[Then, what do you think of me? We have had a short but intense experience together.]

I remained silent for a moment on hearing Stella's question.

The rising sun was too bright to look at directly, so I lowered my gaze a bit.

"I have never loved anyone."

And I honestly expressed the feelings I felt towards her.

"However, I have experienced it."

I had indirectly experienced the emotions that the original Deus had for Illuania.

"I can not deny that it was truly a warm and comforting feeling. Also, I thought that it would perhaps be difficult for me to develop such feelings."

According to Aria, I was said to have continued my relationship with Erica in the first round, but I still doubted if I truly loved her.

I continued speaking.

This was not something I wished to convey to Stella.

It just felt like Stella was secretly eavesdropping on my honest soliloquy.

"But if I were ever to harbor such feelings for someone else..."

I slowly turned my gaze to Stella.

Though she would always be with me, I calmly bid her farewell for now.

"... Perhaps it would be for someone like you."

And there was a brief silence.

As I stared closely at Stella's flushed face, she opened and closed her lips like a goldfish before taking a deep breath.

Even though she no longer needed to breathe, it was like a habit from the days when she was still alive.

[Do you not want me to go to sleep? Please do not create any lingering attachments.]

I didn't have such intentions.

When I replied that I was just expressing my honest feelings, Stella hesitated before speaking again.

[You and I are opposites.]

"......"

[You may not understand love, but I know the emotion of love very well. I have loved everyone I met.]

Indeed.

Because those feelings were truly sincere, many souls had sacrificed themselves for this woman.

[So maybe I do not wish to label the emotion I have for you as love.]

"......"

[This is not the same as the feelings I had for others. So, I will not call this love.]

I felt a warm sensation wash over me.

It seemed like the residual mana in her soul was gently enveloping me.

[However, I do not have the ability to give it a grand name.]

Stella was gradually disappearing, and her voice, too, slowly fading away.

[This sun of the continent has set. I am sure Lucia will do well as my successor.]

"Yes, she will."

She was like a child gradually falling asleep.

[Please take good care of that girl. While the sun rests, you should be the moon and protect this continent.]

"I will do my best."

[Fufu, I will be watching you from your side to see if you are doing well.]

Slowly...

Very slowly...

[I thought I would never see the moon again after losing my sight.]

Stella's hand wrapped around my waist as she turned into light and entered my body.

[See you again, my moon.]

Slowly fading away, Stella whispered with a final smile.

[I will be your star, always by your side.]