svetikya Page 42
Page 42
He pointed out Lena's weaknesses from the past; how could that possibly affect the current Ice Saintess?!
"Lena hates roses the most!"
With a knowing look on her face, Mino gave the answer she had only managed to recall that morning, but she put on an air of complete familiarity and said with absolute certainty, "She told me herself that she hates that thing so much that she's almost traumatized by it!"
"It's... roses." Kleinna was taken aback.
Generally speaking, most girls like roses... after all, roses carry a lot of romantic elements. If they really dislike them, they probably only dislike the person who gives them the flowers or the person who gives them flowers inappropriately.
But since Mino said it himself, it's not a simple matter.
Thinking about it carefully, it's not surprising that Lena, the aloof and seemingly detached saint, dislikes roses.
"Judging from this, the Ice Saintess will probably hate me even more." Kletina touched her face and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
She didn't have much suspicion, after all, if she found out that Mino had provided false information, she could simply take the gold coins back later.
"Well then, I'll take my leave now..." Kletina straightened her dress and prepared to say goodbye.
Mino heard a soft "ding" in his ear and felt the pain in his back ease considerably. He bent down slightly and picked up a fallen rose from the ground.
"Wait, there's one rose left, you forgot it."
Kletina glanced at it; a rose that had fallen to the ground and yet hadn't dissipated was definitely not an inanimate object formed from her own power… Looking at the slightly dimmed veins of the fiery red rose, she shook her head:
"This is a failed attempt, which is why it didn't get lit just now. It's useless."
Mino shrugged, walked closer, casually tucked a finger into Kletina's hair, and stroked her chin, saying:
"I can't tell the difference, but it suits you quite well... doesn't it?"
“I am not worthy of these once vibrant roses.” A hint of helplessness flashed in Kletina’s eyes. She reluctantly took the roses and held them in her hand, as if she wanted to throw them away but then seemed to remember something:
"I picked each rose myself."
"So what?" Mino yawned, speaking casually.
"You don't know whether a rose prefers to wither in the flowerbed or be picked at its most beautiful moment, do you?"
Kleidina's fingers, which were holding the rose, stiffened slightly.
She raised her eyes, and the maturity and wariness on her face gradually faded, revealing a girlish face that appeared somewhat bewildered and naive.
As the sound of rain subsided, she saw Mino smile and point to the rose in her hand: "At least the moment you picked it, the rose knew that it bloomed for you."
Rumbling--
Long-forgotten memories were suddenly and quietly activated in my heart with the last clap of thunder.
Kleidina's pupils trembled slightly as she unconsciously recalled memories that should have been hazy before her birth—the warm fingertips of the previous Demon King caressing her, filled with gentleness and blessings:
"Thank you for blooming for this child... One day, Mia... will be entrusted to your protection—"
As her mind wavered, Kletina's figure vanished like a shadow.
The shadows dispersed and coalesced like water, traversing layers of floor and space. In the next instant, the beautiful figure solidified in the flowerbed outside the Demon King's castle.
Raindrops pattered on her soft hair and exquisite face, making the shadowy figure appear incredibly real—Kreitina held the rose in her hand, ultimately not destroying it, but instead crouching down and carefully burying the broken rose back into the soil…
After staring blankly for a long time, Kleinna shook her head and chuckled, "You did something a bit stupid."
The roses swayed gently as if blown by the wind. Klettina's eyes gradually widened in surprise. There was no airflow, yet the dark shadows of the roses, rooted in the ground, seemed to leap and dance with joy...
Klaidina sensed a unique, incredibly youthful aura belonging solely to the Shadow Fiend.
"It has been born..."
A look of surprise gradually appeared in Kletina's cherry-pink eyes.
It is foreseeable that, with the accumulation of time and magic, one day in the future, another Shadow Fiend will emerge from the earth.
She stretched out her fair fingertips and caressed the still very young shadow, which wrapped around her fingertips affectionately and comfortably.
Kleidina's expression softened slightly as she said softly, "When you grow up, I'll trouble you to follow the Demon..."
The words abruptly stopped, and in her subconscious, a somewhat blurry figure flashed by.
His expression softened slightly.
"Do not."
In a similar manner, Kleidina offered a gentle blessing:
"Just follow the shadow in your heart—"
Chapter 57 The Saintess Will Not Be Easily Breached
"Huh, why did that woman leave so suddenly? Was she in such a hurry...?"
In the cell, Mino was completely bewildered as he watched Kletina suddenly disappear.
"Hiss—never mind."
The pain in her back gradually intensified, and Mino, wincing in pain, looked down at the gold coins in her hand, and her spirits lifted again.
[Use Contract Spell - Weather Change, Cost: 10 Gold]
"With the gold coins, we can finally use the Contract spell to stop this damned rainy weather!" Mino put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly:
"From this day forward, I am Weathering Child!"
At the cell door, a petite figure pushing a cart poked her head out. She had been there for an unknown amount of time, staring intently at Mino.
"Mino, that's weird."
A zombie demon dressed in a classic brown and white maid dress stood at the door, its empty eyes looking at Mino with some curiosity, tilting its head in confusion.
Despite the damp weather, Fim didn't go out today. She wore a well-tailored short maid outfit, with light short sleeves and a small apron with ruffles for easy work. Her black leather shoes below the knees were paired with lace socks.
"Fim, you've come at the perfect time!"
Mino pointed to the rain outside the window and smiled brightly: "Look, it's starting to clear up now!"
The continuous drizzle gradually subsided as the sound grew louder, and the fine rain curtains thinned and faded away. Soon after, a ray of golden sunlight, like ears of wheat, pierced through the dark clouds, completely breaking the spell of the rainy day.
"Sure enough!"
Mino stood by the window, feeling the air that was no longer damp, and the old wounds on her body finally stopped aching.
Touching the gold pouch, I could feel its heavy weight and the slight evaporation of some of the gold coins inside; only ninety coins remained.
"Isn't it amazing?"
Mino, who had successfully completed the attempt, happily walked over to Fim and patted the boy's head.
Fim stared blankly out the window, but his face showed little surprise, as if he didn't realize what was happening.
“Mino, are you scared? Is it raining?” Fim asked after thinking for a moment.
"I hate it! I really hate it!!"
Fim was still somewhat confused, and he pieced together his words in fits and starts:
"If you hate it... just make Apophis stop... this rain is from it..."
"Lady Kletina just finished picking roses and replanting them... so she caused Apophis to rain... it will stop soon..."
Mino's smile froze on her face.
He had already forgotten that—he had been in the Demon King's Castle for so many days, and the weather had been mostly gloomy and unchanging. Thinking about it carefully, it must be like the royal capital, with a special magic array to control the weather.
"So... even if I do nothing, this rain won't last long?!"
Suddenly, Mino's eyes widened. He turned to look out the window at the clear sky, where the clouds had dispersed as if rain clouds had never appeared. Then he looked down at the heavy gold coins in his hand.
broken!
Now I'm really in a mess!
……
Outside the Demon King's castle.
Beside the flowerbed, Apophis gradually withdrew his magic and came to Kletina's side.
"Lady Kletina, has the rain stopped?"
"Okay, that's fine." Kleinna nodded, tossed her wet hair behind her shoulder, and smiled gently at the demon sword Apophis.
Apophis's sword paused, as if Kletina had shed something, and her aura became increasingly light and profound.
Watching Kleidina walk away, Apophis shook his head, suppressing his doubts, and once again activated the magic connection array...
The dazzling sunlight pierced through the clouds, and the raindrops evaporated before they even hit the ground.
"what."
Apophis's magic fluctuated slightly, his tone filled with bewilderment and astonishment.
No matter how he activated the magic array, the airflow and temperature at high altitude seemed to solidify, completely repelling the magic power.
"The weather can't be changed—"
……
"The weather today is a bit strange; it rained for a little while and then stopped without warning..."
Border area.
In a village on the outskirts of human territory, in a dilapidated wooden house, a commoner couple sat at a table enjoying their lunch, discussing in hushed tones:
"When has the area near the demons ever been calm? Perhaps it's because the Holy Maiden is protecting us!"
"Indeed, thanks to Lady Lena's hunting of demons on the border these past few days, our lives have become much more stable."
"It's just that... the Holy Maiden is far too cold and indifferent. Perhaps protecting us is just something she does casually."
"That's not the case!"
"Daddy! Mommy!" At the dinner table, the little girl, who had been wolfing down her food, looked up from her bowl, rice grains still clinging to the corners of her mouth, and mumbled:
"Last night, when Sister Lena told me the story of Lord Mino, she wasn't cold at all, and her face even seemed a little red—she was so pretty!!!"
The couple looked at each other for a moment, then smiled and shook their heads.
"After all, that's the Mino Hero. For the Ice Saintess, the only one who could truly move her heart is that legendary hero with whom she has a close relationship..."