Chapter 148: - Why the Star Loves the Moon

༺ Why the Star Loves the Moon ༻

"Huu... T-thank you."

Upon the young Frey’s request, Irina successfully conveyed his message to most of the people and altered their memories.

Frey came out of his room, and holding his hands, they headed towards the place he said he needed to go.

It was then that Irina opened her mouth.

"What on earth... did I just experience in the reception room earlier?"

"Did you know, Miss Mage?"

“Huh?"

Irina, who was mumbling with a serious expression on her face, jerked her head in surprise when Frey asked a question.

"I'm... supposed to be a hero."

Then, with a blank face, the young Frey continued to speak.

"The fate of the world depends on me. If I don't step forward, the Demon King will burn down the world."

"Uhm..."

"At first, I didn't believe it. But then, I started feeling the power of a hero."

As Frey emotionlessly swung his fist, all the trees lined up on the street were demolished.

"Until yesterday... I had barely managed to land blows on sister Isolet, but now, even if I simply swing my fist, the practice dolls explode. It's quite funny, isn't it?"

Frey, touching his fist, chuckled in resignation, but Irina didn’t dare to laugh along.

"Haha..."

Because even though Frey was laughing out loud, his eyes were hollow.

"Miss, thank you."

"Hm?"

"For developing the scroll... I really appreciate it."

Irina unintentionally tightened her grip on his hand and quietly glanced sideways as he smiled for the first time.

"I-it was nothing. I only contributed a small part..."

"If it weren't for this scroll, I might have given up."

Tightly clasping Irina's hand, Frey continued in a hushed tone.

"I had so many precious relationships... and so many sad memories. So, if I couldn't alter my memories... I think I would have run away."

"I-I see."

"But thanks to the memory manipulation scroll you developed, I think I can keep going."

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Frey soon asked a question with a grim expression.

"By the way, are you really okay with it?"

"With what?"

"One of the three remaining scrolls is for you."

Irina tilted her head.

"One for Serena, me, and you."

Irina asked, and Frey clarified once more.

"Komerun... so, umm... mine?"

"Yes, yours. I'm really sorry, but even though you’re the one who developed the scroll, you shouldn't remember this either."

The young Frey, who was mistaking Irina for Tower Master Komerun, quietly spoke up.

"As per our promise, please teleport back to the tower once the final operation is over and I tear our scrolls."

"...Ah, okay."

"Thank you, really."

Irina was surprised when she saw Frey bow his head. Afterwards, Frey looked at her with a puzzled face.

"But come to think of it, I thought I heard father say that Ms. Komerun was quite old. Maybe I heard it wrong?"

"........."

"No, it doesn't matter. I apologize if that was inappropriate..."

"No, it's okay."

Thus, Irina, who had unknowingly begun to stroke Frey's head, gulped when she noticed his bashful smile.

'S-so cute.'

Reminded of the young Frey who had once handed her a fish, her heart throbbed when faced with his smile.

"We've arrived."

"...Ah."

Frey stopped in his tracks.

Knock knock knock

"I am Frey Raon Starlight. I have business with the Lord of the Moonlight Family."

Then, Frey turned to Irina, who was observing the mansion with a frown.

"Miss Mage."

"Hmm?"

"I'm about to commit the very first bad deed of my life."

"Very first?"

"No, should I even call it a bad deed? A false evil act? Anyways, something like that. I don't exactly know the difference between them."

Frey, who had spoken with a pale face, soon wore a guilty expression.

"I-I'm sorry. Am I being too bothersome?"

"No, not at all."

"I'm sorry. I'm just feeling so nervous... The moment that will kick everything into motion is approaching, and I feel like I'm going insane. So, I ended up talking endlessly without realizing it."

As Frey was about to bow his head, Irina stopped him with her hand.

"No, no, It’s fine! You can keep talking. Having a conversation is the best thing you can do when you’re feeling nervous."

"...Is that how it is?"

"Yes, so talk as much as you want."

"Thank you."

Irina reassured him with a smile, and Frey bowed his head in thanks. He then directed his gaze towards the Moonlight Mansion, whose doors had swung wide open.

"Miss Mage is probably already aware, but I am about to commit my first evil act against my fiancée."

However, the purple energy never reached Irina.

"Did you just call me a brat?"

"H-how...?"

It was because Irina, who had cast more than 10 layers of magic circles in the blink of an eye, started pulling the purple mass into the magic circle.

"Do you know who was the only one to inflict a fatal wound on the Demon King in the final battle?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

"It was me, Irina Philliard. The greatest archmage of all time."

Looking down at the trembling purple mass, Irina declared her victory.

"I don't know why, but mana returned upon entering the ordeal. That means you're no match for me anymore."

"No, it can't be! I received power directly from the Demon King! So why? Why?!"

"Didn’t I just tell you that I fatally wounded that very Demon King? Well, it seems like I’ll have a gift for Serena once I get out of this ordeal."

"W-wait... AHHHHHHH!"

After completely stuffing the purple mass into the magic circle, Irina left the room.

"What Frey whispered to Serena... Could it really be true?"

Her eyes shook.

.

.

.

.

.

"Ah, there they are."

Irina, who had engraved the magic circle containing the purple mass onto an extra scroll, called out to Frey and Serena upon discovering them in the courtyard outside the mansion.

"Hey-"

"F-F-Frey... Why... Why did you do that?"

"Mm."

However, she soon stopped in her tracks.

"Why? Just did you do such a thing?! Are you crazy?! Did you say it by mistake? Answer me. Please... Say something..."

"...You idiot."

"What?"

Frey wistfully gazed at Serena.

"Back off, you’re suffocating me, you idiot."

".....Ah?"

Being called an idiot for the first time in her life, Serena’s expression slowly crumbled.

"Why... why on earth...?"

"You idiot, I said you’re suffo-"

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF!?!?"

Serena screamed as she tightly hugged Frey, causing him to cough.

"Why did you sacrifice 90 years of your life!?"

"Cough, cough"

"Look!!! You're already coughing!! What are you going to do!!!"

"Serena."

Frey tightly returned her hug and whispered before pulling out three scrolls.

"I love you."

".....!"

After declaring his love for her, Frey began to tear the scrolls.

"...I love you too, Frey."

As he tore the scrolls in half, the two’s memories changed into one of Frey's one-sided betrayal.

And right before the memories of the real Tower Master, who was still working on the scrolls’ formulas from inside the tower’s laboratory, were modified-

"I will love you. No matter what happens, my love for you will be forever."

Serena whispered with eyes filled with determination.

And a fourth scroll was torn.

[Ending the Third Ord...]

Fzzzzzt!

In addition to the three scrolls in Frey’s hands, Irina tore a fourth scroll. It was the one she had received from Ferloche back in the reception room.

[System error detected!] [Unauthorized access found!] [Warning!] [Unauthorized function!] [Unauthorized function!] [Unauthorized function!]

And countless error windows began popping up before her eyes.

<No way, the Star God. This damn bastard...>

Irina, who was watching the red warning windows filled with malicious energy, soon answered with an awkward smile.

"D-Demon God, I don't know what’s going on, but... this seems quite good?"

At that moment, the world came to a stop.

"Hu..."

Irina, who was enviously watching Serena kiss the young Frey, saw Ferloche walk into the frozen world.

"Ferloche, just like you asked, I tore the scroll right before the end of the Third Ordeal. Now tell me the truth. This isn’t just a fictitious world within the Ordeal, right? That’s why my mana returned. Not to mention, everything is too vivid."

"Haa..."

"It's also weird that I was the one to finish the memory manipulation scrolls with knowledge from the future."

"Ms. Irina."

"But the strangest thing is you. What's with that look, and what was with that scroll? Are you really the idiotic Ferloche I know?"

Irina vented all the doubts she harbored.

"...Explain everything."

And with a sullen expression, she demanded an explanation from the young Ferloche.

"Explain everything, Ferloche."

Meeting Irina’s gaze, Ferloche nodded.

"I understand. I’ll explain everything."