Joy, who had been invited to Allen Estate, had been very excited since the night before.
She had asked not only the maids but also her brother and mother what kind of outfit would be best for the occasion, thought about what kind of gifts to bring, and smiled as she wondered what she would talk about with Lucy once they t.
On the day of the visit, as soon as morning arrived, she got up, completed her preparations, and headed towards Allen Estate.
It had only been a few days since she parted ways with Lucy, but why did it feel like such a long ti had passed?
Looking back, in the last few years, Lucy and I were always together.
At the academy, we trained together, spent our holidays together, and even in the battles that followed, we were always side by side. So, it made sense that I felt her absence.
Honestly, I wanted to go et Lucy as soon as the family business was taken care of.
If it weren’t for the fact that I had to discuss things with the family’s mages, I would have done so already.
But those people, once they started talking about magic, got all worked up, and when my father joined in, the situation escalated.
We called in Erginus for advice, and then the Goddess herself joined, and it turned into a ss.
Sigh. Even now, just thinking about it makes groan.
What were those two thinking?
At first, I thought it was impressive how they focused on every little detail, trying to push their opinions through, but as ti went on, it started to feel like a petty pride contest between kids.
If it were Lucy, she probably would have said that out loud.
Oh, forget it. Let’s not think about it anymore.
From now on, I’m going to have fun with Lucy, and I don’t want to waste any ti thinking about that nonsense.
Shaking her head, Joy activated her teleportation magic and appeared right next to Arthur.
“You’ve really gotten used to using magic now, huh?”
“Hehe, of course. How much have I practiced?”
“Yeah. You’ve practiced a lot. I don’t even know how many thrilling experiences I’ve had because of you.”
Arthur, who had fallen from the sky multiple tis a day, chuckled and shook his head.
“After a while, no matter how high I fall from, it didn’t even make flinch. Humans are really creatures that adapt, huh?”
“Not anymore!”
“I hope so. We were fine, but if others fell from that height, they’d die.”
“I’m telling you, it won’t happen!”
Grumbling, Joy sat down and looked at the empty chairs, tilting her head.
“But where’s Lucy?”
“She suddenly said she had sothing to do. I don’t know what, but it seems like an important matter.”
At Arthur’s remark about Lucy suddenly becoming polite, Joy’s eyes lit up.
“Lucy beca polite?”
“You know the curse on her was lifted. Now, if she wants, she can be as polite as she likes.”
“I know that. But she never showed that side of herself in front of .”
“Sa here. That’s what makes it worse. I can understand not being able to do it, but when she can and doesn’t, that’s annoying.”
“Should I tell Lucy about this?”
“…No thanks. If she becos polite now, it’ll give the creeps.”
“Sa here.”
As the two laughed and continued their conversation, a woman in a black coat, with her face concealed by a mask, approached them.
Normally, it would be expected for them to be wary when a stranger approached, especially one dressed like that, but neither Arthur nor Joy reacted to her presence.
Instead, Arthur pulled out a chair for her, offering her a seat.
“Thank you for your hard work, Lady…”
“Shh! You shouldn’t say that!”
“It’s fine. I’ve already blocked the sound.”
After hearing that the surrounding area had been secured so that no one would notice, the woman, Peibi, sighed in relief and sat down.
“Thank you so much. Now I can rest easy.”
“You’ve been busy, it seems?”
“There's the restoration work for the church, and requests for cooperation from other religious groups keep coming in. The position of the Goddess’s Church is so high that I have many places to go.”
Of course, the person most eagerly sought after by the powerful figures of the world was Lucy.
She’s the daughter of the Goddess, a hero who saved the continent, and she has the appearance that the Goddess herself highly praises—who wouldn’t want to have a conversation with her at least once?
However, the reason why many of the powerful people can’t be honest with their desires is because of the enormous power Lucy holds.
Authority needs to be high enough, but if they make one mistake, their position will be threatened—it would be hard to deal with.
Moreover, the rumors about Lucy’s past are still not completely forgotten.
As a result, most of the powerful figures decided it was better to avoid eting her rather than risk upsetting her.
However, the relationship with the Goddess’s Church can’t be taken lightly.
With the gods now descending to the world, the Church holds greater authority than any other religion, and it’s the only institution capable of diating between various gods.
Although they’re afraid to et Lucy, they still need to maintain their connection with the Goddess’s Church.
So, the solution was to et with Peibi.
She’s a saint officially recognized by the Goddess and the new head of the Goddess’s Church, and she has a vague relationship with Lucy. If they t with her and talked, it would almost be the sa as eting with Lucy.
This is also why Peibi was hiding her true identity.
Approaching Lucy directly would be highly disrespectful, but since she’s Lucy’s close friend and is known for her kindness, many thought it would be acceptable to et with her.
Not to ntion, Peibi herself was quite popular.
“I had my usual schedule today, but I postponed everything because the eting with Lucy was more important.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You should take it easy.”
“Thank you for your concern, Prince. But I’m fine. Spreading Lucy’s greatness is my life’s purpose.”
Although it had been a busy day, Peibi didn’t seem to feel even the slightest bit of fatigue.
The sight of the powerful people from various countries praising Lucy with all kinds of flattery brought her happiness.
“If Lucy hears this, she’ll probably be horrified.”
“I think so too. Please keep this a secret from Lucy.”
“A secret. Got it.”
The last one to speak, Frey, nodded a few tis as though he had learned sothing interesting.
“So now we just need to tell Lucy, right?”
“Lady Kent, it’s a secret from Lucy.”
“Which ans, we do need to tell Lucy.”
“…Are you joking?”
Peibi, who had been hesitant, asked, and Frey eagerly nodded.
“Yeah. How was it?”
“I seriously thought my heart would drop.”
“Hehe. Then it’s a success.”
With a mischievous smile, Frey, who was standing beside the table, asked, just like everyone else, why Lucy wasn’t here, and Arthur gave the sa answer.
“Seems like Lucy didn’t want the decorations in this city.”
“Isn’t that obvious? Lucy hates this kind of thing.”
“To be honest, I was puzzled too. I can’t believe Lucy would allow people to decorate for her.”
Everyone here knows. Lucy absolutely hates being praised.
When people praise her, she tries to stand tall but ends up slowly backing away. If anyone offers their faith, she’ll tear it away, calling it disgusting, and she’s dying to destroy anything that praises her.
For Lucy to allow decorations in her estate, sothing must have happened.
“She probably realized she was tricked and, after punishing those involved, will decide what to do.”
“Then we should hurry up and go see it.”
“Depending on the situation, we may have to ask Lucy if it’s okay to have it in the Sanctuary.”
The four of them stood up hurriedly and headed towards the city center.
There, not long ago, the golden statue that the Goddess of Beauty and Art had personally brought was displayed.
The four of them, who had always been with Lucy, couldn’t help but gasp in awe when they saw the statue.
The statue, which seed to capture the mont Lucy stood at the frontlines, was so lifelike it felt like Lucy herself was standing before them.
Her hair fluttering in the wind. The mischievous smile. The determined eyes. The weapon gripped tightly in her hand. Her confident stance even in the face of hardships.
Every detail was so similar to Lucy that it seed as if she had co to life before them.
“…I hate to say it, but I can understand why people are praying in front of this statue.”
Arthur’s unconscious remark was t with nods from the others.
Whether they knew Lucy or not, it didn’t matter.
Even soone who was encountering Lucy for the first ti would naturally bow their head in worship before the artistry of the statue.
If they knew her heroic deeds, they would be even more moved.
“Are they going to remove it?”
“That’s a sha.”
In response to Joy’s muttering, Frey answered, and Peibi seed to have similar thoughts.
It would be a tragedy to suddenly lose such a beautiful statue.
“That’s not the only thing that’s a sha. A comrcial district is already forming around it. If the statue disappears, the other shops will disappear too.”
Next to the long line of people praying in front of the golden statue were vendors selling various Lucy-related products.
Necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other accessories, as well as stalls that engraved Lucy-thed artwork on the spot. Artists painting portraits next to the statue. A restaurant that Lucy used to like and eat at.
“I want that! I want to eat that!”
It had only been a few days, but this was already happening. What would happen if tourism really took off in this city?
“Yeah, I agree. It makes tear up thinking that the lady might leave this city, a place the Goddess and I worked so hard to build.”
With a lancholy voice that wasn’t like him, Frete looked around and sighed deeply.
“I had so many ideas, but now I’ll have to throw them all away.”
“But... but we can’t help it. Lucy doesn’t want this.”
Joy, clearing her throat and avoiding eye contact, responded, and Frete, as if waiting for this mont, approached them.
“So, everyone. Please, I beg you. Please persuade the young lady. She refuses to listen to others, but she might think it over if it’s you.”
“…Why us? What if Lucy hates us for this?”
“I won’t take responsibility! But I, Frete, swear to the Goddess that I’ll never forget this favor!”
Although the ntion of a free pass startled everyone, they still nodded.
They didn’t want to make Lucy hate them by being overly greedy.
“And you know, everyone. Wouldn’t you like to see the young lady, all embarrassed from being praised so much?”
However, at his next words, Lucy’s friends were deep in thought. It wasn’t sothing they saw often.
There was nothing cuter than Lucy when she was embarrassed.
“You don’t have to persuade her. Just say one word.”
“…If it’s just that.”
“Right?”
“Okay. I’ll bring it up.”
“Ehehe. Let’s tornt Lucy a little~”
“Thank you, everyone. The Goddess and the great God will rember your kindness.”
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