Chapter 97

Rakia’s mouth twitched for a moment. She was stunned by the unexpected news, but soon joy bubbled up from deep within her chest.

“R-Really? If I get my own lair, will you become my guardian, Ariel?”

“Yep.”

“……!”

Rakia’s eyes began to sparkle, and a bright smile spread across her face.

“Wow! Thank you so much, Ariel!”

Overwhelmed with joy, Rakia grabbed Ariel’s hand and shook it back and forth, even losing her balance and stumbling a bit.

When Ariel caught her, Rakia ended up falling into Ariel’s arms.

“Ariel, my guardian! Just thinking about it makes me so happy! I’ll become a great dragon worthy of you! I’ll serve you with all my heart! If you want, I’ll even wear this bunny outfit every day!”

Unbeknownst to Rakia, the roles were completely reversed.

Guardians are usually subordinates, but here she was, promising to serve Ariel with all her heart.

Other dragons might find it absurd, but for Rakia, it was a heartwarming moment.

She felt like creating her lair right away.

That way, Ariel would become her guardian immediately.

‘Hehe, I win…’

A sense of victory blossomed in Rakia’s heart.

Even though no formal pact had been made, she no longer needed to worry about the Saintess.

After all, humans barely live a hundred years.

That time would pass quickly, and once the Saintess was gone, Ariel would be hers entirely.

‘Then I’ll never let Ariel go.’

Happy imaginations began to unfold in Rakia’s mind.

First, she would secure her lair, then use magic to create a beautiful forest.

Just like the Evergreen Forest.

Lush trees with green leaves swaying in the wind, vast fields blooming with colorful flowers, and a clear lake with sparkling waves.

And that place would become a paradise where she and Ariel would live together forever.

Well, she could let Roo join too. And Ghost and Black.

In her imagination, Rakia was walking hand in hand with Ariel through the forest.

Warm sunlight filtering through the leaves, the chirping of insects, and the refreshing air filled with the scent of flowers.

Everything was perfect.

Ariel slowly opened her mouth.

“Rakia, thank you for letting me live in this beautiful forest you created. I’ll work hard to learn magic from you. And I’ll teach you the bunny dance.”

“The bunny dance? Wow, I can’t wait!”

“Should I show you now?”

“Yes!”

Soon, Ariel began hopping around, dancing like a bunny.

With cute little hops and wiggles.

Rakia burst into laughter and clapped her hands.

“You’re so cute, Ariel! How do you do that dance?”

“Like this, raise your hands and wiggle your hips side to side…”

Ariel enthusiastically taught Rakia the bunny dance, and before long, the two were laughing and hopping around like bunnies.

All the little creatures in the forest gathered around, watching Ariel and Rakia with wonder.

“I’ll teach you all the dances I know. There’s more than just the bunny dance.”

“Yay, Ariel!”

…While Rakia was lost in her own imagination, Ariel’s pointed ears twitched.

‘Ariel.’

It was Revena’s call.

Ariel quietly looked down at Rakia, who was nestled in her arms.

Rakia had her eyes closed, wearing a wide smile. As if she were dreaming a happy dream.

“Rakia.”

When Ariel called, Rakia slowly opened her eyes.

“Revena’s healing seems to be done.”

*

When they arrived where Revena was, a sacred aura filled the space.

Rakia quickly ran over to check on her mother.

The black spots on Elysion’s face had completely disappeared.

“Wow, did the healing succeed?”

At Rakia’s question, Revena nodded from the side.

Revena was kneeling, and her face clearly showed signs of exhaustion.

“Fortunately, the healing was successful. Elysion is safe now. She still needs rest, but the dark magic is gone…”

Before she could finish, Revena collapsed to the side.

Ariel quickly moved to support her.

“……”

Revena had lost consciousness, as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.

The miracles of a Saintess consume a significant amount of mental energy.

This healing, closer to the realm of the divine, had taken a heavy toll on Revena’s mind and body.

Rakia hurriedly guided them to a place where Revena could rest.

It was a room Rakia usually used, with a high ceiling adorned with a golden chandelier and walls decorated with dragon paintings Rakia had drawn herself.

On the bed was a large cushion embroidered with golden threads in the shape of a dragon.

It was something Elysion had made for Rakia, and Rakia often slept buried in it.

“She can rest on this cushion, Ariel.”

Rakia said to Ariel.

Though she usually guarded the cushion fiercely, even from her brother Lionel, she was willing to share it with Revena.

After all, Revena was the one who had saved her mother.

Ariel nodded and laid Revena on the dragon-shaped cushion.

The cushion was incredibly soft, enveloping Revena’s delicate body warmly.

“Will she be okay…?”

Rakia looked at Ariel with worried eyes.

She was afraid something might happen to Revena.

After all, Ariel was Revena’s guardian knight, and if something happened to Revena, Ariel might be sad.

“She seems fine.”

From Ariel’s perspective, Revena’s breathing was calm and regular. She wasn’t in any danger, just exhausted and asleep.

Ariel gently placed her hand on Revena’s forehead and cast a sacred magic, Vitalize.

A soft light emanated from Ariel’s hand.

The light shimmered warmly and gently seeped into Revena’s body, like a spring rain breathing life into the earth.

Thanks to Ariel’s sacred magic, Revena’s complexion visibly improved.

Even a small smile appeared on her lips.

Her expression suggested she was dreaming something happy.

Like eating a bunch of macarons.

Anyway, Elysion’s dark magic had been successfully healed.

*

Revena, who had slept soundly on the soft dragon-shaped cushion, had fully regained her energy.

It was thanks to Ariel pouring a massive amount of mana into Vitalize, converting it into divine power.

According to Revena, Ariel’s Vitalize was on par with Archbishop Andersen’s.

Meaning, among the clergy, few could match Ariel’s sacred magic.

This was partly due to the divine blessing embedded in Ariel’s soul through the guardian knight pact and partly due to Ariel’s vast mana reserves.

In any case, since Revena had regained consciousness, Ariel decided to take her back to the sanctuary below.

Originally, she planned to fly using telekinesis, but now that she had learned teleportation, there was no need.

Ariel teleported with Revena to the space below the sanctuary.

*Poof!*

Revena was a bit surprised that Ariel had used teleportation but quickly accepted it.

At this point, she was used to whatever Ariel did.

“Hey, Ariel.”

Revena spoke up.

“I think I need to go back to that dragon’s lair tomorrow. To make sure the dark magic is completely gone, we might need to monitor it for a few more days…”

“Understood.”

Ariel nodded.

“I’ll come get you tomorrow.”

“……”

Then Revena blushed and fidgeted with her hands.

“A-Actually, that’s a lie. The dark magic is completely gone. But I want to go back. Because you’re there. And I want to get closer to the dragons… and I didn’t get to say hi to that winged fairy… and…”

“Understood.”

Ariel smiled slightly.

Now that she had learned teleportation, it wasn’t a big deal.

Besides, Rakia also seemed very reluctant to let Revena go. Rakia seemed to want to repay Revena in some way.

“I’ll come get you tomorrow if you call.”

At Ariel’s words, a bright smile spread across Revena’s face.

“Thank you, Ariel!”

Revena hugged Ariel tightly.

“See you tomorrow!”

“Yep. Good work. And thank you for helping.”

When Ariel casually thanked her, Revena’s eyes turned red.

“N-No, it’s… just what a Saintess should do… And I’m the one who’s more grateful… You became my guardian knight… That alone is…”

Revena’s lips began to tremble.

She tried to hold back her tears, but they eventually streamed down her cheeks.

“S-Sorry… I just…”

Revena quickly wiped her tears.

It was incredibly moving and happy that Ariel had become her guardian knight, and just thinking about it made her cry.

Ariel silently hugged Revena.

She had already learned how to comfort Revena.

*Pat pat.*

Ariel gently patted Revena’s back and quietly took out a macaron from her inventory.