…What? I really overdid the role of the adopted daughter, Chapter 168

Viola was momentarily flustered.

‘The Queen…… is it?’

I understood that ‘Queen’ was a term held in great reverence among the elves. The looks the elves cast upon Viola bore an admiration that bordered on devotion.

‘But what am I supposed to say in response…’

It felt awkward to deny it. The atmosphere was just like that.

“Harmona, please rise. You are the Queen.”

“If that is your will, I shall comply.”

Viola felt like she was going to die from the pressure but did not show it. She prepared to get onto the carriage as naturally as possible.

“Viola! Won’t you let me ride in the carriage too?”

Elbato, the elder, had a strangely altered tone as he was loading his baggage and stepping out. The backpack was so large that it looked like his legs might snap under it.

“Zeno, help him out.”

“Understood.”

Zeno approached and took the backpack, popping it into an extra-dimensional space. “I should learn magic too. Ugh, my back.”

Harmona grimaced. “Old man, how can a cleric learn magic? Isn’t it blasphemy for mere mortals to dare manage mana against the will of the divine?”

This was the general attitude clerics had towards mages. Of course, mages weren’t particularly fond of clerics either.

“I’m a retired cleric, so it’s fine by me.”

The will of the divine had long since been disregarded. “Tell the old hag to take care of herself.”

“Are you really going?”

Harmona’s eyes held a tinge of sorrow. “I really am going, then.”

“Why do you want to struggle in this decaying body?”

She could live comfortably in the Elf Forest. But Elbato insisted on going to Winter Castle. “I feel like there will be a miracle for me at Winter Castle.”

In Elbato’s right hand, he still held the faintly glowing Laurel Crown. At that moment, a voice suddenly came from somewhere.

“Elbato! When my arm was shattered, you wouldn’t even heal me!”

“Is that Kaiser?”

“If you had healed me then, my muscles would be bigger than they are now.”

“Stop it. If they were any bigger, you’d be a gorilla instead of a human.”

“Oh, that sounds great!”

“Get a grip. You’re human.”

“Anyways. Would it really have been better if you healed me back then? What do you want now?”

“So? You don’t want me to go to Winter Castle?”

“No, that’s not the case.”

Kaiser burst into laughter. “I’m sure there’s another reason the old man moved that heavy backside!”

Kaiser’s gaze was aimed at the Laurel Crown Elbato was holding. Elbato shrugged.

“Well, I guess we won’t know until time passes.”

* Kaiser charged towards the butterfly with a thump.

He looked like a rhinoceros in his movement. “Butterflyyy!”

The butterfly quickly dodged Kaiser and nestled in Hixson’s embrace. Kaiser’s red hair bristled in frustration.

“Butterfly, you traitor!”

Kaiser’s eyes bulged red. Whether she knew it or not, the butterfly yawned quietly in Hixson’s arms. “Hehe. I win, muscle pig.”

“Don’t ever think you’re the victor forever.”

“Are you jealous?”

“I’m not jealous!”

“That must mean you are!”

“Damn it!”

Having lost in the duel(?) with Hixson, Kaiser led the Baby Deer Mercenaries out of the Elf Forest. Viola spoke up.

“Zeno, stick close.”

“I am your butler.”

Zeno, too, didn’t want to part ways with Viola. The Baby Deer Mercenaries were free mercenaries, and they were bound to scatter. And Kaiser was notoriously directionally challenged; would the commander of Winter Castle’s southern gate be absent for long?

“Understood.” Heron chuckled to himself. ‘Zeno, I understand your feelings.’

Normally, he might have chastised Zeno. Or he might have felt disappointed in him. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t acted according to the princess’s orders.

To argue with him would have required sound and reasonable grounds.

Elbato shouted loudly out of the carriage window.

“Don’t take too long; I have my underwear in the backpack!”

Harmona muttered under her breath out of earshot. “Old man, with a voice that booming, it sounds like he still has a long way to go.”

Her eyes were slightly red. Viola and her group set out on their journey.

Bichen rested his head on Heron’s arm and dozed off while Elder Elbato also nodded off sleepily.

Heron, sitting across from Viola, asked,

“Did you really intend to give the ring?”

“Yes, I thought it was a worthwhile endeavor.”

Heron nodded. Viola was right.

If giving the ring had been necessary to save Bichen, it certainly would have been a worthy action.

“Your spirit prevented the fall of Karenna.”

“…….”

Viola unintentionally gulped. The horrifying content contrasted sharply with her calm, warm, and handsome face, reminding Viola once again that they were within the [Bellatu's Shadow].

“Pongpong seems different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been calling, but he hasn’t responded to the summoning.”

I couldn’t tell what was going on. Pongpong had cried out loud and then vanished, not responding to Viola’s calls.

“I think I might need to be in danger for him to show himself.”

If I call out for him only when I’m in a crisis, perhaps he’ll reveal himself. It was said in jest, but the surrounding mana froze.

In other words, the surrounding world looked like it was frightened.

“No, I’m joking.”

“That joke was a bit too grim.”

No, my dad is a lot grimmer, though. Viola cleared her throat.

“Why is Pongpong acting like this?”

“He must have violated the laws to extract the Arena again.”

Details about spirits within [Bellatu's Shadow] were not thoroughly described. This was information even Viola didn’t know.

“He must have put something precious on the line, possibly his own existence.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“But since he chose that for your sake, once you’ve gathered your heart, he should reveal himself soon. When he does, comfort him.”

“Okay?”

‘That was an unusually warm statement coming from my father?’ When Viola stared at Heron, he looked away from her gaze.

Originally, Heron within [Bellatu's Shadow] never avoided someone’s gaze. “Of course you are an outstanding child who deserves such service.”

“How can you say such a thing so seriously?”

“Are you not the Queen?”

“Excuse me?”

Viola, taken aback, looked at Heron. And she realized. “You were just joking, right?”

“Yes.”

“Please make your jokes while smiling. You look better when you smile.”

“I look good even without smiling.”

“I said you should tell jokes while smiling.”

19 Viola was left speechless at Heron’s silence. It appeared he truly thought she was good-looking.

‘A lot has changed, hasn’t it?’

That’s good. But I think it has changed more than expected, so I cautiously tested the waters.

“Puppy?”

19 Heron was staring out the window. His sharp jawline seemed like it could slice through the wind.

“Puppy?”

Heron didn’t give her a glance. “Bee?”

“Bo?”

Normally, the fathers in a romance fantasy can’t keep their wits about them. But Heron didn’t even glance her way. ‘It seems beyond hope.

Viola thought so.

However, outside the carriage, Sheilan noticed something strange. ‘The Seraphim tree is blooming!’

The Seraphim tree bloomed only once a year. Even if you were lucky, you couldn’t see its pink blossoms for more than two weeks, but it began to bloom profusely.

‘In real-time?’

Sheilan, who handled the Grass Sword, accepted the situation as a miracle. The time for the Seraphim flowers to bloom had long passed.

‘What caused this?’

Sheilan had just witnessed Viola’s Life Sword and had been shocked. ‘This too has a similar energy to the Life Sword.’

It was still hard to pinpoint exactly. ‘A strange energy is leaking from Duke Heron.

Then, the Seraphim flowers bloomed.

‘Was it intentional?’

It wasn’t intentional at all. Viola’s ‘Puppy-Bappy-Po’ had brought spring to the continent.

‘But isn’t the Seraphim flower originally pink?’

The flowers were purple. Just like Viola’s Grass Sword.

Sheilan chanted Harmona’s revelation like someone enchanted.

“Someday, spring will arrive, and new flowers will bloom.”

And seated next to him, Hixson muttered a low curse. ‘I may have beaten the gorilla, but I lost to Heron.’

At that moment, the butterfly was sound asleep in his arms.

*

Big changes were happening at Winter Castle.

Isabella was officially reported as missing.

The Second Prince was said to have heroically fallen while fighting a Great Monster.

And Elder Elbato had settled in Winter Castle. News journalists came to interview the retired ‘miracle cleric’ but were chased away after being hit by his palm branch.

“Get lost! I won’t grant any interviews!”

However, even Gaia’s informants couldn’t be driven away. Gaia managed to hear a few stories from Elbato.

The tales he heard were shocking, and even Gaia was taken aback. “They’re training clerics?”

“I clearly heard that.”

“Clerics are decided from birth.”

Divine power is innate. Only those who inherit the will of the gods can wield divine power.

That’s why their numbers are very few. “It seems they are conducting research using Harmona’s crown.”

“With the miraculous authority contained within it?”

“Yes.”

Gaia frowned. “But artificially training clerics… isn’t that blasphemy?”

“That’s probably why they are refusing interviews.”

“But then they shared it with us?”

Gaia grinned. They had only shared information with this side.

“Does that mean we’re paying for our meal?”

Someday, Elbato’s intentions will be revealed to the world. “Paying for our meal… you mean?”

“It means to stall for time. Create confusion with appropriate information.”

“Understood. But what about Lady Selina’s side of things?”

“I can’t lie to her.”

Although he wouldn’t go and speak first, if Selina asked, he couldn’t lie. “Elbato must have known that much and provided the information.”

Meanwhile, Viola returned to Winter Castle and lived a relatively peaceful routine. Life was peaceful, but not everything in her mind was at ease.

‘Lady Isabella and the Second Prince are dead.

Bichen nearly died too.’

Now the Heat Wind was no longer someone else’s issue. Besides, the Heat Wind had interfered several times, so it would likely be sharpening its blade for revenge. ‘A peaceful and happy independence seems far away.’

Viola sensed. A huge shadow named Heat Wind was drawing near.

But she wasn’t afraid. ‘The original Viola overcame it all alone.’

At that time, Viola was on her own. But the present Viola wasn’t alone. ‘I can overcome this. Just as I thought this, new news came in. It was said that the ‘Sun Knights’, known as the finest elite of the Imperial Knights, had arrived near the southern gate of Winter Castle.

Thanks to Zeno, who hadn’t lost his way, Kaiser sniffled.

“You brought an armed knight squad without a pass? Just because they’re the Imperial Knights doesn’t mean they get in. Tell them they aren’t coming through.”

“But….”

“But what? Tell them if they have a problem, we can go outside and settle it.”

“That might be a bit difficult.”

“Why? Did their commander bring an emperor’s command or something?”

“Well, that’s….”

There was no emperor’s command. But a voice resounded. “Open the gate. The Sun of the Monarch has arrived.”

The emperor had come himself. Leading the armed Sun Knights,