I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [246]

"Ugh—my head hurts so much..."

The early morning weather was splendid, the air fresh, the sunlight warm yet not overwhelming, and the clouds scattered just right.

On such a pleasant day, one's mood would usually improve naturally.

However, Claire was in an awful state.

"I think I had a nightmare last night… There were so many roses, and then… and then... ugh!"

"It's no use. Every time I try to recall it, my head starts to throb."

Her face was pale, worse than after an all-nighter.

"And the banquet yesterday… it's strange. I can't remember anything from the latter part. I didn't even drink that much, so I couldn't have blacked out… How exactly did the banquet end?"

"Umu? Isn't this Claire? Good morning, Claire! Did you dream a rose-like dream?"

The moment Nero's cheerful voice reached her ears, Claire's face darkened further.

"…I'm sorry, Nero-dono, but could you please not speak for a moment?"

Leaning shakily against the wall and holding her forehead, Claire added, "I don't know why, but hearing your voice makes my head feel like it's splitting apart... Just let me rest for a bit."

"Umu? A headache? That's quite serious," Nero remarked, blinking in sympathy. "I understand, I understand. Even a perfect genius like myself suffers from debilitating headaches occasionally. They're quite a troublesome ailment, but I've plenty of experience dealing with them. I can recommend some remedies later."

"Thank you, Nero-dono… but for now, please, no more talking. My headache's only getting worse…"

---

Nero had stayed in the royal castle for several days now.

Initially, Claire had mentioned wanting to arrange for Nero's return to her homeland, Rome. However, the topic never came up again, likely because Alice or Claire herself had reconsidered.

Over these days, Nero had spent much of her time telling Alice stories.

Alice's lessons were supposed to continue as usual, but both Claire and Reine were suffering from persistent headaches for "unknown reasons," leading to the cancellation of most lessons.

This gave Alice plenty of free time to sit and listen to Nero's tales.

Interestingly, perhaps due to her constitution, Alice—despite having also heard Nero's singing—didn't suffer the same aftereffects as Claire or the adventurers. She retained full memories of Nero's performance.

Because of this, Alice's expression was a mix of curiosity and hesitation when she next saw Nero.

Aside from recounting her various adventures across different worlds, Nero also shared other stories. One day, she began:

"The Holy Grail War?"

Alice tilted her head in confusion. Nero's stories often contained terms unfamiliar to her.

"But… it sounds like you've mentioned it before, Sister."

"The Holy Grail War," Nero explained, "is a conflict in which seven mages summon seven Servants to battle each other. The last one standing earns the right to make a wish upon the omnipotent wish-granting device, the Holy Grail."

"Ah, I know about Servants. They're like the physical manifestations of Heroic Spirits in this world, right? Just like you, Sister."

"UmU! Alice has remembered my words well."

The two were sitting in Alice's room. Although Nero had crashed into this room upon her initial arrival, it had since been fully repaired by diligent workers.

"An omnipotent wish-granting device…"

Alice's voice was filled with wonder and longing.

But Nero quickly dismissed such thoughts.

"Don't overestimate it. While it's called 'omnipotent,' it's far from truly all-powerful. It has its limitations."

"In simple terms, the Grail acts like an accelerator. It skips the process to deliver the result. For instance, if you wanted to accomplish something that would normally require immense time, manpower, and resources, the Holy Grail could bypass all of that and achieve it for you."

"For example, if you wished for immense wealth or to instantly build a city, the Grail could make it happen because these are achievable goals given enough time and effort."

"However, if your wish is fundamentally impossible to fulfill—no matter the time, resources, or effort—the Grail cannot grant it. For instance, achieving eternal world peace or resurrecting the dead completely is beyond its capabilities."

To Nero, the Grail's reputation as an "omnipotent device" was rather exaggerated.

In her eyes, the Grail's true value lay in its ability to summon Servants and its application in materializing souls.

"Furthermore, the Holy Grail is actually quite dangerous. While it can't fulfill wishes for saving the world or ensuring peace, it can realize wishes for its destruction."

"What?! Who would wish for the world's destruction?!"

Alice exclaimed, completely baffled.

"Our world has indeed faced destruction, and it was through the Holy Grail—though not by directly wishing upon it."

Nero's gaze turned distant, her tone reminiscent of someone recounting a memory.

"There was a being who called himself the Demon God King Goetia. He possessed mastery over all magic and the ability to see past, present, and future."

"At his core, he was a magical construct created by King Solomon, designed to observe and protect humanity. However, after much contemplation, Goetia concluded that humanity could not be saved—only fundamentally remade."

"And so, he placed seven Holy Grails at key points in human history, obliterating 5,000 years of human civilization. The energy generated from this destruction was collected to fuel his plan: to travel back to the very origin of the world, become the sole true god, and create a new, flaw-free humanity."

As Nero shared this tale, it was not just a story for Alice—it was also a moment of reflection for herself.

However, before Nero could continue, a knock at the door interrupted her.

Claire stepped in, addressing Alice.

"Alice-sama, it's time for your lessons."

"Oh… alright then."

Pushing herself off the bed, Alice jumped down with a bounce.

"See you after my lessons, Sister Nero."

"Umu! See you after class."

Since a few days ago, Nero had been barred from accompanying Alice to her lessons. After following Alice to class once and creating utter chaos in what was supposed to be a quiet classroom, Nero was no longer allowed near during lessons.

Her presence, as Claire noted, made it impossible for Alice to concentrate on her studies.

---

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—Cynthia