L 30.5 - Selene's Epilogue

After my debut into the aristocratic society as royalty, Chise okaa-san and Teto onee-chan disappeared from my life.

They passed a letter to my father and closed the transfer gate that connected to the home where I was raised.

"Okaa-san...... Onee-chan......"

I knew this would happen someday.

But even so, this was just too sudden. I locked myself in my room for three days and three nights in sadness and loneliness and cried.

The maids and knights who had known about my situation called out to me, their voices filled with worry. Otou-sama and Queen Aria-sama, who was now my new Okaa-sama, also came to my room and voiced their concern for me.

I cried myself to exhaustion, slept and, when I remembered okaa-san wasn't by my side when I woke up, I cried again. And then I noticed it when I woke up on the 4th day...... My stomach was empty.

"Ah, I forgot. Tomorrow will always come......"

I unconsciously muttered, remembering one event from my childhood.

I once had a fight with my friends in the nursing facility of Gard Beastkin Nation. I would be in the nursing facility from morning to evening and spend my day playing with the other small kids.

I had a fight with my good friends in that nursing facility and then we parted when okaa-san came to pick me up while our fight was ongoing.

I was sad and blamed myself for fighting, I didn't feel like facing my friends after that, and I also lost my appetite.

I remember talking about not wanting to go to the nursing facility anymore as I cried in the dead of night.

"Okaa-san, I'm hungry......"

"Alright. Then let's have our meal."

"Majou-sama~ Selene wants to eat syrupy sweet bread."

"I got it. So our meal is French toast. With plenty of honey."

At that time, I waited for breakfast while looking at the retreating figure of okaa-san, whom I respected, and then the three of us had syrupy sweet bread.

"Selene. No matter how sad you might be, no matter how painful it might be for you, tomorrow will always come. That's why live a life with no regrets, where you can face the incoming day with your chest puffed out."

Okaa-san kindly advised me as I was frantically eating the bread.

I didn't understand her words at that time, but I at least understood that it was no good to continuously trouble myself over a quarrel, so I properly apologized to my friends the next time we met.

Then, my friends also apologized and we were able to reconcile.

I wonder if my friends would have apologized had I not done so. Or maybe, we might have continued to carry those bitter feelings inside us without apologizing.

"Welcome the day with no regret."

I felt like I now understood a bit of what okaa-san meant by those words.

I know I would feel sad, there's no helping it. But I can't let okaa-san and onee-chan be the reason to hole myself in my room.

"Let's have a meal. Then I will apologize to everyone for making them worry and do my best today."

I wouldn't have any face to meet with okaa-san and onee-chan again if I continue to remain depressed.

I healed the redness of my eyes with healing magic, left the room, and apologized to everyone who was worried about me.

After getting over my sadness, I continued with my studies for royalties and my volunteer work at the church.

As I was a female member of the royal family, I learned about tea parties, the aristocratic society, the art of conversation, and the current trends from the Queen and Church members who were in charge of teaching me this. I was completely a blank slate in this regard since I didn't know about them when I lived with Chise okaa-san and Teto onee-chan.

Also, I asked Otou-sama to arrange a tutor about science as I remembered I found the science knowledge Chise okaa-san taught me quite interesting and learned even more technical things.

It's just, I was surprised when I casually talked about the knowledge I learned in my days with okaa-san in my discussion with my tutors and they began to analyze what I told them as if they had been suddenly enlightened. I found it strange.

"Seriously, where did okaa-san get all this knowledge from......"

This once again refreshed my understanding of how amazing Chise okaa-san actually was.

My involvement in tea parties or events was kept to a minimum as I was a royal raised incognito in a town. I mainly moved around for my volunteer work in the church.

Around that time, I became friends with a girl of my age who was also a sister. I taught her healing magic and we worked together in the clinic. Then a shocking incident happened to that friend 一一 someone died.

I used my healing magic so that the person I tended to could continue to see the light of the day and, in case death was inevitable, I made sure to keep it as painless as possible so that they can be at peace.

The girl healed the patient she was in charge of but they didn't feel much better after the hospitalization and eventually passed away.

After that incident, the sisters of the clinic began to rack their brains to identify what was the cause of death and what steps they could take in case a similar situation happened in front of them.

At times, I called the doctors and anatomists who were knowledgeable of the human body and tried to research the cause.

"I should use my authority and position in such a way that it doesn't tarnish the name of the royal family."

This might be a time I, for once, should actively use my position. I summoned specific people using my authority as a Princess.

This use of authority wasn't to fulfill my self-interest, but it was necessary to improve the chances of saving those in similar situations.

I used my power because no one else would use it if I don't do it.

Furthermore, Cardinal Marius, who was watching over our efforts, let us browse through the grimoire of the church for our sake. In it, We took notice of the spell «Bless» written in the grimoire which could strengthen the physical ability of a person.

It was a spell to smoothen a patient's recovery post-hospitalization by partially applying «Bless» to strengthen the patient with magic.

There was this one time when I was feeling sick in the carriage before but that feeling disappeared when okaa-san patted my back. She told me she just strengthened the specific part of my body that was responsible for making me nauseous but I was amazed back then at how okaa-san was able to use it so intuitively.

That's why we aimed to make it into a spell that anyone could use.

At first, it was a struggle to lower the grade of the spell «Bless» so that anyone could use it. «Bless» was a strengthening magic used in battle so eats up a significant amount of mana.

However, we managed to bring the one-time consumption down to 500 units of mana by lowering its effect and limiting its range to where it was invoked.

With the invention of the «Low Bless» spell, it became possible for patients, whose internal organs had become weaker due to injury or illness, to absorb necessary nutrients through food that could help them recover efficiently. This mode of thinking was also taught to me by Chise okaa-san.

The developed «Low Bless» and the new treatment became a new lifeline for physically weak elderly or people whose internal organs were weak by birth.

At the age of 14, I 一who had been the central figure in developing this spell 一 was recognized as a new saint by the church and got the church's grimoire.

Around that time, I met with someone who had come to see the birth of a new saint in the church.

"It's my first time meeting you, Princess Seleneril. I'm Father Paul."

"Nice to meet you, Paul-sama. Thank you very much for visiting today."

I had heard about the story of okaa-san helping out at an orphanage she was connected to before she started raising me and I finally had the chance to talk with Father Paul who once managed that orphanage.

The slightly hunched-back Father Paul was supported by a well-built man whom he had introduced as his successor when we chatted.

I learned about an unknown side of okaa-san, and also a side that was just like her.

I chuckled at the okaa-san-like idea of helping out the orphans so that they can get jobs and felt envious imagining the figure of Teto onee-chan surrounded by kids and running around.

The successor of Father Paul was also a former adventurer who had seen the battle scene of Chise okaa-san and Teto onee-chan and I remember getting overly excited after hearing the impressive tales about them.

Because it was the first time I heard that okaa-san fought against the dungeon's stampede.

The defensive battle inside the dungeon had continued for one week and, even though it was her first time, she continued to defeat one monster after another coolly with the amazing amount of mana and firepower she possessed.

I was amazed at her courage to not flee even when a super strong monster came out.

On the one hand, while I was listening to such amazing stories about okaa-san and onee-chan, Otou-sama and Onii-sama were going through my marriage candidates.

A fiance selection at the age of 14 for a royal family member was a bit late but it was fine considering my childhood circumstances.

Besides, it seemed most of the outstanding men had already decided on their fiancee quite early.

"Well, I think it might not be bad even if I don't marry......"

I was having fun with my volunteer work in the church and I even considered entering the church at a certain age...... I was thinking of such things.

My mana reserve was 30,000 units, just in line with Court Mage Ojii-sama so I would be able to live for more than a century. So when I said that it might be better to give up on marriage, my maids gave me a teary-eyed look.

"Every day, I dream of hugging Ojou-sama's child one day, so please don't say such cruel things!"

"I, I'm sorry."

Such a thing happened.

Afterwards, my fiance was chosen while I was busy with my church volunteer work, studies, and spell improvement research.

My fiance was Weiss-sama, the eldest son of Margrave Reebel.

Although he was the Margrave of a remote region, the House of Margrave Reebel possessed considerable independence, authority, and armed force.

They were a crucial aristocratic family keeping the Mubado Empire, the monsters in the northern region, and a bunch of small countries in the northwest in check. They also trade with other nations so I heard they're quite a prominent family.

The question was: why does the heir of such a prominent family still not have a fiancee? And the answer was that his family had scrapped his previous engagement.

The reason for that was Weiss-sama had been injured in his first battle campaign to subjugate the monsters, and the acid of a monster had melted the skin on his face, disfiguring it into a hideous look.

Weiss-sama's financee showed an adverse reaction to his face and apparently pleaded to annul the engagement.

I was quite shocked by the fiancee's reaction. Otou-sama and others, taking advantage of this situation, had proposed the talk of an engagement to Margrave Reebel.

After their discussion, I met with Weiss-sama who had come to the royal capital to present myself as his healer and fiancee.

"My, that sure is quite an injury you have there."

I accidentally slipped out my impression as I looked at Weiss-sama's face after the bandages were removed but it was quite a familiar condition commonly seen on adventurers who visited the clinic.