Chapter 15

15 Manifestation of a Goddess

The knight was enraged by Adel’s arrogant speech.

「W-What nonsense are you spouting! You guys, what are you standing around for, restrain her!」

Following the knight’s orders, the soldiers fearfully got closer to Adel.

「Oh Lightning, show these fools the anger of the god they defy!」

Dodoon!

In accordance with Adel’s words, four strokes of lightning descended, hitting the tips of the soldiers’ spears.

「「「「Woah!!!」」」」

The four soldiers hurriedly threw their spears away and fell on their backsides.

「Wha-What happened…」

This wasn’t fire magic but real lightning that fell from the heavens.

A power that wasn’t in the realm of magic.

「God’s….might….?」

The knight froze in astonishment. In an inexcusable failure for one who earns his living through fighting, he stood ramrod straight.

Adel amassed negative charge to the lower side and positive charge to the upper side of the clouds. Guiding the positive charge of the ground to the spears’ tips, she caused the lightning to fall.

She formed a path of low resistance from the handle’s towards the ground, adding an insulation film to the soldiers’ hands. Adel tuned it so that they would still receive a shock but their lives were not in danger. Without stopping she continued with the next chantless spell.

(Next is light refraction, Scatter! Condensing the air moisture, cooling the water until it crystallizes, Formation! Suspending gravity, Sustaining the Constructs…)

Adel strengthened her image, the underlying effects and the idealized result, and emitted these thoughts.

In the next moment, particles of light began dancing around Adel and white crystals started softly converging at her back.

「A… godd… goddess…」

The knight could only weakly mutter theses words when faced with the form of a small girl sprouting gleaming platinum colored wings, surrounded by glittering light particles.

「How much would be appropriate as divine punishment?

Blowing away the palace? Eradicating the royalty, nobility and their soldiers? Or maybe all of the population…」

「Please wait!」

Shaking of the two knights trying to stop her, a girl jumped out of the extravagant carriage and rushed towards Adel.

The 14-15 year old girl with golden hair was of course the third princess.

When she reached the front most knight, she fell to her knees and bowed her head down.

「I beg for your forgiveness, Goddess! This carriage is driven for my sake, so I should be the only one to be punished. Please show mercy to everyone else!」

「P-Princess, what are you saying! As the guard captain, this whole affair is my fault. It is only natural that all blame lies with me. My princess was only riding the carriage and has no responsibility for any of our actions!」

「No, the one bearing the punishment is supposed to be the highest ranking individual, am I wrong?」

（Hmm~, they are fighting over who get’s to be responsibility instead of pushing it onto the other. Maybe they are not bad people after all….）

The situation might have gotten complicated, but Adel’s goal was still clear: Save the boy and smooth over the situation as if nothing ever happened. She wanted this to end as soon as possible.

Chantless magic to heal the boy was already doing its work. She insisted on paying special attention to any damage to his head, internal bleeding, and broken bones or injured organs where he had been hit by the spear.

「Silence! This one does not favor commotions!

This time will be pardoned to honor the princess’ kind heart that cares for her subordinates. But don’t hope for this kind of generosity next time!」

「I understand! I lack the words to express my thankfulness for your mercy… 」

What kind of attitude was she displaying against a princess?

If the truth got out, her head would roll.

(And now to put on the finishing touches)

Adel addressed the knight who had struck the boy.

「You there. Although your sense of duty in accomplishing your duty is understandable bounds have been overstepped. Atrocities committed by you are no different than atrocities committed by your princess.

Will you be able to take responsibility if rumors spread to other countries that “That country’s princess is ruthless enough to simply kill annoying children.”?」

Noticing the consequences of his own actions after having them pointed out by Adel, the knight could only stand still in silence.

「Well then, it is time for me to draw back…

Oh, there is one thing. This vessel is ignorant that she houses me. Informing her of this or spreading what transpired here is forbidden! Absolutely!」

While uttering this threat, Adel stared down the soldiers as well as the surrounding populace.

Everyone nodded with white faces.

「Oh Goddess, can I ask for a favor!」

「What is it?」

「I would like to inform at least the king about this…」

After thinking for a short while about the guard captain’s plea, Adel agreed.

Since this many knights were involved in this, they couldn’t not report this to the king.

「I permit it, but only the king. Other nobility is not to know of this.」

「Yes, I will follow your will…」

At that instant, a great idea popped into Adel’s head.

She closed in on the guard captain and made a slightly troubled face.

「This vessel is not nourished well due to poverty.

Would you be willing to reward this on for some reason like “I was impressed by your courage.” and give her some coins from your purse?」

「U-U-Understood!」

In response to Adel’s words he lightly hit his own breast and agreed instantly.

….there was no way he could have refused.

(Yay, I did it! Additional funds obtained! No to close the curtain…)

Keeping a giddy look from her face, she put both her hands onto the boy’s shoulders.

「Light of Healing, cure his wounds!」

The boy’s body was surrounded by light particles. But this was only a pretty light show without any real effect. She had long ago finished healing him.

Adel then made the light particles and her wings vanished and took the same position she had before activating the “Lattice Force Barrier”, draping herself over the boy.

「Yes, it was like this.

You all better remember your vow!」

After glancing over the soldiers and people who were frantically nodding once more, Adel closed her eyes for a moment before blinking several times and putting on a confused face.

「…huh? I’m not hurt?　But the spear?　The soldier?」

Muttering this, Adel confusedly looked around.

Compared to one year ago, her acting ability has grown immensely.

「Hmm, Huh? Who are you?」

The boy who had opened his eyes due to her magic didn’t seem to be in pain.

Murmuring began among the people who watched this but since nobody dared to carelessly let something slip, this didn’t turn into a bigger commotion.

「Um, excuse… No, you girl there!」

「Eh?　Do you mean me?」

Adel opened her eyes wide and hid her mouth with both her hands in feigned ignorance.

This time her actions were not ruled by her inborn airheadedness, but completely cultivated for maximum effect.

「Y-Yes. Your courage in stopping my subordinate from overstepping his bounds, and protecting that boy impressed me. I will give you this as a reward.」

Saying this, the guard captain pulled out his purse.

(Yay, Just as Planned!)

While Adel was busy suppressing the grin that wanted to creep onto her face, the guard captain handed her his entire purse.

This generosity surprised her.

But the she noticed something.

Everyone was staring at her.

At her and the poor looking boy right next to her.

Compared with her, who wore a school uniform, that boy looked poorer in every possible way.

Can she just walk away with a big bag of money in such a situation.

The difficulty was high…

「G-Go on and take this!」

「Eh?」

「This is from the knight to apologize for scaring you!」

「Can I really? Thank you!」

(Ahhhhhh, and I could have really used that as escape funds…)

Adel was heartbroken as she handed over the purse to the boy with slightly shaking hands.

The guard captain panicked when he saw this.

Since this clearly went against the goddess’ order.

Even though he was pale as a ghost, he also couldn’t stop her from giving away the money.

In this time of need, a helpful hand was stretched out to the sweating guard captain.

「Then, in place of the captain, I, the vice captain, shall reward the courageous girl!」

(I’m saved~~!! I’ll definitely return this favor, vice captain!)

The captain was relieved after he dodged this bullet.

(Hurray! With this the emergency escape funds have grown by quite a bit!)

Reflexively using magic unknown to this world to rescue a child, Adel then proceeded to repaint this as the “Work of God” by firing of several more unknown spells and playing herself up to be a goddess.

And using the momentum of this, she forcefully made it as if the whole thing didn’t happen.

Adel innocently rejoiced the fact that this on the spot plan had worked well and even secured her additional funds.

Naive.

Inexperienced.

Ignorant of the thing called human cunning.

These faults were fully in effect right now.