The Returnee Wants Peace

[The Guiding Lantern] was a rather tricky ability to use.

The target to be discovered had to be defined as specifically as possible, and the timing of use was also quite important.

For example, vague prompts like ‘Where is paradise?’ would just waste energy without gaining anything. On the other hand, prompts with clear yes/no answers required relatively less effort.

Rosha knew these usage methods very well from 18 years of experience.

It was the same this time.

“Rosha, what’s that light?”

“What light?”

Rosha, who had been watching the argument between her two brothers, lowered her gaze at Froy’s words.

She hadn’t noticed because of the brilliant light emanating from the sphere Cassis was holding, but there was a silvery glow swirling around her leg.

“I’m not deeply knowledgeable about gods, but that clearly looks like divine power. I think it might be your god… Rosha!”

Froy, who had been speaking, was rarely flustered.

It was because she suddenly lifted her skirt!

Of course, he knew it was because of the ‘gun’ she always carried.

However, it was such a sudden action that Froy hurriedly covered her front and scolded her.

“Really, in a place with so many men…”

“That’s why I was careful.”

“You call that being careful? What if someone saw?”

No one saw except you.

She had turned her body at an angle people couldn’t see, but he somehow managed to see it.

In fact, Rosha, who used to wear shorts often in her previous world, understood his reaction but couldn’t empathize with it.

So, ignoring his scolding, she used her ability for a moment to check the god’s intention.

Flash!

The answer to whether she should use that sphere on Hildor was a clear affirmative.

‘Looks like God has finally awakened.’

Though it still doesn’t seem to have regained full power.

At this point, one wonders just how severe the penalty was.

Just then.

“Huh? Isn’t that the crazy bird?”

Suddenly, one of the knights muttered while looking out the window.

He seemed to have spoken unconsciously, perhaps infected by Cassis’s manner of speech, but he soon flinched as he saw Koko entering through the window latch opened by magic.

“…Why does it feel like it’s staring at me?”

“Yeah. It looks like it’s glaring at us.”

Well, he actually was glaring.

However, Koko seemed to think there was no need to get angry at mere foolish humans, so it flew over and blocked Cassis’s path.

“What now?”

Cassis, already quite angry, had a sour attitude.

It was because Cedric had absolutely refused to accept a new ability despite his persuasion over the past few days.

Without even giving a reason why he disliked it.

Fortunately, Koko glared at Cassis for a moment but soon spoke politely.

“This one understands your feelings. This one also has a brat that doesn’t move according to this one’s will.”

“…”

“But what can you do if he doesn’t want it? Just accept it. Besides, that thing needs to be used somewhere else anyway.”

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin towards Rosha. More precisely, towards Hildor where a faint silver light was swirling.

“…Hah.”

Cassis sighed and glared intently at Cedric.

Just as Rosha was about to step in, thinking an irreparable rift might form between the two brothers at this rate.

Koko continued speaking.

“And why do you keep forcing it when that fellow doesn’t need it anyway?”

Listening to the bird’s words, Rosha instinctively felt an ominous premonition.

She hurriedly approached, telling Froy to stay there, and put up a sound barrier around them.

Fortunately, the knights seemed sufficiently distracted by the parrot speaking fluently.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“That thing you’re holding, no matter how much you shove it at that fellow, he’ll just keep spitting it out, won’t he? From what I see, that fellow already has-“

“Stop!”

Rosha grabbed both of Koko’s wings and shut his beak. Then she glanced at Cedric.

He was maintaining silence with a troubled expression.

‘…Now I understand a bit.’

The reason why he was so adamant that he didn’t need a new ability.

And it seems Cassis is starting to notice the reason too.

If not, there’s no way the light coming from the sphere in his hand would be fluctuating like that.

Flash-

The light distorts wildly.

Perhaps due to the intense change in his emotions, he’s unable to properly control his magical power.

The sphere, containing considerable energy, began to swell up like a balloon, turning white-hot.

“…Oh no, young master! You mustn’t do that!”

“Take deep breaths! Didn’t Lady Marian always emphasize not to give in to your temper!”

The knights tried to dissuade him, but they couldn’t be heard because of the sound barrier.

Rosha hurriedly drew up her magical power.

If that burst, Cedric’s room would be ruined. It might even cause another fire in this mansion.

‘After the accident that happened to my parents, again…’

She didn’t want that.

Fortunately, she had several experiences of suppressing runaway magical power. She decided to use that experience to calm Cassis down.

Whoom.

She contained the wildly fluctuating magical power in a gentle flow of air, and when it seemed to have calmed down, she dispersed it finely into the air.

However, the problem was the sphere that seemed to have swollen to three or four times its original size…

“There’s no choice. Use it now!”

Koko’s words were right.

Rosha took Hildor and brought it close to the sphere.

Then the unstable magical power contained in the sphere began to be absorbed entirely into the sacred relic.

‘How did I do this again? Did I move the magical power like this?’

Since the sphere is normally used on ordinary people, a different process was needed to apply it to a sacred relic.

As she slightly touched the flow, a huge current formed with a sound like ‘goooo-‘.

The documents placed in the room fluttered about, and the magical power she had finely scattered in the air earlier illuminated the surroundings like light dust.

I don’t know who will clean it up, but it was a very beautiful sight anyway.

“My goodness…”

“Young lady, they said you were a great magician, and it’s true.”

“That’s right! Although you’re completely hopeless when it comes to physical strength, where else would that talent have gone?”

Hearing the conversation, Rosha’s eye twitched, but she soon focused on the blue window in front of her.

Would you like to retry the sacred relic’s trial?

…Hmm, this is appearing here again.

The work just now clearly improved the sacred relic’s function, but it seems she needs to take the trial again to fully enjoy it.

However, now was not yet the time.

‘It’s not too late to take the trial after learning a bit more about paradise.’

There are things she needs to hear from Cedric right away, after all.

“…Ha, thank you. I showed you an unsightly side of myself.”

Cassis, who had been rubbing his face with his palm as if embarrassed, expressed his gratitude.

His ears were red, perhaps ashamed of losing control of his emotions, but he soon glared at the cause of this situation and demanded the truth.

Finally, Cedric held his throbbing head and opened his mouth.

“I have something to say separately, so both of you come see me. And, bring that squawker too if you want.”

“…Who are you calling a squawker!”

* * *

What he told them afterwards was quite a surprising story.

“I don’t know if this should be called an ability too… but abilities don’t work on me.”

When grandfather fell into a coma after drinking a potion mixed with someone’s ability.

Cedric said he drank something similar too.

It was clearly said to be an energy recovery potion, but after drinking a few sips, he heard a stiff voice saying ‘Poison has been neutralized.’

“Seeing grandfather collapse right away that day, I could tell it was someone’s deliberate act.”

The rest was the same as what she knew.

However, Cedric rarely looked troubled, saying this wasn’t something he could control.

Looking at him, Cassis just sighed deeply and said:

“Alright, stop trying to handle everything alone. It’s irritating because I can clearly see why you hid something like this.”

“…”

“Rosha, you too. Please act like the youngest for once. Okay?”

…Why is the backlash coming to me too?

Anyway, with this, the small incident related to abilities was safely resolved.

However, the unexpected situations weren’t over yet.

Not even a full day had passed when, along with the announcement of the sixth trial, they began recruiting a ‘conquest party’ at the imperial palace!