activa-t Chapter 116: What A Mage Leaves Behind When They Die
Chapter 116: What A Mage Leaves Behind When They Die
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Finally, the bell signaling the end of this hellish ordeal rang out.
“Gasp! Hic! No, no! It’s not like that! Calm down, Lydia...!”
“Make your excuses to the guards.”
Or maybe it was the sound of Benny’s reputation going down the drain.
A cold, frozen expression. And contrary to that, Lydia’s aura was blazing hot as she swung her greatsword relentlessly.
Clang! Clang! Crack!
The sword, filled with a tyrannical energy that seemed ready to smash anything in its path, clashed against the sturdy iron bars that Benny, with her questionable tastes, had created.
The iron bars withstood Lydia’s strikes several times. Perhaps because the magic was cast when Benny was not in peak form.
Cracks started to appear, and the bars began to creak.
“Hey! Jonah! Say something! Lydia looks like she’s seriously going to kill me too!”
“What? What are you talking about? It’s true that Benny took off her underwear and then took mine off, right?”
“What...?”
“On top of that, you even rubbed your face against my thigh... Oh dear. Just accept it.”
“That was all because you, Jonah, told me to do it!”
“Yes, yes. I know. ‘I’m not at fault, you tempted me!’ Is that what you’re saying? Save that for the courtroom.”
“You- You! Youuu!”
Unable to contain her anger, Benny grinds her teeth and stamps her feet. Alright. I’ve teased her enough, maybe it’s time to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Well, just kidding.”
Kaang!
“...Huh?”
Lydia, who had been swinging her greatsword, paused mid-swing. Smiling brightly at her, I uttered the excuse I had just made up.
“Actually, we almost got sliced into pieces by Morgana’s magic. Thanks to Benny, we were able to resist...but our clothes were shredded off like shedding skin.”
“Really...?”
“Really, really.”
I pushed the claim that it wasn’t a stripping game but the aftermath of a bizarre magic battle.
In short, Benny cleverly countered the magic that would have cut us whole if we couldn’t dodge, making it cut our clothes instead of our bodies.
In the end, we decided it was better to go without underwear than to walk around in just underwear, so we got rid of the underwear first. I added that just now, as the magic collapsed, Benny tried to protect me as a priority, not knowing what might happen.
Lydia, who had been contemplating my testimony interspersed with 40% truth and 60% lies, slowly lowered her greatsword.
“...Sorry. I must have been mistaken.”
“Huh? Ah, yeah. It’s understandable.”
Nodding in confusion, Benny continued to glare at me. Her gaze was much sharper than before.
It felt like something fundamental had solidified, rather than just being upset over a simple prank....
“Ah.”
The sound of Morgana’s magic collapsing and Lydia entering meant she forcibly broke the spell to come in.
I don’t know the exact principle, but it might be due to the destructive aura I saw from Lydia a while ago.
However, that isn’t the thing that’s bothering me.
“Sha...”
“Shadow!”
But now, there’s no protagonist!
Shaking my head, I tried to recall as much information about Hippolyte as possible.
Anyway, she’s lucky, anyway, she’s capable, anyway, she’s a barbarian warrior.
That was all the background for Hippolyte...
However, the Hippolyte before my eyes had filled in all the blanks I couldn’t complete, as a living person. First, I should thank her.
“Thank you. Hippolyte, you came to save us too, right?”
“Well, it turned out that way... By the way, what happened to Morgana?”
“She’s dead?”
“Huh? What’s this? Lydia was making such a fuss, I thought Benny was in danger, but it seems that wasn’t the case at all.”
“Oh, Benny was indeed about to die. It’s just that we were a bit luckier.”
Hippolyte didn’t seem like a bad person, but I couldn’t talk about the fully upgraded Goddess statue and the mini Sanctuary, my trump cards.
For that reason, I also glossed over the details of the battle.
I said something like I distracted Morgana with my awesome stealth skills, and Benny took the opportunity to finish her off.
Finally, Hippolyte, who confirmed Morgana’s corpse, looked at me with a subtle expression.
And then, with a look that seemed to say she understood everything, she continued.
“So, the little one finished off Morgana while the kid distracted her?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. Let’s go with that. Now, what’s left is the distribution...”
“Huh? Distribution? What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden? Benny and I were the ones who risked our lives to bring her down in the end.”
“I’m not denying the merits of you kids. But we also took on this task at the Guild’s request, so we have to hand over the body.”
Hippolyte smirked, raising the corners of his mouth as she spoke arrogantly.
“Let me tell you something good as a senior adventurer, kid.”
“...What is it?”
“As you continue to work as an adventurer, you’ll find yourself not just exploring but also receiving requests from others.”
“Right? The rewards and support are great too.”
“Here’s a tip. Even if you barely achieved your goal, don’t just give it back.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you need to milk it for all it’s worth before you submit it.”
Hippolyte said this while nodding towards Morgana’s corpse.
“If there’s any loot, grab it now. We only need to take the body.”
“Gasp.”
It was truly advice that would become blood and flesh.
Until now, I was so focused on Benny’s unstable condition that I had neglected the ‘cleanup’.
Being a high-ranking mage, she must have carried many valuable items. Considering the sacred relics she had stolen while causing trouble...
“Thank you, Hippolyte!”
“You’re welcome.”
Hippolyte shrugged and stepped back. At the same time, I squatted in front of the corpse.
Morgana, oh Morgana.
How many consecutive rolls are you???