novelraw Chapter 247
Chapter 247
Chapter 247:
78. Fireworks Bloom (4K)
She still fell asleep.
When Sheffy used 【Teleportation】 to return to the military merit banquet on the outskirts of Campeno, the girl she carried in her arms had already fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep.
After crying so much and already being tired to begin with, forcing her to stay awake any longer would have been too much for a child.
Perhaps Sheffy could have kept shaking Sylatrella’s shoulders to keep her awake until the fireworks began, but sometimes, even someone as mischievous as her could not bring herself to do something that scummy.
Seeing Sheffy walking out slowly from behind the rocks, carrying Sylatrella—who was only slightly shorter than her—in her arms, Xiarette quickly stepped forward.
“Sheffy, you’re finally back...! Little sister Sylatrella turned back into human form? She still fell asleep after all... that’s a bit of a shame.”
“Yes, I did my best, but she was just too tired. I couldn’t bear to say anything more.”
“Well, that’s fine... we can wait for another chance—hm? Is there something drawn on her face? Sheffy... did you do that?”
“I—I didn’t! Don’t slander a good person!”
Sheffy hurriedly placed Sylatrella onto the grass nearby, letting her lie on her side more comfortably as she continued sleeping, and used her blue hair to cover the cute little cat doodle drawn on her face with ink.
Who drew that cat was obvious at a glance.
Under the suspicious gazes of the girls, Sheffy whistled and looked away, saying nothing.
Hey...! This was just human instinct, alright! Seeing this girl sleeping so soundly and steadily, and “unfortunately” missing the fireworks—drawing a little cat on her face was only natural, wasn’t it! Wouldn’t you all do the same!^
That said, looking at Sheffy’s innocent, unconcerned expression, the others actually felt a similar urge.
Taking out a small blanket from 【Storage Magic】, she covered Sylatrella with it. Even if she was a Holy Sword, sleeping soundly on the ground in such a cold night—it was hard to say she wouldn’t catch a chill.
“Let her sleep. Anyway, we don’t have anything to do tomorrow. Didn’t Father King give us a bunch of gold coins? Tomorrow night, we can set off fireworks for Syla again outside the Demon King’s Castle. It’s not like missing it tonight means it’s gone forever.”
“That’s true... uh, wait, you said... Syla...? Sheffy, why are you suddenly calling her that? Don’t you usually call her dead transfo—I’ll stop there.”
“I promised her. I’ll call her that from now on. It makes us feel closer.”
After all, she said that was what her parents used to call her.
Her real name was Syla.
The name Sylatrella was given to the Holy Sword by the King of Aurus, not her original name.
At first, Sheffy felt quite resistant to it. Suddenly changing how she addressed someone—it felt a bit embarrassing.
But when she tried calling it out and saw the bright, childlike smile on Syla’s face, and the way she fell asleep peacefully as if having a beautiful dream...
At that point, there was nothing more to say.
At some point, Belith had circled over to Sylatrella’s side, crouching beside her, and poking her cheek repeatedly with a resentful little finger. A soft, bouncy “boing boing” sound followed each poke.
“You really are lucky. Being able to make Royal Sister change how she addresses you—you’re only the second one.”
“The second?” Sheffy was confused. “Why don’t I remember there being a first?”
“Hmph, hmph, the first one is definitely me! Well, I just haven’t changed it yet. Right now you call me Belith, but in the future, the way you address me will definitely be different.”
“If I don’t call you Belith, what else am I supposed to call you?”
“Virtuous Wife.”
“Get lost! That’s outright treason! How heartbroken would Father King and Mother Queen be if they heard that!”
Belith, stop standing there giggling like you got your way.
And Xiarette—what’s with that shy, fidgety look like you’re scheming something? Are you also harboring some strange desire for that kind of weird title? I advise you not to get led astray by Belith!
Well, jokes aside, the point itself wasn’t wrong.
Hearing this exchange, Livra let out a bitter smile—but seemed thoughtful.
Timani, on the other hand, shook her head, clearly unable to understand Belith’s “joke.” It could only be said that the Demon Clan really took their jokes quite far.
Rarely, Sheffy stood in the middle, crossing her hands and waving them about awkwardly. Even this mischievous loli actually knew what embarrassment was.
“I’m telling you all, don’t ever—!”
—Boom.
Half of the sky.
Lit up.
At first, there was only that low, humming rumble by the ears, like muffled thunder gathering within clouds. No one paid it much attention, thinking it was just someone slapping a table at a stall.
But in the very next instant, before anyone could steady their emotions enough to accept what was happening—
The limits of what the eye could see in the sky.
Everything within sight.
Had already changed.
A spectacle filling the eyes and fulfilling every expectation—prosperous and dazzling.
—BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
The night flipped into day, and even the twin moons instantly lost their glow!
First came the sight of blazing trees of fire and silver flowers spreading across the sky.
Only then did the roaring explosions echo through the heavens.
The onlookers stood up in a daze, raising their arms high in praise, yet for a moment were so stunned by the grandeur that they forgot what they were even praising.
Only when they heard their friends and family beside them shouting with cupped hands did they finally remember—this wasn’t a miracle, so they could also raise their hands and shout along!
“Wahaha!! So beautiful!! Miss Shaya, did you see it?! Everyone! Do you see it?! The sky is full of stars! It’s daytime now! In the middle of the night—but it’s daytime!!”
“Huh?! Livra, what did you say?!”
“I said! I really love Teacher Shaya! I love you the most!! Thank you for saving me back then!”
In this kind of luxurious silence—where nothing could be heard—saying even more extravagant words was perfectly fine, right! Hahaha!
In such a situation, no one would use auditory magic. The fireworks were that loud—unless they wanted to lose their hearing.
Everyone watched as Livra excitedly shouted something at Sheffy. Though no one could understand what she was saying, her infectious joy spread to everyone. Even Belith, who had been clicking her tongue in boredom, couldn’t resist turning back, letting the radiant light of the night reflect in her purple eyes, and shouting just as passionately toward the sky—words no one could hear.
But this time, Sheffy could read lips.
Watching Belith’s mouth movements, Sheffy followed along and repeated her words.
“Royal... Sister... long... live... ascend... the... throne... soon...? Oh, oh, so Belith is wishing me good health, huh? Thanks a lot—wait, ascend the throne soon?! You’re really taking treason all the way to the end, aren’t you!”
Before she could jump up and kick Belith on behalf of Father King and Mother Queen, Sheffy was suddenly pulled into an embrace from behind—soft and overwhelming.
“Xiarette?”
“Shh... Sheffy, look over there...”
“Hm?”
She couldn’t hear clearly, unless the words were spoken right next to her ear.
Following Xiarette’s gaze, Sheffy looked toward the back.
Her heart skipped a beat.
In her memory, this was the first time Timani had ever shown such an expression.
Two lines of tears rolled down her cheeks, unceasing and scalding, reflecting the crimson flickering fireworks in her eyes like rubies.
Strength was something shown to others.
Weakness was what one kept for oneself.
Tears could only fall when one saw the most fragile crack within their memories.
The flames filling the sky—how much they resembled that year when she first mastered fire magic, when her still-kind clansmen celebrated her by breathing fire into the sky together, dyeing her entire field of vision.
Those noisy cheers—unclear and impossible to remember—the way her parents celebrated her growth, transforming into giant dragons and soaring into the fiery sky, speaking to her one after another at her ears.
It was a pity that, immersed in the joy of growing up, Timani had not truly listened to those fragments of words—those incessant, trivial murmurs—that should have been the most precious in her life.
Where there was regret, there were tears.
Where there was reluctance to part, there was warmth in those tears.
Perhaps noticing Sheffy and Xiarette’s gaze, Timani raised her arm stubbornly to block her face. When she realized she couldn’t stop the tears from falling, she could only turn away, crouch down, curl into herself, and sob silently.
Sheffy withdrew her gaze.
Xiarette gently cupped Sheffy’s small face and turned it forward, not letting her look any longer at the tear-streaks that even the fireworks could not illuminate.
“Let her cry for a while. Comforting her now might only make things worse. We... if we can help in the future, we should try to help Miss Timani as much as we can.”
“That was my plan anyway. Hmph... such a fragile person. Look at her—so arrogant usually, but when it really matters, she falls apart, crying like a child. Not reliable at all.”
“Alright, alright~ sharp tongue but soft heart. Sheffy, look at the sky a bit more.”
“I actually watch it every year. Feels like I’m already used to it? Nothing new about it.”
“But watching it together with your big sister—this is the first time, isn’t it?”
“Then I should take another look.”
Take another look.
A simple glance.
Yet it could easily become a moment that lasted a lifetime.
“Xiarette.”
“Mm?”
“You know... if magic in the future were only ever used to be cast into the sky, how nice would that be.”
“What do you mea—ha... yes, it would.”
Silently, Xiarette hugged Sheffy in her arms a little tighter.
Big sister was a bit slow, not understanding what she meant right away—sorry.
But big sister loved her, so with just a little thought, even this not-so-smart head managed to understand.
Because...
Just look around.
Travelers from different races all raised their heads, gazing at the same sky. Even if their eyes were fixed on different corners, they were all embraced beneath this not-too-large, not-too-small firmament—praising, singing, dancing in joy.
The fire magic that once inspired fear as it burned across the sky—even at its most violent—could not instill even the slightest fear in anyone’s eyes.
Those sparkling, smiling gazes—
Were filled with longing.
Companions of different races exchanged smiles, already agreeing to head to a tavern later for a few drinks. Perhaps they would become friends, or perhaps, in the future, meet again as mortal enemies on the battlefield.
But that would certainly not be this moment.
Because they knew—when the fireworks faded, what would remain would be the stars behind drifting mist, not pools of blood covering the ground.
Thus, there was nothing to fear.
Thus, they were willing to smile.
Thus, a toast was most fitting.
Sheffy gave a bitter smile, mocking herself as she spoke in a tone she rarely used, saying things she had never said before.
“Aimeris was right. Maybe... I really am selfish.”
“Aimeris even said something like that?”
“Hah... Xiarette, your tone sounds like you’re about to go beat her up. But... she wasn’t wrong. Sometimes, I just feel like everything outside doesn’t matter. I only want to care about myself—and the people important to me. As long as you all are here with me watching the fireworks, I don’t need to care about anything else, don’t need to think about anything. Whoever dares to ruin it—I’ll kill them. Look, you saw that circle I drew on the ground earlier, right? That’s what I meant.”
“That’s not selfish at all...”
Xiarette’s voice carried a charming tenderness, along with a resolve that would abandon everything for her sake.
Only the Hero named Xiarette could say something even more “selfish” to the princess she protected.
“Sheffy’s wish is my wish. If both of us wish for it... then how could it be called selfish?”
“......”
Turning back, Sheffy rested her chin against unseen softness, her gaze meeting Xiarette’s azure eyes, where she saw her own reflection.
—Xiarette hadn’t even been looking at the fireworks.
Sheffy could watch the fireworks, but Xiarette only wanted to guard Sheffy’s wish.
Realizing this, Sheffy could only drop her bitter smile, left speechless.
“Sorry... looks like I’ll be dragging you along with me for a lifetime of nonsense.”
“I chose this myself. You apologizing makes no sense.”
The fireworks came to an end. Among the spectators, there was reluctance, praise, and all kinds of human emotions.
As the girls finished watching and turned back this way, Sheffy had already stood up in advance, temporarily leaving Xiarette’s embrace.
—She felt much better now.
It was just... a small regret remained.
Syla hadn’t been able to see the world she had wished for.
Sheffy looked up at the sky filled with white mist. All she could smell was the fragrance of flowers—there was no trace of blood.
A Holy Sword born in war, existing and dying to slay enemies—
Yet always missing the future and the flourishing beauty she herself had helped carve out.
Stained with blood, yet never receiving flowers.
Even when dressed in beautiful clothes, the night never allowed her to open her eyes and see the ordinary warmth in others’ gazes.
Even if they recreated the fireworks for her tomorrow, it wouldn’t have this same sea of people, this same grand prosperity.
Sometimes, even Sheffy felt that the heavens were unfair, always leaving the cruelest side for those who were most fragile and innocent.
Timani was like that.
Syla even more so.
But... what was the point of complaining?
“Alright, alright! The fireworks are over, time to head back. Belith, have someone go tell Mother Queen that I—”
【Lady Sheffy, it was so noisy just now...】
Huh...
Telepathic voice?
【I got woken up by the noise just now... and when I opened my eyes, look—such a beautiful sky. You really brought me to see the show... Tomorrow, I’m going to properly tell you my thoughts. It’ll be very, very long... you have to listen patiently, okay... haah... I can’t anymore... now that it’s quiet... I can’t hold on and stay awake... Lady Sheffy, good night... if I could dream of fireworks like that again... that would be nice...】
“......”
Sheffy suddenly turned back.
Syla, who had used the last of her magic power to send that telepathic message, rolled over on the spot, revealing the little ink-drawn cat on her face that had been hidden before.
The little cat waved its paw, as if smiling at the sky.
The little girl slept on, as if listening to a lullaby.