‘No way, Nellin’s heading to the Holy City? Well, I suppose it makes sense if she heard the news…’
While Claire was napping at the inn to recover from the fatigue of the carriage trip, Troll was deep in thought about Nellin’s behavior and what might co of it.
‘Honestly, Nellin leaving the Blue Elven Forest at all was unexpected.’
When she first brought the sli to the secret workshop, Troll never imagined Nellin herself would leave the forest.
Troll thought, ‘What will Nellin do when she gets to the Holy City?’
Judging by the situation, Nellin probably took Godrick’s party, who had t the sli, with her to the Holy City.
‘She’s probably training them along the way.’
But no matter how much Nellin trains them, there’s no way they’ll beco as strong as they once were in such a short ti.
So when the ti cos for serious action, Nellin will likely tell Godrick’s party to stay back, so there’s no need to worry about them getting into danger.
‘With Nellin’s personality, she won’t back down until she sees it through to the end.’
eting Presia in the Holy City will only ignite her drive even more.
Sure, the sli is important, but the far more dangerous existence of a lich—there’s no way Nellin would overlook that.
‘It was Presia and I who told her how dangerous a lich is.’
—A lich? That bastard? I’ll pierce its skull with my arrow!
Troll subconsciously rubbed their own forehead.
—Haah, if Nellin’s stepping in, I can’t just sit back.
By now, the investigation squad in the Holy City is probably looking into the lich and the sli.
Of course, their main focus would be on .
The sli is just an extra.
But if the lich-slaying Nellin joins in?
The investigators might get too fired up and go after the sli too aggressively.
The problem is, if their overzealousness stops at just locating the sli, that would be fine.
‘But the Holy City’s investigation squads include a lot of hotheads.’
Even if they find the sli—one that had been with a lich?
They might decide, “The future saintess could be in danger! This is all for her sake!”
And just attack the sli on their own judgnt.
Of course, the sli wouldn’t go down easily,
but from that point, things would only spiral out of control.
‘In that case, it’d be safer for Squishy if I act first.’
He didn’t even consider the possibility that the investigation squad might discover the location of his secret workshop.
Tracking the traces of a teleporting Troll would be impossible anyway.
If a hyped-up investigation team found the sli before him, there was no chance things would go smoothly.
‘Then how should I make my reappearance…? Hm?’
While thinking through the plan, Troll tilted his head, confused by his own thoughts—then burst out laughing.
—Hahaha! Can’t believe I’m seriously considering going out again.
It had been 30 years since becoming a lich.
At first, he was so absorbed in the new concept of the system that he lost track of ti.
Thanks to that, his hatred toward humans eased significantly.
But even after that hatred faded, Troll never left the workshop.
Studying the system had just beco an excuse after the hatred subsided.
He could have gone to the Magic Tower much earlier to uncover the truth.
Or appeared before his still-living comrades to confess everything.
But Troll didn’t.
Part of him was afraid.
How would his comrades react to him, now a monster?
Even if he were still sane, wouldn’t the others raise their staffs, bows, or swords against them simply because he was now a monster?
That hesitation and fear held him back.
‘It was a stupid thought.’
Maybe at first, that would happen.
But once he started talking, the misunderstandings would clear up.
The comrades he knew were people of such character.
It was only his own foolish hesitation and baseless anxiety that kept him hidden.
Troll could now accept his own weakness.
He thought it was thanks to the sli that he was even able to think like this.
He’d been able to watch his old comrades through the broadcasts.
Nellin still had that easygoing deanor.
Presia, though older, hadn’t lost her gentle spirit.
Seeing them made Troll want to et them again.
And going out to save the sli—then stepping out every day to get at for the sli’s als—had made him realize sothing.
Hmm. Going outside isn’t such a big deal, is it?
As going out beca more natural, his old hesitation to step outside felt more and more foolish.
Now, Troll wasn’t afraid to show his current self to his old comrades.
In fact, he wanted to show how much stronger he had beco.
‘I wasn’t just rotting away in my secret workshop watching broadcasts, you know.’
In that secret workshop, Troll had perfected warp magic and even the magic he had studied in life.
Since he never went outside, he had all the ti in the world to study magic.
He didn’t need to sleep, didn’t feel tired, and his concentration never wavered.
‘At this point, I could probably take on Nellin, Presia, and even the current paladin all at once!’
Since he had been hunting monsters for the sli’s als—monsters that were once hard to fight alone—
Troll’s confidence was sky-high.
There was no need to fake anything like when appearing at the Magic Tower.
This ti, it was just their old comrades.
‘Maybe I’ll invite them to my secret workshop afterward! Thanks to Squishy, it’s still clean, so they won’t call it filthy.’
He were already full of thoughts about catching up after showing off a little.
***
Nellin arrived at the Holy City with Godrick’s party.
The mont they arrived, Nellin said to them, “Oh right, you all better get ready to be surprised today.”
“Huh?”
“Su-surprised about what?”
“What do you an all of a sudden?”
“Heh, don’t tell we’re starting hellish training right here in the Holy City?”
“Nope. So quit shaking, Hawane. You’re the one who said it, now you’re scared.”
“Phew…”
Nellin looked at Godrick’s party—acting the sa as usual—and grinned.
“Just follow . We don’t even need to book an inn anyway.”
“No need for an inn?”
“We’re staying at that friend’s place, aren’t we?”
“Whoa. Must be soone rich.”
“Tsk tsk, soone with a real position probably has a big house.”
“Keheheh, yeah, the house is big.”
And of course, the place Nellin headed toward was the Grand Church.
“Man, this place is still stupidly huge.”
“Marin, co on, you really shouldn’t say that right in front of the Grand Church.”
“What else do you call sothing big? Godrick, you sure get all sensitive about this stuff.”
“Let’s say it’s called basic manners.”
Entering the Grand Church, Marin looked around the interior.
“I’m pretty sure her room was… this way, right?”
Without hesitation, Nellin made her way toward the saintess’s chambers.
But—
“Please stop. Beyond this point is off-limits to unauthorized personnel.”
A church guard standing in the hallway blocked Nellin’s path.
“Ah, see, I ca to et a friend.”
“A friend, you say?”
“Yep.”
"Could you tell your friend's na?"
"Presia."
"Excuse ?"
"I said, Presia."
The elf who confidently called the saintess of the Grand Church her friend blinked as she repeated the na.
An elf with light green hair and blue eyes.
Just by her appearance, anyone would think of the legendary hero, Starlight Archer Nellin.
But as a guard, he couldn’t just let her in without proper verification.
"May I ask your na...?"
"Y-you’re—!"
Just as the guard was about to ask for her na, an old man’s surprised voice called out from behind.
The guard turned to check who it was.
"Deputy High Priest David?"
"What are you doing here...!"
Deputy High Priest David stood stunned as he looked at Nellin.
"David? Hmm? Huuuh... Ah. No way, are you that timid little guy? Wow, you’ve really aged."
“Ti-timid?! Please don’t speak so rudely to the Deputy High Priest!”
"Whoa, you made it all the way to deputy? You really made it. Now that I think about it, Presia did say you were diligent. The Grand Church promotes those who put in ti and effort, huh? Guess she was right."
Despite the guard’s protests, Nellin spoke freely, causing Deputy David to clear his throat.
“Ahem! Please refrain from saying such things in public.”
“Hehehe, aww, what’s this? Now that you're older, you’re putting on the airs of a dignified elder? Why? Gonna give a lecture like you did back then?”
“It’s because I’m a Deputy High Priest. And please don’t bring up my foolish youth. Sigh.”
After sighing, Deputy David looked at Nellin and spoke.
“It’s been a while, Lady Nellin.”
“Yeah, long ti no see.”
“Nellin?”
Godrick’s party, who had been quietly watching the situation, tilted their heads at the na David used.
“What brings you to the Grand Church?”
“I heard a powerful skeleton showed up at the Magic Tower, right? You think Presia would just sit back and watch that? I ca to help.”
“Ah, I thought so. I never imagined you’d show up this quickly.”
“She’s a friend, and she’s struggling. Gotta have loyalty, you know what I an?”
“You still speak the sa rough way. Could you try being a little more refined?”
Nellin scratched her head at David’s remark.
“Geez, don’t start sounding like my grandma just 'cause you’ve got wrinkles. Anyway, I’m heading in to see Presia. Can I go through?”
“Of course. Ah, Presia’s room has changed, so allow to guide you.”
“Oh, that’s great. Let’s go, guys.”
“—Who are the people behind you?”
“My little underlings I’m bossing around right now.”
Deputy David looked at Godrick’s group with pity.
“You folks must have it rough.”
As Deputy David turned and started walking, Nellin followed after him.
As they passed through the corridor, Godrick spoke on behalf of his party.
“Uh, Sister Marin.”
“Yeah?”
“Is your real na really Nellin? Th-the legendary hero—Starlight Archer?”
“Yep.”
Nellin turned and flashed a smile, showing her white teeth.
“Told ya, didn’t I? You’d be surprised.”
Hearing their conversation, Deputy David kept walking but asked Nellin:
“Lady Nellin, have you really been hiding your identity this whole ti?”
“I was planning to tell them later~.How was I supposed to know things would turn out like this?”
“Hmph, so the biography was a total lie.”
“What are you saying, Hawane?”
“They say the Starlight Archer had a pure and beautiful heart. Sister Marin—”
“Hm~ go on, keep talking.”
“But there’s no way soone who scratched their belly, drooled, and snored loudly in the carriage could possibly have such a beautiful heart…”
In the blink of an eye, Nellin appeared beside Hawane and smacked the top of his head.
Smack!
“Gah!”
“You’re so consistently annoying, it’s almost charming.
You consistently earn your beatings!”
Deputy David sighed.
“Haa... Please refrain from acts of violence within the Grand Church.”
“This was discipline!”
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