"It's good that you understand."
Noah was not someone who would show her inner changes on her face, nor was her ability to perceive emotions meant for such times. She regarded both Maria and Zofia as family. For her family, she was unwilling to treat them as people who required her ability. So she spoke.
"Starting today, I might not be able to see you much—but don't worry, I'll attend all of Maria's competitions. The eyes around me will gradually increase—it might cause you some trouble."
"Eh… why is that?" Maria was probably the most disappointed. She had originally thought Sister Noah would always be with her, but as the spokesperson for the Commercial Federation, the attention she would receive later would be far greater than imagined. After all, this position could be described as being in the spotlight, and showing too much attention to a certain competitive knight would somewhat affect Maria's reputation.
For Maria's competitions, Noah obviously couldn't frequently interact with Maria privately. Although her identity as spokesperson hadn't been officially announced yet, for safety, now was the most suitable time to start. This was also a form of protection. Proposing such a plan was already a very gentle way for her to handle it; she shouldn't even have come here to say hello.
Sending a text message, making a phone call, there were so many ways to inform the two, but Noah still came.
"Although I'll be lonely too, let's bear with this period for now." Noah smiled bitterly and shook her head, "I've always been on your side, believe me."
"How could I not believe Sister Noah—and also…"
"…If you're just being a spokesperson, you shouldn't be so serious. Are you planning to do something dangerous?" At this moment, Zofia suddenly asked. This question stumped Noah. She was silent for a while, then shook her head, "No, I just wanted to inform you about this."
"…Alright." Zofia saw that Noah clearly didn't want to say anything in front of Maria, so she could only temporarily close her mouth, just saying somewhat forlornly, "It's not just Maria, I'll miss you too. Not even phone calls are allowed?"
"…Well." Noah thought for a moment, "Phone calls… should be fine. If you're really lonely, just call. But it's best to call at night."
"Okay!" Maria immediately cheered up. It was clear that this girl, whom she had always treated as a younger sister, truly valued her. Noah couldn't help but show a subtle smile.
"So happy just to be able to make calls? You're really easily satisfied."
"But… but Sister Noah, what you said before sounded like you were saying goodbye, so I would definitely feel sad." Maria probably realized her emotions were fluctuating a bit much and said somewhat awkwardly, "Sister Noah, you won't be a spokesperson forever, right? When you resign, we can play together anytime, anywhere again, right?"
"Yes, I promise you." Noah's smile stiffened for a moment, then she nodded and agreed, "When I resign, I'll take you out to play. By then, maybe you'll already be a titled knight, who knows? Have you thought of a title for your knight name?"
"That's too early…" Maria didn't notice this slight hesitation, but instead felt happy because of Noah's words. "But if there really is a chance, then Sister, you can help me come up with a title, okay?"
"Okay, if you can really become a titled knight, I'll give you a title." Noah nodded in agreement, but neither she nor Zofia actually thought Maria could achieve it now. However, when there was an opportunity to encourage, it was natural not to pour cold water on Maria. Besides, nothing is absolute; what if Maria truly awakened in battle? After all, she was also a knight bearing the name of Nearl.
It is well known that the Nearl family knights' favorite thing to do is turn the tide in desperate situations—
During the battle against the Ursus army, Cyril Nearl's legend of almost single-handedly reversing the battle still shines brightly.
When Margaret became champion as an independent knight, everyone thought it was impossible. Turning the impossible into possible—not fearing hardship and darkness—was originally a tradition of the Nearl family.
Perhaps the legend of the Golden Pegasus could indeed continue with Maria Nearl? Although Noah would rather see Maria become a legendary artisan than a knight who needed to fight fiercely. Although she is still far from mature, Noah looks forward to the moment Maria becomes a legend on any path, hoping she still has time to see this scene…
Noah subconsciously placed her hand on her wrist, touching the Stone source art crystal cluster piercing her skin through her clothes. She didn't know if she would be able to see it.
Noah's abnormality was not noticed by anyone, except Kuro, who had been standing by her side. However, Kuro, who understood Noah, merely closed her eyes and fell silent—
Before leaving, Noah said goodbye to the two. When Kuro carried her again, Kuro finally spoke.
"Given your physical condition, you should actually stay on Rhodes Island."
"But they still need me here."
"You shouldn't work so hard. The resurgence of the Kielanlet, the resurgence of the Nearl family, these are not burdens you should bear."
"…Kuro."
"I know what you want to say; it's nothing more than you promised that Shining Knight to take good care of her sister, right?" Kuro interrupted Noah, "But I hope you understand that even that Shining Knight probably didn't expect you to go to this extent. You should know, right?"
"Yes, she wouldn't want me to go to this extent, you're right." Noah smiled bitterly, "But I'm out of time."
"…"
"Isn't it only natural for those without a future to strive for a future for those who still have one?"
Kuro fell silent. She suddenly recalled the words Noah had spoken when explaining the meaning of the Kielanlet family crest.
Purity, resilience, dedication, sacrifice…
In this city that had abandoned the spirit of knighthood, the true knights had all been stripped of their qualifications.
Margaret Nearl was like that.
And Noah Guillerette, how could she be any different?
Leave of Absence Notice
I have a fever… I'll rest for a while.
The temperature has dropped sharply recently, everyone remember to keep warm…
Since I wrote this in advance, today's leave of absence = no update tomorrow. That's all!