NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 43 - Arma Valentine 3
Chapter 43 – Arma Valentine 3
—–CROW—–
The sunset sky was beautiful.
Beyond the horizon, the sky was painted a deeper red than ever, layered like a towering pagoda.
Yellow, orange, purple, and then a cool, dark blue.
Watching the sun set the horizon ablaze beneath the encroaching darkness felt like a solitary campfire burning in a warm, quiet solitude.
The wind blew.
Gentle ripples spread across the water’s surface, reflecting the vibrant colors and creating a mystical scene.
And a woman.
A girl who made the entire scene feel like an unreal, fantastical illusion.
Long, pure silver hair, like a blank canvas reflecting the sky’s light, revealed smooth, white shoulders bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun.
The girl’s back was breathtakingly beautiful, almost unreal.
Even her sudden outburst, tugging at her hair in frustration, seemed like an extension of the mystical scene.
But one person, Luther, who had blushed slightly at the girl’s exquisite beauty, chuckled as he watched.
“Integra, why don’t you just give up and crush the fruit?”
[The fairies must all be blind!]
[And you stop laughing, Master!]
It was sunset.
Integra had tried summoning the fairies again, but it was no use.
Staring at the calm water surface, Integra pouted, and Karen said with an awkward laugh,
“Um… perhaps… the legend is just wrong?”
A beautiful girl bathes in the water and sings, and the fairies appear.
A common fairy tale heard everywhere.
And if even Integra, a spirit, was failing, Karen wondered if any beautiful girl could actually succeed.
But Luther, knowing Integra’s true nature, was looking for an answer elsewhere.
‘Is it because it’s just a hologram?’
Because it wasn’t real, but fake.
Moreover, since it was a holographic projection from the drone, Integra was already violating one of the conditions, “bathing in the water.”
‘But it’s more amusing to watch her get frustrated, so I’ll keep quiet.’
After enjoying Integra’s frustrated stomping for a bit longer, Luther gave Karen a look.
Karen turned to Max, who glanced at the crimson giant armor standing some distance away, then crushed the fruit he’d taken from his pocket.
“Did you call? You’re early.”
As soon as the fruit was crushed, the fairies emerged from beneath the water’s surface.
Bidel, at the front, greeted them cheerfully, and Integra bit her lip, clenching her fists.
‘She wants to ask, but she’s holding back.’
She wanted to ask if they hadn’t heard her singing, and if beautiful girls singing really made them appear.
‘But it’s really strange.’
The Integra before him was ultimately a holographic projection.
In other words, a fabricated image.
That meant her expressions and actions could be manipulated freely.
She could appear calm and unaffected, regardless of whether she was embarrassed or angry, or she could pretend to be excited even when she wasn’t.
But Integra wasn’t like that.
Her emotional state was clearly reflected in her actions and expressions.
As if she were a real, living person.
‘Of course, this is assuming Integra isn’t acting… but surely she’s not, right?’
If all her actions so far were an act, nothing could be more terrifying.
But Luther wasn’t truly worried or afraid.
Integra was an honest and innocent AI.
‘A bit mischievous, though.’
In any case, as Integra pouted and fidgeted, the fairies, led by Bidel, began to speak again.
“The Queen is resting.”
“We originally intended to invite you to our kingdom, but it seems that won’t be possible.”
“We’re sorry, but we did bring you gifts from the Queen.”
“Is the Queen alright?”
The last question was from Karen.
Touched by her sincere voice, the fairies smiled gently and replied,
“She’s alright.”
“Like we said, she’s resting.”
“She’ll be fine after a few days of good sleep.”
[She will be fine.]
[I scanned her before we left, and she’s just exhausted.]
Integra spoke to Luther in a voice only he could hear.
Relieved, Luther watched Karen exchange pleasantries with the fairies, then spoke at an opportune moment,
“What kind of gifts did the Queen give you?”
“Oh, right. We almost forgot.”
“We’ll give them to you now.”
The fairies quickly approached each member of the group and kissed their foreheads.
“It’s the Queen’s blessing.”
“The blessing of the fairies will be with you.”
Shimmering dust rained down on Luther, Karen, and Max.
The fairy who tried to kiss Integra kissed the air instead and fidgeted awkwardly. The fairy who flew to Arma, after some contemplation, kissed the head of the giant armor.
“You can bless her there.”
Luther pointed at the drone. The fairy frowned, as if unsure, but then kissed the drone.
“We are Summer Fairies.”
“You are now blessed by summer and will be less susceptible to heat.”
“The hotter it gets, the stronger you’ll become.”
It was a blessing that felt both significant and somewhat vague.
But Karen and Max were beaming, happy to have received a blessing from the fairies.
And Integra’s eyes widened in surprise.
[Master!]
[An unknown force is affecting your thermoregulation, as well as the drone’s cooling system.]
[I cannot pinpoint the cause.]
[Is this… magic?]
The magic Integra had experienced so far had been quite physical.
Freezing the surroundings, setting things on fire, and so on.
And that was easy to understand.
It was ultimately a physical phenomenon.
But this blessing was different.
While it could be interpreted as a physical phenomenon, it felt like a different type of energy altogether.
‘Well… if I had to define it, it’s something akin to a chemical reaction.’
In any case, Luther looked at himself with satisfaction.
The fact that the fairies’ blessing worked meant that he could acquire other blessings that appeared in Dragon Hunter Origin.
‘Dragon blessings.’
In both Dragon Hunter Origin and 3, the enemies were evil dragons.
Although few in number, benevolent dragons who inherited the power of the Divine Dragon Volfeed still existed in this world. If he could gather their blessings, he could significantly enhance his own power.
“Anyway, we’ll be going now.”
“We’re worried about the Queen.”
“Now that the strong dragons and monsters are gone, the weaker ones are getting restless.”
“They’ll start fighting amongst themselves soon.”
“You should leave the gorge quickly, too.”
“Strong dragons sleeping deep within the gorge might awaken.”
“You know how to summon us, right?”
“Call us anytime you need help.”
“You’re our friends.”
Chattering rapidly, the fairies smiled and vanished beneath the water’s surface, just as they had appeared.
“Ha… they’re gone.”
Karen, who had clearly enjoyed the encounter with the fairies the most, said with a tinge of regret in her voice.
It was a typical reaction for a teenage girl—
‘No, Max seems even more disappointed.’
He slumped his shoulders and sighed, looking dejected.
Just then,
“They’re gone. Still as noisy as ever.”
Arma Valentine, who had been silent until now, opened her giant armor and spoke.
Her tone and demeanor suggested she had been hiding inside the armor to avoid the fairies.
“Arma, have you… seen fairies many times before?”
Karen asked cautiously. Arma frowned as if recalling an unpleasant memory, then nodded.
“I’ve seen them a few times. I’ve even summoned them with my main body.”
“Really?!”
[That must be a lie!]
Karen and Integra exclaimed almost simultaneously.
The former’s voice was audible to everyone, while the latter’s was only heard by Luther.
In any case, despite raising their voices, their expressions were completely opposite.
Karen’s eyes sparkled with admiration, while Integra bit her lip again, looking frustrated.
‘Arma’s main body.’
As Arma herself had revealed, what stood here was a homunculus from the Magic Kingdom, modified in her image.
What about her main body?
Was it also a beautiful woman with pink hair like the doll before him?
‘Come to think of it, maybe the fairies just like pink hair?’
[That’s it!]
[I’ll try pink hair next time!]
‘No, that’s a bit…’
What if she couldn’t summon them then?
But he knew how Integra would react if he actually said that, so he kept his thoughts to himself and quickly changed the subject.
“Arma, thank you for waiting.”
For the rest and the time they spent waiting to summon the fairies.
Arma put a cigarette in her mouth with a languid expression, lit it, and said,
“It’s alright. It’s worth waiting for an angel with Heavenly Armor.”
She exhaled a long plume of smoke and then slightly furrowed her elegant brow,
“The meteor that destroyed my house. Was that also related to you?”
Arma had already witnessed Luther absorbing the second fragment.
Moreover, she had heard the story from Annerose and Lilia before they left, so she grasped the general situation.
Luther, the “angel,” had “Heavenly Armor” that had shattered into pieces, and he had lost his “celestial” memories in the process.
“Yes.”
[Can you hand over the third fragment?]
Following Luther’s affirmation, Integra added her question. Arma took a long drag of her cigarette and then said,
“I can hand it over. But on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“Let me study the Heavenly Armor.”
Luther and Integra weren’t surprised by Arma’s words.
They had anticipated this answer.
If the world’s greatest artifact collector, who was already incredibly wealthy, wanted anything, it would be the Heavenly Armor.
[She can’t bring herself to ask for ownership of the Heavenly Armor, though.]
‘She’s not that inconsiderate.’
In any case, it wasn’t a bad condition for Luther and Integra either.
[Arma has already studied the Heavenly Armor used by Emperor Clausewitz.]
[If we show her our Nanosuit, we can gain information about Emperor Clausewitz’s legacy.]
Luther agreed.
However, with such agreements, it was crucial to set clear boundaries from the beginning.
“I cannot agree to any experiments or research that risk damaging or destroying the Heavenly Armor.”
“Yes, that’s a reasonable condition.”
Arma nodded readily. Contrary to Annerose’s claim that she had been furious, she seemed surprisingly calm as she moved on to the next topic.
“I heard you’re fighting an organization called Hecatonchires. A group of dragonmen, right?”
Her expression was so languid that it was impossible to read her intentions.
So, Luther decided to be honest.
“Yes. According to the information I gathered during the battle, they seem to be plotting something dangerous in this land.”
[You said you’d be honest.]
Balboa and Astra hadn’t revealed a word about their plot during the battle.
But since it was just Integra teasing him, Luther looked directly at Arma. She frowned slightly, then exhaled another puff of white smoke and said,
“Besides them aiming for the Spirit’s Jewel, do you have any other information?”
“I think there’s something in the Vulcan Ruins.”
“The Vulcan Ruins?”
“It’s not far from Asain Gorge.”
Could she possibly not know about it?
But it seemed his worry was unfounded.
Arma put the cigarette back in her mouth and said,
“I’ve only heard stories; I’ve never been there. The excavation was completed before I was even born.”
Indeed, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say the Vulcan Ruins were practically abandoned.
The research and excavation were complete, so even grave robbers didn’t bother, and the site was too damaged to be a tourist attraction.
“It wouldn’t hurt to stop by. Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Her expression was still indifferent, but there was a hint of excitement in her voice.
She seemed thrilled by the possibility of new discoveries.
‘I think I’m starting to understand her a little.’
Her expressions were subtle, but after observing her for a while, he was starting to get a sense of her.
Arma Valentine was clearly smiling now.
“Are we leaving right now?”
“No, it’s already night… How about we depart tomorrow morning?”
Luther hadn’t fully absorbed the second fragment yet.
He needed another day to rest.
Arma simply said, “I see,” then suddenly turned to Karen.
“You’re Karen, right?”
“Yes? Oh, yes! I’m Karen.”
Karen quickly replied. Arma looked at her silently.
No, she moved her lips a few times without making a sound.
It was different from talking to herself.
It was an act of communicating her intentions to another person.
He couldn’t understand what she was saying.
But Karen’s expression suddenly changed.
It was clear that Arma’s voice had reached Karen.
[Karen is agitated.]
He could tell even without Integra’s confirmation.
Her face was stiff, trying to hide her emotions, but her eyes were trembling slightly.
What was it?
Had Arma said something about Karen and Max’s identities or pasts, the questions Luther had harbored since he first met them?
If so, how did Arma know about Karen’s past?
[Karen seems alright.]
[She has a complicated expression… a mixture of joy and sadness.]
Luther agreed.
But he didn’t ask what had happened.
‘It’s not dangerous.’
If there was a problem with Karen’s secret, Arma wouldn’t have let it slide.
They had to travel to the Vulcan Ruins together, after all.
“Rest.”
Arma said curtly and closed the chest plate of her giant armor.
The armor was so large that it resembled a coffin.
[Master, aren’t you going to ask Karen about it?]
‘Not yet.’
Karen wasn’t a character from Dragon Hunter Origin.
He didn’t know what secrets she held, but he didn’t need to pry.
‘If we continue traveling together… I’ll find out eventually.’
So, he would be patient.
He would respect his first companions, Karen and Max.
Having made up his mind, Luther spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone, as if he hadn’t noticed the change in Karen’s expression.
“Shall we eat then? And discuss the Vulcan Ruins.”
“Yes, let’s get ready.”
Max replied energetically, and Karen, with a forced smile, concealed her emotions once more.
About 15 days remained until the “Night of Mana,” when the demonic beast would descend in the original story.
Luther looked south, towards the Vulcan Ruins.
—–CROW—–