---

After defeating Leviathan, I obtained Leviathan’s power and acquired a massive amount of magic stones from the byproducts of slaying Leviathan’s minions.

“This is it.”

Just from the magic stones of Leviathan alone, I gained an enormous amount of mana, enough to fill an entire house.

How magnificent this is!

If I were to absorb all of this, it felt like it could extend my lifespan by almost 30 years.

However.

I won’t use it.

Those magic stones have a specific purpose, so I calmly set my greed for them aside.

So where should the magic stones be used?

“Watch closely from now on.”

I gathered my companions, including Lucius.

The place we occupy right now is the palace where Celcius resides.

“I’m going to purify the waters around here using this large quantity of magic stones.”

“Purify… what?”

“Exactly. After the battle, the environment became almost unlivable with blood and entrails everywhere. We will use the power of these magic stones, combined with nature’s strength, to purify it.”

The reason I explain so thoroughly is that I worry they might get greedy over the magic stones.

“If we don’t purify nature, another monster may arise and cause chaos. It would be much better to use this here for safety. Right?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Considering what we can take away from here, this isn’t a waste. It’s something we must do.”

As expected, they feel regretful about the magic stones.

But these massive amounts of magic stones should be consumed for Belselphia, not for us.

‘Sorry, but these have a bigger attachment to me than you all.’

The residents of Belselphia are my former subordinates and their descendants.

Since those I couldn’t protect ended up stuck at the sea floor, I thought I should provide at least a little help to their lives.

“So don’t be too disappointed. Lucius, especially you.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better if the master used them?”

“Are you telling me to absorb these?”

“Yes.”

Since the arrival of Saintess Yan, I revealed to my companions that I am no different from the undead, fearing that she might be affected by my absorbed divine power.

“That’s right, Sage. If you absorb the magic stones, you can travel longer.”

“…Shouldn’t we prepare for whatever may happen in the future?”

That’s why others agree with Lucius’s words.

The magic stones are my lifespan.

“Sage. You are too selfless. You even care about the residents of Belselphia.”

“From the perspective of the Saintess, I might seem like a busybody, trying to care for even the demon race.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s fine. I know you don’t think that way, Saintess. I appreciate your concern, but it’s better to completely use these instead of keeping them for myself.”

Using them for a more valuable purpose is more efficient.

It’s better to use them for Belselphia than for me.

‘That way, the residents of Belselphia can live comfortably here, and Celcius won’t have it hard either.’

For my sake.

Celcius may say things like “Surely you’re a tsundere,” but using these magic stones for Belselphia is solely for my own benefit.

Using them for the residents here brings me mental relief.

Having the thought that they can handle things without my intervention is misguided.

“This is all to clean up Belselphia and the entire ocean. If we want to enjoy the festival, we need to ensure cleanliness, right?”

The festival.

If everyone looks up at the sky while the innards and blood of marine monsters float around, will the festive mood truly come alive?

Not at all.

To properly enjoy the festival, the surrounding scenery needs to be beautiful.

“The people of Belselphia prepared the festival according to our standards. Shouldn’t we dance against a beautiful night sea rather than a sea of blood?”

At my words, the party members nodded their heads, seeming to grasp my point.

“It’s only basic to have the sky or any other surroundings clean and blue before a festival. Heh, that reminds me of something from long ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“Clean-up operations. We did this often 500 years ago.”

Burning bodies.

Washing away blood.

Mainly organizing what was left behind by the Human Alliance, who discarded or killed.

“Where death fills the air, new life sprouts. Now, let the waters wrapping around Belselphia be purified…”

I lifted the special staff handed to me by Celcius.

“Cleanse.”

At the end of the long staff rested a blue gem imbued with some of Celcius’s spirit power.

Like a replica of a holy sword, it seemed it wouldn’t take long to purify all the waters outside and within Belselphia.

“While I purify the water here, you all go pick out party outfits. The people of Belselphia will try to accommodate you as much as possible.”

Noble parties haven’t changed much, both 500 years ago and now.

There weren’t many differences, just delicious food and dancing.

“You’re not going to the party in battle gear, right? Hurry and ask for a new outfit. You can’t do this anywhere else.”

Once we go to the surface, we’ll part with the underwater for good.

Since it’s a place we can never return to, I must make deep memories here.

Mainly.

Lucius and the Hero Party.

“Why don’t you all go on a date or something?”

I casually dropped a bombshell.

“Just the four of you, take a look around here. While shopping for clothes, let’s all enjoy the festival tomorrow.”

“Master, I…”

“I can’t go. I have to do this with Celcius.”

“Is that so…?”

Lucius let out a deep sigh, sounding rather disappointed.

Surely, he was genuinely concerned that I would be exhausted from being glued to the magic stones without rest.

“Then Master, how should we prepare your party attire?”

“…….”

My party attire.

It was a moment full of thoughts, but I knew well what kind of outfit was appropriate for the time, place, and situation.

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve entrusted it to Celcius.”

“Yes…?”

“Since Celcius knows me well… why do you look like that?”

In that moment.

Lucius seemed not like Lucius anymore.

*

At that time.

Celcius went down to the quietest place in Belselphia’s underground.

A vast chamber.

Walls were formed with steel plates, and in the center stood a blue giant, quietly planted on the ground.

“…Spirit Device.”

Celcius slowly approached the spirit device bearing his name.

Whirrrrr.

As Celcius approached, the spirit device shone with a blue light, and Celcius entered the cockpit and sat down.

“I don’t like using this power from the Order of the Goddess, but since it’s used by the Master of the Holy Sword, I can’t really say anything…”

Celcius activated the voice recorder within the spirit device.

The glass screen in front of him flickered with blue light, and soon, figures made of water droplets appeared and began conversing.

[…If there’s power from the spirit device, surely the Empire will…]

[The problem is… if the Empire makes a move… ]

It wasn’t particularly audible.

Even when the sound was turned all the way up, the secretive murmuring of those plotting would not be picked up properly by the spirit device.

Since the one handling the spirit device was still inexperienced, it didn’t have its full power.

“…Are we going to search for this?”

Celcius smiled at the hole in the front of the seat.

“The Wind Spirit Device… Is it the first time in history that it’s been brought out?”

Whirrrrr.

With skilled hands, Celcius manipulated the internal console of the spirit device, and with a serious expression, he displayed something on a hologram.

Top secret.

‘Pre-cataclysm materials.’

Access authorization – Special.

“…….”

Click.

Celcius unlocked the lock on the hologram.

Inside lay a vast amount of history about this world.

Perhaps, even the truth about the secrets of the world that hadn’t been conveyed to the surface.

“…I don’t care how the world was destroyed.”

Celcius earnestly scanned the hologram.

“What I need to find now is… that material.”

Click, click.

“Leviathan. I don’t acknowledge you, but I will recognize this one thing.”

Click.

“…So, this is what they call a V-neck…”

Celcius scanned the records in the spirit device with his eyes and began visualizing in his head.

“A dress for Bel. After all… a V-neck is a must.”

Still.

It was the Demon King’s last wish.

“He granted permission as well.”

*

“Master. Celcius is… making a dress for you?”

“Yeah.”

There was no reason to hide it, nor was there any particular need to.

“A dress… Are you planning to wear it?”

“There’s no reason I can’t.”

Honestly, it felt a bit odd.

However, I thought for a moment, and wearing a dress in this body might feel reminiscent of the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus when she was a bit younger.

If wearing that dress could help me recall even a fraction of the memories of her…

A dress might not be a bad thing.

“Why? Should I not wear a dress?”

“Oh, no. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“…….”

Lucius couldn’t say a word.

“If I say I want to wear what I want, why?”

What I wanted to dress her in.

I would wear the dress that she couldn’t and pay respect to her.

The dress she would never wear again.

 

---