Adelia let out a short laugh.
It was a sneer, closer to a mocking and mean-spirited one.
At that, the Guardian of Light scratched the ground roughly with its front paw, clearly angry.
“You… rude little brat!”
The growling Guardian lowered its tail and stepped back.
Just as Adelia had said, it couldn’t harm a human.
The Guardian of Light was a being that lived forever to protect holy magic.
It had been created from the beginning as something that could never hurt a person.
With its ears perked up, the wolf trembled as if displeased.
“Tsk. A candidate for holy magic after three hundred years turns out to be a girl like you.
Even if you receive the power, it will be too much for you to handle.”
The Guardian had no choice but to admit it.
It had been fooled by her fragile appearance.
This girl was stronger than she looked—
not in body, but in spirit.
In the end, the Guardian of Light let out a deep sigh and opened its mouth.
“So then. What do you plan to do with this power?”
“If I keep going like this, I won’t live long.
As you can see, I have nothing.
And right now, I need this power just to survive.”
“I’m busy too, you know. I’m planning to extend my life a bit using the holy power.
Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll take a little revenge too.”
“…That’s the most realistic reason I’ve heard so far.”
The Guardian of Light looked at the girl with a reluctant expression.
Up until now, the reasons humans had given were always destructive and useless—
things like unifying the world or getting revenge on someone.
The best one so far had been someone saying they’d create a new empire.
“And I’m going to gain power—
a kind of power that won’t let anyone look down on me or make me walk on eggshells.”
“Are you aiming for the throne?”
“I do plan to become a royal temporarily to get a noble title,
but that’s not the kind of power I mean.
I’m talking about power that’s equal in front of everyone—money.”
Adelia smiled brightly, making a circle with her fingers.
The Guardian narrowed its eyes and glanced at her, clearly unimpressed.
“Money…?”
“There’s no power stronger than money,”
Adelia said confidently, nodding her head.
Once she got her revenge and found freedom,
she didn’t want to belong to anyone ever again.
To live as Adelia—not as the Holy Mage—she needed a solid foundation.
A foundation so strong that no one would dare try to take her holy power.
“No matter how powerful the ability is, if it’s left where anyone can reach it,
people will always try to take advantage of it.
That’s why I need something to protect it—like money or power.”
If people found out that the daughter of a count held holy power,
countless predators would come running.
Her father would no doubt use her through unethical means,
and the nobles would try to claim her through marriage or even kidnapping.
“I’ve had enough of being used and treated like a thing.
Now, I want to live proudly, doing whatever I want—at least once in my life.”
Isn’t that what life is about?
“…I like your mindset.
If you want a strong power, you must’ve brought an equal price, right?
If the price isn’t enough, I can’t give you the power.”
There’s no such thing as kindness without reason, or power without a price.
All the gold coins and bars lying around the room had been left by past contractors in exchange for the power.
“Of course. You’ll probably like what I brought more than anything you’ve received before.”
Adelia, who already knew this, stayed calm.
She didn’t have much, but among the few things she did have—
She had the perfect price to offer.
“I’ll show you my memories.”
Her memories from a previous life.
Hearing that, the Guardian of Light snorted in disbelief.
“Do you see all the gold coins here?
The last human brought those as a price. And you’re offering… memories?”
“Ugh, stop pretending. We both know that’s not the real price.
The true payment was always the memories of those who changed the world with the holy power, wasn’t it? Don’t you agree?”
“What? How do you even know that? You’re really…”
What are you?
The Guardian of Light swallowed his words and looked at Adelia with suspicion.
But her casual shrug only made him feel more unsettled.
Adelia, who knew everything thanks to the original story, was completely confident.
“I bet I’m more interesting than the others. Didn’t you say I was the first person with two names?”
“…That’s true.”
“My first name? That’s my past life.
You’ve never seen memories like these before.
So instead of taking them, let’s do it this way—just watch them.”
“That’s a loss for me.”
“Aw, come on. Isn’t it better to see memories of a completely new world first, then later see the ones of me using the holy power? You’ll get to see twice the memories.”
“Is that… true?”
The wolf nodded slowly, as if hypnotized.
Seeing that, Adelia smiled sweetly and said,
“I don’t usually make deals where I lose out, but especially for you, Guardian of Light, I’ll make an exception. These memories are really valuable, you know.”
“Especially for me?”
“Yup. Especially.”
“…Alright, let’s do it that way.”
In the end, the Guardian of Light gave in to Adelia’s persuasion.
Just like the butler, he became the second victim.
“This is my last warning. You’re… a little strange.
There might be side effects. Are you really okay with that?”
“Would it kill me? Or shorten my life?”
“No… not exactly…”
“Then it’s fine.”
Adelia’s firm answer made the Guardian of Light hesitate instead. But eventually, he carefully approached and lowered his head. Whether it was acceptance or resignation, he let out a sigh along with the gesture.
His soft, fluffy forehead gently bumped against her small head.
Wow…
A warm energy began to spread from her head.
Adelia quietly closed her eyes and calmly accepted it.
Her short past life flashed before her like a lantern reel,
and knowledge about the white holy power filled her mind.
The energy that had gathered in her head flowed throughout her entire body.
It left traces in every corner, then gathered in her heart and fully merged with her.
When the Guardian lifted his forehead, he looked satisfied.
“This is beyond my expectations. With this, I won’t be bored for the next five hundred years.”
He even chuckled to himself, mumbling.
A pile of metal that moves on its own, small panels that move with fingers, a box that shows things—
Even for the Guardian, who had lived for eons, these were unfamiliar. And he liked that very much.
“Oh, right. What are the side effects? I don’t mind as long as it’s not life-threatening,
but I should know what to expect.”
“This power is special. The more you use it, the more residue it leaves in your body.
Normally it purifies over time, so regular people are fine. But you’re… different.”
“I’m a regular person though?”
Adelia asked with a confused look.
The Guardian of Light snorted in disbelief.
