Chapter 29

When Shin was clashing with the followers, Hera was nervously pacing in the waiting room, her face slightly flushed.

However, the reason for her restlessness wasn’t that she was about to face Kai, whose magical power and practical skills far exceeded her own, in the final match.

Nor was it simply due to nervousness.

“I ran out in embarrassment… but… Shin… is he okay? He didn’t wake up even until I had to leave…”

The cause of her anxiety traces back to the battle between Shin and Arthur a little while earlier.

“The winner — Arthur Windstorm!!”

“Ah, ah… Sh-Shin…!”

As soon as Shin appeared on the screen, knocked out in his battle with Arthur, Hera shot to her feet in a panic, so distressed that she didn’t even notice the chair toppling over as she tried to rush out of the waiting room.

But Rouge, her teacher, blocked her path.

“Lady Hera, the competitors for the next match are not allowed to leave this room!”

“But…!”

“Leave that commoner be—what is this…?”

Rouge’s voice trailed off as she stared at the heavy pouch now placed in her hand, a confused expression on her face.

“It’s a bribe. If you forget that I left the waiting room, I’ll give you this money. Inside, there are five platinum coins.”

“Wha…!?”

The amount Hera mentioned was so shocking that Rouge’s glasses slipped down her nose, though she didn’t notice. Her astonishment was justified.

A single platinum coin was worth about 100 million yen in Japanese currency.

In other words, Hera was offering enough money to ensure that if Rouge kept silent, she could live comfortably for the rest of her life.

Confronted with such a large sum, Rouge—

“I’ve seen nothing! Lady Hera has remained in this room the entire time! 《Memory Alteration》!!”

Hugging the bag of money tightly, Rouge cast a memory-altering spell on herself and easily let Hera off the hook.

As soon as Hera heard this, she dashed out of the waiting room and used 《Shadow Shift》 — a spell that allowed her to instantly move to the shadow of a person she had marked with her magic. In a flash, she appeared in the room where Shin was resting.

“—Shin!!”

Hera rushed to Shin, who was lying on the bed, and tightly grasped his hand.

“Don’t die… you can’t die… please… don’t die…” she muttered, repeating her words like a mantra.

Someone then spoke to her.

“L-Lady Hera… I need to talk to you…”

It was Arthur, Shin’s opponent, and someone who knew the details of the fight. Despite Shin’s request, Arthur couldn’t bear to keep the truth from her, seeing how panicked she was, and was about to explain everything.

But then Hera, her usually emotionless eyes transformed, glared at Arthur as though he were her worst enemy.

“I have nothing to discuss with you. You’re the one who put Shin in this state, so get out! Unless you want me to kill you right here and now…!”

“Ugh… u-understood…”

Arthur, overwhelmed by the dense and powerful bloodlust pouring from Hera — an aura far more intense than what you’d expect from a fellow transcendent-class spirit contractor — let out a pained groan and left the room in agony.

Now alone with Shin, a heavy silence filled the room.

Hera held onto Shin’s hand, pressing it against her forehead as if in prayer.

“Shin…”

‘—Who are you?’

“…Wha—who’s there?!”

Suddenly hearing a voice near her ear, Hera moved quickly to guard Shin, her gaze sweeping the room in search of the source. But the owner of the voice, Zeus, spoke again, this time with a gentle tone to calm her.

‘Relax. I’m no threat.’

“Then give me your name!”

‘I am Zeus. Surely you’ve heard of me?’

“…I have heard of you, but… the books said you haven’t appeared in over a thousand years…”

‘Hoho… it seems that book holds accurate information. But maybe this will help you believe me?’

In an instant, the room filled with a blinding light, forcing Hera to close her eyes. When she opened them again, there stood a muscular old man, draped in lightning, holding a staff crackling with electricity.

The overwhelming pressure Zeus emitted made it clear to Hera that this was indeed one of the divine spirits, Zeus himself.

What confirmed it further was the awe she could feel from her own contracted spirit, the transcendent-class spirit Bahamut, who was silently trembling before Zeus.

“…”

‘It’s been a while, Bahamut. Still causing trouble, are we?’

‘I-I’m not… I haven’t been causing any… trouble…’

Hera was stunned. Bahamut, the proud Dragon King, was using respectful language toward Zeus.

Watching her reaction, Zeus chuckled warmly.

‘Hera… Shin speaks very highly of you. I’m impressed you’ve managed to tame Bahamut.’

“…Did Shin… really say something about me?!”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked Zeus.

‘He didn’t just say “something.” Every day, it was “Hera is a girl who works hard despite her talent,” or “Hera is a kind girl who can reach out to anyone,” and so on. Honestly, it was a bit much.’

“…!!”

Hera blushed deeply, writhing in embarrassment at Zeus’s words, which he delivered with an exasperated expression.

(Shin… he really thinks that about me… and he even noticed the parts of me that no one else sees… I’m so happy…♡)

Hera pressed her cheeks with her hands, her eyes practically glowing with hearts as she swayed back and forth in delight.

Ordinarily, one might find such statements unsettling, but for Hera — who had always gone unnoticed and unacknowledged — it was the happiest thing she could hear.

Gazing at the sleeping Shin, her heart swelled with admiration. He looked even more handsome to her now than ever before, and she found herself mesmerized.

“Shin…”

Caught up in her emotions, Hera gently placed her hand on Shin’s cheek and slowly leaned in—

‘S-Stop right there! That would definitely be crossing a line!’

“!? W-What was I just… ah…”

At the last moment, Zeus’s voice snapped her out of it, and she hurriedly pulled herself together.

Her face flushed even redder as she realized what she had almost done.

“I-I have a match to prepare for…!”

Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Hera dashed out of the room, almost fleeing in haste.

‘…Shin… it seems the two of you share mutual feelings…’

Alone in the room with Shin, Zeus murmured, his words unable to reach the sleeping young man.