Chapter 37 The Royal Sister’s Skepticism and the Curse of Miasma
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Cleonora hadn’t returned last night either.
I had just finished my morning routine at the Great Phantasmal Soulstone and was checking some skills while thinking it was about time for lunch.
”Huh…?”
A feeling like I was being called made me glance up. There, I saw Eme-chan flying toward me, cradling an unfamiliar woman in her arms.
”Cleonora…! No, Eme-chan!”
Well, they’re the same person, but the way I call her just changes depending on the appearance, you know? They look like two totally different people, after all.
The one she was holding must be her younger sister. But even though the rescue was a success, the look on Cleonora’s face didn’t seem joyful at all.
”Eme-rald…! Welcome back! Thank goodness you’re safe…!” I called out, filled with relief.
”Yes… I’m home, Shoichi,” she replied, but her voice carried a distant, downcast air.
The woman in Eme-chan’s arms didn’t try to step down onto the ground, even after they landed. She simply lifted her face and gazed at me.
”Nee-san… that is… wait? He… he is…?”
”Yes, Shoichi. He’s the loving partner who bestowed this power upon me,” Cleonora affirmed, her tone shifting to one of pride.
”Ah… hello there. My name is Shimizu Shoichi,” I managed, feeling incredibly awkward.
The sister’s eyes darted back and forth between Cleonora and me.
Ah, I could tell everything just by her expression. It was screaming, “Wait! Are you seriously dating this gross low-tier guy¹?! Are you okay?! Is he taking advantage of you?!”
Ugh…! I know that without my skills, Cleonora wouldn’t have looked twice at me…!
It seemed the well-bred, extroverted socialite sister was just like her sister. People like that rarely even notice a guy from the bottom of the barrel like me, except for opportunities like this.
”Oh, Eme-rald! Welcome back~ !” Ami-chan exclaimed happily as she flew over.
Wait, how did the sister recognize her as her sister even in her Magic Girl form? That’s impressive.
”I’m home, Ami. Shoichi… I’m sorry to ask this as soon as we’re back, but could we borrow a bed?” Cleonora requested, her gaze dropping to her sister’s feet.
The sister was wearing a long, very flowing skirt, so I couldn’t see her feet at all. But was something wrong?
I figured it must be connected to why Cleonora still hadn’t lowered her to the ground.
”Got it. As you can see, I completely rebuilt the house. All the furniture is brand new,” I explained, opening the door.
As she stepped inside, Eme-chan’s eyes widened in surprise.
”You made it two stories! Amazing… and it has a high, open ceiling!” she gasped.
”Yeah. The first floor has the living room and a bedroom, like before. I also prepared a separate bedroom on the second floor,” I clarified.
Eme-chan floated toward the back of the room, still suspended in the air. She gently set her sister down on the large bed on the first floor.
Liliarette sat up and turned her gaze toward Ami-chan and me again.
”…My apologies for the delayed greeting. I am Liliarette. I am… the former Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom,” she announced, her tone exceedingly proper.
Former, huh? So she was in the same boat as Cleonora.
Right then, Cleonora’s entire body flashed with a shimmering light. Her transformation was released, and she reverted to her original self.
Liliarette witnessed the change for the very first time and her eyes widened in pure, unadulterated astonishment.
”W-What…!? Y-You actually… transformed!?” she stammered in amazement.
”I told you over and over, didn’t I? Besides, I just went back to normal. The other appearance is the one that’s transformed,” Cleonora pointed out.
Now that I think about it, I’ve only just realized: Liliarette is far more beautiful than I even imagined.
How beautiful? Beautiful enough that her face wasn’t marred in the slightest, even with her eyes wide open in shock.
Her hair wasn’t just a yellowish blonde; it was a true golden color, like a piece of polished gold foil without the excessive shine. Her fringe was a slightly blunt fringe, and the hair in the back flowed straight down to her waist. Furthermore, the hair on her left side was intricately braided from near the top of her head, stretching all the way to her chest.
Somehow, she seemed more delicate overall than Cleonora. She probably hadn’t been swinging a sword around since childhood like her sister.
While Cleonora also gave off a vibe of good breeding, Liliarette exuded an even more profound elegance. Yet, Cleonora seemed more lively and energetic. They resembled each other, being sisters, but these subtle differences clearly set them apart.
”So… what happened to Liliarette? Is there a reason she can’t walk?” I asked, the answer obvious even within this short time. She probably couldn’t walk.
Cleonora hadn’t mentioned anything, so was it temporary? A wheelchair… that would be difficult to make right now.
”Right… let me explain, then. I need to tell you exactly what I did in the Royal Capital,” Cleonora replied, deciding on a path.
She said that after leaving the forest that day, she successfully arrived in the capital. There, she deactivated her transformation to focus on recovering her Magic Power. The next day, she transformed again and flew into the castle.
Since no one was supposed to be able to fly, they likely never imagined an aerial infiltration.
However, a Magic Girl’s appearance is extremely conspicuous. Though the infiltration was easy, she was quickly discovered.
”But if I kept moving by flying, I didn’t lose stamina, so shaking off the pursuers was easy enough,” she explained calmly.
While exploring the castle, she figured out that Liliarette was locked up in a specific section. She headed there and they were successfully reunited.
She said there was a bit of a confrontation with the other princess—the one present at the Hero Summoning—but the Magic Girl’s high-speed aerial movement was essentially a cheat. She managed to escape the castle with Liliarette in tow.
She explained the situation to Liliarette on the way, and the travel time, including brief rests, is why they arrived now.
”Lilia. Show me your feet,” Cleonora directed.
Liliarette grasped her skirt and slowly lifted it. I was startled, but the skirt didn’t go above her knee.
However, what met my eyes was completely unexpected and shocking. Both of her exposed lower legs, from the knee down, were discolored a dark, blackish hue.
”W-What is this…!?” I exclaimed, genuinely horrified.
It wasn’t pure black, but looked like spreading purple bruises. Living a normal life, she certainly wouldn’t look like this. This was, without a doubt, the reason she couldn’t walk.
”Please excuse me for showing you such a sight. As you can see, both of my legs have been afflicted by Miasma,” Liliarette declared, her composure strained.
”Miasma…?”
”It’s not something that exists in your world, Shoichi?” Cleonora wondered.
”No… this is the first I’ve heard of it. What is Miasma?” I asked. I could tell it was a bad kind of energy, but Cleonora’s expression was troubled.
”Do you remember when I spoke about Spirits a while ago?” she asked.
”Yeah. They were Aether combined together, gaining power… right?” I recalled. And Sorcerers absorb them to manifest sorcery using their own Magic Power, something like that.
”Miasma is what they call Spirits that have been cursed,” Cleonora revealed.
”What!? Spirits… that have been cursed?” I repeated in disbelief.
The reason is unknown, but powerful Spirits can sometimes become toxic.
This is what people refer to as “cursed,” though it doesn’t mean some entity actually cast a spell on them. The tricky part is that these cursed Spirits have a significant impact on the human body.
Normally, only Sorcerers can absorb Spirits into their bodies, but this poison can become airborne, affecting even ordinary people.
”We don’t know exactly where Miasma generates. Generally, it’s said to occur more easily in places far away from human settlements,” she explained.
She added that it has never spontaneously appeared in a town. I guess if an airborne poison suddenly appeared, even the Royal Capital would quickly become a dead city. The fact that human history continues suggests that ordinary people probably never encounter it.
”Miasma is said to generate and accumulate in specific locations. Even this Demon Forest is rumored to have some areas where Miasma has collected,” Cleonora admitted.
”What!? Seriously!?” I was startled. That sounded incredibly dangerous!
”Well, the Miasma generation zone is said to be in the eastern part of the forest. We should be fine as long as we don’t go near it,” she reassured me.
”R-Right…” Still, if we’re trying to improve our living conditions, that’s not a problem we can just leave alone.
With a basic understanding of Miasma established, Liliarette spoke again.
”Viorga-nee-sama offered me a deal. If I accepted the Miasma, she would postpone my sister’s execution.”
* * *
## 🔮 New Resident in the Dominion
Liliarette has arrived, bringing both royal drama and a terrifying new threat!
[Liliarette: Height 154 cm (5’1″), C-cup. Like Cleonora, she received a royal education and tends to seek the upper hand in negotiations. She can also be quite unforgiving toward her own gender. We’ll see that side of her later in the story…]
* * *
I plan to post two chapters tomorrow as well!
I hope you will look forward to the various characters who will appear next!
Your support through bookmarks and ratings is greatly appreciated and highly encouraging.
Thank you for reading.
¹ [low-tier guy]: Shoichi’s self-deprecating term for himself, reflecting his low self-esteem despite his powerful abilities. ↩
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Summary:
Cleonora finally returns from the Royal Capital, but she brings back her sister, Liliarette, who is gravely injured. Shoichi is immediately judged by the new princess, making him feel awkward about his relationship with the now-untransformed Cleonora. The severity of Liliarette’s injury is revealed—her legs are blackened by a terrifying, air-born poison called Miasma, which is described as a ‘cursed Spirit.’
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Character Insight:
Shoichi’s self-esteem takes a hit the moment Liliarette gives him the skeptical eye, showing how fragile his confidence is despite having a powerful girlfriend and a new house. Cleonora’s actions prove her unwavering loyalty and courage to her sister, but her worried demeanor shows she’s taking Liliarette’s suffering hard.
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Behind the Scene:
This chapter introduces Miasma, a key antagonist concept in this world. It’s not a simple virus but a corrupted magical element that presents a new kind of invisible threat to the Dominion and its residents. The new two-story house is a physical symbol of the main character’s material progress and stability.
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T/L:
¹ [low-tier guy]: Shoichi’s self-deprecating term for himself, reflecting his low self-esteem despite his powerful abilities. ↩
Notes:
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun.
• Shimizu Shoichi – A plain, middle-aged Japanese man with short black hair and brown eyes. He looks worn-out and ordinary. Average build, average height, standing looks like Satoru Mikami from certain series.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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