Monster’s Streamer Star

Troll deliberately ignored the chat window and spoke to his companions.

-Then Presia and I will be going now. We’ll meet again later.

“Alright, I’ll call you once things are wrapped up here.”

Troll took Presia and moved beyond the warp again.

[Thread-Lady]▶ Troll! Are you ignoring what I said?

▶ Hahaha, guess it’s awkward for him to speak.

▶ So embarrassed he ignored us and left the screen.

When Troll and Presia disappeared, Def looked at Squishy, who was perched on his hand, and asked.

“Squishy, you’re not hurt, right?”

‘Yeah!’

Brrrrrr!

Squishy shook vigorously to show it was healthy.

“Yaaawn~, it’s late today, so let’s just head back and sleep.”

“Tomorrow the whole Magic Tower will be in an uproar.”

“Of course, everyone’s going to start asking questions. Gracie, keep your wits about you, got it?”

“Y-yes, sir!”

***

And the next day.

Just as Nellin predicted, the Magic Tower fell into chaos.

While they were already suspicious about the sudden silence from the Tower Master, Nellin’s group—the very heroes of last night’s banquet—returned with shocking news.

After summoning the magicians together, Nellin revealed the truth once they had all gathered.

The legendary hero.

The shocking truth about the death of Ventus Frail.

“The Tower Master tried… to kill Ventus Frail!?”

“The lich’s true identity was a Celestial Mage!?”

“Is this real?”

“But didn’t Nellin herself just say it?”

“Saintess Presia gave her life for love with the Celestial Mage… ugh!”

“There’s no way the Tower Master could have done that…”

“Hey! Are you doubting Nellin and the Saintess right now?”

“N-no, of course not!”

Some immediately accepted what Nellin revealed, while others struggled to believe it.

Clap!

In the midst of the chaos, Nellin clapped her hands to gather attention.

“I know you’re all shocked. I was too when I first heard it. That’s why I confronted him after the banquet to confirm it. But then he panicked, got flustered, and attacked us.”

“W-what!?”

“The Tower Master attacked you and the Saintess!?”

“So it was true?”

“Hold on. Then where is the Tower Master now!?”

At the obvious question, Nellin answered right away.

“He’s dead. Paulen!”

“Here.”

Paulen pulled from his inventory the severed hand and staff of Brooks Vessilja.

“These are Brooks Vessilja’s hand and staff.”

“T-the Tower Master’s arm!?”

“You mean you actually killed the Tower Master!?”

“But even you, Nellin, to do something like that without saying a word to the Tower…”

As the murmurs grew louder—

Clap!

Nellin clapped her hands again to regain control.

“I’ll explain exactly how it came to this, so listen carefully.”

She told them.

How Brooks Vessilja attacked once they pressed him about the truth—that the lich was really Ventus Frail, and that thirty years ago, it was Vessilja who tried to kill him.

Nellin claimed that Vessilja, shocked by the truth being exposed, had let things slip in his panic.

In reality, Brooks Vessilja had gone berserk at hearing Ventus Frail’s identity and lunged at Gracie.

But Nellin twisted it, saying Ventus Frail had confessed the truth himself in despair, and Vessilja revealed his guilt when confronted.

“To think the Tower Master carried such deep inferiority toward the Celestial Mage.”

“I always knew Brooks was a shady type, but to go that far…”

“So he wasn’t looking after Gracie, but mocking her for becoming a magic-tool mage?”

One by one, Nellin exposed Vessilja’s petty, vile nature.

If Brooks Vessilja had completely hidden himself, it might have been doubted.

But those of his generation, seniors and juniors alike, had glimpsed his true nature before—so no one outright denied Nellin’s claims.

Nellin went on to describe how they dealt with Vessilja.

As Vessilja recklessly hurled spells to kill them, Paulen cut off his arm with a sword.

And when Vessilja faltered from the pain of his severed limb, Gracie struck him down with magic.

In the end, all that was left was one arm and a staff.

That was how Nellin concluded her account.

When the story finished, the murmuring mages fell into silence.

The shocking truth weighed heavily on them, but so too did the vague fear of what would become of the Magic Tower now.

At that moment—

“Everyone.”

Amelia addressed the magicians.

“I understand the confusion. But what Nellin said is the truth. Brooks Vessilja, driven by his vile desires, trapped a hero. Ventus Frail, the Celestial Mage, became a lich. And Saintess Presia gave her own body for the rest of her beloved companion’s peace.”

After making them realize that two great heroes had died because of Vessilja, Amelia folded her hands together.

“So please, just for a moment, let us pray that the two who returned to the heavens may rest in peace.”

Amelia began the prayer first.

Then Paulen followed, closing his eyes and folding his hands.

One by one, the mages in the hall followed suit.

To openly deny or mock an act of mourning was difficult, after all.

And so, as they prayed, every mage thought the same thing.

“Th-this really might be true…”

‘Come to think of it, even if it was the Magic Tower, the idea that the legendary magician died in a magic accident was ridiculous.’

‘The claim that Saintess Presia loved Ventus Frail seems sudden, but… if it wasn’t true, why would such talk even exist?’

‘Wait, are they saying Gracie attacked the Tower Master?’

‘Then did Gracie end up avenging her ancestor’s enemy?’

The silence and the time spent praying for someone became an opportunity for the mages to organize their thoughts.

***

To put it simply, Nellin’s group’s plan succeeded.

Not every mage could be said to fully believe it, but the majority leaned toward accepting Nellin’s account.

First, because Nellin’s party had no reason to falsely accuse Brooks Vessilja.

Second, because the older mages seemed to accept it.

And third, because Amelia was the last to speak, with Gracie agreeing alongside her, lending strong credibility.

The Saintess’s words carried the impression of being backed by the Grand Church itself, but more than that, her actions during her stay at the Magic Tower spoke volumes.

During the month she stayed there, aside from the time Gracie spent observing Squishy, she accompanied him around the Tower and the streets where several magical accidents occurred.

Every time, Amelia healed the injured mages under Gracie’s guidance.

Her healing left a lasting impression not only on those she treated but also on those who witnessed it.

But the decisive factor that made the mages accept the story was Gracie’s presence.

To others, it had always seemed that Brooks Vessilja favored Gracie, and Gracie in turn respected him more than anyone else.

For that very Gracie to kill Brooks Vessilja!

Yet the reasoning made sense: Brooks Vessilja had in truth tried to trap Ventus Frail and kill him, and rather than truly supporting her, he enjoyed watching her remain looked down upon as a mere magic-tool mage.

In the end, most mages accepted Nellin’s revelation as the truth.

And because of this prevailing sentiment, not even as Tower Master was Brooks Vessilja granted a funeral.

“This is my family’s home.”

Once the uproar had somewhat calmed, Gracie invited the group to the Frail household.

The visit was to deliver the message from Troll to her grandmother, as originally planned.

At first, some argued such things should be said only in private family gatherings, but Gracie begged them to stay and witness her delivery.

Though it was a house that produced a hero, the Frail family lived in a modest-sized home.

They survived on subsidies and had no reason to move to a larger place.

As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by Gracie’s parents.

“W-welcome, everyone!”

“Lord Nellin! Saintess! Paladin, and companions, please, come in!”

Facing so many famous figures, they were nervous and sweating as they bowed repeatedly.

‘If I saw this crowd at my door, I’d react the same way.’

Amused at her ordinary parents’ reaction, Gracie reunited with them after a long time.

“Mom, Dad, how have you been?”

“G-Gracie! Of course, we’ve been fine.”

“When we heard from your grandparents that you were safe, we were so relieved. But to think… Ventus was the lich all along.”

“Your grandmother nearly collapsed when she heard.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. Luckily your mother was right beside her, so she didn’t fall.”

“Your grandparents are waiting inside too. Come in, all of you.”

As her parents said, once inside, they found her grandparents sitting on the sofa in the living room.

“Gracie, everyone… forgive me for asking so soon, but could you please tell us the truth?”

“Yes, Grandma.”

“That was our intention from the start.”

Gracie confessed everything to her family.

That Ventus Frail was the lich.

That Brooks Vessilja had tried to kill him.

That Ventus became a lich.

And that he had asked her to deliver a message to his cousin—

—to thank her for the courage she gave him when she patted his back before they left the Tower.

“A-ahh… Ventus…”

Upon hearing the words, Ventus Frail’s cousin, Nile Frail, wept.

‘Grandma…’

Part of her wanted to reveal everything.

That contrary to what they were told, Ventus Frail had not been destroyed, and that he was alive with Saintess Presia.

She wanted to bring everything into the open and reunite them.

But Ventus and Presia themselves wished to remain hidden.

Revealing the truth might even put her family in danger.

After shedding her tears, Nile Frail wiped her eyes and smiled at Gracie.

“Thank you, Gracie, for delivering his last words.”

“No… I…”

Before Gracie could finish, her grandmother cut in.

“You all haven’t eaten yet, have you? It’s modest, but I’ve prepared a meal for you. Let’s go to the kitchen together.”

“Oh, food. Let’s go, Squishy.”

‘Yeah!’

Claire was the first to follow Nile Frail into the kitchen, Squishy bouncing along.

***

The somber atmosphere from revealing the truth gradually eased with the meal.

The homemade dishes prepared by Gracie’s mother, who ran a lunchbox shop, were praised by everyone.

After eating and spending about an hour relaxing at the Frail household, the group departed with smiles, returning to the inn.

“So then… what are you all planning to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what’s next? As for me, I was planning to travel around and keep searching for Squishy anyway.”

Nellin pointed her thumb toward Godrick’s party and Claire behind her.

“These guys will stick with me regardless. What about you? Will you follow us, or stay at the Tower and the Cathedral?”

“Well…”

“Oh, right. And…”

Nellin turned back and looked at Squishy, perched on Claire’s head.

“Squishy, who do you want to stay with?”