With the casual air of someone making small talk, Jane informed Laguna that she had raised her growth limits and development speed. Laguna stood there agape as a single spear manifested before her.
It was a translucent blue spear. Laguna glanced toward Jane, who gave a small, encouraging nod. Reassured, Laguna reached out and gripped the weapon.
(It’s light... and it fits my hand with terrifying naturalness. Or rather, it is so receptive to my magic power that I can tell its quality just by looking. This is truly a spear made by a god... A masterpiece far beyond the reach of any mortal forge.)
Beyond the awe-inspiring spear, Laguna felt an intuitive realization: her greatest worry had been resolved. The wall of her growth limit, a sensation she had lived with for centuries, had simply vanished.
As the reality of that realization sank in, she reflexively tightened her grip on the spear.
"Anyway, that’s all I needed to do. Sorry for calling you out so suddenly."
"N-No, please—on the contrary, I do not even know how to begin thanking you..."
"Hahaha, I’m the one who should be thanking you. We might run into each other again in the future, so when that time comes... well, I’d appreciate it if you could just chat with me normally. Gosh, I’m sorry this whole thing felt so haphazard!"
Her expression remained blank as she announced that her business was finished. Jane prepared to dissolve the space, but before she could, Laguna spoke up in a flustered hurry.
"W-Wait!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Um, I know this is a very disrespectful request... but since you used the phrase 'this name' when you first introduced yourself, Jane-sama, I would like to know your true name if it is possible. Of course, I swear I shall never breathe a word of it to another soul!"
"Oh, that's fine. I only called myself Jane because that’s how I introduced myself to Kaito-sama... It's not like I'm trying to hide it. To introduce myself properly, I am Canalis."
"Canalis-sama... I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this. If there is ever anything I can do to be of assistance, please, ask anything of me..."
"Those are kind words. If the opportunity ever arises, I'll count on you. Now then, let's put things back where they were~"
With those words, the scenery wavered. Before she knew it, Laguna was standing by the seaside once again. It felt as though she had been dreaming, but the blue spear in her hand served as physical proof that it had been reality.
"...Heh."
Letting a small smile play on her lips, Laguna kicked off from the sandy beach, leapt high, and dived into the sea. While activating a countermeasure formula to prevent waves from rising, she accelerated rapidly underwater, moving far offshore in an instant.
Once she reached a point where there were no signs of people or ships, she used her momentum to breach the surface, swinging her spear toward the sky in a wide, sweeping arc.
The spear, swung by the woman hailed as the strongest in the Human Realm, generated a shockwave that tore through the overcast clouds. The night sky split open, allowing the moonlight to spill down onto the sea.
Bathed in that silver light, Laguna wore an innocent smile like that of a young child.
(Ah... I can no longer feel that wall. How happy it makes me to truly feel that I can still grow... Canalis-sama said she only raised the limit 'a little,' but at the very least, it has been pushed back so far that I cannot even tell where it lies anymore.)
The wall of the growth limit, which had been a constant, suffocating presence, was gone. Laguna couldn't tell exactly how much her potential had increased, but she was certain it was now far beyond her current reach.
Of course, she would still need to train diligently to improve, but for someone who had spent centuries agonizing over her perceived ceiling, it felt as though the clouds in her heart had finally cleared.
(This is quite troublesome... my spirits are soaring. My body is tingling with the urge to train immediately. Fufu, I thought I had grown old and cynical, but here I am acting like a mere child...)
Since the sun had already set, she couldn't begin formal training just yet. However, the joy of knowing she could grow once more blew through Laguna's heart like a gale of pure ecstasy.
(It would probably be... inappropriate to offer formal worship, given my position as a King. But surely, it will be permitted for me to pray privately.)
Creating a foothold on the waves with her magic power, Laguna knelt on one knee and lowered her head in a knight's salute. She held the blue spear aloft, offering a silent prayer to the heavens.
(To Canalis-sama, I offer my heartfelt gratitude and prayers...)
Having sworn not to disclose the name, she did not speak it aloud even in this secluded place. Instead, Laguna remained there for a long while, offering deep thanks to the god within her heart.
Serious-senpai: "I don't know the exact numbers, but if she's somewhere above the average Count-class but below Lilia, she should be able to reach the Duke-class domain now. Or actually, considering Lilia in her Critical Point of Fate state during the God Realm Decisive Battle, Laguna might be able to go even further..."