Volume 10 : Chapter 19 – EPILOGUE

“Hahhh… hahhh…” My breath came out in uneven gasps as I stood frozen in front of the tall door leading straight to Alicia’s office in the Oakhart mansion.

My chest tightened, but I forced myself to straighten up, wiping clammy hands on my dress.

I had to do this. I couldn’t delay it any longer.

I have to talk to her. Yes, I will talk to her and ask her how she is doing.

It was only yesterday that this place faced the crisis of being at the center of a war.

And yet, as if by some miracle, everything returned to normal. No one beyond the forest would ever know of the small war that took place there.

And still… even though the war had ended, I couldn’t forget. The memories of yesterday’s chaos lingered like ghosts in my mind.

I couldn’t forget my failure. If only I had been stronger —if only I could have protected myself. Alicia wouldn’t have been forced to do something so extreme.

And since then we haven’t talked much except for things we needed and required.

I clenched my fists, steeling myself. I am her goddess, I reminded myself, even as guilt gnawed at my resolve.

No matter how invincible Alicia appeared, she needed someone to lean on and can trust. I couldn’t let this silence fester any longer.

I am going in right now and have a heartfelt talk with her.

With a final shaky breath, I raised my hand and knocked.

“Come in.” A voice came from inside —calm, steady, and devoid of emotion.

The door creaked open as I stepped inside. The office was bathed in warm afternoon light, the golden rays filtering through the tall windows behind the office desk highlighted Alicia’s figure.

Her white cascading hairs glistened like sparkling silver.

Sitting on her chair, in a poised posture, yet something about Alicia seemed distant.

Detached.

“Athena. Why are you just standing there? Come and sit.”

Alicia pulled the chair for me and beckoned me to sit there.

Looking closely at her. She was… different.

Her usual meekness was gone, replaced by an uncanny confidence I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“I made some cookies.” Sachi added casually, as if this moment didn’t weigh down her at all.

“Would you like to have some?” Alicia said standing up, her eyes locking onto mine.

For a moment, my mind went blank, not knowing what I should say.

After all, I didn’t know if the person standing in front of me was the real Sachi or not.

Sachi’s blue eyes stared at me without any kind of emotion reflecting on her face.

And despite Sachi not giving the aura of her usual self. She looked more confident and original.

As if defying everything I knew about her until now.

I glanced back at her.

Sachi’s pure blue eyes sparkled faintly in the light, yet they revealed nothing. No anger. No sadness. No relief. Just a mask of neutrality that made my chest ache.

“I…” My voice faltered. I didn’t know how to start, how to break through the walls that seemed to separate us now.

“Would you like some tea as well?”

“Sure.” I softly answered and sat on the chair Sachi pulled for me.

Sachi moved with an effortless grace, pouring tea into our cups. Then, with an uncharacteristic burst of energy, she flopped onto her chair, completely at ease.

She then grabbed a chocolate cookie from the tray, taking a large bite, her lips curling into a mischievous smile as she squinted her eyes in delight.

I blinked, caught off guard by this unfamiliar side of her. Sachi—usually reserved and too aware of her surrounding —was laughing softly to herself, carefree and unbothered.

I picked up a cookie, hesitating before taking a bite. The sweetness melted on my tongue, rich and indulgent.

Heavenly, I thought to myself, letting the taste distract me for a moment. But even as I reached for another, a strange feeling tugged at me.

Sitting here like this, sharing tea and cookies, I couldn’t shake the thought that I didn’t truly know Sachi.

Not fully. She was a puzzle, and the more time I spent together with her, the more she felt out of reach.

This makes me feel a little lonely. If only there could have existed a magic to know someone’s heart. But alas not even divine magic could do it.

“Athena, can I ask you something?” Sachi’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Yeah… Anything.” I said, finishing my cookie and meeting her gaze.

“During the battle… when I fought against my classmate Homura. I felt nothing. And even after I pierced his heart, I felt neither happy nor sad. Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong. In fact, I am glad that it’s not affecting you in the least. He waged a war and he lost. Its as simple as that.” I answered firmly, to the point it almost felt like Sachi was testing me.

But even as I spoke, I knew those words didn’t erase the complexity of what we’d been through. There’s no righteousness in a fight —no clear lines between right and wrong.

I’ve always believed that. But as long as the people of my kingdom are safe, as long as Sachi is safe. I will always choose this path.

“It only shows to me that you have left the past behind. All I want for you now is to look forward. To focus on the future.” I answered with my genuine thoughts.

“The future…” Sachi murmured, her voice hollow. Her eyes flickered with an unnatural blue hue.

Sachi clenched the cookie in her hand, her fingers tightening until it crumbled to dust. “I don’t want a future. I’m still waiting… for the right time.”

“I see.” I said quietly. “It was I who brought you here, Sachi. And since then, you’ve been dragged into a demon’s war and got involved in a skirmish with one of the reincarnates. I… I think I’m only hurting you.” My voice wavered, but I pressed on.

“If you blame me for this there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”

“Don’t say that. That’s not true.” Sachi’s eyes narrowed and as if to ease tension she continued, “If you don’t think hard, then he was only a stranger.” Alicia answered in a cold voice.

“What…?” I did not understand.

“…And yet, when did I become such a dunce? Standing there, letting myself be humiliated, wondering why a dirtbag like him said what he said and tried to threaten the people close to me.” Alicia shook her head. “He deserved every bit of what I did to him, even if I was being lenient.” Sachi said.

This time I couldn’t ignore Sachi’s actions. The shadows she produced and the black miasma; she was hiding too many things even if she meant no harm.

It was my turn to test her.

“Did you bring them here?” I asked.

“Who?”

“Sachi, you were expecting the enemy to arrive and even made preparations for it, as if you already knew they were going to come, even though there was no direct way for them to know where the demi humans were.”

“Yes.” Sachi gleamed remembering the tiny prank she played by leaving one of the beast humans still under the effect of Homura’s spell temporarily and allowing them to contact with the enemy.

“Did you not worry about Regis and the other people who got involved.” I asked clenching my hand, in the process hurting myself too for asking his question.

“Everything was already taken care of —one of the reasons I accepted Izek as my knight. As for Regis, I wouldn’t have her alongside me if she had been a burden I had to carry. She is strong.” Sachi said nonchalantly.

“Does Regis and Hana’s life not matter to you.” I asked intentionally.

“Don’t speak of them like that. They are my… her friend. Just as much as you are. She would never put you all in harm’s way. So, nor would I.”

This time Sachi’s expression was different than usual. A straight face, but biting her lips, with fluctuating blue eyes.

“Sachi who are you? I will listen. No matter what part of Alicia you are.”  This time I gently answered putting my hand on Sachi’s face and her lips relaxed back to their normal state.

“You got it right this time. But it’s not like we are different. I am just a part of her. Though I have no intention of telling you how I came to. The only reason why I think I am able to exist like this is because of my unique skill. But slowly I want to… no it's best if I stay away.”

“Then tell me how I can help you.” I quickly asked finding something wrong and fading.

“I hope I don’t have to come out like this again. She is too weak to decide on anything quickly, but I am different. I am scared… Because even I don’t know what I might do next. So, it's best if I stay away. And besides I have still no reason to be here.”

“Is Sachi in danger?” I asked haphazardly.

Sachi smirked. “Sorry for being so troublesome, but I know you will not like the me right now. So, by. ―But I think I will stay around.”

…

Sachi in that instant, remembered something that happened from this morning.

“I had a really strong urge to eat something sweet after staying asleep for years and was only able to stabilize now. Even I don’t know how long that would be.” I said to myself, counting all the ingredients I would need to bake my favorite chocolate cookies.

“Then let me help you too.” A voice came from back and Regis appeared in front.

“Are you sure.” Sachi peeked lower to get a look at Regis’s face.

“What?” Regis looked at Sachi with a stern face. “Did you think I won’t come close to you if you act a bit different? You are still Alicia my friend and don’t forget I am your elder cousin sister. So, we are kind of family.” Regis firmly responded as she focused on mixing the ingredients.

“Okay.”

Even though Regis did not show it she was desperately worried for Alicia. Even after the war ended, for some reason Alicia’s eyes stayed blue and did not turn back red.

Even now they were still blue and Alicia did not act like herself at all. Her shy manner of speech turned bold and confident.

Alicia faced a similar situation with Hana who still treated Alicia like nothing had changed.

And even now, after that little exchange with Regis, she was not really sure what to think of it.

Alicia and Regis moved in perfect harmony, their hands deftly working together to prepare the chocolate cookies. The kitchen was filled with the comforting aroma of melted chocolate and freshly baked dough.

It was almost as if they had been doing this together for a long time.

Regis carefully measured the cocoa powder, though in the process spilled some. Alicia, on the other hand, rolled the dough with practiced ease, her expression softened by the simple joy of the moment.

When the cookies were finally baked, the two of them set about distributing the treats all around the mansion.

They together wandered through the palace halls and the knight’s training grounds, carrying trays of cookies still warm from the oven sharing them with everyone in the palace.

…

Coming back to the present, Athena did not understand what Alicia meant by those words.

Sachi’s eyes displayed a blue Athena had never seen, and with the same intensity, they turned completely red.

It was as if Sachi was here and now not at the same time.

“Wait…” Athena's words did not reach her.

“Sorry, Athena did I say something rude? It was all my fault. I thought I could handle things by myself. I didn’t mean to hurt the class president either. I don’t know what came over me.” It was as if the old Sachi had come back, as she scratched her head and her eyes wobbled, trying to explain the situation.

‘So Sachi herself doesn’t realize what she was doing, even though she was still conscious. Are they actually the same person?’ Athena thought to herself.

“Not at all. These cookies are delicious. I’m glad you’re back safe.” Athena hugged Sachi incessantly, not realizing how much she had missed her.

After having a heartfelt conversation for more than an hour, Athena felt relieved as she left the office to resume her work.

As she was passing through the hallway open on one side to the garden.

***

‘Was I really able to help her in the end? You still seem so lonely, and yet so strong, as if you still don’t need my help. So, tell me, how can I help you?’ Athena thought to herself.

I am not going to ignore her. Even if Sachi is back to normal, her words felt lonely that time.

I will make sure she trusts me when I get the chance. I will always accept Sachi that’s what I promised. So, even if she changes I am not going to turn away.

And we are definitely going to enjoy this new life I will make sure of it.

As I was passing through the garden hallway, I saw Hana along with Maya and another demi-human playing together.

From the description, I quickly recognized the third demi-human as the first person Alicia met in the outside world. The one she told me about —Lucia.

She is lovely.

Suddenly, Lucia stopped moving. As if from a distance beyond the reach of a normal human eye, she focused, looked at me, and smiled.

It was not the usual smile one gives to a stranger or acquaintance. It felt different and unwelcoming.

But right now, it just felt as if Lucia looked at her with a smirk. Her eyes glowed with a green hue, and in response, my own eyes felt a burning sensation deep within.

As if awakening an emotion within me I had never felt before.

“Does she know me?” I felt cold suddenly with this unknown feeling weighing on me.

But then Hana called out to Lucia, telling her not to get distracted from the game, and she returned to playing.

Was it just my imagination? I wondered.

…

However, what Athena failed to notice at that moment was that her eyes glowed green in reaction to Lucia’s.

***

Hello there, this is NOEL ELITIA.

Wishing a Happy New Year to everyone who has been with me on this journey, helping me reach this point in the novel.

We have come so far, and I think this will mark the start of my fourth year writing this novel.

Never did I believe I would come this far, and yet it only feels like I am just getting started in writing Alicia’s story as she continues her journey.

Most importantly, the eleventh volume will mark the start of the longest and, what I believe to be one of the best arcs of the novel —the Magic Academy arc.

Yes, the very trope of all famous novels that we can never get enough of.

I know the ending of this volume might have left you a bit confused, but honestly, it's not that complex. We just need to wait a little longer to uncover Sachi’s true backstory, but that’s still far ahead in the novel.

I also hope you enjoyed all the arcs in this volume, from Ken and Alicia’s little adventure, to Alicia getting her own Barony.

Then came the Knight Selection arc, followed by Alicia facing off against one of her own classmates and the return of Lucia with a tragic accident.

I hope you all liked Izek as a dedicated knight, and enjoyed getting to know the existence of all kinds of different heroes spread out across the world —the Knight Hero, the King Hero, the Rogue Hero, and many others that are going to shape the world further in the novel.

And finally, I hope you enjoyed the war arc between Homura and Alicia, and I hope I was able to turn it into the most enjoyable and action packed, thrilling snack for you.

I’m not sure if this volume betrayed your expectations or fulfilled them, but I’ll be glad as long as you derived some enjoyment from it. In my mind, this work is meant to be a simple, fun read with a slant toward comedy and a romantic approach to magical fights.

I know I’ve ended the volume at a difficult point, but I also want to give you hope that the next volume is going to be mind-boggling.

You will feel the intensity of it from the Prologue itself.

Honestly, I can’t wait to start writing my eleventh volume. I’m sure my past self wouldn’t have believed me if I said I’d be writing this line in the present.

That’s why I will keep on writing, to surprise myself even more and have more fun enjoying this story.

VOLUME 11 : SYNOPSIS

Athena suddenly comes with a proposal for Alicia to join the biggest magical academy on the human continent. The only problem is that Alicia still can’t make up her mind, and she decides to elope once again from the mansion. Why?

Because that’s what the True Hero would do.

But when Alicia finally decides to join the academy, she realizes her life will never be the same. Whether it’s the playful, magic-loving headmaster of the academy, or Alicia practicing to meet her new classmates and friends.

And can you guess what Alicia summoned in her Summoning class?

As I’m sure those of you can already tell that I am a huge fan of isekai genre. Crazy enough that after writing the tenth volume I am aiming for the eleventh now. Feels almost unbelievable thinking back to when we started on this journey!

Once again, I’d like to thank my readers for letting me enjoy myself all the way through.

May we meet again in the next volume of When I Got Reincarnated As A Spider With My Goddess.

~ Noel Elitia

Would love to see a fan mail on :  - [email protected]

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To everyone who is reading my novel and loves Alicia on her exciting adventures in this new fantasy world.

Thanks a lot for all your support! It really means a lot to me.

Till now I have published from volume one to volume ten for free and I hope to continue to do so even today. I have put a lot of time and effort into creating a story that I always hope you will enjoy reading and have something to think about.

Keeping the text error free takes a lot of revisions and consumes time, but no work is ever perfect. With your support and reviews I know that I have improved a lot in my writing. I know the initial volumes sometimes could be a mess in my disastrous writing and the current writing still leaves a lot to be desired as the story proceeds and new characters keeps popping up. And I intend to take this challenge head on and improve everyday in this year as well.

You can support my writing by leaving a good review on my book on the platform you are reading.

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I hope that you keep enjoying my work and the next chapter too proves to be to your liking!

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