Chapter 26 - Miracle's Dilemma

A bright light enveloped Mira, its brightness spreading throughout the entire cafeteria, blinding everyone within its reach. The only one that could see within this light were just Alex, the one that "casted" the magic circle on to Mira, and Mira herself, the ones that being "casted" on.

"Mamma Mia! What is this bright light?!" Uncle Orso exclaimed, shielding his eyes with his large bear arms from the intense glare emanating from the magic circle beneath Mira.

"This intense light! It's the same light that shone on the battlefield! The same light that enveloped her Majesty!" Lieutenant Akai answered Uncle Orso's query while also attempting to shield his eyes. He had witnessed this light before on the battlefield after Alex had intervened in the duel between Demon Queen Anna and Hero Yulia.

"Kuh! So, this is the same source of that intense bright light, huh?!" Casey sought confirmation regarding the source of the light that initially illuminated the Battlefield of East Gate. She had been present at the battlefield, observing from the sky on her wyvern mount.

Meanwhile, something inside Mira felt strange. Various feelings and emotions stirred within her as the light enveloped her body. She felt warm, fuzzy, ticklish, and... Safe. It was as if the light were granting her protection. But amidst all these sensations, there was another feeling, one even stronger than the rest: liberation.

'So... This is what her Majesty felt...' Mira thought to herself, recalling the same light that had enveloped Demon Queen Anna on the Battlefield of East Gate.

The light gradually dimmed as the magic circle beneath her feet vanished.

[Mira Clementine has received the Job "Idol"!]

A notification window appeared near her, similar to the display window seen on the Status Card.

"Idol...?" Mira muttered the name of the Job she had received from the light.

"That's right..." Alex heard Mira's mutter and confirmed it for her. "You're now an idol, Miracle-chan," he declared with a firm tone.

"Miracle...?" Mira inquired about the nickname bestowed upon her by Alex.

"That's right... 'Miracle' is your idol moniker," he reiterated.

"A moniker is something many entertainers use. Its purpose is not just to conceal their true identity from the world, but also to highlight themselves," Alex explained to Mira, his voice brimming with excitement. Mira couldn't help but sweatdrop at Alex's unusual enthusiasm. He didn't exactly answer her question either.

But an important thought then crossed her mind as she hung her head low, averting her eyes to the ground. "Uhm... But why me...? Why did you make me an idol...?" Mira meekly asked Alex. She hung her head low as negatives thought began to stirred inside of her heart.

Mira had once entertained the idea of being recruited as an Idol, like her Demon Queen Anna. However, she had brushed aside that thought.

When she first met Sir Alex and learned about his Job, Idol Producer, she initially pondered it. She had thought that Sir Alex might use his Job to turn her into an Idol as a test for his abilities, but such a notion didn't happen due to the timing.

A lot of things happened during that small time period after she had successfully summoned Sir Alex to their world: Demon Queen Anna suddenly summoning her to present the summoned "hero" Sir Alex, the sudden invasion of the heroes, Sir Alex himself requesting her help to go to the battlefield, riding the wyvern mount squadron with the help of Casey, accompanying Sir Alex to intervene in the duel between her majesty Demon Queen Anna and the Hero Yulia, Sir Alex stopping the duel, and then... Sir Alex making her majesty Demon Queen Anna into an Idol... The same intense bright light that happened to her majesty now also just happened to her.

She was also present right in the middle when Sir Alex activated his advanced skill, Arcana Realm: Idol Stage. She knew what kind of spell 'Arcana Realm' was. She had read and learned about it, understanding that it was an advanced mage skill that all mages aspired to learn: a spell that created a pocket dimension purely from the spell caster's mana. A dimension where the spell caster reigned supreme and could theoretically do whatever they wished inside their pocket dimension, as if they were the 'god' of that dimension. She, like many mages in this world, regardless of whether they were demons or even humans, sought to learn this advanced spell.

So, what kind of Arcana Realm did Sir Alex use that time on the battlefield? His Arcana Realm instead created a performance stage and controlled an army of marionette dolls forming a musical band. An Arcana Realm that harbored no malicious intent. It undoubtedly reflected his desires, but the sole purpose of his desire was just one thing: to create a stage where his Idol could shine the brightest.

She had witnessed it herself. She got into his Arcana Realm and was taken in to the "backstage" of the Idol Stage. She met with his marionette dolls that were previously lifeless but suddenly became alive as they became the musical band that created those odd but pleasant-sounding music for the Idol Stage of his.

Then she was there when Demon Queen Anna stood in the spotlight of Sir Alex's Idol Stage. She saw how distressed her Demon Queen was when she was suddenly put in the spotlight... But... she also witnessed how her Demon Queen Anna, despite her initial distress, turned around and began to sing.

Demon Queen Anna had sung inside the Sir Alex's Idol Stage and had charmed many, many people there, especially she herself. That moment was one of the most memorable memories of her life.

At that point, she never thought again about becoming an idol. She might have already forgotten about it, but she also couldn't exactly imagine herself being one anymore after witnessing how phenomenal her Demon Queen Anna was on that Idol Stage. She believed that no one could ever top that performance of her majesty... not even herself...

So... Why did Sir Alex decide to make her an Idol too...? Why her...? These were the many negative thoughts stirring her heart.

She still kept her head low, gazing at the cafeteria floor where she stood, avoiding 'his' intense gaze.

Everyone in the cafeteria had also fallen silent. Blinded by the intense bright light emanating from Mira, they refrained from interrupting the seemingly serious conversation between Mira and Alex.

After Mira's question, Alex remained quiet for a moment before starting his answer.

"Mira, I'll be blunt with you here," Alex began. "I need you, Mira," he said simply.

His words caught Mira off guard. She looked up at Alex again, her face blushing at the implications of his words. His gaze remained intense, and she couldn't look away.

Seeing that Mira finally met his gaze, Alex continued his answer.

"I truly owe you for all the help you've given me in the short time we've known each other," Alex continued. "You've taught me so much, helped me with so many selfish requests, and created countless good memories with me. I owe many of them to you," he said, recalling their shared experiences. Mira also remembered those moments, but this time, they felt more positive to her.

"Thus, I know that I can always rely on you. That's why I need you, Mira, as my assistant in this Idol Producer endeavor," Alex declared to Mira, once again expressing his selfish desire. Mira could only stare at his serious and determined expression, her deep red blush intensifying.

"One way for you to understand this stuff, of course, is to become one yourself. That's why I made you into an Idol," Alex explained his reason for making her an idol. "But... That's not the only reason why I made you an idol," he added.

"I know your charm points. Your cheerfulness, your kindness, your willingness to help others in need, your loyalty to your friends... And even your penchant for gourmet is attractive," Alex recalled all the things he had observed about Mira. "You have many charm points, Mira. So much so that you might even rival Queen Anna," he said with sincerity. Mira couldn't believe Alex thought she could rival her majesty, Demon Queen Anna. She hung her head again, thinking Alex might have been trying to sweet-talk her into becoming something that she couldn't be.

But Alex did not give up. He persistently continued. "That's why I'll make sure everyone can see your charm points!" he exclaimed with passion, once again catching her attention and making her look up again to see his face. He was not in his flushed drunken state anymore, but instead she saw the fierce determination in his eyes

He was serious, and he was going to prove that Mira was more than qualified to be an idol. He raised his finger to the sky as he cast his skill for everyone to hear.

"Arcana Realm: Idol Stage!" Alex shouted to the whole cafeteria and the demons inside of it, and once again, the world was enveloped by bright intense light.