The uninhabited region of Kararagi had already been blasted into a lake by her; if she kept blasting, the kingdom’s map would have to be redrawn.
Theresia estimated that her max-level Sword Saint strength from the game would firmly place her in the first tier in this other world.
At the very least, her lower limit should be about the same as the Three Heroes; above that, there would only be Reinhard and the Witch of Envy.
Of course, this was just an estimate, as she hadn’t actually fought them.
She couldn’t exactly run up to Reinhard and the Witch of Envy and say, “Hello, I’d like to have a fight with you to see who’s stronger.”
One is the ceiling of combat power, and the other is a calamity witch sealed for hundreds of years; neither is someone to be trifled with.
If one were to make a rough calculation based on the combat power in the original work, with her fully armed and the +32 dragon sword drawn.
Dealing with the second-tier Beast of the End of the Eternal Frozen Land, Puck, would probably only take one or two strikes.
It might even be a one-shot kill, depending on whether Puck could survive the first strike.
As for why use Puck as a unit of combat power?
That’s because Puck is one of the few large-scale destructive entities in the original work with clearly described destructive power.
After returning to his original form, he can freeze an entire territory into an ice age, covering it in glaciers, extinguishing all life—the spectacle is off the charts.
It’s perfect for using as a unit of measurement for combat power.
She couldn’t exactly use Natsuki Subaru as a unit of measurement.
That would be too hellish.
Subaru has already suffered enough; let’s not use him as a combat power calculator.
Although that guy’s Return by Death ability is indeed invincible in a sense, that’s not a question of combat power; that’s…
uh, that’s a question of endurance.
Back to the topic at hand.
At this moment.
Theresia walked ten or so steps, her deep crimson skirt swaying gently on the street, her long red hair swinging in a beautiful arc behind her shoulders.
Suddenly, she heard another sentence from behind:
“…Miss Theresia!”
“Is there anything else?”
Theresia stopped and looked back.
The sunlight shone from behind her, gilding her red hair with a golden edge, and her blue eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the backlight.
Reinhard was still standing where he was, and he spoke slowly:
“If you need any help, Miss Theresia, you can come to the Knights Order and find me at any time.”
“Okay.”
Theresia raised her hand and waved it casually, as a farewell.
Then she turned her head, quickened her pace, and blended into the crowd on the commercial street.
“She really is exactly like my grandmother…”
Until the last trace of crimson disappeared around the street corner, Reinhard’s gaze remained fixed in that direction.
“And the Divine Protection of Bloodline Perception has also confirmed it; she is indeed related to the bloodline of the Astrea Family.”
Reinhard frowned, a thoughtful light flashing in his blue eyes.
Pedestrians on the streets of the royal capital continued to come and go, the aroma of the bakery continued to permeate the air, and the fountain’s water jet continued to shoot high into the air, refracting a faint rainbow in the sunlight.
Everything was noisy and orderly, no different from usual.
Except for the pebble that had been thrown into Reinhard’s heart.
It was still sending out ripple after ripple.
“Is this really just a coincidence?”
Reinhard took a deep breath, then stepped forward and walked toward the Knights Order.
His white knight uniform was particularly conspicuous in the crowd, but it soon disappeared into the bustling throng.
…
Theresia quickened her pace, only slowing down after walking out of the commercial street.
She looked back to confirm that Reinhard hadn’t followed her.
Of course, the latter wouldn’t do something like tailing someone; he was a gentleman, and stalking wasn’t his style.
Seeing this, Theresia couldn’t help but let out a long sigh:
“Phew, I almost ended up having Reinhard as my grandson.”
Well, that wasn’t an insult.
It was just the literal meaning.
In a sense, she really was Reinhard’s grandmother.
The game settings clearly stated it: Theresia van Astrea, the former Sword Saint, Reinhard’s biological grandmother.
But settings are settings, and she is she.
As an eighteen-year-old beautiful girl on the outside, why on earth should she acknowledge a contemporary as her grandson?
The seniority is so messed up; she wouldn’t even know how much red envelope money to give for the New Year.
What a joke; she transmigrated here to enjoy life, not to be anyone’s grandmother.
“Besides, the title of ‘grandmother’ carries an air of being old-fashioned, which seriously clashes with my appearance as an 18-year-old youthful beauty.”
Thinking of this, Theresia couldn’t help but review the current situation of the Astrea Family in her mind.
How should she put it?
The situation of that family was truly hard to describe.
Back when Theresia van Astrea was around, the Sword Saint family was relatively harmonious.
She was the core of the entire family, the mental pillar for her husband Wilhelm, the pride of her son Heinkel, and the object of worship for her grandson Reinhard.
Like a big tree with a thick trunk and lush foliage.
No matter the wind and rain outside, those under the tree could live their lives in peace.
But everything changed when Theresia van Astrea was in that battle against the White Whale. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
The Divine Protection of the Sword Saint was transferred from her to her grandson Reinhard.
And Theresia van Astrea, having lost the power of the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, was killed in the battle against the White Whale.
From then on, the Astrea Family was like a house with its load-bearing beams pulled out; it looked decent on the outside, but it was collapsing from the inside day by day.
Her grandfather Wilhelm couldn’t accept his wife’s death, and even less could he accept that his wife died because her power was transferred to his grandson, so he chose to leave home.
Her father, Heinkel, was even more miserable.
He lived in the cracks between two Sword Saints; his mother was a Sword Saint, his son was a Sword Saint, but only he was not.
It wasn’t that he lacked talent, nor that he hadn’t worked hard, but between those two suns, any light seemed dim.
His talent would be considered top-tier outside, but in this family, top-tier wasn’t enough.
Never enough.
After his mother died, Heinkel brewed this sense of powerlessness into alcohol, downing it every day, turning himself into a middle-aged man with murky eyes.
And then there was Reinhard’s mother, Luanna; she fell ill, very ill, and fell into a state called Sleeping Beauty, and has remained asleep to this day, her body unchanged.
So, only Reinhard was left in this family, carrying the banner of the Astrea Family all by himself.
As the saying goes: the runaway grandfather, the alcoholic father, the sleeping mother, and the upright him!
A family of four, four directions, none of them touching.
They were clearly close relatives connected by blood, yet there was a distance between them even greater than that between strangers.
How to put it, this person Reinhard is the ceiling of the world’s combat power.
With hundreds of Divine Protections, handsome, upright, and polite to everyone, he is simply the template for a perfect knight.
Yet, such a perfect person has an unhappy family.
So the saying “no one is perfect” makes sense; even with hundreds of Divine Protections, you can’t protect family relationships.
However, come to think of it, family relationships don’t rely on Divine Protections, but on communication between family members.
And Reinhard’s family is most lacking in communication.
Thinking of this, a complex expression appeared on Theresia’s face, with emotion and regret, and a little bit of something indescribable mixed in.
That strange expression lasted less than two and a half seconds before Theresia shook her head and cast it away.
“Reinhard’s family affairs, what does that have to do with me? I’m not really Reinhard’s grandmother, although it is true according to the settings, but I’m not the original Theresia either.”
Since she had transmigrated into this Re:Zero world, couldn’t she just enjoy herself?
In her past life, she would grind games until 2:30 AM, and almost die of sudden death from an 8 AM class the next day.
Now that she finally had cheats, money, looks, and time, not enjoying it would be a disservice to the hundred thousand or so she had spent on microtransactions.
It must be said that Theresia was now in a max-level salted fish state.
The kind that lies on the beach in another world sunbathing; whoever dares to flip her over, she’ll slash them with a sword.
Just as she was thinking this, Theresia’s nose suddenly caught a special fragrance, and her expression became somewhat strange:
“This scent… no way? Does this other world have something like this?”