Chapter 41 - Volume 3 (2/2)

Please forgive this weak Demon for being unable to withstand that strained atmosphere.

“ “ “………” ” ”

When I attended the evening ball, many people came to give their greetings, but stuck as I was between Rick who was in an ill mood and Noel who was emitting a bloodthirst, most of them backed away in a hurry.

Even though they’re not holding my hands, the situation didn’t change…… Ah,

“Duke Kaperu.”

As I spotted Duke Kaperu, who was pretending not to notice me, I pushed through the gap between the two boys and approached Duke Kaperu with a wide smile on my face.

“Th-there you are, Miss Yurushia, are you enjoying yourself…?”

“Thank you for holding such a grand evening ball for a child like me.”

At my polite words, Duke Kaperu’s face cramped slightly. Rude.

“……I see. It must have been difficult for Duke Verusenia to send his only daughter here, Miss Yurushia..”

“Well, understandably so. Since it was the King’s order, I can’t really ignore it, please don’t feel down, Duke Kaperu.”

“…I-Is that so, how terrible…… Then, Miss Yurushia, your [Princess] title must weigh heavily on you…”

“I was only four years old when it was decided, but most of the knights approved it, so before I knew anything else, it it had been decided. Did the other ducal houses’ daughters not protest it?”

“That is …… a blood issue… Th-that’s right, doesn’t the [Saint] title weigh heavily on you? I heard that when Miss Yurushia was kidnapped along with many children.”

“Roderick-onii-sama and Noel were among the children who had been kidnapped. If you would like to hear to story, shall I call them over?”

“N-no, that’s alright. So then… are you really capable of using Holy Magic at the level of a [Saint] like they say you can? Naturally, you’re able to use 【Blessing]…?”

“Oh, would you like to see? I’ll do it, okay? I’ll be using the higher-grade 【Feast of Blessings]. Although I think that an 【Archangel of Light] might appear, I don’t think there’s be as much [Damage] as last time.”

“Eh!? No, please stop, … ex, excuse me, I just remembered I have something urgent to deal with.”

“Is that so…”

For some reason, Duke Kaperu seemed to rapidly distance himself from me after that cute exchange with his cheeky words.

I didn’t think much, and just returned all of it to the sender…… It’s a failure. I wanted to reply more to his muddled sarcasm and to investigate how much his [Soul] had matured for harvesting……

Because I was mentally exhausted, I wanted to ‘use’ Duke Kaperu to refresh myself.

After that, since I made those two worry with my disappearance, I was tightly surrounded once again.

＊

“…[Let there be Light]…”

I cast Holy Magic on the obviously-heavily-injured child that had been carried into the cathedral.

But to be injured so badly that the child’s body is wrapped entirely with bandages… That’s not it. It might be because of some terrible disease, or possibly a [Curse] from being careless.

After all, [Curses] exist in this world.

Although most cases involved 【Demons], it was also possible to be cursed with normal magic. Most of them come from [Traps]. Treasure chests, tools, and other items that would trigger traps if anyone but the maker used it. They’re particularly troublesome, since they can activate even after the maker has died.

As for this child, I don’t know whether it’s disease or a curse, but 【Healing] didn’t seem to have any effect, so I used my original magic.

The image I used, was an item that I’d never used before in my games, the 【Last Elixir].

Because it wasn’t an item that would be depleted after use, it’s something that could be used on a poor commoner could use, but with an effect that powerful.

And in the blink of an eye, the child’s injury scars faded, and not even a single sign of disease remained.

Because I didn’t want it to spread, I also spread the spell to the mother and the surrounding priests. Since this world’s cosmetic surgery is terrible, I’ll restore that, too.

“Thank you very much, oh Saint!”

“Nee-chan, thank you~”

No need, no need, you’re welcome. Although the small boy doesn’t seem to understand it very well, the mother is so happy that she’s shedding tears of joy.

“…Ah, about the offering…”

Ah, right, there was that.

While wiping away her tears, the mother cowered a little, probably thinking that she needed to pay a large tithe.

Even if it is called a place of worship, what we’re doing is the same as a hospital, so even though it’s called an offering the value is fixed.

If it was a fracture, the going rate is around 30% of their monthly salary, but when it comes to the Holy magic that I used, it’s about the same level as the cost of several months’ worth of hospitalisation in an intensive care unit that I remembered from the dream world, so I could only speculate.

“Let’s leave it to the will of God…”

After saying that, one of the middle-aged priests brought over a paper that looked like an invoice.

Glancing at it, the amount written could buy me many sets of dresses.

“Tei~”

“DoaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”

After quickly poking his forehead in a tsukkomi (read: straight-man comedy act, classic japanese comedy), and sending the middle-aged priest flying several meters, I smiled at the mother and child.

“I am still in training. You don’t need to tithe.”

“B, bb-b-b-b-b-but”

Crap, they got scared. …… that’s okay, though, it’s normal.

“Although this is a church, the magic that I used is a magic of my own making that I created during my training, so to make an offering now would be an insult to God’s will.”

Right? … After I looked around with an [Intimidating] glare at the surrounding church officials, all of them averted their gazes wonderfully. … Wait, please don’t avert your gaze too, mother-san.

“Okaa-san, cake …”

“Wait, wait a moment, please stay quiet for a bit.”

Is the child hungry? They’re looking for sweets in the mother’s bag. That child, doing as they pleased … the child handed me the sweets that they found.

“Onee-chan, here~”

“Oh my, can I have it?”

“Mmm”

“Fufufu, I will receive your wonderful [Offering].”

Not to mention, the money can be withdrawn from Duke Kaperu {who has plenty of it}.

As the priests looked at me with fear in their eyes, the mother took her child, who was waving and smiling happily at me, and went home.

Something from this might find its way to Duke Kaperu, but honestly I’ve got no issue with that, especially since I wanted him to get agitated and come after me.

Also……

“……”

The sweet that was given to me…… It’s unusual … and I’m not making a bad joke here.

I don’t know why, but it seems that that child’s [Feelings]…? Hmm, there seems to be something that feels like a bit of a [Soul] inside of it.

Perhaps it’s not a tithe to the church, but rather an [Offering] to me?