Chapter 155 - Volume 8
Volume 8, Chapter 13: I Got Lost, Part 4
I remember him from somewhere. Not here. It wasn’t Atra at my [Home] the Holy Kingdom.
Or, more correctly, I didn’t feel that spiritual “connection”. …… maybe.
“……Geas?”
“As expected, Miss.”
Appetizing, that. If I looked at it closely, it wasn’t the same man as Yuzu’s grandfather, but that’s no surprise.
How did that happen? When did he learn [Humanization]?
Not contacting me for so long, what is this child doing? Ah~…… It’s hard to call it ‘this child’ now.
“Well, isn’t this a good thing? This is my fourth life, and now, for me, Yurushia is now both my “master” and my “young lady”“
“Well, that’s quite true……”
As I was now, I would be hard-pressed to say that I have any sense of being Yuzu at all. Still, it was difficult to instruct Geas as he was now.
It’s almost like the feeling one gets toward their chaperone.
“I have taken up the ‘setting’ of being Rinne-sama’s butler. At Rinne-sama’s instructions, I have come to pick up Lady Yurushia.”
“Setting, huh……”
Wait,…… what?
“Rinne’s not in human form by any chance, is he? No, it’ll be good to give Rinne a vessel soon…… eh? What’s Onzada-kun doing, then? …… no way”
“Hohohohohoho, that’s a story for later. Since we don’t have time now, could I have Lady Yurushia help in healing the refugees?”
…… Somehow, I was relieved at the demon-like change in topic.
Well, I was one too, but having the attributes of a former human made the spiritual life form called a [Devil] be less restricted, and sometimes even allow us to act with human common sense.
Still, the number one priority was that of ‘food’.
I don’t know why we didn’t have time, but if the extra refugees were already there, I had no qualms healing them.
It wasn’t entirely bad to advertise my name given that it came originally from my work.
“Which reminds me, I saw a group of humans hunting someone in the forest. I don’t know who they were trying to hunt. Either way, Lady Yurushia, you’ve been a bit too carefree lately.”
“Hmm.”
I was prodded in a slightly sore spot.
On Atra I had my parents, and on earth there were Yuzu’s family.
I respected their needs and lived modestly.
But since I didn’t have to worry about that here on [Tess], I’ve really cut loose.
I might have overdone it and made a few too many enemies……
I don’t know which of my enemies were here, so I needed to be careful. I would live a righteous and upright life as a Demon.
…… Geas, you’re really just here to be my “chaperone”, aren’t you?
*
“…[Let there be Light]…”
The light of the holy magic spread out softly and healed the ill and injured children.
“Waaah……”
“It moved.”
“…… It doesn’t hurt anymore”
The children, who had been led by Geas to this public-square-like space, stood up with uncomprehending expressions and smiles.
“T-this lady healed all of us.”
As the children’s eyes followed the words of the slightly tense mayor, I gave them a small smile.
“Does it hurt?”
“No, it’s okay now.”
“Thank you, miss!”
Their shining eyes and the pure love I could feel was very cute.
Children were obedient and nice. …… Because they’re not afraid of me at all. But the adults refused to even meet my gaze.
Looking at it, why were they able to interact with Geas so normally……?
“U-uhh …… Princess, well…”
“Oh, what’s the matter?”
As the village chief’s trembling voice called out to me, I replied to him with equal parts tenderness and pride.
Ah…… now that I mention it, it seems that the holy church here has been charging the townspeople high fees under the pretext of “tithes”.
In any case, I’m not hard up for money in any sense.
Although Sail was giving us a sum of money to move around, my own profits from selling my scalp treatment, my magic, etc, was enough to buy me a home in the royal capital.
I met Sephira and came up with a new business idea. …… fufufu.
I wonder if this is the result of Yuzu’s sensibilities?
But, to take money from those that don’t have it? As I smiled gently at him, the village chief swallowed with a gulp, and finally opened his mouth as if he’d finally come to a decision.
“…… Would you please withdraw your angel of light?”
“……I understand”
When I first got here and tried healing the children, some of the people tried to get themselves healed first, or that because of my lateness, I would have to compensate them if their injuries got worse.
It’s not like you really need it at all if you have the energy to complain……
Geas, did you really let them …… well, as you said, there might have been more of them.
Even then, I healed them all equally because I was being “kind”.
I used the [Feast of Blessings] properly.
Ah, also, it seems that the [Feast of Blessings] I used is a little different from usual.
A regular [Feast of Blessings] would give [Divine Protection] to many people at the same time and would split the power to heal their wounds, strengthen their bodies, and gradually ward off disease.
But this [Feast of Blessings] poured a huge amount of magic power into healing, with the surplus turning into a spirit of light, and this unscrupulous angel of light gave out a large amount of [Divine Protection].
When acquired for the first time, it would heal the weak, so that was okay. But, when someone was poor but healthy, it was as effective as chugging a certain famous nutrient drink by the mug wholesale.
And so those people who were energetic enough to be complaining, were all convulsing on the floor while bleeding from their noses in healthiness,
It became a vicious cycle were the angels of light would be clinging to them, giving them more Divine Protection since they thought the people were still unwell!
“…… It was an unfortunate accident.”
“We understand, but please put an end to it quickly!”
As I mumbled while staring into the distance, the village chief finally put in a straight-man reply.
* *
Geas and I went out to see the whole village.
I wasn’t accepting alms, but the children made me [Offerings] of potatoes.
However, because I had so much left overs, I gave them about 1 ton of dried seaweed in return. This will improve their nutritional balance.
The seaweed production from Atra is small, and on earth and Tess, seaweed production is mainstream, so as one of the “truths of the universe” giving seaweed wasn’t a problem at all.
As I kept taking out seaweed endlessly from the pocket of my dress, I felt a little scared too, but I’m alright.
I think salted seaweed is an excellent partner for steamed potatoes.
“So Geas, just ‘whose’ hunting party was that in the forest, and who were they?”
“Yes madam. Apparently, they were adventurers hired directly and not through the guild. It seems that the client hid their face in a hood, and did not give a name, but they said that it sounded like a young woman. However…”
“However?”
“I’m not sure why you’re “requesting” to know about that particular thing right now.”
“……Fuuu~n”
It just gets more and more suspicious. They probably thought that they could do it given that it was just a single noble Lady.
The question is, why did they try to kill me?
Certainly, I’m making some very remarkable moves, but I don’t think that it’s entirely out of the frame expected from a [Saint] that Sail has acknowledged……
I don’t think that they were trying to send these adventurers to their deaths, nor was it because they thought I was a Demon. Were they trying to probe out my power? Or was the existence of the [Saint] itself a hindrance?
“We don’t have enough information……”
“Yes. If only we had Miss Fannie and her abilities as a [Nightmare], it would have been different.”
It was only after I was without the four of them that I realized just how capable they were.
But them being close also has its own problems………
Ah……? It seems that my escort knights and friends were pretty decent when it didn’t involve me……
No, it’s just my imagination. Maybe. Yeah, that’s definitely the case.
“And so, Rinne and the others……”
“Ah yes, there was also that. There was a bit of information that Lady Yurushia had been looking for about Rinne-sama…”
*Poof*
“………… what?”
[Gaugau]
“Are you getting jealous!?”
Suddenly Geas turned into the teddy bear.
I lifted it up and shook it, but Geas only went [Gau?] and tilted its neck cutely, and there was no sign at all of the “can-do old butler” that was there previously.
Darn your useless cuteness.
What happened to Rinne? What was the information?
Did you run out of time, so you couldn’t keep your human form any longer?
I thought that it was funny that its magic power hadn’t changed at all from that of a [Greater Demon], even after taking on a human form.
“Tell me that firrrrrrrrst!”
[Gaugau]
Geas separated from my dejected self, and climbed a tree with its short limbs, offering me several blood-red mushrooms he found.
No, I don’t need these ugly mushrooms.
[Gau]
“…………”
Well, it’s not that delicious…
There were many things I wanted to say, but I held it in for when I saw Rinne again.
As it was, I was in a situation not unlike that of a fairy tale, where a [Girl was being guided by a teddy bear into a forest].
In fact, while we were running at 300 km/h in the cold forest of the northern countries, Geas hungrily devoured all of the monsters that he ran into, and it was quite a scene.
And so, a few hours later…… we arrived at the castle occupied by the forces of Darkness.
Author’s Notes:
Who is he?
Next time, reunion…… when it comes.