Chapter 100
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Um… could you try not to be too surprised?”
”Ah, got it.”
For now, I took Seria, who had calmed her chest down, back to town and headed to the house where her mother lives.
I wanted to test if Seria’s skill, which could be called “Commercial Recovery,” would work on her mother, so before entering the house, Seria shared some important things with me.
Since part of her body is petrified, it must be a significant burden both mentally and physically.
Once I confirmed that I understood this, Seria unlocked the door and opened it.
”I’m home…”
”Oh, welcome back, Seria. And who is that?”
The voice that responded to her was an elderly-looking woman, probably someone here to take care of Seria’s mother.
Seria introduced me to her.
”Uh, this is someone I’ve been working with a lot lately.”
”Oh, really…”
I kept the introduction brief because revealing the contract could lead to complications, but the woman looked at me suspiciously.
Since she was inviting me into the house, maybe it would have been better to act like we have a closer relationship?
As I was thinking that, the woman asked Seria a surprising question.
”Are you comparing him to that girl, Iris, you brought a few days ago?”
”Huh?”
”Huh?”
Surprised by the question, I noticed that Seria was shocked too.
”Why is Seria surprised?”
”No, I just thought you knew about it. Well… I only met her mom briefly, so it probably wasn’t something I needed to report.”
”..”
Hmm…
I guess Iris hasn’t been able to move towards breaking the curse that seems to affect her sister either, so maybe she wanted to take some sort of action.
I heard that her mother was asking if things had worsened over time.
Since I had previously learned that Seria’s mother was cursed with petrification even before Iris’ sister, it makes sense that she was worried something might happen to Iris’ sister while she was away from home.
The meeting results showed that there was no worsening of the curse, so it seems she quietly went home, which brought some relief.
Seria thought that this relief was because she was worried about her mother…
well, she might actually have been worried about her mother, but even if not, there was no need to point out something that could worsen their relationship.
* * *
When Seria returned home, the woman named Ms. Girolina, who had been helping to care for her mother, also went home.
After we saw her off, we got ready and headed to Seria’s mother’s room.
Knock, knock.
”Hello, Seria?”
The soft voice responding to the knock gave a gentle impression, and there didn’t seem to be much mental stress from the stone curse.
However, that was probably because I had never interacted with someone in such a situation.
When I entered the room with Seria, there sat a woman whose legs were likely petrified and covered with sheets on the bed.
She welcomed me with a weary yet smiling face.
Seria seemed to resemble her mother, who looked to be about the same age Seria would be in a few years.
It’s getting somewhat cold around this time of year, so she was wearing a jacket over her pajamas.
If she were healthy, people could mistake her for Seria’s older sister, and her figure was not bad at all…
In fact, from what I could see through the gap in her jacket, she had a nice figure.
”Welcome, my name is Meria. I apologize for my appearance.”
”No, please don’t worry about it.”
Seria introduced me just like before, and since I was employing her daughter, Ms. Meria was being considerate towards me.
Seria said she would prepare some tea and stepped out for a moment, leaving just the two of us, at which point Ms. Meria asked about the reason for my visit.
”So, what brings you here today…?”
”Ah, um… I heard that Iris, who I’ve been spending time with, came by recently.”
”Huh? Yes, that’s right…”
”We plan to help Seria develop her healing magic for a while, and I also wanted to check on your curse, just like Iris’s stuff.”
This was a made-up reason for my visit, decided upon learning that Iris had been here earlier.
The reason I made up such a story is to talk about the real purpose and to avoid disappointing Ms. Meria if it didn’t work out.
It would be cruel to give her hope that it might heal and then tell her it didn’t.
In addition to that reason, I need to mention that I agreed to help Seria grow her healing magic because she proposed a deal.
By cooperating with Seria, who wants to improve her healing magic, we would get a discount on our treatment fees in return, so I decided to go along with that.
Without this situation, people might question why I’m helping Seria and it could lead to complicated misunderstandings.
It seems Ms. Meria understood this situation and replied without any doubts.
”Ah, I see. But… well, it’s not exactly a pleasant thing to look at, is it?”
”I understand the circumstances, and it’s fine from our side. However, if it bothers you, I won’t force it…”
Seria’s “Commercial Recovery” doesn’t need to see the affected area directly, but to confirm it worked, she needs to know the state before using the healing magic.
Well, there’s no reason for Seria to fabricate Ms. Meria’s curse, and it’d be fine if the curse is lifted as a result of using the healing magic.
Since Iris is also checking Ms. Meria’s petrified leg, she should be able to tell if the curse is broken, so I can just ask her.
That being said, it’s not absolutely necessary to see it, so I replied that way, but Ms. Meria shyly returned the words.
”No, well… it depends on how much I should show.”
”What do you mean by how much?”
”Um… if you want to see where the stone part meets my skin, then it would, um… be around here.”
As she spoke, she pointed to quite a bit above her thigh… it was at a line where, depending on the angle, it might reveal her private area.
”…Did Iris see that much?”
”No, my attitude seemed to make her refrain from it. At that time, she just touched it to check.”
”Oh… I see?”
Is that so? If it’s just confirming the boundary with the part that’s turned to stone, I could touch it to check.
It seems she’d be more concerned about being touched than being seen… but if she thinks it’s better that way, then that’s fine.
However, the reason it’s okay is that Iris is a woman, and since I’m not a doctor, it might be a bit of a problem for me to touch her.
So…
”Well, I don’t really want to check that much, so if you could just show me your toes a bit…”
I said, asking to see.
”Alright then…”
Muffled… swoosh.
Saying that, Ms. Meria lifted the sheets that were covering her, and from underneath, a stone foot appeared.
Since I don’t know what her original foot looked like, it seems more like a stone foot rather than a petrified one… but it looks like black granite.
”Well… it’s still kind of creepy, isn’t it?”
Maybe it’s because she’s uncomfortable being looked at; Ms. Meria showed a downcast expression while touching her legs.
Since I’m the one making her feel uncomfortable, I should probably say something to lighten the mood.
”Well, I mean… setting aside the fact that they’re stone, I think you have nice legs, you know?”
”Oh, you don’t have to flatter an old woman like me!”
”It’s not really flattery if I mean it, you know?”
I could only see her legs from the knees down, but at least in that view, they looked good, and I meant it.
Maybe sensing that I was sincere, Ms. Meria’s face turned red as she seemed troubled.
”Y-you shouldn’t say that! You have Ms. Iris…”
”I’m just sharing my thoughts. Besides, Iris doesn’t have any right to stop me from whatever I want to do.”
”R-really? That’s a bit concerning…”
Hearing about my relationship with Iris, she muttered quietly.
”If Ms. Iris and you are not in that ‘kind of relationship’, then there’s a possibility that you might make a move on Seria… but if that area is safe, and you don’t mind this leg, then maybe I could…”
”Um…”
”Ah!?”
The conversation seemed to be heading in a strange direction, so I chimed in, and Ms. Meria reacted to my voice.
Rustle, rustle…
”Um… if you’d like, would you like to see the boundary as well?”
As she said that, she pulled up her sheets and skirt further, exposing her legs to a height that would be close to what you’d call a mini-skirt in my past life.
I was sitting down, so my view was relatively low, but fortunately? The angle meant I wasn’t seeing her groin.
Putting that aside, the real focus was her legs.
That was definitely the boundary where the flesh and stone mixed together in a blurry line.
Just as I was getting absorbed in that strange sight… Ms. Meria pulled her sheets and skirt up a bit more.
”Um, if you’d like, you can touch to check it out.”
”Uh…”
The boundary was already visible, and she had definitely lifted the sheets and skirt too much.
From her previous mutterings, it seemed like she was thinking that she would rather me to have her own body than have I lay hand on Seria.
”No, I don’t think that far.”
”Is it really that creepy…?”
Ms. Meria said this with a sad face as I tried to refuse.
”No, that’s not what I mean.”
”Then please!”
*Grasp, squish*
As soon as I denied her words, Ms. Meria grabbed my hand and pressed it against her bare skin.
It was already on her upper thigh, and I could still feel a firm sensation.
*Swish swish… Squish squish…*
”Um, what about ‘that thing’ with Seria…?”
”No, we haven’t done anything…”
”Then, if this body is okay… what do you think?”
*Slide… Squish*
Saying this, Ms. Meria led my hand under her skirt, inviting me to touch the thin patch of hair above her underwear.
It wasn’t exactly the entrance yet… but since I usually use Magic Armor for contraception during such activities, I was trying to hold back now, keeping my magical energy in check, and the heat of the moment was starting to affect me.
It would be a big deal if I got petrified while going after Ms. Meria, and Seria would definitely get angry too.
Just as I was thinking about refusing… Seria knocked on the door from outside.
*Knock knock*
”Mom, I’m coming in, okay?”
””!?””
*Rustle*
Ms. Meria, not wanting to be seen leading me on, quickly released my hand and tried to pull the sheets back, so I also pulled my hand away.
”Y-yeah, it’s fine!”
Reacting to Ms. Meria’s slightly flustered voice, Seria entered the room.
”Hmm? Is something wrong?”
Noticing something was off, Seria asked, but Ms. Meria quickly covered it up and brushed it aside.
* * *
After that, when Seria returned with tea… she held her cup filled to the brim in one hand and used the other to hold her staff while reporting on what happened in the dungeon.
She primarily talked about my strength and mentioned that my healing magic would likely improve at this rate.
But since Ms. Meria knew about her “Minor Recovery,” she had a slightly uneasy expression as she listened to the conversation.
Seeing her mother like that, Seria would have felt pain in her heart until now.
But this time… even while looking at Ms. Meria, her eyes were staring into the void.
”…”
Yes, right now she was checking if it was possible to uncurse Ms. Meria using “Commercial Recovery.”
The liquid poured into Seria’s cup wasn’t tea, but holy water, a catalyst for healing magic, and she had slipped a few 50,000 Oar gold coins into her chest, just enough so they wouldn’t fall out.
By pouring holy water generously into the cup, it became easier to make contact with her fingers, and at the same time, she was reporting while holding her staff, trying not to let anyone notice she was researching whether she could uncurse Ms. Meria.
Seria gave me a look that seemed to say something.
”It’s possible, but impossible.”
What does that mean?
When I raised my eyebrows in confusion at Seria’s reaction… she set aside her staff and cup and opened her mouth towards me.
”Um… it seems the amount needed is quite large. Even with what I have, only a small portion is filled at the edge.”
”Eh?”
Ms. Meria had doubts about that comment, but if the only issue was the amount of money, there might be a way to manage it, so it was okay to let her have some hope about the uncurse.
For now, I made Seria hold the most valuable coins I had, but it seemed like it hardly filled the edge at all.
Well… it’s still better than having no changes at all and knowing that the uncurse is impossible.
”How much do you need?”
When I asked that, Seria stared at the sky for a moment and estimated the minimum amount needed.
”..I think we need at least 50 million Oar.”
”Wh-at!?”
Seria, who had predicted that it would be quite a lot of money, replied with a downcast voice…
Ms. Meria sensed that we were trying to lift the curse on her and jumped into our conversation, explaining that the cost for that is over 50 million Oar.
”Se, Seria! What do you mean? Is that the amount required to lift my curse? How do you know that right here and now?”
”Um… is it okay if I explain?”
After Ms. Meria’s question, Seria looked to me for confirmation.
The reason she needed confirmation is that her skill “consumes” money.
Consuming means that the amount spent could disappear from this country… or rather, from this world.
If word got out, the country, which would be troubled by the decrease in currency, would likely ban her skill.
If she were to be confined to prevent touching coins and only used when convenient… well, there’s even a chance she could be killed.
Although we haven’t tested it yet, if domestic money includes foreign currency, it could potentially lead to international issues.
The surroundings of this country are said to be relatively stable due to the church’s influence, but compared to the past life, wars seem to break out more easily, and many countries are after the rights to dungeons.
In such a world, the nation wouldn’t leave gaps for others to exploit, so at the very least, it seems like she would be confined.
If that happens, it’s expected that Seria would naturally be separated from me, and since she has a contract with me, she couldn’t just decide without checking in with me.
Well, there’s also the possibility of not being able to meet Ms. Meria, and if we can meet, she might be captured along with me.
So, I thought for a bit before deciding to explain my concerns to Ms. Meria and ask her to keep it a secret.
* * *
”Seria has that kind of power…”
Ms. Meria promised not to disclose anything about Seria’s skill and asked for the details, but while she understood, her expression remained clouded.
I had also explained the risks of consuming money, and perhaps it was because the amount required to lift her curse was quite high.
”…”
Seria couldn’t confidently use her skills and was frowning because she knew she needed a lot of coins.
Seeing Seria like this, Ms. Meria spoke up.
”Seria, I’m okay. If necessary, I could just break my stone leg and wouldn’t have to move, and you wouldn’t need to take care of me.”
”No, no! We finally found a way to possibly heal it…!”
Bam! Thud!
After replying like that to Ms. Meria, Seria suddenly bowed deeply toward me with enthusiasm.
”I’m sorry, but… is there any way we can work this out?”
She was asking me for a solution.
”Seria…”
Ms. Meria showed a complicated expression seeing her daughter like this.
She felt happy to be so cherished, but also guilty that her daughter had to bow like that because of her feelings.
I was troubled looking at the two of them.
”Hmm…”
Even if they asked, the only basic option was to gather coins.
If I forged them using my powers, there was a chance they could mistakenly leak out, and if it was discovered they were forged, it would be serious.
If that happened, my existence would be revealed, and if my real family found out I was alive, there could be pursuers coming from that country.
So, I wanted to avoid counterfeit money… but then I suddenly thought of something.
”Does it really have to be coins?”
If others didn’t recognize it as money, even if it leaked out, it might not be suspicious as a counterfeit.
Thinking of that, I created something in my bag, took it out, and offered it to a still-bowed Seria.
”Seria, use this and look at Ms. Meria again.”
”Huh? Oh, okay. This is… a stack of paper? There are people drawn on it.”
As she said, all the paper had the same person drawn on it, with the number 10000 “printed” on each one.
The back showed a certain station building, but let’s set that aside.
Yes, this is the Japanese 10,000 yen bill.
At least in this country, paper bills aren’t used, and from what I’ve heard from Iris, there doesn’t seem to be a country called Japan in this world… So, people probably won’t recognize this as money, and even if it somehow gets out, it won’t be traced back since it’ll be seen as a counterfeit.
Also, it might help to keep the fact that money is needed for Seria’s “Commercial Recovery” a secret, too.
For now, I created a bundle of 1 million yen… Since I had some experience, the magic consumption wasn’t too high, so making 100 or 200 bills shouldn’t be a big deal.
The remaining issues are whether this currency can be used for Seria’s “Commercial Recovery,” and if it can be used, whether I can afford the amount needed for Ms. Meria’s curse removal.
”Well then… here you go.”
Seria hands the bundle back to me, opens her chest area, and once again presents her cleavage while holding the staff and a cup of holy water in both hands.
Ms. Meria likely understands the situation, so I didn’t worry about her gaze and slipped the bundle into her cleavage.
It’s quite a volume and weight, but Seria’s chest is big enough to hold it without issue.
Then…
”?!”
Right after that, Seria looked at Ms. Meria with wide eyes.
”How is it?”
”It, it works. But I think we’ll need about… 50 more of the same kind.”
With this, I realized that her “Commercial Recovery” could potentially work with currency from another world.
Seria asked if it would be possible to get more, kind of gauging my response.
That would be easily doable, but… does that mean 50 million Oar equals 50 million yen?
It seems like it’s being assessed at face value.
Well then… the bag I have is large because I had to enter a dungeon, so it wouldn’t be odd if it physically contained around 50 bundles of bills.
To avoid raising suspicion about carrying those, I had to look like I was expecting loot, otherwise, people would think I wasn’t planning to bring back things like magic stones, and I could attract those who might follow me looking to hunt the monsters I caught.
There might be a strange impression of why I’m carrying such bundles of paper, but I’ll just have to make sure that’s not a concern for now.
*Thud, thud, thud…*
”Eh? …!?”
*Swoosh… Thud.*
Seria, confused as I pull out stacks of bills one after another from my bag.
However, once she understands that preparations are underway to break the curse on Ms. Meria, she places her staff and holy water on the floor and bows her head to the ground once again until I finish pulling out the necessary amount.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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